Page 28 of For Love of Liberty

The fall.

And heaven help her, this time she’d fallen hard.

“Libs?” Kitty gently brushed hair from Libby’s face, her tone soft with understanding. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

Tears sprang to Libby’s eyes as she stared at her best friend. “I never meant for it to happen, Kit,” she whispered, “but he’s been so nice to me ever since the night we had dinner at the Poppys’ when he told me he didn’t even want to look at another woman.”

“What?” The whites of Kitty’s and Martha’s eyes all but bulged in shock.

“And then, of course, there’s all those kisses he’s given me since …”

Her friends squealed in unison. “I knew it!” Kitty crowed, giving Libby a tight hug. “You’ve been walking on air since you went to the Poppys’ that night, so I just knew something happened.” Her brows dipped low. “Even though our best friend refused to divulge a single thing anytime we asked.”

“I’m sorry, Kit, Martha, but Finn swore me to secrecy because he said he wanted to let Jo Beth down easy after he broke it off.” Her eyes narrowed to slits as she watched Jo Beth sitting so close to Finn, the woman may as well sit on his blasted lap. “Which is exactly what I’d like to do right about now—let him ‘down easy.’” She grunted. “In a well filled with devil-tree thorns and cactus.”

“Ouch.” Kitty glanced Finn’s way, her gaze suddenly as flat as her smile. “I reckon he deserves it, though, with the way he’s been fawning over Jo Beth all night.”

“Well, not all night, Kitty,” Martha said in a timid voice, sympathy etched in her face. “Finn’s danced with pert near every woman here tonight, Libs, ’cept you, Kitty, and me.”

“Uh-oh.” Kitty nudged Libby’s arm. “Looks like he may be a fixin’ to correct that.”

Libby whirled around, knees all but giving way when she saw Finn striding toward them with two empty punch cups, looking more handsome than a womanizing coyote had a right. He set the cups down and doffed his Stetson. “Ladies—now that this shindig is almost over, I just realized I forgot to dance with the three prettiest girls here tonight.”

Libby fought the inclination to roll her eyes while Martha blushed. Even Kitty, for once, appeared to be tongue-tied.

Finn’s gaze roved from each of their faces and back with that slow, easy smile that always made Libby’s stomach a little too dizzy. Her lips tamped in a hard smile. Good. Maybe she could puke all over his rawhide boots.

“So, who’s willing to dance with a rakish but lovable cowboy?” Finn said in a husky drawl that was annoyingly reinforced by a flash of dimples.

Not me. Libby crossed her arms with resolve, grateful that at least she and her two sensible friends would turn this blackguard away, even if every other woman swooned at his feet.

“I will!” Apparently Kitty had found her tongue because she bolted around the refreshment station like Finn had just proposed, shimmying the lemonade in all the cups.

Libby’s jaw dropped as she watched her best friend scurry to Finn’s side, hooking her arm to his before shooting Libby a sheepish smile. “Sorry, Libs, but I haven’t danced once tonight since working the refreshment table, so I hope you don’t mind …?”

“Naw, she doesn’t mind, do you, Libs?” He had the audacity to wink, those hazel eyes twinkling with tease. “Because once I dance with Kitty and Martha, you might just get your turn, too, Miss Bell. After all, patience is a mighty attractive virtue, ma’am, so you can just thank me later.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Finn had an awfully tough time keeping his grin in check while he danced with Martha, the look on Liberty’s face enough to puff his chest out with pride. Pinched lips, clamped jaw, and gushing lemonade in cups like it was a drought in the Mohave.

Even though Libby was the celebrated mastermind behind Virginia City’s most successful and far-reaching fundraiser, his pretty co-chair appeared downright peeved. His grin broke through despite his best efforts. And he had a sneaking suspicion why.

The woman is flat-out crazy about me.

Smiling, he gave Martha an extra whirl at the end of their dance because deep down he was as giddy as a schoolboy that Liberty Margaret O’Shea apparently cared about him as much as he cared about her, sweet vindication after years of secret pining.

Of course, he hadn’t meant to make her mad when he’d danced with Jo Beth more than anyone else, but it was Jo’s birthday after all, and he’d long ago promised both Jo and Milo that he’d make sure it was a good one. Besides, Liberty had made it more than clear it didn’t bother her a whit.

“Whatever you need to do is perfectly fine with me, truly, so please take your time.”

A slow smile slid across his lips. Because she said she wasn’t jealous. “Not even a little.”

He grinned outright. Nope, more like a lot. And tonight when he’d danced with every girl in the place except her, on top of Jo Beth three times, he could feel that green-eyed glare singe the hairs on the back of his neck.

His mood tempered somewhat at the thought of causing Liberty distress, but this was their agreement, after all, and the only way to throw everyone off the track. Holy thunder, Mrs. Poppy just cornered him this morning, asking if he’d thought anymore about pursuing Liberty. Finn stifled a grunt. Was the woman serious? Day and night he “thought” about pursuing Liberty and then some, but he wanted to do it guilt-free, putting enough distance and time between him and Jo Beth to cushion Jo’s feelings and pay off the debt he owed to her father. And he was almost there. Between the prize money for the booth and the bonus Superintendent Yerington promised if V&T won, he and Liberty would be able to start out with a clean slate.

No guilt.