“I wouldn’t mind,?
?? he said with a grin.
“You—!” She made a fist and punched him in the stomach.
Wesley didn’t move. “What in the hell’s got into you?”
“You forbid me to go to a town dance because you think I have to be kept at home chained to your bed and your kitchen and you ask me what’s wrong? You may think only rich people have feelings, but I assure you that I have my pride, even if I am a Simmons.”
“Women!” Wes said under his breath. “Leah, I’m not ashamed of you. I don’t know where you get such dumb ideas. You’re beautiful and tonight you’re no doubt the prettiest woman here, but right now I just don’t want you around so many people.”
“Because I don’t know how to behave? Because I might not live up to the Stanford name?”
“Good God! It’s your name, too. Just one day of my life I’d like to really understand a woman. Just any woman will do. Leah, will you please come home with me right now?”
“Why?” she asked angrily. “Why do you want to hide me?”
“I don’t want to hide you…well, maybe I do.” Smiling seductively, he moved closer to her. “I can make our own party at home.”
“The only way I’ll go with you is if you carry me kicking and screaming, and that could further damage your reputation.”
Wesley turned away from her for a moment, and when he looked back his face was a study in confusion. “Leah, I honestly don’t have any idea why you’re so upset. I didn’t ask you not to come to this dance because I’m ashamed of you and don’t want to be seen with you. Far from it. I’d like nothing better than having you on my arm. But right now there are reasons why I’d rather have you home where I can be near you.”
“What reasons?”
“I can’t tell you and for once you’re going to have to trust me.”
She gave him a nasty little smile. “I don’t have to guess why you want me to go home with you. I know. You said you hated the whole idea of being married to somebody like me.”
“I said that?” Wes exclaimed. “When?”
“You told your brother Travis that, and Regan and I heard you.”
Just then two overheated dancers came outside, so Wes grabbed Leah’s arm and pulled her into the shadows, imprisoning her between his legs. “All right, you little wildcat, you’re going to listen to me. First of all, I’m sick and tired of your telling me I’m this century’s biggest snob. You are the snob, Leah. You’re much more concerned with where people grew up than I’ve ever been. Yes, I did tell Travis I hated being married to you, but not because I couldn’t bear living with a lowly Simmons.”
“Hah!” Leah tried to look away but Wes pulled her face back around.
“I wanted a woman who needed me and as far as I could tell Kimberly needed me worse than any man’s ever been needed. So here I was wanting a woman like Kim and instead I got one who could run a farm, raise kids, deal with a crazy father—you, Leah, didn’t seem to need anybody or anything. You made me feel useless.”
“Me?” she whispered. “How could you feel useless?”
He put his nose to hers. “Because you never ask me for a goddamn thing,” he said with feeling. “You join robbers and never even mention the fact to me. Remember last week when the chimney half fell down? You fixed it by yourself. I wouldn’t even have known about it except Oliver saw you hanging onto a ladder and setting stones. You could even take the ugly woman I married and make her into the beauty you are now.”
Pausing, he smoothed her hair back from her face. “It took me a long time to realize that you need me more than Kimberly ever did. Kim will always land on her feet, but you, my little wife, can get into trouble on your way to the outhouse.”
Leah was trying to digest this information. “But Kim’s a lady and I’m—.”
“You’re my wife and as I’ve told you, you’re a Stanford now, so if I’m royalty, you are too.”
She pulled away from him. “Then if you aren’t ashamed of me, why don’t you want to be seen with me at the dance? Why do you want to keep me hidden on our farm?”
The last thing Wesley wanted to do was tell Leah about a possible plot against her. No doubt Leah would stay up nights figuring out how to get involved. “You have to trust me. You have to believe that I want what is best for you.”
Leah walked away into the moonlight. What he said about Kim’s needing him made sense; in fact, Kim had even hinted at that. She sensed that Wesley wanted her to faint, wanted her to be helpless, and Kim had obeyed him. But Leah had just done what had come naturally to her. Could it be possible that she also made other people feel useless?
Wesley didn’t speak of love, but maybe love wasn’t far away if he didn’t resent her being a Simmons. What was really amusing was that Leah had worked so hard not to be a burden to Wes. When the chimney had fallen, she’d first sat down and cried. Then with determination she’d repaired it herself merely because she didn’t want Wesley to think she was helpless.
She turned back to him. “If I faint for you, will you sweep me into your arms and carry me to your bed?”