Christmas with the Cookes

by Kit Morgan

  Chapter Twenty

  Lorelei didn’t know what happened between when Jefferson left the ranch that morning and when he arrived at play practice that afternoon, but something certainly had. The look on his face was one she’d always hoped a boy would have when he saw her, and now here it was. In the wrong time, maybe, but who was she to argue?

  This morning had brought both relief and angst. She still couldn’t figure out what had happened between them, and still couldn’t stop thinking about it. She felt so much better than she had since she’d arrived here – now – but was worried she’d freak out again, and this time when there were outsiders there to see it.

  Outsiders. Now there was a concept. Mentally she’d drawn a circle for her own safety, enclosing the people who knew she was from the 21st century and excluding those who didn’t. The circle had begun with Jeff and his parents – Parthena and Sam had witnessed her outburst, but apparently were too young to understand it – then expanded to include Dr. Drake. She’d let Adele in, and Grandma Waller had barged in on her own. She felt like she shouldn’t stretch it any further, but was happy with it at this size. Her own little support system …

  “Ready to get into your costume?” Annie asked Jeff and Owen.

  Both of them nodded and headed for the office, though Jeff was watching Lorelei as he went.

  Annie followed his gaze. “Yes, I see.” She made a funny sound, as if she was trying not to laugh. “Lorelei, keep an eye on the seams. Though why do I have a feeling I don’t have to tell you that?”

  Lorelei shrugged, realizing she was grinning like a madwoman. Yes, she’d be watching Jeff wherever he went. She just hoped he would be watching where he was going – they couldn’t afford him or Owen getting injured with the play three days away.

  As she prepared needle and thread, she tried to imagine what it might be like to date Jeff in her time. Would they eat at Daisy’s Café? What about coffee at the Java House? Or maybe spend an afternoon at the bookstore or library? Did he like books, she wondered? What about going to a movie – would that freak him out? Well, that would make them even.

  She laughed to herself. Yesterday was weird, no doubt about it. But this afternoon she was feeling less like a freak and more the way an eighteen-year-old girl should feel when a cute guy was looking at her the way Jeff did. Like he was in love … though that seemed unlikely. No one fell that quick, did they? Well … maybe. Love at first sight was a thing – maybe love in a week or so was too.

  And what about her own feelings? The desire to go back to her own time was there, but it didn’t overwhelm her as it once had. Despite the physical labor, she rather liked it here, which was more than she could say for where she came from. Now she was pondering whether she could live in this time, maybe fall in love, get married, all the things she’d always dreamed of.

  Jeff and Owen exited the office in their costume, moving almost smoothly. And no seams looked like they were about to burst. Good. Maybe she could just relax through this practice. She couldn’t see where Jeff was looking, but since he couldn’t see out the back end anyway, it hardly mattered.

  Heat shot through her, but not like a crush or a passion. More like knowing she already belonged to him. Done deal. End of story. It gave her a confidence she hadn’t known before. Maybe it was because she was the only one around he could be with even if she did live in this century. Adele had told her that there were no single young women in Clear Creek near Jefferson’s age except for those related to the Cookes.

  She smiled at the thought as she watched Annie adjust the blanket over the camel’s back. Wasn’t there a Bible verse about two people coming together to be one? “A man shall leave his mother and father’s house and become one with his wife” or something like that? Just like it took two to make one camel. It was a silly comparison, but she’d take it.

  They rehearsed their scenes, laughed at Colin’s not-so-subtle attempts to add lines where he shouldn’t, and enjoyed Annie calling him out on it. “Now Colin is just being Colin,” Grandma explained from the pew behind Lorelei. “He won’t do that during the actual play – he just likes keeping things lively.”

  Lorelei just nodded. She kept being distracted by Jeff’s thoughts toward her: I like you. I wish I was with you in this getup instead of Owen. Do they still have Christmas plays in your time? And she responded: I like you too. That wouldn’t be proper, and you know it. Yes, they do – complete with two-person camel costumes. She couldn’t stop smiling if she tried.

  But as much as she was enjoying this, the possibility of being yanked out of this situation as abruptly as she’d been dropped into it nagged at her. She wasn’t promised a happily ever after – the MacDonalds hadn’t promised her anything. She couldn’t make plans because she wasn’t in control of this – the mysterious Scot and his dazzling wife were. And they’d kept her – and, it seemed, everyone else – in the dark.

  She thought of the cabin just inside the tree line at the base of the mountain. Should she go back there? Could she glean some clues? Was that the way home? And where did she want her home to be? That was the real question – because when it came down to it, what did she have to go back to?

  “Lorelei,” Belle whispered.

  “Yes?”

  “We’re getting the Christmas tree tomorrow.”

  Her heart leaped. She loved Christmas trees! “You are?”

  “Well, Logan is getting it. He and his boys get ours when they fetch theirs.”

  “That’s nice of him. But don’t you like going to get one?”

  “I haven’t gone in years. But you could go with them, and Jefferson with you. Logan won’t mind so long as there’s room in the wagon. Or we could use the sleigh.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You have a sleigh?”

  “Well, we have a wagon we put sliders on.”

  “Sliders? Oh, I think I get it.” Lorelei smiled. “A sleigh ride through the snow to get a Christmas tree. Count me in!” Of course, the tree wouldn’t be the main attraction – Jeff would, if he decided to come.

  Belle grinned. Did she sense why Lorelei was excited? If so, she didn’t seem to mind. “I’ll let Logan know as soon as we get back to the ranch. We’ll only need one horse for the sleigh, so that won’t be a problem either.”

  Lorelei giggled. “A one-horse open sleigh?”

  Belle gave her a funny look. “You know that song?”

  Lorelei leaned over and whispered, “It’s still popular.”

  “Well. How about that?” Belle shrugged again.

  “Owen, don’t you dare!”

  Lorelei faced forward, along with everyone else at Jeff’s outburst, and laughed at Jeff’s distress. Could this get any better? Despite all the weirdness of the day before and her circumstances, she’d never been so happy. How romantic! She wasn’t going to sweat it, wasn’t going to chastise herself for falling for Jeff Cooke. She just wanted to enjoy this little slice of Heaven that had been handed her on a silver platter. Or in her case, a cracker covered in squeeze cheese.

  It was hard to be angry with the MacDonalds now, when they’d brought her here to where she could fall in love. Whatever strange thing bound them together was only growing stronger, and she couldn’t ignore the heady feelings she had when he was near. It was like the front and back of the camel coming together to become one. You never knew you were just one half until you were whole, and your world was turned upside down. No one would know what she was talking about if she tried to explain it, but she understood.

  And so help her, if the MacDonalds tried to split them up, Lorelei would raise Cain to stop them. She knew that deeper down than anything.

  * * *

  Jefferson’s mind was full of ideas. Doc had made him think, hard. Lorelei had specifically been sent to stay with his family by the MacDonalds, to care for her, protect her. He was now taking that to heart, wondering if, just maybe, they’d brought her to him.

  She was different, as who wouldn’t be from 140 years in the future? How dif
ferent would he seem to someone from 1739? But they shared something he couldn’t explain. Did he dare allow his heart free rein? He’d avoided it before, too wrapped up in trying to understand what was going on. There were still so many unanswered questions, still no idea what the MacDonalds wanted or planned.

  But all he could do for now was follow his heart, and his heart wanted her. So he would pursue her, make her his. Besides, if he didn’t it could be a long time before he ever got another chance at a wife. If the MacDonald wind had blown C.J. Branson and Rufi Cucinotta together last summer, it could do the same with he and Lorelei. He could court her, do things properly … and hope he could hold on long enough to do that. The need to be with her was overwhelming and he wasn’t sure how to bank that fire.

  He’d kept his distance easily enough for the first half of play practice, when he was stuck following Owen’s rear end around. Now he was sitting with her in front of Grandma and Mary Mulligan, and Mother on the other side of her, watching the rest run through their parts. It wouldn’t look good for him to pull her onto his lap, but he was still tempted.

  “When do you think we’ll get the tree tomorrow?” she asked, excited at the prospect.

  He smiled at her tone of voice and the sparkle in her eyes. Mother had already mentioned hauling out the sleigh and going with Logan and his boys. “After the morning chores are done. With any luck, we’ll be back in time for lunch, but I’d rather we take lunch with us.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  He smiled again. “I like the decorating best.”

  “Me too, but I’ve never gone to cut a fresh tree. We always got them from tree lots or bought one from the Boy Scouts.”

  His brow creased. “Boy scouts?”

  Her eyes widened slightly, and she leaned toward him to avoid being overheard. “It’s an organization for city boys to learn … well, farming and wilderness skills. There are Girl Scout clubs too. And sometimes they sell Christmas trees to raise money for their activities.”

  “Makes sense. City folk can’t run off into the woods to fetch one as easily as we can.” He turned to her. “Do the boys and girls get them?”

  “You know, I’m not sure. I was never a Girl Scout.”

  She was suddenly nervous, he could tell, but didn’t know why. He glanced around the church and didn’t sense any danger. Was it something he’d said? And why was he looking for trouble anyway? It’s not like outlaws were going to swoop in on play practice and snatch her away from him.

  But someone might. He thought again about what he’d do if Dallan MacDonald showed up to take her off. He wasn’t going to let him, nossir. Maybe he could get Preacher Jo to marry them before that happened. He smiled at the thought, though it felt like he was going too far with it.

  He spied her hand next to his on the pew and swallowed hard. He wanted to hold it, hold her. But he didn’t dare with almost half the town there.

  “Something wrong?” Lorelei asked him.

  “No, I was just thinking about tomorrow.” Unable to help it, he turned in the pew to face her. “We could take some cookies to snack on. In fact, I’ll tell Mother we should take a lunch with us.”

  “And you could take me along with you,” Grandma quipped from behind them.

  Their heads swung to her. “Grandma?” Jefferson said.

  “What, I don’t have ears? Do you really think your pa will let you take a pretty gal like this alone on a sleigh ride?”

  “Logan and his sons will be there,” he pointed out.

  “In another wagon. And for all you know it will only be Logan, and how much chaperoning can he do when he’s got trees to chop down?”

  “All the more reason he takes his boys with him,” Jefferson argued.

  “Owen’s the only one big enough to get the job done. Him and you.” Grandma leaned closer and whispered, “I’m not trying to spoil your fun. In fact, I’m trying to help it along. Anyone can see you two are sweet on each other.”

  Lorelei faced forward and sunk in the pew.

  Jefferson winced. “I … I wasn’t planning …”

  “I know, but things happen. And Fanny Fig saw the way you were looking at her as well.”

  She had him there. If Fanny knew, then within a day everyone in town would.

  “Pick me up at nine,” Granny added. “I know Logan passes through town on his way to the tree line.”

  Jefferson looked at Lorelei, who shrugged helplessly – what else could they do? – then back to Grandma. “All right, we’ll be at your house at nine in the morning.”

  “Good,” Grandma smiled and winked.

  Jefferson sighed. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. When Grandma Waller got it in her head to help love along, she was pretty clear about it. But after yesterday, he and Lorelei didn’t need help – they needed a good set of brakes. The feelings he was dealing with were more powerful than anything he’d ever experienced. He loved his parents and loved his siblings. He even loved some of the folks in town, Grandma being one of them. But this was beyond his usual comprehension of love. This felt more like survival.

  Well, he’d decided to stop battling himself and let his heart free. He just hoped and prayed it wouldn’t be the biggest mistake of his life.

  * * *

  As soon as chores were done the next morning, Logan helped Jefferson get the sliders onto the small wagon they used with them, and Jefferson hitched up the horse. With Grandma with them they’d barely have room for a tree, but he’d make it work.

  “You sure you want to take the little wagon?” Logan asked. “We can all fit in the big one.”

  “You didn’t see the look on Lorelei’s face when I told her about the sleigh. I can’t disappoint her.”

  “No, guess not.” Logan reached for some harness hanging on the barn wall. “I’m going to hitch up the other wagon. Susara made us sandwiches to take in case we’re out there longer than expected. Be sure you bring enough blankets to keep the women warm.”

  “Yes, sir, I will. And I asked Mother to make sandwiches too.”

  Logan smiled, took the harness and left the barn.

  Jefferson went to a stall to fetch Powder, Father’s dapple grey gelding and one of their driving horses. He was glad he told Mother to make sandwiches. Besides, Logan’s wife was right. They could be out there longer than expected any way, and he wouldn’t want Lorelei or Grandma to get too hungry. He hitched up Powder, then went into the house to see if his Mother had anything else they might take to munch on.

  As soon as he walked in, she handed him a bag. “For your excursion,” she said.

  He opened the bag and smiled. “Wonderful, thank you.”

  “No, Susara brought them by a minute ago. There’s enough for everyone so I didn’t have to make any.” She went to the worktable and picked up another bag. “Here’s my contribution. Molasses cookies.”

  “Thank you, Mother.”

  She returned to the worktable to chop up some potatoes. “Take good care of Grandma out there. I don’t know why she insisted on going.” She stopped chopping. “Actually, I do know. Jefferson Cooke, you’d better be on your best behavior.”

  “Mother!” He looked nervously at the hall. “Lorelei will hear you.”

  “She needs to be too.”

  “Mother!”

  “Jefferson, I know you’re a grown man now, but there are some things your father should have told you about.”

  Jefferson froze. “Motherrrrr …,” he groaned.

  “Courting is all fine and good, but we don’t know enough about Lorelei or what Dallan and Shona’s plans are. For all we know, they’ll come knocking on our door tomorrow and whisk this girl away and …”

  “Not if I stop them.” He said it before he could think to stop himself.

  Mother wheeled to face him. “And how will you go about that? How will you stop a man a head taller than you and twice as wide?”

  “I don’t know. But I will if I have to.” He was unnerved by the determination in h
is own voice. “I want to court her, Mother. I … I have to court her.”

  Mother was stunned. She slowly moved toward the nearest chair and sat down. “What are you saying?”

  “I don’t really know how I know that,” he replied. He felt as confused as Mother looked. “But I know it. I gotta do this. I need to, she needs me to.”

  “Well.” She didn’t add to that for a minute. “You sound very sure. If you say so, I’ll trust you on that.” She sighed. “You’re all grown up, and I don’t know when it happened.”

  He went over and put his arms around her. “I’m right here, Mother. Just taller and a few other things.” He knew there was more to it now, but he didn’t know how to talk about that.

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “More than I’ve ever been about anything.”

  She smiled in resignation. “Then you need to speak to your father soon.”

  He nodded. “I will. Maybe at Christmas. He’s caught up with the play right now.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Can you fetch Lorelei for me while I put some blankets in the wagon?”

  She smiled. “I will.”

  He left and went to fetch blankets they used for trips to town in the cold, his smile quickly vanishing. He’d set things in motion now that he couldn’t stop. His mother knew, Grandma knew, and if Fanny Fig had her way the whole town would know he was courting Lorelei.

  Jefferson smiled. Let them.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Bye-bye,” Elsie called from the porch. “Have fun!”

  Jefferson, Lorelei, Grandma and Doc Waller waved back as the sleigh set off. Now they had two chaperones, but Jefferson didn’t mind. No one – namely Fanny Fig – could say he wasn’t doing things properly when he had a young lady with him, and even if Grandma was lax in her chaperoning duties, her husband wasn’t. Jefferson wouldn’t be surprised if Doc whipped out a measuring stick to make sure he and Lorelei kept a proper distance.