The Christmas Vow

by Shanna Hatfield

  “And the inside?” Adam asked as he pulled on his coat and wrapped the scarf around his neck.

  Blake barely suppressed a disdainful snort while Luke coughed to hide his bark of laughter.

  Ginny frowned at her husband and brother. “The inside definitely bears Mother’s tastes more so than Dad’s.”

  “I can hardly wait to see it.” Adam shook hands with Luke and Blake before following Arlan and Alex outside into the cold.

  As they moved down the walk toward the heart of town, Adam glared at his only sibling then turned a dimpled smile to his sister-in-law. “If nothing else comes of this trip, I’m pleased to finally meet the woman who won my brother’s affections.”

  Alex laughed. “I’m so glad you came, Adam, but I’m terribly sorry about the loss of your friend. Mr. Simpson seemed like a kind man.”

  “Thank you.” Adam studied her. Alex appeared genuine in her sympathy.

  From his experience, beautiful women were often vain, shallow, and self-serving. Tia’s lovely face came to mind and fresh pain clawed at his chest.

  Purposefully ignoring it, he thumped a hand on Arlan’s shoulder as they strolled home. Although Arlan was a few inches taller, Adam towered above most men. The breadth of his shoulders and chest had always intimidated his brother when they’d gotten into scuffles as younger boys.

  In truth, they got along well for the most part. Except when Arlan failed to share pertinent information, such as Tia’s presence in town.

  “What happened to Carl? Would you give me the whole story?” Adam asked as they walked up the steps to the house he had once called home. After his mother died, he went off to Portland to seek adventure and escape his memories. He left Arlan the house, confident he could take care of himself since he had a good job at the bank.

  His little brother had done very well for himself, both in his work and with his choice of a bride.

  Adam watched Arlan’s hand caress the curve of his wife’s shoulder as he helped her remove her coat once they stepped inside the warmth of the house.

  “While you two settle into the parlor, I’ll go make a pot of tea.” Alex’s smile and eyes held compassion as she disappeared into the kitchen.

  Arlan motioned Adam to take a seat in the parlor.

  Instead, Adam helped build up the fire then stood before it, warming his hands. He’d forgotten how much colder it could be in Hardman than it was in Portland’s milder climate. A pervading chill had hounded him from the moment he stepped off the train in Heppner.

  As he lingered by the fire, Arlan took a seat on a sofa and glanced up at him. “No one knows for sure what happened, but the doctor thinks Carl may have been doing something with his cattle. He got a new bull back in October that must have been bred on Lucifer’s back forty because it was the most evil animal I’ve ever seen. Carl couldn’t turn his back on that beast for fear it would trample him. A neighbor heard a ruckus over at Carl’s place and went over to see what was going on. He found that bull tossing Carl around like a limp rag doll. Doc said he thought a horn punctured Carl’s lung. He likely would have died from that even without the other injuries.”

  Shocked to hear of his friend’s horrid, painful death, Adam turned back to the fire and took a moment to swallow down the lump in his throat. “What happened to the bull?”

  Arlan sighed. “They had to shoot him to get the body out of the pen.”

  “Good.” Adam nodded his head in approval.

  Alex breezed into the room with a tea tray and set it on the low table in front of the sofa. She took a seat next to Arlan and poured three cups.

  Adam smiled at her and settled into a chair across from them.

  “Would you care for sugar or cream?” Alex asked as she held out a dish with sugar cubes.

  “Two sugars, please.” Adam watched as Alex placed two sugar cubes on her palm, waved her other hand over them, and made the cubes magically disappear before reappearing in his teacup. She handed it to him along with a spoon.

  He grinned. “I hope I get a full demonstration of your magic show while I’m here.”

  “If you stay until Christmas, I’ll do a show on Christmas Eve for the school’s Christmas Carnival.”

  “You don’t say.” Adam stirred his tea then took a sip. It was rich, sweet, and just the way he liked it.

  “I do.” Alex handed a cup of tea to Arlan then sat back with a cup. “We really do hope you’ll stay, Adam. No one should be alone for Christmas.”

  Arlan chuckled and pressed a kiss to Alex’s temple. “So says the girl who tried to run away last Christmas Eve.”

  Alex gave him a glance from beneath her long, dark lashes. “That was before.”

  “Before what?” Adam asked.

  “Before your brother professed his undying devotion and convinced me I had to stay.” Alex kissed her husband’s cheek. “I’m ever so glad he did. I love living here in Hardman, teaching at the school, and being Mrs. Arlan Guthry.”

  “You should have made Arlan change his name to Janowski. It’s got a more colorful ring to it,” Adam teased.

  “I offered,” Arlan said, giving his wife a playful squeeze. “I told her when she put a ring through my nose, she could lead me around anywhere she liked and her wish was my command.”

  Pretending to be affronted, Alex leaned away from Arlan and pouted. “You never said any such thing. If anyone is led on a merry chase around here, it’s me.” She leaned closer to Adam and dropped her voice to a whisper. “He played hard to get, since he had two women on the line and couldn’t decide which one to court.”

  Arlan spluttered and sat up straight. “Now, that’s not true at all. You know from the moment I saw you outside town with your broken-down wagon, you’ve owned my heart, dear lady. Don’t you dare try to convince my brother otherwise.”

  Alex laughed and got to her feet. “I know, Arlan, but it’s good to keep you on your toes.”

  The men watched her return to the kitchen to prepare dinner while they remained by the fire.

  “I like her, Arlan.” Adam took another drink of his tea, giving his brother an approving grin.

  Arlan smiled. “Me, too.”

  Chapter Two

  Adam wiped is mouth with a napkin and leaned back in his chair, laughing. “Did you really make the outhouse disappear?”

  Alex shook her head. “I’ll never tell.”

  “She won’t, either,” Arlan said, grinning at his wife. The children at the Hardman School had begged and begged Alex to do a big magic trick. With a little help from Arlan and Luke, she’d seemingly made the outhouse behind the school disappear then reappear while the children had all watched in awe. The students rushed home to tell their parents about the magic Miss Alex executed at school. That was right before Thanksgiving and many people in town still talked about wishing they’d seen it happen.

  “Perception is greater than reality,” Arlan said, looking at Adam. “That’s what my wife tells me when I try to pry details out of her about one of her tricks.”

  Perplexed, Adam had no idea what that meant but the way Alex looked at Arlan made him think his brother knew more of her secrets than either of them would admit.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever met a real prestidigitator before. Wait until I tell the fellas at work my beautiful sister is a conjurer of magic.” Adam waggled an eyebrow at Alex as he finished his last bite of bread.

  “I’d love to hear about your work, Adam.” Alex refilled their coffee cups then regained her seat next to Arlan at the kitchen table.

  Although the house once had a formal dining room, Arlan had converted it into an office. Since Adam’s last brief visit, Arlan had also knocked out a wall in the kitchen and enlarged the space. In addition, he’d built on a large bedroom and a bathroom at the back of the house.

  At the rapid rate progress arrived in Hardman, soon everyone would have those newfangled telephones installed.

  Delighted with his brother’s apparent success, he looked at his sister-in-law. �
��What would you like to know?”

  “Well, Arlan said you went to Portland to work on a ship then ended up as a captain, but now you pilot other boats down the river. Is that correct?”

  “Yep. That’s correct.” Adam nodded his head. At Alex’s expectant look, he grinned. “I suppose you’d like me to elaborate.”

  Alex offered him a saucy smile. “If you please.”

  Adam chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.” He took a swig of his coffee before he settled back in his chair. “Have you ever heard of the Columbia River Bar?”

  “Didn’t a ship wreck there last year?” Alex asked as she scooted her chair closer to Arlan. He wrapped is arm around her shoulders and she leaned against his side.

  The site of the two of them, so close and in love, made Adam simultaneously happy and depressed. Thrilled his brother was in love with a kind-hearted, lovely woman, Adam couldn’t help but wonder if he and Tia would have been that happy had she not turned her back on him.

  Intent on pushing the irksome woman from his thoughts, Adam focused on his brother and sister-in-law. “That’s right. Two people were killed, one injured, and the ship couldn’t be salvaged. It happens all the time on the bar.”

  “Why? I don’t understand what makes it such a dangerous place.” Arlan gazed at his brother.

  “The Columbia River flows through a narrow channel into the Pacific.” Adam held his hands in front of him, moving his palms closer together to indicate a constricted space. “As the water surges toward the ocean, it slows down, dropping sand and silt. Those deposits form a fan-shaped sandbar that extends several miles into the ocean, creating underwater traps and hazards. The conditions can rip ships to pieces and force swells to sheer off, creating a treacherous drop. Pelting rain and heavy fog add into the dangerous mix. Wrecks have been recorded there since 1792.”

  “My gracious! I had no idea,” Alex looked at Arlan then turned back to Adam, eager for him to continue.

  “Back in 1846, a group formed to pilot all types of vessels over the bar. The pilots are licensed to captain any type of ship, regardless of size or location.” Adam voice held a measure of excitement. “Once the vessels are over the bar, another organization of pilots takes vessels along the Columbia River to various ports. The majority stop in Portland, but some go further up the river or down the Willamette.”

  “And that’s what you do? Pilot the ships down the river?” Alex asked, intrigued by her brother-in-law’s work.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Adam smiled at Alex. “I get called out all hours of the day and night to help navigate ships safely along the river. Although I started out life on a farm back east and then moved here to Hardman, I guess we must have a sailor’s blood in our family tree somewhere. There’s nothing I enjoy more than being on a boat, driving it down the river.”

  “Do you ever have free time? How were you able to come for the funeral service?” Alex asked.

  “I work four days straight, then have three off, so the days I have off always vary. I often volunteer to fill in for others, so my employer insisted I take time off and not return until after Christmas.”

  “That’s wonderful news, Adam,” Arlan grinned at his brother. “It’s been too many years since we’ve spent a holiday together.” He glanced at his wife and she nodded in agreement. “We would like nothing better than to have you stay with us to ring in the New Year.”

  “I’d like that, but how long I stay depends.”

  “On?” Arlan asked, already knowing the answer. He’d hoped to spare Adam any undue worry by leaving out the fact that Tia Devereux had moved back to town. She’d come for her grandmother’s funeral. Instead of selling the house where she’d grown up as everyone expected, she moved in and stayed.

  Personally, Arlan thought it was nice to have her back in the community. However, he’d known Adam would bristle at the sight of her. He hated the thought that Adam would let something that happened eleven years ago keep him from celebrating Christmas with his only living relatives.

  “What does it depend on, Adam?” Arlan prompted when he failed to answer the question.

  “On several factors, none of which I’m in the mood to discuss.” Adam’s tone held a hint of warning.

  Mindful of emotions simmering beneath the surface, Alex stood and began clearing the table. “If you boys help me with the dishes, I think we have time for a game this evening.”

  Arlan hopped up and carried dirty dishes over to the sink. Alex filled a dishpan with hot water and added soap while Arlan and Adam carried over the remainder of the dishes. The two brothers stored the leftover food in the icebox then helped dry the dishes.

  In no time at all, the dishes were put away and the kitchen set to rights. The three of them retired to the parlor where Arlan took a board game down from a shelf and set it on the table in front of the sofa.

  “Must we play that one again?” Alex sank against the cushions with a beleaguered sigh. She lifted the lid of the game and held it out toward Adam. “Did he make you play this with him, too?”

  Adam chuckled and ran his rough thumb over the lid of the box. “He surely did. I hoped by now he’d have worn out the pieces and could no longer play.” He handed the lid back to Alex.

  Arlan frowned at them as he set out Bulls and Bears — The Great Game of Wall Street. Based on the financial panic of the 1870s, the game promised players they would feel like “speculators, bankers, and brokers.”

  As a banker exceptionally talented with mathematical figures, Arlan was unbelievably challenging to beat even though much of the entertainment of the game was based on chance.

  “To make things fair, I think Alex and I should team up against you.” Adam winked at his sister-in-law.

  Enthusiastically, she nodded in agreement. “That’s a splendid idea. It might give me a slight chance to win. Otherwise, Arlan has to pretend he doesn’t notice my cheating.”

  Adam laughed and sat down on the floor in front of the table while Alex took a seat beside Arlan on the couch.

  “I’ll even allow the lady to take the first turn,” Arlan said, kissing his wife’s cheek.

  Alex spun the dial and the competition began. An hour later, all three of them laughed uproariously as Alex won the game, thanks to Adam’s help.

  “On that high note, I’ll slice the pie I baked earlier. You two can put the game away,” Alex said, rising to her feet and giving Arlan a smile full of smug victory. “Would either of you like more coffee?”

  Both men shook their heads. “A glass of milk, please, Alex,” Arlan said, then glanced at Adam. He nodded. “Make it two glasses.”

  “I’ll be right back,” she said and swept out of the room.

  Adam helped Arlan put away the game then added a log to the fire. “Alex truly is amazing, little brother. I’m very happy for you.”

  Arlan studied him for a moment then broke into a satisfied grin. “Thanks, Adam. I’m glad you like her. It means a lot to me to hear you say that.”

  Speculatively, Adam narrowed his gaze. “What would you do if I said she was a bad-tempered, homely wench?”

  “Blacken your eye and toss you out into the snow.” Arlan tugged up his shirtsleeves, lifted his arms in front of him and formed two fists. Playfully, he jabbed one at his brother.

  Adam ducked, enjoying their banter. “I see you haven’t improved your boxing moves to defend yourself. It’s a good thing you don’t need to.”

  Arlan stiffened. “I’ll have you know I’m quite capable of defending myself and my wife.”

  Aware of his brother’s ruffled feathers, Adam patted him on the shoulder. “I know you are. I’m just teasing.”

  “Good. Because I wouldn’t want to have to take you out back and beat some sense into you.”

  The two brothers chuckled. Arlan would be hard pressed to best Adam in any sort of physical exertion and they both knew it.

  Arlan sobered and observed his brother for a long moment. “What about you, Adam. Have you met anyone special? You’ve never onc
e mentioned any females in your letters, other than the crotchety Mrs. Winters who runs the boarding house where you rent a room. Is there a girl who’s caught your eye?”

  Adam took a seat on the chair closest to the fire, once again feeling chilled. “No, Arlan, there’s no one special. My line of work isn’t conducive to courting or having a wife, even if I was interested, which I’m most certainly not.”

  “But, Adam, what happened with Tia is…”

  “None of your business.” Adam sent his brother a pointed glare as Alex returned to the room carrying a tray loaded with slices of apple pie and glasses of milk.

  Once they finished eating dessert, Alex took the tray to the kitchen then bid both of the men a good night.

  “You two visit as long as you like, but I’ve got a classroom full of rowdy youngsters to wrangle in the morning,” Alex said, leaning down to kiss Adam’s cheek. “I’m so glad you’re here, Adam. Welcome home.”

  Adam gently squeezed her hand and gave her a warm smile. She kissed Arlan and offered her husband a coy glance before walking down the hallway.

  Arlan watched her leave then turned his attention back to Adam. “You can sleep in your old room. The bed is made up, ready for you. Did you bring any bags with you?”

  “Sure did, but I left them at the livery with Douglas. I’ll fetch everything in the morning. I don’t need much tonight. If I look, I bet I’ll find everything in my room just where I left it the last time I was here.” Adam gave his brother a knowing look. “Am I right?”

  “No, you aren’t. Alex insisted on cleaning the room when we found out about Carl because I was fairly certain you’d come to the service.” Arlan walked Adam to his former bedroom and opened the door.

  The wood surfaces of the dresser and headboard gleamed from a recent polish and the mirror above the washstand sparkled in the light of the lamp Arlan held in his hand.

  “Still looks like my old room, only dust-free and fresh-smelling.” Adam took the light from Arlan and patted his back. “Thank you for letting me stay with you.”

  “You know you’re welcome anytime. Alex and I both want you to feel at home here, to stay as long as you like.” Arlan backed into the hall. “Rest well, Adam. I’m sorry about Carl. I know how much he meant to you.”