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Chapter Eight

Heyes, Kid and Catherine followed the sounds of laughter and music; sometimes passing, sometimes being passed by, other groups of excited folks all headed toward the same place—town hall—which sat smack dab in the center of Pine Bluff. As they got closer, they could see glimmers of light shining through its big, square-paned windows and an even larger glow coming from the double doors at the front of the building; doors that had been blocked wide open to catch the cool night breezes and funnel them through to flow through and exit at a set of matching double doors that also stood open at the rear of the building.

Catherine had built up so much anticipation over the social that she looked as though she might begin dancing even before she found a partner. Heyes could tell she was trying to contain her excitement, probably figuring that it wouldn't be right for a mature woman of sixteen to act so giddy. He would have been tempted to laugh, watching her, if he wasn't so worried about how Kid was acting.

Kid didn't share Catherine's excitement and eagerness. In fact, if Heyes had to guess at the expression on Kid's face, he would have said that his partner was barely containing his panic at having to attend the dance. He had the look of a horse that was ready to bolt, right down to his twitchy eyes and nervous gait. Heyes didn't understand what was going on with Kid these days. He'd never been one to be nervous, or at least not one to let on that he was nervous. Hell, Kid had always been as steady as a rock. Something had changed in the Kid and Heyes wasn't sure if it had more to do with getting the amnesty and settling down here or if it was more a result of the injury to his leg and how long it was taking for him to recover. Whatever the cause, Kid just didn't seem to have the confidence in himself that was so much a part of his personality—and that was troubling.

"Relax, Kid," he said under his breath, making sure Catherine didn't hear.

Kid swiveled his head to stare at his partner, not comprehending what he was saying. "Huh?"

"I said relax. We're gonna have a good time tonight. Just take it easy."

Kid glowered, his face only partially visible in the evening glow. "A good time you say? Maybe you'll have a good time. I hate these things."

"Well then, try to pretend you're having a good time will ya? For Catherine's sake."

"Don't you—"

His words were cut off by the feel of Catherine's small hand in his larger, rougher one. The sudden contact with her cool, dry hand made him realize how clammy his own palms had become. Heyes was right. He needed to relax.

He looked down at his young daughter, the top of her curled and coifed head level with his shoulder. She was looking back up at him, beaming. On Catherine's other side, holding her other hand was Heyes; also smiling down at the young girl, reveling in her reflected joy over being here with them on this night. Heyes looked up and met his eyes. He answered his smile with one of his own, but it felt unnatural on his lips. 'Relax,' he told himself, taking a deep breath. 'I've faced death at the barrel of a gun and a dance is making me break out in a cold sweat. Relax.' This last was more a command than a suggestion as he took one more deep breath, letting it out slowly through clenched teeth.

Leaving the darkness outside, they were bathed in the cool glow from the lamps strategically placed against the walls inside the hall. They paused just inside the doorway to take a quick look around. From the size of the crowd, it seemed like the whole town of Pine Bluff was in attendance.

Individually, they each seemed to be searching the crowd for someone, unaware that the other two were doing the same. Before Kid realized what had happened, both Heyes and Catherine had wandered off through the sea of people dressed in their Sunday best, leaving him standing by himself near the entrance. He tried to call after them, but before he found his voice, he knew they were out of earshot, what with all the other noises filling the spaces in the room. Suddenly, his admonition to himself to relax had been for nothing as he felt himself tense up again. What he really wanted was a shot of whiskey, but knew that the only libations served at this function would be non-alcoholic.

Across the room, he could see Heyes moving amongst the people, greeting almost everyone he met, man or woman alike, as though they were old friends. He'd stop and chat briefly with this person, longer with the next, before moving on again. 'Should'a been a politician instead of a bank robber,' Kid thought acidly watching his best friend, envious of the ease he felt, whereas he himself stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do with his hands, where to look, what false expression to plaster on his face; and wondering when he had become this person, wondering where and when his confidence had deserted him. The room seemed hotter than it should be and he was considering, seriously considering, leaving. Heyes could watch out for Catherine—and it seemed unlikely that either one would even miss him.

He scanned the room again, looking for Catherine. Finally, he spotted his daughter near the middle of the room. He was about to move to join her when he noticed she was already deep in conversation with the young man from the feed store. 'What did she say his name was? Something Wilde, I think.' Kid felt unexpectedly and unreasonably irritated to see the two young people together. Maybe it was because of how close the two stood, the boy a head taller than his young daughter and leaning in close to talk, his hip jutted out in a casual stance. Maybe it was the way she listened, her ear turned slightly toward his mouth while she leaned toward him in return. Maybe it was the blush that spread across her smooth cheeks at whatever the boy 'Jeremiah, that's what she called him,' was saying that made him want to go over and push him away.

Then Jeremiah reached out and took Catherine's hand, leading her out to the middle of the dance floor, where they stopped and, facing her, placed his hand familiarly on her waist, and then they began to dance, keeping time with the music, moving effortlessly and gracefully across the floor among the other couples. A ripple of what Kid suspected was jealousy shivered through his gut.

Sighing, he frowned unhappily. His hope that he and Catherine would spend some time together this evening was fading fast and he was feeling even more out of place. Indecisively, he glanced over his shoulder. The big double doors and the soothing darkness beyond them beckoned him but he was reluctant to leave Catherine alone, especially now that she was in the company of a young man.

Then, from across the room, his eyes locked on Emma Jeffries. She was standing alone near the refreshments table and looked genuinely happy to see him. She smiled and waved demurely, and after a quick glance around, as though looking for someone, started making her way his direction through the sea of swaying people. After a short hesitation, he started walking too, planning to meet her part way.

Emma looked radiant and relaxed in a powder blue party dress. Her face was flushed a pretty pink either from the heat or from excitement and she wore her hair loose around her shoulders, except for the locks that were pulled back and tied with a blue bow that matched her dress perfectly. Kid couldn't remember when he'd seen her looking more beautiful.

"I'm so happy to see you decided to come, Mr. Curry. Are you here with someone?" she asked, laying her hand on his arm and leaning close so that she could be heard above the music. The touch sent an unreasonably strong thrill through Kid's body which he tried to ignore.

Leaning down to bring his lips closer to her ear, he nodded and said, "My daughter. And Heyes." Then the music suddenly stopped, leaving his words hanging in the air. People started moving off the dance floor, wandering in groups to the punch and cookies set out on the long table at the end of the room or out the doors at either end of the hall to catch a few moments of fresh air, smiling and laughing. Other people stayed where they were, in groups of two or three or more, mingling and chatting while the band took a much-deserved break.

In the new, relative silence, Kid suddenly noticed how close he was standing to Emma and with reluctance, took a step back. "I'm here with Catherine and Heyes," he repeated, unsure of what else to say.

"That's wonderful. I hope you're having a good time."

"Uh, well, we just got here a few minutes ago. To tell the truth, I was thinking about leaving."

"Leaving?" she said, surprised. "Why would you leave if you just got here? Don't tell me you still think you're too old to have a good time here?"

"No, it's not that so much, ma'am."

"I'm very glad to hear that at least," she teased him gently. "So what then? Why do you want to deprive all the women of this town of your company?"

"That's very kind of you, Miss Jeffries. But I don't think I'd be depriving them of much. I don't dance much any more, remember?"

"Well, Mr. Curry, there's more to being good company than just dancing," she said, smiling up at him.

Kid was about to reply to her gentle flirting when he sensed another person standing behind his shoulder, just out of his line of sight. Emma's eyes shifted from his face; Kid thought he saw her smile slip a bit; to the man standing there just as it registered with Kid—Sheriff Caldwell was looking at Emma, holding two crystal cups filled with ruby-red sparkling punch. He held one cup out to her and she accepted it with a murmured thanks. With his newly-freed hand, the sheriff wrapped his arm somewhat possessively around the young woman's shoulders, making sure Kid recognized the meaning behind his actions. His eyes locked on Kid's, and he was sure the man was mocking him.

"Curry," he said, by way of a greeting, his lips set in a thin line. Kid didn't reply, only nodded slowly, his eyes cold. Emma glanced quickly between the two men, not knowing what to say. Before she can find the words, the band began playing again, the lively notes of a familiar polka filling the room. "May I have this dance," the sheriff smiled at Emma as he took the cup from her hands. Adding another injury to Kid's already wounded pride, Caldwell thrust both cups at Kid, who instinctively reached out to take them, and then twirled Emma away from him, leaving him alone, holding onto the half-empty cups. Kid fumed, angry at himself for ever agreeing to come to this event. He lifted first one cup, and then the other, to his lips, draining them of their contents, slamming them down a little too loudly on a convenient table.

Frustrated and ready to go, he looked once again for his family. To his dismay, Catherine was once again dancing with Jeremiah, who had his arm wrapped tightly, a little too tightly to suit Kid, around her waist. From where he stood, the couple looked almost as though they were floating lightly over the ground instead of across it. He sighed, wondering if this was how Catherine acted back home, and if it wasn't, how he was going to explain all this to her mother.

With Catherine romantically occupied, Kid's only remaining hope for salvation was his ever-present best friend, Hannibal Heyes. But when Kid finally found him in the crowd, Heyes was on the dance floor too. No longer engaged in small talk with assorted townsfolk, Heyes had found a dance partner and the two of them were merrily circling the floor, twirling to the frenzied polka beat that the band pounded out with gusto.

Kid recognized Heyes' lady as Charlotte Gray, the school teacher. Her brown hair was up off her shoulders, but it wasn't tied into the spinster's knot that she'd been wearing the last time he'd seen her, at the ranch. Tonight, it was piled up on top of her head in feminine curls, softening her schoolmarm appearance. Still, he didn't understand why Heyes seemed so interested in her. Each time he caught a glimpse of his friend's face as he spun his partner around the dance floor, he was struck by how happy Heyes looked, and it irritated him.

Finally, Kid got tired of watching Heyes and Catherine and their dance partners and limped over to one of the straight-backed chairs lining the edge of the dance floor. His leg felt heavier than he remembered it being when he first walked into the hall. "I thought nobody danced at these things," he grumbled under his breath, taking his chair with a groan, feeling old and alone.