A Headstrong Woman(121)
“Where is your brother going?” Shirley asked her daughter and son-in-law.
“He’s pursuing his bride,” Alexandria smiled.
“You didn’t?” Shirley laughed. “Alexandria, I should have never told you that story.”
“It was his idea,” she defended herself.
Jonathon smiled. “I’m afraid I’m the guilty party, Shirley; though Alexandria, Anna, and Ted were accomplices.”
“Clay’s best friend arranged my bride napping and I thought she had stolen the idea from my stories,” Shirley told him.
“Nope,” Jonathon smiled. “I took a look at the crowd and took pity on them. If you hang around until you’ve spoken with everyone it would take forever.”
“I guess I’ll go spread the word that they’re gone,” Shirley said as she turned back toward the crowd. Alexandria and Jonathon followed her. Anna started to but was stopped by Ted.
“Why do you avoid me, Anna?” he asked pointedly.
Anna frowned at him.
“Do you dislike me?”
“No, in fact I find you very attractive and like what I know about you,” she answered honestly. She felt that if he was brave enough to ask that she owed him an honest answer.
“Then why do you avoid me?”
“Ted, you are a really nice guy and you deserve… I am capable of acting in a highly inappropriate way, just ask your brother,” she said and turned to leave, but not before Ted caught a glimpse of tears in her eyes. Ted frowned after her before going in search of his brother.
“What did you do to Anna?” he demanded after he had pulled Jonathon aside.
Jonathon frowned at Ted in complete confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“She says that she is capable of acting in what she calls ‘a highly inappropriate way’. What does she mean?” his eyes were snapping. Jonathon smiled and surveyed his brother with a raised brow.
“I don’t find this amusing. What happed between you two?”
“What’s going on?” Alexandria asked.
“This is private, Alexandria,” Ted never even glanced at her.
“Stay, I have nothing to hide from my wife,” Jonathon countered.
“What is this about?” Alexandria demanded.
“Why does your sister think my brother would know about her ability to act in an inappropriate way?” his tone was clipped.
“She had a crush on him.” Alexandria was the one to answer.
“I don’t think that explains it,” Ted countered. “Did you sweet talk and kiss her or talk her into something?”
Jonathon laughed at his brother’s question.
“Ted you have really got this all wrong,” Alexandria smiled at her brother-in-law.
“Do I?” he demanded. “Are you certain that he…?”
“Ted, listen to me, I think I know what Anna was referring to, however, even if I didn’t; I do know that it would have been awfully difficult for him to be seducing my sister when he spent all his time with me stealing late night kisses and giving me rides back to the ranch when my own horse was right there.”
“Wait a minute now,” Jonathon protested, “you make it sound like…”
“What was Anna referring to?” Ted asked more calmly.
“The night that Nick attacked me Anna was having a particularly hard time dealing with not knowing how Jonathon felt about her. He was sleeping in the parlor in case Nick tried coming back, or rather trying to, and Anna came in to confront him and ask how he felt about her. She also kissed him. No more, no less. He gently set her back and explained that he felt only friendship for her. She feels that she acted in an untoward manner and maybe she did, but she got the answer she needed. Ask her and she’ll tell you the same,” Alexandria took up for her husband.
“Why were you laughing at me?” Ted asked Jonathon.
“Because, she’s really gotten under your skin,” he grinned.
Ted scowled at his brother before turning and walking off.
“Now about these accusations,” Jonathon turned to his wife.
“What accusations? Everything I said was true.”
“I only stole a couple of kisses before we were married.”
“It was two separate occasions but more than one kiss each time,” she informed him as she turned and walked away. Jonathon followed her, not ready to let the matter drop. “Come to think of it you kissed me the day you proposed too,” she added thoughtfully.