Doc cleared his throat and quirked one brow.
Kin composed his features. “Okay. So you need me to ride around and spread the word about the town meeting?”
Doc nodded.
“What time do you want folks to arrive?”
Doc was already reining his horse towards the south. “Let’s say three o’clock this afternoon. I’ll take all the homes towards the south and the east. You handle the north and west.”
“Will do.” Kin saddled and mounted his horse. He put his heels to his mount’s flanks and rode out, but he was still chuckling as he did so.
Aurora was definitely going to hear about this from him!
Chapter 4
Maude Carver sat with her brothers near the fire they had built in the Kastains’ yard. Kane had bagged a wild boar, and they were rendering the fat into lard, and getting ready to set most of the meat to smoking. Kane had insisted this was a way for them to bless the Kastains for giving them such a good deal on renting the room in their barn, but Maude was just glad she would be around to eat some of it too. Her mouth watered at the thought of smoked pork—fried with a little fat back, and green beans and mashed potatoes on the side… My, she missed Ma’s home cooking.
She stirred the pot of lard, and watched Kane and Seth add the roof to the smokehouse with the help of Aiden Kastain. Kane had constructed the smokehouse from a hollowed-out log. He and Seth had stood it upright and then driven long pegs through it to form shelves to place the meat on. The pegs could be removed so that each shelf could be layered with meat before the next pegs were added for another layer of meat. Her brother was pretty ingenious, even if she would probably never say so to his face.
When Kin Davis rode into the yard, Maude straightened and smoothed her skirts. When Seth gave her an eye-roll and a grin, she felt her face heat. Despite Seth’s teasing, she couldn’t resist returning her attention to the rider.
No matter how handsome the man was, he clearly didn’t have eyes for her. She’d seen him paying special attention to Zoe Kastain. And once or twice to Aurora McClure, who lived at the Rodante spread a few miles from here. But he’d never even so much as given her a second glance.
And today didn’t appear to be any different.
Kin swung down from his horse and strode toward Kane, hand outstretched. “Howdy.”
“Davis.” Kane took his hand and gave him a nod. “I believe Mrs. Kastain and her daughter Belle headed into town to their shifts at the diner.”
Kin rubbed his chin with the back of one hand and assessed the smokehouse. “They’ll have heard the news already, then. I can’t stay. Just dropping by to let everyone know that Doc has called for a town meeting to be held in the church at three this afternoon.”
The two puppies that Aidan had brought home from the trip to Seattle cavorted onto the hard-packed dirt in front of the barn, yapping and tumbling over one another. Jinx dashed around the corner of the building and dove into the fray as well. For a moment all three dogs yapped at the top of their voices, and then Jinx tumbled onto his back and let the puppies pin him down. All three dogs paused in their play, tongues lolling, to stare at the humans who stared back at them.
“Cute pups,” Kin said. “Where’d they come from.”
“I rescued ‘em in Seattle. But Ma says I can’t keep ‘em.” Aidan hung his head for a just a split second before he jerked it up, eyes bright. “You don’t want one of ‘em, do you, Kin? I know you’d take real good care of one.”
Kin chuckled and shook his head. “‘Fraid I can’t take one, A. I’m heading to Seattle myself, sooner than later.”
Maude’s ears perked up. He was?
Kin’s feet shuffled as if he hadn’t actually meant to let his revelation slip. He motioned to the Appaloosa in the corral. “I thought Joe Rodante was keeping the horse?”
As if it recognized it was the center of attention, the horse whinnied and pranced a circle around the enclosure. Its breath puffed out in roiling clouds.
Kane layered in the top shelf of meat. “I’ve been fetching it, mornings, bringing it here, then taking it back again, evenings. Teaching it to walk on a lead. Also helps it get used to voiced directions.”
Kin nodded. “Smart. How’s it behaving?”
Kane motioned for Seth to help him and they lifted the roof of the smokehouse into place. “Got spunk. That’s for certain. But smart too. Training’s coming along right well. Even was able to stay in the saddle for a few seconds yesterday.”
Maude snorted softly. The shortest few seconds she’d ever seen. When the horse had sent Kane sailing over the corral fence, she’d rushed to his side certain he’d at the very least have the wind knocked out of him, but he’d leapt to his feet almost before she reached him, laughing and pleased as punch that the Appaloosa had let him settle into the saddle. She rolled her eyes, even now. He’d be lucky if he ever got that stubborn critter trained.
Zoe Kastain appeared on the porch drying her hands with a towel. She’d been around a lot the past few days, since school had let out for the Christmas holiday. “Hi, Kin!” she called.
Kin’s face lit up like a Christmas lantern as he spun to face her and strode to the porch.
Maude sighed and reminded herself to stir the lard.
Kane ruffled a hand over Aidan’s hair. “Looks like we get to take a break this afternoon and ride into town. How’d you like that?”
“Boy howdy, would I!” Aidan spun in a circle, cheering his excitement.
Kane and Seth joined in, mimicking his excitement.
Maude wished they would hush so she could hear Zoe and Kin’s conversation, but just as Aidan dashed off on Kane’s instructions to go wash in the house, Kin mounted his horse. He reined toward the trail that led to the Rodante place, but he paused for just a moment, looked right at her, and tugged the brim of his hat in her direction. His lips tilted into a secretive smile, as if he might have been aware of her scrutiny this whole time.
She froze, and by the time she recovered enough to lift a hand in farewell, he’d already turned his amused attention to the trail.
She sighed and plunked her hands on her hips.
When she responded like that, what did she expect from the man? He likely thought her a cold hard shrew!
By the time Kin finished his rounds of the homes to the north and west, and arrived at the church, Doc had the building warm, and several families were already gathered in the room. Kin removed his hat and shrugged out of his duster. He hung them on the pegs in the entry and then stepped past the partition and into the sanctuary. From across the room, Mrs. Griffin raised her brows at him. He grinned and gave her a nod. Her sleigh was completed. And it was a beauty. He’d built in a special compartment for Doc’s medical bag, added a boot with locking shelves for his apothecary, and even added a back seat in case Doc needed to transport a patient somewhere.
A woman cleared her throat by his side. He glanced over. It was Mrs. Holloway.
“Is my husband’s horse still alive?” she whispered, keeping her focus on the main part of the room.
Kin chuckled. “Yes, ma’am. Saw it just a bit ago. Kane said the training is coming along right well.”
She smoothed her hands over her skirt. “If I had known how much stress that present was going to cause me, I might have reconsidered my choice.”
Kin tucked his fingers in his pockets. “It will all be worth it when the day comes. Don’t you worry.”
“I hope so!”
“What do you hope?” Marshall Zane stepped up beside his wife.
Her eyes flew wide and she gave Kin a look that pleaded for rescue.
“Your wife was just telling me how she hopes Christmas is going to be beautiful for everyone in Wyldhaven this year.”
Marshall Zane settled a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “My Jac. Always thinking of everyone’s happiness. One of the reasons I fell in love with her.” He smiled down at her.
Something about the look raised a lump in Kin’s throat. He to
re his gaze to the floor. “I’ll just mosey to the back, so there will be plenty of seats for everyone.” The couple was so consumed with each other, that they didn’t even seem to notice his departure. He supposed that was the way it ought to be. But it amused him to see the normally gruff, all-business marshal, devolve into a puddle of sentimentality whenever his wife was around.
Would there be a woman who turned him to mush like that someday? Hang fire, he hoped not!
He strode to the back wall and leaned against it propping his foot up behind himself as he studied the room.
Of course the Hines family was here. And right on the front row. Mrs. Hines wouldn’t fail to attend a town meeting. She might miss out on some juicy bits of gossip to pass on to the people who came to shop in the mercantile. Next to them sat the Kings. The Kastain’s were there, and the new Carver family. He couldn’t withhold a grin as he remembered the surprise on Maude Carver’s face when he tipped his hat to her earlier.
Since he was behind her and off to one side now, he allowed himself to study her. She was petite, but her every action showed she was a woman who could hold her own if it ever came down to it. On the other hand, she hadn’t handled her brother’s illness in the best manner. Stealing from folk didn’t sit right with him, but he had plenty of skeletons in his own closet, so maybe he oughtn’t be so judgmental about that. In the end, they’d come around to doing the right thing. She was slender, but filled out it all the right places, and that hair… Had he ever seen a color quite like it? It reminded him of maple leaves in the fall. And with those soft eyes of hers, she was fetching. Right fetching.
Jackson Nolan settled against the wall next to him. He glanced from Maude, to Kin, and back again with a knowing grin on his face.” You ain’t the only one to notice the new girl in town.”
Kin did his best to look nonchalant. He shrugged one shoulder. “I’ll be leaving soon.” He had no desire to fight Jackson over a girl he wasn’t really interested in. Looking and acting were two different things.
Jackson gave him a squint. “First I heard. Where you off to?”
Kin adjusted his boot to a more comfortable position on the wall.” Think I’m going to search out work in Seattle.”
“When you leavin’?”
Kin shrugged again. “Few days, maybe.” Truth was, he hadn’t quite decided yet.
“What!?” Jackson folded his arms and thankfully returned his scrutiny to the main part of the room. “Well, I wish you all the best. I’d come with you except Pa would never let me.”
Kin pondered on that. He supposed that was one benefit to no longer having a pa. Except... He swallowed. PC had been more of a pa to him than his own pa had been. Guilt piled atop his appreciation as he thought about the reason for this meeting.
He had known PC was sick. Why hadn’t he checked on him before he had left the house this morning? If something happened to the man, he’d never be able to forgive himself.
At the front of the room, Doc called the meeting to order. He explained about PC maybe having the measles. And a ripple of horror filtered through the room.
Kin gritted his teeth, and tried not to think about how deadly measles could be.
Doc explained that once you’ve had the measles you couldn’t catch them a second time. And how Aurora had been concerned when the parson didn’t show up this morning and had gone in to check on him. “She’s there at the parsonage with him now,” he said.
From the front row Mrs. Hines gasped. She and Mrs. King exchanged a look.
Doc cleared his throat. “The lad Tommy was in the home the whole time.” He gave special emphasis to those last two words, his gaze drilling right into the two women on the front row.
Kin felt the tension in his shoulders. He would like to properly educate those two. If either of them even so much as whispered a hint of scandal about either PC or Aurora, he would give them a piece of his mind. Because neither the parson nor Aurora would stoop to anything immoral, and the whole town knew it.
When Doc got to the part explaining that he needed to go out to Camp Sixty-Three, and Aurora was under quarantine and needed someone who had previously had the measles to stay with her and help tend the parson, the room fell completely silent.
If Kin knew the townspeople, either Charlotte Callahan or Mrs. Griffin would have been the first to volunteer. But Mrs. Callahan had been working like crazy making desserts to sell in the boardinghouse diner, and he knew she’d taken several private orders that she had to fulfill before Christmas. And Mrs. Griffin had baby Ellery to care for. Mrs. Holloway would also volunteer, except here right before Christmas, she had quite a bit of sewing to complete for the presents townsfolk had ordered from her. Mrs. King might volunteer, if not for Mrs. Hines sitting by her side. And Mrs. Hines likely wouldn’t step into the parsonage for the next two years for fear of contracting measles.
Zoe Kastain had told him earlier this afternoon, that she had never had the measles before. And her mom and Belle both were needed to work their shifts at the diner. So who did that leave?
He blinked. Maude Carver was suddenly standing, hand slightly raised.
Doc acknowledged her with a smile. “You’ve had measles?”
She nodded. “When I was a kid.”
“Excellent! I know you are new to our community and we appreciate your help.” Doc glanced back at Kin. “Can you escort Maude up to the parsonage?”
Chapter 5
Preston woke, feeling like a new man other than a pounding ache in his head. But exhaustion lay on him like a lead blanket.
He squeezed the bridge of his nose and tried to think what day it might be. Hadn’t he fallen on the floor? How had he gotten back in his bed? How long had he slept? Was Tommy okay? Kin would likely have returned and be taking care of him by now. Still…he’d best check.
“Tommy?” The word croaked from his throat, but at least it no longer felt like he was downing razor blades every time he swallowed.
The door creaked open and to his surprise, it was Aurora, not Tommy, who poked her head inside. “You’re awake!” She smiled cheerily. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. Thirsty.”
“Of course. Here.” She strode quickly to the bedside table and lifted a glass. She sank down next to him. “Can you sit up a little?” She leaned across him to grab the other pillow.
As she propped it behind him and held the glass for him to drink, he studied her. He frowned.
First, what was she doing in his house? And in his bedroom, no less? Even if he was fully covered beneath a mound of covers, his parishioners would certainly not understand.
Second, why did she have such distractingly beautiful eyes and lips that tempted a man to wonder what they might feel like? Taste like?
He pulled his head back from the glass, and shuttered his eyes. Yes. This was better. Much less temptation with his eyes closed.
“Did you get enough?”
He nodded. And yet, where one thirst had just been quenched, another of a much more personal nature had just been ignited. He clenched his fists beneath the covers.
She laid a hand across his forehead. “Your fever is much improved.” She said the words like she might say ‘Your forming of letters is much improved’ to a child just learning to write.
The tone set his teeth on edge. He wasn’t an invalid that he needed her here helping him.
“When I saw you on the floor earlier, it really gave me quite a fright.”
His eyes flew open. “You found me? What were you doing in here?” Too late he realized his frustration had made his tone sound angry. It was this sudden confounded attraction. He was a man of the cloth! Attraction to a woman, especially one he served with each Sunday, wasn’t a freedom he was at liberty to enjoy.
Not to mention his past. He’d hate to bring danger into another woman’s life. The thought of Poppy made his jaw ache as an old familiar regret tugged for his attention.
Aurora stood and clunked his half-full cup back onto the nights
tand. “If you must know, when you didn’t show up for our meeting this morning I worried that something was wrong. So I came to check on you and Tom. And it’s a good thing I did too! You were passed out on the floor right there!” She stomped to the door and paused to give him a glower. “I’ll be out here preparing dinner. Just call if you need anything else.”
She left without so much as a backward glance, and Preston realized she’d left him with more questions than answers. Had she been the one who’d helped Doc get him back into bed? What did she think of a man who couldn’t even remain on his own two feet?
He wanted to groan.
This business of being ill was not something he enjoyed. Definitely not.
Kin nodded to Doc that he’d be happy to escort Maude to the parsonage.
Since he’d had what Doc claimed were both kinds of measles as a kid, he had planned to continue sleeping in his room at the parsonage. But now it looked like maybe he and Tommy would be giving up their beds for a couple of girls.
As the meeting broke up, Kane Carver said a few quiet words to his sister and then he and Seth headed out. Maude stood to one side of the room, waiting quietly for him. Kin said goodbye to Jackson Nolan, retrieved his hat, and swung on his coat. He swept a gesture to the doors, indicating she should precede him.
She gave a little dip of her knees and then headed outside. The church steps were still very icy, and without thought he took her elbow to assist her down the steps. When they reached the bottom, she gave him a little glance before she stepped away from him.
He was a little disappointed. He’d thought she might flirt with him, at least a little. Maybe he’d misunderstood her scrutiny this morning. But really, what did it matter? He’d only been hoping for a little entertainment. He wasn’t interested in her. He’d be leaving town in just a few days, anyhow.
Parson Clay's Christmas Pup: A Wyldhaven Series Christmas Romance Novella Page 3
