Savage Desires (1st in Savage Series)

Chapter Seventeen

Jack's mouth started watering as soon as the cabin door opened and he smelled the mouthwatering scent of baked ham. Lily led him and Allie into the house while Hawke put Trigger in the barn.

"I hope that ham, beans and bread is okay." Lily said as she went about setting the table. "I baked a peach pie for desert as well."

"Just being here with you, finally, after weeks of traveling is good enough." Allie replied. Lily smiled and hugged her sister again. It felt so good to have her close again.

Jack stood to the side feeling utterly useless as Lily and Allie set the table and dished out four plates. They were just setting the plates on the table when Hawke came back into the cabin. Everyone took a seat at the table and Jack listened to Allie and Lily talk as he began shoveling the delicious food into his mouth.

After making small talk for several minutes, Lily's voice suddenly became more serious.

"Allie, I think now would be a good time to tell me what made you leave home." she said. Allie looked down at her plate of food and pushed her beans around with her fork. Lily had always worried too much about her and Allie didn't want to give her any more reason to worry, especially when it seemed like Lily already had too much to worry about in her own life.

"I just missed you." she lied.

"Tell her the truth." Jack scolded with a mouth full of ham and bread. Allie glared over at him and he gave a sheepish grin, causing a chunk of bread crumbs to tumble down his chin. Allie had confided in Jack on the stage during their long trip to Great Valley and she was currently regretting that choice.

"Yes, Allie. Tell me the truth." Lily said and Allie saw that her big sisters eyes were looking at her with the same look she always got when she knew that Allie was lying. She sighed with defeat and launched into the story.

"I knew that they gave you to Nathan to cover their debts but they swore to me that he really was a good man and that you were fond of him and I guess I believed them just because I wanted to believe our parents wouldn't be cruel enough to give you to someone you didn't like.

"After you left they went right back to gambling and their debts grew and grew. I heard them talking one night a couple of weeks ago. They knew I was too young to sell for marriage so instead they were going to sell me to a nice family as a servant. They even had a family lined up." Allie paused here but the table was silent except for the sound of Jack chewing and so she continued.

"I knew I had to leave so I packed a little suitcase, stole what little money they had left and got on the first train for Montana." Lily shook her head.

"I'm so sorry, Allie. I should have been there to look out for you." she said her voice full of guilt. Hawke shook his head and laid his hand over hers on the table.

"Do not do that to yourself. Even if you had been there you could not have helped your sister. Nathan would not have allowed it." he said. Allie could see the amount of love in Hawke's eyes as he looked at her sister and suddenly she understood why Lily was having an affair with the man.

"Speaking of Nathan." she said bringing Lily and Hawke's attention back to her. "How did you end up married to him when you clearly hate him?"

"Mother and father owed him money. They did not have the money. Nathan saw me and decided that he would like to have me instead and they were only too happy to throw me at him in order to save themselves." Lily replied.

"Yes but why did you marry him? You could have said no." Lily looked at her sadly.

"No I couldn't have. You see, he knew my weakness."