Three days later, Dalton got the phone call he'd been waiting for. The sheriff had indeed found the black and white horse. It belonged to a ranch hand who had been hired three months ago on a neighboring ranch. To everyone's surprise, the sheriff found most of the things he'd stolen hidden in his truck. He'd sold a couple of them, but luckily all the family heirlooms were still intact.
Dalton and Lilly went to Daphne and Brian's house to tell them the good news. The four of them went out for dinner to celebrate.
The next day was a Sunday, and Dalton considered going on that picnic he'd been looking forward to. He decided she needed some time to get back to her normal routine first, though, so he decided to put it off for a week.
Instead, they went riding. She was afraid she'd forgotten everything she'd learned since she hadn't been able to ride for so long, but it all came back quickly. They spent all afternoon on the horses, enjoying the outdoors, each other, and what felt like their newfound freedom.
Over the next week, things did start to return back to the routine they'd established before the break in. She was often downstairs in time to have breakfast with Dalton and Clay. If she wasn't, she was there in time for a morning kiss before he went back to work. She spent that first week out roaming the ranch. She found a couple more places she wanted to paint, but the first week she was more interested in simply enjoying her freedom to roam, as she put it.
Dalton let her roam, knowing how important it was to her after being denied the privilege for so long. He sat her down before she went out the first day, though, and reviewed her rules. "I know how anxious you are to explore the ranch, Lilly, and I don't want to stand in your way or prevent that. I do, however, want you to remember the rules I set up previously. I love you, Lilly, and I want you safe. With that in mind, we've gone over the areas I don't want you to explore alone, and the reasons why. That leaves ninety percent of the ranch, and I think you know your way around well enough now that I will allow you to take the Gator and go, as long as you have your phone and remember my rules."
"Thank you, Dalton."
"Just remember, honey, my main concern now is the wild animals. If you see one, we've gone over what to do and not to do with them, but what's the very first thing you are to do if you see a wolf, coyote, mountain lion, bear, or other animal not acting right?"
"Call you."
"That's my girl," he said as he kissed her cheek. "Go out there and enjoy your freedom, but remember to take your phone and make sure the Gator has gas before you leave."
She nodded, and after a kiss both knew was full of love, he escorted her to the Gator and helped her check the gas, before they left in opposite directions. She watched the time and was back to the house for lunch, and again for supper. It was easy for Dalton to see how much she was enjoying herself, and the ranch. He was happy to see how much she'd grown to appreciate his home.
Thursday as he was getting ready to go in for lunch, he called Lilly. She was going in the same general part of the ranch he was working in and thought she might like to ride with him on Midnight back to the house. He called, but didn't get an answer. He spent several minutes looking around the area, going to a couple knolls where he could see for some distance, and tried calling one more time before going back to the house.
He was relieved to see she was already there. After a quick kiss he asked, "Where were you, and why didn't you answer your phone?"
When she quickly looked away he had a pretty good idea why she didn't answer her phone. "I was out there where I told you I'd be," she insisted.
"I called at lunchtime to offer you a ride back here, but you didn't answer." He waited to see if she'd answer, watching her squirm.
"I came in a little early," she explained finally, "so I must have missed your call. Thanks for trying, though. I'm sorry I was already here. I love riding Midnight with you."
"Why didn't you answer your phone?"
"I-I must not have heard it."
"Oh? Let me see it. Maybe you have the volume turned down."
She started squirming, checking her pockets. "I don't seem to have it on me."
"Could it be up in your room, charging?"
Her head whirled around and she found herself looking into a set of stern eyes. "Uh—"
"Before you say anything, let me suggest you take a moment and consider your words, keeping in mind how I feel about lies. I have much more respect for someone who owns up to a mistake than one who tries to hide it."
Lilly froze, then turned to look Dalton in the eyes. "I know, and thank you for reminding me. I'm sorry, Dalton. I forgot to charge my phone last night."
"Why were you trying to hide it from me?"
"Because I was afraid you wouldn't let me go back out today if you knew my phone was dead, so I came back in as soon as I saw it died. I've been hoping it would charge enough and you wouldn't know what happened. I really don't want to have to stay inside again."
Dalton sighed, and pulled her into his chest. He had led them to his office while they talked, which wasn't unusual. Often times he'd go to his office and check his ranch phone and emails for messages that needed to be returned before lunch.
He shut the door to the office and looked at her. "Oh, Lilly, Lilly, what am I going to do with you?"
"Hold me? Hug me? Love me?"
"I'm already doing all of the above," he said with a chuckle. "And I'm also trying my best to keep you safe." He reached back and gave her bottom a good swat. "But you're making it difficult."
She gasped and instinctively reached back to cover her bottom. He calmly pulled her hands in front of her, holding them both in his left hand as he reached back to swat her again with his right. "You know better than that." He wrapped both his arms around her, trapping her hands in between them. She leaned her forehead against his chest.
"I actually think staying in for an afternoon would be a good lesson," he said as if thinking as he spoke. Before she could object he said, "But after what you've been through lately I'll let it go with a warning this time. But this will be your one and only warning about this, honey. Charge your phone every evening and check it every morning. If you don't have at least three bars on your phone, stay in, or within site of the house." He kissed her and added, "I love you too much to have something happen to you."
She returned his hug and reached up to give him another kiss. "Thank you, Dalton. I love you, too."
Sunday after breakfast, Dalton turned Lilly to face him. "There's a place on this ranch I haven't shown you yet, but I think you'll like it. Want to go see it today?"
"Why haven't you shown it to me?"
"Because there have been too many dangerous wild animal sightings around there over the years, and I don't want you to go there alone. If you like it and want to paint it, I'll arrange a time when I can take a few days to take you there. It's important, though, that you don't go there alone. I thought maybe you might like to see it today. Interested?"
"Absolutely!"
"I asked Stella to make us a picnic. She put some of it in the refrigerator for us before she left last night, and the rest is in the pantry. We can leave as soon as we get the horses saddled."
"Really? This is so cool. Let's go!" She eagerly headed for the barn, pulling him behind her. He chuckled and followed along.
An hour later, they arrived at the spot he thought would be nice for a picnic. It was atop a small knoll where he would be able to see all around them easily in case any wildlife got too close. There was a tree that would provide nice shade, as the day was warmer than average for the fall. The sun was bright, and hot. He escorted her all around the area, letting her look all she wanted. As he expected, she loved the area and was sure it would make a wonderful painting.
Having satisfied her need to explore, Dalton spread the blanket on the ground in a spot he would easily see any wandering wildlife, and leaned against the tree, rifle beside him, with Lilly's back laying against his chest. They talked casually, enjoying the beauty and the quiet.
When they started getting hungry she helped him set out their picnic.
After a wonderful, quiet, casual picnic filled with easy conversation, he turned toward her and took one of her hands in his. "Lilly, we've known each other a long time. I know we've only been dating for five months, but during that time I feel I've gotten to know you well. And I know myself and my feelings really well. I love you, Lilly, and I'm not just saying that. I think you know me well enough now to know that I don't say something if I don't mean it."
"I do know that, Dalton, and I love that about you. I've gotten to know you during that time, too. When Daphne and I were younger, she thought the world of you. I always thought that was odd. I never had a brother or sister, but most kids fought with their brother and sisters; especially brothers. But Daphne never did. She never spoke badly about you. You could tell she thought the world of you. The times I was around you when I stayed overnight with her, you kind of scared me."
He grinned a little sheepishly. "Some of that was on purpose," he admitted. "I hoped I was enough older than you guys that if I presented a stern front you would be intimidated enough to listen to what I told you to do or not to do. Did it work?"
"It did," she insisted. "We were afraid to ignore you."
He kissed her cheek and smiled. "I don't know. For someone who was afraid to ignore me, I remember one sassy little lady who just had to sneak out Daphne's window and down the tree one too many times, and found herself on my couch."
She turned red. "You weren't supposed to catch me. I was afraid of what you'd do, but I had to get outside one more time."
"I never did know why you felt you had to go down that tree. I told you girls it was late and I wanted you to stay inside now. What was so important that you felt you had to keep sneaking out?"
"There was a mother cat that had three little babies. I loved those little baby kittens. I heard one of the men out at the barn say they'd seen a coyote nosing around close to the shed she had her babies in. He said the coyote probably smelled the kittens and that's why they'd been seeing it around there."
He looked shocked as he asked, "So you were sneaking outside after dark, going to a shed to check on the kittens, knowing there was a coyote in the area?"
Now she looked a little shocked. "I guess so, but honestly, I never thought of that. I just thought of the little kittens."
"You really do need someone looking out for you, don't you, little one?"
"Hey! I was a kid then, and I'm not little."
He smiled at her, thinking that slightly over five feet tall seemed pretty little to him, but he didn't say anything. Another thought crossed his mind, though. "Wait a minute. Daphne let you go outside alone to check on the kittens?"
"She didn't know that's what I was doing. She thought I just liked climbing down the tree and peaking in the window to see what you were doing, and climbing back up. The other girls kept daring me to try it again, so I did. They all wanted to see what would happen if I got caught."
"You weren't worried about what would happen if you got caught?"
"Not really," she admitted. "Nothing ever happened to me because my mom didn't really care what I did, so I never gave it much thought." She was quiet a few seconds before turning to look up at him. "Looking back on it now, I guess I'm lucky you didn't spank me."
"Maybe I should have, you little brat," he said as he hugged her a little tighter.
"I would have been so embarrassed," she said.
"Probably," he agreed. "You're embarrassed every time I do it now."
"So stop doing it now."
"I only spank you when you earn it. Stop earning it and I'll stop spanking you."
Her mischievous grin appeared as she held her hand out to him and said, "Deal."
He laughed as he reached out and shook her hand. "Deal." After several more quiet minutes, he said, "I have another deal I'd like to offer you."
Chapter Twenty
Lilly looked up at Dalton casually and asked, "What kind of deal?"
He gently turned her around so she was looking at him. "Lilly, I love you, and I can't even picture my life without you. I want to keep you safe, and healthy, and happy, and right next to me."
She looked at him, a small smile starting at the corners of her mouth. "I love you, too, Dalton, and I love knowing you're watching out for me."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful little velvet box. "There was one thing I was very glad wasn't stolen when our house was broken into," he said. He opened the box and took out a gorgeous ring. "This was my mother's wedding ring," he said. "And her mother's before that, and her mother's before that. Four generations of Henderson wives have worn it, and I'd be honored if you would wear it, as my wife."
Lilly looked stunned. "What?"
"I want to watch out for you and keep you safe and right beside me the rest of our lives. Will you please do me the honor of marrying me?"
Her eyes grew huge, and she stared at him. "You're serious? You want to marry me?"
Her reaction confused Dalton. Was she appalled at the idea? Was she not in the least ready to be asked that yet? It occurred to him for the first time since he'd made the decision to propose to her that she'd had a bad relationship not long before coming to the ranch. He was upset with himself when he realized that. He never should have brought it up yet. What a fool he'd been!
While he was kicking himself, though, she surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck. "You really want to marry me, for real?"
He saw something in her eyes he couldn't quite identify, but it wasn't fear. "Yes, I do," he assured her, "but if it's too soon—"
"No," she said, "it's not."
"Are you sure?"
"Oddly, it's not too soon. When I came to this ranch, I thought all men were scum. But as I got to know you, you showed me otherwise. You weren't at all pushy, which is exactly what I needed. But you were always there. Anytime I needed you, you were there." She turned a little red as she added, "Even times I didn't know I needed you, you were there. You've taught me a lot, using your patience for all of it. You got me over my fear of horses and now I love to ride. You taught me that being held responsible for your actions isn't awful. In fact, it feels really good knowing you'll be there when I need you."
"I hope you'll always let me be there for you." Feeling more nervous than he'd ever felt, he asked her again. "Lilly, I know you're the woman who was meant for me. Are you ready; will you marry me?"
"Yes," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Yes, I'll marry you."
"Are you sure? I don't want to rush you, if you're not ready to make that decision yet."
"I've never felt so confident about anything I've done in my life, Dalton. I know in my heart you're the perfect man for me. I can't believe you really want to marry me."
He stood up, taking her with him and wrapping her in his arms. He kissed her with more passion, and more need, than he had before, and was thrilled when she returned the kiss with just as much feeling. They stood like that, holding each other tightly, until he remembered where they were. He pulled away long enough to check their surroundings and assure their safety.
Once he was sure of that, he reached back and gave her bottom a good swat.
"Oww! What was that for?" She tried to reach back with her hands, but he held them where they were, around his waist.
"No rubbing, future Mrs. Henderson, and I don't ever want to hear you say something like that again."
"Like what; that I'll marry you?"
"That you can't believe I really want to marry you." He gave her another kiss. "Any man would be a fool not to want to marry you, Lilly. I won't allow you to say negative things like that, putting yourself down. Do you understand me?"
She'd been smiling during the scolding he'd just given her, and he shook his head. "I just scolded you, Lilly, and I was serious. Do you find that amusing, or what are you smiling about?"
"Future Mrs. Henderson. I love it!"
He shook h
is head, but had to chuckle before he kissed her again.
***
The next week, Dalton and Lilly spent a good deal of time accepting congratulations from friends and neighbors, and planning when and where to have their wedding. Since Lilly didn't have any family, and Dalton's family consisted of his sister and one aunt and uncle who lived locally, they both wanted to have the wedding soon. Neither of them wanted a big wedding, so it was proving to be fairly easy to plan.
They decided on Thanksgiving weekend. Many people took the whole weekend off, and the ranchers usually had their crops in by then, so they decided it would be the perfect time for a wedding. Using fall colors would make a pretty wedding.
Now that the decision was made as to when to have the wedding, Lilly started painting again that next week, in between doing her planning. She'd never been happier, and it showed in her painting. It was wonderful. By Saturday she had a painting about done. She left early, before he came in for breakfast, anxious to finish it. She knew it was one of her best pieces yet. Dalton had seen it and thought it was outstanding. He was anxious to see the finished product. He was sure she'd finish it sometime today.
He went in for lunch, thinking she may possibly have finished it already. He was disappointed to find she wasn't at the house yet. He called her, but she didn't answer her phone. He gave her another five minutes, thinking time just got away from her. When she still wasn't at the house and wasn't answering her phone, he started to worry. Since he knew where she was working, he got back on Midnight, ready to go check on her, when he saw her heading toward the house, on foot. He quickly spurred his horse into a fast trot to get to her. He was down off Midnight in a flash. Looking her over carefully, running his hands along her arms, feeling for problems, he asked, "Are you okay? What happened? Where's the Gator?"
"I'm fine," she said, trying to calm him. "I forgot to check the gas in the Gator this morning and I ran out of gas."
He frowned and asked, "Why didn't you call me?"
"Umm, I couldn't," she said, looking down to the ground.
"Why not? You had your phone, didn't you?"
A Beautiful Ranch Page 25