"Good, because I would say no," she shouted.
He hurried after her, knowing he had to calm her. "Everleigh, we're both upset. Let's take a deep breath, settle down and discuss this like two people who are making a business decision. We can lay out everything we both expect in a marriage on the table and come to an agreement."
She turned and stared at him, shaking her head. "You just don't get it, do you? I'm not marrying anyone who is stupid enough to think I'm going into this like a business arrangement. That's not what I want in life and I don't care if I am pregnant. At least I'll be raising MY baby without a father who has no emotion in a civilization where the blizzards don't last forever," she said, her voice rising in volume.
They were standing between the house and the barn yelling at each other. But worse, this was not how he'd intended the conversation to go. He'd imagined them sitting down at the table discussing the problem like the adults he'd assumed they were, but instead he could see the anger rising inside her and wondered why.
Why was she so enraged? Fifteen minutes ago, they'd been tearing at each other's clothes, now they were screaming at one another. What had happened to change things?
Hands on hips, she glared at him. "My trunk is ready to load and as soon as I freshen up a bit, I'll be ready to leave."
Chapter 9
The ride to her uncle's was the longest and the shortest hour of her life. Long because they said very little to each other, their earlier words hanging like a weight around her heart. Did the man have no emotion? Did he feel nothing for her and yet they'd spent what she thought were magical days and nights together.
Short because she dreaded facing her uncle and his disapproval. It had been years since she'd seen him and her aunt Myrtle. Years, and now during her toughest holiday season in her life, she'd ruined her reputation and fallen in love.
They turned down the drive and nerves tightened her stomach into a ball. She'd never been to her aunt and uncle's home. She'd only visited with them when they came to New York, which hadn't been since she was a little girl. But still this was her father's brother, her uncle, her only family. She wondered how he would react.
"I want to talk to your uncle alone," Seth said.
For the last hour, he hadn't said a word, and now opening his mouth, he'd just made her angrier. "No."
Her future was not being decided behind closed doors or without her. They couldn't make her marry. She refused to wed anyone unless they loved her.
"We'll see," he said, snapping the reins to urge the horses faster.
Soon, they were pulling up in front of the house and she'd never missed her mother more. If the explosion had never happened, she'd still be in New York and this would all be nothing more than a bad dream.
Her aunt and uncle stepped onto the porch, their faces grim.
When the sleigh came to a halt, she didn't wait for Seth to help her, but climbed down on her own. Walking carefully through the snow to the porch, she hurried up the steps, ignoring Seth. "Aunt Myrtle, Uncle James, so glad to see you. Where are the children?"
Her aunt came and hugged her, but her uncle stood glaring at Seth.
"It's good to see you. The children are inside. We told them to wait inside so we could have a chance to talk."
"How are you feeling, Uncle James?"
"I'm fine," he said glaring at Seth. This couldn't be good.
Maybe they didn't want her around their kids. Maybe they were afraid her evilness would spill onto their little darlings that she hadn't even met. Well, if that was the case, she'd find a way back into town and leave this wretched place. Or maybe they just wanted a chance to talk openly without the children hearing what was going on.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart and think logically and sensibly instead of reacting on emotion. Standing on the porch, they watched Seth unload her trunk from the sleigh and carry it up to the porch.
"Thank you," she said politely and turned away dismissing him.
"James. Myrtle," he said. He stood with his hat in his hands in front of her uncle. "I'd like to speak privately with you."
The man refused to listen to her and just didn't give up. To salvage his manly pride and his righteousness, he was going to offer to marry her. She didn't need his pity offer.
"Boy, I've been thinking of ways I could hurt you. I'm tempted to pull out my shotgun and make you do the honorable thing of marrying my niece."
"No," Everleigh said as all eyes turned to her. "I'm not marrying a man who doesn't want me."
Glancing back to Seth, they ignored her.
"Sir, I understand. But I need to speak with you in private."
Everleigh stepped out of her aunt's embrace, pushing away. "No. You're not talking to him without me being there. Uncle James, do not do this."
Her uncle frowned at her. "Everleigh, this is between men. Go in the house with your aunt."
Her aunt took her by the arm and led her away. "Come on, Everleigh, it's best to let the men hash this out."
The only way she could stay was to make a scene as her aunt had a grip on her arm like a sheriff hauling in a criminal.
"I'm not marrying him," she said vehemently. "No one is going to force me to do anything."
"I know you're upset," her aunt said calmly. "Come in the kitchen and let's make a cup of soothing tea. You can tell me what happened. All we know is that the preacher found the two of you together this morning in a compromising situation."
Though still as nice as she remembered, her aunt was one of those typical women who believed that men were the chosen ones and a woman was to be subservient to her husband. Not Everleigh. But since she was in a rather precarious position, she followed her aunt, sending Seth one last blistering glance before she went inside.
"It wasn't Seth's fault," Everleigh said. "It was the weather. We've been stuck in that little house of his since I arrived."
Her aunt's eyes grew large. "We thought you were in town."
"No, he picked me up and we started to your house but before we reached his home, the snow was falling so thick, you couldn't see. I've been there since my train arrived."
Aunt Myrtle, laid her hand on her arm and pushed her gently into a kitchen chair. "Did the two of you have sexual relations?"
She'd planned on lying. She'd even thought she could get away without telling anyone, but that darn preacher man had messed up her carefully laid out plans. There was no denying what had happened between her and Seth.
"Yes, we did."
"Then you have to marry him," her aunt said softly.
A tear welled up in her eye and then another, and another. "But he doesn't love me. He thinks we should make a business arrangement." She shuddered. "I'm not marrying anyone I don't love."
Tears rolled unheeded down her cheeks.
"Do you love him?"
Biting her lip, she tried not to sob. "Yes."
After Seth left, her uncle came into the kitchen, a grim expression on his face.
"It's all set. You'll be married on Christmas Eve."
"Absolutely not," she said rising. "No one is making me marry that man."
This was not how she wanted to marry. A girl had dreams of a man proposing, telling her he loved her, and offering a ring. She'd already experienced that once and while the marriage hadn't occurred, she still had hope that eventually the right man would offer for her hand. This was not the way a lasting marriage of love and commitment began and she refused to settle for anything less.
Her aunt shook her head. "Everleigh, why not? You just told me you love him."
Tears once again filled her eyes and she refused to cry. "Because...because he doesn't love me. I'm not marrying someone who doesn't love me. I want a marriage like my parents had, not a cold, loveless union all because everyone's afraid I'm expecting. How could that be a good place to raise a child. Children need two parents who love one another. What good would it do me?"
"You've got to marry him," her uncle s
aid, his voice filled with conviction. "Your reputation is at stake. Everyone in town will learn that you stayed at his home for ten days. It doesn't matter that you had no choice. They will assume, and it will be true that something happened between the two of you. You've got to marry."
"No," she said, determination for what she wanted making her sound short and angry. "I'll just get on the next train back to New York and never come back to Mistletoe."
Sighing, her uncle stared at her. "Bad news spreads faster than a wildfire. Eventually, this will get back to New York. And if you're pregnant, it won't matter as it will be obvious. Just marry him."
Wouldn't she feel different if she were pregnant? Wouldn't she know? Yes, it was way too early to know for certain, but still the only thing different was her heart breaking.
All Seth had to do was tell her that he loved her and she would have married him, but instead he'd wanted to make a business arrangement. Was she a profit or loss? Or was she just the hired help. How could she reside in the same house, seeing him each day, knowing that she loved him. She wanted to be his equal, his partner, his helpmate, his lover, and so far there had been no declarations, no acknowledgements, nothing but his pity offer.
"I have a job, a place to live, and a life in New York. I'm not willing to give that up for a man who can't express his emotions," she said softly.
Shaking his head, her uncle said quietly, "What would your father do if he'd been alive and this happened?"
She started to cry, missing her mother and the way she always managed to find a solution when a problem came up. "He'd make me marry."
"I can't let you go back to New York, not knowing if you're pregnant and unmarried, with a scandal attached to your name. Your father would haunt me for the rest of my life because I didn't do what was right for his daughter. You have to marry Seth. He's agreed to let you return to New York after the wedding."
Anger like the blowing winds of the blizzard blew through her, leaving her madder than a hell cat. Taking a deep, calming breath, she sighed. So he'd marry her and let her go back to New York - he didn't love or want her.
Did no one understand that what she needed wasn't complicated or even asking too much? All she longed for was some heartfelt emotion from Seth that showed her he loved her and desired her as his wife, because of his love - not the scandal.
"Did he mention the word love?" she said, her voice trembling with hurt.
"No. But Seth is not the type of man who wears his emotions on his sleeve and he's not one for talking to other men about his feelings. But he wouldn't marry you if he didn't care about you and your reputation."
"He is only doing this because his conscious is telling him it's the right thing. And the chance that there could be a child. Not that he cares about me. I'm a duty, an obligation."
Her aunt patted her on the arm. "You don't know that. But if you marry him, then you will repair the damage done to your reputation and protect the babe you could be carrying. I got pregnant on my wedding night with your uncle."
Everleigh stared at her aunt and licked her lips. She really hadn't given the thought of being with child any real consideration. She just didn't believe it could happen to her and she didn't feel any different, except for the pain around her heart. Would it be fair to have a child labeled as a bastard all because she'd been too stubborn to marry its father?
While she still didn't believe she was pregnant, it would be a little late once she reached New York to reconsider. And she did love Seth. But she would be forever tied to a man who lived in Montana, if she married him and then returned to New York. But if she married him, she could never marry and if she wasn't pregnant, then she would be alone the rest of her life.
"I'll think about it. I'm not saying yes or no. But I'll consider marrying him just to protect the child I could be carrying."
Frowning, her uncle hugged her. "He'll be here at eleven tomorrow to discuss the details."
That night, Seth thought he would go crazy, walking around in his small empty house that now felt gigantic without Everleigh. The rooms that once had been his haven of peace and solace were now empty chambers that lacked the warmth and vitality they'd once held. And his bed was such a lonely place, he'd finally moved back to the couch.
Everything had changed and he no longer felt at home in his own place. Sometimes he thought he could smell Everleigh, her perfume seemed to linger in the air where she had walked from room to room. He wanted to chase after that scent and hold onto her fragrance before it dissipated.
Glancing up from the fire where he'd been sitting and staring aimlessly, he saw the tree. That damn Christmas tree she'd insisted on bringing into the house. The paper snowflakes, the crooked star, and the paper wishes hanging from the limbs a reminder of a great night. She'd insisted they each write down a wish they would open on Christmas morning.
Well, he wasn't waiting. He wanted to read hers now. He knew what he'd written on his. And if he had his way, she would read it on Christmas morning.
He strode to the tree and yanked her wish from the limb. As he opened the paper, a chill went through him. Shocked, he stared at the message, his heart seizing in his chest.
My Christmas Wish
May the next few weeks clear the confusion from my head and heart and my parents’ spirits guide me in the direction my life should take. And may the spirit of Christmas with its fulfillment of new beginnings and hope fill Seth. Everleigh.
Stunned, he stared at the note. Was she just as confused as he was? Sure, he'd had his heart broken once before, but it wasn't because of something he'd done. He'd had no control over Catherine making the decision to run away with a man she'd just met. And maybe, as his father liked to say, he'd gotten the luck of the draw, because if he'd married Catherine, he'd never have met Everleigh.
Still, was he willing to take a chance on Everleigh? Would she keep him waiting at the church?
A shiver ran down his spine at the memory of standing in front of the church, waiting, while his heart slowly shriveled in front of everyone. The weeks following, the looks from people in town, the whispers. He'd known Catherine for nearly eighteen years and Everleigh for fewer than two weeks. Was he crazy? If he agreed to marry her, could he trust her not to leave him facing a congregation of sad faces?
Even in the short days they'd been together, he'd fallen in love with Everleigh. He loved the way she seemed to fill a room and make it sunny and bright, even on a dark snowy day. The way she drew him out of his shell and how easy she made it for him to talk to her. The way she never shut up, which could be irritating and wonderful at the same time.
Stuck here in this cabin for ten days, he'd seen the best of her and the worst of her, and well, she made him a better man. He'd laughed, he'd loved and experienced more happiness in those ten days than many people experienced in a lifetime. He'd never felt more alive than while she was challenging him and not letting him retreat into himself.
Sure, he wanted what was best for her, but he also knew that maybe he was good for her as well. Maybe she needed him like he needed her.
With sudden clarity, he realized he couldn't let her go without trying one more time. They'd both said a lot of things in anger, but now that they'd had time to settle down, maybe they could talk sensibly. But would she be willing to give up her big city career and live a quiet life with him in the backwoods of Montana. Raise some kids and build a life together. He hoped so.
If she didn't have that big city job and the longing for a career, he knew this wouldn't be a question. A job at a newspaper...the memory of Tom Stuart with that ridiculous contraption around his neck came to mind. Tom owned the local paper. Tom was a small operation, but still who wrote the articles in his paper? What if he needed a journalist? A woman's perspective on life in Montana.
Tomorrow morning, he'd go to town and see if the local newspaper was looking to hire a female journalist. If he could keep Everleigh in Montana and fulfill her dreams of being a journalist, while being his wife, n
othing would make him happier. For a chance with her, he'd stand in front of a church once again, waiting, hoping, praying she would show up.
He'd been willing to marry her and let her return to New York, but maybe, just maybe they had a chance of being married and being happy together right here in Mistletoe.
He walked back to the tree and pulled off his Christmas wish. Had he known even then that he loved Everleigh? Glancing down, he read what he wrote.
Oh, yes, he’d known she’d wrangled his heart, but been unable to face the fact that he loved her and she would leave him.
Chapter 10
Everleigh didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Seth had told her uncle, he'd be there at eleven, it was now after two and he'd yet to show up. So much for him wanting to marry her. Her aunt glanced at her nervously like she was going to go into a fit of the vapors. But Everleigh didn't do vapors.
When the pain of life was at its worst, she picked up her needlepoint, losing herself in the stitches. And so far today, she'd almost finished a seat cushion as she sat on the couch waiting, listening to the clock tick-tock like a hammer hitting a nail.
She stood, unable to wait any longer. "I'm going to go lie down. It's obvious he's not coming."
"Maybe something happened," her aunt said. "Maybe there's been an accident."
"And maybe he doesn't want to marry me," she said, rising from the rocking chair.
Her uncle had limped outside and was busy swinging his chop ax, splitting logs, doing more resting than chopping. She almost envied him the task, thinking how each blow to the log would be exerting frustration and anger. Tomorrow, she promised herself she was going to wake up and be prepared to celebrate the Christmas spirit and put all this behind her.
Her parents would want her to celebrate this holy time. Life moved on whether they were at her side or not, and life would continue without Seth's love.
"Don't give up on him, just yet," her aunt replied. "Men can be stubborn."
Wild Western Women Mistletoe, Montana: Sweet Western Historical Holiday Box Set Page 18
