by Cyndi Raye
When she stepped from the closet, Ben was leaning up against the far wall, his arms crossed over his chest, grinning. “How did you like the shower?” His voice flowed across the hall like a caress. She shivered and pulled her arms tighter around her.
Then she flung her head back, let her arms out wide and twirled around in the hallway. “I am in love with the shower!”
Ben laughed out loud at her antics. He grabbed her hand and bowed to her right before swinging her around in a complete circle. “Then it was well worth the cost to have it installed.”
She took a step back and righted her hair the moment she heard someone run up the stairs. “Mr. Sloan! The mail is here!” The young man Ben hired as his assistant went above and beyond his job each day.
Samuel had an over zealous attitude that made Lily smile. “What do you have there, Samuel?” she asked.
“It’s a letter from the big city,” he cried out, shaking the brown envelope in his fist. “The postmaster said it’s about a mail order bride. Happens all the time here. Are you going to marry someone, Mr. Sloan?”
Samuel’s words hit Lily like a ton of bricks, ruining the experience she just shared with Ben. She had refused Ben so many times. He was building a great hotel in this wonderful town and of course he wanted to share his renowned wealth and success with someone. It just wouldn’t be her. The emptiness in her gut tore at her like a knife’s sharp blade.
Ben took the envelope from Samuel’s hand. “Thank-you. Now, go on, let’s get started bringing the furniture in to the vestibule. Can you coordinate the men to get this done?”
“Yes, of course, Mr. Sloan. I’ll get right on that, sir.” The young man swung around, skipped across the floor and flung himself over the rail.
Ben grinned. “Young Samuel is certainly trying to make an impression.” He clutched the envelope in his hand, not trying to hide it. As a matter of fact, Lily thought he was making it a deliberate action to keep the letter well within her sight. Was he trying to get her all riled up?
“What do you have there, Ben?”
He stared at the writing. “It’s a letter from Chicago. Do you want to read it?”
Do I want to read the letter? Oh Ben, you are too obvious. He certainly was trying to make her jealous. “No, thank you. It’s your business at hand. I better get back to work. Thanks for the use of that splendid shower.” She hurried off down the stairs towards her office. There was no way she wanted to be anywhere near the letter.
Even though Ben was trying to get her all riled up, was he telling her he was ready to move on? She wasn’t sure of his motives now. Would he go through with a mail order bride? In all fairness, she truly wanted him to be happy. Every man deserved a good woman and happy marriage but she always thought she’d be the one to wear his ring.
How would she be able to work under the same roof if he found a bride? Then her decision would be made for her and she would be forced to leave here. Everyone she knew, the people who were a big part of her life were here and if he married someone else she’d have no choice but to go far away, where she would have to start all over.
Or, she could take the letter and throw it into the fireplace.
The clock was ticking on all sides here. First, she needed some time to figure out how to convince Byron that she would never tell his secret. There had to be a way to convince him but it seemed the only way to keep Ben safe was to leave or watch the man she loved marry another woman.
Was that what it would take to make everyone happy?
They would all be happy except for her. There was no way she could stand by and watch Ben with another woman. She was loving this job too, it made her feel fulfilled, important. There weren’t too many women in a position like hers. Most general managers were men. In the west, women could learn to do things men had been doing for ages without cause for concern. It was a whole new world here.
She’d give it all up to keep Ben safe. A sad smile tugged at her. Lily stood looking out the window at the dusty town. What was she going to do?
<><>
Ben grinned. He stood at his desk staring at the letter. Chicago! A touch of remorse hung over his head for a moment until he realized it was the only way to get Lily out of her steadfast determination to stay friends. He had convinced Miss Addie for the betterment of Wichita Falls they should help Lily realize he was the man she loved.
He ran a hand threw his hair and sat down at the oak desk. It was a scam. Shame coasted through his veins knowing he was deliberately deceiving Lily. Addie had wired a friend in Chicago who also ran a mail order bride agency and asked her to send letters to Ben in the pretence he was looking for a mail order bride. Now that a letter was here, it was wrong on all ends. The woman who wrote this letter was expecting someone to return the favor and send her one back. Miss Addie had promised him it would be legitimate. All he had to do was give her the letter when it got here and she would match up the intended bride with another person instead of Ben.
Ben put himself in to a position he never thought he would be in. How could he pretend to like someone else when all he wanted was his Lily? He wouldn’t deceive anyone, not intentionally. He forced himself to tear open the envelope. The folded pages stared at him. This woman was expecting him to write back. The least he could do was read what she had to say.
Dear Sir, I was asked to send a letter to you in hopes there could be a union of sorts between the two of us. I want to add I am a very independent woman with a career. I love my work more than anything and if I do take up your offer of marriage as a mail order bride, it is my sole intention to continue to work in my chosen field as a newspaper reporter. You must know this up front before any type of matrimony occurs. I am not too tall of a woman, have dark hair and love to investigate all kinds of events. I am a curious sort who loves to indulge in the mystery of things. If you, sir, need someone to cook, clean and be a child bearer, then I am not for you. I am blunt and to the point and want you to be the same. My intentions of becoming a mail order bride is to carve out a career out west where men don’t push women out of the way like they do here in Chicago. I am educated but can’t get a decent job for the life of me in this city as a news reporter, and understand you are a businessman who understands my intentions. If you, sir, are indeed interested in more, please send a letter as soon as possible as I am fully intending to go through with any offer that will help to move my career forward. Yours truly, Charity Johnson
The lady was indeed blunt. Ben smiled to himself. A slight movement caught his attention. When he looked up, Lily stood in the open doorway, a cup of coffee in each hand. She held one out to him with a slight smile. “I thought I heard you in here. I went for a cup and thought you may like one also.” She entered the room and placed the steaming cup on his desk.
“By all means, please, join me.”
“I don’t think it would be wise.”
He insisted. “Wasn’t that why you brought me the coffee, so we could talk?”
The corner of Lily’s mouth twitched. “You know me well. Yes, I do want to talk.” She sat down opposite him, placing her own cup on the edge of the desk. “About business, of course.” Ben noticed her eyes went to the open letter.
Ben sat back, picking up the coffee and taking a long sip. As she spoke, he could barely understand what she was saying, her words kept stopping and starting each time she looked at the letter.
“Lily, is something wrong?” he asked.
“No, why, of course not. Whatever makes you think something is wrong?” Her hand went to her brow where she pushed back a sliver of hair that fell forward. Ben noticed a tremor in her hand.
He leaned forward. “I told you that you could read it.”
Her mouth clamped shut as her eyes went back to the letter before resting on his. “Ben Sloan, why are you doing this?”
“What am I doing, Lily, that has you so upset?”
“I, I’m not upset.” She shivered before straightening her back, chin in the air. “Now let
’s get down to business. Ben, while you are in this office reading silly love notes, I was busy in the other room when an idea came to mind.”
Ben grinned. He leaned back in his chair. “Silly love notes?”
“Yes, nonsense if you ask me.” She picked up the cup but set it back down as quickly. “You don’t need to find a mail order bride, why, any single lady in town would love to marry you.”
He leaned forward again, this time his brow raised. “Including you?”
She stood. “Ben, I asked you to stop this madness. I can’t marry you. Ever.”
“Why?”
Lily backed up, one step at a time. “I wish I could tell you but I can’t. I just can’t.” With those words she ran out of his office, leaving her cup of coffee behind. Ben, puzzled, stood up, staring after her. There was more to her refusal than he knew, he was certain. She was hiding something, a secret she was afraid to share with him. What had Lily done?
It also had to do with Byron. Perhaps he was asking the wrong question. What had Byron done? What had happened between the two of them in the year he had been gone? Would he be forced to call Byron out to get to the bottom of this mystery? Lily was scared. That much he knew. Perhaps it was time to call in a favor and he knew the best man for the job.
Chapter 5
Ben strode across town, one hand stuffed in his jacket pocket, the other holding the letter. As soon as he was done taking care of business with his newspaper friend, he needed to hand the letter over to Miss Addie. It had been wrong of him to try to make Lily jealous by proposing to aspire a mail order bride. He was ashamed of even trifling with such an idea. Ashamed and mad at himself, he knew in his heart Lily was the only woman for him. Even if she didn’t want him, he’d rather die a lonely old man than replace her with someone new.
Least of all someone he didn’t even know. No one could replace Lily. She was his one true love. Now it was up to him to get to the bottom of things and make her realize it once and for all. Ben had intentionally bought the hotel here in Wichita Falls, determined to win her back and make a great life for the two of them.
The past year living in Ft. Worth had been too lonely and hard without Lily. He had tried to move on, even taking the advice of one of his rancher friends and tried dating the daughter of a wealthy neighbor for awhile. But Sarah Riley had been too demanding in the romance area. She worked hard at trying to tie the knot with him. After several dates where she seemed to get more serious each time, he had backed away, finally telling her that he was in love with someone else. Sarah had been angry at his confession, refusing to speak to him, which was fine by Ben. He only ever wanted Lily. Realizing he wasn’t able to move on with his life, he sold the ranch and all his holdings in Fort Worth, bought the building here and began to finish the renovations that had been started before the prior owner died.
Determined to win Lily back, here he was, standing in the middle of the street, staring at the store front of the daily newspaper. The Wichita Falls Chronicles was owned by his good friend Daniel Ashwood. Dan had a flair for the news. He knew how to market newspapers, selling out the same day of publication. His exciting, newsworthy stories made the townsfolk stand in line every Monday morning to pick up the local gem.
“Ben, you trying to get run over? Don’t stand there, come on in for a spell.” Daniel stood with the door open, waving. “Hurry up, there’s a horse and buggy about to run you down!”
Ben moved quickly when he realized Dan was right. The horse’s owner hollered some obscenities then waved and tipped his hat when he realized it was Ben in the middle of the road. “I apologize, Mr. Sloan!” the owner hollered down at him, even though he didn’t slow the horse down one bit.
“No worries.” Ben waved back and proceeded across the road to the newspaper. His old friend slapped him on the back after shaking hands.
“What brings you back to our small town, Ben?”
“I bought the hotel but you already know that since you put an article smack dab in the middle of last weeks newspaper. The former owner who built the hotel died before he ever opened. With a few renovations, I plan to have one of the best hotels this side of Texas. As a matter of fact you know just about every single piece of business in Wichita Falls.” It was a statement Daniel could not deny. He was one of the best reporters this side of the Mississippi. Not much got past him.
“Have a seat.”
Ben sat across from Daniel, a large wooden desk between them. It was the desk of a reporter, papers strewn everywhere in an illogical fashion. “It’s good to see you, old friend.”
Daniel pushed the wire-framed glasses on his face down the bridge of his nose. “I have a slight suspicion this is more than a friendly visit.”
Ben grinned. “I’m afraid you’re right.”
“Just as I suspected.” Daniel took off his readers, settling back in the chair. He reached in a drawer and pulled out a small bottle. Turning open the bottle, he took a long draw then offered it to Ben. After he refused, one of Daniel’s eyebrows rose. “Hm, you won’t share a drink with an old friend? Now I’m suspecting we are going to be talking about a woman.”
Ben shifted his feet. Darned if Daniel was dead on. “That’s what I like about you, Dan, you get right to the point. You’re right, it is about a woman. Not just anyone though.”
“Lily.”
“Yes.”
“You better marry that girl before someone else does. Word on the street is Byron Ward has taken a fancy towards her.”
The flesh on Ben’s skin crawled. “It’s not me, Daniel, I’ve asked her to marry me over and over again. I love Lily with all my heart. There’s something in the wind that I can’t put my finger on. Before I left here she was madly in love with me. As soon as she began working at the saloon, something happened. Something bad enough to turn her away from me.”
Ben’s words drew Daniel’s attention. The man loved a good story, especially if there was a mystery brewing. Ben knew his friend well enough to know he would investigate matters at hand. He needed Daniel to ask some questions, it was for the sake of Lily’s life and well-being.
Daniel shifted in his seat. “Something happened, you say?”
Ben nodded. “Yes. I can’t put my finger on it, though. I left town when she rebuked me over and over again. For the last year, I’ve sent her letters only to have them returned unopened. I don’t know why she turned on me like she did. All she said was we were not meant to be. She said she didn’t want to have a relationship with me but now I know better. I think it may have to do with Byron Ward.” He slammed his fist on the desk, rattling a few loose papers.
“What do you know of Ward and his cronies, Ben?”
“I don’t know much except whenever he’s in town, Lily gets upset. I can see it on her face. Something happened between the two of them. It’s as if she’s hiding a secret.”
It was obvious Daniel’s interest grew at his words. The reporter pushed the spectacles back up the bridge of his nose. “Well, then, you best let me get back to work if I’m to investigate this. I agree there is something in the air. Trust me, friend, I’ll get to the bottom of things. What you got there?” Daniel nodded to Ben’s fist.
Ben shrugged. “I had Miss Addie send me a letter from a mail order bride.”
“What? I thought you were in love with Lily?” All of a sudden Daniel’s eyes widened. “For crying out loud, Ben, that was a stupid thing to do. You don’t try to make someone jealous!”
Ben stifled a groan. “I know, it was wrong, I’m taking this letter back to Miss Addie. The woman, Charity Johnson, is far from what I would want anyway. I read the letter. Says she’s an independent woman who has a career and won’t cook, clean or take care of babies. All she needs is a new start in a new place where men won’t try to stifle her career as a newspaper reporter.”
“Give me that letter,” Daniel ordered, a wide grin on his face.
“You serious?”
“Sure am, she sounds like just what I need. I coul
d use some help around here. Don’t need no one to take care of me.” Daniel lunged forward and grabbed the letter from Ben’s hand, opening the folded sheet and began to read.
“I’ll be darned,” Ben muttered as he left the newspaper office. “Don’t get all jumbled up you forget about my investigation,” he told Daniel.
“No worries there, my friend. I’ll stop by when I find something out, which I most certainly will.”
Ben grinned. He had no doubt Daniel would get to the bottom of this whole mess. Now he could concentrate on the hotel and his soon to be wife, Miss Lily Morgan.
<><>
The only way to face Ben without getting riled was to have his assistant in the room. That way she wouldn’t have to worry he would get too close to her. She couldn’t bear it if he tried to touch or kiss her again. Sooner or later she would break down and spill the beans and Lily would never put Ben in harm’s way. She loved him too much. Perhaps being in the same hotel with Ben every single day wasn’t a great idea after all. Was it selfish of her to want to see him everyday even if she couldn’t have him?
Samuel stood beside her in the doorway of Ben’s office. She knocked on the open door and peeked in. “Ben, I have some ideas that we would like to discuss with you.”
“Please, have a seat.” Ben’s shirt sleeves were rolled up to reveal his strong muscular arms. She couldn’t help but glance at them before looking away.
Lily pushed a chair alongside of hers for Samuel to sit, causing Ben to raise an eyebrow. He stood up while she took a seat. Samuel sat beside her.
“Is there something I can do for you, Samuel?” Ben asked.
Lily spoke before Samuel could get a word in. “He is assisting me with this project. I was certain you wouldn’t mind since this is so important.”
