Exultant Montana Christmas: Bear Grass Springs, Book Nine

by Ramona Flightner

  Ewan stroked a hand over his wife’s back as she rested her head on his shoulder. He sung to her softly in Gaelic, a song his father had taught him, about losing one’s love and winning her back. He kissed the top of her head when he finished.

  “No, keep singing,” she murmured, as she snuggled into his embrace, her head pillowed on his shoulder. “I love your voice.”

  “Ach, ye ken how to flatter yer husband,” he teased. “I know I dinna have the voice Sorcha does, but I dinna cause dogs to yowl.”

  Jessamine pushed herself up so she could meet his soft smile. “But you do have a wonderful voice, Ewan. If you two sang together, you’d have a perfect harmony.” She kissed him softly and then nestled into his arms again. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  He chuckled. “For lovin’ ye? That was no hardship.” He squealed as she poked him in the side, tickling him. Soon he held both her arms and loomed over her, a brilliant smile lighting his face. Tenderness and relief filled his gaze as he saw his joy mirrored in her expression. “Why would ye think to thank me?” He leaned down to kiss her. “’Tis the way between husbands and wives who love each other.” He kissed her again, releasing her arms.

  She brushed her hands over his cheeks before cupping his jaw with her palms. “For believing me. For trusting me. For having faith that I will not be such a fool again.”

  He nodded, his eyes lit with a fierce intensity. “I canna say ye dinna hurt me, Jessie, because ye did. But I promise I will no’ fling it at ye when we argue. ’Tis our past. An’ from it, we can forge a beautiful future.” He held a finger to her lips when he saw a hint of desperation in her gaze. “I dinna need ye to proclaim yer innocence again, my love. I dinna need ye to reassure me that ye were never with a man like Ezekial. I believe ye. I trust ye.” He kissed her, deepening the kiss until they were both breathless and nearly senseless.

  “Let me love ye again,” he whispered.

  “Yes, my love, my Ewan, yes.”

  Chapter 7

  A week before Christmas, Ewan entered the Merc with a list from Jessamine. He nodded to Tobias as he waited on other customers, perusing the children’s section for the first time. He saw a stuffed rabbit and a doll, staring between the two with uncertainty.

  Mrs. Cruikshanks, the pastor’s wife, spoke in a loud, imperious voice, and he stiffened, although he kept his back to the woman. “I can’t imagine any God-fearing citizen taking in such a child. Unless that person were as filled with lasciviousness as the mother.”

  Her friend, whose voice Ewan did not recognize, tittered with agreement. “I’ve always felt the MacKinnons were one step away from damnation, and now this proves it.”

  Ewan spun around to face the two women, flushed, his brown eyes flashing with anger. “How dare ye claim to be God-fearin’ women,” he said in a low voice akin to a growl. “How dare ye believe yerselves better than those who show true Christian charity to those needin’ it?” He glared at the two women. “Ye’re fools if ye believe yer merciful God would find yer attitude toward a wee innocent bairn anythin’ but reprehensible.” He watched as the pastor’s wife flushed with agitation at having her moral authority in town questioned.

  She gave him a quelling stare before spinning on her heel to speak with Tobias, as though Ewan were beneath her notice, and she did not need to lower herself to speak with such a man. She marched up to Tobias, her dour black dress starched so that it was stiff and did not move easily as she walked. “Tobias, I have a special order for you.”

  Tobias looked at the item on her list and shook his head. “I’m afraid, Mrs. Cruikshanks, I don’t do those sort of special orders anymore. Perhaps you should speak with the owner of the General Store. I’m certain he’d be amenable to helping you.”

  She slapped her hand onto the counter, her cheeks now beet red. “I have never been treated with such insolence before.”

  Tobias nodded. “As I’m sure you are aware, ma’am, I’m related to the MacKinnons.” His voice shone with pride at that pronouncement. “You disparage one of us, and you’ve disparaged all of us.”

  “You’re insane. Just because you think that strumpet is your daughter …” She broke off at the rage in his gaze.

  “Please leave, ma’am. I’m certain you will find whatever you need from now on at the other store.” Tobias stood behind his counter with resolute stillness, refusing to move in any way that would indicate his willingness to wait on her.

  Ewan watched the scene, stepping aside as Mrs. Cruikshanks barreled from the store with her friend on her heel. The door rattled shut, and their raised voices could be heard as they stood outside on the boardwalk. “Thank ye, Tobias, but ye did no’ have to antagonize the woman on my account. I would no’ want to harm yer business.”

  Tobias looked at Ewan a moment before he moved around the counter and flipped the sign to Closed. He locked the door and motioned for Ewan to follow him into the back room. “I’ve earned a fifteen-minute break,” he said, as he poured two cups of coffee from a pot warming on the stove. After they’d sat and taken their first sip of coffee, Tobias murmured, “I know I’ve no reason to believe I’ve earned your friendship or trust.”

  Ewan made a note of disagreement. “Ye treat Jane well. An’ I ken Ben’s come to like ye.” He shrugged. “It takes time to reconcile the man ye are now with the man ye were for so many years.”

  Tobias winced at the reminder of the bitter man that he had been before he had discovered he had a daughter. “I know. And I’m thankful you’re at least giving me a chance.” He paused. “My business will not suffer for a few reasons.”

  He began ticking off reasons on his fingers. “First, most will applaud my loyalty, as the majority of the residents in this town wish they were fortunate enough to be a member, however distant, of your family. Second, Mrs. Cruikshanks is not as influential as she’d like to believe she is. Third, the vast majority of the townsfolk applaud your generosity in accepting and caring for that poor woman’s baby. And finally,” he leaned forward and whispered in a low voice, “I know for a fact, Cruikshanks and his wife will be moving from town within the month.”

  Ewan’s eyes widened. “Are ye certain?”

  Tobias nodded. “Yes. Harold told me.” He winced. “But it’s not public knowledge, so don’t bandy it about.”

  A slow smile bloomed, and Ewan tapped his hand onto the table. “A fine day, indeed.” He took another sip of his coffee. “Come. I must fill this list an’ return home to Jessie. Carin’ for our babe is exhaustin’, an’ I want to support her as much as I can.”

  Tobias nodded and rose. After he had filled Jessamine’s list, he motioned for Ewan to wait a moment. He went to the back and returned with a small jar. “This is a cream that will help with dry skin.”

  Ewan stared at him a moment before nodding his thanks. “I should see ye afore Christmas, but, if I dinna, be sure ye’re at Cailean’s. Ben an’ Jane will be there, an’ I ken they wouldna want to celebrate the day without ye.” He nodded to Tobias and departed.

  Four days before Christmas, Ewan entered Warren’s house after a day of work with dreams of a quiet evening sitting by the fire with his wife and baby in his arms. Instead, the house seemed to be in chaos. He heard both of his brothers muttering in Gaelic and Jessamine giggling. He bumped into a chair that usually sat by the fire but had been pushed in front of the door, and he eased around it. “What’s goin’ on?”

  Alistair, lying on his back on the floor, glared up at Ewan. “Why are ye home early?”

  “Ye ruined yer own bluidy surprise,” Cailean groused, his head popping out from behind the Christmas tree that he and Alistair were trying to wrangle into the tree stand.

  Ewan coughed as he attempted to cover a laugh. “Do ye need any help?”

  “Just like a carpenter. Thinks he can do it all,” Alistair muttered.

  Cailean sighed. “Aye, we need yer help. We canna get the wee thing to stay in place. It leans to and fro an’ then careens as though it will fall over
.”

  “I have heard that Warren ties his to the wall,” Ewan said with a wicked gleam in his eyes. He met Cailean’s shocked stare. “Ye did no’ think I wouldna notice the past few years the string he’s tied around the tree goin’ to a wall?” He rolled his eyes. Laughing he moved to Alistair and pushed him aside.

  Alistair stood, brushing himself off. Rather than join in with helping further, he sat beside Jessamine on the settee to watch the spectacle and to tease Aileana’s feet.

  Ewan looked at the trunk and the stand and then rose. “Give me a minute.” He kissed Jessamine on the forehead, then Aileana’s, and went out the front door. Within a few minutes, he was back with small pieces of wood he pushed in around the side of the trunk. When Cailean released the tree, it remained standing with only a minor wobble.

  “Hurrah!” Jessamine proclaimed. She kissed Aileana’s head. “Aren’t the MacKinnon men wonderful?”

  “Aye, we are,” Alistair said with a wink as he heaved himself off the settee. “Cail an’ I should head back to the livery for a while.” He kissed Aileana’s head, kissed Jessamine’s cheek, and joined Cailean as he scooted the chair blocking the doorway back into a corner of the sitting room.

  Ewan gave each brother a quick hug as he showed them out and then joined Jessamine on the settee. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, tugging her close to him. “They could no’ have picked a better spot for the tree,” he said with a contented sigh as he stared at it, set to the right of the fireplace, but far enough away that a stray spark would not set it on fire. He breathed in deeply of its fresh evergreen scent.

  She rubbed her nose against his neck and sighed with contentment. “I could never ask for more,” she whispered, while Aileana nodded off to sleep in her arms. “I never thought I could be this happy.”

  He squeezed her shoulders. “Well, as of tomorrow, I ken ye’ll be even happier.” He looked down at her inquisitive gaze and smiled at her. “We meet with Warren. An’ then our little girl will officially be a MacKinnon.”

  “Oh, I never hoped we could adopt her before Christmas.”

  “Well, ’tis a bit irregular, but Warren says we must sign paperwork, have it witnessed by people who are no’ family to prevent any appearance of bias, an’ then he will send the paperwork to Helena to have it formalized.” He smiled as he saw the questions about to spew forth from Jessamine. “An’ I’ve already asked Warren to make copies to ensure there are no’ problems in case the original is lost.”

  “Thank you, Ewan,” she said, as she snuggled into his side. “You take such good care of us.”

  His hold on her tightened with her words. “I try, my love. I try.”

  The following afternoon Ewan ushered Jessamine and Aileana into Warren’s office. Warren had set up a table by the stove and had a pot of tea set in the middle of the table. After Jessamine sat, Warren served her and Ewan a cup while they awaited Ezekial’s arrival for their rescheduled meeting. As the minutes passed without Ezekial’s arrival, Jessamine tensed in the chair beside Ewan.

  “He’ll come, lass. I’m certain the Madam has tried to find another reason to keep him at the Boudoir and to prevent him from meeting with us again.” Ezekial had missed their previous meeting due to the Madam’s histrionics. Ewan took a sleeping Aileana from her. “There’s my beautiful girl. There’s my darlin’,” he crooned as he ran a finger over her cheek.

  He looked up to see Ezekial watching him through the window. Soon Ezekial had entered, followed by the banker and the sheriff. Ezekial sat beside Warren. Although Ezekial wore his customary black outfit, he appeared to have donned his finest suit. His black hair was freshly washed and cut, while his silver eyes were guarded as he stared at the couple.

  The banker and the sheriff remained standing.

  “Thank you all for coming here today. Everyone should know each other, so I’ll dispense with any introductions. Now I don’t believe there can be any confusion as to why we are meeting here today, but I want to dispel any doubts and any claims of deception in the future. I want everyone present to understand what we will discuss and to comprehend what they are signing.” Warren waited until everyone nodded.

  “As per my understanding, Mr. Ezekial wishes to forgo his parental rights. He has chosen to sign them over to Mr. and Mrs. Ewan MacKinnon.” He waited a long moment until Ezekial nodded. “As I am certain you are aware, this is a matter generally addressed in front of a judge. However, with the severe winter weather we experience in Montana, it is not irregular for a notarized, witnessed copy to be sent to the judge for consideration without the need for all parties to be present. Is that acceptable to you three?”

  “Aye, as long as ye keep a copy in case the original is lost,” Ewan said.

  Warren smiled. “That was my next statement. As this is a legal matter, regarding the custody of a child, I believe it would behoove us to have the original and two copies. The original stays with the judge. One copy will be stored in my safe here, the other in the bank safe.”

  The banker nodded as Warren looked in his direction.

  “Only a catastrophic event in town and an unfortunate event with the original in Helena would destroy every document.”

  All present nodded their agreement.

  Warren turned to Ezekial and frowned as the large man sat with stooped shoulders, his hands fidgeting. “Mr. Ezekial, I have not fully prepared the documents because I do not know your last name, and the Madam threw me out before I could ask you everything I wanted to when I visited you at the Boudoir yesterday.”

  Ezekial murmured, “Ezekial Stanley.”

  Warren paused. “I need to ensure that is your legal name, or this document is null and void.”

  Ezekial flushed. “It’s my name. It was my daddy’s name.” He watched as Warren inked in his last name in a neat cursive.

  Warren set down his pen again. “Now, I asked you in private, and I’m asking you again, are you certain this is the course of action you wish to take?” When Ezekial clenched his jaw and did not answer, Warren asked, “Are you certain that you want to forego all parental rights and allow this couple to adopt your baby girl?”

  “No,” Ezekial rasped.

  Jessamine gasped as Ewan swore, and Warren held an arm out to prevent Ewan from leaping across the table to attack Ezekial once again.

  “Ewan, calm down,” Warren commanded. “Ezekial, explain what you mean.”

  “I want you to raise my baby,” he whispered, his gaze on the little bundle in Ewan’s arms. “I want her to have a good, secure future. But I … I want the right to write you. To know how she is. And to …” His silver eyes glinted as he forced himself to put his hopes into words. “To someday come back and see her again. Never as her father. But maybe as an uncle.”

  Ewan stared at the despondent man, and Ewan’s anger evaporated as he saw the longing and the grief in the large man’s gaze. “I canna allow a man who works at a place like the Boudoir near my daughter.”

  Ezekial nodded. “As of tomorrow, I won’t be at the Boudoir. I’m leaving town.” He looked at Jessamine. “I hope you, as the town journalist, can keep my secret until I am gone.”

  She nodded.

  After a long moment, Ezekial asked Ewan, “Will you agree? Even if it’s not in writing on this form, I know the MacKinnons take great pride in their honor. If you shake on it with me, I know you will not renege on your promise.”

  Ewan looked at Jessamine, their silent communication reestablished with the restored harmony in their lives. “Aye, we agree. Ye are welcome to write an’ to visit, as long as ye are living a good an’ decent life.”

  Ezekial looked at his daughter. “I never had a reason to care how I lived my life until now, but she has given me one.” He motioned for Warren to continue the proceedings, and soon they had all signed the documents, including the two witnesses.

  “I’ll inform you as soon as I know that this is official. I will send it to Judge Hammond, a judge I trust in Helena.” He paused to shake t
he banker’s hand and the sheriff’s before they left. Then Warren turned as he shook Ezekial’s hand. “I wish you the best of luck, Ezekial.”

  Ezekial rose, shook Warren’s hand, and then moved to leave.

  “Wait!” Jessamine said, as she stood and rushed to him. She motioned for Ewan to follow her. “Hold her, one more time. A memory to keep you going until you return.”

  Ewan held out Aileana, and Ezekial grasped her in his large hands. She looked even smaller in his beefy arms, and Ezekial lowered his head, whispering in her ear as he rocked her for a moment. He kissed her on her head, then her nose, before handing her back to Ewan.

  “I’ll write when I have an address. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t share the information with the Madam.” His silver eyes watched as Ewan brushed a finger over Aileana’s cheek. “Take care of our girl,” he said gruffly, before walking out the door without a backward glance.

  Jessamine leaned against Ewan as her tears leaked out, her hand covering Ewan’s as he kept a firm grip on Aileana. “I never thought I’d feel sorry for him.”

  “Nor did I,” Ewan said as he held his wife and his daughter close.

  TRUE & TANTALIZING

  Imagine my surprise, dear reader, to discover that one of the most enigmatic members of our town, and I feared heartless, was in fact as human as you or I. I am aware that many of you are unfamiliar with a man named Ezekial. Pardon me for disturbing your finer sensibilities, but, until yesterday, he was employed at Betty’s Boudoir as the Madam’s henchman. For years he was satisfied with his work, as long as he was paid and did not have to consider the repercussions of his actions.

  He had inured himself to the distress of others after living through the horrors of the War. He had little patience for those who believed in the finer sentiments, such as love, honor, and integrity. After watching his men die, only to return home to his Kentucky farm to find his family murdered, he had no interest in emotions. Life was hard, and only those hardened to it would survive.