Colters' Lady (Colters' Legacy #2)(57)

Lily smiled, now quite used to the other woman’s exuberant hugs.

“Come in, come in. Hello, son,” Holly said as she gave Seth a kiss on the cheek. “Your fathers are waiting for you out in the barn. They need help rounding up the stuff they’re taking to Michael’s to start work on his house.”

“I know when I’ve been dismissed,” Seth said with a grin. He bent to kiss Lily. “We’ll probably be gone all day. Dillon’s going to meet us out there after the lunch crowd dies down at the pub.”

“Oh, I’ll take good care of her,” Holly said.

“Where’s Callie?” Lily asked after Seth had left.

“She’s still sleeping. She didn’t get off work until after two this morning. I try to let her sleep as long as she will. It’s not good for her to keep running on only a few hours of sleep a night,” Holly said with a frown.

Lily took a deep breath and worked up the nerve to ask Holly, “Would you happen to have a notebook or blank paper and maybe some colored pencils? Or even just a pencil would do.”

Holly looked curiously at her. “Oh, I’m sure we do. I still have a ton of stuff left over from when the boys and Callie were children. The guys tease me about never throwing away anything, but I figure one day I’ll have grandchildren and all that stuff will come in handy.”

Lily flinched and hoped that Holly didn’t hear her quick intake of air.

“I’d love whatever you have,” she said softly.

“Have a seat and give me a minute. I have it all boxed up in one of the storage closets.”

Holly hurried away and Lily sank onto one of the couches in the spacious living room. All around her were signs of the big, boisterous family. Pictures—tons of them—all laughing. Surrounded by big smiles and loving gazes. Everyone looked so happy. She wanted that. Now more than ever.

And then she smiled because she was happy. Seth loved her. Michael and Dillon wanted her. She wanted them. It was okay to be happy. Her grin grew broader until her cheeks hurt from the sudden attack.

Not only did she have three wonderful, delicious men, but she had a large, close-knit family who seemed to think nothing of pitching in when they were needed

That was what families were all about. They didn’t bail at the first sign of adversity and they didn’t place blame.

After a few minutes in which Lily sank back on the couch and hugged her newfound knowledge to her like an overstuffed teddy bear, Holly came back in carrying an armful of papers, notebooks, art books and a box full of colored pencils, crayons and markers.

She dumped them onto the coffee table in front of Lily and said, “It’s all yours.”

Lily latched onto a large tablet of blank paper. A child’s art book. But it was perfect for what she wanted. Then she grabbed a handful of the colored pencils, examining the points of each.

“Would you mind too much if I walked down to Callie’s Meadow?” Lily asked. “There’s a surprise I want to do for Callie.”

It was obvious that Holly was dying to ask at least a dozen questions, but instead she smiled and said, “Of course. You know the way. Just don’t be gone too long. I’ll have lunch ready for when Callie gets up.”

Lily raised her eyebrow.

Holly frowned ferociously. “Okay, okay, so Ryan made lunch and left it for me to warm up.”

Lily laughed and then Holly joined in.

“One would think after thirty-plus years I’d learn to cook, but I think my husbands are determined for it to never happen. They’re too afraid I’ll either burn the house down or poison someone.”

“I like cooking. I was pretty good at it.”

“Oh, then you and Dillon should have fun. That boy loves to create new masterpieces as he calls them. He’s always experimenting and putting new things on the menu at the pub. The locals love to go in to try out his new recipes.”

Lily gathered her stuff and rose from the couch. “I won’t be long.”

Holly smiled. “Be careful.”

Lily stepped outside into the sunshine. Though just days earlier the ground had been covered by a layer of snow, now it was as if spring had always been here. Flowers bloomed along the stone path that spiraled down the Colter property and the trees were leafing out. Some of the flowering species already had buds that were opening.

When she topped a slight rise that overlooked the meadow, she stopped and sat on a large boulder just off the pathway. The view was simply perfect, and the meadow spread out before her, covered in wildflowers. The mountain peaks jutted upward on all sides, still snowcapped against the bright blue sky.

For a long time she simply stared, absorbing the peace and beauty that seemed to cover the entire landscape. Then she began to draw.

She was totally ensconced in her creation. From time to time she would pause and mutter under her breath and then frown when a line didn’t look just so. She paid careful attention to color, blending when she didn’t have the one she needed.

Her back ached, but she continued on. Once started, she couldn’t stop. It was a compulsion. Her fingers felt alive. She was energized has her hand flew across the page.

Her wrist was stiff and her fingers had curled rigidly around the pencils, and still she continued on, in pursuit of perfection.

The sun had started to fade over the horizon when she heard her name carried on the wind. She straightened and nearly fell over when every muscle in her body screamed in protest.