“I think you know the answer to that,” he said.
Her gaze flew up. “Are you saying—?”
He nodded. “It was all an act.” He allowed those words to sink in before adding, “And I believe we both know why a proud and honorable captain would throw away his career and ruin his reputation like that.”
She stared at him, speechless, her mind in a whirl.
The major continued, “I couldn’t in good conscience leave things as they stood. And if you’re half the woman he says you are, I don’t think you can either.” He tipped his hat and walked away.
The certificate in her hand suddenly felt like a steel weight. What had looked like a bright future was now clouded with uncertainty. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was keeping Cole from rejoining the Rangers. And as he always said, sooner or later, the Rangers always got their man.
Ten
That night she broke the news of the Carpenter brothers’ capture to Cole over dinner. She’d fixed his favorites: beef stew and apple pie.
He sat back in his chair, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. “And you’re only just now telling me?”
“I wanted to tell you over dinner,” she said and then explained how she’d bumped into the major in town. “He looked for you at the hotel.”
“That’s good news,” he said. “Your husband’s killers will get what’s coming to them.” He studied her with a frown. “I thought you’d be happy about that.”
“I am happy,” she said, sounding unconvincing even to her own ears. “Are…are you disappointed that you weren’t there to capture them?”
“Disappointed? No.” He laid his fork down and covered her hand with his own. “I’m just glad things worked out the way they did. For your sake.” He tossed a nod at Adam. “For his sake too.”
He pulled his hand away and reached for a biscuit. “What else did Major Comstock say?” he asked, as he mopped up the gravy on his plate.
“Nothing much.” The lie felt like acid in her mouth. “Only that he was taking the train back to Austin.”
She lowered her gaze. Keeping the honorary discharge from Cole was the right thing to do. It was the only way to protect her future. Protect Adam’s future. She only wished their happiness and security didn’t depend on deceit.
* * *
A dispatch announcing the capture of the Carpenter brothers had been sent to the sheriff’s office, and soon news of Richard’s death traveled through town like wildfire. On the day before Christmas, Meg Lockwood was the first to lead the parade to the farm.
“Oh, you poor dear,” Meg said, her turquoise eyes wide with concern. “What are you going to do?”
“What I normally do,” Sadie said. “Take care of Adam and the farm.” It was too soon to tell even her friend that she had fallen in love with another man.
The bank president’s wife, Mrs. Mooney, was the next to land on Sadie’s doorstep, followed by the pastor’s wife.
Sadie felt guilty for accepting their condolences. Richard’s death had hit her hard, but she was still angry at him for deserting her. Eventually, she would forgive him for leaving her, just as she’d forgiven her father; she had to for Adam’s sake. But it would be a long and painful ordeal, and one she wasn’t yet ready to undertake.
For now, something else was on her mind: the certificate of honorable discharge hidden in a bureau drawer. The document that could rob her of a happy future with the man she loved.
She’d hardly slept a wink since her conversation with the major. Even if she didn’t feel like a grieving widow, the bags under her eyes made her look like one.
For the rest of the day she went through the motions. She attended Christmas Eve church service and later stood outside with Adam in her arms, singing Christmas carols around the tall decorated tree on the church lawn. Some of the other women took turns holding Adam, and he looked like he was enjoying all the attention.
Cole was there, too, but such was her guilt for not telling him about the document hidden in her drawer, she could hardly look at him. Apparently, he’d sensed something was wrong, because he appeared at her side and whispered, “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m just anxious to take Adam home. I don’t want to risk him getting sick again.”
He chucked Adam under the chin. “I understand.” He locked her gaze in his. “See you tomorrow.”
Nodding, she quickly moved away. It wouldn’t look right for a new widow to be seen with another man. For that reason, they had agreed to keep their distance in public. As far as anyone knew, Cole was a farmhand she’d hired.
As she reached her wagon, she heard the carolers singing “Silent Night” and swiped away the tears that had suddenly sprung to her eyes. Moments later she drove away, holding Adam on her lap. She had everything she’d ever wanted. She had a darling little boy. Her husband’s killer would soon stand trial and be brought to justice. And then there was Cole—a man she loved more than life itself. So why, oh why did she feel so utterly miserable?
* * *
Cole appeared on her doorstep early that Christmas morning. Sadie had prepared them both a special breakfast, complete with flapjacks and bacon.
“The fox was back this morning,” she said.
Cole quirked a smile. “Sounds like it’s time to bring out the big guns.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll see,” he said mysteriously.
After they’d finished eating, Cole carried Adam into the parlor and sat him on the floor in front of the Christmas tree.
“There you go,” he said, helping Adam open his gift. Cole pulled a little wooden pull toy out of the box, and Sadie clasped her hands to her chest.
“What a lovely gift,” she exclaimed.
“Glad you like it,” Cole said. “Looks like Adam’s more interested in the box it came in.”
Sadie laughed.
Cole laughed too as he pulled two packages from beneath the tree, one small and one large, and placed them on her lap. “Now it’s time to open your presents.”
Never had Sadie received such prettily wrapped gifts, and she fingered the big red bows.
“Well? What are you waiting for?” he asked.
Laughing at his impatience, she worked off the ribbon on the smaller box. Inside was a book titled How to Raise Cattle. Thumbing through the pages, she tried to imagine herself a cattle baroness.
He grinned. “I told you it was time to bring out the big guns. I just hope that’s more interesting to read than that grammar book of yours.” He took the book from her and placed it beneath the tree while she opened the larger box.
Upon seeing the blue dress from the general store, she gasped. “Oh, Cole!” She lifted the dress out of the box and held it close. “How did you know?”
“A little birdie told me you were seen admiring it,” he said.
Tears filled her eyes. “This is the nicest gift anyone has ever given me.”
He grinned. “Try it on. I’ll watch Adam.”
“I will, but first…you have to open your gift.” She set her dress aside and reached beneath the tree for his present.
He tore off the wrapping and drew the money clip out of the box. “It’s perfect,” he said, holding it up to the light from the window. He looked at her with such tenderness, it took her breath away. “You’re perfect.”
His eyes were so full of love and admiration and trust, it nearly broke her heart.
Trust. Such a beautiful word and so full of promise.
He trusted her with his whole heart and soul. In return, she couldn’t even allow herself to trust him at his word, and this pained her more than words could say. She didn’t deserve him. At that moment she didn’t even feel like she deserved Adam.
A silent sob welled up inside. When did this happen? When had the fear of losing him turned her into someone she didn’t r
ecognize? Didn’t know. Didn’t want to know.
She’d searched for the perfect gift for him, but that gift had been in her possession all along. She just hadn’t been brave enough to give it to him.
All at once she knew what she must do, and a terrible weight lifted from her shoulders. “There’s…more,” she said.
He raised his eyebrows. “More?”
“Wait here.” Leaving the room, she returned moments later with the discharge document in her hand.
He held her gaze. “What is this?” he asked.
“My trust,” she said. “My trust in you. My trust in us. My trust in a long and happy future together.”
Eyebrows raised, he unfolded the parchment. Frowning, he shook his head. “This is—”
“An honorable discharge,” she said.
He was momentarily speechless. “I don’t understand,” he said after reading the document again. “How did you get this?”
“The major gave it to me when he told me about the Carpenter brothers.”
“But this makes no sense. Why would he give me an honorable discharge after the way I acted?”
She moistened her lips. “I guess you didn’t make a very convincing drunk.”
He rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know what to say. Getting myself dishonorably discharged was the only way I could think to convince you I was here to stay.”
“I know,” she whispered, touching a finger to his lips. “I…wasn’t going to give it to you.” Beseeching him to understand, she held her breath, searching for the least bit of censure in his eyes, the least bit of scorn on his face. But his tender gaze held none of the things she feared, and the love and acceptance in his eyes erased the last of her lingering doubts.
“I finally realized that if you stay here with me and Adam, it has to be because you want to. Not because you have to.”
“Oh, Sadie, if you don’t know by now…” Setting the document aside, he pulled her to her feet and crushed her in his arms. “I’m crazy as a fox in love with you. And just like that ole pest, nothing’s gonna keep me away.” He kissed her forehead, her nose, her mouth before adding, “I feel the same about Adam.”
The tenderness in his eyes took her breath away. But no more so than the happy future she envisioned ahead. She would trust him because she loved him; it was as simple as that. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. “A cattle ranch, eh?”
“The biggest and best in the county,” he said, grinning. “What do you think about calling it the Fox Haven Cattle Ranch?”
She laughed and rose to her tiptoes to kiss him.
“The Fox Hollow Cattle Ranch?” he asked.
Shaking her head, she kissed him again and this time targeted the intriguing indentation on his chin.
“The Running Fox Cattle Ranch?”
She laid her head on his chest with a contented sigh. “I think we should call it the Happy Hearts Cattle Ranch.”
“Hmm,” he murmured, his breath in her hair. “I like that. I like it a lot.” He ran his fingers down her cheek and tilted her chin upward.
“Oh, Cole,” she said, her heart nearly bursting with joy, “this is the best Christmas ever!”
He smiled. “I can think of only one thing that will make me happier,” he said between kisses. “And that’s the day you become my wife.”
About the Author
Bestselling author Margaret Brownley has penned more than forty novels and novellas. Her books have won numerous awards, including the National Readers’ Choice and Romantic Times Pioneer awards. She’s a two-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist and has written for a TV soap. She is currently working on her next series. Not bad for someone who flunked eighth-grade English. Just don’t ask her to diagram a sentence. You can find Margaret at margaret-brownley.com.
A Christmas Baby
A Last Chance Cowboys Novella
Anna Schmidt
One
Arizona Territory, 1891
Louisa Johnson was late slipping out of the house, but she knew Rico would be there waiting. She had come to a decision and she would not be denied, not even by her father—a man she had adored her entire life, but one who now stood in the way of her being with Rico. She had no idea how to make things right with her father. What she knew with more certainty than she had ever known anything in her nineteen years was that she loved Rico Mendez and he was devoted to her. If her father couldn’t accept that—couldn’t look past their differences and see Rico for the kind, hard-working man he was—then she would have to force his hand.
Dressed only in a nightgown that covered her from chin to ankle, she ran barefoot down to the creek. Clutched in her hand was the rosary she’d been given at her First Communion—long before she’d become a grown woman capable of making her own choices.
When she reached the creek, her breath came in gasps—a combination of the exertion of running, the chill of a spring night, and the excitement she felt for what she was about to do. Rico stepped out of the shadows. The moon lit the water behind her. She stood very still, knowing the blend of the thin fabric of her gown and the moonlight hid nothing from him.
“Louisa, no,” he whispered, but he did not look away. And he could not stop himself from walking toward her.
“Yes,” she replied. “It is time.”
Rico had always counseled waiting, giving her father the time he needed to adjust to the idea that they loved each other despite the differences in their backgrounds. But she knew her father was unlikely to change. He was waiting for them to change. “You say you love me, but—” she said.
“It is because I love you that I cannot disrespect you or your family,” he replied, interrupting her.
The two of them had spent long hours on this creek bank, lying on the soft grass, touching and kissing, but while they had found ways to pleasure each other, they had always stopped short of the final union. “Then make me your wife,” she said.
He smiled and touched her cheek. “I thought that a proposal was my job,” he teased.
She did not return his smile but stared up at him. “Then do your job.” She was trembling now with the dew wetting her bare feet and the realization that she might have gone too far and he might refuse. She thought she understood his hesitation—the differences in their stations in life, in their heritage. “I love you so, Rico,” she managed to say before she began to cry.
He pulled her fully into his embrace then. She felt the soft cotton of his shirt soak up her tears. “Oh, Louisa, do you know what you are asking?”
“Yes. I also know what it might cost me, but surely once we are legally wed…”
Rico rested his chin on top of her head, and she knew that he was considering her plea. “I don’t know, Louisa. Maybe you’re right,” he said. “But have you thought this through? Our life will not be easy. You must be very sure that this is what you want.”
“What I want is to be happy, and the only path I see to that is for us to be together openly—and legally. Papa will have to make his choice then, and at least we will know.”
“And if he chooses to fully disown you? To keep you from your sister and mother, and them from you—what then? How can you find happiness then?”
“We will find it together.” She stood on tiptoe to kiss him.
He tightened his hold on her, kissing her with all the pent-up passion each of them lived with day in and night out. He stepped away, took in a deep breath, and slowly released it as he stared up at the dark sky. For a moment she thought he would refuse her. But then she saw his fingers working free the buttons of his shirt. He spread it on the ground. She knelt and waited for him to join her. Kneeling, he faced her and gently took the rosary from her. He twined it around her wrist and then around his own, joining them in simulation of the el lazo tradition that was a part of the wedding ceremony for
people of his culture.
“Louisa Johnson, I will be your husband, caring for you, protecting you, loving you from this day forward.”
“And Rico Mendez, I will be your wife, caring for you, following you wherever you may go, and—forsaking all others—loving you with all my heart from this day forward.”
They kissed and he stretched out beside her, their wrists still joined.
“Can you get away tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Meet me here after dark. We will go to Tucson, to the justice of the peace, and make this official,” he continued.
“But let this be the wedding of our hearts,” she whispered as she raised herself onto one elbow and bent to kiss his bare chest. “Let this be our wedding night, Rico, in celebration of the vows we have just shared.”
He said no words, but answered her by opening the row of tiny pearl buttons that closed the front of her nightgown and branding her as his with a row of kisses that moved from her throat to her breasts. She arched, offering herself to him. He sat back on his heels and ran his fingers over the fabric of her gown, easing the hem higher and then finding the core of her—a place he had taught her to expect a pleasure so irresistible that she would cry out with sheer ecstasy.
She pushed his hand away. “We are one,” she said huskily, for in her mind no official service could replace the vows they had just given and received. In her mind they were man and wife. “Show me that way, my husband.”
Rico removed the rest of his clothes and then pushed her nightgown over her shoulders and down her bare legs. Once they were both naked, he stood, held out his hand to her, and led her to the creek. The water ran fast, still engorged with the runoff from the winter snows of the high country. It was cold but thrilling. Rico led the way to a place they both knew well—a place they had discovered as children was deep enough to swim in. A place where as adults they had stood in water up to her shoulders. He bathed her now, scooping water and caressing her shoulders, breasts, hips. She followed his lead, reveling in the sight of his naked body, which was so strong and so beautifully fitted with hers.
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