The Timeless Love Romance Collection

by Dianne Christner

  From behind the coffee urn, Lillian watched as the men started toward Dinah’s last table. Seated next to them would be a family with two excited young boys. The manager glanced in that direction, then ushered his group to one of Lillian’s tables in a quieter area. Lillian breathed a silent thanks.

  For the first time, she took a moment to look over the three men accompanying the manager. She recognized Mr. Kemper, the banker from Phoenix, who visited the canyon on a regular basis. Rumor said he enjoyed time away from a very formidable wife. The rotund man mopped perspiration from his florid face. When Mr. Kemper came in on the train, the manager tended to be later than usual because the banker wasn’t used to the altitude or physical exertion.

  Across the table, facing her, sat a middle-aged man whose sharp, handsome features seemed familiar. Lillian wondered if she had seen him here before with someone else. He came from money. She could tell by the expensive cut of his clothes and the way he carried himself.

  The fourth man had his back to Lillian. She didn’t recognize him from the waves of brown hair or the broad shoulders. Something about him made her wonder if he was as comfortable in this setting as the other men. Her hands shook as she prepared the coffee and water she would take to their table.

  The men were discussing the menu as she approached their table. They all drew back their menus to allow her to fill their coffee cups. Mr. Niles smiled at her as she served him last. He had specified that the guests were always to be taken care of first.

  “Good afternoon, Lillian.” The manager rested the tip of his finger on his menu. “I believe we’re all ready to order. Is that right, gentlemen?” The other three nodded.

  Lillian took out her order pad and looked up to meet the eyes of the fourth man. His deep blue gaze caught and held her, stealing the breath from her lungs. One wave of his brown hair swooped down on his forehead. The lights shone on the thick mass, bringing out hints of gold. His square jaw framed an arresting face, one she could look at forever. Lillian caught her breath and forced her thoughts back to her work.

  Mr. Kemper was just finishing his order, and she hadn’t heard a word he said. Flustered, she didn’t want to admit her lack of attention, especially not in front of the manager. She opened her mouth, trying to figure out how to get him to repeat his preference when the sharp-faced man said, “That sounds very good. I’ll have the same as Mr. Kemper.”

  She could feel heat creeping into her cheeks. At least she would have some color and not look as pale as death. From across the table, the man who had caught her eye spoke. “I believe I’ll have almost the same as Mr. Kemper and Mr. McClean, the ham steak and mashed potatoes. Instead of the Brussels sprouts, I would prefer the string beans.”

  Complete relief flooded through Lillian. She glanced again at the blue-eyed stranger and couldn’t help noticing the way his mouth quirked up. He was aware of her dilemma. He’d ordered that way to help her out so she wouldn’t be embarrassed. She knew just from the expression in his eyes and on his face. Gratitude washed through her. Handsome, rich, kind, and thoughtful. Here was the perfect man.

  Mr. Niles chimed in with his order, encouraging the other men to include dessert. They all added either éclairs or pie to their selection. Lillian jotted down everything and hurried off to give the order to the chef. She knew her feet weren’t touching the ground. Today she’d met him, the man who would rescue her from all her problems. She had to bite her lip to keep from doing something stupid like breaking into song. All along, she’d told herself this would happen, but now that her dream was coming true, she wanted to pinch herself to know she was awake.

  The next half hour Lillian almost ran from one table to the next, refilling coffee cups, delivering food, making sure everyone was satisfied with their meal. She wanted to give extra attention to the manager’s table—to a certain man whose blue gaze followed her around the room—but she didn’t have time to do more than she did for the rest of the customers. Besides, most of the time the men were in serious conversation when she stopped by their table.

  She was thanking two young couples who had come to the canyon together for some sightseeing when she noticed the manager was signaling her to come. Many of the customers were heading out the door, eager to walk along the rim of the canyon or to purchase some of the Indian souvenirs and other gifts available.

  “Lillian, I believe we’re ready for our dessert now.” Mr. Niles smiled at her as she gathered the empty plates. “I believe I would like my pie with a scoop of ice cream on top, please.”

  “Yes, sir.” Lillian forced herself not to look at her future husband. She would not begin to count his money or plan the wedding. She had to finish with the lunch crowd. When she got off work later, she could inquire about his name, position, and holdings. Then she would have time to dream.

  Mr. Kemper’s eyes lit up as she set éclairs in front of him and Mr. McClean. Rounding the table, she bent to put a slice of raisin pie in front of Mr. Perfect when Mr. McClean spoke.

  “Mr. Knight, I know you’re the head mule skinner here at the canyon, but I still prefer the idea of hiking down to the point. Perhaps we can arrange for some of my people to be taken down on mules and those who want to walk can do so.”

  Time stopped. Sound faded. Lillian stared at the man who had been Mr. Perfect until a few seconds ago. A mule skinner? He worked with mules? How could this be? She hadn’t seen him around. There must be a mistake.

  “Lillian.” Mr. Niles snapped her back to reality. Lillian jumped. The plate of raisin pie clattered to the table in front of Mr. Imperfect. The slice of pie with mint ice cream leaped from the saucer in her hand. The pie rolled through the air, flinging bits of apple across his lap and the floor. She stared in horror as the ice cream hit Mr. Knight in the mouth, plopped onto his chest, and slid down to rest next to the ruined pie.

  Chapter 2

  Franklin stared at the mess in his lap. Back home, he had been in a couple of food fights with his brothers—outdoors, of course. He’d even made his sister Nellie so mad she’d flipped a spoon of peas across the table at him, which almost sent their cultured mother into a faint. Of course, he’d known Nellie would use any excuse to get rid of her peas. Never had he been hit with ice cream. He couldn’t resist licking the sweetness from his lips as the mound puddled on the hem of his jacket.

  Looking up at Lillian’s horrified gaze, he thought if she turned a darker shade of red, she would be as purple as a plum. He winked. “I didn’t order ice cream, but it is good.” The other men at the table chuckled, except for Niles, who appeared to be struggling to contain his anger in front of guests. Lillian glanced at her boss. Under the scarlet of embarrassment, her face whitened. She jerked a rag from her pocket.

  “Here, let me clean this up.” She still clutched the empty pie plate. Leaning over, she started to scrape the dessert onto the saucer. Uncertainty seemed to halt her as she realized the delicacy of where the sweets were resting. Lillian plunked the plate back on the table. She lifted the cloth and began to smear the streak of ice cream that had left a trail down his jacket. “If you’ll get your clothes to me, I’ll see that they are cleaned and returned to you.”

  Franklin could see the sheen of tears on her long lashes. A strand of fine blond hair came loose, curving down past her cheek, outlining the delicacy of her oval face. He almost had to sit on his hands to keep from smoothing that lock of hair back and assuring her that all would be right. One glance at Niles told him that might not be true anyway. Although firm, Niles had always been kind to the people who worked under him. Franklin couldn’t imagine why he was coming down so hard on this beauty.

  “I can have these taken care of at the laundry. Don’t worry. Accidents happen.” Franklin used the same tone he would use to comfort a frightened horse or mule. His lips twitched as he thought of what Lillian would think of the comparison.

  “Lillian seems to have more than her share of accidents.” The manager’s sharp tone had the upset girl straightening so fast h
er cloth whipped against Franklin’s jaw.

  “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t intend for that to happen.” Lillian clutched the rag until her knuckles turned white.

  “Lillian, I know what’s going on. I know you wanted us in your section.” Niles glowered at her. “We’ll talk later in my office. I’ll speak with Miss Gibson, too.”

  The girl looked as if she wished the floor would open up and swallow her. Franklin picked up the saucer she’d set on the table and tugged the cloth from her hand. With a few deft movements he scraped the pieces of pie and melting lump of ice cream onto the plate. He swiped at the remainder of the crumbs.

  “Good as new.” He flashed a smile as he handed her the dessert. She blinked rapidly as she took them from him.

  “Excuse me. I’ll bring you another piece, sir.” Lillian rushed away before anything more could be said.

  Franklin wanted to turn in his seat to watch after her. He wanted to go find her and comfort her. He sighed. She had felt the same attraction he had. When their eyes met, he knew she acknowledged the connection. Still, he didn’t understand what had happened to upset her so much.

  “I don’t think the girl meant for that to happen.” Andrew McClean frowned at the manager. “Don’t you think you were a little hard on her?”

  Niles waited to reply until Lillian returned to set a new dessert in front of him. She didn’t lift her puffy, red-rimmed eyes to look at any of them. He watched her retreat back toward the kitchen. “Lillian has kept no secret about what she’s looking for while she’s working here. The girl is looking for a husband.”

  Mr. Kemper laughed. “Isn’t that what most young girls are looking for when they come out west?”

  “Most of them aren’t as vocal about wanting a man with money. I don’t think Miss Robinson cares about age or looks, only about money.”

  “I’ve known plenty of young women like that.” Mr. Kemper took a last bite of his éclair, wiping a smear of cream filling from his lower lip. “In fact, I believe a girl should concern herself with her future husband’s ability to provide for her and her children.”

  The manager pursed his lips. “I suppose you’re right, but I don’t think she should be telling everyone in sight that all she cares about is a wealthy man.” He slid a bite into his mouth.

  All the attraction Franklin had been feeling for Lillian faded into hurt. How had he even considered wanting to know her? He didn’t agree with the banker at all. There were more important things for a woman to look at when she wanted to marry. Money mattered very little compared to having a good Christian husband who would provide spiritual support. He believed that with Jesus as the cornerstone of a marriage, everything else would fall into place. He’d seen enough of the dissatisfaction money could bring. The wealthy never had enough. Look at his family.

  “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me.” Franklin set his fork on his empty saucer. He almost never ate in the dining room, but he did love their raisin pie. “Mr. McClean, let me know when you want to schedule the trip down the canyon. The hikers won’t be able to travel at the same pace as the mule riders, but we should be able to work something out.”

  “Will you be the one leading the mule trip?” Mr. McClean folded his napkin and placed it on the tablecloth.

  “I usually have two of my men take groups down, but if you request me, then I’ll accompany your group.”

  “That would be good. I want to assure the people I’m bringing that the best will be in charge.” Mr. McClean’s dark eyes bored into Franklin almost as if he were trying to say something else.

  “Thank you for your confidence.” Franklin pushed in his chair. “My men are every bit as good as I am, or I wouldn’t let them lead a trip down. Customer safety is our first concern.”

  On his way out the head waitress intercepted Franklin and insisted on taking his jacket for cleaning. She apologized several times for Lillian’s clumsiness, telling him the girl would be reprimanded. No matter how Franklin insisted it was only an accident, everyone else seemed equally determined to accuse Lillian of being deliberate.

  The hot sun beat down. Franklin couldn’t wait to get back, wash off the sticky mess, and start working. He wanted to finish up in time to take Moses, his mule, out for a ride in the quiet of the forest late this afternoon.

  “Lillian, I don’t know when I’ve been so mortified as I was at lunch today.” The manager’s lips were so taut with anger they were only thin lines in his hardened face. His eyes almost spit fire across the desk to where Lillian sat at attention in a straight-back chair. Next to her, Miss Gibson sat with her hands clenched together in her lap.

  Opening her mouth to apologize, Lillian changed her mind. If the first ten apologies hadn’t helped, why should she keep repeating a phrase that wasn’t even heard? There was no way to go back and right the wrong. Her father would say this man was beating a dead horse. Not only that, but the animal was beginning to stink. She’d been in here for a half hour already. All she’d heard was how mortified he’d been when she spilled the dessert.

  “We have standards to uphold here, Lillian.” The manager’s eyes narrowed as if he were thinking she had no standards. “Harvey Girls have a certain name. There are expectations that come with being one of the girls.”

  “Yes, sir, I know.” Lillian struggled to keep her tone even. She couldn’t lose this job. Yes, she’d made a mess of things today, but her comfort was that she’d made an impression on Mr. McClean. He might not be her first choice of men at that table, but after she found out Mr. Knight was a mule skinner, Mr. McClean had become the only choice.

  Mr. Niles sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers beneath his chin. Lillian waited, hoping the tirade was over but suspecting this was only the lull in the storm.

  “What do you think we should do with you, Lillian?” Mr. Niles leaned forward again, his clasped hands resting on the desk, fingers pointed at Lillian. “I’m sure you understand there has to be some disciplinary action.”

  “Yes, sir.” Lillian swallowed hard against the lump at the back of her throat. She couldn’t think of anything that would help her or change her. She’d always been flighty according to her parents. Clumsy or Easy to Startle should be her middle name. What kind of punishment would change her nature?

  “I don’t know what to suggest for punishment, sir.” The words caught in her throat.

  “Miss Gibson, do you have a suggestion? After all, Lillian’s behavior is your responsibility.”

  Lillian hadn’t thought it possible for Miss Gibson’s spine to get any straighter, yet it did. “This Friday some of the young ladies are going to Williams on the train for an evening out. I would ask that Lillian not be allowed to go.”

  “But …” Lillian gritted her teeth together as the head waitress shot her a glance. The woman knew how much all the girls looked forward to these times away from the isolation of the canyon. As much as she loved it here, Lillian wanted the chance to get out, to get a few personal items that weren’t available here.

  Constance seemed to know Lillian’s thoughts. “If you have something you need from town, I’m sure one of the other girls would be willing to pick it up for you. I believe Dinah is going to pick up some paints she ordered. She would be happy to shop for you.” Her eyes showed no sympathy as she watched Lillian’s reaction. “I know this is a hardship, but the alternative is to let you go. We can’t have you ruining the reputation of the Harvey Girls.”

  Lillian caught herself as her mouth started to drop open. She clenched her teeth together so hard her jaws ached. Ruin their reputation? Because she’d had an accident? Despite the ridiculousness of the accusation, Lillian kept her head high.

  “Do you have any more to add, Lillian?” Mr. Niles drummed his fingertips on the desktop. She wanted to slap her hand down on top of his to stop the noise.

  “No, sir.” The words came out stilted, but Lillian didn’t care anymore.

  “Bear in mind this isn’t your first infraction. Every time has appe
ared to be accidental. I’m beginning to wonder.” He paused as if to give her time to defend herself. Lillian kept her mouth closed. “If this happens again, we may have to do more than take disciplinary action. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir.” Lillian stared at a point over his shoulder, breathing deeply to keep her calm.

  “In that case, you may go.”

  “Lillian.” Miss Gibson spoke as Lillian got to her feet. “You won’t be needed at this evening’s meal. We have a smaller party, and some of the more responsible girls will be serving.”

  Lillian grasped her skirt with fingers that itched to throw something.

  “I’d like for you to spend this time contemplating ways to keep these accidents from happening.” Miss Gibson’s tone could have frozen fire.

  “Yes, ma’am. I will.” Lillian didn’t begin to relax until she was out of the El Tovar. She didn’t pay attention to where her feet were taking her. Since it was near the dinner hour, most of the guests were gathering in the main room of the El Tovar, waiting to get in the dining room, so the grounds were almost empty.

  Tears burned in Lillian’s eyes, spilling down her cheeks. She hated to cry, yet she couldn’t stop. She stumbled into the pine forest. Shadows lengthened beneath the tall ponderosas. Plucking her handkerchief from her pocket, Lillian blew her nose, ignoring the moisture blurring her vision.

  Following the path around a tall tree, Lillian didn’t see the protruding root. Her toe caught on the edge. She fell forward, flailing her arms. Instead of meeting the dirt, her face smacked against a broad chest. She closed her eyes, wanting to sink into the ground as strong arms wrapped around her.

  Chapter 3

  Here, now, nothing can be that bad.” A hand brushed moisture from Lillian’s cheek. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, keeping her eyes closed. Lillian couldn’t bear to see who was witnessing her utter humiliation. For the moment she was breathing in the faint scent of sweat and mules. He brought back memories of her father and the way he smelled after a day plowing fields, when he would throw her up in the air and catch her to him. The unexpected rush of longing for her family brought a fresh round of tears.