Gift of Hope

by Shanna Hatfield

  He knew the top of her head fit just beneath his chin. “She’s this tall,” he said, holding up his hand. And she’s, well, she’s, um…” He had no idea how to say she had plenty of curves and a small, trim waist, without hinting that he’d held her closer than Maggie might deem proper. Embarrassed, he pointed to a mannequin to indicate the size.

  Maggie grinned. “How about coloring? Does she have light or dark hair?”

  “Both.”

  Maggie tossed him a confused look. “Both? How does one have both?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know, but her hair is dark brown with light blond strands shot through it. And her eyes are the color of honey in the sunlight. Her skin is olive-toned and she’s quite beautiful.”

  The grin returned to Maggie’s face. “Of course she is, Gaffney, or you wouldn’t be thinking of marrying her.”

  Affronted, he glared at Maggie. “Are you saying I’m so shallow, I’d only look at a pretty girl? Maybe she’s cross-eyed, homely, and shaped like a barrel.”

  Maggie laughed at him as she sorted through her selection of ready-made dresses. “I seriously doubt that. I didn’t intend to imply you are shallow, Gaff. I just meant that most men think the woman they are planning to marry is lovely. Besides, I can easily picture a handsome man such as yourself falling in love with an Italian beauty.”

  “She is beautiful,” he admitted as Maggie held up a deep garnet-colored gown.

  “What do you think of this one?” she asked.

  “I think it will be perfect for her, but maybe I should let her choose.” Grady suddenly felt very unsure and uncertain. If Gia spurned his affections and refused to go along with his plans, again, he’d be left with a bunch of clothes no one would wear. “If I pay for everything, do you think I could bring them in to try on the clothes?”

  “Certainly. Are she and the children in town with you?” Maggie looked toward the street, as through Gia and the little ones might magically appear.

  “No. She lives in a remote cabin up near the mine, but I hope to convince her to come to town with me today. If we get here before it’s too late, would you be willing to make sure the clothes fit them, that they like them?”

  “Of course, Gaffney. Are you planning to go all the way back up the mountain, get them, and bring them here before this evening?” Maggie asked, sounding surprised.

  “That’s my plan. I bought some other gifts, too. To keep from hauling it all up the mountain and back down again, if she goes along with my ideas, could I leave them here, Maggie?”

  “Yes, you may. And while you’re planning things, add coming to our house for dinner before the service at the church to your list.”

  “I couldn’t impose like that,” Gaffney said, taking money out of his pocket and counting out the funds to pay for his purchases.

  “It’s not an imposition when I insist,” Maggie grinned at him. “I don’t have shoes here, or underclothes for a boy, but I can see about getting those things while you’re gone.”

  “No, Maggie. I can’t ask you to do that.” Grady shook his head.

  “You didn’t ask, I offered. Now. What color would you like for the rag doll?”

  “Blue, to go with Gwennie’s dress,” Gaffney said, adding a few more bills to the total then hurrying outside and returning with the gunnysacks full of gifts. He took out the things he’d purchased for Jason and Sizzler, then left the rest in Maggie’s workroom. “Thank you, Maggie. I appreciate this more than you can know.”

  “I don’t doubt that at all. Now, go get your girl and I’ll watch for you to return this afternoon. How long does it take to get there and back?”

  “Roughly six hours, plus time to convince her this is a good idea” Grady glanced at the clock on the wall. The hands moved just past nine.

  “I’ll meet you here at four,” Maggie said, smiling at Grady. “Hurry it up and go get that beautiful girl of yours.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Grady said, tipping his head to Maggie and walking over to the door. “Thank you, Maggie.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, scoot!”

  Grady took care of a few more errands, and was still grinning as he rode out of town, headed back up the mountain. Happy must have sensed his urgency as the horse kept a steady pace. He rode out of the trees behind Gia’s cabin and checked his watch, pleased to see it wasn’t yet noon. Nerves kept his hunger at bay as he took a deep breath and rode to the cabin. He gave Happy a pat on his rump, walked around the horse and started up the steps.

  He’d just stepped onto the porch when the door swung open and Matty rushed out, full of smiles.

  The little boy didn’t say a word, but wrapped his arms around Grady’s left leg while Gwennie ran to him and clung to his other leg.

  “Hi,” the little girl said, smiling up at him like he was Saint Nicholas himself come to pay them a visit.

  “Hi,” he said, winking at her. He picked up both children then walked inside the cabin, shutting the door with the toe of his boot.

  “Matty? What were you doing outside?” Gia asked from the sink where she had her arms buried in soapy water, washing dishes. She blew an errant curl out of her face and glanced over her shoulder, then whipped around, slinging suds from her hands. “Grady?”

  “Yes, ma’am?”

  “What on earth are you doing here?” she asked, dripping water and soap on the floor.

  “I’m here, Gia, because I have a gift to give this family and I don’t really want to take no for an answer.”

  She blinked at him as he moved across the room until he stood in front of her, still holding the children.

  “I want to take all three of you to Baker City for Christmas. My friends have invited us for dinner tonight, and I’d hate for you to miss the service at the church this evening. I have it on good authority there’s going to be a play that is not to be missed. And we could spend Christmas Day with Thane and Jemma at the ranch. Lily would love to play with Matty again.”

  “Well, I…” Gia appeared to be searching for an excuse, for some reason to tell him no. And he wasn’t going to stand for it.

  “Look, Gia, I understand. Really, I do. You just recently found out about Rocco, and you feel you need time to mourn him. I don’t want to pressure you or push you, but I think you need to know how much I love you. Even if we haven’t known each other all that long, I know I love you as I’ve never loved another. I want to marry you. Nothing would please me more than becoming a family with all three of you. Giavanna Angelina Esposito DeVille, would you do me the great honor of agreeing to accompany me to Baker City for the Christmas festivities, and becoming my bride, when the time feels right to you?”

  “Tell him yes, Mamma!” Matty shouted.

  “Yes, Mamma!” Gwennie echoed, leaning her head against Grady’s cheek.

  “Well? What do you say?” Grady asked. The shocked look on her face and hesitancy in her eyes made him fear her answer. Would she tell him no?

  Chapter Twelve

  Gia gaped at Grady. Had he really just proposed to her, or was she dreaming?

  After he left yesterday, she’d alternated between crying and praying. She’d sat down with the Bible her grandmother had given her and spent hours reading. Verses about pride seemed to shout at her that she needed to change her ways.

  She decided if Grady ever came around again, she’d tell him the truth, bare her heart, and ask for his forgiveness for her behavior. Although she’d expected to wait weeks before she saw him again, here he was, holding her children like they were his own, asking her to spend Christmas with him, to spend a lifetime with him.

  After he left her yesterday, she’d wrestled with her pride and her thoughts. She realized how wrong she’d been, how hurtful and stubborn and stupid she’d been where Graydon Gaffney was concerned.

  She hadn’t done what was best for the children by keeping them secluded at the cabin and she certainly hadn’t done what was best for her either. Rocco wouldn’t have wanted them to hide there for months on e
nd. He wouldn’t have expected it any more than he would have expected her to never remarry.

  No, he’d want her to be happy, would want his children to be happy and well cared for. Gia realized now how much her pride had deprived her children, how much it had nearly cost her, including this incredible, caring man who had, by a Christmas miracle, returned.

  Finally gathering her wits together, Gia wiped her hands on her apron and took a step forward. She certainly never envisioned being proposed to while her children offered their thoughts on the matter, but she’d also never expected to be interested in getting married again.

  But she was interested, undeniably so, as long as the husband in question was Grady.

  Rather than answer his request, she looked into his incredible blue eyes and saw questions swirling there. The last thing she wanted was for him to doubt her feelings for him.

  “Graydon Gaffney, I owe you an apology. Several, actually,” she said, drawing in a deep breath, although she held his gaze. “You’ve been nothing but kind and caring and generous. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know how we would have survived these past weeks. In truth, we probably wouldn’t have. You’ve saved me from myself. You’ve offered true friendship. And you’ve shared with all of us the precious gift of hope, something I’d run out of months ago. I let my stubborn pride take priority over everything and thanks to you, I see now how wrong I was. I never imagined you’d come here today, and I certainly never dreamed you’d ask me to marry you, not after the way I’ve been, the things I’ve said. But I do love you, Grady. With all my heart. And I would be so happy and honored to marry you.”

  His face registered surprise while his eyes sparkled with joy. “I’m glad to hear that, Gia. Mighty glad,” he said, bending down to kiss her cheek. When he did, she wrapped her arms around him and the children, drawing them all into a circle of love.

  Gia took Gwennie while Grady continued to hold Matty and the four of them smiled at one another, bound by the joy enveloping them.

  A jangling sound made him take a step back and glance out the window.

  “He’s early. That’s great,” Grady said, setting Matty on his feet.

  “Who’s early?” Gia asked as Grady took Gwennie from her and set her down so she could follow her brother outside.

  “Stay on the porch!” Grady called after them then tugged Gia into his arms. The quick but scorching kiss he gave her held promises of what would come later when they were alone. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the open door then waved at a young man who swung off a big wagon pulled by two massive horses. One of them she was sure Grady had ridden to the cabin before.

  When the man jogged up the steps, Grady extended a hand in greeting. The two men shook hands and then the young man removed his hat, nodding politely to Gia.

  “Howdy, Mrs. DeVille. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Grady grinned at her. “Gia, this is Jason Bowie. He’s my assistant at the mine and he’s kindly offered to keep an eye on Florence and the chickens while we are in town, if you’re still willing to head into Baker City.”

  “Yes… I… that will be fine and it’s very nice to meet you Mr. Bowie,” Gia said, feeling like she was the only one not privy to Grady’s plans. Then again, Christmas was a time for surprises.

  “Just call me Jason, ma’am. It’ll be fun to stay here for a while.” Jason motioned to the wagon. “They ought to get you down the mountain in fine shape.”

  “Only if we hurry up and head out,” Grady said, looking at Gia then the children. “Dress as warmly as you can and we’ll bring along blankets. Pack anything you’ll need for a night away.”

  Gia spun around, pulling the children into the cabin with her. She found an old carpetbag of Rocco’s and filled it with what she and the children would need for the night, tucked in the gifts she’d made, then hurried to change. For practical reasons, she dressed in a set of Rocco’s long woolen underwear and pulled on a pair of his pants beneath her best dress to help keep her warm. She wrapped Gwennie in so many layers, the poor child could hardly move as Grady carried her out to the nest of blankets he’d created in the wagon.

  Jason helped Matty into the wagon, then she saw Grady hand the man a gunnysack and exchange another round of handshakes with him.

  After one last look around the cabin, she hurried outside. She took Jason’s hand between hers and gave him a warm smile. “Thank you for making it possible for us to leave, even for a day.”

  “My pleasure, ma’am. You and Gaff and the little ones have yourself a merry Christmas. I’ll be here when you get back.” Jason stepped back as Grady swung her up to the wagon seat then climbed up beside her.

  “Thanks again, Jason. Merry Christmas to you!” Grady called as he snapped the lines and the horses began the long trek down the mountain. He pulled a small package from the saddlebags at his feet and handed it to her. “From the deer hide,” he said.

  She removed the paper to find three pairs of gloves made of soft leather and lined with wool to keep them warm. “Thank you,” she said, leaning over and kissing Grady’s cheek before she slipped the gloves on Gwennie and Matty’s hands then tugged on her own pair.

  Gia felt so ecstatic she could hardly sit still. It had been more than a year since she’d been to town. More than a year since she’d set foot in a store or attended a church service or left the woods. And it was all because of the man sitting next to her.

  She wrapped her hands around his arm and leaned against him. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

  “You ought to thank Jason,” he said with a smirk. “I was so mad at you when I got back to the mine last night, I think I chopped a full cord of wood before he talked me into stopping. He also suggested if you’d made me that angry, then I was probably in love with you and ought to tell you that.”

  “He’s a smart man.” Gia smiled and scooted a little closer to him. “Truly, Grady, I’m so glad you didn’t let me run you off. I was sure I’d never see you again after I was so rude to you last night. I’m sorry. I really do love you, so much. I think I have since the moment I looked up in the snowstorm and saw you there.”

  “And here I thought I’d terrified you,” he teased, bending down and kissing her nose.

  “No, never. You’re too sweet and gentle to ever terrify anyone.” She gave Grady a long look then cleared her throat. “I’d like to discuss your plans to take us to Baker City to celebrate Christmas that included your invitation of marriage.”

  A frown creased his brow. “I shouldn’t have pushed my luck, Gia. I’m glad you and the children are going to town with me, but you can ignore the marriage proposal if you want. I don’t want you to feel any pressure to marry me before you’re ready. I can wait however long it takes for you to decide you’d like to become my wife, if that day should ever arrive.”

  “I’m ready now, Grady. I don’t want to wait. There is nothing I’d like more than to become your wife, if you still want me.”

  “Want you?” he said, his voice raised slightly as he tossed her an incredulous look. “Are you daft, woman? It’s stretched my patience to the limit and beyond keeping my hands off you. I’m not sure how I could possibly want you any more than I already do and not combust into a pile of ashes. As soon as there is a ring on your finger, I fully intend to show you just exactly how much you are wanted.”

  Heat seared her cheeks and she glanced back to see if her children heard Grady’s impassioned words, but they were both asleep in their cocoon of blankets.

  Emboldened by her feelings for Grady, feelings she knew he returned, she kissed his cheek. “I look forward to that, Grady.”

  He snapped the reins. “Come on, boys, we’ve got a wedding to get to.”

  Hours later, Gia bent over and brushed Gwennie’s hair away from her face while Grady made sure Matty was tucked beneath the covers on his side of the hotel bed. She had no idea how Grady had made it happen, but after dinner with his delightful friends and the wonderful Christmas Eve service, follo
wed by their wedding, he’d taken her to the Hotel Warshauer, where he’d already reserved a suite with two bedrooms.

  The room was finely appointed and even had a Christmas tree in the corner with packages beneath it. She wondered when he’d found time to shop or place things beneath the tree, but then again, he’d left her at Maggie MacGregor’s shop for nearly an hour as the woman helped her into a beautiful new gown Grady had already paid for, along with new clothes for Matty and Gwennie.

  The afternoon and evening had been magical and full of unexpected Christmas cheer. With Grady, she was sure there would be even more surprises tomorrow.

  But tonight was for the two of them.

  “It was nice of Maggie to offer to keep the children at her home,” Gia said as she and Grady stepped into the parlor and partially closed the door to the children’s bedroom. Grady added more wood to the cheery fire crackling in the fireplace.

  “She would have happily kept them, or they could have stayed with the sheriff’s family, but I knew you’d feel better with them here.” He smiled at her over his shoulder as he straightened and brushed off his hands.

  “I can’t believe you did all this for us, for me, Grady. It’s too much, and so expensive.” The new clothes had been extravagant. She hated that Grady was spending so much of his money on them. Her gray wool dress was still serviceable, even if it was far from fashionable. But the moment he’d escorted her to the dress shop and asked if she liked the lovely gown he’d chosen for her, she couldn’t find the words to refuse it. She’d loved the deep red hue of the gown, the soft, embossed fabric, and the style that complimented her figure so well.

  Maggie helped her fashion her hair, pinned on a hat decorated with a matching plume, and handed Gia a pair of soft leather gloves the same color as her dress.

  Even Matty and Gwennie looked so different in their new finery. When Grady had returned to escort her to the MacGregor home for dinner, Gia hardly recognized him. He’d taken a bath and shaved. He wore a dark suit that accented the breadth of his shoulders and the length of his solid legs.