When Jarod lifted his head, the sadness Lily saw there was so similar to what she remembered in Seth’s eyes, the first time they had met on the train, it hurt her heart. The boy hurt, deep in his heart, for the love of his mother. Victoria was taken from him before he was ready. Lily knew the only way for this little boy to get past this was for Seth to tell him the truth of how she was killed.
Jarod told them how he didn’t want Lily to take Victoria’s place, and when she had given birth to the babies, he was afraid Seth loved them more than he loved Johnny, Anne, and himself.
“Sweetie, I don’t want to take your mother’s place in your heart. I love your poppa, and he loves me. We just want to be happy and raise all of you together until you are grown enough to have a family of your own. Your love for your mother will always be in your heart, and no one can take that away from you.”
“That’s right, son. I love Lily, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love your mother.”
“Seth, I know you are against telling the children the truth of Victoria’s death, but I think, in this case, he needs to know,” Lily said as she braced for his fury.
“You’re right, sweetheart. He needs to know. There have already been way too many secrets.”
The words flowed from Seth's mouth. The whole story was laid out to his son, about how Victoria had been riding that day to meet Daniel. She'd come upon the squatters, who, in turn, shot her because she had questioned their presence.
“What did Mr. Roberts mean when he said Johnny and me were his sons? That you had taken everything from him, including us?”
“You see, son, it appears that you and Johnny were fathered by him. I mean that he is your real father, not me.” Seth tried to explain to an eight year-old boy the way things were between a man and a woman.
“Does that mean you are sending us away?”
“No, son. I would never send you away. I will always be your pop, no matter what.” Lily saw Seth move to his son’s side and pull him to his chest. She sat in the chair, watching the exchange between father and son, knowing that her family was now complete. No matter who had fathered the boys, they were their children.
That night when they lay next to each other, fully sated from their lovemaking, Lily snuggled next to her husband and stroked his chest as he pulled her close.
“I wish I had been able to stop Daniel before this got so out of control,” Seth whispered as she kissed his chest. “If I had been able to keep him from robbing the trains all those times, maybe no one would have been killed in the process.”
“True, but then again, we might not have met if he hadn’t robbed it the first time. What were you doing on the train that day, anyway?”
“I had just made a trip into Houston to sell some cattle, so I was on my way back home. I knew the new schoolteacher was due any day, but I never pictured you as her when I saw you on the train. I thought you might be visiting family or something, but I was definitely curious when you kept peeking at me.” He continued lazily to stroke her arm with his fingers, sending goose bumps across the surface.
“Peeking? I wasn’t peeking at you,” she said, surprised he had noticed her looking at him.
“Yes, you were,” he said, with a sexy smile. “I could see you.”
“How could you see me? You were sleeping.”
“No, I wasn’t! You just thought I was,” he said before he laughed at her expression of shock.
“You are rotten, Seth Sanford, do you know that?”
“No, I’m not. I’m as sweet as a sugar cookie on your tongue,” he whispered before he rolled her over and started trailing kisses down her chest. She moaned beneath him.
Lifting his head, he said, “You’ve shown me love can conquer all fears, revenge and anger, and I’ve finally surrendered to love.”
Epilogue
“What’s the surprise, Seth?” Lily asked as they tumbled on the bed and she tickled him, trying to get him to tell her.
“I’m not telling you, sweet wife of mine. You’ll just have to wait and see,” he said, flipping her over, pinning her hands above her head and kissing her soundly on the mouth.
“You just don’t play fair, Seth. Why won’t you tell me?” She stuck her lip out in a pout, and he fought the laughter rumbling in his chest.
“Because then it wouldn’t be a surprise,” he said, stepping back, afraid he would be tempted by her charms to give in. “Now get dressed. We need to go to town.”
Lily sprung out of the bed and pulled on her clothing quickly while he laughed behind her.
She is so predictable, this wife of mine. God, I love her. She had been his savior and his love for almost two years now, and their love had grown stronger each day. He no longer harbored the need to find Victoria’s killers as he gave into his love for Lily. She made him whole, and that was all he needed now.
The twins were beginning to pull themselves up on the furniture and walk around, and Anne became their substitute mother. She loved to help Lily with the twins, feeding them, changing them, and playing with them all the time.
Johnny had matured so much over the last few years, it was kind of sad to see. Their boy was growing up, and it was clear lately he had a terrible crush on one of the girls in his class. He helped tutor the girl after school, and he blushed each time someone mentioned her name.
Jarod had gotten over his disappointment at Lily taking their mother’s place and had even come to call her Momma over the last several months.
“Can we go now?” She pulled the brush quickly through her hair and tied it back with a ribbon.
“Yes, sweetheart, we can go now,” he said, laughing again. They walked out of their room and headed for the wagon he had already hitched to the team.
“What do we have to go to town for?”
“I’m not telling you, Lily. You’ll just have to be patient until we get there,” he said, walking around to the other side.
During the entire trip, she tried to get him to tell her, but he was adamant that this was to remain a surprise.
They pulled up to the train station, and she gave him a questioning look before she turned to peer at the train as it pulled in, blowing steam when it shuddered to a stop.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, jumping down and heading toward the train.
* * * *
She almost stood up in the wagon seat so she could see where he had gone, but he was swallowed up in the crowd, and she could no longer see him.
After several minutes, she spotted him walking back toward the wagon, and she cocked her head. A beautiful redhead walked beside him and questions began to ripple through Lily's her mind. Curiosity got the better of her when her husband stopped near the wagon and lifted his arms so she could get down. Her puzzled look swept back and forth between the two people. “Seth?”
“Sweetheart, I want you to meet someone. This is Elizabeth Flannery, your mother.” Seth wrapped his arm around her and tugged her closer.
“My moth…” Lily started, but couldn’t finish when her eyes fixed on the woman in front of her. She was in her late forties, with beautiful red hair and big green eyes, just like her own.
“Yes, sweetheart. She’s your mother.”
“But how?” she asked as her eyes fixed on her husband. “When? Where?”
“Shall we go to the restaurant so we can talk?” Seth said, steering her toward the center of town while the older woman followed.
Once they were seated at a table in a private area of the restaurant, Seth began to explain how he had hired a private investigator to track down Lily’s mother. He had found her in San Francisco. Hoping to start a new life, she had moved there after she had asked Edward and Kathleen to raise Lily.
* * * *
Elizabeth sat quietly, studying the beautiful girl before her as she listened to the man tell how he'd found her. She couldn’t believe the woman across from her was her daughter, her precious Lillian she'd been forced to give up so many years before.
“Y
ou are Elizabeth Flannery?” Lily asked in a whisper after Seth had finished his story.
“Yes,” she said with a slight Irish brogue. “You are Lillian?”
“Lily, yes,” Lily replied then asked, “Where have you been? Why did you leave me with Edward and Kathleen?”
“I had no choice. A widow with a young babe would not have done well in Boston. Edward and Kathleen promised me they would take good care of you,” Elizabeth said, studying the couple in front of her. “I traveled to California to make a new life for myself. I have been there ever since. I was very surprised when your husband contacted me and wanted to know if I would like to come and visit you.”
“Why didn’t you try to contact me all these years?”
“I thought it better not to. I didn’t know whether you would hate me for leaving you.” She bowed her head as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
“I didn’t even know you existed until about two years ago. Edward and Kathleen never told me about you and my father until I found my birth record by accident.”
“I am sorry then that I did not contact you sooner. If you do not want me to be a part of your life, I’ll understand. I needed to see you, though, and know that you were safe and happy. I see that you are with your wonderful husband, so I will go.” She began to rise until Lily stopped her.
“No, I don’t want you to leave. I want to get to know you. You are my mother. You have grandchildren who need to know their grandmother,” Lily said vehemently.
“Grandchildren?” She was sure the surprise on her face lit up the room.
“Yes, grandchildren. Seth and I have a boy and a girl, and Seth has three children from his previous marriage. Our youngest daughter is named after you,” Lily said, touching her arm. “Please say you’ll stay?”
After a moment Elizabeth relented and agreed to stay. She had no ties in California, and her wonderful daughter wanted her to stay. Yes. I will stay and get to know my daughter and my grandchildren.
THE END
www.romancestorytime.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandy Sullivan is a romance author, who, when not writing, spends her time with her husband, Shaun, on their farm in middle Tennessee. She loves to ride her horses, play with her dogs and relax on the porch, enjoying the rolling hills of her home south of Nashville. Country music is a passion of hers, and she loves to listen to it while she writes.
She is an avid reader of romance novels and enjoys reading Nora Roberts, Jude Deveraux and Susan Wiggs. Finding new authors and delving into something different helps feed the need for literature. A registered nurse by education, she loves to help people and spread the enjoyment of romance to those around her with her novels. She loves cowboys, so you'll find many of her novels have sexy men in tight jeans and cowboy boots.
Also by Sandy Sullivan
Siren Erotic Romance: Cowboy Love
Siren Erotic Romance: Wild Wyoming Nights
Available at
BOOKSTRAND.COM
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