Free Dashing Druid (Texas Druids) by Lyn Horner Page A

thoughts.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
    Ignoring the man at her side, Lil glanced around Fossett Hall’s upstairs assembly room. Folks from all over Bosque County were gathered here in Meridian, the county seat, for tonight’s dance. She saw several blond Norwegians but didn’t spot Arni and Thea Knudson. Maybe they hadn’t arrived yet, or else they’d stayed home.
    “Wish I could’ve,” she grumbled under her breath. She always felt miserably out of place at these socials. She’d have dug in her heels when her folks ordered her to keep Frank Howard company, except for one thing: she hadn’t wanted to get into a battle with them in front of Frank. That would have given him an excuse to poke fun at her again, as he’d done so often in the past. Instead, she was now forced to endure his obnoxious presence.
    She felt his lustful gaze upon her bosom and felt half naked. Right after Frank showed up at the ranch a few days ago, her mother had decided to make her a new dress for tonight. Lil was kind of partial to the dark red color, but she still didn’t like wearing a dress, especially one intended to please Frank Howard. And she sure hadn’t expected the neckline to be cut so low. What had Ma been thinking, for gosh sakes?
    Lil had refused to wear the dress after trying it on earlier, but Ma had badgered her into it. And the moment Frank caught sight of her in the consarned thing, he’d started eyeing her as if he’d never seen her before, in a lewd way that turned her stomach. The way he was doing right now.
    Why were her parents pushing the two of them together all of a sudden? They knew she couldn’t stand Frank. His father, Judd Howard, was her father’s best friend, but that didn’t mean she wanted to cozy up to him. He expected everybody to lick his boots just cuz his pa owned a huge spread up on the Trinity. Not her, no sir. Besides, he had a mean streak she’d seen in action too many times when their families got together.
    His arm snaked around her waist. Twisting out of reach, she glared at him. He was big, with strong, even features and shoulder-length blond hair. In his dark blue shirt with its fancy yellow piping, he was easy on the eyes. He was also vainer than a turkey cock.
    “Keep your hands to yourself, Frank Howard,” she snapped. “I don’t care if my folks told me to be nice to you. I’ll take your arm off at the elbow if you start pawing me.”
    He splayed a hand across his chest and tried to look hurt. “Shoot, Lil, I was only bein’ friendly. Can’t yuh be sweet to me? I’m leavin’ tomorrow. Gotta get Lord Stanley home.”
    She eyed him sourly. “How come you stopped here anyway? Seems like you’d want to get that precious bull home to your pa pronto.” If she heard one more time how much Judd had paid to have the purebred Hereford bull shipped over from England, she’d scream.
    Grinning, Frank flipped a hank of hair back from his face. “Fact is, Pa told me to pay a neighborly call on your folks on my way home from Galveston. And I’m right glad I did. Now,” he drawled lazily, gaze dropping to her breasts. “Mm, mm, mmm. Honey gal, I can’t get over how fetchin’ you look tonight. Reckon I oughta feel honored, you shuckin’ your Levis and puttin’ on that purtty dress for me.”
    Lil narrowed her eyes at him and exaggerated her own soft drawl. “I’m only wearin’ the durn thing cuz Ma made me. And if yuh don’t quit eyeballin’ me thata way, I’m gonna shove yore teeth in. I’m not some hurdy-gurdy gal.” She looked him up and down mockingly. “I’m not one of them fluttery females who swoon over yuh, neither.”
    Frank’s lips curled nastily. “Seein’ as how I’ve never seen yuh look like any kinda female before, I figured yuh might wanta be treated like one for a change. Shoulda known better.”
    She couldn’t care less what he thought of her, but his sarcastic remark struck the heart of her secret pain. She hid that pain behind a