The Lady and the Mountain Promise (Mountain Dreams Series Book 4)

by Misty M. Beller

  He blinked again, then looked back into the room behind him. “Of course.” He turned back to her. “Come in, it’s freezing out there.”

  As Lilly entered and her eyes adjusted to the softer lantern light, a movement raised her attention. Claire stepped through an interior door, pulling her dressing gown tight around her.

  “Lilly. What’s wrong?” She stepped close. “You’re freezing. Dahlia, are you cold, too?”

  Now that they were out of the wind and she didn’t have Dahlia in her arms to share body heat, Lilly’s teeth had started to chatter. She clamped her jaw and clutched the child’s hand tighter. Her skin was cold, but they could both warm while Lilly spoke with Claire. “We’re fine. I just…”

  Claire held up a hand. “Let’s get you warm first, then we’ll talk.”

  Bryan was already stoking the fire in the large hearth, and Claire scurried to a trunk by the wall, then returned with quilts. “Sit here and wrap this around you both. I’ll put some water on for tea.” Both Claire and Bryan disappeared through the door to the kitchen.

  With Dahlia snuggled in her lap under blankets, Lilly’s muscles finally stopped trembling. They were safe for the moment. Claire would keep them for the night, and tomorrow they would find a way out of town. Maybe by stage coach. Even if she had to rent a horse, they were leaving.

  At last, Claire settled into a chair across from the settee where Lilly sat. “Now, tell me what’s happened.”

  Lilly glanced down at her daughter. Dahlia’s closed eyes and steady breathing signaled she’d already drifted to sleep. The poor child must be exhausted.

  If only Lilly could find the gentle peace that glowed from her daughter’s features. But instead, her own muscles had begun to tremble again. What was it now? It couldn’t be from the cold, because she was much warmer than before. From nerves? Or the coursing anger and fear that had rushed through her over the last hour? Tightening her jaw, she met Claire’s gaze. “We need a safe place to stay tonight. I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if we slept here. We can bed down on the floor.” She nodded toward a bare corner near the fireplace.

  “Of course you can stay here. Anytime. As long as you want.” Her gaze grew soft and her voice tentative. “Can you tell me what happened? Are you in danger?”

  Should she tell the truth? Yes, for Claire to understand why she’d come, she needed to tell what happened tonight. And she could trust Claire.

  “There was a man tonight, on our way home…” How much should she say? That he’d been stalking her? That she’d known him from before? That the man wanted to take Dahlia?

  “Do you know who he was?” Claire’s forehead wrinkled.

  “Yes.”

  Claire’s brows drew lower. Confused.

  Her single-word response seemed like an ungrateful answer to the woman who’d just agreed to harbor them in her home. Lilly allowed a long breath to escape and started from the beginning. Well, maybe not the very beginning, but from that awful day Pa-pa had died.

  It was the first time she’d ever shared the details. How they’d met Mr. Barlow shortly after arriving in Montana. He’d seemed like a kind friend, as one of Pa-pa’s business acquaintances, and staying there in the same hotel. How she’d trusted him in her grief.

  Until that night…

  She didn’t go into the details. Not the gags, the bindings, or the sheer terror of what he’d done. The way he’d left her there, tied to the bed while he escaped. She’d spent most of the night trying to get loose, and she’d finally managed it as the rising sun dawned. The blackest night of her life was over, signaling the end of the former Lilly Arendale. She would never again be that innocent girl.

  “So what did you do, Lilly? Did the law ever find him?” Claire’s gentle prodding forced Lilly from her reflections.

  She wanted so badly to close herself away. Forget these memories and hide. But there wasn’t much left to tell. She could finish this. She met Claire’s gaze. “I never told. They wouldn’t have believed me over him. I used the last of Pa-pa’s money to buy our house, and Aunt Pearl took me on at the café. Dahlia and I have done just fine.”

  Claire leaned forward and squeezed Lilly’s shoulder. “You’ve done remarkable. So what brought you here tonight? Did you see him again?”

  “For a few weeks, someone’s been following me home at nights. Not every day, but several times. I never got a good look at him before, but tonight he stopped us.” The terror crept back into her. “It’s him, Claire. That despicable rake. He wants Dahlia, said he’s been watching us for a long time. I have to leave town tomorrow, but we couldn’t go home tonight. He knows where we live, I’m sure, and he’ll do anything. He has no conscience.”

  Claire’s hand tightened on her shoulder. “It’s all right, Lilly. You’re safe here. You and Dahlia can stay in our extra bedroom.”

  The band around Dahlia’s chest loosened a fraction. They could stay. They’d be safe. For tonight.

  “I’ll go pour the tea.” Claire rose and pulled the tea pot from atop the metal grate beside the fire. She took a mug from a hook by the hearth and poured the steaming brew. The sight sent a familiar feeling through Lilly. Just like they were back in the café, with Claire filling mugs with coffee.

  Claire approached Lilly and settled beside her on the settee, not in the chair as she had before. Lilly struggled to pull her hands from under the blanket, then gripped the mug Claire held out. Warmth seeped through her, spreading up her arms. Blessed heat.

  Claire settled an arm around Lilly’s shoulders, leaning in close in what felt almost like a hug. “I’m so sorry, Lilly.” Then she straightened, catching Lilly’s gaze. “Do you mind if I tell Bryan? I think he can help us.”

  Lilly’s spine straightened, and she pulled away. No. It’d been hard enough to tell Claire. What would Doc Bryan think of her if he knew it all? Of course, he’d helped deliver Dahlia, and she trusted him more than any other man she’d known. “I don’t…”

  “I don’t have to tell him everything, just about the man stalking you. I don’t have to tell about how you know him.”

  That might be all right. Lilly finally nodded. “If you think he can help.”

  Claire rubbed her back. “Sit here and rest while I go get him. Or do you want to lay Dahlia in the bed?”

  Lilly’s free hand slipped under the blanket to cuddle her sleeping daughter. Her safe daughter. “She’s fine here.”

  Clair disappeared through a doorway, then murmured voices drifted from it. No words she could distinguish. But honestly, Lilly was too tired to care much what Bryan would think of her. They were safe.

  Within minutes, Claire returned, followed by her tall husband. “I think we have the perfect solution.” She settled onto the settee beside Lilly again and took the empty mug from her. “You two can go to Leah and Gideon’s ranch while we work with the sheriff to find that man. When it’s safe, we’ll send word for you to come back.”

  A rush of emotion swept through Lilly, stinging her eyes. “I don’t know. I think we just need to leave.”

  Claire gripped her hand. “You will be leaving, for a time. When it’s safe, you can come back and continue your life. Besides, where would you go? Back to your family in England?”

  Lilly shook her head hard. “No. They were my father’s family. They don’t want me. Not with a…child.”

  A glimmer appeared in Claire’s eye, and she squeezed Lilly’s hand. “I can’t imagine anyone not wanting you. I want you. That’s why Leah’s ranch is the perfect place.” She glanced to her husband. “You can take Bryan’s horse up first thing in the morning.”

  Eyeing Lilly and her sleeping daughter, Claire asked. “Do you think you can ride? It will be much harder to get up the mountain with a wagon. And Bryan thinks it’ll start snowing by morning. Horseback will be easier.”

  Exhaustion seemed to be sapping the last of her strength, but Lilly nodded. “Yes. I used to ride with Pa-pa all the time.”

  Claire’s shoulders eased. “Go
od. Now make a list of everything you need from your house, and Bryan can get it when he fetches Cloud from the livery.”

  Chapter Twelve

  LILLY STRAIGHTENED her weary muscles as she caught sight of a cabin through the trees ahead. They’d made it. Tears burned her eyes from the painful joy of it.

  Snow had fallen the last two hours of their trip. Sitting in front of Lilly on the saddle, Dahlia had worn herself out trying to catch the flakes with her hands and tongue. Such innocent delight. Now she lay snuggled against Lilly’s chest, lulled to sleep by Cloud’s steady gait.

  The clearing was quiet except for the relaxing sounds of animals around the barn. A cow’s low moo, chickens clucking in a separate pen. Cloud nickered to a group of horses milling in a pen. The cry of a baby drifted from the cabin as Lilly reined to a stop in front of it.

  She eased down slowly, one hand on the saddle’s horn and the other keeping Dahlia upright. Fire blazed through her legs and ankles as they touched the snowy ground. She bit her lip against a whimper from the pain. Four hours in the saddle shouldn’t have affected her so much, but maybe the cold had numbed her blood flow.

  Dahlia wined as Lilly pulled her down. “We’re here, muffin. We made it.”

  The cabin door opened, and a woman a few years older than Lilly peered out. She held herself straight with a bit of a regal bearing, even with an apron wrapped around her waist. Her smile was bright, if a bit curious.

  “Hello.” The woman’s voice was warm, rich. “Come in out of the cold.”

  Lilly draped Cloud’s reins over the hitching post and hiked Dahlia up on her hip. Then she turned to face the woman, nerves churning in her stomach. “Hello. I’m a friend of Claire Donaghue’s.” She swallowed. Should she say more or just give the woman Claire’s letter and let that explain their reason for coming? What a coward she was.

  The woman’s face lit at Claire’s name. “Oh, that’s wonderful.” She stepped to the side and motioned for Lilly to enter the house. “Please come in. It’s freezing out here, and I just put apple tarts in the oven.”

  The baby’s cry sounded from inside the cabin again, and the woman—Leah, she assumed—disappeared into the dimness.

  “Mama, I’m cold,” Dahlia complained, and her little shoulders started to shiver.

  Lilly inhaled a fortifying breath and trudged up the porch steps.

  The inside of the cabin was spacious and comfortable—and best of all, warm. The kitchen on the left seemed to be well outfitted, and the sitting area on the right surrounded a massive stone fireplace. Cozy. Two doors lined the back wall, and a ladder between them climbed to a loft above.

  “Have a seat by the fire, and I’ll bring you snacks. Would you rather coffee or tea?” Leah scurried around the kitchen with a baby on her hip. The little tike looked to be somewhere between six months and a year. She had round, rosy cheeks and held a slice of toast in her hand.

  “Tea would be wonderful. Can I help?” With Leah bustling about, it didn’t seem right to sit and do nothing.

  Leah flashed her a smile. “Please warm yourselves. I’ll be over in just a minute.”

  Lilly settled into an arm chair with Dahlia on her lap. She unwrapped the blanket from around her daughter, brushing off loose snow in the process.

  Lilly’s toes ached as they began to thaw, and Dahlia whined with the same complaint.

  Leah carried over a tray and placed it on the side table next to Lilly’s chair. “I brought cookies and sourdough toast for you both. I wasn’t sure which you’d prefer. Here’s tea for you and milk for the child. Is that all right?”

  Lilly took the mug and handed a cookie to Dahlia, then tried to summon a thankful smile. “Wonderful, thank you.”

  The woman settled onto the settee on the other side of the table. “I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself. I’m Leah Bryant, and this is Emily.” She picked up the baby who’d scooted behind her from the kitchen. The child looked like a cherub, with curls in her dark brown hair and dimples on both cheeks.

  Lilly met Mrs. Bryant’s gaze. Now was the time for explanations. “I’m Lilly, and this is Dahlia. We’re friends of Claire’s and…she said you might be willing to let us stay with you for a few days.” Oh, how embarrassing to assume such an imposition. She reached for Claire’s letter from her skirt pocket. “Here. Claire sent this to help explain.”

  Leah’s eyes stayed soft and curious as she took the paper and opened the seal.

  As the silence stretched, Lilly tried to read her face. How well did Claire really know this woman? This family? Why had Lilly ever agreed to come here?

  As Leah finished reading and then folded the note, Lilly rushed to explain. “I don’t have to stay here. We can keep traveling to Helena. I’m sorry I’ve imposed this much.” She motioned toward the tray of refreshments.

  Leah placed a hand on Lilly’s arm. “Stop. I’m so happy you’ve come, I can’t express it with words.”

  Lilly dared to meet the woman’s gaze, and saw a shimmer there.

  “Any friend of Claire’s is always welcome in my home. But even if you didn’t know her, we so rarely get guests here on the mountain, I’m thrilled to have you.”

  Lilly fought the urge to bite her lip. “Thank you. We can sleep on the floor, and I’ll be glad to take over your chores while I’m here.”

  Leah waved her words away. “If you’ll just talk with me and share a little female companionship, I’ll be eternally grateful.”

  She tried not to shrink back into the chair. Talk? She’d rather scrub laundry or cook in a steamy kitchen any day. Straightening, Lilly shifted Dahlia in her lap. “Would you mind if I put the horse in your barn?”

  “Of course. Dahlia can stay in here with Emily and me.” Leah leaned down so she was on the girl’s level. “Would you like to help me put plates on the table? You look like you’d be a great helper.”

  Dahlia bobbed her pointed chin once, sinking into Lilly’s side.

  Lilly gave her a pat. “Go ahead, honey. Help Mrs. Bryant.”

  As Lilly opened the cabin’s front door, her gaze took in the snow that fell thicker now. Their tracks were already covered, and there must be at least six or eight inches of white on the ground.

  A motion in the distance caught her attention. A man. Riding horseback toward the cabin.

  Lilly stepped back inside and shut the door, her heart pounding. “There’s a man out there.”

  Leah approached the window beside the kitchen and peered out. “That’s Gideon, my husband. He comes in for lunch most days.” Her voice held a joyful lilt that hadn’t been there before. “He can take your horse to the barn.” She reached for the door. “I’ll ask him to.”

  Lilly stepped aside, but the rapid thump of her pulse didn’t let up. Leah had been kind and welcoming, but what would her husband think of a strange woman and child appearing on their doorstep begging for shelter?

  She and Dahlia helped Leah set the table and dish out the beef stew and cornbread while they waited for Mr. Bryant to return from the barn. By the time boots finally thudded on the porch, Lilly’s stomach was tied in knots.

  A giant bear-man appeared in the doorway, a flurry of white falling from him. He stepped inside and closed the door with a stomp, then lowered the fur hood on his coat.

  Not a bear-man, but definitely wild-looking. Green eyes flashed from under a shock of dark hair as he took her in. Lilly stood motionless with the coffee pot in hand, as if she were on an auction block, being examined from every angle.

  “Gideon, I’d like you to meet Lilly…” Leah’s voice faltered. “What did you say your surname was Lilly?”

  Now was the moment. Could she trust these people with her identity? She’d come here for refuge, so she had to trust them, right? But giving her last name always felt like such a solid way of identifying herself. It made her traceable. What would they do if she refused to tell it?

  She swallowed, then forced out the words. “Arendale. Lilly Arendale.”

 
Leah gave her a warm smile, as if she was proud of Lilly. But she couldn’t possibly know how hard that had been.

  Leah turned back to her husband. “Lilly and her daughter, Dahlia, are friends of Claire and Bryan. They needed a holiday from town, so I told Lilly she had to stay with us for a few days.”

  Lilly couldn’t help but stare at Leah. That was quite a different spin on their story.

  Leah sent her a quick wink as she scooped up little Emily from a blanket on the floor. “Are you hungry, princess? Papa’s home, so let’s eat.”

  Without his animal-skin coat, Mr. Bryant didn’t look quite as wild as he stepped toward the kitchen table. He moved toward his wife, and Leah raised her face to meet his kiss. Not a quick peck, but a tender meeting of lips and hearts. As they parted, the man leaned down to tickle his daughter’s chin. Leah’s cheeks had a pretty pink to them as she darted a glance at Lilly.

  Lilly tried to look away, but the memory of the kiss played back through her mind. The softness of it, as if Leah’s husband thought she was a treasured jewel. What must it be like to be treated so by a man?

  Marcus flashed through her thoughts. His broad shoulders and height were similar to Mr. Bryant’s, but Marcus had an earnestness in his expressions and in the way he dealt with people. The way he dealt with her. For the stretch of a heartbeat, she was thankful she’d be returning to Butte. That she’d see Marcus again.

  But no. If Bryan and the sheriff couldn’t locate Barlow, she’d not go back. She and Dahlia may still be headed for Helena, or farther if she had to. They’d keep moving until they were safe. Even if that took traveling halfway around the world.

  ~ ~ ~

  MARCUS WAITED at the café’s back door as snow fell around him. He’d just raised his fist to knock again when footsteps sounded inside. His heart thumped faster. Would Lilly speak to him? Or had he forever severed the tender cord of friendship between them?

  Aunt Pearl answered, and he gave her his most charming smile. She didn’t wait for him to speak, but stepped back toward the stove and stirred something in a pot. “How can I help ye, reverend? Got a lot ta do here.”