very ungentle-manly. And I think too much of
you to let that happen. So I'm leaving."
He
stood, swept her up into his arms, and deposited her in her chair. He leaned
over her, his palms on the armrests.
She
placed her soft hands on the backs of his, and slowly, he backed away until
only their fingers were touching, even that tentative contact a tactile
pleasure.
"There will be a next
time," he promised.
"It'll seem like
forever."
"I'll be thinkin' of
you."
"And I of you."
"Good night, sweet
Annie."
"Night, Luke."
He
released her fingers, moved to the stairs and disappeared into the night.
Annie placed her empty palms over her racing heart. Adrift in heavenly
sensations and riotous feelings, she slowly came back down to earth, the chair
beneath her a cold reality.
But
Luke didn't care. He didn't see her and this chair as one. He saw her as she
saw herself, as she dreamed to be. A whole, unfettered person.
How would she ever sleep
again?
*
* *
For
a week, Annie anticipated Glenda's daily arrival. The weekend seemed endless
and unbearable, because the housekeeper didn't come on Saturday, and it wasn't
her Sunday to help with dinner. But on the following Monday, as Annie sat
waiting on the shady porch, Glenda climbed the stairs with a sly smile.
Annie's heart fluttered.
"Do you have something for me?"
Glenda glanced through the
open doorway. "Where's your mother?"
"She's upstairs
packing. I'm to be shipped off to my aunt and uncle's again while Mother and
Daddy travel to Denver."
Glenda slipped folded papers from her pocket and
handed them to Annie.
Opening them quickly, Annie
discovered there were two pages to the missive, the first a Western Union
telegram from Dr. Mulvaney: "I wager that the benefits of exercise would
greatly strengthen muscles. Stop. To my knowledge there is no damage that can
be done by walking. Stop. I should be interested to know results after an
adequate period. Stop. Regards to your family. Stop."
Giddy at the encouragement, Annie pressed the papers
to her chest and grinned. She hadn't been wrong. She could walk and not harm
herself as long as she was careful.
Remembering the piece of
brown paper, Annie opened it and read the words scrawled in black ink:
"Sweet Annie, I should be interested to know the results, too. I believe
you can do anything you put your mind to. The scent of lilacs fills my dreams.
Luke."
She must have been grinning
foolishly, because Glenda chuckled. "Your cheeks are pinker than the
snapdragons beside the porch, Miss Annie. Your mother will suspect something
for sure."
"She'll
just think I'm still put out over our argument about letting Charmaine come
here and stay with me for the week, instead of me going to their house. I
lost—again." Annie quickly tucked the papers beneath the folds of her
dress. "You won't tell?"
"What's
to tell?" Glenda removed her bonnet. "You and Luke Carpenter
exchanged letters. Nothing scandalous about that. Besides, your folks are far
too protective. Pretty thing like you should have been courted by now."
"Did your husband court
you?" Annie asked.
“Lands,
yes. He brought me flowers and trinkets of all sorts. My mama liked him right
off, but my father took a while to come around."
"What convinced
him?"
“I
think it was the fact that Tim plucked him from the midst of a saloon fight and
brought him home without my mama being any the wiser."
"I
doubt my father will be in a saloon fight any time soon," Annie said
dejectedly.
"I 'spect not. Well, I
have chores to do."
"Thank you,
Glenda."
Glenda
patted her arm. "You're welcome. Now you'd better get in there and pack
your things before your mother starts doin' it for you."
Glenda
held the door and Annie wheeled herself into the house. She hid her note and
the telegram in between the pages of the Bible on her night table.
She
would be staying at the Renlows' until Friday. Surely she could find an
occasion in those three days and nights to see Luke. Perhaps
you to let that happen. So I'm leaving."
He
stood, swept her up into his arms, and deposited her in her chair. He leaned
over her, his palms on the armrests.
She
placed her soft hands on the backs of his, and slowly, he backed away until
only their fingers were touching, even that tentative contact a tactile
pleasure.
"There will be a next
time," he promised.
"It'll seem like
forever."
"I'll be thinkin' of
you."
"And I of you."
"Good night, sweet
Annie."
"Night, Luke."
He
released her fingers, moved to the stairs and disappeared into the night.
Annie placed her empty palms over her racing heart. Adrift in heavenly
sensations and riotous feelings, she slowly came back down to earth, the chair
beneath her a cold reality.
But
Luke didn't care. He didn't see her and this chair as one. He saw her as she
saw herself, as she dreamed to be. A whole, unfettered person.
How would she ever sleep
again?
*
* *
For
a week, Annie anticipated Glenda's daily arrival. The weekend seemed endless
and unbearable, because the housekeeper didn't come on Saturday, and it wasn't
her Sunday to help with dinner. But on the following Monday, as Annie sat
waiting on the shady porch, Glenda climbed the stairs with a sly smile.
Annie's heart fluttered.
"Do you have something for me?"
Glenda glanced through the
open doorway. "Where's your mother?"
"She's upstairs
packing. I'm to be shipped off to my aunt and uncle's again while Mother and
Daddy travel to Denver."
Glenda slipped folded papers from her pocket and
handed them to Annie.
Opening them quickly, Annie
discovered there were two pages to the missive, the first a Western Union
telegram from Dr. Mulvaney: "I wager that the benefits of exercise would
greatly strengthen muscles. Stop. To my knowledge there is no damage that can
be done by walking. Stop. I should be interested to know results after an
adequate period. Stop. Regards to your family. Stop."
Giddy at the encouragement, Annie pressed the papers
to her chest and grinned. She hadn't been wrong. She could walk and not harm
herself as long as she was careful.
Remembering the piece of
brown paper, Annie opened it and read the words scrawled in black ink:
"Sweet Annie, I should be interested to know the results, too. I believe
you can do anything you put your mind to. The scent of lilacs fills my dreams.
Luke."
She must have been grinning
foolishly, because Glenda chuckled. "Your cheeks are pinker than the
snapdragons beside the porch, Miss Annie. Your mother will suspect something
for sure."
"She'll
just think I'm still put out over our argument about letting Charmaine come
here and stay with me for the week, instead of me going to their house. I
lost—again." Annie quickly tucked the papers beneath the folds of her
dress. "You won't tell?"
"What's
to tell?" Glenda removed her bonnet. "You and Luke Carpenter
exchanged letters. Nothing scandalous about that. Besides, your folks are far
too protective. Pretty thing like you should have been courted by now."
"Did your husband court
you?" Annie asked.
“Lands,
yes. He brought me flowers and trinkets of all sorts. My mama liked him right
off, but my father took a while to come around."
"What convinced
him?"
“I
think it was the fact that Tim plucked him from the midst of a saloon fight and
brought him home without my mama being any the wiser."
"I
doubt my father will be in a saloon fight any time soon," Annie said
dejectedly.
"I 'spect not. Well, I
have chores to do."
"Thank you,
Glenda."
Glenda
patted her arm. "You're welcome. Now you'd better get in there and pack
your things before your mother starts doin' it for you."
Glenda
held the door and Annie wheeled herself into the house. She hid her note and
the telegram in between the pages of the Bible on her night table.
She
would be staying at the Renlows' until Friday. Surely she could find an
occasion in those three days and nights to see Luke. Perhaps
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