The Edge of Town (27 page)

“Didn’t Joe tell you?”

“No. But I think he told Jack. They were snickering about something …regarding Mrs. Stuart. Joe said if I didn’t know, I’d not get in trouble with Papa.”

“Thad and Joe are quite a team when it comes to spinning a windy.”

“You had no part of it?”

“Not directly. Thad, with help from Joe, was telling Mrs. Stuart about the barn dances that are held in this part of the country and how they make the floor slick for dancing.”

“I’ve not been to a dance where they made the floor slick. What did he say they used?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Now you’ve got me curious.”

“It’s something a farm has plenty of and readily available.” He glanced at her again, with more laughter in his eyes than she’d seen before. When he saw her eyes widen as she realized what he was talking about, laughter rumbled in his chest.

“No! He didn’t tell her …that!” A giggle burst from her lips. “Thad wouldn’t—”

“He sure did. Joe chimed in, too.”

“Did she believe it?” Julie asked between gasps of laughter.

“She did. I almost believed it myself, to hear Thad and Joe tell it.” It was such a pleasure to see and hear her laugh.

“Oh, my. How could anyone be so …I wonder if she’ll tell my father. Surely by now she knows a joke was played on her. He’ll be angry at Joe.”

“If she’s smart, she won’t tell him how dumb she was to believe it.”

“Oh, she’ll make herself out the victim of a cruel prank.” Julie lapsed into silence, wishing she hadn’t made the remark. It made her sound petty.

A mile beyond town, Evan turned on a well-used road that would take them to the area known as Spring Lake. The lake was not large, but it was clear, had a sandy beach and was popular for swimming and picnicking. Right after the war a pavilion had been erected for dancing.

Tonight the large shutters on the sides and back of the building had been pulled up and fastened for an open-air effect. A string of light bulbs was hung around the pavilion. A railing surrounded two sides of the dance floor, leaving a space for benches along the wall.

A sign on the outside of the building read:

10 CENTS A DANCE OR 3 FOR 25 CENTS.

TUES and THURS 2 FOR 15 CENTS.

Evan found a place to park the car facing the building so that they could watch the dancers. A dozen or more couples were dancing to the music of a five-piece band.

Julie leaned forward, her lips curved in a smile. He studied her profile, enjoying her obvious pleasure as she watched the dancers.

“There’s Ernie Price.” She turned to look at him with shining eyes. “He works at the feed store.”

“Do you want to go in and dance?”

She turned quickly and shook her head. “Oh, no. I … can’t dance. Do you mind if we just watch?”

“I won’t mind a bit if I can hold your hand.” His eyes teased her. She laughed. It seemed so natural to hold out her hand. He enclosed it in his big one and held it on the seat between them. The music ended and the couples left the floor. “If you want to learn how to dance, I’ll teach you.”

“Oh, I couldn’t. I would be embarrassed for anyone to see me.” The band started up again. They were playing “The Sheik of Araby.” Couples passed through the gate where a man took their tickets.

“They all had to learn at one time.”

“I’d rather not … go in.”

“Then let’s walk down by the lake. There’ll be no one down on the beach and we can still hear the music.”

He opened his door before she could protest. Around on her side of the car, he took her hand and helped her out. Still holding her hand, he folded his arm under hers and laced her fingers through his. As they walked away, they heard the sound of breaking glass as a bottle fell from one of the cars. Then a muttered curse and a girlish giggle.

“Someone is boozing it up,” Evan whispered.

“There are almost as many people on the outside as on the inside.”

“It’s early yet.”

“Have you been here before?”

“I drove out one night to see what was going on.”

“Did you dance?”

“No. Watch out for those rocks. Hold it. I’ll help you down.”

Evan jumped down, turned and with his hands at her waist lifted her down.

“Oh, no! I’m too heavy!” Her hands had automatically gone to his shoulders.

“Too heavy?” He held her for an instant longer than was necessary. “I went over the side of a ship with a pack and a rifle that weighed more than you do.”

“Thank you,” she said as soon as her feet touched solid ground. “The water is all sparkly.” She hoped that her voice didn’t sound as breathless as she felt.

“The moon will be up soon.”

They walked along the sandy beach until the dense trees and bushes hid the lights from the pavilion, although they could still hear the music. The band was playing “I’ll See You in My Dreams.” Evan turned her toward him, took her hand in his and lifted her free hand to his shoulder. With his hand at her waist, he began to sway.

“Just sway to the music. You’ve square-danced, haven’t you?”

“Yes. Joe and I have waltzed … some.”

“That’s a good start.”

“I can’t dance the Charleston or the shimmy.”

“You’ve not missed much. I’d rather waltz.” He made a turn and she followed. “Did you say you couldn’t dance?” he teased and made another turn.

“Not the way they were dancing in there.”

His hand moved to her back and he pulled her so close her breasts were touching his chest. Her heart beat in a strange and disturbing way as she struggled to get sufficient air into her lungs. She felt the hardness of his chest and his breath on her cheek. She moved her feet automatically, praying that he didn’t feel the thumping of her heart.

Evan was sure that Julie was enjoying herself. Her feet were light, her head high, and from time to time, when she stumbled a bit in the sand, a small excited laugh came from her. He stored her laughter in his mind to bring out and enjoy when he was feeling lonely.

“You smell like roses,” he murmured into the hair at her temple just as the music stopped. He released her waist but held on to her hand. “We’ll have to go to a barn dance sometime. If we can dance in the sand, think what we could do on a slick dance floor.”

“The moon is coming up,” she said, her voice slightly shaky. #8220;Isn’t it pretty, shining on the water?”

“Yes, very pretty.” He murmured the words with his eyes still on her face, then looked out over the lake.

The band began to play a fast tune and a female voice sang “Ma, He’s Making Eyes at Me.”

“I don’t think we want to dance to that,” Evan said. “We’ll wait for the next waltz.”

“Where did you learn to dance?”

“In college. When I was in the army, officers were expected to go to social events, and those of us who couldn’t dance very well practiced with the other officers. It’s much more formal in Europe than here in the Midwest. The officers had to attend teas and spit-and-polish balls where everyone got dressed up as if they were going to call on the queen.”

Julie felt, as never before, the distance between her life and his. He was an educated gentleman who knew about such things as teas and balls, and she was a farm girl who had not even graduated from high school.

When she didn’t say anything, Evan wanted to kick himself for running off at the mouth about that flimflam that he’d despised. He was searching his mind for something to say when she spoke.

“Why did you come back here? Oh, I know you came to see your father, but why are you staying?”

“I didn’t come to see Walter. I came to see my old home again and found out that I like working the soil.”

“Was he like …he is now when you were little?”

“I don’t remember much about him until I was about Jason’s age, then I despised him. My mother sent me to my grandparents’ because of him. But let’s not talk about Walter. I don’t want to spoil the evening. The music has started again. Shall we dance again? ‘I’ll be with you in apple blossom time,’ ” he sang the words to the popular tune.

Evan held her lightly, as if fearing she would bolt if he tried to pull her close to him. They had danced for several minutes when he tilted his head and placed his cheek against the hair above her temple. Julie’s heart was racing a mile a minute and her mind had shut down. She didn’t even hear when the music stopped. He released her and reached up to brush her hair.

“We’d better get back to the car. The mosquitoes are coming out in full force. I just brushed one off your hair.”

They walked back toward the pavilion. Evan held her close to him by hooking her arm beneath his and holding tightly to her hand. The crowd around the pavilion had almost doubled in size. Cars and buggies with horses tied to trees and shrubs filled the area at the side of the dance hall.

Young people lounged against the cars or sat in them watching the dancers. As they approached Evan’s car, a girl called out, “Julie, is that you? Well, as I live and breathe, it’s Julie Jones.”

Zelda Wood stepped away from a group that leaned on the car next to Evan’s. She was wearing a sleeveless dress with a beaded front and a skirt edged in fringe that danced around her knees when she walked. Huge spit curls were plastered to her cheeks. Julie was shocked to see that she was smoking a cigarette in a long holder.

“Hello, Zelda.”

“Good Lord. I thought that was you.” Zelda’s eyes went to Evan. “I see you took my advice.”

“Uh … what advice?” As soon as Julie uttered the words, she wished that she could take them back.

“You know.” Zelda took a puff from her cigarette and rolled her eyes up at Evan beneath the highly arched, thinly plucked brows.

“Do you know Evan Johnson?” Julie asked, embarrassment making her voice tremble.

Evan answered. “We’ve met. Evening, Miss Wood.”

“I’m surprised to see you out here with …her.”

“Why are you surprised?” Evan asked with a lift of his brows. “There aren’t many places around Fertile where a man can take his girl out for an evening.”

“Bee’s knees! His girl? Fast work, Julie. I didn’t know you had it in you. You can’t tell about these quiet types.” She tossed the last words over her shoulder toward her friends leaning on the car and gestured with the cigarette holder.

“You’re wrong, Miss Wood,” Evan said quickly. “The chasing was on my part. It took a lot of persuasion to convince Miss Jones to come out with me. It won’t be the last time if I have anything to say about it.” His tone more than his words caused Zelda’s face to redden and lose its smirk, but she wasn’t about to back down in front of her friends.

“She is amusing, isn’t she? Different from what you’re used to.”

“Very different. Very refreshing. I had begun to fear that all the sweet,
wholesome
women had been taken.”

Afraid to look up at him, Julie felt as if the breath had been sucked out of her.

“Well, I’ve got to get back to my chums. We’re here every Saturday night to keep up on the latest dances. Next time you bring your eggs to town, Julie, stop by the bank.”

Evan opened the door for Julie. She got in and stared straight ahead while Evan rounded the car and got behind the wheel. She knew that Zelda and her “chums” were watching her. Some of them, along with Zelda, had been in her class at school.

“What else could he say?” The male voice reached Julie. “Being who he is, he’d have to go out with someone like her … if he went out.”

“Of course she’d go. I don’t think the poor girl has ever been to a dance hall. Did you know all the names in that family start with a
J
? Isn’t that the cat’s meow?”

Julie’s face was still burning as they left the lake and headed toward town. The silence was thick and heavy. Julie felt as if she were in another world. Wondering what Evan could be thinking after the encounter with Zelda, she was filled with misery.