Katherine could hear snippets of these whispered conversations. She knew they were talking about her. She frowned a bit, moving her head so Adam wouldn’t notice. But he could hear the whispers, too. He was disappointed in his town. He couldn’t believe that they would be so prejudiced against someone during the Christmas season. Adam squeezed Katherine’s hand as they walked past harsh eyes.
“C’mon, let me show you something,” he said. Katherine nodded, trying to ignore a few women commenting about her hair. Their whispers were loud and cruel. Katherine wished she could just disregard them. She wondered if these people would always treat her like this.
Adam, hearing these whispers, pulled his wife away. He was upset that the town was already criticizing her, but he hoped that in time they would come to accept her. With this thought in mind, he led his wife to the town parish.
Together, they walked into the church. They walked down the aisle together, holding hands, until they approached the altar. In the back right corner was a small Christmas tree and underneath this tree was a beautiful nativity. This nativity was very elaborate with many figurines and decorations. There was a traditional manger with Mary, Joseph, and the lambs, but there was also the entire city of Nazareth. There must have been over 300 figurines.
Katherine was amazed as she looked at the nativity. She had never seen one so ornate before. As she looked at it, her eyes fell on the Three Wise Men, the biggest figurines. They sparkled in the light, making their gold color seem even brighter and more luxurious. They looked freshly polished.
“Are these figurines made of gold, or are they just painted?” Katherine asked, eyeing the little houses and animals scattered throughout the nativity.
“All the figurines are gold plated and Jesus, who will make his appearance on Christmas Day, is made of solid gold. Everyone contributed a few years back to pay for this,” Adam explained as he wrapped an arm around his wife.
Nearby, a pious woman sat in a pew, silently praying the rosary. Her eyes settled on the couple standing before the altar, admiring the nativity. She noticed Katherine’s hair and guessed at her heritage. The woman wondered what a Native American woman was doing in their town. She also wondered why she was looking at the nativity so intensely. She suspected that there was something malicious in Katherine’s eyes.
As Katherine and Adam left the church, the woman followed them with her gaze. Katherine noticed the harsh stare and tried to look away, but as they made their way home she couldn’t get the woman’s dull blue eyes out of her head. It seemed to her that everyone in the town disliked her. Katherine sighed.
“Hey…what’s wrong?” Adam asked, looking down at his wife with a concerned look. They had finally reached their new home. He opened up the door as he waited for her to respond. They walked inside, but still she stayed quiet. Adam frowned, thinking she was upset.
Nonetheless, he gave her a tour around her new home, showing her all the rooms. Finally, they stopped at their bedroom where he sat her down on the bed. She looked around the bedroom and smiled. It was sparsely furnished, yet it had a homey feel to it. Eventually she looked up at her husband, who was frowning down at her.
Adam noticed that there was a sad look in her eyes. She was upset and he wanted to know why. “Katherine, please tell me what is bothering you.” Katherine sighed.
“I don’t want to be a pessimist, but I don’t think the townsfolk like me very much.” Adam’s frown deepened as he heard his wife’s words. Katherine continued when Adam said nothing in response. “As we were walking through the town, I heard people whispering about me. They don’t like that I am Native American. Then when we were at the church a woman stared at me as if I was guilty of something.” Katherine frowned and looked away.
Adam sat down by her side and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head and held her for a moment. Eventually, he placed her head on his chest and gently caressed her hair. Katherine could feel herself relax in his loving embrace.
“I noticed it too. But it is almost Christmas, maybe they will come around and see what a lovely woman you are.” Katherine blushed slightly at his words. She smiled up at him before gently kissing his lips.
“If nothing else… you’ll always have me.”
Chapter 7
The next morning, the town was abuzz. Newspapers were circulating around the town like wildfire. Adam and Katherine woke up after a night of blissful sleep together to encounter all this excitement.
Adam saw everyone moving around quickly, whispering in hushed voices. He wondered what was going on. As he looked around he saw Filip walking down the street.
“Filip!” His friend looked up and smiled. He crossed the street and joined the couple. “What’s going on?” Adam asked once his friend was close enough.
“Haven’t you heard?” Adam shook his head. Filip reached inside of his coat and pulled out a folded newspaper. He handed it to his friend. Adam grabbed and unfolded it. Katherine peered over his shoulder and read the front page headline: Wise Men Stolen Last Night! Adam’s eyes grew in surprise.
“Do we know who stole them?” Filip shook his head at Katherine’s question. She looked around and saw countless people looking at her, suspicion in their eyes. To them, she was already guilty.
“No. The sheriff is on the case, but he doesn’t know who’s to blame yet. He has some suspects, however.” As Filip said this the sheriff walked up to them. The sheriff was a large, well-built man who towered over both Adam and Filip. He had a mean-looking face and harsh, beady eyes. He stared at Katherine.
“Mrs. Richards?” He asked in a gruff voice. Katherine nodded as Adam wrapped an arm around her protectively. “Can you come with me?” He held out his hand, but Adam shook his head.
“What is the meaning of this? She has never left my side since arriving in town, how could she be the culprit?” Adam defended his wife, looking at the sheriff with serious eyes. The sheriff looked at Adam and then at Katherine. He sighed and pulled out a small notebook.
“You swear to this testament?” the sheriff asked. Adam nodded confidently. Adam knew his wife was innocent.
“Well then, have a nice day.” The sheriff left, but he still seemed suspicious of Katherine. She watched him leave, shuddering. She wondered why everyone seemed to distrust her. What had she done to deserve such treatment?
Once the sheriff left, Adam kissed the top of Katherine’s head. Filip looked at them before looking away.
“Well, I will see you around, chap,” he said before walking away.
After Filip left, Katherine looked up at her husband. “Why do they all suspect me?” she asked with a melancholy voice. Adam frowned before gently kissing her cheek, trying to cheer her up.
“I don’t know, love, but I’m sure it will pass once the sheriff finds the real culprit,” Adam whispered as he pinned a lock of her hair behind her ear. Katherine smiled a bit.
“You… you don’t suspect me then?” Adam chuckled.
“How can I suspect my own wife? You were in bed with me last night, my arms were wrapped around you like a lasso. There was no way you could have escaped.” Katherine blushed a little. It was true. Last night she had fallen asleep in the safety of her husband’s arms, tucked away against his chest. She wouldn’t have left that embrace for all the riches in the world.
“Now come, let’s go check on the horses, shall we?” Katherine smiled and then they made their way to the fields. They rode together, with Katherine’s arms wrapped around Adam’s chest and her body pressed against his. Adam loved riding with Katherine.
As they reached the field he helped her off the horse and they walked toward the pens. Katherine walked up to the fence and some of the horses greeted her happily. She petted their muzzles and they whinnied with glee.
“What would you like to do today?” Katherine looked around at all the horses. Her eyes fell on Charger, still all alone. She walked over to him. He snorted at her. Adam wrapped his arms around his wife from behind and place
d his head on her shoulder.
“You really like Charger, don’t you?” he asked, kissing his wife’s head gently. Katherine looked up at Adam and nodded.
“He is a beautiful creature. But it’s a pity that he has to be alone all the time.” Adam nodded in agreement. Katherine continued to look at the horse. Eventually, they moved away from the pen and approached the other horses. From that moment forward they worked together to teach Katherine how to ride a horse by herself. She was making tremendous progress and Adam predicted that she would be able to ride by herself once Christmas rolled around.
Chapter 8
A few weeks later Christmas finally arrived. There was Christmas cheer filling the town and everyone seemed happy. There were people singing in the streets and children frolicking about.
Katherine woke up to the sound of this singing. She smiled and looked over at Adam who was snoring lightly, still asleep. She leaned over and gently kissed his cheek. He started to stir as she kissed him and she smiled, watching him. Soon his eyes opened up and he looked at his beautiful wife’s face. His lips curled into a smile as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a kiss.
“Merry Christmas,” he whispered, his voice still ragged from sleep. Katherine smiled warmly at him, laying her head on his chest as he kissed the top of her head, smiling as he smelled her hair.
“Merry Christmas.” Katherine paused, looking at the window. “It is so strange to not see snow on Christmas day,” she mused. Adam chuckled.
“I agree, but it will be a cold day in hell when it snows down here.” Katherine nodded and closed her eyes, imagining herself back in the frigid northern climate. Eventually, Adam broke her trance when he got up and pulled her out of bed.
“C’mon, let’s go to church, shall we?” Katherine nodded. The two of them put on their Sunday best and joined the rest of the town in their festivities. Everyone was smiling. They were even treating Katherine kindly today. There were no harsh rumors being whispered, no cruel criticisms emerging from their lips. Instead, there was only holiday cheer floating through the air. Katherine smiled, thankful.
Adam held Katherine’s hand as they made their way to church. There was a crowd of people filing into the building. They joined this crowd, entering the parish. One inside, they looked around. Adam tried to find Filip, but he was nowhere to be seen. Adam assumed he was late.
After a moment, Adam pulled Katherine to a vacant pew in the middle of the church. They sat together, enjoying the mass. It was a beautiful sermon and Katherine listened carefully to the priest’s every word.
“Every year, Christmas comes and with it comes sins we didn’t know we were committing. At times, we can get so wrapped up in our own sentiments, in our thoughts and prejudices, that we forget the word of the Lord. The Lord loved all, from the lepers to the tax collectors. Remember that, as disciples of Christ, we too must go out and love our neighbors. We must care for them and treat them as we wish to be treated. We should not crucify our neighbors if they hold different opinions or act differently. We must instead remember that the gospel is a gospel of love.” The priest’s sermon continued, but as he said these words Katherine felt like he was looking at her.
The priest was a sweet old man. He was one of the few people who treated her kindly while everyone else gossiped about her. Katherine liked the old priest. As she looked around, however, she noticed that most of the townsfolk were not paying attention. Some people were even asleep. She wondered how people could ignore such a powerful message. Nonetheless, she stayed attentive throughout the rest of the mass.
Soon, however, the mass was over and everyone left the church. Katherine was about to join the group of people leaving the building when Adam stopped her.
“Wait. I want to show you something.” Katherine gave him a confused look. Adam chuckled and pulled her toward the altar. The church was practically empty at this point. As they reached the altar, Adam pointed to the manger.
Katherine gasped when she saw Jesus laying in his hay bale. The figurine shone brightly in the light. It had been freshly polished. There was no denying the value of such a figurine.
“Beautiful, isn’t he?” The old priest walked up to the couple. He gave them a toothless smile. Katherine curtsied politely and Adam bowed at the man. The priest blessed them before continuing. “Today, the Three Wise Men get to bring Jesus his gifts.” Adam frowned. The Three Wise Men were still missing from the nativity.
“The sheriff never caught the culprit?” The priest shook his head.
“No,” he replied, “and this person has stolen various other times.” Katherine frowned.
“Who would do such a thing?” she asked, looking at the priest. Adam placed an arm around her comfortingly.
“I am not sure, my dear, but whoever they are, God will forgive them as he forgives all of his children.” Katherine smiled. The priest then shuffled away, making his way to the tabernacle. Katherine watched him before Adam squeezed her hand.
“Come, I have a surprise for you.” Adam sounded excited as he pulled his wife along. She giggled but followed him. Outside they climbed onto Adam’s horse and made their way to the fields. Once they approached the pens, Katherine gasped.
She looked at Charger, who was still all alone, but this time he had a saddle on his back. She looked at her husband with a questioning look on her face. Adam nodded. Katherine was eager as Adam helped her off his horse and they walked toward the bronco.
As they did, he approached them for the first time. He nuzzled the woman and snorted happily. Katherine was surprised. It was like his whole demeanor had changed. She gently petted his muzzle and looked at Adam, amazed.
“How did you…?” she asked as the horse calmly ate a sugar cube out of Adam’s hand.
“A lot of hard work.” He chuckled before opening the gate to the pen. The two of them entered the enclosure. Charger walked up to them, trust in his eyes.
Adam rubbed Charger’s neck before helping his wife onto the horse’s back. She smiled and grabbed the reins. She then rode the horse around the pen. Adam watched as his wife rode the bronco with ease. He could see the joy on her face, and smiled.
Soon, she dismounted and wrapped her arms around him. He smiled down at her before whispering, “Merry Christmas.” Katherine’s eyes grew in surprise.
“Wait, do you mean…?” Adam smiled before nodding.
“He is all yours.”
Chapter 9
After a passionate kiss, the two of them rode back into town with Charger. As they entered the town they were approached by the sheriff who asked them to dismount. Adam looked at the sheriff curiously.
“Is something wrong?” Adam asked.
“Jesus has been stolen from the nativity. I have reason to suspect your wife,” he said plainly.
“Now, you listen here. She has been with me all day. There is no way she could have stolen anything!” Adam was angry that the town would accuse his wife of stealing something on Christmas Day.
“Well if she is innocent, then you won’t mind me looking through the house?” The sheriff asked. Adam nodded.
“We have nothing to hide,” he said confidently. The sheriff nodded and together the three of them made it to the Richards household. Adam unlocked the door and led the sheriff inside. The couple watched the man as he looked around their home.
“Where is the bedroom?” He asked. Adam quickly led the man into the bedroom. The sheriff looked around the room before walking up to their storage chest at the foot of the bed. He opened it to find it stuffed with blankets. He removed these blankets now and at the bottom of the chest he found some of the missing figurines!
“Care to explain this, Mrs. Richards?” He asked holding up one of the Three Wise Men. Katherine’s eyes grew in surprise as she looked up at the missing figurine. Adam looked dumbfounded as doubt crept into his mind. Had his wife stolen the figurines after all?
As Adam doubted his wife, the sheriff took her into custody, all the while yellin
g at Katherine to turn over the rest of the figurines, wherever she had hidden them. Adam was too shocked to stop the sheriff, and soon Katherine was dragged out of the room. She tried to look back and plead with her husband, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.
Adam sat down on his bed in shock. Had his wife had been a thief this whole time? Adam tried to figure out how she could have stolen them. She had barely left his side. It seemed impossible.
Adam kept thinking. Deep down, he knew she was innocent. There was no way the sweet woman he called his wife was capable of such a crime. It had to be someone else. But who? Adam knew he had to catch the culprit in order to clear his wife’s name.
Pacing around the room, he thought about who would have framed Katherine. It had to be someone who disliked her, but that was the majority of the town. Adam continued to pace as he tried to find some way to narrow down his suspects. As he walked around he looked at the chest. His eyes opened wide as he suddenly realized who the real thief was, and he knew that the key to proving Katherine’s innocence was finding the remaining figurines.
Adam rushed outside and jumped onto Charger’s back. The horse snorted, startled. Adam ignored the beast’s protest and pressed his heels into Charger’s sides. The horse shot off through the streets. Adam could feel anger boil in his veins.
Meanwhile, the sheriff dragged Katherine to the middle of the town. He held onto her arm harshly as he looked at the crowd that had gathered around them.
“People of Kingsville… let me present you with the nativity thief.” Whispers resounded around Katherine as everyone looked at her with harsh eyes.
“Please… I didn’t do this…” she pleaded with the crowd. She heard some people yell at her, cursing her.
The sheriff gave her a strict look and tightened his grip on her arm, making her wince. “Quiet.” He looked out at the crowd.
“Crucify her!” A voice suddenly yelled out from the crowd. No one knew who said it, but everyone seemed to be in agreement. The priest, seeing this mob mentality shook his head and tried to preach to his people, but they would not listen. Soon, they pushed him out of the way. The priest looked on, helpless, as they tied Katherine to a cross. The cross was erected in the middle of the town center, displaying the poor woman, dangling by her slender wrists.
AFRICAN AMERICAN URBAN FICTION: BWWM ROMANCE: Billionaire Baby Daddy (Billionaire Secret Baby Pregnancy Romance) (Multicultural & Interracial Romance Short Stories) Page 71
