Cora's Deception (9781476398280) (22 page)

Chapter 17

B
ill Reid cast a long shadow on the ground with his fiddle
tucked under his chin. Cora stared at the shadow rather than the
man. She’d managed to avoid him all day, but she couldn’t avoid his
music. He drew the bow across the strings, the melody slow and
haunting at first, gradually picking up speed until Cora’s toe
tapped in rhythm.

She tore her gaze from the fiddling shadow
as a few of their guests began forming sets for a square dance.
Thirty-four people. Imagine! Someday this beautiful land would be
settled. Pride swelled in her heart as she thought of others moving
into her adopted home near Cedar Creek. The Sinclairs fit right in
with their two small children who ran and laughed with the youngest
Newkirks. Beyond them stood an older couple named Hanson. They
seemed all right, but what of their daughter, Anna? She was pretty,
and she liked Aaron.

The way she’d latched on to him and wouldn’t
let go, everyone could see. Cora hadn’t been able to get close to
him for more than a few minutes all day because of Anna.

Cora’s gaze roved over the gathering and
stopped. Aaron stood across the cleared area. His eyes met hers.
Her heart stepped up a beat. Would he ask her to dance? The squares
were forming. Someone brushed against Cora, and she turned. “I’m
sorry.”

“No need.” Ben grinned at her. “Better find
a partner if you’re going to dance.”

Ivy clung to his arm.

Cora shook her head. “I may wait the first
one out.”

Why did Esther have to be so self-righteous?
Cora glanced across the clearing beyond those who were getting
ready to dance where Esther stood close to her mother. Ben laughed
at something Ivy said as they joined a group of four couples.
Esther lowered her head. Cora shook hers. The anger she’d harbored
toward Esther had faded.

Esther looked up, her eyes appearing huge
and dark in her pale face as they followed Ben’s every move. After
seeing the hurt on Esther’s face and the way she watched Ben, Cora
pitied her former friend. Why couldn’t she understand she’d done
this to herself? If she truly loved Ben, she’d accept him as he
was.

Cora shrugged and turned back to find Aaron.
He was gone. He couldn’t have gotten away so quickly.  Where
did he go?

She swept the dancers with her gaze and
didn’t find him. He wasn’t with those sitting or standing on the
sidelines, either. Her breath came in a rush. There he was, leaning
over his mother. He hadn’t gone away after all.

Mrs. Stark spoke, and Aaron shook his head.
She looked across the yard toward Cora. Aaron frowned and looked
too. Cora’s gaze locked with his and a flush moved up his neck. Her
face grew hot as blood pounded in her temples. His mother evidently
wanted him to ask her to dance, and he didn’t want to.

All at once, she understood something that
had been so elusive before. Her feelings for Aaron. Love for him
rushed into her heart as if it’d been waiting at the gate for her
acceptance. How could this happen? Maybe because George had been
standing in the way so she couldn’t see anyone else.

Mr. Reid’s violin slowed, and Mr. Stark
called for another set. “Come on, let’s go. Got room for two more
couples right here.”

Anna Hanson pranced up to Aaron and grabbed
his hand, pulling him toward the sets. He held back at first but
soon enough gave in to her enticement. She’d braided her thick,
blond hair and coiled it at the back of her head with short curls
framing her face. With a laugh, she skipped beside Aaron to join
one of the sets.

Tears blurred Cora’s vision. Aaron would
dance with Anna, but not with her.

“There’s still room for another couple. You
wanna dance with me?”

Cora turned to see Anna’s older brother
smile at her. She didn’t want to dance with anyone other than
Aaron, but she might as well. At least this man wouldn’t hurt her.
She took his offered hand.

“I suppose.” They moved toward the other
set. “I’m sorry, but I seem to have forgotten your name.”

“Axel Hanson.” He bowed. “I know your name
is Cora, short for Cordella, I assume.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Swing those ladies to the center and back.”
Mr. Stark’s voice rang out.

Axel, a smooth, experienced dancer, guided
Cora through the steps without mistake.

“Gents swing out and Ladies swing in, and
hold your holts and gone again.”

She had no time to look for Aaron, but that
didn’t stop her from thinking of him.

“Ladies swing out and Gents swing in, you
hold your holts and gone again. Break that swing and everybody
swing, and on the left by your left wing. And rights and lefts all
around the ring.”

Mr. Stark kept a steady rhythm, beating out
the time with both hands clapping and one foot tapping to Mr.
Reid’s racing fiddle. He repeated the same call three more times
until Cora and Axel met again. She was ready to stop.

He caught her hand. “Come on, let’s sit the
next one out.” He tugged her away from the group. “I’ve gotta catch
my breath.”

Cora glanced toward Aaron. Anna held his arm
as if she’d grown attached to it. Looked like they might dance all
night.

She nodded. “All right.”

Axel led her toward the house where a few
women, including Mother and Vickie, sat by the front door. Several
small children played near them. Lanterns hung on the front of the
house, and a large bonfire blazed on an open patch of ground
several yards to the side. Cora paid little attention to where she
walked until Axel guided her out of the light.

“Where are you going?” She stopped. They
were well past the side of the house near the back yard. “There’s
nothing out here.”

He grinned. “Yeah, I know.”

Cora’s heart hammered.

Axel’s gaze bored into her in a way that
made her skin crawl.

“I’m not going with you.”

Axel laughed. He slipped his arm around her
waist, pulling her close. “I saw how disappointed you were when my
sister got to Stark first. You should be glad she snagged him.”

Cora struggled to free herself. Axel’s arm
tightened to a painful grip as he pulled her closer into the dark.
She pushed against him to no avail. Oh, why was he doing this? If
she screamed someone would come, but then the party would be
ruined. Father didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve her for a
daughter. She’d caused enough trouble for her family already.

He cleared the back corner of the house, and
fear brought a squeal from her. Axel clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Hey, none of that.”

She’d bite him. Before she could open her
mouth to follow through with the thought, Axel jerked away. An oath
flew from his mouth as he staggered to right his balance. “What in
the world was that?”

He swung around.

In the darkness, Cora sensed another
presence. Then she saw him.

Aaron’s fist connected with Axel’s jaw and
knocked him to the ground.

Cora hugged the corner of the house as Aaron
grabbed Axel’s shirtfront and hauled him to his feet. Cora’s eyes
adjusted to the dim light of the bonfire reflecting from Axel’s
blond hair and Aaron’s light blue shirt.

Aaron’s fist drew back. Axel shielded his
face. “Don’t hit me again.” He staggered back, his hands up in
surrender as Aaron let him go.

He sneered. “I figured she was available
when you ignored her.”

“Ignored her?” Aaron scowled. “I ain’t
ignored her from the first time I laid eyes on her.”

“Sure you did.” Axel wiped a hand across his
mouth, smearing blood from a small cut. “You should’ve seen her
face when my sister came along and grabbed hold of you.” He moved
farther away. “I was just trying to cheer her up some.”

Aaron glared at Axel slinking away. “You
ain’t fit to associate with the hogs. Git outta here.” He watched
Axel leave before he turned to Cora.

Cora couldn’t stop from trembling. She
clasped her hands together under her chin. Aaron had come for her.
He’d saved her from Axel’s evil intent.

~*~

Aaron stepped close to Cora without touching
her, although he longed to gather her into his arms. “Did he hurt
you?”

Even in the last glow of twilight, her pale
face and wide, dark eyes filled his vision. She shook her head.
“No, I’m fine.”

Maybe so, but he wanted to hold her to make
sure. He’d warm her so she didn’t shake so much, but he had no
right. “He won’t bother you no more. He’s too big a coward.”

A slow tear slid down her cheek, tearing at
his heart. He caught it on his finger. After that, he simply
reacted as his fingers wrapped around her upper arms. She leaned
closer to him, and he felt the tremor of her fear. His hands slid
around to enfold her, to bring her close against him, and to chase
away anything that might hurt his Cora. Never in his life had he
felt anything as wonderful as Cora next to his heart. When she
melted against him without hesitation, he relished her
closeness.

He spoke near her ear. “It’s all right now.
I won’t never let anyone hurt you.”

Her sigh brushed warmth inside his open
collar. They stood together for far too short a time, but long
enough for Cora to stop trembling. He didn’t want to let her go,
but he had to. He lifted her chin with the crook of his finger
until he could see her eyes. They were wet with tears—and
beautiful.

He smiled, coaxing a smile from her and
tripping up his heart. “We’d better get back afore someone misses
you and comes lookin’.”

“Aaron, how did you know?”

“That you needed help?”

She nodded, and he shrugged. “It wasn’t hard
to see you didn’t want to go with that ornery feller. I’d’ve come
sooner, but I couldn’t get away from his sister.”

Cora giggled “Is she as bad as he is?”

Aaron chuckled. “Yeah, but I didn’t have to
hit her as hard.”

Cora laughed. Then her eyes narrowed. “Did
you throw something at him?”

“Just a rock.” Aaron chuckled again. “I
didn’t have a snowball.”

“I’m glad because a rock probably hurts more
than a snowball.”

Aaron nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. He’ll
have a bruise and a split lip, but I had to get his attention so’s
I could knock some sense into him.”

When she smiled, he knew he’d never seen a
sweeter, prettier girl than Cora. Then she spoke. “When I said you
are wonderful, I meant every word. You are. Thank you for rescuing
me.”

Could a man’s heart bust right out of his
chest for love of a woman? Warmth crept up Aaron’s neck with every
beat. “I reckon any decent feller would’ve done the same.”

Cora pulled back from him and slammed her
fists against her hips. “Well, you’re the one who came, and that
isn’t what I’m talking about, anyway.”

Aaron let his hands drop to his sides. What
was she talkin’ about? He’d sure said somethin’ wrong.

“I like you, Aaron Stark. I like you a lot.”
Her blue eyes shone in the moonlight. She tilted her head to one
side. “Don’t you like me, even a little?”

He almost melted down at her feet. ’Course
he liked her, more than a little. Thing was, he didn’t have no
right to be likin’ her at all. He shook his head. “It don’t matter
how I feel if you’re already spoken for.”

“Spoken for?” Cora’s eyes grew wide. Was
that fear that flashed through them? “She staggered back a
half-step. Her hand spread across her chest. “What do you mean by
that? Because it isn’t true.”

“I heard there was a feller from your old
home comin’ to—”

“Oh.” Cora slumped as if the air had been
let out of her. “You mean George.” She shook her head. “No, George
isn’t coming. I’d never marry him even if he did. He isn’t good and
kind. He isn’t a gentleman like you.”

Hope sprang up in Aaron’s heart even as he
ran his hand through his hair. Cora was free. He’d think on that
later. But why’d she call him a gentleman? She didn’t look like she
was makin’ fun. “You sure you know what you’re sayin’?

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she turned to
walk away. “Yes, I’m making a fool of myself.”

Aaron caught her arm. “Wait, Cora. I’m
sorry. What’d I say wrong?”

She meant what she’d said. The realization
slowly took root within him. Cora liked him, and she was free for
him to love. He couldn’t let her walk away now. He turned her back
to face him. “I’m the fool, Cora. Look at me. What you see here is
nothin’ but a dirt-poor farmer. That’s all I know. All I’ve ever
known. Shoot! I’m so poor I couldn’t buy hay for a nightmare.”

Cora stared into his eyes, her lashes still
damp from her tears. She shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong
with farming.”

She meant it. Every word of it. His heart
sang with joy and the wonder of Cora’s acceptance. Courage grew
inside. “Can I come callin’? I mean, iff’n your pa’ll let me.”

Aaron held his breath as a smile bloomed
across her face.

“Ralph comes to see Eliza, doesn’t he?”

He grinned. “That’s right. I ain’t seen no
bullet holes in him yet. I’ll ask permission tonight afore I
leave.”

He took Cora’s smaller hand in his and
brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss. “Sounds like another
dance astartin’. Come on afore your pa catches us back here and
does shoot me.”

Once he had her hand in his, he didn’t let
it go. Joy such as he’d never known before, filled him. If only she
never regretted her words, because he didn’t intend to ever let her
go.

~*~

Cora sang as she went about her work. Father
had given permission, and Aaron was coming to visit that evening.
She dusted the corner cabinet a second time.

“Cora, what’s the matter with you? You’ve
been nervous all day.” Vickie lay her knitting aside.

Cora closed the glass doors and turned
toward her sister, warmth filling her cheeks. “I guess I’m being
silly.” She crossed to the other chair and sank into it, keeping
her voice low so Mother couldn’t hear from the kitchen end of the
room. “Aaron said he’d come by tonight.”