A Cowboy for Christmas

by Bobbi Smith

  “Congratulations,” Nick wished them as they all settled in.

  “Thank you,” Dan and Penny responded.

  As they began to talk, Dwylah noticed that Lacey seemed quite distant, sitting back away from everyone as she was. She got up and went to her.

  “Want to help me make some tea and coffee?” she invited.

  “I’d love to.” Lacey was feeling quite out of place and was glad for the chance to slip away with Dwylah.

  When they were in the kitchen, Dwylah asked, “How long have you known Nick and Steve?”

  “Not long,” she hedged.

  “Steve said something about you being on the stagecoach with them coming to Sagebrush.”

  Lacey knew there was no point in trying to hide anything. “Yes, I was anxious to get to Sagebrush and get a new job.”

  “So, did you get hired while you were in town?” Going with her instincts, Dwylah knew there was more to her story than what she was revealing.

  “No. Everywhere I checked I was turned down.”

  “What can you do?”

  “I’m willing to try just about anything—within reason.”

  Dwylah understood and admired her. She could tell she was a strong, smart young woman. “So, what do you think of Steve and the reverend? It’s seems that little boy is quite taken with you.”

  “Oh, I adore him. He is such a special boy. I was thinking the other day that if I had some way to support myself I’d adopt him, but—”

  “We’ll just have to work on finding you a job.”

  “Thank you, Dwylah.”

  They finished preparing the hot drinks and carried the tray back into the parlor to find the conversation had turned to the upcoming wedding.

  “Since I’m never going to get Danny to the justice of the peace, why don’t you marry them?” Dwylah asked the reverend. “Why, you could do it tomorrow! We could have a Christmas wedding. That would be perfect.”

  Jack looked to his daughter. “What do you think? It’s your wedding.”

  Penny was thrilled, and to know that Dan’s long-lost brother was a minister who could marry them just made things even more wonderful. “I’d love to—”

  Dan smiled down at her. “So would I.”

  Nick looked at Dan and Penny, and he could tell how truly in love they were. “I would be honored to perform the ceremony for you.”

  “It’s settled. You’ll be married tomorrow,” Jack announced.

  “We’ve got some plans to make,” Penny said excitedly to Dwylah.

  “Let’s get started,” the older woman agreed eagerly. “This is the best Christmas Eve I’ve ever had.”

  Dwylah and Penny headed upstairs to start arranging things for the wedding.

  “I didn’t bring any fancy gowns with me,” Penny told her as they went into her bedroom.

  “Don’t worry about it. Dan will think you’re beautiful no matter what dress you’re wearing,” Dwylah reassured her. “Let’s see what you’ve got hanging up in here.”

  Penny opened her wardrobe to show her the few dresses and gowns she’d brought along. Dwylah was thoughtful for a moment and then pulled out a blue gown.

  “This color will be perfect on you. Try it on for me.”

  Penny quickly took off her working clothes, and with Dwylah’s help, she donned the blue gown.

  “I was right,” Dwylah said as she stepped back to study Penny in the dress. The lace-trimmed, square neckline was demure, and the gown was fitted at the waist. Dwylah remembered all too well the full-skirted fashions of years past and the hoops they’d had to wear, and she appreciated the more slim-skirted style that was the fashion these days. “It’s simple yet elegant. It’s perfect for your wedding day. You look beautiful.”

  “I always thought I’d be wearing a white gown,” Penny said with a wry smile.

  “Do you really care what color your gown is as long as Danny’s going to be waiting for you in front of the reverend?” Dwylah asked with a twinkle in her eye.

  “Should I just wear my work clothes?” she joked.

  “Knowing Danny, he’d married you no matter what you were wearing, you lucky girl!”

  “Oh, Dwylah!” Penny gave the older woman a crushing hug. “Thank you so much for coming with me on this trip. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

  Dwylah hugged her back. “I love you, Penny, dear, and I want you and Danny to live happily ever after.”

  They hugged for a moment longer and then moved apart as Dwylah grew serious again.

  “Now, let’s see about what jewelry you’re going to wear and decide how we’re going to style your hair.”

  It was getting late, and Jack was exhausted. Lacey had already put Steve to bed and retired for the night. But he wanted a moment to talk privately with his foreman. “Dan, let’s go in the study.”

  Dan looked to his brother. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll be waiting for you,” Nick said.

  Jack closed the door and turned to face him. “I want to know what happened out there. Who shot you?”

  “It was John.”

  “John?” Jack had known the man was stupid, but he’d never thought he was that stupid.

  “Evidently he overheard us talking about your money. He ran the horses off and he tried to rob us. I went after him and that’s when he shot me.”

  “What did you do?”

  “The fight got ugly then, and he ended up falling off the trail.”

  “I’m just glad you’re all right. Well, I’ve kept you from your brother long enough. I think he might want to talk to you for a while. And you two help yourself to whatever’s in the liquor cabinet. I got the feeling you could use a drink tonight.”

  “Thanks, Jack.”

  Dan went back to his brother, while Jack went up to his room.

  Dan and Nick stayed on in the parlor. They needed some private time alone to catch up on all they’d missed over the years. Dan went to the liquor cabinet to fix them each a drink.

  “So, tell me what happened that night you ran away from the orphanage,” Nick said. “Why did you run away?”

  “You knew?” Dan was surprised by his question.

  Nick nodded. “I ran off from the Millers and came back to be with you.”

  Dan was shocked. “But you had a new family that wanted you.”

  Nick met his gaze straight on as he told him, “You were my family, Dan, and you still are.”

  “What happened when you ran off that way?”

  “Miss Helen sent word to the Millers and they came back for me. I kept hoping you’d return to the orphanage while I was there, and I did sneak out at night looking for you, but I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

  Memories of those horrible days and nights when he’d been living on the streets, trying to survive, returned. “I wanted it that way. I thought the orphanage would send someone out to find me, so I made sure I hid real good.”

  “How did you survive?”

  “I took whatever work I could find to feed myself, and gradually I ended up here in Texas. I met Jack and I’ve been working for him ever since. What about you?”

  “I knew after what happened that I had to somehow make things better for orphans who ended up like we did. I never stopped worrying about you, and I didn’t want that to happen to any other children. That’s why when Steve ran away that day, I had to go find him.”

  Dan knew the story now and he smiled at his brother. “For all that Steve gave you so much trouble, I’m glad he did. We wouldn’t be sitting here together if he hadn’t.”

  “I owe that boy a lot,” Nick agreed.

  “He seems like he’s a good boy.”

  “He is.”

  They fell silent for a moment, remembering their own hard times.

  “What are you going to do now?” Dan asked. “Do you want to stay here in Sagebrush?”

  “I do like it here, but I have to go back. The children need me.”

  “I’m sure they
do.” Dan could tell his brother had turned out to be a fine, honorable man. “Way back then, I would never have thought you’d grow up to be a preacher.”

  “God calls us all to use our gifts in different ways.”

  They talked long into the night and finally knew they had to get some rest. They gave each other one last brotherly hug and then moved apart.

  As Dan started out to his cabin, Nick told him, “Merry Christmas, big brother.”

  “Merry Christmas, Nick.”

  “Keep an eye out for Santa while you’re out there.”

  “I will.”

  “Let’s just hope neither one of us gets coal this year.”

  The two men were smiling as they called it a night.

  It was in the wee hours of the morning that Lacey crept out of the small bedroom they’d given her at the far end of the hall. She moved silently down the stairs and into the parlor, where she left Steve’s gift on the mantel. She was surprised to find that there were two other packages there with Steve’s name on them. Santa had truly come to the Lazy Ace that night.

  No one saw or heard her as she returned to her room, and Lacey was glad. She knew this was turning out to be one very special Christmas for everyone. She’d been on her own for so long now that just seeing the two brothers reunited after all this time filled her heart with hope. She knew now that prayers did get answered, but they were answered in God’s own time, not man’s. Lacey was smiling as she went back to bed.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Steve awoke at first light and started to race from the room he was sharing with the reverend, wearing just his nightshirt.

  Nick woke up. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “It’s Christmas!” Steve exclaimed.

  Nick started chuckling as he threw off his covers and started to dress. “You’re right. Let’s get downstairs and see what Santa brought. But first, you need to get dressed. There are ladies staying here, you know.”

  Steve realized then that he was still in his nightshirt, and he quickly threw it off and pulled on his clothes. They both finished dressing at about the same time and left their bedroom to go downstairs together.

  “Nick! Look! Santa did come!” Steve cried out when he saw the gifts on the mantel, and more packages on the floor.

  His cries roused the rest of the house, and soon Dwylah, Penny, Lacey, and Jack had joined them in the parlor.

  “Merry Christmas!” Jack said. “It looks like Santa found us last night.”

  “Yes, he did!” Steve’s excitement was real.

  “Someone better go wake up Dan,” Jack said.

  “I’ll get him,” Nick offered. Then he told the boy, “Don’t go opening any presents until we get back.”

  “Yes, sir,” Steve said, wanting desperately to rip them open right then, but knowing he had to behave himself.

  It took only a few minutes, and the two brothers returned to the house.

  The minute Dan came through the door, he looked around for Penny and she came straight to him.

  “Merry Christmas,” he told her, slipping an arm around her to draw her close.

  “Merry Christmas.”

  They followed the others into the parlor.

  As Steve opened his presents, he was thrilled to find that Santa had brought him candy and a book and his very own cowboy hat. He immediately put the hat on and walked proudly around the room, showing it off.

  The adults enjoyed watching him and knew the best gift of all was Steve’s delight.

  Dan had told the ranch hands about the wedding that afternoon, and as the hour drew near they were all eager to come up to the house and watch them get married.

  Dwylah had taken charge, moving most of the furniture out of the way so there would be room for everyone. She couldn’t wait to see the expression on Danny’s face when he got his first look at his bride in her lovely gown. She was thrilled for them both.

  Dan was waiting with Nick in the parlor with everyone gathered round. He was wearing his best clothes and he was anxious for the ceremony to begin. The thought that Penny was going to be his bride left him smiling.

  “She’s coming now.” Dwylah hurried in to where they were standing to tell them so they could get ready.

  Nick looked at his brother. “You ready for this?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  They turned back to look toward the doorway just as Penny appeared there with her father.

  Penny looked into the room to see Dan waiting for her. Her heartbeat quickened at the sight of him, so tall and darkly handsome in his dress clothes. It didn’t matter to her that this wasn’t the fairy-tale wedding she’d always dreamed of. What mattered was that Dan loved her and she loved him, and they were going to be together forever.

  “Now, Penny?” Jack asked as he took her arm.

  “Yes, Papa,” she told him softly, and she kissed his cheek.

  Jack escorted her to Dan’s side. He handed her over to Dan and stepped away.

  Penny gazed up at Dan and knew this was the happiest day of her life.

  Dan stared down at his bride, entranced by her beauty. She’d fashioned her hair in an upswept style and the pale blue gown she was wearing was elegant.

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this couple in holy matrimony,” Nick began.

  Looking at the young couple, Dwylah beamed as the ceremony continued.

  “Do you, Dan Roland, take this woman, Penelope Anderson, to be your lawfully wedded wife—for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health until death do you part?” Nick intoned.

  “I do,” Dan answered.

  “And do you, Penelope Anderson, take this man, Dan Roland, to be your lawfully wedded husband—for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health until death do you part?”

  “I do.”

  “I now pronounce you man and wife,” Nick proclaimed. He turned to his brother. “You may kiss your bride.”

  Dan didn’t need any encouragement. He gathered Penny into his arms and kissed her, just as all the ranch hands started hollering their congratulations.

  Jack came up to them first to kiss his daughter and to shake hands with his new son-in-law. “Welcome to the family, Dan.”

  “Thanks, Jack.”

  Dwylah sought out the reverend. “So, what are your plans now? Are you going to stay on for a while?”

  “Steve and I will stay on for another week. It’s such a blessing that everything turned out so well. I still can’t believe that I’ve really found my brother.”

  “You’re very fortunate. Some families are lost forever.”

  “I know.”

  “Have you talked to Lacey about possibly going to work at the orphanage with you? She strikes me as someone who’s not afraid of hard work, and she’s proven herself to be so good with Steve.”

  Nick hadn’t considered the idea, but now that Dwylah had suggested it, he found it was a good one.

  “And,” she added with a twinkle in her eye, “if Lacey does decide to go back to the city with you, I can be your chaperone for the trip. I did a fine job bringing Penny out here with Dan. I could do the same for you.” She winked. She had a feeling Nick and Lacey would make wonderful, loving parents for little Steve.

  “I’ll speak with her about it,” he told her.

  “Good. You do that.” Dwylah was grinning as she moved away.

  Jack had arranged for the cook to fix them a big dinner, and they enjoyed the meal, celebrating the wedding and Christmas.

  Penny liked dining with everyone, but she kept glancing toward Dan, wanting to slip away with him for their wedding night.

  “This is a good meal, but I liked the celebration dinner you fixed up at the line shack better,” Dan told her in a low voice.

  She smiled, remembering their night at the shack. “So did I.”

  Dan finally decided it was time for them to make their escape. “Are you ready to go, Mrs. Roland?”

  “Y
es, are you?”

  He nodded and they got up to leave the table. “My wife and I are going to leave now.”

  Everyone was laughing and smiling as they put on their coats and left the house for his small cabin. Dan didn’t hesitate. As dressed up as she was, the minute they started from the porch, he swept her up in his arms to carry her.

  “Oh, Dan, what about your arm?” Penny worried.

  “It’s fine. Give me a kiss, woman.”

  She obliged quickly as she linked her arms around his neck.

  Dan wasted no time carrying her to his cabin, and he paused only long enough to open the door before carrying her over the threshold.

  “We’re home,” he said softly as he kicked the door shut behind them.

  “Alone, at last,” she sighed as he put her down.

  While Dan locked the door and let down the plain curtains that hung on his one window, Penny slipped out of her coat and looked around. The main room of the cabin was nicely furnished, and she moved on to the back to check out the bedroom.

  Dan saw where she was headed, and, after leaving his coat behind, he didn’t hesitate to go after her. He came up behind her and slipped his arms around her, pulling her back against him as he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. “You are one beautiful woman, Penny.”

  “Do you really think so?” A shiver of excitement trembled through her.

  He turned her in his arms and answered her with a searing kiss that ignited the fire of her own desire. Dan felt her response and reached behind her to unfasten her gown. It didn’t take him long to free her of the garment and it slipped away from her to lie on the floor around her. She was clad only in her undergarments as he lifted her up in his arms again to carry her to his bed. He put her down on the bed and then joined her there.

  Penny looked up at him and smiled. “I like this bed much better than the bottom bunk at the line shack.”

  “So do I,” he said with a grin. He wondered for a moment if she was going to ask him if he wanted to be on the top or on the bottom, before he kissed her again.

  Penny responded fully to his magical kisses and surrendered to his lovemaking with innocence and excitement. They came together then, one in mind and body, as they celebrated the joy of their vows. They were man and wife.