Give Me Tonight

'And, Carolahnn… you, in this heat… we'll have to sit you down with a cool drink right away. May, Ah just cain't believe how sweet your two girls ah. Y'all must let me show off some of the gifts Ruthie has received.'

'What did we give her?' Addie whispered to Caroline as they followed Mrs. Fanin into the house.

'Crystal artichoke plates.'

Addie couldn't smother a grin. 'Nice to know we gave her something really useful.'

Caroline, who had helped May pick out the plates, lifted her nose in the air. 'Ruth already has everything she needs. Most important, Jeff's younger brother for a husband. '

Immediately Addie's smile disappeared. 'Caro, if you see Jeff around, tell me. I've got to explain some things to him.'

'You're askin' for trouble, little sister. And you don't need to explain anything to him. He already knows why you haven't returned his notes or gone to meet him.'

'Just tell me if you see him,' Addie said impatiently.

After admiring and exclaiming over the tables loaded down with Ruth's wedding gifts, Addie and Caroline managed to escape to their rooms in order to take brief naps and freshen up before the barbecue. May remained by Mrs. Fanin's side to help her receive the rest of the guests.

A cool breeze drifted into the room, easing the heat of the day, but Addie couldn't sleep. She went to the window and watched the activity outside. Hundreds of names were being called back and forth as old friends renewed their acquaintances. Busily she repeated the names to herself, hoping she'd remember enough of them to avoid offending anyone or causing embarrassment to herself.

The scene quieted as afternoon approached, while people retired to their rooms to prepare for the night ahead. Addie's stomach began to growl as tantalizing smells floated through the air. It wasn't difficult to envision the pork that was roasting and crackling over the fire at this very moment. There would be smoked sausage, brisket, and potatoes, not to mention all the different kinds of pies and cakes for dessert. Surreptitiously Addie loosened her corset strings, letting her waist expand a good inch and a half, sighing in relief. No one would notice. Elegance be damned. She was hungry.

'I think everyone looks just wonderful,' Caroline said, clinging to Peter's arm as the Warners went down the stairs in a small group. They all moved slowly out of consideration for Caroline's awkward gait. May and Addie were on either side of Russell, the hems of their dresses brushing the edges of the steps as they descended.

Addie was fascinated by the people walking in and out of the house. Caro was right. Everyone did look wonderful. It could have been a scene right out of the movies. She marveled at the fact that it was real. The women wore beautiful, frothy dresses trimmed with profusions of flowers and lace. Tiny waists were cinched in with fringed sashes or large bows, hair was curled into masses of ringlets and pinned in large puffs.

The men were even more remarkable in their finery than the women. After seeing men dressed in nothing but rough denims and cotton workshirts for so long, it was a pleasure to behold them all turned out in their best. Many wore light-colored shirts, bright silk scarves, and exquisite made-to-order boots, while the more affluent were attired in fashionable city clothes, striped trousers, light summer suits, and satin vests. Addie wanted to giggle as she saw how many of them had patent-leather hair, slicked down and shiny with Macassar oil, flat on top, with all the wave and curl combed out.

'Adeline, you're a picture tonight,' Russell said gruffly, glancing down at her.

The rich melon-pink of her dress brought out the peach tones of her skin, and made her brown eyes darker. The neckline of her dress was moderately low and the sleeves short, leaving her neck and shoulders bare. The two ruffled skirts of her dress were trimmed with plaited ribbons that rustled as she moved.

Addie smiled reluctantly. 'Thank you, Daddy.'

'There's just one thing. Don't let me catch you sneakin' off with that Johnson boy.'

'You won't,' she said sweetly. She was going to find Jeff, but she would certainly make sure Russell didn't catch her.

Outside, music was provided by several fiddles, a guitar, and a banjo, and there were wreaths and streamers of colored tissue everywhere. People moved down the long tables, filling their plates with generous helpings of everything from crisp pork to raspberry pie. As she approached the tables, Addie was suddenly besieged by offers of help-'Miss Adeline, let me get some of this for you'… 'Miss Adeline, could I hold your plate for you whilst you decide what you're gonna have?'

It didn't take long to realize most of the men around her were from the Sunrise Ranch. As Caroline explained it later, every cowboy from Sunrise considered it his special duty and privilege to watch over the Warner women. Addie found herself with a small crowd of men, each of whom had appointed himself as her guardian and protector, and she was both amused and touched by their antics as they vied for her attention. They were rough-cut in many ways, but their sense of chivalry couldn't be faulted. Recklessly she promised to dance with each and every one of them tomorrow night, and she laughed as they pretended to quarrel over what order they would be in.

'If I were you, there's someone in particular I'd save a dance for,' Caroline murmured below the general noise, and Addie grinned cheekily, popping a tender morsel of chicken into her mouth.

'Who?'

'Look over there. The one talkin' with Mr. Fanin.' Addie followed Caroline's gaze and stopped chewing in mid-bite as she saw a slim, attractive man standing by Mr. Fanin, holding a drink in one hand and gesturing with the other. He wore beige trousers, a white shirt, and a patterned vest that emphasized his broad shoulders. She couldn't see his face, but she noticed he had black hair trimmed closely at the back of the neck. Tanned skin contrasted sharply with the snowy whiteness of his turned-down collar. His very posture, confident and straight-backed, seemed to proclaim he was a dangerous man to trifle with.

Addie kept her eyes on him while she resumed chewing. 'Interesting,' she commented. 'Who is he?'

'It's Ben, silly!'

She nearly choked on her food. 'It is not!'

'Are you blind? Take another look. '

'It isn't,' Addie said stubbornly, swallowing with difficulty. 'Ben isn't as tall as that, or as…' Her voice withered away as he turned his head in response to someone's greeting, and she recognized his profile. 'It is Ben,' she said, stunned.

'I told you.'

She had never seen Ben in anything but Levi's, work clothes, and a dusty hat. How had he managed to turn into that stylish, well-tailored stranger? He looked the same and yet so different she was afraid to trust her eyes. 'Look at him, all dandied up,' she said almost under her breath, trying to ignore the tumult in her breast.

'One handsome man, isn't he?'

'Any man looks better after bathing and putting on clean clothes.'

Caroline snorted. 'Oh, tell the truth, Adeline.'

But Addie couldn't reply. Having sensed her amazed stare, Ben turned and looked at her, and his eyes filled with an insolent appreciation that made her pulse quicken. Then he smiled lazily and returned his attention to Mr. Fanin, as if Addie held little interest for him.

She couldn't help being tense during the rest of the barbecue, half-expecting Ben's touch on her arm or his voice in her ear. Surely he'd have to come by and say hello, if only for the sake of politeness. And when he did approach her, she would set him back on his heels in no time at all. No matter how handsome he was, she'd let him see how indifferent she was to him! But as the afternoon wore on, he made no move toward her. Addie was oddly deflated at not having the chance to talk to him. His time is his own-the Lord knows I don't care how he spends it, she thought, trying to work up some healthy disdain. Let him talk to every woman there but her. She didn't care a bit.

After the crowd had eaten its fill and the food began to settle down to overfilled stomachs, the afternoon was lazy and quiet. Voices that had previously been animated became languid, chairs tipped back,