Wings of a Dove (31 page)

    "Looks like you're right, Lil."

    "Come home with me for a few minutes, boy. Mama Lil can cure all ills." Delaney hesitated and she slipped her arm through his. "Might as well, Delaney. You've got the whole town
buzzin
' already."

    Delaney looked down into Lil's pleasant smile. She made him feel good. With a small shrug, he fell into step beside her.

    Delaney was keenly aware of the curious eyes that followed Lil's and his progress down the street and around the corner toward her rooms. Obviously aware of the onlookers, Lil played her role to the hilt, sending coy glances to him from under the brim of her ridiculous hat and swaying boldly as they walked. It was only after they had climbed the familiar wooden staircase to her rooms and the door had closed behind them that she released an annoyed breath.

    "Well, do you think we put on a good enough show for the nosy bastards, darlin'?"

    Watching as Lil carefully removed her hat and placed it on the dresser, Delaney gave a short nod. "I suppose. But the truth is, Lil, I don't know what the hell I'm doing here."

    Lil gave a small laugh. "You're makin' up for
havin
' badly neglected your friend Lil these past few months, that's what you're doin'. And while you're sittin' here talkin' and doin' whatever else comes into your mind, I'm goin' to take care of that cut on your mouth. What the hell did that fella do, anyway? Did he knock out a tooth?"

    Annoyed, Delaney did not bother to respond. Dammit! He still didn't know how Allie had managed to stop him from giving James what he had coming.

    Turning to the washstand, Lil allowed Delaney his silence as
 
she poured water into the basin and picked up a towel. At his side again, she instructed huskily, "Sit down and make yourself to home. You've been here often enough not to wait on invitation."

    Wincing as Lil pressed the moistened cloth against his mouth, Delaney stayed her hand. "I can do it, Lil. This isn't the first time I've had a split lip, and I don't expect it to be the last."

    Resisting his attempt to take the cloth from her hand, Lil shook her head. "It was all so unnecessary, darlin'. You didn't have to rile up the whole town by
draggin
' that sweet young thing through the streets and out of sight on that deserted hill when Lil was waitin' to accommodate you any time you wanted."

    "It wasn't like that, Lil."

    "Wasn't it?"

    "No."

    Lil's light eyes searched his face. "Then why didn't you beat that fella to a pulp for hittin' you? I saw him and the girl when they came back. He didn't have a mark on him."

    Delaney shook his head. "I don't really know. Allie was crying and I didn't want to upset her any more, and… well, it doesn't matter much. I won't be around here much longer, anyway."

    Lil's hand stilled. Her expression blank, she dropped the cloth back into the basin. "You expect to be leavin'?"

    "Soon, Lil." A sense of commitment finally settling inside him as he spoke the words aloud for the first time, Delaney attempted a smile. "I haven't said anything to anyone else about it, yet."

    "The girl and you came to the Case farm together. That's why you dragged her up there, isn't it, to tell her you made up your mind. She's the first person you wanted to tell."

    "I promised her."

    Lil turned away abruptly. She replaced the basin on the washstand and turned back toward him with a smile.

    "I suppose I should be happy that you told me before you told anybody else, but I'm not." Covering the distance between them in a few short steps, Lil pressed herself flush against Delaney's length. She wound her arms around his neck and pressed    closer still. "I'd much rather you told me you was goin' to make this town your permanent home."

    "You never really expected that, did you, Lil?"

    "No, I guess not."

    Lil was pressing light kisses against his chin and neck when Delaney carefully dislodged her arms from his neck. There was a strange sadness inside him.

    "No, Lil, not now."

    Delaney did not expect the tears that sprang into Lil's light eyes.

    "Lil…"

    "Hell, boy, I knew you was slippin' away from me when you stopped visitin' me except to talk these past months. But I knew you wasn't spendin' time with any of the other girls, so I figured I'd give you some time to work out whatever was botherin' you."

    The sadness inside Delaney expanded into a deadening ache. He hadn't made a conscious decision about any of this today, but somehow seeing Allie so unexpectedly with James…

    "Lil, you know I appreciate everything you've done."

    "I don't need gratitude, Delaney. It was my pleasure."

    "And mine."

    Lil's hand slipped up to caress his cheek.

    "Sure you wouldn't like one last time?"

    "Lil…"

    "I figured I'd offer."

    Lil's womanly heat was still tight against him, but it somehow stimulated nothing more than a friendly warmth inside him.

    Friend.

    A vision of Allie's face suddenly supplanted Lil's vibrantly painted features, and Delaney stepped back. He had some unfinished business to settle, and now that he had said what he had to say to Lil, he was just wasting time.

    "Dammit, Lil, I"

    "I can see you got a lot on your mind, darlin', and I'm not about to get in your way. Just remember, I'm here for you any time you want me. I always will be, so get yourself along, now."

    Sliding her arm under his, Lil stepped to his side as she walked with him to the door. "Your mouth's still a little puffy, but the bleedin' is stopped, and you spent enough time in here to keep   tongues waggin' for another week, at least. What's this town goin' to talk about after you leave?"

    Hesitating only a moment at the door, Delaney pressed a light kiss against Lil's full lips.

    "You're one in a million, Lil."

    Lil's smile widened. "That I am."

    Delaney rapidly descended the wooden staircase, the woman standing in the upstairs doorway behind him already replaced in his mind by the vivid picture of a small, pale face and disturbing dark eyes. He did not look back to see a tear slip down Lil's cheek as she slowly turned and closed the door behind her.

    Allie's eyes closed briefly. Her mind was still reeling from the rapid progression of events that had run so suddenly out of control on the sun-drenched rise of Tillman Hill. The wagon rattled noisily along the road and Allie raised her eyes to the farmhouse, which had come clearly into view with the last turn. Anxiety choked her as she glanced covertly at James's stiff expression.

    The long ride from town had been a terrible ordeal. She had employed every conceivable line of reasoning in an attempt to convince James that he had jumped to the wrong conclusion when he saw Delaney and her together, but she had been unsuccessful. The realization that her continued efforts only served to incite James to greater anger had finally silenced her. But the silence that had reigned for the last few miles had been so heavy and uncomfortable that it had only increased the strain.

    Panic overwhelmed Allie. She could not allow James to speak to Papa Case in his present frame of mind. She had to convince him that Delaney would never hurt her. Why couldn't he understand that, in hurting her, Delaney would only be hurting himself because Delaney and she were part of each other?

    Instinct had sealed her lips to that approach with James. He had never understood the bond between Delaney and herself, and in his present state of agitation she knew he would be more hostile than ever to any mention of that unspoken bond. But she could not let him tell Papa Case what he thought he had seen. She could not fail Delaney.

    A new panic assailing her as James drew the wagon to a halt in front of the house, Allie watched as he stepped down and    rounded the wagon to lift her to the ground. Her hands closed over his in a last appeal as her feet touched the ground.

    "James, please, won't you believe me? Delaney and I were having a foolish argument, and he was angry."

    "Allie, I don't intend to discuss this with you any further. Go into the house."

    "I won't go, James."

    James's pale blue eyes met hers and Allie despaired at the anger there.

    "James, don't be angry with me, please."

    James's heated gaze flicked measuring over her face for long seconds before he spoke again. "Is that what you think, Allie? That I'm angry with you?" His color high, James gave a short laugh. "I'm angry with myself for having allowed this whole thing to go as far as it did."

    "You misunderstood, James. Delaney"

    Suddenly seizing her shoulders, James gave her a hard shake. "What will it take to make you see what Marsh really is, Allie, to see what he intended today up on that hill?"

    "We were arguing, James."

    "That wasn't anger I saw on his face. It was…" James shook his head. A muscle twitched in his cheek. "I always knew I was wasting my time trying to talk some sense into you about Marsh. Like a fool, I kept trying until it was almost too late. Well, the time for talk is past, Allie. If you're too blind to protect yourself against Marsh, I'm going to do it for you. And if you hate me for it, I'm sorry."

    "James"

    "Go into the house, Allie."

    Dropping his hands from her shoulders, his expression resolute, James did not wait for her response. Turning, he strode toward the barn and the shadowed form of his father just inside the entrance.

    Her breath catching on a sob, Allie turned toward the house. A sense of foreboding forming a hard lump in her throat, she quickened her step and walked into the silence of the kitchen. Somehow she knew that silence would not be of long duration.

    "Get your things together, Delaney."

    Allowing the kitchen door to close behind him, Delaney appraised Jacob Case's stiff expression. The room was unnaturally bright in contrast with the twilight from which he had emerged, and Delaney squinted against the glare. James stood a few steps to his father's right, and there was no need to ask for an explanation of the short command. James had obviously done his work well.

    Delaney met Mr. Case's gaze. "I don't suppose it would do any good for me to tell you what really happened on Tillman Hill today."

    "Pa knows what happened there, Marsh! What's more, he knows what
almost
happened, and he's no more willing than I am to wait around and let you have a second chance."

    Ignoring James's heated interjection, Delaney turned back to his father. "Mr. Case"

    "You're wasting your breath, Delaney." His voice low, Jacob Case frowned. "If circumstances were different, we'd sit here and talk this whole thing out, but your presence in this household is too heavy a burden for this family to bear any longer."

    Stiffening, Delaney shook his head. "You've always gotten your money's worth out of me. I've never put my work off onto anybody, no matter how much time I spent at the newspaper."

    "I'm not arguing that point, Delaney. You've worked hard and long on this farm, and you fulfilled every stipulation of your contract with us and more." His expression suddenly weary, Mr. Case shook his head. "If you think a little harder, you'll realize what I'm trying to say. The fact is, boy, you never fit in here. Allie was one of us from the beginning, but you were a point of friction that's only gotten worse with the years. It's time to rid ourselves of that friction once and for all."

    "That's not fair, Papa!" Stepping into the kitchen, Sarah continued, her beautiful face flushed with anger, "James never gave Delaney a chance to be a part of the family. He smiled and fussed over his little pet, Allie, from the day she came, but all he ever did was pick on Delaney. And now he's telling lies about him! I don't believe a word he said! He's just jealous because Delaney's a better man than he is and can get any girl he wants! He's jealous because he wants"

    "That's enough!"

    "No, I'm not going to let you throw Delaney off the farm! If    you'd open your eyes, you'd see everything I'm saying is the truth! Delaney doesn't want any part of that skinny little"

    "Sarah!"

    Startled into momentary silence as her father took a threatening step forward, Sarah raised her chin defiantly. "Mama won't let you do it. I'm going to tell her right now."

    "I've already discussed this with your mother, Sarah. She thinks it's time for Delaney to leave, too."

    "I'm going to ask her!"

    "Sarah!" Jacob Case's expression was suddenly menacing. "You will not take one step toward your mother's room or excite her in any way. She is ill, and it is expressly because of her poor health that we must settle this once and for all."

    "If
Allie
asked you to let Delaney stay, you'd listen to her!"

    "Allie has asked me, but she had the good sense not to place the burden of this decision on your mother's frail shoulders, as you are wont to do. Now, go to your room!"