Homespun Hearts (54 page)

She blushed, smiling at him. “We were out getting a dress for the dance.”

His lips were against her ear as he asked, “But what you really wanted were pants for fishing?”

She shivered at the touch of his lips against her ear. “Probably.” She laughed.

Fred and Rose watched them, both smiling. Fred turned to Rose. “Do you think they even know we’re here?” His eyes twinkled, showing just how happy he was with their match.

“Honestly? No.” She was so happy to see her sister in love, though.

Lily glared at them. “We know you’re here. We just wish you weren’t.” She made a face to let them know she was joking.

All of them laughed. Fred nodded. “If you two didn’t want to be alone together, there’d be no point in courting, now would there?”

The waiter came back and he and Daniel placed their orders. “How’s my perfect little grandson?” Fred was a proud grandfather and made no secret of the fact that he expected to have dozens of grandchildren crawling all over him within a decade or so.

Rose smiled, and the two of them had their own conversation as she regaled her father with tales about his namesake.

Daniel squeezed Lily’s hand which he still hadn’t released. “Can I come by and see you this evening?”

Lily nodded. “Do you want to just come for supper? Mama won’t mind, I’m sure.”

“I’d love that. We’ll go for a drive after supper?” His eyes were intense as they stared into hers and she remembered their last drive together, a smile playing at her lips.

“That would be wonderful.” Her heart beat faster as she thought about their drive on Saturday evening. Would he try to kiss her again? She hoped so. Her favorite part of their drive had been pulling to the side of the road just outside town and kissing. She’d never even wanted to kiss another man, but when Daniel kissed her, her heart went pitter pat.

Daniel looked down into her soft green eyes and wondered what she was thinking. For a moment there, her lips had spread just a bit, and her eyes had focused on his lips. Had she been thinking about their kiss? He hoped so, because he’d thought of little else since Saturday night. His lips all but touched her ear as he whispered, “Maybe we can find a nice quiet street and park the carriage for a moment.”

Her eyes widened as she caught his meaning, and she nodded emphatically. “I’d like that even better.”

Daniel grinned. How could he have ever overlooked Lily for her sister? Everything about her was perfect for him. She wasn’t shy and never pretended to be anything she wasn’t. If she liked kissing, she wasn’t afraid to admit it. How long would he have to court her before he could marry her? It couldn’t be soon enough for him.

Once lunch was over, he hurried back to the bank with her father, while she and Rose walked toward home. “What were you and Daniel whispering about?” Rose asked.

Lily shrugged, blushing.

“Oh, come on! I’m your sister!” Rose glared at her, demanding to know what had been said.

“He just asked if I wanted to go for a buggy ride.” Lily shrugged.

“Really? Buggy rides make you blush? Are you two pulling over to kiss on these buggy rides?” Rose asked, her eyes full of suspicion.

“I like kissing,” Lily admitted. She said it almost defiantly, waiting for her sister to tell her she was wrong for kissing.

Rose laughed. “There’s not a thing wrong with kissing a man you’re thinking about marrying. I think you two should kiss all you want.”

“Really?”

“Really. You’ve been in love with him for how long?”

“Over five years,” Lily admitted.

Rose put her arm around her sister’s shoulders. “Kissing is fun, but what you do when you marry is even more fun,” she told her, causing Lily to blush again. “How much do you know about that?”

Lily shrugged. “About as much as any other young lady, I think.”

“So nothing? Mama will explain before you marry. Trust me. You’ll love it!” Her eyes danced as she kept the secret that all young girls wanted to know.

Lily looked at Rose but didn’t ask any other questions. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what it was, because as long as she was doing it with Daniel, she knew she’d love every second of it.

L
ily was waiting
in the parlor when the maid showed Daniel into the room. She’d kicked Amaryllis from the room, but she knew her mother would never allow her to close the door. Daniel took the spot on the couch beside her and after a quick glance to see if anyone was about, she boldly brushed her lips against his, jumping back when she heard a throat clear.

“Hi, Mama,” Lily said waiting for the lecture to ensue. When nothing was said, she looked up in expectation.

Mary had a slight smile on her face. “Welcome, Daniel. I understand you’ll be joining us for dinner again.” She held her hand out to Daniel and squeezed his briefly between both her own.

Lily was surprised nothing was said about the kiss, but she was sure she’d hear about it later. Her parents had an affection for Daniel, and always had, but that didn’t mean they wanted him kissing their daughters in the parlor when no one was looking.

“Yes, ma’am if that’s all right with you, of course.” Daniel was obviously flustered at being caught mid-kiss with Lily. He jumped to his feet and waited for Mary to sit down. When she sat across the room in an overstuffed chair, he resumed his spot beside Lily.

As soon as he was seated, Lily wound her fingers through his. She couldn’t seem to stop touching him. Even the feel of his palm on hers was enough to send shivers down her spine.

Mary didn’t miss the sight of their hands twining together, but said nothing about it. “How are you enjoying working at the bank, Daniel? Do you think it’s something you’ll always do?”

Daniel nodded slowly. “I have always loved working with numbers. Banking seems to be something that was meant just for me. I’m really glad your husband took a chance on me.” He rubbed his thumb across the palm of Lily’s hand and felt her shudder slightly beside him.

“I’m glad you enjoy it. I’m sure Fred’s not always easy to work for.”

“I disagree. He’s been a good boss. I have no complaints whatsoever.” He swallowed hard. Lily had leaned into him and they were pressed together from knee to shoulder. How was he supposed to talk to someone when he was lusting after her daughter?

Fred stepped into the room. “I’m happy to hear it.” He held his hand out to Daniel to shake. “Am I going to be seeing you all the time now? Office all day? Home all night?”

Daniel shook his head. “If I’m around too much…” He didn’t want to not be with Lily, but he didn’t want to make her father and his boss angry either.

Fred laughed and waved his answer off. “Not at all, boy. We’re glad to have you here.” He took a seat beside his wife. “Is dinner ready yet?”

She stood. “I’ll just go check and see how much longer.” She patted his hand as she headed for the door, coming back less than a minute later. “It’s ready now.” She looked at Lily. “Get your sisters for supper, please.”

Lily stood and wondered if she should just yell at them like she usually did or go get them. After a moment, she opened her mouth and bellowed, “Time to eat!” If Daniel couldn’t marry the woman she was, he certainly wouldn’t be happy when she didn’t change after the wedding.

He chuckled softly at the sight of her mother’s mortified face. “Lily! You should have gone to find them.” She shook her head in disgust.

Lily shrugged. “They’re coming.” She glanced at Daniel and saw he wasn’t the least offended by her uncouth ways. She breathed a sigh of relief. She knew he’d seen it all, but she’d hoped he hadn’t thought she changed because she started wearing dresses and had her hair up all the time.

She held his arm as they went into dinner together. He took the spot beside her he’d occupied the last time he was there on Saturday evening. As her sisters filed into the room, the various smiles alarmed him. Iris was obviously just delighted to see him, but the look in Jasmine’s eyes was downright scary. What did she have planned?

He didn’t have to wait long to find out. Halfway through the meal, Jasmine lifted her head and stared straight at Lily. “So, Lily, how do you like kissing Daniel?”

Lily shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess.” She squeezed his hand under the table in some sort of signal that he didn’t quite understand. Was she telling him to stay quiet?

Jasmine made a face, obviously annoyed that Lily wasn’t rising to the bait. “You sure looked like you were enjoying it the other night.”

“Someday you’ll be old enough to kiss your beau, too, Jasmine.” Lily calmly ate another bite of her dinner, not saying anything beyond that.

Jasmine sighed. She looked between her parents. “Aren’t you upset that Lily’s running around kissing boys?” She obviously wanted Lily to be in trouble, and it wasn’t working for her.

Lily didn’t wait for her parents to respond. “I’m not running around kissing boys. I’m kissing one man.” She looked down at her plate to hide a smile.

Fred cleared his throat. “That’s enough, Jasmine. If I have a problem with Lily and Daniel kissing, I’ll talk to them about it, but not in front of you.”

Jasmine pouted, obviously upset she hadn’t been able to cause any problems. What fun was it to tease your sisters when no one would get angry?

As soon as supper was over, Daniel got to his feet. “Thank you for a delicious meal. I’m going to take Lily for a drive if that’s all right, Mr. Sullivan.”

Fred nodded. “Oh, yes, of course. Don’t stay out too late. We have work tomorrow.” He smiled at Daniel, putting Daniel’s fears to rest that he was upset with him for kissing his daughter. It wasn’t easy courting the boss’s daughter!

Daniel led Lily outside to the buggy and helped her up. “Do you have anywhere you want to go?” he asked after walking around to his side and tucking the lap robes tightly around them.

Lily shook her head. “Just so we get to spend time alone together, I’m happy!” She moved a little closer to him as soon as they were out of sight of the house. She loved touching him, and she wasn’t going to stop just because her sister had teased her.

He drove toward the outskirts of town again, concentrating on navigating the roads. Finally, they reached a country road and he pulled back into the woods. Setting the brake, he turned to her, opening his arms.

She smiled, moving as close as she could, wrapping her arms around him while tilting her mouth up to offer it to him. His mouth came down on hers, harder and more demanding than before. She parted her lips for his kiss right away, knowing what he’d want from her.

He moved his hands around to her front and unbuttoned her coat, before unbuttoning his own, never breaking the kiss. Then he pulled her closer to him, with their bodies pressed more tightly together. “You feel so good to me. I’ve been thinking about kissing you like this ever since Saturday night.”

She smiled up at him in the darkness. He may be in love with Rose, but he had enough affection to go around. “I’ve been dreaming about it.”

He groaned softly, his lips moving across her cheek, and going down to kiss her neck and shoulders. “I can’t seem to get enough of you.”

She wound her fingers through his hair, thrilled that he felt the same way she did. “I love it when you touch me!”

His hand moved from her back, inside her coat, around to cup her breast, squeezing it gently. Lily was surprised at first, but when she gave herself up to the pleasure of it, she groaned softly. “That feels so nice.” Wicked, but nice. She knew her mother would never approve, but it didn’t seem to matter then.

He pressed his lips against hers, his tongue tangling with hers wildly. After a moment, he groaned and pulled away from her, resting his forehead against hers. “You know we can’t keep doing this. We’ll be caught.” His breathing was fast and his breath hot against her face.

“What would happen if we were caught?” Lily had been causing problems since she was old enough to dress herself. What did she care?

“If we’re caught we’ll be forced to marry immediately.”

“Would that be terrible?” she asked. Was he against marriage to her?

“Not at all! I would just rather marry because we want to marry, and not because we’re being forced into it. I’d like nothing better than to have you as my wife.”

She sighed, wishing she could believe him. She knew he still carried a torch for her sister, even though she was married to another man. She almost wished they would get caught because she didn’t want to have to spend a long time planning a wedding ceremony. She hated getting all dressed up like a lady and being the center of attention. Why couldn’t they just get it over with?

He brushed another soft kiss against her lips, before carefully buttoning first her coat and then his own. He turned the buggy around and drove back toward her house, his arm firmly around her shoulders. At her house, he helped her down and walked to the door with her. A quick brush of his lips against hers, and he turned to go. “I’ll see you Friday evening at six,” he called back over his shoulder.

As he got into the buggy, he took a deep breath. They were going to have to marry soon. Who would have thought Lily, who played baseball and climbed trees better than just about every boy he’d ever met, could kiss like that? He was going to catch fire if they weren’t careful.

L
ily woke
up Friday morning with a huge smile on her face. She would see Daniel again tonight. She wasn’t sure why he’d stayed away all week, but she hated not being with him. She’d kept busy working with the battered women, but it wasn’t the same. Nothing was the same when he wasn’t by her side. Despite her reservations about the people they’d be surrounded by, she loved the idea of spending the evening in his arms.

She walked to Rose’s house with a spring in her step. She couldn’t wait to see how her new dress fit. A whole evening in Daniel’s arms was her idea of what heaven would be like.

Rose must have been watching out the window for her, because she rushed out of her house wearing her coat as soon as Lily started up her front walk. “Lily! Let’s go try on your new party dress!” The excitement in her voice was palpable, and Lily wondered, not for the first time, how two girls who were so different could have been born to the same parents.

“I hope it fits,” Lily fretted. “What will I do if we get there and it’s the wrong size? No one else’s dresses fit me!” Lily was the tallest girl in their family at five feet ten inches tall. She was thankful Daniel was well over six feet so she didn’t feel like a giant.

“It’ll fit! If not she’ll make a couple of small adjustments and you’ll be ready to go. We need to stop at the jeweler for a necklace, though. You don’t have one at home, do you?”

Lily shook her head. “I’ve never cared for jewelry.”

“Well, this dress is going to need something.” Rose pulled open the door of the dress shop.

They were greeted by the owner immediately. “It’s ready. I stayed up most of the night to finish it, but it’s ready.” Her blue eyes were red-rimmed, giving credence to her words.

Lily went straight back with Rose trailing behind. Once the dress was on, Lily twirled for a moment, delighted at the way the full skirt flared around her. She’d never really worn a dancing dress, and this one made her feel like a princess. “How does it look?”

Rose’s face was lit up with a smile. “It’s wonderful, Lily. I’ve never seen you look so good!”

Lily looked into the mirror and nodded to herself, feeling like she did look special for once. “What should I do with my hair with this dress?”

Rose made a face. “Can you have Daniel pick you up at my house? I’d love to fix your hair for you. I have just the right style in mind.”

Once she’d changed back into her regular clothes, they walked to the bank. Daniel was working at the front as usual. She waited until he was finished with his customer and went to him, embarrassed to be bothering him at work. “Can you pick me up from Rose’s house tonight?” she whispered.

He nodded. “Sure. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, she’s just going to fix my hair for me.” Lily blushed as she said the words.

He shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, you can wear braids. It’s not your hair I care about.” He squeezed her hand across the long counter. “I can’t wait to see you.”

She smiled all the way to the jewelry store. He was such a good man. She just hoped he didn’t figure out she wasn’t as good as Rose before they married.

Lily was a bundle of nerves for the rest of the day. She couldn’t find the exact right necklace at the store, so Rose said she could borrow the pearls Shawn had given her. It felt strange to wear something that was so expensive, but she wanted to look her best, and Rose assured her she didn’t mind.

Lily felt silly having Rose fix her hair for her night out with Daniel, but she didn’t know what else to do. None of the other girls knew nearly as much about how to look their best as Rose did. Rose had spent years making a science out of the best way to catch a man.

Rose’s touch was magic, though. Lily looked at herself in the mirror when Rose finally pronounced her ready, and she was shocked to see the young lady looking back at her. Gone was the little girl who liked to run around in boys’ pants, although she could see her lurking beneath the surface. Instead she saw a young woman with dark red hair and green eyes, who looked like she was a real lady, not just a little girl dressing up as one.

She looked down at the slippers on her feet, and had to stifle a giggle. She’d deliberately worn the slippers that she’d once thrown at Rose’s head. Rose watched her and frowned. “What’s funny?”

Lily just shook her head, knowing she’d share the laugh with Daniel, but doubting Rose would see the humor even now.

“You wait up here. I’ll call you when he’s here. I want you to come down the stairs and make a grand entrance.” Rose clasped her hands together over her chest, obviously pleased with her creation.

Lily nodded reluctantly. She saw no need to make Daniel wait even a minute for her, but Rose knew best. Right?

She paced impatiently back and forth across Rose’s bedroom until she heard Rose call her name. She took a deep breath, putting her hand to her stomach to try to settle the butterflies that had taken up living there. Slowly she walked toward the stairs. She could just picture falling halfway down and landing on Daniel once again.