The Gift of Twins

by Gabrielle Meyer

  She hadn’t intended to speak to him about this incident, but she couldn’t resist. “Both times the men came uninvited. How am I to stop that from happening again?”

  He put up his hands, his pompous attitude grating on her nerves. “It’s been my experience that men do not approach a woman unless they’ve been lured. I’d advise you to stop enticing them, and then you won’t have to worry about the repercussions.”

  “Entice? Lured?” Her mouth fell open and she began to stand. “Mr. Samuel—”

  “Was there something you wanted to discuss with me?”

  It took all her willpower not to slap the arrogance off his face. Of all the callous, ill-mannered men she’d ever met, this one was the worst. Instead, she took a deep breath and lowered herself back into her chair, remembering that he was, first and foremost, her boss. “I am in need of different living arrangements, but I have no desire to return to the Hubbards’ boardinghouse. Do you know of somewhere I could live?”

  Mr. Samuelson stared at her for several heartbeats, his calculating eyes watching her closely. “Has something happened that I need to be aware of?”

  “No.” She straightened her back. “I just need somewhere else to live. Mrs. Carver will be leaving after Christmas, so I thought I should begin my search now.” It was partially true—and he didn’t need to know her other reasons.

  “I never thought it was a good idea to have you at the parsonage, anyway.” Mr. Samuelson leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I’d prefer you stay with a family, where the temptation to dally isn’t as strong.”

  “Dally?” Did the man think of nothing else?

  “I know of one family that has a room they rent out, but I don’t know if it’s available. I will check and get back to you.”

  Emmy stood, wanting this meeting to be over with. “Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

  The superintendent rose and looked Emmy over from head to foot. “You are a pretty little thing, aren’t you?”

  Her eyes grew wide as she met his gaze. “Please leave, Mr. Samuelson. You have not only insulted me, you’ve now made me very uncomfortable.” She walked toward the door and opened it wide, her hands trembling from this encounter. “Good day, Mr. Samuelson.”

  He put his cap on and strode down the aisle, his unpleasant chuckle lingering long after he walked out the door.

  With a quick flick of her wrist, she slammed the door behind him. The meeting had been distasteful from beginning to end, and though she was happy it was over, she already dreaded the next time she’d have to see him.

  * * *

  The sunshine warmed Ben’s shoulders as he pulled his surprise for the boys and Emmy through the fluffy snow. He waved at Mr. Fadling in the grocer’s store window and said hello as he passed Martha Dupree who worked at the Northern Hotel. With the weather so warm, and the sky so clear, dozens of people were moving about town, running errands and enjoying the reprieve from winter’s icy grasp.

  Up ahead, the schoolhouse stood white and fresh, the coat of paint he and Abram had applied last fall still gleaming under the sun. The windows sparkled and the snow in the school yard was packed tight from the children’s feet.

  Right on time, the door flew open and the children rushed out, their laughter and excitement making Ben pick up his pace.

  Emmy and the boys always stayed after for a few minutes to close the school and get things ready for the following day. After that, they usually went home to do their afternoon chores, which Ben had already done for them.

  Today he had a different plan. One he hoped would patch things with him and Emmy, and give the boys a happy memory they could take with them no matter where they ended up.

  Ben stopped next to the school and left his surprise outside. He climbed the steps and opened the door. Emmy was at the front of the room, sitting at her desk, and the boys were standing on either side of her. All three had their heads bent together as they looked at a piece of paper on Emmy’s desk. She lifted a pencil and made a couple marks. “What do you think of this?”

  Levi shook his head. “No, it should be bigger.”

  “But it can’t be much bigger, or it won’t fit,” Emmy told him. “How about if we do this?” She made a few more marks, and then she looked up at Levi. “Do you like that?”

  Zeb noticed Ben first, his eyes growing wide. “Mr. Ben!”

  Emmy and Levi snapped their heads up, and Emmy quickly flipped the paper upside down.

  “What are you three up to?” he asked.

  “It’s a surprise,” Levi said quickly.

  “For Christmas!” Zeb added.

  “Boys.” Emmy put her finger to her lips. “Shh. We don’t want to give him any hints.”

  They were doing something for him for Christmas? He hadn’t even contemplated such a thing. Every year, for the past four years, he’d spent Christmas as a guest of the Coopers.

  Would he and Emmy and the boys be together for Christmas? Or would everything change in the next three weeks?

  “We’ve been talking about it for a while,” Emmy explained to Ben, her cheeks turning pink. “It’s nothing too fancy.” She slipped the paper off the desk and into a drawer. “What brings you to school?”

  He wanted to tease them and draw out a few more hints, but he suspected the boys weren’t good at keeping secrets, so he wouldn’t ruin Emmy’s fun by asking. Instead, he smiled at them. “I have a surprise waiting outside.”

  “A surprise?” Levi asked, his eyes getting brighter.

  “Yes. Put on your outdoor gear and wait inside until Miss Emmy is ready.”

  The boys didn’t wait for a second invitation. They raced down the aisle and into the cloakroom where they quickly put on their coat, hat, mittens and scarves.

  Ben gave his full attention to the pretty teacher. “That is, if you’d like to come with us.”

  She suddenly looked very busy shuffling papers and books around on her desk. “I don’t know if I should.”

  “Why not?” He asked, disappointment replacing his joy.

  “I assigned each child their part for the Christmas pageant today, but I don’t have the speaking parts written down yet. I promised the children I would bring them tomorrow so we can start practicing.”

  “How many speaking parts are there?”

  “The narrator, Joseph, the three wise men and the shepherd.”

  “I’ll help you tonight,” he promised, “after the boys go to bed.” He grinned. “Who better to help than the pastor?”

  She smiled and her blue eyes sparkled from the sunshine coming in the windows. “What kind of a surprise is waiting?”

  “If you won’t tell me what your surprise is, I won’t tell you mine.”

  For a moment, he thought she’d refuse again—but then she rose from her desk chair. “All right, Reverend Lahaye, but don’t forget your promise to help me later.”

  “I don’t see how I could.” The idea of spending time alone with Emmy was something he’d look forward to all day.

  They met the boys in the cloakroom and found them hopping from one foot to the other with impatience.

  “What’s the surprise, Mr. Ben?” Zeb asked. “Is it a pony?”

  “A pony?” Ben lifted his eyebrows as he reached for Emmy’s coat and helped her into it. “If you’re hoping for a pony, my surprise will pale in comparison.”

  Emmy buttoned up her thick coat and put on the stylish cap she had knitted over the past couple of weeks. It tied under her chin, much like a bonnet. “It will be wonderful, whatever it is,” she laughed.

  Levi was so excited, he jumped high in the air and came down on Zeb’s foot.

  “Ow!” Zeb cried.

  “Levi,” Ben warned. “You need to be careful.”

  “I want to h
urry,” Levi said.

  “You still need to be careful.”

  “Sorry, Zeb,” he said quickly.

  “I’m almost ready.” Emmy wrapped a scarf around her neck and then pulled on her matching mittens. “There,” she said. “Let’s go.”

  Ben opened the door and the boys rushed out. Emmy followed, stepping past Ben with a half smile tossed in his direction.

  He closed the door and watched as Levi and Zeb raced down the steps.

  “It’s a sled!” Levi exclaimed.

  “With steel runners and everything,” Zeb added as he knelt in the snow to examine the sled that Ben had borrowed from Abram’s boys. “I’ve never been sledding.”

  “Never?” Ben asked.

  Levi shook his head.

  “I’ve never been sledding, either.” Emmy walked down the steps and admired the sled along with the boys. Her cheeks filled with color and her eyes lit up with delight. “Are you taking the boys sledding?”

  “I’m taking all of you,” Ben said. “There’s a hill perfect for it, just to the south of town. It’s such a nice day, I thought we could spend a couple hours playing outside.”

  The boys cheered and Emmy smiled.

  “Here.” He held out his hand. “I’ll lock up the school and then we’ll be on our way.”

  Emmy gave him the key and he locked the door, and then he handed it back to her and took up the rope on the sled. “Hop on board,” he said to the boys. “I’ll pull you to the sledding hill.”

  Levi started to climb onto the front of the sled, but then he stopped and glanced at Emmy, a sheepish look on his face. “I’ll let Zeb ride up front.”

  Zeb clapped his hands and found his spot, and then Levi climbed on behind him.

  “That was very nice,” Emmy said to Levi. “Exactly what a friend would do.”

  Ben wasn’t quite sure what their exchange was all about, but he trusted Emmy had everything under control. “We’re off,” Ben said to the boys, tugging the sled into motion. “Hold on tight!”

  The boys clutched the sides of the sled and Ben put the rope over his shoulder, leading the way. Emmy walked beside him, the hem of her gown brushing the top layer of snow, leaving a wide trail behind her.

  They walked in silence for the first part of the way. Though the boys laughed with delight, Ben sensed something was on Emmy’s mind. As they passed the parsonage, he decided to ask her. “Something wrong?”

  She glanced up at him, almost as if she’d lost track of where she was, and who she was with. “It’s nothing.”

  “You’re being awfully silent for it to be nothing.”

  “It’s Mr. Samuelson—but I’d rather not discuss it.”

  “Did he say something unkind to you again?”

  She looked up at Ben, appreciation on her face, but she shook her head. “You’ve done enough. It will be okay.”

  He wouldn’t press the matter if she didn’t want to talk about it, though he wished she would let him do more.

  “Shall we sing some Christmas songs?” Emmy asked the boys.

  They cheered in agreement and she led them in some of Ben’s favorites. “I Saw Three Ships,” “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen” and “Joy to the World.”

  “Have you heard ‘One Horse Open Sleigh’?” she asked Ben.

  He shook his head.

  “It was very popular back east last year when it was first published,” she explained. “The chorus goes like this.

  Jingle bells, jingle bells,

  Jingle all the way;

  Oh! what joy it is to ride

  In a one horse open sleigh.”

  She sang it several times for Ben and the boys, and they caught on quickly.

  “Now,” she said, “I’ll sing the verse and you three can sing the chorus, all right?”

  “We’re ready,” Ben said.

  She grinned and sang.

  “Dashing thro’ the snow

  In a one horse open sleigh,

  O’er the hills we go,

  Laughing all the way;

  Bells on bobtail ring,

  Making spirits bright,

  Oh what sport to ride and sing

  A sleighing song tonight!”

  She pointed at the boys and they sang.

  “Jingle bells, jingle bells,

  Jingle all the way;

  Oh! what joy it is to ride

  In a one horse open sleigh.”

  Emmy continued, her voice and face animated.

  “A day or two ago

  I thought I’d take a ride

  And soon Miss Fannie Bright

  Was seated by my side,

  The horse was lean and lank

  Misfortune seemed his lot

  He got into a drifted bank

  And we, we got up sot.”

  The boys giggled as Emmy and Ben sang the chorus.

  Emmy grinned, and continued.

  “A day or two ago,

  The story I must tell

  I went out on the snow,

  And on my back I fell;

  A gent was riding by

  In a one horse open sleigh,

  He laughed as there I sprawling lie,

  But quickly drove away.”

  Levi giggled so hard, he almost fell off the sled, but they managed to sing the chorus again, this time with great gusto.

  “One more,” Emmy said out of breath, her cheeks filled with color.

  “Now the ground is white

  Go it while you’re young,

  Take the girls tonight

  and sing this sleighing song;

  Just get a bobtailed bay

  Two forty is his speed

  Hitch him to an open sleigh

  And crack! You’ll take the lead.”

  Emmy joined them in singing the chorus one last time. By then, they were all laughing and singing loud enough for people to stop and take notice.

  The sun was warmer than Ben had first thought, and with the exertion of pulling the boys, he could have easily removed his jacket and still been comfortable. With the added heat, the snow had become sticky—perfect for building a snowman.

  Out of breath from singing, Ben finally stopped and pointed to the hill. “There it is, boys.”

  Levi and Zeb rolled off the sled and stood to take a look.

  The top was level with the main road, but it sloped down to a flat bottom that was level with the river, just off in the distance. It wasn’t too steep, but it wasn’t too gentle, either. About two hundred feet of gradual hillside—perfect for sledding.

  “I’m first!” Levi called.

  “No, I’m first!” Zeb said.

  “Ladies first.” Ben grinned at the boys. “Miss Emmy will be the first to try out the sled.”

  Emmy’s eyes grew round. “I wouldn’t know how to steer it or stop it. I’d crash for sure. You or the boys can take it down and I’ll just watch.”

  “Nonsense,” Ben said. “I don’t want you to just watch.”

  “You take her down,” Levi said to Ben. “You can show her how to steer.”

  Ben looked at Emmy. “Would you like me to go down with you the first time?”

  Emmy looked from Ben, to the sled, to the hill. “I don’t need to sled today.”

  “Please, Miss Emmy,” Zeb begged.

  “You have to,” Levi added.

  After a moment, she finally sighed. “All right. Show me how it’s done, Mr. Ben.”

  Ben winked at the boys and then he positioned the sled where he wanted it to go. It was long and narrow, perfect for more than one person.

  “Where do I sit?” Emmy asked.

  “In the fro
nt. I’ll sit behind you.”

  He held the sled for her and she took a seat in the front, tucking her wide skirts all around her.

  Levi scrunched up his face. “Why do girls wear so much stuff?”

  “It’s called modesty,” Emmy said to Levi. “And fashion—though who determines fashion is beyond me. These wide skirts are not very sensible.”

  “I think you look pretty,” Zeb said, his cheeks turning pink from more than just cold.

  Ben wanted to agree, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

  After Emmy secured all the material, Ben took the spot behind her. “I’ll need to reach around you and hold the rope,” he said close to her ear. “Is that all right?”

  A slight nod was all she offered, so he reached around her and took the rope in his mitted hands. “Okay, boys.” He looked up at their smiling faces. “Give us a push.”

  “Wait!” Emmy said. “Don’t I need some instructions first?”

  Zeb and Levi didn’t wait, but pushed against Ben’s back, putting the sled into motion.

  “Just hold on tight,” Ben told her as they crested the top of the hill.

  Before the words were out of his mouth, the sled picked up speed and started swishing down the hill.

  Emmy squealed and grabbed Ben’s arms, her grip stronger than he would have expected. The force of the momentum pushed her back, causing her to lean into his arms. She continued to squeal and Ben smiled, tightening his hold on her. Faster and faster they went, the wind rushing past them, and the landscape flashing by. Snow blew into his face, melting against his skin.

  Before they even reached the bottom, Emmy’s squeals turned into delightful laughter, her hold on his arms loosened, though she didn’t let go completely. When they finally came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, she still leaned against him, breathing hard, her laughter slowly subsiding as she wiped snow off her face.

  “That,” she said, sitting up straight, “was incredible.”

  Ben stood and waved at the boys, who jumped for joy at the top of the hill, waiting impatiently for their turn. He offered his hand to help Emmy stand, loving the way her face glowed. “I’m happy you liked it.”