Cowboys & Nightmares

Chapter Twenty Two

 Behind the living room, the guests were slowly flooding into the ballroom's edges, no one daring to touch the center of the floor until the musicians had tuned up and began to play. Skirts swished along the hardwood floors, and polished boots struck the boards in an almost rhythmic beat. Laughter erupted from all sides of the room, the booming of the hands accompanied by the high-pitched tinkling of women giggling and shrieking.

"Oh, Kora, I'm so nervous," I whispered at the top of the stairs, holding my skirts in clenched, sweaty hands. Somewhere in that crowd was Ronnie, and though he probably had found a woman to bring to the dance, I could imagine the way he'd eye me in this dress, with my shoulders bare and the sleeves draped on my arms. I suddenly felt constricted, and wanted more than anything to get back into my dirty work clothes.

Boss's wife took my hand, her gloves cool to the touch. "It's all right, Dear," she murmured, reading the emotions that must have been written on my face. "Come on." She slowly started down the steps, her hand tugging at mine to follow. Still nervous, I followed, scanning the crowd. I couldn't make out a whole lot of people. Where were Joe and Dune?

As we walked down the stairs, heads all across the room turned to see who was entering, eyes taking in the two of us. Some of the hands smiled warmly, while some got slapped by their dates for ogling. I was terrified by the attention, and wanted now more than ever to be wearing my jeans and button-up. But Mrs. McGange's hand holding mine was a firm hold, her strength giving me courage to continue down the stairs.

Joe met me at the landing, wearing a nice black suit and escorting a beautiful auburn-haired woman in a light blue dress. "You look amazing, Rylie," he complimented me with a smile before turning to his date. "This here's Grace. She's been so curious about the female worker on the ranch."

She shook hands with me, a smile in her eyes. "Joe's told me all about you. I'm so glad to meet you." She then turned to Joe, placing a hand on his chest. "I'll be right back - I need to freshen up. I'll meet the two of you near the dance floor." With that, she disappeared into the crowd. Her quick voice and bouncy stride made me smile. She reminded me of a schoolgirl.

When she was gone, Joe looped his arm through mine, leading me casually toward the ballroom. "Have you seen Dune?" he asked as we wove in and out of couples.

I shook my head, scanning the crowd for my bunkmate. "Not since earlier." Butterflies had erupted in my stomach at the thought of seeing him. What would he think of the dress?

Suddenly, I caught sight of Ronnie clutching a young woman in a crimson gown, her blonde hair spun tightly into a bun on her head. He was wearing a suit similar to Joe, yet his shirt underneath the jacket matched his date. He really looked sharp, and if I didn't know him, I would have perceived him as handsome. As he took his eyes from his date, slicking back his hair, he caught sight of me. With one sweep of his lusty eyes, he took in my evening gown, and his lips stretched back from his canines in an evil smirk. If I wasn't already self-conscious, I was now.

Joe noticed. "Come on, the musicians are getting ready."

Up on a small stage, a group of people were setting up for the night. Samuel, an older, Irish worker with a thick accent, was tuning up his fiddle; Snipe, clean shaven for the first time I'd ever seen, was testing the pitch of his guitar strings; Mitchell had a washboard and a small drum to play; and Butch, dressed sharp as a duke, was perched on a stool, the neck of a bass resting on his collarbone. We made eye contact, and he grinned bashfully, winking.

About that time, Grace rejoined us. "Rylie, if you'd like to dance with Joe, that's quite all right. I can sit out this one."

"Oh no, Grace," I said as I shook my head. "Joe asked you to this dance, not me. I can wait for Dune." I stepped away, pulling their hands together. "You go ahead and dance. I'll be fine."