Lily's Cowboys (15 page)

Allen laid there shivering as he watched Caleb work on Lily. He felt numb. They couldn’t lose her. They had so much to live for. They had just found each other.

Ethan slid over to where Lily was laying on his knees. “Lily, listen to me, baby. You’ve got to breath for us. We need you. Allen, Caleb and I. We need you. Please, baby. Please. Breath for us. You can do it.” He ran his trembling hands over her cold face. “Where’s the fucking helicopter. I called in what happened. I told Matt our position and told him to send the rescue helicopter just in case.”

All three men turned at the same time when they heard the soft cough come from Lily followed by another one. A moment later she rolled over and threw up river water on the ice gasping for breath. Caleb and Ethan reached for her at the same time and helped her roll back onto her back. It tore them up as they watched her struggle for another breath. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

“
C-c-c-old. So, c-c-cold.” Lily muttered shivering violently.

Ethan took off his jacket. He cut the ties on Lily’s wrist before he sat her up partway and pulled her wet shirt off her sliding her arms into his warm jacket. At the same time the sound of sirens and a helicopter filled the air above the river. Caleb ran down to where Allen’s jacket was and picked it up. Racing back to his brother he shoved out of his jacket and helped Allen remove his wet shirt. Allen couldn’t feel his fingers anymore and had to let his brother undo the buttons for him. He shook violently as Caleb pulled his jacket around him. The warmth felt like thousands of needles against his icy skin. Nodding his thanks since he couldn’t get his frozen vocal cords to work, he struggled to his feet as the Sheriff, Matt Holden, and a few of his deputies walked cautiously out onto the ice.

“
What the hell is going on?” Matt barked out. “Shit. Get them to the helicopter.” He turned and nodded at two of his deputies.

“
I’ll carry Lily.” Ethan said. “Caleb, you go with them too. You need to get your hands looked at.”

Ethan picked up Lily’s shivering body. She was only partially conscious and he was worried about her. He had noticed a dark bruise in the form of a handprint forming on her left cheek and how her lip was swollen. He bit down the dark rage eating at him. He needed to keep his head until he was sure his brothers and Lily were going to be alright.

Struggling up the side of the bank, Ethan reluctantly handed Lily over to the paramedics. All too soon, the helicopter taking his two brothers and Lily to the hospital in Boulder Flats was just a faint spec in the sky.

“
What’s going on, Ethan?” Matt asked.

Ethan looked at the sheriff. They were the same age and had grown up together. “We went to the old homestead to check out some damage to the barn. We wanted to show Lily where we had grown up.” Nodding toward the horse and sleigh still on the other side of the bridge he turned back to look at Matt. “Caleb, Allen and I were in the barn talking about the repairs. Lily wanted to see the house. We were going to join her after we had determined what needed to be done. When Allen went into the house he called for Lily and didn’t get an answer. He found her glove and some blood on the floor in the kitchen. We tracked the bastard who had taken her. Allen and Caleb went ahead while I brought up the rear with the sleigh in case we needed it. Dammit, she was only out of our sight for fifteen, maybe twenty minutes, tops. How could some bastard do this to her?” Ethan said, a shutter running through his tall frame.

“
Do you have any idea who it could be?” Matt asked.

“
No. I’ve never seen the car before. Allen and Caleb saw more of it than I did. I know whoever was driving was armed. I heard him shooting at Allen and Caleb.”

“
How did the woman, Lily, escape?” Matt asked as they walked across the bridge.

“
She jumped from the car when it was half way across the bridge. She must have figured he would have to slow down. God, Matt, I’ve never been so scared in all my life when I saw her falling from the bridge. She hit the ice hard and it broke sweeping her under it. Allen jumped in after her.” Ethan turned pleading eyes toward the man walking next to him. “We can’t lose her, Matt. We can’t lose her.”

Matt stopped and stared at the man he had known his whole life. Never before had he seen Ethan lose control of his emotions. Even when they were kids he had always been the calm, steady rationale one of the group. The man standing before him now looked close to shattering into a million pieces.

“
Who is the woman? I’ve never seen her before. She looks young.” Matt asked.

“
Her name is Lily.” Ethan gave a self-depreciative laugh, “I don’t even know her last name. Can you believe it? I love her more than life itself and I don’t even know her last name or how old she is. We were going to ask her tonight. Maggie hired her a little over a month ago to be our housekeeper. She’s turned our world upside down and inside out.”

“
Let’s get you back to the house. I’ll drive you into town. I want to see how the others are doing and post some guards on Lily to make sure the bastard who took her doesn’t get another chance. I’ll have Trace and Brent go over to the old homestead and comb it. Those two could track a lizard in the desert. If anyone can find out who the bastard is or his M.O., those two can. I’d like to meet this girl who has the Cunnings’ men so torn up.”

Ethan nodded as he climbed into the sleigh. Releasing the brake, he turned Audrey around and slapped the reins. Matt watched as Ethan took off across the meadow. He wanted to know more about this girl who had stolen his friend’s heart and from the looks of it, the hearts of his brothers. Boulder Flats was a close-net community. They didn’t appreciate anyone coming in and harming someone, especially one of their women. Sometimes they had even resorted to the law of the west. He couldn’t help but wonder as he walked back to his car how could a man, or men, fall in love with someone and not even know how old they were or what their last name was. Shaking his head, he turned off the flashing lights and drove carefully over the bridge pausing at the spot where Lily had thrown herself out of the car. It was a hell of a long way down. It was amazing she had survived the fall much less the time she was trapped under the ice. Someone must have been looking out for that little girl, he thought.

Lily faded in and out of consciousness over the next three days. She had developed a mild case of pneumonia and had severe bruising on her hip and leg where she had landed on the ice. She also had a shallow cut on the back of her head where she had been hit, as well as, bruising from where her assailant had hit her across the face. Allen had been released after he had taken a hot shower and changed into some dry clothes. The nurse had pumped him full of hot coffee to help ward off the chills. Caleb’s hands were treated. He needed stitches for one peculiarly bad cut but otherwise he was going to be fine. It was Lily they were worried about. She had never fully regained consciousness and was unable to answer any questions about her abduction.

All three men stayed at her side, growling whenever the doctor or nurse came in to suggest they go home to get some rest. After the first night, Ethan’s friend, Doc Harley, had a couple of cots and blankets sent up with instructions if the men didn’t take turns getting some rest he was going to give them each a sedative to help them whether they wanted it or not. Helen, Clive, and Ed came daily to spend time with Lily. Even Brad and Harold came in to see how she was doing, telling her they miss her cooking. Helen had reassured Lily she was taking care of the kitten so Lily didn’t need to worry about it. Clive had taken a liking to the little bugger and was spoiling it rotten.

“
Why won’t she wake up?” Allen asked holding Lily’s pale hand in his. “I want to see her eyes. I need to tell her I love her.”

“
Harley said she’ll wake up when she’s ready. She’s been through a lot. He said sometimes it just takes time for someone who has gone through a traumatic event to heal. He said the best thing we can do is talk to her. Let her know she is safe and we love her.” Ethan said quietly. He had pulled a chair up near the head of the bed and was running his hand over her face and hair. He didn’t think he would ever get enough of touching her.

“
Well, I don’t fucking like it.” Caleb growled from the window. “She should have woken up by now.” Walking over and picking up Lily’s other hand, he rubbed his thumb back and forth. “Lily, you hear me. You fucking wake up right now. Enough of this shit. You need to open those beautiful eyes of yours and tell us you love us. Do you fucking hear me?” Ethan and Allen frowned in disapproval at Caleb.

“
Caleb, you owe me a dollar.” A soft voice whispered. Lily struggled to find her way back to consciousness. She hurt all over. From the top of her head down to the tips of her toes she felt like she had been beaten, run over, and put through a grinder all at the same time. She could feel her men in the room with her and wanted to be with them but she just couldn’t seem to get her body to cooperate. Focusing on moving her lips first she knew she had to respond to Caleb before Allen and Ethan tore into him. Now she focused on trying to work her eyelids. If she could just convince them to open a little she felt like she could work at getting the rest later.

Lily’s eyelids slowly lifted with great effort. She stared blurry eyed up at the ceiling with a frown. She didn’t remember any of the rooms at the main house having a ceiling like this. It was too much effort to turn her head. She was just about to give up and close her eyes again when Caleb’s face came into focus above her.

“
Don’t you fu…,” Caleb began before starting over, “Don’t you close those beautiful blue eyes yet, sweetheart.”

Lily frowned as she let her eyes move around. Ethan’s face slowly came into focus behind Caleb’s. “Where am I?” She whispered hoarsely. Was that her voice? Why did her throat hurt so bad? She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

“
You’re in the hospital, baby.” Ethan said. “You’ve had us scared.”

“
Allen?” Lily asked.

“
I’m here, baby.” Allen said as he squeezed her hand.

Lily turned her head slowly towards him. “I thought it was time for me to go again.” Lily said sleepily. “I love you. All of you. So very much. I don’t have much time left. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want to…” Lily faded back to a peaceful sleep unable to stay awake any longer.

Helen stood in the doorway of the hospital room. She was holding a tattered journal in her arms, silent tears sliding down her cheeks. Wiping them away, she moved into the room walking over to Ethan.

“
Lily asked me to give this to you if something should happen to her. I don’t know if this is what she meant but I think you should read it. I know I shouldn’t have but I couldn’t help myself after a copy of an old newspaper article fell out.”

Ethan took the journal from Helen with a sense of forbearing. He knew whatever was in the journal would answer many of the questions he and his brothers had about Lily. He just didn’t know if it was important any longer.

Helen looked at Lily and smiled sadly. “She’s an incredible young lady who deserves to be loved.” Walking over, she leaned down and kissed Lily’s forehead before turning and walking to the door. “I’ll tell the nurses not to disturb you. You’ll need time to absorb what you are going to learn and decide if you can accept what Lily has to offer you.”

Allen, Caleb, and Ethan remained silent as Helen closed the door quietly behind her. Ethan walked over to the corner chair and turned on the light. Sitting down, he opened the journal and gasped when he read the inscription. Clearing his throat he looked at his brothers with tears in his eyes.

“
You might want to sit down.” Ethan said in a somber voice. Clearing his throat, Ethan began reading.

Ethan cleared his throat again before picking up the picture under the caption. He handed it gently to Allen and Caleb. It was a picture of Lily when she was sixteen. Only Lily and her parents were dressed in old fashion clothing similar to the pictures people had taken when they visited old ghost towns. It was obvious this picture had been taken long ago. Ethan continued reading.

May 23, 1917.