Girl Called Fearless: A Girl Undone Part 7

"With all due respect, ma'am, I'm here to support Search and Rescue. Good night." Luke tipped his hat, and we left her openmouthed as Luke steered me toward the door.

We pa.s.sed under a banner hanging over the gymnasium doors: WELCOME TO THE POCATELLO PRINCESS WINTER DANCE. A half-dozen state troopers formed a line by the entry.

"Easy does it," Luke whispered. I squeezed his hand tighter.

Luke went to guide me past them, when one stepped forward. "Your gun."

We froze. I held my breath, knowing a pat-down was next and then arrest.

"Mister," the officer said quietly, but firmly. "No guns or alcohol are allowed inside. You need to check your firearm here."

"I left my weapon at the house, sir," Luke said.

The officer stepped aside. "Thank you and enjoy the dance."

We both drew in a breath, and Luke handed our tickets to the man at the door.

Silver garlands and giant glittery snowflakes hung from the gym ceiling. A fiddler, guitarist, and ba.s.s cranked out a country-western tune on the stage up front.

"Well, this doesn't look too bad," Luke said. A smile opened up his face. "Heck, we might even have a little fun tonight."

"I hope so," I said, trying to make my smile match his. I felt my toes wanting to tap to the beat as if my body craved a few hours of cutting loose. A row of booths decorated with crepe paper like at a school carnival were lined up along the basketball court, but no one was manning them yet.

Men of all ages sat on the bleachers on the far side of the room. Some had wives with them, and I realized many of the women were Mom's age or the age she'd be if she was alive. It was the most women I'd seen her age outside of Salvation.

"What are you staring at?" Luke said.

"Those women. How did they survive?" I forced myself to look away.

"Maybe they're ranchers who raised their own cattle."

Luke was probably right. They were cancer-free, because they'd never eaten beef tainted with Scarpanol. If only everyone had known.

"Hey, how about some cake?" Luke said.

"Mmm. Okay."

Twenty girls who looked like freshmen cl.u.s.tered behind long tables of frosted and decorated cakes. A blonde in a white dress with yellow roses at the neck spied Luke, and practically threw herself across the table, waving him over. "Hey, come see my cake. It's applesauce with caramel frosting."

Her girlfriend in hot pink muscled her out of the way with a good-natured shove. "Nah, you don't want that. You want my coconut cake!"

I linked my arm protectively through Luke's. Maybe these girls were only fifteen, but Luke had never seen girls like them in Salvation.

"You mean we bid on these cakes?" he said.

"Every dollar we raise goes to equipment for the Bannock County Search and Rescue," Blondie said.

"Opening bid's thirty-five dollars!" her friend added. "But you can buy a slice for ten."

"What's your favorite type of cake?" Blondie purred at Luke.

I spotted Hazel McAllister making a beeline for us. "Why hey, Ms. McAllister!"

The girls pulled apart like they'd been caught doing something wrong. Hazel loomed over their shoulders. "I'm glad you came," she said. "Are you enjoying the dance?"

I gripped Luke tighter. "Yes, ma'am," he said. He turned his chestnut-brown eyes at her, and I saw Hazel McAllister soak up Luke's smile like a cat soaking up suns.h.i.+ne. My teeth hurt, I was smiling so hard, hoping Luke's charm would protect us from Hazel's suspicions.

We escaped after a few minutes of small talk and crossed the dance floor. The band went quiet as the master of ceremonies took the stage. Single men came down from the bleachers and left the cake table to gather in front of him.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Third Annual Pocatello Princess Winter Ball," the MC said. "Before I bring out the princesses, I want to remind you that all the money we raise tonight goes to buy new equipment for Search and Rescue. Each princess will dance ten dances with winning bidders, so open your wallets, boys!"

The men clapped and the band struck up a song that sounded like it came from a Disney movie. "Our first princess is Melodie Goshawk."

Melodie stepped on the stage with a man who held her arm so proudly, I knew it had to be her dad. She glided along in her long red dress and rhinestone tiara, while her father was country formal in his polished boots, jacket, string tie, and Stetson.

"Melodie has just completed her 4H steer project," the MC said. "She loves trout fis.h.i.+ng, and working her hunting dog. She prefers her pizza with pepperoni and sausage."

The clapping continued as Melodie paraded down the center of the gym, beaming like the queen in the Rose Parade. Then she walked to the line of decorated booths and stepped into the first one. Over her head hung a silver-spangled sign that read MELODIE.

My stomach tensed, seeing Melodie in that booth. Stop being so sensitive, I told myself. They're selling dances to raise money for a good cause, that's all.

After four more girls were introduced, the MC waved his program. "Men, if you're looking to get married, the parents of each Pocatello Princess are here tonight to talk Contract terms, and Mr. Tellerman from the bank has a table set up to help with the financing. And be sure to bid on some dances, because this is your chance to get to know these girls."

I turned my back on the stage, and saw the banker sitting at a table with a sign reading TURN YOUR HOUSE INTO A HOME. ASK ME ABOUT A BRIDE MORTGAGE! A line of men waited to talk to him.

I muttered a string of swear words under my breath. No matter where we went it was the same, men buying and selling girls' lives, their happiness.

Luke squeezed my hand. "What's got you so upset?"

"These girls are going to be sold off like 4H projects. Some of their moms are right up there in the bleachers. How can they sit there and let this happen?"

"Tracy, honey, you're drawing attention to yourself, glaring at everybody like that."

I tried to force myself to smile, but I couldn't quite do it.

"How about we get some punch?" Luke said.

"Fine."

Luke guided me over to the punch table, where I sipped my drink and I made myself clap for the princesses as each made her debut. Across the room, men lined up at the booths to bid on a dance.

I kept glancing at the women on the bleachers, especially the one who couldn't take her eyes off Charlene, the princess in booth five, and who had to be Charlene's mom. I nudged Luke. "Look at that woman in the green dress. How can she let her husband sell their daughter? My mom would have fought my dad to the death before she'd let that happen."

"Well, maybe somebody should do something about Contracts," Luke said.

"You think I'm that somebody, don't you?"

Luke shrugged. His faith in me was greater than it should be. How was I supposed to stop Jouvert when I wasn't even sure I could save myself?

Luke eased my empty cup from my hand. "Let me throw this away."

While he did, I watched Charlene. She greeted each bidder with a camera-ready smile, no matter if he was a sunken-eyed grandpa or a beer-bellied cowboy. My heart fell, seeing only two young men about her age in line. Did they even have a chance?

Her eyes brightened as one of them came to the front. A dimple creased his smooth face, and Charlene held out her pen as if she'd been saving it just for him. He frowned at the bid sheets, not cracking a smile until the last one. He scribbled his bid, and I crossed my fingers for him.

The MC announced the close of the bidding, and the band started up. Older couples came out on the floor, and the girls stepped out of the booths into the arms of the men who'd won that dance.

"We should dance," Luke said. "All the other married couples are."

"I'm not very good. I'll probably step all over your feet."

"Don't worry about that. If these boots can protect me from Shelby's hooves, they'll keep me safe from a little thing like you."

He reached for my hand, and set the other on my back, leaving several inches of s.p.a.ce between our bodies. "You need to look at me," I said. "If you want people to think we're in love."

He dropped his eyes and met mine, and I was suddenly aware of the warmth coming off his body and the muscles under his s.h.i.+rt. Of the warm brown of his eyes. Of the golden stubble along his chin.

My stomach began to feel fluttery, like it was warning me I might do something I shouldn't. Luke and I were just dancing, I told myself, but the fluttery feeling continued to grow, and after a few more turns around the floor, I broke away. "Will you excuse me?"

I was relieved the ladies' room was almost empty. I'd be fine; I just needed a little cool water on my face.

The only other person in there with me was a princess redoing her makeup at the sink. Her hand was shaking as she brushed on more mascara and a faint tear track had bleached through the blush on her cheek.

"Are you okay?" I said.

She met my eyes in the mirror. "I'll be fine," she told me in a voice that said there was no way she was going to be fine. She screwed the top back on her mascara.

I wet a paper towel and dabbed my face. Don't say anything. It's none of your business.

"Dammit." A black streak of mascara coated three of her fingers.

"Hold on." I grabbed another towel. "I'll get it off."

Her chest was going up and down and I could feel her trying to keep from losing it. Her parents shouldn't have done this to her. It wasn't fair of them to force her.

I scrubbed the smear on her hand. You can't say anything.

A tear trickled from her eye and she swiped at it with her other hand. "I have to stop crying," she said. "I'm up next. I have to look pretty."

Her fingers were clean, but I couldn't let go of her hand. I knew I should just walk out the door and go back to Luke.

"You don't have to do this," I said quietly. "There are people who can help you."

"What?"

"They can take you away and hide you until you turn eighteen. Then your parents can't Contract you."

She wrenched her hand out of mine. "Get away from me."

"I know it sounds scary-"

She s.n.a.t.c.hed up her makeup bag. "You think you're so smart, but you have no idea. My brother broke his back, and we'll lose our ranch if we can't pay the hospital. I'm going out on that stage and I'm going to save my home. Not that it's any business of yours."

I stepped out of her way. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to help."

She pushed past me, leaving my stomach in cinders. Then the lock on one of the stalls clicked open, and Hazel McAllister emerged.

Oh my G.o.d.

"Hi, Tracy, are you having fun?"

My hands dove into the folds of my skirt and I sidled toward the door. "Yes, I'm having a wonderful time, but I got so warm while we were dancing I needed to freshen up." I grabbed hold of the doork.n.o.b. "I shouldn't leave my husband out there all alone."

And I was out of there.

I spied Luke on the far side of the dance floor and darted through the crowd to get to him. Once I reached him, I threw my arms around his neck. "Act like you love me!"

Luke lifted me onto my tiptoes and brought his face in close to mine. "Any particular reason?"

"Hazel. She was in the bathroom. Is she watching us?"

"Like a snake on a rabbit. We might want to give her a show."

Before I could say yes the band started up, and Luke spun us out on the dance floor. He held me to his chest and my toes hop-skipped across the wood, trying to keep up with him.

"Wait, I don't know how to do this," I cried.

"You've never danced a polka!"

"No, never."

"Then hold on, and leave it to me."

He danced us around the other couples, picking up speed as we circled. My feet flew out from under me, and the faster he danced, the tighter I held him.

The dance floor began to empty, as people made room for us, and the fiddler turned to watch, his bow strokes turning shorter, bolder, faster like he was pus.h.i.+ng Luke to break into a gallop.

Luke grinned, his smile so big it blew up my heart like an overfilled balloon, and when he threw back his head and yelled, "Whowee!" I did, too.

One last circle round the floor, and the fiddler struck the final note. The dancers put their hands together, clapping first for the fiddler and then for Luke and me. He set me down on my feet, but didn't let go while I stood there, catching my breath and waiting for the spinning in my head to stop. Luke's cheeks were bright pink, and when our eyes met, his expression made my breath catch. I'm so lucky you're mine.

Heat rose in my cheeks. Calm down. He's acting.

Luke nodded over my shoulder and his hand tightened around mine. "Hazel McAllister's still watching us."

"I guess we should keep dancing then."

"You know how to do the two-step?"