His big body put off so much heat and it felt wonderful to be surrounded by him, but she pulled away. “I’m not too cold.”
Thorpe reached for her and turned her around. “Lily . . .” He didn’t know what he wanted to say. Every time he got close to her, he lost his ability to think straight. It was happening again. Instead of talking, he pulled her in his arms and crushed his lips to hers.
Lily didn’t want him to stop; she loved his kisses. But she remembered what happened the last time he’d kissed her. She pushed against his chest and he let her go. “No,” she said, and stepped back from his embrace.
Thorpe dropped his hands. “I apologize. I forgot about Captain Anderson. I’m sure my kisses don’t excite you like his.” He told himself he was an idiot. He just needed to find a way to stay away from her.
Lily was stunned by his comment. “It’s not the captain’s kisses I was thinking about. It’s how you regretted our last kiss. I was sure mine didn’t measure up to whomever you haven’t been able to forget.” With that said, she opened the door, walked inside, and closed his own door in his face.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Thorpe stood there staring at the closed door. What was the woman talking about? He hadn’t compared her kisses to anyone. Who was she talking about? Blue walked up beside him and nudged his leg. “Yeah, I guess that didn’t go too well.” He saw Spirit and the puppies standing at the door ready to go inside for the night.
Isabelle heard the front door and called out to Lily. “Lily, please come into the parlor.”
Lily walked into the room and became concerned when she saw Stone sitting next to Isabelle. “What is it? Is something wrong?”
Isabelle looked at Stone and smiled. “Do you want to tell her, or shall I?”
“Go ahead,” Stone said.
“Stone and I will be married tomorrow.”
Lily felt herself tearing up at the wonderful news. She hurried to the settee and hugged Isabelle. “Oh, I’m so happy for you.”
“Stone already spoke to the pastor and he is coming tomorrow,” Isabelle said.
“How wonderful,” Lily said.
Isabelle reached for Lily’s hand, urging her to sit next to her. “You don’t think it is wrong . . . considering my condition?”
Lily shook her head. She knew Stone cared for Isabelle, and given time, she felt Isabelle would come to love Stone. She already trusted him and considered him a friend, and to Lily’s way of thinking, that was half the battle. “I think it’s perfect.”
“Where’s Jed?” Isabelle asked.
“I think he went to the stable to see to the animals,” Stone said.
They all turned when they heard Thorpe walk through the door with Blue and the dogs.
“Thorpe,” Isabelle said. “Do you have a minute?”
Thorpe, followed by all of the animals, came into the room to see everyone smiling. “What’s going on?” He glanced at Lily and his first thought was she looked a lot happier than she had just a few minutes ago.
“Stone and I are getting married,” Isabelle blurted out.
Thorpe walked over to Stone and shook his hand. “Congratulations. I guess that explains why you needed to see the pastor.” It didn’t come as a complete surprise to Thorpe; he had a hunch when he saw Stone talking to the pastor that he had something like this on his mind.
“I wasn’t sure she’d say yes, so I kept my plans to myself.”
“Well, we’d best check on that land right away since you’re starting a family. Lots of new folks are coming to town and I don’t want you losing out on it.” Thorpe preferred to have a friend rather than people he didn’t know sharing a boundary with his land. “And we need to get that home cleaned up to be ready for you when the time comes. It’s been vacant for a while and I’m sure it’s going to need some work. In the spring we can start to build a new home for you.”
“Thorpe, I don’t know how to thank you for everything,” Stone said.
“Believe me, we will be helping each other out a lot in the future.” Thorpe smiled at Isabelle. “Isabelle, you’re getting a good man here.”
Isabelle reached for Stone’s hand and squeezed it between hers. “I know. I’m a very lucky woman.”
“I’m the lucky one,” Stone replied.
Lily could see the love in Stone’s eyes and she realized his feelings for Isabelle were much deeper than anyone knew. She stood and said, “I’m going to go bake a wedding cake for tomorrow.”
“You’re getting married tomorrow?” Thorpe said.
“Yes. I didn’t want to give her time to change her mind if she said yes,” Stone said.
“Is that okay with you, Thorpe?” Isabelle asked.
“Of course. We need some excitement around here,” Thorpe replied. “Besides, I can’t wait to have some wedding cake.”
Lily couldn’t help but smile at his response. The man did love his sweets. She walked to the kitchen with Blue tagging along, followed by Spirit and the puppies. A few minutes later, Isabelle joined her in the kitchen.
“Lily, tell me the truth. Do you think I’m being fair to Stone by marrying him when I’m carrying Ethan’s baby?”
“I think if you didn’t marry Stone you would break his heart. Can’t you see how much the man loves you? If I had a man look at me the way he looks at you, well, I can’t imagine a better feeling.”
“I think I’m already falling in love with him. I thought I loved Ethan, but deep down I knew what I felt wasn’t love. What I feel for Stone is different. I respect him and I know he wants what’s best for me. He is a wonderful man.”
“Yes, he is. You make a perfect couple.”
“Like you and Thorpe,” Isabelle said.
Lily stared at her, unable to form a response.
“Thorpe looks at you like Stone looks at me,” Isabelle said. “He just does it when you aren’t looking.”
Lily shook her head. “Thorpe hasn’t forgotten the woman that left him at the altar. He may never open his heart again.”
Isabelle patted her hand. “You’re wrong. He already has forgotten her. Remember I told you when you saved his life that you would be bound together forever. I still think I’m right.”
* * *
In the middle of the night Lily was awakened by Blue when he climbed into bed beside her. She didn’t know what was wrong, but she knew he was trying to tell her something important. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you are trying to tell me.”
Blue licked her face and whined. He remained snuggled against her the rest of the night.
* * *
Thorpe left his bedroom earlier than normal the next morning hoping to be the first one in the kitchen. He wanted to get the coffee going before Lily came downstairs, and he intended to ask her about her comment last night. As soon as he walked down the stairs he heard voices in the kitchen. Jed and Stone were at the table drinking coffee and Lily and Isabelle were at the stove chatting. Even the puppies were already bouncing around the room. So much for his plan to spend a few minutes alone with Lily.
“Morning,” Stone said when Thorpe entered the kitchen.
“Everyone is up early,” Thorpe said, trying to hide his disappointment. He walked to the counter and grabbed a cup.
“I was too excited to sleep,” Isabelle said as she poured coffee into Thorpe’s cup.
Thorpe leaned over and petted Blue, who was standing beside Lily. “Morning, Lily.”
Lily didn’t look at him. “Good morning.”
He kneeled down and started playing with the puppies. “Stone, when will the preacher be here?”
“He said he would be here around one.”
“I’ll ride back in for lunch then,” Thorpe said. He had a busy day ahead of him, but he wouldn’t miss the wedding.
“Miss Lily, that cake you baked sure looks pretty,” Jed said.
Thorpe looked around and spotted the cake. “Is that what smells so good? I guess we c
an’t have that for breakfast.”
“I think you smell the cinnamon rolls in the oven. They are just about ready,” Lily replied.
Isabelle carried the bowl of eggs and a platter of bacon to the table as Lily pulled the rolls from the oven.
Thorpe pulled a chair out for Lily and sat next to her. He didn’t have an opportunity to say more than a few words to her as the conversation centered on the bride and groom and their big day.
* * *
The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Thorpe, Stone, and Jed rode out to the range together after breakfast. It was a cold crisp morning, and the horses were eager to run, but Thorpe took it slow so he could tell Jed about the building in town. “Jed, I talked to the banker about the blacksmith’s property when I was in town. He’s willing to work something out if you’re interested. No one has taken over the loan yet and I’m sure he will give you a reasonable deal.” He didn’t mention that he would cover for the loan if Jed ever ran into trouble. That would be an arrangement between him and the banker.
“Mr. Thorpe, how do I know I could make enough money to pay the loan? I don’t know any of the folks in town. They might not want to do business with me.”
“Every growing town needs an experienced blacksmith. I’m sure you could make enough money, and everyone will welcome you.”
“Think about how many customers you would have with the railroad bringing all those new folks to town,” Stone said.
“More folk don’t always make a town better. Some folk don’t like to do business with people they don’t know,” Jed added.
Thorpe glanced Stone’s way and he could tell Jed’s comment also caught him by surprise. Thorpe had a feeling Jed didn’t relish the thought of starting over in a new town full of strangers. After the situation with the wagon train, he understood his hesitation about strangers. But Jed was a decent man and a hard worker; people would come around once they saw those traits. Thorpe wasn’t going to push him if it made him uncomfortable. He’d give him time to think it over. Maybe there was another way to make it work. “It’s something to think about.”
“I may just travel with Miss Lily come spring. Now that Miss Isabelle is marrying, she’ll want to leave to find her grandfather,” Jed said.
There it was again. The thought of Lily leaving in the spring. After she found her grandfather, he wondered if she would go back to Fort Steele to be with Captain Anderson. Captain Anderson had been straightforward about his intentions. The man was so taken with Lily that Thorpe wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up on his doorstep in a few weeks. Thorpe thought about what it would be like come spring when everyone left the ranch. His home would be as before. Nice and quiet. Stone and Isabelle would have their own home. Lily and Jed would be gone, and of course, Lily would take Blue. If Blue left, then Spirit would leave with him, and the pups would be gone, too. His house would be empty. For a man who had long cherished the solitude of his home, suddenly it didn’t seem all that appealing. He’d grown accustomed to conversations with Stone and Jed over the weeks on the trail. Of course, he had Curtis and the other men on the ranch he considered friends, but a man couldn’t have too many friends. He enjoyed the sound of women’s voices in the house, not to mention how wonderful the house smelled with the freshly baked goods. He liked saying grace before his meals and minding his manners around the ladies. He didn’t even object to taking extra care with his appearance, knowing a beautiful woman would be seeing him every morning. Maybe he didn’t like shaving every morning, but it was worth it if Lily thought he looked handsome. And the plain fact was he liked looking at Lily, talking to Lily, kissing Lily. Heck, he liked everything about Lily. Well, almost everything. He didn’t like her kissing Captain Anderson.
He needed to keep his mind on business, he reminded himself again. “We won’t be working too far from that house I was telling you about. Why don’t we ride that way this morning? We can see what we are going to need to fix it up nice for Isabelle.”
“I’d like that,” Stone said.
“Mr. Stone, just think, this is your last morning as a single man,” Jed teased.
“That’s just fine by me, Jed. I’ve been rambling all over the country since I was a young man and its past time I settled down. Thank God Isabelle agreed to marry me. I think I have enough years in me to have a fine family and leave something good behind.”
“Yessir, you should thank God for your blessings,” Jed said. “We’ve all been blessed to get here safe and sound.”
Thorpe had to agree with Jed. He’d never given enough thanks for his blessings. What had seemed like a curse standing in a church of all places on that hot summer day less than a year ago, turned out to be the biggest blessing of his life. His mother and father used to tell him all things worked out for the best. Little did he know at the time how right they were.
* * *
“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be,” Thorpe said as they were walking through the small cabin on the north side of his ranch. “We’ll need to do a little work, but it won’t take long.”
“It’s a fine place to stay while we are building,” Stone agreed.
They walked back outside and Thorpe pointed to the boundary. “This is the best place to build and it’s the closest point to my ranch. It would be wise to stay in close proximity if there’s ever trouble.”
“I’d like that. Isabelle will be alone with the baby when I’m out working,” Stone said.
Thorpe could appreciate how he’d worry leaving a wife and young child all alone out here in the middle of nowhere. “We’ll make it a point once you are out here to have men working nearby as much as possible. There’s also a couple of cabins where my men live, not too far away. I’m sure the women will all become friends and can visit each other from time to time. Isabelle and Lily will meet them soon when they come to the house in a few days.”
* * *
The men arrived back at the ranch at the same time the pastor reined in at the front porch. The pastor greeted them and said to Stone, “Are you ready to get married?”
“Yes, I am. Just give us a few minutes to get cleaned up. I don’t want to scare away my bride.”
Once the men washed and changed their clothes, they joined the pastor and the ladies in the parlor. Stone walked over and grasped Isabelle’s hand. “Are you ready to take on this cowboy?”
She smiled and nodded at him. As much as she wanted to marry Stone, she was still nervous. “Could we talk for a minute?” she whispered.
“Only if you aren’t going to tell me you’ve changed your mind,” Stone said.
“No, I just need to speak with you about something that’s been on my mind all day.”
Stone led her to the hallway so they could speak privately. “What is it, honey?”
She didn’t immediately say what was on her mind, so Stone placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “It can’t be that bad. Tell me.”
“Considering my condition, you know we can’t really have a wedding night,” she said softly.
Stone hadn’t even thought that far ahead. But now that she’d said something, he couldn’t say he wasn’t disappointed. But he’d waited this long to get married, so he could certainly wait a little longer for a wedding night. “That’s okay, honey. It will give us that much more time to get to know each other better.” He wanted to ask exactly how long he’d have to wait, but he didn’t know if that would be a gentlemanly thing to ask.
Isabelle threw her arms around his neck. “You are so wonderful.” Tears filled her eyes and she tried to keep them from falling. “I’m so emotional right now. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Stone handed her his bandana to wipe her tears. “Don’t you worry about a thing, honey. We have all the time in the world to have a wedding night.” He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. “You sure look pretty today.”
“Even though I waddle like a duck and I’m as big as the side of a barn,” she replied.
&n
bsp; “I like ducks and you’re not as big as a barn.” He didn’t tell her he was concerned that she looked like she could give birth any moment. He took her hand in his and said, “Come on. Let’s get married.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Is it time for the cake?” Thorpe asked as soon as Stone kissed his bride.
“Are you hungry, Thorpe?” Stone teased.
“Yes, aren’t you? We missed lunch.”
“I agree with Mr. Thorpe. I want some of that cake,” Jed said.
“Isabelle and Stone have to eat the first piece,” Lily said. Earlier, she’d placed the cake on a table in the parlor along with plates, cups, and utensils. “I’ll go get the coffee.”
Thorpe watched Lily walk from the room with Blue right beside her. He thought she looked so pretty in her pink dress that he wouldn’t mind nibbling on her instead of cake.
She returned with the coffee just as Isabelle and Stone sliced into the cake. After they enjoyed the first bite, Isabelle started filling the plates. “Thank you so much for the cake, Lily. It’s wonderful.” Isabelle handed the first plate to the pastor. “We appreciate you coming out here to marry us.”
“It’s my pleasure and I wish you the very best for the future,” the pastor said.
Lily poured the coffee and was just about to hand a cup to Thorpe when she heard a knock on the front door. Thorpe was digging into his piece of cake and he didn’t hear the knock.
“Thorpe, I think someone is at the door,” Lily said.
The pastor was closest to the front door, so he said, “Eat your cake, Thorpe. I’ll get it.”
Before the pastor reached the door, it burst open and in strolled Evelyn Tremayne. She looked across the room and when her eyes landed on Thorpe, she ran to him.
Totally surprised that Evelyn was in the room, Thorpe spread his arms in question since his mouth was full of cake. Evelyn took that gesture as her invitation to wrap her arms around his neck. She stood on her toes and gave him a kiss on his lips. Thorpe backed up and swallowed his cake, nearly choking in his haste to speak. “Evelyn, what are you doing here?”
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