Dancing with the Devil

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen 

Ance felt out of place and more than a little uncomfortable as he sat in a chair beside the town well with Penelope beside him. A band was playing music, most folks were dancing, laughing and chatting. 

Ance found himself watching Penelope. Her wide brown eyes took in all the sights around them and there was a smile curving her lips, but Ance could tell there was something on her mind. 

"Are you having fun, Penny?" he asked quietly. 

"Yes," she replied quickly and then she frowned. "I wish I could...." 

"You wish you could what?" Ance urged. 

Penelope sighed and flopped back in her chair as she watched the men and women twirling around. "Dance." 

Ance grunted as he glanced at several children dancing around as well. Ance had never seen any point in dancing. He didn't believe in movement just for the sake of movement. He believed that if you weren't accomplishing something you might as well simply sit still. Dancing was wasteful and foolish--not to mention Ance had never had anyone to dance with anyhow. 

"Go dance," he insisted, pointing toward the children. "I won't stop ya." 

"I can't dance with them," Penelope countered sadly as she stared down at her the foot of her lame left leg. "Look at them twirl.... I can't twirl." 

Ance watched the children a moment and then turned his gaze to Penelope's face and took in the sadness, the wistfulness, he saw there. Without a word Ance stood up and held out his hand. 

Penelope looked up at him questioningly. "Where are we going?" 

"To dance," Ance mumbled. 

"But I can't.. my leg...." 

"Stop using that leg as an excuse to not do things, Penny. You can do anything you set your damn mind to doing. Now get up and we'll dance." 

With a mixture of excitement and uncertainty lighting up her brown eyes, Penelope took Ance's hand and got to her feet. He held her soft hand gently in his rough one and led her to an empty space not far from the band. 

After several attempts to dance as the others were, it became clear that between her leg and Ance's lack of experience, they were going to be unsuccessful. Ance saw the tears of sorrow and disappointment in her eyes and shook his head. No way on God's green earth was he letting her night be ruined by this. 

"I got an idea, Penny," Ance stated as he took her hands in his and stood still before her. "Step on my feet." 

"Huh?" Penelope frowned up at him. 

Ance smiled down at her. "Put your feet on top of my feet and I'll do the twirling." 

Penelope unsteadily got upon Ance's feet and he waited with complete patience and she steadied herself and relaxed a bit. Then he put one hand on her shoulder, held her other hand gently and began to slowly step in circles in time with the music. 

He was aware that there were eyes on him. Eyes that knew him were wide with shock and disbelief over his actions while eyes that did not know him watched on with amusement and warmth. Ance didn't worry about any of that. 

He focused all his attention on Penelope. Her laughter rang out and the beaming smile on her freckled face made the unwanted attention thrown his direction more than worth it. Hell, even Ance was smiling from ear to ear and unable to stop. 

The music continued to play, the festivities went on around them and all Ance could think about was how unlike him he was in this very moment, how very good this little girl had been for him and how rescuing her and keeping her with him had been the best thing an old outlaw like himself had ever done.