Christmas in Cowboy Country (13 page)

“Shouldn't you have the doc take a look at it?”

Annie groaned. “I just went in. He'll give me a lecture. If I stay off it for a day or so, that oughta be enough.”

Nell seemed about to insist, but something made her stop. “Well, you two can discuss it. I'm going down to the cellar to get some rope and cordon off the area.”

Marshall nodded as he picked up his coffee cup. “There's no harm done and nothing much left to fall down.”

“Let's hope so,” Nell said dramatically.

“It'll give the customers something to talk about.”

She gave him a mock glare. “A collapsing staircase is the last thing you want people talking about. I wish I could shove the jukebox in front and cover up the sight. Want to be my hero and move it?”

Stone eyed the jukebox and shook his head. “Nope. I have to save my strength for the dance.”

“Oh, are you going to the Snow Ball?” Nell crowed. “I'm so glad. I'm on the planning committee, you know. And Annie just volunteered to be our emcee.”

Sort of,
Annie thought. The bribe had worked.

“I loaned her that rodeo shirt just for the occasion. Doesn't she look pretty in it?”

Annie winced. Nell's compliment didn't need to be confirmed by Stone, who apparently could attract all the feminine company any man might want at any time.

“She sure does,” he said calmly.

He probably thought the fancy shirt was a little silly. And since he hadn't made the original compliment, Annie didn't see a compelling need to thank him.

“Which reminds me. I forgot to give you the Stetson, Annie. Be right back.”

Annie ripped open three packets of sugar and dumped them into her coffee, adding a healthy dose of cream. More than her usual, much more, because she still felt shaky, but for a different reason. Sitting up straight with her knees only inches away from Marshall Stone's made her nervous. She eased her chair back and crossed her legs at the ankles.

“Haven't seen you around for a while,” he said. Like most of his conversation, it wasn't about him.

“Um, no. We've been busy at the ranch. Christmas plans, getting ready, that kind of thing.”

“I see.” He kept on his jacket but took off his ball cap. The same one he'd been wearing the first time she'd seen him, Annie noticed.

They didn't say much else until Nell came back, holding a brand-new Stetson with a silver band. She showed it off with a flourish before she placed it on Annie's head, tipping the brim back slightly with one finger and fussing with Annie's hair.

“However do you get your hair so shiny?” Nell asked. “There. Oh my. You could be a model. I think I have a hand mirror somewhere around here if you'd like to look at yourself.”

Annie blushed. She felt like a doll being dressed, although Stone's face barely changed expression as he watched.

“Don't bother, Nell,” Annie said politely. “I have a Stetson like this, but not white.”

“How's the fit?”

“Feels just right. Thanks, Nell.”

Nell headed for the cellar. “Okay. You two are all set. I'll leave you alone. Now for that rope. And I should start making a list for the insurance claim. And . . .” Her voice trailed off as she reached the bottom of the stairs and moved away into the part of the cellar that wasn't underneath them.

Annie took off the hat and set it on the table next to theirs.

“It does look good on you.” For a man as closemouthed as Stone, that counted as a rave review.

“Thanks.”

A short silence fell. “I'd be happy to take you to the dance if you think you'll be up to it by then,” he said softly.

Annie hadn't expected that. She uncrossed her legs, feeling a twinge in the healing one. She had an excuse.

“I don't know if I'd be doing any dancing. Maybe I should have Dr. Lyon look at my leg again. It's hard to tell right now if I really did twist it. I could be fine by tomorrow or I might need to wear a brace for a while. Besides, I have to be up on stage to introduce the bands and do whatever else Nell needs me to do.”

“What about what you want to do?” The question was even softer than his invitation to attend the dance with him.

Annie had no idea how to answer it. “You should take someone else,” she said finally, keeping her tone brisk.

“I don't have anyone else I want to go with.”

“I'm sure you can find someone.” She wasn't about to name any names. Like brunette Jill. Or redheaded Bunny.

Nell made more noise than necessary as she returned to the bottom of the cellar stairs and began to climb them. “Found the rope,” she called. “And a K
EEP
O
UT
sign and a W
ET
P
AINT
sign too. Neither one exactly applies, but they should do the trick.”

She set the items down as she came closer.

“Marshall, I never did ask why you came in. Is everything okay up at the cabin?” Nell winked at Annie. “My paying guest.”

“Everything's fine. A knob fell off one of the doors, but I fixed it.”

“I wish every renter was like you,” the older woman sighed. “I don't know what I'll do when you're gone.”

“Winter break just started, Nell,” Annie informed her. “You should do all right when the snow hits. I've seen some new faces around. You know, college girls.”

Stone didn't even blink.

 

 

Stone took Rowdy out as soon as he got back to the cabin, craving fresh air even though the temperature had dropped at least ten degrees by nightfall.

The dog had tree trunks to sniff and snow hills to plunge into. Stone didn't pay much attention to the tugs on the leash as Rowdy investigated this and that fascinating thing.

Stone was thinking.

About Annie Bennett, of course. At the saloon, his heart had just about stopped when he'd thought she was about to fall from on high. Seeing her teetering on the edge made him feel sick inside. He'd gone straight to her, so fast he didn't remember doing it, and he would've caught her with ease.

But she hadn't needed a hero. Well, hell. It'd be nice if he ever got the chance, but she was as self-reliant and smart as a woman could be.

And so damn beautiful it was making him crazy.

That embroidered white shirt had fit her as closely as he wanted to hold her himself. She didn't seem to have noticed that a couple of pearl snaps had come open after the mishap. He had, for a fraction of a second—and then kept his gaze firmly on hers for the entire rest of the time they'd spent together. With the brim of the fine new Stetson framing her beautiful face, her shining dark hair spilling over her shoulders, and that high color in her cheeks, Annie had looked like a cowgirl angel with a white halo.

If only Nell hadn't been there. But Stone supposed that the older woman's well-meaning chatter might have made Annie feel a little safer around him. It wasn't just her near fall that had made her so nervous.

He knew Annie Bennett didn't think too highly of him. He still couldn't tell her exactly what it was he was doing in Velde, although his side of the investigation was progressing reasonably well.

But the interminable wait for Shep Connally to zero in on a mark was getting to him. And Stone had almost blown the new agent's cover by giving her a stupid fake name. Kerry Cox was going to give him serious hell when she found out he'd referred to her as Bunny.
If
she found out, he corrected himself. She was supposed to hang out with other girls, pretend to be passing through just like them and blend in, until the right moment. Shep Connally was a boozer and boaster. A pretty young thing on a bar stool next to him was likely to hear more than any male agent.

Marshall knew he would have to bide his time to catch the con man and anyone else in Velde who might be in on his schemes. But that was the least of his problems. He couldn't rest tonight for a whole other reason. Annie Bennett troubled his sleep. His wildest and sweetest dreams were all about her—and they never lasted long enough.

T
he night of the dance came soon enough. Annie got dressed up in the white shirt and her best jeans. A lot of people were looking forward to the occasion and she owed it to them to help out with the show, whether or not she was raring to go.

Her parents had decided to stay in and watch their favorite TV programs. She half wondered if they were thinking she wouldn't have quite so good a time if her mom and dad were there. But Lou and Tyrell were mum on that subject.

If they only knew,
she thought, sliding her hands over the steering wheel as she turned her red truck away from the ranch and onto the county road.

The white Stetson was beside her on the seat in an improvised hatbox. She would return it to Nell tonight. The drive to town didn't take long. She tried her best not to think about Stone or what girl he might bring to the dance.

She parked in the lot of a restaurant with an attached dance hall that had once been a barn. There weren't many spaces left. Couples of all ages and families were streaming toward the entrance. Annie peered through the windshield as she turned off the ignition. She didn't see Stone. With a crowd like this, she might not even have to speak with him.

Annie decided to hold the Stetson in her hand so as not to be too conspicuous, and zipped up her jacket over the fancy shirt for the same reason. She intended to disappear behind the curtain of the low stage to one side of the hall and not talk to anyone but Nell and the musicians until the moment she stepped out and took the mike to emcee.

She moved quickly through the crowd in the front area that was serving as a lobby of sorts tonight, nodding to the folks she knew and waving to Darla without stopping to talk to her. People were clustered around a glass cabinet set up on a cloth-draped table that displayed a belt and a handbag and a placard bearing the familiar logo of Velde's saddlery shop.

“I'm buying five tickets,” a man said. “It's for a good cause.”

Annie paused just long enough to read the sign. The items would be raffled off to benefit the youth group. Several teenagers were selling tickets from a large roll and writing down each buyer's name on every one.

She passed by, moving through the restaurant, which had been converted to an informal buffet serving simple food. Long tables held pots of chili and pans of cornbread. Soft drinks and beer were nestled in tubs of ice.

Annie inhaled appreciatively. There was just about nothing sweeter than the aroma of freshly baked cornbread, and the spicy chili added a hearty note. Unfortunately, a whiff was all she could have. Most likely she wouldn't have time to eat and she had to keep the white shirt in pristine condition.

She looked ahead, not wanting to be tempted, and walked faster. Some of the musicians—not local bands; she didn't recognize any of them—were already setting up on the low stage and the curtain had been drawn back.

So much for hiding. But the crowd of people hadn't gotten this far yet and someone had set up a rope decorated with bandannas as a visual barrier that would stand until the dance began.

The rest of the decorations were, predictably, white. Foam snowballs had been glue-tacked to the walls and cardboard snowmen smiled in every corner. She spotted the white-wire reindeer in a corner, nodding away.

Annie set down the Stetson and slipped off her jacket, looking around for Nell. She was distracted by a low, appreciative whistle from a lanky, good-looking musician.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said. He lifted his fiddle to his shoulder and played several bars of a reel, his eyes dancing with admiration.

Annie smiled at him. It was nice to be noticed, just so long as Marshall Stone wasn't doing the noticing.

“There you are, Annie.” Nell bustled over. “Bret, this is our emcee,” she said to the fiddler, who stopped playing, holding his instrument and bow upright in one hand.

“Nice to meet you.” The lanky musician extended the other hand to shake hers. The other members of his band clambered onto the stage, including a female singer in a ruffled dress who eyed Annie with annoyance, as if she hadn't expected anyone to steal her thunder.

Annie turned to Nell. “Whose idea was the raffle?”

“Mine,” Nell said proudly. “The churchwomen sponsored the buffet and did the cooking. That should bring in plenty of money too. Did you see the display? I wangled a couple of fabulous prizes.”

“I saw the glass case. But I didn't get a chance to take a close look at what was inside.”

“There's a custom-made belt with an inlaid buckle for the gents and a hand-tooled pocketbook in Spanish leather for the ladies. I just heard that we sold hundreds of tickets. Lots of folks are buying five or ten at a clip.”

“That's great. So when are we drawing for the winners?”

“We could do the raffle after the opening dances, right about when the musicians take their first break. Is that okay with you, Bret?”

The musician nodded, preoccupied with tuning his fiddle.

“There's a lot of families,” Nell continued. “You know how it is—some might have to leave early if kids get cranky. Anyway, here come the tickets now.”

A teenage girl in a bright blue sweater went under the rope with the ticket box. She came up to the stage. “Here you go, Mrs. Dighton.”

“Thanks, honey. How's the crowd?”

“Getting bigger. Kinda restless.”

Nell nodded. “I think it's time to start letting people in. Could you tell the front door crew to see to that?”

“Sure.” The girl in the blue sweater walked off, ducking under the rope again.

Nell shifted the box she held. “Hope they separated these into gents and ladies.” She peered inside. “Yes, they did. Two bags, marked. Good.” She set the box on a nearby chair.

In minutes, the dance hall was filled with what seemed to be everyone in Velde and the surrounding towns. Annie felt relieved not to spot Marshall in the crowd. Only a few of the men matched him for height and he was nowhere to be seen.

“Aren't you going to wear the Stetson?” Nell asked as an audio tech tested the mike clipped to a stand positioned to the right of the stage.

“Yes, of course. I forgot.” Annie realized that she'd forgotten hairpins. She'd make do. She coiled her hair around one hand and held it on top of her head, swiftly clapping the white hat over it.

“I can't believe you're going to cover up all that glorious shiny hair,” Nell said indignantly.

“It's already warm in here,” Annie replied. “When everyone's in and the dancing starts, I'm going to be roasting. Especially with that—ouch—spotlight on me.”

A blinding white light from overhead caught her. Annie had to close her eyes for a second before she could walk out of it.

“I suppose you're right,” Nell said. She waved to the mingling crowd and got a few friendly hollers in return. “Let's go over the lineup. I made you a cheat sheet.” She pulled out a long piece of paper and walked into the wings with Annie.

Nell held up the sheet in front of her. There were thumbnail-size pictures of each musician in every band next to their names. “Photos. Thanks.” Annie scanned the rest curiously, which was mostly text.

“You don't have to say any of that,” Nell reassured her. “I just threw in a few cute jokes in case you got stage fright.”

“I don't think I will. I won't be able to see anybody when that spotlight's on.”

“It is bright,” Nell said. “Okay. I'm glad you're not nervous. It'll be just you and whatever band is playing during each set, and they'll have your back. If your mind goes blank, they'll start up a riff or tell a little story. I'll come on for the raffle, of course. You ready?”

“Ready as I'll ever be.”

The glowing white light made a circle around the stand and the folds of the curtain behind it.

Nell handed over the cheat sheet. “Here you go. I'll introduce you.”

Annie hesitated.

“Best foot forward,” Nell encouraged her. “You never know. This could be the start of a new career for you.”

“I don't think so.” She laughed, though. “Come on. Let's get it over with.”

Nell did the honors to wild applause and Annie got the hang of emceeing very fast. She really couldn't see anyone beyond the very front of the stage. And the first band, a skilled bluegrass group, got just about everyone dancing to a lively jig, from the littlest kids to the seniors.

Annie relaxed, keeping time with her cowboy boots to the infectious rhythm. She saw Darla whirl near the stage and away again with her date, having a grand old time. The tiny flash of envy Annie felt didn't last longer than it took for Bret to wrap it up and launch into the next tune.

On it went. The band finally signaled her for a break and Annie announced it. She saw Nell out of the corner of her eye approaching her with the two bags of tickets.

Annie tipped the mike toward Nell as she reached the stand and set the bags on the flat top.

“Hello and welcome to the Snow Ball! Is everyone having a good time?”

The question almost didn't need to be asked. They certainly were.

Nell held up the bags. “We sold every one of the raffle tickets and I want to thank you all for your generosity!”

Cheers. Clapping.

“Each ticket has a name; our volunteers made sure of that. There will be two winners. Two.”

The crowd echoed the word.

Nell held up the paper bags and shook them. “Ready for a raffle?”

Shouted yeses.

“Then here we go. Miss Annie, if you would please hand me your hat. . . .”

“What?”

Annie realized her startled response had been picked up by the mike when the crowd laughed. They seemed to think the two women were having fun, drawing out the suspense. It wasn't scripted on the cheat sheet, but Annie had to play along.

With a mischievous grin, Nell plucked the Stetson from Annie's head. Her long hair came down in shining waves, tumbling over her shoulders.

There were whoops of appreciation from the men. “Now calm down, cowboys!” Nell's ladylike taps on the mike got amped up to deafening thuds. “Attention, please!”

The older woman set one paper bag inside the hat and held it high.

All eyes were on her. And Annie, who knew she was blushing.

“There will be a bonus drawing,” Nell announced in a low, breathy voice. That hadn't been on the cheat sheet either, Annie thought nervously. The crowd got quieter.

“Our lovely emcee has agreed to dance with the first gentleman whose ticket comes up!”

“No, I didn't.” Annie managed to say the words out of the corner of her smiling mouth.

A few guys heard her and hooted. Everyone still thought they were kidding around, keeping the moment going.

“Oh yes, you did, Annie Bennett. In fact, I believe it was your idea. You're just bashful.”

Annie's eyes widened. “Nell!”

“What?” Nell beamed at the crowd without turning to look at Annie.

Just in time, Annie remembered to shut off the microphone before she replied in a furious whisper. “I didn't agree to get raffled off. What were you thinking?”

“That it would be fun.”

“You should have asked me.”

“Oh, don't get your britches in a twist.”

Annie was truly steamed. “I'm going to kill you. I really am.”

Nell waved away the comment with maddening cheerfulness. “Don't. I'm leaving you the saloon in my will. It'd look bad if you did me in.”

“Huh? Have you lost your mind? What has your will got to do with—”

“Yes!” Nell hollered, switching on the mike again. “Annie changed her mind! She says she will!”

Hoorays. Annie smiled weakly at the people out front.

Then Nell put a hand to her cheek as if she were thinking it over. But somehow Annie knew she wasn't off the hook.

“I'm forgetting my manners. Ladies first,” Nell said decisively. “Let's draw for that Spanish leather pocketbook!”

She set aside the white Stetson and picked up the bag of women's tickets, reaching inside to stir them up vigorously.

With a final flourish, Nell pulled out a ticket and read the name of the winner. A young woman made her way to the stage to claim a certificate for her prize, which she held up triumphantly before jumping down and disappearing into the crowd again.

“And now . . .” Nell plunked the white Stetson down in front of the mike.

There was no chance of pulling it away from her. God only knew if the saloon keeper had any other surprises planned.

Nell stuck a hand into the bag and stirred the tickets. She made a big show of looking into the bag. The crowd booed, going along with the joke.

“Oh, I know I'm not supposed to do that. All right. I'll behave myself. If you insist.”

She signaled the band to play a few bars as she switched off the mike and cast a worried look at Annie.

“Looks like Marshall Stone bought an awful lot of the tickets,” Nell murmured.

“He isn't even here.”

“Yes, he is. I saw him in the back.”

“While I was blinded by the light. You set me up.”

“I did not.” Nell made a motion to quiet the band and switched the mike back on. Ostentatiously, she closed her eyes. “Here we go.”

Annie sent up a prayer. With any luck, the winner of the dance would be eight years old. She wouldn't mind getting her feet stepped on by a half-pint cowboy.

“And the winner is . . . the winner is . . . Jim Nickels! You out there, Jim?” Nell shielded her eyes from the spotlight and peered around. There was a commotion over at the side of the dance hall as Jim got up.