Tracie Peterson, Tracey V. Bateman, Pamela Griffin, JoAnn A. Grote

by Prairie Christmas Collection

  Miss Johnson gathered her dignity and squared her shoulders. “Pardon me for being the cause of your debt, Miss Bilge.”

  The young woman’s offense was lost on Mary. “Debt? Naw, this is cash on the barrel. No one can bet lessen they got the money right then.”

  “Oh. Well, anyway, I never said I wanted to leave.”

  Mary squinted. “Don’t ya? I thought sure it was all over for ya the second ya saw that wrecked building.”

  The young teacher hesitated. “While I admit I was a bit taken aback, I am not so easily deterred. I promised my father and the school board that I would teach until the end of the term.”

  Josh’s heart soared. “Bravo, Miss Johnson.”

  Her eyes widened, and a dimple flashed in her cheek, sending his heart racing faster than at a log-splitting contest. “Thank you,” she said, her tone velvety soft.

  By the time he found his voice, she touched him lightly on the arm, and he lost it again.

  She focused those beautiful, ocean blue eyes on him, nodding toward the wood in his arms. “Are you the one who built the fire in the schoolhouse?”

  Josh nodded. “I was just about to go inside and start cleaning up the mess. I’d be honored if you’d allow me to continue with my plan and help get the room ready for classes.” He hesitated. “Unless, of course, you’ve decided not to stay in Coon’s Hollow.”

  “That’s very kind of you.” She turned to Mary and smiled. “Miss Bilge, I despise gambling as the devil’s sport; however, you may just win that bet after all.”

  Soapy water sloshed onto the plank floor as Kathleen pushed the bucket forward, then crawled after it to the next filthy spot in the room. Mary Bilge lit another cigar—her second in an hour—and stared at Kathleen, her lined face scrunching together as she appeared to be pondering.

  Kathleen’s face flooded with warmth. She knew the woman suspected that her quick turnabout was in response to Josh’s presence. But that wasn’t true. The least she could do was stay after the generous man had given of his time to chop firewood and offer to clean. Besides, it wasn’t her idea to go back home in the first place, and she had been trying to tell Miss Bilge that very thing when Josh showed up.

  Her reason for staying had nothing whatsoever to do with Mr. Josh Truman or his lovely brown eyes that reminded her so much of the dark trunk of the maple tree in her backyard. After all, she had no interest in courting a young man from another county. Mama would just about die if she even considered it. All five of the Johnson children knew they were expected to stay in or around Rosewood when they married, and of the two that were married already, they had, without fail, obeyed. Pa joked that Mama’s expectation was similar to God instructing the children of Israel—absolutely no foreign marriages. Mama’s word was law in their household.

  Another puff of smoke wafted into the air, pulling Kathleen from her thoughts.

  “Miss Bilge, things might go much faster if you’d consider lending your assistance.” Kathleen hated to be rude, but the woman was making her nervous as she watched and smoked and made silent assumptions.

  “Well, la-de-da, missy. I ain’t here to work; I’m here to chaperone. If I get myself too wrapped up in cleanin’, I might miss something between you two young people.”

  Kathleen’s cheeks warmed. “I assure you, Miss Bilge, you have no need to concern yourself about that. I’ve no intention of allowing anything between Mr. Truman and myself.”

  “That so?” The skepticism in her tone grated on Kathleen.

  “Yes, it most certainly is.”

  “Then how come your voice changed when you spoke to young Josh? And how come you flashed those dimples when you smiled at him? And how come—”

  “Why, I did no such thing.” Only outrage could have caused her to rudely interrupt her elder, but Kathleen refused to stand by and be falsely accused of … flirting.

  “Did too.” Mary’s cigar hung from her mouth as she folded her arms across her chest, stubbornly making a stand for what she believed. “Okay, fine. Have it your way. But you’re mistaken.”

  “We’ll see….”

  Kathleen was about to argue further, but the blast of cold air blowing through the door silenced her. Josh stomped into the room, carrying a box of tools.

  “Here we go,” he said breathlessly. “I’ll get started repairing the desks.”

  “That’s very thoughtful of you,” Kathleen said, making a conscious effort to keep her voice normal. Instead, it had a ring to it that sounded downright fake.

  That Mary Bilge had the audacity to chuckle. Kathleen’s ire rose. She sent the woman a glare that served only to make her laugh out loud.

  “What’s so funny, Mary?” Josh asked, shrugging out of his coat. He held his hands over the stove to warm them.

  Kathleen sent Mary a silent plea not to further humiliate her.

  “I reckon that’s my own business,” Mary said with a grunt.

  Releasing a slow breath, Kathleen gave a grateful smile. Surprise flickered in Mary’s eyes, and the hard lines of her face seemed to smooth a bit. She stomped to the door and tossed out her cigar stub, then turned back around. “Well, what are ya standing around gawking for? This here school ain’t going to clean itself.”

  Affection surged through Kathleen. The old softy.

  Josh brushed his hands together and stood, stretching his back. “That’ll have to do for now,” he said. He surveyed his handiwork with a sense of satisfaction. He’d repaired four of the damaged desks. The rest were beyond repair and would require rebuilding from the ground up. But he didn’t mind. Not if it gave him a few more days to get to know the new teacher.

  She smiled at him through a dirt-smudged face. “What a wonderful carpenter you are!”

  Pleased embarrassment swept through him. “Thank you. Let’s just hope they’re sturdy enough.”

  “I’m sure they are.” And to prove her point, she sat in each one and bounced. She grinned up at him. “See?”

  Josh laughed out loud. Mary harrumphed. The woman had long since given up trying to help and now sat in the corner, her sharp eyes taking in every move he made. Why she had set herself up as Miss Johnson’s watchdog, Josh wasn’t sure. But it was apparent the two women held an instant affection for each other.

  “Looks to be about suppertime,” he mused.

  “Oh, I’m sorry I kept you so long, Mr. Truman.” Miss Johnson stepped forward and offered her dainty hand. He clasped it gladly, enjoying the smooth warmth of her slender fingers. “Thank you for your assistance. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”

  Miss Bilge snorted.

  Miss Johnson glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t know what I’d have done without either of you. You were both sent by God, and I’m truly grateful.”

  Miss Bilge stood to her full height. “The Almighty would not be sendin’ the likes of me to someone such as yourself.”

  “Of course He would, and He did,” the teacher retorted. She grinned and met Miss Bilge across the room. She slipped her arm around the woman’s thick shoulders and gave a squeeze. “You’re my very first friend here in Coon’s Hollow and just like an angel unawares.”

  For the first time since Josh had known her, Mary Bilge blushed. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Rather, she looked like a rabid dog. Her face screwed up, and Josh could have sworn she was about to cry. Instead, she scowled and shook off Miss Johnson’s arm. “Angel, my foot.” She pinned Josh with her stare. “You takin’ her home for supper?”

  “Yes, ma’am. If she’ll accept the invitation.”

  “I wouldn’t want to impose.”

  “Mama’s expecting you,” he assured the girl. “You’d be more than welcome as well, Miss Bilge.”

  “Thankee kindly, but I got plans. You comin’ tomorrow to work some more?”

  Josh nodded. “I planned to.”

  “Fine. I’ll be here by nine. Don’t come any earlier. Ain’t no sense in compromising the girl.”

  Miss Johnson gasped.


  Heat crept up the back of his neck. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Well, get on outside and wait in the wagon whilst Miss Johnson cleans up.”

  Josh couldn’t resist a glance at Miss Johnson. Her face was scarlet, and she didn’t quite meet his gaze.

  “I’ll be waiting,” he said softly, trying to put her more at ease. “Take all the time you need.”

  She nodded, and he exited the schoolroom. He whistled a lively tune as he headed toward the livery to pick up the team. He certainly anticipated the drive home. It would be nice to chat with Miss Johnson without the constant glaring from Miss Bilge.

  As the wagon jostled up the pocked lane leading to Josh’s house, Kathleen surveyed the white two-story home. A large oak tree stood next to the house, its branches encircling one side of the roof as though they were arms of protection. “Home, sweet home,” Josh said, breaking the silence.

  “It’s lovely.” And it reminded her of her own house back in Rosewood. Loneliness clutched her heart.

  Josh reined in the horses and hopped down. He walked to her side of the wagon and reached up to her. “May I?”

  She nodded. Her stomach lifted with butterflies when Josh’s warm hand closed around hers. He kept a firm grasp as she carefully climbed down. When her feet touched the ground, she looked at him, expecting him to release her hand. But he didn’t. Instead, he caught her gaze and smiled. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen, Miss Johnson.”

  “I–I don’t know what to say.”

  He placed his finger beneath her chin, the slight pressure encouraging her to return his gaze. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

  They were so close, she could feel his warmth. She’d never stood so close to any man other than family members, and her heart began to race. He smelled of wood smoke and fresh air, and she longed to lean closer. Feelings she didn’t understand churned inside her. A wish that he would keep hold of her hand, that he would speak to her in that rich voice, that he would keep looking at her as though he never wanted to look away.

  Too soon the moment ended as the door flew open. Kathleen jumped, snatching her hand away.

  “Josh! You’re finally home!” A little girl hopped off the porch, her brown braids flying behind her as she ran toward them. “Mama was just about to send Pa looking for you.”

  “Well, we’re here. Time got a little away from us.”

  “I’ll say.” She turned to look at Kathleen. “I’m Flora Truman. Josh is my brother. You the new teacher?”

  Kathleen smiled and held out her hand. “Yes, I am. Pleased to meet you, Flora. I’m Miss Johnson.”

  “I hope you like it here, Miss Johnson.” She heaved a sigh. “Most teachers don’t.”

  “All right,” Josh said, taking the little girl by the shoulders and gently turning her toward the house. “Let’s go inside.”

  He offered Kathleen his arm. “Don’t let her discourage you. Coon’s Hollow isn’t so bad once you get used to it.”

  Unable to resist his boyish grin, she slipped her hand through the crook of his arm and smiled. “I can’t help but wonder why your teachers seem to leave. It’s not unusual for women to fall in love and marry, thus leaving their positions to be wives, but for someone to just leave for no reason, especially in the middle of the term …” She shrugged. “I don’t know. It seems a little odd to me.”

  “It’s not unusual for women to fall in love with a local man, eh?” He waggled his eyebrows. “Maybe you’ll be a one-term teacher, too.”

  Kathleen’s eyes widened, and she gaped as he opened the door and nudged her inside ahead of him.

  Chapter 3

  Flopping onto her stomach, Kathleen tried desperately to find a comfortable spot on the straw tick mattress. She grabbed her feather pillow and hugged it into a ball beneath her head. Only the ping of ice balls hitting her window and the occasional scritch-scratch coming from the mouse population inside the building penetrated the vast silence.

  After a lovely evening at the Trumans’, she had enjoyed her ride home with Josh and Flora. But as they approached her teacherage, dread had clenched her stomach. They’d said a hasty good-bye so that Josh could get Flora home and out of the cold. Then the loneliness had set in, and there seemed to be nothing better to do than go to bed.

  But sleep never came. Tears rolled down Kathleen’s cheeks, soaking her pillow. She’d never spent the night alone before. Silence permeated the darkness. How she longed for the sound of her brothers’ snoring from their respective rooms. The solitude was almost more than she could bear. Mama’s words of warning rang in her ears: “Without family around you, Kathleen, you’re going to be one miserable young woman. Mark my words.”

  “Oh, Mama,” Kathleen whispered, “you were so right. I should have stayed home where I belong. How will I ever make it here until Christmas break?”

  The two months loomed ahead of her as though they were two years. Gentle tears gave way to choking sobs, and finally, just before dawn, only shuddering breaths remained of her sorrowful night.

  Despite the gentle light seeping through the cracks in the walls, she was just dozing off when a knock at her door startled her fully awake. Shivering in the cold of the poorly built room, she stepped onto the icy floor and grabbed her dressing gown. She opened the door just a crack.

  Miss Bilge stood outside, her arms loaded down with a crate as wide as she was. “Thought you might need some supplies.”

  Kathleen pulled her wrapper close and peeked at her through the sliver of an opening she’d made when she opened the door. “Good morning, Miss Bilge.”

  “Well? Ya going to ask me in? Or didn’t your ma teach you any manners?”

  If it hadn’t been so frigid, Kathleen’s face would have been hot with embarrassment.

  “Yes, ma’am. Come in, please.”

  Mary shivered and stomped inside. She set the crate on the table and looked about with a scowl Kathleen was beginning to get used to. “Ain’t much warmer in here than it is outside. Don’t you know how to make a fire?”

  “Well, yes, but I haven’t had a chance to yet. I just got up.”

  The woman’s gaze swept over Kathleen’s attire, and she nodded. “Never been much of a late sleeper myself. Always get up before the chickens.”

  Defenses raised, Kathleen could just imagine the whole town thinking their new teacher was a stay-a-bed. “I always get up early, too. I just didn’t sleep very well last night.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m just not used to being alone in a new place.”

  “Well, go on and make yourself decent while I build up the fire,” she commanded, waving Kathleen toward the sleeping part of the room. Kathleen ducked behind the curtain. She dressed quickly and made up her bed. By the time she emerged, Mary’s fire was already beginning to warm the room, and the table was set with fresh bread, a jar of milk, and a jar of preserves. Mary had pulled out a skillet and stood over slices of ham sizzling on the stove. She turned when Kathleen emerged.

  “That’s more like it.”

  Kathleen’s curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked inside the box on the table. Flour, sugar, yeast, a crock of butter, fresh eggs, a slab of salt pork, and a pail of lard were packed together. Also, she’d included some apple butter. “Thank you for the provisions, Miss Bilge. Mrs. Truman was kind enough to fill a crate as well, so between the two of you, I’m all fixed up for a while.”

  “Weren’t me, missy. That Mrs. Nelson sent it over.”

  “The reverend’s wife? How kind. I look forward to meeting her on Sunday.”

  Mary harrumphed. “Not much to look forward to iffen ya ask me.”

  Picking up on the fact that she’d struck a raw nerve, Kathleen pushed the issue to the back of her mind to discuss with Josh later and broached another topic.

  “How long do you suppose it will take before the schoolhouse is ready for the children?”

  Mary forked a slice of ham and lifted it to a plate. She shrugge
d and reached for the second. “Near as I can tell, you oughtta be havin’ school by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. There’s holes in the wall that needs to be patched up. Window’s got a crack in it and has to be replaced. I reckon someone’ll drive into Taneyville and pick one up. Ain’t got no ready-made windows ‘round here.” She glanced at Kathleen. “I reckon young Josh’ll be comin’ every day to help out.”

  Kathleen’s stomach jumped at the sound of his name. “He’s very kind. But I don’t want to impose.”

  “From the looks of it, you’d have to be rude to get rid of him. It’s a funny thing. He’s never been smitten before, leastways not that I can recall.”

  “Smitten? Oh, Mary, really. We’ve only just met.”

  Mary cracked an egg into the skillet and nodded back at her. “Well, I’ve known him since he was born, and I say he took a shine to you from the second he laid eyes on ya. And I don’t think he’s the only one who’s sportin’ a shine.” Setting a plate in front of Kathleen, she cast a sidelong glance.

  “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, Mary.”

  “Ha! I’m sure ya do.”

  Kathleen was just about to argue further when Mary silenced her with an upraised hand. “No sense denying it to me. I spent the day watchin’ ya yesterday. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if he doesn’t come courtin’ and the two of you end up at the altar before the school term ends. Guess we’ll be losin’ another teacher after all.”

  The delicious picture Mary’s words conjured up made Kathleen pause and dream—but only for a minute, as the memory of her lonely, sleepless night returned with aching clarity.

  Mary’s sharp gaze scrutinized her. Kathleen squared her shoulders and forced a firm tone. “You are mistaken. I do not intend to become entangled with anyone in Coon’s Hollow. I am going back home in two months. And I’m never leaving home again.”

  Chapter 4

  Sunday morning dawned with warmer temperatures, a brilliant sun, and a return to more fall-like conditions. Kathleen woke much too early from a fitful night’s sleep and was ready and waiting a full two hours before Josh arrived to escort her to the worship service. She could feel the stares searing her back as she followed him down the center aisle of the church. The whispers gave way to something akin to a buzzing hive of bees by the time the pair made it to the third row of pews where Josh’s family sat.