by Caroline Lee
Suddenly, Annie made her attention-getting grunt, and pointed to her shoe, and the fireplace. They didn’t understand, until she signed “sock”, “mantel”, and spelled “gifts”. Wendy burst out into laughter. “Oh! ‘The stockings were hung by the chimney with care!’” She gave the little girl a quick hug. “Annie wants to hang up stockings, like we used to do, Molly. Oh, can we?”
“Yes, can we?” Nate’s eager young face was endearing, and of course Molly said yes. Annie raced upstairs to get socks for her and her sister, Nate took off one that he was wearing, amid jokes, and Molly ducked into Ash’s room to get one of his and one of hers. His sock had a darn in the heel where she’d fixed in a few weeks before, and as she felt it, she was struck by how much her life had changed in such a short amount of time. She was a wife, and about to embark on her first Christmas with her new family.
She was smiling when she returned to the main room, and with much laughter and teasing, they hung their socks from the mantel. They finished the evening by reading the Christmas story from the worn-out Bible Ash had carried with him from St. Louis all those years ago, and which was all the more precious for the tears and stains. And then, bidding each other good night, they retired to their respective rooms.
After she’d readied herself for bed, knowing that Ash was waiting for her, Molly made her excuses to slip back into the main room. She remembered how early Wendy used to wake up on Christmas morning, and assumed Annie—and maybe Nate—would be the same way. She removed their presents from the cabinet she’d hidden them in, made sure that their wrapping was intact, and arranged them just so around the tree. The smaller treats she was able to fit into the socks, and had to stifle a giggle while doing so. She never imagined that she’d be acting as St. Nicholas one day, and had to admit that it was just as exciting as opening presents on Christmas.
By the time she returned to Ash’s room, he was nearly asleep, but not so tired that he couldn’t take her in his arms and make beautiful love to her. He fell asleep soon after, and despite the turmoil of emotions roiling inside her—love, concern, excitement—exhaustion won out, and she fell asleep with her cheek pillowed on his warm shoulder.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ash opened his eyes much earlier than usual the next day, and a slow smile spread across his face at the realization of the date. It was Christmas! Lord, when was the last time he’d felt this excitement at Christmas time? Not since he was a kid, he knew, and a young one at that. And it was all thanks to the hard work of the woman beside him.
Knowing that today was the day that he would tell her, he rolled over and took her in his arms, nuzzling her neck. He made slow, sweet love to her, and she came fully awake in time to find fulfillment. He smiled against her skin, and looked forward to the day that Doc Sanderson would cut off this good-for-nothing cast, and he could support his own weight over her. He was going to love her like she’d never felt before.
“Mmmmmm.” Her stretch reminded him of a feral barn cat, satisfied and sensual. Her smile was sleepy, though, and he just had to kiss her nose. “Happy Christmas, husband.”
“Happy Christmas, wife.” Now was a perfect moment. “I want to tell you something.”
She smiled, pure and sweet, but put a finger to his lips. “And I want to talk to you, too. But I can hear the girls upstairs, and I shouldn’t have lingered in bed this long. Can we talk later?”
He shrugged, and laid back to watch her slip out of bed and perform her ablutions. He’d hung up a blanket in the far corner, and planned to build a screen this winter for privacy. He was a little amused the way she wouldn’t dress in front of him, although she had no qualms about undressing. She came back around the screen, braiding her hair, and he joined her in getting dressed.
They entered the main room just minutes ahead of the girls. A very excited Annie came flying down the loft stairs, and squealed when she saw the bulges in their stockings. Wendy laughed when she saw, and called out “I guess ‘St. Nicholas’ came after all! Merry Christmas!”
There was a lot of hugging and wishing of Happy Christmas, and Molly insisted they all sit down for breakfast before looking at their presents, which of course meant chores first. Poor Annie nearly burst from excitement, but the rest of them enjoyed the anticipation. Molly made cinnamon rolls again; she must have guessed how much he enjoyed them. The whole cabin was wreathed in delicious smells of pine, the coffee, the cinnamon and the flapjacks she whipped up.
After breakfast was cleared away, the morning chores done, and the horses checked on, Molly finally gave Annie the go-ahead to investigate her presents. The look of joy on her face when she went tearing over to the hearth made Ash laugh out loud, and Molly kissed him, spontaneously. Well, he wasn’t about to let her go until he showed her how to properly kiss him, and they were both lost in their own little world for a few minutes.
When he came up for air, he was aware of distant giggles and exclamations. The younger members of their family were busy removing stuff from their stockings, and Molly was distracted by their excitement. They crossed to the hearth, where Ash was surprised—and even delighted—to see that his stocking was bulging too. She’d stuffed it full of the same things in the kids’; peppermint candies, wrapped salted caramels, a package of delicate sugar cookies, a few drop-candies, and an apple in the toe.
He turned to her, pleased that she’d taken the time to make such treats, and she blushed. “When we were children, there was always an orange in the toe. But I didn’t see any at Bullards’.”
Nate spoke up, around a mouthful of caramel, “They were gone early in the season. He’ll get more, but they always get snatched up.” He swallowed. “These are great, Molly! Delicious!”
“Good.” Her smile was indulgent. While everyone was busy exclaiming over their goodies, she worked over a pot of boiling milk on the stove, and soon had a tray of mugs of steaming, decadent hot chocolate waiting for each of them. They lounged around the hearth, sipping and laughing, enjoying the morning.
Ash noticed Molly’s stocking was still full, so he took it down, and found the same treats that were in the rest of their socks. She not only took the time to make sure that they would all have something for Christmas morning, but stayed up late the night before to arrange everything, and put things in her own stocking, so little Annie wouldn’t know she’d been the one to do it.
“Ash and I have some things for you, too.” Ash loved her smile, the one that showed off her dimples. She crossed to the tree, and started pulling out twine-wrapped bundles from under the lowest branches. He joined in the exclamations of surprise.
She’d made mittens and hats for the girls; lovely, embroidered coverings made of the softest gray he’d seen, and very cozy. He was amazed to find something similar in a package she handed him; a thick scarf of the bright blue wool, with his name and whirls picked out in light gray along the seam. Nate had a matching one, and tried it on then and there. He gave Molly a hug that nearly lifted the woman off the ground, and she giggled like a little girl.
Each of the kids got a store-bought gift, too. There were two new books for Wendy that Molly had picked out and paid for without him knowing. Nate received a new knife-sharpening kit, and set of wooden puzzles someone more talented than Ash had carved. His younger brother was suitably impressed, and embarrassed Molly with his thanks.
Annie unwrapped her bundle, the beautiful doll Molly had picked out, and the little girl’s hands shook when she saw the concoction of pink lace. Very carefully, with a look of wonder that made Ash want to hug her, Annie lifted the doll out of the wrapping, and cradled it to her breast. She looked up at them, and no one needed to see her sign ‘thank you’; they saw the desperate love and awe in her gaze, and Ash vowed that this little girl, this precious, delicate little life, would always be happy here.
The gifts weren’t done, though. He ducked back into his room, and came out with a scroll, wrapped in a green ribbon, and handed it to Nate.
“What’s this?” The kid�
�s—no, the young man’s—gaze was inquisitive as he opened the paper. Then he just stood there, holding the deed to half the ranch, staring. After a long minute, hazel eyes turned up to meet gray, and Ash saw the longing, the confusion, and the hope in them. “I…” He tried again. “I didn’t think you were actually going to do it.”
Ash nodded, somberly. He wouldn’t have told Nate, if he wasn’t going to follow through. “Merry Christmas, little brother. Thanks for making this place a success.” The two brothers stepped towards one another at the same time. Ash couldn’t say who reached for the other first, but the embrace was warm, and solid. “I love you, kid.”
“I love you, big brother.”
They pulled apart enough for Ash to include the rest of his family in his gaze, but he kept his arm around Nate’s shoulder. “With you as a partner, Nate, and the rest of these hard workers, there’s no way this place won’t continue to be a success.” He captured Molly’s eyes, and saw something shining in that coffee-brown gaze he couldn’t identify. “I thought we were done for, when I busted this arm. But you saved us, Molly. You came into our lives, and brought these lovely girls,” He nodded towards Wendy, who blushed, “and saved the ranch. And for the first time, brought Christmas to this house.”
Molly smiled, blushing with—he hoped—pleasure. “Thank you, Molly.” The rest of them chimed in their thanks, and her blush deepened. But she didn’t fully understand how much she meant to him, not yet. There was one more thing he had to say to her, before Christmas could be complete.
He dropped his arm from Nate’s shoulders, gave him a good glare, and jerked his head towards the girls. The younger man didn’t quite understand, until Ash turned his look on Wendy, who smiled, and pretended great interest in Annie’s new doll. Nate’s face suddenly lit up, and he smiled. “Say, uh, Wendy, how about teaching me how to sign ‘Happy Christmas’?” He quickly joined the girls on the other side of the room.
Ash took a deep breath and, turning to Molly, snagged her hand and pulled her towards their room. There wasn’t much privacy in the cabin, and Ash was beginning to regret it. He’d have to think about putting that extra room in sooner rather than later. He kicked the door closed behind them.
And then he was staring down into her eyes, full of confusion and happiness and that something else he’d noticed. He took another deep breath, suddenly at a loss, and nervous as a kid.
“Molly, I’ve got something to say to you.”
It seemed like an eternity, but he just couldn’t get the words out. She smiled, and he got side-tracked. “I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything special for Christmas.”
“Oh!” She held up her left hand. “You did! This ring was totally unexpected.” He smiled, pleased that she appreciated the surprise. It had been expensive, but worth it. She made him smile more than he’d ever smiled before, and he’d come to love that about her, too. Who would have thought that when he’d chased his kid brother into Cheyenne, he’d find a woman who could match him in every sense? A woman who was his equal. A woman he would come to love.
“Well, alright, we can call it an early Christmas present. I love my new scarf, by the way.”
She reached up to stroke his cheek, and he captured her hand, and brought it to his lips to kiss her fingertips. She shivered, and he smiled against her hand. “I love the way you taste. I love the way you feel.”
He dropped her hand and pulled her closer to him, dropping a quick kiss on her lips as he did so. “I love the way you make me feel. You brought joy to this house, to me, and that’s the best present anyone has ever given me. I love that.”
There were tears in her eyes, threatening to spill over. He took a deep breath and forged ahead. “I know you said you wouldn’t settle, wouldn’t marry a man who didn’t love you. I want you to know that you haven’t.” She gasped. “I love everything about you. I love you, Molly Murray Barker.”
“Oh, Ash!” The tears fell, but she didn’t seem to notice. Ash barely noticed, he was so anxious about her response. Was that pity he saw in her eyes, or could he hope that maybe, just maybe, she felt something similar for him? As long as it wasn’t disdain, he figured he could handle it. As long as she was willing to build a life with him, he could convince her, over many years, that he was worthy of her love—
“I love you, Ash Barker! I’ve loved you since before you proposed, I just didn’t know it. You are the kindest, strongest, most gentle man I’ve ever met, and I never thought that you would feel the way I do about you!”
His anxiety and fears melted away, gazing down at the woman he loved. He pulled her into a crushing hug, and then kissed her. It was a kiss that went on forever, and showed her the depths of his love. It was hot, and gentle, and full of promise for later.
After, neither of them spoke for a long moment, content just to hold one another. He was thinking about their life together, how it had just started, and how, if he was lucky, it would go on for many years. He didn’t know what the future held, but with this woman beside him, he was confident that he could face anything. She managed to make their lives special, in the midst of the mundane. Christmas had always been just another day for them, unless they could make it into town. But even with the chores and the work they had to do, she’d made today something truly worth cherishing. A day they’d all remember for a long time.
“What are you thinking?” His voice was barely a whisper.
She sighed. “About life. With you, here on the ranch. It’s so different from what I always imagined, but I’ve realized that it’s everything I could ever want.” Ash thought his heart couldn’t hold anymore happiness, until she said that. “This life isn’t going to be easy, but I’m glad I’ll be able to share it with you. Even something like Christmas is more special, knowing that I’m celebrating it with you and the girls and Nate here on your land.”
He kissed her again, hard and fast, unable to contain his joy. “I love you, Molly. I think I half fell in love with you that day in Cheyenne, when you stood up to me.”
Her cheek was pillowed against his chest, but he felt her smile. “I love you, too. Merry Christmas, Ash.”
He smiled, more than content. Her love was the best gift he’d ever received, and he knew he owed it to the magic of the season. “Merry Christmas, wife.”
If you absolutely cannot wait to read Nate and Wendy’s romance, skip ahead to read an excerpt from A Cheyenne Christmas Homecoming. Or you can catch up with the Barkers in the next book in the Sweet Cheyenne Quartet, A Cheyenne Celebration.
After many Reader emails, I decided to share the story of Annie’s Christmas romance with you.
Where They Belong is your chance to catch up with Nate and Wendy, and find out what’s been going on in the Barkers’ lives, fifteen years after Molly and her sisters arrived in Cheyenne.
If you enjoy historical romance, I urge you to friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter; I frequently post fun bits of social history that I find while researching my latest book. Do you like reading historical westerns, and like hanging out with others who do too? Join us on the Pioneer Hearts Facebook page, where we have the most wonderful discussions, contests, and updates about new books!
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Happy Reading!
From A Cheyenne Christmas Homecoming:
Thanksgiving, 1883
Thanksgiving dinner had been phenomenal, to no-one’s surprise. It was the Barkers’ turn to host this year, and though the Carderocks had opted to stay in town, the MacLeods rode over from their nearby ranch. It had been a nice time, and with Molly’s cooking, delicious as well. Old Ian had brought his famous dressing, and Ash had requested Tess make her Chinese father’s rice-and-vegetable dish. Nate didn’t like it, but heard Molly say that Wendy would have liked to try it. He agreed. She had always loved to learn new things about new people.
Pete and Noah had enjoyed having an entire day to play with Jacob, a
nd Cam’s latest addition was passed around happily. Little May had more of her mother’s dark coloring than her big brother Jacob did, and that made her cuter, in Nate’s biased opinion. She was able to sit up, now, and Ash’s youngest Rose kept toddling over to bring her baby dolls or her brothers’ blocks. The little girls seemed best friends already.
Cam was as good a man as any in Nate’s opinion, and he was glad his friend had found the happiness and family he’d deserved. A few years before, he’d seen how empty Cam had been, how much the older man wanted the belonging and acceptance a family could bring. Now it was Cam’s turn at happiness, and as they piled into the wagon to head back to the Open Skye—the MacLeod ranch—Cam lingered on the porch with Nate.
He looked every inch the proud papa, with little May tucked sleepily against his shoulder. Nate nodded at the baby. “She suits you. Fatherhood suits you.”
“Yeah.” Cam lacked Ash’s ability to hide his feelings; the older man’s face bloomed in a smile. “You’ve got no idea, Nate. Last year, even I had no idea. But being married to a woman I love, who loves me, who’s given me two healthy kids… that’s… well, that’s the best thing I could’ve hoped for.”
Nate didn’t reply. He didn’t particularly need kids of his own, not with all of the little ones already running around. But to come home every day to a woman who loved him…? That would be pretty incredible.
Something must have shown on his face, or else Cam knew him well enough to understand the direction of his thoughts, because his friend’s expression softened. Cam switched the baby to his left side, and put out his hand. “I’m sorry, Nate.”
Forcing a small grin for Cam’s sake, Nate shook his friend’s hand. “Don’t be. I’m really happy for you. You got what you deserved.”
