Читать книгу A Family For The Holidays - Sherri Shackelford - Страница 10
ОглавлениеJake carefully considered his options. He hadn’t paid much heed to Emil’s recent desertion from Frozen Oaks. Given the current circumstances, the time had come to rectify his oversight.
As he calculated his odds of escaping the room unseen, Lily stirred. Her eyes drifted open. Her forehead creased and she glanced around the room. Her gaze landed on his face and he noted the exact moment when she recognized him.
She surged upright and reached for Sam and Peter. “What happened?”
“You fainted,” Peter said. “Like this.”
He rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, let his jaw go slack and flapped his arms weakly.
“All right, that’s enough.” A wash of color suffused her pale cheeks. Lily grasped Sam’s and Peter’s face in turn, then patted them up and down. “Are you both okay?”
Jake backed toward the door. “You shouldn’t stand up just yet.”
Her wary gaze swept over him. “Thank you for assisting me. I’ve never fainted before. I don’t know what came over me. You mustn’t put yourself out any longer on my account.”
As her words tumbled over each other, she discretely reached for her reticule and squeezed the bag. No doubt checking to see if he’d pickpocketed her traveling money.
Jake pinched the bridge of his nose and silently willed his forbearance. In that moment he missed being a plain old US marshal. He missed the time when ladies had looked upon him with admiration instead of wariness and distrust.
He shook the unexpected thought from his head. What did he need of ladies’ attention? He’d long ago forsworn having his own family. The world was too dangerous for raising children. Especially out West. He did this job for a greater good than his own. In the beginning he’d felt the occasional twinges of loneliness. Given time, the hollow ache in his chest had eased. He was the rare man who accepted his fate. Some payments went beyond money.
Lily touched a hand to her forehead. “Perhaps you’re right. I need a few more minutes. The room is spinning a bit.”
“Try taking some deep breaths.” His fingers itched to ease the lock of hair from her forehead once more. The feel of the silky texture lingered on his memory. “That should help.”
He retrieved his gloves and yanked the leather over his hands. This job was his life. He’d come to accept his craving for danger as a flaw in his character that wouldn’t be fixed. His desire for the chase was an almost physical pain if not satisfied. The lure of risk and the thrill of capture were as necessary to him as the blood running in his veins. He was a man unfettered by obligations, and happy for it.
“Leave town,” he ordered. Lily was suspicious of him, and he’d exploit her fear to his advantage, even if it pained him. “There’s nothing for you in Frozen Oaks, Miss Winter.”
She gaped at his sudden announcement. “I beg your pardon.”
“You heard me.”
Sam’s eyes widened in betrayal at the harsh tone, and Jake glanced away. He was proud of the work he’d done over the years. He was proud of his career. Though he knew what he was doing was necessary, he wasn’t experiencing that same pride this instant. Terrifying women and children went against his nature.
He reached into his pocket and closed his fingers around the penny he’d been carrying all these years. Why carry the past around in his pocket?
He extended his hand toward Peter. “This is for the next time you’re near the penny candy.”
“Thanks.” Peter grinned, instantly mollified.
He ruffled the boy’s hair. “Share with your brother.”
Catching Lily’s gaze, he set his jaw. “Once you’ve had a decent rest and a good meal, you’d best leave this town, Miss Winter.”
His villainous skills were rusty. He sounded as though he was asking her to tea instead of giving her a piece of advice that may very well save her life. Though he knew what he was doing was for the best, he was trapped, in that moment, into playing the villain.
Her iridescent blue eyes grew puzzled. “Why must we leave?”
“Emil has gotten tangled in some trouble. You’d best keep the youngsters away from that.”
“What kind of trouble?” Lily searched the room as though Emil might spring out from behind the settee at any moment. “Why should I believe you? I don’t even know your name.”
“Jake.” He replaced his hat. “Frozen Oaks might be a ridiculous name for a town, but it’s still a dangerous place. Don’t trust anyone, Miss Winter.”
“Even you?”
“Especially me.”
She gave him a side-eyed glance that had him squirming like a schoolboy brought to the carpet. He glanced away from the curiosity in her shrewd gaze. After years on the job he’d become adept at reading character, and Lily struck him as a woman of unshakable integrity. While he admired the wholesome honesty in her striking blue eyes, this was no place for a tenderfoot.
“Why warn me away if I can’t trust you?” She tucked the rebellious strand of hair behind a delicate, perfectly shaped ear. “Isn’t that a bit contradictory?”
The teasing warmth in her smile whittled away at his resolve. He had to warn her away because if he was worried about her safety, he couldn’t concentrate on his job. Because if he didn’t stop Vic from selling those guns, more men would die on either side of the Cherokee war. Because simply being near her was a dangerous distraction.
Instead he said, “If you stay in this town, you’re in danger. You were hired to keep those children safe. If something were to happen to them, could you live with yourself?”
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 crushed 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.
“I need to find someone,” Lily began. She’d grown heartily weary of the current subject. Despite the outlaw’s warning, she saw no reason to doubt Emil as a guardian. “The children’s grandfather was supposed to meet our stagecoach. He’s late.”
“Who is he? I know everyone in Frozen Oaks.” Regina flashed a spiteful grin. “And all of their secrets.”
“His name is—”
A blast of glacial air indicated the arrival of another customer. As the gentleman approached their table, Regina’s face lit up. Curious, Lily studied the newcomer. His extreme fairness caught and held her attention immediately. The gentleman’s pants were striped in shades of charcoal, his waistcoat was checked in burgundy, and he’d topped his outfit with a black suit coat. The only blemish to his neat appearance was the tail end of a blue bandanna trailing from his pocket.
Though not exactly uncomely, everything about him was slightly off. He was at least a decade older than Regina, with a wide smile that stretched his loose jowls. His light blond hair was neatly trimmed, but shot with gray, washing out the color. Despite his jovial expression, there was sharp edge to his pale blue eyes.
Regina rose to her feet, rattling the table and sloshing her coffee.
“Vic,” she exclaimed, her voice breathless. “This is my friend Lily Winter. Lily, this is Vic Skaar. Vic owns the hotel and the lumberyard. He’ll own the whole town before long.”
The man grasped Lily’s outstretched hand in a bone-crushing greeting. “A pleasure, Miss Winter.”
Lily stifled a grimace at his clammy palm. “Mr. Skaar.”
Regina scooted closer and Vic smoothly evaded her advance. Glancing between the pair, Lily frowned.
“Call me Vic,” the gentleman said. “What brings you to our quaint town, Miss Winter?”
He winked at her, a curious twitch of his left cheek that didn’t completely close his eye. His greeting was so at odds with the exchange she’d shared with the gunfighter, she paused a moment before answering.
“Are you all right, Miss Winter?” Vic hoisted an eyebrow. “I didn’t mean to ask such a confusing question.”
“I’m fine.” Lily straightened. “I’m just visiting.”
“How fortunate for us.”
The look on his face was cloying and hinted at the suggestion of something more. Lily sharpened her gaze. At the boardinghouse, she’d struck down more than one overly ardent suitor who thought the maids were providing more than fresh linens. She wasn’t completely naive.
“My visit is brief,” she replied firmly. “Just until the children are settled.”
Much to Lily’s chagrin, Regina had noted Vic’s interest. The other woman’s face took on a hard look, jarring Lily’s fragile nerves. Though Regina’s cloying affection struck Lily as contrived, the other woman was clearly warning her away.
“When are you leaving?” Regina demanded.
“The evening stagecoach,” Lily cut in quickly, seeking to ease Regina’s disquiet. “I’ve escorted Sam and Peter on the last leg of their journey. We’re waiting on their grandfather. He’s late.”
Regina was the one person in town she knew, and Lily was loath to damage the relationship until she discovered Emil’s whereabouts.
Vic followed her gaze and caught sight of the siblings in deep concentration over their checkers game.
“What’s the gentleman’s name?” he asked. “Maybe I can help.”
“Emil Tyler.”
Vic’s grin faltered. “That might be a problem, Miss Winter.”
