A Family for the Holidays (3 page)

“Exactly my point. I shouldn't be trusted. You're far too naive for your own good.” Regina linked her elbow through Lily's and led her toward the foyer that opened to the restaurant. “Come along and I'll tell you everything you need to know about Frozen Oaks while we unravel this long story of yours.”

Lily bit her tongue. There was no use getting her back up. She'd be gone by morning, and Regina appeared to have moved beyond sneaking through kitchen windows after curfew. Judging by the expensive material of her dress, she'd done quite well for herself over the years. Lily hooked her fingers over the frayed edge of her worn cuff.

“Wait.” Lily dug in her heels. “These are my charges, Sam and Peter. They're the reason I'm here.”

“Charmed.” Regina's nose wrinkled. “They're very quiet for children. I like that. After you freshen up, the dining room is that way.”

She crossed the foyer without a backward glance.

“You're prettier than she is,” Sam grumbled. “I think she's jealous.”

Peter nodded his agreement. “You're much prettier.”

“Miss Dawson is obviously unaccustomed to children,” Lily said with as much diplomacy as she could muster. “But since she might know something about your grandfather, I suggest we accept her invitation.”

Brushing at her rumpled skirts, she urged the children forward. The unexpected twinge of vanity startled her. When had she ever worried about her clothing or her station in life? Her recent faint had obviously muddled her head. She should be counting her blessings instead.

Over the years, scores of people had passed through the boardinghouse. Though the transient nature of the business had prevented forming close relationships, delivering countless stacks of linens up and down endless flights of stairs had finally proved beneficial.

“Don't just stand there loitering,” Regina called from the dining room. “My curiosity about your new role as a schoolmarm must be sated. Not to mention I'm famished.”

“I don't like her.” Peter's eyes took on a mutinous gleam. “I don't like her at all.”

Though Lily was inclined to agree, she held her tongue. “Regina can be a touch abrasive.”

“If we're gonna live here,” Sam said, “we're stuck with her.”

“This has been a trying day for all of us.” Lily stifled a grin at Peter's grim expression. “We'll all feel better after we eat.”

The hotel restaurant was crowded with heavy furniture and shadowed with thick burgundy velvet curtains blocking the windows. Over half of the chairs were occupied. The majority of the patrons were men, their heads bent together in conversation, their voices low. An enormous stone fireplace dominated the far end of the room with a crackling blaze. The establishment struck Lily as something of a lair. A den of iniquity where deals were struck—deals that began in infamy and ended in blood.

An unconscious shudder rippled through her. She was worse than Peter with her wild, ghoulish imaginings.

Following Regina, the three wove their way between the packed tables toward a secluded enclave.

The siblings discovered a checkers set and Lily excused them to play. Distracted by the game, the two were perched on wingback chairs covered in hunter green crushed-velvet fabric set before the fire.

“You'd best be careful around here.” Regina patted her hand. “That Jake is bad news. He has the whole town quaking. Even Vic avoids him when he can.”

“He didn't seem so bad.” There'd been a grim, almost grudging sort of compassion to his warning. Not to mention Lily was starting to feel peevish toward Regina and her increasingly transparent insults. “Surely you exaggerate.”

“Wait a second, it's all coming back!” Regina clapped her hands. “You're orphan Lily. You're the one who stayed on with Mrs. Hollingsworth after your father died. No wonder you're chaperoning those boys. You were something of a legend amongst the boarders. Anything must be better than working as an indentured servant in that gloomy old boardinghouse with Mrs. Grouch.”

The shock froze Lily so completely that the sense of chill was almost physical. Never for a moment had it occurred to her that she was the subject of rumors. Having her personal tragedy reduced to backstairs gossip stung more than she cared to admit. She wasn't some tragic figure to be pitied—a curiosity amongst the boarders.

Biting the inside of her lip, she gathered herself, forcing her attention back to the current problem. There were far more serious issues at stake than the discovery of her humiliating, heretofore unknown, reputation. Despite the warmth of the room, she wrapped her arms around her body and rubbed her upper shoulders.

“I haven't quit.” Lily glanced at the two siblings. Speaking about them in the same breath as dollars and cents felt like a betrayal. “The children were recently orphaned. I'm chaperoning them until their grandfather arrives.”

“All the way from St. Joseph? The train tickets alone must have cost a fortune. How well are you being paid?”

“Well enough, I suppose. A judge arranged everything.”

“Judges dump strays into orphanages. They don't search for long-lost relatives. Mommy and Daddy must have left behind quite a lot of money to pay all those bills.”

“They are not strays!” The crude language shocked Lily into silence for a beat. “They are children. With thoughts and feelings.”

“Whatever you say. I've never been much for children.”

“Apparently not.”

A harried server wearing a stained apron loosely wrapped around her gaunt frame set two cups of coffee before them. The server darted away without a word of greeting. Lily caught a brief glimpse of the spill of gray hair escaping from the bun at the nape of the server's neck before the kitchen door slammed.

“Thank you, Ida.” Regina raised her voice and flicked an irritated glance in the woman's direction. “I'm almost relieved to discover that you didn't accompany the children out of the kindness of your heart. Charitable people make me nervous. I always wonder what they're hiding.”

“Why would charitable people be hiding something?”

“Because nothing is free in this life.”

“Except for the grace of God.”

“I'll take your word for it.” Regina's lips twisted and she flicked a crumb from the table. “Tell me again how much you're getting paid to play nursemaid?”

“It's not like that.” Lily's relief at discovering a familiar face was rapidly waning. “Mrs. Hollingsworth is selling the boardinghouse. When I return to St. Joseph, I'll have enough money saved for the second half of the down payment.”

She'd considered all her options and taking over the boardinghouse was the obvious, sensible solution for her future. She'd have a source of income that no one could ever take away from her. She'd never have to depend on anybody for anything. Autonomy was the most sensible choice of all.

“Exactly my point.” Regina threw up her hands with a grimace. “I only knew Mrs. Hollingsworth for a few weeks, but I can tell you this—she'll never sell that place. The old bat is stringing you along. Did you threaten to quit or something? Is that why she suddenly had a change of heart?”

Not this time.
Lily stiffened her jaw. She wasn't letting Regina's cynical chatter worm its way into her head. This time was different. The landlady's rheumatism was growing worse, and she'd been pining over the idea of a small cottage located nearer to where her son lived. Surely people who pined didn't simply change their mind on a whim.

“Hmph.” Regina cupped her well-manicured fingers around her porcelain coffee cup. “I'd need the paperwork in hand before I believed a word of anything that woman said. Surely you have everything in writing.”

“We have a verbal agreement.”

“You're being foolish.” Regina's gaze flitted over Lily's faded calico dress with its sad, frayed sleeves. “You're better off spending the money on a new dress. You can't bait a trap with moldy cheese.”

“I beg your pardon.”

Regina waved her hand. “I'm only joking. Don't look so shocked.”

“I'm not baiting a trap for some hapless male,” Lily snapped. “I'm making a prudent investment in my future.”

Despite her bluster, the barb stung. Why must the term
foolish
be used so often in reference to her decisions?
Foolish Lily. Naive Lily
. She'd worked hard. She'd paid her dues. She'd considered all the alternatives and arrived at the judicious choice. There was absolutely no reason for her to be sitting here defending herself.

Regina reached out and covered Lily's hands. “This world is run by men. Men only do business with other men. If you want success beyond that silly little boardinghouse, you'll need a husband.”

A sharp pain throbbed behind Lily's temple. Regina's solution wasn't any better. A woman was better off counting on herself. Love was never the sensible choice. Nothing tangible was secure save for the brick and mortar holding the roof above her head and the land beneath her feet.

People could come and go all they pleased. She didn't need their company, only their business. She glanced at the two heads bent over their checkers game and a wave of sorrow nearly engulfed her. Love inevitably led to loss. She couldn't endure that sort of pain again.

“I need to find someone,” Lily began. She'd grown heartily weary of the current subject. Despite the outlaw's warning, she saw no reason to doubt Emil as a guardian. “The children's grandfather was supposed to meet our stagecoach. He's late.”

“Who is he? I know everyone in Frozen Oaks.” Regina flashed a spiteful grin. “And all of their secrets.”

“His name is—”

A blast of glacial air indicated the arrival of another customer. As the gentleman approached their table, Regina's face lit up. Curious, Lily studied the newcomer. His extreme fairness caught and held her attention immediately. The gentleman's pants were striped in shades of charcoal, his waistcoat was checked in burgundy, and he'd topped his outfit with a black suit coat. The only blemish to his neat appearance was the tail end of a blue bandanna trailing from his pocket.

Though not exactly uncomely, everything about him was slightly off. He was at least a decade older than Regina, with a wide smile that stretched his loose jowls. His light blond hair was neatly trimmed, but shot with gray, washing out the color. Despite his jovial expression, there was sharp edge to his pale blue eyes.

Regina rose to her feet, rattling the table and sloshing her coffee.

“Vic,” she exclaimed, her voice breathless. “This is my friend Lily Winter. Lily, this is Vic Skaar. Vic owns the hotel and the lumberyard. He'll own the whole town before long.”

The man grasped Lily's outstretched hand in a bone-crushing greeting. “A pleasure, Miss Winter.”

Lily stifled a grimace at his clammy palm. “Mr. Skaar.”

Regina scooted closer and Vic smoothly evaded her advance. Glancing between the pair, Lily frowned.

“Call me Vic,” the gentleman said. “What brings you to our quaint town, Miss Winter?”

He winked at her, a curious twitch of his left cheek that didn't completely close his eye. His greeting was so at odds with the exchange she'd shared with the gunfighter, she paused a moment before answering.

“Are you all right, Miss Winter?” Vic hoisted an eyebrow. “I didn't mean to ask such a confusing question.”

“I'm fine.” Lily straightened. “I'm just visiting.”

“How fortunate for us.”

The look on his face was cloying and hinted at the suggestion of something more. Lily sharpened her gaze. At the boardinghouse, she'd struck down more than one overly ardent suitor who thought the maids were providing more than fresh linens. She wasn't completely naive.

“My visit is brief,” she replied firmly. “Just until the children are settled.”

Much to Lily's chagrin, Regina had noted Vic's interest. The other woman's face took on a hard look, jarring Lily's fragile nerves. Though Regina's cloying affection struck Lily as contrived, the other woman was clearly warning her away.

“When are you leaving?” Regina demanded.

“The evening stagecoach,” Lily cut in quickly, seeking to ease Regina's disquiet. “I've escorted Sam and Peter on the last leg of their journey. We're waiting on their grandfather. He's late.”

Regina was the one person in town she knew, and Lily was loath to damage the relationship until she discovered Emil's whereabouts.

Vic followed her gaze and caught sight of the siblings in deep concentration over their checkers game.

“What's the gentleman's name?” he asked. “Maybe I can help.”

“Emil Tyler.”

Vic's grin faltered. “That might be a problem, Miss Winter.”

Chapter Three

E
mil has gotten tangled in some trouble.

Jake's declaration ricocheted around Lily's brain. Had he been implying something more sinister? The idea sent her strained nerves clamoring. What sort of trouble could an elderly man tangle with?

“Emil missed the gentlemen's weekly poker game.” Regina chuckled, though she didn't sound particularly amused. “Emil never misses a poker game. No one has seen him in a week. Come to think of it, I heard he had a dustup with that gunfighter, Jake, a few days back.”

Vic bestowed Lily with another of his odd half winks. “You'd best watch your back, Lily. With Emil gone, those two boys are ripe for the picking. Even I saw their luggage stacked outside the livery. One look at the brass fittings on their steamer trunks and everyone will know we have a couple of rich orphans in our midst. Folks around these parts will slit your throat for an acre of land, let alone a juicy bank account.”

“Stop.” Regina playfully slapped his arm. “Vic, you're frightening the poor girl.”

With a gasp Lily half stood from her chair, then thumped back down. Only last week the
St. Joseph Star
had featured a story about gravediggers desecrating corpses in search of valuables. Greed drove people into all sorts of despicable acts. With Emil missing, how difficult would it be for someone to claim guardianship of the boys and drain their inheritance?

Vic pried Regina's fingers loose from his coat sleeve. “A fellow like Jake is dodgy. Considering his argument with Emil, maybe you should speak with the sheriff. A pretty girl looking out for two young, helpless boys needs protection.”

Panic rose in the back of Lily's throat. She was physically weak and shaken, and her thoughts were muddled; clearly she hadn't yet recovered from her earlier faint. The room wavered and shimmered and she blinked her eyes back into focus.

“You've had a long day,” Regina said. “You're not thinking straight. Someone has to look out for those boys.”

Hollow and bewildered, Lily gazed at the youngsters. Even if she was wrong, dare she put them at further risk? She'd made a vow to guard their safety.

Jake had claimed he was enjoying the view. What if he'd dispatched Emil and was targeting the boys? She'd best act quickly.

“Jake can be quite charming,” Regina said. “You wouldn't be the first woman taken in by him.”

Certainly, he'd played the gentleman. But then he'd practically ordered her to leave.

Lily pressed two trembling fingers against her aching forehead. If her fears were unfounded, there was no harm in checking.

“You're right. I'll speak with the sheriff.” Her thoughts jumbled, Lily gathered her reticule and stood. “Do you mind if the children stay and finish their game? I'd rather not upset them.”

“Anything to help.” Vic grinned. “Since you'll miss your stagecoach, let me extend my hospitality. We have plenty of rooms available at the hotel.”

Regina's expression shifted. “Perhaps it's safer for all three of them if they return to St. Joseph as soon as possible.”

“Nonsense,” Vic declared. “Sheriff Koepke will set this to rights.”

“The sheriff can sort this out with Lily and the boys safely tucked on the stagecoach.” Regina's voice took on a prickly edge. “There's no use staying in Frozen Oaks if Emil isn't coming back.”

Lily hadn't taken the gunfighter seriously, but she wasn't making the same mistake twice. After donning her coat and assuring Sam and Peter that she'd be back soon, Lily followed Vic's directions across the street.
Trust no one
, Jake had said.
Frozen Oaks is a dangerous place.

He wanted the three of them on that stagecoach and away from the safety of town for a reason. All of Regina's sly innuendos about the siblings' inheritance came rushing back. Sam and Peter were wealthy, vulnerable. Her steps slowed. Was she overreacting? Had she read too many of Peter's dime novels lately?

She picked up her speed once more. Right or wrong, something was suspicious about Emil's absence. She wasn't naive orphan Lily. She certainly wasn't taking any chances. Emil hadn't been seen in a week, which meant he'd gone missing only days after accepting guardianship. With their grandfather absent, only one last obstacle remained between the boys and someone who might want to exploit them for their inheritance.

She discovered the sheriff where Vic had predicted, sipping whiskey and playing cards in the saloon. Lily wrinkled her nose against the stench and forged onward. The lawman was wiry and small, barely larger than Sam, and had the bulbous pink nose of a gentleman who spent more time in the saloon than in church. He reminded her of a puppet with his exaggerated features and slim body. He was also her best option at the moment.

The sheriff caught sight of her and winked. “What can I do for you, little lady?”

Lily rolled her eyes. Was winking some sort of odd affliction amongst the men of Frozen Oaks?

“I'm concerned about the disappearance of Emil Tyler.”

“Old Emil? He'll turn up. I don't get paid to go looking for folks just because someone has their apron in a twist.”

The pain in her temple throbbed once more. This day had gone entirely too long.

“I think the gunfighter might be involved,” she said.

“Jake?”

Lily nodded.

“Don't go messing with that one. Even Vic steers clear of him.”

“So I've heard.”

“What do you think he's done?”

“I saw Jake watching Emil's barbershop. Emil has disappeared. It stands to reason the two may be connected.”

“Get me some proof, lady. Right now, all you've got is an old fellow who wandered off. For all we know, he ain't right in the head. Old fellows get odd like that.”

“Speaking from experience?”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” Lily bit out the words through clenched teeth. “I'll find the proof myself.”

* * *

Jake yanked open the lumber-mill door and searched the dimly lit interior. He glanced over his shoulder, then shut the door. Lily Winter had been trailing him for two days. Though his admiration was grudging, he had to concede she was rather good. She'd nearly caught up with him a couple of times.

Clearly she thought he was involved with Emil's disappearance. There'd been no developments on that front either. No one was talking. His entire network had gone quiet. A sense of anticipation permeated the air, as though everyone in town was waiting for something to break.

A sound caught his attention and he spun around and met the muzzle of a quaking gun.

A pair of familiar, pretty blue eyes peered over the barrel.

“I was just wondering when something might happen.” Jake automatically raised his hands. “I thought I lost you at the livery.”

“You knew I was following you?” She tossed her head. “How long have you known?”

“I had a clue, yes. A lady in the bathhouse is bound to cause a stir.”

A violent shade of pink suffused her cheeks. “That was an accident. I was following you and not paying attention to my surroundings. Thankfully, the bathhouse was empty.”

The empty bathhouse had been more than fortunate. When he'd first caught wind she might be following him, he'd baited the trap. She'd followed him inside, then exited rather rapidly.

“Since you're here,” Jake continued, “how about you tell me why you're following me?”

“Vic said you had an argument with Emil. Why didn't you mention your disagreement when we talked before?”

“Vic is lying.” Jake held his hands in a placating gesture, stalling for time. “I'm only trying to help you, Miss Winter. You should also know that the sheriff is following you.”

“A coincidence. I went to him for help when we first arrived.”

“Then he's letting you do most of the legwork. He waits until you follow me, and then he follows you.”

“I'm inclined to believe you're lying about that, as well. The sheriff doesn't strike me as being much of a go-getter.”

“You've been here for two days, Miss Winter. Have you discovered anything else that's odd about the inhabitants of Frozen Oaks?”

“Answer my questions first,” she demanded. “Did you kill Emil?”

“No.” At least the question was finally out in the open. “And we don't even know if Emil is dead. He's missing. There's a difference.”

A myriad of emotions flitted across her face, a hint of sorrow and something more—a touch of anger. “People don't just go missing. Either they disappear because they want to, or something bad has happened to them.”

“I'm trying to help you, Lily. If Vic is attempting to turn your suspicions on me, there must be a reason.” Jake didn't have much time. If Lily was here, the sheriff wasn't far behind. He searched their surroundings and strained his ears, hearing only the scuffling of a mouse scurrying along the walls. “Don't you find something odd about this place?”

“I don't follow.”

“Isn't it curious that there's no lumber in the lumber mill? According to town gossip, the Frozen Oaks lumber mill once did a thriving business.”

She tipped back her head and gazed at the empty rafters. “Not anymore.”

“Precisely, Miss Winter. The lumberyard is empty. The hotel rarely has guests, and there's room in the livery for plenty of horses. That doesn't bode well for Mr. Skaar.”

“Why the sudden interest in Vic?”

“I'm trying to warn you. Don't be fooled by Vic. There are things about him you don't know.”

“I'm done waiting. Those children deserve answers. Someone around here knows something. You're the obvious suspect.”

Jake grappled with his own frustrations. He'd been too slow in acting. He'd only become concerned with Emil's absence when the boys had arrived unannounced on the same day Vic had become a housebreaker. But if Vic had already dispatched Emil to erase his gambling debt, what was his interest in the grandchildren?

“I know you're afraid,” he said. “I'm only interested in Sam and Peter's safety, and yours, as well.”

She raised the gun above her head and wiped her forehead on her shoulder. Dust motes swirled in the dim shaft of light streaking through a gap in the paneling.

He took a step forward and she scurried back. “I'm warning you. You better not try anything, mister. If the sheriff is following me like you say, he'll be here soon.”

“Where'd you get the weapon?” he asked.

She raised her chin a notch. “That's none of your concern.”

“Have you ever fired a gun before?”

“I can pull a trigger.”

His stomach pitched. There was nothing more dangerous than a greenhorn with a pistol. “Fair enough. But I think you need a little practice. You're lining up your shot by the notch at the end of the barrel.”

“Isn't that how you're supposed to line up the shot?”

“There are actually two points that line up. When you squeeze the trigger, squeeze slowly. The kickback will pull your shot off target.”

“Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“You asked me before if I'd noticed anything odd about the people living in Frozen Oaks. My answer is yes. Regina fawns all over Vic, even though I don't think she truly likes him very much. The sheriff is more interested in discovering a straight flush than in trying to figure out why one of his local residents has gone missing. The strangest of all? The local gun for hire is teaching me to fire a weapon. While I'm pointing a gun at him.”

“Trust me, Miss Winter. I'm looking out for your best interest.”

“Trust you? How can I trust anyone? I have two young children who deserve a home. They deserve a family. Someone around here must know something. If you don't start talking, I'm going to start shooting.” She raised her eyes heavenward. “Don't worry, I'll line up both sights.”

“You won't shoot a defenseless man.”

“No. But then, you're not a defenseless man, are you?”

She wasn't nearly as tough as she appeared. He'd conned his way through enough situations to recognize the signs. If the boys were in danger, she'd shoot. Without that incentive, he doubted she had the nerve. He only had to prevent her from accidentally firing the weapon until he regained control of the situation.

“I'll tell you what I know.” He lowered his hands. “Rumor has it that Vic lost money to Emil in a poker game. A lot of money.”

“Vic has money to burn. How much could he lose to a kindly old grandfather?”

“You've never met Emil, have you?”

A lock of her straw-colored hair drifted across her cornflower blue eyes. “If you didn't kill Emil, where is he?” She blew a breath, fluttering the strands aside. “Do you know what happened to him?”

“No, I don't. But I have a few ideas. Some suspicions. Why don't you put down the gun and we can discuss my thoughts?”

“Not likely.”

If only he could simply tell her the truth. At this point, she'd never believe him anyway. This was the part of the job he loathed. After five years of running with thieves, corrupt lawmen and killers, he'd lost his ability for gentlemanly speech. He had no convincing words to soothe her with. And for the first time in his career, he desperately wanted those words.

He shook off the hesitation.

She was a distraction. The boys were vulnerable. Nothing more, nothing less. The sooner she left, the better. If the accusation in her melancholy eyes sparked his guilt, that was the price he paid for keeping her and the boys safe.

He took another step forward and she stumbled back once more.

“Don't come any closer.” Her breath came in quick, shallow gasps. “I'm warning you, the sheriff knows all about your interest in the inheritance. He'll take you to jail. Once we find proof that you're responsible for Emil's disappearance, jail is where you'll stay.”