bartender and took a deep drink. “Looks like you’ve got some excitement going on tonight.”
“It’s the dance down at the hall. The boys look forward to this one all year. Business is a little slow now, but it’ll pick up later.”
“I’ll have to head over and have some fun myself.”
“You’ll find lots of pretty girls,” Sam assured him, wondering what business the new man had there in Canyon Springs. “You just passing through or are you planning to stay a while?”
“I haven’t really decided yet. Is there a hotel in town?”
“Just two blocks down,” Sam answered as he went to wait on other customers.
Grant took his time finishing his drink. After the long ride in, he would have enjoyed just staying there and drinking for the rest of the night, but it was too soon to let his guard down completely. He had to take a look around at the dance and make sure he really had beaten Jackson and his men to town.
Grant left the saloon a few minutes later. After taking care of his horse, he got his gear and went down to the hotel to find a place to stay. As he let himself into his room, he was glad to see the hotel was a clean one. The thought of finally sleeping in a real bed later that night definitely appealed to him after all the nights on the trail. Knowing it was getting late and he didn’t have a lot of time, he quickly washed his face and hands and changed shirts before heading over to the dance.
Francie and Dusty were both trying to catch their breath after a particularly rousing dance when Mark Wagner and Paul Stanford, two hands from a nearby ranch, approached them.
“C’mon, Francie,” Paul said, taking her by the arm. “This dance is mine!”
Paul was good-looking enough, but Francie could smell the liquor on him and wanted to decline.
“Well, I was—”
“Come on, little honey. We’re going to have us a good time.”
She had no chance to avoid him as he pulled her out onto the dance floor.
Dusty had sensed her friend’s hesitation, but before she could do anything, Mark grabbed her. Dusty knew Mark was a real bad dancer, so she had to pay attention and concentrate on avoiding injury as he took her in his arms.
Paul had had his eye on Francie for some time now. He knew her family had money, so he was thinking she’d be a good catch for a poor cowboy. He planned to maneuver her outside away from the hall and set about seriously trying to woo her tonight. He had to admit he had been surprised by how pretty Dusty looked tonight. He hadn’t seen her wearing a dress in quite a while, but that didn’t matter to him. He was after money, and that came with Francie.
The tune was a rousing one, and Paul grinned. The lively dancing would make it easier to get Francie over to the far side of the room, away from her parents.
Francie knew Paul was dancing a little wildly, but she attributed that to the liquor he’d been drinking. She managed to keep up with him and keep a smile on her face at the same time. As awkward as she was feeling with Paul, she knew Dusty had it much worse with Mark. She’d already danced with Mark once tonight and had a sore toe to prove it.
“C’mon,” Paul said in a low voice, and in onequick move he managed to whirl her right out the back door.
“Paul—what are you doing?”
“I thought a little cool night air might feel good right now. What about you?” he asked, keeping hold of her hand as he drew her away from the light of the hall and into the surrounding darkness.
“I really need to get back inside. My parents will be wondering where I’ve gone. They’ll worry about me.”
“There’s nothing to worry about, darling,” he said, stopping and smiling down at her now that they were out of sight. “You’re with me.”
“This is most—”
She never got to finish her sentence. Paul pulled her close and kissed her, his mouth covering hers in a hungry, sloppy, devouring kiss.
Francie had long fantasized about a romantic embrace in the
“It’s the dance down at the hall. The boys look forward to this one all year. Business is a little slow now, but it’ll pick up later.”
“I’ll have to head over and have some fun myself.”
“You’ll find lots of pretty girls,” Sam assured him, wondering what business the new man had there in Canyon Springs. “You just passing through or are you planning to stay a while?”
“I haven’t really decided yet. Is there a hotel in town?”
“Just two blocks down,” Sam answered as he went to wait on other customers.
Grant took his time finishing his drink. After the long ride in, he would have enjoyed just staying there and drinking for the rest of the night, but it was too soon to let his guard down completely. He had to take a look around at the dance and make sure he really had beaten Jackson and his men to town.
Grant left the saloon a few minutes later. After taking care of his horse, he got his gear and went down to the hotel to find a place to stay. As he let himself into his room, he was glad to see the hotel was a clean one. The thought of finally sleeping in a real bed later that night definitely appealed to him after all the nights on the trail. Knowing it was getting late and he didn’t have a lot of time, he quickly washed his face and hands and changed shirts before heading over to the dance.
Francie and Dusty were both trying to catch their breath after a particularly rousing dance when Mark Wagner and Paul Stanford, two hands from a nearby ranch, approached them.
“C’mon, Francie,” Paul said, taking her by the arm. “This dance is mine!”
Paul was good-looking enough, but Francie could smell the liquor on him and wanted to decline.
“Well, I was—”
“Come on, little honey. We’re going to have us a good time.”
She had no chance to avoid him as he pulled her out onto the dance floor.
Dusty had sensed her friend’s hesitation, but before she could do anything, Mark grabbed her. Dusty knew Mark was a real bad dancer, so she had to pay attention and concentrate on avoiding injury as he took her in his arms.
Paul had had his eye on Francie for some time now. He knew her family had money, so he was thinking she’d be a good catch for a poor cowboy. He planned to maneuver her outside away from the hall and set about seriously trying to woo her tonight. He had to admit he had been surprised by how pretty Dusty looked tonight. He hadn’t seen her wearing a dress in quite a while, but that didn’t matter to him. He was after money, and that came with Francie.
The tune was a rousing one, and Paul grinned. The lively dancing would make it easier to get Francie over to the far side of the room, away from her parents.
Francie knew Paul was dancing a little wildly, but she attributed that to the liquor he’d been drinking. She managed to keep up with him and keep a smile on her face at the same time. As awkward as she was feeling with Paul, she knew Dusty had it much worse with Mark. She’d already danced with Mark once tonight and had a sore toe to prove it.
“C’mon,” Paul said in a low voice, and in onequick move he managed to whirl her right out the back door.
“Paul—what are you doing?”
“I thought a little cool night air might feel good right now. What about you?” he asked, keeping hold of her hand as he drew her away from the light of the hall and into the surrounding darkness.
“I really need to get back inside. My parents will be wondering where I’ve gone. They’ll worry about me.”
“There’s nothing to worry about, darling,” he said, stopping and smiling down at her now that they were out of sight. “You’re with me.”
“This is most—”
She never got to finish her sentence. Paul pulled her close and kissed her, his mouth covering hers in a hungry, sloppy, devouring kiss.
Francie had long fantasized about a romantic embrace in the
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