The Ride of Her Life (13 page)

“Okay, Chipmunk,” he called. “You got up there, you can get down. Right?”

Levi took a trembly breath, his shoulders shaking beneath her arm. “What if I fall?”

“I’ll catch you.” Nick spoke with such sincerity even Lilly found herself believing the man’s words.

“And what if Mama falls?”

Despite all the branches, Nick held her gaze. “I’ll catch her too.”

13

Lilly could not believe Nick Perrin would have to catch her after all. Without the tree branch at the bottom, she would have to let Nick lift her down or risk a sprained ankle. Why had the branch broken when she’d made her ascent?

The thought of his hands on her waist made her cheeks flame hot as a soup pot. Maybe a sprained ankle wouldn’t be so bad.

“Your turn, Mrs. Hart.” Nick held up his arms. “Just like Chipmunk.”

“You jump, Mama.” Levi demonstrated the effort from beside Marguerite. “It’s fun. Don’t worry. Mr. Nick will catch you. You’ll be Chipmunk Mama.”

Ten minutes ago her son was scared witless, and now he couldn’t wait until she launched herself into the arms of Nick Perrin.

“I think I could shimmy down the trunk.”

“Don’t be silly.” Nick moved his extended arms. “Take a leap of faith. It’s not far, and I’ll catch you. I promise.”

Heart dancing in her chest, Lilly studied Nick’s sapphire eyes—such a contrast to his almost coal-colored hair. And while his grin teased her, his eyes made promises that scared her almost as much as discovering Levi in the top branches of a tree.

If she leapt, would he truly catch her?

Pride alone wouldn’t allow her to remain perched on a branch like a wild turkey, six feet from the ground, but this was asking too much. She tried to imagine how Levi felt earlier, but she was clinging to her branch for a different reason entirely.
Lord, I’m too scared
to do this.

She shook her head. This was only getting down from a tree, not making a lifetime commitment. Taking a deep breath, Lilly counted to three aloud and pushed herself from the branch.

Falling through the air lasted only a split second.

Nick Perrin caught her, just as he’d promised. His hands spanned her waist, and she clasped his well-toned arms as he lowered her to the ground.

He kept one hand firmly on her elbow and glanced at the bloodied tear in her shirtwaist. “You okay?”

“It’s only a scratch.”

Marguerite draped an arm around her shoulders. “Now that everyone is safely on the ground again, Mark and I had better get going. Trip will be wondering why we’ve been gone so long.”

“Glad you and your son are all right.” Mark tipped his hat to Lilly. “And thank you for the tour, Mr. Perrin. I enjoyed hearing about the coaster.”

“Come back anytime.”

“I may do that.” He motioned Marguerite toward the path.

“And, Lilly.” Marguerite turned one last time, her eyes twinkling. “We need to have a long talk tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow’s your morning off.” Nick kept his tone deliberately casual as he walked beside Lilly. Even though she and Levi were fine, he intended to see them both safely home.

They made their way down the path to the cottages with Levi skipping ahead of them. The trees began to cast long shadows on the lawn as the sun dipped behind the bluffs.

“So, will you be heading to town?”

Lilly kept her eyes on the path. “I like to visit my mother on Wednesdays. She works for Marguerite’s parents as their cook.”

“So culinary talents run in your family?”

Her lips curled in a smile. “Taught me everything I know.”

Levi stopped and poked a stick under a rock off to the side of the path. He pried the rock loose and it rolled over. Sitting on his haunches, he stared at the creepy crawlies beneath it as they scrambled in protest at the disturbance.

Nick placed a hand on Lilly’s arm to slow her. Levi was so intent on his bug studies, Nick hated to interrupt. Inhaling a lungful of the tangy air coming off the lake, he turned to Lilly. “I have some errands to run in town tomorrow as well. Would you and Levi care to join me for breakfast?”

Lilly raised her eyebrows. “Eugenia is serving
your
breakfast at the lunch counter.”

“Eugenia is cooking? Are you trying to kill my men?” He chuckled.

“She’s improving.” Lilly gave him a sidelong glance, then giggled. “Besides, it’s hard to ruin oatmeal.”

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. “As I said, would you two like to join me for breakfast—in the city?”

“Nick . . .” She dropped her gaze to the ground and pulled her shawl tight about her shoulders.

“It’s breakfast, Lilly.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from lifting her chin. “Nothing more. Three friends eating scrambled eggs
you
didn’t have to cook.”

She glanced toward Levi. “I’d better get him home.”

The wait for her answer dragged on as they walked in silence. He didn’t want to push her, but surely breakfast wouldn’t be threatening to the ironclad barrier she’d erected around her heart.

“Well?” he asked when they reached Emily’s cottage.

“See what I got, Mama?” Levi held up a toad and delivered a kiss to the creature’s mouth.

Lilly reached for her son. “Levi! What are you doing?”

“It’s not a princess, Mama. It’s only an old toad.”

“What am I gonna do with you?” She shook her head, and a smile blossomed on her face. It slid away when she looked at Nick. “What if Levi gets the wrong idea?”

“The wrong idea about what? Toads or scrambled eggs?” He flashed her a roguish grin and crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn’t giving up so easily. “I can set him straight on the toads, and if you prefer, I can tell him hard-boiled eggs are best—even if they’re a little tough to get out of their shells.”

“Are you calling me an egghead?” The breeze whipped the soft curls falling free from her bun. One appeared to tickle her cheek, and she pushed it away. She smiled, but a sigh escaped. “I guess we do have to eat, and we might as well do it with you. Where do you want us to meet you?”

“I’ll pick you both up at seven thirty.”

Before she could protest, he lifted Levi, toad and all, into his arms. “See you in the morning, Chipmunk. We’re having breakfast in town.”

“Chipmunk Mama too?”

“Absolutely.”

Adjusting the lace collar on her green-checked day dress, Lilly worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Did the dress send the wrong message? She didn’t want to wear one of her nicest dresses, but this one was still a far cry from her white shirtwaist and serviceable dark skirts she normally wore at the diner.

“Here’s your hat.” Emily handed her the matching straw hat with the large peacock plume and trailing satin ribbons. “You look lovely. You can stop fussing.”

“I’m not fussing. I simply want to appear presentable.” Lilly pinned her hat in place and splayed her hand over the belt cinched around her waist, attempting to quell the flutters in her stomach. At least the silver buckle wasn’t tarnished.

A smile widened across Emily’s face. “In that case, you are quite presentable, and so is Levi trussed up in his sailor suit—except for the dirt on his chin.”

“Dirt? Where?”

Emily giggled. “I’m teasing you. He looks adorable.”

“Why do I feel so strange doing this? It’s only breakfast between friends.” She pinned her watch to her bodice.

“Because you and I both know the way Nick Perrin looks at you does not say ‘friend.’” Emily patted her arm. “But that is not a bad thing.”

A knock sounded on the door, and Levi scrambled to answer it.

Lilly gripped the back of a chair. “This is a mistake.”

“No.” Emily draped Lilly’s spring cape around her friend. “The only mistake would be not to go.”

Levi swung the door open. “Morning, Mr. Nick.”

“My, don’t you look dapper.” He looked to find Lilly in the doorway. “And doesn’t your mama look pretty as a daisy.”

“Not daisy. Daffodil.” Levi hopped down the steps. “That’s her favorite flower, but her dress is green, so I guess she’s pretty as a toad.”

Nick chuckled. “Only you would think toads are pretty.”

“Toads are beautiful.” Levi spun in a circle. “Let’s go. I’m hungry. I want a stack of pancakes this high.” He held his hands a foot apart.

“Well, Lilly, shall we go feed this starving boy?”

She nodded, and they started down the path toward the service road. Lilly stopped at the sight of a waiting carriage. “You brought a rig.”

“Sure. I told you I had errands. I rented this one when I arrived and keep it at one of the farms nearby.”

“I thought we’d be riding the streetcar.”

He shrugged and plopped Levi in the seat. “Same difference. We’ll get there either way.”

Except this way, she’d have to sit beside him alone all the way to town. What if someone saw them?

“Mrs. Hart?” He held out his hand to assist her.

She took it and sucked in a breath at the roughness of his hand as he helped her in. Of course his hands would be calloused with all of the manual work he did, but she hadn’t expected it.

Levi bounced on the leather seat and growled. “I’m hungry as a bear, Mr. Nick.”

Nick climbed into the carriage and picked up the reins. “One breakfast for three hungry bears, coming right up.”

14

With Levi wedged properly between Nick and her, Lilly relaxed into the carriage’s leather seat. The service road wound around the lake, and she enjoyed seeing the part of the resort that had yet to spring to life for the summer season. For several years she’d summered here with the Westings and then with Benjamin. Only since his death had she not spent the hottest months of the year here at Lake Manawa.

“Can you tell me about this part of the lake?” Nick pointed to the structures lining the south shore.

“The beach is called Manhattan Beach. I think the original developers wanted it to have an upscale eastern feel. The small building by the electric fountain is Louie’s French Restaurant. The big pavilion jutting out into the water like a peninsula is the Kursaal. It has a wonderful dance floor upstairs, and the whole building lights up at night. It’s quite something.”

“It sounds like you’ve been there before.”

“It’s where I met Benjamin.”

“If you don’t mind telling me, I’d like to hear how you met him.”

“It’s a long story.”

“We’ve got a ways to go.”

“Tell him, Mama. Tell him how Daddy didn’t care you were poor.”

“Levi.” She placed a restraining hand on his leg and looked at Nick. “I wasn’t poor, not in the destitute sense, but I wasn’t in his social class either. His parents didn’t approve.”

“I gathered that from the other day. So, how’d you meet?”

“Before Marguerite and Trip married, her family had fallen on some hard times. They’ve recovered since then, but at the time, they could keep only my mother on their household staff. I moved in with Marguerite and Trip temporarily soon after they wed.”

“You two are obviously close.”

“Yes, almost like sisters. We grew up together in the Westing household. Except she was their daughter and I was her maid.” Lilly paused and let the sunshine warm her cheeks. She closed her eyes, letting the scenes play in her mind. “Since Marguerite had always enjoyed parties and balls, she had quite a collection of frocks. That summer she nagged me until I borrowed one and went to a ball with her. I met Benjamin Hart that night. He had no idea I didn’t own the clothes on my back.”

“Mama was so pretty he couldn’t help but love her.”

Nick grinned at Levi. “I bet.”

Lilly’s cheeks heated. “Ben asked to court me, but I turned him down. I knew with his parents’ standing in the community, there was no way they’d accept me.”

“He persisted?”

“Let’s just say if you think I’m stubborn . . .” She let the words trail off. “By the next year, we married, and we moved in with his parents. Two years later, God blessed us with the arrival of Levi.” She hugged her son, surprised at how easily she’d spoken of Ben in front of Nick.

“But his parents never approved.” He shook his head in disbelief. “You’d think a good Christian family . . .”

“Ben’s parents might attend services on Christmas and Easter to keep up appearances, but I’d hardly say they walk with the Lord on a daily basis.”