Fire Lily (A Dangerous Hearts Romance)

by Deborah Camp

  “Orrie?” Balthazar shouldered past him, waving his arms above his head to be noticed. “Whoa, woman! What, pray tell, brings you out here at the crack of dawn?”

  Orrie yanked on the reins until it looked as if she were lying flat on her back. The horses whinnied and tried to rear. Griffon and Balthazar sprang forward, seized the halters, and settled the horses on all fours. The beasts snorted, blowing out hot air. Sweat hung like lace on their dark hides.

  “Thank the Lord, I’ve found you!” Orrie released the reins and clasped her hands in gratitude.

  Balthazar gripped her waist and helped her climb from the buggy. She clung to him as if her knees wouldn’t support her.

  “What’s wrong, Orrie, love?”

  Griffon had never heard Balthazar use that particular tone of voice. So soft and loving, he thought. Griffon had known Balthazar to sweet talk women, but never like this. Never with such respect and depth of feeling.

  “It’s Lily,” Orrie said, sobbing.

  Panic seized Griffon’s heart, and he suddenly knew why it had felt weighted. “What about Lily?” He heard the crackle in his voice, but didn’t care. “Speak up, woman!”

  “Sh-she’s gone!” Orrie’s eyes were so puffy they were nearly swollen shut. “I can’t f-find her, and th-that stupid sheriff is n-no help a’tall. They’re lookin’ all over t-town, but she’s not there. Sh-she’d tell me if she was goin’ somewhere.”

  “How long has she been missing?” Griffon asked.

  “I’m not sure. I was n-napping yesterday and when I woke up, she was nowhere to be—”

  “Yesterday?” Griffon repeated, slapping the heel of his hand against his forehead and reeling in a half circle. “She’s been gone since yesterday?”

  “Right after y’all left, I guess.” Orrie sobbed again, her bosom hitching up and down. “Like I said, I woke up and she wasn’t there. The hotel clerk said he saw her go outside, but didn’t see her come back in.” She stuffed one hand into her skirt pocket. “I found this in the alley beside the hotel.”

  Griffon stared at the pearl pendant, still on the gold chain, its clasp broken. “Lily was wearing this the last time I saw her.”

  Orrie nodded. “It’s hers. Looks like it was yanked off her neck.”

  Griffon took the necklace from Orrie’s trembling fingers. He rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger and closed his eyes.

  “Anything?” Balthazar asked.

  “What’s he doing?” Orrie demanded.

  “He’s trying to get a sense of Lily off the necklace. Maybe it can tell him what happened.”

  Griffon shook his head and opened his eyes. “Nothing. Tactile sensations are Lily’s domain, not mine.”

  “I came as soon as I figured out the sheriff wasn’t going to do nothing. He’s been pokin’ into every building in town. Last night I packed up, got this buggy, and headed out. It got dark and I got kind of lost, so I had to stop a while and wait for the dawn before I went on. But I found you.” At that, she collapsed in Balthazar’s arms. “What are we going to do? Where’s my Lily, Zar? If she’s hurt or … or …” She buried her face in Balthazar’s shirtfront.

  “There, there, dear lady,” Balthazar said, using that rare tone of voice as he stroked Orrie’s bonnet off her head and kissed her mussed hair. “You’ve had yourself a time, haven’t you? Poor darling woman. Go ahead and cry.” He looked over her head at Griffon. “What shall we do now?”

  “Give me a moment to digest all of this.” Griffon turned his back on them and stepped off six paces. Still holding Lily’s necklace, he brought it to his lips for cold comfort. He battled the panic that tried to dupe him and forced clarity to his thoughts. Gone. She was gone. He shut his eyes and burrowed into himself to find the hidden truths. His senses awakened and reached out, but he felt no answering tug from Lily. “Where are you?” he whispered. “Call to me, Lily. For the love of God, call to me.”

  He waited in vain, feeling nothing, hating the emptiness surrounding his heart. The silence squatted in his mind like an inert monster. Gradually, the monster shifted, letting in weak signals. But not of Lily. Griffon couldn’t feel Lily, but he felt someone. Cecille? his mind asked, but the feeling took on a male form. A man … a boy, perhaps. Someone thought about him, but who?

  “Zar, take Orrie back to town.”

  “What will you do?” Balthazar asked behind him.

  “Go on ahead as planned.”

  “Not alone!”

  “Yes, for now. You can catch up. Bring the sheriff.”

  “Griffon, no. I won’t leave you in this enemy’s land alone.”

  “I don’t want Orrie here, and I need the sheriff. Do this for me, Zar.” He turned to face the other man. “Orrie will be better off at the hotel, safe and sound. By the time you get back here, the sheriff can make some arrests.”

  “You don’t know this,” Balthazar said, squinting shrewdly at him. “You’re guessing. You can’t fool me, Griffon. I’ve known you too long.”

  “I have every faith in finding Lily and Cecille. I believe we’ll find them together.”

  “Faith? I won’t leave you because of misplaced faith.” Balthazar glanced at Orrie’s tear-stained face. “This good woman can make her way back to town. You need me here.”

  Griffon sent his resolve through his eyes, and Balthazar received the message. He blanched, swallowed hard, then nodded.

  “I see your mind is set,” he said. “Very well. I’ll escort Orrie to Van Buren and hurry back here.”

  “Bring the sheriff.”

  “I will. Don’t you worry.” He prodded Orrie toward the buggy. “Come, Orrie. Let’s not waste another minute.”

  “You’ll find her?” Orrie asked Griffon. “Do you feel that she’s all right? Is she hurting? Is that what’s wrong? Is that why you’re getting rid of me so fast? Are you afraid I’ll find out sh-she’s d-dead?”

  “She’s not dead,” Griffon said, almost snapping at Orrie. “I’ll find her. Just … just go on.” He made an impatient gesture, frustrated in his own inability to make any connection with Lily. “On your return, Zar, go directly to the Jeffers place. I’ll find you.”

  Balthazar helped Orrie onto the buggy seat, then hoisted himself up to sit beside her. He took the reins in hand.

  “I’ll fetch your horse.” Griffon strode through the underbrush to the remains of their campsite. “And water those horses at the creek before you head for town,” he said, returning. “They’re winded, poor beasts.”

  “Griffon, do be careful,” Balthazar cautioned as Griffon tied the chestnut to the back of the buggy. “Don’t take any foolish chances.”

  “When do I ever?” He slapped the rump of the horse closest to him, setting the team in motion. Balthazar turned them in a tight semicircle and pointed them toward Van Buren. “Godspeed!” he called over his shoulder.

  Griffon waved. “God save us all.”

  He went back to the camp, scattered the campfire ashes, and checked his gear again before swinging into the saddle. The image of a boy returned. A boy … He shook his head, shut his eyes, and tried to see some reason to the rhyme. The image, like a misty morning, wavered in his mind’s eye, then a light tunneled through for a blazing instant to show him a face.

  “Jasper!” Griffon whispered, planting his heels in the horse’s sides. The big stallion surged forward, guided by Griffon’s deft touch. Jasper had somehow abducted Lily. It made sense, Griffon thought, remembering how the man/child had looked at her with calf eyes. His anxiety lessened. Jasper wouldn’t hurt Lily. Griffon released a long sigh, glad that Lily was in kind, if misguided, hands.

  But, there were the other Jeffers males. If any of them got their claws on her—

  “Hiyah!” Griffon leaned over the stallion’s neck. The big horse stretched into a full-out run, skimming around trees, leaping over brush, spurred by the urgency in Griffon’s voice.

  Chapter 21

  Jasper had a hidey-hole in the woods.

  When h
e first found the deep hole in the giant oak tree, he’d been a tyke and able to get his whole body into it. He’d sit in the pungent darkness and stare out the almost perfect oval at the brightness beyond. He’d cross his legs, lean back, relax. Plenty of room for moving and thinking and getting away from Paw-Paw and his brothers.

  But as the years crept by his body changed, grew, became gangly, then roly-poly. This perplexed him since he didn’t feel different inside. Outside, he hardly knew himself. Sometimes he held his hand in front of his face, like a baby making a profound discovery, and stared at the thick fingers and wide palm. Hard to believe it belonged to him. He always thought of himself as little and helpless.

  He was never more aware of having gotten big than when he was squeezed in his hidey-hole. Gone was the elbow room. No way could he cross his legs. In fact, his legs stuck out the hole, and Jasper had to double over to fit. Even then, the crown of his head brushed the top of the hole and dislodged splinters. But he loved the hidey-hole. He felt safe in it. That hadn’t changed. It was about the only place he did feel safe. The hidey-hole and Maw-Maw’s arms were his refuges in a world of loud voices and mean spirits.

  Wedged in the hole, he wiggled his bare feet, scaring away a butterfly that tried to land on his big toe. He folded his arms across his chest and rubbed his tender left cheek against his shoulder. Paw-Paw had hit him there last night when he’d shown up late to make music. Ham had come after, and Paw-Paw had walloped him a good one, too. Ham hadn’t cried like Jasper. Ham had wiped the red dribbles from his chin and swore at Paw-Paw. Jasper sniffed and pressed his lips together to keep from whimpering. He didn’t love Ham no more. He’d never love Ham again. Not never, never, never, he chanted to himself, wagging his head from side to side.

  “Jasper? Jasper, boy?”

  Jasper clamped his hands over his mouth and felt his eyes strain outward. Then he recognized his Maw-Maw’s voice. His hands fell away, and his breath whooshed out.

  “Sonny boy, what you doing in that tree knothole with your legs hanging out? You like that rabbit that thought it was hid behind a blade of grass?” Eva peeked inside the oval opening. “What’s wrong, baby boy? Did Paw-Paw hurt you again?”

  “Not since last night,” Jasper said, emotion making his voice quiver. “Jasper’s scared, Maw-Maw.”

  Eva placed her hands on his knees and leaned between his legs. “You scared of Paw-Paw again?”

  “No … yep.” He shook his head, trying to fling his thoughts into order. “Jasper don’t love Ham no more. Him’s scary.”

  “What did he do to you?” Eva clutched his knees, her long fingers digging into his flesh. “You tell Maw-Maw what he did. I’ll take care of him. You watch. I’ll scald his privates and make him wish he’d never laid a hand on my baby boy. ’Member when I did that to your brother Ennis?”

  Jasper giggled, remembering. Ennis had tried to put his pee pistol in Jasper’s mouth. Maw-Maw had caught him at it and thrown a whole kettle of boiling water across the front of Ennis’s pants.

  “He been messing with you, Jasper?”

  “Naw. It ain’t me him’s messin’ wid.”

  “Come out here, sonny, where I can see you.” She tugged at his pants’ legs. “Mind your Maw-Maw. Wiggle out here, wooly worm.”

  Her warm voice enticed him, and he worked his body from the hole and landed on his bare feet in a patch of blooming clover. Eva licked her palm and ironed his cowlick to the back of his head.

  “Now tell your Maw-Maw what’s got you in that hole. What did Ham do now? You know anything about him being late last night? And what about you? I don’t believe for one minute that you got lost. Why, my sonny boy could find his way from here to China without no compass.” She shook a finger in his face. “Don’t mess with the truth. Tell me all of it. No pouting either. Push that lip back in place.” She pressed her thumb against his lower lip and stuck it under the upper one. “There you go. What’s wrong, sonny boy?” Her voice flowed like honey. “Tell Maw-Maw.”

  Her understanding opened a floodgate in him, and he wrapped his arms around her and pressed his hot face to the curve of her neck.

  “There, there,” she cooed, stroking his thinning hair. “Maw-Maw’s here and will take care of her baby boy. What’s got you so upset?” She took his face between her hands and made him look straight into her dark eyes. “Talk to me, Jasper.”

  “Jasper and Ham were in town yesterday,” he said between sniffles. “Watching that purty gal.”

  “The pretty …” She nodded. “Oh, yes. That Lily Meeker.”

  “Maw-Maw’s brudder’s looking for Lily’s kin and … and now him’s looking for Lily!” He wailed and felt tears tickle his cheeks. His mother’s face swam before him. She held his face tightly.

  “Jasper, get hold of yourself. You ain’t making sense. What did you and Ham do in town yesterday? Did you do a bad thing?”

  “Not Jasper.”

  “Then Ham did a bad thing?”

  “Uh-huh.” He blinked, clearing his eyes. “Him did.”

  “What?”

  “Took the purty lady. Him took Lily. Put her over hims horse and rode off. Him hit her and made her go asleep.”

  “You saw this?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Anybody else see it?”

  “Uh-uh.”

  “Where did Ham take her? Did you follow him?”

  “Uh-huh. Him takes her to the bad under place.” Just saying it sent a shudder of revulsion through him. “And now your brudder’s looking for her.”

  “My brother? What do you mean, sonny boy? I’ve got no brothers around these parts.”

  He batted his eyes owlishly. Often confused, he constantly struggled with frustration. He puffed out a sharp breath and pinched his brows together, which always helped him reason things out. “Maw-Maw said him was her brudder,” he said, stubbornly clinging to the memory. “Him looks like Maw-Maw and Jasper. Not like Paw-Paw and the brudders.”

  Eva released his face to flatten her hands against her chubby cheeks. “O Del!” she murmured in her native tongue. “You telling me that Gypsy man is hunting for that girl and Ham took her?”

  Jasper nodded. “Him hurt her, too. Jasper saw him dood it. Before him go down thar wid her she woked up. Him shoved his fist in her purty face.” A sob broke his voice in two. “Him carried her down thar, Maw-Maw. The bad under place.” He whispered the last, afraid to say it much louder.

  Eva whirled and paced, her face crumpling into lines of worry. “Crazy fool. What’s he thinking? That girl has family. He can’t just steal her for nothing like his father took me! That’s where he gets it. Thinks he can follow the old man’s trail and get away with it. All those boys act like they can do any old thing and not answer to anyone. Well, not this time. That Gypsy—what was his name?”

  “Go ahead?” Jasper asked.

  “No. Not that.” She snapped her fingers. “Goforth!”

  Jasper nodded. “That’s it, Maw-Maw.”

  “He’s poking around looking for her? You saw him?”

  “No, but I know him’s lookin’.”

  “How do you know?”

  Jasper shrugged. “ ’Causin’ he loves her like Jasper loves her. Jasper’d be lookin’.”

  Eva laid her hand along the side of his face. “My baby loves her, does he? Why?”

  “Her runned off some bad boys that scared Jasper.”

  “Where?”

  “In town. Her’s good to Jasper.” He puckered his mouth, tasting the bitterness of his tears. “Jasper don’t love Ham no more. Ham hurts Lily. Ham hurts her bad.” He gripped his mother’s hand. “Can Maw-Maw gets Lily? Jasper can’t go down thar. Jasper’s scared.”

  “Baby, you know I can’t go down there either. I’m more scared of that place than you. Why, you learned to be scared of it from me.” Eva sighed her regret. “Maybe I can talk Ham into bringing her back up. Maybe Paw-Paw will make him let her go.”

  “Think so?”

  “Maybe. Paw
-Paw and the others are sleeping it off. They drank too much grape juice last night. Once they wake up, I’ll talk to your Paw-Paw. Come on, baby boy. I’ve got washing to do and you can help. No use in you hiding in your hole all day. You just stay around me, and I won’t let no one hurt you.”

  “What if Paw-Paw hurts your brudder again?”

  “The Gypsy Goforth has better sense than to get in Paw-Paw’s sights again. That one can take care of himself.” She winked slyly. “Gypsy people survive. It’s our gift from Del.”

  “Del lives in heaven.”

  “He sure does, baby boy. Del is the king of heaven.”

  “Where is heaven, Maw-Maw?”

  “Up there.” She pointed to the blue canopy overhead. “A long, long way from here.”

  Jasper slipped his hand in hers and skipped along beside her to the log house in the heart of Devil’s Den.

  The pain came back to her first. Constant and searing, it lashed across her jawline and up toward her eyes. Sounds reverberated in her skull as if it were an echo chamber. Sundry aches erupted in her body, mostly in her joints and across her ribs. Opening her eyes to slits took a great effort. Lily expected to be assaulted by light, but grayness greeted her. She moaned. It scratched her throat and resounded in her empty head.

  “Orrie?” she whispered, and her voice came back to her three times before finally fading away.

  Where was Orrie? More importantly, where was she? Lily wondered, feeling the hard, cold surface beneath her bone-weary body. Not the hotel room, she knew. Had she fallen outside? A memory swam out of reach. She closed her eyes again, intent on catching that flash of recognition. Jasper … Jasper had wanted to see her. Had she met with him? She didn’t remember … wait! A face, not unlike Satan’s, branded her inner vision. Lily sucked in a breath that whistled down her throat and blew apart cobwebby images. A scent of damp, dank things sent questions through her tired brain. Coldness seeped into her muscles. She spread her fingers to touch surfaces and realized with a start that she couldn’t move. Her eyes flew open, staring into grayness. She struggled, the movements making it clear to her that her wrists and ankles were bound by scratchy rope.