A Headstrong Woman(85)

“It looks like you’re quite popular with the men,” Jonathon teased her.

Anna searched for an appropriate joke but failed to come up with one. She wanted to hurt him.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Shirley asked her youngest.

Anna shrugged, “I guess.”

“I am; I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun, well except for Lane and his implications.” Alexandria frowned as she recalled his accusations. She had long since abandoned her hat and jacket and was enjoying relaxing in her pleated shirt and skirt; a wide black belt accentuated her small waist and dipped over the front of her skirt.

“What exactly did Lane say, before the last I mean; that we all heard?” Jonathon’s brow was drawn.

“It doesn’t bear repeating; let’s just say that my dance turned into a lecture.”

“Be careful of him, Alexandria. He hides it well most the time, but he’s volatile. I don’t want you anywhere near him when he explodes and he will,” Jonathon cautioned her.

“A square dance!” Anna exclaimed as a familiar tune reached them. “I love square dances!” Anna’s tone held just the right amount of wistfulness.

“They’re my favorite, though I haven’t danced one in so long I doubt I remember how to,” Alexandria laughed.

“I bet you can remember,” Jonathon smiled and pulled her to her feet.

“Jonathon…” Alexandria hesitated; her eyes strayed to her sister. She wanted to go with him very badly but had no desire to intentionally hurt her sister. Before she could form a reason not to, Jonathon had pulled her onto the dance floor.

“I think Anna was hinting…” her comment was cut off as she swung away from Jonathon. “Anna wanted you to ask her to dance,” she finished when he pulled her back to him.

“I know,” he acknowledged. “I would rather make it clear that I’m not interested in her as more than a friend than to unintentionally lead her on and she would see a dance as confirmation that I like her,” Jonathon reasoned.

Alexandria nodded before swinging away again. “You’re right,” she admitted. They danced two dances before Alexandria said she needed to get Lilly home and into bed.

“I’ll escort you,” Jonathon offered.

Alexandria smiled. “Thanks, but Mom and Dad said they would be leaving about now and offered me an escort to the ranch. I’ll be fine,” she assured him as they rejoined her parents. “You just stay and enjoy yourself, oh, and stay out of trouble.”

“I’m not the one with knack for getting in trouble,” he teased her. Clay laughed.

“Good night, Jonathon,” Alexandria said primly as she turned to leave; she was trying not to smile.

“Let me get that; I’ll escort you to your buggy,” he took her basket from her.

“Thank you,” she smiled and tried to ignore her sister’s angry glare. Alexandria moved forward ahead of Jonathon and he watched as every man in the vicinity turned to track her progress through the crowd. He shook his head; he knew she was completely oblivious to their stares.

“She is totally unaware,” Clay’s comment caused him to jump. Jonathon felt heat climb into his cheeks at the realization that her father had caught him staring.

“I know,” Jonathon agreed. “Sometimes I fear dangerously so,” he added with concern as he hurried to catch up with her before she moved off down the dark streets by herself.

They reached her buggy and Alexandria started to get into the buggy, stopped, frowned, tried again, and burst into laughter.

“What is so funny?” Jonathon asked her. Alexandria raised her leg as high as her skirt allowed, without pulling it up and exposing her leg at least and still couldn’t get her foot onto the buggy.

Jonathon laughed with her, “You’re stuck.”

Alexandria looked for a way to get into the wagon and let out a startled cry when Jonathon swept her up and deposited her onto the buggy seat.

“You sure I can’t see you safely home?” Jonathon offered again, his expression was slightly concerned. Alexandria smiled down at him. He seemed to think that if he let her out of his sight for even a moment she would end up in trouble.

“We’ll be fine. Go make a nuisance of yourself somewhere else,” she teased.

“A nuisance? Fine, go on then,” he laughed and stepped away from the buggy so she could leave. Her parents were waiting for her to follow them from town.