Texas Twilight (14 page)

Oh, brother
.
“Don’t think so. Why do you need to see John? Don’t you feel
well?”

“I’m fine. Well, maybe he can do something
about this bunion I have growing on my foot, but I was thinking
about a job. Maybe he needs an assistant. Since I know you, maybe
he’ll give me a try.”

She shrugged.

Theodore’s brows crumpled in
disappointment.

“You’re probably right,” she corrected
quickly. “Do you have any experience working with the sick or
injured?” She hadn’t meant to dash his hopes.

He shook his head. “Not really. But I’ve
helped my father for years in his office. I file and take notes. I
also have a good head for doing sums. And I’m a fast learner. “

“In that case, he might well need you. I
don’t know. I think he’s all alone in his practice. And he’s just
gotten to town so maybe he hasn’t hired anyone yet. But,
understand, I’m just guessing at all this. We’ll just have to wait
to see what the future brings.”

***

Lily and Harriett hastened over to the sale
area, where a crowd of people were eagerly waiting. John was there,
with Tucker and the old doctor. Dr. Bixby lifted up the long rope
that circled the items and men and women rushed in. Lilly hurried
to John’s side.

“Good morning. I saw you at church but didn’t
get a chance afterwards to say hello. How are you?” he asked when
he saw her.

“Excited.”

“You should be. Look at this turnout.” He
gestured to the many people milling through the sale items. “All
your hard work is going to pay off.”

“
Your
hard work,”
she corrected, and then laughed when he gave her a stern look. “All
right,
our
hard work.
This really is beyond my wildest expectations.” She sucked in a
deep breath as her eyes wandered over his face.
“
Your
stitches. You took them out.
” She couldn’t stop a murmur of approval that slipped from
her throat, but suppressed her impulse to reach up and caress the
punished spot. “It looks
so
much
better.”

“Last night. And yes, I’m happy with the way
it’s healing up. Not even a hint of infection.”

Tante Harriet, who stood patiently by Lily’s
side, sighed wearily.

“Come inside, Harriett. You can relax in the
waiting area while we work the sale,” John said, taking her by the
arm.

“Thank you.”

Lily noticed the edginess of her aunt’s
voice. She had snapped at Lily this morning, but then apologized
profusely afterwards, all but heartbroken. When Lily suggested that
she might be more comfortable staying home today Harriett was
adamant that she was ready to venture out. Now Lily wasn’t so sure.
Her aunt’s wrinkled hands shook as she clutched her handbag to her
chest and clung to John’s arm.

“I’ll be right back,” John said over his
shoulder. “Tuck and Bixby are over there taking the money, in case
you’re looking for them.”

Quickly Lily reached into her handbag and
surreptitiously handed the carefully wrapped stone to John. He
nodded his understanding, folding his hand securely around it, and
then proceeded to take Harriett into the office.

Lily turned a half circle, trying to take it
all in. She’d worn her best blue dress today with her matching
suede shoes. This was the first time she would meet most of the
town’s people and she wanted to make a good impression. In church
there had been more women than she had been expecting from her
experiences here the last week. Dustin was seated a few pews in
front of her, with four other to his left before John had joined
them. It was impossible not to notice the quality of the dresses of
the three women she assumed were John’s aunt and female cousins.
Surely they had traveled to a city to purchase such well made
fashions.

“Lily,” a male voice called out. She turned
to find Dustin and the others coming her way. “I’d like you to meet
my family. My mother and father. My brother, Chaim. My sisters,
Becky and Madeline.”

“I am pleased to meet you,” she replied.
Their keen interest made her feel special.

“I’ve told them all about you and your aunt
and the shop you’re starting in Rio Wells. This is the building,
then?” His eyes glanced over the tiny structure, then landed on the
doctor’s office.

“It is. After everything out here is sold
I’ll clean it and paint it.”

Winston took a small step forward. “That’s a
fair amount of work, young lady. How ‘bout I give my boys the day
off tomorrow to come and help.”

Lily’s mouth opened to object but he’d
rendered her speechless.

“We want to help too,” Madeline said. “With
all of us working it’ll be easy.”

“That’s a wonderful idea,” his mother added.
“And I’ll stay home and help Maria with a big dinner. You’ll be
hungry when you’re all done. We never did have the welcome party
for John. We’ll incorporate the two.” She clapped her hands
together in excitement. “I can hardly wait.”

“What’s all this I hear?” John was back with
a wide grin on his face. “Lily, I see you’ve met my extended
family. What are all you cooking up without me?”

Madeline batted her long dark lashes. “We’re
all coming to town tomorrow for a work party. We’re going to help
Lily get her shop in tip-top shape.”

“And then we’re having the welcome party we
never got to have the night you arrived in town,” Becky added.

Lily was moved by all the attention and the
fact that near strangers were willing to spend a long, hot day
helping her. Her cheeks heated up so much she was tempted to reach
into her satchel and find her fan. When she glanced up she found
both John and Dustin staring at her.

“I don’t know what to say. It is such a
generous offer.”

“Mother, look,” Becky said, coming forward.
She shyly touched the cuff at the end of Lily’s sleeve. “Did you
notice the lace work? Lily, I hope you don’t mind me pointing this
out. We were looking for Rosepoint Lace the last time we went into
Abilene. Did you do this work yourself?”

“Go on, Lily,” both John and Dustin said at
the same time. They looked at each other for a fleeting second and
then looked away.

An awkward moment of silence descended.

“Yes, I did. My sisters and I all learned to
make lace from an early age in Germany. By hand with only a needle.
My mother is incredibly talented. She handed her love of it down to
us.”

“It’s beautiful,” Winnie said, taking a
closer look. “The finest I’ve ever seen. I’m sure we’ll be some of
your first customers when you open.”

John’s smile sent tingles down to her toes.
“It was Lily who sewed up my wound,” he said, pointing to the red
line, which was still tender looking, on his face. “She did a fine
job, too.”

Uncle Winston jumped in. “Tools and such, do
you have any? Paint brushes, scrapers, hammers and saws. Nails and
screwdrivers. If not, the boys can bring ‘em out.”

She looked at John for the answer.

“Yeah, that would be helpful. I don’t know
yet what Bixby has around here in the way of carpentry things,” he
said, then laughed at the absurdity of the statement as he waved
his arm wide. “Except all this.”

Everyone laughed.

John looked over to where Tucker and Bixby
were taking in money quickly, then glanced back at Lily, his
eyebrows arched in question.

“I guess we better get to work,” Lily said.
“While there’s still something to do. It was a pleasure to meet all
of you.”

The group moved away. “See you tomorrow,”
Becky said, as she waved.

“W
hoa,” the
stage driver shouted out, pulling back on the reins. The tired
horses came to an abrupt stop in front of the same Wells Fargo
stage office where John and Lily’s coach had halted eleven days
prior. The stage jerked a couple times, settling in, and Charity
heard the driver press the foot brake down with crushing force.
“Rio Wells,” he called out sharply.

An employee came out and opened the door for
Charity and Theodore. “Have any problems between Draper Bottom and
here?”

“Trouble?” Theodore asked. He’d been the
first one out and reached up to assist Charity.

“No,” she said, waving Theodore’s hand away
and climbing out easily on her own. “Why do you ask?”

“Three people were killed not too long ago
coming in from the East.”

Charity looked around, taking in the
dirty-looking street and the hotel across it. Well, that was
certainly reason enough to ask. She was glad she hadn’t known that
news before, during the hours of solitude out in the badlands. Then
when his words registered, she gasped. “From the East?”

He nodded. “Two men and a woman. She was to
be the new teacher here in Rio Wells. Come all the way out from New
York only to be murdered the day before reaching town.”

Charity grasped the man by the arm as he
turned to go back into the stage office, stopping him n his tracks.
His surprised face gaped at her.

“Do you know the men’s names? The ones that
were killed?”

“No miss, I don’t.” He pulled free and walked
quickly away.

In a panic, Charity glanced around the town
but didn’t see anyone else to question. She ran into the stage
office as she heard her trunk hit the dirt behind her, tossed down
by the guard. She was disappointed to find that the man she’d
already questioned was the only one there.

“Is there anyone else here who might know the
names of the men who were killed?”

“No, miss, it’s Sunday. I’m the only one
here.”

Theodore came up to her side. “Charity what’s
wrong? Why are you so upset?”

“Because I’ve had this bad feeling for a
while that something awful has happened to my brother and now this
man tells me that three of the passengers last week were killed.
What if one was John?”

“Where is everyone today, anyway? The town
seems deserted,” Theodore asked, without answering Charity’s
question.

The clerk reached under the counter and
brought out a two sheet newspaper and opened to the center fold. He
turned it upside-down so the newcomers could read it. “Big sale
today down on Dry Street. That’s just around the corner. Lots of
things being sold off at a fraction of the cost. Everyone’s over
there.”

Charity ran out without saying another word.
“Come on, Theodore,” she called, picking up her trunk with strong
arms, intending to take it with her.

The driver stopped her before Theodore could.
“Give me that before you hurt yourself, miss.” He grasped it and
had to tug several times before she finally let go. “I’ll take this
to the hotel across the street and they’ll hold it for you until
you decide what you’re going to do.” His eyes were still round that
she’d handled the heavy box so easily.

“Thank you,” she called as she took off at a
run. Theodore was following behind. Within moments she was close to
the corner and she could hear laughter and talking. Rounding the
street she stopped dead in her tracks. Why, it must be the whole
town of Rio Wells and then some. If she had to guess there must be
near three hundred people looking at a street full of junk. She
plunged into the throng of townsfolk, looking back and forth.

She stopped in front of a man who was looking
at an extraordinarily large bottle of molasses. “Excuse me, sir. Do
you know a man named John McCutcheon?”

He paused to look at Charity. “John
McCutcheon? No. I know Winston and his sons, though.”

“Do you see them here anywhere?”

He straightened and looked around for a few
minutes. “Sorry, no. But that don’t mean they aren’t here. I can’t
see everyone, you know.”

“Yes, I know,” she answered as she moved on.
Her heart was getting heavier by the second.

“Charity, wait up,” Theodore called as she
pushed her way through the crowd.

“Why, Bixby, you ol’ goat. This man wants to
give you two dollars for that old clock. I think you’re getting a
heck of a deal.”

Charity stopped at the sound of familiar
laughter. She turned in the direction and scanned the people.
Gasping, she all but ran and vaulted into John’s arms, almost
knocking him over.

He had to
set her away to see who it was. “
Charity!
”

“I was so sure you were dead,” she said,
barely getting the words past her strangled throat. She squeezed
tightly, making sure he wasn’t a figment of her imagination and
would be gone when she opened her eyes. “You’re alive. You’re
really here.” She stepped back and opened one eye slowly,
fearfully. “Aren’t you?”

Just then Theodore burst through the crowd
and ran into Charity’s back knocking her back into John’s arms.

“What the heck is going on here?” the old man
next to John asked loudly. “Who is this young woman?”

John set
Charity away again but by the stricken look on her face he knew
that she’d noticed the ugly red line running from his hairline to
the center of his ear. “
This
is
my baby sister,” he said proudly. “Charity, meet Dr. Bixby, the man
I’ll be replacing someday.” He winked at the old man. “We don’t
know when that day is just yet, but that’s all right.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said
without much conviction. She reached up as if she were going to
touch John’s face, but didn’t. Her expression was soft, sad. “What
happened?”

“Our stage was attacked. I made it, but three
others didn’t.”

Lily was watching from a few feet away. He
waved her over.

“This is Emmeline, then?” Lily asked, coming
to stand by his side.

John let
out a bark of a laugh that grabbed everyone’s attention. Heads
turned in their direction. He shook his head. “No. This is
my
sister
, Charity
McCutcheon. She surprised me. She made the trip all the way from
Montana by herself.” He looked at her and then glanced around at
the people. “You did come alone, didn’t you? I haven’t seen Luke or
Matt or anyone.”