Hello everyone, here we go with chapter eight and I hope you enjoy it. As usual I own nothing of these characters. I know it has been a long time since updating so for anyone who has forgotten:

Danny likes Lindsay, he's not sure if she likes him, they are both attending the dance but she is going with an old acquaintance called Robbie.

Please review if you have enjoyed it. I really appreciate the comments.

Chapter 8

I'll go.

Just to check she's ok.

No - I'll stay home.

I don't even like dancing.

She might dance with me once. Just as friends.

No, I'll stay.

Danny tossed his pillow over his head and rolled over for the millionth time that night. He really didn't want to torture himself by spending the next night watching Lindsay in the arms of another man. Then again, if he got just one dance, then he could put up with anything for the rest of the evening.

I'll go. I've decided. It's worth the heartache.

By the next morning Danny was firm in his decision. He would go the dance, although he didn't generally like them, in the hope that he could at least have one dance with Lindsay.

It didn't really matter that he didn't have a date. The dance was intended as something to bring your girl to and have fun (not too much fun though, it was run by the church committee after all!) However only a blind person would fail to notice the huge discrepancy between men and women in the area. There was a definite dearth of the female population in the county, especially of young women. If the young girls didn't move to the cities for a more exciting life, they were snapped up to be married as soon as they became women.

Possibly even before that Danny had observed in church the week before. He had been introduced to Dr. Peterson's new wife; she can't be more than fifteen! he thought. He had noticed it was not uncommon for a girl to have a child underfoot, another on her hip and a third in her belly by the time she was twenty. Wives were hard to come by, and the women had their pick of the crop usually marrying the sons of the local ranch owners, businessmen or traders.

Danny, and the others in his dorm however, made up the rest of the town: landless, unskilled labourers. They were not expected to turn up with a girl on their arm, but a chance was a chance, and they would not snub their noses at the little entertainment the town had to offer. On the whole, the men decided to go and try their luck.

With their work considerably lightened for the time being, Danny noticed Lindsay's continual absence for long periods of time over the week. He knew that her horse Ada had been hurt, having cut her leg whilst jumping a fence, but there was no way she could be in the barn all this time is there? With the endless summer days and little work to do he often ended up spending his free time walking in the countryside around the ranch. It was now nearly two months since he had moved to Montana, and although he would admit that his new home was stunningly beautiful, he could not help pining for New York. He was glad that he came though, he had a lot of time to himself and he was realised that a feeling he had gotten in New York was growing out here in the west – he wasn't a kid anymore, he didn't really enjoy the lewd jokes and mouthy pranks of some of the younger men in the dorm. He wanted more from his life.

The mystery of Lindsay's disappearances was solved on Wednesday, when Danny went to fetch some more twine from the main house. He rounded the corner into the kitchen and ran head on into her coming down the stairs.

"Oof", they both exclaimed as they sprang apart rubbing their temples where they had collided.

"I'm so sorry", Danny exclaimed as he instinctively caught her arm to steady her when she lost her footing.

"No, its my fault I wasn't looking", she laughed slightly and lifted her hand to brush his fringe away from his forehead, lightly brushing his skin and checking for a bump.

"No harm done", he whispered as he took the hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. They stared into each other's eyes and in that moment he wanted to bring said hand to his lips but stopped himself. She's going to the Dance with Robbie he reminded himself, for all you know she might be spoken for.

"Lindsay! Have you put it on yet! We need to get the hem tacked."

It was Mrs Monroe calling from the kitchen and Danny suddenly looked down and realised what she was wearing. Her dress – well, it was nearly a dress – was a deep periwinkle blue and had a soft satiny sheen to it, reminding him once again that although the Monroes were essentially farmers they had a lot of land and workers, and therefore money, and she was way out of his league. It was an unadorned, but a very flattering cut on her. It hugged her curves along the V neckline and capped sleeves and flared out from the waist until it brushed just below here knees. Danny couldn't resist running his eyes down her body and imagining that his fingers could follow the same path. The hem needed finishing, an activity he had obvious interrupted them as they were about to start, and he could see her slender legs beneath and cute button toes which curled under his scrutiny.

"Danny", she said a little breathlessly. He quickly lifted his eyes to hers, a little embarrassed at being caught blatantly checking out her legs, "I need to get back" she continued gesturing towards the kitchen and her no doubt waiting mother.

Danny smiled and stepped aside, not seeing Lindsay smirk as she felt him staring at her backside She gave it a bit of extra swing as she sauntered away. Two can play at that game!

Saturday night finally came around with Danny both loathing and anticipating the idea of the event. Robbie had picked up Lindsay half an hour before and the men piled into Jem's truck for the trip into the town close by. It was a bit of a squeeze, but the dance was being held more locally, only five miles away, so they didn't have to be uncomfortable for too long. Danny was not surprised that Simon and Ian, his least favourite of his dorm mates were attending, they were always up for a good time and spent the ride boasting about their past exploits with women.

On the whole he was glad when they arrived. He headed straight inside, and found himself a drink and a corner to slouch in, prepared to wait out Lindsay's arrival.

He watched the other couples around the room. Some were swirling on the dance floor, swinging to the beat of the music, others sat at tables enjoying drinks and chatting. The atmosphere was more relaxed than usual but also controlled in a way he was not used to. The lights were brighter than they would have been at a dance in New York, creating fewer dark corners for couples to linger in and a more wholesome atmosphere. One thing was universal though: constant swirls of smoke that were issued from countless cigarettes were illuminated as they passed through the beams of light issuing from the lamps.

It was not long before he finally saw Lindsay arrive, his eyes immediately picking out the colour of her dress as she came through the door. She was smiling, he noticed, but looked a little uncomfortable on Robbie's arm. He watched them dance for a few songs, casually brushing off any other women who approached him trying to make conversation. He had always garnered a lot of female interest and was not really interested to be honest. I've only come to see Lindsay, he thought.

It was when he saw her standing alone that he decided to make a move to talk to her.

"Lindsay", he said, trying to catch her attention as he walked up. She turned to face him and a smile broke out on her face – a genuine smile that reached her eyes and made them shine.

"Hey Danny, you having fun?" she asked.

"Ahhh", he said, avoiding the question, "yeah… Iwaswonderingifyouwouldliketodancewithme." He said it fast, unsure of himself, and then cringed when he realised that he sounded like a fourteen-year-old boy asking his first crush.

Lindsay looked like she was suppressing the urge to laugh but then game him a beaming grin and simply said,

"I would love to Danny".

Best.

Dance.

EVER.

Danny could not believe how good it felt to have her in his arms. And he was going to send a large cut of his wages to his Ma this week as thank you for forcing him to learn how to dance as a child.

All young men should know how to dance Daniel, it's important! She had said this when he was reluctant to learn, now though he was so grateful that he was not stumbling and stepping on Lindsay's feet, but was confidant that he could hold and lead correctly. And boy did she feel good in his arms. Her dress was thin and he could feel how warm and soft her skin was underneath. The hand that was supposed to stay on her waist had drifted to her lower back where, whilst effectively pulling her closer, he gently caressed the small of her back.

They chatted animatedly whilst they moved. He asked her about how her horse was faring after its injury, she enquires if he had found any more interesting plants to sample in the surrounding countryside and they chuckled about the stupid things that they had eaten as little children. They were still laughing when another person appeared at their sides. Danny didn't really notice the man at first; the room was hot and crowded and they were having a good time together. It was as the man grabbed Lindsay by the arm that Danny realised it was Robbie coming to claim his partner.

"Mind if I cut in", he spat as he glared at Danny and elbowed him out of the way.

The whole episode took mere moments, however Danny stumbled under the force of the shove and it took him a minute to regain his balance. He turned back to the spot where he and Lindsay had been so happily wrapped in each other's arms mere moments beforehand, but it was now filling with other dancers oblivious to the confrontation that had just happened.

He craned his neck to find her, and catching sight of a flash of deep blue being forcefully lead out of the back door he quickly began pushing his way through the crowd to follow…

Sorry for the Cliffhanger I know it is evil!

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