Chapter Seventeen
June stood nervously in front of a large mirror in the corner of the room, smoothing down the fabric of her new dress.
It was pale purple with lace-trimmed edges.
It wasn’t extravagant, but it was far nicer than the simple dresses she usually wore for work on the ranch.
It was better even than what she normally wore into town.
She had come inside from hanging clothes to find it laid out on her bed. Seth.
She had been apprehensive at first, even considering wearing something this nice as too extravagant. It had to be expensive.
She tilted her head and scrutinized her reflection. She wanted to look nice. She told herself it wasn’t for Seth—that it was just for the celebration Etta had planned—but she knew she was lying. Seth had bought it for her, and it would have been rude to not wear it.
Besides, something had felt… different with him lately.
And maybe looking pretty tonight might also convince him to not turn me out when he finds out the truth…
It was the first time she had ever worn something so nice that wasn’t for some kind of con.
At least, not directly for a con.
June was stirred out of her thoughts by the sound of boots against wooden floorboards downstairs, followed by the creak of the door opening and closing. Seth was going outside to wait for her by the wagon.
She took a deep, steadying breath and walked downstairs, holding her shawl tighter to her arms as she went outside. The sun was starting its descent over the horizon, painting the sky in pretty colors, and Seth Whitman was leaning against the wagon, murmuring quietly to the two horses.
He turned as June walked up to him, and his eyes widened. The bright green in them glowed differently under the light, glistened even. He smiled and let out a breath she wasn’t sure he knew she could hear.
“Y-you ready?” he asked after a pause. His voice came out a little rough, and he cleared his throat, glancing away.
June blinked. Is he nervous? “Yes,” she replied softly.
He shifted aside and offered her his hand, and she stepped up quickly, settling herself in the seat. His hand lingered a moment longer than necessary.
Then he stepped up beside her, scooting in to take up the reins, and a tingle ran down her spine as he looked over and met her gaze.
She found herself lost in his eyes once again.
He clicked his tongue for Skip and Suzanna to move, and her eyes shifted to his mouth.
His lips looked…
Then his mouth opened, and what came out shook June right out of the fantasy. “We’ve got a few new calves this week,” he said, clearing his throat again. “Strong ones, too. That’ll help come winter.”
Pull yourself together, June.
She turned her eyes to the road ahead of them and nodded, trying to recover herself. “That’s good. I’ve noticed the horses seem to be doing better since you started letting them graze further out.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “Makes a difference, giving them room to move. Makes ‘em stronger.”
She nodded again, feeling the awkwardness take hold as silence filled the space between them.
Part of her wanted to open up about her life and his; find out more about this man.
His dreams. His hopes. She knew some of them already, and part of her wanted to delve deeper—but another part of her knew that she shouldn’t.
When they arrived at the town hall, Etta’s social gathering was already bustling with activity.
The old white church hall beside the steepled church was the perfect place to hold almost any event, but not this celebration.
Instead, they used the town hall, which stood tall against the pale evening sky.
Seth parked the wagon beside a row of other wagons and carts and helped June down, careful of her dress.
He offered his arm with a nervous smile, which she took, and they walked inside together.
Inside, soft piano music played and hanging lanterns set a mood of romance and elegance.
Several tables lined the walls, decorated with bouquets of wildflowers in canning jars, each tied with a white ribbon.
The benches had been pushed to the sides of the large hall to make room for the crowd, which was a good thing, because it seemed like the whole town had shown up.
Everyone—from ranchers still in their trail-worn leather boots to shopkeepers and their families dressed in Sunday best. It was mostly men, of course, but there were a few women in the crowd.
The scent of bread, pastries, and other sweet foods was strong in the air.
June could see pastries and small tea sandwiches being passed around.
She wasn’t one for celebrations. She’d never really enjoyed them, but Etta had been so happy talking about it that she couldn’t let on like it wasn’t her favorite idea in the world. Besides, it was nice being a woman and giggling over something a little frivolous for once.
June smiled slightly as she thought of the day Henry and Etta had come to the ranch. She had worked all day for that supper. She had set the house up with the sole purpose of entertaining another couple, and that was something she’d never done before.
It made her feel… different.
Warm, almost.
And Seth... Seth had been great that day. He had been helpful. Kind. Polite. Almost like a real husband. Etta really couldn’t have come up with this idea at a better time. The thought of dancing with Seth was a little nerve-wracking, but today, it also excited June.
She found herself lingering in the back as Seth returned from greeting Henry and Jack.
His shoulders were rigid, and she noticed his hands clasped behind his back.
She wondered if he might bolt at any moment, and she let out a laugh as she realized that she clearly wasn’t the only one who didn’t have a particular interest in celebrations.
In fact, Seth might have despised them more than she did, judging by his expression.
“You don't have to look like you're staring death right in the face,” June teased him quietly as she leaned closer to him.
“I didn’t say a word,” Seth replied, his voice gravelly.
“Not with your mouth,” she quipped, allowing herself another small smile before adjusting the shawl draped over her shoulders.
Just then, the piano music was quickly overcome by a lively fiddle.
The dancing had officially begun. People started pairing up and forming groups across the open room.
The song was one of the more energetic square dances.
The polished boards of the floor creaked under boots as the crowd moved and laughed, and those who weren’t dancing clapped.
But June and Seth did neither.
As the dancers carried on in front of them, June found herself more interested in Seth—and the expressions on his face.
He seemed to be trying not to smile as he looked out at the people—people he’d grown up with, no doubt. June couldn’t help but feel a small bit of intrigue. How could someone pretend to be so unmoved when they were clearly moved?
Louise was in the center of the room, guided by a red-faced young man, dancing proudly. The sight was wholesome. Heartwarming, even. As much as June didn’t like to admit it herself, she was having fun just watching.
Then she realized that Seth had stopped smiling. “Did you catch yourself relaxing?” she teased. “And then decide to be aloof all over again?”
“Do you ever stop asking questions?” he countered, but there was no bite to it. His lips twitched—not quite a smile, but close enough. He looked out at the dancing crowd and then cleared his throat.
The way he was acting caused June’s chest tighten unexpectedly. Why is he looking at the dancers so intently? Why is he acting so strange?
The dance came to an end. Louise broke away from the young rancher and returned to helping Etta, who looked gorgeous in a yellow dress, as they carried trays of food to replenish the tables.
The two women laughed together, and June sighed, almost sadly, as she watched them.
There was another reason she had a hard time at this celebration in particular. She knew that it would only feed her desire for something she wasn’t quite sure she could have… but she didn’t want to think about that.
She just wanted to be here.
And so, in a rare moment of weakness, she gave in. Despite herself, she clung to Seth’s arm, also looked out at the townspeople. She felt him stiffen next to her for a moment, but then he relaxed and smiled at her—genuinely.
For a moment, she forgot a lot of things.
She forgot Trey. She forgot the lies.
All that existed was Seth, a party, and the pretty dress she got to wear to it.
Just then, Etta passed by and caught sight of them, hurrying over, practically glowing in her pretty dress.
“You look so lovely!” she exclaimed before pulling June into an embrace.
June smiled back shyly. “Thank you. Everything looks wonderful here. You must have worked so hard.”
“Oh, it wasn’t just me,” Etta replied, waving a hand toward the other women. “Everyone pitched in. That’s how we do things around here.”
Everyone? That’s how we do things around here? What does that mean?
But it didn’t take long to understand what Etta meant.
She was finding Fort Davis to be home. And everyone else had welcomed her with wide-open arms. June realized suddenly that in all the days she’d spent here, supposedly married to one of the most well-known men in the community…
she’d never taken the time to really get to know anyone. At least not more than she’d needed to.
She hadn’t been trying to know anyone. In fact, she’d been keeping away as much as necessary. This wasn’t home. This wasn’t her place. But after seeing Etta and Ada adapt so easily, she was beginning to feel… lonely.
“You want to help me get the wine?” Etta asked her. “Unless you’re ready to dance with your husband?”
June’s heart lifted a little. There was a small part of her that did want to be here, after all. She laughed off the joke and said, “I’ll help.” They went together to the back of the hall and grabbed ceramic jugs of wine.
“Shouldn’t the men be helping with that?” Louise piped up, laughing.
June shook her head. “We aren’t really used to letting men do much for us,” she said.
Louise shrugged. “At least Henry put them in the jugs. Otherwise, you ladies would be breaking your arms trying to tote around them barrels!”
June and Etta laughed as they grabbed up the ceramic jugs and distributed them at the tables. But every now and then, she caught herself doing something else: looking over her shoulder at Seth Whitman.
She lived with the man. She’d seen him in his most frustrating moods. So why now, of all times, should it matter where he was? It wasn’t like she had never seen him before.
But she knew why. She was nervous. She knew that it was only a matter of time before she’d be expected to dance with him.
“A matter of time” didn’t take very long. Etta was soon pulled away by Henry, and Ada by Jack, as yet another reel began. Pensive, June settled herself against the wall and watched the other two couples laughing together. They fit right in with the rest of the dancers… with the rest of the town.
A pang went through her as she realized that her two friends seemed to already know something she hadn’t quite let herself see. The town really did have a way of making people feel welcome.
Whether I want to be welcomed is a different question entirely…
“Dance with me?”
Seth’s voice startled her, and she turned to see him walking up behind her. He smiled and held out his hand.
“I thought you hated things like this! Weren’t you just pretending not to be having fun?” she asked with a laugh.
He shook his head. “Only because you were pretending you weren’t having fun. Now that you’re smiling, I think it’s time I ask you for a dance.”
June hesitated for a moment, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. Then she placed her hand in his. His fingers closed around hers, and he led her to the center of the floor.
The music swirled around them as he placed a hand on her waist, his touch firm, yet gentle. She tried to take a breath… and found that she couldn’t breathe even if she wanted to.
She rested her hand on his shoulder and her heart pounded as they began to move in time with the music. For a moment, everything else faded away. The worries, the doubts, the complicated emotions—everything melted into the rhythm of the way they moved together.
“You’re a good dancer,” June laughed, despite herself.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” he replied with a grin.
It was the closest thing to a perfect moment that she had ever felt.
What if… what if this could really be my life?
Maybe, just maybe, she had found a place where she belonged. Maybe she wouldn’t care so much about being Seth’s damsel if that was what he wanted… if he needed someone to protect.
But as the song ended and applause filled the air, the evening was quickly shattered. A commotion near the entrance drew everyone’s attention—a handful of late arrivals. Craning her neck, June saw what everyone was turning to look at, and her heart plummeted into her stomach.
A group of three young women… arriving with three older chaperones.
A man’s happy voice lifted above the noise. “The rest of the brides!”
Whispers rippled through the crowd as the realization set in.
June’s eyes widened and she began to choke. She pushed away from Seth, avoiding his face, pushing her way through to get a closer look at the new arrivals.
There was no mistaking them. The three younger women were the same ages and same hair colors of June and her two friends. One of them—the one who looked remarkably like June—stepped forward, scanning the crowd, as though she was searching for someone. Suddenly, she smiled.
June’s blood ran cold in her veins. She turned, following the girl’s gaze, and saw Seth coming up behind her.
In an instant, the festivities came to a halt.
The crowd parted before the girls, and all eyes turned to Seth, who stood frozen to the spot. His eyes looked glazed and unfocused. June drew back, her gaze still fixed on his face. The truth hadn’t quite hit home yet. But it would.
She knew it would.
She took another step back, her earlier optimism crumbling, utterly dissolving like sugar beneath the tears that streamed down her face.
She had been foolish to think she could have a place here, that she could carve out a life alongside Seth Whitman.
Suddenly she felt like even more of an outsider than before.
It was only a matter of seconds before the real Annabelle would come forward.