Thorpe jumped down and reached up and wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted her to the ground in one easy motion. “I’ll help Jedidiah with the animals. You get some rest.”
“You should take care not to lift anything too heavy.”
“I’d say that doesn’t include you. You barely weigh more than my saddle,” he teased.
When he walked toward the team, Lily stared after him. It was more than his physical appearance that was appealing. He was a potent combination of masculine confidence and dogged determination. She’d never met a man quite like him.
* * *
After the nightly chores were complete, they were all relaxing around the fire when Thorpe saw Blue jerk his head up and stare intently into the brush behind them. Thorpe glanced at Lily and she nodded, indicating she saw the same thing.
Thorpe pulled his Colt and whispered, “Stay here.” In a crouch, he slipped away from the campfire and made his way to the first wagon for cover with Blue right beside him.
Lily pulled her rifle to her side and whispered to the women to get their pistols ready. She had told them to carry their pistols tucked into their coat pockets so they could easily protect themselves if need be. Jedidiah picked up his rifle and placed it across his lap. They remained very still, their eyes searching the brush surrounding them, but they heard nothing, not even Thorpe’s footsteps. Only minutes had passed, but it seemed like hours before Thorpe strolled back to the campsite followed by Blue and a scraggly-looking dog. Lily hoped it was a dog and not another wolf. The animal was not as large as Blue, but it looked like it had been in the wild too long. The poor thing was caked in mud, and so thin Lily could see ribs protruding through the skin.
“She’s starving,” Thorpe said.
Lily jumped up and grabbed Blue’s bowl and dished out a healthy portion of stew along with some biscuits and placed it in front of the dog.
Jedidiah grabbed a pail, filled it with water, and set it beside the bowl of food. “I wonder what she’s doing out here all alone.”
“I don’t know, but from the looks of her, she’s been out on her own for some time. I guess Blue found himself a girlfriend,” Thorpe replied.
Blue positioned himself near Thorpe again, but when the dog finished eating and drinking, instead of resting near the fire, it trotted back out through the brush. Blue jumped up and followed her.
Thorpe was just about to go look for Blue and the dog when they walked back to camp, each with a puppy clutched between their teeth.
“Oh my goodness, she’s had new puppies! The poor thing!” Lily placed a blanket near the fire and the dog plopped down with her pup and Blue placed the puppy he was holding beside her. The dog and Blue exchanged a look, and Thorpe was certain something unspoken passed between them. The puppies immediately nuzzled their mother, but Blue turned around and walked back into the brush. Thorpe grabbed a lantern and followed him. When they returned, Thorpe was carrying two more puppies.
He leaned over and gently placed the puppies at their mother’s belly so they could nurse. “That’s all of them.” He stroked Blue’s head as they watched the puppies burrow into their mother. “You did a good job, boy.”
Lily noticed how gently Thorpe had cradled the little puppies in his strong hands. “What are we going to name them?”
“You’re going to keep them?” Dora asked.
“Of course she’s going to keep them,” Isabelle responded. “How could you ask such a thing?”
“We don’t have the food to feed all of them,” Dora snapped.
Dora’s question angered Thorpe. “Which ones would you leave behind?”
“We’re already sharing the supplies with Jedidiah,” Dora said.
“Dora!” Lily said. “We are not sharing anything. Jedidiah earns his way.”
“Miss Dora, I’ll share my portion with them,” Jedidiah offered.
“That won’t be necessary, Jed. I have more than enough supplies to feed the dog and the puppies when they are old enough,” Thorpe said.
Jedidiah walked to his wagon, and Lily confronted Dora. “Don’t ever say anything like that again! I swear if you do I will leave you behind!” She couldn’t really say at the moment it was an empty threat.
Thorpe looked at the two women, clearly confused by the underlying current. He couldn’t imagine why Dora would object to Jedidiah riding with them. The man more than pulled his weight.
Isabelle looked at Thorpe and explained the situation. “Dora’s angry because Jedidiah didn’t have a wagon or supplies. Lily said he didn’t need supplies since he would be such a big help.”
“I’d say you ladies are getting the best end of that deal. Don’t let supplies be a source of contention. As I said, I have enough for all of us.”
“Lily purchased enough supplies for him with her own money, so Dora shouldn’t be complaining about anything. It didn’t cost her a thing.”
“We had to buy our wagons and supplies. And even though Lily bought more supplies, they aren’t limitless, especially if we run into bad weather. Plus, Jed’s not even handy with a gun,” Dora retorted.
“What business is it of ours if Lily bought extra supplies for him and lets him use her wagon?” Isabelle asked.
Thorpe was thinking the same thing. He didn’t see that it was anyone’s business but Lily’s.
“We have plenty of supplies and I can shoot what we don’t have,” Lily said. “There’s no reason to worry. Dora, you should be thankful we have him along. Do you really think the three of us could have handled everything? Would you have taken care of the animals? We would be even more vulnerable without him. I think you need to consider these things before you apologize to him.” She glared at Dora. “And you will apologize.”
Dora walked away without uttering another word.
Thorpe thought he didn’t want to be on Miss Lily’s bad side. She was a little spitfire underneath that sweet feminine appearance. He thought he would redirect the conversation on a more pleasant subject. “Why don’t you two name the pups?”
“Are they boys or girls?” Isabelle asked.
Thorpe leaned over and lifted a leg on each puppy. “Looks like we have two girls and two boys.”
“Do you have a dog, Thorpe?” Lily asked.
“My dog died last year.” It still saddened him to think about Sam; he’d been a great companion for twelve years.
“Well, then, you need another one. You name one of the boy dogs,” Lily suggested.
“I want to name one Honey,” Isabelle said.
“Which one?” Thorpe asked.
Isabelle pointed to the smallest female.
“Honey it is.”
Jedidiah walked back to the fire and threw some more beans into the coffeepot.
“Jed, can you think of a name for one of these little critters?” Thorpe asked.
Jed squatted down and looked at the puppies. “They’re just about the cutest little things I ever saw. How about we call a female Sweetie Pie?”
Thorpe grinned at the big man. “That sounds fine.”
“What did you come up with, Thorpe?” Lily asked.
Thorpe pointed to the smallest male dog, and while he thought it was possible the dog wouldn’t make it, he didn’t voice that notion aloud. “Lucky seems fitting. These little guys were lucky that we happened by. I don’t think their mama would have lasted much longer from the looks of her.”
“I like that name,” Lily agreed. The dogs weren’t the only ones that were lucky. She felt very lucky that they had met up with Thorpe. She walked over and ladled some more food in the bowl and placed it in front of the dog. “We need a name for her.”
“You name her,” Thorpe said.
“I like her spirit,” Lily said. “Think about how brave she was to have her puppies out here all alone.”
“That sounds like a fine name for her. Spirit it is,” Thorpe said.
Lily smiled. “I like that. What about the other male?”
Thorpe looked at Jed
idiah. “Any thoughts?”
“I can’t think of what suits him,” Jed replied.
“What do you think about Henry?” Thorpe asked.
Everyone nodded their agreement. “That’s an excellent name for him,” Lily said.
It was easy to see that Lily had already adopted them in her mind, and Thorpe didn’t want her to be disappointed if the puppies didn’t survive. “Lily, they probably haven’t been nourished like they needed.”
Lily held up her hand as if to stop him. She sat beside the dog and stroked her head. “Don’t say it. They will be fine and Spirit will be fine. They just need love and food.”
“I just didn’t want you to get too attached,” Thorpe said.
She gave him a quivery smile. “It’s too late. I’m already attached.”
“I think Spirit and her puppies need to sleep inside for a while, so where do you want them?” Thorpe asked.
“Your wagon is the only one with enough room. Do you mind?”
“Nope. I’ll carry her.”
“Mr. Thorpe, I’ll carry that dog. You need to rest your shoulder,” Jedidiah said.
“Thanks, Jed.” Once they settled the dogs in the wagon, Blue snuggled beside Spirit and put his paw on her back. “It looks like they have their protector for the night,” Thorpe said.
Once Thorpe and Jed returned to the fire, Thorpe said, “Jedidiah and I will switch off watch tonight. You ladies can get a full night’s rest.”
“You’re the one that needs rest,” Lily replied.
“I’ll wake you in a couple of hours,” Thorpe said.
Lily knew he had no intention of waking her. “Thank you.”
When Lily walked to her wagon, Jedidiah laughed. “Mr. Thorpe, I know you don’t plan on waking her.”
“You’re right, Jed. She needs some rest. I’ve noticed she doesn’t sleep much.”
“Mark my words, she’ll be back out here in a couple of hours. The few times I tried to let her sleep longer, she still relieved me right on time. She told me God woke her.”
Chapter Six
Nicholas Oliver Edmund Ainsworth was lying in bed watching Evelyn stalk around the room in a fury, snatching up her clothing from the floor that he’d helped remove the night before. The delicate items she angrily tossed through the air landed in the vicinity of her trunk. Evelyn was a beautiful woman and that was one of the reasons he had relented when she begged to return to England with him. He hadn’t been keen on traveling to Wyoming, but when he met Evelyn, he thought his time in the West wouldn’t be a total loss. Nick’s father was insistent that he come to Wyoming to learn all he could about cattle ranching since he was interested in purchasing a spread near the Tremayne ranch. Nick relented, mostly because he was tired of listening to his father harp about him finding a wife.
From the first day he arrived at the ranch, Evelyn spent most of her time flirting with him. By the end of the first week of his stay, Nick took her up on what she was offering. Even though she’d told him she was betrothed to Turlow, it hadn’t stopped her from sharing his bed. When it was time for him to return to England, she’d begged to go with him. Finally, he agreed, though he hadn’t considered marriage. Evelyn simply assumed he wanted to marry her, but marriage was not in his plans. He intended to establish her in a nice home with a sizeable monthly stipend for expenses, and keep her as his mistress.
She’d been a pleasant diversion up to this point, but he was growing less and less tolerant of her outbursts, and tiring of her litany of complaints. No one ever dared to tell him what to do and he wasn’t about to start with Evelyn. Any woman who tried that tactic on him soon learned he would do the exact opposite. Over the last few days he’d even considered leaving her behind when he sailed.
Evelyn finally realized he had no intention of marrying her and now she was angry with him. No, not angry. She was livid. She’d traveled across country in miserable conditions on the stagecoach, and now he still refused to get married. While he hadn’t actually asked her to marry him, she was confident he would eventually do the honorable thing. She stalked around the room once more to see if she’d overlooked anything she wanted to pack. The only thing left was the robe she was wearing, so she shrugged it off her shoulders and threw it at her trunk.
Ainsworth’s gaze followed her progress around the room. He wished she would calm down so he could coax her back to bed and get her mind off marriage. But when she walked past the bed, he jerked his head from the pillows, his eyes fixed on her stomach. This was the first time in weeks that he’d seen her body in the daylight. Now he understood the reason she’d insisted on dressing behind the screen in the mornings. He hadn’t given it a lot of thought, considering how moody she had been, but she’d never been hesitant to be seen nude in the daylight before. Actually, he’d enjoyed her lack of modesty. From the start she’d used her body to seduce him and it worked like magic. How could he have missed her thickening waistline? “My dear, I thought you were simply gaining weight from all of the desserts you’ve indulged in over the last few weeks, but I think it is something else altogether.”
If Evelyn hadn’t been in such a rage, she might have denied her condition. But she was tired of his excuses and dithering about. She wasn’t about to go to England unmarried when she wouldn’t be able to hide her condition much longer. She refused to be humiliated. She’d whined, cajoled, pleaded, but to no avail. She could not persuade him to change his mind. Evelyn wasn’t accustomed to being denied something she wanted, and Ainsworth was the first man she couldn’t seduce into submission.
When he first arrived at their ranch, his refined deportment and handsome face had certainly turned her head. He was titled, extremely wealthy, and she wanted to live the kind of life he could provide. She waited impatiently for him to make the overtures, but he was slow to respond. Making a rash decision to take matters in her own hands, she slipped into his room one night after her father retired for the evening. She’d shared his bed many nights thereafter. The one night she’d spent with Thorpe, Ainsworth was out on the range with her father. It proved to be the perfect opportunity to set her backup plan in motion after she’d learned she was pregnant.
Now that she was unable to persuade Ainsworth to marry, she thought she’d made a mistake by turning Thorpe away. He was more handsome than Ainsworth to be sure, with his perfectly chiseled features and beautiful dark eyes. He was also a better lover than Nick, but Thorpe couldn’t give her a castle filled with servants. Yet she knew Thorpe would have married her even if he’d found out she was pregnant with another man’s child. When Thorpe found her at the hotel in Kansas City, all she had to do was say Ainsworth forced himself on her and he would have married her then and there. He would also have killed Ainsworth. Of that, she had no doubt.
Evelyn jerked her underclothes from the wardrobe and turned to face Ainsworth. “Unless you are blind, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you anything!”
“Tell me, love, how long have you known?”
She wasn’t going to tell him she’d known before they had left Wyoming. “A few weeks.”
Ainsworth fluffed his pillows and leaned back against the headboard. He’d seen a pregnant woman’s body before, and he thought she looked to be quite far along. “You need to see the doctor today so we will know the date.”
Evelyn turned and glared at him. “I’ve already . . .” She’d almost slipped up. She couldn’t reveal she’d seen a doctor. “It’s not necessary. I’m just a few weeks along.”
“Still, we want to make sure it is safe for you to travel,” he said.
“I’ll be fine. There is no need to see the doctor before we arrive in England. The only person we need to see is a pastor.”
Approaching the side of the bed, Evelyn placed her hands on her hips. “Do you want to take me to England like this?” She pointed to her stomach. “Unmarried?”
“If you are just a few weeks . . .” He didn’t finish, Evelyn turned her back on him and stomped to the dressing screen. “We n
eed to be married,” she shouted.
Ainsworth didn’t reply. Perhaps her situation explained her moodiness since they’d left Wyoming. Now he was in a quandary. It wouldn’t do for his father to see her in the family way and be unmarried. Considering how petulant and demanding she’d become, he shuddered at the thought of spending his life with her. The whole situation was becoming so tiresome that he was inclined to give her money for her trip back to Wyoming. Yet he knew she wouldn’t go now that she was carrying his child. He wouldn’t be surprised if she followed him to England and made a spectacle of herself. If his family found out about her and the heir she carried, they would insist he marry her for fear of scandal. He weighed his alternatives. Evelyn could obviously give him the heirs he needed and he would be envied for capturing such a beauty from America. It wasn’t what he’d planned, but as long as he could maintain a mistress on the side, he could live with the arrangement.
His father and mother spent little time together and they’d been married for years. They didn’t even share a bedroom, and aside from social engagements, the only time he saw them together was at the dinner table. It was common knowledge his father kept a mistress, and he was confident his mother was aware of the woman, though she would never admit that fact. Nick could see his future; it mirrored his father’s. He’d simply find a woman less demanding for a mistress and he could spend more time with her than his wife. There was no question in his mind that he would need a welcoming reprieve from Evelyn’s constant carping. “We will see the doctor, and then go to the church to have the pastor marry us before the stagecoach departs.”
Behind the screen, Evelyn smiled to herself. She would insist on seeing the doctor alone and Nick would never know how far along she was. He didn’t need to know she was pregnant before he arrived in Wyoming. If she’d known how quickly he would agree to marry once he learned of her condition, she would have told him weeks ago and saved herself so much agonizing over the situation. Well, no matter, they were going to be married today and she would finally have everything she wanted.
* * *
The doctor completed his examination and gave Evelyn privacy to dress before he spoke with her. “Mrs. Ainsworth, you are over four months along and everything looks as it should. And you will be sailing to England in a few weeks?”
Christmas at Dove Creek Page 6