“I’ll get dressed first and go outside so you can dress.” He kissed her briefly behind her ear and rose. His clothes rustled as he put them on, and soon the sound of the door opening and closing jolted her into action.
How could she ever face him? No matter, she had to get up, get dressed, and say nothing. She frantically pulled on her clothes, leaving off the corset she couldn’t fasten herself. Usually one of the other women in her house would help her. One day she would burn the damn thing anyway.
Max returned from outside and slowly approached, pulling her into his arms. “How are you this morning?”
She looked beyond his shoulder, chewing her bottom lip. “Fine.”
He cupped her chin and turned her head to face him. “Are you sure?”
Ellie searched his eyes, her shoulders slumped. “Y-y-yes.” She burst into tears.
He blew out a deep breath. “I was afraid of this.” He put his large hand on her head and nestled her onto his chest. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head.
After a few minutes, he handed her a handkerchief from his pocket. “Why don’t you make a visit outside, and I’ll pack up in here. The sun will be up soon, and we need to get you home.”
The walk to the next farmhouse took only twenty minutes. A layer of snow enveloped the ground, which Ellie would have enjoyed any other time. Glistening snow covering the branches of the trees had turned the entire countryside into a work of art.
The farmer had a can of gasoline he loaned to Max, and after he trudged back to his motorcar and returned for her at the farmhouse, they were able to drive home. Ellie kept silent the entire trip, and she guessed Max was grateful not to have to deal with her tears again, because he said nothing either.
Thoughts raced around her mind. She glanced at him several times on the trip home. He appeared relaxed and even had a slight smile on his face. On the other hand, she had knots in her stomach, her eyes burned, and the beginning of a major headache loomed.
The biggest concern was her lack of remorse. No doubt Max considered her tears stemmed from guilt. Not so. When he’d cupped her chin and turned her to look directly at him, it hit her like a board between the eyes. She had fallen madly, completely, and forever in love with Max Colbert. Her archenemy, and the man who’d told Uncle Jesse he intended to remain single, that he had no desire for a wife and family. The memory of those words cut deep into her heart.
Before the sun fully rose in the sky, they were in front of her boardinghouse. “What am I going to tell Mrs. Beamer?” She chewed on her thumb nail and glanced furtively at the house.
“You have a first floor bedroom. We’re going to hoist you through the window.”
Ellie cast him a glance, eyes narrowed.
He grinned. “What? You’ve done it before. On a ladder, no less.”
They quietly crept along the side of the house until they stood underneath her window. Max turned to her. “Take off your coat and pull your skirt between your legs and tuck it into the waistband.”
That accomplished, he stood behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist. He lifted her, then ducked his head and settled her on his shoulders. “Slide the window up.”
One shove and the window rose. She climbed off his shoulders onto the sill and put each foot gently on the floor.
“Your coat,” he whispered from under the window.
She took it from his hands, her fingers numb.
“Don’t forget the School Board Christmas party tonight. I’ll be by at seven.” He smiled warmly at her and left.
Ellie closed the window and rubbed her arms. What was she going to do? She may even be pregnant. That brought a smile. Then they’d have to marry. No. He’d resent her for the rest of his life. She dropped to the mattress and stared at the wall.
Max returned to the Oldsmobile and pulled away. He pounded his fist on the steering wheel. “Dammit.”
Oh, not at all sorry he’d made love to Ellie, it would’ve happened anyway, the attraction was too strong. It was just a matter of time. But it confirmed what he’d been deathly afraid of for days.
He’d fallen madly, completely, and forever in love with Ellie Henderson. His mother’s duplicate. God help him.
Chapter 10
Ellie opened the front door at Max’s knock, and her heart dropped to her stomach. There was no doubt. She loved him. But love should make her feel good, not this misery that enveloped her.
His startling blue eyes, hair falling over his forehead—When did that start happening all the time?—his strong features. They were all burned into her memory with the words “life plan” right in front, as if he were holding a sign.
He smiled, bent, and kissed her cheek. With the other ladies in the parlor reading, sewing, and talking, it was probably best he didn’t do more than that. But what did it mean? Were they now good friends, sort of “a kiss on the cheek” friends?
Max reached for her coat on the hook, helped her into it, and escorted her out the door and into the motorcar. “Did you get a lot done today, with school being closed for the Christmas holiday?” he asked as he snapped on his goggles and cranked the engine.
“I redid the basket for the Mallard family that we ate. Mr. Jenkins from the mercantile offered to deliver it for me.”
“That was nice of him.”
“Yes.”
Awkwardness hung heavy in the air. Ellie took a deep breath and stared out the window. I should have told him I had a headache and couldn’t attend tonight.
“Ellie?” He spoke in an odd, yet gentle tone.
She turned to him, eyebrows raised.
“Are you never going to speak to me again?” He gave her a lopsided grin, and her gut clenched.
She gazed at her gloved hands in her lap. “Yes, of course I will.”
“Sometime soon we have to talk about what happened last night.” He kept his eyes on the road, his jaw twitched.
“Why?”
He reached over and took her hand. “Because it meant a great deal to me.” He glanced at her. “As I hope it did to you, too.”
She pulled her hand away. “I’m still wondering what it meant.” Her heart ached when she thought of all she wouldn’t have because of Max’s “life plan.” Her own life plan seemed like so much dust in her mouth now that she’d tasted the side of life that once held no appeal.
The Christmas party for the School Board of Logan County High School was held at the home of Peter Morgan, president of the School Board. A small group had gathered, just the members and their wives, and the elementary and high school principals, with their guests.
The Morgan house was a stately residence, one of the largest on a block of other impressive homes. Gaslights lit every room, in addition to blazing fireplaces. The large entrance hall displayed a gray and white marble floor, with a flowing staircase leading to the second level. Holly, interspersed with red ribbons, adorned the banister. A huge Christmas tree sat in the middle of the front parlor, where the maid who took their coats directed them.
The men immediately huddled in a corner with glasses of whiskey to discuss politics and education, while the women sipped tea and hot apple cider and visited with each other. The women discussed children, grandchildren, and the difficulty in finding good household help. Every woman present except Ellie sported a wedding ring.
After a lull in conversation, a small woman with tidy steel gray curls surrounding her face turned to Ellie. “Miss Henderson, I understand you teach at the high school?” She’d been introduced as Martha Filmore, a wife of one of the board members.
“Yes, that’s right. I teach history.” She smiled at her.
“It must be dreadful getting up to go to a job every day. I’m sure you’re anxious to find a husband and leave all that nonsense behind.” Another woman, tall and thin, with pinched features nodded her head furiously as she spoke.
Ellie narrowed her eyes. “Indeed not. I love my job, and I receive a great deal of satisfaction from
teaching.”
Each woman in turn looked at her as if she’d just announced she planned to take her clothes off and dance on the table. No one responded.
She snuck a peek at her timepiece and decided she’d had enough. Far from raising her spirits and putting her in the Christmas mood, this party depressed her and made her ache even more for what she would never have, despite what she’d just told the women. “If you will excuse me, I need to speak with Mr. Colbert for a moment.” A few of the women glanced at each other, a smile on their lips.
Max stood in the corner, his back to her, speaking with another man. “So have you had any luck in getting that teacher married off and out of your hair?” The man Max spoke with smiled at him and slapped him on the back
Max’s shoulders stiffened. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“Come on, Colbert, the word around the Club is you invited a couple of the members to a concert and a dinner party, and then showed up with some teacher you were trying to marry off. Forest said you wouldn’t have much luck because she’s a terrible cook.” He rubbed his stomach. “Not good for the digestion.”
Max mumbled, “If you will excuse me,” turned on his heel, and came face to face with Ellie, who stood not three feet from him.
Eyes wide, all the blood gone from her face, she raised a shaky hand to her lips. “How could you?” she whispered.
“Ellie, wait.” He reached for her, but she turned and fled out the front door. Max set his drink down and strode up to Peter Morgan. “Miss Henderson isn’t feeling well, so we will be leaving.”
“Wait while I get your coats.” Morgan turned and opened the hall closet, took out two wool coats, scarves, and hats.
“Thanks.” Max grabbed them and hurried through the doorway, then down the steps. The street was empty, Ellie nowhere in sight. A cold lump of fear settled in his stomach. Where could she have gone? She’d been out of his sight for only a couple minutes. He dumped the clothes in the automobile and slid behind the steering wheel. With his heartbeat pounding, he cranked the engine, and the motorcar started up.
He rode two blocks, didn’t see her, and turned in the other direction. He found her striding along the road, arms wrapped around her middle. “Ellie.”
She turned, shook her head, and kept going.
“Ellie, stop.”
He pulled up alongside the road, turned off the engine, and exited the car. He hurried after her and grabbed her coat. “Here.” He put the coat around her shoulders. “Come back to the motorcar so I can drive you home.”
“No.” She shrugged his arm off, pulled the coat closer around her body, and kept walking.
“You can’t walk home from here, it’s too far.”
She turned to face him, eyes swollen, her nose red from the cold and crying. “Go away.”
“Look.” He circled around in front of her and raised both palms in surrender. “I won’t touch you, won’t even talk to you, but you have to get into the automobile and let me drive you home.”
Ellie stood staring at him, shaking from the cold. God, how he loved this woman. Her smell, her touch, her voice. She’d crawled into his heart and had taken up permanent residence. He could not let her go, even though she drove him to distraction, and had disrupted his well-thought-out life, and made his gut burn with desire.
“You’re a sneaking, lowdown skunk, Max Colbert. All the time I thought you were being nice to me, might even—even l-l-like me. Instead, you were trying to pass me off as a wife to some stranger! You’re despicable. And I never want to lay eyes on you again.” She hiccupped.
“Can I explain?” Nothing he wanted more than to take her in his arms and kiss her tears away. However, since he didn’t relish getting a bloody nose, he kept his distance.
“No. Either get out of my way so I can walk home, or,” she paused, eyeing the motorcar, “or drive me home and never speak to me again.”
He blew out a breath. “All right. Get in and I’ll drive you home.”
She huddled in the corner and kept her silence all the way to her boardinghouse. Once the motorcar stopped, she jumped from it and hurried up the stairs, not looking back as she closed the door.
Max slumped in his seat, rubbing his temple and forehead with thumb and index finger. What a mess. It was his job to straighten it out, and straighten it out he would.
Christmas Day, usually the favorite day of the year for Ellie. Not this year. It’d been two days since the School Board Christmas Party. Two days of misery. Max had come to the door more than once each day, and every day she’d refused to see him. Mrs. Beamers kept sniffing disapproval every time Ellie came her way.
She couldn’t face him. To think all those clabberheaded idiots he’d dragged along each time they met was for the sole purpose of palming her off so she could get “out of his hair!” Oh, the humiliation of it all. And the heartbreak. It would be so much easier if she could hate him, but unfortunately, it didn’t work that way. She loved Max Colbert and everything about him, from his stubborn streak to his caring and compassionate side. And making love with him had shaken her world. That’s what made his deception so much more painful.
Uncle Jesse had come to pick her up, unusually quiet during the ride to his house. “Everything going all right with you, Ellie?” His warm eyes and familiar smile had her on the brink of tears. Many times as a child and young girl, he would pull her into his arms and comfort her when life had handed her the short end of the stick. If only he could do that now. This time there was no comfort from her heartache.
As always, most of the family had gathered at Tori and Jesse’s house for Christmas. The last to arrive, Ellie spent the first few minutes hugging and being hugged by the large group. Her big brother Michael and his wife Heidi were there with their baby, Madeline, her sister, Rachel, and her husband, Rusty, his daughter, Amelia, and Rachel’s son, Zander as well. Rachel and Heidi both sported full bellies. Two more little ones on the way. Hunter, her brother only a year older, left a hole in the happy gathering, since, as a Federal Marshal, he spent all his time on the road. They hadn’t seen him in over two years.
And, of course, the four Cochran cousins added to the chaos. She smiled as Jesse’s gaze roamed around the room with pride at his clan. Her uncle cherished his family, and everyone knew it. Ellie sighed as he put his arm around Tori’s shoulders, and then dragged her to the doorway where the mistletoe hung and gave her a rounding kiss.
Exchange of gifts always the first order of business, soon the room filled with the sounds of laughter and exclamations of thanks and appreciation. Large scraps of wrapping paper and ribbons adorned the floor. Madeline crawled among the discards, laughing her baby giggle at the excitement in the air.
Jesse stood, wearing the new sweater Tori had given him. “All right everyone, we have only about another half hour until dinner, so let’s get this place cleaned up.”
The Cochran cousins bagged up the wrapping paper, and Rachel, Ellie, and Heidi refilled the apple cider bowl and arranged the opened gifts neatly under the tree. Ellie never heard the doorbell or knew another person had entered the house until she felt the cold air rush in from outside.
“Merry Christmas.” Jesse’s voice boomed down the hallway.
“Merry Christmas to you, too, sir.”
Ellie stilled, her heart in her throat. The voice she couldn’t get out of her head, no matter how hard she’d tried. Still on her knees in front of the Christmas tree, she turned. Max stood next to Jesse, a tenuous smile on his face as he looked at her.
“Glad you could join us, Max.” Jesse slapped him on the shoulder.
“Thank you. I appreciate the invitation.” He continued to stare at Ellie as he spoke.
She rose from her place on the floor and approached the two men. “Why are you here?”
“Merry Christmas, Ellie.”
“No you don’t. This isn’t going to work.” She backed away. “Excuse me.” She turned and fled to the kitchen, and threw herself into Tori’
s arms. “I don’t want him here. Make him leave.”
Why was he here? Didn’t she make it plain she didn’t want to see him? If he came to apologize and be “friends,” he could forget it. Her heart couldn’t take it. She needed to stay as far away from Max as she could. Maybe she should quit her job and move far away.
Tori eased away from her. “Now, Ellie. Max is a guest in our home. I’m not going to ask him to leave.” She smoothed her hair back. “Whatever problems exist must be worked out between the two of you. Since when does Ellie Henderson run away?”
Ellie wiped her eyes and nose on the handkerchief Rachel handed her and took a deep breath. “You’re right. I don’t run,” she said with an indigent sniff and left the kitchen. She would deal with him once and for all. Then continue on with her life plan. If only she could remember it.
Jesse and Max were in Jesse’s office with the door closed. She wandered back into the parlor and took Madeline from Heidi and settled herself on the couch with the baby. Could this Christmas get much worse? She kissed the top of the baby’s head and then rubbed her cheek over the soft silky hair.
Slowly the others drifted into the room, as if waiting for something. She caught a definite gleam in Tori’s eyes when she looked at her, and Heidi and Rachel exchanged mirthful glances.
Uncle Jesse and Max entered the room together. Ellie’s heart sped up, and her stomach clenched. Max stared at her from the moment he entered the room. Slowly he walked across the room. Heidi reached for the baby and sat on the chair next to the fireplace, leaving a wide-open space for Max.
He sat next to her and took her hand. She pulled it back. He took it again. She pulled it back again. Rachel giggled.
Max cleared his throat, forcing her to look at him. “Ellie, I have something to say, and I want your whole family to hear it.”
“I have nothing to say to you, Mr. Colbert.”
Max glanced at Jesse, who nodded encouragement.
He took her hand again, and it appeared they would play tug of war. He held her hand and gripped her elbow to keep her from pulling back. “Ellie, you’ve turned my whole world upside down. My life plan is out the window, and I’m not sure what’s up and what’s down.”
Merry Christmas, My Love Page 9
