Texas Twilight (41 page)

“Who would like to start the bidding on
Sara’s dinner? Do I hear five cents?”

Within a minute, Sarah’s dinner sold for
three dollars and seventy-five cents, won by the teller from the
bank.

“Why, it is the young man from the bank,”
Lily said, getting her first look at the buyer as he paid the mayor
and escorted Sarah to the back of the room. “He could have offered
a little more than that.” She stilled her desire not to like the
man who had worked for the horrible Mr. Shellston.”

“Now, Lily, where is your charity?”

“Nowhere to be found when I think of Mr.
Shellston or anything else to do with the bank.”

The youngest looking girl took the center
stage. She couldn’t be more than fourteen, if Lily had to guess.
Her dress was worn, but she was pretty and her eyes shone as she
looked around the room in anticipation.

A heavy-set woman leaned over to Lily. “She’s
an orphan. Lives on the edge of town and does washing.”

“I did not know.”

“Let’s start the bidding on Daisy’s dinner.
Do I hear five cents?”

The room was conspicuously quiet and the girl
looked down at her feet.

“A dollar,” a voice shouted from the back and
Lily saw Charity’s head snap up.

“Ah, oh.” John looked to the back of the
room. “Maybe Charity knew what she was talking about.”

“Dollar twenty.”

Lily strained to see. “Tucker is bidding,
too.”

“One fifty.”

“Two dollars!” Tucker’s youthful voice was
easy to recognize.

A moment passed. Then another. “Sold to the
young man who works at the doctor’s office.

Tucker hurried forward and whispered
something to Daisy, and she smiled. He took the box in his good
hand then ushered her away with his other arm on her back.

“Well, I’ll be.” John looked at Lily in
surprise. “I didn’t know. This is actually fun.”

Madeline came forward in her reserved,
beautiful way. Lily smiled at her when she looked their way and
offered a small wave of encouragement. She couldn’t help but feel
proud at the way the gown had turned out. It fit Madeline
perfectly, and she was a vision of loveliness. Lily just wondered
if there was anyone here brave enough to offer for the eldest
daughter of the richest rancher in the county.

“Who would like to start the bidding? Do I
hear five—”

“Ten dollars.”

There was an audible gasp, then silence.
Everyone looked around to see who’d made such a bold offering. Ten
dollars was a lot of money. Uncle Winston’s table was all
abuzz.

Mayor
Billingsworth looked around. “Any more bids? No?
Sold
to the unknown gentleman in the
back.”

Lily leaned close to John as the man came
forward. “Who is he? I cannot see.”

“Don’t know. And by the looks of it, neither
does anyone else.”

He was tall and well-dressed. His black hat
was new, and had never hit the dirt, Lily was sure. When he stopped
in front of Madeline he tipped it, as if meeting her for the first
time. Madeline, always the model of propriety, let him take the box
from her hands, and they moved away.

“This is getting better by the minute,” John
said, chuckling. “What else can happen tonight?”

Two more box dinners sold in quick succession
made by young women Lily had never met, to men she’d never even
seen. She reminded herself there were still many wonderful
discoveries to be made in her new town. She chanced a look over at
John who was smiling from ear to ear, clearly enjoying the evening.
It was amazing that she turned out to be the lucky young woman to
marry him. She would never forget that for the rest of her
life.

“Charity’s up,” John said, nudging her. “And
she doesn’t look too happy about it.” He looked around. “Now where
did that Brandon go?”

“Quiet, please.” The mayor held up his hand.
“Who will offer five cents for our sharpshooter?”

“Ouch.” John withdrew his hand from Lily’s
tight grip, and gave it a shake.

“
He did
not have to say
that
,” Lily
gasped.

“What?” John questioned. “Sharpshooter? Well,
she is.”

In the
longest second of Lily’s life, she watched Charity’s face go from
stark white to a painful bright crimson. “
Where is Brandon?
” She craned her neck, scanning the room.
“John—do something. Make a bid.”

“Three dollars,” a youthful voice offered.
Theodore proudly waved his arm.

John made a deep sound in his throat. “Uh oh.
This is bad. Very, very bad. Charity will kill Brandon if he lets
Theodore buy her box dinner.” John was just getting ready to put up
his hand when another voice called out.

“Five dollars.” It was a cowhand from the Rim
Rock. The one who’d escorted Charity to and from town the short
time she’d been the teacher.

Theo’s face clouded. “Seven.”

“Ten.” Again the crowd gasped, then laughed
at the entertainment. Charity stared face forward, not daring to
make eye contact with anyone.

“Eleven.” Theodore’s face looked uncertain;
clearly, he was getting close to his limit.

“Twelve.”

Theo shook his head and backed down into the
men, and Charity’s eyes went wide.

“Do I hear any other bids? No?—”

“Twenty,” a deep voice boomed out.

Brandon stood in the back of the room, in the
doorway, having just come inside.

“Twenty-five,” the cowpoke said with a look
of surprise that someone had joined in the bidding so late.

Brandon took long, slow strides into the room
and proceeded to the front. “Thirty-five.” The room was deadly
silent now and the faces bounced back and forth between the two
men.

“Forty.” The cowboy’s buddies were handing
him bills, encouraging him not to lose out to Brandon.

“Fifty.”

“Mm, mm, mm,” John whispered, shaking his
head. “They’re both going to be fit to be tied when this is
over.

“Sixty.” The cowhands surrounding the bidder
let out a round of laughter.

Brandon
was within ten feet of Charity and still she wouldn’t look at him.
His nostrils flared in anger. “One hundred dollars,” he said barely
over a whisper. The onlookers whispered behind their hands,
wondering if they’d heard him correctly. Brandon drilled the mayor
with a look that said if he didn’t close this down
right now
he’d never close anything down
again.

“
Sold,”
Mayor Billingsworth shouted. “To the
other
sharpshooter.”

Thunderous applause broke out as Brandon
stepped forward and withdrew his money clip. Slowly he counted out
the bills and handed them to the mayor. Without a word between them
he and Charity walked away.

Becky was the only box dinner left and she
looked defeated after what had just taken place. Lily remembered
how excited she’d been over tonight and how she hung on every word
Theodore uttered. She whispered into John’s ear and he hurried to
the back of the room.

“Only one more to go, fellas. This is your
last chance for a delicious home-cooked meal tonight. Who will
offer five cents for Becky’s box dinner?”

“Two dollars,” an older cowhand Lily had seen
at the ranch called out. Becky’s smile faded.

“I bid three,” said another, standing close
by his side.

John hurried back to Lily.

“Well?”

He shrugged.

“Who are those men bidding?”

“Cowhands that work for Uncle Winston. They
bought Becky’s dinner last year.”

There was a lull. “Any other bids? Going once
—”

“Five dollars.” Theodore had stepped forward
and bore an unsure expression on his face. When a smile lit up
Becky’s like a ray of sunshine, he ducked his head in pleasure.

“Anymore bids?” The mayor looked around.
“Going, going…”

Lily
stomped her foot. “What is he
waiting
for?”

“
Sold.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. That concludes the auction for
another year. I must say this was better than all our other years
combined.
Thank you
to the
generous bidders. Go have a nice dinner. The band will commence in
half an hour.”

U
nder a starry
canopy the band tuned up as folks materialized out of nowhere,
finished with their dinners and ready for some much-anticipated
entertainment. Men’s eyes searched the crowds for a possible
partner, and girls ducked their heads shyly when gentlemen looked
their way. The evening had cooled, bringing with it a soft breeze
and the earthy aroma of springtime in Texas.

John glanced around, noticing that Brandon
and Charity were nowhere to be seen. Were they off somewhere
arguing again, or had they made up? He pulled Lily close. “May I
have this dance, Mrs. McCutcheon?” he crooned, as the trio,
comprised of a guitar and two fiddles, began a waltz. “I’m tired of
worrying over everyone but you. Tonight belongs to us.”

“You may.” Smiling, Lily slipped gracefully
into his arms and they began to move around the large dance floor
the men had built. The floor, constructed especially for this
occasion, gave gently with each step, and was illuminated by
sparkling lanterns draped gracefully between poles. Soon there were
other couples gliding with the music and John couldn’t see from one
side to the other. When Theodore and Becky twirled by, her face
brighter than any of the lanterns, John grinned at Lily and
winked.

Prompted
by the feel of his wife in his arms, the beauty of the night, and
how grateful he was for the turn his life had taken, he nuzzled
Lily’s ear. “I love you,” he whispered, hoping she realized just
how much he meant it. She held him closer, and he memorized the
feel of the moment. “You’re
everything
to me.”

Still moving with the music, she leaned back
and gazed up at him innocently. “I love you, too.” Her eyes roved
lovingly around his face, as if in question and her tentative smile
warmed his heart. “What has brought all this on, John? You sound
sad.”

“No, not sad. Not sad at all. I just feel so
blessed that we have finally found our way to each other. I’m an
incredibly happy man.” He enfolded her in his arms again, her head
and soft hair smelling of flowers, fit perfectly in the hollow of
his neck. He rubbed it with his cheek. “Shall I go find a plate so
you can demonstrate how you can dance with it on your head?” he
whispered next to her ear. Her felt her giggle.

The music faded out and stopped. Some dancers
walked back to the edge of the dance floor, while others stayed,
holding hands as they waited for the music to continue. John placed
his arm around Lily’s shoulder when someone behind them quite
obviously cleared their throat. They turned to find Dustin, hat in
hands.

“Dustin. Hello,” John said. He tried to hide
his surprise. Dustin had the shadow of a shiner on his eye.

“John. Lily. Just wanted to offer my
congratulations on your marriage since I

didn’t get the chance the last time we
spoke.”

“Well, thank you, Dustin. It means a lot to
hear you say that.” In that moment, an understanding passed between
them. John saw the hurt in Dustin’s eyes, yet there was resignation
and acceptance there, too. When Dustin offered his hand John
grasped it quickly, in a firm hold, and a bond was sealed.

“When did you get back?”

“About an hour ago,” Dustin replied. “Decided
I didn’t really want to miss the celebration. But, from what I
hear, I already did.” His gaze strayed over to Lily, and he smiled
warmly.

John chuckled. “You’re not exaggerating. It’s
been quite the day. One people will talk about for years to come,
I’m sure.”

“A hundred dollars for a box dinner?” Dustin
exclaimed, shaking his head.

John snorted. “Yeah. I’m sure it’s gonna be a
while before Brandon will be able to swallow that with a
smile.”

“That is almost as much as the two of you had
to pay in San Antonio, to the owner of that fine restaurant, if I
am remembering correctly,” Lily said, a mischievous glint in her
eyes.

Dustin shook his head, then laughed. “Yeah,
you’re right about that, Lily. That night hurt too, in more ways
than one.”

John
rocked back on his heels. “Let’s not forget I had to spend my
weddin’ night
in jail
,” he
shot back, feeling his temper starting to warm. He inched forward.
“That still rankles when I think about it,
cousin
.” He looked Dustin in the eye.

Dustin
laughed a bit too forcefully. “That pales in comparison to
what
you did,
cousin
, right under my
very nose.”

Lily stomped her foot and scooted in-between
the two tall men, pushing them apart like a mouse between two hedge
hogs. “There will be no fighting tonight! Do you hear? You two just
made up. Let bygones be bygones.”

She looked so small, John had to smile at the
picture she made, one hand on each of their chests. No, he didn’t
want to fight either. “I’m thirsty. Let’s go get some
lemonade.”

At a group around the drink stand, Cradle was
talking with Martha and her sister Louise, and Tucker and Daisy
were standing hand-in-hand. John made his way through, handing a
cup to Lily, then Dustin, and taking one for himself.

“Who’s the newcomer who bought Madeline’s
dinner?” John asked, taking a sip. The tart juice made his cheeks
pucker.

“Don’t know. They’re still over at the picnic
tables, eating. Ma and Pa are camped out a few tables away with
Chaim and Emmeline, keeping an eye on them. I have to say it’s been
awhile since I’ve seen them so excited over something.”