Emily nodded, indicating the end of her speech, and the room erupted in applause. Lilly resisted the urge to sneak out the back. When the women began chatting among themselves, she made her way around the edge of the room toward her friend.
Lilly wrapped Emily in a hug. “Wonderful speech.”
“I’m glad you made it.”
“Even if I smell like yesterday’s lunch?”
“I didn’t notice.” Emily quirked a grin.
“You’re too nice to say so.” Lilly inclined her head toward Marguerite, who was approaching. “On the other hand, I bet it will take her less than a minute to make a comment.”
Marguerite skirted around two ladies in a heated discussion and clasped Emily’s hands. “Well done. Your grandmother would be proud.”
“I practiced the speech earlier today by giving it to her and my aunts.” Emily glanced at Lilly, who was holding her watch in her hand. “Oh, Lilly, how did your breakfast with Nick go this morning?”
Marguerite’s eyebrows shot up, and a smile curled her lips. “Breakfast? But I do hope you didn’t wear that perfume, Lilly. I’m afraid it doesn’t become you in the least.”
Lilly rolled her eyes. “I doubt if eau de onion is becoming to anything other than a slab of liver.” She turned to Emily. “See? Less than a minute.”
“What takes less than a minute?” Marguerite asked.
“Never mind.”
Marguerite looped her arm through Lilly’s. “In that case, the three of us need to find a nice quiet place where you can tell us all about your breakfast excursion.”
16
“And Mr. Nick got the zoo to open just for us today, Mama, so you gotta come.”
Lilly studied Levi’s hope-filled blue eyes, then turned toward Nick and frowned. He’d put her in a difficult place, and she hated disappointing Levi again. “As you and Mr. Nick know, I’ve got to make supper for the workers.”
“No you don’t.” A cocky grin spread across Nick’s face. “I gave everyone the afternoon off, and that includes you. Our supplies won’t be in until Friday, so I wanted to save the rest of what we had to do for Monday.” He snagged her spring cloak from the hook and held it. “So let’s get a move on. The rabbits are waiting.”
“How long have you two been conniving on this?” she asked as Nick slipped the cloak in place.
“Since yesterday.” Levi pressed a finger to his lips. “But it was a secret.”
Lilly squatted in front of her son and buttoned his jacket. “Is that why you couldn’t get to sleep last night?”
He nodded. “Monkeys marched in my dreams all night.”
“Marching monkeys, huh? Were they munching on marbles?” She stood and shared a grin with Nick.
“Silly Mama. Monkeys eat ’nanas.” Levi skipped to the door and flung it open.
Nick caught it before it slammed into the wall and motioned for her to exit. “Marbles? Did you really think he’d buy that?”
Lilly shrugged. “Who knows what nonsense you’ve filled his head with?”
A chuckle erupted from Nick, and Lilly found herself sharing in the laughter. The threesome followed the sidewalk leading to Lake Manawa’s “zoo.” She hoped Levi wouldn’t be too disappointed. This little setup was a far cry from Omaha’s Riverview Zoo. Maybe she could figure out a way to take Levi across the river to see that one, which boasted nearly two hundred animals.
Levi grabbed her hand and pulled. “Come on, Mama. Don’t be a slowpoke.”
Scooping Levi into his arms, Nick tickled him. “I think somebody’s awfully excited. Maybe we should wait until another day when he can be more patient.”
“No!”
Nick held Levi in one arm and ran his free hand over his stubbled chin as if he were deep in thought. Lilly studied him. How long would he keep his ruse going with Levi? He seemed to have a natural ability with her son to know how to encourage better behavior.
The afternoon shadow on Nick’s face only made his chiseled features more defined. His cobalt-blue eyes sparkled with mischief. “I guess we can still go today—if a certain little boy can be quiet and gentle with the animals.”
“I can be quiet.” Levi pressed his chubby hands to Nick’s cheeks and held his face. “And gentle too. See?”
Nick slid him back to the ground. “I’m impressed. Did you see that, Lilly? Levi can be quiet and as gentle as a lamb.”
She smiled. “Good, because we wouldn’t want to frighten the rabbits.”
“Or the alligator.” Nick nodded with a solemn tip of his head. “When alligators get agitated, they get hungry, and we sure wouldn’t want to have to deal with agitated alligators.”
Levi’s eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. “No, we sure wouldn’t. I’ll be real, real, real quiet.”
“You know, Levi, I wouldn’t want any of us to get separated and run into any wild animals.” They’d reached the zoo, and Nick opened the door to the main office for Levi and Lilly to pass through.
After trotting inside, Levi lifted his serious face toward Nick. “That would be bad.”
“I think we should all hold hands just in case.” Nick held out his open hand to Lilly.
She shot him a fiery glare.
Levi grabbed Nick’s other hand. “Mama, you’d better hold Mr. Nick’s hand. You don’t want to get eaten by agitatored alligators, do you?”
“That’s not the beast I’m most worried about,” she muttered.
Nick looked at his empty, outstretched hand and raised his brows.
Holding hands with him in public? Didn’t he realize what he was asking? It was nearly a declaration.
“For your safety, ma’am,” he said like a sheriff from the Wild West.
With a sigh, she placed her hand in Nick’s palm. She only hoped she wouldn’t regret it.
Nick closed his hand around Lilly’s and squeezed it gently. Warmth spread across his chest, and he fought the urge to sweep her into his arms.
Lord, help me to take this slow. I don’t want to scare her.
But fear had never stopped him from doing anything before. Tackling demons head-on gave him a rush like nothing else. Not that Lilly was a demon, but for him, love had certainly been one.
The owner, whom Nick had met previously, was a massive man named Jethro Tallman. He looked up from the reception desk on which he was putting a fresh coat of paint. He placed the paintbrush in a can of turpentine and put the lid back on the pail of paint before turning to them. “Been spiffing up the place before opening day. I’m glad you could make it in, Mr. Perrin.” He turned to Levi. “And this fine fellow must be the animal lover.”
A broad grin spread over Levi’s face. “I am! Thank you for letting us come today.”
“No problem, young fellow. As I said, I’ve been fixing things after the long winter. I had a little ice damage to the roof, and Mr. Perrin sent some of his men to help me with the repairs. Least I could do is let you all have a sneak preview.” Jethro tugged a red rag from his back pocket and wiped his hands on it. “Ready for the grand tour?”
Levi bounced once and stopped. He looked at Nick and whispered, “Yes.”
“We told Levi he had to be gentle and quiet with the animals.” Nick placed his hand on the boy’s head. “No agitating the alligators.”
A hearty laugh shook Jethro’s belly. “Sounds like a good idea, but I don’t think we’ll be bothering old Smiley. This way, folks.”
With a sweep of his hand, he directed them toward the door on the left of the reception counter. Levi went through first, still clinging to Nick’s hand like a lifeline. And since Nick wasn’t letting go of Lilly’s hand, it meant she had to follow him. If Jethro noticed his breach of etiquette in making a lady go last, he didn’t say anything. The three of them stopped in front of the first cage and waited for Jethro to introduce the strange bird inside.
“This little lady came all the way from South America.”
Levi pressed his hand to the cage. “That’s a long way to fly.”
/>
Jethro chuckled. “She didn’t fly. She was brought on board a ship. She’s a parrot.”
They stepped down the line to the next cage, where another large bird stared at them with one eye.
“What’s this one?” Levi asked.
“It’s a stork.” Jethro tossed the bird a handful of corn. “Do you know what storks bring?”
Lilly sucked in a breath.
“No, sir.”
Jethro glanced at Nick, then dropped his gaze to Nick’s and Lilly’s clasped hands. “Well, if you’re lucky, you may find out sooner than you think.”
Lilly’s cheeks bloomed the prettiest shade of rose Nick had ever seen. She pulled her hand away and refused to look at him.
One step forward, two steps back. Thank you, Jethro.
They looked at several other birdcages, then Jethro led them to a much larger cage. A monkey swung from the walls of the cage to the tree branch that had been propped inside. He dropped to the ground and picked up a slice of apple.
“He likes it!” Levi squeaked.
“He likes about everything you and I like.” Jethro opened the cage door and held out his arms. The monkey raced over and jumped into them like a toddler. “This is Taffy.”
“Let me guess, he has a penchant for that candy?” Lilly stayed a respectable distance away.
“That he does.” Jethro pulled a piece from his pocket, and Taffy snatched it from his fingers.
They crossed to the other side of the room, where reptiles were housed. Nick glanced at Lilly, who was clearly not enthralled. Her gaze roamed the room. He saw her focus on the last cage, where an enormous snake lay coiled. The cage sat next to the potbellied stove piping heat into the room. A large pan of water warmed on top of the stove. The combination of the stove’s heat and the water filled the room with moisture.
Nick wiped his brow. “Who’s that big fellow?”
“Ah, I see you’ve discovered my main squeeze, and he is a she.” Jethro ambled to the cage and reached for the cage’s latch. “This incredible lady is Delilah. She’s a red-tailed boa.”
“You’re not taking that thing out, are you?” Lilly grabbed Levi’s hand.
“Mama, you’re supposed to hold Mr. Nick’s hand. Not mine.”
“I’m fine, Levi. It’s you I don’t want to be frightened.” She squeezed his shoulders to hold him in place.
“I’m not scared. I’m brave.” He wiggled free and pressed his nose to the cage. “’Sides, I looooove snakes.”
Jethro pushed the boy’s head away. “And Delilah may mistake your nose for her dinner if you get too close. But, ma’am, I promise you this pretty lady is well mannered—unlike Taffy over there.”
“I think Levi would be disappointed if we didn’t let him pet the snake, Lilly.” Nick ruffled Levi’s sandy hair. “Wouldn’t you, Levi?”
The boy nodded enthusiastically.
Lilly sighed. “Okay. As long as you don’t make me touch it.”
Lifting the latch on the door, Jethro glanced at the three of them and told them to relax. He reached inside, lifted Delilah from above her tail, and then supported her massive body with his other hand. The snake immediately began to coil on his arm. Easing her off, he hefted her tail over his shoulder and held her neck in his hand. The remainder of Delilah’s long body wrapped around Jethro’s torso.
Nick felt Lilly shiver beside him. He slipped his hand around hers, hiding the union in the folds of her skirt. Lilly squeezed her appreciation.
“How big is she?” Nick asked.
“She’s almost nine feet long and weighs forty-five pounds.” Jethro stroked the alternating tan circles and red stripes on her back. “She’s an old gal. We’ve been together since my circus days. She must be almost twenty years old. Go ahead and pet her.”
Levi bounced on his toes until his mother finally nodded her permission. He reached for the snake, tentatively at first, and finally touched its skin. “You want to pet her, Mr. Nick? See, she’s nice. Smooth and cold. Not slimy. You too, Mama. You gotta pet her. You have to.”
Nick felt another shiver shake Lilly’s body. Poor thing. She’d do anything for her son, but this? He locked his gaze on her. Her amber eyes, wide with fear, begged him to bail her out of this. Did he want to bail her out? Maybe he should, but then again, it might be fun to face this challenge together. He tightened his hold on her hand. “We can do this.”
Ever so slowly, he raised her hand in his own. He felt the resistance, but she finally gave in to his lead and let him place her fingers on the snake’s thick hide. He covered her small hand with his much larger one. With his fingers so much longer than Lilly’s, he was able to touch the cool, almost silky snake flesh. It contrasted sharply with Lilly’s supple, warm hand tucked beneath his own.
Like a dance, he drew her hand along the path of mahogany stripes on the snake’s back. Warmth pooled in his chest, and his heart pounded like a kettledrum. Was she learning to trust him? Did she realize he’d die before he’d let this snake—or anything else—harm her or her son?
All too soon, she withdrew her hand from beneath his. “It’s … a … a … rather cold.”
“Snakes are cold-blooded animals.” Jethro eyed Nick and kicked up the side of his mouth. “Unlike us.”
Nick cleared his throat. “Do you have any alligators? Levi was hoping to see those too.”
“Sure I do. Let me put Delilah away, and we’ll head outside.” Jethro gently uncoiled the snake’s lower body and laid it in the cage. As if Delilah understood what was happening, she withdrew the rest of her body from around Jethro’s torso and slithered to a resting place.
Jethro tugged on his collar. “She likes it warm and humid, but it gets to me. Ready to head out where it’s cooler?”
He led them out the back door. The open pen area surrounding the barn was divided into several sections—one for sheep, one for a milk cow, and another for pigs. For a moment, Nick thought he spotted a camel chomping hay inside the barn. Jethro passed that fenced area and said they’d come back. He motioned them toward a solid brick fence several yards from the barn.
“Welcome to the home of Smiley.” Jethro swept his arm over the enclosure. Nick looked over the solid wall and found an alligator sunning himself on a boulder in the center of the area. Around him, a small pond had been dug for his swimming pleasure.
Jethro reached over the edge and poked the animal with a long pole. Smiley opened his jaws, revealing rows of sharp teeth. He snapped his jaw shut with lightning speed.
“Oh my,” Lilly breathed. “And this thing is practically my neighbor. Imagine if he got loose.”
Levi clutched at Nick’s leg, so Nick picked him up.
“Can he get out?” Levi asked.
Jethro patted the brick wall. “No, that’s why I built these. It’s not like an alligator can climb with those stubby legs and all. And Smiley’s not so bad, but he likes to show me who’s really the boss.”
Levi relaxed in Nick’s arms. “Can we see him eat something?”
“Hmmm.” Jethro rubbed his chin and pointed to a shack. “You see that cabbage over there? Go get it for me, and we’ll see if Smiley feels like playing.”
Nick set Levi on the ground, and the boy raced off. He returned seconds later with the head of a cabbage and passed it to Jethro.
Jethro poked the alligator. “Smiley, want to play?” He held the cabbage for the creature to see.
Opening his cavernous mouth, Smiley made a move forward. Jethro tossed the cabbage toward the alligator’s nose. His jaw snapped down on the cabbage, shredding it in an instant.
Levi jumped up and down and applauded. When Smiley wheeled in his direction, Levi hurried behind Nick’s legs. “I agitatored the alligator. Don’t let him get me.”
“He’s not going anywhere, but you ought to see him eat watermelon. He smashes those into bits.” Jethro tapped Levi’s nose. “Now, young man, I’ve got a surprise for you.”
17
What was that noise? Lilly li
stened again. It wasn’t the sound of a cow bawling or a horse neighing, but it had to be an animal. A sick donkey maybe? They hadn’t seen a donkey in the little zoo, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one in the barn.
What if Mr. Tallman was in trouble? She glanced at Nick, who gave no indication that the strange noise alarmed him.
“What do you think the surprise is, Mama?” Levi’s eyes danced.
“I don’t know, but Mr. Tallman told us to wait patiently, and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do.” Lilly knelt in front of Levi to adjust his jacket as a cool breeze ruffled the trees. The raspy, belching sound came again, and this time Nick looked at her and smiled. Did he recognize the source of the noise? She started to ask, but he pressed a finger to his lips, silencing her questions.
Lilly stood still as the barn door opened, then turned to see Mr. Tallman leading a camel. Draped over the camel’s back was a blanket of bright, rich colors. On top of that was what appeared to be a saddle of sorts, which was covered in additional layers of blankets. As the camel lumbered toward them, thick, gold tassels swung from the corners of the multicolored blanket.
Levi stared at the beast towering above him. “What’s his name, and do I get to ride him?”
Mr. Tallman stopped the camel beside a wooden tack box and patted the camel’s neck. “This is my old friend Ali Baba. He’s another one of my partners from my time with the circus.” Mr. Tallman placed his hand on Ali Baba’s front flank and gave him the directive to sit.
The camel folded his legs beneath his massive body until he was sitting on the ground. Still, the top of Ali Baba’s hump reached over Lilly’s head.
Mr. Tallman tapped Levi’s cap. “Ready to ride one of the ships of the desert?”
Levi looked around. “I don’t see a ship.”
“That’s what they call camels.” Nick picked up Levi and turned to Mr. Tallman. “You want him right here?”
Lilly put her arm out to block the way. “Wait a minute. Are you certain it’s safe for my little boy to ride this thing?”
“My Baba’s a gentleman. We’ve been giving camel rides to folks at the lake for almost ten years now. Haven’t you seen him? No one’s been bitten or maimed in any way. But since you’re worried, why don’t you and Mr. Perrin ride first?”
Lorna Seilstad - [Lake Manawa Summers 03] Page 11
