Sweet Annie Part 2

His breath hitched in his chest. She'd remembered his eyes all this time? He couldn't help wondering what else she remembered-if she resented his intrusion in her life-if she'd been humiliated over the scene at her party? Afterward, he'd tried several times to get close enough to speak to her. He'd even taken another licking from Burdell. But nothing had daunted his unexplainable captivation with the girl.

Even now, after all these years, he wanted to take her for a ride-buy her ice cream-do anything that would bring joy to her expressive face.

He reached the wagon and lowered her to the pallet of blankets in the back. She arranged her skirts, deliberately avoiding looking at him. He returned for her chair and a.s.sisted Miss Renlow up to the wagon seat. With a giggle, Annie's cousin waved to her friends.

Miss Marples' wasn't very busy that afternoon, and the pudgy woman herself waited on them. After taking Charmaine's order, she asked, "And what will she have?" indicating Annie with a nod.

"Well, I don't know, why don't you ask her?" Luke replied. "She's in a wheelchair, but she's not deaf or stupid."

Miss Marples recovered quickly, her round cheeks pink. "No, of course not. Uh-what will you have?"

"I'd like a dish of peppermint ice cream, please," Annie replied, her own cheeks aflame. Being treated as though she were an idiot because she couldn't walk was one of the most irritating things about her life situation. And usually, her parents ordered for her, making the matter even worse.

No one had ever addressed the situation bluntly in her presence before, and secretly, she took delight in Luke's words.

Returning with their orders, Miss Marple fussed over them. Luke had asked for black walnuts for his vanilla ice cream, and she supplied him with a bowlful. He shared with the ladies.

"My Daddy says you're quite a businessman, Mr. Carpenter," Charmaine said, delicately nibbling a walnut meat. "He says that's a right fine livery you built there and that you know your horses."

"Your daddy would be the one to know," he replied, pleased with the compliment from a man he respected. "He takes good care of his animals and runs a fine ranch."

Charmaine giggled as though he'd complimented her. He couldn't help but smile at her obvious flirtation.

Annie, with cheeks as pink as the peppermint swirls in her ice cream, kept her gaze lowered to the frosty dish. She wasn't as flattered by his attentions as her cousin, and he wondered how to rectify that.

"Do you still live on your Uncle Gilbert's ranch?" Charmaine asked.

"No. I have a couple of rooms in the back of the livery for now."

"For now?"

"Eventually I'll build a house."

"In town?"

The silly girl was full of questions, while he was still trying to think of something to say to Annie. "Probably just outside town," he replied distractedly.

"Do you still have Wrangler?"

The softly spoken question came as a surprise. Even Charmaine turned to look at Annie.

Luke jumped on her first sign of interest and nodded in reply. "He's at Gil's."

"Do you still ride him?"

"Yes. He's fifteen now, but I still take him out for exercise."

Her lashes rose. She looked right at him. And smiled. Her gray eyes were filled with a pa.s.sionate yearning he wanted to fulfil. If only he knew how. If only her family didn't think of him as the scourge of the earth.

Maybe he hadn't been born under the same affluent circ.u.mstances as the Sweet.w.a.ters, but he'd worked long and hard to save and start his own business. As soon as he rebuilt his savings, he would build a house-a home. One he could bring a wife to.

But money was only a secondary reason for her family to scorn him. He'd lost their favor the day he'd taken their little girl for a ride.

He had never decided if it had been worth it or not.

She didn't say she'd like to see his horse-or that she'd like to ride him again. Her disturbing eyes said the words for her. She lowered her lids as if to hide the longing reflected in their depths.

"I could bring him out to your cousin's," he offered.

Annie blanched at his suggestion. "Oh, no, you mustn't!"

"Wouldn't you like to see him?"

"Yes, but, I couldn't-I mean, you shouldn't-well, it's just not possible."

Annie folded her hands in her lap and looked down at them. She couldn't bear for him to endure any more harm because of her. That one time had been enough to give her nightmares for years. "No," she affirmed, with a certain shake of her head.

Luke's name had been an unmentionable profanity in her home for as long as she could remember. She didn't want to imagine what would happen if her family discovered she'd encouraged him.

The last bites of ice cream sat melting in the bottom of her bowl. Annie didn't look up to see Luke's expression.

After an awkward stretch of silence, Charmaine piped up, "Will you be at Lizzy and Guy's wedding, Mr. Carpenter?"

"I wouldn't miss the event of the season," he replied, his tone still good-natured. "We're having a little prewedding celebration at the Red Garter tonight, as a matter of fact."

"What do gentlemen do on those occasions, anyway?" she asked, curiously.

"Would your mother want you to know?" he asked.

Annie couldn't help looking up to catch the mischievous lift of his ebony brow.

"Probably not," Charmaine said with a matching grin. "Tell me anyway."

"We drink whiskey and smoke cigars and tease the groom mercilessly."

"That doesn't sound like much fun." Charmaine's forehead creased.

"I'd say it's as much fun as sipping punch and giving feminine presents is for you ladies."

"Now, that's a lot of fun."

"It wouldn't be fun for the men unless you spiked the punch and pa.s.sed out stogies."

Charmaine laughed and Annie couldn't help joining her at the thought of their prissy girlfriends smoking smelly cigars.

"I'd better see you on your way now," Luke said, standing. "I promised that you'd be home in time to help with the meal."

"This was a delightful idea," Charmaine said. "Thank you for the invitation."

"My pleasure."

Annie made herself speak, but she kept her eyes averted. "Yes, Mr. Carpenter, thank you."

"You're welcome, Miss Sweet.w.a.ter." He paid their bill, then took charge of her chair, wheeling her out the door.

She focused all her attention on not thinking that he'd be lifting her again-holding her close against his chest. She stood and took a step to hang on to the corner of the wagon while he helped Charmaine up to the seat.

"You're standing!" he said, returning to her. The surprise in his voice embarra.s.sed her.

"I can stand," she replied.

He remained a few feet away. "Can you walk?"

She lifted her chin. "Yes."

"Well, come over here to me then." He reached a hand toward her.

His words froze her to the spot. Face burning, she shook her head. "Charmaine will help me up if you don't want to."

"I didn't say I didn't want to." Stepping forward, he swept her up so quickly, her breath caught. "I just wanted to see you walk."

"I'm not a side show," she said, bristling.

He climbed into the back of the wagon and knelt to lower her to the blankets. Without standing back up, he knelt before her, reaching out to catch her chin on his thumb, forcing her to meet his gaze. "I'm a friend, remember?"

Lord, those eyes were blue. And filled with compa.s.sion. She hated his pity. "My friends don't ask me to humiliate myself."

"Is that what I did?"

She nodded best she could with him holding her chin.

"I'm sorry then. I would never hurt you, Annie."

He wouldn't. Of that she was certain. And he was a friend-or he had been-for a wonderful fleeting afternoon long ago. "I know."

He released her and sat back on his haunches. "See you at the wedding."

She lowered her gaze to her gloved hands in her lap and nodded.

He jumped down from the tailgate, raised and latched it. "Afternoon, Miss Renlow," he called to Charmaine.

"Bye!" she called. "Thank you for the ice cream!"

At her urging, the horse pulled them away.

"Why are you so p.r.i.c.kly around him, Annie?" she called over her shoulder.

Annie moved to sit behind her cousin. "I wasn't p.r.i.c.kly."

"You were almost rude."

"I was not."

"Were so."

"You know how my parents feel about him."

"And I don't know why. He's charming."

"I know you think so. You're going to have bruises on your cheeks from pinching them every time he looked away. And where did that dreadful accent come from? You forgot it part of the time."

Charmaine groaned. "He probably thinks I'm an idiot."

"He wouldn't think that."

"No, he wouldn't, would he? We'll see him again at Lizzy's wedding-and at the reception. Maybe he'll ask me to dance!"

Annie's heart fluttered, then sank at the thought of seeing him again-of watching him dance with Charmaine. She cast the hurt firmly aside. Annie loved her cousin. Charmaine was a lovely young girl, and she deserved someone nice-someone handsome and thoughtful. As much as it disturbed her to think it, Luke and Charmaine would make a lovely couple. Both were strikingly attractive, both graceful and energetic and good with people.

She had no right to feel possessive about Luke Carpenter. Just because he'd been kind to her on more than one occasion didn't mean anything. Quite likely, he felt sorry for her.

And that thought broke her heart.

"Annie," Mildred Sweet.w.a.ter said in her most discouraging tone.

Two weeks had pa.s.sed and Annie was standing before her dressing table, a dozen ribbons scattered across the top, searching for just the right shade of blue.

"Oh, Mama! I need your help with some of these b.u.t.tons." She turned and glanced over her shoulder at her lower back in the mirror.

"Your dressing table is made so you don't have to be bothered with getting out of your chair," her mother said, gliding forward.

"I can't do things from that chair," Annie complained. "And no one can see me in my own room."

"Make certain you stay seated throughout the wedding and the reception," her mother admonished her.

Annie sighed heavily at her reflection. "I always do."

Her mother b.u.t.toned her dress and kissed her cheek. "You're my good girl."

Annie handed her the ribbon she'd selected and seated herself in her chair.

Her mother wound the length of satin through the curls Annie had artfully arranged. She found a lap robe that matched Annie's periwinkle blue dress and draped it over her knees.

Annie looked at the Persian blanket with disappointment. "It hides half of my dress."

"It keeps you warm as well as covers the outline of your limbs. Don't be obtuse, Annie."

"It's May, Mama."