Isabelle thought Stone was the most considerate man she’d ever met. He’d asked her several times today if she needed to stop and see to her needs. He didn’t pass judgment on her and she appreciated the way he treated her with true kindness. He’d told her the same thing Lily had told her that morning: Any man would be proud to have a child, boy or girl. The time passed quickly as she listened to Stone’s stories about some of the places he’d traveled and the outlaws he’d captured. Before she knew it, she’d forgotten all about how uncomfortable she’d been that morning.
She didn’t know how much older Stone was than Ethan, but he seemed much more mature and wiser than she remembered Ethan to be. It probably wasn’t fair to compare the men because she had come to realize that she knew very little about Ethan. He was such a dashing figure in his military uniform that she never once stopped to consider if he was a decent, honorable man. Now it frightened her to think about how little she knew about him. Soon she would be responsible for another life; she could no longer afford to be so foolhardy in her judgment.
Ethan was young and handsome, but would he make a suitable father to their child? Would he be a good husband? Would he be as patient and kind as Stone had been with her today? She didn’t even know what Ethan’s plans were once he left the military. What if he didn’t want to be a farmer? What would they do? How would they survive? If he didn’t want her, how would she support a child alone? What would become of them? She had so many fears and she didn’t want to burden anyone. One thing she’d learned, everyone had their own problems to deal with. The last thing she wanted to do was be a burden to someone else.
* * *
Lily and Isabelle filled the plates when dinner was ready, and Dora took that opportunity to take the coffeepot and a cup to Harlow.
“How are you doing, honey?” Harlow whispered. “I’ve missed talking to you today.”
Dora handed him the cup and poured his coffee. “I’m sick of these people preaching all the time.”
“Honey, we don’t have to stay here. You know what we can do.”
Dora looked around to see if anyone could overhear her. “I’ve been giving that some thought. What do you plan to do if we get the money?”
Harlow smiled wide. She was saying what he wanted to hear. “I told you we could go on down to Mexico.”
“How do I know you wouldn’t leave me there with no money once you get what you want?” Dora had a difficult time trusting anyone, but she wanted to believe Harlow.
“Why would I leave you? I told you, we’d make a good team. You’re a smart gal, and together we could have anything we want. I’ve never met a woman I wanted to marry, but I’d marry you, Dora. You’ve got my word on that. We could settle in Mexico where no one would find us. Wouldn’t you like that? You wouldn’t have to look for a husband when you have a willing man right here with money.”
Before Dora responded, Harlow held his tied hands up to her. “Take this ring off my finger. You hold on to that as my promise to marry you.”
Dora looked around to make sure no one was watching before she set the coffeepot down.
“If you don’t want to help me, I want you to keep the ring. It is real gold and I didn’t steal it. If you decide to go with me, then I’ll buy you a ring with a diamond for your wedding ring.”
She pulled the ring off his finger. It was a heavy gold ring that bore his initials. No one had ever given her such a nice present. “It’s beautiful.”
Harlow knew she was going to help him. He’d always been able to read women, and he had Dora hooked. He would take her to Mexico with him if she didn’t slow him down. Since he would have to spend several months hiding out, Dora could be a pleasant diversion. Thirty thousand would last awhile, but he knew he wouldn’t stay in Mexico indefinitely. He craved the excitement of his profession and he knew he would go back to robbing once the law had given up trailing him. He figured the bloom would be off the rose where Dora was concerned by that time and he’d leave her in Mexico. “Here comes Stone,” he whispered.
Stone walked up and handed Harlow his plate of food. “Dora, everyone else would like some coffee.”
Harlow winked at her. “Thanks, ma’am.”
“Anytime, sugar.” Dora gave Stone a defiant look and held the coffeepot toward him. “Where’s your cup?”
“By the fire.”
Dora walked away making plans to help Harlow escape. She didn’t tell him she planned on helping him; she was waiting to be convinced that he wanted her and that he would share the money. He’d convinced her when he gave her such an expensive ring. Now she just had to figure out the best time to implement her plan. The next time she was alone with Harlow for a few minutes she would tell him what she had in mind. She wished she could talk to him at night, but there was always someone around. She’d have to ask Thorpe how much longer before they reached Fort Steele so she would know how much time she had. But she figured she should act soon because she didn’t want the gang to come for him and possibly kill her along with everyone else trying to free Harlow.
* * *
Later that night, Dora had her opportunity to speak with Thorpe while he was checking on the animals. She poured a cup of coffee and carried it the corral. “I just made some fresh coffee and thought you would like some.”
“Thanks.” Thorpe wondered if she’d taken some of her tonic again.
Dora stood beside him as he drank his coffee. “I don’t know how you get by on so little sleep.”
“You get used to it working a ranch. You learn to get by.”
“Thorpe, who does your cooking on your ranch?”
“I have a cook who handles those chores for the men.”
“Is it a man or a woman?”
“Man.” He didn’t want to ask her why she wanted to know. He had a bad feeling about the direction of this conversation.
“Why don’t you hire a woman to do the cooking?”
“My cook can go out on the range with the men.”
“I see. I bet you will be relieved to get home.”
She had no idea. It was situations like this that made him uncomfortable. “Yeah, real glad.”
“How long do you think it will be before we get to the fort?”
To his way of thinking, they’d made great progress. Of course, much of that good fortune had been due to the fair weather for this time of year. “Barring other complications, if the weather is on our side, we should be there in three weeks.” It looked like they were going to make the fort before Thanksgiving, well before Isabelle’s deadline of Christmas Day.
Dora knew he was thinking they could have problems from Harlow’s gang. The gang probably figured out they were going to take Harlow to the fort, so they knew when they needed to make their move. The sooner she told Harlow of her plan, the better. But for now, she had to make everyone think that she was still interested in finding a husband. “Thorpe, I never said thank you, but I want you to know I do appreciate all you have done for us on this trip.”
Thorpe was surprised that she’d expressed her appreciation. He’d noticed she rarely had a pleasant word to say to anyone. For a minute, he thought she was going to volunteer to be his cook at the ranch. He was thankful the conversation didn’t head down that road. Maybe Jed was right, and there was more to Dora than met the eye. “You’re welcome.”
Dora reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “I still wish you were in the market for a wife. I’ll make someone a fine wife, and I know how to please a man in ways that a real lady doesn’t know.”
Thorpe looked her in the eyes and he thought of Evelyn. There was a time when Dora could have easily convinced him she was sincere. Thanks to Evelyn, he was no longer as trusting, and he couldn’t bring himself to trust Dora completely. He had a nagging suspicion that she was up to something. Maybe she was trying to change his mind about her, maybe not. “I don’t doubt you know how to please a man, Dora. And you will probably have your fair share of men willing to take you up on your offer.
But if you marry a rancher or a farmer, you’d best really like him because he may be the only person you see for weeks at a time during the winter months.” Some women weren’t cut out for the isolation of ranch life, and he thought Dora was one of those women. By the way she flirted with men, he doubted she would be faithful to a husband. Just like Evelyn. “And you need to stay away from men like Harlow. I don’t think they’d be looking for a permanent union.”
Chapter Thirteen
“What are you doing out here?” Thorpe was riding a mile behind the wagons and Lily surprised him when she rode up with Blue beside her.
“Dora said she could handle the team for a while, so I decided to give Blaze some exercise. I think Blue wanted to run, too. He hasn’t left Spirit’s side and she won’t leave the pups.”
He started to say something about Dora’s change of attitude, but he remembered Lily’s last comment when he mentioned Dora. “I’m sure Blaze appreciates a break from riding behind the wagon.”
“Dora said you thought we would arrive at the fort in three weeks.”
“As I told her, if all goes well and the weather holds.”
“Why do you think those men haven’t come for Harlow?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they know the general area where he hid the money is somewhere between here and the fort.” Thorpe thought that was the most likely reason, or they were waiting for them to reach an area that would be more advantageous for an attack.
“How long will it take for you to get to your ranch from the fort?”
“Just a couple of days.”
It saddened Lily to think in a few short weeks she would never see Thorpe again. “I bet you will be happy to get there.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He did look forward to getting home, but he knew he would miss seeing Lily daily. “You should come visit my ranch when you find your grandfather.”
Lily looked at him, clearly surprised that he’d ask her to come to Dove Creek. “I’d like to see your ranch.”
Thorpe gathered the courage to ask a question he’d wanted to ask for weeks. “Do you have someone waiting for you back home in Texas?”
She was puzzled by his question. “I told you my family was killed.”
“I thought you might have a beau.”
She blushed. “No, I don’t. Unless my grandfather wants to go back to Texas, I doubt I will ever go back. I’ll live wherever he wants to live.”
She didn’t mention marriage and a family. And what would she do if she didn’t find her grandfather? “Don’t you plan to marry someday?”
“Maybe. I would like to have children one day.” He hadn’t mentioned any woman in his life and she was curious. “Do you plan to marry?”
Evelyn’s face appeared in his mind. “I came close to getting married, but the bride didn’t show up at the church. She left town with another man.”
Lily couldn’t believe her ears. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t show up to marry him? “That’s hard to believe.”
“Why?”
It wasn’t a difficult question to answer, but she didn’t think she should tell him all of the reasons she thought he’d be a wonderful husband. “Well . . . you have an agreeable disposition, you are hardworking, and you’re trustworthy.” She figured the woman he’d asked to marry must have been very special.
He grinned at her. “Maybe I should have had you to sing my praises.”
As far as she was concerned, any woman who didn’t recognize his fine qualities didn’t deserve him. “Does she live near your ranch?” She thought it would be difficult for him to see a woman he loved frequently who chose another man over him.
“No, I imagine she’s in England by now, married to a duke.” The thought of Evelyn married to Ainsworth didn’t bother him at all. Actually, he felt like laughing. He felt as if he’d dodged another arrow.
Lily thought he must have had his heart broken by the woman. “I’m sorry.”
It took Thorpe a minute to realize she was talking about Evelyn marrying another man. “Everything worked out for the best.”
Lily didn’t want him to think about his heartache, so she asked, “You really think we will make the fort by Thanksgiving?”
Thorpe nodded. “That’s my plan.”
“I hope we will have a proper Thanksgiving meal.” She glanced his way. “I mean sitting at a table and not around a fire.”
Thorpe chuckled. “There’s a way station where we will stop in a few days, so we can have a meal inside at a table at the very least.”
“That would be nice.”
Thorpe couldn’t disagree; he missed sitting at his table at home. He really enjoyed the peacefulness in the early morning hours when he’d have his first cup of coffee at the kitchen table.
* * *
They were forced to stop a few hours later to work on a wagon wheel, and since the men were busy, Dora was able to speak with Harlow as she made the coffee.
After she explained her plan, Harlow realized Dora was more devious than he’d given her credit. “We need to do this soon. The gang will make their move when we get closer to the area where the marshal found me.”
“Thorpe said we will be at a way station in a few days, so it should be no later than day after tomorrow.” Now that she’d set things in motion, she wanted to get it over with before the gang made their move. The money, and going to Mexico with Harlow was all she could think about. She was nervous and excited at the same time. She had everything planned out and it was going to be difficult for her to wait another day.
“Sounds good,” Harlow agreed. “You won’t regret this, Dora. We’ll have more fun than you ever dreamed.”
Dora saw Lily and Isabelle bringing the food to the fire. “Shhh.”
“What have you lovely ladies made for supper?” Harlow asked.
“Beans and corn bread,” Isabelle replied.
“I’ve made the coffee.” Dora smiled again at Harlow as she walked away.
* * *
After dinner, Lily was playing with the puppies near the wagon under the watchful eye of Spirit and Blue when Thorpe walked over and handed her a cup of coffee. “Thought you might like this.”
“Thank you.”
Thorpe removed his hat and sat beside them. Today was the first time he’d spent more than just a few minutes alone with Lily in weeks. He’d missed talking with her more than he wanted to admit. At times, it seemed like she was intentionally avoiding him. “These little guys are growing like weeds.”
Lily yelped when one of the puppies started chewing on her finger. “And their teeth are getting sharp.”
Thorpe pulled a leather glove from his back pocket and handed it to her. “Use this.” He took his other glove and started a tug-of-war with Henry. Thorpe laughed at the little puppy as he took the glove in his mouth and planted his rear end on the ground to gain leverage in the struggle. “They are strong little critters. When we found them I was worried they might not make it.”
“I know, but I knew they would.”
Thorpe leaned back against the wagon wheel and two of the puppies crawled on top of him and walked in a circle on his chest until they plopped down. “Miss Lily, I don’t think I would ever want to play a hand of poker with you. I think you have an unfair advantage of seeing the future.”
“Look.” Lily pointed to the two puppies who were climbing inside Thorpe’s hat lying on the ground. “They are so cute.”
“They better not hike a leg in there.” He tried to sound serious, but he couldn’t help laughing at the sight of those two pups squirming around inside the crown of his Stetson. They promptly rolled up into little balls and fell asleep.
Lily didn’t think she’d ever seen a more charming scene than Thorpe with the puppies on his chest and in his hat. She watched as he stroked the puppies; his hand was larger than they were. One of the puppies made his way to Thorpe’s face and started licking his chin.
“I like the way you kiss.” Thorpe’s eyes met Lily’s when he turn
ed his face to keep from getting licked on his lips. He thought she looked lovely with the light from the fire behind her. He’d never seen a more beautiful woman. “Lily, how come you don’t have a beau? You must have had a number of men waiting in line to court you.”
Lily avoided his eyes. She leaned over and plucked one of the pups from his chest. “I guess I’ve never met one that I like that much.”
Thorpe reached for her braid hanging over her shoulder and tugged her closer to him. “You haven’t liked one fellow?”
She was inches away from the only man she thought was almost irresistible. Her eyes flicked over his handsome features. She knew she should be sensible and move away . . . but she didn’t. She didn’t know if he was teasing her or flirting with her. Finally, her eyes met his. She thought of what Isabelle said to her the day she brought Thorpe to her wagon. If you save a person’s life you are forever bound together. Could that possibly be true? Would he ever feel bound to another woman after his experience with his fiancée? And what about Dora? Did he have feelings for her, or was she just a distraction to pass the time on a long journey? “Why do you ask?”
“As I said, you’re a beautiful woman, and I would expect men to be clearing a path to your door.”
“Thank you, but no, there has never been anyone. I’m not experienced like . . .” She didn’t finish because he said it for her.
“Dora. I don’t know why you keep bringing Dora up to me.” He released her braid and Lily straightened.
“I just thought . . . well, I’ve seen her leaving your wagon several times. I guess I thought . . . it doesn’t matter what I thought.”
So that was what she’d been thinking all of this time. That was why she’d been so cool to him for weeks. She’d assumed he was seeking Dora’s company. He tried to remember the first time Dora came to his wagon. It was a few days after he joined them, so Lily must have thought he worked fast. Maybe he should feel flattered. “She’s made her interest known, and yes, she hasn’t given up easily, but nothing has happened between us. I’m not interested.”
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