When Marcus and Bryan entered the small block building, two deputies and the sheriff were working in the office. All three men nodded at them, and the sheriff brought up a cloth to wipe his bearded face.
“Doc. Preacher. Good to see you both.” The sheriff took a swig of coffee and swished it around his mouth. He clunked the mug on the desk and looked up as he swallowed. “What can I do for you?”
Marcus described the thug who’d been following Lilly home at night, and the sheriff’s brow furrowed more the longer he spoke.
“You say he stopped and threatened her, too? Did she know the man?”
Marcus darted a glance around the room. He didn’t want to tell Lilly’s story in front of any more people than he had to. Especially not the two deputies who had turned to listen. “Yes. He had…assaulted her… in the past.” He ground out the words in a low voice. “The man has to be found, sheriff. His name is Barlow, and Lilly was able to give a decent description.”
The sheriff leaned back in his chair, tapping a finger on his bearded chin. “We can put up some posters, and I can have the boys keep an eye out for him. It’s gonna be hard to find one man in all these miners if’n he don’t wanna be found.”
“But he has to be found.” Marcus slapped a palm on the front edge of the desk. A hand settled on his shoulder, steadying. He took in a long breath, then met the sheriff’s gaze.
The man watched him, a mixture of curiosity and understanding flickering in his eyes. “What is all this to you, preacher?”
Marcus didn’t drop his focus from the man. “Lilly and her daughter’s life may be at risk here, and I’ve vowed to protect them. We have to find that man.”
The sheriff studied him for a few more long moments, then looked over at his men. “Chauncey, you go with these fellows to Miss Lilly. Get her to tell you everything she can about the man. Have her draw a picture if she’s any good at that. Harper, round up every available man in town who’ll help. Then get the description and spread out. Check every house you can ‘afore dark.”
A rush of spent air left Marcus in a flurry, almost taking the strength from his legs with it. “Thank you, sir.”
~ ~ ~
MARCUS EXPECTED Lilly to be a little shaken when he appeared at the house with the deputy to speak with her. She wasn’t, though. With her chin raised and shoulders squared, she gave a thorough description of the man, both how he’d looked two and a half years ago and how he’d deteriorated into a scrawny shell of a man by the time she’d seen him the week before.
As Marcus stood to the side while they talked, he had to force his fists to unclench. Just hearing about the man made his blood run hot.
But then the thought struck him. Was this really the way he should feel about another human being? Made by God? The man had been a despicable lout with what he’d done, but so many Scriptures warned against judging others.
He turned away from the conversation and stood by the window where he could think. Lord, am I doing this wrong? How can I not help catch this man? Lilly needs him caught. A wagon passed by outside the window. Marcus closed his eyes against the distraction.
For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. The verse from First Samuel flickered through his mind. He could easily apply the Scripture to that scoundrel, but what did it say when applied to himself?
Lord, please help the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you. Help me to keep the right perspective as we search for him.
“We’re headin’ out, Parson.”
Marcus turned to face the deputy. “Thanks, Mr. Chauncey. I’ll be there shortly.”
When the door closed behind them, Marcus stepped toward Lilly. “Is there anything you need before I go?”
He’d planned to only ask the question, but the vulnerability in her eyes drew him closer. With his right hand, he cradled her cheek. This would be the perfect moment for a kiss.
“Would you take me to the café?”
Marcus’s eyes sank shut, and he dropped his head, letting it hang limp from his neck. “Lilly.” He dragged out the word, then raised his face to look at her. “Tomorrow. I’ll come in the morning to walk with you. Will that work?”
The corners of her eyes crinkled. “That will work.”
He lowered his mouth for a kiss then, soft and gentle, laced with a promise. Oh, she was so sweet. But he forced himself to pull back, then fought to control his breathing. Now wasn’t the time.
As he took in one final gaze, he asked, “Where’s Dahlia?”
“Sleeping. That ride wore her out.” Her lips curved in the hint of a smile.
Those lips. He turned away. “I’ll be back to check on you after dark.”
~ ~ ~
MARCUS SCANNED the street, the boardwalk, and inside the buildings. Anywhere a man could hide. He tugged Lilly’s elbow closer to him. Having her out in the open like this had his stomach tied up in knots.
From the moment Marcus had awoken this morning, something had felt off. But who was he kidding? Nothing about his life these days was even close to normal.
The search posse hadn’t found any sign of Barlow’s whereabouts the day before. A few merchants thought they might have seen him during the last few months, but they had no idea where to find him. Sheriff Timber had needed his deputies for other duties today, but Marcus and a few of the men planned to take up the search where they’d left off.
“This way.” Lilly stepped into an alley, and Marcus almost pulled her back until he realized they were beside the café. He wasn’t paying as much attention as he’d thought.
Lilly padded to the back door and slipped it open. Marcus stayed close behind.
Aunt Pearl turned from the stove, her expression blank for a moment before her face lit like a lantern in a dark closet. “My Lilly, how are you, girl?” She clutched Lilly’s head and drew it down to plant a kiss on her forehead, then wrapped her in a tight hug. “Ye had me worried, dearie.”
After a moment, Aunt Pearl drew back and held Lilly’s face in her hands, studying her. No words passed, but it seemed to be another of those silent conversations Lilly was so good at.
Finally, Lilly stepped back and reached for her apron. “What are we serving today?”
Marcus eased a step back. He wasn’t needed any longer. He should leave and do something useful, like hunting down a rapscallion.
Lilly must have sensed his retreat, for she turned toward him and offered a soft curving of her lips. A smile. It lit his chest like a sunrise.
In two steps he was in front of her, only inches separating them. He forced himself not to touch her, though. It’d be too easy to take her in his arms and kiss the breath from her. “Don’t leave until I come back for you, all right?”
Her eyes shone as she met his gaze. “All right.”
“And if something happens that even slightly scares you, tell Aunt Pearl to send for me. All right?”
One side of her mouth pulled up. “I’ll be fine, Marcus.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
He let the air seep from his lungs as he summoned the strength to turn away. But there was one more thing. “Lilly.”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
Her eyes widened, but he didn’t wait for a response. He leaned in for a quick, gentle kiss, then turned and marched out the door.
Chapter Nineteen
THE RICH, spicy scent of cinnamon and apples permeated the air as Claire stepped to the cook stove and lowered the oven door. Four pies sizzled from the metal rack, perfectly browned. Dried apple pies were always a favorite with the café’s customers, especially in the winter when fruit pies were harder to come by.
Gram usually did the baking for the café from her own home when she was in town, but she and Ol’ Mose had headed out for another trip yesterday while the weather was still warm and the snow melting. It was nice to have something to keep her busy while her new husband was out on doctori
ng calls.
With those pies on the cooling rack and another four in the oven, Claire closed the door and wiped her hands on her apron. Dahlia should wake from her nap soon. Poor child must be exhausted from all her travels. She’d slept almost an hour and a half already. It was nice to have a little voice around the house, even if it belonged to her friend’s child. But someday… Someday, she and Bryan would have their own little voices running through the rooms and slamming doors.
Claire softened her step as she crept to the door of the room Lilly and her daughter shared. No sleeping sounds drifted through the wood, so she turned the knob quietly and peered inside.
The bed lay empty.
Claire scanned the room. Perhaps the child had climbed down and started playing. Her pulse sped up as she circled the room, even bending down to peer under the bed. Nothing. She whirled to the wardrobe and opened the oak door. Nothing save a single long dress.
“Dahlia?” Her voice quivered as her gaze swept the room again. It hooked on a flutter at the window. The pale blue calico curtain swayed as though a breeze shifted it from the outside.
“Dahlia?” The word came out high-pitched. Claire raced to the window, her fingers confirming her fear. Why was it open? Tearing the curtains aside, she pushed her upper body through the wide opening and scanned the empty yard. No!
“Dahlia!” Claire screamed the word as she wiggled and contorted her body to fit through the open window frame. As soon as she cleared the sash, she jumped the five or six feet to the ground.
Where now? Surely the child couldn’t open the window and jump from that height on her own. And the window had definitely been closed when she’d drawn the curtain for Dahlia’s nap.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she raced toward the back of the house. Before she assumed the worst and alerted everyone, she had to make sure the child wasn’t simply hiding.
“Dahlia? Come here, sweetie!”
Claire circled all four sides of the house, then vaulted up the front steps and plunged through the door.
“Dahlia!”
Deadly silence met her cry. Claire pinched her eyes shut. She had to get Marcus. Bryan. But first…her chest ached to think of it…she had to tell Lilly.
Claire took off for the café at a run, but when she caught a glimpse of Alex, Bryan’s brother, striding down Elm Street, she veered his direction.
“Alex. Lilly’s daughter’s missing. I think someone’s taken her.” Claire’s lungs heaved as she struggled for breath.
Alex turned with wide eyes. “Missing?”
She recounted her search in quick sentences. Alex had been part of the manhunt the day before, so his suspicions quickly flew to where hers had.
“I have to go tell Lilly,” she said. “Do you know where Marcus is?” She’d caught her breath now, and with it, a renewed fervor to accomplish her mission.
“I’ll find him, then we’ll start tracking the man. Hopefully, he left a clue near the house.”
~ ~ ~
A KNOCK RADIATED through the café’s back door, jerking Lilly’s attention from the stove. “Who’s there?” Her pulse thumped through her chest.
“It’s Claire.”
Lilly’s gut tightened. Claire was supposed to be at home with Dahlia. Had she brought the child with her? Maybe Dahlia had been upset when she woke to find Lilly gone. This was the first time she’d left her daughter in someone else’s care.
She jerked the door open, trying to summon a smile for her worried child.
Claire stood alone. And the expression on her face sent shivers of fear through Lilly.
“What’s wrong?” Lilly’s hand crept up to find her mouth.
“It’s Dahlia.” Claire’s voice cracked. “She’s missing.”
The words struck Lilly like an avalanche, knocking her backward. “What? Where?” She couldn’t bring her mind to formulate more words. She gripped the edge of the table. The rough, wooden underside dug into her skin.
“I’m so sorry, Lilly.” Claire took a step forward, then hesitated. “I went in to check on her while she napped, and the bed was empty. The window was open. I looked everywhere, but I think someone must have taken her. Alex went to find Marcus, and they’re going to track him.”
Lilly tightened her grip on the table as her legs wobbled. This couldn’t be happening. Her body flushed hot, and bumps broke out across her arms. She had to pull herself together. Had to find her baby. “Where…? What…?”
Inhaling a deep breath, she pressed her eyes shut. God, if You’re there, please save my baby. She released the breath, then straightened and looked at Claire. “I have to find her.”
“Let me tell Aunt Pearl, then I’ll walk with you back to the house.”
But she didn’t wait for Claire. Snatching off her apron, Lilly leaped across the threshold and ran.
~ ~ ~
MARCUS SEETHED as he raced toward Claire’s house.
How could he have let this happen? He’d promised Lilly. And now that disreputable cad had stolen Dahlia. His sweet, adorable Dahlia. The image of her pixie face swam in his vision, but he pushed his legs harder, faster.
Claire’s house loomed ahead, and a figure stood by the side window. Lilly. Her tall, willowy form pierced his chest. He’d failed her. Would she ever forgive him? Not that he’d ever forgive himself.
He dropped to a walk as he neared her, his breaths coming in short heaves. She didn’t look up. Did he want her to? No. Yes. No, he couldn’t look at the torture in her eyes.
But then she did look up. Her eyes were wells of grief. “Dahlia.”
In three steps he was by her side. She catapulted into his arms, and he wrapped her tight.
“I’m sorry. So sorry.” His vision grew blurry, but he clutched tighter. How had he let her down so completely, this woman he loved? And why didn’t she hate him for it?
After a few moments, Lilly pulled back, swiping at tears with her wrists. “These are his tracks.” Sniffing, she motioned toward the ground under the window.
Marcus dropped to his haunches in front of them, and Alex stepped forward to peer over his shoulder.
“Definitely a man’s boots. You can see where he stood to open the window, and here’s where he dropped down as he was leaving.” Alex pointed to each set of tracks.
Marcus’s mind wouldn’t focus, but he reined it in like a ranch horse dragging a roped calf. He needed all his concentration to find this man.
They followed the tracks to the street, but the prints quickly blended with a plethora of man, hoof, and wheel marks. Slush from the melted snow had made the road a muddy mess.
Marcus straightened and ran a hand through his unruly hair. “Alex, round up as many men as you can. I’ll get the sheriff.”
“And I’ll start looking for him.”
Marcus whirled on Lilly. “No. Stay at Claire’s house, and don’t leave for any reason. Keep your gun out, and don’t unlock the doors or windows unless you know it’s one of us.”
Lilly’s chin jutted. “I’m going to find my daughter.”
He inhaled a steadying breath. “You might be his next target. We can’t risk that. I’ll get half the town looking for Dahlia. We’ll find her.” His voice grew hoarse on the last sentence, and he willed her to believe him. Yet how could she? He’d already broken his most important promise.
He’d have to show her.
Claire stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Lilly’s shoulders. “Come inside, honey. Our work will be prayer.”
~ ~ ~
NUMBNESS SANK over Lilly like a morning mist hanging thick in a valley. Claire led her inside and settled her on a settee by the fire. “Let me brew some tea and pull the pies from the oven.”
As her only friend walked away, Lilly dropped her face in her hands and took in long shaky breaths. Each one pierced her heart, like a knife chipping away at a log wall.
Where was Dahlia now? What was that man doing to her?
Her shoulders began to shudder as thick sobs
built in her gut and clawed their way out. Pain so deep, it ripped huge chunks from her heart as it fought for escape.
Hands slipped around her shoulders, gripping with a gentle firmness.
But they didn’t stop the purging of her soul as the sobs wracked her body. Lilly fought for breath, but part of her wanted to stop breathing. Whatever it took to escape this physical torture. Escape the thought of her baby at the hands of that vile demon.
The pain carried on, consuming her. No tears. Just this thick, shuddering ache. Her misery was too deep for tears. At last, her body began to quiet, and her quivering lessened.
She became aware of Claire speaking a steady stream of words beside her. Praying?
Lilly rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms then rested her face there again. “What do I do, Claire?” As if her friend would have the answers. But she wasn’t really asking Claire.
“We have to put Dahlia in God’s hands. He’s the only One who can help her.”
A bitter, mirthless laugh escaped Lilly’s lips. “Why would I expect Him to help now? He’s not been there before when I needed Him.”
“Oh, Lilly.” Claire pulled her closer, resting her cheek on Lilly’s shoulder. “He loves you more than you can imagine. I can’t explain why those terrible things happened to you. This is a wicked, fallen world. But He’s stronger than the world. He wants to be your strength. He loves you and Dahlia more than you can imagine.”
Moisture stung Lilly’s eyes. Now she was going to cry? She tried to swallow the tears back, but they rushed anyway. How could she think of putting her trust in a God who had let so many dreadful things happen?
For two and a half years now, she’d refused to trust anyone. She’d finally lowered her barriers enough to let in Marcus. Yet he’d not been enough. He’d certainly done the best he could—was still doing it. But he was only one man. He wasn’t all-powerful.
The Lady and the Mountain Promise (Mountain Dreams Series Book 4) Page 13
