AT THE VALENTINE'S DANCE!

FEBRUARY 14, 1860

"Aw there she is!" Melissa said aloud.

"Who there is?" Jesse asked as he came up behind her.

Melissa was about to take off and grab her sister, but darn if Jesse didn�t have to join her just now. "Where did you come from? I didn�t think you were coming."

"So I changed my mind." Jesse replied harshly as he watched Rose and Ted talking on the other side of the corral.

Jesse had told Melissa a few days ago that he wasn�t going to the dance. Melissa had figured it out that it was because Rose had a date. Weeks ago Melissa had tried to convince Jesse in to asking Rose to the dance, but every time Melissa saw Jesse start to talk to Rose he would change his mind.

Melissa thought as she watched Jesse watching Ted and Rose that it was mainly her fault that Rose had another date, but darn it if Jesse had asked Rose then she would be here with him now instead of Ted. Why did Jesse have to be so shy around Rose? He sure isn�t shy with me, but I guess that is because he doesn�t like me like he likes Rose.

"So who do you see?" Jesse repeated his question.

"Uh . . . um . . . Rose. I�m going over to speak to her. Do you want to come?" Melissa watched Jesse�s response. She knew he wanted to, but something was holding him back as he shook his head. "Alright stay here, and when Jimmy comes here tell him I�ll be back soon, ok?" Jesse nodded.

Melissa walked over and said hello to Rose and Ted. "Are you two having fun?" They both nodded their heads, but she could tell that Rose wasn�t. "Ted can I talk to you for a minute?" Ted was reluctant to leave Rose�s side since he was her escort for the dance. "It�s very important, please."

"Well, just for a minute. I'll be right back, Rose, ok?" Ted made sure Rose was alright with him leaving before he followed Melissa.

"It will only take a minute, Rose." Melissa took Ted�s arm and led him a few feet away. "Do you think you can help me?"

"Help you? Help you do what?" Ted inquired.

Melissa whispered her plan to Ted and he thought it was a great idea. As Melissa walked away, she said, "Remember you have to be close." Ted nodded and returned to his date. Melissa was very happy. If her plan worked, she would get two couples together. She had recently started out with just trying to get one couple together, but Jesse and Rose would be an extra bonus to her plan.

Melissa found Jimmy and Jesse. Jimmy had wondered where Melissa had went but Jesse had informed him. Melissa took a quick sip of her drink and then told Jimmy and Jesse not to move because she had to do something and then she would be right back. Melissa scouted around and found Jacy at one of the bake sale tables purchasing a walnut brownie, Jacy�s favorite dessert.

"Jacy, I�m so glad I found you." Melissa exclaimed.

"Why? Is something wrong? Did Jimmy try to take liberties with you?" Jacy was worried that the only reason Jimmy had asked her little sister to the dance was for one thing and one thing only. Because she couldn�t figure out why Jimmy would ask such a young girl to the dance, and Jacy was very protective of Melissa.

"NO! NO!" Melissa scrunched up her nose at Jacy�s suggestion.

"I need you to do me a favor." Melissa sweetly said.

"What kind of favor?" Jacy wondered what Melissa was up to now.

"Well, you remember Jesse don�t you?" Melissa smiled sweetly at her sister.

"Yeah, so?" Jacy knew Melissa was up to something, probably something she wouldn�t like.

"He�s here without a date, and I was hoping that you might ask him to dance." Melissa asked.

"But Melissa he�s too young for me!" Jacy exclaimed.

"Jacy dancing doesn�t mean your going steady. It means . . . well, it means you like someone. You don�t dislike Jesse do you?" Melissa knew she had to think fast in order to get Jacy to do it.

"Well, no! But . . ."

Before Jacy could finish what she was saying Melissa butted in, "So if you don�t dislike him, then you like him and can ask him to dance." Melissa pulled on Jacy�s arm to get her moving toward the corral.

Exasperated Jacy knew she had been beaten by Melissa�s confounded logic. "How did? Where did?

"I learn from the best." Melissa quipped. Many times in the past Jacy had done the same thing to her and others in order to get people to do or see something the way Jacy did. "Come on," Melissa pulled her sister again. Jacy caught a quick glance at Cody chatting with a young lady as she was pulled through the crowd. Melissa pointed out where Jesse and Jimmy were standing. "Go over and chat with them for a few minutes."

"Where are you going?" Jacy looked down at Melissa.

"I don�t want Jesse to think that I put you up to it. But don�t ask him until I arrive, ok?" Melissa looked at her sister for confirmation.

"OK!" Jacy finally replied.

Besides Melissa had another ulterior motive for not going back to the guys just yet. She motioned for Caller Bob as soon as he was done calling. Caller Bob came down off the stage, which was a big wooden platform at one end of the corral. Melissa filled Caller Bob in on her plan, and Caller Bob liked it and agreed to do it. Melissa hurried back to Jimmy, Jesse and Jacy.

Melissa took the drinks out of Jimmy�s hands and put them on a table behind them.

"Ok everybody, it�s time for another slow dance, so grab your partner and hold her tight." Caller Bob announced. The musicians started playing and Caller Bob started singing Silver Wings shining in the moonlight . . .

"Come on Jimmy. They are playing our song." Melissa pulled her partner onto the dance floor.

"Uh, Jesse!" Jacy nudged her head toward the dance floor. "Would you? Could we?"

Surprise Jesse nodded his head, Jacy took his arm, and they went out on the dance floor.

As soon as Melissa gave Ted the thumbs up and the music started playing, Ted led Rose onto the dance floor. About in the middle of the song Caller Bob said, "Alright, now it�s time to switch. Everybody change partners, find the honey next to you and hold her close."

Melissa let go of Jimmy and said, "Jimmy grab Jacy." Melissa spunned Jimmy around by the arm and pointed him toward Jacy. Melissa went and grabbed Jesse and pulled him over to Rose saying, "I want to dance with Ted." Melissa stepped into Ted�s arms and then that left Jesse and Rose. Jesse didn�t want everybody staring at him, so he quickly took Rose into his arms and started moving around the floor.

After the slow song Caller Bob said, "Ok, everybody square your sets up. We are going to have a couple of more square dance calls before we call it a night."

"Jesse, Rose, Jacy, Jimmy, over here!" Melissa motioned for them to join her and Ted. "Well, we almost have a square. We just need one more couple to complete it."

"How about us?" Teaspoon asked as him and Dev joined the group.

"Great, now we have a square." Melissa replied.

Caller Bob started his call, "Bow to your partner, bow to your corner, too. Circle left. Allemande left with your corner, dosado your partner, right and left grand, find your pretty little gal and promenade her home.

The group had lots of fun when Jimmy started messing up Jacy would correct him, and when Ted started messing up Melissa would quickly pull him along and tell him what to do. When Jesse and Rose started messing up and getting lost, which inadvertedly messed up the others, as what to do, Jacy and Melissa would try their best to get the gang all corrected and back on track.

After the three singing calls, it was time for everybody to go home. It was late and Caller Bob had told some of the people who had volunteered to help clean up afterwards that it would be alright to come back tomorrow and help with the clean up process. Pulling Rose and Jesse aside with Ted tagging along, Melissa asked Jesse if he wouldn�t mind taking Rose home so that Ted could take her home. That way that would leave Jimmy to take Jacy home.

"Trying to do a little matchmaking aren�t you?" Rose asked.

"Well, I have to. Jacy doesn�t seem to be able to land a fellow on her own." Melissa replied.

The three agreed to Melissa�s suggestion. Melissa left them for a few minutes and went over to Jacy. Melissa pulled Jacy aside and told her that she wanted to ride home with Ted, so that Rose would have Jesse escort her home, but she didn�t want to be rude to Jimmy. So Melissa asked Jacy if she wouldn�t mind having Jimmy take her home. Jacy had no reason to disagree, so she went along with Melissa's plan.

Now earlier today Melissa had asked Caller Bob to bring Jacy to his farm, so that Jacy wouldn�t have to ride Braids to the dance. That was all part of Melissa�s conniving little plan, so that Jacy wouldn�t have an excuse to say no to Melissa�s idea of Jimmy giving her a lift home. Of course Melissa wasn�t sure that her plan would work out like it did. If Jesse hadn�t showed up she would have had to find some other fellow to dance with and to get him to take her home. But she was kind of confident that after she spoke with Jesse yesterday about that dance that he would show up. When a fella likes a girl as much as Jesse likes Rose, then he wants to know what�s happening with his girl even if he isn�t her date. By being there he could still keep an eye on her.