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

by Prairie Christmas Collection

  Climbing down from her seat beside Ward, Rose followed Alice inside while Ward went to find Adam.

  Alice’s soddie was small as it was, but when Rose’s presence was added along with the two children it became quite cramped. How could she stand it? The claustrophobic feeling such a tight space engendered would make even the sturdiest soul run mad.

  “Can’t I go outside and help Pa, Ma?” little Andrew whined.

  Alice glanced quickly at Rose, her face filling with color. “It’s too cold son, and you haven’t a warm enough coat,” she told him quietly. Sighing in disgust, Andrew flung himself down next to his sister and began playing with the wooden blocks their father had made for them.

  Surveying the room, Rose noticed only one bed in the soddie and wondered where the children slept. Her question must have been reflected on her face because Alice hastily assured Rose that they all slept together since it was warmer that way. There was only one thin, faded quilt on the bed and Rose’s heart went out to this family. They tried so hard to give the impression that all was well. No wonder Ward had invited them for Christmas.

  Settling her pack on the table, Rose addressed Alice. “I hope you don’t mind, Alice, but I brought some things to add for lunch. I so wanted to have some company today, but it hardly seemed fair for me to just wish myself on you and your family without bringing something along to feed that giant of mine.”

  Tears came to Alice’s eyes as Rose unloaded her pack. “I fixed too much chicken last night, ‘cause Ward found a bunch of prairie chickens and brought them home for me to cook. I guess he forgets there’s just the two of us.”

  Alice didn’t bother to suggest that Rose could have put them in her cooler pit and frozen them, and Rose was certainly not about to mention it herself.

  “I also tried a new recipe for cookies that Emily Haskins gave me, but I don’t think they turned out as well as Emily’s, so I think I’ll try again. Do you think Alicia and Andrew might like some?”

  Rose wore such a woebegone look, her voice tinged with just the right shade of anxiety, that Alice hastened to assure her that Andrew and Alicia would be pleased to try some. As for the children, although their manners kept them from saying much, their eyes spoke volumes.

  When the men came in for lunch, they both stopped short at sight of the heavily laden table. Besides the chicken and cookies, Rose had brought potatoes, squash, and bread. If Ward was surprised by the great quantity of food, he didn’t say so. His eyes rested thoughtfully on his wife, and when she chanced a look at him he smiled at her. Her cheeks filled with guilty color and his smile widened into a full grin.

  Adam said nothing, but there was a suspicious sheen in his solemn brown eyes. When he said grace, Rose felt a lump rise in her throat at his fervent thanks.

  When they were on their way home that evening Ward was unusually silent. He stopped the wagon suddenly and turned to Rose. Circles of frost puffed around his face almost hiding him from view.

  “That was a wonderful thing you done. I’m right proud of you for thinking of it.” He landed a kiss on her surprised mouth, and lifting the reins, clucked to the horses.

  Rose’s astonishment turned to a pleased feeling of accomplishment. She felt warm all over, but of course that had nothing to do with Ward’s kiss. Nothing at all.

  Chapter 5

  That’s a mighty fine woman you got there, Ward.”

  Ward glanced up from notching the log between his feet and smiled at Adam. “That she is, Adam.” He thought again of how Rose had come with him again, bringing an old coat of hers for Andrew. She had made it sound like Alice would do her a favor by taking it since it was too small for her, and could Alice manage to use it? Yes, Rose was a manipulator all right, but she always did it in such a nice way.

  “How’d someone as ornery and cantankerous as you get such a fine woman out here so far from civilization, anyway?” Adam teased.

  Ward lifted the log, motioning for Adam to take the other end. “Same way a pigheaded old coot like you managed to get someone like Alice, I reckon.”

  Adam laughed, lifting his end of the log. They moved as one, hoisting it and dropping it into place. Adam stepped back, brushing his hands together. He nodded his head in satisfaction.

  “Looks like one more should do,” he told Ward. They moved toward the logs still piled a few feet away. Lifting one away from the others, each man began to notch his own end.

  “Truth to tell,” Adam continued, “I think it must have been the Good Lord looking out for me. Seems He’s been lookin’ out for me right well.”

  Ward stopped chopping, resting the head of the ax against the ground and leaning on its handle. “You can say that after all that’s gone wrong the past two summers? You may lose your claim.”

  Adam snorted. “Pshaw, that ain’t nothin’. I still have my family, and good friends like you. Didn’t God send you to me just when I was about at the end of my rope? Now I won’t have to worry about my family this winter. They’ll be snug as a bug in a rug.”

  Smiling, Ward continued notching the log. “Adam, you’ve given me something to think about.”

  Yes, he did have something to think about. It was amazing how much had happened in so little time. It was almost as though the Almighty had allowed Gabel Johnson to die so that Ward could step in to take care of Rose, so that Rose could in turn help the Comptons. Of course it was foolish to suppose that one knew the mind of God, but sometimes it was simple to see how things might have been arranged.

  He knew Rose, though sad, had no worries about her father’s death. She was absolutely certain where he would be in his afterlife.

  And what about Ward, himself? He hadn’t had nearly as strong a faith as Rose, because when Elise had died he had turned his back on God. Before her death, he and Elise had talked often about the possibility of one of them being taken from this life. Elise had showed him in the book of Hebrews that Satan had the power of death. He knew that to be so; then why had he blamed God?

  Because God was stronger than Satan; he knew that, too. Yet he was angry with God for allowing his beloved Elise to die. Thinking back on it now, he realized that it had been his idea to move to Dakota Territory. Elise was one of those women who would follow her man anywhere, but he knew she would never have survived for long on the prairie. The solitude alone would have killed her. Guilt over his own selfishness shuddered through him. A thought crossed his mind that deepened his guilt. Where would Rose be now if Elise hadn’t died?

  To shake away such gruesome thoughts, he threw himself into his work so that by the end of the day, the Comptons’ cabin was finished except for the caulking that Adam could do on his own.

  The women came out to admire the men’s work and the children ran excitedly in and out of the open space that would be used as the door. The structure stood solidly against the ever-present prairie wind.

  “Oh, Adam.” It was all Alice could say as tears pooled in her eyes. They worked so hard trying to make a home out of this inhospitable territory. For Alice to have lived in a soddie as long as she had gave credence to the woman’s remarkable ability to adapt. Ward knew it came from the great love Alice had for Adam, wanting nothing but to assure her man’s happiness, just as Elise had for him. And now Rose was doing her best to adapt to his harsh life.

  As Ward began gathering his supplies together, Adam came up and slapped him on the back. “We can start on your place tomorrow.”

  “If you don’t mind,” Ward told him, keeping his face averted, “I’d just as soon wait a day. I need to figure where I want to build, and how many logs it’ll take. Why don’t you go ahead and chink your cabin and make your door?” He lifted his head enough to catch Rose’s eye and give her a wink.

  Dawning comprehension brought a quick smile to her lips. “What a great idea! That means I can have you all to myself for one whole day.”

  Ward’s heart jumped at this pronouncement. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she actually meant it.

&nbs
p; Alice and Adam exchanged knowing smiles.

  “Well, if you’re sure,” Adam told Ward. He turned to his wife. “Then, woman, you should be snug in your own house by tomorrow evening.”

  On the ride home, Rose suddenly turned to Ward. “Ward, how come you haven’t been affected by the drought and the grasshoppers?” She had seen the barn and knew that it was full of supplies for both the animals and himself.

  He glanced at her briefly. He took a long time answering, almost as though he had to choose his words with care. “When I lived back East I had a good paying job, a nice home, and a pretty good nest egg in the bank. After we decided to come out here, I sold the house for a fair price and added to my nest egg. Elise and I decided not to bring too much with us. We figured that since it was easy enough for boats to travel up the Missouri, it should be easy enough to get goods from the East by way of Yankton.”

  He stopped, his thoughts obviously far away. “I still have most of that money. After Elise … after Elise died, I didn’t need much for myself. I’ve tried to use some of my money to help others, but it’s hard. These are a proud people.”

  His look returned to her, one dark eyebrow lifting high. He nodded to her hand. “Even your ring.”

  Rose felt her heart drop. “My ring?”

  “Didn’t you ever wonder where I got it?”

  Her face turned so red, Ward’s other eyebrow rose to match its counterpart. He grinned, but turned his attention back to the road. “Someday, you’ll have to tell me just exactly what you did think. I got it from Emily. The Haskins have had almost as hard a time as everyone else. Emily mentioned to me a long time ago that she had her grandmother’s wedding ring, and if she could find a way she’d sell it. I remembered.”

  Rose wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about this revelation, but it made her glad that Ward had been able to help the Haskins. Secretly, she was also relieved that the ring hadn’t belonged to Elise, though why it should matter so much she wasn’t sure.

  They rode the rest of the way in thoughtful silence.

  It was just two weeks until Christmas and Rose began to fret about what to serve for Christmas dinner. She was growing more excited just thinking about sharing with the Comptons. It had been so much fun to make them happy with just the little she and Ward had done. The Bible was right. It was more blessed to give than to receive.

  Ward had absented himself from the house in the evenings, not coming in till long after dark. It bothered her that he spent all day chopping logs for their cabin and then spent so much time doing she knew not what out in the cold barn.

  It was below freezing tonight and still he hadn’t come in except for a quick bite to eat. Lips setting into a firm line, she pulled on her coat and went in search of him.

  When she first opened the barn door, she couldn’t see Ward anywhere. Thinking he might be someplace else, she was about to close the door when she heard a faint scraping in the corner. Following the direction of the sound, she found Ward in the end stall surrounded by shavings of wood. He glanced up in surprise.

  “What on earth are you doing?” she asked warily.

  Ward went back to carving on the piece of wood he held in his hand. Rose could see the beginnings of a rifle barrel forming from the wood he was shaving.

  “I’m making a toy for Andrew. For Christmas.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “A toy?”

  Rose’s eyes went beyond Ward to the corner of the stall and she could see something covered with a burlap sack.

  “What’s that?”

  “Something for Alicia.”

  Rose pushed past him and lifted the cover, gasping in surprise. Color came to Ward’s cheeks, but he didn’t stop his work.

  “Oh, Ward! It’s beautiful!” Rose stroked her hand softly over the toy cradle, sliding a finger gently around the intricate design carved into the headboard. “How did you do it?”

  He shrugged, lifting the rifle for inspection. Closing one eye, he pulled the toy to his shoulder to check that the barrel was forming in a straight line.

  “I used to be a carpenter.”

  Amazed, Rose could only stare at him. She hadn’t known that about him! Of course there was very little about her husband she did know. She watched him work several more moments. Periodically he would stop, blowing into his hands to relieve them of the cold.

  “You should come inside. It’s much too cold out here,” she told him.

  He shook his head. “Can’t. Gotta get this done by Christmas.”

  She frowned at him. “Well, bring it inside then. It’s warmer by the fire.”

  He glanced up at her in astonishment. “It would make too much of a mess. Elise hated having wood shavings all over the house.”

  Rose felt a slight pang at mention of his first wife. “Well, I’m sure she didn’t have a dirt floor either. How’s a few shavings of wood going to hurt that? Besides,” she reasoned, “you can always sweep them up.”

  He studied her pensively. “You sure?”

  She nodded. “Course I’m sure. Come inside now.”

  It was two days later as she watched Ward whittling away at the wood that she came up with an idea. From what she could see, Alicia had no doll to play with. Being a man, Ward had probably never considered that fact.

  After supper, she hesitantly approached him. “Ward, do you think Alicia would like a new doll to go with her cradle?”

  His eyes brightened at the suggestion. “Why, I think that’d be a great idea. I never thought about a doll.” Rose hid a smile.

  “Do you have the stuff to do it?”

  “I still have some scraps left … left from before. I think I have enough for a doll and a small quilt.”

  “Well, if you don’t, give me a list. I plan on going into Yankton tomorrow.” He went back to his whittling. Surprised, Rose continued to stare at his down-bent head.

  “But, that will take you four days!”

  He scrutinized her tense face, his eyes unfathomable. “You scared to stay alone?”

  She pressed her lips tightly together. “Course not, but this isn’t exactly the time of year to be making such trips. What if you get caught in a blizzard?”

  He rose to his feet, placing his hands on her shoulders and staring solemnly into her worried eyes. “There’s settlers between here and there. If I have to, I can take shelter.”

  Hearing the determination in his voice, Rose knew it would do no good to argue. When Ward made up his mind to do something, nothing could sway him from his purpose.

  Sighing, Rose turned away. “I’ll make the list.”

  Ward studied the sky along the northern horizon. This didn’t look good. He was caught on the open prairie and a storm was rapidly approaching. He knew it had been foolish to try and make the trip to Yankton at such a time, but he wanted to pick up something special for Rose as a Christmas present.

  He knew how much she loved to read, and her own books were already dogeared from use. Probably she could recite the books verbatim.

  He glanced at the crate behind the wagon seat. It had been unwise perhaps, but it was something he had been determined to do.

  As a man, he had a lot to occupy his time. There were barely enough hours in the day to get all his work done, even in the winter. But for a woman, it was different.

  Course, he knew women weren’t idle. Far from it. They filled their hours with hard work and all the little details that made a house a home. But women felt the solitude more. To Rose, reading was like visiting with a neighbor.

  She had been so patient with him, waiting for all the things that would make his cabin more the home she was used to, and never complaining. In fact, she had encouraged him to put the Comptons first.

  He shook his head. She was nothing like his Elise. Elise had been like a beautiful fairy, flitting through her life with gay abandon. Rose, now she was different. Rose was more like the wild prairie rose that her name brought to mind. Sturdy, dependable, a spot of beauty in a rugged landscape.

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nbsp; He frowned. Just exactly when had he started thinking of Rose as beautiful? The frown deepened as he tried to reason it out. Maybe when she had first sat cross-legged on the bed combing her long, dark hair with the fire reflecting off of it in shimmering particles of light.

  He had wanted to go to her then. It had taken all of his willpower to turn away. Had love been creeping up on him unawares, only he hadn’t recognized it as such? Could she tell? Probably if she knew his thoughts and feelings, she would freeze him out as she had after that first kiss in the barn. The cold December landscape had been nothing in comparison.

  As the wind picked up and feathery flakes of snow began to fall, he wondered if he would ever have the chance to find out.

  Rose watched the huge snowflakes as they drifted to the icy ground. This was the day Ward was supposed to have returned home. She went back inside, praying that the wind would hold off and that this would just be another snowstorm instead of the blizzard the howling wind could make it.

  For the first time, she felt frustrated at the dark interior of the cabin. In her own shanty, Papa had placed purchased glass for windows. Ward had not, and now with the shutters closed the dim interior seemed full of foreboding as she heard the soft breath of wind turn into a whirling gale.

  So much for prayers. She switched her petitions to asking for Ward’s safekeeping. If anything should happen to him, she didn’t know what she would do.

  Sitting down hard on the chair next to their eating table, Rose put her face in her hands. How, God? How had this happened? How could I possibly be in love with my husband? When had it even started?

  She had always been a little afraid of him, but not because she thought he would hurt her. No, it had more to do with the way he made her feel. Had she been falling in love all along only hadn’t realized it?

  She picked up the small sticks lying on the table and began to tie them together with cord. Ward had given her several carved figures: Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, several wise men, and several shepherds. There were even tiny sheep, cattle, and a donkey. He had been whittling them over the past several years. His ability to carve such intricate, beautiful things still filled her with awe. What an incredible gift God had given him. Did he recognize it as such?