True North
Page 9
Schaffer struggled, but as the bigger man, Everett maintained the upper hand.
“Get his gun,” Everett hollered to Sergeant Maynard and the sentries.
Maynard rushed forward and wrestled the pistol from Schaffer’s grasp. He pointed it directly at his head, and Schaffer finally relented, going limp on the floor.
Breathing heavily, Everett climbed off of the fiend. “Put him in irons,” he ordered Maynard. “You know what to do with him.”
“Yes, sir.”
Everett turned his back on Schaffer, never wanting to see the deceitful bastard again. It seemed every able body in the hospital had turned out to witness the commotion. Injured soldiers piled at the end of the hall, some leaning on crutches along with the orderlies and remaining nurses. Everett ignored them all. He had eyes for Grace and Grace alone.
She waited for him by the door, face drawn with exhaustion, but eyes alert and hopeful. He strode forward and swept her in his arms, twirling a half circle as he crushed her to him. “Are you all right, lass? Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine, Everett,” she whispered in his ear.
Slowly he lowered her back to the floor, keeping her snugged up against him. “You saved my life,” he said softly. “You threw yourself in front of a gun. What were you thinking?”
She wove her fingers through the hair at his nape. “I was thinking that I love you.”
Everett had no words. Her selflessness undid him. If he’d loved her before, the passion deepened and grew in that moment. Fraternization rules be damned, he tipped her chin and kissed her for the whole hospital to see.
A cheer went up, and Grace broke the kiss, cheeks pink with embarrassment.
Everett kept his arm firmly about her waist. “Colonel Dayhuff,” he addressed his commanding officer. “I intend to marry Nurse Sinclair. If the army finds this unacceptable, I will have my resignation on your desk first thing in the morning.”
Dayhuff chuckled. “That won’t be necessary Major Connors.” He shifted his attention to Grace and raised his brow. “So long as Nurse Sinclair is agreeable.”
Grace grinned. “Very much so, sir.”
“In that case I wish you both congratulations.” He winked at Grace before turning and clapping his hands twice. “All right everyone back to work. There’s been enough entertainment for one day. You two,” he stabbed a finger toward Grace and Everett, “get cleaned up and go find a chaplain. I expect you back on duty tomorrow morning.”
Everett looked down at Grace and raised a brow. “I think he intends for us to wed right now.”
“I’m ready if you are.” She beamed up at him, eyes alight with love. “Life is too short to wait.”
He took her face in his hands and leaned down for another kiss. “Mrs. Connors, I couldn’t agree more.”
Epilogue
December 24, 1866
Butte, Montana
The windows rattled, and the wind whistled over the roof as the wintry wind blustered outside the small cabin. Wrapped in a cozy woolen shawl, Grace tossed another log into the hearth, keeping the fire toasty warm in anticipation of Everett’s arrival. He’d been gone for hours and she’d hoped he’d make it home from before the weather worsened. Unfortunately, babies came at unpredictable and inconvenient times.
To keep herself from worrying, she hummed Silent Night and prepared hot chocolate to warm on the stove. She set out a plate of cookies and hung two stockings on the mantle place. She circled the tidy homestead house, pleased with their new home.
After the war, Grace and Everett had initially returned to Maryland where she reunited with what remained of her family. She was pleased to see Joshua had survived, though he and Everett did not get on particularly well. Eventually they’d returned to their dream of making a new start out west, and when a booming mining town advertised for a doctor in the Montana Territory, Everett had answered the call.
Tonight Grace looked forward to their first Christmas in the place they’d chosen to be their home. Thus far, all she needed for a perfect Christmas Eve, was her husband.
A gust of wind shook the entire house, and she shivered. At the same moment, the front door burst open admitting a blast of icy air and snow.
Grace leapt to her feet. “Everett!”
He quickly shut the door and stamped his snow caked feet. “I say, lass, it’s miserable weather out there.” He hung his hat on the peg by the door and shrugged out of his coat.
She stepped forward to take it from him and gave him a quick kiss. “Your lips are like ice. Go sit by the fire and I’ll fetch you some hot chocolate.”
He rubbed his hands together to warm them. “That sounds heavenly, love.”
Grace hurried to the stove to prepare two cups of the aromatic hot chocolate. Excitement and nervousness sent butterflies wiggling through her belly. “I take it the delivery went well?”
“The Fosters’ are proud parents of a sturdy wee boy,” he replied. “The lad took his sweet time in coming. I was starting to fear he wouldn’t come until tomorrow.”
Grace crossed the room with the hot chocolate. “That would have been a nice Christmas surprise.”
“For the Fosters perhaps, but a fine Christmas inconvenience for me,” Everett grumbled. He accepted the hot chocolate with a tired sigh, and wrapped both hands around the mug. “I would hate to miss Christmas with you.” He glanced appreciatively around the room, taking in the evergreen bows and ribbons decorating the house. “Especially after you’ve worked so hard to make our first Montana Christmas special.”
Grace set her hot chocolate down on the end table. “Fortunately our babe will be much more considerate and arrive in the summertime.” She cast Everett a sidelong glance, waiting for her words to sink in.
He paused with the cup midway to his lips, and glanced up at her. “Summertime…” She could all but see the cogs turning in his head. Finally, he sent the mug down. “Did you say will be arriving in summertime?”
She drew a nervous breath, unable to gauge his reaction to her news. “I did.”
“Oh, Gracie,” he breathed as a grin of pure joy split his face. He leapt to his feet and swung her into his arms. “I am the luckiest man alive.” He pulled back and took her lips in an exuberant kiss.
“You’re happy?” she whispered, needing the reassurance. The two of them hadn’t spoken much about having children. Too much change had consumed their lives.
“Happy doesn’t begin to describe how I feel.” He took her face in his hands and kissed her again. “My life didn’t begin until the day I met you. I’m a better man because of you, Grace. You keep my course steady and true. You are my true north.”
THE END
Sweet Romances By Melissa Lynne Blue
Bewitched
Winter’s Rose
Love Lies Traitors and Spies
The Christmas Ghost
Other Books by Melissa Lynne Blue
Forget Me Not
Light to Valhalla
Siren
Meet Me at Midnight
True North
Langston Brothers Series:
Edge of Time
Cadence
11th Hour Rose
Fool’s Gold
The Soldier’s Christmas
The Christmas Ghost
About the Author
Photo by Susan Gest
Melissa is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Practitioner and battles the stresses of life and illness by enjoying uplifting tales of love and romance. A firm believer in true love united with an enduring fascination with history has prompted her pursuit of romance writing. She lives in beautiful Big Sky Country Montana with her husband and children.
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