The Marriage Bargain. Angel Moore

smiled. “You must be as strong as an ox.” Shock covered her face almost before the words left her mouth.

      “I can haul my share of a load.” He couldn’t resist teasing her. As hard as he tried, his reserve kept slipping. “Most people don’t call me an ox.”

      “Maybe not to your face, Mr. Stone.” At least she had the decency to blush when she said it.

      Edward heard the rumble of laughter in his chest. It had been a long time since he’d laughed out loud. “I’ll be back after lunch.” He tipped his hat and escaped through the front door.

      He sobered immediately on seeing Mrs. Croft exit the post office next door. Her scowl spoke louder than anything she could have said before she turned and walked in the direction of her store.

      Dust stirred in the street as his boots beat a path away from Lily Warren and her shop. He’d only rented it to her father out of desperation. The mortgage on the shop needed to be paid, not to mention the cost of providing for Ellen. He couldn’t afford to let the shop stand empty any longer. When Jane came back, they’d make new arrangements. Until—or unless—she did, he needed the money.

      He had to protect Lily’s reputation, because if her shop failed, he could lose the building to the bank. He turned the corner and headed to the general store. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, but the cold of the day was biting at him. Or maybe it wasn’t the cold of the day, but the cold realizations storming his thoughts.

      Life was complicated now. More than he’d ever wanted it to be.

      In the back of his mind was a growing dread crying out for his attention. As a single man, if something tragic had happened to his sister and her husband, he’d need to marry. A young girl shouldn’t be raised by her lone uncle. Ellen would need a woman’s hand. Someone who was strong and gentle at the same time.

      Someone like Lily.

      * * *

      Lily opened the door and wrapped her older sister in a hug. Could it be eleven years since Daisy had married and moved away from East River, their childhood home? When they’d reunited on her arrival in Pine Haven, Lily understood why their father had come home after his recent visit to Daisy’s family wanting to sell everything in East River and move here. When he and Jasmine arrived in the spring, he’d have all his daughters together again. They’d been apart too long.

      One look at Daisy’s face and Lily prepared herself to be scolded. Even at twenty-four years old, her sisters still treated her like the baby of the family.

      “What happened?” Daisy shifted baby Rose onto her shoulder and looked around at the destruction left by the fire.

      “It was an accident.” Lily knew Daisy wouldn’t be satisfied without some explanation.

      “How did it happen?”

      She pointed to the chair she’d set up in front of the hall tree so her customers could view their hat selections in the mirror. “Have a seat, and I’ll explain.” She pulled up a stool and told her sister all that had happened.

      “So Edward Stone saved you?” Daisy pushed Rose’s bonnet away from her face and handed the child to Lily. “Handsome, isn’t he?”

      Lily lifted the baby and took in the sight of her chubby face. “She’s so like Momma. I’m glad you named her after her.” She pulled Rose close and breathed in the sweet baby smell. Rose twined her fingers into Lily’s hair and gave a firm yank.

      “Ow... She’s a strong one, too.” Lily loosed the tiny hand and nestled the babe in the crook of her arm.

      “That she is.” Daisy’s face shone with love for her daughter. “You didn’t answer my question about Edward Stone.”

      “Did you ask a question?” She hoped to avoid this kind of question about any man, let alone one who was already being accused of paying her too much attention. She couldn’t risk feeding those rumors. Not even to her sister, who obviously hadn’t heard them yet.

      She jostled the baby. “Where are the twins?”

      “They’re in school.”

      “I can’t believe they’re nine years old. Seems life has begun to move at such a rapid pace.”

      “It comes from growing older, I suppose.” Daisy looked her square in the face. “Lily, what do you think of your landlord?”

      Lily stilled and answered. “He’s my landlord. Yes, he saved me, but he also saved his building. That’s all there was to it.”

      Daisy turned first one way then another and surveyed the shop. “If you say so.”

      “I do.” Lily swept her free arm toward the open space. “I wanted to have it in better shape, but I wasn’t planning on a fire. What do you think?”

      Daisy reached for Rose as the child started to whimper. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Edward will have the repairs done in no time.”

      “I hope so. I’ve got to make this place work, or Papa will insist I live with him and Jasmine when they come.” Lily fought back the fear of being isolated again. She’d spent too many years taking care of her sick father at home while all her friends had married and started families.

      Daisy paced the floor, gently rocking the baby. “That wouldn’t be so bad, would it? You’ve always lived with Papa. Why is this shop so important to you now?”

      “It just is. You wouldn’t understand. You have your life. A family. A farm. I didn’t have anything.” Anxiety sent her voice up a notch. “Until now.”

      She put a hand on Daisy’s arm and stopped her motion. “Daisy, you have to pray for me. Papa isn’t convinced a woman my age should be on her own. But I’ve just got to do this. I can’t live in the shadows anymore. I want my own life.”

      “You talk as if you’ve been locked away as a slave. I know that isn’t true. I lived there, too, you remember.”

      “It’s not that at all. It’s just...well.” Lily wasn’t certain she could articulate her thoughts. “I love Papa, and I’m so pleased he’s well now. We weren’t sure for so long that he’d ever get better. I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.” She willed Daisy to understand. “But I need this for me.”

      “Of course, I’ll pray for you, sweetie. I’ll even make sure all my friends come see you as soon as you open.”

      That was encouraging. She could almost see the unknown ladies milling around the shop, fingering the lace on a handkerchief or smiling at their reflection wearing a new hat. “Are the ladies of Pine Haven ready for fancy hats and parasols?”

      Daisy chuckled. “What ladies aren’t?”

      Lily was grateful for the support she saw in Daisy’s expression. “Thank you. I promise I’ll make you proud. Papa, too.”

      “The thought of having all of you here in Pine Haven is more than I ever dreamed. Your shop is like an extra blessing on top of that.”

      “I’ve got a lot of work to do to replace the things that were ruined. Thankfully, I hadn’t opened all of the crates I brought.” She indicated the crates stacked around the front of the shop. “These things are undamaged.”

      After lunch she’d gone over everything in her mind. Hopefully a couple of days would see the shop repaired. Maybe two more days after that and she’d be back on schedule for her new life.

      She prayed the insinuations made by Mrs. Croft had been forgotten by those who heard them last night. That was the one detail she hadn’t told her sister. If God answered as Lily wanted, she’d never hear of those accusations again.

      She shook off the doubts that threatened from the recesses of her soul. A new life full of promise. She would do everything in her power to make it happen.