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Sensing Cooper was in the vicinity, Caroline turned around and looked up the street. She found him in front of the drugstore. He was crouched down next to a little boy who was crying. A bicycle lay nearby on the sidewalk. Cooper had one hand on the boy’s shoulder, and while she couldn’t hear his words, she guessed he was saying something to reassure him. She watched as he pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped the boy’s eyes, then urged him to blow his nose. Cooper stood up, picked up the bicycle and set it upright. He continued talking to the boy as he guided the bike onto the edge of the street. He helped him onto the bike and kept it steady until the boy felt confident to go on his own. The little boy grinned at Cooper as he managed to make his way down the street without too much wobbling.
At that same moment, Cooper’s head snapped upward and his nostrils flared as if he’d caught a scent in the wind. His head swiveled until he looked across the street. Straight at Caroline. There was no change in his expression as he nodded his head in greeting. She nodded back.
She remained frozen in time as she watched Cooper climb back into his vehicle. A moment later, the engine rumbled to life and the Blazer headed down the street. During its progress, people would look up and call out Cooper’s name, punctuated with a wave of the hand.
She noted he returned each greeting, but not once did a smile crack his lips.
Caroline forced her legs to move. With each step, her resolve to see Cooper Night Hawk smile strengthened, until it was pure steel.
“YOU ARE TAKING the new woman to the dance,” Laughing Bear announced from the bathroom doorway.
Cooper stood in front of the mirror adjusting his tie. He hated the things with a passion and wore them as little as possible. He swore under his breath and started to pull the tie free from his collar. Then he remembered. The ladies in town made few rules, but maintained them religiously. One of them was that their men dress up for church and for the dances.
“Have you been consulting the Spirits lately or just hearing the gossip in town?” he asked his grandfather.
He shook his head, his shoulder length gray hair shifting with each movement. “One day you will understand the Spirits’ plan for you and you will regret that you doubted them.”
Cooper turned away from the mirror and followed his grandfather into the large room that was a combination living room, family room and dining room all in one. His cabin was built for comfort instead of looks. In the winter, it was warm and snug, and during the summer heat waves it was cool, even outside on the wraparound porch.
“Aren’t you going to the dance?” He noticed the older man’s more casual attire of a plaid shirt and jeans. As he looked at his grandfather, he realized the man’s hands had grown more gnarled from his arthritis and his face showed cracks and wrinkles of a life well lived. He also noticed the older man’s walk wasn’t as steady as it used to be.
It saddened Cooper to think the day would come when the older man wouldn’t be around to remind him to honor his ancestors and tell the story of the Woman of the River and what she meant. For some time, Laughing Bear had been convinced the woman would return and come into Cooper’s life, as she had come into the Sauk chief Black Hawk’s.
Cooper was convinced he’d see Homer Madison’s pigs fly first.
“Dances are for young people.”
“That’s not what Mrs. Peabody thinks. And she’s got to be ninety-four, if a day,” Cooper protested. “When she’s feeling frisky she can put all of us to shame on the dance floor.”
“Liza Peabody was a lovely young woman who had her choice of men in the town,” Laughing Bear mused. “She once told me she chose Walter because he had kind eyes. She listened to her heart instead of her head. It was the best choice she could have made.”
“Oh no!” Cooper threw up his hands for protection. “You already tried that a few minutes ago and I wouldn’t bite.”
Laughing Bear stared at his grandson for several moments. “Perhaps it would be a good thing if I go. But my truck is not running right.”
His grandfather was spinning a yarn, Cooper knew, since he’d just given the cantankerous pickup a tune-up on his last day off. The older man wanted to go, all right. As long as he went with Cooper and his date. Good thing Cooper didn’t think Caroline would mind.
“Go on and change,” he said gruffly. “You can ride with us.”
Laughing Bear appeared to hesitate. “She will not mind?”
“I have a pretty good idea Caroline won’t mind at all. Go on home and change. I’ll drive over there to get you.”
Cooper knew his grandfather had done what many a teenager had tried and failed to do with the deputy. The elderly man had just neatly manipulated him.
“You would have made a great lawyer,” he called after his grandfather.
“Yes, I would,” was his serene reply.
Cooper didn’t bother coming back with a retort. His grandfather was happiest when he had the last word.
“YOU LOOK LOVELY, dear,” Anna told Caroline.
“It’s all right?” Caroline struck a pose worthy of a haughty model in a fashion magazine. “I wasn’t sure what to wear, then I discovered I had this outfit and thought it would work. It’s one of my favorites.”
“It’s perfect,” her landlady proclaimed, but looked skeptical as she stared down at Caroline’s feet. “Are you sure you can dance in those shoes?”
Caroline’s black, silk knit top boasted a scoop neck and cap sleeves, and skimmed the waistline to her red-and-white checked skirt with its flirtatious ruffled hemline. Her strappy, high-heeled sandals showed her legs to their best advantage. She had the top part of her hair, divided into three sections, twisting the strands around to be held in place with red pearlized butterfly clips. Her only other jewelry was a gold bangle bracelet.
Caroline had just reached the bottom step when the doorbell rang.
“I’d say that is your date,” Anna said, moving toward the door. She opened it and stood back. “Cooper, now don’t you look handsome.”
“Anna,” he greeted the woman as he stepped inside. His gaze immediately shifted to Caroline. His voice turned husky. “You look lovely.”
She brightened immediately. “Thank you.” She headed toward him.
“We’ll see you at the dance,” Anna told them.
“I hope you don’t mind, but my grandfather wanted to come to the dance and he said his truck is acting up,” Cooper said apologetically as they went down the walkway.
“I don’t mind at all.”
Caroline looked at the Blazer with its official seal.
“There’s not enough of us to be off duty totally,” he explained, opening the passenger door.
Caroline looked in, noticed the rifle and the low voiced static coming from the radio. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt safer,” she quipped, as he helped her into the seat.
“With two of us, you will feel even safer.”
Caroline shifted, so she could rest her arms on the back of the seat. “You must be Cooper’s grandfather. I’m Caroline Benning.” She offered her hand.
“I am Laughing Bear.” He took her hand between his as he smiled at her. “You are a lovely woman.”
She smiled back. “Thank you. I can see where your grandson received his charm.” She shifted her gaze momentarily in Cooper’s direction.
“I tried to teach him well,” Laughing Bear said gravely.
“Are you trying to steal my date, Grandfather?” Cooper asked as he slid behind the wheel.
“Only if she wishes to be stolen.” His teeth flashed white in the dark.
“I bet all the ladies adore him,” Caroline said to Cooper.
“He’s a charmer, all right,” he muttered.
Caroline shared a secret smile with Laughing Bear. She somehow felt that the older men approved of her.
The hall where the dance was held was brightly lit, with music floating out of the open doors. Tiny twinkling lights threaded through the trees outside the hall gave the area a fairyland atmosphere. A romantic atmosphere for those who wished some privacy. Teenagers were already disappearing among the trees.
Out of habit Cooper scanned the grounds. He didn’t expect trouble. It was rare to have any problems on dance nights unless someone spent too much time in the parking lot with friends and beer. Only soft drinks were allowed in the hall for just that reason. In Cooper’s opinion it was a good rule.
Caroline took his arm and hugged it against her. Her movements sent the scent of her perfume drifting his way. Tonight her fragrance was heavier, with a hint of jasmine. Something rare and exotic. Like her.
“You’re off duty,” she reminded him, seeing him stare toward the rear of the parking lot.
“No cop worth his salt is ever off duty,” he said.
She kept his arm close to her. “Then I guess I’ll just have to make sure that you’re too busy dancing to worry about anyone else.”
Cooper ignored the soft laughter coming at him from behind. He could tell his grandfather was already having way too much fun at his expense.
When they entered the hall, Laughing Bear moved to one side to join friends.
“It looks as if the entire town is here,” Caroline said, looking around.
Her toes tapped and her hips swiveled to the beat of the Glenn Miller song the band was playing.
“Just about. All ages are welcome so no one has to baby-sit and miss out on the fun,” Cooper told her. “Care to dance?”
“Of course I do. I’m not letting you off that easy,” she quipped, allowing him to lead her toward the dance floor.
The moment she stepped into his arms she felt her pulse race. She moved with him as easily as if she’d danced with him all her life.
There was no missing the darkening in his eyes or the slight hitch in his breath when she rested her hand on his shoulder. In her heels, she almost met him at eye level.
“I’m glad you asked me,” she said, so softly he had to lean down to hear her.
“I’m glad you accepted.”
Their steps moved in perfect sync as they moved among the other couples. They ignored the curious looks directed their way and the whispers along the side of the room.
“Seeing the way they’re looking at us, I’d guess you normally don’t come to the dances,” she murmured.
“I don’t,” he admitted under his breath.
She slightly drew back. “Never?”
“My grandfather comes to them. I take duty those nights.”
“You’re not on duty tonight. I bet they would have let you take the evening off, so you could come other times.”
“I usually prefer being on duty so anyone else who wants to come can.”
The tip of her tongue appeared, to dot the curve of her upper lip. The first time he comes to a dance is with me? No wonder people are staring at us. “Oh.”
“Who else asked you to go with them tonight?” Cooper questioned.
Caroline tipped her head back, eyes half closed in thought. Her lips moved as if she was ticking off names. In his mind, she took entirely too long before she opened her eyes.
“No one.”
“I can’t believe that.”
“Alice said I intimidate the men. I think I just plain scare them.” She almost yelped with joy when she saw a corner of his mouth twitch.
“Maybe you should try the smiley face on their pancakes,” he suggested.
“I wanted to build a tower with the bacon, but Marge said it wasn’t a good idea.” Her smile faltered.
Cooper spun her around so he could see what caught her attention. Elias Spencer had just come in with Lydia Perry, a member of the infamous Tyler Quilting Circle. Cooper didn’t miss the momentary expression in Caroline’s eyes that he knew was yearning. But why? What did Elias Spencer have to do with her?
It would have been so easy to ask her why seeing any of the Spencer men affected her so strongly. But he didn’t want to tip his hand just yet.
“See anyone you know?” he asked instead.
She looked at him blankly for a moment before she recovered. “I’m sorry, I must have zoned out,” she apologized.
He shook his head, confused. “Zoned out?”
“Mentally wandered off. I usually don’t do that.”
“Maybe it’s the company,” he said lightly.
She ducked her head just enough so she could inhale the spicy scent of his aftershave.
“Fishing for a compliment, Cooper?” Her smooth voice flowed like hot silk over his skin. Her hand moved almost caressingly across his shoulder.
“I never had a woman zone out before,” he said gruffly.
She smiled brightly. “Let’s just call it relaxing and having fun, shall we?”
Cooper wasn’t sure it was a good idea to relax too much around Caroline.
CAROLINE LOVED TO DANCE and did so any chance she had. Tonight she learned that dancing with Cooper was a whole new experience.
She couldn’t remember a partner moving with her the way he did. As if they were one.
The connotation brought images to mind that were best left alone.
Dancing was giving her the chance to glance around the room and see who was where. Luckily, the people she’d hoped to see there had arrived. The Spencer men were all present, and none of them arrived alone. Since they were good-looking men, she wasn’t surprised.
Brady Spencer was the only one she’d had much chance to talk to. She hoped she would have more of a chance tonight. She already knew Cooper was good friends with all the Spencer brothers, Seth, Brady and Quinn, so it would be natural for him to spend some time with them.
“Well, folks, we’re going to take a short break,” the band leader, who also played the trombone, announced in a voice that carried throughout the large room. “Get yourselves something cold to drink, rest your feet and we’ll be back in about fifteen minutes.”
As Caroline and Cooper left the dance floor, she was aware of his hand resting warmly against the small of her back. She’d never thought of it as a sensitive area until then.
“Looks as if we’re being paged,” Cooper murmured, guiding Caroline to the left.
“I told myself, ‘That can’t be Cooper Night Hawk out there dancing,’” Brady called out. He was grinning widely when the couple reached the table. “The man wouldn’t attend a dance if his life depended on it. Then Eden says, ‘Look out there. It’s Cooper.’ I was ready to tell her she needed glasses when I saw you myself. Ow!” He rubbed his arm where his wife had punched him.
“Please excuse my husband. He sometimes needs a mouth adjustment,” Eden Frazier Spencer explained to Caroline. Her violet eyes were warm with amusement. “I hate to think what kind of witty sayings he comes up with at the hospital.”
“I haven’t lost a sponge in a patient for some time now,” Brady insisted.
“Which is why I go out of town for medical services,” Cooper said.
“The man can make a joke, but not once have I seen him smile or laugh,” Caroline confided in Eden.
Caroline secretly envied the other woman her stunning violet eyes. There had been plenty of talk about Eden and Brady’s romance, with everyone insisting that the charming surgeon didn’t go down easy. He hadn’t wanted to get married, but he also hadn’t wanted to lose Eden.
Now he looked as if marriage agreed with him a great deal. Caroline didn’t miss the secret looks and smiles shared by the couple. It was an intimacy she hoped to share with a special person one day.
Cooper turned to Caroline. “How about something cold to drink?”
“Yes, please.”
“Eden, Brady, I’m sure we’ll see you later.”
When they reached the drinks table, Cooper looked at her questioningly.
“Anything diet is fine with me,” she replied.
Cooper purchased drinks and they walked around until they found an empty table with two chairs. Caroline sat down so that she could see the room from her position.
“Everyone is so friendly here,” she commented. “Not that they aren’t friendly where I came from,” she added hastily. “It’s just that it’s different here. People are genuinely interested in hearing how you are.”
“They’ll also be more than willing to tell you how they are,” Cooper said. “There’s nothing like listening to Mrs. Morgan talk about her gallbladder surgery. In great detail, no less.”
“And I bet you can count on them in any kind of emergency.”
“Lightning struck a barn last summer. Started up a fire and the barn was gone in no time. Three days later enough men were over there to rebuild the barn and enough women came along to make sure we were fed,” he said. “I can’t imagine any secrets rolling around in Tyler for too long before they’re revealed.”
Caroline’s smile felt frozen on her lips. “Yes, I guess it wouldn’t be easy to keep them here.” She toyed with her straw, rolling it around in the glass. When she looked up, she noticed several elderly women sitting together. There was nothing remarkable about them that should have caught her attention, except they all seemed to be watching her. If she wasn’t mistaken, she’d swear their whispered conversation was also about her. She knew her skirt wasn’t too short or her upper body too bare, so that couldn’t be it.
She returned her attention to Cooper. “Do I have something on my face?” she asked in a low voice.
He looked startled by her question. “No, why?”
“Because right now I feel like a bug under a microscope. There’s a table across from us where some older ladies are sitting, and they’re watching us,” she whispered.
Cooper shifted in his chair as if he was making himself more comfortable, but so he could also see who Caroline was talking about. He muttered a curse when he saw them. “Have you heard of the Tyler Quilting Circle?” he asked.
She nodded. “Of course. The ladies at Worthington House who get together a couple times a week to work on quilts. They recently donated one for a raffle for the children’s library.”
“That’s the one. When you’re talking about people who are genuinely interested in you, you’re really talking about them. They can get information the FBI wouldn’t have a prayer of finding out,” he replied. He wasn’t about to tell her about the legend of the Quilting Circle’s quilts. He wasn’t the only man who believed telling the legend could make it true. For him.
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