Sweet Annie Part 17

The smile left his lips. His eyes took on a seriousness she found endearing. "We're talking about a future," he said.

"A future together, right?"

He squeezed her hand. "Oh, yes."

Songs changed, dancers moved around them, and they became part of the celebration.

"How long can you dance with me on your foot?" she asked.

"Until there's a winter in the Rockies with no snow."

With her heart full, she smiled. "Have you always been a poet?"

He gave a half shake of his head and his ebony hair glistened in the light of dozens of lanterns. One corner of his mouth edged up in irony. "Hardly."

To her he was a poet. And a dancer and a lover and a prince. He was everything she'd dreamed of and more than she'd hoped for. When she was with him she could do anything, be anyone. He gave her courage and optimism and made her feel like any other woman of worth. This was the happiest night of her life.

Annie Sweet.w.a.ter was dancing with the man she loved. The crowd had folded around them, their attention no longer focused on the unlikely couple.

Eventually the warm evening took its toll and Luke asked her if she'd like a drink. He led her to the row of chairs along the wall and she sat gratefully while he went for two cups, then returned and sat close.

Annie sipped tart lemonade, watching his eyes smile at her over the top of his cup. I love you, she wanted to say, but she held it to herself for a while longer and touched the ribbon hanging around her neck.

Luke's attention shifted, and she sensed someone beside her. Annie looked up to see Burdell standing over her. Luke stood slowly.

"We're going to talk," Burdell said.

Chapter Ten.

"Outside," Burdy added.

Luke stood. "Do you really think now is the time for this?"

"You chose the time, buster, not me," Burdell replied, anger making a vein stick out on his temple. "Walk or I'll drag you."

"Burdy!" Annie struggled to her feet. "Don't do this."

Diana had appeared directly behind Burdell, and she, too, tried to reason with him. "Maybe we could all have coffee at the house and talk this over."

Luke clomped toward the door with Burdell on his heels. Annie grabbed Diana's arm and they followed. Annie had to half run, an awkward stumble with Diana supporting her, to stay behind the men.

"I don't want any trouble with you," Luke said, stopping in the side yard and facing Annie's brother.

"Then you should have left her alone like you've been warned," Burdell replied. "This family has had enough of your interference."

"Burdy, please," Annie called. "Don't do this. This is a big mistake."

"The mistake is his," Burdell hissed.

A few more people came up behind the clinging women, and Annie recognized her father's angry voice. "What did you think you were doing in there, Carpenter? Haven't you caused enough trouble?"

"I don't want a fight with your family," Luke said calmly. "I don't want any hard feelings."

Burdell rolled back his shirtsleeves.

"Don't do this," Luke warned.

"Burdy, don't!" Annie called.

"You're going to leave my sister alone," Burdell threatened.

Luke drew a hand over his mouth, down his chin, then lowered it. "Why don't you let Annie decide what's best for her?"

"She doesn't know what's best for her!"

His words infuriated Annie. "I do so! I know exactly what I want! I'm the one who asked him to teach me to dance, remember? Did you see me, Burdy?" Holding Diana's arm, she spun around and found her mother and father only three feet away. "Did you see me, Mama? I walked over there and I asked him to dance! That was what I wanted!"

Charmaine and her parents had come to stand at the front of the gathering crowd.

"We can work this out without any violence," Uncle Mort said sternly.

Charmaine covered her mouth with her hands and stared.

"He's got a lesson coming." Burdell took an angry step toward Luke.

Luke sidestepped. "Don't do this, Burdell. Think of your sister."

Burdell's face contorted. "Don't you tell me to think of my sister. This is for putting your hands on her, you good for nothing-" He jabbed a fist.

Luke ducked the blow and faced him, looking truly wary now. "Don't do this. You don't want to do this."

"You know what I want now?" Burdell gave a terse laugh.

"You know what Annie wants?" Luke countered.

That angered Burdell more. He swung and Luke raised an arm, warding off the punch.

Overhead a burst of color fell from the night sky and the gathering on the other side of the building made appreciative noises. The fireworks had started.

"You're going to leave her alone," Burdell growled.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

"Why you son of a-" He swung again and this time his fist caught Luke's jaw, snapping his head back. "You'll leave her alone!"

An ache gnawed at Annie's belly. A loud burst of firecrackers startled her.

Eldon edged forward. "Burdell, maybe this isn't the right way to handle this."

Diana released a little sob at Annie's side and Annie put her arm around her.

"I'll handle this," Burdell shouted. "And he'll leave her alone."

"Hit me all you want, but I won't leave her alone," Luke said. "I'm going to marry her."

A collective gasp came from the a.s.sembled townspeople.

Tears spilled down Annie's cheeks. "Luke," she whispered, the nightmare of this confrontation erasing the joy she deserved to feel over his words.

Charmaine moved to her side and rubbed her back comfortingly. Overhead, colors radiated from the ongoing fireworks display. The smell of sulfur filled the air.

Luke's declaration had infuriated Burdell even further, and with narrowed eyes, he lunged.

Prepared for the attack, Luke caught Burdell's weight and they wrestled for a moment before toppling to the dirt and rolling while both grappled for dominance.

Luke pulled away and got to his feet. Burdell scrambled up next, breathing hard. He charged at Luke and this time Luke caught him squarely in the chin with a right uppercut, then followed that hit with a blow to Burdell's midsection that crumpled him to the ground.

Luke took several steps back to stand clear of the man.

Holding his stomach, Burdell glared up. "This isn't finished."

Luke beckoned. "Get up and let's finish it then. I'm not gonna fight you every time I dance with her or talk to her. I'm not gonna fight you on the steps of the church when I marry her. Let's get it over right now."

"You sorry son of a-" Burdell staggered to his feet.

"Burdell, stop!" Diana cried. Pulling away from Annie, she rushed forward.

Charmaine wrapped her arm around Annie's waist, lending her support.

"That's enough," Diana said to her husband. "Stop this."

Burdell glanced at his wife, then over at Annie and back to Luke. "All right," he said. "There are other ways."

Annie pulled away from her cousin and limped over to Luke. He didn't really look any worse for the wear, though it was too dark to see if he bore any sc.r.a.pes or cuts. Impulsively, she moved into his arms and he hugged her.

"I'll get your pretty dress dirty," he said.

Taking his hand, she led him to where her brother stood. "Are you all right?"

He glared past her at Luke. "I'm fine."

Her parents joined them and Mildred took Annie's hand and tried to tug her away. Annie resisted.

"Annie, you've caused enough of a spectacle tonight." Her voice and words, laced with censure and criticism as always, twisted the knife blade of hurt in Annie's chest.

"I'm sorry you're embarra.s.sed, Mother, but if you'll notice, your son was the one who started a fist-fight. Luke tried to talk him out of it."

"But you brought it on, Annie, with that exhibition inside."

"Yes." She looked from her mother's pinched expression to her father's sorrowful one, and back. "You've certainly warned me enough about staying in my chair, haven't you? I guess the fact that I can walk and that it makes me happy is beyond the point. The point is, I shouldn't have even a tiny measure of joy if it makes me appear in the least bit clumsy and embarra.s.ses you."

"You've been walking?" her mother asked.

Annie nodded. "Everyone has seen me and is happy for me. Everyone except you."

Mildred glanced at Charmaine, at her brother and sister-in-law who nodded reluctantly. Her glare lit upon her husband. "You?"

"Daddy didn't know, Mother," Annie a.s.sured her.

"They obviously don't understand or care what's best for you," Mildred denied.

"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."

Sweet.w.a.ter 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.