The days passed quickly. The men always made sure at least one of them stayed with her. Helen came over almost daily, and she and Lily’s friendship grew even deeper.
For the first time, Lily felt like she could be herself. Helen had confided she had read Lily’s journal before she had given it to Ethan. She asked Lily questions, and Lily answered them as best she could.
A week after Lily came home, she and Helen decided to make Christmas cookies for all the ranch hands. Caleb was sitting at the table eating some of them. He said he was the official taste tester to make sure they were edible.
“Lily, can I ask you a question that has been bugging me?” Helen said as she placed more cookie dough on the cookie sheet.
“Sure,” Lily said, reaching for the oven mitts.
“How old are you?” Helen i
