“Any advice?” Lilly figured since Willow had been married she knew about these types of things. She basted the fabric together, then prepared to add the chain stitching.
“Just don’t go making a mountain out of a molehill. Sometimes a man has to work things out in his mind, come to a conclusion on his own before he knows which direction to take. Give him time.”
Lilly nodded then looked up. “Thanks, Willow. That sounds like good advice.”
Willow smiled but there was sadness in her eyes.
“You know you need to add a thicker ribbon to her bonnet like that advertisement in the almanac. Did you see it?” Willow looked around the kitchen, searching for the book.
Lilly tied a knot in the final stitch then broke the thread with her teeth. “Yes, I saw it. Who would have thought to put two strings to tie a bonnet, one for use and the other for show? I think I might like it on mine but it would get in the way on Daisy’s. She’d have it in her food and the hay in the kittens’ bed.” She held up the newly sewn bonnet for inspection.
“That color is beautiful. What did you say it was again?”
“The tag said magenta. Can you believe the carpetbagger didn’t want to sell it to me? He wanted to keep it to promote the color for more orders next time he comes through. It matches the fabric from her mama’s dress. It’s not exactly the same color but close. I had to pay a pretty penny for it, but this is definitely Daisy’s color.”
“That it is. With the white-and-yellow daisy embroidery it will be fit for Sunday best.”
“Willow, did you add frosting to the grocery list?”
“Yes, but I don’t see why you won’t let me make it. Homemade is much better.”
Lilly laughed at the accusatory tone in Willow’s voice. She sounded as if Lilly had committed a great crime.
“I only want it on Daisy’s small cake. She saw it the last time we were in the mercantile and I could almost see her licking her lips. And it’s such a wonderful way to add to her day.”
“I reckon it is.” Willow softened immediately at the thought of making Daisy’s birthday a special day. “I never had a birthday cake growing up. In fact, most of the time I didn’t even know it was my birthday. Only after Walter and I married did I even celebrate.”
“That’s sad, Willow. But it was the same with my father. I only found out his birthdate while going through papers after his death. He always said he stopped having birthdays after the twentieth and I believed him. Wish now that I had known. Everyone deserves to celebrate their own special day.”
Willow nodded. “That they do. Now what else can I help you with?”
“Well, I still have embroidery to do on the bonnet trim and while I’m doing that, could you make a paper chain? I think I hear Daisy moving around in her room. She can color stripes on paper and never realize what we’re really going to do with it. Let her hang some in her room and she’ll not think to ask about the rest. I hope.” Lilly smiled, knowing Daisy would ask and also knowing Willow would have a good answer.
“I’ll get right on it. Good thing we bought colors the other week.”
“What made Daisy decide to nap so early in the day? We usually have to make her take a nap after lunch. Even then, sometimes she just rests on the bed and doesn’t sleep.”
“Her eyes looked a little weak this morning and she sneezed a few times. I thought it was because she was right beside me when I cut the strips of burlap you asked for. The dust was heavy in the air from that stuff.” Willow placed a tablet and the new colors on the table. “I think I’ll go check on her.”
Lilly waited a moment then curiosity got the better of her and she followed Willow to the small hallway off the kitchen. They found Daisy sitting on the floor playing with the rag doll Willow had made her, but when she looked up Lilly gasped.
“Oh, Daisy. What’s wrong, pet?” Lilly kneeled in front of her sister and picked her up from the floor. The tip of her nose was red and running and her eyes were a bleary, watery pink.
“I don’t know, Lilly. My eyes feel scratchy and my nose is leaking away.”
Willow chuckled and held a hand against Daisy’s forehead. “You mean running. No fever, so that’s good.”
“Does your throat hurt?” Lilly held Daisy away from her to examine her better.
“No.” Daisy squirmed to get down. “Just my eyes and my nose.” She headed to the door. “But my nose is not broke cause it smells something good.”
Both women laughed. Lilly looked at Willow with her eyebrows raised in question.
“Since there’s no fever and there’s been no symptoms of sickness, let’s not assume the worst. We’ll keep a close watch on her. She could be having a reaction to the burlap. It wouldn’t hurt to put her in the bath as well.”
“That sounds good to me. First lunch, then a bath.”
They heard a commotion on the porch and Jacob burst through the door just as they entered the living room. Lilly’s heart leaped to her throat as thoughts ran riot through her head. Someone was hurt, bleeding or dying.
“What is it, Jacob?”
“The boys said Daisy wasn’t at lunch and they didn’t hear her chatter at all. Where is she?”
“I’m right here, Mr. Jacob.” Daisy stood in the doorway to the kitchen, and in the light, Willow and Lilly saw something they hadn’t earlier. A light red rash lay along Daisy’s neck and inside her arms. Jacob all but ran to her and carried her out of the house into the sunlight, with Lilly on his heels. She pulled up Daisy’s shirt and looked at her belly, but there was no rash on her stomach or back.
“What’s wrong with her?” His voice sounded strained and worry shone in his eyes.
“Willow seems to think it’s a reaction to the burlap they worked with this morning. As soon as she eats, we’re going to bathe her and see if it clears up.”
“Put me down, Mr. Jacob. I need to eat.”
He lowered her to the ground but Lilly noticed his eyes followed her until she disappeared into the house. When he looked back at Lilly his expression shut down and she couldn’t read his thoughts. “Jacob?”
“I’d like to build two partitions in the barn if you have the funds available to buy the lumber and nails. The boys need their own space...so do I.”
“They’re causing the lack of sleep I see under your eyes?” Lilly teased him, chuckling at his look of surprise, but he neither smiled nor teased back.
“It shouldn’t cost much. We have most of the supplies in the barn loft. Just some nails and a few studs.”
Lilly felt the subtle shunning right to her soul. Jacob was upset with her and she had no clue why. What had happened between the time he left the house last night and this morning?
She studied him a moment but he wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Of course, you can build whatever’s needed, Jacob. Just charge it to the ranch account.”
He turned to go and she called after him. “I have two rolls of fence wire I’d like you to pick up if you would.”
He nodded and then entered the barn, hiding his expression from her, causing a pain to start somewhere in the upper region of her chest. The light seemed to have gone out of her day. She floundered a moment until she remembered she had a sick sister inside the house to care for. She turned and walked up the porch steps, the short distance seeming a mile long. Daisy met her, molasses cake crumbs on her dress and in the corner of her mouth.
“Guess what, Lilly? I get to help Willow color a bunch of paper and we’re going to make a paper chain.” She turned back when Willow called her name. “I’m coming, Willow.” She grabbed Lilly’s hand and skipped back to where Willow hurriedly added hot water to a smaller tin tub than the one Lilly had used. “But first, I have to take a bath.”
Lilly chuckled. Even though she didn’t feel merry. Jacob’s rejection smarted. She didn’t have r
omantic feelings for the man, but she’d thought they were friends. All right maybe a little more than friends. Was that the reason his shunning her hurt so much? Had he somehow wormed his way into her heart? Lilly tried to reject the thoughts, but if the sadness in her heart was any indication, he had. Now what was she going to do about it?
Chapter Eighteen
Jacob returned from town at a quick clip. His mind whirled with what he’d learned. It seemed the fencing wire Lilly asked him to pick up had already been picked up by one of the men on the ranch. It seemed odd that no one had told Lilly.
A yawn overtook him. After spending a couple of nights with both the young men snoring, Jacob decided to build two smaller rooms off his room. They didn’t need a lot of space, mainly a bed and a place to store their clothes. With Lilly’s permission, he’d gone to town to get wood and nails.
Jacob glanced over his shoulder to see how his horse faired at the back of the wagon. Lumber and bags of nails filled the bed and his horse snorted as if to say it belonged at the front, not the back, of this cart. Jacob laughed then turned again to face forward.
His mind went to the lost cows. When Caleb had given the count for the cows, Asher had said that was forty-five less than he’d counted a few days earlier. Jacob couldn’t help but wonder if the lost cows were still on the ranch.
Thankfully, Caleb was no longer accountable for all the cattle, only the milk cows. Lilly had thought it wise to have the young man take care of the milking and leave the rest to Sam and his men.
In the distance Jacob noticed a cloud of dust coming his way. He pulled the wagon off to the side and waited to see who would round the bend.
A few minutes later, Sam and four of his men rode up. The foreman pulled up when he recognized Jacob. “Well, well. Looks like you just come from town.”
“Yep, Lilly asked me to pick up some fencing wire, but Zac over at the general store said one of your men picked it up last week. What do you know about that?” Jacob tightened his hold on the reins. He stared back at Sam.
Sam grunted. “That’s possible.”
Jacob nodded. “Well, I’ll tell Lilly that’s what you said when I report back to her.” He clucked his tongue and gently shook the reins over the horses back. The wagon lurched forward.
Sam motioned for his men to go on, but turned his own horse to ride beside the wagon. “What’s the lumber for?”
He was tempted to tell Sam it was none of his business, but since he was the foreman of the ranch, Jacob answered. “The boys and I are going to build a couple of rooms off the side of the barn.”
The older man laughed. “Getting too crowded for you all in the barn?”
“You could say that.”
Sam spun his horse around. “Well, have fun. While you are working hard to build another bunkhouse, I’ll be having a good time with the boys in town.” He laughed and rode away.
With Sam off the ranch, Jacob decided to ride its fences. He continued on to the barn. Asher and Caleb were there to meet him.
Jacob jumped from the wagon. He untied his horse and climbed into the saddle. “Unload the wagon, boys. I’m going to go check something out.” He spun the horse around before the young men could respond.
His first stop was the back pasture, where he did a quick head count. Five more cows were missing. Jacob got down from his horse and walked around. He noticed fresh tracks and that the fence looked newly repaired.
After a few minutes studying the ground, Jacob climbed back on his horse and followed the tracks. He found himself in unfamiliar territory but continued on. The sound of cattle bawling had him cautiously pressing on. Jacob followed the sound until he came to a canyon that he’d never noticed before.
Unsure if the cattle were being guarded or not, Jacob stayed low to the tree line and scouted out the area. The cows were fenced in with new wire. He was sure this was Lilly’s wire that he’d been going to pick up in town. There were no men around, so he rode down and counted them. Fifty head, exactly the number that were missing.
Working quickly, Jacob rounded up the cows. He pushed them as fast as he could back to the pasture. Had Sam and the other men just left the cows? Deep down, Jacob believed they had. What would they think when they discovered the cattle they’d taken were now back where they belonged?
As he closed the gate on the last cow, Jacob realized he couldn’t accuse Sam of stealing them. He had no proof. Other than telling Asher and Caleb that he’d found the cows and putting them back where they belonged, Jacob wasn’t going to say anything to anyone about what he’d done.
When he arrived back at the barn he hurried inside the house to check on Daisy. She was in the kitchen, setting the table. Her tongue caught between her teeth as she stretched to place the last plate on the mat. There was no sign of a rash and only a little pink remained in the corners of her eyes.
Jacob felt the breath he’d been holding swoosh out of him. He looked over her head into beautiful eyes brimming with compassion. Lilly smiled and his heart did funny things. It dawned on him that he might be doomed to love people that never felt the same about him. First his mother, now Lilly.
Daisy wrapped an arm around his leg. “Let’s eat, Mr. Jacob. I’m starving.”
He grinned down at her. Jacob knew that whether she returned his love or not, Daisy had stolen his heart and he’d do anything for his little sister.
* * *
Lilly carried the cake out to the side of the house, where the party was already in full swing. They’d hung colored chains from tree limb to tree limb, the effect creating a surrounded room with two tables in the center. They found a lace tablecloth in Gertrude’s trunk and Lilly had placed a purple sheet underneath the lace. The result looked elegant and princess like.
Daisy stood by the lace-covered table loaded with presents. The men had each brought her a gift. Jacob had presented her with a new pony that morning. It had taken all Willow could do to get the little girl to leave the barn and get dressed for her party.
Thankfully, Daisy had given in and now stood with several youngsters. The children and their parents from town had been invited and they all came to wish her a happy birthday. The little girl was thrilled with all the attention.
Lilly still couldn’t believe that Daisy was five years old today. Her heart sang as she looked over all her hard work.
“Need a hand with that?” Jacob asked, coming along beside her.
Other than evening meals and when he read to Daisy, she’d seen very little of him lately. And he seemed to always be busy when she went out to get her mare for a daily ride. “No thanks, I have it,” Lilly answered with a smile.
He nodded and walked away.
Lilly missed the days when they worked on the yard and garden. It had been nice to have free time to work on the party decorations and menu, but at times she found herself wanting to share with him. Was he angry that she’d given him more duties? He never brought it up and neither had she. Come to think of it, Lilly was sure that the Johnson ranch owed Jacob money for the work he’d taken on. She made a mental note to talk to him about it after the party.
Daisy thanked each person for her many presents. She raved about her cake and other treats.
Lilly watched her play games with the kids and share the gifts she received. She was proud of her little sister, who was growing up much too fast.
Her gaze found Willow sitting with Gabe in the shade under one of the many trees. Was it too hot outside for the baby?
Lilly walked over to Willow. She asked the question she’d just thought of. “Is it too hot for Gabe?”
Willow smiled up at her. “No, he’s fine here in the shade.”
Gabe kicked his little legs and waved thin arms. He was a cute baby, but then again all babies were cute, Lilly thought.
Lilly leaned down and whispered for Wi
llow’s ears only. “If he gets too hot, please take him inside. There are enough people here watching Daisy that I’m sure she’s safe.”
“I will,” Willow agreed, watching Daisy play a game with the other kids. “Lilly, has Jacob seemed distant to you lately?”
“You noticed it, too?” Lilly stood and searched for Jacob. He sat with Caleb and Asher to one side of the party grounds.
“Yes, he seems more withdrawn. Not exactly unfriendly, but not friendly, either.” Willow fanned the baby with her hand. “Has been that way for a couple of weeks now.”
Lilly nodded. “I’ll have a talk with him. Maybe he’s not happy working with the men.”
Someone called to Lilly and she smiled at Willow. “Time to go, duty calls.” She walked away, feeling both happy that the party was a success and a little saddened at not knowing why Jacob wasn’t happy.
The rest of the party went well. Everyone headed home shortly after the cake was cut. Lilly noticed that Sam hadn’t attended the party. He wasn’t happy, either. She sighed and began cleaning up. Who knew it was so difficult keeping employees happy? She sure hadn’t known it to be this hard.
Willow offered to help but Lilly sent her inside with Daisy and the mound of toys. She knew that Willow would soon have a home for each of the new items in Daisy’s room. Hiring Willow had been one of the best things Lilly had ever done.
Jacob strolled over to where she busily stacked plates in a wash pan to take inside for a thorough cleaning. “I know you told Willow you didn’t need help with the cleanup but we thought we’d help you anyway.” He indicated that Caleb and Asher were dismantling a table made of sawhorses and planks of wood.
“Thank you.” Lilly smiled at him, happy for the help.
“What would you like for me to do?” Jacob asked, studying her face.
“I have several wooden boxes sitting by the corner of the house—would you mind putting all these center pieces in them and carrying them to the woodshed?” She picked up the washbasin. It was heavier than she’d thought it would be.
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