"How?"
Ethan ran a hand across his stubble-covered chin. He wished he'd shaved this morning. If he'd known Chloe had been planning on making a visit, he would have made greater efforts to impress her. Because, after yesterday, Ethan realized he wanted Chloe to think the best of him at all times. He gazed around the inside of the barn. "I have an idea to make Christmas special for my father. I think he deserves that, after all he's been through. Maybe a memorable Christmas might be just the thing he needs to give him hope."
Chloe squinted at Ethan. "What's your idea?"
Ethan opened his arms wide and gazed around the barn's interior. "I want to transform this barn into a Christmas wonderland." He peered at Chloe. "In secret, of course. My father can't know about this."
"How are you going to do that?" she asked.
Ethan moved closer. "With your help," he murmured.
Chloe's eyes widened. "Me?" she gasped.
Ethan nodded slowly. Now that he was only a few inches away from Chloe he caught the aroma of her scent in the air, a mixture of sweetness and spice. It was a delicious scent. "You're the expert at making Christmas special," Ethan said. "At least, that's what my ma told me. She said you've been making it special for the Buchanans this past couple of years."
"But your father has already refused to let me get involved," Chloe objected.
Ethan had been thinking carefully about how he would address her objection. "I think if he has a chance to get to know you a little better, he might come around to seeing things our way."
"You want me to meet your father?" Chloe asked incredulously.
Ethan nodded. "While you're visiting with us, making friends with him and my family, you can be here with me, helping me make this barn a special place for Christmas."
"What will he say if he finds out?" she asked.
"He won't. I'll swear my sister and mother to secrecy. I want this to be a surprise for my father." Ethan laughed quietly. "It'll be the last thing he'd ever expect."
Chloe frowned. "I'm not sure, Ethan," she objected. "I don't know what my relatives will think. You know how things are between our two families."
"I'm sure they'll understand," Ethan replied. "At least the womenfolk will." He frowned. "Seems to me it's the women in these two families who want things to be fixed. And that's okay with me. Maybe we can let Caleb and the boys know about this a little closer to Christmas."
"You think this is going to help heal the divisions between you and the Buchanans?"
He moved closer to Chloe and saw the careful way she watched him. "If my pa finds out it was you who helped us make something special, it might be enough for him to see sense and end this feud. Same goes for the Buchanan boys. I think it's worth a try, don't you?"
Chloe was silent for a few, long moments. Ethan could see the deliberation in her eyes. The uncertainty was obvious. Finally, she nodded and ran her gaze around the barn's interior. "There are plenty of possibilities here," she admitted. "We're going to need more than just a nativity scene to make this special. It'll take time. And I'll need to buy some materials from the mercantile."
"I'll pay for whatever is needed," Ethan agreed.
There was a sudden, loud knocking on the door. Ethan opened it and saw Gretchen standing outside. His sister gave him a stern look. "Pa wants you," she announced.
"What's it about?" Ethan asked.
Gretchen shook her head. "He wouldn't say."
"I'll be there in a minute," Ethan stated. Gretchen gave him one last, skeptical look and then walked away. Ethan thought a moment. Maybe it was time to begin what he'd suggested to Chloe. He walked across to her. "Would you like to come meet my father?" he asked quietly.
Judging by the suddenly white color which settled across Chloe's features, Ethan figured this might not be the best time.
CHAPTER TWELVE
"You want me to meet him right now?" Chloe gasped, peering up into Ethan's intently focused eyes. She could see the eagerness for her agreement in his steady gaze.
"Sure. Why not?"
He cupped her elbow in his hand, but she shook it loose from his grasp. "I don't think that's a good idea."
Ethan frowned. "He won't bite your head off," he countered jokingly.
"I never said he would," Chloe retorted and gave him a nervous grin. "I just need some time to think about all of this."
"You don't want to help put an end to all this disagreement?" he asked.
"Of course I do."
Ethan moved closer. Why was it that, when he looked at her with that soft, imploring expression, she felt her heart quicken? Why was it that her pulse raced every time he moved within touching distance? She'd done her best to hide her reaction to him taking her arm gently. "What's he going to say when he knows I'm on the ranch?" Chloe asked. "His ranch," she added for emphasis.
"He'll be fine. Jake saw you and Eugenie visiting," Ethan said. "He probably knows we're trying to do something to heal the divisions between our families."
"But I'm a Buchanan," Chloe said abruptly. "At least, I'm almost one. As far as he's concerned, I'm just like the people he seems to hate."
Ethan frowned. "He doesn't hate you. Or any of the others." His gaze softened. "That's not what this is all about." Ethan moved closer. "Let's go talk to him. I'll introduce you." Ethan smiled. "If you ask me, I think he's going to be real impressed with you." He winked at Chloe. "Just don't mention our little secret."
Chloe felt her face flush with heat. She turned her head away from Ethan. Was she prepared to take this decisive step with Ethan? She knew that if she agreed to this, there would be no going back. Chloe had been brought up to keep her promises. Her word was her bond. Once she'd given Ethan her vow that she'd see this through, there would be no way she could change her mind. Chloe was in the habit of seeing things through to the end. That was what God wanted of her. To be someone who could be trusted. And she wasn't going to change that for anything. Or anyone.
Chloe nodded and sighed. "I'll go meet him, Ethan."
Ethan smiled broadly. "Good. I'll make sure I stay close. Sometimes, pa's temper can get the better of him. But, he has a good heart. It's just that life has been hard, and he's finding it hard to hang onto what made him who he is."
Chloe followed Ethan out of the barn. She watched as he secured the door using a bulky, metal padlock. Stuffing the key inside the pocket of his jacket, he led her across the yard. As she neared the ranch house, Chloe's felt her nerves tighten. There was a heavy, hollow sensation in the pit of her stomach. But, she'd made her mind up to go through with this, and she was determined to do her best.
Ethan paused at the front door and smiled at her. Chloe smiled nervously back at him and composed herself. Ethan opened the door and stepped into the hall. Chloe followed. The interior of the ranch house was warm. She heard the murmuring of voices and the crackling sound of a fire coming from one of the rooms to her left. Ethan cleared his throat noisily and the voices quietened. Chloe followed Ethan into the room, which was the ranch house's parlor. There were three people in the room. Lilian and Gretchen sat on a long sofa in front of the fireplace. And, on a chair set to one side of the fireplace, sat a gray-haired, heavy-jowled man whose dark gaze was locked firmly upon Chloe.
Jake Armstrong did not look pleased to see Chloe. She swallowed and dragged in a deep breath. The silence was deafening for a few long moments. The ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner of the room seemed unusually loud.
Then, Lilian leaped up from the sofa and came to Ethan and Chloe. "How nice of you to pay us a visit," Lilian exclaimed taking Chloe by the hands and smiling enthusiastically. Lilian led Chloe across to Jake. "Jake, this is Chloe Forsyth," Lilian said. Chloe was sure Lilian had put extra emphasis on her second name. Maybe she wanted to make sure Jake understood Chloe wasn't an actual Buchanan.
Jake peered up at Chloe. He nodded slowly but did not immediately reply. Once again, there was a long, awkward silence in the room.
Ethan came to Chl
oe's side and looked down at his father. "Chloe was desperate to meet you, pa," Ethan said and glanced at Chloe for confirmation. "Isn't that right. Chloe," Ethan added.
Chloe hesitated and then nodded. "Of course. I've heard so much about you." Seeing Jake lift a querying brow, Chloe quickly added: "From Ethan."
Jake didn't look convinced. He nodded curtly. "Pleased to meet you ma'am," he said. Chloe thought his words didn't sound entirely sincere.
Gretchen stood up from the sofa. "I'll go fetch some tea," she declared and then quickly left the room after giving Chloe a tentative, obviously nervous smile.
"Won't you sit down," Lilian suggested, pointing to the space on the sofa vacated by Gretchen.
Chloe sat down. Settling her hands in her lap, she smiled at Jake. When Ethan took his place next to her on the sofa, Chloe tried her best not to react to his closeness. Ethan gazed at Chloe for a long moment, as if he was checking everything was fine. Her heart thumping furiously, Chloe dragged her attention away from Ethan and to Jake.
She hadn't expected that meeting him in person would affect her quite as much as it had. A deep sympathy took hold of Chloe as he regarded him. Jake's physique was powerful. He still looked fit for a man in his fifties. Broad shoulders, powerfully muscled arms and strong legs had been shaped by years of hard work. Somehow, his bulky physique had a weakened quality. Jake held his chin up, evidence of a determination not to seem cowed by life. But, Chloe could see hesitation in his eyes. Pain he was determined to hide as best he could. This was a man unaccustomed to relying upon others. Ethan had described his father as a strong, independent-minded man. And that was exactly what Chloe could see sitting on the chair in front of her. But there was also suffering hiding behind that steady gaze, Chloe told herself.
Jake turned and gazed sternly into the fireplace, as if he was avoiding Chloe's scrutiny. Chloe wondered how long it would take for Jake to ask her even one simple question. She decided to seize the initiative. "How do you like Montana, Mr Armstrong?" she asked.
Jake turned to look at her. He frowned and glanced at Ethan. "Has my son been telling you things about my past?"
Chloe froze for a second, unsure how to respond to Jake's instant challenge. "Only that you moved here from Colorado and that you've been doing your best to make the ranch a going concern," she replied hesitantly.
"Is that all?" Jake snapped.
Lilian smiled at her husband. "Now, Jake. Chloe's only trying to be polite."
"Is she?" he grunted. His gaze was even more steadily fixed upon Chloe.
Undeterred, Chloe met Jake's gaze. "I came all the way from Salt Lake City," Chloe offered.
"That's a long train ride," Ethan added supportively.
"It sure is," Lilian echoed.
"Why'd you come here?" Jake asked sharply.
Chloe exchanged a look with Ethan and Lilian. She knew the moment of truth had arrived. She couldn't avoid mentioning her Buchanan relatives. "You know my aunt is Eugenie Buchanan."
Chloe heard Jake drag in a noisy, sharp breath. It seemed that even the merest mention of the Buchanan name was enough to trigger a reaction in Jake. His hands gripped the side of the chair. His entire upper body had become rigid. For a moment, Chloe thought Jake was about to demand that she be escorted out of the room.
"I don't want to know anything about the Buchanan family," Jake announced. "I've learned all I need over the last few months."
Chloe felt heat rush to her cheeks. The desire to defend her relatives took hold of her, but she forced herself to stay calm. "I understand how you feel, Mr Armstrong," she said. "From what I've heard, things haven't been too friendly between your family and mine."
Jake's brows furrowed. "Your family?" he asked with an acid tone of voice.
Chloe nodded. "I do consider myself a Buchanan." She glanced nervously toward Ethan. "They are my only remaining family. Both my parents passed on a few years ago."
"And you've no-one else?" Jake asked in a quiet voice.
Chloe shook her head. She saw Jake's eyes narrow slightly, as if he was considering her revelation. "I come here every year, now," Chloe explained. "Just for Christmas. It's the loveliest time of the year, as far as I'm concerned." She suddenly thought she was doing well, holding her own with Jake Armstrong. The question she asked next seemed inevitable. "Do you like Christmas, Mr Armstrong?"
Jake leaned back in his chair. For a moment, Chloe thought he was going to thunder some terrible reply, a denunciation of the whole festive season. Instead, though, he tilted his head and peered across at his wife, Lilian. "We've had some pretty nice Christmases over the years. Haven't we, Lilian?"
"We sure have, Jake," Lilian agreed. "Colorado could be real beautiful in the winter. Plenty of snow at Christmas most years."
Ethan laughed quietly. "I remember using a toboggan in the snow and nearly cracking my head open like an egg when I took a tumble on a hillside."
Chloe giggled. Ethan falling from a sled was something she'd like to see, she realized.
"That was a Christmas to remember," Lilian admitted.
"We're sure to have snow this Christmas," Chloe said brightly. "I'm certain of it."
"How can you be so sure?" Jake asked, clearly doubtful.
Chloe quietly uttered one word. It was probably the most important word in her vocabulary. "Hope."
Jake's reaction wasn't what she'd expected. "Hope?" he snapped. He grunted and shifted suddenly on the chair. Chloe felt like she'd touched a raw nerve as she watched Jake try to calm himself. Lilian stood and came to her husband. He calmed the instant she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and smiled down at him.
Chloe realized she'd just been given a glimpse of Jake's inner turmoil. Had Ethan's father lost hope in the future? Had he truly turned his back on God? Chloe knew that now wasn't the time to bring up such a subject. The time might come for that conversation. But it would have to wait. Everyone was silent for a short while and then Gretchen brought in a large tray with a teapot, cups and plates. Lilian and Gretchen proceeded to serve the tea.
For the remainder of the hour Chloe spent in the Armstrong parlor, the talk was about anything else except Christmas and the Buchanans.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"How was your visit to the Armstrong ranch?" Eugenie asked later that afternoon as Chloe entered the Buchanan ranch house. Eugenie stood at the door to the kitchen, wiping her hands on her white apron.
"Fine," Chloe said curtly. She paused in the hallway and took off her coat. She hung it up on the rail at the foot of the staircase and turned to Eugenie.
Eugenie peered quizzically at Chloe. "Just fine?"
Chloe sighed and shook her head. Her shoulders sank. "Not really," she admitted. Eugenie swept off her apron and threw it on the kitchen table and came back out to the hallway, pointing toward the parlor. "Tell me all about it."
Chloe followed Eugenie into the parlor and took her place on the seat next to the fireplace. Eugenie sat opposite Chloe. "What happened?" Eugenie asked. Her eyes narrowed. "Did you meet Jake Armstrong?"
Chloe gasped. "How did you know?"
Eugenie sighed. "An educated guess. Most folks who meet Jake these days usually end up with the same expression on their faces." She frowned. "He's not an easy man to like."
"It must be difficult for him. Having to get used to not remembering things properly," Chloe said. "Especially after the kind of life he's led. The outdoors kind. Being in control of everything."
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