Free Lily (Suitors of Seattle) by Kirsten Osbourne

he was looking for her.  “Lily?”
    Oh, drat.  I know he knows that I used to climb this tree all the time, but I don’t know that I want him to know I’m up here now.  What will he think?  She thought about just not answering him, but she didn’t want to be rude.
    “Lily?  Are you out here?”  He’d raised his voice to almost a shout as he searched through the large back garden for her.
    “Up here!” she called down finally deciding she just needed to admit to where she was.
    Daniel stepped under the tree, his eyes laughing up at her.  “Well, hello!”
    She grinned thankful he didn’t seem to think she was doing anything inappropriate.  She needed to keep him around.  All of her boyish ways just seemed to amuse him, not offend him.  “Hello.”
    “Happy birthday!”  He stood looking at her for a moment, before his eyes went to the trunk of the tree.  He grabbed the lowest branch and his foot found the knot she’d used.  Before she knew what to think, he was beside her on the branch, his lips brushing her cheek.  “Are you having a good birthday?”  
    She nodded slowly, her eyes twinkling at him.  “Now that you’re here I am.”  She knew she should play hard to get, but she had no desire to.  She loved him and she saw nothing wrong with showing him that love.
    “I’m glad.”  The backs of his fingers stroked her cheek softly.  “You look beautiful today.”
    She blushed.  “You keep saying things like that.”   How could he say she looked beautiful when she sat there in one of her oldest dresses with her legs dangling from the tree branch?
    “Because they’re true.”  He dug into the pocket of his black coat, pulling out the box from the jeweler.  “I brought you a birthday present.”   His eyes were steady on hers as he waited for her reaction.
    She stared at the little box in wonder.  “What is it?” She hadn’t expected him to bring her anything.
    He laughed.  “Open it and see!”  
    Lily sat for a moment staring at the box.  It was the first time a man she wasn’t related to had bought her a gift.  She opened it and gasped at the ring inside it.  “Oh, it’s beautiful.”  It wasn’t the kind of ring Rose would like, she knew, but it suited her.  She loved it.
    He removed the ring from the box, and took her hand in his, making sure he was steady on the branch.  “Lily Sullivan?  I can think of no woman who would suit me as a wife as much as you.  Will you do me the honor of becoming my bride?”  He slid the ring onto her finger even as he asked the question.
    “Are you sure?” she asked.  She wanted nothing more than to marry him, but she didn’t want him regretting it.
    He nodded.  “More sure than I’ve ever been about anything.”   He brushed his lips across her finger where the ring connected to it. 
    She nodded, flinging her arms around his neck.  “I’d love to marry you!”  She leaned back a moment to look at him.  “Did you ask my father?”  She was certain he had, but she needed to ask.
    “I did.”
    She sighed contentedly, resting her head on his shoulder.  “When do you want to marry?”
    “Today?”  He kissed her softly, his teeth nipping at her bottom lip. 
    She laughed.  “My mama would have a fit.”  She didn’t want to wait either, though.
    He sighed.  “I’m sure she would.  How about early February?  Would that give you enough time to plan it?”  
    She made a face at the idea of planning a wedding.  “I think so?  I don’t know.  I really want to get married outside, but beyond that, I don’t care much.”   How much would she have to do to plan the wedding? 
    “It’ll be cold in February.”  
    She shrugged.  “Maybe less people will come.”   She didn’t want a lot of people that she didn’t know or care about at her wedding.  She’d have been content with just her and Daniel.
    He laughed out loud.  “You don’t have a huge wedding with hundreds of guests in