by Annie Boone
Christmas Spirit
A Cutter’s Creek Story
By Annie Boone
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-one
Twenty-two
Twenty-three
Twenty-four
Twenty-five
Twenty-six
Copyright 2016, Annie Boone.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written approval by the author, except for short excerpts used in a book review.
All characters, places, events, businesses, or references to historical facts are fictitious and products of the author’s imagination. Any references to actual people, places, or events are purely incidental.
One
Cutter’s Creek, Montana 1882
She could hear a conversation as she stepped out of the store, clutching a package of calico bolts. Felicity stilled, listening. A very familiar masculine sound made a flutter trickle over her heart. Though she knew it was wrong to pry, her mother had told her that many times, she couldn’t help but be drawn towards the sound of his voice.
She walked down the wood planked floor to the edge of the store where a small alley was situated between the mercantile store and the sheriff’s office. She glanced around the corner and then snapped back around, falling against the wall.
The image of Josh’s bare arms, muscles bulging as he ran a hand down his horse’s leg brought heat to her cheeks. The wide-brimmed hat he wore covered some of his dark blond hair, but the longer length stuck out underneath.
She rubbed her fingers together wondering what it would be like to touch his beautiful hair. But she’d never get a chance. Apparently, only one of the Pershing sisters would ever be allowed to do that. He just needed to go ahead and pick one of them before her heart burst.
“Josh, you have it all wrong. Those spoiled daughters of the mayor have never had to lift a finger for anything. Pretty and privileged girls are just too pampered,” Josh’s friend Nick said.
Without thinking, Felicity reached to her wavy jet black hair and pushed a stray tendril back behind her ear. The thick tresses were luxurious and the most visible trait she’d inherited from her grandmother. Though her eyes were almond shaped, she looked less Chinese than her mother did.
She imagined that most people in Cutter’s Creek didn’t consider her pretty, though maybe they didn’t think she was ugly. The children in school had teased her sometimes because she looked a little different from them. Those memories were in her past, though, and she tried not to worry about them now.
Sometimes, she couldn’t help herself and today was one of those days. Comparing her darker looks to the mayor’s fair daughters was the source of her insecurity lately. Their blonde hair and blue eyes must be what Josh Garrett deemed appealing. Those girls were completely opposite to her. Darn him.
“You’re an expert now, are ya. So, what should I be looking for in a woman?”
Felicity could hear him slapping his horse on the neck as he saddled him. She clutched the fabric she was holding over her calico dress. Josh had doubts about the sisters? Then why had he been courting them for the past few months?
“I can’t believe you don’t already know what to look for in a wife. Don’t worry about a pretty face, man. Worry about one thing and one only.”
“And what’s that?”
“Whether or not the lady can cook. There’s only one important question. Can she fill your belly with some tasty grub?”
Josh laughed out loud but didn’t respond to Nick’s advice.
Felicity had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes. Yes, it all came down to simple things such as can a woman keep a hearth warm and a tasty stew bubbling in the cast iron pot. She huffed, turning away. She definitely didn’t want to hear more of this conversation.
The good Lord and maybe a few others knew she couldn’t even shell peas the right way. She had tried to learn to cook. Her mother had tried everything she could think of to teach her. For some reason, she just couldn’t get it. Some disaster always happened to ruin the meal. Though she had to admit it usually was her fault, she needed to blame something else.
She remembered the time a cottontail had wandered up on their back porch. So what if she fed it carrots while the biscuits burned? That bunny had the cutest fluffy white tail she’d ever seen. She shook her head at the bittersweet memory and headed out on her way.
A chilly wind brushed across her face, stinging her cheeks. Her boots crunched the dead, brown leaves covering the road as she walked to the wagon. Few people were out and about in town; most huddled at home, nice and warm. She sped up to get back home before the storm hit.
Laying her package in the back of the small wagon, she looked up at the sky. The clouds were rolling in quickly over the mountains. She hopped in the front and picked up the reins so she could be on her way. She took another look around her and took in the majesty surrounding her.
In the distance, the tall mountain range with snow caps stood proud as they closed around the valley. Soon there would be snow on the ground. The potential rain and dipping temperatures were welcome after the dry and hot summer they’d just been through.
“Felicity! Wait!”
She turned, spotting Lana, rushing after her. And here was the perfect image of beauty. Her best friend had bright blue eyes and blonde curls that always found a way to lay just right against her cheeks. The light pink calico she wore brought out the pink hue in her cheeks, making her look like a doll.
“I told Josh I’d ride back with you.”
Just the mention of his name sent prickles of energy through Felicity. But she’d best not get her hopes up. It didn’t matter if the man she had loved since she was a girl had finally decided to settle down. He’d never choose her. There were plenty of pretty girls in these parts who could bake a sweet sugar plum cake that would make a man’s insides melt. She just wasn’t one of them.
Once Lana climbed in beside her and lay the heavy wool blanket across her lap, Felicity flicked the reins and began driving the old mule towards home. Track marks cut into the mud as they went. It had rained yesterday but no snow came. Felicity glanced up and noticed the sky had gotten darker, taking on more of a blackish blue tint. It was only midday and a new storm quickly approached.
“You should know that Josh is no longer courting the younger Miss Pershing.”
“I heard.”
“Perhaps you should come for dinner tonight. Maybe wear that emerald green dress your mother made you.”
Felicity looked at the sky. “Nobody’s going to be leaving their homes tonight. Have you noticed the storm clouds?”
“Oh, look at that.” Lana followed her gaze.
Dear Lord, please send a rich man to be her husband, Felicity prayed. Despite being a rancher's daughter, her best friend had no business doing anything but sitting in a parlor holding fancy tea parties and gossiping.
“Well, maybe it won’t storm? One never knows.” Lana gripped her arm. “Promise me, you’ll come if it doesn’t rain. And wear that dress. I’m sure it would make Josh sweet on you.”
Felicity looked back at the darkening sky. There was no way the s
torm was going to pass them by. “Sure, I’ll come if it doesn’t rain. But don’t hold your breath. Those clouds are only thickening. It might even snow.”
***
Once Felicity dropped Lana off at her house, she drove the wagon towards her family’s small farm. Though the sky was a deep gray, not a single drop had fallen.
When she got home, she returned old Jasper to the barn and walked quickly to the house with her cloak wrapped tightly around her. She was greeted by a warm fire in the fireplace. The tantalizing smell of venison stew with onions floated to her. She entered the kitchen and spotted her mother leaning over the big stove, stirring the fragrant stew in a large cast iron pot.
Her mother’s long black hair was tied in a thick braid and lay against her back slightly swaying with her motions as she hummed a song Felicity vaguely remembered her grandmother singing. “The Cradle Song.” Sometimes she’d sung in English, but mostly she’d sung it in Chinese.
How many nights had that sweet tune rocked her to sleep before her grandmother was gone? Her grandparents had met while he was working in the fields in California. Her grandfather had fallen head over heels for her sweet spirit and exotic beauty. They had lived a long, happy life together. Eventually, they settled in Cutter’s Creek, Montana, to raise their family.
Her mother stopped humming and turned to her with a big smile. “Did you get the fabric?”
Felicity held up the package and then set it on the table next to a pan of biscuits. Flour dusted the floor next to the table where her mother must have rolled them out. She grabbed a broom and swept it up. It was the least she could do when her contributions to mealtime were few and far between.
Just as she finished sweeping, she caught a glimpse of a robin sitting on the windowsill. This robin always showed up wanting something tasty from her. She had started the ritual and now she couldn’t stop it.
She grabbed a biscuit and crumbled some of it in her hand. Opening the window gently, she spread the crumbs out for the bird. The bird quickly scooped them up and then flew away. She shut the window, and then pushed her lips into a thin line. The sky was no longer a dark gray.
Did Lana plead with God or something to change the course of the weather? Something told her, she might be having dinner with Josh tonight. The thought made her both uncomfortable and excited.
“What is it, my dear?” her mother asked.
She leaned the broom against the wall. “I need to try cooking again. I’d given up, but maybe it’s time to give it another try.”
Her mother raised her brows, half-chuckling before turning back towards the stew. “God made us all different. You’re good at other things.”
“And what good will it do that I can draw or that animals follow me around? Those things certainly won’t keep a husband happy. Those things won’t even get a man to consider me as his wife!”
Her mother walked to her and pushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. “It will for the right man.”
Felicity huffed. Giving her mother a quick smile and hug, she turned and went to her room. She lay on her straw mattress, her eyes catching on the row of swans and bunnies, kittens and flowers drawn on yellowed paper sitting on her small table. Paper cost quite a penny, but her father always made sure she had some so she could continue her art.
Only Lana had ever seen the drawings. And that’s how she planned to keep it. She wasn’t confident enough that she had the talent to show anyone else. What could she do with a gift like this, anyway? It wasn’t like there was much need for people to draw. Nor was it likely that she’d show her drawings to Josh – or any man, for that matter – and have him decide to marry her.
She turned, laying on her back and looking at the ceiling. Josh’s conversation from earlier trickled across her mind. Was there any way to make Josh notice her? If he did finally think of her as a woman, would he see her for who she was? Would her shortcomings be too much for him to overlook?
Two
Josh looked out the window of his large ranch house. He’d been watching the storm clouds gathering most of the afternoon and expected rain by now. Instead of raining, the clouds had moved out and the sky was clear. He had never seen such a thing. Normally when clouds rolled in as thick as they had today, rain was sure to come.
For some reason the clear skies made his sister clap her hands in glee. She looked like she was about to get the best present ever. Women. He shook his head and was about to turn when he saw a wagon pull up in front of the house. He watched as a woman wrapped in a dark cloak jumped down and started toward the front door.
A small flutter filled his heart, and he gripped the edge of the windowsill. He knew who walked down the path to his home, but he wondered why his heart always started beating a little fast when she was near. Felicity was the only one who had this effect on him.
Thinking about his earlier conversation with Nick, he vaguely wondered if he should find out if she could cook. He shook his head quickly to get his mind focused. This was his sister’s best friend and he needed to mind his own business.
A long strand of dark hair fell across her cheek and she glanced up as she tucked the strand back into place. She didn’t see him looking out the window so he could observe her without her knowing. He liked what he saw.
Just as his mind began to wander, his sister raced down the front porch stairs and grabbed her friend’s hand to pull her up to the front door. He heard the heavy wooden door close loudly and then the feminine voices carried up the stairs.
Josh walked out of his bedroom and down the stairs as Felicity slipped the hood from her head. Long dark waves fell around her shoulders and her dark brown eyes sparkled in the glow of the lanterns in the room. She took his breath away.
His sister turned to him, and a spark entered her eyes. A spark that let him know she was up to some mischief.
“Howdy, ladies.”
Felicity nodded her head and then quickly looked away. Sometimes he wondered if this girl still hated him. He had teased her when they were children and he knew he’d made her cry back then. He’d apologized to her years later, but maybe she still was bothered by his mean words all those years ago.
“I was just telling Felicity about this great idea I’ve had,” Lana said.
He half-chuckled. “What’s that?”
“That Felicity should enter her family’s cider into the Christmas Festival Competition.”
So, she does know how to cook, he thought.
Felicity’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. She never took her eyes off of Lana, but his sister paid her no mind.
“It’s the most delicious drink I’ve ever tasted. That concoction will make you warm all over,” Lana said.
Josh turned to look at Felicity’s blanched face. If he wasn’t completely wrong, he’d suspect that the thought of entering the contest frightened her.
“Tell him all about it.” Lana nudged her.
Josh turned to face Felicity in anticipation. He was quite interested in hearing about her family recipe.
***
Felicity swallowed the curse that she wanted to fling at Lana. Her friend knew that she was a disaster in the kitchen. What kind of game was she up to?
As she glanced at Josh’s dark blue eyes, she could see they were full of expectation. Maybe he didn’t know about her lacking cooking skills. Could this festival be a chance for her to show him that maybe she could be the woman he needed? That she was indeed the woman to nurture his appetite and his heart.
“Oh, um, it’s everything she says,” Felicity mumbled.
A smile tugged at the corners of Josh’s mouth, making the dimples in his cheeks deepen just a bit. She glanced away, biting her tongue. It was a crime for a man to be this handsome.
“What’s in it?” he asked.
She managed to hold back the groan that wanted to escape.
“Secrets from her grandmother,” Lana said, helpfully.
“Well, I can’t wait to try it,” he said with a grin.
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Well, she sure could certainly wait for him to try it. She didn’t have the first clue about cider except that it was made from fruit. It was, wasn’t it? Sugar plums that grew in the area, she thought. Oh, my. This is going to be a disaster!
After dinner, the girls visited for a while near the warmth of the fire. Felicity couldn’t fuss at her friend about how she’d tricked her since Mr. and Mrs. Garrett were sitting just across the room. She was going to let Lana know just how she felt the moment they were alone.
So, when it was time for her to head back home, Felicity linked her arm in Lana’s and waved to her friend’s parents. The girls headed to the door and once they were outside, Felicity yanked her arm from Lana’s.
“Now why did you go and do that? I can’t believe you!”
Lana cocked her head and planted her hands on her hips. The look on her face was stern and sure. “Because I’m sick of this. You two always staring at each other, all starry-eyed. Something needs to be done.”
“When will you get it through your head? Your brother isn’t sweet on me. You’re imagining things!”
Lana raised an eyebrow and shook her head in a dramatic fashion.
“Oh, really? If you looked at his face for more than a moment, you’d see the sparkle in his eyes. He never looks at either of the Pershing girls like he looks at you.” She bobbed her head for emphasis. “I want my brother to be happy. He just needs to realize that you’re the one who will do that for him.”
“Fat chance of making that happen,” answered Felicity, the glum cloud of self-doubt hanging low over her head.
“If I have to convince him that a girl with the cooking skills of a goat is the right one for him, then I’ll find a way to do it.”
“There’s no way to do that without weaving a web of deceit. I’m not willing to participate in something like that.”
“I know I can make him believe you’re as good as a fine cook from France. It might start out as a lie, but you can learn to cook!”
