pointedly.
Even though he had known she would draw a line somewhere, Cade acknowledged disappointment that it had come so soon. "Neither do I."
At his sudden gruffness, Lily hastened to explain. "I never really learned. I was always playing the piano for my sisters and their friends. I... Well, I married young. Jim doesn't dance."
Cade smiled then, a genuine smile. He rose to his feet with a grace that belied his size and offered his large hand to help her do the same.
"You had best sleep tonight if you are to stay awake tomorrow."
His hand was brown and callused, but gentle. Lily was quite aware that what she had just done was utterly insane, but she didn't care. Her soul longed for music and this man had just offered it to her.
Releasing his hand, she turned back toward the house without a word of parting.
Chapter 6
As they drew closer to the barn, Lily heard the tinkling notes of the piano over the hubbub of voices and laughter, and her heart pounded with excitement. She had never really been to a dance before. She didn't know what would be expected of her, and she was half terrified, but the piano drew her onward.
The fight with her father faded as she drew nearer. He had been opposed to her staying in town without him, but she wouldn’t have his drinking ruin her very first evening out. Besides, he would no doubt raise the roof if he knew Cade was the one escorting her. It was much better this way, all on her own, without family or memories.
Lily was grateful that Cade had cleaned up for the occasion. He'd had his long black hair trimmed to his shirt collar, and from somewhere he had acquired a decent white homespun shirt that he wore covered by a leather vest. If one liked sun-bronzed features and arrogant Spanish noses, he could be considered a handsome man. His looks didn't concern her so much as another subject, however. Just outside the barn she stopped and laid a hand on his arm.
Her touch halted Cade in his tracks. He had been all but holding his breath since she had walked out of the house wearing that blue gingham dress. The top molded to her firm breasts, and the oval neckline revealed more of her milky skin than those hideous shirts did. He was having difficulty keeping his thoughts from straying to the long legs he knew existed beneath the loose skirt. Somehow, just knowing those legs were bare beneath the folds of material was more arousing than seeing them encased in denim every day.
"Cade, do you drink?"
That was a damfool question, and it jarred Cade out of his daydreams. He looked at her suspiciously. "Does a pig eat?" he asked, with a certain amount of surliness.
Her lips tightened briefly, then relaxed as she removed her hand. "I meant hard liquor. They'll have refreshments, won't they?"
"Ollie isn't doing this out of the goodness of his heart," he agreed.
Lily took a deep breath, unaware that Cade was distracted by the movement of her bodice. "There will be lemonade and the like, won't there?"
"For the ladies." Watching her breathing, Cade wasn't following her drift with any degree of accuracy, so he agreed without caution.
"Then there will be something to quench your thirst besides liquor."
That caught Cade's attention. He stared at her as if she had lost her head. "Men don't drink lemonade."
"You sound just like Roy telling me he's too big to go on picnics. Real men would have the courage to do whatever they damn well liked."
Lily lifted her skirts and strode off before he could react. Cursing, Cade followed two steps behind her. So much for his notion of arriving with a beautiful woman on his arm. He should have known that Lily Brown wouldn't condescend to being escorted by a mere male. Oddly, he was positive that the fact that he was a half-breed hadn't entered her bigoted little mind. Being male was sufficient to lower him as far as he could go.
Cade didn’t care about the impression he made as he entered the barn where he had never dared trespass before.
Even though he had known she would draw a line somewhere, Cade acknowledged disappointment that it had come so soon. "Neither do I."
At his sudden gruffness, Lily hastened to explain. "I never really learned. I was always playing the piano for my sisters and their friends. I... Well, I married young. Jim doesn't dance."
Cade smiled then, a genuine smile. He rose to his feet with a grace that belied his size and offered his large hand to help her do the same.
"You had best sleep tonight if you are to stay awake tomorrow."
His hand was brown and callused, but gentle. Lily was quite aware that what she had just done was utterly insane, but she didn't care. Her soul longed for music and this man had just offered it to her.
Releasing his hand, she turned back toward the house without a word of parting.
Chapter 6
As they drew closer to the barn, Lily heard the tinkling notes of the piano over the hubbub of voices and laughter, and her heart pounded with excitement. She had never really been to a dance before. She didn't know what would be expected of her, and she was half terrified, but the piano drew her onward.
The fight with her father faded as she drew nearer. He had been opposed to her staying in town without him, but she wouldn’t have his drinking ruin her very first evening out. Besides, he would no doubt raise the roof if he knew Cade was the one escorting her. It was much better this way, all on her own, without family or memories.
Lily was grateful that Cade had cleaned up for the occasion. He'd had his long black hair trimmed to his shirt collar, and from somewhere he had acquired a decent white homespun shirt that he wore covered by a leather vest. If one liked sun-bronzed features and arrogant Spanish noses, he could be considered a handsome man. His looks didn't concern her so much as another subject, however. Just outside the barn she stopped and laid a hand on his arm.
Her touch halted Cade in his tracks. He had been all but holding his breath since she had walked out of the house wearing that blue gingham dress. The top molded to her firm breasts, and the oval neckline revealed more of her milky skin than those hideous shirts did. He was having difficulty keeping his thoughts from straying to the long legs he knew existed beneath the loose skirt. Somehow, just knowing those legs were bare beneath the folds of material was more arousing than seeing them encased in denim every day.
"Cade, do you drink?"
That was a damfool question, and it jarred Cade out of his daydreams. He looked at her suspiciously. "Does a pig eat?" he asked, with a certain amount of surliness.
Her lips tightened briefly, then relaxed as she removed her hand. "I meant hard liquor. They'll have refreshments, won't they?"
"Ollie isn't doing this out of the goodness of his heart," he agreed.
Lily took a deep breath, unaware that Cade was distracted by the movement of her bodice. "There will be lemonade and the like, won't there?"
"For the ladies." Watching her breathing, Cade wasn't following her drift with any degree of accuracy, so he agreed without caution.
"Then there will be something to quench your thirst besides liquor."
That caught Cade's attention. He stared at her as if she had lost her head. "Men don't drink lemonade."
"You sound just like Roy telling me he's too big to go on picnics. Real men would have the courage to do whatever they damn well liked."
Lily lifted her skirts and strode off before he could react. Cursing, Cade followed two steps behind her. So much for his notion of arriving with a beautiful woman on his arm. He should have known that Lily Brown wouldn't condescend to being escorted by a mere male. Oddly, he was positive that the fact that he was a half-breed hadn't entered her bigoted little mind. Being male was sufficient to lower him as far as he could go.
Cade didn’t care about the impression he made as he entered the barn where he had never dared trespass before.
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