Wild Lilly (23 page)

She stopped in the middle of the street, and almost got run over by a covered wagon. He hauled her on the sidewalk in front of the hotel and placed a bold kiss on her mouth, before God and everyone having breakfast on the covered patio.

“Paul!” she scolded in a muffled voice against his lips. He pulled back and gave her a roguish grin.

“Sorry, love. I just can’t help it.” She ducked her head and looked away from the shocked expressions and titters of the diners. He lowered himself to one knee, tipping his black Stetson as he gazed into her eyes. The morning sun shone off his tanned skin, and his lips curved into a gentle smile. A few people sitting at the back of the patio stood up to get a better view. One of the cowboys riding by let out a loud whoop and waved his hat at them.

“Lillian Colette Brooks, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” he asked, his gaze scorching her with its intensity.

Everything else diminished, the full sidewalk, the wagons slowing down to watch, and the hotel maids hanging out of the doorway. The only thing in the world was the man on his knees before her.

She answered in a choked voice, “Yes. I can’t live without you.”

He slipped an elegant white-gold ring on her finger. In the center shone a large cream-colored pearl surrounded by small diamonds. The ring flashed and sparkled in the sunlight as she admired it. From around them came cheers, whistles, and a few guns shot into the air.

She glanced up, startled by all the attention. Paul ignored everything but her, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her senseless.

***

Mrs. Beechum twitched aside the lace curtain at her parlor window, looking over the green expanse of her lawn. “I agree with Mr. McGregor. You need to leave town for a bit, Miss Brooks. My sister and I would be happy to teach at the school while you’re gone. Oh, and for goodness sakes, call me Ruby.”

Lilly imagined the two women would have no problem keeping the students in line. Both ladies had arms as big as blacksmiths. “Thank you so much, Ruby. I realize this is a great inconvenience for you both. And please, call me Lilly.”

“No, a great inconvenience would be missing your wedding for your funeral.” Ruby took a seat on the blue sofa across from her. Paul was back at his ranch arranging for Rufus and his housekeeper to stay with the boys while he was gone.

She took a sip of her coffee and set the delicate pink cup back in its saucer. “I can’t believe Hank hung himself last night.”

“Oh, I don’t think Hank had any choice in the matter. All of Mr. Krisp’s men swear up and down that Hank killed himself, but the sheriff doesn’t believe his lies for one minute. With Hank out of the way, and the other two dead, there is no way to prove Mr. Krisp’s involvement.”

Lilly slumped back into her chair, rubbing a hand across her forehead. “What am I going to do? Krisp is never going to give up. And he’s going to be furious when he learns I’ve leased a thousand acres of land to the Comanche.”

Ruby’s eyes got tight with worry. “I don’t know, Lilly. I wish I did. Have you thought about just selling him the rest?”

Lilly leaned on her elbows. “I have, but if I sell my property to him I’m just reinforcing that he can hurt or kill anyone that gets in his way. He also wants to give me only a third of what that land is worth. Besides, I want to add it to Paul’s ranch. He needs more land for his horses, so his brothers can have their own space when they come of age.”

“That may be, but what choice do you really have? I’d hate to see that man gain more power and money in this town, but I don’t know if anyone can protect you from him. Even Paul. Lee Krisp has gotten meaner with every passing year, and I’m not sure the man is entirely sane anymore.”

“If he does anything to hurt Paul or his family, I’ll kill him myself.”

Ruby snorted. “And end up in jail, with Paul and his family still hurt, or dead.”

Lilly stood and tied her bonnet beneath her chin. “Thank you for the coffee, and the help at the school. I’ll do my best to think of something while I’m gone. Keep an ear to the ground for any news of Mr. Krisp.”

***

“Sleeping Bear?” Lilly called out. The log cabin was quiet.

“In here,” his deep voice called from the back of the cabin.

She went back into her bedroom and giggled. He was on the bed, with Sampson cuddled next to him.

“Make yourself at home,” she said in a wry voice.

He stretched out and patted Sampson on his head. “I went into town today to purchase some proper white man’s clothes that can be worn in a large city. I have learned from my trading that your kind can only see a savage when they look at me. Wearing your clothes helps.”

He looked into her face, and then down at her hand. “I saw you with Paul.”

She found the floor very interesting all of a sudden. “What did you see?”

“You and Paul kissing. After he asked you to marry him.” There was no judgment in his voice, just a statement of fact.

“I’m sorry, Sleep—”

He cut her off, “No, Lilly, do not apologize. You loved him before we met. If you are meant to be his, then that is right. Be sure Paul sees your heart as the greatest treasure you possess.”

“What are you talking about?” Of course Paul was marrying her for the right reasons. He did love her, didn’t he?

The dark sheaf of his hair gleamed in the setting sunlight. “Paul’s ranch will benefit greatly from your marriage. He wouldn’t be the first to take a bride in order to gain more territory. You deserve better than that.”

Lilly let anger fill her voice. “Paul would
never
do that. He’s a good, honorable, and decent man.”

“How long have you known him?”

That thought brought back her own doubts. Bristling at the damper Sleeping Bear was putting on her day, she snapped, “I’ve known him long enough to know he’s the man I want to marry. I’ll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself.”

He ran a hand absently over Sampson’s back and ignored her glare. “I had a dream last night. A special dream.”

Instead of responding, she hauled one of her steamer trunks out of the closet and began to pack. Shoving her dresses onto the scented paper, she tried to dispel the unease that Sleeping Bear had brought up. This should be one of the happiest days of her life. How dare he try to spoil it by implying that Paul was only marrying her for her land. So what if Paul had been rather diligent in his efforts to buy it off of her? The way she felt when he held her and the truth of his love were real. She knew it...it had to be.

Sleeping Bear’s deep voice broke her train of thought. “It was winter, and I was hunting deer. Something moved in the forest behind me, trying to stalk me. I turned around and found a mountain lion in the snow. She was half frozen, but she would not come to my hand, always running away just before I touched her. The cat had pale blue eyes, the color of ice.”

Lilly folded a dress, thinking about what he said. “Do you think it’s related to the woman you’re supposed to find?”

He shrugged, pulling himself up the bed. “Only the Great Spirit knows. I think it was, but I try to not assume anything about the spirit world.”

“I left some room in the trunk for you. Are you sure you’re all right coming back to the Old States with us?” She fidgeted with the lock on the steamer trunk. Uncertainty made her anxious, especially about the reception he would receive from her mother. He had a good heart and she did not want to see him hurt. There was enough to worry with how her parents would receive Paul. She prayed with all her heart that her mother would be able to see past his lack of social standing and accept Paul for the good man he was. And not run screaming from Sleeping Bear.

Sleeping Bear tried to get off the bed, but Sampson flopped his bulk over on his legs. He chuckled as she rolled her eyes—it figured the stupid dog would love him.

“I’ll be all right. Those that would laugh at me, they would not last one day in my world. They are weak and afraid. The only way they can make themselves feel better is to make fun of those that scare them.”

“If my mothe—parents do anything to offend you, we’ll go stay with my Grand-mère Colette.” She pulled down a couple bonnets, trying to decide which one to take. “I forgot to tell you, we’ll be visiting Paul’s sister for a few days. She lost her husband to consumption a few years ago.”

He pushed Sampson off and moved silently to the window.

She winced at her own clumsiness. Corina had told her about Sleeping Bear losing his love to cholera. Wrapped up in her own thoughts, she’d inadvertently hurt him “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

He kept his back to her, continuing to gaze out at the creek in the distance. “No memories of Ruby are bad. Even at the end.”

Curiosity made her ask. “How did you meet?”

“Her mother taught on the reservation. I went to school with her. I made fun of her freckles. I had never seen anyone with them before, and she refused to talk to me. That just made me want to get her attention even more. I would show off on my horse, and do foolish things to make her look at me.”

She smiled and tried not to laugh. It was hard to imagine the stoic Sleeping Bear doing anything foolish. “I take it you eventually won her over?”

“Yes. We were both sixteen. Her family had a good relationship with our tribe. Her father was very respected for treating Indians fairly at his store. That is where I learned the trade. I worked for him at her mother’s insistence. I believe she was doing a bit of match-making. Or she just took pity on me.”

His voice grew low, nothing more than a whispering growl. “We were to be married in the spring. It was the best time of my life. Ruby was my sun and the world was brighter when she was around. I was her moon, a reflection of her light. When she got sick...I tried so hard to save her. I wanted to join her, but the Great Spirit didn’t give me the gift of death. Instead, he sent me my blood brother, Sun Eagle, who helped heal my heart.”

She swallowed past the knot in her throat and her eyes grew misty with tears. The pain in his words broke her heart. She felt a fraction of that ache when she thought she had lost Paul. She couldn’t imagine facing his demise.

“I chased my death for many years after that. I became a fierce warrior, always at the front of the battle. There were many offers for marriage, but I chose none. I had what your people call lovers—the Comanche do not consider sexual pleasure a sin. But I have never loved them as I did Ruby.”

She cleared her throat. “I need to go outside and make sure there’s enough feed for the animals.”

Sleeping Bear nodded, still as a statue as he stared into the past.

Chapter Sixteen

Offers

Cìarán Brushk scrutinized the smoke wafting from the end of his cigar and curling up toward the exposed boards of the ceiling. The grey plume blew apart like mist as the door to the seedy bar opened with a jingle of bells and a blast of rainy air. It was early afternoon in Boston, and he sipped his dark ale while waiting for his business partner.

The bartender wiped his hands on a clean, white towel and raised eyebrows with a questioning glance at his half finished drink. Cìarán shook his head and turned back to the door. His stare searched the steamed glass doors for the stout shape of Senator Thomas. He stood out a bit in this crowd of blue-collar working men. Most here were either dockworkers or sailors.

Cìarán’s grey suit went perfectly with the crushed bronze velvet waistcoat and mother-of-pearl buttons. A black bow tie hung around his throat, and he had a thin mustache two shades darker than his neatly trimmed sandy blond hair. His hands were clean and his nails clipped and polished. It would be easy to mistake him for a dandy if not for his eyes. Dark green and cold, they observed the world without emotion.

The door jingled again and Thomas came in and tapped the rain off his umbrella in a fussy manner. A portly man, he glanced around for Cìarán, his florid cheeks wobbling as he pushed through the tables to the bar.

“Good afternoon.”

“I got your message. What do you have for me?” His voice held a thick Irish accent, deceivingly soft and melodious.

Thomas ordered stout and sat on the barstool next to him. A thick gold watch chain swung from his belly as he tried to fit all of his considerable rear on the seat. “A lucrative, and complicated, offer from an old friend in Kansas. He’s a good friend of mine and has a rather delicate situation.”

Cìarán stopped scanning the room and quirked an eyebrow at Thomas. “Kansas? Who needs a man of my skills in Kansas?”

Thomas sucked the foam off the top of his beer and inspected the glass mug. “You pick the nastiest bars in Boston to meet at. I think I see rat droppings on the floor.”

Shrugging, Cìarán resumed his crowd-watching. When you make a living killing people, he thought, your trust in humanity tends to suffer. “No one is going to ask questions here, Senator Thomas.”

Thomas flinched, looking around with a worried face. “Quite right.”

“Now, what did you bring me?”

Thomas slid the letter across the bar. “Two thousand. Four hundred now, the other sixteen hundred on delivery. There is a description of the targets in the envelope as well as details of where they will be.”