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

by Prairie Christmas Collection

  A man with graying hair and blue eyes, whom Kathleen recognized as Josh’s pa, stood and offered his hand. “Nice to have you here, Miss Johnson.”

  “Thank you.” The sight of the large family packed into the pew pinched Kathleen’s lonely heart, making her all the more forlorn. Her lip trembled as she smiled at Mrs. Truman. The tiny woman had a kind face, and her returning smile seemed tinged with sympathy. “Are you all settled in, Kathleen?”

  “Yes, ma’am. The curtains you gave me last night at dinner spruced the place right up. Thank you.”

  “I’m so glad.” Warmth exuded from her, and Kathleen began to relax. Mrs. Truman turned to the younger boys sitting on the pew. “Alvin, you and Joe move back a row so Josh and Miss Johnson can sit with us.”

  Kathleen placed her hand on the woman’s arm. “Oh, no. I can sit somewhere else. I don’t want to put anyone out.”

  “Nonsense. They don’t mind moving.” Mrs. Truman waved toward the boys, who were already vacating the pew. “And you two best behave yourselves, or else.”

  “Yes, Mama,” they replied in unison.

  Mrs. Truman sat and moved her legs aside so Kathleen and Josh could slide into the seat. Flora sat next to her mother, and Kathleen took the spot next to the little girl. Josh squeezed in on the other side of Kathleen. His warm shoulder pressed against hers, causing her stomach to jump and her pulse to quicken. She pressed her hands together on her lap, reminding herself that Josh could not be the man for her.

  Relief washed over her as Reverend Nelson walked to the wooden podium and greeted the congregation.

  Kathleen’s face grew warm when he singled her out and introduced her as the new teacher. The townsfolk shifted and murmured but didn’t seem all that impressed. She had to wonder what was wrong with being the teacher in this town that they couldn’t keep one for a full term.

  She didn’t ponder the question long, however, as the pastor invited a man to the front to lead the congregation in song. Mrs. Nelson’s accompaniment on the piano was as beautiful as any music Kathleen had ever heard. The tinny chords seemed to flow outward from her very soul. Indeed, when the preacher’s wife played “Blessed Assurance,” tears choked Kathleen’s throat, and she couldn’t sing along.

  Reverend Nelson preached a heartfelt message on the subject of contentment, and even with the distraction of Josh’s warm shoulder pressed against hers, Kathleen bowed for the closing prayer more moved spiritually than she’d been in a long time.

  Though guilt pricked her at her disloyalty to her own pastor, she had to admit Reverend Nelson’s gentle delivery and transparent love for God were more inspiring than Rosewood’s eighty-four-year-old pulpit-pounding preacher, Obadiah Strong.

  After the benediction and subsequent dismissal, Mr. Truman turned to Kathleen. “I hope you’ll come to the farm for Sunday dinner, Miss Johnson. My sister, Estelle, and the pastor will be joining us as well.”

  Relief washed over her. Her greatest dread had been what she would do with herself for an entire Sunday afternoon alone. She felt a gentle squeeze on her elbow and turned to meet Josh’s gaze. He smiled. “Please join us. It would be my honor to escort you home this evening.”

  “Well, of course she’s coming.” Mrs. Nelson seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. “If we hadn’t accepted Susan’s invitation to dinner, I would have insisted the new teacher come have dinner with us. So, Miss Johnson,” she said firmly but with a smile, “you must say yes.”

  “Then yes it is. And thank you for your kind invitation, Mr. and Mrs. Truman.” She turned to the preacher’s wife and grinned. “And Mrs. Nelson.”

  As had been the case the previous two nights, dinner at the Truman farm proved to be a noisy, fun affair. Only Josh’s younger brother Alvin ate in silence while the rest of the family spoke above one another, laughing and reaching until Kathleen couldn’t help but feel right at home.

  When the last bite had been eaten, Flora hopped up and tugged at Kathleen’s sleeve. “Eliza had puppies. They’re so cute. Do you want to see them, Miss Johnson?”

  “I suppose so, if it’s all right with your ma and pa.”

  “Not so fast, little girl,” Mr. Truman spoke up, placing a restraining hand on the child’s arm. “First you have to help your ma clean up.”

  “I’ll help, too,” Kathleen offered, seeing the little girl’s expression plummet. “Then maybe we can go see the puppies afterward.”

  Mrs. Truman stood and picked up the empty platter that had been laden with fluffy biscuits an hour earlier. “You’ll do nothing of the kind,” she said firmly. “As a guest in this house, you are not allowed to lift a finger to help. Josh, please escort Kathleen to the barn and show her the new puppies. Flora, honey, grab a towel and get ready to dry the dishes.”

  Flora scowled but looked down quickly before her mother noticed. “Yes, ma’am,” she mumbled.

  Kathleen’s heart went out to her, and when Flora ventured a glance, she couldn’t resist a wink at the child. Flora’s expression brightened considerably, and she scurried off toward the kitchen.

  Josh stood. “Shall we go and see the wiggly bunch of mongrels in the barn?”

  Mindful of the vast interest coming from the family members still seated around the table, Kathleen felt her cheeks warm. “You don’t really have to show me the puppies,” she said.

  His smile fled. “You don’t want to see them? Or you’d prefer to wait for Flora?”

  Was it her imagination, or did he seem deflated? “Oh, no. I’d love to see them.”

  “With Flora?”

  “Or you. I just didn’t want you to feel obligated.”

  “It would be my pleasure to escort you to see the new puppies, Miss Johnson.”

  His adolescent brother, Joe, snickered. Josh’s face tinged with pink, then deepened a shade when even tight-lipped Alvin joined the laughter. Soon, even the pastor couldn’t hold back a smile.

  Mr. Truman stood and slapped Josh on the back. “If you two don’t head on out to the barn, those pups are bound to be weaned and having pups of their own by the time you finally get around to it.”

  “Yes, sir.” His brown eyes seemed to entreat her to hurry and get him out of the humiliating situation.

  With a nod, she rose and placed her napkin on the table. “Please excuse me,” she murmured to the family without making eye contact with any of them.

  She could feel Josh’s relief match her own when they were outside, away from the amusement-filled room.

  “Your family is quite nice,” she said, if for no other reason than to break the heavy silence.

  “Thanks. Sometimes they’re a bit much. I’m sorry if they made you uncomfortable.”

  Kathleen laughed. “Being the only girl in a house with four brothers, I’m used to teasing. As a matter of fact, I miss it. So in a way, your family’s ribbing helped ease my homesickness a bit.”

  Josh reached out to lift the latch on the barn door. “Are you very homesick? You’ve only been here two nights.”

  “I’ve never been away from home before.”

  He nodded, stepping aside so that she could precede him into the barn. “I suppose I can understand that. Are you sorry you didn’t take one look at the school and hightail it home like Mary suggested? Please don’t say you are. I’ll be completely crushed if you do.”

  He grinned, and Kathleen nearly melted into a puddle. She chuckled at his crooked smile but answered honestly. “When I’m around people, I know I made the right decision. But it’s difficult for me to be alone. The funny thing is that growing up I always longed for privacy. I often take a book and go down by the little creek that runs through our property and just sit for hours and hours reading and being alone with my thoughts. But now the solitude is almost painful.”

  As soon as the last sentence left her lips, Kathleen regretted it. She hadn’t meant to be so transparent, but Josh’s obvious concern combined with her need for conversation had brought the admission tumbling out. Before he could answer,
she wandered away from his side and followed the sound of whimpering until she found a scruffy black-and-white mama dog surrounded by wiggling pups.

  Approaching cautiously, Kathleen expected the dog to growl. Instead, the animal gave a welcoming whine. Kneeling on the hay, Kathleen reached out and stroked the mama dog’s head while the blind puppies whined and nuzzled, trying to find a place to nurse.

  “I don’t believe it. Only Flora’s been able to get anywhere near that dog since she had those pups day before yesterday.”

  “Well, she knows a friendly soul when she sees one. Don’t you, sweet girl?” she crooned. “May I hold one of your babies?” Gingerly, she eased her hand under one of the milk-rounded bellies and lifted a shiny black pup. It trembled until she snuggled it close, speaking in soft, reassuring tones. “Oh, you’re just so precious.”

  Kathleen could feel Josh watching her. She glanced up. Tenderness shone from those wonderful eyes, and his full mouth curved into a smile. “Sort of makes a fellow wish he was a puppy,” he said, his voice husky and barely above a whisper.

  She blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

  “The way you’re holding the puppy makes me wonder what it would be like to have your arms around me.”

  A gasp escaped her lips, and she set the dog down, then scrambled to her feet. Tossing out a look of utter disdain, she stomped past him toward the door.

  “Wait, Miss Johnson.” He caught up to her and took her firmly but gently by the arm, turning her to face him. “Kathleen, I’m sorry I offended you.”

  “I do not know what sort of woman you think I am, sir.” Kathleen’s lip trembled as it always did when she was angry.

  “I think you’re a fine young lady. And I can’t help but admire you. Is that so wrong?”

  “In so much that you are imagining my–my arms about you, it is quite wrong.” Her voice cracked under the embarrassment. Her mind conjured the lecherous smile from the man at the train station, and her ire rose even higher. “I have never met such ill-mannered young men before in my life. And that’s no affront to your ma’s raising of you, either. I’m sure she did her best.”

  Rather than apologizing, Josh planted his feet, releasing her arm. A muscle twitched in his square jaw. “I don’t know what sort of men court you back home, but if they don’t admit to wondering what it would be like to hold you in their arms, they’re just not being truthful.”

  “Wondering it and saying it are two different things, Mister Truman.”

  “Well, saying it and doing it are two different things as well.”

  He took a daring step closer. Kathleen’s pulse sped up like a runaway train. Her thoughts jumbled together. Was he going to try to kiss her? Surely she couldn’t allow such a thing. She moistened her lips. Josh’s hand slid around her waist, and he pulled her close. A warm woozy feeling enveloped her, rendering her unable to think straight. She barely registered his head descending. Oh, Ma would be mortified. But how could Kathleen resist?

  She was just about to close her eyes and surrender to her first kiss when the creaking of the barn door jolted her back to her senses. She leaped from his embrace as Flora skipped into the barn.

  “Did you see the puppies? Aren’t they adorable? Ma said I can keep only one. But I can’t decide which one I like best. Which one do you like best, Miss Johnson?”

  “I, um, I don’t really know. I only held one.” She tried to concentrate on the little girl’s words, but Josh’s nearness and the memory of what had almost occurred between them had her so rattled, she barely remembered her own name.

  “Which?” Flora pressed.

  “Um, a black one, I think.”

  “Oh, I like the black ones. There are two of those.”

  “Are there?” Why couldn’t she take her gaze from Josh’s? There was no triumph in his eyes, as one might expect from a young man who knew he’d almost been successful in his quest to steal a kiss. Rather, the look in his eyes nearly stole her breath away. His eyes spoke his respect for her, and only a quick glance to her lips and back to her eyes betrayed his regret that the kiss had been interrupted before it began.

  Kathleen felt her own regrets at the moment. Later, however, after Josh, accompanied by Flora and Joe, had escorted her home and she sat alone drinking a cup of tea, she remembered Ma’s edict. The Lord knew quite well where Kathleen lived. He was quite capable of sending the right young man to Rosewood. She didn’t need to go off looking elsewhere.

  Shame infused her. The guilty knowledge that she’d been on the verge of actually allowing a kiss made her squirm. She and her friends had a word for girls who teased the boys: fast. The only thing was that it didn’t feel like she was being forward. It felt like a cozy fire on a cold day. Like the warm promise of spring as green grass pushed through thawed earth, the budding flowers after a dreary, colorless winter. That’s what it had felt like when Josh held her close.

  Kathleen shook herself from her thoughts. She had no intention of allowing herself to become infatuated with a boy living outside of Rosewood. How could she bear to be separated from her family permanently when two days away from them seemed like an eternity? She chewed her lip as she pondered the thought. Perhaps Josh would move to Rosewood. He could join Pa and the brothers at the livery.

  Kathleen laughed into the empty room. She’d known him for two measly days, and already she was planning his future for him.

  That night, as she crawled into bed, she resolved to banish all romantic thoughts of Josh Truman. She had a job to do, and she would do it well. When her term was up, she’d return home and never, ever leave Rosewood again. If only she could convince herself of that fact. Instead, her traitorous brain insisted on replaying the scene in the barn over and over until finally she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 5

  Kathleen rubbed her arms vigorously, trying to generate heat in the cold schoolroom while she waited for the newly built fire to warm the chill in the morning air. She glanced about with a satisfied nod. It had taken her, Josh, and Mary Bilge the better part of a week—with the exception of the Lord’s Day—to make the school presentable. Now the odor of fresh paint hung in the room, and the walls shone white without a smudge. The single window sparkled, and not a speck of dust could be seen on the desks or floor. And she’d already swept up this morning’s traces of mouse droppings.

  Kathleen knew pride was sinful, but as she surveyed their handiwork, she couldn’t hold back a smile. They had taken a room filled with broken desks and scattered materials from messy to ready in such a short time. She glanced at the watch pinned to her dress and felt her heart pick up a few beats. The children would be arriving soon. Her palms dampened at the thought.

  Despite her nervousness, she hoped to discover the reason Coon’s Hollow couldn’t seem to keep a teacher for more than half a term. From her admittedly limited experience, the townsfolk didn’t seem overly friendly, but neither were they rude—with the exception of the man in the train station upon her arrival. So she had to wonder why there was such a turnover of teachers that the seedier citizens had a running pool every time a new teacher arrived.

  A wide yawn stretched her mouth. At least the nervousness served to keep her from dozing off. Sleep still eluded her at night. She had taken to heeding David’s psalms. In the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

  What else was there to do but sing and pray to God when one was completely alone and wrestling insomnia? Sleeplessness was doing wonders for her spiritual life. Unfortunately, her physical body was running down.

  Twenty minutes before school was set to begin, the door opened. Kathleen gave a startled glance up. Mary stomped in, her cigar hanging from her lips. Kathleen scowled. “The cigar, Mary.”

  “What about it?”

  “The children will soon begin arriving. I would rather they not be subjected to the sight of anyone smoking. It sends the wrong signal.”

  “Smoke signals? Ain’t been no Injuns ‘round these par
ts for quite some time. Leastways, none that’d be inclined to send up a signal.” Mary cackled at her own joke.

  Holding back a smile so as not to encourage her, Kathleen shook her head.

  With a sigh, Mary straightened up. “Oh, okay. What sorta signal?”

  Kathleen hesitated. She was loath to offend the woman, but neither could she take a chance on one of the children walking in to find Mary smoking in the school. She chose her words carefully. “I’m sure you understand that I can’t allow it to appear as though I condone the practice. To children that would send a message that I believe it’s all right for them to do the same. I am in charge of this classroom of students, and I must be morally upright.”

  “Well, la-de-da.” Mary snorted but tossed her cigar out the door, then let it bang shut.

  Somewhat surprised by the easy compliance, Kathleen gave her a thankful smile. “What can I do for you this morning, Mary?”

  “Thought I’d come see how your first day’s going.”

  A smile tipped Kathleen’s lips. “Hmm, let me see. I got up, made my bed, and dressed. I ate a little bread for breakfast and wiped off my table. Then I came in here to build the fire. And that’s about it so far.”

  Mary smirked, obviously appreciating Kathleen’s humor. “Guess it is a bit early. I best get me on to the preacher’s house. That missus of his wants me to scrub down the walls today.” She shook her head in disgust. “I think she just does it to see me workin’ hard. Like she’s lording it over me just ‘cause the reverend married her ‘stead of me. Ya want to know why he picked her?”

  “Why?”

  “‘Cause I’m too much woman for him, that’s why.” She gave a decisive nod. “I just don’t know what to say about a man that settles for a woman like that.” With a heavy sigh, she clomped toward the door. “I best get on over there before she takes it as a reason to let me go. If they didn’t pay so good …”