Dancing with the Devil

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Hot tears burned Audrey's eyes as she struggled to slide into her discarded blouse and split skirt that she had left out here in the woods after undressing. 

Once dressed, she grabbed her ankle boots, sat down upon a large gray boulder and buried her face in her hands as her boots fell to the forest floor. 

Audrey couldn't explain what was causing her tears.. Stress over the direction her life had taken and the many threats looming over her head as well as Penelope's played a big factor, but there was more. Audrey realized her heart hurt. Was she in love with Ance? No, she really didn't think she was--at least not yet. But she wanted him and she wanted to be in love again. 

Audrey had been lonely a long time, though she hadn't realized she was lonely until Ance had come along. He had reawakened her womanly heart and made her crave the passion, as well as the companionship, that only a man could provide. Then he had rejected her... and it stung and hurt and caused that ache of loneliness to worsen. 

Audrey knew she was being ridiculous and irrational but she couldn't seem to stop herself from being either! Life was turned too upside down lately to get herself set straight!

"Here." 

Ance's deep, gruff voice appeared so suddenly and without warning that Audrey let out a startled cry and nearly tumbled backward off her boulder. She blinked several times, swiped her arm over her tear streaked face and glared up at him as her heart struggled to slow itself. 

"Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on Penelope?" she snapped, angry at being caught in such a vulnerable state. 

Ance's broad shoulders shrugged as he tossed the bandana he'd been holding out for her and Audrey caught it quickly. "Penny will be fine. The horse can keep an eye on her." 

"The horse?" Audrey muttered, as she mopped up the last of her tears. 

Instead of responding, Ance dropped to one knee, picked up Audrey's boot in one hand and gently grasped her ankle with the other. Audrey swallowed hard as she trembled. "What are you doing?" 

"Putting your damn shoes on. You seemed to be having trouble," Ance grumbled without looking at her. "Is there a reason you took off running like a brain addled coward and worried your damn daughter and me?" 

Audrey's first impulse was to bristle at the insult but she held back her sharp retort as he tenderly slid on her second boot, and instead she focused her attention on his final few words. 

"You were worried about me?" she whispered. 

Ance snorted and shoved himself back to his feet. The fact that he was still shirtless was not lost on Audrey's roaming gaze. "Of course I was." Ance grumbled. "You've been bristly for days then you tried to turn into a seductress just before you took off running into the forest wearing nothing but your goddamn underclothes." Ance shook his head. "And I find you sobbing out here like a person who's lost their best damn friend... what the hell is going on in your head?" 

"Well I..." Audrey began but Ance raised his hand to silence her. 

"Keep it simple. I ain't got the patience for a bunch of feminine blah, blah, blah." 

Audrey blinked several times and then burst out laughing. She was quite certain she must have resembled a crazy person as she clutched at her stomach and was unable to quell her loud guffaws. 

Ance shifted his feet and pulled off his hat before shoving his hand through his thick brown hair. "What the hell's so funny?" 

"You," Audrey gasped, swiping more tears, these of laughter, from her cheeks.