Finally, they could leave the food no longer or it would spoil. They sat at the table, and the vacant place next to hers almost broke Mary’s heart.
Sam was just getting ready to bless their food when the back door banged.
“Anyone home,” Finn called out.
With a squeal of excitement, Mary jumped out of her chair and rushed out to the kitchen. Finn was hanging up his duster and hat on the door hooks when she leapt into his arms. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
“Me, too.” He wrapped his arms around her, and his lips crashed against hers in a wanting, urgent kiss.
“Oh, Finn, I feared I would never see you again.”
“Oh, darlin’, of course you’d see me again.”
“If that’s you, Finn, get in here. I’m waiting to give the blessing,” Sam yelled out.
“I was going to get cleaned up first.”
“You don’t have time, just wash your face and hands. That will do for now.”
“Well, I am hungry. If you don’t mind me looking so unshaven and disreputable, darlin’?”
“It’s how you were when I first fell in love with you.”
He laughed. “You’re even more beautiful than I thought possible,” he said.
Arm in arm they headed off to the sitting room to have their first Christmas celebration together.
After they opened their presents, she would give Finn what she hoped was the greatest gift he had ever received. He was going to be a father.
Epilogue
Christmas Day, two years later.
Mary stood in the small sitting room that led directly into the mercantile. The Liddiard’s had sold the place to Finn so they could move closer to their daughter in Denver.
Wonderful Christmas smells abounded from her kitchen, helped by the fancy new stove Finn had bought her.
They only had a small Christmas tree this year. It sat in a tub on the table, well away from the grasping, mischievous hands of fifteen-month old twins, Lily and Rose.
Many men would have been disappointed at not having sons, but tears had formed in Finn’s eyes when he first saw his daughters, and she knew he had thought of his baby sisters who had not survived.
They were making a satisfactory living at the mercantile and Finn worked hard at it. A few people still mistrusted him because of what he had once been, although most people were good. Their friends at the church had made things easier for them to be accepted.
“Will you be long, Finn?” she called out. “Ethel and Sam will be here soon for lunch.”
“Not long, darlin’.”
On hearing their father’s voice, the twins dropped their toys and shrieked in excitement, toddling over to the connecting door. Mary scooped one up in either arm, and moved them away from the inwardly opening door so they would not be hit by it when Finn came through.
“Pa,” they yelled in unison, fighting to get out of her arms.
“Pa will be here in a minute, don’t fuss.”
“Look who I found.” Finn pushed the door open. “Loitering with intent outside the store.”
“I would have called the sheriff.” Mary laughed.
“I am the sheriff.” A grinning Sam and a smiling Ethel entered the sitting room a pace or two behind Finn.
“Merry Christmas,” Mary said.
The twins glanced from their father to Sam and then to Ethel, as if trying to decide who they wanted to be with. Finn plucked them out of Mary’s arms, kissed their foreheads and gave Lily to Sam and Rose to Ethel.
“Come in, everything is ready.”
The Tyson’s had brought their Christmas gifts over last night before they all went to the Christmas Eve service.
“Do you need a hand with anything?” Ethel asked, sitting in an armchair and letting Rose play with her brooch.
“Thanks, but everything is under control.”
“How about we have a drink of Ethel’s mull wine,” Sam suggested. “Not you.” He tickled Lily’s belly.
Finn linked arms with Mary as she gazed at her family with love for them and for God filling her heart. Ethel and Sam were family now, Godparents to the twins, and surrogate grandparents. Life was indeed good for all of them.
The End.
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Author Links
Margaret’s Website:
http://www.margarettanner.com
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http://amazon.com/author/margarettanner
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About the Author
Margaret Tanner is an award winning, bestselling Australian author, who mainly writes Historical Romance and Historical Western Romance. She loves delving into the pages of history as she carries out research for her novels. No internet site is too boring, no book is too old or tattered for her to trawl through, no museum too dusty. Her love of Westerns came about because of the movies and TV shows of her childhood. Some of her favorites were Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wagon Train, and Little House on The Prairie.
Many of her novels have been inspired by true events, with one being written around the hardships and triumphs of her pioneering ancestors. She once spent a couple of hours in an old prison cell so she could feel the chilling cold and fear.
Apart from her family and friends, writing is her passion.
Margaret is married with three grown up sons and two gorgeous little granddaughters.
Other Books by Margaret
Western Historical Romance
Barefoot Mail-Order Bride
A Bride for Mitchell ( Proxy Bride Series)
Emmie’s Wish
Rejected Bride
Deceived Mail-Order Bride
A Husband for Christmas (Spinster Mail-Order Bride)
A Niece for Christmas (Spinster Mail-Order Bride)
An Unwanted Bride for Christmas (Spinster-Mail-Order Bride)
Rescuing Cain (Christmas Rescue series)
Rescuing the Captain (Christmas Rescue series)
Logan – Bachelors and Babies – Series - (Book 2)
Lily – Guilford Crossing Brides – Book 1
Freddie – Guilford Crossing Brides – Book 2
Alfie – Guilford Crossing Brides – Book 3
Alex – Guilford Crossing Brides – Book 4
Edwina, Bride of Connecticut (American Mail-Order Brides Series)
Cowboy Christmas
The Sheriff’s Outcast Bride
The Cowboy and The Quaker
His Brother’s Wife
Gunslinger’s daughter
Rescuing the Pastor's Daughter Page 7