She blinked rapidly. “No.”
“Then trust your gut, Lily Winter.”
“Trust my gut, but not you.”
He let out a gusty sigh. She had the kind of pure innocence about her that made a man think about a different way of life.
His breath hitched. The unexpected thought shook him to the core, and he forced the weakness aside. In order to do his job, he’d erected an icy wall around his emotion. Strong feelings were a distraction. He was a man who gave one hundred percent to the job, and there wasn’t anything left over for anyone else. That sort of man was no good for raising a family.
He wouldn’t be ensnared by the way her pale eyelashes fluttered against her soft cheeks.
“I’m not the man for you, Miss Winter. Never forget that.”
* * *
“Surely there’s someone in Frozen Oaks who can be trusted,” Lily demanded. “I doubt the entire town is inhabited by thieves and brigands.”
Nothing had gone as planned, and she was unexpectedly frustrated by the gunfighter’s insistence on frightening her. While she appreciated his profession required a good bit of intimidation for success, she wasn’t in the mood for subtle threats.
She’d created a neat and orderly world for herself. She followed a strict schedule. She never walked alone after dark. She never spent more money than she earned. This unexpected plunge into intrigue had set her on edge.
A humorless smile stretched across the gunfighter’s face, and he adjusted his hat over his forehead. “Be cautious with your challenges, Miss Winter. You never know who might pick up the gauntlet.”
“I didn’t realize I was challenging you.”
“A beautiful woman is always a challenge.”
She flushed beneath his appraising glance. “You’ve been away from civilization for too long, Mr. Jake. The description is too generous.”
“Look in the mirror, Miss Winter. And don’t forget to watch your back.”
The next instant he was gone. Lily gaped at the space he’d recently vacated.
“What’s a gauntlet?” Peter asked.
“A glove,” Lily said. “Throughout history, challenges have been issued by throwing down a glove. The challenge is accepted when the other person retrieves the glove.”
She pressed two fingers against her temple and shook her head. Without the distraction of the gunfighter, she took stock of her surroundings. The last thing she recalled, she’d been standing outside. Her unlikely rescuer had carried her into the hotel and an overdone parlor of some sort.
Every window, wall and chair had been dressed in varying autumnal shades of damask fabric, flocked wallpaper and dangling fringed tassels. Clearly the decorator was enamored with the extravagant theme. A little too enamored. The jumble of patterns was giving her a headache.
At least her charges didn’t seem any worse for wear. Peter gazed adoringly at the precious coin clutched in his palm.
Massaging her forehead, Lily vaguely recalled the gentle brush of the man’s fingers. Had she imagined the encounter? That couldn’t be right. Nothing about Jake had struck her as comforting, and yet that was exactly how she felt—comforted. The man had an oddly enthralling effect on her.
She straightened her spine and crossed her ankles. That sort of thinking wouldn’t do at all. From what she’d heard from scores of women passing through the boardinghouse, men were rarely the sensible choice. Men who carried guns in towns that outlawed weapons were the least sensible of all.
At least her head had cleared and she no longer felt as light-headed. The tantalizing aroma of roasted beef drifted from the restaurant, and her stomach rumbled.
Sam perched next to her on the settee. “I like him. He’s nice.”
Apprehension rippled through Lily. “How long was I unconscious?”
Her instincts warred with her common sense. Jake was clearly a gunfighter. He’d come close to threatening her into leaving. Perhaps threatening was too strong of a sentiment, but he’d been very stern in his warning.
“You weren’t passed out for long.” Peter splayed his hands. “A few minutes.”
She’d always trusted the instincts of children. She wasn’t so certain anymore. Although she couldn’t blame Peter entirely. She retained the same conflicted feelings about the man. The heat of the parlor slicked her skin with sweat and she removed her coat. Conflicted or not, she wasn’t lingering over the odd encounter. She couldn’t imagine the circumstances where they’d cross paths. They’d likely never see each other again.
She resolutely ignored her minuscule prick of disappointment.
Open double doors led to a larger, wood-paneled lobby. Voices sounded and Lily craned her neck to hear.
“Don’t put yourself out, Miss Regina,” the first voice spoke.
“I’ll handle this,” a second female voice said. “If there’s a strange woman in the hotel, Vic will want a full accounting.”
Lily stood too quickly and her legs wobbled. Her head spun and she braced one hand on the settee until the moment passed.
“It’s a hotel,” the first voice muttered. “They’re all strangers here.”
A pretty dark-haired woman with striking blue eyes, who was not much older than Lily, appeared in the doorway. Her extravagant burgundy day dress with its layers of satin ruffles marked her as the most likely suspect for decorator of the parlor.
“This room is for paying guests only,” the woman declared, twitching an olive-colored damask drapery into place. “If you’re not paying, you’ll have to go.”
Something about the woman was familiar, and Lily studied her closer. “Do I know you?”
“The name is Regina Dawson. I don’t believe we’ve met before.” The woman squinted. “Wait a second. What’s your name?”
“Lily Winter.”
Regina fiddled with the perfectly tied wine-colored bow beneath her chin. “I know that name. Are you from Chicago?”
“St. Joseph.”
“I rented a room at a boardinghouse in St. Joseph two years ago.” A deep crease appeared beneath the netting covering the woman’s forehead. “The nasty old biddy who ran the place was always spying on my comings and goings.”
“That would be Mrs. Hollingsworth.”
Dawning recognition spread across Regina’s face, highlighting her rouged cheeks. “Weren’t you the maid or something?”
“Not the maid, exactly,” Lily mumbled.
Though her memory of Regina was vague, the unexpected sight of someone she recognized temporarily weakened Lily’s knees. She latched on to the comfort of a familiar face as though it was a lifeline. While she was perfectly capable of looking out for herself and the children, knowing a local resident when visiting a strange town was always beneficial.
Regina laid a hand across her chest, highlighting a bodice that was cut a tad too generously for such an early hour. The sight sparked a long dormant memory. Mrs. Hollingsworth hadn’t approved of Regina. The landlady had even locked Regina out one evening when she’d returned after curfew. Lily had snuck her in the through the kitchen.
“Clearly you’re lost.” Regina swept across the room and grasped Lily’s forearms. “No woman with any sense of self-preservation travels to this part of the country on purpose.”
“It’s a long story,” Lily said with a sigh.
Even with their opposing temperaments, at least Lily had discovered someone who could assist in unraveling the mystery of Frozen Oaks.
“You look a fright, and your hair is mess. Did you sleep in that dress?” Regina clucked. “Let’s get you a warm drink and put some color into those cheeks. One mustn’t be caught looking like a member of the kitchen staff. The management is liable to put you to work.”
Instantly aware of her disheveled appearance, Lily smoothed the strings of her cru
shed bonnet between her thumb and forefinger.
Her head snapped up. The outlaw.
“Did you see a man around here earlier?” Lily asked, hoping her tone conveyed nonchalance.
She gazed at her forlorn little bonnet with its faded daisy trim. Not that she cared if the man found her appearance more suitable for the back stairs than the front parlor, but she couldn’t shake her inherent curiosity.
“Only Jake.” Regina shuddered delicately. “Best avoid him. As I recall, you’re too trusting by half.”
Her dismissive tone raised Lily’s hackles. “You didn’t mind my trusting nature when I snuck you in after curfew.”
“Exactly my point. I shouldn’t be trusted. You’re far too naive for your own good.” Regina linked her elbow through Lily’s and led her toward the foyer that opened to the restaurant. “Come along and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Frozen Oaks while we unravel this long story of yours.”
Lily bit her tongue. There was no use getting her back up. She’d be gone by morning, and Regina appeared to have moved beyond sneaking through kitchen windows after curfew. Judging by the expensive material of her dress, she’d done quite well for herself over the years. Lily hooked her fingers over the frayed edge of her worn cuff.
“Wait.” Lily dug in her heels. “These are my charges, Sam and Peter. They’re the reason I’m here.”
“Charmed.” Regina’s nose wrinkled. “They’re very quiet for children. I like that. After you freshen up, the dining room is that way.”
She crossed the foyer without a backward glance.
“You’re prettier than she is,” Sam grumbled. “I think she’s jealous.”
Peter nodded his agreement. “You’re much prettier.”
“Miss Dawson is obviously unaccustomed to children,” Lily said with as much diplomacy as she could muster. “But since she might know something about your grandfather, I suggest we accept her invitation.”
Brushing at her rumpled skirts, she urged the children forward. The unexpected twinge of vanity startled her. When had she ever worried about her clothing or her station in life? Her recent faint had obviously muddled her head. She should be counting her blessings instead.
Over the years, scores of people had passed through the boardinghouse. Though the transient nature of the business had prevented forming close relationships, delivering countless stacks of linens up and down endless flights of stairs had finally proved beneficial.
“Don’t just stand there loitering,” Regina called from the dining room. “My curiosity about your new role as a schoolmarm must be sated. Not to mention I’m famished.”
“I don’t like her.” Peter’s eyes took on a mutinous gleam. “I don’t like her at all.”
Though Lily was inclined to agree, she held her tongue. “Regina can be a touch abrasive.”
“If we’re gonna live here,” Sam said, “we’re stuck with her.”
“This has been a trying day for all of us.” Lily stifled a grin at Peter’s grim expression. “We’ll all feel better after we eat.”
The hotel restaurant was crowded with heavy furniture and shadowed with thick burgundy velvet curtains blocking the windows. Over half of the chairs were occupied. The majority of the patrons were men, their heads bent together in conversation, their voices low. An enormous stone fireplace dominated the far end of the room with a crackling blaze. The establishment struck Lily as something of a lair. A den of iniquity where deals were struck—deals that began in infamy and ended in blood.
An unconscious shudder rippled through her. She was worse than Peter with her wild, ghoulish imaginings.
Following Regina, the three wove their way between the packed tables toward a secluded enclave.
The siblings discovered a checkers set and Lily excused them to play. Distracted by the game, the two were perched on wingback chairs covered in hunter green crushed-velvet fabric set before the fire.
“You’d best be careful around here.” Regina patted her hand. “That Jake is bad news. He has the whole town quaking. Even Vic avoids him when he can.”
“He didn’t seem so bad.” There’d been a grim, almost grudging sort of compassion to his warning. Not to mention Lily was starting to feel peevish toward Regina and her increasingly transparent insults. “Surely you exaggerate.”
“Wait a second, it’s all coming back!” Regina clapped her hands. “You’re orphan Lily. You’re the one who stayed on with Mrs. Hollingsworth after your father died. No wonder you’re chaperoning those boys. You were something of a legend amongst the boarders. Anything must be better than working as an indentured servant in that gloomy old boardinghouse with Mrs. Grouch.”
The shock froze Lily so completely that the sense of chill was almost physical. Never for a moment had it occurred to her that she was the subject of rumors. Having her personal tragedy reduced to backstairs gossip stung more than she cared to admit. She wasn’t some tragic figure to be pitied—a curiosity amongst the boarders.
Biting the inside of her lip, she gathered herself, forcing her attention back to the current problem. There were far more serious issues at stake than the discovery of her humiliating, heretofore unknown, reputation. Despite the warmth of the room, she wrapped her arms around her body and rubbed her upper shoulders.
“I haven’t quit.” Lily glanced at the two siblings. Speaking about them in the same breath as dollars and cents felt like a betrayal. “The children were recently orphaned. I’m chaperoning them until their grandfather arrives.”
“All the way from St. Joseph? The train tickets alone must have cost a fortune. How well are you being paid?”
“Well enough, I suppose. A judge arranged everything.”
“Judges dump strays into orphanages. They don’t search for long-lost relatives. Mommy and Daddy must have left behind quite a lot of money to pay all those bills.”
“They are not strays!” The crude language shocked Lily into silence for a beat. “They are children. With thoughts and feelings.”
“Whatever you say. I’ve never been much for children.”
“Apparently not.”
A harried server wearing a stained apron loosely wrapped around her gaunt frame set two cups of coffee before them. The server darted away without a word of greeting. Lily caught a brief glimpse of the spill of gray hair escaping from the bun at the nape of the server’s neck before the kitchen door slammed.
“Thank you, Ida.” Regina raised her voice and flicked an irritated glance in the woman’s direction. “I’m almost relieved to discover that you didn’t accompany the children out of the kindness of your heart. Charitable people make me nervous. I always wonder what they’re hiding.”
“Why would charitable people be hiding something?”
“Because nothing is free in this life.”
“Except for the grace of God.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Regina’s lips twisted and she flicked a crumb from the table. “Tell me again how much you’re getting paid to play nursemaid?”
“It’s not like that.” Lily’s relief at discovering a familiar face was rapidly waning. “Mrs. Hollingsworth is selling the boardinghouse. When I return to St. Joseph, I’ll have enough money saved for the second half of the down payment.”
She’d considered all her options and taking over the boardinghouse was the obvious, sensible solution for her future. She’d have a source of income that no one could ever take away from her. She’d never have to depend on anybody for anything. Autonomy was the most sensible choice of all.
“Exactly my point.” Regina threw up her hands with a grimace. “I only knew Mrs. Hollingsworth for a few weeks, but I can tell you this—she’ll never sell that place. The old bat is stringing you along. Did you threaten to quit or something? Is that why she suddenly had a change of heart?�
�
Not this time. Lily stiffened her jaw. She wasn’t letting Regina’s cynical chatter worm its way into her head. This time was different. The landlady’s rheumatism was growing worse, and she’d been pining over the idea of a small cottage located nearer to where her son lived. Surely people who pined didn’t simply change their mind on a whim.
“Hmph.” Regina cupped her well-manicured fingers around her porcelain coffee cup. “I’d need the paperwork in hand before I believed a word of anything that woman said. Surely you have everything in writing.”
“We have a verbal agreement.”
“You’re being foolish.” Regina’s gaze flitted over Lily’s faded calico dress with its sad, frayed sleeves. “You’re better off spending the money on a new dress. You can’t bait a trap with moldy cheese.”
“I beg your pardon.”
Regina waved her hand. “I’m only joking. Don’t look so shocked.”
“I’m not baiting a trap for some hapless male,” Lily snapped. “I’m making a prudent investment in my future.”
Despite her bluster, the barb stung. Why must the term foolish be used so often in reference to her decisions? Foolish Lily. Naive Lily. She’d worked hard. She’d paid her dues. She’d considered all the alternatives and arrived at the judicious choice. There was absolutely no reason for her to be sitting here defending herself.
Regina reached out and covered Lily’s hands. “This world is run by men. Men only do business with other men. If you want success beyond that silly little boardinghouse, you’ll need a husband.”
A sharp pain throbbed behind Lily’s temple. Regina’s solution wasn’t any better. A woman was better off counting on herself. Love was never the sensible choice. Nothing tangible was secure save for the brick and mortar holding the roof above her head and the land beneath her feet.
People could come and go all they pleased. She didn’t need their company, only their business. She glanced at the two heads bent over their checkers game and a wave of sorrow nearly engulfed her. Love inevitably led to loss. She couldn’t endure that sort of pain again.
A Family for the Holidays Page 3