Lily's Cowboys Read Free Page A

bathrooms. Sitting down heavily, she smiled when she saw Gladys coming with two cups of steaming coffee. Gladys’ slim body and head of silver hair barely showed her seventy years as she moved with a spry step in her walk toward the booth. She carried the two cups with the experience of years of serving.

    “ Hey, Maggie.” A pair of voices called out behind Gladys. Carl and Earl Ganders were Maggie’s husbands. Tall and thin, they were still handsome as sin. In a time when it was considered unusual Gladys had fallen in love with the twin brothers and they had fallen in love with her. The men had advertised for brides but only Gladys had arrived on the bus. When they had taken one look at her they knew she was for them both. They had recently celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary.

    “ The boys’ giving you fits again?” Gladys asked with a knowing smile sliding into the seat across from Maggie.

    There had been a lot of disgruntled ex-housekeepers flowing through the diner in recent months. She had heard all about some of the more colorful fights at the ranch including Ethan and Caleb’s attempt to hire a hooker for Allen. Seems Caleb figured if Allen had sex he would be in a better mood as it had helped in the past. He had talked Ethan into talking to a friend of a friend who knew a woman from Nevada who was willing to come in. In the end, Allen had not been appreciative and the woman had left in a huff but not before threatening to tell the sheriff about what the brothers’ had tried to do if they didn’t pay her a six figure sum to keep quiet. Of course, the sheriff, Matt Holden who was a childhood friend of the boys, had threatened to arrest the woman for blackmail and prostitution. According to the housekeeper at the time the woman left with her promised two hundred and fifty dollars and a bus ticket out of town.

    “ I just don’t know what to do. Ethan took off for two weeks on the excuse he needed to go to an auction, Caleb would rather spend a week out on the range in freezing weather than be in the house, and Allen,” shaking her head Maggie took a drink of the hot coffee before continuing, “the boy is going to drink himself to death if something isn’t done. I can’t do any more. I need a miracle, Gladys.”

    Gladys sat quietly wishing she could help her friend out. She was at her wit’s end too. She didn’t know a single person who was willing to take on the Cunnings’ men, no matter how rich or good looking they were. Sighing she reached over and placed a supportive hand over Maggie’s as she shook her head in sympathy, “I wish I could help you out.”

    Maggie spent the next hour talking with Gladys and her husbands. She enjoyed their company and missed them since she had moved to Florida. If the weather in Wyoming wasn’t so damn cold in the winter she would have stayed just to be near them. Her old bones just couldn’t seem to handle it any more plus she had met a really nice widower whom she enjoyed spending time with. Just as she was resigning herself to returning to the ranch empty handed the bell over the door chimed. Maggie looked up and inhaled a deep breath. Standing just inside the door was a young girl. She had on a thin patchwork jacket and was wearing a pair of faded jeans and scuffed up boots. What caught Maggie’s eye was the light streaming in behind her. She didn’t know if it was the play of the light through the ice-coated window or what but the girl looked like she had a halo around her head.

    “ Gladys, Earl, Carl look behind you.” Maggie whispered excitedly. “I believe my angel just walked into your diner.”

    All three of them turned as one to look at the new arrival. Their eyes widened as they noticed the play of light surrounding her.

    Lily stood inside the door of the diner biting her lower lip with uncertainty. She pushed a strand of dark hair behind her ear as she looked around. She didn’t have much money but she needed to get warm and