The Treasure Page 4

  “Lily! My God, are you all right?”

  She turned her head and peered at Ray in the darkness. Might as well be honest. “No, I think I may have broken my nose. And I can’t seem to get out of this snow. I’m afraid frostbite will be a possibility if I don’t figure how to get back on my feet.”

  Before she could blink, strong arms lifted her effortlessly and she found herself being carried by Ray. It was dark enough she couldn’t see his expression under the shadow of his hat, but she had no doubt it was not a happy face.

  “Thank you.”

  Lily tilted her head back and pinched the bridge of her nose to stop the bleeding. Her nose was really the least of her concerns. Ray Malloy was the biggest.

  He opened the door and brought her inside, kicking the door closed behind him. She had the insane notion of a groom carrying his bride over the threshold and she started laughing. The more she tried to stop, the harder she laughed.

  “I’m not sure what’s so damn funny, but if you don’t hush up, I’m gonna throw you back into the snow.”

  Ray set her on the sofa in the living room. He glanced at her white nightgown and immediately his eyes changed. The pupils dilated and a hazy glow surrounded the green. His nostrils flared and his lips tightened.

  Lily thought it was blood that he saw, but when she looked at her nightgown, she realized the snow had turned the white garment transparent. He could clearly see her breasts and her nipples, which were puckered harder than a stone, as well as a hint of the dark hair between her legs.

  Lily was never so embarrassed in her life. She didn’t know whether to stop her nosebleed or cover herself, so she tried both. One arm landed over her breasts, while the other continued to pinch her nose.

  “Do you think you could get me a towel, and perhaps some of that snow for my nose?”

  His gaze snapped to hers and what she saw in his eyes made her breath stop. Raw, blatant desire. For her. A plump, on-the-shelf spinster with a shady childhood and a penchant for tripping over her own two feet. Lily felt an answering yearning in herself, a need to find out if what she saw, what she felt from him, was more than lust.

  “I—”

  “Let me get that towel,” he said. Then he was gone before she could finish her sentence.

  Lily started shivering. She didn’t know if it was from the snow bath or the look in Ray’s eyes when he stared at her nearly naked body.

  She was afraid it was from the latter, and she had no idea what to do about it.

  ———

  Ray stumbled into the kitchen and stared at the sink for a full minute before realizing he was standing there like a fence post holding up nothing but air. He grabbed a towel from the side of the sink and opened the back door to scoop up some snow.

  Goddamn!

  After getting himself calmed down enough to stop thinking about Lily, he had to see her just about naked. The raging erection in his jeans was about to bust a button or two. Maybe he should stuff the snow down his pants instead.

  After wrapping the towel around the snow, he rubbed his cold hand on his face, and tried to regain at least a portion of his self-control. Life wasn’t exactly orderly before Lily got here, but it wasn’t this gut-wrenching, off-balance shit either.

  Ray didn’t like it because he apparently had no self-control when it came to Lily. He should have listened to his instincts at the train station and popped her beautiful ass on an eastbound train immediately.

  Too late, too late, chimed in his demons. She’s in your blood.

  He grabbed a washrag from the sink and stalked back into the living room. Lily was pinching her nose with one bloody hand and trying to cover herself with the other. Made him feel like a horse’s ass.

  “Let’s get you cleaned up.” He sat on the edge of the sofa. “Hold the towel and let me wash the blood off.”

  She pulled her hand away from her nose and took the towel from him. Her whiskey-colored eyes watched him warily as he leaned closer.

  As gently as he could, he washed the blood away. Some of it had dried already so he had to rub a bit. She didn’t make a sound, but she winced when he was too rough. He was a hell of a bad nurse.

  When Ray touched the hand covering her chest, she squeaked a protest.

  “Look, Lily, I’m not going to attack you. I just want to clean the blood off your hand.”

  She nodded and tentatively held out her hand. He didn’t blame her for being wary since he barked and growled a lot. There wasn’t much that was soft about him. He wiped the blood off her hand, trying not to notice her long, slender fingers. However, he couldn’t help but notice she had calluses on her hands. The mark of a woman used to working, to making her own way.

  His opinion of Lily Wickham went up a notch or two. Nothing Ray despised more than a princess who wanted to be waited on.

  “Now switch hands and put the towel up on your nose. The snow should help with the swelling.”

  She did as he bade and he wiped her other hand off. When he finished, he gently pulled the towel away to look at her nose.

  “I don’t think it’s broken.”

  He replaced the towel and sternly met her gaze.

  “If you were Melody, I’d tan your hide for having the window open in the dead of winter. I could also say that you got exactly what you asked for, leaning out the window so far.”

  She scowled and looked put out. “I was hot… I mean, it was too warm in my room. The fireplace was putting out a lot of heat. It was only for a moment or two. I never meant… Well, truth is, I tend to be a bit clumsy.”

  She looked as if she thought he was going to spank her and put her in her room. The thought of her round ass beneath his hands had his imagination running straight into his trousers. An area that didn’t need more attention.

  “I noticed.”

  She sighed. “I’m afraid it’s hard to hide. Do you…that is…you won’t fire me because of my clumsiness, will you?”

  Ray was taken aback. She thought he would fire her because she popped her nose in the snow? Or made a mess in the kitchen? Was she kidding?

  “No. That’s kind of a stupid question.”

  “It’s most certainly not a stupid question. I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear your answer. I’ve had some…difficulties with employers in the past with my graceless mistakes. I want you to know that I will replace anything I break.”

  “Nothing here is worth more than the wood it sits on, Lily. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  She smiled around the towel and her eyes sparkled with something like gratitude. She reached for his hands, and a thread of panic stung him.

  “Thank you, Ray. I promise I will try to be more careful.”

  He stood abruptly. “I’ll just go wash this out.”

  Leaving her with her mouth slightly open in surprise, Ray fled the room, the washrag clutched in his hand.

  Chapter Five

  The ride to town was not a joyous trip. Melody glared at Lily the entire time because Lily had made the girl wash up again and comb her hair. The only fortunate thing was Mel had no dresses to wear so that battle waited for another day.

  Ray sat like an angry bear on the wagon seat. He didn’t say anything, not even “Good Morning” when Lily greeted him. He simply nodded and looked off into the distance. As if he couldn’t stand to look at her.

  Lily tried to be cheerful, but it was difficult. She had a sinking feeling this trip was not going to turn out as fun as she’d hoped.

  As they got closer to town, Melody began to get excited. She was sitting in the back of the wagon with her arms folded, then suddenly she was standing behind them. Her head between them, her black braids swinging back and forth, gently touching their shoulders.

  “Are we almost there?”

  Lily waited for Ray to answer. She thought they were close, but she had only made the trip once, in the opposite direction.

  “Yes. Now sit back down,” Ray grumbled.

  Melody sat and within two minutes p
opped up again.

  “Are we almost there?”

  Lily had to bite her lip to keep from grinning at the long-suffering look on Ray’s face.

  “Yes. Sit down.”

  Melody disappeared from view and this time lasted five minutes before her little dark head was between them again. Her cheeks were pink from the cold and her eyes sparkled.

  “I can see it. Look, Miss Wickham. Can you see it?”

  For once, Melody actually spoke to Lily without cursing, grumping or complaining.

  “Yes, I certainly do.”

  “There’s so many buildings, Pa. I don’t remember so many.”

  The wagon rolled into the outskirts of town within ten minutes, a bubbling five-year-old and her grimacing father on board.

  “Hey, look, there’s one of those draft horses. Gosh, that’s so big. And there, a fancy carriage. It’s black with red inside. That’s so pretty.”

  She went on and on until Ray growled at her.

  “Enough, Mel. Jesus please us, could you be quiet for five minutes?”

  Melody’s face reflected hurt as she sat back down and folded her arms again, her enthusiasm dampened by her father’s impatience. Lily didn’t say anything, but she gave Ray a glare of her own.

  “Don’t say a word,” he warned.

  “I wasn’t planning on it. I think you know how I feel.”

  Ray pulled the wagon up to the general store and set the brake. After hopping down, he held his arms out for Melody. Sticking her nose in the air, she ignored him and jumped. Lily thought she saw a small grin play around his mouth when he shook his head and picked her up, snuffling her neck. Melody squealed, laughing at her father’s antics.

  “Stop, Pa, stop!”

  He gave her a big smacking kiss on her cheek and set her down. Lily’s heart went pitty-pat at the sight of that small grin on his face. She hadn’t seen him smile or even come close to it, and this, well, this just told her how handsome he would be when he did smile. It would be enough to knock her to her knees.

  “I have to go to the blacksmith, Mel. You stay with Miss Wickham at the store until I get back.”

  Melody rolled her eyes and stuck her hands in the pockets of her overalls.

  “Yes, Pa.”

  “I’ll need you to make sure I don’t buy the wrong items on the list. You helped me write it after all,” Lily said as she tried unsuccessfully to get down from the wagon while holding a basket. “Ray, could you…”

  He glanced at her, and she swore he looked embarrassed at forgetting her. Within moments, he stood beneath her. He reached up and took her by the waist. His large, strong hands caused a ripple of familiar awareness in her body. An awareness of him as a man. And she as a woman.

  Ray set her down matter-of-factly and removed his hands. She could still feel the echo of his touch and she shivered.

  “Get what you need in the store.”

  With that gruff sentence, he strode down the snowy street away from them. Lily turned to Melody who eyed the door to the store like it was a threatening, scary place.

  “Are you ready, Melody?”

  She glanced up with her deep, dark eyes and nodded once.

  ———

  They entered the store with a swirl of chilly air chasing them. Lily pushed the door closed behind them and stamped her feet to get the circulation going. Melody stuck to her side like a cocklebur.

  “Can you hold the list for me?”

  Lily handed the paper to the girl who took it with a shaking hand. Lily bent down and met her eye to eye and saw uncertainty and fear.

  “I’ve never been here before either, Melody. But I think if we stay together, we can get everything on the list before your father comes back. Will you help me?”

  Melody nodded again.

  “Okay, let’s take a look at the list.”

  Lily brought an empty basket for smaller items. As they shopped for such things as thread and needles, she let Melody put them in the basket. Larger items were put on the counter until they had a big pile of supplies. She read each item aloud with sounds elongated. Soon the girl recognized the sounds and tried to read them herself.

  The small triumph thrilled Lily. Melody demonstrated a keen intelligence and the ability to be an apt pupil.

  “I want to get you a book to practice reading.” Lily led the girl toward the books in the front of the store. Lily was pleased to find a McGuffey’s Reader. “This is an excellent first book for a smart little girl like you to learn to read.”

  “I ain’t little.”

  Other than sounding out letters, this was the first sentence she had spoken the entire time they’d been in the store.

  “I’m sorry. You’re absolutely right. You are a young lady now.”

  Melody scowled like her father, but took the book Lily held out to her. She could not hide the excitement in her eyes even if she tried. Lily smiled.

  “Now let’s go find some material to make new clothes and some curtains. That’s our last item on the list.”

  “Girlie stuff.”

  Lily shrugged. “Maybe, but I would still like your help.”

  Melody rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

  With such ringing enthusiasm, they went over to the table holding the bolts of cloth. Lily noticed the book clutched tightly in Melody’s hands. As they went through each pattern, she asked the girl her opinion on everything. It took a lot longer than Lily intended, but she wanted to make sure Melody felt included.

  “I think we’ve picked out all the cloth we need. Let’s go ask the nice lady to cut it for us.”

  Lily approached the counter with trepidation. Not once in the fifteen minutes she’d been in the store had they been spoken to.

  “Good morning,” Lily said with a smile.

  The woman behind the counter was middle-aged with blonde hair in a tight bun. Her blue eyes weren’t unfriendly, but they weren’t warm either.

  “Good morning.”

  “Would you be kind enough to assist me with some cloth?”

  The woman looked at her, then at Melody.

  “You’re not from around here. She yours?”

  “She is my pupil. I am her governess.”

  The woman nodded and came around the corner. She was slightly taller than Lily with a body softened by age. She wore a light-blue striped dress and a white apron around her slender waist.

  “Show me what you want cut.”

  Inwardly shrugging at the other woman’s brusqueness, Lily followed her back to the table with the cloths.

  As they were getting the last bolt cut, the door opened with a tinkle of the bell and a young voice rang out, “Hey, look, isn’t that the Indian bastard?”

  ———

  Ray headed back to the wagon with the new hinges for the barn door. He stared at the snow as he walked, trying to sort out his thoughts. Lily sure put a knot in his tail and he was having a hell of a time untying it. He dropped the hinges into the back of the wagon and trotted up the steps into the general store.

  As he stepped in, he heard Lily’s voice. It was angry, but controlled. His stomach tightened at the thought that someone was bothering Lily or Melody.

  “I’ll thank you to watch your language in public, young man. That was a rude and unkind comment to make.”

  “He’s just telling the truth, lady,” said a youth of about fifteen with a red face and too long hair. He stood next to a smaller boy with dark hair and flashing eyes.

  “Regardless of whether or not it was the truth, his manners are deplorable and he owes this girl an apology.”

  Lily was magnificent. She looked like a lioness, all fierce and protective. Of his cub. Her whiskey eyes shot sparks at the two boys.

  “I ain’t apologizing.”

  She took Melody by the hand and straightened her shoulders. Her glorious breasts thrust out and her chin stuck up.

  “Then you, sir, are no gentleman. I will go straight to the sheriff and file a complaint.”

  Panic swamp
ed the boy’s eyes. “Don’t go to the sheriff, lady. My pa will whoop my ass so hard I won’t be able to sit down for a week.”

  “Then I suggest you apologize and work on improving your language.”

  She might be small, but she packed a big wallop.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled, then fled the store with his friend in tow. The two of them cursed under their breath.

  Lily hadn’t noticed him. “Are you okay, Melody?” she asked.

  Melody nodded. “They weren’t very nice.”

  “No, they weren’t, but they won’t bother us again.”

  Damn straight they wouldn’t. Even if they didn’t want to mess with Lily again, Ray would kick their goddamn asses if they bothered his Melody or Lily one more time.

  “Let’s get all our purchases together and check them off the list, okay?”

  Melody whispered, “Okay.”

  Ray noticed she still held Lily’s hand with a book clutched in the other. Melody saw Ray standing by the door and the look in her eyes was like a punch in the gut. Whatever those boys had said was hurtful.

  Goddamn it! That’s why he avoided town. Small-minded morons, all of them.

  “Hi, Pa.”

  “Hello, Ray.” Lily tried to smile, but it was obviously forced. “I think we have everything if you want to assist us with tallying the bill and taking everything to the wagon.”

  Ray nodded and went toward them, resisting the urge to grab them both up in an embrace.

  After they settled up with a glaring Mrs. Goodson, they loaded the wagon and headed home. He didn’t dare tell Lily the storekeeper was his ex-mother-in-law, and that she hated him intensely. A feeling returned tenfold. Another reason he didn’t like to go to town. Everything reminded him of his failed marriage and the betrayal of his wife—a wife who made a fool of him and destroyed his life.

  ———

  The mood had grown somber again with Melody quiet as a mouse, and Lily very pensive. Ray didn’t talk much anyway so it was no stretch for him to not speak.

  As they rolled along the snowy road with the sunshine warming them, Lily suddenly turned and looked at Melody.

  “Do you know any songs?”

  “No.”

  He couldn’t see Melody, but he could practically feel her shaking her head no. There wasn’t much music in their house.