Chapter Twenty-One #2
The song soon ended, and although the dance had stopped, Ethan did not move his hands. Grace’s heart was in her throat, all her thoughts fixed on him. It was just a dance, offered only because a little girl had asked them to.
It didn’t mean anything more than that.
But as Grace stared at Ethan, a pleasant and light sensation filled her chest. She might have been fully satisfied if they could have stood like that forever, pretending that they were the only two people in the world.
Ethan’s eyes searched her face, and his expression softened.
For a heartbeat, Grace imagined that he might lean forward and kiss her.
Of course, that would never happen. A kiss would be highly inappropriate, and besides, Ethan didn’t care for Grace in that manner. Nor did she care for him like that, for that matter!
Still, Grace had the unbidden thought that he would probably give gentle, loving kisses. Her face grew hot, and she pushed the thoughts away. Grace could not be thinking about kisses, especially from Ethan Walker.
The sudden thudding of oxen’s hooves and clacking of wagon wheels cut through Grace’s thoughts.
Ethan dropped his hands from her waist as if he’d been burned, and stumbled a half-step back.
Grace stared at him, her body suddenly impossibly cold with the absence of his warmth.
Her chest ached and her blood thundered in her ears.
These feelings were unwanted. Embarrassing, even. Yet Grace couldn’t seem to quell them.
A line of four unfamiliar wagons came to a halt several feet away.
There was a flutter of movement as men emerged from each of them.
One jumped from the driver’s seat of the first wagon and yelled something back to the others.
Seemingly satisfied with the response, he raised his hands as if to show that he meant no harm and walked towards the party.
Amos Briggs beckoned for the man to continue forward.
As if anticipating that Amos might need help, Ethan joined him.
Grace followed along, both curious and concerned.
Who knew what these newcomers wanted? Maybe there was nothing she could do to help, but the thought of Ethan facing these unknown men sent a jolt of anxiety coursing along her spine.
She joined the men at the same time Derek did, and Grace glanced instinctively to her family wagon, ensuring that Emily was safe with her father.
“Howdy!” the new man declared cheerfully. “It looks like y’all are having a right good time!”
He was a large man, broad and nearly as tall as Ethan.
His thinning brown hair and heavily lined face seemed to be a testament to hard living rather than old age; from his energetic greeting and clear fitness, Grace doubted that he was any older than Ethan.
Her heart swelled with sympathy. If this man had come along behind them on the trail, he must have endured as much hardship as they all had.
“My name is Bill,” he introduced himself. “Bill Jones.”
“Amos Briggs.”
“Nice to meet you!” Bill’s brown eyes briefly wandered over to Grace, but he didn’t give her more than a cursory look. Her first instinct was to be vexed by being so readily dismissed, but maybe the man hadn’t meant anything by it.
“We’re trail men, and we wondered if we might travel alongside y’all for a bit. Do you folks mind?”
Amos shrugged. “I’m not opposed to some extra hands—assuming you’re willing to work hard, that is.”
Derek laughed at that, drawing irritated looks from both Ethan and Amos. “Of course he’s willing to work! You can’t very well be a trail man without having some kind of work ethic, right?”
Bill chuckled, grinning widely at Derek. “That’s right. We sure ain’t afraid of a little hard work.”
“Good.” Amos’ smile was friendly, but there was a hardness to his eyes that made Grace suspect he wasn’t quite as pleased with the new arrivals as he pretended to be. “We’re celebrating a wedding, so why don’t we talk more in the morning? Formalize everything, so to speak.”
“Sure thing. Have a good night, folks, and our congratulations to the happy couple.”
Bill tipped his hat and turned away, heading back to his men. He seemed decent enough, Grace supposed. She glanced at Ethan, who watched Bill with narrowed eyes.
“Is something wrong?” Grace asked quietly, so Bill wouldn’t overhear.
“Only time will tell,” Amos replied.
It wasn’t his answer that she’d wanted, but when she glanced at Ethan, his thoughts seemed to be a million miles away.
He was watching Bill’s retreating back with a hard, unreadable expression.
She wondered if Amos or Ethan had noticed something that she hadn’t, something which foretold imminent danger.
“I reckon we don’t want to turn down good help, though,” Amos conceded reluctantly.
Derek snorted and shook his head. “You are both so suspicious of everyone.”
“Sometimes you have to be,” Ethan replied.
He didn’t say anything else, just walked away and left Grace feeling as though her veins were full of ice.
The magic of the evening had dissipated and left a deep hollowness behind.
Grace couldn’t decide who was right. She wanted it to be Derek, always bright and optimistic, but he was younger and had seen less of the world than Ethan and Amos had.
She hoped that, for once, experience might be wrong.