Texas Twilight (25 page)

She pointed to the door.

Harland walked out of the school room and
disappeared behind the school. Charity looked around the room, then
went over to Mark, righted his chair and helped him into it. Then
she picked up the frightened Jedediah and hugged him to her. Jane,
overcome with emotion, wrapped her tiny arms around them both.

***

John went out on the boardwalk and leaned his
palms against the railing, looking up and down the mid-morning
street. Two weeks had passed since the murder, and Boone had gone
off, to where John didn’t know. From the west a cloud of dust
preceded a herd of cattle being driven past on its way to the stock
yard. The Texas Longhorns nonchalantly trotted by, their docile
temperaments in opposition to their huge horns. Every now and then
one would snag a post, causing a traffic jam of sorts.

Dustin came round the corner and stopped for
a moment and watched the cattle, too. His cousin nodded to John
when he saw him outside the office, but said nothing before
venturing inside Lily’s shop. They were falling in love. It was
plain to anyone who had eyes. And the question was—why wouldn’t
they? Furthermore, he thought irritably, why should he even care?
Wasn’t he engaged to be married to someone else?

John went back into the office and picked up
his black bag. It was time for him to go check on Harriett. When he
entered the shop, Lily was exactly where he thought she’d be, hard
at work stitching Madeline’s gown, the exact spot she’d been in for
the past two weeks. Her chair, near the window, allowed plenty of
light as she stitched the huge piece of fabric rumpled by her feet
and draped across two padded saw horses. Dustin leaned against the
cutting table, talking with her.

“Mornin’,” John said, pretending the sight of
the two of them together didn’t mean anything at all. “I’ve come to
check on your aunt.”

Lily’s face brightened. “You will be happy to
hear that Tante is up this morning and taking some tea in her
chair. Some color has come back into her cheeks and she almost
seems like her old self.”

John stalled, taking in the sight of her. Her
hair was swept up on her head and she looked lovely, if a bit
tired. “You didn’t work on that dress all night, did you?” He came
closer as she turned away from his scrutiny.

“You did. Lily, you’re going to make yourself
sick if you keep up this pace.”

“He’s right,” Dustin added. “You’ll be
finished in time for the Fourth of July celebration. You needn’t
work so hard.” He gave John a look that said he’d not be left
out.

“John, is that you I hear down there?”
Harriett’s voice came from the upper level. “Come up here, young
man. I have something I’d like to discuss.”

Dustin smiled.

Lily laughed and shrugged. “See what I mean?
She’s almost back to normal.”

“John?”

“I’m on my way, Harriett. I’ll be right
there.”

Dustin waved his hand at his cousin. “Go on,
already.”

There was nothing left to do but go upstairs.
As John put his foot on the first step, he heard Dustin’s deep
voice, “Have you thought about the Fourth of July celebration
coming up, Lily? There’re a host of…”

What did
he expect? He was engaged to Emmeline. He had no rights or
expectations over Lily. Dustin had a lot to offer a wife, and Lily
had grown fond of his parents and sisters as they made frequent
visits to her shop. There was nothing,
absolutely nothing
, standing in the way of Dustin and her
getting married. At the top of the stairs he saw Harriet watching
for him expectantly from a chair in the small, upstairs
parlor.

“Good day, John,” Harriett said, her shrewd
eyes searching his face. With gnarled fingers she set the teacup
she was holding on the table and closed the book in her lap. She
looked over the top of her spectacles at him and smiled. “I’ve been
waiting for you to come by and see me.” Her tone was teasing and he
knew she meant well, but today he didn’t feel much like talking. He
set his bag on the footstool and gazed at her. “Is something
bothering you, John?”

He gave himself a mental shake. “I’m sorry.
Just thinking about my day. How’re you feeling? I’m glad to see you
up and about.”

Laugher from downstairs twisted his gut such
that he had to look away from her face.

Harriett leaned forward. “What do you expect
her to do, John?” she asked quietly.

Surprised, he just stared at her.

“She’s young and in the prime of her life.
One adapts when one knows one has no choice.”

Anger surged to the surface of his feelings.
He couldn’t hurt Emmeline like that. Only the most callous of cads
would even think of it. She’d done nothing to bring this on and
yet… And yet…

He had about as many answers this morning
about the whole relationship as he’d had yesterday—none. He took
his stethoscope out and listened to Harriett’s breathing, then
examined her eyes and reflexes. “You’re much stronger today. I’m
glad. How are your thoughts? Your concentration?”

“If you mean do I still think about the drug,
yes, I do. Not an hour goes by that I don’t desire it. But, with
prayer and perseverance, I think the craving isn’t as strong as it
once was.”

“
That’s
good. I’d say your next step would be to come down into the shop
where you can help Lily with small things and socialize a little.
Would you like me to help you down now? It would give you a chance
to get to know
Dustin
a little
better.” The edge in his voice was impossible to hide.

“Jealously doesn’t become you, Doctor.
Actually, you have nothing to be jealous of, if you’d only open
your eyes.”

John packed up his things and stood. “I don’t
know what you’re talking about. Are you going downstairs with me or
not? I’m sure Lily would also enjoy your company.”

With surprising ease she stood and waited for
him to offer her his arm. “Well, if you insist. I don’t want to
disappoint you.” He led her to the stairway and preceded her down,
making sure she had a firm hold on his arm. At the bottom she
looked around. “Oh, my. The shop is beautiful, Lily.”

Lily hurried over and met her aunt with a
hug. “This is a happy day for me.” She took her by the arm and
helped her into the main room, but not before letting John know of
her pleasure by the look in her eyes. Lily slowly led her around
the room, stopping to explain each carefully planned spot.

They ended by the window and the yards of
fabric for Madeline’s gown. Harriett bent forward and fingered the
material. “And this is Madeline’s dress for the celebration on the
fourth. Lily, it’s beautiful so far.” She lifted it up and turned
it over in her hands, inspecting the work carefully. “You’ve done a
marvelous job on the bodice. Exquisite.” She looked into Lily’s
face. “You’ve learned well. Your stitching is incredible,
exceedingly straight,” she said, now examining an arm seam closely
as if she loathed putting the garment down. “I’m so proud of
you.”

Lily’s face clouded up with emotion, so John
quickly said, “I’m off now to the ranch to see Emmeline and the
family.” With black bag in hand, he walked slowly to the door.

“Isn’t today Madeline’s fitting?” Harriett
asked in all innocence. “Perhaps you could give Lily a ride out.
She’s been cooped up for days working her heart out and I think the
fresh air would bring the roses back into her cheeks.”

Dustin
straightened quickly. “I heard Madeline and Becky talking about
coming into town today a little after noon for that exact purpose.
You don’t need to make the trip out, Lily.” He’d inched closer to
Lily and her aunt, and the look he shot to John said
don’t you
dare
.

It was only fair. John nodded and left,
feeling unease spreading through his body and out into each limb.
He’d put it away for now and enjoy his first time out of town in
days. He’d let Bo run to his heart’s content, and perhaps it would
ease his heart a little, too.

J
ohn gave Bo his
head and the gelding surged up the incline, sucking in big gulps of
air. He laid the reins against the gelding’s neck and the horse
swerved off the trail and bounded up a steeply slanted slope,
through brambles and shale, coming out almost on the hilltop. Even
though the weather was still cool, warmth from the animal’s hide
sent the scent of saddle leather and blanket wool up to John’s
senses, bringing with it a deep longing for home.

The detour he’d taken on the way out to the
ranch veered off the main road. His destination was the top of the
mountain, where he’d get a feel for the lay of the land. The weight
of his Colt 45 rested comfortably on his thigh, and his Winchester
was in its scabbard. In the next few feet the land leveled out and
John reined to a halt, stopping in front of a great drop to the
valley floor. Off in the distance was Rio Wells. Beyond that was
another mountain range, much larger than the one he was on.

A handful of clouds gathered in the west over
the far range. Perhaps later today they’d get some much needed
rain. John rested his arms on the saddle horn and felt his horse
cock his hip, relaxing too.

Emmeline. His intended. He loved her, he told
himself. He held onto that thought for a moment, as if suspended in
time, and then slumped in the saddle. No, he corrected himself. He
didn’t. He needed to face that fact, as awful as it was, and as
much as it was going to hurt. John removed his hat and ran his arm
across his moist forehead, then placed his hands on the saddle
horn, his Stetson still dangling in his fingertips.

Time seemed to stop. He welcomed the cool
breeze that moved across his face, ruffling his hair. She was a
good woman, one deserving a husband who adored her. Someone to love
and cherish her. One to give her children and take the best of care
of her…and a multitude of other things as well. He just wasn’t that
man.

John sucked in a deep breath, taking
consolation in the feel of the wind as it picked up, tousling Bo’s
mane and bringing the thunderheads, rolling closer. Angry with
himself, he put his hat back on, knowing he wasn’t the one who
needed soothing. It would be Emmeline. Today. After they talked
honestly and openly.

Without warning, his thoughts wandered to
Lily, and what she was doing right now. She and Dustin. This had
nothing to do with Lily. It didn’t. Even if he’d never met her on
that stage, he fully believed that his feelings for Emmeline
weren’t deep enough for them to marry. Even without Lily, he would
have realized that they’d made a mistake. Emmeline deserved more
than that. There was no getting around what he needed to do.

Charity rushed from the ranch house as John
tied his horse to the hitching post. Without giving him a chance to
say anything, she embraced him in a fierce hug. “I was going to
come into town to see you today.”

He laughed, enjoying her enthusiasm. “You
were? Well, I beat you to it.”

“Did you come to see Emmeline?”

“Yes. And you too, of course.”

“Of course.” Her tone said she didn’t believe
it for a second.

“I did,” he said more forcefully. “Hey, I’m
sorry about the teaching position. The parents thought you were
doing a fine job.”

Charity shrugged. “I wasn’t surprised when
they let me go. With Norman Shellston and Fred Billingsworth on the
school board, it was no wonder. What’s Harland up to these
days?”

“Don’t know. I haven’t seen him since the
incident.”

“Any news from Brandon? It’s been two weeks
since he left.”

They were halfway to the house already so he
stopped, knowing this meant as much to her as his problems meant to
him. She’d been putting on a good show, but he knew she was
hurting, wondering what Brandon was thinking. John needed to remind
himself that she’d come all the way out here to Rio Wells for him
alone, to check on him when she felt he needed her. That was a real
act of charity and he intended to remember it. His little sister
may act tough, but her heart was as soft as butter on a warm
day.

“I haven’t heard anything yet.”

A little of the light went out of her
eyes.

They again started for the house. “But, two
weeks isn’t that long when you’re investigating…” John nearly
cursed when she snatched his arm and stopped him.

“What do you mean investigating?”

“What? Nothing.”

“
John Jake McCutcheon
you spit it out right now.”

“Nothing. All I meant was that he said he’ll
be back. He didn’t give me an exact date but if he said he’d be
back, he will.”

“You know where he went though, don’t you? I
can see it in your face. If you don’t tell me right now I’ll think
you don’t have a conscience at all.”

John took her by her shoulders to settle her
down. Brandon had made him swear he wouldn’t tell her anything more
than that he’d ridden out. John was just trying to stay out of it,
but knew now that he had to say something.

“Brandon asked me not to say anything, Char.
I’m in the middle of you two and I don’t like that one bit. But
there are some other circumstances, too, that kept me from telling
you the whole story, and they still won’t let me.”

She searched his face, trying to read between
the lines to figure out what he wasn’t telling her.

“He’ll be back, Charity. That I can say with
confidence. And I think it won’t be that much longer before he is.
But, honestly, that’s all I can tell you.” He could have added that
concerning the two of them, Brandon hadn’t told him what he was
thinking.

Her eyes turned dark. The gusto she’d
displayed when he first rode up was gone. “Come on,” he said
lifting her chin with his finger. “It’s going to be all right. And
when it is you’re going to wonder why you were so upset.”