by Cyndi Raye
Dawson grunted. “Anything you need, except I’m afraid you’re on your own to win Lily back. Nothing I do or say will make a difference, it’s up to you to charm her. I’ve got myself a busy life with my new wife. She keeps making us loads of money, I doubt the bank can hold much more.”
Ben laughed out loud. He slung his head back like Dawson did, the two brothers looking more alike than ever. Even though Ben was a bit taller and with darker hair, no one could deny they were brothers. Where Dawson’s face was shaved closely, Ben had a five-o’clock shadow against his skin, making him look quite dangerous. He looked more like an outlaw than one of the wealthiest businessmen in Texas.
When Ben’s parents died years ago, they left everything to their boys, with Ben the executor. Dawson was too young to know what he inherited. With Ben being five years older, he took care of the ranch and his little brother, investing in the oil and rail roads in Texas. It paid off handsomely. Now he wanted to give Dawson his share of the investment he originally made, along with the profit from the sale of the ranch.
He turned to his little brother. Sliding a hand in his pocket, Ben pulled out a leather pouch. “I have something for you, Dawson.”
“Yeah, what’s that?” Dawson muttered, only half paying attention. Ben noticed how Dawson watched his pretty wife as she spoke to several townsfolk who came to tour the empty house for sale. Dawson and Grace had the towns only land title company, which had been going downhill fast. It took Grace to straighten both the land company and Dawson out. He had been drinking for a long time because a family he sold a cabin to lost their two daughters when outlaws attacked their homestead. Dawson had taken it to heart, blaming himself until Grace came along to show him differently. Ben ached for a love like his brother had.
He thought he would find it with Lily. Had planned on a life with her. Until she turned him down. He would try like the dickens to get her back. Shaking his head, he handed Dawson the check. “I believe this belongs to you.”
A smile played on his face when his brother’s eyes opened so wide he thought they would pop. Ben had looked forward to this moment for a long, long time. Now that Dawson was responsible and a family man, he had no qualms giving him such a substantial amount of money.
“Ben? Where did you get this kind of money and why is my name on this check?”
“It’s yours, every dime. You deserve this.”
“I don’t understand. How?”
Most of the open house guests were slowly leaving. A man and his wife nodded to the two as they walked towards the exit. Ben grinned. “I invested our inheritance in rail road bonds and then some oil. Did a fine job if I say so. A barrel of oil costs three dollars and seventy five cents.”
“Rail road, huh? Oil?” Dawson’s smile spread clean across his face. “I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.”
Ben flung his head back and laughed out loud. He slapped his younger brother on the back. “It feels great to be back. I missed you, kid.”
Dawson grunted. “I’m not that much younger than you. Five years. Not a kid any longer, Ben.”
Ben turned to him, serious this time. “You’re right, Dawson. I’m proud of the man you’ve become. When you took that check, I knew my work was done. I’m no longer feeling responsible to make sure you have a good life. Now I’m going to get my lady back and have a good life, too.”
Ben clapped his brother on the shoulder, turned and nodded to Grace and exited like a gentleman. He stepped on to the wooden porch and stood there, frozen to the spot for a moment. This town, Wichita Falls, was not quite as modern as Fort Worth but it was fresh and new with plenty of growing. Ben planned to be here to see how fast. His new hotel would keep him smack dab in the middle of this small town.
A wry grin covered his face as he pulled on his cowboy hat and took the few steps to the street. Lily Morgan, you’ll be my wife if its the last thing I ever do.
<><>
Lily gasped, covering her hand over her mouth as she marched down main street like a woman scorned. She was more ashamed of herself for letting Ben get the best of her. How dare he!
She had promised to help Grace with the open house until he showed up. The moment he came through the front door, goosebumps danced upon her flesh. As if she could sense his presence, she stopped handing out the tiny brochures and stood in the middle of the room while Ben spoke quietly with his brother.
When he announced to the whole room he planned to order a mail order bride her temper got the best of her. She stood frozen for a second until her legs began to move with a life of their own. She hadn’t even realized until she was six inches away what she had done. Her hand had a life of its own because nothing in the world could stop the hard slap across his face.
He hadn’t flinch. His dark eyes bore in to hers with a want and need so strong it took Lily’s breath away. It almost floored her but then she got a hold of herself and marched right out the front door.
The heck with Ben Sloan. He was a dirty, rotten skunk if he thought he could get to her. When he made that announcement he had looked right at her. The words were meant for her and she fell right in to his hands.
Lily hadn’t realized how far she walked. Looking back, she noticed she was at the end of town where the saloon and a few bawdy houses were located. The train depot was ahead so she hitched up her skirts and took a hold of the rail, taking the steps to the platform above. A small bench sat facing the tracks. Pushing aside her skirts, Lily took a seat.
It seemed so long ago when she would sit there, patiently waiting for the train that brought the man she fell in love with to Wichita Falls. Ben had courted her for months, taking her on long walks, asking her father each time if he could escort her here and there. She smiled to herself at the way he held her in his arms, always respectful, never more than a kiss on the cheek as he dropped her off at her front door.
When her parents died, Lily had been lost. As an only child, she had no one to turn to. It was Ben who comforted her, stopping by each night to make sure she got through the day. He helped to take care of the funeral arrangements, walked with her to the cemetery each week and stood back while she collapsed on her knees and cried over their graves. Gentle hands would lift her back up, silently giving her strength each and every time.
For seven long months he was so dedicated and she fell head over heels in love with Ben Sloan. When her money ran out, Lily knew she had to find work somewhere. She had gone door to door, asking for work but no one offered her a chance or could afford to pay her the wages she needed for the bank note to pay for her parent’s house. They were all struggling and trying to build up their own businesses. No one could afford to hire Lily.
Except for the saloon. When she approached the saloon, she almost turned around but was determined to make it on her own. No longer protected by parents, she vowed to herself to become an independent woman. Sam, the saloon owner, knew her father well and offered her a job clearing the tables and serving the dinner crowd.
It wasn’t an ideal situation and for a few months she worked hard but had to give up her home when the bank demanded the final note to be paid. Lily didn’t know her parents owed so much money. The balloon payment was due and she could work the rest of her life and never have enough to pay it off. Sadly, she had to walk away from the only home she had known.
Sam had felt sorry for her and gave her a small room off the kitchen that held a bed and make-shift dresser. It was a blessing in disguise and yet the worst thing ever.
Her world changed after she moved from her safe haven. Not even Ben would know what had happened.
She would never tell a soul.
Even if it meant she would have to spend the rest of her life alone.
Because Ben Sloan was the only man she would ever love. Could ever love. It was his life that she treasured more than her own. If he ever found out what she did, it would put him in grave danger.
She wouldn’t be the person responsible for his demise.
Not her Ben. That�
�s why she had to stay away from him, even possibly leave town if he was back for good.
She ached deep in to her soul. Lily had slapped Ben’s cheek so hard it made her hand sting. She had reacted before thinking. That’s what Ben did to her, drove her insane at times. His brooding look, his handsome face and solid built features had her so distraught she reacted without thinking.
A dread so deep it shattered her thoughts came over Lily. If Ben went through with his plans to marry a mail order bride, it would devastate her. Lily would have to leave town, go far away because to watch him with another woman would be too dreadful to ever see.
There was no way she could live in the same town with him. Wichita Falls was her home. She wanted to build up her income, become independent and hopefully someday Byron Ward would be gone from here. Then she could trust her heart again to the man she loved.
But until Byron Ward moved on, nothing would ever change because he was the reason she didn’t dare be with Ben.
She knew Byron’s secret.
She was in a bind. Not able to love the man she truly wanted and unable to expose the man who caused her so much grief who kept her from her true love.
Lily hung her head in her hands. Maybe she should hop on the next train out of here. Say goodbye to Wichita Falls and let the dust settle at her feet in another town far away. The problem was this place was the only home she ever knew.
If there was a way to convince Byron he didn’t belong here, she could be with Ben again.
When a set of boots hit the ground next to her, Lily knew it was Ben. She didn’t dare look up afraid it would unhinge her. She had missed him so much she could hardly bear to look at him in case he could read her thoughts. He didn’t look any different, in fact he was more handsome than she ever imagined. But she would not look up in to his dark eyes. No way!
“Lily.” Her name rolled softly off his lips. She shuttered at the sound of his voice. How would she get through this? Help me, Lord, she begged silently. Help me do the right thing. I don’t want anyone hurt, least of all Ben! Don’t let me spill the beans and put him in danger!
Focusing on the set of empty tracks, Lily sighed deeply. Squeezing her hands together, she placed them on her lap and stared straight ahead. “Ben. I’m sorry about what I did. Please, forgive me. I don’t know what came over me. I guess since you’ve been gone for so long and then you announce such a thing in front of God and the townsfolk I reacted terribly. I am most ashamed.”
Ben took a seat beside her on the bench. His knee was a touch away from her own. Lily tried to scoot further away but there was nowhere to go so she gave up. As long as Ben didn’t touch her, she would deal with this in a proper way. “Why did you react that way, Lily? Do you still care for me?”
It was a bold and brazen thing to ask. The fact is she loved him more than he could ever know. “I will always have feelings for you, Ben, but you know how I feel about us. We can’t be together. As a matter of fact, if anyone sees us like this, well, you know tongues will wag.”
He lifted his arm and placed it on the back of the bench. She could feel the warmth seeping around her back. “Have you known me to ever care what anyone thought?”
Lily smiled in spite of herself. “Not really. But I have to live here, Ben. My reputation is at stake.”
Ben shrugged. “You worked in a saloon, Lily. It appeared to me that you didn’t care one way or another what anyone thought, either.”
He was right but it was because of her dire circumstances. A mistake she would always regret. If she had married him like he had wanted her to do, Byron Ward would have never found her alone that night.
But it was no time for regrets. What’s done is done and she needed to move on. “Why are you here, Ben?”
“I bought the hotel.”
Lily turned to him. “I know, I heard every single word you said back at the open house.”
Ben looked like a Cheshire cat who just licked a whole bowl of warm cream. “I’m back, Lily. For good this time. I sold the ranch and plan to invest in Wichita Falls. For now, the hotel is a start. I plan to have every thing I ever wanted and more.”
Lily swallowed. She closed her eyes. When Ben said something, he was true to his word. He would make the hotel great. His money would be an asset to Wichita Falls.
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. She finally looked him in the eye. “Well, then, if you are staying, then I may as well make plans to go.”
He leaned forward on the bench, taking his finger to her chin, lifting it up so she couldn’t look away. “No, Lily. This is your home. Mine now, too. No one is leaving. Not by a long shot. I’m going to woo you and show you how much I love you, still. I’ve never stopped. I’m not sure what happened, but something did and I aim to get to the bottom of things.”
A fear so deep ran through her veins. He could never know about Byron, else the man would kill Ben. She couldn’t be responsible for his death. She certainly didn’t want Ben dead and Byron had the power to do it, too. He had shady characters working for him. “No, Ben. We are over. Please, I beg you to reconsider. Get on the next train and go back to where ever you’ve been this last year. Please.”
“Why do you want me to leave?” Ben’s stoic look scared her because he looked more determined than ever to get the answers he wanted.
She looked away, back to the empty tracks. After awhile his hand fell away. “I, I don’t know why. I just think it’s better if you do leave here. We can never be together, Ben.”
He cupped her face in his hands and gently placed a soft kiss on her lips. Lily closed her eyes, reveling in the sweet surrender of his warm touch. A tear fell. Ben took a thumb and brushed it away while looking into her eyes. “We will be together, my Lily, and I’m not giving up until you say the words I’ve waited to hear for so long.”
He stood up and held out his arm. She stared for a moment before getting up from the bench and taking his outstretched arm. They walked in silence back to Miss Addie’s boarding house, where she had been staying and working as the owner’s assistant since she had quit working in the saloon.
Sam, the former saloon owner, had wanted to go to Dallas to live with his daughter and her family so he sold the saloon to a not-so-nice lady who wanted her to pay for the room Sam had earlier supplied. She tried to force Lily to turn tricks but Lily had refused. She knew it was only a matter of time before the woman would get rid of her if she didn’t comply. Ben’s brother Dawson had saved her more than once, paying for her room so she didn’t get thrown out. He had offered to give her money too but she had refused, determined to make it on her own. The problem was it was hard to be an independent woman in the west. But she’d die trying.
Now here she was in a situation out of her control. She just hoped Byron didn’t see her walking down the street with Ben. A nervousness so unlike her began to eat at her, causing her hand to shake. Ben noticed. “What’s wrong, Lily, why are you shaking?”
It felt so good to be with Ben but she had to remember if Byron found out, he would kill Ben because she had promised to keep Byron’s secret. Well, she was forced to keep his secret. Byron had told her if she didn’t, he would have Ben killed. Lily had to keep that in the front of her thoughts and never forget, no matter how much Ben wooed her. No matter how much he claimed to love her, Lily had to be the stronger person.
“Ben, this is nice but it will never work. I’m done loving you, Ben. Please, let me go. Let’s be friends.”
Ben swung her around, his arms around her waist. “Tell me, Lily, tell me you don’t love me.” His dark eyes bore in to her own. They were wild and wicked and she wanted to place her hands on his face and reassure him but she didn’t dare. His life depended on her words.
“No, Ben. I don’t love you.” Those were the hardest words she would ever say. Choking, she looked away when she said it because if he could see in to her soul, he would know she still did. She pulled away from his arms and took a step back.
Ben didn’t believe her. Sh
e could see it in the way he looked at her.
She backed up to the porch at the boarding house. “Ben, believe me. Please.”
He shook his head and then tipped his hat. “Lily Morgan, if it’s the last thing I do it will be to have the words, I love you Ben Sloan, come from your lips.”
Lily stood stiff as a board as he turned and crossed the street.
Chapter 2
Lily fled inside, surprised to find Byron Ward sitting at the dining room table with Miss Addie and several other guests. “Lily, sweets, come here and say hello to Mr. Ward and his friends.”
Lily purposely gave Byron a haunting look. She was sick and tired of trying to be nice. It had been a long, harrowing day and now all she wanted to do was curl up in her blankets and forget Ben Sloan was back in town. For good. He was here to stay and would woo her until she agreed to marry him. What she wanted to do was take a hand and slap Byron Ward hard for what he had caused. Instead, she walked up to him and nodded. “Good evening, Mr. Ward. What brings you back to Wichita Falls?”
He chuckled and took her hand in his. “Why the open house, of course. When ever there is land to buy, you will most likely find me here on business. I’m always planning to pop in and out when least expected.” His lips pressed against the back of Lily’s hand. Disgusted, she almost pulled her hand away but forced herself to be still. The warning was well intended for her ears only. He would always check up on her to make sure his little secret didn’t get out. He had a big ranch halfway between here and Fort Worth but when he was in town, he always stayed at Miss Addie’s.
Miss Addie’s sweet voice rang through the air. “Lily, did you know Mr. Ward worked with one of our very own townsfolk, Marshall Montgomery? They were both surveyors for the Pacific Rail road at one time.”
Lily nodded. She wasn’t sure if Miss Addie was enamoured with Mr. Ward or letting everyone know he was no better than the rest of them. It was always hard to read Miss Addie’s intentions. Byron came through town like a King with his entourage of men who were there to act as his protectors. It was rumored the land baron had so much money he could never spend it all in his lifetime.
