Log Cabin Christmas

by Margaret Brownley

  “See that hole up there?”

  Stuffing a ball of wet clay into his slingshot, he took aim and pulled the leather pouch back. The clay shot up, hitting the ceiling with a splat.

  Jimmy grinned. “Got it!”

  And indeed he had. The clay stuck to the hole separating the vertical support beam from its oak lathing, preventing cold air from coming through.

  “Why, Jimmy, that’s wonderful.” Even Donovan hadn’t been able to figure out how to plug the holes in the roof. She felt a surge of guilt. She always knew Jimmy had a fine, curious mind, but she’d been so busy pounding words and figures into him she’d failed to notice his creative problem-solving skills.

  “I can’t wait to tell your pa how you saved the day.” Jimmy’s father considered book learning a luxury rather than a necessity, and Maddie had had some lively discussions with him over the matter. Now she was more determined than ever to see that Jimmy got a proper education.

  Jimmy spotted another ceiling crack, and while he took careful aim, Maddie gave the door an anxious glance. The cabin seemed different without the sheriff, as if he had taken some vital part of the room with him.

  “Let me try,” Sophie pleaded.

  “It’s not for dumb girls,” Jimmy said.

  Sophie got red in the face. “I’m gonna tell pa that you were using your slingshot in the classroom. So there!”

  Maddie sighed. “It would be nice if you let Sophie try it just once.”

  Jimmy said nothing. Instead, he slung another ball of wet clay upward, hitting his target with a satisfied grin.

  Maddie set her tin can down and headed for the door just as it flew open. Startled, she drew back. She couldn’t see Donovan for the pine tree he carried. It was so huge he could barely get it through the door.

  “A Christmas tree!” Sophie shouted.

  Maddie shook her head in wonder. Cutting down a tree in this weather must have been a challenge.

  Brandon clapped his hands and jumped up and down.

  Donovan stood the tree in a corner and stepped back. The tree was wet and laden with clumps of ice, but it was shaped in a perfect triangle, each bough thick with bright-green needles. The fresh smell of pine filled the room.

  “It’s perfect,” Maddie said.

  “We don’t have any decorations,” Sophie said, frowning.

  “You’re right.” Maddie glanced around. “Wait a minute.” She fumbled in her box of supplies. “Found it!”

  It was a locket with a broken clasp. She palmed the jewel piece, expecting a surge of pain or hurt or, at the very least, unpleasant memories. Surprised when nothing of the sort came, she draped the chain over an upper branch as if it held no more meaning than a string of cranberries.

  Following her lead, Jimmy dug into his trouser pocket and pulled out a penny whistle and penknife, attaching both to a lower branch.

  Sophie checked the pockets of her dress and, finding them empty, pulled the blue ribbons off her braids. She then tied each one to a separate branch.

  Brandon tugged on his dilapidated angel wings.

  “You want to put your wings on the tree?” Maddie asked.

  Brandon nodded.

  “But those look awful,” Sophie said. “They don’t even look like wings anymore.”

  Donovan placed a hand on Sophie’s shoulder. “It’s okay,” he mouthed, with a wink.

  Maddie worked the angel wings into the branches. She stepped back. “I do believe that is the most beautiful tree I’ve ever seen.”

  “No star.”

  Never before having heard Brandon speak, it took Maddie a moment to identify the unfamiliar voice as his.

  “He talked,” Sophie squealed. Even Jimmy looked impressed.

  Heart leaping with joy, Maddie smiled at him. “You’re right; we don’t have a star.”

  “Yes, we do,” Donovan said. He unpinned the star-shaped sheriff’s badge from his vest and handed it to Brandon. “Would you like to put this on the tree?”

  Brandon turned the badge over in his hands before holding up his arms so Donovan could lift him. Brandon reached for the upper branches and stood the brass star at the very top of the tree, next to the trunk. The badge picked up the light from the fire and appeared to be twinkling.

  Maddie lifted her skirt and did a little jig—another rule broken. Teachers were required to remain decorous at all times. Luckily for her, Sophie was too busy gazing up at the tree to notice. “I do believe this is the most magical Christmas Eve ever!”

  Nodding in agreement, Donovan set Brandon on the floor.

  That night Maddie led the children in singing “Silent Night,” and this time Donovan joined in with his rich, bass voice.

  Chapter 6

  Miss Parker’s Class

  After Jesus was born, the sky was filled with heavenly holes.

  Charles, age 6

  Later after the children had fallen asleep, Maddie stood in front of the Christmas tree, thinking of Christmases past. For the most part her memories were happy ones. At least they had been until last year.

  Donovan boiled Arbuckles’ in an old coffeepot they’d found in the cellar, using melted snow. He then poured the brew into two tin cans and handed one to Maddie.

  She blew on the hot liquid and took a sip. The coffee was bitter, but the warmth was comforting. “Thank you.”

  She felt relaxed, almost drowsy. What had started like a nightmare had turned out to be a day filled with blessings. She had much to be thankful for. God was good.

  She set her coffee down and tried to fix her bun. Giving up finally, she pulled the pins out and flipped her head back and forth, letting the wavy locks fall below her shoulders.

  Donovan’s gaze followed her hair down her back before he looked away. “I think the worst is over. I actually spotted some stars.”

  “Thank God.” Maybe they would be home in time for Christmas, though the prospect wasn’t as appealing as it should have been. Home was a lonely attic room at Widow Hancock’s house.

  She glanced at the sleeping children. “Their parents must be frantic with worry.”

  “I just hope they stay home and don’t try to reach us until it’s safe to do so.”

  She took another sip of coffee. “What time is it?”

  He pulled out his pocket watch. “A little after eleven.”

  “It’s almost Christmas Day,” she said. Her eyes widened. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I—”

  He brushed off her concern with a shake of his head. “It’s hard to escape Christmas when you’re around children.”

  She studied his profile. “Tell me about your family.” The flickering flames of the fire turned his eyes to gold, and she wondered why she’d ever thought him cold and aloof.

  This time he didn’t hesitate. “My wife’s name was Cynthia. She was expecting our second child when she died.”

  “How awful for you.” The loss of his family made her own loss seem so insignificant.

  His studied her, his face calm. “What about you? What brought you to Maverick? Why did you leave Boston?”

  She let out a sigh. “I was left at the altar on my wedding day.” She glanced at him, testing his reaction before saying more. “My fiancé ran away with my younger sister.”

  He grimaced. “That must have been hard for you.”

  She nodded. “I felt betrayed. To think my own sister …” She shrugged. “After learning what you went through, what happened to me doesn’t seem that bad.”

  “Don’t say that. You suffered a loss, too.”

  She gave him a grateful smile. “That’s kind of you to say.” At the time, no one had considered her feelings. “My parents sided with my sister.” That had made things worse. A lot worse.

  He frowned. “Why would they do that?”

  “My sister was thrown from a horse when she was eight years old and is unable to walk. My parents never thought she’d find a husband. Believe me, they couldn’t have been more delighted when she did.”

  “Even
though it meant hurting you?”

  “I don’t blame my parents,” she said, surprising herself.

  At first she’d felt hurt and betrayed. Now she felt almost relieved. She’d learned a lot about herself since coming to Maverick. Even the last two days stuck in this cabin had taught her that she was stronger than she’d thought and able to cope with far more difficult situations than being stood up at the altar.

  “Aren’t you angry at your parents?”

  “I was but not now.” She tossed a nod in Brandon’s direction. “Brandon seems so fragile, and I find myself protective of him. I can’t help it. It’s what people do. They protect the vulnerable. Just like my parents protected my sister.”

  “But you don’t protect Brandon at the expense of your other pupils,” he said.

  “No, I would never do that.” She glanced at the sleeping child. “You helped him, you know. I think you’re the one who got him to talk.”

  He shook his head. “You’re the one who did that. You make him feel safe.”

  His answer surprised her. “How do you mean, safe?”

  “His mother is pretty shook up about her husband’s death. Not that I blame her, but I suspect it’s affecting Brandon. He never used to be so fearful. I think he feels safe with you.”

  His words warmed her like nothing else could. A graduate from Miss Benson’s School for Young Women, she had learned to teach reading, arithmetic, and other subjects but not how to make a child feel safe. That she’d had to learn on her own.

  As for her ex-fiancé, it really was for the best. She knew that now. Philip was critical of her teaching career and disapproved of her joining the women’s rights movement. The more she thought about it, the more she realized he found fault with everything she did. Her sister was much more traditional and took pride in her homemaking skills. She was exactly the kind of woman Philip wanted in a wife. The kind of woman that Maddie could never be….

  She studied Donovan over the rim of the can. What kind of woman had Cynthia been? What kind of wife would he require?

  Surprised—shocked really—at the unexpected turn of her thoughts, she quickly set her coffee down.

  “More?” he asked.

  “No, thank you.”

  He regarded her thoughtfully. “You still haven’t told me what brought you to Maverick.”

  “My aunt lives in Houston. After what happened, I decided to visit her. I’d never been outside of Boston, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. I saw the advertisement for a schoolteacher in the newspaper and decided to hop on the train and apply.” The former teacher left Maverick following the fire, and there had been no one local to take her place.

  Maddie suddenly noticed that her locket had fallen, and she reached among the branches, grasping the delicate chain with the tip of a finger.

  Donovan took the locket from her, his hand brushing against hers, and studied the clasp. “I can fix it,” he said.

  She shook her head. “I don’t want you to fix it.”

  He lifted a brow. “Why not? It’s a beautiful locket.”

  “It was a gift from my fiancé.”

  He looked surprised. “Then why keep it?”

  “I guess we all hold on to things we shouldn’t,” she said. “Old grudges. Sad thoughts. Painful memories.”

  He quirked a brow. “And what will you hold on to after we’re rescued?”

  She smiled, grateful for the opportunity to change the subject. “Let me see.” She tapped a finger on her chin. “You arriving at the cabin all indignant and angry.” She tried to imitate him.

  He laughed. “Was I really that unpleasant?”

  “Not that I blame you.” She tilted her head. “What about you? What are you going to remember?”

  He didn’t even hesitate. “Your expression when you saw that Jimmy was safe.”

  She shivered at the memory. Even now, the thought of losing any one of her pupils filled her with horror. She pointed at him. “I’ll remember the first time I heard you laugh, when you were reading the essays on the wall.”

  He shook his head. “That was the first time?” Without waiting for her reply he pointed his finger at her. “The look on your face when you first spotted all that food in the cellar.”

  “You coming in the door with the Christmas tree.”

  “The look in your eyes when Brandon said his first word.”

  She laughed. “Is that all you’ll remember? How I looked?” No sooner were the words out of her mouth than she flushed. Something like a light passed between them, an awareness perhaps. A sudden realization.

  Not knowing what to say or even what to think, she quickly turned toward the tree, her heart pounding so hard it nearly drowned out the sound of the slowly dying wind. The tension that stretched between them was almost unbearable, and she felt profoundly relieved when she finally found her voice.

  “I think we should hang the locket from there,” she said, pointing to an upper branch.

  Without saying a word, he wrapped the broken chain on the branch she indicated and adjusted it so that the tiny little heart hung freely.

  He turned to her. “I do believe it’s midnight,” he said softly. “Merry Christmas, Miss Parker.” The formality of his address belied the warmth in his eyes, belied even the easy rapport they had shared only moments earlier.

  “Merry Christmas, Sheriff Donovan.”

  She couldn’t be certain what happened next. Did he make the first move? Did she?

  However it happened, she was in his arms, and it felt so good. It felt even better when he captured her lips with his own. She moaned in pleasure as shivers of delight raced through her.

  He pulled his mouth away and gazed into her eyes. “I apologize for being so—”

  “Disagreeable?” she whispered.

  “I think I always knew what would happen if I let down my guard aroundyou. I didn’t think I was ready to give my heart to anyone else, but I was wrong.” He kissed the tip of her nose, his breath warm and sweet. “The question is, are you ready?”

  For an answer she ran her hands up his chest and around his neck. He pulled her closer, his mouth on hers. Dizzying currents rushed to her head, and she returned his kiss with a hunger that surprised her.

  All too soon he pulled away, leaving Maddie dazed, confused, and disoriented, as if suddenly falling out of a soft, warm bed. She then noticed Sophie standing a few feet away, watching them, eyes bright with accusations.

  “Teachers aren’t supposed to kiss,” Sophie said, hands at her waist. “I’m gonna to tell Pa.”

  Her mouth still burning from the memory of Donovan’s lips, Maddie tried to think what to say. The rules were clear regarding a teacher’s conduct, and breaking them meant immediate dismissal. Maddie needed the job, and landing another one this late in the school year would be difficult if not altogether impossible.

  Before Maddie could speak, Sophie burst into tears. “We’re supposed to be home for Christmas. That’s the r–r–rule,” she sobbed.

  Donovan held his arms out, and Sophie ran to him, burying her head in his shirt. “It’s good to follow the rules,” he said. “But they only help us with the little things. We need God for the big things.”

  Sophie lifted her head. “Going home is a b–b–big thing.”

  “And you can be sure God’s on the job. It’s already stopped snowing. I wouldn’t be surprised if we all get to go home for Christmas.”

  Sophie lifted her head. “Promise?”

  Donovan looked at Maddie, and her heart turned over in response. “Promise.” Cupping Sophie’s face, he dropped a kiss on her forehead.

  Sophie’s eyes widened in surprise, and for once she didn’t check the school rules. Instead she rewarded Donovan with a big, beautiful smile.

  “Come on, Sophie,” Maddie said, taking her by the hand and leading her back to her makeshift bed. “I’ll tuck you in.”

  “Stay with me,” Sophie pleaded, showing a vulnerable side that tugged at Maddie’s heart.<
br />
  She longed to go to Donovan, but she would never leave a child who needed her. “I will.”

  Maddie covered Brandon with his coat before settling down next to Sophie. “Goodnight, Sheriff,” she called softly.

  Eyes warm with soft lights, Donovan winked at her. “Good night, Miss Parker.”

  Chapter 7

  Miss Parker’s Class

  Jesus was born under a star so the three kings could find him.

  That’s better than being born under a lamppost.

  Eddie, age 9

  The first thing Maddie noticed when she awoke on Christmas morning was the quiet. No more wind.

  She jumped up from her makeshift bed and tiptoed around Brandon and Sophie. Sliding back the bolt, she opened the door to a clear blue sky. The air was still cold, and the sparkling snow nearly blinded her, but it was a glorious, sun-filled day. Still, she suspected her exuberance had little to do with blue skies and everything to do with what had happened at midnight.

  She spun around and clapped her hands. “Everyone, wake up. It’s Christmas morn, and God has sent us another wonderful gift.”

  From the “boys’ side,” Donovan met her gaze with a grin, his brown hair falling across his forehead. “Merry Christmas, everyone,” he said, rubbing his hand over his unshaven chin. Maddie felt a warm glow rise inside.

  It didn’t take long for them to don boots, coats, and gloves. Jimmy was the first to run outside, and Sophie took off after him without checking the rules.

  By the time Maddie stepped out on the porch, a full snowball fight was in progress. She was pleasantly surprised to see Jimmy teaching Sophie how to shoot snowballs with his slingshot.

  Laughter filled the air, and Maddie thought her heart would burst with joy. How was it possible that in only three days’ time the world seemed like a brighter place? As unlikely as it was, five people—all hurting in different ways—had found a safe haven at the cabin in which to begin to heal. Had God planned it that way?

  Jimmy and Sophie had teamed up to gleefully bombard the sheriff until he ducked for cover. Even Brandon got in on the act, laughing out loud whenever a snowball hit him.