Sweet Annie (21 page)

"They obviously
do
care,"
Annie argued. "You are the one who doesn't care about my feelings."

Mildred made a strangled
sound and Annie's father wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders.

"She's an ungrateful child," she
whimpered.

Eldon patted her back and
leveled a stare at his daughter.

"Luke and I are going
to be married, Daddy," she told him. "It's what I want."

Her brave declaration gave
Luke the courage to speak up. "This wasn't the way I wanted it," he
told her father. "I would rather have asked your permission and courted
her properly. I'm sorry it came to this."

"I think we should speak privately,"
Eldon said.

Luke nodded. "I agree. But not tonight."

"Monday. In my office."

"No." He'd met
the man on his ground before. This discussion needed a neutral location. “Tomorrow
after church. We'll stay after and talk then."

Sweetwater seemed to consider the idea only
briefly. "Very well."

"I'll be there, too," Burdell said.

"No," his father
said, and Luke gave the man credit for some sense. "Not this time. I'll
handle it. Now let's all go home and calm down."

Luke steadied Annie as they
walked toward the social hall. The last few bursts of fireworks had fizzled
out. Surely she didn't want to go back in there and face the remaining people
right now. "I can go get your chair for you. Are you tired?''

She nodded. "But don't
leave me. Charmaine," she called. “Will you get my chair, please?''

Her cousin hurried inside.

Annie sagged against Luke
and he scooped her into his arms, uncaring of who saw them now. She laid her
head against his chest, and reverently touched the blue ribbon around her neck.

"People won't forget
this Fourth of July celebration, will they?" she asked.

"Not likely."

"May I say it now?"

It took a minute to figure
out what she was talking about. What did she want to say? Then he realized, and
his heart jumped. "Only if I can say it first."

She raised her head and
looked into his eyes. He stood cradling her in the light from the open doorway.
"Okay," she said, her lips curving into a seductive smile.

"I love you, Annie."

In the meager light tears
formed in her eyes. "I love you, Luke."

He kissed her, but it
didn't last because of their smiles. He started walking, carrying her away from
the building, toward the wagons.

"Thank you for not killing my brother."

"Thank you for not being ashamed to love
me."

“Why would I ever be ashamed of you?''

"Banker's daughter, liveryman, you know."

"No, I don't know.
Thank you for not being ashamed to love a clumsy girl."

"You're not clumsy,
Annie. You're the most beautiful girl in the state of Colorado."

"And I can
dance," she whispered.

He touched his forehead to
hers. "You certainly can."

"Thank
you for the dance, Luke." "You're welcome."

"Are
you two going to stand there mooning all night, or do you want this
chair?" Charmaine had followed them with the wheelchair.

Luke
tamed with Annie laughing in his arms. "Thank you, Charmaine."

He
placed Annie on the seat and she settled her skirts.

Her
parents approached wearing their displeasure on their stem faces. Luke wished
her a good-night and trudged toward his horse.

The Sweetwaters left in the
Renlows' wagon.

Burdell
and Diana walked toward their home, Burdell carrying his son on his shoulder.

Luke
untethered his horse and mounted, heading for the livery. He'd need to be there
when more wagons and horses were returned.

Annie
had been right, no one would forget this holiday celebration any time soon,
least of all him. He would never forget the image of his beautiful sweet Annie,
walking toward him across that dance floor, her chin tilted bravely, her
expressive eyes filled with pride and hope and love. He would always remember
the dress and the act as a symbol of her maturity and determination. How he
loved that courageous stubborn woman.

And now everyone knew it.

Whenever
Luke attended church, he arrived late for the service, since he rented rigs to
a couple of families for whom he had to deliver the outfit and then ride back,
so it was his habit to slip in the back and sit in a rear pew.

This
morning he'd entered quietly and sat listening to the music and the preacher's
sermon, sometimes letting his mind wander to the upcoming meeting with Annie's
father.

Annie
wasn't sitting against the wall where she usually sat in her chair, but in her
family's pew, and he knew the freedom she must feel without the hindrance of
that chair.

Preacher
Davidson ended the service and stood on the stoop in the sunshine, greeting the
parishioners. Luke observed as Annie stood and made her way to the back of the
church, Charmaine at her side, her mother's expression pinched and her cheeks
blooming bright pink.

“What
do we have here, a miracle?'' Preacher Davidson asked, taking Annie's hand.

"I
believe so," she replied, and wished him a good day.

Luke
followed, shook the preacher's hand, and watched Charmaine get Annie's chair
from beside the building and hold it for Annie to sit. Her gaze lifted and she
spotted him where he stood on a wooden step. She gave him a tentative smile.

Charmaine
pushed the wheelchair and Mildred walked behind them toward their home. None of
them looked back.

Luke
moved to stand in the shade of the building, waiting for people to disperse,
noted when the preacher left and Eldon Sweetwater walked in his direction.

"Want
to sit inside out of the sun?" Luke asked. Eldon shook his head, stuffed
his hands into his pockets and paced the hard-packed earth. The only other
building nearby was the social hall and no one occupied it today. They didn't
have to worry about eavesdroppers.

"I
want you to know I never felt right about deceiving you," Luke said
honestly, getting this off his chest immediately.

"Deceiving
me didn't disturb you enough to leave her alone, did it?"

He
winced inwardly. "She's of marrying age, sir. There's no good reason why
she shouldn't be courted."

"The
good reason was that we forbade it. She's not like other young women."

"No, she's not. I'm
glad of it."

"We protected her all
her life."

Luke
tried to place himself in the man's shoes. He nodded.

"We
never wanted her to be disappointed when she couldn't do the things other
children did."

"She
was disappointed anyway. There are a lot of things she can do that you never
let her."

"We
felt that was best for her emotional development. You have no idea what it's
like to have a child like Annie."

"No.
I don't. But I do know what it's like to love a woman like Annie. She's hungry
for life, so full of hopes and dreams."

"That's
why encouraging her fanciful ideas is harmful," Eldon said, his face rigid
with anger.

Luke
shook his head. “You smother her. We wired Dr. Mulvaney and he said there was
no reason why Annie couldn't walk and exercise and strengthen her leg. He said
it might even be beneficial."

The
older man stared with a stunned expression. "He said no such thing."

"He
did. Annie has the telegram if you don't believe it."

Eldon
passed an unsteady hand across his forehead. "Her mother always dealt with
the physicians. But she never had any news like this."

"Are you sure?"

Eldon
straightened, tugging the lapels of his tailored suit and lifting his chin.
"What are you insinuating? That my wife kept vital information like that
to herself?"

Luke
merely shrugged. He had no idea and wasn't about to make an accusation. “All I
know is what this doctor told Annie. And I know what Annie tells me. She wants
to live a normal life."

"It's not wise to let
her believe she can do that."

"Why not?"

"Look
at you. You're a strong, healthy man. Why would you want a girl like Annie, who
can't possibly do everything a normal woman can?"

Those
words pierced Luke's heart—and lodged anger in his soul. "Annie's
limitations are there because you put them there. The few things she can't do
aren't even worth mentioning! She can ride, she can sew, she can cook, she can
care for a child. If she can't win a footrace at the next Fourth of July
picnic, who
cares?"

"She's never done
those things."

"She
has. She's ridden with me. She's baked me an apple pie. She made that dress she
wore yesterday, and if she hasn't been able to help care for her nephew, it's
only because you people won't let her. What more does she have to do to get you
to listen? She's been tryin' to tell you for years. She's become a woman. She's
capable of so much more. So much."

Maybe
some of those words had sunk in. Eldon stared at the ground beneath his
polished boots, one eyebrow twitching.

Luke
sympathized with the man's confusion. Luke truly believed Sweetwater loved his
daughter and wanted the best for her. He let him think in silence for a few
more minutes before saying, "I'm afraid you'll only push her away if you
try to hang on so tight. She loves you. I know she does. But she wants her own
life. And I believe she wants a life with me. I love her. You have to believe I
would never do anything to hurt her."

The
man raised his head, but he looked off toward the mountains.

"Ever
since I first met her, I wanted to see her happy. That's all I want now. I want
to make her happy. If I truly thought I was bad for her, I'd have to leave her
alone. If I believed walking and doing things was harmful to her, I'd urge her
to stop. But I don't. All I've seen is good come from it. She's more assured.
She feels good about herself."

Eldon
nodded. Finally he cleared his throat and spoke. "I'll give you that.
She's been happier lately. Had more confidence."

Luke
had said his piece. He waited for Eldon's reaction.

The
man looked him in the eye. "I don't want to drive her away. I don't
approve. But I won't make her choose between us."

It
wasn't exactly a blessing. It was hardly a truce. But it was something. "I
intend to court her properly," Luke promised. "We'll set a
date."

"For
a proper respectable wedding," Eldon added. "Providing you haven't
already ruined her." He glared at Luke with a suspicious eye.

His
meaning sunk in. "I'll not take offense at what you've just accused me
of," he said stiffly. "Not to mention your disregard for your
daughter's sense of decency." Truth be told, if Annie'd had her way, she
probably
wouldn't
be a virgin, but he'd never
tell her father that. "I assure you your daughter's chastity is safe with
me until we're married."

Eldon
started to walk away, putting an end to their meeting, but he stopped and
turned back. "She foolishly—
blindly,
believes
she's in love with you. Don't take advantage of that."

Shaking
his head, Luke struggled for a reply. “No, sir. I won't," he replied at
last.

Eldon walked away.

Annie
had been waiting on the porch for nearly an hour when her father walked up the
lane. She took the stairs carefully, holding the rail, and met him as he
approached the house.

His
expression revealed the novelty of having her walk toward him, but she didn't
see revulsion or embarrassment like she read on her mother's face.