As the men turned to ride away, Emmie felt her legs give way. Adam leapt over and caught her before she fell. Tears filled her eyes and she started sobbing and couldn’t stop.
“It’s all right, darling,” Adam whispered. “It’s all over now.” He strode into the cabin with her.
Addy dashed up. “Ma! Ma!”
“Your mother is fine,” Will said. “It’s a woman’s thing. They always cry after a gunfight.”
Satisfied his mother was fine, he dashed inside.
Adam carried Emmie into her bedroom.
“I don’t know what came over me. I’m okay now.”
“I know, but I like holding you.” He deposited her on the bed and stood staring down at her. “It’s over, Emmie. Dodd won’t bother you again. You can be happy now.”
“How can I be happy when you plan on leaving me? I want you to stay, Addy does, too.”
“I’ve got nothing to offer you.”
“You have. You have. I didn’t want to say this, but I will now. I love you, Adam.”
He caught his breath then exhaled it noisily. “Since when?”
“Probably since I was eight years old and you were ten. We could be happy together, I know we could.”
“Until my past catches up with me.” He turned on his heel and left the room. Adam didn’t love her. The tears fell even faster. If he had loved her he would have said so.
She lay on the bed churning things over in her mind. Because of Addy and Will, she couldn’t go with Adam. He would have to be prepared to stay here and he wasn’t. All she could do was enjoy Christmas day with him. Maybe pretend they were a family for a short time. They could cope on their own, particularly now the townsfolk realized they were innocent victims of Dodd’s lies.
Christmas Eve
Will had opened up a bottle of brandy, and the adults had toasted each other as they sat roasting nuts by the living room fire. Emmie had lit it especially for tonight.
“I’ve never done this before,” Adam said. He sat on the floor leaning against her chair, his longs legs stretched out in front of him, Addy at his side.
“Sing some Christmas carols, Ma,” Addy said.
“I don’t think so.”
“Go on, Em,” Will urged. “We can all join in.”
“Oh, all right.”
They snuffed out the lamp, letting the light come only from the fire. The red glow softened the appearance of the room, giving it a coziness it didn’t have in daylight.
“Away in a manger, sing that first, Ma. It’s my favorite.”
She started singing, and after the first few lines, Will and Addy joined in. Adam sat silently a slight smile on his lips yet he sang not one word. Maybe he didn’t know any carols. It seemed likely.
She sang several tunes, leaving Silent Night for last. A tear trickled down her cheek.
“If singing upsets you, why do it?” Adam said softly, as if he didn’t want to break into this special time that wouldn’t come again - the four of them being together. He reached up and clasped her hand.
“It does make me sad, but a happy kind of sad,” she said, running her fingers across his knuckles.
Addy was starting to nod off.
“It’s time for bed, darling.”
“Is it?” Adam whispered, giving her a cheeky grin.
“Addy,” she said firmly.
“Oh, I thought you were inviting me.”
Heat fired her cheeks. She leaned in close and asked softly. “Would you come if I asked?”
She couldn’t believe she was acting so brazenly. The drop of brandy she had consumed must have made her wanton. “Well?”
He shook his head. “I want to, it’s killing me to be denied, but I couldn’t do it to you, Emmie. Not make love to you when I’m planning to leave.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Will who looked to be half asleep, opened his eyes.
“Just reminiscing,” Adam said.
“Come on, Addy, it’s time I was in bed and you, too. Santa Claus won’t come if you’re still up. Goodnight all.” With a smirk on his face Will limped off.
“Go to bed, Addy, I’ll be in to hear your prayers in a couple of minutes.”
“Good night, Adam.” Addy threw his arms around Adam’s neck and kissed his cheek.
“Goodnight, pardner.”
Addy scuttled off.
“You did a fine job bringing him up,” he said. “He’s a credit to you.”
“Thank you.”
“Come back when you’ve settled him down, so we can spend time together.”
“All right, just for a little while.”
She disappeared after Addy, who quickly changed into his nightwear and slipped under the blankets.
“God bless Ma. God bless Uncle Will, and God bless Dougie. And make Adam stay with us, God. Please.”
She kissed him on the forehead. “Sweet dreams, darling, and don’t wake up too early in the morning.”
Thoughtfully she walked out of the room. Maybe if Adam had heard the heartbreakingly simple plea to God, he would stay. She knew he didn’t think he was good enough for them, and feared that his past might catch up with him and put them in danger. Couldn’t he see, it was worth the risk? That’s if he loved her, and he hadn’t declared his love for her, which probably meant he didn’t.
If you look into the wishing well
It will cast a magic spell
Your dearest wish will come true
This is all you have to do.
The childish chant echoed in her ears. Some people had thrown a coin in, she had tapped her finger three times on her special stone. Others swore that the magic was at its most potent on the night of the Beaver moon.
I love Adam and I want to marry him one day, had been her wish. It didn’t happen, he had moved away and she had also. Her father had moved to Georgia, for reasons she couldn’t remember, work most probably.
She had grown up. War had come and when it was over she had met Frank who had been an army friend of Will. They had then moved back to Hopeful. Fate was a strange thing. She had never expected to see Adam again, and he had lobbed on her doorstep.
On returning to the sitting room, Adam was standing by the fire warming his backside.
“Addy asleep?”
“I think so. I need to put a few presents under the tree for him.”
“Oh?”
“From Santa Claus.”
“Reno and Sylvanna didn’t put much store by Christmas or Santa Claus, that’s why it’s always been just another day for me. I bought him a present. A book and candy sticks, I didn’t know what else to get him.”
“That was kind.”
“Something for you and Will, too. I’ll go get them.”
“You shouldn’t spend your money on us, but it was a nice thought. What did you get me?”
“Not telling, Emmie.” He spoke the way he had when he was ten. They had always had, what they called a secret language. It was nothing more than shortened sentences, but they had thought it special.
“You’re using our secret language.”
“I guess I am. Those few weeks in Hopeful were the happiest of my whole life.”
They didn’t speak for a time. No words were necessary, they were so attuned to each other.
“Would you like a hot drink before bed?” she asked softly lest her voice break the spell.
He shook his head.
She stood. “Well, I better go to bed. I have to be up early even if it is Christmas Day, the cows still need milking and the other animals will want to be fed.”
“Addy, Will and I can do it. You have a sleep in.”
He stepped in front of her, and the next thing she was in his arms. She was clamped so tightly against him she could feel his muscular chest and thighs. Hesitating for a moment, he lowered his head. His mouth closed over hers. The kiss was hot, long and somehow desperate. He eased her away a little so his hand could cup her breast.
“Emmie, Emmie.” He groaned
her name between passionate kisses.
She locked her arms around his waist. Finally, he raised his head and stepped away. “Goodnight.” As he walked off she could have sworn she heard him say. “Sleep tight, darling.”
She stood rubbing her finger across her kiss swollen lips.
“I forgot these.” His reappearance with the neatly wrapped presents, released her from her trance-like state. She hurried over to the locked cupboard at the side of the fireplace and retrieved a bag containing a jar of colored candies, a box of pencils, chalk, a small slate and a ball, which she placed under the tree.
“It isn’t much, all I could afford, though.”
“He’ll be happy with it. Where should I put mine?”
“Under the tree. Who gets the present with the pretty bow on it?”
He grinned. “Not telling, Emmie. Not telling. It was good between us all those years ago.”
“It could be again, Adam, if you would only let it.”
“I don’t want to drag you down to my level. I’m a gunslinger, a saddle tramp with no prospects.”
“I love you the way you are. Addy does, too. Goodnight.” She turned and walked into the bedroom.
Chapter Eleven
Christmas Day
Christmas Day dawned. Addy’s excited squeals would have woken the dead Emmie thought. She would love to have had an hour extra in bed.
“A ball, a new slate, chalk and candy.”
“Well, you are the lucky one,” Adam said. “Tell your Ma, I’ll go do the milking so she can sleep in for a little while.”
“Merry Christmas, Adam.”
“Merry Christmas, Addy.”
Emmie had a quick wash in the dish of cold water on her dresser and dressed. Because it was Christmas Day she wore her best dress, a pretty blue, long sleeved one with lace trim at the wrists. It was pure vanity, combined with a touch of desperation that had her brushing her hair and tying it back with a blue ribbon instead of wearing it up as she usually did.
With Adam and Will feeding the animals she wouldn’t need to venture outside. Just for once she would stay inside where it was warm. The chicken they were roasting for lunch had been cleaned and rested in a dish of salted water ready for her to stuff with a dry bread crumb and herb mixture. It would go nicely with the roast potatoes, pumpkin, onions and gravy, followed by plum pudding. They could have the Christmas cake later with their coffee.
They would have pancakes for breakfast. The look of excitement and pleasure on Addy’s face made the sacrifice of using her meager savings from the jar in the dresser, worthwhile.
Will limped in. He looked tired and drawn, obviously he hadn’t slept well. Even after all these years he often had nightmares about the war.
“A bad night?”
“Yes.” He ran his hand across the stubble on his jaw. “I’ll have a shave and clean up later. I just need a coffee real bad, then I’ll milk.”
“Adam volunteered to do it. We’ll only do the barest minimum of chores today,” she said. “We deserve to at least have Christmas Day off.”
“Look, Uncle Will, all these toys from Santa Claus.”
“I told you if you were good, he’d come, didn’t I?”
“Yes.”
“I like the chalk box you made me Uncle Will. It looks nearly like a store bought one.”
Adam sauntered in carrying a bucket of milk which he placed on the bench. “The smell of pancakes brought me in,” he said. “Merry Christmas, everyone.”
“Look at all the presents I got,” Addy said.
“My, that was a lot. That’s your reward for helping your Ma and Uncle.”
“Come and have some pancakes now, you can open the rest of your presents later.”
They sat around the table to eat.
“A bad night, Will?” Adam asked.
“Yeah, nightmares kept waking me up.”
“I can do the outside chores with Addy’s help. Why don’t you go back to bed for a while and that will leave Emmie to get on with the cooking. Open your presents first. I’ve never bought Christmas presents before and I want to see if I got it right.”
Adam rose from the table and stepped over to the Christmas tree to retrieve his presents. He handed Addy his first, then Will and lastly, Emmie.
“Oh, this looks pretty.”
“Did you wrap it up in all those bows and ribbons?” Will asked with a tired smile.
“Certainly not.” Adam grinned. “The lady at the store did it for me.”
“A book and candy sticks,” Addy said excitedly. “Thank you, Adam.”
“Don’t eat all the candy at once or you’ll end up with a bellyache.”
“I won’t. I’m going to share with Dougie.”
“Dogs don’t eat candy,” Emmie said. “It’s not good for them.”
His face fell.
“We can pick some of the flesh off the chicken and he can have that for his Christmas treat.”
“A blue kerchief,” Will exclaimed. “Thanks.”
Adam nodded. “Open yours up, Emmie.”
With trembling hands she took off the bow and untied the ribbon, and putting it to one side, unwrapped the parcel. She gasped with pleasure. “Oh, Adam, it’s beautiful.” She stepped over and kissed his cheek. “I will always treasure it.”
“As long as you like it. I didn’t know what to buy, but it looked so pretty it reminded me of you.”
Her cheeks warmed. “Every time I use it.” There was a sudden catch in her voice. “I’ll think of you.”
“Only then? How about when you wake up in the morning with me lying next to you?”
Emmie gasped. “What are you saying?” Hope surged into her breast. “Are you….”
“Yes, Emmie Jamieson. I love you. Will you marry me?”
As she hesitated, the light faded from his eyes. “Yes. Yes, a hundred times yes.” She went into his arms.
“Yippee.” Addy danced around.
“About time,” Will said. “Congratulations.”
“What made you change your mind?” she asked.
“I’ve always loved you, but it was something about grasping the chance to start afresh. I want that chance. With you and Addy.”
“So, the wishing well did bring us luck.” She kissed him on the lips.
“What do you mean?” Will asked.
“I wished that Adam would one day ask me to marry him, and he has.”
“The day I rode into town, I wished that I would find you. It was the night of the Beaver moon, too.”
Will snorted his derision.
Emmie felt so happy now. The wishing well had lived up to a little girl’s expectations and granted her most fervent wish. Adam loved her and as soon as they could get to the preacher they would be married.
EPILOGUE
Twelve months later
Emmie was sitting by the fire feeding two month old Frank Adam Petrie when Will came back from picking Addy up from school. There was a pretty young school teacher there now, so she was sure that was part of the reason he had volunteered to ride over each day.
What excuse would he use so he could see her now school had broken up for the Christmas break?
“Where’s, Pa?” Addy asked.
“He’s working on putting up more shelter in the back paddock. I told him it was too cold, but you know what he’s like.”
“Adam is stubborn, you should know that.” Will grinned. “Coffee hot?”
“Yes, I’ll have one, it’s freezing outside.”
“You should have a hot drink, Addy. What about you, sis?”
“When I finish feeding the baby. I can’t believe it is Christmas Eve. The time has gone so quickly.”
The ranch was doing well now because of Adam’s strength and willingness to put in the hard work, combined with her brother’s help.
A couple of hours later Adam strode in through the back door, removing his hat and coat as he did so. “It’s cold out there.”
“Pa, Pa. I’m on ho
lidays now.”
“Lucky boy.” He ruffled Addy’s hair, then stood with his hand resting on the child’s shoulder.
Emmie smiled, she couldn’t get enough of watching the pair of them together. Adam winked at her. “How’s the schoolmarm going, Will?”
His face turned red. “All right,” he mumbled.
Emmie came up to Adam, “Did you get everything that you wanted done?”
“Yes, I did.” He kissed her on the lips. “Where’s the baby?”
“He’s asleep.”
“That baby of ours is always asleep,” he grouched. “I don’t see as much of him as I’d like.”
“You’d prefer him to be a restless baby who cries half the night and keeps you up walking the floor with him?”
“Well, no.”
“Oh, go in and have a look at him, you know you want to. Would you like a coffee before supper?”
“Yes, thanks.”
She watched him creep into the bedroom to see little Frank. Adam had surprised her. He was a doting, proud father to Addy and the baby, and a passionate caring husband.
What more could any woman ask for?
The End
Author Links
Margaret’s Website:
http://www.margarettanner.com
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About The Author:
Margaret Tanner is an award winning, bestselling Australian author, who mainly writes Historical Romance and Historical Western Romance. She loves delving into the pages of history as she carries out research for her novels. No internet site is too boring, no book is too old or tattered for her to trawl through, no museum too dusty.
Her love of Westerns came about because of the movies and TV shows of her childhood. Some of her favorites were Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wagon Train and Little House on The Prairie.
Many of her novels have been inspired by true events, with one being written around the hardships and triumphs of her pioneering ancestors. She once spent a couple of hours in an old prison cell so she could feel the chilling cold and fear.
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