A Thistle & Hive Christmas: Book 4.5 of The Thistle & Hive Series

by Jennae Vale

  “Ow! Watch where yer going.” The voice of a young boy yelled.

  Teddy stopped and was shocked to see one of the twins. Gazing up he saw the other twin not far behind. “Where have ye been? I’ve been searching fer ye. Where are the others?” Teddy felt an odd combination of relief and panic on realizing that there were only two children in front of him.

  “They went to see the horses. Ranald and I got tired of walking, so we turned around. I don’t think they’ll ever get there.”

  So the one he’d tripped over was Rowan. He’d had a devil of a time keeping them straight in his head. “Well, I’m sorry to tell ye this, Rowan, but we’re heading back the way ye just came. Ye ken we must find them. We dinnae wish any harm to come their way.” Teddy was surely using his daily allotment of words. He hardly ever had anything to say and he liked it that way. “Come along then.”

  “I’m so verra tired, Teddy. Do we have to go with ye?”

  “Aye, ye do.”

  “Can ye carry us?” Two sets of pleading eyes gazed up at him. How could he refuse them?

  Teddy reached his arms down and scooped up the two heavy bundles before continuing his walk. There was no way to avoid the snow hitting him in the face now. He’d best just get on with it, what good would it do him to complain? The only reason he found himself in this predicament was because he’d literally fallen asleep on the job. Edna would be very angry with him and he could only imagine how their parents would react.

  “We’re almost there, boys.” Teddy wasn’t sure if he was reassuring the twins or himself. Perhaps both. He could see the lights of Mrs. MacDougall’s stables dimly shining through the falling snow. He picked up his pace and upon finally reaching the stable doors, he put the twins down and carefully opened them.

  Teddy wasn’t surprised to find the stable well-lit and warm. Mrs. MacDougall saw to it that every horse in her stable was well cared for and during the winter months that meant heating the space they called home. He was, however, surprised to see a woman he didn’t recognize holding baby Emma and cooing softly to her.

  “Teddy!” Fiona shouted, running to him. “Ye found us.”

  “Aye.” He counted the children to make sure they were all present and accounted for. “Ye gave me quite a fright.”

  “We’re sorry. Robbie wanted to come see his pony.”

  Wee Robert glanced sheepishly up at Teddy, not saying a word.

  “And who is this?” Teddy motioned to the woman. Her head was covered with a hood, which cloaked her face in darkness. He couldn’t see enough of her to decide if he knew her.

  “My name’s Marissa.” She threw the hood back from her head, revealing bespectacled eyes of the brightest blue and a pert little turned up nose, all encased in a lovely heart shaped face, surrounded by platinum blonde hair, which was streaked much like Edna’s only in pink. Her accent was distinctly American.

  Teddy was immediately taken with her. In his eyes she was the most beautiful of women. He stammered and stuttered as he tried to speak, eventually managing, “I’m Teddy.”

  “You’re the babysitter.” She stated matter-of-factly.

  “Aye. Not a verra good one, I’m afraid.”

  “These little rascals told me all about their adventure and for what it’s worth, I don’t see how anyone could blame you. They were pretty stealthy from what I understand. I’m just happy they made it to the stable before this little one turned into a popsicle.” Marissa gazed down at Emma who beamed a smile that was filled with joy as she reached up a hand and grasped onto Marissa’s hair.

  Teddy moved closer under the pretense of seeing Emma. He stood as near to Marissa as he dared, wishing he was the one wrapping his hand in her hair. She smelled lovely too. An aroma of citrus and roses gently wafted through the air around her.

  “These two must be Rowan and Ranald. I’m happy to see you didn’t get lost on your way back to the inn.”

  “We werenae lost,” Rowan stated. “Teddy made us come with him.”

  “Well, I’d say it was a good thing. Otherwise how would I have gotten to meet you?”

  The twins softened, obviously as enchanted with Marissa as Teddy was. They too approached and stood as near as they could possibly get without dislodging Emma in the process.

  “Shall we all sit down? I believe it will be a while before it’s safe for you all to head back to the inn.” Marissa carefully walked to the bales of straw neatly stacked against the back wall and sat on one at the bottom. The children followed suit, as did Teddy.

  A door off to the side of the feed room opened revealing a startled Mrs. MacDougall. “What have we here?” she asked, smiling warmly at the children.

  “We came to visit my Tonn,” Wee Robert answered.

  “Did ye now? ’Tis not the best day to be wandering about.” She directed the last part of her comment to Teddy.

  “’Tis a long story, Mrs. MacDougall,” Teddy was embarrassed once again at his failure.

  “I know Teddy, and I’ve met Wee Robbie. I assume the rest of the children are visiting the inn, but I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting this young lady.” Mrs. MacDougall directed her attention to Marissa.

  “I’m Marissa Merrivale.” Marissa extended her free hand towards Mrs. MacDougall.

  “Are ye visiting the inn as well?”

  “Oh, no. I’m here in Scotland doing research for a book I’m writing. My rental car broke down and I was caught in the snowstorm. I was getting cold and tired and I needed shelter. I knocked on your door, but there wasn’t any answer. I hope you don’t mind that I let myself into the stable.”

  “Of course not. What kind of woman would I be to let ye freeze out there in this weather. Yer more than welcome to the warmth of the stable and the company ye seem to have found. I must have been upstairs. My hearing’s not what it used to be. I’m sure that’s why I missed yer knock.” Mrs. MacDougall walked towards a large double door closet. “Teddy, would ye mind helping me?”

  Teddy nodded and followed after her.

  “I’ve got a table and some chairs here. I keep them for those rare occasions when someone wants to use my stable for a party. Here, Teddy, open this table up while I get out some chairs.”

  Teddy rolled the round table to a clear spot in the aisle way and unfolded the legs to set it upright. He then went back to retrieve the folding chairs Mrs. MacDougall was stacking along the wall.

  “Teddy, ye get that all set up and I’ll be right back.” She was out the door in a flash. Teddy did as he was told and with the help of the children got all the chairs set up around the table.

  A short while later, Mrs. MacDougall returned with a picnic basket and a large thermos. She handed Teddy a Christmas table cloth, which he put on the table. Next she placed dishes and cups out. Then came the treats. There were cookies in the shapes of reindeer, Christmas trees, ornaments and wreaths all decorated with red and green frosting. Bowls of homemade candy came next, along with colorful candy canes. The children held back, but their eyes were wide with wonder at the sight of everything set out for them.

  “Everyone sit.” Mrs. MacDougall poured hot chocolate into their cups and then sat herself down next to Marissa. “May I?” she asked, nodding her head towards Emma.

  “Of course.” Marissa handed the baby over to her and then dug into the cookies, like a woman who hadn’t eaten is a long while.

  “Yer quite hungry, arenae ye?” Teddy asked. He found everything about her fascinating, including her appetite.

  “I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

  Teddy exchanged a look with Mrs. MacDougall.

  “My gosh, I’m being rude. I should probably slow down.” She sat back in her chair and took a sip of the hot chocolate. “Mmmm…”

  Teddy couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her. Mrs. MacDougall elbowed him in the side and aimed a sly wink his way. That was all it took for Teddy to avert his eyes and search the stable for something to take him away from her scrutiny. The horses would do. He rose an
d went down the aisle, stroking their velvety noses and ruffling their forelocks. He was embarrassed by his behavior. Granted he almost never met anyone who didn’t live in Glendaloch and his experience with the opposite sex was very limited. Most of the lasses he knew treated him like their odd brother. He continued standing with his back to the group while he attempted to relax and get his emotions under control.

  “Is everything okay,” Marissa asked. She could tell by his posture that he was attempting to hide from them.

  Teddy stayed where he was, head tucked low. “Aye. Fine.”

  “Okay. I hope I didn’t scare you away with the way I was eating. I mean, I know it was a bit over the top, but I was very hungry.” She was feeling embarrassed. She liked Teddy from the moment she first saw him and she was afraid that being herself in front of him would work like insect repellant on a mosquito. If it did, what could she do? She had long ago decided against pretense and instead had come to embrace her quirky side even though it did little to attract the opposite sex.

  “I ken ye were. I just wished to see the horses, so I can reassure their owners that they are faring well.” He slowly turned back towards them and gave himself a little shake before raising his head and attempting something that appeared to be a smile.

  Marissa had all she could do to restrain the giggle that was bubbling in her throat. She glanced at Mrs. MacDougall who had obviously failed in that endeavor and who was now covering it up with a coughing fit into her napkin.

  The children were happily eating their cookies and sipping their hot chocolate, unaware of the awkwardness that had suddenly descended on the adults.

  “Where are ye from, Marissa?” Mrs. MacDougall lowered her napkin and smiled warmly at her.

  “I’m from Boston.” Marissa answered and then thinking perhaps she wouldn’t know where Boston was added, “Massachusetts.”

  “Really? I have cousins who live there.”

  “I probably don’t know them.”

  “I wouldn’t imagine ye would. ’Tis a large city. Knowing everyone who resides there would take quite a bit of work on yer part.” Mrs. MacDougall chuckled and put her napkin back in her lap.

  That was quite a dumb thing to say. Of course this kind woman wouldn’t think she knew her cousins. Marissa had always been a bit socially awkward, but she’d been working hard to be better in social situations. She obviously still had some work to do. “What part of the city do they live in?”

  “Actually they live just outside of the city itself in a place called Somerville. Ye must be familiar with it.”

  “I am. I actually grew up there.” She was about to continue, but Teddy was back and had quietly taken his seat. There was something about him that Marissa found attractive. He definitely wouldn’t fall into the hot category, but she found him appealing. He seemed quite shy and she liked that. For once she wasn’t the shyest one in the room. When he glanced her way, she tried to convey all of what she was thinking in one smile, but she was afraid she probably looked more like a demented jack-o-lantern. To her surprise, Teddy smiled back. Butterflies began to roil in her tummy and her heart beat quickened uncomfortably. This would not be a good time for a panic attack. She took some long, slow deep breaths to calm this odd sensation she was feeling.

  Mrs. MacDougall must have sensed the thickness of the air between the two. “This is so nice. I haven’t had a Christmas gathering in years. Even though this one was impromptu, I think it’s been a big success.”

  “I’ll check to see if the snow has stopped. If it has, we should head back to the inn.” Teddy went to the door and quickly returned. “’Tis still coming down quite heavily. I don’t know how we’ll get back.”

  “I’ve got an idea. Help me clean up and we’ll see about getting the little one’s back to their families.”

  Chapter 12

  All Is Well

  Ashley and Cailin headed back to the inn. The others were still roaming up and down the street in search of gifts, but they had finished their shopping and Ashley was anxious to get back to Emma. The snow was piling up on the street and the sun had set early, as it did here during the Scottish winter months. Try as she might, Ashley couldn’t help but worry about Emma. Cailin was always patient with her, understanding her concern and not making her feel badly about it.

  They reached the inn door and she noted the lack of lights in the interior. “That’s odd. There aren’t any lights on. I hope everything’s okay.” The anxiety she felt whenever she thought Emma might be in danger came bubbling to the surface.

  Cailin’s arm was around her in a flash. “All is well, love. Ye’ll see.”

  Entering the inn, she noted the quiet. You could hear a pin drop. Not something that was ever possible when the twins were around. “Cailin.” Ashley glanced up at him and was not comforted to see that he wore a concerned expression now too.

  “Teddy!” He called into what they both realized was an empty inn.

  Ashley ran to the dining room, which was the last place they’d been seen and turned on the lights. There was not a sign of any of them. “Where could they be?”

  “I dinnae ken. The snow is coming down in droves out there. Why would Teddy take them out in it?”

  “Maybe they’re upstairs. I’ll go look,” Ashley said.

  “I’ll check the cottage out back,” Cailin responded.

  Ashley bolted up the stairs, searching from room to room to no avail. When she arrived back downstairs, she was greeted by Cailin, who had a dark expression on his face. “They’re not at the cottage?” she asked.

  “Nae.” Cailin paced back and forth for a moment. “Ashley, ye stay here. I’ll go search for them.”

  “Don’t you think we should let the others know first. That way Robert and Cormac can go with you to find them.”

  “Aye. I’ll take care of it. Stay here in case they return.”

  He was out the door in a flash.

  “We won’t all fit in my tiny little car,” Mrs. MacDougall was saying, “so I thought we might use this. Teddy, if ye’ll help me please.”

  Teddy followed her and helped her remove a large canvas tarp from an old sleigh.

  “I haven’t used this in years, but it’s large enough to fit everyone and ’twill be a fun way to get everyone safely back to the inn. Teddy, if ye’ll help me move it to the center aisle of the stable, we can get Old Hildy hooked up to it and we’ll be off. Marissa would ye mind folding the tarp for me.”

  Marissa went to work folding the tarp while Teddy helped move the sleigh. Once it was settled in the right spot according to Mrs. MacDougall, she pulled out a dust cloth and went over the interior making sure it was fit for occupants. Next she retrieved Old Hildy, who was a good-sized, chestnut draft horse with a sweet face. Teddy remembered her from those long ago Christmas holidays when a ride in Mrs. MacDougall’s sleigh was the highlight of the festivities. Things had certainly changed over the years. He was older as was everyone else, including Mrs. MacDougall and Hildy. Glendaloch was lacking in small children, as most adults his age had moved to the larger cities for job opportunities, leaving behind a village stuck in time. Edna always said that he shouldn’t worry, the others would return soon enough. Once they took the time to remember what a wonderful place it had been to grow up, they’d be back with their own children. Edna was always right. They’d be back and the little village would be lively once again no doubt.

  The sleigh was ready to go and the children were seated comfortably with blankets to cover their legs. Marissa held the baby and Teddy held an umbrella, which he positioned in the best spot to block the snow from landing on Emma and Marissa. Mrs. MacDougall clucked to Old Hildy and the sleigh began to move out into the late afternoon darkness and back to The Thistle & Hive.

  The crowd gathered in front of the inn were shouting and throwing their hands in every direction. Edna had reassured them that the children were safe, but much to her dismay they hadn’t really believed her. Even Maggie and Dylan were taking part in this
crazy search and rescue mission.

  “I’ll head off towards the bridge,” Cailin was saying. “Cormac ye head towards the stables. Robert and Ewan, ye can cover the other two directions.” They all nodded their heads and were about to head off when the sound of sleigh bells caught their attention.

  “Ye see, I told ye there was nae need to worry. Here they come now.” Edna proclaimed.

  All heads turned and watched as Mrs. MacDougall and her sleigh got closer and closer. Ashley, who was being comforted by Jenna, glanced up and with one last sniffle, broke away and started to run towards the sleigh, Cailin caught up with her and grabbing an arm, stopped her.

  “They’ll be here soon enough, love.” He placed his arms around her to still her movement.

  As the sleigh pulled up in front of the inn, the children were laughing and smiling at their parents, who all now wore relieved expressions.

  “Edna, Merry Christmas to ye.” Mrs. MacDougall sat atop the sleigh, reins in hand.

  “And to ye, Frances. I see these little rascals made their way to yer stables.” Edna helped Fiona get down from the sleigh. “Did ye have fun, Fiona?”

  “Aye. We had cookies and hot chocolate.”

  “Did ye now?”

  Wee Robert hopped off next. “Aye. We did. I wanted to check on Tonn, Da.”

  The parents were speechless. Caught between being angry that they’d gone off without permission and relief that they were safe. “There was nae need, Robbie. Mrs. MacDougall will see that they’re cared for.” Robert said. “Teddy, why would ye take them out in this weather?” Ashley had climbed up into the sleigh and grabbed Emma from Marissa.