Thankfully Leroy had realized Samantha needed to stay outside. Using cookie power, he’d trained her to wait beside the door for her treat. Stopping in the kitchen, Lilly grabbed her special donkey treat as she made the final trip, carrying Joshua and his baby carrier outside.
The expectant burro snapped up the banana Laffy Taffy and Lilly paused to watch the fuzzy girl smack away on the sweet treasure.
Their mutual love of the yellow candy stemmed from the many times in her childhood when Lilly would share her candy with Samantha as she listened to Lilly chatter about anything and everything.
They both had saddlebags to prove their love for the chewy treat.
Lilly really had to limit her own intake of the appealing taffy because of the baby weight she was struggling to lose.
Oh yeah, the dumpy, lumpy, leftover baby fat that clung to her short, stubby thighs. But that was another story.
Being tired certainly didn’t bring out her sunny disposition, she thought a few moments later, driving down the dirt road. What had happened to her? Good question. She was just too tired to figure it out. It was taking all the energy she had to keep her eyes open and her focus on the road. Finding herself would just have to wait until after church, dinner, Joshua’s feeding and the chores she still had to do around the farm after she arrived back home in the late afternoon.
Lilly hoped she didn’t fall asleep during the service. Her first Sunday back in church, it wouldn’t do to fall asleep on the pew. She chuckled when a picture of her limp, snoring form sprawled on the back pew popped into her furry brain. Fuzzy brain…well, maybe she’d meant furry because her brain was a bit past foxy-fuzzy. Oh, man…her brain was just plain fried. Pure and simple.
Chapter Fifteen
Cort stepped up onto the porch of the country church, took his hat off and sucked in a deep cold breath. Clint Matlock had stopped by the house and invited him to church and lunch. At first Cort had told him he had things to do—which he did, but nothing was pressing. Since Ringo was still healing, he had no competitions pending. He had time on his hands and he should use that time to get back to attending church each week.
Besides, Cort liked Clint. They were around the same age, give or take a few years, and they had hit it off standing in the yard, each of them with a boot propped up on the rear bumper, their arms resting on the tailgate. Clint had apologized for not coming out sooner to invite him, but explained that he’d been in court for a couple of weeks, helping prosecute some rustlers who had stolen from him a few months back. The case had taken a long time to come to trial because the same rustlers were charged in other cases, as well, and Clint had been tangled up pretty heavily in all of the messy proceedings.
Impressed by Clint’s sincere invitation, Cort had promised to visit the church. It had been a while since he’d set foot inside a church building, and he had to admit he was nervous. But he was also determined to get his walk with the Lord back on a strong path.
Hesitating outside the door, he scanned the long narrow parking lot. Lilly’s truck, parked at the back near a small outer building, caught his attention. It took him a second to realize that Lilly was still in the truck, or at least he thought it was her. The door was open and she was on her knees in the seat with her back to the door. From where he was standing it looked as if she was pulling on something with every ounce of strength she had. Setting his Stetson back on his head, he headed in her direction. He’d wondered if she went to this church, but he hadn’t expected that she’d be the first person he encountered. His conscience pricked him about their last meeting. He’d been avoiding her again. He wasn’t proud of it, but he was flat-out running scared.
She was in the seat. Since she was scrunched up, her dress flowed from beneath her coat over her hips and hung over her shoes. The hem jiggled every time she tugged at the seat belt that restrained the baby carrier.
“Click-in, click-out…yeah, right,” she was grumbling as he placed a hand on the door frame. He held back a chuckle when she expelled an exasperated breath, then tugged again. “Come on!”
“My, my, are we in a bad mood?”
She screamed, spinning around so fast she bumped her head on the rearview mirror. Her expression was comical infuriation. “Oh, it’s you! You scared me.”
“Are you okay?”
Slumping in the seat, she gently rubbed her temple. “When my heart stops banging against my ribs I’ll let you know. You sure know how to snare a girl.”
Cort filtered what she’d said. “Excuse me?”
“I mean scare a girl. Satan is trying mighty hard to make me turn this truck around and head home. But,” she said, smiling and holding up her hand in a stop motion, “I’m not buying it. I’ve worked too hard just to get to the parking lot. I’m not turning back now when I have the church in my sights. Do you know how much stuff you have to pack just for a trip to town when you have a baby? I’m telling you, after all the trouble it took to get here…before I’d hang ’em up and head home, I’d sit in this parking lot just to snow—show the old man that I’m not letting him get me down.”
Cort smiled. “I bet you would. Can I try and free Joshua’s carrier for you?”
Lilly’s smile broadened, lighting her eyes with warmth. “Joshua and I would greatly appreciate that. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m trapped, too. I caught my skirt in the…the thingamajig.” She waved her hand at the seat-belt clasp. “The clasp. I’m a little tired. As you can tell.”
Cort took his Bible from under his arm and set it on the truck’s hood. He knew he was treading on thin ice, liking the light in her eyes, but today he was going to try again to just be a neighbor and a friend.
He leaned across Lilly, pressed the buckle release hard and pulled. Nothing happened. The soft smell of something sweet wrapped around him and it was all he could do not to turn toward Lilly and breathe deeply. “You ever had trouble with this before?”
He’d thought about her every day. Every hour.
“No, I don’t know what I did. I was in a hurry trying to goad, I mean, load all the things I would need for Joshua during church and I don’t know…somehow I caught my skirt and jammed everything.”
He turned his head and looked into her eyes. They were mere inches apart. He could just lean in and kiss her. She took his breath away.
Stop it, Cort.
He fumbled with the clasp and pushed the thought from his mind. He concentrated, pressed hard and yanked. The clasp relaxed, freeing the carrier. And him. “There it goes. You’re good to go now. I think it just jammed when you pushed it in, and you needed a little more muscle than you have to release it.” He stepped back and held a hand out to her as she slipped off the seat.
“I’ll carry him,” he said when she turned to reach for Joshua. She nodded and moved out of his way while he lifted the carrier out of the truck, watching not to bump it on the sides of the door. He didn’t want to disturb Joshua’s contentment.
“Thank you. If you’ll hold him for a sec, I’ll grab the rest of his stuff.” She stretched into the cab and pulled out a huge yellow striped bag with a big green frog sitting at the bottom corner. As she slung it over her shoulder, it looked bigger than she was. “There, all set,” she said, holding out her hands for the carrier.
Cort shook his head. “I told you I’ll carry Joshua. This thing is bigger than you.”
She chuckled. “I have muscles from carrying Samantha’s feed.”
They’d started walking toward the church and Lilly held up her arm to show her pea-sized muscle hidden beneath her coat. Cort grinned, then stepped up onto the porch and paused outside the door. He could hear music inside. They were late, but he needed to say something first.
“Lilly, I’m sorry I didn’t take care of all those chores for you. I told you I’d carry her feed. From now on there’s no need for you to carry anything that heavy. I don’t mind helping you, and I’m sorry I haven’t come by more often. I keep telling you that and I haven’t done it yet. But sta
rting now, things are going to change. I’m coming down this afternoon to help you.”
“Thank you very much for your offer, Cort. But I can manage.”
“Anybody ever tell you it’s okay to need help every once in a while?”
“Cort, you moved here and immediately started being harassed by my donkey, then you had to put up with me having my baby, and then my donkey harassed you some more. The last thing you need is for me to keep calling you to my rescue.”
He cut in on Lilly’s runaway explanation. “Lilly, I didn’t mind my part in the baby delivery. I keep telling you, and you don’t seem to understand I was privileged to be able to help you in that situation. I’d hate to think what would have happened if I hadn’t been there. Again, blowing up at you the other day wasn’t right, especially since you were coming to my rescue with Ringo. Even after I was rude—”
“No,” she interrupted.
How was he going to get through to her?
“I thought after the other night we were past all of this.”
“Past what?”
“I thought we were friends.” Friends? Was that what they were? Had they finally made it to friends? “But I guess not.”
The door to the sanctuary opened, halting all conversation as a prune-faced older man stared at them with condemning eyes. Only then did Cort realize that the music had stopped and the entire congregation had turned to see what the ruckus was all about.
“Oops,” Lilly quipped.
Yep, that about said it all. Cort wanted to crawl into the shrubbery and disappear. His first visit to the church and he’d disturbed the entire proceedings.
“Well, don’t stand there gawkin’. Come on in.”
Cort couldn’t help a double take at the happy greeter as he motioned them inside. Sure, Cort couldn’t blame the man for his sour appearance, but really…the man looked as if he bit lemons in two for a living. And he was the greeter. Somebody needed to do a rethink on that one.
“Sorry, Mr. Thornton,” Lilly whispered, stepping inside and patting the man on the coat sleeve.
Carrying Joshua, Cort followed her inside. Lilly started down the aisle looking for a vacant pew and he followed, more than likely looking a little sour himself.
“Glad you two could join us.” The booming voice drew Cort’s attention to the jovial man standing in the pulpit. “Lilly, while you three get settled why don’t you go ahead and introduce your guest to those who may not yet have had the opportunity to meet him?”
Lilly screeched to a halt. “Oh, hi, everyone.” She gave a little wave and ducked her head slightly. “This is Cort Wells. He recently bought Leroy’s place.”
Cort looked around the room, relieved to see smiling faces. Many he remembered from the dinner theater. He nodded his head. If he hadn’t been holding Joshua he might have turned and walked out. If there was one thing he wasn’t used to it was being the center of attention. And this would qualify hands down. Lilly didn’t act as if she liked it too much, either. She’d said she was a loner. Maybe he should stay by her side. Give her a little support.
“We didn’t mean to disturb the services,” he said.
“Nonsense,” the pastor said. “We’re happy you wanted to join us this morning. We are especially privileged to have the man who watches over Lilly and Joshua in our midst. Everyone stand and greet Cort and Lilly as we sing ‘When We All Get to Heaven.’ Oh, and don’t forget to say hello to Joshua.”
Lilly’s eyes were twinkling when she looked up at him. “Smile, Cort, and say hello,” she said with a wink just as they were engulfed.
Cowboys came from everywhere, and a few women. Cort was swarmed by hugs and handshakes, a few rowdy slaps on the back and congratulations.
In the midst of it all Clint Matlock stuck his hand out. “Glad you made it, Cort. Lilly, too. And the baby. I hope y’all are planning on staying for lunch.”
“Thanks, I thought I would. I—I’m glad to be here,” Cort stammered as the full force of Clint’s welcome hit him. Everyone moved back to their seats, and Cort slid in next to Lilly. Joshua was on her other side and didn’t give him a buffer.
Did everyone here think he and Lilly were a couple? Clint thought so. He’d said y’all, as in the three of you. Reaching up, Cort inserted two fingers between his throat and his shirt and tie to loosen it. He didn’t need Mule Hollow to put them together. A couple of friends, yes. He was having a hard enough time keeping his mind from wishing Lilly and Joshua could be his. The last thing he needed was an entire town, already caught up in matchmaking fever, to put their sights on them.
His resolve to do the right thing might not hold up under too strong an assault. Lilly was hard enough to resist on her own. Throw in mother nature and crazy Samantha’s antics and he was sinking fast.
The last thing he needed was Mule Hollow getting in on the act.
Chapter Sixteen
Lilly found a spot near the back of the room and waited for Cort to bring in the playpen. Lacy was holding Joshua, swinging him in her arms from side to side as if she was doing the twist.
“So, how’s the romance going?”
Leave it to Lacy to cut to the chase. Lilly met Lacy’s electric blue eyes—eyes zinging with mirth.
Honestly, Lilly didn’t know how to answer the question. How was the romance going? Did they have one brewing? Did she want one to brew? She tore her gaze from Lacy’s and watched Cort moving toward them, plowing through the group like a freight train barreling down the track. Oh, he was something. He could send her pulse racing like…well, like that freight train he resembled at the moment. He could also infuriate her. But he could melt her with a smile. As for romance…he didn’t know she existed. She was simply the neighbor down the road he thought needed a helping hand. “There’s no—”
Lacy cut her off, handing over Joshua. “Nope. Don’t even deny it. Take the baby and enjoy some time with the man. You can try to deny it all day long, Lilly, but God has a plan. And I’m here to tell you that it’s walking straight toward you carrying your baby’s playpen. I think the luck of the Tipps ladies has turned for the better.”
Lilly cradled Joshua next to her heart, watching Lacy stride away toward the food tables. Passing Cort, she slapped him on the back.
“Mighty nice of you to help out, Cort,” she sang out, and kept on going.
“Did I miss something?” he asked, setting the playpen down beside Lilly.
“When it comes to Lacy Brown, we’re all missing something. That girl has more zip and zing than anybody I know. She makes a tired gal like me feel like a worn-out dish towel.” She also made a tired girl think. Or dream. Lilly pushed away the silly thoughts and swiped at her curly hair with the back of her hand.
Cort’s hand touched hers as he reached to touch the stray curl dangling in her eye. Lilly swallowed and met his eyes as he gently pushed the piece to the side. His fingertips brushed her temple, then traced down the side of her face to cup her jaw. “Believe me, Lilly. You don’t remotely resemble an old dish towel.”
The touch of his fingertips froze Lilly’s breath in her lungs, and his eyes reached into that dark corner of her heart that she’d been guarding so ferociously. What did she do now? Her sluggish mind was just playing tricks on her. Mean tricks.
As quickly as his touch appeared, it vanished. He withdrew his hand, tucking his fingertips into his jeans pocket. An unreadable expression flickered across his face. And then it was as if nothing had just passed between them.
“Thank you for the compliment. I think.” She forced her voice to sound nonchalant. He couldn’t know that he’d just rocked her world. Flipped it like a pancake—a pancake that wasn’t ready to be flipped.
He was grinning that half smile of his that she had come to know, kind of a Dennis Quaid half grin that carved a vertical groove from his cheek to his jawline along the right side of his face. It was a look that would melt hearts.
“It was definitely a compliment. Here, sit down before you fall down.” He pul
led out a chair, gently grasped her arm and helped her sit while she continued to hold Joshua. Her entire being was tuned to him as he went about setting up the playpen.
Get a grip, Lilly! You’re made of tougher stuff than this.
And she was. She reeled in her emotions and focused on instructing Cort on how to open and set up the playpen.
“Are you getting any sleep?” he asked when he finally finished and held out his arms for Joshua.
“What happened to the real Cort Wells, the one who was afraid to hold a baby?”
His eyes darkened and he frowned. “Good try at changing the subject. You need help. And I’m here. Now, hand him over and you rest. Me and Joshua are becoming fast buddies.”
Lilly relinquished Joshua to him. “I’m very glad you’re here. I didn’t mean to sound like I wasn’t.” His expression was one of complete concentration as he carefully accepted Joshua. Once he held him, he simply stood looking at him. Lilly’s eyes teared up, watching his face change from deep concern to a gentle softening. She wondered what he was thinking. What was going on behind those beautiful dark blue eyes of his? So many times she’d thought about how he’d looked holding her son that night in her living room. It seemed so long ago.
When he shifted his gaze from Joshua, his eyes were bright. Lilly’s heart skipped and held. Cort Wells, the man everyone had labeled a grinch, was truly touched while he held her Joshua. Tears…his eyes were bright with tears.
“I knew what you meant,” he said quietly. “I’ll just lay him down in here.” He started to bend, then stopped. “Do you think I need to put a blanket down?”
It was all Lilly could do to hold back the emotions engulfing her. She was in a tidal wave being swept into deep water. She struggled to form coherent words. “Yes. Here, I have it in the bag.” Grabbing the bag, she pulled out the thin frog-covered yellow blanket. Jumping to her feet, she hastily spread it on the bottom of the small pen and watched Cort gently start to deposit her child onto the soft nest.
And Baby Makes Five Page 13