Amalie thought it sweet, and she watched the auction with increased interest.
The pastor introduced Grace and said, “I saw meat pies, sugar cookies, apple slices, and pie in Grace’s basket. Who wants to start the bidding?”
A dirty cowboy from one of the neighboring ranches ambled forward and said, “I can offer a penny for her.”
Amalie cringed, knowing this would not turn out well.
The pastor reminded the man that he was bidding on the basket and not Grace.
Clint stepped forward and offered a dollar.
The cowboy rested his hand on his pistol and spat. “A dollar and a penny. I want that basket if the lady comes along.”
Grace paled.
Amalie took a step back.
Deke whispered, “Stay right here. I’ll be back.” Then, he moved away from Amalie and seemed to melt into the crowd.
Clint stood ramrod still, watching the cowboy as he said, “Two dollars.”
The cowboy snickered. “I guess she’s worth two dollars and a penny.”
The pastor admonished the man again, and the cowboy laughed harder.
“Three dollars.” Clint’s voice carried through the crowd.
“Boy, you’d better back off,” the cowboy sneered. “That girl is mine, and I’ll take the supper, too. Three dollars and a penny.”
Clint drew in a breath and shouted, “Five dollars.”
The crowd quieted, and everyone watched the cowboy, wondering what he’d say next.
Clint smiled at Grace and nodded, doing his best to assure her he’d bid the highest, and that she shouldn’t worry.
The cowboy reached for his gun, and Grace screamed.
Deke’s hand was quicker than lightning as he pulled his gun and hit the cowboy on the side of his head.
The cowboy dropped like a sack of flour, and the sheriff hurried over to arrest the dazed cowboy.
“Show’s over, folks,” the sheriff said. “He’ll cool his heels in jail for a few days. You all should go back and enjoy the picnic.”
Clint paid his five dollars, picked up the picnic basket Grace had dropped, offered her his arm, and guided her to a quiet spot in the shade of a large cottonwood tree.
Deke appeared at Amalie’s side as quickly as he had left, and she smiled at him.
“I didn’t think anyone could move that fast. I barely saw you remove your gun. What all the dime novels say about you is true, isn’t it? You’re one of the best bounty hunters to ever have lived.” Amalie spoke with excitement shining in her hazel eyes.
“No, I’m not the fastest or the best. The books exaggerate. I do what I have to do, and I’ve learned to move quickly and quietly and to anticipate trouble. I figured that cowboy was trouble from his words and wanted to be closer to help defuse any situation without gunplay,” Deke explained.
“I think you saved Clint’s life,” Amalie responded. “You’re a hero.”
Deke bit back a laugh at Amalie’s praise, a bit embarrassed. He took her arm and said, “Let’s get some food and eat before they start the dance.”
~ * ~
When everyone was finished with supper, the food tables were removed, and several men lay wide planks down on the grass to make a dance floor. Amalie watched as they fit the planks together and kept them in place using wide leather straps on the ends.
“I wondered where they would dance,” she commented when Deke took her hand once the first notes of music had drifted across the field.
“They do a good job with the dance floor. People need to have fun along with all the hard ranch work. Come on—dance with me.”
Amalie moved into Deke’s arms, and they danced as if they were meant to be partners. Deke’s heart skipped a beat when he looked into her eyes. He couldn’t fall in love with this woman he was holding close to him, but each day brought him closer to realizing that he was doing just that. He didn’t know how to stop his feelings.
When the dance was over, Amalie left to look for Nate. “I’m going to ask him to dance. He won’t want to, but he should. Maybe I can convince him.”
As Amalie hurried away, the skirt of her green dress flowed around her. The tiny white flowers on the green fabric seemed to dance as she hurried off to find Nate, and Deke felt a pang of jealousy.
~ * ~
Nate refused all of Amalie’s offers to dance, and she wound up spending a delightful time dancing with her handsome husband. It was nearing time for the social to end, and Deke said that he’d find Nate and then help Amalie with the empty basket and escort her to the wagon.
When Deke was well out of earshot, Laura strolled over to Amalie with a cup of lemonade. She smiled and said, “Are you having a good time?”
“Yes, I am, thank you,” Amalie said.
Laura looked around and said, “My friends told me about apologizing to you when they saw you in the mercantile.”
“Yes, they did, and I appreciated it. I never wanted any hard feelings, and I’m happy things are settled between us,” Amalie explained.
Laura whispered, “You’d best enjoy it. I have a cousin in St. Louis, and I wrote to him and asked about you. I received an answer a few days ago. It seems that word has traveled around that you were a soiled dove and ran from some saloon. My cousin said a man named Rex Horrison put a bounty out for information about you. He wants you back, and I think I should contact him. I can always use a little money, and you
