Wild Lilly Read Online Free PDF Page B

handsome in his Stetson. She might have given him a chance if he hadn’t called her a whore. Still, the thought of those firm lips going where his gaze had lingered made the seam of her bloomers rub against her in a most uncomfortable fashion.
    Before she could tell Mrs. Beechum just what kind of scoundrel she thought Mr. McGregor to be, Mrs. Kerns chimed in.
    “Oh yes, Mr. McGregor is a gentleman. Well, maybe not a total gentleman. He does have a fondness for the ladies.” The older women laughed while Maggie watched them with a curious expression on her plain face. “Did you know he’s also your neighbor?”
    Lilly scrubbed the stove in stiff, jerking motions. “No, I was unaware of that.” Wonderful . All she needed was that man’s eyes stripping her of her clothing again when they passed on the road. Her mind wandered and she imagined how his tight butt would look on the seat of a horse with those strong hands holding the reins. Cursing her libido, she scrubbed the stove hard enough to send dirty suds flying in the air.
    “Mr. McGregor’s ranch, the Tilted V, is two miles down the road to your east.” Mrs. Beechum gave her a curious glance as a clot of black foam landed in Lilly’s hair.
    Maggie spoke for the first time since she’d arrived, her voice soft and sweet. “I didn’t notice a horse in your corral, Miss Brooks. If you need one, you should go to the McGregor Ranch. They breed the best horses in this area.”
    Lilly sighed and wiped her face with the back of her hand. Maybe it was best if she confronted the devil and made him apologize for being such a beast. He had saved her from those filthy men, and possessed divinely broad shoulders.
    Mrs. Beechum smiled fondly at her daughter. “Maggie loves horses, but she’s right, you’ll need a proper horse and carriage. It’s a four-mile walk from your home to the school. You don’t want to make that walk in the winter.”
    The rest of the afternoon was spent exchanging gossip about the town, and Lilly telling the women about her family back east. Mrs. Beechum and Mrs. Kerns were at the clothesline beside the cabin, beating rugs, when once again, the creak of wagon wheels came from the road.
    Lilly groaned in dismay at her appearance. Now she was sweaty, dirty, and had a large mustard stain on her collar from the delicious lunch the ladies had brought with them. A handsome barouche, drawn by two matching black horses, rounded the side of the cabin. Other than the size of the wheels, it wouldn’t have been out of place during a Sunday ride through the park in Hartford. The body of the barouche was a glossy black, and gold embellishments adorned the sides.
    Lilly wet her hands in the sink and tried to smooth back her wild curls as much as possible. Maggie stared out the window, and dashed out the back door with her braids flying behind her. Giving the retreating figure a puzzled glance, Lilly went to greet her visitors.
    An older silver-haired man with a long white mustache, dressed in a smart blue suit with a silver watch at his waist, swiveled to watch her come down the steps. On his head perched a tan hat with a wide leather band, and a pearl-handled gun gleamed from his belt. Next to him crouched a small sable-haired woman in a high-necked grey gown and pearl earrings. Much younger than her husband, she had a delicate beauty marred by a fading bruise on one cheek. She did not look up from her clasped hands as the barouche slowed down.
    “Hello there! You must be Miss Brooks, the new schoolmarm,” the man said in a loud and jolly voice.
    “I am Miss Brooks.” Lilly lifted the edge of her dress and walked down the steps, avoiding the dishes drying in the sun.
    “My name is Lee Krisp, and this is my wife, Eunice. We’re your neighbors, on the other side of Willow Creek.”
    The quiet woman next to him peeked from the edge of her bonnet for a second. Eunice’s eyes were a deep grey and they flitted over Lilly’s face before returning to her