Unending Devotion (Michigan Brides #1)(64)

Fingers of heated embarrassment grabbed his neck. Why had he gone and said something like that? What was coming over him?

“We need to be on our way,” he said quickly, starting across the kitchen, hoping to hide the color that was making its way to his face. “Before anyone sees the sleigh outside and starts to wonder why I’m here.”

She followed him into the sitting room and bent over Daisy. “Connell’s back, my dear.” She smoothed Daisy’s hair away from her face, revealing features that were as smooth and pretty as Lily’s. It was a wonder Carr or Maggie or some other shanty boy hadn’t made the connection between the two sisters—that Tierney had been the one to see it.

Daisy stirred.

Lily combed her fingers through the girl’s hair. “Wake up, Daisy. We need to be on our way.”

After a bit of coaxing, Lily finally managed to rouse the girl. In no time they were bundled in buffalo-skin blankets and ready to go.

He hid them under the canvas among the supplies, tied down the covering, and started on his way, doing his best to act like he was on a regular ride out to one of his camps to deliver supplies.

He took the tote road north out of Harrison, knowing he had to stay as far from the main roads as possible. The indirect route would make a longer ride for the women, but heading north around Budd Lake was the safest.

His heart didn’t stop pounding in tempo to the horse hooves until after they made it over the border into Gladwin County. Even then he didn’t allow himself to take a break until they’d gone ten miles east of Harrison.

He found a wayside tavern and refilled the coal warming box he’d brought along for the women. Briefly, he let them get out and stretch before starting on their way again.

There was only one safe place he knew to take Lily, only one person in the world he trusted to take care of her as well as he would. He’d pushed the horses hard, trotting them at a brisk pace all day. And when they finally reached the outskirts of Bay City, night had fallen.

“Where are we?” Lily’s voice was groggy. Thankfully, she and Daisy had slept most of the long day.

Daisy was still asleep and snuggled between them on the front bench of the sleigh where he’d finally agreed they could sit.

“We’ve only got five more miles now.” The soft jingle of the Swiss bells that hung from the horses’ collars kept an easy rhythm with the swish of the blades in the snow. A quarter mile to the east, past the edges of the few remaining pines, lay Saginaw Bay and beyond that Lake Huron. It was frozen and lifeless now. But once it thawed, it would teem with ships from far and near coming to transport the bounty of the lumber camps and sawmills to ports in Chicago and the East.

Lily sat straighter. Through the darkness in the distance, they could see the first flickering lights of the city. “Are we safe?”

“Carr wouldn’t dare come this far after you.” At least he hoped.

She didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then she reached across Daisy and found his gloved hand underneath the blanket on his lap. She squeezed it. “I know you’ve risked a lot today, doing this for us. Thank you.”

He’d tried not to think about how much trouble the rescue was going to cause him. He’d told himself that Carr wouldn’t find out about his involvement, that no one needed to know why he left Harrison in the busiest part of the lumber season. He’d consoled himself with the instructions he’d given to Stuart to tell anyone who asked: He’d had to leave for a family emergency.

But his insides had frozen into crusted ice, leaving an unshakable chill in the depths of his soul. He reminded himself he hadn’t done anything wrong, that he’d only stood up for what was right. If Daisy wanted to leave her life of prostitution, she should have the freedom to walk away from it without anyone trying to stop her.

Carr had gone too far once again. And Stuart and Lily were right. It was past time for someone in the community—someone influential like him—to let Carr know he couldn’t get away with his vileness or his tight-fisted control of Harrison.

Now that he’d taken the first step, surely others would follow. Wouldn’t they?

And even if they didn’t, was it possible that God was nudging him to stop sitting back and to begin doing more to deal with some of the problems that surrounded him?

When Lily started to pull away, he captured her hand, not wanting to break the connection with her. “Did I really hear a thank-you?” He tugged her playfully. “I’m shocked.”

“I can be grateful when I choose to be.” Her voice was light. “And I can also be quite admiring.”

“I’d like to see that.” Little did she know exactly how much he wanted her admiration.

“I have been a little rough on you at times, haven’t I?”

“A little?”

“Or a lot.” She laughed softly. “Maybe I can make it up to you.”

“And just how do you propose to do that?” The banter warmed his insides.

“I promise you won’t have to rescue me again.”

“I like that promise.” He grinned.

“And no more middle-of-the-night scares.”

“That would be nice.”

“I’ll do my best to focus on taking care of Daisy now.”

“Sounds like you’re going to start having a normal life.”