A Lily Blooms (Cutter's Creek Book 4) Read online

  Cutter’s Creek Novellas:

  That Healing Touch

  The Strong One

  New Beginnings

  A Lily Blooms

  Kari’s Other Novels:

  Western Vows Series

  Forsaking All Others

  To Honor and Cherish

  For Richer or Poorer

  Author Bio:

  Kari Trumbo is a writer of Christian Historical Romance and a stay-at-home mom to four vibrant children. She does freelance developmental editing and blogging. When she isn't writing or editing, she homeschools her children and pretends to keep up with them. Kari loves reading, listening to contemporary Christian music, singing with the worship team, and curling up near the wood stove when winter hits. She makes her home in central Minnesota with her husband of eighteen years, two daughters, two sons, and three cats.

  A Lily Blooms

  A Cutter’s Creek Romance

  Kari Trumbo

  Copyright© 2016 Kari Trumbo

  Published by Kari Trumbo

  All rights reserved. Except for small portions used in reviews, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, without the prior written consent of the author. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible

  Author’s note: This is a work of fiction. All locations, characters, names, and actions are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance, however subtle, to living persons or actual places and events are coincidental and all are fictitious.

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  Dedication

  To my three new friends who joined me from all four time zones to create a new place for our characters to live.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

  That Healing Touch

  Chapter One

  Cutter’s Creek, Montana 1887

  Lily couldn’t take her gaze off his back. Standing in his best black suit, fitted perfectly to his broad shoulders, and a crisp ribbon tie, his head turned to look behind him. In all her seventeen years, she’d never met a man quite like James Cahill. He was kind and respectful to everyone. Even around silly young girls who couldn’t quite do their math problems if he was anywhere nearby. A tough situation, since he’d taught her math this last year to help out the teacher who was elderly and suffering from gout. It had been difficult to concentrate all year.

  The music built to a crescendo and everyone in the small red chapel stood. A gasp forced Lily’s eyes from James to the woman standing at the back of the chapel. James’s intended, Gwendolyn Lathrop, entered through the double doors. She wore an intricate tailored gown of ecru lace. Probably the most lavish thing the small town had ever seen, certainly nicer than anything Lily had.

  Gwendolyn barely touched her father’s arm with the tips of her fingers, giving the impression to everyone present that she didn’t need the strength of her father to lead her, not even on a day like her wedding day. Gwendolyn stopped next to James and her father took her hand and placed it into James’s. Lily pressed her lips together and squeezed her eyes shut. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t really be getting married.

  The music went silent and the congregation sat. Lily put her hands underneath her to keep from fidgeting. She’d snuck into the wedding. Her parents didn’t feel they belonged even though the Cahills had invited everyone in town. Her parents never attended weddings or anything else, so they didn’t feel it was their place. Lillian wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It might be her last chance to see James…

  The bride and groom turned to one another and took each other’s hands. Lily frowned. Gwendolyn didn’t smile; in fact, her mouth turned down in a dour scowl. She pulled her hands back so that he held only the tips of her fingers. Lily glared at her. How could she have everything in this world and not show any gratitude? Why, if she was standing up there…her imagination took her away and suddenly she stood in front in the little red chapel, gazing into James’s eyes. Looking down, she saw her own ecru lace gown. She smiled. In her mind she heard the reverend speak. James repeated the vows and Lily blushed at his heartfelt words.

  The reverend started her vows, but it was Gwendolyn’s voice that repeated them. Lily’s eyes flew open and her breath came fast. He couldn’t do this to her. He couldn’t marry Gwendolyn and leave her forever!

  The reverend looked at Gwendolyn. “Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

  Gwendolyn smiled and opened her mouth to reply.

  Lily shot to her feet. “No!” She looked at James, hoping he would realize in the last moment how much he loved her, not Gwendolyn. Instead, his face registered shock, mild recognition, then frustration. Lily looked around the chapel and saw every face she knew glaring at her. To them, she’d ruined something beautiful. Tears spilled over her cheeks and she ran for the door. She couldn’t bear to see James look at her like that for another moment.

  Chapter Two

  Cutter’s Creek, Montana 1892

  Lillian sat at the small counter, waiting for her cup of water for tea. Penny pressed her apron against her legs and leaned against the counter, a smile tipping the side of her lips.

  “Can I get you a cup of tea, Lillian?” Penny held up the pot of steaming water.

  Lillian pushed the cup closer to Penny and whispered, “Did you see Josiah last evening?”

  Penny looked left then right, finally locking eyes with Lillian; as she poured the hot water into her cup, she placed her left hand next to the saucer.

  Lillian gasped at the new pearl ring on her dearest friend’s hand, then looked up at her friend. “Penelope Hanover! Why did you tell me now? I can’t ask a thing while you’re at work! What do your mama and papa think?”

  “Hush! Keep your voice down. I couldn’t keep it a secret another moment!” She reached under the counter and handed Lillian a long-handled tea infuser and a small cup with dried tea leaves.

  “I’ll see you later then?” Lillian looked into her friend’s face to see that her attention had been completely diverted by whomever had just entered the small shop. She turned and her jaw dropped, embarrassment infusing her cheeks. It may have been five years since she’d seen him, but James Cahill had not changed a bit. Her cheeks flamed brighter at the thought of the last time she’d seen him. It had certainly been his most resounding memory of her.

  “Sir…” Penny stumbled for something to say. “Cup of coffee?” She held up her pot.

  “Yes, please. But I prefer mine brewed.” He nodded at the tea cup and took a seat at the counter next to Lillian.

  “I assume this seat is not taken, Miss…”

  She had turned to face forward, hoping he wouldn’t notice her. Now she would have to turn his way and reply or look rude. Mama wouldn’t abide that. Perhaps he would have forgotten or wouldn’t recognize her...

  “Donaldson.” She mumbled, looking toward him.

  His eyes crinkled at the corners as he inspected every curve of her face. “Can it possibly be? Little Lily Donaldson has grown up.” He laughed.

  Penny returned with a ceramic mug full of black coffee.

  “Thank you, miss. May I al
so have two pastries? One for me, and one for the beautiful Miss Donaldson. If I had listened to her five years ago, it would have saved me a world of trouble. I owe her at least that much.”

  Lillian blushed. No one ever mentioned that day anymore. Mother had been scandalized when she’d heard that not only had Lillian disobeyed and gone to the wedding, but she’d made a spectacle of herself. Lillian traced the floral pattern of the saucer with her finger, wishing James would take his coffee to a table.

  He pushed a plate to her with a small pastry atop. “Eat up!”

  Her parents would be furious at her for even being near Mr. Cahill and reminding everyone of her folly. She had to leave before too many people saw them.

  “I…really must be going, Mr. Cahill.” Lillian stood and backed toward the exit.

  James stood and bowed slightly.

  Lillian looked over her shoulder to avoid tripping. “I’m so glad you’re back in town, Mr. Cahill. Please, extend my warmest greetings to Mrs. Cahill. Goodbye.”

  “It was lovely to see you again, Miss Donaldson. We will have to make time to talk again soon.”

  Oh, how she wished that were possible, but her parents would never agree. Not after what she’d done. Only a few more steps and she’d be out the door. She could run to the chapel where Mr. Cahill couldn’t find her and make her family a source of ridicule all over again. She turned for the door, tripping over the slight train on her walking dress, alerting the entire establishment to her presence.

  “Oh, and Miss Donaldson…There is no longer a Mrs. Cahill, and you well know it.” He smiled and turned back to his coffee.

  Chapter Three

  She’d seen them marry…hadn’t she? Had she ruined the wedding so completely that they didn’t complete their vows? Lillian picked up her hem and walked as swiftly as her stiff leather boots would allow her to the reverend’s office. He would know.

  “Reverend Bligh?” She peeked her head into the little red chapel. The town had become famous for the strangely colored worship building almost since it was built. Stagecoach drivers spread stories and soon people were coming from all over the state to be married in the little chapel that wasn’t standard white. She walked down the aisle and stopped for a moment at the front. Her father had told her when she was young that you should never cross the threshold from the pews to the lectern without asking for forgiveness and guidance. That piece of advice had stuck, where all the other bits had flowed in one ear and straight out the other.

  She approached and knocked on the door to the chapel office on the left side. She heard papers shuffle and a muffled, “Come in.”

  Lillian pushed the door ajar but stood outside it. She didn’t want to be alone in his office with him.

  “Yes, Lillian. What can I do for you? I don’t have anything else for you to copy yet this week. Last week’s notes were just fine. Just fine.”

  “Thank you, sir. I…” She took a deep breath and set her shoulders. “Did I ruin the Cahills’ wedding five years ago? Did they ever finish their vows after…after I…”

  “After you acted like a seventeen-year-old girl?” He finished for her, looking up from his papers.

  “My parents don’t see it that way, but yes.”

  “Yes, the ceremony finished just a few minutes after Gwendolyn said, ‘I do’.” He clasped his hands together on the desk in front of him. “Was there anything else?”

  “Anything else I would ask would be called gossip, so I’d best not ask at all.” She backed away. “Thank you, Reverend. I will check with you later in the week to see if you have more copying for me to do.”

  She had tried to get the one teaching job in town, but a particularly catty member had been on the school board and, though Lillian had never fully understood the reason, the position had been denied. Prospects for work in such a small town were slim. She sewed and mended, helped at the coffee shop, put in a few hours at the mercantile, and finally settled on helping the reverend with his work, low-paying though it was. Her parents had not approved of any of them.

  She entered the side door to her parents’ small home and the sound of stocking feet padding on wood floors met her at the door. Her mother moved deftly around the small space, gathering the items she needed to put lunch together, even though it was hours away.

  “Mama, can I help you?”

  Mrs. Donaldson swatted her hands. “No. Of course not.” She paused, putting her hands to her ample hips. “Did you think I wouldn’t hear in a town this small?”

  How had word gotten to Mama in the time it had taken her to talk to the reverend? “I don’t know what you mean, Mama?”

  “I mean, Mr. Cahill is back in town and says that you are the reason he’s divorced. How could you do such a thing? I didn’t even know you were still talking to Mr. Cahill. After all the trouble you caused us before, how could you do such a thing? Sneaking around. Unconscionable!”

  “Mama! I didn’t! I have not seen him one time since…that day. I promise you!”

  “How can I believe you when not one, but two people came in here before you came home and told me all about it? How you made a scene with Mr. Cahill in the coffee shop. I forbid you to see him again. Do you hear me, young lady?”

  At twenty-two, Lillian could have chosen to leave, but where would she go? Cutter’s Creek was the only home she’d ever known. If she wasn’t going to leave, she would have to abide by the rules her parents set, even if they seemed unfair.

  “I do hear you. I did not try to make a scene. I don’t know what he means by his accusations. I didn’t and still don’t know Mrs. Cahill, and I certainly don’t know why they are divorced.”

  “The gossip mongers all think that she was jealous of you. That you let James know your intentions as brazen as you please at their wedding, and that he couldn’t get you out of his mind.” Mama tapped her spoon on the edge of her saucepan and turned to Lillian. “Did you intentionally ruin their wedding to make him think of you? Pulling apart a wedded couple would be a terrible sin, Lillian.”

  She gripped the chair in front of her. As if her mother had ever cared what was a sin or not. She’d never darkened the door of the chapel for as long as Lillian could remember. Why did the gossips always seem to go after her family? They all seemed to know she couldn’t do anything about it, and her parents always took their word over hers. Her head hung low.

  “I did nothing of the sort. I was daydreaming and…”

  “Daydreams don’t yell in the middle of a wedding service.” Mama turned her back to Lillian.

  There would be no understanding from Mama today. “Yes, ma’am.” She tiptoed up the stairs to her room, making as little noise as possible knowing it bothered Mama. She took off her hat and gloves and placed them on her dressing table then sat down and looked in the mirror.

  She pressed her fingers lightly under her eyes to stop the tears from coming. Mama always associated tears with guilt. Her fingers moved to her temples and she massaged them, looking at the effect it had on her face in the mirror.

  “I wonder what did happen to the lovely Gwendolyn?” she whispered. “She didn’t deserve such a fine man.”

  ~~~

  James walked down streets he hadn’t seen in a half-decade. He and his bride had left Cutter’s Creek right after the wedding to go on a two-week cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. By the time they got off the ship, he’d known he made a huge mistake. The lovely Gwendolyn had turned shrew quickly. He’d had to get a separate cabin for himself. She wouldn’t let him anywhere near her. When they were supposed to get off and explore, she locked herself in her cabin. He’d thought the sea had made her sick and he didn’t push it.

  His parents had moved his clothes and furniture to the home he’d purchased a few hours away in the new and booming town of Billings, Montana so when they returned from their cruise, they didn’t bother to return to Cutter’s Creek. His mouth flattened at the thought of the next year. Gwendolyn had scheduled an embarrassing array of soirees at their home and at
every one, she would play the available mistress to all the young bachelors. He’d put his foot down, but short of laying hands on her, which he refused to do, she would not stop her behavior. Her lavish parties and strange behavior made her the talk of the growing town.

  Three months before, she’d come to him smelling of liquor and carrying a folder from her lawyer.

  “I want out,” she’d slurred, stumbling toward him.

  “I won’t give you a thing.” He’d pushed her away and she lost her balance, falling unceremoniously on her backside.

  “You will pay for that!” she’d screamed from the floor.

  And he had, dearly. Divorce was rare enough to make people stare at him. To know that it was his wife who got it…well, that was unheard of. She and her lawyer had taken the house and frozen his accounts. He had nothing but the clothes on his back and the few coins he’d earned on the way home.

  “Mr. Cahill!” A lanky Danny O’Malley raised his hand in greeting and clapped James on the shoulder.

  “I think we know each other well enough for first names, Danny. How have you been?”

  “Better than some.” His toothy smiled faltered slightly. “I’m thinking you’re here looking for work, yes?”

  James rolled up his white linen sleeves. “If you’ve got work, I’m looking for it.”

  “For the next two months, I need help with a big roofing project. Can you handle roofing?”

  James lifted his head. “You know I can. Worked with you back in 1885 after that storm took out so many houses, remember?”

  Danny looked at his boots. “Now that you mention it, I do.” He smiled and tossed a bag of nails at James. “Get to work.” He pointed to the ladder and which house needed to be done.

  “Caleb Jefferson’s place?”