Chapter Twenty-Two
Rachel’s heart pounded as they stood at the edge of the town hall’s largest room.
There were so many people it seemed to press down on her, making it harder to breathe.
Nate stood beside her, holding onto her hand as if she were a lifeline for him.
It almost made Rachel laugh out loud, knowing that she was the reason he wasn’t bolting from the room.
It was difficult to ease the tension in her body, knowing that she was in a room with a load of strangers.
Rachel had grown up around a lot of people, but it was nothing compared to the nicely dressed guests milling around as if there were no cares in the world.
Isabelle had drawn Rachel into a conversation with some of the women in town.
They’d greeted her warmly, although their questions felt a little intrusive at times.
But they were friendly enough, and Rachel felt a little more relaxed. However, she was still on edge.
Nate glanced over.
“Are you all right?”
“You’re squeezing my hand too hard,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Oh. Sorry.” Nate released her fingers quickly. “I wasn’t aware.”
“I’m fine. No harm done.” Rachel flexed her fingers and looked around. “Is this everyone?”
“Practically everyone. There are a few people who aren’t going to be part of this for various reasons, such as Jack’s parents, who are watching his children. But practically everyone is here.”
“I feel like I’m on stage and everyone’s gawking at me.”
He gave her a lopsided smile.
“They’re just curious.” Taking a deep breath, he turned to her. “Shall we dance?”
“What?” Rachel started. “Dance?”
“You said something about wanting to dance when we were at home, didn’t you? Before we left?”
“I… I did, but…” Rachel stared at the floor. How was she supposed to admit this? “I… I’ve never danced.”
“What?” Nate tilted his head forward.
“I’ve never danced.” Rachel flinched at the sound. “We were never taught. It wasn’t one of our lessons. I’m sorry, I…”
“We’ve all got to start somewhere. And there’s no time like the present.” He smiled and held out a hand. “How about we start our lessons now?”
“But… but…”
Rachel swayed.
She liked to think she was self-sufficient, but knowing she couldn’t dance made her wish she could run away.
Now Nate was standing in front of her, holding out a hand with an expression that said he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. His easy smile made her stomach flip-flop. She swallowed dryly and slipped her hand into his.
Eyes still on each other, Nate led her to the other dancers.
The band was playing a joyful tune, and everyone was jumping about and laughing.
Nate took Rachel in his arms, one hand at the small of her back, holding her other hand.
She was almost pressed up against his chest, and she was sure he could feel how fast her heart was racing. She could certainly feel his.
“Just follow my lead,” he said softly. “And trust me. I don’t dance very often, but I know the basics.”
“And you won’t stand on my toes?”
“No, of course not.” He chuckled as he began to move. “Although I’m sure my toes are going to be sore by the time we stop.”
Rachel was about to give him a sharp retort when she stepped on his foot. Nate flinched, and his hold weakened a bit. Rachel groaned.
“I’m sorry.”
“Case in point.” Nate shook out his foot and held her again, his face inches from hers. “Just relax, and you’ll be fine. Follow my lead.”
Rachel didn’t think she could do that, but she tried. After a couple of moments, they were soon moving around the dance floor. She still felt stiff in his arms, but Rachel could feel the tension easing off. Nate gave her a proud smile.
“There you go. You’re dancing now.”
“It feels very… simple.”
“All it needs to be is simple. You don’t have to be spinning around the room for it to be a dance. Just let the music wrap around you and follow the beat.” He swayed them back the way they came. “And let me lead. The gentleman always leads.”
“Gentleman? You?” Rachel scoffed with a giggle.
He smiled, and her heart stuttered several times before it slowed down.
“I suppose I asked for that. But you’re a natural. I think you could manage a more complicated dance.”
But Rachel shuddered at that.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t plan to make it harder for myself.”
Nate laughed, and they kept dancing. Despite the music pounding in her ears and the press of bodies from other couples dancing, Rachel found herself relaxing a little.
She was able to talk to Nate, and he pointed out a few people with interesting stories, warning her off others who might embarrass her.
Rachel giggled at his descriptions, marveling at how well he knew everyone and how easy he seemed to act whenever someone approached him.
“I’m sorry I’m pulling you away from your job,” Rachel said as they slowed to a stop as the music ended. “I don’t want to get in the way…”
“You’re not in the way. In fact, you’re doing me a favor.” Nate grimaced and glanced over his shoulder. “I’m always on call. No matter what I do, people want me to do something about anything. I need more people to help me, but that’s not possible at the moment.”
“What if you’re sick? Or incapacitated? How does it work then?”
“Jack helps out when I’m sick, but mostly I push through.” He shrugged at her horrified stare. “Someone has to do it, and I dedicated myself to my job.”
Rachel shook her head in disbelief.
“You would put your health on the line because of that? You really need someone to back you up. Otherwise, you’re going to drop…”
She stopped. She didn’t want to say ‘dead’. Nate smiled and squeezed her hand.
“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve got things handled. Trust me.”
She did. Rachel was surprised that she could trust him. But it didn’t stop her from worrying. Did that mean she didn’t truly trust him? She didn’t know anymore.
“How are you enjoying yourself?” Jack asked, appearing at their side. He looked jovial, his cheeks flushed, as he slipped an arm around Nate’s shoulders. “Nate says he can’t dance, but he’s been far too modest. He’s probably the best dancer in town. All the ladies say so.”
“Jack!” Nate’s face went bright red. “Would you stop?”
Jack laughed and winked at Rachel.
“He’s definitely too modest. And he’s very shy about his abilities.”
“That’s enough.”
Nate nudged him in the ribs; the sound Jack made gave Rachel a giggle. She looked around and saw the rest of the town enjoying themselves. There was more dancing, and there were so many groups of people talking. The noise was loud and it made her ears hurt.
But there was something about the place that eased the tension in her shoulders. This was her home now. This was what she would have every year.
Even if it felt like it was too much in one go.
“I think we’d better head home,” Nate said, glancing at Rachel. “Both of us are tired, and I know I need to sit down.”
Rachel frowned.
“We haven’t danced for that long, have we?”
He raised his eyebrows.
“We’ve been dancing for over an hour, Rachel.”
“Really?”
Rachel was surprised. She hadn’t been paying attention to the time, so it was a bit of a shock. She’d been enjoying herself more than she thought. And her feet were beginning to hurt.
“Let’s go home,” she said, giving Nate a grateful nod. “I’m getting a bit overwhelmed with the noise.”
Jack chuckled.
“I’m sure you’ll get used to it. You should see it in the summer when we have the festival. Or the harvest festival. Or our New Year…”
“I think that’s enough for now, Jack,” Nate said quickly. He took Rachel’s hand, his fingers soft and warm as they wrapped around hers. “Rachel and I will head home. Tell Isabelle that we’ve gone, and if she complains--”
“I’ll tell her the newlyweds wanted time alone.” Jack tapped the side of his nose. “She won’t say a word after that.”
Rachel groaned and turned away, burying her face in her hand. Nate shook his head and tugged her away, letting them out by the side door. The cold air hit them in the face and Rachel gasped as a sudden gust of wind almost knocked her over. She grabbed onto Nate, who laughed.
“You’re like a newborn deer in this weather,” he said.
“It doesn’t help that my feet are sore.” Rachel straightened up and winced as she put weight on her feet. “I didn’t realize until now. It’s like a shock from the snow.”
“Can you walk?”
“I’ll have to, won’t I?”
Nate grinned. Then he bent over and lifted her into his arms, carrying her. Rachel squealed and clutched onto him.
“What are you doing? Why…?”
“A husband has to look after his wife,” Nate said, his eyes twinkling as he walked easily down the alleyway toward the main street. “And if her feet hurt, he has to make sure she gets home safely.”
“I hope you’re not going to throw yourself into this marriage malarkey,” Rachel muttered with a twinkle in her eyes. “You’re starting to scare me.”
Nate laughed and adjusted his hold on her. Rachel had never been carried like this, and it was exhilarating. It was rare for someone to look after her, and Rachel found herself wanting to sink into his arms, to cuddle up and enjoy the moment.
It wasn’t long before they got back to their house, and Nate eased her down until her feet were on the ground again. But he didn’t remove his arms from her. They were still around her waist, resting easily on the top of her hips. His expression softened as he looked down at her.
“That was better than I anticipated,” he said.
“I’m glad.” Rachel licked her dry lips. “You certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself.”
“I needed this evening more than I thought.” His voice dropped a little as he leaned toward her. “And having you there… somehow, it felt even better.”
She blinked up at him in surprise. She didn’t know how to respond to that compliment. Did he really mean that?
His head was closer to hers now, and Rachel’s heart started stumbling in her chest, her breath catching. Was he actually going to kiss her? It felt as if that was where the moment was moving toward.
Her lips tingled at the thought of being kissed. Her eyes started to close, and she rested her hands on his chest.
“Nate…”
“It’s all right…”
“Help!”
Nate jumped away from Rachel, who started at the sudden cry. The moment was gone, and suddenly Rachel felt a lot colder than she had just a second before. Shivering, she looked around as Nate spun around, scanning the streets.
“You heard that, didn’t you?”
“I did.” Rachel could see her breath forming in the air. “Is the wind playing tricks on us?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Nate turned in a circle, his eyes scanning the darkness. “I definitely heard someone crying out. Something’s going on.”
“But who could it be?” Rachel squinted, but the darkness didn’t form any shapes. “Isn’t everyone at the town hall for the dance?”
“Practically everyone. But there may still be…”
His voice broke off, and Rachel saw him still, looking at the far side of the street. Rachel couldn’t see anything herself, but she could hear something.
The sound of stumbling footsteps.
Then the shadows began to take shape, and a young woman staggered closer.
Rachel jumped back with a gasp at the sudden movement.
The woman didn’t look dressed for the snow at all.
Her dress was thin and looked too tight for her, her hair loose and straggly around her shoulders. She tried to stay upright.
As she got closer, Rachel saw the fear in her eyes, the pale complexion and bruises on her face and arms. She looked like she’d been beaten. Rachel couldn’t stop staring. She couldn’t have been any older than seventeen or eighteen. Rachel watched as she collapsed into the snow.
Nate darted toward the woman, hauling her to her feet.
“We need to get her inside,” he said, glancing back at Rachel. “Get the fire going and some blankets. Quickly!”
Rachel didn’t need to be told twice. She was just as concerned as Nate. After all, the girl had come out of nowhere, and in very bad shape.
What on earth had happened to her?