One True Love (Cupid, Texas 0.5) by Lori Wilde Read Free Book Online

gulf between her class and mine. She might use me as a stand-in dance partner, but I would never be her equal. I knew that, but it still stung.
    The closer it got to the dance marathon, the more Penelope pushed me, and we’d finish our dance sessions exhausted, but exhilarated.
    “I’m going to set this town on fire!” Penelope declared, and rubbed her palms together.
    “Will Mr. Fant know these dances?” I asked Penelope, not daring to say John’s first name. I was careful to look away from her when I asked the question, so she couldn’t see from my eyes how I felt about her brother. I didn’t want to lose my job.
    “John is a man of the world,” she said. “He gets to Houston quite often and I know for a fact he’s been to some of the jazz clubs there. I’m sure some of the young ladies have taught him a thing or two.”
    Jealousy made my stomach hurt. I didn’t like thinking about John dancing with other women. Silly of me, I know, but I could no more stop the jealousy than I could stop breathing.
    “Maybe you should practice with him this last week before the dance marathon,” I broached the subject carefully. My reasoning was selfish. I wanted John in Penelope’s house.
    “I’ve already asked. He’s says he can’t make any promises, but he’ll try to get in a practice session or two before the event.”
    My hopes leaped. I saw John around town of course—at church or in passing on the street. He’d smile and lift his hat, but he’d never stop for a lingering conversation. Whenever I hung out the clothes, I’d peeked over the clothesline, but I never again caught him smoking his pipe. I assumed he’d given up the habit. I wondered if he’d already forgotten our ride home from the caverns. Or that he’d nicknamed me Millipede.
    Penelope had ordered a flapper dress all the way from Chicago. It arrived on Friday, the day before the dance marathon, and John was the one to bring it into the house.
    There was a knock on the door and I opened it to find John standing there with the package in his hand.
    “I intercepted the delivery,” he explained.
    I lowered my lashes and stepped aside. “Please, do come in.”
    “Is that my dress?” Penelope came running into the room like she was the same age as my sister Jenny, her face alight, her hands grabbing for the package.
    “Don’t I even get a kiss on the cheek, dear sister?” John asked, sweeping off his Panama hat and hanging it on the hook by the front door, where it rested beside Mr. Bossier’s newsboy cap. “I put aside everything to come dance with you.”
    Instead of a kiss on the cheek, Penelope lightly punched his upper arm. “That’s for not coming to practice before now.”
    “Ow.” John pretended she’d hurt him and rubbed his arm. “Relax. In a dance marathon, you don’t have to be a great dancer. You just have to have a lot of physical stamina. The point is to outlast the other dancers, not outshine them.”
    “I intend on doing both.”
    “I’m sure you will,” he told her.
    “Wait here. I’m going to go try on the dress.” With the package tucked under her arm, she bounded up the stairs to the bedroom she shared with Mr. Bossier.
    “Wow,” John said to me. “I had no idea she was this invested in the dance marathon.”
    “Oh, she’s very invested.” I nodded.
    “I’ve heard you’ve been my stand-in,” he said.
    I finally dared to sneak a peek at his face. “No one could ever stand in for you.”
    He laughed at that. A clever sound that made me smile. “You’ll be forever ruined for dancing with a man.”
    “What do you mean?” I asked, alarmed. Many of my fantasies were centered on dancing with John and even though they were just fantasies, the thought of being ruined scared me to death.
    “After this, you’ll always try to lead.”
    I put a hand to my forehead “My goodness, you’re right. Mrs. Bossier taught me to lead.”
    “But what’s wrong with that?” he asked with a wink. “Women now