The Christmas Bride - A Western Romance Novella (Book 4, Burnett Brides Series)

by Sylvia McDaniel

  “It’s true. When you lose someone you love, I think you understand what you’ve lost and may never find again.” He smiled. “I like to keep you wondering what I’m going to do next.”

  -”But now it’s time I said goodnight. It’s freezing cold out here.”

  They stood there awkwardly regarding one another. Wyatt wanted to kiss her, but waited for Eugenia to give him a signal.

  Finally she smiled, “Good night, Wyatt. Someday soon you need to try one of my casserole dishes.”

  She wanted him to try her casserole! They had made progress. Finally she was starting to come around.

  He smiled. “Any time, Eugenia. Any time. I’ll see you Saturday at rehearsal.”

  “See you then.” She walked into the house and closed the door, leaving him standing on the porch step, frustrated.

  They’d made progress, but he’d really wanted a kiss.

  “Damn woman, you had better be worth the trouble.”

  *

  The next day Eugenia glanced around the table at her daughters-in-law and smiled. How different her life was now that her sons were married and had families of their own. This was what she’d wanted when she’d determined to find them wives of their own.

  Baby Desirée was showing her spitfire personality, running from room to room, keeping her parents hopping. Sarah and Tanner’s son was pulling up, trying to walk. Lucas, Tucker’s son, was starting school next year, and his new baby brother or sister was due any day. Three grandkids with another one soon to arrive—life was good.

  Yet, she missed having someone to share this with. Wyatt’s face swam before her eyes, and she thought it strange she thought of him rather than Thomas.

  “Eugenia, are you still with us?”

  “Sorry, I was just thinking about how life has changed in the last few years.”

  The women looked at one another and smiled while they continued to wrap the presents they’d either made or bought for their little ones.

  These women she considered her daughters had borne her grandchildren and took care of her sons. She loved them.

  “How’s the Christmas pageant rehearsal coming?” Rose asked.

  “It’s going well.” Eugenia said, knowing that she was fishing for information about Wyatt.

  “Sarah said that Wyatt walked you home last night,” Rose said, a twinkle in her eye.

  “Yes, he did.” Eugenia did not say anything that would confirm the women’s interest.

  “You know the rumor is that his ranch does very well,” Sarah said. “Why, they say he’s one of the richest ranchers around here.”

  “He and Beatrice worked just as hard as me and Thomas to make our spreads successful.”

  “It’s a shame his wife died so young, leaving him alone. He must be lonely living out there in that big house all by himself. I hear his daughter hasn’t been home since her mother’s funeral,” Beth said, her voice soft.

  Eugenia glanced around at all the women at the table while inside she was laughing. They were trying to be subtle and not succeeding. “What you’re all doing is interfering. I’ll make my own decision regarding Wyatt.”

  Sarah shrugged and gazed at her sisters-in-law and mother-in-law. “What? What are we doing, Eugenia?”

  “You’re trying to match me with Wyatt, and you’re all amateurs.” She paused for a moment and chuckled. “Let me just tell you that I am reconsidering my opposition to Wyatt. I’m still undecided and have said nothing to him.”

  The three women’s mouths opened, and then all three started talking at once, excitedly. For a moment, Eugenia sat back and smiled, watching her daughters. These lovely young women were so special. She’d chosen them to marry her sons, and she didn’t regret it for one moment.

  “What’s holding you back?” Rose asked. “I really like him.”

  “He’s so sweet,” Beth said.

  Eugenia sighed. “Sarah is the only one of you three women who wasn’t scrambling to support herself when you met my boys. I’m in a position where I have all the money I need. I can come and go as I please. I don’t have anyone depending on me. It’s a freeing feeling.”

  “But don’t you get lonely, Eugenia?” Sarah asked. “After I would put Lucas to bed, I felt so alone when I was single. There was no one to talk to about my day or what new thing Lucas was doing.”

  What Sarah said was true. There was no one to share her joy with about her grandchildren or even her children and what they were doing. Except Wyatt.

  “Sometimes. But then I come be with my grandkids. They always cheer me up.”

  “Your grandkids would still be there if you married Wyatt,” Beth said.

  They didn’t understand. The world was changing for women, and her daughters-in-law were stronger young women than she’d been. And she was glad they stood up to her boys.

  “Yes, I know. But I don’t have anyone to tell me what I can and can’t do. No man to tell me to buy this or I can’t serve this, or I didn’t do this correctly. Don’t get me wrong. I loved Thomas, but he was still a man who let everyone know how he wanted and expected his house to be run. It got old.”

  “I can understand that,” Sarah said. “Sometimes Tucker has pulled that on me, and I just give him a look that tells him that is not territory he wants to enter.”

  Sarah was the strongest of the three since she’d raised a child without a man’s help in the wildest town in the west until Eugenia had brought her home.

  “Yes, we all know how Travis can be domineering like his father, but I hope I’m showing him that demanding doesn’t always get you what you want,” Rose said with a knowing smile.

  Eugenia had known Rose was perfect for Travis the moment she saw her stand up to him in the séance parlor she’d once owned.

  “Tanner, can be demanding, but it’s only going to get him a cold supper, which he hates.”

  The girls laughed.

  Beth’s quiet, gentle strength was exactly what Tanner needed. She’d brought her here for Tucker, but Tanner found her first, and she thanked God every day for the mishap that brought her son home.

  “I’m so thankful that my sons found and married you girls. I want all of you to be happy.”

  “And we want your happiness. If that means you want to remain alone the rest of your days, that’s your choice,” Sarah said.

  “Or if you want to marry, Wyatt, that’s your choice as well,” Rose said.

  Eugenia smiled. “Thanks. But to be honest, I don’t know what I want.” She tied a ribbon around the tissue on the package she was wrapping. “Wyatt is a great man. He’s honest and dependable with good morals, he’s attractive and friendly. And if I was looking for a husband, I’d look no further. I’m just not certain I want another man to rule my life.”

  *

  On Saturday afternoon, Wyatt glanced outside the church. The clouds were heavy, the air felt damp, and the chill in the air guaranteed only frozen precipitation would fall from the sky. Weather like this didn’t happen often in Texas, but when it snowed, everything froze up, and everyone stayed indoors.

  He walked over to where Eugenia was working with the three main players of the pageant.

  “Eugenia, it’s time to end rehearsal. It looks like it’s going to start snowing or sleeting any minute,” he said, low so as not to alarm the children.

  She frowned at him, her blue eyes filled with concern. “I told Scott’s mother I’d take him home. Her youngest child was sick, and she didn’t want to get her out in the cold.”

  “Where does he live?”

  “A mile from the ranch,” she said.

  “Then let’s leave now,” he said, knowing that if snow started to fall, it would soon cover the road, and they could become lost.

  “We?”

  “I’m not letting you go out in this weather by yourself. I’m going to make certain you get home,” he said.

  There was no way he would let her drive that buggy home alone in this weather. What if she got stuck? What if the hor
se became maimed? What if the buggy overturned? No, he was going to drive her home, and then he’d head to his ranch.

  “But the children’s parents aren’t going to pick them up until four. It’s only three now.”

  “Can’t Cheryl stay with the children, so we can leave?” he asked, glancing around for the woman, hoping she would agree to stay since she lived in town.

  “She didn’t come to help today. Her child is sick as well,” Eugenia said. “We’ll leave once the children have been picked up.”

  “If it wasn’t for Scott, I’d recommend that you stay in town tonight,” Wyatt said. He glanced out the window, a nervous tremor racing down his spine.

  “I promised his mother, I’d get him home,” she whispered.

  “Then we need to go soon,” he said, walking to the front door where he could watch the changing weather. The temperature had fallen, and he could feel the biting cold seeping in around the door.

  “I’ve got to stay, Wyatt. I have no choice.”

  He grimaced. “Let’s hope the weather holds off.”

  Fifteen minutes later, a parent walked in. “Mrs. Burnett, I’ve come to take Timmy home. It’s sleeting outside, and I’d recommend that all of you leave now.”

  Wyatt wanted to leave. He wanted to get going as soon as possible. Weather like this was dangerous.

  “Thank you. Once the children are all picked up, we’ll leave for home.”

  Outside, the sky had darkened, and the sleet could be heard hitting the metal roof. The few people out were scurrying along the street, seeking shelter as quickly as possible.

  “Okay, kids, I want everyone to clean up and get ready to leave. We’re ending rehearsal early today,” Eugenia called.

  Wyatt paced the floor, watching as one by one the children’s parents arrived until only Audelia’s daughter, Ruth, remained. Audelia did not walk in until ten after four, and by then the sleet was coming down in torrents.

  After the last child was out the door, he turned to Eugenia and Scott. “Are you certain you can’t stay in town tonight?”

  “No, I promised his mother I would get him home.”

  “Bundle up. It’s cold,” Wyatt said as he led them from the church.

  Wyatt helped her into the buggy. “Are you sure about going with me to the ranch? Don’t you need to get home?”

  “My men will take care of the animals. I’m not going to let you drive home in this weather alone. If need to, I’ll stay the night at your place.”

  She frowned but nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Seven

  Wyatt tied his horse to the back of the wagon and crawled into the buggy. “Mind if I drive?”

  “Not at all.” Relieved was she wouldn’t have to drive in this treacherous weather.

  “Besides, if we’re both in the wagon, we can stay warmer. Or if something should happen, we’re together,” he said, his eyes never leaving the road.

  He pulled the wagon onto Main Street, and the poor horse’s hooves slid on the frozen bricks as they gingerly made their way down the deserted street. Every shop, every store, even the saloons had closed early, and only a few people could be seen hurrying along frozen sidewalks, braving the pelting sleet.

  At the edge of town, Eugenia considered turning and going back, but once again thought about Scott’s mother, who would be worried if the boy didn’t get safely home.

  Reaching back behind her, Eugenia pulled out a heavy lap blanket. “Wrap this around you. It’s going to be a cold ride.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the kid said, ducking his head against the sleet that rained down on them, making a hissing sound like a snake. “Are we going to make it home?”

  “We’ll do our best,” she told the boy.

  An hour later, they pulled into his yard. Even the hounds stayed hidden out of the cold. In the last ten minutes, the sleet had changed to snow and was quickly blanketing the prairie. Once it covered the road, Wyatt would have no idea where the road traveled.

  The poor horse shivered and snorted as he stood in front of the house and Scott climbed down out of the buggy. “Be careful, Mrs. Burnett, Mr. Jones.”

  “We will, Scott,” she said, reassuring the boy. For once she felt grateful for Wyatt’s presence. This weather frightened her. Her gloves were coated in ice, leaving her fingers numb, and her feet were cold.

  “You want to continue on?” Wyatt asked.

  Did they have a choice?

  “We’re not far from the ranch. Let’s hurry before the road is covered. You’re going to have to spend the night, Wyatt,” she said, thinking of her home and Travis and Rose.

  “Yes, I think so,” he said. “Let’s go.”

  He slapped the icy reins on the back of the horse, and the buggy pulled out of the drive onto the road. The horse plodded along the road as snowflakes fell from the sky faster and faster until Eugenia could barely see ahead of her.

  They should have left sooner, or she should have stayed in town. But this kind of snowstorm was rare in Texas, and she thought there would be no problem getting home.

  “I haven’t seen snow like this in years.” Somehow she felt safer with Wyatt sitting beside her.

  “This one will go down in the records,” he said, his face tense as he stared at the partially covered road.

  She gazed across the prairie at the oaks and the mesquite trees covered in white. The area looked surreal with the ground covered as if with a pristine coat of white paint. The last embers of daylight were fading, and she knew that in the next twenty minutes, it would be dark.

  “At this pace, we’re still at least an hour from the ranch,” she said, worry beginning to gnaw at her.

  The horse stumbled. “That’s too far. It’ll be dark soon.”

  The cold had seeped into her bones, and she felt chilled, her fingers and toes numb. This was dangerous. If the horse snapped a leg, they would be in trouble. Snow covered the road, and in the darkness, how would Wyatt know where to drive the wagon?

  “There’s a line shack on the edge of our property. I haven’t been to it in many years, but it sat off the main road at least a hundred yards. We should be coming up on it anytime,” she said, gazing out at the countryside and trying to see the shack.

  “We need to stop there. The road is just about covered, and the light is almost gone. I don’t know where I’ll be driving. We could end up in a ditch,” he said, his voice tense unlike she’d ever heard him before. He was rigid sitting on the seat, his gaze on the road.

  A prickle of alarm skittered down her spine at the thought of spending the night in the line shack alone with Wyatt. But a howling whirl of snow stung her face, and she knew they had to get out of the elements or die.

  No words were exchanged as she scoured the countryside looking for the building that would save their lives. She didn’t know how they could continue on without getting lost, and there was no way to return to Fort Worth, as their tracks were now covered by snow.

  She’d give everything she had right now for a warm bed, a cup of coffee, and a bowl of soup. Funny how when things became so desperate, what was important became apparent. Wyatt was important. She could never have completed this trip alone.

  “There!” Wyatt said. “Off to the left, sitting down from that hill, right there,” he said, relief in his voice.

  “Yes, that’s it,” Eugenia confirmed. “And there’s a lean-to for the horses.”

  “Now where is the road leading to that shack,” Wyatt said, looking at the ground and searching for telltale signs of a road covered in snow. “I think this is it, but hang on. I could be wrong.”

  The wagon slid when he turned the corner. Eugenia grabbed his arm, certain they were going to tumble out of the off the seat and into the snow. But it soon straightened up, and the horse kept plodding along, almost as if it sensed they were heading to shelter.

  “Thank God, we found it,” she said.

  “Yes ma’am.”

  It took another fifteen minutes to reach the bui
lding. Wyatt pulled the wagon to a halt in front of the shack, and apprehension filled Eugenia. The building was old faded lumber put together in a square with a tin roof to keep out the weather. There was nothing fancy about the shack other than the fact that it had a stove where they could dry out, get warm, and be out of the weather.

  Wyatt jumped down and turned to lift her from the wagon and set her down in the soft snow. The wind whipped and pulled at her bonnet while snow stung her cheeks.

  “Let me go in first in case there are any critters nesting inside.”

  “After you,” she said, huddling behind him.

  There was no telling what they might find in that building. There was no telling who had been the last person to sleep there. There was no telling what varmint had made this shack its home.

  Wyatt opened the door of the shelter and stepped into the dark musty cabin. He pushed aside a cobweb strung across the opening. Inside the door, hanging from a peg, was a lantern. He took it down and pulled a match from the matchbox he found sitting on a shelf. Soon light flooded the small cabin.

  “It looks okay,” he said, glancing around.

  “At least we’re out of the weather.” She stood next to him gazing at the starkness of their shelter yet grateful to be out of the storm.

  They glanced around the one-room shack to the single bed sitting along a wall. A small table and some dishes on a shelf completed the interior. A wood stove stood in a corner, and Wyatt crossed to the contraption. He opened the door and looked inside. A crate of split logs and kindling sat next to the stove.

  “Stand back, Eugenia. You never know if the birds or the wasps may have made the stove pipe their home.”

  Eugenia smiled and rubbed her hands up and down her arms, trying to get them warm. “I’m just so happy to see a lighted stove.”

  “You and me both,” he said. “I was getting worried.”

  “Me too. I didn’t know how we were going to find our way home,” she said, her voice shaking from cold and fear and nerves. They were stranded all alone in a cabin with a single bed and enough desire between them to start a fire.