Part 8 (1/2)
There had never been a doubt. ”I want to.”
”And if they find out?”
”Then we deal with that.”
”Okay, Annie.” He took a step closer. Her heart skipped a frantic beat. She looked up into his eyes, glad she was standing on his level and not staring up from her chair. His slow smile turned her insides to liquid.
A footstep sounded in the next row of books. Mrs. Krenshaw's loud whisper echoed from the desk, instructing someone where to find a volume.
The sound of swis.h.i.+ng fabric and footsteps came up behind her, and Annie stepped away from Luke.
Charmaine rushed to her side. ”Mr. Carpenter! What a pleasure to see you.”
”You too, Miss Renlow.”
”I didn't know you came here.”
He glanced from Annie to her cousin. ”It's a library. A lot of people come here.”
Charmaine giggled. ”Of course. How silly of me.”
”I was wondering if you and Annie would meet me for dinner at Mrs. Edgewood's cafe tomorrow night? Not very fancy, but the food is good. I would sure like your company.”
Charmaine blushed to the roots of her hair. ”Why, that would be delightful! Wouldn't that be delightful, Annie?”
”Shhh!” came an admonition from the front of the library.
”Yes, it would,” Annie whispered. ”What time, Mr. Carpenter?”
They settled the details and he wished them a good day, turning away and walking toward the door, his boot heels loud in the echoing silence.
”Oh, my gracious, Annie!” Charmaine said, leaning on her cousin's arm and nearly toppling her over. Annie grabbed a shelf for support. ”Oh, oh, I'm sorry. You must be getting tired. Here.” She retrieved Annie's chair from the end of the aisle and Annie picked up her books and settled into it. ”He invited us to dinner! This is the most thrilling event! Can you even imagine?”
”Shhh!” came the expected admonition from the front of the building.
”Keep your voice down,” Annie shushed her.
”I've never been invited to dinner before.” She glanced at Annie. ”Well, of course, neither have you, but it's ever so flattering. He's not even a boy, he's a grown man!”
Annie had been flattered, too; naturally Charmaine would be ecstatic. She thought Luke was a prince. And she had no idea that Luke had invited them so that he could see Annie. Hadn't he? Or was Annie attributing too much meaning to the kisses that had pa.s.sed between them? It was almost too good to be true that he thought of Annie as fondly as she thought of him.
Perhaps he shared kisses and dinners with other young ladies all the time. Or perhaps it was actually Charmaine who'd captured his interest and Annie was a harmless distraction.
No, no, he had voiced his interest on more than one occasion. He genuinely wanted to see her in spite of her family's disapproval. She almost wrapped her arms around herself and laughed. Her! Luke Carpenter was interested in her!
”We'll have to decide what to wear,” Charmaine said from behind, pus.h.i.+ng her toward the loan desk. ”We'd better go home and plan.”
Guiltily, she hoped Charmaine's feelings wouldn't be hurt when she realized that it was Annie whom Luke wanted to see. Perhaps she should tell her. But that would seem as though she were full of herself-and she wasn't. She could hardly believe it herself.
What would her cousin think if she knew about the kisses she had shared with Luke? She'd better wait and see what happened next. She could be wrong about his intentions.
And if she was, she would die of disappointment.
Her emotions were in turmoil for an entire day. Charmaine told her mother about their dinner plans and proceeded to try on every dress she possessed, as well as arranging her hair and holding earbobs to her ears and turning this way and that before the mirror. Annie felt like a traitor. She didn't want Charmaine to get her hopes up. She didn't want to get her own hopes up. She didn't want Charmaine to be embarra.s.sed. She didn't want to be embarra.s.sed herself.
What a predicament she'd landed in.
By the time they were dressed and ready to take the wagon into town the next night, Charmaine's whirlwind chattering and primping had Annie's nerves frayed. She surveyed the scenery between the ranch and town and took slow calm breaths, tuning out her cousin's continual stream of girlish talk.
They entered Copper Creek and Annie's heart kicked into a frenetic beating. Luke, dressed in dark trousers and a white s.h.i.+rt and black string tie, met them at the livery. ”Evenin', ladies. Aren't you the prettiest creatures in these parts?”
Annie had borrowed a blue s.h.i.+rtwaist dress from Charmaine. Charmaine thought the dress was too plain, but that was exactly why Annie loved it. She didn't feel like a child in the garment.
”Stay where you are,” he said and climbed up to sit beside Charmaine. ”I'll leave the wagon in the alley while we eat.”
He drove the horse and wagon to the cafe and a.s.sisted the ladies to the door, then left to move the wagon.
”Isn't he charming?” Charmaine asked breathlessly.
Annie nodded.
”I wish Mary Lou could see me,” she said. ”She's always bragging about that Nelson boy calling on her.”
”This isn't exactly calling,” Annie dared to mention.
”Of course it is,” her cousin argued. ”He's courting minded.”
”But there are two of us,” Annie reminded her.
”That keeps it proper. Watch how outrageously he flirts.”
”He's simply being nice.”
”No. He's of an age to be married. Don't be so dull, Annie. When a young man shows interest in a young lady, it's courting.”
Luke came toward them and the conversation ended. He led them into the cafe, held Charmaine's chair while she sat, and moved a chair aside to wheel Annie up close.
Noting the high color in Annie's cheeks, Luke sat between the cousins and glanced from one to the other.
Annie was lovely in a dark-blue dress with a ruffled collar standing up around her ivory throat. The color set off the red-gold highlights in her curly hair and brought a sparkle to her eyes. ”You look-you both look so pretty.”
Annie smiled and blushed, and Charmaine thanked him.
Dora took their orders and brought the ladies cups of tea and Luke coffee. He stirred in a spoonful of sugar.
”Rachel Maye said she ate at an elegant restaurant when she went to Denver with her family,” Charmaine said. ”Have you been to any of those types of places?”
”Restaurants, you mean?” he asked.
She nodded.