Part 21 (1/2)
She raised her face to his in invitation. Before he could lower his head, she wrapped one hand around his neck and pulled him to her, kissing him fiercely, possessively.
”When did you first know you loved me?” she whispered against his ear.
He squeezed her gently. ”I'll have to think on that.”
”Well, what are the possibilities?”
”Maybe when I saw you eating peppermint ice cream.”
”Maybe?”
”Maybe. Or maybe when you smiled at me across a stack of denims in the mercantile.”
She drew back to see his face. ”When was that?”
He shrugged. ”A long time ago. You were with your Aunt Vera and Charmaine. I remember that because if it had been your mother she'd have dragged you from the store as soon as she saw I was there.”
”Maybe then, huh? It must have been a good smile.”
He grinned. ”It was.”
”Or when else?”
He twined a ringlet of her satiny hair around his finger. ”Or maybe when you cried because Burdell punched me.”
She frowned. ”After the Fourth of July dance?”
He shook his head. ”No. After I took you for a ride.”
Her eyes searched his. ”I was only ten years old.”
”I was fourteen. Not that much older. I told you I'd have to think about it.”
She pulled from his arms and took his hand. ”All right. But I'm going to ask you again.”
”I'm sure you will.”
”Let's go rescue Charmaine from the sun.”
”Your cousin is a gem.”
”I know. She deserves the next too-good-to-be-true man.” Annie hooked her arm through Luke's and he led her through the house to the door.
”I love the house,” she said, stopping him before he opened it. ”Truly. Thank you.”
”I just want you to be happy,” he told her with all the sincerity he felt in his heart. ”I never want to see you hurt or unhappy again. I want to give you so much.”
”You have,” she a.s.sured him. ”Already you have. I don't need much more than your love and acceptance.”
He knew she believed that now. But she still needed a nice home and comfortable furnis.h.i.+ngs and the acceptance of friends and family. He prayed he could give her all she deserved.
The night before the wedding, Annie couldn't sleep. She'd lain awake for hours, staring at the moonlight on the ceiling and telling herself all the reasons why she shouldn't be worried. Finally, she got up, donned her flannel wrapper, and went out to the kitchen to see if any warm water remained.
A sound from the other room startled her, and she limped into the sitting room where a soft light glowed.
Her mother sat in an elegant velvet-upholstered chair, her hair down around her shoulders.
”Mother? Are you all right?”
”I'm fine.”
”I wasn't going to bother to make tea just for myself, but if you'll join me I'll kindle the fire in the stove.”
”I've already brewed a pot. Help yourself.”
”Oh.” Annie hadn't noticed the silver service on the low table. Only Mildred Sweet.w.a.ter would prepare tea in a silver pot in the middle of the night. She poured herself a cup and sat on the divan. ”This feels good. It's a chilly night.”
Her mother stared at the embers in the fireplace.
”Did you have trouble sleeping, too?” Annie asked.
”I haven't slept a night since this ordeal began.”
”I a.s.sume you mean since Luke's been courting me.”
”Courting,” she sniffed. ”I haven't seen flowers or gifts.”
”He's spending all his money on our house and furnis.h.i.+ngs, Mother.”
”Harrummph.”
”Why won't you give us a chance?”
”Because I don't want to be disappointed,” she said stiffly. ”Like you're going to be disappointed.” She raised a hand and flicked her fingers. ”When all your fanciful dreams go up in smoke. When you discover he can't take care of you like we can.” She arched one brow and delivered a stinging prediction. ”When you can't please him.”
Chapter Twelve.
Annie mulled those words over. Couldn't please him? ”What do you mean?”
”Men are carnal creatures, Annie. Their tastes are not as delicate as a woman's. And you-you're just a girl.”
Annie's lungs burned when she drew a deep breath. ”Are you speaking of pa.s.sion, Mother? Because I want Luke as badly as he wants me.”
”Maybe you do, little girl. But will his supposed love for you last? If a crippled girl can't keep up with a strong man while walking or running, how will you please him intimately?”
Pain twisted in Annie's chest. She set her cup down so hard, liquid splashed over the edge onto her mother's starched and pressed doily. She wanted to cover her ears and refuse to listen to this foolishness and cruelty. ”I don't-I don't think that comparison is fair. Yes, he's strong and he's healthy, but he's tender and-and he's loving.”