Free Lily's Cowboys by S. E. Smith Page B

as he moved toward the front staircase.

    Allen shook his head. “No. It’s strange. When we are together she is always asking questions about us. I never seemed to get a chance to ask her about herself.”

    “ Well, that’s about to change.” Ethan replied looking at both his brothers. “I want to know everything about her. If she turns out to be some little gold-digger looking for a big haul we’ll deal with it but I want to know.”

    Caleb started to say something but Ethan shook his head as he looked at him, “It won’t matter. She is ours. I just want to know her game plan so we can defuse any potential problems before they develop.”

    “ I’m telling you, she’s not like that.” Allen said heatedly as he opened the door to his old bedroom, “Lily wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

    Allen turned on the light to his old room looking around in disbelief. The covers on the bed were turned down with colorful throw pillows arranged on it. It looked like it was ready for him to crawl into. On his dresser was a bouquet of flowers, their scent filling the air. All his clothes were placed neatly back in his closet. A new picture of him and his brothers taken a little over a year ago stood on one night stand. All three of them were on horseback and silhouetted by their home behind them. Allen remembered the day well. He, Caleb, and Ethan had left early to help with the round up. It had gone well and they had been enjoying being together, joking and cutting up all day just like when they were boys.

    Allen was shaken because the picture seemed to speak about everything that was important to him, home and family. He blinked back tears as he realized how close he had come to forgetting that over the past eight months. It humbled him to realize how much pain he had inflected on his family because of his own anger.

    Ethan laid his hand on Allen’s shoulder seeming to understand what was going through his mind. “Welcome home, Allen.” He said quietly before turning and leaving the room.

    Caleb just nodded to Allen before he left too. Allen stood there for several minutes trying to get his feelings under control. Gently shutting the door he went over and sat on the edge of the bed. For the first time since his capture and release he cried. He cried for his lost friends and comrades, he cried for the loss of his parents, he cried for the pain he had inflected on those he loved, but most of all he cried for the life he almost threw away out of selfishness.

    Lily paused as she felt the shift in the house. It wasn’t anything she could put her finger on, more like a feeling something big had just taken place. With a smile, she finished brushing out her long hair. The brothers were reunited again. Things were going well, she thought sadly, a little too well. If the brothers once again realized how much they needed each other than her job here would be finished. It would be time to go again. Laying the brush down on the vanity, Lily pulled out a ragged journal opening it up to a new page.

    Tonight all three brothers came together and talked. Allen has come so far in the past week. I will miss our quiet evenings together. Today I fixed up his bedroom upstairs as a surprise for him. He is so much stronger and getting stronger every day. I love watching him work with the horses when he thinks I’m not looking. He has a gentleness too him I’m sure he would deny. I could see the love he had for Caleb.

    Caleb was a surprise. I don’t know why as I had studied the pictures of him hanging in Allen’s room. He was so much more everything. I could see the worry in his eyes for Allen. It has been hard on him seeing his brother in pain and not being able to do anything about it. I didn’t want him to know how sweet it was of him thinking I was messing around with someone behind Allen’s back. He would probably have seen the humor in it as well if he knew I had never even been kissed before. He is so protective of his younger