*
"Well now, Miss Lily Sanchez. To what do I owe this honor?"
Without even looking, Lily knew that voice. It had plagued her and her family for years.
She wiped her hands on her apron. "Mr. Jones, I am at this market every day. It has absolutely nothing to do with you."
Lily looked him directly in the eye when she spoke. He just stood there and stared at her with a cocky grin.
"It is always a pleasure to see such beauty on a day like today."
The way he continued to speak to her as if he ignored what she said was exasperating. Everything about Lawrence Jones was completely exasperating. He was a curt old man filled with arrogance; a pompous rich man who believed that his mere presence meant that he should get what he wanted.
"Is there something you would like to buy, Mr. Jones?" Lily busied herself tidying up her space. She hoped that she could look busy enough that he would leave.
No such luck.
His leathery fingers touched the textiles on the table. "I'm not sure why you are so ornery Miss Lily. I am simply coming over to pay you a compliment. Now does that deserve such a response from you?"
His question was more like a parent admonishing a child. Lily just stared at him. She thought that if she sat quietly, maybe he would simply disappear into thin air.
While waiting for her response, Jones twirled some tobacco around in his mouth. He turned to the side and spit some of the juice out.
Lily regarded him for a moment. She considered the fact that at one time, Jones could have been an attractive man in his youth. He now had silver grey hair, a bushy moustache, and piercing blue eyes. With a strong build and an air of confidence, Lily was sure women fell at his feet. Even today, Jones was a widower and there was no shortage of women who were vying to become the next Mrs. Lawrence Jones.
Jones seemed like the exact opposite of the kind of man that she would marry. He was haughty and unruly and brash. And the fact that women threw themselves at him did not make him desirable in Lily's eyes. She wanted a man that would adore her and dote on her. The kind of man that would bring her flowers and wake her up with caring words of love. He did not have to have to be rich, he just had to be a provider.
"Is there something you would like to buy, Mr. Jones?" she repeated.
"No, my dear. I just wanted to enjoy the sunshine over here this morning. And I'm glad I did. Good day, Miss Lily."
Jones tipped his hat and strolled away.
Lily finally stopped holding her breath and continued what she was doing. She rubbed her fingers across the beaded dress that her mother handcrafted. Brook Song had a talent for making the most stunning pieces of clothing. Lily wished she knew what her own talent was. She was not good with her hands like her father and she was not creative like her mother. The only thing she liked doing was making baskets and gardening.
She loved flowers and gardens. The delicate nature of a flower intrigued her. Growing from a tiny seed, nurtured in the soil, and surrounded by nature. Being named after her mother's favorite flower, Lily felt a kindred spirit with flowers. When she spent time in her garden, it was the one place where she felt peace and calm.
"Ma'am, is there anything that we can assist you with?"
Lily was distracted in her thoughts. It was still pretty early in the morning and no one had come to the market yet. It was bad enough that her morning started with a visit from Lawrence Jones. Now she had the sheriff and some other stranger standing in front of her.
"Sheriff," she greeted him. The sun was higher in the sky and Lily had to squint, holding her hand up for shade to keep the rays out of her eyes.
"Was that man bothering you?"
His booming voice and commanding presence gave her a sense of comfort.
"Not really, Sheriff. But thank you for checking on me."
"No problem. Let me introduce you to my newest Texas Ranger, Mr. Brent Abbott. He hails from South Carolina but sees fit to make a new life here in Owen's Bluff."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am."
The man was tall and unassumingly attractive. With dirty blonde hair, rugged good looks, and eyes that were pools of pure blue, Lily was immediately taken by his charm. When he smiled, a small dimple peaked out from his chin.
"Lily. Lily Sanchez. Nice to meet you, Mr. Abbott."
He simply nodded in response.
When her heart started racing, Lily was not sure how she felt about it. She hoped that Mr. Abbott did not think that it was rude that she did not reach out to shake his hand. The attraction between them was already apparent enough. She was afraid that if they did touch, it would send her on an emotional overload.
"I know that your family has had troubles with Lawrence Jones in the past. Just making sure he was not becoming a nuisance for you."
A hot breeze blew her hair into her face. She gently swept away the stray tendrils.
"Mr. Jones and his family will always be a bit of a problem. But he has not been anything that we could not handle. Thank you for your concern."
People were starting to pour into the market. The presence of Rangers would create a problem for her sales. Especially if it looked like the Rangers were not purchasing anything.
"I really appreciate your concern, but I need to get my market day started. Thank you so much, Sheriff. And Mr.? What did you say your name was again?"
The man looked a bit irritated that she had not remembered his name.
"Abbott. Brent Abbott."
"Yes. Thank you, Mr. Abbott. I will be in touch if there are any other problems."
Sheriff Dyer tipped his hat. "Good day."
They walked off just in time for the market goers to come over and browse.
Lily kicked herself. She could have been a little nicer to that Ranger. But she had no idea how she would react when she was face with what she thought could be the beginning of an interesting relationship.
Chapter 4
When he first laid eyes on her, she took his breath away. She was like this shining light, an oasis in his desert of loneliness. Brent had not happened upon anyone who made his heart beat so immediately, not since Caroline.
Early that morning, he met with Sheriff Dyer to go over some of his first assignments. Very basic things like serving some of the ranchers with notifications on the specifics on ranch upkeep, and then policing the market to ensure the safety of not only those shopping, but of the sellers.
Dyer filled him in on the complete history of Lawrence Jones and his family's connection to Owen's Bluff. It seemed that the love- hate relationship spanned decades and was not going away anytime soon. Jones was not unlike the rest of his family. He was methodically purchasing land from Owen's Bluff through the next three towns over. Word was, his goal was to be the monopoly land owner in their area of middle Texas.
If Jones had the monopoly on land ownership, not only would it be tangible money in his pocket, but it would give him a power beyond measure. He would not only be able to buy land, but he could sell land at his own regard for whatever price he wanted because there would be no competition and the land would be prized.
Dyer went on and on about Jones and his money hungry ways, but all Brent wanted to know about was Lily.
It seemed insane to inquire about a woman that he had only laid eyes on once. As they approached, the woman stood there tidying up her booth. She had long jet black hair braided down her back, and dressed in a brown moccasin shirt adorned with delicate colored beading. As Brent and the Sheriff scanned the market, they came upon Lily being harassed by none other than Lawrence Jones.
There was a quiet strength about her. She did not appear helpless by the man's advances. In fact, she seemed self assured and confident as she stood her ground and did not give in to what he spoke.
As they approached, Jones walked off. Brent was not sure if he left because he did not want a confrontation to ensue or if he was done with the harassment for that moment. He seemed a calculated man.
Lily appear
ed relieved to see the sheriff. And when she spoke, her voice was light and airy. Her eyes were brown and welcoming, soft. Brent wanted instantly to protect her. But he was intrigued by the fact that she seemed to be able to take care of herself.
All night long, all he thought about was Lily. Where was she from? What her hair smelled like? Would she even speak to him if he approached her?
It was worth a try to go back to the market the next day to properly introduce himself.
Brent dropped Adam off with Miss Sarah and saddled his horse to ride off to the market. Dyer had given him a few assignments and he would take care of them along the way. His excuse for stopping at the market was to partake in some of the fresh cakes and produce that would be there to stock up for his day's work.
Once he rode into the market, he looked immediately for Lily. She was not there at the booth where she was the day before. His heart panicked. What if she did not come to market that day?
He sighed knowing that he had to go on and finish his assignments for the day. He would just have to stop back again later that week.
"Mr. Abbott?"
Brent spun around on his heels.
There she was.
"Yes. I mean, you can call me Brent."
Her hand met his and he kissed hers gently.
"Lily."
"Yes," she replied. "I saw you walking away from my booth. Were you looking for me?"
Those doe like brown eyes stared at him waiting for a response.
The words seemed stuck in Brent's throat. Lily's friendly smile relaxed him enough that he could remember what he wanted to say.
"I was," he admitted. "I thought maybe I would come by and say good morning."
"Really?" she replied flirtatiously as she balanced a large bowl on her hip.
"Well," Brent stammered.
"Why don't you follow me over here?" Lily nodded in the direction of her booth.
Brent kindly did as he was asked. "Can I help you with that bowl?"
"No, I can handle it."
Brent did not know how to respond. He was used to helping his mother with everything, so to have a woman say that she could handle what she was doing almost seemed borderline rude to him.
"I did not want to take up much of your time. I simply wanted to stop by and say good morning. I felt like yesterday we did not get to meet properly. I was working and things seemed so rushed. Well, and being new to town, I don't know many people."
As soon as the words escaped his mouth, he regretted his admission.
"You said it was Brent, right?" When she spoke, she sat the bowl down and turned to give Brent all of her attention.
"Yes."
"I'm flattered that you came back to see me today, Brent."
The pause between them was a bit awkward, and then Brent broke the silence.
"I just wanted to make sure things were alright after what I saw yesterday. You know, with Jones and everything."
"I'm used to him. He is not as much of a threat as you think." Lily busied herself continuing to set up.
"To you what seemed harmless looked like a bit of a threat to me."
"Of course it did, Mr. Texas Ranger. But I am no damsel in distress. I've gotten pretty good at taking care of myself."
This whole independent, I can take care of myself thing was wearing thin on Brent. The saving grace was that he could tell that it was just a front. Whenever Lily claimed to be able to take care of herself, her eyes were downcast and she would look away from him.
He was amazed that so early on, he could tell something so personal about her. It made him want to learn more about her. This mysterious woman who had stolen his heart and did not even know it.
*
Brent paced the floor of his great room. Miss Sarah had not brought Adam home yet, so he had time to himself. All of his assignments were completed and he had the rest of the evening off.
The first thing that kept going through his mind was Lawrence Jones. The rancher was more than a tycoon. He was a no holds barred businessman. The kind of man that would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. And Brent could tell that Jones wanted Lily.
It was all in the way that Jones looked at her. A man with desires. A man used to getting what he wanted. If Jones wanted Lily, there would be no way that Brent could compete with that. A farm boy turned Texas Ranger from South Carolina was no competition for a wealthy rancher.
He had to hope that Lily fell for him and that she was not enamored by a man that could only offer her a certain lifestyle. Brent was prepared to do what he knew. Woo her. Show her that he wanted to get to know more about her and her life.
Brent rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Flowers seemed to be in order. But which ones? There were so many varieties and what if he got her sunflowers when she really loved roses? Then it dawned on him. Lilies. They would be perfect.
He recalled an open garden at the edge of town. He would stop by there and trim a few to take to her tomorrow. What he really wanted to ask her was to take a walk with her. A little time alone together would be wonderful. Just the thought of doing so made his hands clammy and his heart race.
Spending time alone with her could quite possibly be disastrous. He pictured himself spending the afternoon in her company, sweating profusely, tripping over his words, unable to connect his thoughts and sound remotely intelligent.
Maybe going for a walk together was a bit much right now. He was not sure what he could do to spend time with her. Just showing up at the market seemed to be a good start. Brent tried to imagine what his mother would tell him to do. She would say that if the young lady was worth it, he should go and pull out all of the stops. He should romance her. Bring her candy treats and flowers and smile as he tells her how stunning she is.
He could definitely do all of those things. He could bring her flowers and go to the general store and bring her candy treats or small trinkets tied with a pretty silk ribbon. But what if she was the type of woman that did not appreciate those terms of affection?
She already projected this air of independence that instantly built a wall between them. His first task would be to break down that wall. The thing that worried him was if Lily would be willing to let that wall down. She was so striking, he was almost sure many suitors presented themselves to her.
He would most certainly be one of many. Brent was sure he would just have to make his mark and hope that Lily was interested.
*
Standing there holding a long stemmed lily, Brent waited with baited breath. Just when his head began to swirl and dizziness was threatening to settle in, Lily appeared. She rode in on a wagon, tethered her horse, and began to unpack her wares.
"Good morning," Brent greeted.
"Well, what a surprise." Lily jumped down off of the wagon, wiping her hands on her apron, she smiled.
Brent presented her with the flower. "I was at the garden yesterday and thought of you."
Lily regarded him for a moment. "That is very thoughtful, Brent. And lilies are my favorite. And not just because of my name," she responded with a giggle.
It was just the remark to break the ice.
"Let me help you unload," he offered, pointing toward the wagon.
She paused for a moment. "Fine."
She pulled back the cover and showed him what he should unpack. He helped her in silence.
"Hopefully a little teamwork was helpful this morning."
"It was. Thank you."
Lily busied herself rearranging one of the vases. "Any interesting assignments today?"
"Not really. Just the basics. Patrol the market. And a few other things that are not really much to talk about."
From there, the conversation flowed naturally. The anxiety wore off and Brent was able to speak to the beauty without stammering.
Before they both knew it, people started filing into the market.
"I think that's my cue to leave and get my work day started. It was a pleasure talking to you this morning, Lily."
&
nbsp; Lily took the flower he had given her and gently placed it in her hair. "The pleasure was all mine."
Brent tipped his hat. He was ready to walk away, but he decided that it would be insane to do so without asking her the very thing that had been on his mind.
"Lily, I would love if we could spend a little time together. If I could call on you some evening. Would that be alright with you?"
Her smile told him all that he needed to know.
"I would like that, Brent. Until then, I will see you in the morning, bright and early. I kind of like having a little help unloading my wagon."
"Yes Ma'am."
Brent walked away, his heart swelling with love and happiness for the first time since he could remember. He would be on time tomorrow. If helping Lily would get him more time with her, he would do it.
*
It did not take Brent long to begin to settle in to Owen's Bluff. With Sheriff Dyer and Miss Sarah helping him to get acclimated, the transition was easy. Meeting Lily made living in Owen's Bluff all the better.
She was sweet and thoughtful. They could talk for hours. And meeting her each morning at the market to help her unload and set up was one of the bright spots of his day.
After seeing each other for the past two months, Brent felt like it was time for Lily to meet Adam. He invited Lily over for dinner and when Sarah caught wind of it, she insisted that they all eat dinner together.
Brent hitched his horse to the wagon and went to call on Lily. The night was balmy and the stars were clear crystals in the sky. Her sitting so close to him was intimidating. Every time he wanted to speak, he found himself at a loss for words.
Luckily, her home was not too far from Brent's. He would not have to drown in anxiety.
"I wish I got the chance to meet your parents. How long until they return from their trip?"
"They will return in the next few days. I wish you had the chance to meet them as well. But don't worry. I will make sure we do a proper introduction."
Stolen Kisses (Leap of Love Book 2) Page 3
