Tilly’s brother.
Chapter Eighteen
LIAM RETURNED TO THEhotel just before supper, looking more weary than when he’d left.
“Oh, thank goodness!” Tilly didn’t think as the grateful words rushed out of her mouth. She flew toward him and wrapped her arms around him. It took half a second before she realized this was the closest they’d been since he’d danced with her downstairs in the lobby. She was just thinking that it was too much—that she should pull away before she made a fool of herself—when his arms wound around her back.
He sighed as he rested his chin on her head, and Tilly closed her eyes, relishing the moment. It didn’t matter what might be happening outside their room. In this moment, she’d never felt safer.
Finally, he lifted his head, and she tilted her chin to look at him. “Tell me about it?”
He swallowed and nodded, stepping back to take off his coat. “I found him at Fred Polson’s Boardinghouse.” He went on to describe their conversation. Chills raced up Tilly’s arms when Liam told her how interested Dutch Rodgers seemed to be in his business. He cut himself off quickly, and she wondered what hewasn’ttelling her.
“When I left, I swallowed my pride and did what you suggested. I went to see your brother.”
Tilly bit back her surprise. “You did? What did he say?”
“I recounted the entire conversation to him, and told him about Rodgers approaching you at the Gardiners’ social. He was . . . not happy.” Liam winced.
Tilly reached out and laid a hand on his arm. “Thank you. I know that couldn’t have been easy for you, but it was the right thing to do. Now Jamie can keep an eye on him too.”
Liam nodded, his eyes on her hand. He laid his free hand over hers. “I realized that this isn’t just about me. Him being here is . . . it’s about you too. And my sister, and just about anyone else I care about.” He dropped his hand and looked at her, a sort of sad look coloring his eyes a deeper shade of blue. “I’m sorry, Tilly. I shouldn’t have . . . I mean . . . this isn’t what you expected when you came here.” He gently pulled his arm free from her hand and stepped back to run his fingers through his hair.
“It’s all right.” Tilly clasped her hands together, forcing down the fear that had sat at the bottom of her throat since yesterday. “I’m your wife, and that means I’m with you through even the difficult times.”
He gave a little smile, but somehow even that seemed sad. “We ought to go downstairs to eat.”
That was the last thing Tilly wanted to do in that moment. Surrounded by everyone in the hotel, they couldn’t have a real conversation about what was happening. And Tilly wanted so badly for Liam to understand that she had no regrets about marrying him. That she’d be here by his side no matter what happened.
But he was already opening the door.
She stepped through it, hoping they could pick up where they left off when they returned later.
IRRITATION UNFURLEDin Tilly’s stomach as she looked out the window into the snowy landscape beyond. Their room faced north. A few town buildings lay closer to the hotel, but past that, the railroad tracks disappeared into the valley. Off to the left, the mountains rose in craggy peaks that she could just barely see in the swirling snow.
It was a perfectly serene image, especially when one was tucked safely inside the warm and cozy Crest Stone Hotel, but Tilly had a difficult time finding appreciation for it in that moment.
When they’d returned from supper the night before, Liam excused himself to join some of the other male guests downstairs for cigars and friendly card games. She’d fallen asleep before he returned. And when she awoke this morning, he was already gone to work.
She let out a deep breath that fogged against the window. How was she supposed to discuss the situation at hand if he wasn’t here?
Frustrated, Tilly glanced at herself in the mirror over the washstand and smoothed back her hair before stepping outside the room.
It was mid-morning, but the hallway was quiet. Tilly used the moment to attempt to rid herself of impatience. Perhaps Liam simply needed time to think through everything, and then they’d be able to talk more.
