A Western Christmas Homecoming: Christmas Day Wedding Bells ; Snowbound in Big Springs ; Christmas with the Outlaw

by Lynna Banning

  She pulled back, breaking the intimate spell. “Well. You certainly could use one. And it is the season for miracles.”

  “I could use a few more headed my way.”

  “You’ve already had more than one.”

  “How do you figure?”

  She ticked them off her fingers. “Your partner didn’t kill you outright. And you escaped and made it all the way here where we could help you.”

  “You’re right. Guess I should be more grateful.” He’d been a fool to trust Johnson. The man had engineered his death and it could still happen if the law caught up to him. But he couldn’t have a better friend than Ted. Even prickly Abby was pretty great to have on his side—more than great.

  She glanced down at the newspaper in his lap. He’d folded it repeatedly, making it into the shape of a hat. “I see that you have been active. Did you actually read the paper?”

  “Got a little bored. No one around to tease.”

  Finally, she smiled. “You deserved that wet washcloth this morning, but I didn’t mean to cause you pain.”

  He was glad to have the incident cleared between them. “I’m tougher than I appear.”

  She picked up the newspaper hat. “So, which article was your favorite?”

  “Hmm... Is this a test to see if I really did read the paper?”

  Her smile widened. “Could be.”

  “Honesty. That’s what I like best about you.”

  “Be careful. Not everyone does. I’m fairly outspoken when I believe something.”

  “Ah, the sharp tongue of a journalist. But as I remember, you always backed up your opinions with sound reasoning. At least...most of the time.”

  “Is that a compliment?”

  She looked unsure, as if she couldn’t quite believe him. Didn’t the people here in town recognize her talent? Or was it him? Had he been the one to dismiss her in the past?

  She blinked and looked away. “What matters is that you are mending.”

  He wasn’t going to let her change the subject so easily. “My favorite was your opinion piece about the Betterment Committee and the remaining funds. You had good ideas for using the money. You’re a good writer.”

  She colored slightly. “I write decently, but I’m no good at telling a story, or a joke for that matter.”

  He grinned. “That’s my area.”

  “And you are very good at it. I used to envy the way you could get anyone to see things your way. You nearly had Teddy talked into Colorado. And then Tim succumbed. Plus, you could sweet-talk any woman between the ages of one and ninety that came within a twenty-foot radius. You can be very persuasive when you want something.”

  He reached for her hand, but then stopped before touching her. The one girl he had wanted to be persuasive with back then had been too young and he’d had nothing to offer her. He’d had to leave to seek his fortune. And now, unless he cleared his name, it wouldn’t matter. He tightened his hand into a fist and lowered it to the mattress.

  “Truly, Russ... I do hope your way with words helps you when your time comes to stand before a judge. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”

  She probably only meant her words in friendship. It couldn’t be more than that, could it? “Tell me about your day,” he urged, anxious to keep her there. “Mine was nothing to talk about.”

  She relaxed her shoulders, inclining her head. “I spent the day with a girl who wants to be a reporter. She is trying her hand at an article for our Christmas edition.”

  “A girl after your own heart?”

  “Perhaps. We chased down a story between two women who used to be the best of friends but now can’t find a nice thing to say about each other.”

  “So—a feud.”

  “Or simply gossip.”

  “How did it start?”

  Her look was doubtful. “You really want to know?”

  What he wanted was to keep her with him. The afternoon had gone on forever without her to talk with to pass the time. “Yeah.”

  He would have liked to say he hung on every word as she told him the story, but her honeyed voice bewitched him, lulling him with its soothing qualities. Her face lit up as she spoke of a dog and a goat and the week-to-week happenings between the two women.

  “Then the goat is taking the laundry?” he asked when he suddenly realized she had stopped talking.

  “Mrs. Eddy denies it.”

  “She would. Will you investigate further?”

  She shrugged prettily.

  “I thought reporters were always after the truth.”

  “I am! But it’s hardly news—more along the line of gossip. It might make a fun human-interest story.”

  “Could be interesting...”

  “Perhaps.”

  * * *

  She hadn’t intended to spend so much time with Russ. Her brother needed her in the office. Yet the afternoon had blended seamlessly into evening while Russ told tales of Colorado and the mining business and she spoke about living in Oak Grove. When Teddy appeared with a light evening meal of hot stew and bread and butter, she’d been surprised to realize the last rays of the sun were setting.

  As she rose to light the lamp, the serious expression on her brother’s face made her pause.

  “The sheriff stopped in today while you were gone. He asked about the article.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “That you weren’t feeling well.”

  “I hope he doesn’t hear differently from any of the people I spoke with today.”

  “It will buy us a few days. But his visit impressed upon me more than ever that if Russ can’t clear his name, you and I could end up in jail. We can’t beg ignorance. Not since Sheriff Baniff has shown us the wanted poster.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “I’m going to Barton.”

  “What? Teddy, that could be dangerous!”

  “You don’t need to go,” Russ said. “I told you, this is my mess and I’ll fix it.”

  “You are in no condition to fix anything,” Teddy said. “And it’s just a fact-finding mission. Now that you are on the mend, Abigail can handle things in the print shop for a few days. I’ll tell my wife it’s a business trip.”

  Her heart sank. Another lie. “When?”

  “Tomorrow. The noon train will put me in Barton by suppertime.”

  When Teddy left for home, she sat down in the bedside chair. “I don’t remember a time when Teddy has been away more than a day,” she murmured.

  Russ studied her. “He’s smart. He’ll be all right.”

  “I know. It’s just...first he goes off and gets married...and now he’s leaving town on a trip that may prove dangerous.”

  “But he is coming back,” he said slowly, studying her. “Give me your hand, Abby.”

  She crossed her arms over her middle. No man had ever taken her hand but for Teddy, and long ago, her father. “Why?”

  He smiled. “So suspicious. You’ve already bathed me. Am I asking for so much?”

  Something clutched in her belly. Bathing him to bring down his fever was one thing. This was different. He was asking her to let down her guard.

  Yet hadn’t his first thought been to seek them out when he was hurt? Trust like that was a gift. She valued it, even though Russ’s trust came to her indirectly through her brother. She supposed that meant she cared something for Russ. Which meant she mustn’t relax her caution. He was dangerous in manners of the heart.

  He curled his fingers once, beckoning... “Abby... I’m not going to bite you.”

  She tightened her arms. “You forget. I’ve known you a good long time. I know how easily you charm girls.” And then leave them with a bruised or broken heart. That would not be her.

  The smile on his face dissolved. “I’m not that fool boy anymore.”

  “No
, you’re a man. Foolish?” She swallowed. “I haven’t figured that part out yet. Either way, you are a poor risk.”

  Her words sounded harsh to her ears. How must they sound to him? She did feel the need to protect herself from him. She was suspicious. He’d never once turned his charm on her. Why now?

  “We fought all the time, Russ. We don’t get along and you don’t need to assuage my worry. I’m fine.”

  His eyes narrowed as he contemplated what she said. “Do you want to know why we fought all the time back then?”

  “I already know. I was a millstone and in the way. Because of me, Ted couldn’t accompany you on half of your escapades.”

  He shook his head. “That wasn’t it at all. You were young. Too young. And innocent. Not to mention, you were my best friend’s sister. If that doesn’t make for a dangerous combination, I don’t know what does.”

  Ever so tentatively, she uncrossed her arms. “You can’t possibly mean that you liked me. I’m not so gullible. You are trying to twist this.”

  “I’m not.” His expression was dead serious.

  “Back then you either ignored me or you constantly taunted me.”

  “Not constantly. Only when Tim came around.”

  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing! “You were jealous?” Could it be true? She thought back over old hurts, old memories. Everything seemed to be changing and shifting. Had she really been so blind?

  “I didn’t handle it well, but I handled it the best I knew how.”

  She stared at him. Confounded. This was beyond anything her imagination could have dreamed up!

  “I figured with all we have been through it was time to set things straight. We’re friends, you and me. Now, will you come here?”

  “Friends?” Slowly she took a step nearer the bed.

  He reached up...and she slipped her hand into his. Immediately she felt enveloped by his warmth. She stared at their hands, intertwined, unable to look away, her entire arm tingling.

  “That’s better. Now, Abby. About Ted. I know you worry about him. I know, because you never seem to stop thinking, analyzing and worrying about everything, whether it is in your control or not. Your brother is one of the smartest men I know. He’ll be careful.”

  She sank to the bedside chair, searching for the right words to acknowledge him. Then she realized she didn’t need to say anything at all. The quiet was fine. The warmth of his words and of his hand holding hers continued to glow inside her all the way down to her core. This was...very pleasant.

  A moment later, he squeezed her hand and released it, and then turned back to his meal.

  Chapter Eight

  Russ stood at the side of his bed and forced himself to walk across the room one more time. The effort and pain winded him. Tomorrow, Saturday, would be a full week since the shooting. By now, he should have been well enough to leave, but it seemed traveling for three days with a bullet lodged inside hadn’t been the smartest thing for his health. Thank God, when Abby had found him, she hadn’t listened to him and instead went for the doctor. With her and Ted sticking their necks out for him, he was determined to make it up to them. To do that, he had to get his strength back.

  After Ted had left for the train, it was quiet. Russ strained his ears to hear what Abby was doing downstairs. She must be bent over her desk in the front room, writing or editing articles. A while later, he heard pots and pans clattering in the kitchen and then, finally, her footsteps on the stairs.

  “I wondered what was going on up here,” Abby said from the doorway. Her dark, delicate brows rose. “Are you all right? You look pale.”

  “I’m fine. Just pushing myself to move. When Ted returns, I want to be strong enough to manage a horse.”

  He took in her dark burgundy dress and the way she had brushed her hair up into a fancy knot on top of her head and braided a red-and-gold ribbon in among the rich brown strands. She also smelled of cinnamon. He felt the unfamiliar tug of jealousy. “You’re going out?”

  “For a little while. I’m decorating the town hall along with some of the other women in town. Patty talked me into it. It’s a chance to find out what traditions they observe for Christmas for a write-up in the special edition.”

  He tried to concentrate on what she was saying. He knew her job was important to her. He felt the same way about his situation at the mine, only he’d really messed that up somewhere along the way. Trouble was, he was irritated at his slow progress. He slipped back onto the bed, letting out a frustrated sigh as he draped his left arm over his forehead. He was bored. He was sick of the bed, sick of the room, and he didn’t want her to leave.

  “On my way back should I pick up a steak from the restaurant for you?” Her voice held a hint of amusement.

  He moved his arm away from his face and looked at her. “Along with whatever you made downstairs?”

  She grimaced slightly. “Despite the smell coming from the kitchen, I’m afraid that I am a much better reporter than I am a cook.”

  He groaned. “You burnt it?” He’d been looking forward to something sweet. At her dejected nod, he couldn’t help chuckling. “Then a steak, medium rare, from the restaurant sounds good.”

  Her eyes sparkled.

  He had noticed years ago that she was attractive, but now each day brought a new facet of her features, a new expression that enchanted him. She had a quiet beauty, one that intrigued him more every day. One that made it hard to take his gaze off her.

  “Why are you staring?”

  He didn’t want to speak of the thoughts he’d just had. It was already obvious that she thought him a charmer and telling her he thought her pretty—even beautiful—would probably sound insincere and solidify that assumption. “You’ve changed, Abby.”

  She raised her brows.

  “You used to be...difficult.”

  She smiled slightly. “I still am. I simply hide it better.”

  “I’ve decided that it’s a sign of your intelligence. Makes me wonder, if you’d been in Barton, would you have noticed the situation with the workers long before things came to a head? McCabe felt squeezed between the men he supervised and Johnson. Things weren’t right for a long time. I should have noticed it sooner and taken steps.”

  To his surprise, she stepped closer and took his hand in both of hers, much the same way he had done with her yesterday, only much more tentatively. “Don’t get discouraged. Hopefully we will know more when Teddy returns.”

  As she started to release him, he caught her wrist. “I’m going to miss you while you are out. Hurry back.”

  Her mouth opened.

  He’d flustered her. He didn’t know if that was good or bad, whether his words were met with delight or dismay. Like she’d said, she was good at hiding her opinions now.

  “I...I’ll be back before you know it.”

  Reluctantly, he released her and watched the back of her burgundy skirt flare as she dashed from the room.

  * * *

  Her heart beat in double time as she rushed down the stairs and threw on her coat. Her fingers shook as she fastened the large buttons on it and tied the silk ribbon of her felt hat under her chin. What had just happened? He wasn’t toying with her, was he?

  Her desire had been to calm the frustration he was feeling. It wasn’t hard to see he wanted out of the untenable situation in which he found himself. But if she were truthful with herself, there was more to the small action and it wasn’t altruistic at all. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him, going over every moment she’d ever known with him. When he had taken her hand yesterday evening, a barrier had fallen away. She thrummed inside with nervous energy, yearning for another touch, another glance, another word from him.

  It was all so...exhilarating. And scary. And dangerous.

  Yet he pushed himself to get stronger. He would leave and that would be the end
of this. What had happened to guarding her heart? This was foolish and unwise. He might very well not see himself clear of the murder charge.

  Oh, Teddy! Return with good news, she breathed into the crisp, cold air as she closed and locked the office. Russ had to clear his name. He just had to!

  She met Patty at the town hall.

  “It’s narrowed down to a few larger items.” Patty consulted her notes. “A playground with swings and seesaws. Benches along the river for fishing or just sitting. A community-wide snowman-building contest when we get a good snow. And a big Christmas tree for the town’s Christmas Party—one that they can decorate.”

  Another long list peeked from behind the paper Patty held. “What is this?” Abigail asked.

  “It’s not exactly what you were looking for, but I had to write them down. Once the children got started, they kept talking and bringing up more ideas.”

  Abigail read over the list. Justin Carlson wanted a new coat and gloves for his father. Kristine Gibson was asking for help with the milking until her sister recovered from her accident. Even the schoolteacher had listed six basic primers for schoolchildren whose families could not afford to buy them.

  “I see what you mean,” Abigail said. “The Carlsons haven’t recovered from the flooding last spring. It was particularly hard on them. Trouble is, Mr. Carlson is extremely proud. He won’t appreciate something like this in the paper. What we need are a few secret angels.”

  Patty grinned suddenly. “Or elves.”

  Abigail mulled that over. “Write your article about the big items. We’ll put that in the paper and at the party everyone can cast their vote on the one they most want. Then we can take it to the Betterment Committee. About these others... Let’s put our heads together and figure something out.”

  When they finished decorating the hall, Abigail stopped by the restaurant for a steak supper—one with potatoes and green beans. She asked for generous portions. That way she could have a few bites herself. Otherwise, she would have to search for something edible in her own cupboard, which after her earlier cooking fiasco held little appeal.