He wanted to explain that what had happened with Evelyn was a long time ago, and he’d made a mistake, but he wasn’t sure she was ready to listen. “Lily . . .”
“Dinner.” Isabelle walked into the room with a tray full of food. Neither one acknowledged her, so she glanced from Lily to Thorpe. They were standing a few feet from each other like they were preparing for a shootout. She’d definitely interrupted something. “I can come back.”
“No, stay. Thorpe was just leaving,” Lily said.
Thorpe scowled at her. Did she think so little of him that she would assume he would kiss her and tell her he wanted her if he had a fiancée? He shook his head in frustration, turned, and stalked out of the room.
Isabelle had never seen Thorpe look so upset. “Lily, what happened? Did you see the look on his face? What did you say to him?”
“I just repeated what his fiancée said to us today.” Lily started pacing. Guilt was flowing over her like a wave. She rarely spoke harshly to anyone, but she was angry. Or perhaps it was frustration and hurt. She thought Thorpe was being dishonest about Evelyn and the plain fact was it hurt to know he loved another woman. And then there was Blue. She was frustrated because she didn’t know what to do to find him. She’d never felt so helpless since the day she found her parents dead after the raid on their farm. No matter what she was feeling, it was wrong of her to try to hurt Thorpe with her words. There was no justification for her actions.
Isabelle placed the tray on the table and reached for Lily’s arm to pull her to a halt. “Oh, Lily, Evelyn lied. I told Thorpe downstairs what she said and he told me if she came back to have one of the men throw her out. She’s not his fiancée.”
Lily stared at her. “Why would she lie about that?”
Isabelle shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe she wants to marry him and felt threatened by you. But she is lying.”
“But I know they were intimate,” Lily said.
“And I was with Ethan, yet you didn’t judge me. Remember how upset you were with the people on the wagon train for judging us? Whatever happened between Thorpe and Evelyn was before he met you.”
Lily was so ashamed, she started tearing up. She had never been one to pass judgment on anyone. “I was so mean to him and I said such terrible things. I don’t know why I was so angry.”
“You love him, and you believed Evelyn.” Isabelle gave her a gentle shove toward the door. “Go apologize to him.”
“He probably hates me for not believing him,” Lily replied.
“After everything that man has done for us, for you, he deserves an apology. Lily, can’t you see he’s in love with you? He tore out of here so fast the morning Blue left and you were out there alone searching for him. Stone and Jed were going to go after you, but he wouldn’t let them. And would a man go out before dawn the next morning searching for Blue if he wasn’t a good man? Lily, open your eyes! I know he says he’s not ready to settle down. Maybe that’s due to his bad experience with Evelyn. It doesn’t matter. Whatever it was, it has been resolved. That man is in love and I know you love him. Isn’t it time you told him?”
Tears were falling down Lily’s cheeks. “You really think he loves me?”
Isabelle threw her hands in the air. “Go! And don’t you dare come back until you’ve apologized at the very least. If you’re as smart as I think you are, you’ll tell him you love him.”
* * *
Lily looked for Thorpe downstairs, but he was nowhere to be found. Stone told her he went to the stable. Grabbing her coat off the hook, Lily headed to the stable. Finding it empty, she walked to Smoke’s stall. He was gone and that meant Thorpe was gone. Instead of going back to the house, she brushed down Blaze and Daisy while she waited for him to return. She spent over an hour in the stable and it was getting late, so she walked back to the house. Once in her bedroom, she left the door ajar so she would hear Thorpe when he came back. Instead of going to bed, she decided she would work on her Christmas presents while she waited.
The hours passed and Thorpe didn’t return. Lily set aside the shirt she’d been working on and walked to the window. She wondered where Thorpe was and why he hadn’t returned. Had he been so upset with her that he’d gone back to Evelyn’s waiting arms? Exhausted, she closed her bedroom door and crawled into bed.
* * *
Thorpe built a fire and once it was roaring, he threw his bedroll nearby. He hadn’t planned to spend the night on the range; he just wanted to be alone to think. He tossed his saddle down and leaned back on it while he sipped whiskey from the bottle he’d brought with him. Lily was maddening. How could she hold what he’d done before he met her against him? She was angry with him, but she was the one receiving telegrams from another man. Anderson was obviously in love with her and he was planning on finding her in the spring. No doubt, Anderson figured he’d court her and talk her into marrying him.
He’d resolved his problem with Evelyn, and he’d planned on declaring his feelings tonight, but that plan went awry. Now, come spring, Lily would be gone and free to do what she wanted. If she left, maybe he would stop obsessing over her. She could go on and marry Anderson. He shouldn’t care. No way will I let that happen.
He’d drank half the bottle before he headed back home. He didn’t want to wake everyone in the house, so he tossed his bedroll into one of the empty stalls. After all of his thinking, he’d arrived at one conclusion: He needed to stay away from women and whiskey.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The next morning, Thorpe walked in the kitchen before dawn and Lily was already preparing breakfast. “Morning.” He hadn’t had much sleep and his whole body was stiff from sleeping in the stall. Not only that, but he was hungry and grouchy.
Turning from the stove, Lily looked at him. “I waited up for you.”
Was she asking him where he’d been? He wasn’t in the mood to argue. “Yeah?”
“Why didn’t you come home?”
“I reckon I didn’t want to,” he said, not willing to give an inch at the moment. He grabbed the coffeepot from the stove. “Why did you wait up for me?”
Was he with Evelyn? She felt her indignation rising again, but she took a deep breath. She’d been wrong and she needed to admit that fact. “I wanted to apologize for what I said last night.”
“I guess Isabelle told you what I said about throwing Evelyn off the ranch.”
“Yes, she did.”
Thorpe arched a brow at her. “But you didn’t believe me.”
Lily threw her hands in the air. “It wasn’t that I didn’t believe you, it’s just that . . .”
“What?”
She tried to summon the courage to tell him she loved him.
Jed walked in the back door. “Good morning,” he said.
“Jed,” Thorpe said. He poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Jed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lily turn back to the stove. He shouldn’t have been so hardheaded since she did apologize.
Stone and Isabelle joined them in the kitchen, and while they ate breakfast, Thorpe told them the ladies from the ranch would be coming by later to help decorate the house and help with the cooking for Christmas Day.
“Only four more days until my baby arrives,” Isabelle said.
Stone smiled at her. “You are still convinced this baby will arrive on Christmas Day.”
“Yes, I am.”
“That means you will be cutting a tree today?” Lily asked Thorpe.
“Yes.” He wondered if she would like to ride with him, but he didn’t want to ask in front of everyone.
Breakfast ended and Stone and Jed walked out the back door, and Isabelle thought she would leave Thorpe and Lily alone. “I’ll be back in a minute to help clean up, Lily.”
When Isabelle left the room, Lily saw Thorpe pulling on his coat to leave.
“Do you think I could go with you to find a tree?”
Thorpe smiled at her. “I was going to ask you if you would like to go.”
He
r eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Yes. The women will be here in the afternoon, so we’ll leave after lunch.”
Before he left, she wanted to try to apologize again. “Thorpe, I am really sorry. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe you.”
Thorpe didn’t let her finish; he needed to apologize, too. “I’m afraid I’m the one who needs to apologize.” He reached for his Stetson. “I’ll see you at lunch.”
Lily felt better after he left even though she’d lost her nerve to tell him how she felt. When Isabelle returned to the kitchen, Lily told her about her plans with Thorpe.
“Oh, Lily, that will be so much fun. I hope next year I’m not in the family way at Christmas so Stone and I can do that together.”
“Last year I spent Christmas alone,” Lily said. She had never been so miserable in her life. “But then, the next day I found Blue.” Just as Thorpe said, sometimes things turned out for the best even when they seemed the bleakest.
The remainder of the morning the women worked diligently on their Christmas gifts. Lily showed Isabelle the shirt she’d been making for Thorpe last night while she waited for him.
“It’s such a beautiful blue. He will look so handsome in that,” Isabelle told her. “It’s much prettier than the black one I’m making for Stone. I made the brown one for Jed.”
Lily wanted to make Isabelle a dress, but there wasn’t enough time. Instead, she decided it was best to give her the pretty pink fabric as a gift and then she could make a dress after she had the baby.
“I wonder what Stone and Jed have been working on in the stable every night?” Isabelle asked.
Lily was aware of the surprise they had planned for Isabelle, but she wasn’t about to tell her. “Just don’t you go snooping around.”
Isabelle smiled. “I won’t. I love surprises.”
It was nearing time for lunch, so Lily ran upstairs to change into suitable clothing for Christmas tree hunting. She hurried downstairs and had just finished placing lunch on the table for the men when they walked through the door.
After lunch, Thorpe said, “Are you ready?” All morning he could hardly think of anything other than taking Lily with him to find a tree. It was something he’d always done by himself and he really looked forward to having her along.
She nodded. “I have my scarf, gloves, and hat.”
“Perfect. Let’s go.” He looked at everyone still seated at the table. “We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
“Bring back a real full one,” Isabelle told them. As soon as they were out the door, Isabelle turned to her husband. “Still don’t think Thorpe will ask Lily to marry him?”
Stone chuckled. “Honey, I already know not to underestimate your powers of observation.”
“You two will be happily married forever. You already know it’s best to agree with the wife,” Jed told them.
* * *
In years past Thorpe probably wouldn’t have taken as much time searching for a tree as he was doing right now. But he didn’t mind; it was a joy having Lily along. She would stop and dismount and walk around each tree he pointed out to make sure there were no bare spots. They’d been looking for over an hour and he was beginning to think they might not ever find the perfect one. Lily’s cheeks were pink and he told her he’d have to select the tree if her nose started to fall off from frostbite. They didn’t discuss the harsh words between them the night before; they talked about fond Christmas memories with their families.
He’d taken her to what he thought were the best places to look for a tree, but so far no luck. They were riding toward another clump of trees when suddenly she pulled Blaze to a halt. Out in the open, apart from all of the other trees, was a perfectly shaped pine about seven feet tall. Thorpe thought he knew his land pretty well, but he’d never seen this tree before.
Lily rode around the tree. “This is the one,” she said, giving him a big smile.
“Are you sure?”
“Don’t you like it?” She glanced at the tree again. She loved the tree and she envisioned it in his home in front of the window in the parlor.
“Yeah, I do. I was just making sure.” He dismounted and pulled his ax from the saddle. He pulled off his coat and handed it to Lily and started chopping away at the trunk.
Lily watched as he swung the ax over and over. He was so strong that he felled the tree within minutes. Once they secured the tree with a rope to his saddle, he reached for his coat.
“It will be beautiful once it’s decorated.”
“Are you freezing?” He wanted her to say yes so he could wrap her in his coat much like he did when they were searching for Blue.
“Not too cold. Why?”
“I saw something not far from here just this morning that I thought you might like to see if you aren’t too cold.”
“I’m fine.” She wasn’t about to admit to being cold. She was enjoying their time together.
“Good.” They rode for several minutes until Thorpe whispered, “Let’s dismount.”
He took her hand and led her to a group of cottonwood trees. He pointed to the largest tree just a few feet in front of them. “Look on that third limb from the top.”
Lily looked at the limb and saw the most beautiful snowy white owl. “Oh, he’s lovely.”
“I’ve never seen a larger one,” Thorpe whispered as if he was afraid his deep voice would scare the owl away.
Lily pointed to the ground beneath the limb. “There’s one of his feathers.”
“Didn’t you tell me feathers were gifts from the sky, and they come with a purpose?” Thorpe remembered what she’d told him that night she showed him her grandfather’s carvings.
“Yes, that’s what the Indians believe.” She walked beneath the tree and picked up the feather. When she walked back to Thorpe, she reached up and removed his Stetson and stuck the feather in the band.
“What is the purpose of that one?”
“I don’t know.” She thought of Blue. She hadn’t heard howling the last few nights. Hopefully, the feather was sent to tell her she would see him again. “Grandfather always told me when we show respect to all living things, they will respect us.”
They watched the owl for a few minutes, as his golden eyes watched their every move.
When they mounted their horses, Lily said, “Did you know some Indians believe that owls bring messages from beyond the grave, or they may appear to give you a warning?”
“I’d heard they were the symbol of death,” Thorpe said.
“I wonder how anyone could think something so lovely would be a symbol of death.”
“I can’t figure that one out,” Thorpe answered.
“Thank you for bringing me along. I’ve had a wonderful time,” Lily said.
“Me, too. I appreciate the help. I couldn’t have picked a prettier tree.”
* * *
They reached the stable and found Stone and Jed building a stand for the tree. Thorpe saw the buckboard in front of the house.
“I see the ladies are here,” he said.
“Yeah, they got here a few minutes ago,” Stone said.
“I’ll brush down Blaze and go meet everyone,” Lily said.
Thorpe took hold of Blaze’s reins. “You go ahead, I’ll brush Blaze.”
“Thank you.” Lily was anxious to meet the women on his ranch and thrilled that Isabelle would have friends once she was gone.
The women were popping corn and pulling out decorations from the box Thorpe had brought in from the stable earlier that morning, when Thorpe came in with the tree. When he placed it in front of the window, the children clapped excitedly. The ladies commented that it was the most beautiful tree Thorpe had ever brought home.
Thorpe grinned at Lily. “You should thank Lily. She picked it out.”
The women all looked from Thorpe to Lily and definitely saw sparks flying between the pair. Thorpe was no sooner out the door, when the women started asking Lily questions about her marital status.
; * * *
Lily and Isabelle enjoyed the afternoon with the women and their children, but they were late preparing dinner. The men walked in right after the women left for their homes, and Lily said, “We’ll have it ready soon.”
“No hurry. We knew we would eat later than normal tonight,” Thorpe said.
Lily appreciated the fact that Thorpe was so easygoing; little things didn’t seem to bother him.
Isabelle must have been thinking along the same lines, because she said, “My pa would throw a fit if my mother was a minute late with dinner.”
Stone hadn’t heard Isabelle say much about her pa. “Seems like he missed an opportunity to watch his wife move around the kitchen. I can’t imagine getting mad over something that is a real pleasure.”
Isabelle blushed at her husband’s words, but Lily smiled at him.
Thorpe didn’t say anything, but he agreed with Stone. He enjoyed watching Lily in the kitchen, and it wouldn’t bother him if his dinner was late every night. If he were married to her he might give her other reasons to have a late dinner. Married? A few weeks ago that thought would have scared him to death. But now the thought of seeing her in his home every day seemed very appealing. If he was married to her, she would be in his bed every night. Now that thought was more than appealing; it made his heart race.
* * *
After dinner, Lily left the table to slice the pie she’d baked while everyone continued to talk about the menu for their Christmas dinner. She thought she heard a noise at the front door and she glanced at the table but no one else seemed to hear anything. At first she was hesitant to see who was at the door out of fear that it might be Evelyn again. If it was, the perfect day would be ruined. But maybe it’s Blue. She hurried to the door, but when she pulled it open no one was there. She closed the door and turned to go back to the kitchen, and someone grabbed her from behind. One arm circled her waist and a gun was pressed against her back.
“Shhh, unless you want me to plug you right here.”
Christmas at Dove Creek Page 30