The Ride of Her Life (17 page)

Levi hugged her legs. “Was it the bestest ride ever, Mama?” He didn’t wait for a response but moved on to hugging Nick. “Do you want to go again with me, Mr. Nick?”

Lilly shook the folds of her gored skirt back in place and flashed Nick a smile. “I’d sure appreciate it. It was awfully high.”

The corners of Nick’s lips bowed. “In that case, sure, Chipmunk. I’ll go with you.”

“One thing.” Levi wagged a finger at Nick. “Don’t hug me like you did Mama. That’s for girls.”

18

Nick marched up the stairs onto the porch of Mrs. Whitson’s boardinghouse. A few members of his work crew lounged on wicker chairs, the remainder having gone to town for the evening. One of his men exited the building, and the boardinghouse’s medicinal scent followed. Why did Mrs. Whitson’s house always reek of camphor?

After shucking his coat, Nick tossed it on the back of a worn chair and then dropped into the chair. He shifted and the wicker creaked. “Can nothing go right?”

Sean peeked over the top of his newspaper, and his eyebrows rose. “Trouble with the lass?”

“All I did was ask Lilly if she’d like an escort to church services on Sunday. What was the crime in that?”

Sean folded the newspaper and set it aside. “I take it she didn’t enjoy yer day with the beasties?”

“Oh, I think she liked the animals fine. It’s me she doesn’t seem to want to be around.”

“Nick, my boy, the lassie is sweet on you fer sure, but her heart is torn. Ya need to be patient.” Sean lifted the lid to a box and pulled out the wooden piece he’d been whittling. He handed Nick a second piece.

Nick opened his pocketknife and began to peel away the wood on the toy he’d been constructing. “I keep telling myself that, but when I think she may be letting me into her life a bit, she closes me off.”

“I hate to break this to ya, boyo, but even yer blue-eyed charm can’t open every door.”

“Why won’t she trust me?”

“Why should she?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t get your rankles up. I’m asking ya if you’ve truly thought of what yer asking her to do in taking a chance on the likes of ya.”

Nick laughed and glanced at his friend, whose eyes were alight from the good-natured ribbing. He fingered the chunk of wood in his hand, enjoying the feel of its solid structure. “Lilly could do worse than me.”

“Could she?” Though he kept his voice casual, seriousness swept the twinkle from Sean’s face. “She’s already lost one husband, and ya don’t exactly have a desk job. Ya want to build a business more dangerous than most anything a man could think of, and near as I can figure, ya haven’t asked God to help ya in this once.” He set his wood toy on the table. It wobbled, so he shaved off another sliver of wood.

Nick used the tip of his knife to cut an intricate pattern on the side of the cube. “I have prayed about it.”

“Truly? A real God-doing-the-leadin’ prayer, or a wish-list prayer?”

Nick’s chest tightened. His knife slipped and pricked the fleshy part of his thumb. He pressed his forefinger to it to quell the flow of blood and sighed. His prayer had been more about asking God to do what Nick wanted, not necessarily to do what was best for Lilly. Had he been prideful and assumed he was the answer to her struggles?

“Nick, my boy, she needs a friend. Love can bloom out of that—if it’s the Lord’s will. Ya know that. But make sure ya know what yer gettin’ into. A part of her heart will always belong to her deceased husband. Always.” He held up the wooden piece he was working on. “Do ya want to quit now, boyo?”

Levi was going to love their surprise, but their project was time consuming. Yet Sean wasn’t simply talking about what they were constructing. Good old Sean always asked the hard questions, making Nick consider things he didn’t want to.

Nick shook his head. “No. I’m not giving up.”

Maybe he didn’t know what he was doing, but he did know he couldn’t abandon Lilly and Levi like Ruby Rawlins had abandoned him. Trust was a fragile thread and easily snapped. He’d be her friend. He’d pray for her. He’d show her she could lean on him.

He’d be there for her until God told him something different.

Tapping the pencil against the ledger, Lilly studied the figures before her. Thank goodness summer was coming and she could make Levi’s trousers into knee pants. If she wanted enough money for a place of her own by fall, she’d need every penny. As it stood, she already had a tidy little sum set aside.

A chill in the air of Emily’s cabin made her shiver and reminded her of the gray clouds that seemed to be blowing in this afternoon. While her spirits had lifted with the church services, they’d sunk with the gloomy weather and the dismal figures.

“How are things looking?” Emily draped a shawl over Lilly’s shoulders.

“Thanks to your letting us stay here, I think I’ll have enough to get a place by the end of the summer if nothing significant happens. It’ll be close, but we should be able to buy a house before school starts in the fall. Maybe sooner, if I can find one that needs a little work.”

Emily sat down at the parlor’s small table. “My grandmother says you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want, even after I go back to managing the team with Carter.”

Looking up from her work, Lilly studied her friend’s face. Dark circles no longer rimmed Emily’s eyes. Since her grandmother had sent a cook/nanny over, at least Emily was getting a little more sleep, but she looked sad at the mention of her husband’s name. “Have you heard from Carter?”

“Received a letter today.” Emily pulled an envelope from her pocket. “He is missing Katie and me terribly and thinks sending me here for the summer was a horrible idea.”

“What do you think?”

Emily giggled. “I think if he had to listen to Katie’s crying every night, he’d change his tune.” She traced the angular lines of the address with her fingers. “But I don’t know if I can stay here all summer without him.”

“Think he might visit?”

Emily withdrew the letter from the envelope and smoothed it on the table before them. She pointed to a section toward the bottom. “This is the schedule for the Bloomer Girls team. It’s packed so solid I don’t see any times he could get away. If I thought Katie . . .” She let her words trail off.

“What? If you thought Katie could make the trip? Emily, are you thinking of traveling to see him?”

“That would be hard to do with a baby just a few months old. Not to mention the girls’ games are all on the West Coast this year.” Tears filled Emily’s eyes. “But I miss him so much it hurts.”

“I understand.” The empty feeling that had become Lilly’s constant companion tugged at her.

“You do, don’t you?” Emily wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. Here I am going on about missing Carter when at least I’ll see him again.”

“My loss doesn’t make what you’re feeling any less important, Emily. But I do understand loneliness in a new way now.”

“Tell me.”

“At first it was crushing. I didn’t feel like I could breathe. It felt like it might swallow me whole, and I wanted it to. I didn’t know if I could go on.” Lilly closed the ledger in front of her.

“And now?”

“I still have days like that, but now when loneliness hits, it’s more like a cloudburst than a devastating storm. People say things like, ‘You should be over him by now.’ Does that make sense to you? Like losing Ben was nothing more than a case of influenza.”

Emily shook her head and squeezed Lilly’s hand. “How do you deal with the loneliness now?”

“Levi.” Lilly smiled. “He’s my life. That’s why I have to save money for a house. That’s why I’d work until my fingers fell off. Levi will have what I never did—a place with roots to call his own.”

“Excuse me, ladies.” Rose, the new cook/nanny, stepped into the doorway with a tall, flowered hot chocolate pot on a tray. “Would you care for some hot chocolate?”

“Bless you, Rose. That would be lovely.” Emily motioned for the girl to bring the service to the table. After Rose set the tray in place and departed, Emily reached for the handle of the skinny pot. “On the road, Carter and I like to have this before going to sleep as often as the hotels have it on hand. I can assure you that this is one beverage that can be made in a number of ways. Rose’s is delicious.”

“I haven’t had hot chocolate since I lived in the Harts’ house.” The steam rose from Lilly’s porcelain cup, and she inhaled the sweetness. “It’s one of the few things I miss from there.”

“Lilly, I know we were talking about Ben, and I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but have you given any thought to marrying again someday?”

“Have you been talking to Marguerite?” Lilly took a drink from her cup. “Today Nick asked Levi and me to join him for church services, but it doesn’t mean a thing. He’s a friend and that’s all, and I did not accept his invitation.”

A slow smile spread across Emily’s face. “I didn’t say anything about Nick Perrin.”

Lilly set down her cup. “Yes you did. You were talking about me marrying again.”

“Exactly, and you’re the one who brought his name into the conversation.” Emily pushed back from the table and stood. “I find that interesting, don’t you?”

“Wait a minute.” Lilly took hold of Emily’s arm. “We are not done talking about this. Where are you going?”

“To bed. I’d tell you to have sweet dreams, but I think Nick’s got that covered.”

It was still hard for Marguerite to believe her little brother had grown into such a fine young man. The whole afternoon and evening had been spent laughing, playing games with the children, and catching up, but finally he announced he needed to head back to the city.

Trip gathered Mark’s coat from the stand and passed it to him. “Do you have to leave so soon?”

Mark put on his coat. “Afraid so. After all, I’m a working man now.”

“You found a position? Where?” Trip slipped his arm around his wife’s waist.

Marguerite scowled at her brother. “And why did you keep your news until now?”

“So you couldn’t ask me a thousand questions, my dear sister. I’m working for Claude Hart.”

“Lilly’s former father-in-law?” Marguerite’s stomach flip-flopped at the thought of the man who’d been so cruel to her friend. “How could you? Don’t you know what he’s been trying to do to her? He’s practically put her on the streets because she won’t kowtow to his plans for Levi.”

Jaw tense, Mark met her glare. “He offered your former lady’s maid a chance to educate her son at the best schools, and she ran off with his grandson instead of accepting his offer.”

Marguerite’s blood pumped so hard she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears. “There’s more to it than that and you know it!”

“Easy, honey.” Trip kissed her temple. “Mark’s been away, and he may not realize the whole story.”

“Honestly, Marguerite, I didn’t mean to upset you. I took the job because Mr. Hart is the best attorney in town. Until I take and pass the bar examination, I’ll be little more than a glorified clerk, but after that, he said he has big plans for me.” Mark reached for his hat. “I started last week, and I’ve already learned a great deal.”

“Be careful of him,” Trip warned. “He didn’t amass that fortune by being kind.”

Placing his hand on the doorknob, Mark sighed. “I want to learn everything I can from him. That’s all.”

Trip clapped him on the back. “Congratulations. I’m sure you’ll do fine. Right, honey?”

Marguerite hesitated and then kissed Mark on the cheek. “I’m sure it feels like quite an honor to be hired by someone as powerful and influential as Mr. Hart. Come back and see us soon, okay?”

Mark dipped his head. “Of course. You’ll be seeing me so often you’ll get sick of me.”

After he’d gone, Trip closed and locked the door. Marguerite blew out the lamps, and they climbed the stairs to their bedroom. As soon as they were inside, Marguerite began to unbutton the itchy collar of her dress. “I can’t believe he took that job.”

Trip turned to his wife and lifted her hand to his lips. “He didn’t take the job to spite Lilly, you know.”

Marguerite sighed. “I know, but Claude Hart is—”

“Is not here.” Trip cupped her face with his hand.

The corners of her mouth lifted. “And your point?”

He ran his thumb over her cheek, making a fire spark inside her. After almost eleven years, how did this man send her heart fluttering with a single touch?