Homespun Hearts (56 page)

Oh, drat. I know he knows that I used to climb this tree all the time, but I don’t know that I want him to know I’m up here now. What will he think?
She thought about just not answering him, but she didn’t want to be rude.

“Lily? Are you out here?” He’d raised his voice to almost a shout as he searched through the large back garden for her.

“Up here!” she called down finally deciding she just needed to admit to where she was.

Daniel stepped under the tree, his eyes laughing up at her. “Well, hello!”

She grinned, thankful he didn’t seem to think she was doing anything inappropriate. She needed to keep him around. All of her boyish ways just seemed to amuse him, not offend him. “Hello.”

“Happy birthday!” He stood looking at her for a moment, before his eyes went to the trunk of the tree. He grabbed the lowest branch and his foot found the knot she’d used. Before she knew what to think, he was beside her on the branch, his lips brushing her cheek. “Are you having a good birthday?”

She nodded slowly, her eyes twinkling at him. “Now that you’re here I am.” She knew she should play hard to get, but she had no desire to. She loved him and she saw nothing wrong with showing him that love.

“I’m glad.” The backs of his fingers stroked her cheek softly. “You look beautiful today.”

She blushed. “You keep saying things like that.” How could he say she looked beautiful when she sat there in one of her oldest dresses with her legs dangling from the tree branch?

“Because they’re true.” He dug into the pocket of his black coat, pulling out the box from the jeweler. “I brought you a birthday present.” His eyes were steady on hers as he waited for her reaction.

She stared at the little box in wonder. “What is it?” She hadn’t expected him to bring her anything.

He laughed. “Open it and see!”

Lily sat for a moment staring at the box. It was the first time a man she wasn’t related to had bought her a gift. She opened it and gasped at the ring inside it. “Oh, it’s beautiful.” It wasn’t the kind of ring Rose would like, she knew, but it suited her. She loved it.

He removed the ring from the box, and took her hand in his, making sure he was steady on the branch. “Lily Sullivan? I can think of no woman who would suit me as a wife as much as you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my bride?” He slid the ring onto her finger even as he asked the question.

“Are you sure?” she asked. She wanted nothing more than to marry him, but she didn’t want him regretting it.

He nodded. “More sure than I’ve ever been about anything.” He brushed his lips across her finger where the ring connected to it.

She nodded, flinging her arms around his neck. “I’d love to marry you!” She leaned back a moment to look at him. “Did you ask my father?” She was certain he had, but she needed to ask.

“I did.”

She sighed contentedly, resting her head on his shoulder. “When do you want to marry?”

“Today?” He kissed her softly, his teeth nipping at her bottom lip.

She laughed. “My mama would have a fit.” She didn’t want to wait either, though.

He sighed. “I’m sure she would. How about early February? Would that give you enough time to plan it?”

She made a face at the idea of planning a wedding. “I think so? I don’t know. I really want to get married outside, but beyond that, I don’t care much.” How much would she have to do to plan the wedding?

“It’ll be cold in February.”

She shrugged. “Maybe less people will come.” She didn’t want a lot of people that she didn’t know or care about at her wedding. She’d have been content with just her and Daniel.

He laughed out loud. “You don’t have a huge wedding with hundreds of guests in mind?”

“I’d rather it was small. Just my family and yours.” She was glad his family was small, because hers was big enough to more than make up for it.

He tilted his head to the side. “If your mother would be okay with that, I’m all for it.” He seemed to think for a moment. “Could we do it faster if we do it that small?” He obviously loved the idea of having a wedding as soon as possible.

Her smile widened. “Let’s go talk to Mama. She’ll have something in mind, I’m sure.” She looked at him, waiting. “You have to get down first. You’re blocking my exit.”

He looked around him in wonder. “Are we really sitting here talking about our wedding in a tree?” He gave a half laugh.

“Apparently we are.”

He got down slowly, half worried he’d fall. Once he was on the ground, he watched her scramble down in no time flat. “You’re going to have to teach our daughters how to climb trees.”

“Daughters? Not just sons?”

He grinned. “I want daughters who are just like their mother, so of course they have to climb trees.”

She grinned, her hand going through his arm. “You know just what to say to make me feel good about myself.” She hoped marriage wouldn’t change him.

They walked into the house and found her parents sitting together in the parlor. Lily didn’t say anything but walked to her mother and held out her left hand, showing her engagement ring.

Mary’s smile was one of sheer delight. “We’ll have a June wedding at the church!” She knew Lily wouldn’t much care about the wedding planning, so she announced what would happen obviously expecting Lily to agree.

Lily exchanged a look with Daniel before shaking her head. “We were thinking about a December wedding in the back garden.” She watched her mother’s face as she suggested it.

“It’s cold outside in December! If you want an outdoor wedding, you should marry in the late spring or summer. If you want to get married in December, you should marry in the church.”

“I want an outdoor wedding.” Lily kept her voice low and reasonable, but made it clear she wasn’t budging.

“We’ll plan the wedding for June then. That’ll give us six months to plan, which is more rushed than I’d like, but we did Rose’s in a month.” She sighed, making it clear that her daughters were making wedding planning hard on her.

“No, Mama. I want a December wedding outside.”

Mary made a face. “Well, December does give me time to plan it, I guess. We could do a Christmas themed wedding. Your sisters could wear red dresses.” She seemed to contemplate it. “Your white gown would really stand out.” She sighed. “I guess we can do an outdoor wedding in December. We’ll put up a tent in case it rains or snows.” She seemed lost in thought for a moment. “Are you thinking the beginning of the month or the end? I think the end would make the Christmas theme more fun.”

Lily looked over at Daniel, her eyes begging him for help.
When he just shrugged, she turned back to her mother. “We want to get married this December. Next week.” She watched her mother, waiting for the explosion she knew was coming.

Mary’s jaw dropped as she stared at Lily in horror. “You can’t get married in two weeks! Everyone will think you’re expecting!” She shook her head adamantly.

“But I’m not expecting. We just want to get married.”

“Absolutely not. You are not getting married in two weeks. There’s no way I could arrange a big wedding in two weeks. It’s not possible!” She looked at Fred. “Tell them it’s not possible, Fred.”

Fred grinned at Lily. “It’s not possible to arrange a big wedding in two weeks.” He winked at her, letting her know that he agreed that her mother was being crazy.

“But I don’t want a big wedding! We just want to have family there.” Lily didn’t understand what the problem was. A small wedding should be able to be planned in a week with no trouble. Right?

Mary gasped. “No big wedding? You have to have a big wedding! It’s expected.” Her eyes went back and forth between Daniel and Lily, begging one of them to agree with her.

Lily looked at Daniel again, who was still standing there as if he was mute. “It’s not like I’ve ever done what’s expected before, Mama.”

“Well, that’s certainly true. It’s time to start, though. You’re getting married. You want to start your marriage off right.”

Lily sat beside her mother. “Wouldn’t it be starting my marriage off right if I had the kind of wedding I want? The kind where I have only the people that I love standing there? Not everyone I’ve ever met and their cousin?” She sighed. “I don’t want a lot of people there. That’s not who I am. Let me have a small outside wedding in December, with just you and Papa and all my sisters. Please, Mama.”

Mary sighed. “You’d have to invite your Aunt Harriett and Uncle Max. And Daniel’s family, of course.”

Lily let out a squeal knowing she’d won. She threw herself into her mother’s arms and hugged her tight. “Oh, thank you, Mama!”

“How are we going to have someone make eight new dresses in two weeks?”

Lily shrugged. “We don’t all need new dresses! Well, I need a new one for the wedding, but the others don’t. I don’t care if they wear their Sunday dresses.” What did it matter what anyone wore when the end result would be the same anyway? She’d be married to Daniel, and truly, that was all that mattered.

Mary shook her head slowly, obviously resigning herself to the idea of a small wedding. “That’s fine then.”

Lily looked over at Daniel who was grinning at her. “We’re getting married in two weeks.” Her voice was excited.

Daniel nodded. “Sounds perfect.”

Fred stood up and shook Daniel’s hand. “Welcome to the family.”

Hyacinth was wandering past the open parlor and stopped short. “Are you marrying Lily?” She seemed surprised, as if she’d only just realized he’d been courting Lily.

“I am. Is that okay?”

Hyacinth nodded. “You’ll make a good brother.” She wandered off again without saying anything else.

Daniel looked dumbfounded. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard her say that many words before.” He looked at Lily helplessly.

Lily laughed. “She does know how to talk. She just doesn’t choose to do it very often.”

L
ily woke
the following day with a smile on her face. She knew she had a lot to do to be ready for her wedding, but she didn’t care how much work was involved. In two weeks, she’d be married to the man she’d loved since she was a child.

She and her mother rushed to the dressmaker, and picked out the dress she wanted to be married in. The dressmaker shook her head. “Why don’t your girls ever give me any time? Amaryllis better come in to be fitted for her wedding dress
now
if she wants something elaborate!”

Lily laughed. “Thank you for working so hard for me.” She felt bad asking the woman to work so hard, but she didn’t know what else to do.

“Yes, yes. I’ll hurry.” She made a shooing motion with her hands. “I have your measurements. Go now. I have to get to work if it’s going to be done in time!”

Lily and her mother stopped for lunch on the way home. Once they were seated, Mary took a deep breath. “Why are you in such a rush to marry now, Lily? You’re not…expecting, are you?” Mary watched Lily carefully for her reaction.

Lily had just taken a sip of water and she started choking on it. “Of course not, Mama! We just don’t want to wait.”

“If you can give me just two months, I could have the wedding you’ve always dreamed of. Please give me two months.” Mary’s eyes were unfaltering as they met Lily’s.

“I’ve never dreamed of having a wedding, so there’s nothing in particular I want. I just want to be married to Daniel. I want to begin my life with him, and I won’t be any less married if you and Papa don’t spend a fortune on me.” Lily smiled. “If I give you more time, I’ll have the wedding you always dreamed I would have, but not the wedding I always dreamed of.”

Mary closed her eyes in defeat. “You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”

“No, I’m not. I’m getting married in two weeks with or without you.” Lily had always been the one to buck tradition in her family, and she would marry without Mary, but she wouldn’t be happy about it. She held her breath as she waited for her mother’s response.

“Of course I’ll be there. I just don’t want you to regret not having the wedding that you could have.”

“I’m not going to regret anything as long as I’m married to Daniel.”

“It’s going to be cold doing an outdoor wedding in December.” Mary took a sip of her water. “We’ll have to find some way around that.”

“Why can’t the guests simply wear their coats? We’ll keep the actual ceremony brief. We can be married in under ten minutes if necessary. Then we can have the reception inside.”

“If you wear a coat, you’ll cover up your beautiful gown!”

Lily shook her head. “I’m not wearing a coat. I can be cold for ten minutes without dying.”

“It would be so much more practical to either get married in April or have a wedding indoors.” Mary knew Lily wasn’t changing her mind, but she felt the need to make one last protest.

“And it would be so much more practical if all women wore pants instead of dresses. I don’t see women running around in pants anytime soon, do you?”

“Are you going to make any compromises about your wedding, Lily?” Mary looked almost defeated.

Lily grinned. “There are three absolutes in my head about my wedding. I have to marry Daniel. It has to be in two weeks. And it has to be outdoors. I want to get married under the big tree in the middle of the garden.”

Mary shook her head. “You want to marry under the tree you once threw a shoe at your fiancé from?”

“That’s right.” Lily’s eyes danced with laughter as she admitted it.

“I don’t know why I’m even surprised.” Mary looked down at the pencil and paper she’d brought to take notes. “Okay, let’s get this started. Do you want all of your sisters standing up with you?”

W
hen Daniel came
for supper that evening, she suggested they go for a drive, but he was adamant that he thought they should stay within sight of the house. “I really think it’s for the best that we not leave the back garden.” He hated saying it, but he was afraid of what would happen if they continued to take drives together.

Lily sighed. “Why not? I like being alone with you.” She really didn’t want to give up their time alone together.

Daniel nodded. “And I like being alone with you. Too much. Every time we’re alone together, we end up kissing and things get out of hand.”

Lily stopped walking and brushed her lips against his. “Last time things got
in
your hand.”

“That’s what I’m worried about!” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I respect you too much to let anything happen before we’re married, but that’s where things are headed if we keep spending so much time alone together. We have to be able to see each other without that temptation, and we can’t do that when we’re totally alone together.”

Lily didn’t like that idea at all. “What would be so wrong with anticipating our vows? We’re going to be married in two weeks.”

Daniel shook his head. “When I make love to you for the first time, it’s going to be in the comfort of my bed not in my buggy. You deserve to be treated better than that.”

She sighed, wondering what was entailed in making love. Maybe she could talk Rose into talking to her about it now that she was engaged. “I don’t need a lot of things that other women take for granted. I’m sure everything would be fine without a bed.” Maybe. If she had a better idea what they were talking about, she could say it with more certainty.

“No, I’m not doing that to you. It’s only two weeks. We can wait two weeks.” The intense way he looked at her made her question whether they could wait that long, but she didn’t say anything.

Lily sighed. She knew he was right, but she missed being held in his arms.
“It’s not because your feelings for me are changing?”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “Of course not!” He pulled her into his arms, holding her close. “I just don’t want to do anything we’ll regret after the wedding.” He sighed. “Well, I do want to do something we’ll regret, and that’s the problem.”

She looked up at him questioningly. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I want nothing more than to make love to you right this instant, but we certainly can’t go to your bed here. I don’t want to take you to my house, because I don’t want any talk about you, so that means we wait.” He leaned down and kissed her passionately. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but it’s necessary for our future.”

“And I have no say in the matter?” She knew she was acting childish, but she really didn’t care. He was making the decision for her, and she felt she should at least have a say.

“Don’t be silly.”

She turned and walked away, toward a bench at the back of the garden. “How is it being silly to want to be alone with my fiancé?”

“We have our whole lives to be alone together. Lives that will start in two weeks.” He sat beside her and stretched out his legs. “How are the wedding plans going?”

“Do you have any idea how much I want to tell my mother to just figure it all out and I’ll show up? I mean, I want an outdoor wedding. I told her when. I even picked out my dress. What do I care if they serve finger sandwiches or pot roast for the wedding lunch afterward? I only want family here anyway!” She shook her head in disgust.

He chuckled. “I didn’t consider how much you would hate planning a wedding. Why don’t you just have Rose and your mother do everything?”

“Yeah, Rose is great at this type of thing.” She hated that Rose was better at anything than she was. Perfect Rose and tomboy Lily.

“She is, and she’s your sister so she’ll help you if you just ask her to.”

Lily hadn’t even gone to Rose’s house to let her know she was engaged. She’d thought about it that morning, but she didn’t want Rose to know that she was marrying one of her “leftovers.” Of course, Rose would be happy for her, but she just didn’t want to have to deal with it all. “I know. I haven’t even had a chance to go over there and tell her we’re getting married. I guess I need to let her know she’s invited.”

Daniel kissed her cheek, chuckling. “You probably should.” He hugged her to him.

Frantic for another subject, she finally asked, “Do you know who you’re going to have for your best man?”

Daniel shook his head. “I was thinking James, but you don’t like him, so I need to find someone else.”

Lily shrugged. “You can have James do it. He won’t bother me.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. He had always bothered her and always made her feel like she was less than she should be. Less than a woman. Less than smart. Less than good enough for anything. She needed to stop letting him bother her, though. He was Daniel’s closest friend, and she wasn’t going to keep them apart.

“I’ll ask him then.” He gripped her hand in his. “I’m sorry this is all so hard on you. After we’re married things will be better. You’ll see.”

Lily rested her head against his shoulder. “I hope so. I wish we could skip over all the ‘getting married’ stuff and go right to married.”

“Most women spend their whole lives dreaming about their wedding day.” He’d known she wouldn’t be like that though. It wasn’t in her nature.

She shook her head. “I never really gave it a thought. I know I want it outside, but beyond that? Nothing matters a whole lot to me. I’m just happy to be marrying you.”

Daniel stroked her hair. “I’m happy you’re marrying me. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. Who else would hunt and fish with me, just because it’s so much fun?”

She sat up. “That reminds me. Mother wants me to invite you for Christmas dinner.”

He shook his head slowly. “How did me talking about hunting and fishing remind you of Christmas dinner?” He really wanted to know how her mind worked.

She grinned. “I shot enough white rabbits to make my sisters each a fur muff for Christmas this year.”

He chuckled. “Bow and arrow or rifle?”

“Bow and arrow. Makes for a cleaner shot if you want to keep the skins.”

“Did you make yourself a fur muff as well?”

She shook her head. “What would I do with a fur muff? I prefer gloves. You can’t really do anything with your hands stuck in a muff.”

He turned her face to his, dropping his mouth to kiss her gently. “Never change. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

She laughed. “I hope you’re still saying that in two weeks.”

C
hristmas was a week later
, and Daniel joined Lily’s family for dinner as she’d requested. He brought her a necklace on a fine gold chain, and she acted as if it was the most beautiful gift in the world, but secretly she wondered what he’d been thinking. It wasn’t something she’d wear. A fishing pole would have been a great deal more practical.

Rose sat across from Lily for the meal and Daniel sat beside Lily, with Shawn across from him. Shawn kept glaring at Daniel, leaving Lily to wonder what was going on with him. By the end of the meal, she felt like the entire room was filled with tension.

She found some time to corner Shawn later. “Why do you hate Daniel?” she demanded, annoyed with him.

He sighed and shook his head. “I don’t hate him. I just know he once declared undying love for Rose. I wonder how he can switch between sisters that way.”

Lily shrugged. “I don’t know, but I love him and have since I was twelve.” Her eyes met his. “You need to get over your anger. He’s going to be part of the family in less than a week.”

Shawn gave her a half smile. “I’m glad you’re marrying him then. He seems like a good guy. It just bothers me that he used to love Rose.”

“He still does.” Lily said the words as if she didn’t care, but the hurt was in her eyes.

“You’re marrying a man who loves your sister? Really?”

She shrugged. “He lied and says he loves me. It’ll be fine.” She wished she could convince herself of that.

Shawn made a face at that. How could it all be okay if she was marrying a man who was in love with someone else? What was she thinking?

D
aniel wandered
around the backyard waiting for Lily to join him. She’d said she needed to talk to Shawn for a minute, and then she’d be right out. He finally heard a door behind him and turned, but it was Dr. Shawn coming to see him, not Lily.

He stopped and walked toward the other man. “Where’s Lily?”

Shawn shrugged. “Talking to Rose and Mary about wedding details. Something about the perfect finger sandwiches to serve? I don’t know.” He squared his shoulders. “Lily tells me you’re still in love with Rose and have no feelings for her at all.” Shawn wasn’t going to be anything but blunt when it came to the feelings of any of his sisters by marriage.

Daniel blinked a few times. “Still in love with Rose? How could she believe that?” He shook his head sadly. “I’m in love with Lily.”

Shawn watched the confusion on the other man’s face. “So you’re not still in love with Rose?”

Daniel shook his head. “Absolutely not. I was never really in love with Rose. She was sweet, and everything I thought a lady should be, but it was never more than a crush.” He wished he’d realized it sooner, though.

“And Lily?”

“Lily makes my world go round. I enjoy talking to her and just being with her. I can’t imagine marrying anyone but Lily.”

Shawn sighed. “She doesn’t believe that. Not even a little bit. And you’re getting married in four days.” He eyed the other man. “My recommendation would be to tell her, and do whatever you have to do to convince her.”

Daniel nodded. “I’ll tell her as soon as she comes out.” He shrugged. “I’ve told her before and she didn’t believe me, but I’ll tell her again. I’ll keep telling her until she finally believes me.”

Shawn shook Daniel’s hand. “Welcome to the family. It’s a madhouse.”

“I know. It’s been like this as long as I’ve been coming here, so….six years.” He grinned. “Lily once fell out of that tree on me after hitting me in the head with her slipper, while aiming for Rose.”

Shawn threw back his head and laughed. “I’m sure my delicate little wife took that well.”