Lily's Cowboys (23 page)

Lily was unsure of what to do when Allen first saw her. He glanced up as if realizing he was under scrutiny his eyes going wide with disbelief before he closed them. When he closed his eyes, she was afraid he would open them to look at her with a cold indifference. Instead, she had seen the same pain she had felt at being torn apart from them.

“
Oh, Allen.” Lily whispered just loud enough for him to hear. She ran towards him throwing herself into his arms wrapping her arms tightly around his neck while her legs wrapped around his waist. She buried her face in his neck taking a deep breath to absorb his unique scent. She loved how he smelled. She loved being in his arms. She never wanted to be apart from him again. Lifting her tear laden eyes to him, she pulled his head down to kiss her. She definitely loved the taste of him. Kissing him over and over, she was gasping for breath when he finally pulled her back far enough so he could look down into her face.

Touching her almost with relevance, he whispered, “Lily?”

“
Oh, Allen. I’ve missed you so much.” Lily whispered back huskily. “I love you so much.” She kissed him again deeply.

Ethan was worried about both his brothers. He knew Allen wasn’t sleeping at night. Hell, none of them were. They each tried to fool the other but even in a house the size of theirs it was impossible to hide the small noises they made during the night. All of them had lost weight but both Allen and Caleb seemed to have lost even more, they had lost their desire to live. Running his hand down his face, he had to admit he was not far behind them. The house just seemed to be so empty without Lily’s presence. He hated going to an empty bed each night after remembering holding her soft, sweet body against his. Nothing seemed to give him pleasure any more. He moved more as a robot than a man. He only wondered when this hell would finally end.

Looking around he frowned when he realized Allen hadn’t come back in with another load. They had been acting as an assembly line with Allen getting the wood out of the truck and handing it to him and him handing it up to Caleb in the loft. Telling Caleb he would be right back, he took off out of the barn at a run. The three of them had hardly let each other out their sights for fear of what one of them might do in a moment of weakness. Ethan skidded to a stop when he saw his brother holding someone in his arms, or rather, holding someone who was wrapped around him like garland on a Christmas tree. His heart thumping in his chest, he slowed to a walk as he stared at the hint of long dark brown hair hanging down over his brother’s shoulder. It wasn’t until the vision looked up, that he see her face. Numbly, he walked like a zombie towards them.

Lily smiled down at Allen when he pulled her back far enough to look at her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement. Turning her head, she watched as Ethan came out of the barn almost running. When he saw them he slowed. Lily looked at Ethan and smiled, her love for him shining out of her eyes.

“
Ethan!” She breathed sliding her legs down Allen’s. Allen turned her slightly, reluctant to let go of her. He held her close until Ethan was close enough to touch her only then did he release her making sure his brother had her first.

Lily flowed into Ethan’s arms looking up at his darkly handsome face. His hair was a touch longer than he used to wear it. Lily pulled his hat off so she could run her fingers through the thick fullness of his black hair. She stared up into his rich brown eyes drowning in the love she saw there. Throwing her arms up around his broad shoulders, she held on as he lifted her up against his chest and kissed her like a man starving.

“
Oh, Ethan. I love you so much.” Lily said between kisses. “I love you. I love you. I love you.” She kept repeating as she returned his kisses.

Ethan’s broad shoulders shook as he sobbed. He had his Lily again. He was never going to let her go again. She belonged to them. “You’re staying, Lily. Never again will you leave us. Never again. I can’t live without you.” Ethan’s arms tightened around her so tight she had trouble breathing but she wasn’t complaining. He could hold her as tight as he wanted. She never wanted to be out of his strong arms ever again.

“
What the hell are you guys doing? It’s getting dark and we still have a shit load of wood to put up.” Caleb called out as he came out of the barn.

Ethan lowered Lily down to the ground still retaining her hand in his as he turned to look at his younger brother.

“
Caleb, you owe me fifty cents.” Lily said in a trembling voice.

Caleb froze when he heard Lily’s voice unable to move. He began trembling as he stared at her. He moaned, slowly sinking to his knees his hands on his thighs as he cried out in anguish. Caleb felt like he had finally cracked. He was not only hearing her voice but seeing her. The pain was more than he could handle. He didn’t want to fight it any longer. He wanted to let it swept him away. He couldn’t take any more. Life without Lily wasn’t worth living. Weeping, he hunched his shoulders in defeat. Filled with shame that he would disappoint his brothers, he just couldn’t do it any longer.

A soft delicate hand caressed his face gently wiping the tears flowing in silent streaks down his cheeks. “Caleb, I love you so much. Look at me, baby. Look at me. Hold me. Don’t ever let me go.” Lily kept saying as she placed both of her palms against his cold cheeks forcing him to look up into her eyes. “I need you, baby. Forever.”

Caleb stared at Lily as if he daren’t believe his own eyes. It was only when she pressed her lips against his that he realized she was really there. She was holding him, touching him. She was really there. His hands touched her as if afraid she would disappear if he tried to hold her to tight. When she moaned and moved even closer, he gathered her closer to his body kissing her as if he would never stop. Lily laid half way across Caleb’s lap her hair draped over his arm pressed tightly against his chest while he kissed her face and hair running his hands over her cheeks and down her shoulder.

“
Uh, Caleb.” Lily whispered turning pink. “I think we have an audience.”

Caleb could have cared less. He touched Lily’s pink cheeks in wonder. She was really here. In his arms.

Allen and Ethan laughed out loud looking around as more and more smiling faces appeared as news of Lily’s return spread. Maggie stood on the steps of the porch with tears running down her face. Ed had called Clive and Helen and they were just pulling up. Helen jumped out of the truck with a cry. Brad and Harold leaned against the truck with a huge grin on their face wondering if they could put in a prayer or two for an angel to call their own.

Caleb helped Lily up swinging her up into his arms and twirling her around and around while whooping it up. Ethan and Allen took turns holding her before handing her back into Caleb’s waiting arms. Dinner was a hurried affair with Maggie finally shooing the four of them off to bed. Pulling her coat on, she made the decision to go into town to spend some quality time with Gladys. She had a feeling she wouldn’t be getting much sleep if she decided to stay the night there. Yup, Florida had really nice weather in May. Before leaving, she looked up and said a silent ‘thank you’.

Lily closed the journal laying it aside as she stared out the window at the snow capped mountains. She had been back almost a year. It was so hard to believe. Time seemed to speed by. She looked at the newest pictures on the tables in the den. Her wedding pictures and other pictures filled the room. They had had a lovely wedding. She had said her official wedding vows marrying her to Caleb, then Ethan and Allen had come to stand next to her surrounding her as they each said the vows they had written for each other. Lily had framed them and hung them alongside the pictures. She felt so loved sometimes she felt like her heart would swell and burst.

She smile and leaned back when she felt arms slide around her waist to pull her back against a hard body. Looking up into Ethan’s dark eyes, she saw the same love for her shining from him. He slid his hand down and over her rounded stomach feeling the baby kicking under the palm of his hand. He had been right. She was even more beautiful rounded with their child. One of the men was always with her in the same room. At first, they were afraid she would rebel feeling they were suffocating her but she never complained. She seemed to need to be with them as much as they needed to be with her. Even at night they all slept in the same room, the men never quite able to let go of the fear of losing her. Lily didn’t mind in the least. She wrapped her hands over Ethan’s threading her fingers through his.

“
Lily.” Allen and Caleb stood in the doorway, a grin on their face. “Guess what we got in the mail today? An early Christmas present. Want to see what it is?”

Lily squealed as Ethan swung her up into his arms with a wicked grin. “She sure does. She has been a very, very naughty girl.”

The End

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Smith has always been a romantic and a dreamer. An avid writer, she has spent years writing, although it has usually been technical papers for college. Now, she spends her evenings and weekends writing and her nights dreaming up new stories. An affirmed ‘geek’, she spends her days working on computers and other peripherals. She enjoys camping and traveling when she is not out on a date with her favorite romantic guy. Fans can reach her at
[email protected]
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Additional Books:

Abducting Abby (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 1)

Capturing Cara (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 2)

Tracking Trisha (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 3) Coming in June 2012

River’s Run (Lords of Kassis: Book 1)

Tink’s Neverland (Cosmos’ Gateway)