Daisies In The Wind by Jill Gregory

Author:Jill Gregory
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: historical romance, jill gregory, romance, sensuous, adventure, western romance
Publisher: Jill Gregory
Published: 2011-08-01T14:30:23.707640+00:00

13

Images rushed by in a blur: Caitlin Bodine, seated on a ladder-back chair, clapping in time to the music; Billy Bodine, Joey Brady, and some other boys playing a wild game of tag among the chattering onlookers; Culley and Abigail Pritchard eyeing the dance floor in frozen displeasure; Myrtle Lee Anderson stuffing a wedge of pie into her mouth. Dozens of other faces swirled by, but she didn’t see and didn’t want to see Wolf Bodine and Nel Westerly side by side together.

She was out of breath when the dance ended, her cheeks glowing above the white lace collar of her peach gown. Her dancing partner—she didn’t even know his name—lightly held her elbow and guided her off the crowded dance floor and over to the table where refreshments were served.

“For you, the prettiest lady here,” he said, handing her a glass of huckleberry wine.

“You’re too kind, Mr. ...”

“Call me Chance.”

“Chance?”

He nodded, took a deep drink of the wine, and grinned at her, his teeth flashing very white and straight in his sun-bronzed, boyish face. The green eyes danced. “Chance Navarro.”

“An unusual name.”

He was watching her sip her wine, smiling a little. “Yup. I made it up. Like the sound of it, I reckon.”

“What was wrong with your real name, Mr. Navarro?”

“You ask a lot of questions for such a pretty lady, Miss Rawlings,” he drawled.

Now Rebeccah lowered the empty wineglass and stared at him for a long moment. “How did you know my name?”

Chance Navarro set his glass down on the refreshment table and put both of his hands on her shoulders. He turned her around toward the sea of people watching the fiddlers and the dancing. “That lady there ... in the blue dress?”

“Mrs. Brady,” Rebeccah murmured, half to herself.

“Well, Mrs. Brady said to Mr. Brady the moment you and that big fellow walked in the door: ‘Caitlin told me Miss Rawlings wasn’t coming to the dance tonight, and here she is with Waylon Pritchard. I’m sure glad she changed her mind, aren’t you?’ And Mr. Pritchard said ...”

“Do you always eavesdrop on other people’s conversations?” Rebeccah demanded, her eyes narrowing as she inspected his wickedly smiling face.

“Only when they’re discussing the most beautiful lady in the Territory.”

“You’re a flatterer, Mr. Navarro.”

“No, I’m a gambler, Miss Rawlings. And tonight I’m gambling everything on making you fall in love with me, ma’am.”

“Now, why would you want to do that?” Rebeccah found herself smiling in spite of herself. Chance Navarro had charm, looks, and ... something else. A happy-go-lucky, mischievous, carefree air that intrigued her. She turned her head slightly as he gave his lighthearted reply and pretended to watch the dancers, but her gaze was really observing the cluster of bright-gowned women fluttering around Sheriff Wolf Bodine.

They were gathered behind a group of chairs where some onlookers sat holding glasses of lemonade or cups of coffee. Nel Westerly, charmingly attired in a pink-sprigged gown and pink kid slippers, with pink and white ribbons fetchingly arranged in her pale upswept hair, laughed the loudest.

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