Dancing with the Devil

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"Ance?" 

Ance grunted as he focused all his attention on the current task at hand. Sweat trickled down his back as he held Penelope's soft strands of blond hair in his gnarled, calloused hands and tried to remember how the hotel maid had taught him to braid it. 

"Can we go swimming in that lake over there?" 

Ance let his gaze flit to the glistening water before going back down to Penelope's hair. "Do you know how to swim?" he asked skeptically, growling loudly when a chunk of hair escaped his grasp and he was forced to start over in the great braiding expedition. 

"Um...." Ance knew the girl well enough to know that she was gnawing on that lip of hers even though he couldn't see her face. "A little?" she replied. 

Ance found himself chuckling. "That means no, doesn't it?" 

"My mama said my leg wouldn't let me swim," Penelope admitted. "But I really would like to try." 

Ance let out a whoop of pride when he finished up the braid and secured it in place with a leather throng. He stood up and walked around Penelope to admire his handiwork. "Not too damn bad for an outlaw with calloused hands and knuckles that have been broke a time or two," he stated. 

Penelope beamed with happiness and gently ran her hand over the braid. "Thank you, Ance! I knew you could do it." 

Ance nodded and scratched at his beard. "If anyone asks, you did it yourself. I have a image to keep up." 

"You aren't really mean," Penelope giggled.

"I am," Ance countered. Then he stooped down and tweaked her nose. "Just not to you." Ance was amazed at the love he felt for this little child. Never in his entire life had he cared this much about another person. He would take on the world to keep her happy and make sure anyone who dared hurt her paid dearly. Seeing Penelope in the shape she'd been in after the headmistress had beaten her had had Ance coming to terms with his feelings quickly. 

When Penelope had looked at him two weeks before, after she'd already spent a week in bed healing her back and crying tears for the mother who abandoned her, and begged Ance to keep her forever, he'd been unable to tell her no. 

Should he have a child with him? Was he really the best place for a little girl? Was his life the safest? No, was the answer to all those questions but he knew that he would trust her to be nowhere else other than by his side. 

"So can I go swimming?" Penelope asked again. "Please?" She batted her lashes up at him and Ance sighed. 

"Alright, Penny. I'll take ya in the water and let you swim around a bit." 

Ance helped the girl to her feet and helped her to pull off her dress. "You can swim in your underclothes," he assured her. "It's hot enough that you'll dry out soon enough." 

Once Ance had shed himself of all but his long john pants, he removed Penelope's leg brace, lifted the smiling girl into his arms and carried her to the water's edge. "Are you ready, Penny? It might be cold," Ance warned. 

Penelope laughed and nodded. "I'm ready!" 

Ance grinned and then hopped into the chest deep water. Penelope let out a squeal and climbed up him as Ance laughed loudly. "I told you it might be cold," he reminded her. 

"Really cold!" Penelope exclaimed. 

Ance spent the next hour helping Penelope swim through the water. While her leg made truly swimming impossible for her, she was able to float and make some headway through the water with her good leg and her arms. The pride beaming in her brown eyes made the wet ass he'd be sitting on the rest of the night worth it.