Once Upon a Texas Christmas

by Winnie Griggs

  “Really?”

  “Absolutely. And there are lots of other things for you to explore and do.”

  He gave her arm a swing. “I think I’m going to like it here. Even if you don’t have any cowboys.”

  * * *

  While Abigail and Jamie walked ahead, Seth took the opportunity to have a word with Mrs. Carmichael. “Judge Madison didn’t provide many details in his telegram, other than Jamie’s dormitory had been closed and that he would need to stay here with me for a while.”

  The woman nodded as she reached into her handbag. “I understand there was a fire of some sort. I don’t really know any of the details, other than that no one was seriously injured, praise God. However, the building will need some serious work before it is habitable again.”

  She handed Seth the letter she’d retrieved from her purse. “Judge Madison said I was to give you this. I imagine it answers most of your questions.”

  Seth accepted the missive and slipped it into his jacket pocket. “As Miss Fulton said, we have a room ready for you. Perhaps once you’ve had an opportunity to rest up from your trip, we can discuss your plans.”

  She gave him a surprised look. “Plans? My only plans that you need to be concerned with is that I’ll be leaving on tomorrow’s train.”

  Seth felt his hopes of keeping her on as a governess begin to shrivel, but he tried anyway. “Is there some way I can convince you to stay on a little longer while Jamie gets settled in?”

  “I’m afraid not. I already have another job waiting for me.”

  Seth tried not to panic. “I need someone to take care of Jamie while he’s here. Do you have any recommendations?”

  “Why, I figured you would handle that, sir.” Then she waved a hand at the pair walking ahead of them. “With the help of your lady friend there, perhaps.”

  Seth swallowed. Abigail had offered to help but he couldn’t expect her to take on the role of full-time nanny. Could he?

  When they arrived at the hotel, Abigail took charge before he could say anything. She released Jamie’s hand and touched him lightly on the shoulder. “You go on with your uncle—he’ll show you where your room is. I’ll help Mrs. Carmichael get settled in.”

  Seth decided it was easier to follow her lead than not, so he led Jamie to their suite. “That’s my room,” he said, pointing to the right as they stepped in the sitting room. “Yours is this way.” He turned to the left.

  Jamie stepped inside his room, moving to the center and slowly looking over the space. Seth remained in the doorway, not sure what to say next, but feeling as if he should say something welcoming.

  “I trust you’ll enjoy your stay while you’re here. If there’s anything you need, let me know and I’ll try to provide it.”

  Jamie nodded. “I like it here already. Miss Abigail seems nice.”

  So Jamie had fallen under her spell already, had he? “She is.” Before things could grow awkward, Seth straightened and cleared his throat. “I have something I need to take care of. I want you to wait here until your trunks are delivered. Rest up if you like. I’ll be back to fetch you when it’s time for lunch.”

  The boy nodded. Standing there he looked so small and vulnerable that Seth felt like a wretch for leaving.

  “Uncle Seth?”

  “Yes?” Seth braced himself for whatever it was the boy had to say to him.

  “Thank you for letting me come here to be with you. I promise I won’t be any trouble.”

  Seth felt as if the boy had sucked all the air out of him. He gave a short nod then made his exit.

  He stepped out of the suite, then leaned back against the door for a moment. He wasn’t sure he could do this. The boy deserved someone who could be a proper parent.

  Someone who knew how to give him the tenderness and affection a child needed.

  Someone who wasn’t him.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Once he was back in the office, Seth opened the judge’s letter. It was singularly lacking in details or apologies. Apparently Jamie’s dormitory would be closed through the end of the year and the judge thought the best place for the boy in the interim was with Seth. Seth wasn’t at all certain he agreed with that decision, but it was too late for that now.

  Though Seth admired Judge Madison a great deal, and owed him for the opportunity he’d given him to make something of his life, Seth also knew the man could be craftily manipulative, in a benevolent sort of way. He’d probably thought putting him and Jamie together for a couple of months would be a good thing, whether Seth agreed or not.

  What in the world was he going to do now?

  Before he’d come up with an answer to that question, the office door opened and he looked up to see Abigail stepping inside. “Mrs. Carmichael is settled in her room. And Jamie?”

  “The same. Thank you for accompanying me this morning.”

  “You’re welcome. Did you find out how long they’ll be with us?”

  “He, not they. It appears Mrs. Carmichael is leaving tomorrow. Jamie, on the other hand, is stuck here for a while, perhaps until the end of the year.”

  “I see.”

  Her expression was thoughtful, assessing, and he sensed that perhaps she saw a little too much.

  Then she smiled. “That will certainly give the two of you time to get to know each other better.”

  “I have work to do here.” He hoped he’d kept the defensiveness from his tone.

  “That seems to be a constant refrain with you.”

  He frowned at her censorious tone.

  “Perhaps Jamie can tag along for at least part of the day. I’m sure he would enjoy learning a little about what it is you do,” Abigail said.

  “I don’t have a lot of spare time to keep up with a child or answer his questions.” Seth mentally winced at the petulant tone in his voice. “Besides, a construction site can be a dangerous place for a child.”

  She gave him a knowing look. “You’re right, of course. It would be irresponsible to allow him to go in the construction areas without someone to keep a close eye on him. If you’re worried you might get distracted, Jamie is welcome to spend part of his time with me. And, of course, we ought to see about enrolling him in the local school. I could take care of it for you, if you like.”

  He latched on to that idea like a lifeline. “School, of course. That would be a big help, thank you.” In fact it was a very good idea. Being in school would keep Jamie occupied elsewhere for a good part of the day.

  “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”

  His first instinct was to say yes, he minded a lot. There were too many secrets he’d prefer to keep buried. But refusing seemed churlish. “Ask away.”

  “Why did you feel it necessary to send Jamie to a boarding school in the first place?”

  He supposed, as personal questions went, that wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Still, it put him on the defensive, which he didn’t like. “I did it for Jamie. The work I do for Judge Madison requires that I travel, often for months at a time.” He spread his hands. “Like this job, for instance. And when I’m on the job, it requires a lot of focus. That’s no life for a young child.”

  She seemed less than satisfied with his answer. “This boarding school you sent Jamie to...”

  She hesitated just a moment. Then she waved a hand. “I assume it costs you quite a bit of money to keep him enrolled there.”

  That was something he didn’t have to feel defensive about. “It does. But the cost is beside the point. I want to make certain Jamie has the finest care possible.”

  “Admirable. Yet couldn’t you take that same money and hire a nanny or tutor with excellent credentials to travel with you, providing quality care for Jamie while at the same time allowing him to have the family connection—which in
this case means connection to you—that all children need?”

  Who did Abigail think she was? How dare this snippet of a woman-child try to lecture him about what was best for his nephew? “Not that I need to explain myself to you,” he said with what he considered admirable restraint, “but there are other factors at play here that you’re not privy to. Besides, this will all be moot soon. I have plans to start a business of my own. When I do, I’ll be able to quit traveling and provide a proper home for Jamie.”

  She raised a brow at that revelation. “It’s a lofty goal. Just make certain you don’t wait too long. Because to a child, having a sense of being wanted, of belonging somewhere, is much more important than promises of someday.”

  She was coming very close to stepping over a line. Then something in her expression caught his attention. He suddenly remembered that she had attended a boarding school herself. Was all this passion based on her own experience growing up? Had she felt some lack in her own life during her time in such an institution?

  He suddenly wanted to know the answer to those questions, to find out just what her hurts were and help make them better.

  She stood and her action broke into his thoughts. What was wrong with him? Hadn’t he told himself less than a week ago that he had to keep his distance?

  “If you’ll excuse me,” she said, her tone stiff, “I have some matters to attend to. When it’s time for school to let out for the day I’ll take Jamie to meet Miss Bruder, the teacher whose class he’ll be in, and talk to her about getting him enrolled.”

  Seth watched her go and knew he’d not come off in the best light during their conversation. She obviously expected more from him where Jamie was concerned, perhaps she even thought he didn’t care for the boy.

  That wasn’t true. He felt keenly for Jamie and wanted to make certain his nephew didn’t suffer the same fate he himself had. That was one reason it was so important he do whatever it took to close the Michelson deal—even if it meant having to thwart Abigail’s desire to be hotel manager.

  Surely, when it came down to it, she’d understand that he was doing this not only for himself, but for Jamie as well.

  Wouldn’t she?

  * * *

  Abigail stepped into her library and closed the door, wanting to be alone for a moment. Seth Reynolds could be so frustrating! The man seemed to be blind when it came to the needs of his nephew. Jamie was obviously starved for affection and was looking to his uncle to fulfill that need.

  And whether he would admit it or not, Seth needed Jamie just as much as Jamie needed Seth. All this talk of someday meant nothing when it came to easing loneliness. Abigail should know—she’d lived on someday promises for many, many years. They were cold comfort when you cried yourself to sleep at night alone.

  But this was not about her. She had to find a way to get through to Seth, to show him there was nothing to fear and so very much to gain by keeping Jamie close.

  Perhaps showing him by example was the best way. And there was no time like the present.

  She took a deep breath as she stepped back into the lobby, just in time to see Kenny Glenn from the train depot delivering Jamie’s trunks.

  “Where would you like these, Miss Abigail?”

  “Just follow me.”

  She found Jamie sitting on the sofa in the parlor of his and Seth’s suite, looking just a bit lost.

  “Hello, Jamie. Are you getting settled in okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She grimaced. “Oh, dear, let’s have none of the ma’am stuff please.”

  “What shall I call you?”

  “How does Miss Abigail sound?”

  He smiled and nodded. “Yes, ma—I mean, yes, Miss Abigail.”

  “That’s better. Now let’s show Kenny where to set your things, shall we?”

  Once the deliveryman had deposited the luggage and left, Abigail turned back to Jamie. “Now that that’s taken care of, what do you say we go down to the dining room for an early lunch?”

  “Uncle Seth told me to wait here for him.”

  “Then we’ll stop by the office to let him know you’re with me.”

  A few moments later she was ushering the boy into the office. “I just wanted to let you know—Jamie’s trunks have been delivered and he’s with me,” she said when Seth looked up. “We’re on our way to the dining room to eat lunch.”

  “It’s only eleven o’clock.”

  She shrugged. “There’s nothing that says lunch must be eaten at noon.” She gave Jamie a conspiratorial nudge. “Besides, we’re hungry now, aren’t we?”

  When the boy nodded, she glanced back to Seth. “You’re welcome to join us if you’d like.”

  He hesitated a moment, then pushed away from the desk. “Very well.”

  She felt a little spark of satisfaction, but hid it behind a nod. Then she turned back to Jamie. “Let’s see what sort of meal Mrs. Long has prepared to go with her peach cobbler, shall we?”

  A few minutes later, the three of them were seated around one of the tables in the hotel dining room and Abigail realized it would be up to her to get the conversation moving.

  “So Jamie, if you had to pick your absolute favorite meal, what would it be?”

  The boy thought for a moment. “Pot roast with potatoes, carrots and corn on the cob.”

  “Oh, that does sound delicious—I like corn on the cob, too. But my favorite meal has to be the rabbit stew cooked by Daisy—that’s my brother’s wife. I’ve tried to duplicate it but no one makes it quite as good as she does.” Then she turned to Seth. “Your turn, if you could have any meal you wanted, what would it be?”

  “Clam chowder, the way my mother used to make it.”

  Hearing a personal reference from the usually guarded Mr. Reynolds caught Abigail by surprise. So he hadn’t closed himself back off entirely. Was that due to Jamie’s arrival?

  She nodded. “Childhood memories—they certainly add a dash of something special to the taste of a meal.” Then she leaned in, as if telling them a secret. “Just think, if we had a meal with all of our favorite foods represented, what a grand feast it would be.”

  * * *

  Seth listened to Jamie and Abigail expound over this make-believe feast for the next several minutes with only half an ear. He was surprised by his own statement about the clam chowder. He hadn’t thought of his mother’s cooking in a long time, but when Abigail had asked the question the answer had just popped up.

  He knew what Abigail was doing, of course. Getting him and Jamie to talk about themselves so they would be able to relate to each other better. It wasn’t a bad plan, he just wasn’t certain how much good it would do.

  One thing was certain—his interactions with Jamie came easier when Abigail was there to smooth the way. Jamie was more relaxed than he’d ever seen him. She even had him laughing at one point, something Seth had never seen him do.

  Later, when they’d finished their meal, Abigail turned to him. “What do you have planned for this afternoon?”

  “I need to look in on the construction and see how everything is going. I also want to recheck some of my measurements for the elevator area.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “I’m going to be in the office looking through furniture catalogs. I received notice this morning that one of the sets of chairs I ordered last week is no longer available so I’ll have to find a replacement.” She turned to Jamie. “If you’d like to join me, I have paper and pencils. You can draw or write whatever you like.”

  He gave her a wide grin. “So you mean I don’t have to go back to my room?”

  Seth mentally winced. That was exactly what he’d had in mind for the boy.

  “No, of course not,” Abigail assured him. Then she turned back to Seth. “I plan to head over to the school with Jamie a li
ttle before three o’clock to get him enrolled. If you’d like to join us so you can meet his teacher, you’re most welcome to do so.”

  It sounded almost like a command. What had happened to her offer to take care of it for him? But he could hardly say no, especially with the look she was giving him. “Of course.”

  With a satisfied nod, Abigail stood and held her hand out to Jamie. He watched them go, marveling again at the ease with which she interacted with his nephew after knowing him less than half a day.

  Would he ever be able to establish that kind of relationship with his nephew?

  Chapter Eighteen

  Abigail escorted Seth and Jamie into the schoolroom as soon as she’d seen the last of the children leave. She’d wanted to make certain they weren’t interrupting anything.

  “Miss Bruder, this is Mr. Seth Reynolds, and his nephew, Jamie. Mr. Reynolds would like to enroll Jamie in your class.”

  The teacher gave Seth a smile then focused on Jamie. “Hi there, Jamie. I’m very pleased to meet you. How old are you?”

  “Eight.”

  “Wonderful.” The teacher nodded approvingly, as if being eight was a great accomplishment. “And have you attended school before?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Seth spoke up quickly. “He’s been at the Bridgerton Academy for Boys for the past year or so.”

  She couldn’t detect any defensiveness in his tone, but Abigail had the feeling he’d wanted to make a point.

  The schoolteacher gave him a quick smile then addressed Jamie again. “Then I’m sure you’re ready to join right in with the rest of the class.”

  She turned back to Abigail and Seth. “Why don’t you give me and Jamie a moment to get acquainted? Abigail, perhaps you can show Mr. Reynolds around.”

  “Of course.” Not that there was much to see.

  She led him toward the back of the room. “You and Jamie will find school here is different from what he experienced in boarding school. For one thing, there are just two classrooms. Miss Bruder here teaches the younger children up to age ten. The older children go into Mitch Parker’s class in the next room.”