“I don’t care if it does. I’m taking you to see Doc,” Luke said, staring down at Filly. Ginny offered to help put on her coat while Blake ran outside and hitched Luke’s horse to the sleigh, bringing it around to his front door.
Luke carried Filly outside as Blake bounded up the steps. Her head slumped against Luke’s shoulder and her hands rested limply around his neck. “I’ll be fine, Luke. Please stop fussing. Just take me home.”
“We’ll see. I told you to slow down. Between cooking and cleaning and decorating for Christmas and watching Erin and who knows what else, I think I mentioned just yesterday you were doing too much and wearing yourself out,” Luke chided as he set her in the sleigh and pulled a warm blanket over her legs. Turning to Blake, he shook his hand. “Would you mind bringing Ginny home later?”
Blake nodded and turned to see Ginny rush up beside him, hugging her arms around herself to keep warm. He forgot they left their coats in the workshop. “I’d be happy to,” he said, glad for the opportunity to have Ginny to himself for an hour or two, but concerned about Filly.
Always full of energy and fun, she seemed fine while they were eating. Hopefully, whatever upset her was just a passing ailment. “Get Filly home and take good care of her.”
“I plan on it,” Luke said, urging the horse off at a trot. Filly leaned against Luke’s side as he wrapped an arm around her and held the reins with his other hand.
Seeing Ginny shiver next to him, Blake rubbed his hands up and down her arms, causing something charged and heated to pass between them. “Let’s get you back inside before you freeze.”
Ginny hurried back up the steps and returned to the sink where the dishes waited. Blake dried as she washed then she packed Filly’s dishes into one of the baskets they’d used to bring the food to Blake’s and looked around the tidy kitchen.
“The house looks the same,” she said, noting not much had changed since the days when she used to visit with Blake. She’d eaten many meals at the simple table in the kitchen with his parents. They were both gentle, friendly people who always made her feel welcome.
“With just me here, I didn’t see the need to do much other than keep it clean,” Blake said, glancing around his home. The large kitchen and spacious front room filled the front of the house while two bedrooms made up the back. It wasn’t large, by any means, but it was solid and warm and it was home. The only one he’d known since he was six years old.
“I like it,” Ginny said, coming to realize living with Blake in poverty sounded like a much better prospect than residing in riches with anyone else. “I always liked being here.”
“My parents liked you, too.” Blake made sure his parents knew Ginny was back in Hardman as well as how he felt about her return. He also knew their thoughts on the subject.
“Remember the time your dad pretended he found a mouse in the stew?” Ginny asked, laughing as she recalled how Sarah screamed and jumped up on her chair when the stew- covered rodent ran across the table and Blake shooed it out the door, laughing so hard he could barely stand up.
Ginny knew for a fact Robert hated stew and deliberately dropped the mouse in his bowl. She’d seen him do it. When he winked at her with a smile so like Blake’s, she refrained from saying anything to Sarah when she demanded to know how the mouse got into his bowl.
Blake chuckled. “Yes. Father took us all to town and we ate dinner at the restaurant. Mother never made stew again.”
“That’s probably a good thing,” Ginny said, laughter still filling her eyes as she placed a hand on Blake’s arm and smiled. “They were always so fun to be around, Blake. I appreciated them including me as often as they did in your family.”
Blake just nodded his head and wrapped a blanket around Ginny’s shoulders as they walked out the back door to the workshop.
Ginny returned to her painting and Blake completed the last of the props for the set. Stretching her back when she finished, Ginny looked around to find Blake watching her in the afternoon silence.
Blushing under his intense scrutiny, she wiped her hands on a rag, bundled into her coat, and took her supplies to the house to rinse off her brushes.
Blake muttered something about hitching a horse to the wagon and left her alone in the kitchen.
Quickly cleaning her brushes, she packed her supplies in her basket and gathered the ones Filly left behind. When Blake returned, she could see the sky turning dark and ominous.
“Looks like we’re about to get some snow,” Blake said, standing by the stove and warming his hands. In his preoccupation with Ginny, he left his gloves by the door and almost froze his fingers while harnessing the horses.
“I suppose it’s a good thing I’m ready to go home, then,” Ginny said, wrapping her scarf around her head. She hadn’t bothered with a hat, knowing by the time they arrived at Blake’s, her hair would be a wild mess anyway.
Blowing at a curl that insisted on springing out of its confines by her eye, she felt Blake’s cool fingers brush it away from her face.
“That one giving you trouble, love?” he asked, with a look on his face that made Ginny’s insides heat and her legs feel as weak as a newborn colt.
Unable to speak with him standing so close, she nodded her head. Blake placed a hand on either side of her face and tipped her head up so she was looking at him. Their eyes locked and all she could think of was how much she wanted to kiss him.
As though he read her thoughts, his lips lowered to hers, offering her a sweet, gentle kiss.
Ginny stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Although they both wore coats, she was sure she could feel the mad thumping of his heart keeping time to her own.
“Kiss me, Blake, like you mean it,” she whispered, unaware the words had come out of her mouth, instead of floating around in her head. “Like you want to.”
“As you wish,” Blake said, holding her tight as his lips took hers in a demanding, consuming kiss. He captivated her, claimed her with that kiss.
Ginny knew then she belonged to him. She didn’t care about being an independent woman. She didn’t care about the suffrage movement or any of her many causes. She didn’t care about New York or Nigel or anything other than being with Blake. She wanted to be with him forever.
“Genevieve, what have you done to me?” Blake asked, convinced she’d cast some spell over him. His best intentions to leave her alone and keep his heart safeguarded were of no importance when he held her in his arms, when she placed herself there so willingly.
Wanting to get rid of the coats and many layers of clothes separating them, Blake instead tugged Ginny’s scarf around her neck and kissed her cheek.
“Let’s get you home while I’m still willing to take you,” Blake said with a wicked smile, giving one last lingering thought to having his way with the beautiful woman in his arms.
“Mr. Stratton, you are quite scandalous at times,” Ginny said, trying to sound offended, but unable to keep from grinning at him.
“So you continue to tell me,” he said, picking up the baskets and carrying them to the wagon. He set them in the back then picked up Ginny and swung her onto the seat. Climbing up, he carefully draped a blanket over her, spending far more time than was necessary tucking it in around her.
“You’ll suffocate me if you’re any more thorough in your endeavors to ensure I’m properly shielded from the wind and cold,” she said dryly, enjoying his attention focused solely on her.
“Don’t want Jack Frost to nip anything,” he said, smacking the reins lightly on the backs of the horses.
“I believe that would be impossible at this point,” Ginny said, looking skyward as snow began to fall. It was a lovely way to end the afternoon. The flakes were big, fluffy, and full of promise.
The two of them were silent as they made the short ride into town. “I hope Filly will be fine,” Blake finally said, breaking the silence as they drove down Main Street.
“I’m sure she will be. Luke’s pro
bably correct. She’s on the go from the moment she gets up in the morning until Luke makes her stop for the night,” Ginny said, realizing her sister-in-law worked very hard to make Granger House a welcoming home.
There were dozens of little things Filly did to make the house comfortable and inviting that both Ginny and Luke took for granted.
Suddenly coming to that realization, Ginny decided she’d do a better job of helping Filly. She’d talk to Luke about it, too. He really should hire some full-time help because that monstrous house was a lot for one person to care for, even with Mrs. Kellogg’s efficient help a few days a week.
“Thank you for the ride home, Blake,” Ginny said, glancing at the snow that was now falling in earnest. “Will you be able to get home before the snow worsens? I don’t want you to get lost in a blizzard.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Blake said, setting the brake on the wagon and running around to help Ginny down from the seat. Grabbing the baskets from the wagon bed, he walked her to the kitchen door then saw her inside. Luke was there, lifting the teakettle off the stove.
“How is she?” Ginny asked as she removed her scarf and gloves.
“Better. She refused to go the doctor, stubborn woman that she is,” Luke said, a frown creating lines across his forehead as he poured hot water into a teapot. “She agreed to rest in the parlor, though, so I’m making some tea. Would you like to come in and warm up, Blake?”
“No thank you, but I appreciate the offer,” Blake said, rewrapping his scarf around his neck. “I believe I better head home before the storm hits,”
“Storm?” Luke asked, raising his gaze to take in the dark sky and swirling flakes falling outside the kitchen window. “Looks like it might settle in and snow for a while.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Blake said, tipping his hat and giving Ginny a look that made her feel like he’d reached out and touched her soul although he hadn’t so much as brushed her hand.
“I’ll see you all at church tomorrow,” Blake said, hurrying out the back door. Patting Bart and telling him to be a good dog, he swung onto the wagon seat and hustled home.
Driving the wagon out of the weather into his barn, he unhitched his team and cared for them before he returned to his workshop. Oddly energized and restless after being with Ginny, he needed something to keep his hands and mind busy for a while.
Chapter Thirteen
Blake ran his hand through his hair and looked at Ginny in exasperation as she tipped her head toward Percy Bruner.
Resigning himself to doing her bidding, he asked the boy to take a walk with him before they began practice for the Christmas program.
“Where are we going, Mr. Stratton?” Percy asked as they stepped outside into the nippy afternoon weather. Although it stopped snowing, it was bitterly cold outside.
“For a quick walk,” Blake said, glancing down at the boy. His cap sat at a rakish angle on his bright red head and a missing tooth gave him an even more mischievous appearance than normal.
“Why are we walking?” Percy asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets, trying to emulate the way Blake strode along the boardwalk. “It’s freezing out here.”
“Yes, it is, so I’ll keep this brief,” Blake said, turning the corner and walking down a side street past the barber shop. “We all need to do our very best to make this program a success. Wouldn’t you agree, Percy?”
“Yes, sir,” Percy said, wondering why Mr. Stratton was talking to him about the program and why they were walking around town in the cold.
“Good. Would you say doing your best includes helping others do their best?” Blake asked, hoping he was going to be able to express his thoughts to Percy in a way the boy understood he and Ginny wouldn’t put up with more nonsense where the Jenkins girl was concerned.
“Yes, sir,” Percy answered, looking confused and a little worried.
“Very good, Percy. Then I’ll expect you to do your best with the program from here on out,” Blake said, stopping as they turned another corner and stood in front of the boarding house.
“But, sir, I’ve been doing my best,” Percy said, upset that Blake thought otherwise. His mother helped him practice his lines several times so he wouldn’t forget them the night of the program. He was excited about being the innkeeper and wanted to be the best one they’d ever had in a play at the church.
“Are you sure about that?” Blake asked, motioning for Percy to take a seat on a bench.
“I… I think so,” Percy said, trying to think of anything he’d done that could have gotten him into trouble. He hadn’t brought anything to the practices he shouldn’t, hadn’t played any jokes on anyone, and he even refrained from pushing that bully Jimmy Jenner into a snow bank when he tripped one of the younger girls intentionally.
“Pulling Anna Jenkins’ braids and making her cry isn’t exactly doing your best, Percy,” Blake said, looking pointedly at the boy.
“Oh, that,” Percy said, relieved Mr. Stratton wasn’t upset about something important. He and Anna were friends, but she threw the biggest fit when he messed with her dumb old braids. That was precisely why he did it at least three times a day.
“Yes, that,” Blake said, settling a strong hand on Percy’s young shoulder. “From now on, Miss Granger and I would appreciate it if you would cease your inclinations to pull her hair, tease her, or otherwise torment her during practice and most certainly during the program. A smart, strapping lad like you needs to watch out for the women folk, not make them cry.”
“Well, shoot, that ain’t gonna be no fun,” Percy said, then looked up to see Mr. Stratton was serious. Releasing a long-suffering sigh, he nodded his head. “Yes, sir.”
“Very good, young man,” Blake said, getting to his feet and holding out his hand to Percy. “Shall we shake on it?”
“Yes, sir!” Percy said with a big smile, pleased Blake treated him like a grown up instead of a little kid.
Returning to the church, Percy ran over to the Jenkins girl who winced, ready for a tug on her braid. Instead, Percy whispered something to her that made her smile shyly.
“Miss Granger, I do believe it’s past time to carry on with the practice,” Blake said, smiling at her with a satisfactory nod as he removed his coat and hat, leaving them on a pew.
Ginny was flabbergasted when Percy spent the rest of the rehearsal behaving like a perfect gentleman. He looked to Blake several times for approval and received the man’s encouraging nod and smile. She had no idea what Blake said to the boy, but the change was notable.
Abby arrived before the children went home and quickly fit their costumes with Blake and Ginny’s help.
Cleaning up scattered papers and cookie crumbs, Blake left Abby and Ginny discussing alterations to costumes, saying he had a delivery he needed to make before dark.
“How are you?” Abby asked as she and Ginny folded the last of the costumes.
“Fine. The children are actually fun to work with,” Ginny said, smiling as she thought of some of the things the children did and said that were particularly amusing. “Blake even got Percy to stop pulling poor little Anna Jenkins’ hair.”
“Really? That is quite an accomplishment. From what I hear, it is a daily occurrence,” Abby commented, looking up when Chauncy walked in with Erin.
“Mama! Me hep Daddy!” Erin said, running to Abby and hugging her knees.
“You’re a big helper, aren’t you?” Abby said, picking up her daughter and placing kisses on her rosy cheek.
“Yep. I hep good. Hi, Aunt Ginny!” Erin said, noticing Ginny slipping on her coat.
“Where Unca Bake?” Erin asked, expecting the man to appear magically since Ginny was there. The connection she made between Ginny and Blake didn’t go unnoticed by any of the adults in the room.
Chauncy coughed to hide his laugh and Abby smiled broadly. “Uncle Blake had to make a delivery,” Abby said.
“Me go wif you,” Erin said, holding out her arms to Ginny.
Shaking
her head, Ginny finished buttoning her coat and pulled on her gloves. “Not this time, sweetheart. I’m going home and it’s cold outside. You better stay with your mama and daddy.”
“Okay,” Erin said, laying her head on her mother’s shoulder and turning sad eyes toward Ginny.
Kissing the little girl on her cheek, Ginny ruffled her curls, gathered her things, and waved as she walked out the door.
Walking home, she thought about how much she enjoyed living in Hardman. Although her original intention for visiting was to escape Nigel’s unwanted attentions and give herself a peaceful holiday without any expectations, she was glad Luke insisted she get involved in the community.
Missing a few conveniences from the big city, she realized she was happier in Hardman than she’d been at any time during the last ten years.
It felt like home.
She didn’t want to admit it, but a part of that feeling came from the fact it was where Blake Stratton resided.
Sighing as her hand reached for the heart in her pocket that was no longer there, she wished she knew what he was thinking where she was concerned. At times, she was convinced he still cared for her, still wanted her, then other moments he seemed so aloof and distant.
One thing was for certain - she was through meddling in his business. She’d learned that lesson well enough the last time. It appeared he didn’t need her assistance, anyway, with his workshop full of orders and people constantly requesting his work.
Glad he was busy and content, she rubbed Bart’s ears and scratched his head as he followed her down the walk and up the steps to the kitchen.
Opening the door, the mouth-watering aroma of fresh bread and roasted meat greeted her, making her realize she’d worked up quite an appetite since lunch. Starting to close the door, Bart ran by her legs, all but upending her.
“That dog is an ill-mannered beast,” Ginny said, frowning at the canine when he hurried to Filly, rubbing against her legs and whining.
“Did you hear that, boy? She called you a beast,” Filly said, looking at the dog with a kind smile. “Is that worse or better than your usual title of lunkhead?”
The Christmas Token Page 14