by Anna Schmidt
“Lily!” Emma turned bright red as she tugged at the hem of Lily’s skirt.
“I’m taking you all the way there,” Cody grumbled, all sign of humor gone. He stared straight ahead and snapped the reins to urge the team to a faster pace, the wagon jostling over the bumpy road.
Emma bit her lip as she looked first at Cody and then at Lily and then down at her hands clutching the edge of the seat. Lily fought to maintain her balance and sent a look of pure fury in Cody’s direction.
Beneath the brim of his hat, the man had the audacity to smile.
Chapter 8
Cody didn’t know what it was about Lily that made him want to needle her. Maybe it was the way her expression shifted when she didn’t get her way. Instead of pouting, her jaw tightened, and she practically announced her determination not to be bested again. He might think he had won this skirmish, but he was pretty sure over the long term, Lily Travis would always come out triumphant. He kind of liked that idea, and the thought made him smile.
But when he heard Lily suck in her breath and saw her grip the edge of the seat with both hands, he suspected she’d misinterpreted that smile. “Look,” he said, “I’m going to take you to Grace and let you off there. I’ve got some thinking I need to do, and I’ll just take a ride while you visit. And if you’d prefer, I’ll ride over to the Lombard place and ask if one of the ranch hands can see you back to Juniper, and I won’t bother you anymore.”
He saw Lily start to say something—probably to grudgingly agree to the plan—but before she could speak, Emma placed her gloved hand on his forearm. “Please, don’t think we aren’t grateful, Cody. Isn’t that right, Lily?” She didn’t wait for a response but hurried to add, “George packed us enough food for a small army. At least join us for a late lunch before you go on to the ranch.”
Looking past Emma to Lily, he said, “If you’re sure…”
“Of course we’re sure. Aren’t we, Lily?”
“I’m sure Grace will be pleased to see you,” she replied. Cody noticed she had refused to address the question directly. “Besides, you have to eat.”
“Well now, that would be real kind of you ladies,” he drawled. “I have to admit I’ve been thinking about that basket full of food for the last little while.”
When they reached the cabin, Grace was on the porch, no doubt eager to welcome their arrival. Her pregnancy appeared to have advanced quite a bit just in the short time since Cody had seen her with Nick at Jake’s funeral. Truth was, he didn’t quite know where to look. He wasn’t used to being around expectant mothers, and worse, when he glanced at Grace, what he was really thinking was how Lily might look carrying a child—his child. He felt a blush bloom as he approached the cabin, hanging back to allow Emma and Lily to go ahead of him. Grace welcomed them with hugs and then turned to him.
“Well, come on up here, Cody. I assure you nothing is going to jump out and bite you.”
He ducked his head, set the picnic basket on the porch, and took hold of her hands. “Sorry about your brother’s fall,” he said.
“He’ll be fine,” she assured him, although clearly, she was operating purely on hope. She eyed the basket. “I do hope there’s a huge piece of George’s applesauce cake in that basket. I’ve been thinking about it all morning.”
Lily set the basket on a warped wooden table and started unloading it. “Surely, George packed something healthier,” she said, smiling as she burrowed through the contents. She removed a package. “Well, look at this…” She opened the wrapping, and all three women squealed.
Cody reached over Lily’s shoulder and took the cake. “Pretty sure that’s for me,” he teased.
“Not on your life, mister,” Grace exclaimed as she reached for the cake Cody held just above her head. “Gimme.”
Emma laughed. “Best do as she says, Cody. You never want to mess with a woman like Grace. She may look fragile, but we all know she’s as tough as they come.” She looked at her friend with unabashed admiration.
Cody sighed in mock defeat and presented the cake to Grace, then pulled a chair closer so she could sit.
“Thank you, kind sir.” She unwrapped the cake, broke off a corner, and took a bite. She closed her eyes and moaned. “Heaven,” she whispered, and they all laughed.
Cody took a sandwich from the basket. “Well, ladies, I’ll leave you to your visit.”
“At least sit a minute to eat your sandwich,” Emma protested.
“I can ride and eat,” he said, not allowing himself to look at Lily.
But then he heard her say, “That’s not necessary, Cody. You should stay and eat with us.”
He looked at her, their eyes locking. “If you’re sure.”
She licked her lips and then turned away, busying herself with filling tin cups with orangeade from a covered tin pail. “We’re sure,” she said. “Aren’t we, girls?”
“Absolutely,” Emma agreed as she sat on the only other single chair available, leaving a bench as the only choice for Lily and Cody.
“There are plates and utensils on the table inside,” Grace said.
“I’ll get them,” Lily volunteered.
Cody finished unpacking the basket. “This is quite a feast,” he said, and when Lily brought the plates, it seemed only natural for the two of them to work side by side doling out the food. They served Emma and Grace before taking their own plates and sitting next to each other on the bench.
Lily was left-handed. He hadn’t noticed they had that in common until now. He wondered what else he had yet to discover about Lily Travis. He ate in silence while Emma and Lily filled Grace in on the latest gossip from the hotel. He noticed neither of them mentioned the presence of Victor Johnson. And because he wanted Lily to confide in her friends—and had the faint hope that they’d be motivated to share some of those confidences with him later—he finished his lunch and stood.
“I’d best get on my way.” He took out his pocket watch and checked the time. “Emma, Lily, you should be ready to start back around four. I’ll either be here or one of John Lombard’s hands will come for you, if that suits.”
“Maybe Nick will be back by then,” Grace volunteered.
“Wouldn’t want him having to make the trip twice. Besides, I expect he’s reluctant to be too far away from you these days.” He blushed again, realizing his comment had been far too personal for a single man.
Lily cleared her throat. “Seems silly to bother one of the Lombard cow hands. We’re all returning to Juniper. If you don’t mind, why don’t you just plan on calling for us at four, Cody?”
Something had shifted for her, and for the life of him, Cody could not figure out what that might be. But he wasn’t about to question it. Feeling uncommonly happy, he grinned and tipped his fingers to his hat. “Yes, ma’am.”
This time, Lily was the one to blush.
* * *
The three women were silent as they watched Cody ride away. Then Grace let out a long, audible sigh. “Lily Travis, if you don’t find some way to say yes to that man, I may never forgive you.”
“You seem to forget I may not be in a position to say yes or no to Cody. Besides, he hasn’t asked me anything,” Lily protested, feeling her cheeks warm.
Grace snorted. “He’s asking every time he looks your way. Take my word for it, Sheriff Daniels is falling hard for you. He may not yet realize it, and you may try to deny it all you please, but I know true love when I see it.” She cradled her stomach and waggled her eyebrows at them.
Emma giggled. Lily tried to remain adamant, but Grace’s antics were so ridiculous that all she could do was grin. And then she was laughing—they were all laughing—and it was like old times.
When they recovered, Emma and Lily insisted Grace enjoy her cake while they cleared away the remains of the meal. Emma carried the dishes inside while Lily packed the hamper and wiped crumbs f
rom the table.
“I understand Victor Johnson is staying at the hotel,” Grace said softly.
Lily nodded. “He’s been there nearly two weeks now. No one seems to know why he’s in town. I think Cody suspects he might be part of some plan to stage a robbery—La Casita in Santa Fe was robbed just before Victor showed up in Juniper.”
“So you don’t think he came to find you?”
Lily told Grace about her first encounter with Victor. “He seemed genuinely surprised to have discovered I worked at the hotel, but…”
“But you know better than to trust a single word that comes out of that man’s mouth,” Grace concluded.
Emma rejoined them on the porch. She wiped her hands on a flour sack-turned-dish towel. “He’s stalking Lily, Grace. Lily’s been covering the counter because the usual girl is ill, and he’s there every morning.”
Grace frowned. “Anything more? I mean, does he try to see you when you aren’t working?”
“Not so far, but he seems to know everything about me. Where I go and who I spend time with. It’s unnerving. I find myself looking over my shoulder all the time.”
Grace nodded. “Yeah. It was like that when Jasper Perkins made his threats.”
“Victor hasn’t threatened you, has he, Lily?” Emma asked. “I mean you’ve never said anything about that.”
Lily thought about how angry Victor had been earlier that week when he’d accused her of complaining to Aidan. “Not until recently.” She told them about the incident and did not miss the look of alarm Grace exchanged with Emma. “But surely, he would never… I mean whatever his business in Juniper, that’s bound to take precedence over anything to do with me.”
“What if you are his business?” Emma asked, and Lily felt her throat tighten.
What if Emma was right?
“All I can say is I am mighty glad you have Cody watching out for you,” Grace said as she gripped Lily’s hand.
When her grasp tightened and she didn’t let go, Lily looked at her. Her friend’s face was contorted in pain. Emma was already on her feet. “Grace? What is it?”
“Probably shouldn’t have eaten all that cake,” Grace managed to gasp out, forcing a smile probably meant to reassure them and failing in the attempt.
Lily exchanged a look with Emma. “We need to do something.”
Emma nodded. “Let’s get you inside so you can lie down.”
Between them, they half carried Grace into the cabin and helped her stretch out on the bed. Emma removed Grace’s shoes and massaged her feet while Lily collected water from the creek. It was obvious that the pain had not abated by the time she got back. While she filled a glass with the water, Lily motioned for Emma to come closer so they could talk without alarming Grace.
“You stay here, and I’ll go for help,” Lily whispered.
Emma shook her head. “I’ll go. I can take the horse from the wagon and ride to the Lombard ranch. The Lombards can send someone to town to bring Doc Waters.”
Lily shot a look in Grace’s direction. Her friend was now writhing on the bed, and her face was streaked with sweat. “All right. Go.” She gave Emma a gentle push toward the door and went to sit with Grace, grabbing a dish towel and the water.
“Grace, Emma is going for help. I’ll be right here with you until she can return, okay?” She heard Emma outside speaking softly to the horse and then the hoofbeats of her riding away. When she dabbed at the sweat dotting Grace’s cheeks and forehead, Lily realized part of the moisture came from tears. “Do you want to try a sip of water?” she asked, not knowing how else she might comfort her friend.
Grace shook her head. “Doc was just out here to see me, and he said it would be at least three weeks yet. I can’t lose this baby,” she whispered hoarsely. “It would break Nick’s heart.”
“Now you listen to me. You and the baby will be fine. It’s just…let’s just try to stay calm until Doc can get here. Would you be better sitting up?” She was grimacing less—maybe her pain had ebbed a bit.
“All right.” With Lily’s help, Grace pushed herself higher against several thin pillows Lily stacked behind her, her dress bunching up around her.
And that’s when Lily saw the three spots of blood on the bed.
Not wanting to further alarm her friend, she tugged at the dress to straighten it and cover the spots. “Better?” she asked.
Grace nodded and gave Lily a wan smile. “I don’t mean to be such a bother.” Then her eyes widened. “How is Emma getting to the ranch?”
“She took off on the horse from the wagon—bareback, if I know her.” Lily smiled. “Can’t you just see her galloping across the land?”
Grace laughed. “Let’s just say I can see Emma in that situation a lot easier than I could ever imagine you. Remember the day Aidan planned that ride and picnic for all of us?”
Lily ducked her head but couldn’t hide her smile. “Nick had me singing, remember?”
“He was singing as well. That’s when I learned my husband-to-be had many talents, but he was definitely not musically inclined.”
The two of them giggled at the memory.
“You should try and rest, maybe even nap,” Lily suggested and with a grin added, “Want me to sing you a lullaby?”
Grace smiled and tried unsuccessfully to hide another grimace.
Lily took her hand. “Is the pain worse?”
“No. It comes and goes. It’s a little better. Maybe if I close my eyes…”
Lily continued to sit with Grace, lightly stroking her hand. After a short time, she realized Grace’s breathing was steady and regular with the ease of sleep. She freed her hand from Grace’s and stood.
Outside, the silence was broken only by the distant spill of the falls and the occasional call of a bird. Lily prayed for the sound of hoofbeats. Surely, blood wasn’t normal. Grace needed help. Lily scanned the horizon, one hand shielding her eyes against the sun’s glare. She prayed help would come soon. She longed for the sight of Cody galloping toward the cabin—and her.
* * *
Cody had hoped to spend some time at the cabin talking to Nick, feeling him out on any gossip he might have heard about the robbery in Santa Fe or Victor Johnson. But with Nick on his way to Juniper, Cody had nothing but time. The truth was it had been too long since he’d had an afternoon to himself or really any time when he wasn’t working or trying to figure out some case or finish a report. Realizing that, he’d stopped shortly after leaving Grace, Emma, and Lily, dismounted, and started walking, letting his horse nibble at patches of grass while he looked for arrowheads to add to his collection. He had plenty of time before he needed to meet Lily and Emma for the trip back to town.
He chuckled as he recalled how the day had started. Lily Travis had looked like she might be capable of chewing nails when she saw he was their driver for the trip. He still hadn’t figured out why she was so all-fired upset with him, but he was glad her ire seemed to have passed. After all, it had been her suggestion, not Emma’s, that he come back for them. One thing was certain—she was a woman capable of driving a fellow crazy. And she was also a woman any man would come back to again and again, no matter how frustrated he might be.
Was that the story with Victor Johnson? Had he changed his mind and regretted leaving her? The thought of that man putting his soft, manicured hands on Lily made Cody want to punch something—or somebody. He hadn’t heard anything from his inquiries to Kansas City about Johnson getting hitched up there. First thing tomorrow, he’d have Ellie Swift send another bunch of messages.
One other detail bothered him. There was some connection between Johnson and Abigail Chambers that he couldn’t figure out. Since Jake’s funeral, he’d seen the two of them outside Abigail’s store more than once, and one evening, he’d observed Johnson heading to the Sagebrush—from Abigail’s house.
Perhaps Johnson
had set his sights on Abigail. She was at least five or six years older than Lily or the Harvey Girl Johnson had duped in Santa Fe. On the other hand, she had money. Her father had left her quite well off, and she had a successful business. Maybe Johnson was looking to the future, and hunting for a woman who could take care of him. Cody considered warning Abigail, but that would probably mean revealing Lily’s secret. Besides that, she might take his attention the wrong way. No, he’d keep an eye out for Abigail’s well-being, but he saw no way to outright warn her without risking her finding out Lily’s history with the man.
He spotted the glint of obsidian in the dirt by his feet and knelt to dig out an arrowhead buried in the packed earth of the trail. Behind him, he heard hoofbeats coming up fast. He barely had time to scamper out of the way before horse and rider were upon him, passing him in a flurry of dust.
“Emma?” he shouted, unable to believe his eyes.
She managed to stop the horse a couple dozen yards down the road. The animal was already slick with lather, and Emma was breathing hard. As she started back toward him, Cody ran to meet her. “What’s happened?”
She gasped out the details. Grace—pain—baby—doctor.
Cody whistled for his horse. “It’ll take over an hour to ride back to town, get Doc—assuming he’s at home—and come back here. We could have Grace on the wagon and take her there ourselves in half the time,” he argued.
“I don’t know, Cody. She’s in a lot of pain. And the rough ride? She’s got to be terrified.”
Cody mounted his horse. “It’s our best bet, Emma.” He stretched out his hand. “Ride with me. It’ll be faster.”
“What about…” She glanced at the horse she’d ridden.
“He’ll be fine. We’re on Lombard land. One of the hands will find him and take him back to the ranch. Come on.”
He had intended to have her sit sidesaddle in front of him, but to his surprise, she hitched up her skirt and straddled the horse’s haunches, locking her arms around his waist. “Let’s go,” she said. Cody shook his head. These Harvey Girls were a breed to themselves. He spurred his horse to a gallop and headed cross-country, taking the shortest route back to the cabin.
