Lily and Cody saw each other every night for a week. At her request, they did not return to their special place. “Maybe one day,” she promised, “but for now—”
“Got it,” he said. Instead, they took walks through town, sat on the hotel veranda with Nick and Grace, and one night attended a concert on the plaza. On these occasions, Cody held her hand, kissed her good night when they parted, and asked nothing more of her than the opportunity to know her better.
“Do you have brothers and sisters?” he asked one night as they sat together on the veranda.
“Two older brothers. You?”
“A twin sister.”
She laughed. “You mean there are two of you? I can hardly deal with one.”
He laughed.
“Where does your sister live?”
“She married a man who has made a career in the army, so they move around a lot. Right now, they’re at a fort in Colorado.”
“Do they have children?”
“Yep.”
“You’re an uncle?” It was a detail that made her look at Cody in a new way. She imagined him with children of his own. He would be a wonderful father, kind and patient.
“I’m an uncle four times over,” he replied. “What about your brothers? Married? Kids?”
“We lost touch once our mother remarried. They didn’t approve of her new husband—they were right, as it turned out. They were older and left before the wedding. Garson went east for university and then stayed. He’s a doctor now, married with two children.”
“And your other brother?”
“R. J. is the adventurer in our family. He headed to California. I had a letter from each of them at Christmastime.”
“So they know you’re here?”
She shrugged. “They do, but I’m afraid none of us is much for writing.”
He hesitated, then asked, “And your mother?”
Lily felt something harden in her chest. “She and I parted ways.”
“Tell me, Lily,” Cody said softly. “Let it out.” He uncurled her fingers from the fist she hadn’t realized she’d clenched and ran his thumb across her palm.
“The day he…the day I left, Mama was at church. She often went there even during the week. On my way to the train station, I stopped to tell her what had happened—why I was leaving. She’d become so quiet and withdrawn at home, I thought she would understand. I thought she’d come to realize the mistake she’d made.”
She saw it all as clearly as if it had been yesterday. Her mother seated alone in the sanctuary. Lily sliding into the pew beside her, tears streaming down her face, her hair a tangled mess she hadn’t stopped to repair, her blouse torn where he’d grabbed her.
Her mother had sat stock-still while she poured out her story. And instead of consoling her daughter, Marjorie Travis Worthington had continued to stare straight ahead, her fingers working the beads of her rosary. And when Lily clutched her mother’s arm, the woman she thought was her refuge had shaken her off, stood, and left the church without a word.
“Once I arrived in Kansas City, I sent her a letter to let her know I was safe and how she could reach me.”
“Did you receive an answer?”
Lily released a mirthless laugh. “Oh yes. Several pages long. She wrote that she had spoken to my stepfather, and he was sorry for having lost his temper. She wrote that he’d described my ‘hysterics’ and, after all, everyone knew that from childhood on, I had always been prone to lies and fabrications. Still, she said, my stepfather was a good Christian man and willing to forgive. If I could see the error of my ways and make a full apology to him, they would welcome me back with open arms.” She turned to face him. “I did not send a reply, needless to say. And to this day, I have not heard another word from her.”
Cody wrapped his arm around her, and she relished the warmth of his embrace, the simple act of a touch that held no demands, just comfort. She rested her cheek against his shoulder. “Tell me about your parents, Cody.”
“My folks? Nothing unusual. They met while their families were headed west on a wagon train. They were really just two kids who fell in love. Eventually, they married and set up housekeeping in a little town outside Flagstaff. They opened a store, sort of like Tucker’s mercantile here. We lived in town until I started working for the army and Molly met her soldier boy. Pretty basic.”
“Sounds wonderful.”
“Yeah. I always thought one day I’d follow in their footsteps—not the store, of course. I don’t have the patience to run a shop.” He chuckled, then shifted so that he was looking at her. “But the girl of my dreams and kids and a house filled with laughter and love? That part.” He leaned in and kissed her, a long, sweet kiss. “Found the girl,” he murmured. “Pretty sure the rest will come along.”
She kissed one of the dimples that had been her undoing from the first day she saw him. “Pretty cocky, aren’t you, Sheriff Daniels?”
He grinned and tightened his hold on her, drawing her against him. “I always get my man. Or in this case, Miss Travis, my woman.” He nibbled her ear. “Lily?” he whispered.
“Hmm?” She was lost in the feel of his breath warm against her face, his arms holding her.
“I’ve filed the necessary papers to run for territorial representative. If I get elected, I won’t be sheriff any longer. Even if I don’t get elected, I was thinking I’d like to try some other line of work.”
“If you get elected, you’ll have to spend a good deal of your time in Washington,” she reminded him.
“True. Sounds like it might get lonely.”
She fingered the collar of his shirt, knowing what he was asking. Knowing what the next step would be. “Maybe not so lonesome if I came with you.”
His heart beat steadily beneath her palm resting on his chest. In the times they’d spent together over the last week, Lily had come around to wondering if perhaps they might have a real chance at happiness.
“We’d have to get married, I reckon,” he mused as if the idea had just struck him.
“That would probably be best,” she agreed. She put aside any doubts she might still harbor about becoming the wife of a politician.
“Miss Travis, are you proposing to me?”
She snuggled closer. “What if I am?”
“I’d have to think about it,” he said, his voice serious. And then before she could protest or pull away, he kissed the top of her head. “Okay, thought about it. Yes, Miss Travis, I would be honored to marry you.”
She slapped his chest lightly, but she was laughing, and the truth was she could not recall a time in her life when she’d been happier than she was at that moment. For the first time in weeks, she forgot all about Victor Johnson and the threats he posed. Cody was here. He would make sure everyone was safe—her most of all.
“I guess the question is,” he said softly as he knelt on one knee and took her hand in his, “will you marry me?”
With a delighted squeal, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Nudging his lips apart with the tip of her tongue, she let him know in the only way she thought he might understand that she was ready to travel whatever road lay before them. No more doubts. Together, they would leave the past behind and build a wonderful future.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said.
* * *
Lily Travis might be a rebel and renegade when it came to what people might expect of a politician’s wife, but she was going to be a breath of fresh air for Washington society. Cody couldn’t seem to stop smiling whenever he thought of her. Even as he sat at his desk putting together his plan for stopping the robbery, he whistled a lively tune to himself. The community celebration and party for Bonnie Kaufmann was just one day away. By this time next week, he and Lily would be free to pursue their future. They hadn’t really discussed details yet, but to his way of thinking, they’d be married before July was over. The election was in the fall, and since he was the only candidate on the ballot so far, there was no reason to doubt that he would be the next territorial representative. In between, he imagined the two of them taking an extended honeymoon. They’d visit his sister and her family, his parents, and maybe even Lily’s brothers. Then they’d need to find living quarters in Washington—
“Sheriff Daniels!”
He looked up from the list he’d been making to find Abigail Chambers standing in the doorway to his office. “Miss Chambers, is there something I can do for you?”
“My property has been vandalized.”
She seemed mighty calm to be making that pronouncement, but Cody knew better than to form an opinion without gathering facts. “Your shop?” he asked as he got to his feet.
“My garden,” she replied.
He hesitated. “I don’t understand.”
“Come see for yourself.” She didn’t wait for him but walked down the boardwalk toward her house at the end of town.
Cody followed. Sure enough, her usually pristine flower beds were a shambles of uprooted plants, broken stems, and half-demolished blooms.
“Well?” she demanded, hands on hips.
“That’s quite a lot of damage all right,” Cody replied, stalling for time as he tried to figure out what to say. “May I?” he asked, nodding toward the iron gate half off its hinges. When she nodded, he stepped inside the yard and surveyed the damage more closely. “Miss Chambers, has it occurred to you this might be the work of a rabbit or mule deer?”
“Well, of course it has. I’m not a simpleton, Sheriff Daniels.”
“Then I really don’t understand why you need me.”
Abigail burst into tears. “Who will repair the damage? Pay the cost of replanting? My garden is all I have! It’s my pride and joy.”
Cody was taken aback, and at the same time, his heart went out to her. “Let me see what I can do,” he offered, although he had not the first idea of what that might be. “In the meantime, maybe we could replant some of these uprooted ones.”
She glanced at a large overturned rosebush, then blinked her tear-soaked lashes at him. “Of course, my first thought was to ask Victor—Mr. Johnson—for help, but he’s still back east.”
No, he’s not.
“This one looks like it could be saved,” Cody said, kneeling to examine an uprooted plant that seemed otherwise undamaged.
“You would do that for me?”
He had all he could handle getting everything set to foil the robbery, but how long could it take? “Sure,” he replied and found himself the recipient of a hug and slobbery kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you, Cody,” she murmured.
He eased her arms from her hold on him and smiled. “I’ll see to it first thing in the morning.”
Her eyes widened. “Yes. Come for breakfast, and we can work before the day gets so hot.”
Cody was a good judge of people, and something was not right. For one thing, Abigail kept glancing toward the house. For another, her hands were shaking. He surveyed the yard and for the first time noted the damage seemed confined to the area of the yard closest to the house—and farthest from the street. “I’ll come in the morning around seven. Leave the shovel and pitchfork out so I don’t have to disturb you. Don’t fret, Miss Chambers. I’ll do some asking around and see what I can find out about who might have seen something.”
“No!”
He knew panic when he saw it. “Miss Chambers, you want to tell me what this is all really about?”
She pressed her lips together, and tears filled her eyes. “I…please. Can’t we just keep this between the two of us?”
“Only if you agree to tell me what really happened.”
“I told you—someone vandalized my garden. I’m humiliated that anyone would do such a thing. What will other people think?”
Knowing he would get no more information from her, Cody opened the broken gate. “I’ll bring along something to repair this,” he said. “See you at seven.”
The strange episode with Abigail niggled at Cody. He couldn’t get the idea out of his mind that the vandalism in her garden had been staged to appear to be more than it really was. He had an instinct for anything that might signal a trap, but in this case, he couldn’t figure out what that trap might be. Either way, he had no time to figure out what Abigail Chambers might be up to. He had a robbery to prevent and Lily to protect.
* * *
Lily, Emma, and the other Harvey Girls worked long into the night decorating the dining room and hotel lobby for the festivities. Outside the hotel, townspeople were hanging bunting from the gazebo on the plaza. The next day, Mayor Tucker would make a speech from there, and everyone would join in singing patriotic songs and participating in traditional games and contests. Later, the hotel staff and some special friends, including Doc Waters and his wife and the mayor, would gather in the dining room to bid farewell to Miss K and celebrate Emma’s promotion. It was going to be a busy day—busier than most people were aware. But Lily knew that in addition to the celebrations, there could likely be a deadly crime taking place just down the street.
Cody had stopped by for a quick supper with Lily and the rest of the staff after the dining room closed for the day, but he’d left soon after. His departure hadn’t surprised her. She knew he was off somewhere making sure everything and everyone involved was ready for the following day. The key was to make sure innocent citizens were kept near the festivities on the plaza and well away from the bank. With Cody in charge, Lily was confident everything would go off like clockwork. Victor Johnson and his gang of outlaws would be behind bars before the party for Miss K’s retirement and Emma’s promotion got started. And she and Cody had one more surprise for their friends. Capping off a perfect day would be the announcement of her engagement to Cody.
“You’re looking quite pleased with yourself,” Emma noted as the two of them stood back to survey the results of their work.
“Tomorrow is going to be a wonderful day,” Lily said as she linked her arm through Emma’s. “Come on. Let’s go see Grace. I have something to tell you both.”
Nick had stayed in town, supposedly to be near Grace, but Lily knew he was also there to play his role in tomorrow’s posse. She was glad he and Cody had formed such a close friendship. She and Cody might end up living miles away in Washington most of the time, but Cody had assured her, as territorial representative, he would need to have an office and living quarters in Santa Fe. She and Grace and Emma would be able to visit at least a few times a year. Everything was falling into place.
“We came to say good night,” Emma said as they entered Grace’s room.
Nick stood, kissed his wife’s forehead, and stretched. “I’ll just step outside for some air,” he said.
As soon as he left, Emma sat on the foot of Grace’s bed. “Lily has news,” she said. Both women gave her their full attention.
“Cody…that is, I…well, we—”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Grace said. “Spit it out, Lily.”
“We’re to be married.” She couldn’t seem to stop smiling.
“That’s hardly news,” Emma said, winking at Grace. “I mean, from the day you two met, it’s been obvious you were meant for each other.”
Grace held out her arms to Lily. “I am so very pleased for you, Lily. No one deserves happiness more than you.”
Lily accepted the hugs first Grace and then Emma offered. “We could end up living in Washington if Cody is elected.”
“Oh my stars,” Grace said with an expression of feigned shock. “Do you really think Washington is ready for Lily Travis?”
“Lily Travis Daniels,” Emma corrected. “Hmmm. How about ‘First Lady Lily Travis Daniels’?”
“Stop that,” Lily said, but she was giggling with delight. “I am so happy,” she added and realized the admission came as a surprise. It had been so long since she’d felt such unadulterated joy.
“Would you look at the three of us?” Emma said, reaching out to each of them to clasp hands so that they formed a circle of friendship. “A baby on the way…a wedding to plan…and—”
“And,” Lily interrupted, “my guess is with you taking over for Miss K, Aidan Campbell better watch his back. Emma Elliott could conceivably become the first female manager of a Harvey hotel.”
Emma blushed.
Outside the door, Nick cleared his throat before walking in. “Sorry, ladies, but my wife needs her sleep if I’m to deliver on Doc’s promise to let her take part in tomorrow evening’s festivities.”
Lily and Emma each kissed Grace’s cheek before leaving. Arm in arm, they climbed the back stairs, the glow of their shared happiness making words unnecessary.
Later after they’d changed into their nightgowns and climbed into bed, Emma said, “Tomorrow is going to be such a joyous day.” She trimmed the wick of their lamp. “Sleep well, Lily.”
Lily sighed. Tomorrow, and all the days to come.
* * *
Something wasn’t right.
For a moment, Cody considered going back to his office where he’d left his gun belt hanging on a hook next to his bed. He’d thought replanting Abigail’s garden would be best accomplished without it, giving him more freedom to work the shovel and kneel to pack dirt around the plants. But as he stood outside her gate and saw no sign of activity, he figured he’d been right to suspect this was a lot more than shoveling dirt and repairing a broken gate. At the very least, he’d expected to smell bacon or sausage frying, given the way she was always inviting him for a meal. Or maybe the scent of cinnamon from some pastry she was baking.
The damaged hinges of the gate creaked as he stepped inside the courtyard and saw the front door was ajar. He knocked, listened for any movement from inside, then knocked again. “Miss Chambers?”
Stealthily, he moved toward the parlor window.
Through lace curtains, he saw Abigail tied to a chair and gagged, her eyes wild with fear.
A step sounded behind him. Before he could turn, something heavy came down on his head.
Everything went black.
* * *
Cody came to inside Abigail’s parlor, his hands and feet hog-tied like a calf ready for branding. From his position facedown on the floor, his range of vision was limited, but he saw a man’s boots moving around the room and heard Abigail’s muffled protests.
“Shut up,” the man growled, a voice Cody didn’t recognize. A slap. A whimper. Then silence except for the man jerking the heavy velvet drapes closed, casting the room in near darkness but for sunlight coming from the kitchen down the hall.
Realizing he wasn’t gagged, Cody shook off the dull ache in his head and said, “What’s this all about?”
A voice he did know came from somewhere nearer the door. “Ah, Sheriff Daniels, so sorry to spoil your little plan for today’s holiday celebration.”
Victor Johnson.
“Johnson, if you and your thugs know what’s good for you, you’ll move on before—”
Cody felt the breath rush out of him like a steam engine at the station when the second man kicked him hard in his side. But Cody wasn’t done. “Let the lady go. She’s no threat to you.”
Steps.
Cody turned his head so that he could see Abigail’s lower body and then Victor standing in front of her.
“I’m afraid Miss Chambers has served her purpose,” he said. “Pity. We had ourselves some lovely moments. Didn’t we, my dear?”
A choking sob came from Abigail.
“At least take out the gag,” Cody said. “Even if she screams at the top of her lungs, there’s nobody around this end of town to hear.”
“You may have a point. Would you like to speak, my dear? Perhaps tell the good sheriff here how you have pined for him, how nervous you were when I suggested vandalizing your lovely garden as a way of enticing him into your little web? But look how nicely things have worked out.”
A whimper was followed by coughing, and then Cody heard Abigail’s high-pitched voice. “I trusted you,” she whined. “I allowed you to—”
Johnson laughed. “Oh, Abigail, you allowed nothing. You gave, sweetheart. And I must say, although you are a bit long in the tooth for my usual tastes, I will give you your due. You have an enticing body, and you were a most willing student in the art of seduction.”
Cody could hear Abigail sobbing now.
“Let her be, Johnson. It’s me you want. Why torture her?”
Step. Step. And then Johnson was sitting on his haunches, his face inches from Cody’s. “Believe me when I tell you, this is nothing compared to the plans I have for Lily. Now there’s a seductress worthy of the name.”
If Cody could have moved, he would have strangled Johnson with his bare hands and not thought twice. As it was, he strained against his bonds, bringing a laugh from Johnson as he stood and moved purposefully to the door. “You know the plan, Rusty,” he said in a tone that was all business, and Cody realized he was giving last instructions to the other man.
“Got it, boss. Hold ’em ’til I get the signal, then—”
“Just make sure no one comes calling.”
The front door opened and closed. Rusty struck a match, and Cody froze. Was the plan to set fire to the house? With relief, he heard sucking sounds and realized the man was lighting a cigar.
Abigail was still sobbing so hard, she was gasping for breath.
“The lady could use some water,” Cody said.
To his surprise, their jailer left the room, and a minute later, Cody heard the unmistakable sound of a water pump being activated.
“Abigail,” he whispered. “We’re going to get out of this. I just need you to calm down and listen.”
“He tricked me,” she moaned. “He said he just needed to speak with you privately, about that waitress. He told me she’s his wife and…”
“She’s not. He lied to her as well. Forget him for now and concentrate.” When Cody’d peered in at the window, he’d seen more than just Abigail tied to a chair. He’d noticed she was positioned next to a table where two people had recently shared a meal. Closing his eyes, he reconstructed what he’d seen on that table—plates with half-eaten food, crystal glasses partially filled with wine, napkins. One of which had been stuffed into Abigail’s mouth. And a knife stuck in a cut loaf of dark, crusty bread. Dinner, not breakfast. Abigail had been taken hostage sometime during the night. His heart went out to her, thinking of the panic and fear she’d already endured.
“We’re going to get out of here. Can you take hold of the hem of the tablecloth with your teeth and gently pull it toward you?”
After some struggle, she did as he asked, and he held his breath as the breadboard—and knife—inched closer to her.
“Stop,” he whispered when he heard Rusty coming back down the hall.
“Your water, madam,” he said before tossing the liquid in Abigail’s face and laughing. “Brought you a whole pitcher, Sheriff.” He stood over Cody and slowly emptied the contents over the length of Cody’s body.
Thank you, Cody thought. The moisture might help stretch the ropes binding him. He’d been quietly working his wrists back and forth and flexing his hands to loosen the bonds. A plan of escape clicked slowly into place. If all this had started during the night, as Cody suspected, sooner or later Johnson’s man would either need to relieve himself or he would fall asleep. Once he did, Cody would hopefully have loosened his ropes enough to untangle himself, or he’d be able to coach Abigail to retrieve the knife and cut herself free before releasing him. He would send her to raise the alarm while he disarmed their guard and locked him in a cell before heading for the bank.
Rusty paced back and forth, stepping quickly to the window to peek out when he heard any sound from outside. Time passed, marked by the click of the minute hand on Abigail’s mantel clock. Outside, Cody heard laughter and the excited chatter of people passing on their way to the plaza for the mayor’s speech and the start of the holiday festivities. Here and there, a firecracker popped. In the distance, a band played a Sousa march.
In spite of his absence, Cody hoped Nick and the others were moving ahead with the plan they’d worked out. Hopefully, they weren’t wasting time trying to figure out where he was. At least Lily wouldn’t be expecting to see him until later in the day, not until after it was all over.
Minutes became quarter hours. The good news was that, although his skin was raw and probably bleeding, Cody was close to being able to slip at least one hand free of the ropes. One was all he needed. He groaned. “Hungry,” he muttered.
With a grunt of boredom, Rusty stood, stretched, and moved toward the table. He chuckled. “Hungry, you say?” He picked up the board with the knife stuck into the loaf of bread. Pulling the knife out and sending it skittering across the floor, he gnawed off a hunk of the bread and chewed it, then spit it out. “You ain’t much of a cook, are you, lady?” he grumbled, tossing the remainder of the bread and the board on the floor.
To Cody’s surprise, Abigail found her voice, shaky as it was. “I’m afraid not, but in the kitchen, there are fresh eggs and the cheese and chiles I planned to use in preparing breakfast for the sheriff and myself. If you would only untie me, I would be more than happy to cook them for you instead.”
Rusty snorted. “You must think me dumber than a rock, lady.” After a moment, he asked, “You got any whiskey around this place?”
“I most certainly do not,” Abigail huffed, then apparently thought better of her response. “There is some sherry in the kitchen, however. I use it for cooking.”
“Sherry? Guess it’ll have to do.” He started down the hall. “You two stay right there.” His laughter was grating.
“Good work,” Cody said softly. He freed his hand and contorted his body so that he could untie his feet. Once free, he retrieved the knife, using it to cut through Abigail’s bonds. “Go to the hotel and find Aidan Campbell,” he whispered as he helped her to her feet and steadied her until she had her balance. “Give him a message from me.”
“What message?” she whispered, her whole body shaking with fear.
“Tell him things are in motion. He’ll understand.”
“I can’t…what if Victor sees me?”
Gently, he led her to the front door. “You can do this, Abigail.”
“What the…” Rusty came rushing at them from the kitchen.
Cody pushed Abigail toward the door before turning to take the brunt of Rusty’s attack. He head-butted the other man as he heard the door swing open behind him. Sunlight flooded the hall. He could only hope Abigail would do as he’d asked and head for the hotel instead of the hills.