A Family for the Holidays (20 page)

“I thought those green eyes looked familiar.”

JoBeth was striking in an unconventional sort of way. Her dark hair had been looped into braids, and her vivid McCoy-green eyes were honest and forthright. Her dress was simple and purposeful, a shirtwaist in a burgundy plaid shot through with lines of yellow. From her unadorned appearance to her quick, firm handshake, she struck Lily as a resolute woman without a lot of fuss. Though they'd only just met, Lily sensed that JoBeth was not a person who'd skirt around the truth.

As with Moira from the previous evening, Lily liked her immediately.

“We're putting together the connections.” JoBeth indicated a handwritten sheet with two rows of lists. “We have our group of people. Vic Skaar, Sheriff Koepke, Emil Tyler and the Tyler children.”

“Don't forget Regina.”

JoBeth's hand stilled on the paper. “Regina?”

“Regina is Vic's friend, uh, sweetheart, of a sort,” Lily said. “The sheriff let slip that Regina considered the hotel as her special project. If Vic lost that property in a poker game, she's angry.”

“A woman scorned.” JoBeth drummed her fingers on the desk. “I'll add her name.”

The four of them pored over all the pieces of paper they'd gathered from Emil's possessions. After forty-five minutes, the ladies gradually elbowed the two men from the process.

Garrett disappeared into the apartment upstairs and returned with a pot of coffee he set on the burner of the potbellied stove. Jake poured two cups and Lily accepted the steaming mug with only a flick of thanks in his direction.

“They're engrossed.” Garrett grinned. “I say the two of us step out of their way and let them work.”

“Agreed.”

He and Garrett set their chairs around the desk on the opposite side of the room and studied the paperwork from a land-dispute complaint Garrett had received that week. Jake found his attention drifting toward Lily. She was bent over the desk, and that familiar, rebellious lock of her blond hair curled over her ear. He knew the silky feel of the strands, the delicate scent of lilacs.

Garrett cleared his throat.

Jake glanced around. “What?”

“I was saying that I've applied to have another field marshal assigned.”

“You'll need an addition on the office, as well.” Jake glanced through the open door to the cell full of cabinets. “Appears as though you've got plenty of work for him.”

“Or her.” Garrett jerked his thumb in the direction of the ladies. “These days, I don't discount anything.”

“You need the help, that's for certain.”

“David, the deputy sheriff, helps out some.” The marshal kicked back in his chair and threaded his fingers behind his head. “JoBeth is right, though. He's busy at home more often than not. Until his children are a little older, I can't trust his focus. JoBeth and I are fortunate. My niece, Cora, lives with us. When I'm called out, she's able to help around the house. David's wife is alone. She's not as, well, let's just say she's not as self-sufficient as JoBeth.”

“I can't imagine many women who are.”

“Lily seems to be adjusting well.”

At the sound of her name, she turned. The sight of her vivid blue eyes left his heart hammering and his mouth dry.

“She's one of a kind,” Jake replied. “I've never met anyone quite like her.”

“Indeed.”

The speculative look in the marshal's gaze had heat creeping up Jake's neck. “She's amazing.”

JoBeth turned toward them and rested her hip on the edge of the desk, then crossed her arms. “Have you folks gotten a Christmas tree yet?”

Jake blinked at the unexpected change in subject. “Haven't thought about it.”

He glanced at Lily's bent head. They'd both assumed they'd be parting ways by now. After Vic had burned down the boardinghouse, he'd expected a higher level of motivation from the man. The move to Cimarron Springs had bought them some time, but he'd counted on Vic appearing, or at least challenging his guardianship with the judge.

Jake had also figured on hearing something from Emil. Surely if Emil cared for his grandchildren even a little, he'd have reached out by now. Nearly three weeks had passed, and neither thing had happened.

“You'll need a tree,” JoBeth continued. “There's a grove on the edge of town. You take the road past your house to the twin oaks, then turn east. We've been planting trees there for years. It's unofficial, of course. No one really keeps track. You're welcome to cut one if you'd like.”

“I think we should,” Lily said. “Samantha and Peter deserve a regular Christmas. As regular as we can give them. They found presents from their grandfather in Frozen Oaks, and they've been waiting to open them.”

Garrett stood and crossed the room, then cupped his wife's cheek in a carelessly affectionate gesture. “There's a candlelight service at the church on Christmas Eve. David's son is playing Jesus in the manger scene.”

JoBeth snorted. “How many of his boys have played Jesus over the years?”

“Five at last count,” Garrett replied. “This is the sixth. Every year like clockwork.”

Lily smiled. “He does have his hands full.”

“I adore his wife,” JoBeth said. “Don't get me wrong, but she always has a wild-eyed look like she's about to be hit by a tidal wave and she can't swim. Which leaves Garrett working extra hours whenever David is called home for some crisis or another.”

“I don't mind,” Garrett interjected. “He's a good worker.”

“I know that poor woman does her best. I only wish God had gifted her with some girls early on, something to counterbalance all those boys.” JoBeth shook her head. “We got off the subject. The offer stands. There are trees for the taking, and the finest Christmas Eve service this side of the Missouri.”

Jake's stomach clenched. He tried. He'd desperately tried to treat this as simply another clandestine mission. He was playing a role, just as he'd played the role of gunfighter in Frozen Oaks. Yet in Frozen Oaks, he'd kept a distance between his work and his feelings.

With Lily and the children, that distance had shrunk. Who was he kidding? That distance no longer existed. The four of them were completely intertwined. They were forging together into a unit, and he feared the day when the partnership must end.

Lily raised a piece of paper and squinted. “I've seen this name before.”

She riffled through the papers and chose three more pieces of correspondence from the pile. “Beatrice. There've been at least three different references to Beatrice over the past six months. There's a receipt from a grocer, there's a stub from the livery, and there's a room number and a hotel jotted on the corner of the envelope. ‘Argo in Bea.' Who do you think she is?”

“Beatrice is a place, not a person.” Garrett flipped the envelope around. “The Argo Hotel in Beatrice, Nebraska.”

Jake rubbed the back of his neck. “I saw that. I thought Beatrice was a person, as well. I checked in and around Frozen Oaks, but didn't find anyone by that name.”

How had he missed such an obvious clue? Except the name had been dispersed in obscure pieces of the information. The women had spotted the repeated reference.

Garrett lifted the envelope before the light streaming through the window. “If Emil has spent time in Beatrice, he's comfortable with the town.”

“Exactly.” Lily studied the receipt from the grocer's store. “If he's gone into hiding, it stands to reason he's chosen someplace familiar.”

JoBeth snapped her fingers. “Mildred is the telegraph operator in Beatrice.” She flipped up the watch pinned to her collar. “Mildred is on duty for another hour. I'll wire her and see if she's seen or heard anything.”

“Alert the sheriff in Beatrice, as well,” Garrett said. “In case Vic has discovered the same information.”

“Will do. Mildred has an ear on every piece of gossip that goes through that town. If he's there, we'll know before lunch.”

After JoBeth's exit, the three of them continued searching through Emil's papers, looking for anything more that might reveal his whereabouts. Each time the wind rattled the windowpanes, they jumped and looked for JoBeth's return. Garrett made another pot of coffee, and Jake's stomach rumbled.

The door flew open in a flurry of snowflakes. “We've found him!” JoBeth declared.

“He's been in Beatrice the whole time?” Jake demanded.

“He sure has. Broke his leg three and a half weeks ago. He's been laid up at the hotel ever since.”

“Why didn't he send word?”

“According to Mildred, he's been sending telegrams to Frozen Oaks for the past three and a half weeks.”

Jake muttered an oath. “Then someone has been intercepting them?”

“Worse. Emil didn't know he was missing. According to Mildred, he's been sending updates to a certain Miss Lily Winter in Frozen Oaks, and she's been replying. Last week, Sheriff Koepke informed him that Miss Winter had disappeared with the children. Apparently Emil is hopping mad. He's got the sheriff looking for Lily.”

Lily paled and Jake led her to a chair. “Everyone knows the sheriff is lying.”

“Vic is still planning on using the children as blackmail.” Pressing her palms against her eyes, Lily groaned. “He figured he could buy me off and claim the bigger prize. But Vic wasn't counting on Jake's interference. He followed us back to St. Joseph. Regina knew where the boardinghouse was located.”

“But why torch the place? Why not wait and set a trap there?”

“We've all been assuming that Vic set the blaze, but maybe the fire was simply bad timing. Which meant he lost track of us after St. Joseph.”

Understanding finally dawned on Jake. “He needed the children for blackmail, but he'd lost track of them.”

“He had to change his plans,” Lily said. “Instead of stalling Emil, he needed Emil's help.”

Jake huffed a breath. “Because once Emil sent up the alarm, he'd have the law after Lily. As long as Vic got to you and the children first, he'd have his blackmail.”

Panic skittered across her face. “What now? If we contact Emil, he'll lead Vic here. Emil thinks we're the villains.”

“Then we let Emil bait the trap,” Garrett said. “We catch Vic in the act. We have to let Vic follow Emil to Cimarron Springs. Otherwise you'll spend the rest of your lives looking over your shoulder.”

“No.” Lily shook her head. “We can't put the children in danger.”

Chapter Seventeen

J
ake knelt before her and clasped her chilled fingers. “I won't let anyone put them in danger, but we have to do something. There's no other choice. If we don't catch Vic in the act, we'll always be waiting and wondering. Those children will never feel safe.”

“Make Emil return the deed to the hotel,” Lily begged. “Who cares about the property?”

“This is about more than the hotel now. Vic isn't giving up. You know that as well as I do. He's after the bigger prize. Emil is an elderly man. Once he and the children are back in Frozen Oaks, how long before Emil meets with an accident? Those children will be back under the sheriff's jurisdiction.”

“Then Emil can move here.”

“How do we guarantee that Vic won't simply follow him? We have to force his hand. That's our only choice. That's the only way we'll know that Emil and those children are safe. We'll take the children far away.” Jake cradled her face in his hands. “I'll go there myself and escort Emil back. We'll control the situation.”

She rested her fingers over his. “I trust you.”

“You can't go to Beatrice,” Garrett said. “You'll be recognized. We might gain some time if I go. Besides, you should be here. Close to your family.”

Lily backed away and snatched her coat from the peg. “The children will be home from school soon. I should go home.”

“I'll walk with you.” JoBeth reached for her coat. “You're on my way.”

Lily would have preferred being alone, but she couldn't refuse the offer without appearing rude. She was happy they'd found Emil. Happy he was safe and sound. Why, then, did she feel as though a sinkhole had opened up beneath her feet?

JoBeth walked beside her in silence for a few minutes. Their feet crunched over the snow and their breath formed clouds in the chill winter air.

“Don't forget about the trees,” JoBeth said at last. “There's a fine selection.”

“I won't forget.”

What was the point of a tree? Christmas was two weeks away. Samantha and Peter would most likely spend the holiday with their grandfather.

JoBeth scooted before her and halted. “Garrett is good at his job. He won't let anything happen to those children. If he thought they were in danger, he'd never agree to the plan. I can promise you that.”

“I'm sure you're right.”

“Jake adores Samantha and Peter,” JoBeth continued. “He'd give his life for them.”

“I know.”

“Then why do you look as though you dropped your toast butter-side down?”

JoBeth offered a smile to soften her words.

“This is right,” Lily said firmly. “This is what the children need. This is what I wanted to happen. They'll be reunited with their family. I'm happy for them. I'm truly happy for them.”

“There's always a place for you here,” JoBeth said. “You know that, don't you?”

“I'm only here because of the children.”

“There's no reason you can't stay.”

They'd reached the front gate, and Lily tugged the latch free. “I suppose we'd best make sure the children are settled before I make any plans.”

“If you need anything, I'm just down the road. I'm sure the men are putting together all sorts of overly complicated plans. We should let them have their fun.”

Lily sketched a wave and made her way into the house. After doffing her coat and winter boots, she stood in the kitchen and gazed out the back window. She'd grown more than fond of the children. Truth be told, she loved them. Staying near them was a good thing. And yet a part of her held back. She'd be the outsider again.

She couldn't go back to how things were when she was young. She'd always felt as though she had her nose pressed to the window of the candy store.

Was she being selfish for wanting to leave, or selfish for wanting to stay?

The door opened and she didn't turn around.

Jake cleared his throat. “We have to do something.”

Her pulse thrummed. “I know.”

“This is the best way.”

“I'm not a part of this, remember? I'm just the hired help.”

“Don't say that.” He stood behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. “You saved those kids. Who knows what might have happened if someone different had been there? They need you. I need you.”

But for how long?

“What happens next?”

“Garrett will fetch Emil. Once he's here, we'll send a telegram to the sheriff in Frozen Oaks that the children have been found. Sheriff Koepke will tell Vic straight away. If he's going to make a move, he'll move then.”

“Are you certain the children will be safe?”

“Emil and the children will be long gone from here by the time Vic arrives. We won't drop the bait until we're certain they're out of sight. Cimarron Springs is the best place. We know all the local law. We know every way in and every way out of town.”

Everything was working out exactly the way it was supposed to. “Can we keep the wagon another day? Will your uncle mind?”

“The wagon and the horses are ours as long as we need them.”

“Good. I think we should cut down a Christmas tree. Tonight.”

They needed to keep everything normal. Sam and Peter mattered most. They'd be united with their grandfather, and they'd move on. For now, they needed a sense of security, a sense that they were safe and everything was fine.

Decorating for Christmas would both cheer them up and distract them.

Time was slipping away quickly. There was no time to lose.

* * *

Lily glanced up when Jake entered through the back door. He brushed the snow from his shoulders and knocked more flakes from the brim of his hat. “Are you ready?”

“Almost.”

He peered over her shoulder. “What do you have there?”

“Hot cocoa.” She'd filled two jars full of the steaming liquid and wrapped them in towels to insulate them. She tucked the containers into the basket she'd set on the counter. “To keep us warm.”

Samantha and Peter were already sitting in the second row of the buckboard when they stepped outside.

“We haven't had a Christmas tree in two years,” Peter said. “They celebrate Christmas differently in Africa.”

Jake squeezed Lily's hand. “You were right. About getting the Christmas tree. Peter talked of nothing else while we were hitching the horses.”

She squinted at the sky. “What about the weather. Are you worried about more snow?”

“We aren't going far. If the weather worsens, we'll come home early.”

He yanked the ax from the chopping block and rested the tool in the bed of the wagon.

Lily waited until he paused before her. He reached out and gently flicked her nose. “You've got snow on your lashes already.”

“Hurry up, then. I haven't had a Christmas tree in years either.”

He grasped her waist and swung her into the seat. He took his place beside her, gathered the reins, and released the brakes.

“You strike me as the sort of person who loves Christmas.”

“I do,” she replied. “I simply haven't had much to celebrate the past few years. Trees always seemed like more work, and I was usually overloaded anyway. With people traveling to visit family, winter was a busy time at the boardinghouse. There was never anyone to share in the decorating either. Mrs. Hollingsworth considered Christmas trees an unnecessary mess. Decorating a tree alone isn't any fun.”

“Then this year will be three times the fun.”

The road required his attention and they drove in silence. Lily spotted the twin oaks. Wagon wheels marked the trail and they turned off. Sure enough, not far down the lane, a copse of evergreen trees had been planted. Someone had divvied them off in neat rows, with the older trees farther back.

Jake set the brake and helped her down.

Samantha and Peter scrambled from the wagon.

“Can we pick out the tree?” Samantha asked.

“I want to pick out the tree alone,” Peter grumbled.

“Each of you pick out a tree,” Jake said. “And we'll let Lily decide which one she likes best.”

The two shouted their agreement and set off in opposite directions. Lily meandered toward a row of small trees, their tips not reaching her waist.

Jake paused beside her. “When I was young, I found a bird's nest behind the barn. My mom saved the nest and we put it in the tree every year. She said the nest brought happiness to the coming year.”

“I'm sorry. About what happened to your mom. You must miss her very much.”

“When I was younger, I used to dream about her. I'd dream about resting my head on her knee while she stroked my hair. I stopped having the dreams years ago. I miss them. Sometimes I miss those dreams as much as I miss her. They seemed so real. I felt as though she was visiting me in my sleep.”

“My mother died two weeks before Christmas. My brother had died the week before. We didn't tell her. She was sick. Weak. We worried she might give up if she knew. I used to have dreams, too. I'd dream they couldn't find each other in heaven.”

“That must have been difficult.”

He lifted his hand and she moved away. “I didn't say that to make you feel sorry for me. I guess maybe that's the true reason why I never put up a tree. I didn't feel I deserved to celebrate.”

“Children carry guilt they shouldn't. For a long time I felt as though my mom died because of me. When the outlaws entered the bank, there was chaos. I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. I was just frozen in place. If she'd dropped to the ground immediately, she'd be alive. She hesitated. At the trial the outlaw said he didn't mean to shoot her. He was turning toward the movement, and his gun fired.”

“If that outlaw had gotten a job instead of robbing, she'd be alive. That had nothing to do with you.”

“I became a US marshal to prevent those kinds of tragedies. The gang had robbed other banks. If someone had taken them seriously sooner, if someone had put them in jail, they wouldn't have been there that day. I can't go back and change the past, but I can change the future for others.”

“I envy you,” she said. “I thought owning the boardinghouse would fulfill me, but I recognize that I was wrong. I was clinging to the idea because I didn't have any other dreams.”

“Then pick a new dream. No one is stopping you. Life only moves in one direction. Forward. What happens to you shapes you. You're in control. You decide.”

Peter called and they followed the sound of his voice. His tree was perfectly shaped, nearly six feet tall, with full branches and thick needles. Lily made a point of circling around the tree and inspecting all the angles.

“This is a beautiful tree.”

Samantha shouted for their attention. They trudged through the snow and discovered her tree, as well. Shorter than the one Peter had claimed, this tree was fatter and more squat.

Jake rubbed his chin and stepped back a few paces. “Let's test the needles.”

He leaned forward and shook the tree. A bird flew out, startling them all. Lily shrieked and held her hands over her face. Jake stumbled back and they fell into the snow. Peter made his way over to them.

“I found mistletoe,” he said. “Now you have to kiss.”

“That can't be mistletoe,” Lily scoffed. “I've never seen mistletoe grow around here.”

Jake didn't know what possessed him, but he said, “Let them have their fun.”

He pressed his lips against hers and a shuddering thrill rippled through him. With the children as their audience, the kiss was over all too soon.

Jake stood and reached for her hand. He pulled her up and she braced her fingers against his chest. Rather than disturb the bird's nest, Jake retrieved his ax and cut down the tree Peter had chosen.

With much laughter and stumbling, the four of them dragged the evergreen back to the wagon.

Lily retrieved her jars of hot cocoa and they huddled together in the shelter of the wagon. Once home, they decorated the tree with ropes of popcorn and berries.

As dusk fell over the horizon, they sat in the parlor, admiring their handiwork.

“I never want this day to end,” Sam said.

“Neither do I,” Jake replied.

The words were authentic. Playing husband was the only part he ever wanted to play again. The marshal needed extra help, and Jake enjoyed working with Garrett. He'd discovered an aptitude for settling disputes. He loved the town and adored the house.

If Sam and Peter weren't there to tie them together, would Lily stay? Did he even have a right to ask her? He'd made a vow. He'd promised to annul the marriage once Emil and his grandchildren were reunited.

He was a man who honored his promises. Or was he?

* * *

Lily finished her order at the mercantile and stepped outside once more. The evening train had arrived at the depot twenty minutes earlier. Porters hustled the bags and trunks into waiting wagons. Passengers scurried from the cold.

The children had already left for school, and the house was unnaturally quiet. Garrett was leaving for Beatrice to fetch Emil that evening, which meant the children would be reunited with their grandfather in less than a week. Everything was going according to plan.

Her feet dragging, Lily carried her groceries into the kitchen and unpacked them on the counter.

The click of a gun hammer being pulled back sounded, and Lily froze.

“Turn around,” a feminine voice ordered.

Lily obeyed and discovered Regina, a pistol in her outstretched hand. “Where are they?”

“Who?”

“Don't play stupid. I want those children.”

“Vic isn't worth this.”

“Vic?” Regina scoffed. “Vic is an idiot.”

Lily scooted away. “I don't understand.”

“It's very simple.” Regina leveled her gun at Lily. “Men think they run this world, but they don't. I manage my own business out of the hotel right under Vic's nose. No one paid any mind to the women coming through town. Even after Vic lost the railroad depot, I managed to overcome. All he had to do was maintain ownership of the hotel, but he couldn't even do that. He couldn't even beat a pair of eights. What kind of idiot folds for a pair of eights?”