Mr. McCutcheon picked up his glass. “A toast. To family. And, to friends. And to knowing what life is really all about.”
Glasses were raised and the clinking began. Becky laughed and so did Charity. The two girls were so much alike it was remarkable. Madeline glanced at John longingly as he reached his own glass toward his sister for the toast.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Lily?” Dustin said, gaining her attention. He touched her glass with his. “To good times ahead. Success for Lily’s Lace and More. To long and lasting friendships.”
Chaim reached over to find her glass, too. “To weddings and children.” He winked at her, then broke into a grin.
This time when Lily peeked from the corner of her eye, John wasn’t smiling. It was evident he had heard what his cousin had said and it was more interesting than the toasting on his end. She brought her glass to her lips and took a small sip.
“So,” Mrs. McCutcheon said, looking at John and then Charity. “Is this like The Heart of the Mountains?”
Charity set her wine glass on the tablecloth as Maria continued to bring in bowls and platters. “Very much. It’s amazing how at home I feel. The only real difference is that we have a passel of little ones, too. Someone is always crying, or needing changing or a nap or something,” she said, laughing. “At the present, Matt and Rachel have three and one on the way, Mark and Amy have one and one on the way, and Luke and Faith have three. Mother had to hire more help for Esperanza this past fall. She just couldn’t keep up.”
“Flood and Claire must be so proud. We’re waiting for the day one of this brood gives us a grandbaby,” Winnie said.
“In all fairness, our oldest is Luke’s age,” Mr. McCutcheon added quickly. “Flood, even though he’s younger, got an earlier start. We’re not that far behind.”
“And Luke came with two built in, if I understand the explanation of the fiasco correctly.”
Lily was surprised at Dustin’s remark. It was clearly an insult.
“If any of us do as well as Luke, we’ll be fortunate,” John shot back, the timbre of his voice deeper than Lily had ever heard it. “He’s a lucky man, in my opinion.”
“Have you even met Faith?” Dustin asked offhandedly, scooping a large spoonful of mashed potatoes onto his plate and then holding the bowl out for Lily. “I was under the impression you haven’t been home for years.”
“Of course he hasn’t with his medical schooling and all,” Charity spoke up. “But I kept him informed with letters and the others did, too. We all love Faith. There isn’t a more giving person on the face of the earth,” she said, “and beautiful, too.”
“Then indeed, Luke is a lucky man. Mother,” Dustin chuckled, “you look like you’ve bitten into a lemon. I didn’t mean anything by my observation. John understood what I meant.”
“Absolutely, Aunt Winnie,” John added, dryly. “No offense taken.”
The situation was so tense Lily could not bear to look up. Instead, she stabbed at the creamy sauce-drizzled asparagus, that Chaim offered by her side.
“Boys,” Winston said sternly. “This is a celebration. I’ll have you remember that. Winnie has worked all day in preparation and I intend to enjoy it. Do I make myself clear?”
“Sorry,” John said, ignoring Charity’s disapproving look that said he hadn’t defended Luke enough. He took a bite of sweet potatoes mixed with cranberries, chewed and swallowed.
“Tell us about what life in Germany is like, Lily,” Dustin said.
She smiled. “I have a large family, with two brothers and five sisters. Times are difficult sometimes with so many mouths to feed, but my parents work hard to provide a good life for us. It is not like this,” she said, and made a small sweeping gesture to take in all around them, “but, we are all happy and well.”
“And is there school there like here in the States?” Becky asked.
“Of course. It is structured differently, but, nonetheless, a good system. My parents also require all of us to either learn an instrument or a trade. I learned to make lace.”
John was captivated. But so were the rest of the male occupants at the table, it seemed. Lily looked like a princess. Her blond hair was swept up on her head, but some strands had worked free and floated around her face like a halo. When she spoke, it was unhurried. It seemed she’d relaxed as her eyes roamed from face to face, recalling her life back in her homeland. Her voice spread over John like an intoxicating balm. He longed to sweep her up and away, and not share her with anyone ever again.
“…is proficient on the organ and plays in church all the time.”
John snapped out of his reverie, realizing he hadn’t heard what she’d just said. He was engaged he reminded himself with a shake of his thoughts. He had no right to fantasize about Lily at all. She was his friend and he’d better remember that. Emmeline was a good woman. She didn’t deserve this.
“It sounds so beautiful, Lily,” Charity said, awe written on her face. “I’d love to go there someday. Meet the rest of your family. I think that would be exciting.”
Lily laughed. “I think my family would enjoy having visitors from the Wild West. But, be warned. There are many more people compared to here. Everything is much smaller. Our house would fit into your front room.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Let me correct myself. The houses and apartments are smaller, but our church is huge. St. John the Baptist is many stories tall, with a bell tower that is even taller.” She laughed again, and everyone still stared, fascinated. “It overlooks the village square protectively like a lofty army soldier.”
As Maria cleared the dinner dishes from the table, another young woman came into the dining room to help.
“How long have you been in the United States?” Aunt Winnie asked.
“I have been here a year and a half, all the while living in Boston while learning to become a seamstress.”
“We’re wearing Lily out with all these questions,” John interrupted. He tasted the coffee Maria poured into his cup. “She needs a break. Dustin, what do you do with your days? Besides ranching, that is. Are there any issues in Rio Wells that’ve become contentious?”
“What answer do you want first, cousin?”
“Boys,” Aunt Winnie said wearily. “Must you really? What is this between the two of you?”
“I think she’s sitting at the end of the table,” Madeline added sulkily, then patted the corner of her mouth with her napkin.
Maria’s appearance broke up the uncomfortable hush. John’s mouth watered as the maid served large slices of chocolate cake. Tucker, in an effort to help, reached out with good hand, but upset the tray. He tried to rectify the situation, but his left arm made the circumstances worse. The cake fell onto the white tablecloth. It rolled onto the shocked boy’s lap, then plopped to the floor. Gooey chocolate frosting was everywhere. His face clouded over and he bolted from the room.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Tucker, come back! It’s okay,” John called sharply as he sprang to his feet and ran through the living room and out the open front door. Lily rushed to his side and the rest of the family followed close behind.
John hurried to the barn. “Tucker, come on, let’s talk,” he called. “No harm was done. We’ve all had accidents.” Unlatching a gate, he ran into the trees behind the barn and paddocks, looking for prints. Finding nothing, he continued on. Almost ten minutes passed. Tucker was fast and smart. They wouldn’t find him until he wanted to be found. When John turned to go back he caught a glimpse of Lily’s pink dress where she was searching in the trees. The last thing they needed was for her to go off into the wilderness and get lost. He headed in her direction.
She startled when he called out to her.
“John, I did not hear your approach. Have they found Tucker?”
“I haven’t been back yet. But I’m thinking that we’re not going to find him tonight. Humiliation is a potent emotion. Especially at his age. He’s either hiding or on his way home.”
<
br /> Lily’s eyes were dark with worry. “I feel so bad for him. He is such a good boy, kind and caring. I want to help him. There must be a way.”
“Are you talking about finding him or something more?”
“Both. It is such a shame about his hand. There must be something that can be done. There must be some kind of operation.”
John stepped closer, drawn by her concern. He took her chin in his fingers and tipped her face up, gazing into her eyes. A current of attraction passed between them. “Some things we just have to accept. Life is hard. Things happen.”
That statement gave her pause. “Maybe he is watching us now, hoping we think enough of him that we will not give up so easily. Sometimes just knowing that a person cares is all that is needed to heal a broken heart. I am not giving up.” She picked up the hem of her dress, meaning to run up the rise, when John pulled her back until her lips were a fraction away from his.
“I admire your desire to find him, Lily,” he said, feeling his world somersault with her so close. Just the two of them, alone, in the trees. “To help him. To hurt for him. To love him.” He moved closer knowing he was going to kiss her, wanting it more than the air he breathed. His senses thundered, making it hard to think of anything but her.
“John,” she whispered, her mouth looking soft and ripe as a strawberry. Then her startled blue eyes went wide, and her gaze moved to his lips.
“John. There you are.” Charity ran forward, then stopped.
He pulled back quickly. “Have you found him?”
Charity shook her head.
John wrapped his hand around Lily’s, afraid she’d run off again in search of Tucker. “I promise you he’s okay. He is. He’s just embarrassed. Let it be for now. Okay? And if he’s watching us then he knows how much you care about him. That alone may be all he needs for now. Agreed? Lily?”
Several moments passed before she looked up into his face and nodded. “Agreed.”
The ride back to Rio Wells took almost an hour with the slow pace in the dark. There was moon glow for guidance, but John still had to search the road carefully, not wanting to hit a rut and take the chance of breaking a wheel. There was one part of the road that had been washed out by heavy rains, which left two big boulders in the center and made the going difficult for the buggy. On horseback it would be easy, but tonight he had to navigate off the road carefully and go around the washout.
As they approached Rio Wells, the strains of piano music floated out to meet them. Laughter from the Black Garter was clear all the way down Dry Street, where they were approaching the livery. They passed Cradle’s place on the way to drop Charity off at the hotel, and the old bay slowed, thinking he was finished for the night. John had to slap the reins a few times to get him moving.
John pulled up at the hotel. “Mind if Theodore walks you up?”
She gave him a look. “That’s fine.”
The two climbed out of the buggy, leaving John alone with Lily. Her hair fairly sparkled in the moonlight, and the warm evening air wrapped around them like a soft, finely knit blanket. “Did you have a nice time tonight?”
She looked at him with her soft blue eyes, and he felt her tumble even more deeply into his heart. “I did. Your family is so kind. Everything was perfect.” She looked at her hands folded in her lap, troubled.
“I know. I’m worried about Tucker, too.”
She looked surprised he’d been able to read her thoughts. He longed to put her thoughts to rest. “I’m sure this isn’t the first time he’s been embarrassed by something he’s done. He’ll get through it and be better for it, stronger. That’s how it works.” He reached across the small distance between them and touched the tip of her nose, making her smile. “Life is hard. There’s no getting around it. All we can do is try to make each moment count.”
“What about the je…”
Before she could finish her question, John put his finger on her lips. “Shhh. Remember, mum’s the word. I’ll find out how it came to be in your aunt’s luggage. But…remember—” She was nodding, wide-eyed. “—don’t discuss it with anyone. Not even Harriett.” He wouldn’t worry her tonight about the bounty hunter that had shown up in town yesterday. She had enough to worry about with her aunt’s health and opening the new store, and now Tucker, too.
Theodore bounded out the hotel door, seemingly exuberant from his time with Charity, and hopped into the back seat. “She’s back in her room safe and sound. Checked it all out myself.” John turned the buggy around and started back toward the doctor’s office. “She sure is offish, though. It’s like I’ve done something wrong to offend her. Don’t know what that could be.”
John smiled to himself. Maybe Charity was finally facing up to the fact that she was in love with Brandon Crawford. Probably missed him all to heck and back but would die before admitting anything of the kind. This visit of hers was going to prove to be her downfall, John figured. She’d probably go running back into his arms.
Another week passed and all the while Tante Harriett’s health went up and down like the rollercoaster Lily had once seen in Boston. After moving into the rooms above the shop, she had taken to her bed and they had a hard time getting her to eat anything at all. It was as if she’d lost her will to live. Lily pleaded with her to eat and John gave her an elixir to fortify her blood, to keep her strong. Even with all the coaxing, nothing seemed to work.
Lily went about straightening the several fabrics that had arrived with the day’s stage. There was indigo-blue silk, heavy jade velvet, a taffeta of the most gorgeous color of lilac she had ever seen, chocolate brown corduroy for more serviceable, everyday clothing, and a thick cotton with a small floral pattern of greens and pinks any little girl would adore. She now had eight bolts in all, plus all the other necessities she needed to complete several gowns, purchased with the money Dr. Bixby had so generously paid her to get the place in shape. She understood that his action, spurred on by John, was more an act of charity than born of real need, but there was nothing she could do, with the impossible exception of leaving town, to change their minds. She had accepted, but had written down the amount in her book of accounts and planned to save a portion from each sale and pay the doctor back. She’d also pay rent, no matter what they argued.
She gazed around in satisfaction. Now all she needed was a customer. Tomorrow was the official grand opening, and Charity had insisted that she put a small advertisement in the Rio Wells Republic, even if it had cost her fifty cents. You have to spend money to make money, Charity had told her.
Excitement—and a little bit of fear—hummed through her veins. For the past year and a half, she and her aunt had been working side by side, measuring and stitching and doing alterations. Together they had created some of the most beautiful gowns circulating in Boston today. If Tante Harriett did not get stronger, and her mental state did not improve, Lily was going to be on her own. That was a frightening thought. She knew she could do it, but didn’t want to have to. She and her aunt were a team.
The little bell that Tucker had fastened above her door tinkled as the door opened, and he came striding though the doorway. Since the night of the party he had not said a word about his accident with the cake.
“I see everything is ready for the grand opening tomorrow. You excited?”
“Very much so.” She held out her hand and they laughed as it quivered unsteadily.
“You’ll do fine. John wants to know how your aunt is this morning. He and Doc Bixby are going to be going out in a while to Martha Brown’s place to check on Candy. Said he’ll check on your aunt as soon as he gets back.”
Lily couldn’t stop her smile and the pleasure she felt at Tucker’s question. John checked in on her and her aunt so many times a day it was almost getting to be a joke. “Tell him she’s about the same. That she took several big spoonfuls of soup this morning and is now taking a nap. She’ll be just fine until he comes by this afternoon. Also, tell him we can string a wire from my apartment to the doctor
’s office with two cans on the ends, like we used to do back in Germany. Then we can just talk person to person.”
“I know what you mean. I think I’ve worn the leather off the bottom of my shoes, but I’m not complaining. I like visiting.”
“What is going on over there?” she asked, meaning the doctor’s office. “Any patients?”
“No. And I can see John’s getting restless. Charity came over early and is making them breakfast before they go. Theo’s already been in and out a couple of times for no reason at all except to look at Charity. I don’t think he likes his new job at the livery.”
“Is that what he said?”
“In not so many words, but yeah.”
“Well, it was good of Cradle to hire him on, especially since he is giving him free room and board. He’s lucky to find work so quickly.”
Tucker laughed. “Maybe. But, I think his goal is to win Charity’s heart. How can he do that smelling like horse manure?”
John and Charity stepped into the shop. The hat dangling in John’s fingers gave Lily a nice view of his freshly shaven face and his hair, which was still damp around the edges. Lily’s heart flipped over, as it did every time he was near, and she had to glance away before he saw the truth in her eyes. He came in further and looked around nodding, apparently pleased at how the shop had come together. “You all ready for tomorrow, Florence?”
Lily narrowed her eyes as Charity hugged her. He chuckled.
“What’s this?” John looked at the length of fabric she’d cut yesterday and had left out on the cutting table.
“The fabric for the frame you built. You know, my button art piece. It is the last thing on my to-do list. I want to have it hung up by this evening. At least, that is my intention.”
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