Sadie nodded to Lily before looking up at Thorpe. “She’s staying at your ranch?”
“Uh-huh. How’s Jacob?” Thorpe hadn’t noticed, or intentionally decided not to explain, why Lily was at his ranch.
“He’s just fine,” Sadie replied. She hadn’t noticed Thorpe standing at the door and she thought he might have heard her comment about the customer leaving town before the expensive material arrived. She’d ordered that material specifically for his fiancée, Evelyn. Sadie had been one of the guests in the church that morning when Evelyn didn’t show up to marry the most handsome man in town. Sadie’s eyes moved back to Lily. Looks like Thorpe found himself an even more beautiful woman. She hoped this one had more character than Evelyn. There wasn’t a woman in town who liked Evelyn; she was rude and so thoroughly self-absorbed that no one could figure out what Thorpe saw in her. But what was this lovely young woman doing at Thorpe’s ranch? Maybe she was a relative he brought home with him. If not, it would be most inappropriate for them to be living under the same roof if they weren’t married. Just wait until the pastor hears about this! He will be fit to be tied.
Lily looked up at Thorpe and repeated, “You can’t pay for this.”
“Of course I can.” He picked up the book and looked at the title: Great Expectations.
“Jed likes to read. I thought that would make a nice Christmas gift for him. He told me his mother taught him to read, but they had to do it in secret. He said they didn’t have access to many books.”
Her thoughtfulness didn’t surprise him. “I know he will treasure this.” He handed her the book and picked up the material and placed it under his arm. “Are you ready?” He took Lily by the elbow and nodded his good-bye to Sadie. “Tell Jacob hello.”
Lily was astonished by his generosity, but she was also concerned that Sadie may have misconstrued their relationship. When they reached the buckboard, she said, “I hope that woman understands I am a guest and not a . . .” She didn’t know how to finish her thought.
Thorpe placed her purchases behind the buckboard’s seat. “Not a what?” He hadn’t considered he needed to explain why she was at his ranch, or why he was paying for her purchases. He knew Lily didn’t have much money to spare and that was the reason he put it on his bill. Plain and simple.
“She may have gotten the wrong idea about us.”
“I don’t think Sadie would jump to any conclusions.”
Perhaps he paid for women’s purchases before and Sadie wouldn’t think anything was amiss. “You must let me pay you back. These are my Christmas gifts.”
He pushed his hat back and stared at her. Gazing at her lovely face, he had a strong urge to kiss her again. What was wrong with him? The same thing had happened last night on the porch. He’d tossed and turned all night thinking about her and how she was sleeping just a few feet down the hallway from him. Then, the first thing this morning he saw her standing at the stove in his kitchen. His urge to walk across the room and take her in his arms was nearly overwhelming. He had the same urge in the mercantile. He needed to keep his mind on business.
He was thankful Stone rode to town with them, or he might have stopped somewhere along the way and given in to his urge to kiss her. “Lily, it’s a gift, that’s all. Sadie won’t think a thing of it.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “But some of that material is for Isabelle. Stone gave me money and told me to buy something she would like. Isabelle didn’t get to purchase anything at the fort and we need some soft material to make nappies.”
“Give Stone back his money.”
“But my items are for Christmas gifts. They wouldn’t be from me if you pay for them.”
“Of course they would. You’ll be making them.”
“What about the book for Jed?”
“You picked it out,” he countered.
“But . . .” She stopped talking when he put his hands around her waist and lifted her to the buckboard.
“If it makes you feel better, you can tell Jed it is from both of us.” He was about to jump in beside her when the pastor walked up and greeted them.
Thorpe shook hands with the pastor. “Lily, this is Pastor Sewell. Pastor, this is Lily Starr.”
The pastor removed his hat and nodded. “My pleasure indeed.”
Once Thorpe gave him an abbreviated account of how he’d met Lily, the pastor said, “I trust you will bring your lovely guest to service on Sunday.”
“I have another lady staying at the ranch that’s ready to give birth any minute, so we’ll probably stick close to home. But you are always welcome to come by,” Thorpe told him. Thorpe was just about to ask him if he met Stone, when he reined in beside the buckboard.
“Stone, this is Pastor Sewell,” Thorpe said.
“I was just at your church,” Stone said.
“Did you need me?” the pastor asked.
“Thorpe, I’ll catch up with you,” Stone said, dismounting and shaking hands with the pastor.
“I need to make one more stop,” Thorpe replied. “We’ll be headed back to the ranch in ten minutes.”
Stone nodded, and tied his horse to the post. “I need a few minutes of your time, Pastor.”
Stone talked to the pastor about Isabelle and her situation. He told him Isabelle’s father was a pastor and how he’d disowned his daughter.
Stone finished his story and the pastor put his hand on his shoulder. “You are doing the right thing and I admire you for that. It was a mistake, but the young woman doesn’t deserve to be shunned by her father. I’m inclined to send him a letter to remind him of God’s forgiveness. Apparently, he’s forgotten we are all sinners.”
* * *
Thorpe pulled the buckboard to a halt in front of the building that the blacksmith used before his death. “Be right back.” He jumped down and walked inside.
It only took him a few minutes, and when he walked back to the buckboard he saw Lily and Blue face to face, just staring at each other. It reminded him of that night on the trail when they stared at each other for the longest time. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. Blue and I were just having a talk. He’s trying to tell me something, but I’m not sure what he is saying.”
Thorpe didn’t think there was anything unusual about her response; he’d already figured out they had an unusual way of communicating. “Do you think Blue is happy to be at the ranch?” He had wondered about Blue since he hadn’t spent as much time with him the last few days; he’d been glued to Lily’s side.
“Yes, and so is Spirit. Blue likes you very much.” Actually, she thought Blue cared as much for Thorpe as he did for her.
Thorpe ruffled Blue’s fur. “Good. I like him as much.” When he saw Lily cooking in the kitchen this morning with the animals around her, he thought his house felt more like a home. If he didn’t watch it, he’d want them around permanently. He gave her a quizzical look. “By the way, what’s a nappy?”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Doc Emerson arrived early for dinner so he would have a chance to speak with Isabelle privately. Lily had already told Isabelle that the doctor was coming to the ranch to see how she was doing.
After the doctor completed his examination, he sat with Isabelle and Lily. “Of course, babies surprise us all of the time, and you could deliver early, but I’m thinking you may have a couple of more weeks.”
“I always knew he would be born on Christmas Day,” Isabelle said.
The doc smiled at her. “I’m certainly not one to argue with the woman carrying the babe.”
Lily thought it would be the right time to give the two of them some privacy. “We will be having dinner soon. You will join us?”
“I’d like that,” he replied. He really wanted to find out if Thorpe was courting Lily. No one had mentioned she had a husband.
“Please excuse me. I need to get everything ready in the kitchen.” Lily left the room to finish preparing dinner.
* * *
Thorpe came through the
kitchen door with Stone and Jed behind him. “I see Doc is here.”
Lily turned from the stove to greet them. “He’s talking to her now.”
“I hope she listens to him.” Stone lingered by the stove when Lily handed him a platter of meat to carry to the table. He lingered momentarily, debating if he should tell them of his plans, but he decided he should speak to Isabelle first.
“I think once that little baby is born, Miss Isabelle will come around. She’ll love it more than anything,” Jed said, picking up the bowl of mashed potatoes.
Lily smiled. “I think you are right, Jed. How could anyone not fall in love with a little baby?”
Thorpe saw Blue following Lily’s every movement. He hadn’t left her side all day. In many ways, Thorpe envied that wolf. Lily was always petting him, or talking to him. It was little wonder he never left her side. He figured she could twist a man around her little finger just like Blue.
Thorpe grabbed a bowl of beans along with the plate of biscuits and headed to the table. Stone volunteered to go upstairs to get Isabelle and the doctor.
* * *
The meal ended and Thorpe walked the doc to the front porch. “I’m not sure I was of much help,” Doc Emerson said. She’s fairly adamant that she’s going to give the baby away. I’m hoping once she delivers, she’ll come around.”
“Jed said once she sees the baby she will forget all about giving it away. Doc, I appreciate that you gave it a try. We were at a loss how to help her. I know you will keep her situation in confidence. I don’t want her to have a hard time if she stays here permanently.”
“You have my word I won’t say a word about her situation.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
“She’s a pretty woman. She’ll be able to find a husband if she’s interested.” He looked Thorpe in the eyes. “I reckon you’re not interested. What about Lily?”
“Don’t go there. You know how my last relationship ended.”
“Lily’s not married?”
Thorpe was curious about his interest. “You interested for yourself, Doc?”
“I might be. I’m a mite older, but I still have a few good years left.” Seeing Thorpe didn’t offer more information, he moved on to his next question. “Did you find Evelyn?”
He figured the doc had a right to know what happened. He was the one that told him about Evelyn’s pregnancy. “Yep. She wasn’t married to Ainsworth yet, and he didn’t know about the baby.”
The doc couldn’t hide his surprise. “How was she hiding it from him?”
“I asked her the same thing. She said women had their ways.”
The doc shook his head. “That doesn’t make sense. Why didn’t she want to tell him the truth?”
“I don’t understand why she hadn’t told him. He has a right to know.”
“Maybe she’s worried he might think the baby was yours since you were engaged. There was no way he would know you hadn’t been bedding her all along,” the doc said.
“That’s what I figured. She told me he didn’t force her.”
“I never thought he did.”
Thorpe stared at him. It seemed like everyone had a better handle on what Evelyn was doing except him. “Did everyone know?”
“Thorpe . . .” The doc stopped when the door opened and Lily walked outside with the animals.
She noticed they stopped talking when she stepped onto the porch. “I’m sorry. It was time for the pups to go out.”
“I was just leaving. Thank you again for the lovely meal.”
Lily led the puppies off the porch to the ground. After the doctor rode away, she turned to Thorpe. “I apologize if I interrupted your conversation, but Stone wanted to speak to Isabelle, and I thought I should give them some privacy.” Stone was unusually quiet through dinner and she knew he had something on his mind.
“You didn’t interrupt.” He stepped down from the porch and stood beside her. They watched the puppies chase each other. “They sure have grown.”
“Yes, they have. Do you think they will get a lot bigger?”
“Yes, you can tell by their paws. They might be bigger than Blue.”
* * *
Stone led Isabelle to the parlor and he sat beside her on the settee. “Isabelle, I’ve been giving your situation a lot of thought and I think there is only one thing for you to do.”
Isabelle turned her hazel eyes on him. “What is that?”
Stone hesitated, unsure of himself. He jumped up and started pacing back and forth in front of her thinking of all the reasons he shouldn’t say what he intended. He was much older than the man she loved, his future wasn’t stable, he could fail miserably with his ranch, and she hadn’t known him that long. She was much too young and lovely to want a man like him.
Isabelle grew concerned as her eyes followed him back and forth. “Stone?”
Stone stopped, and when he looked at her, he knew he was making her anxious. He took a seat beside her again and took a deep breath. “Isabelle, I think you need to marry me.” Seeing her stunned expression, he quickly explained, “I’ve already sent a telegram resigning my position as marshal. I’ve talked to Thorpe and I’m going to buy some land that shares a border with his and start ranching. We won’t have much at first, but I’m a hard worker and I know I can make a go of it. Thorpe said he’d help me with anything I need. He told me he even had a cabin near the area and I could use that until I get my home built. He’ll help me build and we would have friends around us. I know you don’t love me . . . and I don’t expect you to, but I vow I’d make you a fine husband. I’ll give you and our baby a home, and take care of you forever.”
“But you don’t really know me,” Isabelle said.
“I know you well enough. You’re a fine woman and I know I care for you.” He leaned forward and put his arms on his thighs. He could tell it was time for the complete truth. “I think I started caring for you the first time we rode in the wagon together, but I knew you loved someone else.” He didn’t want to bring Ethan Horn into this conversation. “I reckon I can’t take his place in your heart, but I’d be loyal and I’ll be a good father. I’ll love our baby.”
As she listened to him, tears started to stream down her cheeks. She admired Stone, respected him, and she liked him a lot, but she didn’t know if it was love. She wasn’t sure she knew what love was. He was the answer to her prayers, yet she thought it would be a difficult thing to care for another man’s baby. She swiped at her tears. “You might resent working so hard to pay for another man’s child.”
Stone put his arm around her and pulled her to him. “I will love our baby. I will never resent him.”
She looked up at him. “I want to believe you. I care about you very much.”
“That’s all I ask. I know we could be happy together. Just think, we could have more children to play with little Stone.”
His comment made her laugh. “Yes, we could.”
Stone gently cupped her chin and he gave her a light kiss. He leaned back to look at her and asked, “What do you say?”
Isabelle put her palm to his cheek and pressed her lips back to his. Clutching her to him, Stone kissed her tenderly. It was an effort for him to pull away. “Are you saying yes?”
“Stone, I need to tell you something.”
He knew this had something to do with Ethan, and he didn’t think he could stand to hear the particulars of their encounter. He really didn’t want to hear about Ethan Horn. If the man hadn’t died, it would have been difficult not to knock his teeth down his throat for using Isabelle for his pleasure and lying to her. “You don’t have to tell me anything.”
“You should know I never loved Ethan. I didn’t know him long enough to love him. He was the first person that ever wanted me. He made me feel special, and I guess I wanted to think I must be in love. But I had my doubts about my emotions all along. I just couldn’t accept that I gave myself to a man without knowing my true feelings.”
“I don’t believe for a minute
he was the only man that ever wanted you. You’re so pretty and such a sweet thing, I’m sure a lot of men have had thoughts they shouldn’t. I’m glad you didn’t love him. He didn’t deserve your love. As long as you like me and will give me a chance, I will try to earn your love.”
“From the first day you drove the wagon, I knew I liked being with you. I was beginning to care for you and I thought it was wrong . . . considering my condition. I thought I was supposed to love Ethan, and I felt I must be a terrible person like my father told me. What I’m saying is, I think in a way I already love you. You’re the best man I’ve ever known.”
“Aw, honey, you’re not a terrible person. You make me so happy. Are you saying yes?”
“If you are sure you want me, I’d be honored to be your wife,” Isabelle whispered, her lips quivering.
“I’m sure I want you, honey. I can’t wait until you are mine. It’s a good thing you said yes because the preacher will be here tomorrow.”
She furrowed her brow at him. “How . . . when?”
He grinned at her. “I saw him when I was in town.”
“But he will know my condition and he might not want to marry a fallen woman.”
“I told him I was doing right by you. If he jumped to the conclusion that the baby is mine, then he’s right. This is my baby and no one will ever dare to say any different.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “I’ve never known anyone as wonderful as you.”
Stone held her close to his chest. “I intend to keep it that way.” He couldn’t remember ever being as happy as he was at this moment.
* * *
Thorpe and Lily walked back to the porch and waited for the puppies to exhaust themselves before they went inside for the night. Lily had forgotten to grab her coat and she was shivering.
Thorpe started to tell her to go on inside and he’d bring the puppies in, but he had a better idea. He walked behind her, like he’d wanted to do this morning in the kitchen, and wrapped his arms around her. He leaned down and his lips were next to her ear, and he asked in a low voice, “Better?”
Christmas at Dove Creek Page 24