Lorna Seilstad - [Lake Manawa Summers 03]

by The Ride of Her Life

  A smile bloomed on Eugenia’s face. “It will be my pleasure.”

  Lilly smiled. “I’m sure it will.”

  “Nick, will you please bring me a copy of The Delineator this evening?”

  A deep sigh slipped through Nick’s lips. A day of running back and forth seeing to Ruby’s needs had taken its toll on him. Lilly seemed to understand he had no choice but to assist his former fiancée, but he didn’t know how long Lilly’s generous nature would hold out.

  His own was certainly fading fast.

  “I told you I wouldn’t be back today. I’ve arranged for one of the hotel’s maids to deliver your supper and check on you before bed to see if you need anything. She’ll also tend to you tomorrow.”

  Ruby’s lip jutted out. “I’d rather have you come check on me.”

  “And I’d rather spend the evening with Lilly and Levi.” He placed his hand on the crystal doorknob of the hotel room. “And on Sunday, I attend church services with them.”

  “But I’ll be so lonesome.”

  “Perhaps I can stop by briefly.”

  “The doctor said I could be up and around on Monday. Will you come take me to the lake?”

  “Ruby—”

  “Please, Nick. I don’t know anyone else, and I can’t imagine walking all the way to a streetcar stop.”

  He opened the door. “I have a roller coaster to run in the morning.”

  “That will work perfectly, because I don’t have to go into the theater until the afternoon.” She pressed her hand to her head as if the conversation had exhausted her. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

  Nick’s stomach soured. Maybe he should have let her find out.

  Flopping into the chair in Mrs. Whitson’s boardinghouse parlor, Nick released a heavy sigh.

  “Problems, boyo?” Sean looked up from the ship model of the USS Constitution he’d been working on since they’d finished the toy roller coaster.

  “Ruby.”

  “Ah, the old girlfriend’s takin’ up all yer time, eh?” He pointed to a board and handed Nick some sandpaper. “Make yerself useful.”

  “When did I agree to work on your ship?”

  “My frigate.” Sean chuckled and pointed to the book with the photo he’d used for inspiration. “Commissioned by President George Washington himself. And if yer wanting a listenin’ ear, then ya can help me out. I’ve sure helped ya plenty on yer project for the lass.”

  Taking one of the three would-be masts in hand, Nick rubbed sandpaper over it until it was smooth. “Ruby is milking this sprained ankle and the bump on her head for all they’re worth. I have to go pick her up tomorrow and bring her to the lake.”

  “And what does yer Lilly say?” Sean glued a tiny cannon onto its wheeled mounts.

  “She says she understands.” Nick set the mast down, took the next long dowel mast Sean indicated, and sanded it.

  Sean held his pieces in place while the glue set. “Is that so?”

  Nick glanced up. “You don’t think she does?”

  Sean grunted and shrugged.

  “Lilly isn’t like most women.”

  “Boyo.” Sean released the pieces he’d been holding and smiled when they stayed. “There’s not a woman on earth who’d be happy about the man she’s sparkin’ with spendin’ time with the woman he’d promised to marry. And could you blame her? How would ya feel if the tables be turned?”

  The muscles in Nick’s neck knotted tighter. How did he explain to Sean that he shared Lilly every day? A part of her heart would always belong to Ben. But Ben was gone and Ruby was here.

  Nick tipped his head to one side then the other, attempting to stretch the kinks out of his neck.

  “So, laddie, where do ya feel God’s leadin’ ya in all this?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I haven’t asked Him.”

  Sean ran his hand along the hull of the ship. “Do ya know why the USS Constitution was so strong? Southern live oak made up her hull, and it was a wee bit denser than all the other woods. The hull was built twenty-five inches thick at the waterline. She took an acre of sailcloth and miles of riggin’. Can you imagine?”

  Nick glanced at the picture in the book.

  “Her nickname was Old Ironsides. But do ya know, as tough as she always was, if God’s hand hadn’t been on her, she’d have gone down.”

  35

  He’d failed.

  Maybe not failed completely, but from the deep scowl on Claude Hart’s face, Mark had no doubts he hadn’t made the powerful man happy.

  “We didn’t count on Ruby getting injured, but I must say she’s used the situation to her advantage.” Mark tugged on his waistcoat. “I can tell Lilly is having doubts about Nick seeing to our actress’s whims.”

  The muscle beneath Mr. Hart’s right eye twitched. “But they are still a couple. You said they were at the ball together.”

  “Yes, sir, but I think with a little more time—”

  “Do I seem like the kind of man who likes to wait?”

  Mark met the man’s gaze. “No, sir.”

  Mr. Hart stood and walked to his bookshelf. He removed a heavy volume. “I believe you need another plan. To discredit Nick Perrin once and for all.”

  “Wouldn’t that be a last resort, sir?” Claude Hart seemed to be pushing things. There wasn’t any hurry. It wasn’t like Lilly was ready to rush to the altar on the arm of Nick Perrin.

  Mr. Hart dropped the book on his desk, making a thunderous noise. Mark jumped and the attorney laughed. “In view of your present success, I’d say it’s time for plan B.”

  The knock at the back door startled Lilly. She dropped the tin measuring cup into the heavy pottery mixing bowl with a clatter, then wiped her hands on her apron. She turned as the door opened.

  “Good morning.” Nick grinned, his blue eyes twinkling. “I couldn’t wait another minute to see you.”

  “Don’t you need to go check on Ruby?” She winced at the sarcastic tone that layered her voice. She picked up her rolling pin and rolled out the biscuit dough with a vengeance, exasperated she’d revealed her jealousy. “I’m sorry. I know she needs your help.”

  “I’m the one who’s sorry,” he said, removing the rolling pin from her hand and turning her toward him. “I haven’t been around much. I’ve let Ruby call the shots, and I haven’t been praying about what to do with her.”

  “You’re doing what you have to.”

  He laid his hand on her arm. “But not what I want to do. As long as you understand that. Surely you know you can trust me.”

  She blinked away the tear threatening to escape. “With her, yes.”

  “What do I have to do to prove myself to you?”

  She leaned her cheek against his chest, hearing the solid, steady heartbeat beneath her ear. She could ask him to not see Ruby again, but would that really make her trust him completely? The problem wasn’t him. It was her.

  Fear or faith. The preacher had said every storm required one of those responses. She was so tired of being afraid. Afraid of losing Levi. Afraid of being alone. Afraid of her world crashing in on her again. How could she explain to Nick the tempest raging inside her?

  Nick kissed the top of her head. “Why don’t I take Levi with me after lunch today? I haven’t seen much of him either.”

  Lilly pulled back and looked into Nick’s lethal blue eyes. “He’d like that, and it will be good for him. He hasn’t moved more than a foot from that toy roller coaster since you gave it to him.”

  He traced her lower lip with his finger. “I love you.”

  “And I love you, but what if that isn’t enough?”

  “My beautiful, pragmatic, sensible Lilly, we can make this work.” He cupped her chin, nudging it upward so he could claim her lips.

  Her heart skipped a beat, and she leaned into the kiss. Oh, how she wanted to believe. Thankfully, Nick could be quite convincing.

  After giving Lilly one last kiss, Nick slipped out the back door. Eugenia and
Nora would arrive soon, and he didn’t want to embarrass Lilly by being caught there alone with her.

  Nick plucked a blade of grass from the ground, the color reminding him of the dress Lilly wore on the day they first went out for breakfast together. Over the last couple of days, he’d had a lot of time to think about their relationship. He wished Lilly understood that seeing Ruby again only reminded him of how lucky he was to have Lilly in his life. While Ruby was concerned about herself and her career, Lilly was concerned about helping others any way she could. While Ruby made him feel like he was never quite good enough, Lilly made him believe he could do anything. While Ruby seemed like a dozen other women he’d met at one time or another, Lilly was one in a million.

  He rounded the corner and stopped short. Who was the broad-shouldered man kneeling beside Levi?

  Nick sauntered over. When Levi spotted him, he jumped up and ran to him.

  “Hi there, Chipmunk. Who’s your friend?”

  “This is Mr. Whiskers.”

  The full-bearded man stood and turned.

  With a chuckle, Nick held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Nick Perrin, and I’m assuming your name is not Mr. Whiskers.”

  “No.” The man grinned. “My name is Clifford Black. I was admiring your son’s roller coaster. Did you make it?”

  Nick didn’t correct the man’s assumption about Levi. “Yes. He likes the real one so much I thought he’d enjoy having one of his own.”

  “Oh, you’re the roller coaster designer, right? I heard about you.”

  “And if I don’t get over there, I may be the unemployed roller coaster designer.”

  “I want to go with you.” Levi looked at Nick with pleading eyes.

  Nick took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. “I already talked to your mama. You’re coming with me after lunch.”

  “To ride the roller coaster?”

  “To see the roller coaster.”

  “But I’m bigger today.” Levi wobbled as he stood on his tiptoes.

  “Not big enough.” Nick tapped his nose. He glanced at Mr. Black, surprised the man had not excused himself and gone inside to eat. A strange sensation tightened inside him. He was becoming as paranoid as Lilly. Perhaps the man simply didn’t want to be rude by slipping away during a conversation. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure Levi was with his mother before he left.

  He squeezed Levi’s shoulder. “Why don’t you head on in? I think your mama has your breakfast ready.”

  “Yes, sir!” Levi galloped up the steps and let the diner’s screen door bang shut behind him.

  Nick tipped his head toward Mr. Black. “Nice meeting you, Mr. Black.”

  “You too.” He nodded. “If building big roller coasters doesn’t work out, you could always consider making toys.”

  Nick smiled. “Thanks. I may do that.”

  “Hello, sister dear.”

  Marguerite smiled at the sound of her brother’s voice as he joined her on the Midway. She paid the salesman and sniffed her bag of freshly roasted peanuts. “Morning, Mark.”

  “Cravings already?”

  “Who told you?”

  “Trip.” He snagged a handful of nuts from her bag.

  She swatted his hand. “But I wanted to tell you.”

  “Sorry. He said it seemed like everyone knew except him, so he thought I did too. Congratulations.” He cracked the shell of a peanut and dropped the insides into his mouth. “What brings you to this side of the lake?”

  She started down the sidewalk toward the diner. “I wanted to speak with Lilly.”

  “Why?”

  “And here I thought you graduated with honors,” Marguerite teased.

  “I did.”

  “Then you should already know why I want to talk to her. She’s my best friend. I tell her everything. By the way, shouldn’t you be working?”

  “I am.” He hooked his fingers in the pockets of his vest. “I had to deliver some important papers.”

  “You do an awful lot of that. Are you sure there isn’t another reason you keep coming to the diner—a special someone, perhaps?”

  “Apparently Lilly tells you everything too.” He chuckled. “Don’t make more of something than it is. I like to be nice to Eugenia. I thought it would be good for her.”

  “Then you’re not really interested.”

  “Not in a permanent sort of way.”

  Marguerite slipped her hand into Mark’s elbow. “You have to be careful with a girl’s affections—especially with someone like Eugenia.”

  “Perhaps you should be saving your lectures about being careful with someone’s affections for Nick Perrin.”

  She stopped. “What do you mean?”

  “Only that he’s been spending a lot of time with his former fiancée, the vaudeville actress Ruby Rawlins.”

  Marguerite sighed. When she’d stopped by yesterday, Lilly had told her about Ruby’s injury and Nick rendering the woman assistance. Was there more? Did her brother know something she didn’t?

  “Mark, do you think Nick is sweet on Ruby again?”

  “He carries her to his buggy, he takes her to her hotel room, and he sees to her needs. What does that tell you?”

  “How do you know all this? Furthermore, why do you even care?”

  He shrugged. “Lake gossip. It gets to the best of us.”

  She frowned and poked his chest. “Keep this lake gossip to yourself, understand? We don’t know what is going on between Nick and Ruby.”

  “But you’ll speak to Lilly? She should know.”

  Tipping her head to the side, she eyed him. “Did you grow up when I wasn’t looking?”

  Everything was perfect.

  With Levi’s chubby fingers safely tucked in his hand, Nick skirted the crowds and headed toward the roller coaster. How had he been so lucky to have Mark offer to retrieve Ruby this afternoon? Actually, it didn’t take a genius to realize it was Marguerite who’d arranged the situation. He’d have to thank her later.

  The offer had allowed him to spend a few extra minutes with Lilly, and now he could spend some time with his favorite small person. He didn’t even have to worry about Ruby. With any luck, Mark would have her nearly back to the theater by now.

  At least that nightmare was over.

  “You want some ice cream, Levi?” Nick nodded toward a vendor’s cart.

  “Yes, please!”

  After securing two vanilla ice cream cones, Nick and Levi took their time walking the rest of the way to the roller coaster.

  “We’re a pretty good team.” Levi looked up at Nick, then licked his cone. “Aren’t we?”

  “I’d say so.”

  “Forever and ever.”

  “I’m working on that.” Nick ruffled Levi’s hair as they passed through the turnstile.

  Glancing at the loading station, Nick halted. Ruby stood at the top of the stairs waiting with Mark. Why had he brought Ruby here and not to the theater?

  Nick directed Levi around the side of the building. The last thing he needed was for the boy to go back and tell his mama that Ruby had come there after all.

  “Percy.” Nick called the young man over. “I need you to do me a favor.”

  “What now?”

  Nick scowled at the youth’s tone but decided to let it go this time. “I need you to keep an eye on Levi here while I handle another matter.”

  “I’m no nanny.”

  “I didn’t say you were. You’re doing me a favor.” Nick nudged Levi forward. “Have you met Percy?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You’re going to spend some time with him, okay?”

  Levi nodded.

  “Nick, what do I do with him?”

  “You were a boy once. Do what you would have wanted to do. But keep an eye on him.” He ruffled Levi’s hair. “You do what Percy tells you to, Chipmunk. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Ruby’s wide-brimmed hat had so many feathers Nick wondered if a good gust would send it flying. And sh
ould someone’s hat be wider than any other part of their body? He was no expert on women’s clothing, but it didn’t seem right.

  For the first time all week, only a dozen or so customers were present. Maybe Tuesdays were going to be slower days. That’d be okay with him, but the investors might not like it.

  At least the small crowd would allow him to talk to Ruby. He’d deal with her now rather than later. His father always said putting off a task didn’t make it any less unpleasant, but it made the suffering longer.

  “Ruby.” He tipped his hat. “You’re looking refreshed.”

  “I told Mark he had to bring me here so I could properly thank you for all you’ve done.”

  “You’re welcome, and I was happy to help.”

  She laid her hand on his arm. “Do you mean that?”

  “Well—yes.”

  “I’m so glad to hear you say so.” She linked her arm in his and drew him off to the car shed on the side. “We’re fortunate things aren’t busy right now. I need to talk to you about a private matter.”

  An uneasy feeling took root inside Nick, but he remained. “What do you want to discuss with me?”

  “Us.”

  Nick stepped back. “There isn’t an ‘us,’ Ruby. I thought you understood.”

  “I know that’s what you said, but are you certain there’s no hope for reconciliation?”

  “I love Lilly.”

  “The cook?”

  “Yes, and she’s a fine woman.”

  “And she has a son. Are you ready to be a father? What do you know about children?”

  “I had a lot of brothers and sisters, you know that, and yes, I love Levi like he’s my own.”

  She laughed. “Then maybe you should look to see where your future son is right now.”

  He followed the direction of her gaze, and his heart thudded to a complete stop. Halfway up the lift hill, Levi sat beside Percy in the front car of the roller coaster.

  If Nick didn’t die of a heart attack, Lilly was sure to kill him.

  Slowly. Painfully. Inch by inch, with her paring knife.

  His stomach churned. Maybe they wouldn’t have to tell her.

  He heard a gasp. He stepped from the car shed. With Ruby right behind him, he turned and saw Lilly. Her eyes, filled with tears, bore into him.