Love's Sweet Surrender

by Love's Sweet Surrender (lit)

  “No, I just wanted to get away from Madge,” Seth replied. “Come on. Up in the wagon, children, so we can go.”

  Seth lifted Anne over the side and into the wagon bed before he reached around to grab Lily around the waist to put her in the front wagon seat.

  Surprised at his handling of the situation, Lily had to laugh a little to herself, but then the silent chuckle turned into full-blown, giggling laughter as Seth climbed into the wagon beside her.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  She couldn’t help it. Seeing this grown man scurry off to avoid the meddling women of town was too funny. She sat in the seat holding her stomach, and tears rolled down her cheeks while she continued to giggle.

  Lily blurted out in laughter, “It’s just… I’m sorry… I just think... it’s hilarious that you are trying… to get away from Madge… and the rest of the matronly women… of town before they could corral you.” Lily tried to speak, still giggling between syllables.

  “I’m not trying to get away, I just didn’t want… okay. So I didn’t want to have to explain myself to them today.” A small smile graced his lips, and he picked up the reins before he set the wagon in motion, headed toward Lily’s house.

  She continued to giggle every few seconds as they took the short trip to her home from the church.

  When they reached her front door, the children jumped out of the back of the wagon and Seth came around to help her down. She turned and scooted to the edge so she could reach his shoulders, but she slid too far on the seat and fell face forward into his arms, causing them both to tumble to the ground. Seth landed on his back with Lily sprawled on top of his chest.

  She looked down into his eyes, and the world faded around them. Before their lips could touch, the children came running over to see if they were all right, and the fog surrounding them disappeared.

  "Oh my goodness, Seth. I’m so sorry!” Heat crawled up her neck and splashed across her cheeks when she tried to pull herself off him. She wiggled, trying to remove herself from on top of him only to hear him hiss through clenched teeth.

  “Are you hurt?”

  “No, I’m fine. Just stop squirming, please,” he whispered, and she saw beads of sweat appear on his upper lip.

  “Are you sure you aren’t hurt?”

  She finally pulled herself off his chest, and he was able to sit up. Pulling himself to his feet, he said, “I’ll be right back.” He then turned to walk toward a grove of trees nearby.

  “Are you sure you are all right?”

  She started to follow him but stopped when he raised his hand in a gesture that meant not to follow. Confused, she gathered the children up and walked toward the house.

  “Well, let’s go see what we can find to hold you all over until supper is ready, shall we?”

  After about fifteen minutes and with Lily frequently peeking out the door, Seth finally returned to the house. When he came through the front door, the children were sitting on the floor, and Lily was reading them one of the many books she had on the shelves of the living room.

  “There you are. I was just reading to the children. Johnny, why don’t you continue where I stopped? I’m sure you can read this just fine while I get supper started.” Lily handed the book to the boy and walked over to where Seth stood in the doorway.

  “Is there anything I can help you with?” Seth asked, following her into the kitchen. “I’m a pretty fair cook.”

  “All right. Will you peel those potatoes for me?” Lily handed him the knife before she checked the chicken frying in the pan on the stove. “Seth, are you sure you are all right?”

  Her eyes raked him over from head to toe to make sure there wasn’t anything she missed, any injury that she hadn’t been aware of.

  * * * *

  When Lily landed on top of him, he had been surprised, but as she wiggled in an attempt to remove herself from his chest, the desire whipped through him like wildfire. Once she got up, he was on the verge of exploding. His hardened shaft pressed insistently against the front of his jeans. Now she was checking him over with her innocent gaze, and his blood began to boil in his veins again.

  “I’m fine, Lily. I just needed a few minutes. That’s all.”

  Damn! How does she do that? This woman can set my blood boiling with little more than a look. He failed to pay attention to his task, sliced into the potato and cut his thumb.

  “Damn it!” He dropped the potato and the knife as the blood seeped from the cut.

  “For heaven’s sake, you're accident prone today. Here, let me see it.” Taking his hand in hers and turning it over to inspect the cut, she said, “It’s not bad. Let me wash it with some water.”

  Without a word he stood like a schoolboy and let Lily tend to his thumb. She clucked over the wound as if he’d actually cut the entire thing off.

  “I think it will be fine. Just try to keep it clean. Why don’t you go in the other room with the children while I finish supper?”

  Her face tilted up and her gaze met his, but he couldn't think of anything else except tasting her mouth.

  * * * *

  His lips claimed hers, sliding over the surface in a feather light caress that weakened her knees until she clung to the front of his shirt in a desperate attempt to stay upright. The kiss continued until Lily became aware of tiny little feet pitter-pattering across the kitchen floor and Anne pulling at her skirt.

  The two adults jumped apart guiltily, but the little girl only smiled, held her hand to her stomach and shuffled her feet, giving Lily the impression she needed to use the outhouse. Heat crawled up her neck, and she dropped her gaze to the floor.

  "Excuse me." Lily took Anne's hand, and they rushed outside.

  When they came back in, Seth had retreated to the living room, where the boys were, and sat listening to Johnny read. After leaving Anne with the boys, Lily slid a glance at Seth, who watched her intently. She ducked her head and headed back into the kitchen to finish supper. Methodically peeling the potatoes, she let her mind wander back to the kiss. I wish I knew what he thought. He had kissed her several times, but almost every time he’d said he was sorry, and then he would leave. She didn’t know what to think anymore. Being around Seth confused her more and more each day, and now her heart had gotten involved. I'm going to have to find out what is between us, if anything, and soon, or I'm going get hurt in the process.

  Tonight wasn't a good time to bring this up since the children were around, but soon. Soon, she would have to tell him how she felt and find out if he felt anything for her. That’s it. Next weekend we’ll talk. We have to talk so we can get this out in the open before I get my heart broken.

  Dinner was served, and the children were so well behaved, Lily was hardly aware they were there. The looks passing between her and Seth kept her jittery and tense. The gleam in his eyes made her squirm in her chair, and the heat in the room seemed to increase ten-fold with each passing glance.

  The meal was over quickly, and with a little prodding from their father, the children were nice enough to wash the dishes after they had finished eating. Unfortunately, this left Lily and Seth alone in the front room, sipping coffee in silence while they struggled to think of something to talk about. They could hear the children bickering in the kitchen over who would wash and who would dry the dishes.

  At one point, Seth got up from his chair, walked into the kitchen. After several moments of low murmurs of words, all was quiet and then she heard only the tinkling of dishes.

  He came back into the room and took his seat across from her. “What did you say to them?”

  “I just made sure they understood they were to do the job without argument, and the first one to break a dish was in big trouble.” A slight smile graced those lips she remembered, oh so fondly, on hers. With that thought, she jumped out of her seat and quickly walked to the window, where she glanced outside at the people still milling about town, even though the sun was on its way down.

  The chair squeaked,
and Lily knew Seth had walked up behind her. “Is there something wrong?”

  “No. Why would you ask?”

  “You seem rather jumpy suddenly. That’s all.”

  Heat radiated from his body, warming her back, and she fought the urge to lean into his embrace. She cleared her throat and turned around but refused to look into his eyes for fear of what she might find. “Well, I didn’t want to say anything with the children here tonight, but I think we need to talk, just the two of us.”

  He didn't move. Silence stretched for several moments before he sighed in a rush of air that ruffled the hair near her ear. “You’re right. We do need to talk, but I don’t want to discuss the things between us with the children present.”

  When she dared to look up, blood rushed through her veins at the raw desire reflected there. Her lips parted. His gaze fastened on her lips, and it looked like he might kiss her again until the sound of the children arguing in the kitchen brought them back to reality.

  “I need to check on them. I’ll be right back.” Lily retreated, scooted around him and headed for the kitchen.

  * * * *

  After Lily left the room, Seth took a deep breath, wiped the sweat glistening on his upper lip and placed his forehead against the coolness of the glass windowpane.

  This has got to stop.

  If she didn’t quit looking at him like she did, things were going to go way beyond what he was prepared for. He definitely desired her, and he wanted her in his bed, but he knew she wasn’t the type to bed and forget. Even though everyone else thought she was a widow, he knew she’d never been with a man before, and he wasn’t prepared to fall in love with anyone. He still loved Victoria, and he couldn’t move beyond that. Not yet, maybe not ever, and Lily had to understand, otherwise there would be hell to pay. A hell he didn’t want any part of.

  By the time the foursome returned to the front room, Lily had come up with a game for them all to play. She suggested hide-and-go-seek in the house, and she was determined Seth would play too. He reluctantly agreed when the children begged him. It had been a long time since he’d spent a nice evening with them, so he finally gave in. Each one took turns being the seeker, while everyone else hid in different spots in the house. The last person to be the seeker was Anne. Of course, since she wouldn’t talk to anyone but Lily, she didn't count out loud. By the time she began looking for everyone; Seth had hidden behind a long drape in the front room. Lily rushed into the room with the intention of hiding in the same place. Anne came walking up the hallway, and Lily realized Seth was hidden in her spot. He reached out with strong arms and pulled her to him behind the drape, covering them both to hide from Anne. A startled squeak left her lips, and he decided to silence her with his mouth.

  Seth deepened the kiss and let his hands slide up Lily’s back. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. His whole body cried out for release from the raging desire that all but consumed him as he continued to ravish her mouth with his. She moaned softly under his onslaught. His mouth left hers to rain small kisses along her jaw, and she arched her neck to give him better access. Begging for his touch, she pushed her breasts harder against him.

  Vaguely, he heard a child’s voice as the blood rushed in his ears and down his body to settle between his legs.

  “Where did you say they were?”

  Johnny's voice brought Seth out of his pleasure-induced fog long enough to stop what he was doing before the children found them.

  Placing his forehead against hers, he looked into her eyes and said, “I think we’d better head for home before this gets out of control.” He lifted his head and ran his fingers through his hair. Lily tried to straighten hers before they came out from behind the curtain to face the children.

  * * * *

  Good Lord! You’d think I am some kind of harlot the way I behave when this man is around. She felt heat splash across her cheeks, and she knew she had to be blushing to the roots of her hair.

  “We should be heading for home.” Seth ushered the children toward the door. “It’s getting dark, and I don’t want to be on the road very much past that." He turned toward Lily once he reached the door. "Lily. Thank you for supper. It was absolutely wonderful, and I’m sure the children enjoyed the evening just as much as I did.”

  “You're welcome. Thank you for coming over. It’s been a pleasure, and I hope we can do it again soon.” Lily brought up the rear while they hustled outside. They reached the wagon, and the children clamored in back, settling down for the ride home. “Thanks again. I’m glad you came over.” She followed as Seth walked around to climb up into the wagon seat. “Can you come by tomorrow, maybe after school, so we can talk?”

  “Uh… yeah… sure. I’ll take the children home first then come back into town.”

  “That would be fine. How about if you meet me here at the house?” She knew it was probably a bad idea for them to be alone, but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted him alone when they talked.

  “All right. About four?”

  “Four it is. I’ll see you then.”

  “Make sure you lock up. I’m sure you don’t want uninvited visitors this evening. The deputy should be around a little later to watch the house.”

  “No, no, of course not. Thank you for reminding me. I’ll make sure everything is locked up tight."

  She waved when the wagon pulled away, and the children waved back as they headed out of town.

  Retreating inside the house, she locked the front door tightly behind her, walked into her bedroom and sank onto the big mattress. She touched her lips swollen from Seth’s kisses and thought about what had happened between them. He's wound my heart around his little finger, and I don't know if he is even aware of it. He still loves his wife. How can I give my heart to a man who probably doesn't return my feelings? She shook her head and rubbed her arms when goose bumps flittered across her skin. Her feet found a path across the wood floor from the door to the window. She was wound tighter than a spring, but she somehow managed to read for a few hours before she sank into disturbing dreams.

  The crash of broken glass woke her up somewhere around midnight. Terror gripped her heart, and she jumped from her bed as she raced for the pistol she kept in the bureau. She grabbed it with both hands and shrank into the corner by her bed when she heard footsteps coming up the hall.

  “Where’d you say her bedroom was?” A man’s voice whispered loudly as heavy steps neared her door.

  “Right there, but I don’t think it would be a good idea to mess with her.”

  She stood with the pistol, cocked and ready to fire, between her shaking hands. As she listened for more sounds, Seth’s voice whispered in her head, “Hold the gun steady, look down the barrel at your target and slowly pull the trigger.” She kept repeating his words silently while she waited for the door to open and the men to invade her private domain.

  The two men argued outside her door. “But she’s a might pretty piece. I sure wouldn’t mind getting some of that fluff.”

  “Yeah. That she is.” The doorknob turned, and she whimpered. She waited until she saw the two men enter quickly, but when they approached her bed and realized she wasn't there, she sighted her target and pulled the trigger. The gun exploded in her hand, and she heard the first man yell out in pain when the bullet struck him in the thigh.

  “Shit! She’s got a damned gun!” The second man scrambled out the door, leaving his buddy yelling behind him.

  “Damn it! Wait for me! I’m hit!”

  Lily stayed where she was until she heard both men bolt out the front door, which they almost ripped off its hinges.

  When she could no longer hear a sound, she slowly sank to the floor with her back to the wall. She stayed there for the rest of the night, ever vigilant, lest they return to finish the job they came to do.

  * * * *

  Early the next morning, Seth drove into town with the children in the wagon, but when they approached Lily's house, he noticed the front door hang
ing off its hinges. Fear gripped his chest, and he quickly turned the wagon, stopping in front. He didn’t even wait for the wagon to come to a complete stop before he yelled at the children to stay where they were and jumped down, running for the door.

  “Lily!” he yelled as he scrambled over the door and began searching each room. “Lily!” He headed for the last room he hadn’t searched. Silence continued to greet him. When he reached her room, he saw the door stood partially closed. He grabbed the knob, called her name again and pushed it open, fearing what he’d find on the other side.

  Tangled sheets lay across the top, but no Lily. His eyes scanned the room in a desperate search, until he glanced in the corner near the back.

  “Lily?” He approached cautiously. The terror in her eyes scared the hell out of him. He saw the gun in her hands, and he wasn’t sure if she’d heard him.

  “Lily, sweetheart, it’s me, Seth.”

  He slowly walked toward her and knelt down in front of her, reaching for the gun.

  She screamed and pulled the gun up between them. Her hands shook as she tried to cock the pistol again. Seth was able to take it from her before she could shoot. Her nails dug at his arms, and her hair flung wildly around them while she fought him like a wildcat. He was able to take the gun away from her and fling it across the bed with one hand while he attempted to keep her from scratching the hell out of him with the other.

  When he could grab her with both hands and pin her arms down at her sides, she started kicking. She wasn’t able to hurt him with her bare feet against his shins, but she kept twisting and turning, making it nearly impossible to hold on to her.

  “Lily, it’s me, Seth,” he tried again, but she didn’t seem to hear him.

  Not knowing what else to do, he released her with one hand and grabbed the back of her head to hold her still before his mouth took hers in a searing kiss. For a moment she fought against his mouth. When she finally seemed to understand held her, she relaxed and began to cry under his kiss.