The Christmas Token

by Shanna Hatfield

  “Appears being the key word,” Blake said, patting his pocket where he’d tucked the piece of paper while he walked Ginny home. “I thought I’d stop by Mr. Carlton’s office on my way home and see what he thinks about it.”

  “Frank’s a good attorney,” Luke agreed, as Blake climbed up on the wagon. “Mind if I come along with you?”

  “By all means,” Blake said, motioning for Luke to climb up on the seat with him.

  An hour later, Luke and Blake were both smiling as they shook hands with Frank Carlton and left his office.

  “That was insightful,” Luke said as he and Blake walked out to the wagon.

  “At least we know now there is a way to declare the agreement null and void,” Blake said, glad they spoke with the attorney. “The question is if Ginny will be willing to agree to do what it takes to make that happen.”

  “I’m certain, with the right type of convincing, she’ll be all for it,” Luke said, waggling his eyebrows at Blake.

  Sighing, Blake knew he had a lot to think about before morning, when Ginny, and ultimately he, would have to make some life-altering decisions.

  “Will you keep our conversation with Mr. Carlton to yourself, please?” Blake asked, climbing up on the wagon seat. “I’d like to discuss this with her myself tomorrow.”

  “Sure, Blake. Come for breakfast if you like,” Luke said, waving as he took off in the direction of Granger House.

  Driving his team home, Blake went out to his workshop and finished his gift for Ginny, wrapping it in a piece of plain brown paper and tying it with a blue ribbon.

  Carrying it into the house, he set it on the table and stared at it while he ate a simple supper.

  Would Ginny go along with his plans? Would Nigel leave town without her or do something foolish? Could Blake let her go, if that’s what she decided to do?

  He knew the answer to the last question was a resounding no. Losing her once, he couldn’t again.

  After reading the letters she’d written him, he knew leaving him had broken her heart.

  The knowledge that she loved him, had loved him all along, gave him the strength he needed to stay up late, making detailed plans for the morning.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Up hours before dawn, Blake cleaned every square inch of his house. Eventually, he was going to have to make some new furniture for his own home instead of continuing to use the worn pieces his parents left behind.

  Today was not that day, though, he mused as he polished the little-used stove and put fresh sheets on the beds. He even found a box of holiday decorations that belonged to his parents and set them out around the house.

  When he was finished, the house looked as nice as it had when his mother lived there. Considering she was a maid before she married his father, that was saying something.

  Hurrying outside to feed his horses and the few cattle he kept, Blake returned to the house and made himself a quick breakfast, careful not to get anything in his clean kitchen dirty.

  Rinsing and drying his few dishes, he rummaged through his closet, found what he was looking for and left it on his bed.

  Giving the house one last look, he hurried outside.

  Hitching the team, he loaded the last of his orders and drove into Hardman. He felt a little like Santa Claus as he made the deliveries. The looks of excitement on people’s faces, pleased with his work, gave him a great sense of accomplishment and purpose.

  Parking the wagon in front of the church, he looked around to make sure no one was in sight before lugging the lectern inside. Moving the old one to a side room used for storage, he set the new one in place just as Chauncy entered the church from the back. Setting an arrangement of greens in front of it, hoping Chauncy wouldn’t notice, he hurried to the back of the church.

  “Good morning, Blake. How are you on this beautiful Christmas Eve Day?”

  “Very well, Chauncy. How does this fine day find you?” Blake asked, grinning as Chauncy shook his hand with a jovial smile.

  “Couldn’t be better. Erin makes the holiday such fun.”

  “I’m sure she does,” Blake said, turning toward the door, hoping Chauncy would follow him, which he did.

  “I wanted to run something by you and Abby. Would you have a moment?” Blake asked, as they stepped outside into the crisp morning air.

  “Sure. Come on over and I’ll see if she’s got the coffee hot,” Chauncy said, walking toward the parsonage. Blake followed the pastor, relieved his surprise gift went unnoticed for the time being.

  Spending an hour discussing his plans with them, they both waved as he stepped outside into the bright sunshine, telling him not to worry about a thing.

  Driving down the street to the bank, Blake jumped down and stepped inside, glad to see Luke and Greg there, along with Arlan.

  “I’ve got that little something you ordered, Luke. You sure you want it here?” Blake asked as Luke stepped from behind his desk and shook his hand. “I could just as easily hide it in your barn.”

  “No. Here will be dandy,” Luke said, following him outside and carrying in a large blanket-wrapped bundle.

  “And what have you got there?” Greg asked, holding the door to the back room open while Blake and Luke maneuvered through it.

  “You shouldn’t ask questions this close to Christmas, Dad,” Luke said, his icy blue eyes twinkling with mirth. “It’s a surprise for Filly and if it’s anywhere in the house or barn before she goes to bed tonight, I guarantee she’ll find it. I’ll sneak down later and put it under the tree.”

  “How are you going to get it home? Looks to me like it will require two people to carry it,” Greg said, studying the bundle.

  “I might have to roust you out of bed to help,” Luke said, grinning at his father.

  “Why not? Sounds like fun,” Greg said slapping both Luke and Blake on their backs as they walked toward the door. “Speaking of trees, don’t we need to leave soon to go cut a few?”

  “As soon as we round up the girls,” Luke said, giving his friend a knowing look. Nigel would have a hard time marrying Ginny if he couldn’t find her today. They planned to keep her busy and distracted right up until it was time for the Christmas program.

  According to Luke, Nigel likely wouldn’t show his face around town before noon, anyway, accustomed to sleeping late in the day.

  “Mind if I leave my wagon at your place for a while?” Blake asked, as the three of them left the bank. Arlan waved as they walked out the door. He would take care of the few customers who came in before closing up the bank early that afternoon.

  “Actually, if the women agree to it, I was hoping to take your wagon to get the trees. I don’t want Filly riding Sheeba in her condition,” Luke said, making both Greg and Blake laugh.

  “I don’t think she’ll go along with that idea, Luke,” Greg said, knowing how much his daughter-in-law loved to ride. “At least not yet.”

  “You don’t think she’ll actually still want to ride, do you?”

  Greg and Blake both nodded their heads.

  “Give it a try and see what she says,” Blake encouraged as he stopped the wagon in front of Granger House.

  “I will,” Luke said, jogging to the kitchen door. He was soon back, shaking his head. “She thought it was a great idea to take the wagon, so Ginny and Dora will go along, but she’ll be riding Sheeba. We might as well go in and warm up while the women finish doing whatever it is they’re doing.”

  Blake nodded his head and followed the other two men in the kitchen door.

  “Happy Christmas Eve, beautiful ladies of Granger House,” Greg boomed, smiling at the three women as he entered the kitchen, anticipating some jolly fun before the day was through. “Dora, my dearest darling, come here.”

  “I don’t believe I shall, Mr. Granger,” Dora said, her eyes twinkling brightly. “There appears to be mischief afoot and you are no doubt leading the charge.”

  “That I am, wife,” Greg said, grabbing Dora in his arms and spinning her
around the room, making everyone laugh.

  “I know you haven’t been to the saloon, so what is causing you to act so oddly this early in the day?” Dora asked as Greg planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek and turned to wink at his son.

  “Just this lovely day with our family around us,” Greg said, kissing first Ginny then Filly on their cheeks. “Now, are you girls ready to go hunt down our tree?”

  “We are, Dad, but how can you be so jovial at a time like this?” Ginny asked, her face lined with worry.

  “A time like this? You mean a Christmas Eve day filled with sunshine and the promise of good times and surprises?” Blake asked, clasping Ginny’s hand in his own. “You never know, Genevieve. It’s the season for miracles.”

  “That it is, my boy,” Greg said, ushering Dora toward the door. “Grab your coat, Dora, and let’s find some Christmas trees.”

  “Is Chauncy coming?” Dora asked, looking back at Luke.

  “No. He said he had some things to take care of at the church and neither of them wanted to take Erin out in the cold for too long, so I told him we’d bring one back for them,” Luke said, wrapping his arms around Filly from behind and nuzzling her neck.

  When she turned to get her coat from the peg by the door, Luke playfully swatted her backside.

  “Behave, yourself, Luke. My gracious!” Filly said, blushing at his antics.

  “What’s gotten into you boys?” Dora asked, shaking her head. “If you don’t start minding your manners, Saint Nick will fly right on by tonight.”

  “Say it isn’t so, Mother! I don’t think I could live without an orange in my stocking and a beautiful mahogany-haired girl beneath my tree,” Luke said, earning a slap on his arm from both his mother and wife.

  Blake chuckled as he helped Ginny on with her coat and held the door as the group marched outside and down the steps to his wagon.

  Luke and Greg hurried to saddle three horses while Blake helped Ginny and Dora up onto the seat of the wagon. They brought along blankets and a basket of treats.

  Returning with the horses, Luke asked Filly one last time if she wouldn’t ride in the wagon. She shook her head and mounted her mare.

  Luke placed an axe and a saw in the wagon bed then led the way toward the tree line. Since the snow wasn’t particularly deep, Blake didn’t worry about the horses having a hard time pulling the wagon through it.

  Once they reached the trees, they parked the wagon and began searching for the perfect tree. The women rejected the first dozen or so the men pointed out before finally finding a small grove of trees that met with their approval.

  Selecting four, Luke started chopping the first one with his axe.

  “Why do you need four?” Blake asked, taking a turn swinging the axe, despite Greg and Luke assuring him he didn’t need to.

  “One for us, one for the parsonage, one for the church and one for you,” Ginny said, ticking off the list on her fingers.

  “I don’t need a tree,” Blake said, stepping back from the one he’d been cutting and taking a deep breath. Doc would have his head if he saw him chopping trees with his arm. Feeling the pull against the stitches, he knew it wasn’t the best thing he could be doing.

  “Yes, you do,” Ginny said, offering him a knowing smile. “You need something festive at your house. It looks like Mr. Scrooge lives there.”

  “I’ve got plenty of festive decorations, thank you very much,” Blake said, pleased to see Ginny look at him curiously. When she was at his house a few days ago, he didn’t have a single decoration bedecking his halls. He wanted to surprise her when, hopefully, she set foot through his door before the end of the day. “Besides, I won’t be home much to enjoy it, so I really don’t see the point in putting up a tree.”

  “But how will Santa leave you presents if you don’t have one?” Ginny teased, sticking out her pouty bottom lip that drove Blake past distraction. If her family hadn’t been there, he would have caught it between his in an ardent kiss. Just thinking about falling into the snow with her made his temperature begin to climb and he wiped the back of his gloved hand across his forehead.

  “Maybe I’m on the naughty list,” Blake said, handing Luke the axe and lunging at Ginny. Pulling her into his arms, he scooped a handful of snow and dropped it down her neck, making her wiggle and squeal.

  “You are now,” she said, working free and running a few steps away from him. She gathered snow and tossed a ball, missing him by a mile, but catching Filly on the back.

  It took just a second for them to engage in a full-scale snowball fight. Dora even tossed a few, keeping out of the line of fire by using Greg as a human shield.

  “No fair hiding, Mother,” Luke said, sneaking up behind her and lobbing a soft snowball at her face when she turned around.

  “Oh, you are in trouble now, young man,” Dora said, scooping snow and chasing after Luke who quickly ran out of reach.

  Catching their breath, they all laughed as the frolics died down. Luke finished cutting the last tree while Filly passed out cookies.

  Blake and Luke loaded the trees in the back of the wagon, while Greg helped Dora and Ginny up on the seat.

  “We better get the girls home before they freeze in these wet clothes,” Blake said, noticing Ginny and Dora appeared chilled as they pulled blankets around them and huddled together.

  “I agree,” Dora said, shaking her hat to dislodge a clump of snow clinging to the brim. “What an invigorating outing. Thank you for bringing the wagon, Blake, so we all could join in the fun.”

  “You are most welcome,” he said, taking his seat next to Ginny. Making sure no one was watching, he slid just a little closer to her than was proper. His elbow brushed her side, making her blush, when he turned the wagon and started back toward Granger House.

  Leaving the women and their tree at Granger House, he offered to deliver the trees to the parsonage and the church. Right after lunch, the Grangers planned to meet at the church to help with the decorating.

  Tapping on the parsonage’s front door, Chauncy soon opened it with a friendly greeting, reaching to help Blake carry in the tree.

  “You wouldn’t, by chance, know anything about a new lectern, would you?” Chauncy asked as they set the tree in the parlor. He stood back to make sure it was standing straight.

  “What makes you ask that?” Blake asked, grinning broadly while his eyes twinkled.

  “Because something that beautiful took a lot of work and talent to create,” Chauncy said, shaking Blake’s hand and looking a little misty-eyed.

  “It is a gift for you. If you ever decide to minister to a different congregation, it is yours to take with you. I put the other one in the store room,” Blake said, glad Chauncy was pleased with his gift. “Although I hope it will stand in our church here for many, many years to come.”

  “Why would I leave Hardman? It’s our home and we’d be hard pressed to find a better group of people to call our family and friends,” Chauncy said as he and Blake went outside and carried the larger tree into the church, setting it in a front corner where it would be out of the way. “I just hope my sermons can live up to such a fine piece of furniture to hold my notes.”

  Running his hand over the intricately carved front of the lectern, Chauncy shook his head. “I don’t know how you create the things you do, Blake, but you’ve a God-given talent that is rare to see.”

  “Thank you,” Blake said, humbled by Chauncy’s words. “I just do what I love and don’t worry about the rest.”

  “I, for one, am glad that you do. The scene on here with the sheep is just perfect,” Chauncy said, admiring Blake’s handiwork from the sheep in the pasture watched over by shepherds to the star in the sky and the manger just barely visible in the background. It was a true work of art.

  “I thought it suited you,” Blake said, hurrying to catch the tree as it started to tip to one side. Chauncy helped tug it upright and the two of them worked until it stood straight and stable.

  “These trees a
re certainly fragrant, aren’t they?” Chauncy asked, inhaling the fir tree scent.

  “They most certainly are,” Blake agreed, enjoying the fragrance. Then again, he loved the smell of wood. Studying the tree, he turned to Chauncy. “Will it still be okay to go ahead with our plans for this evening?”

  “Absolutely,” Chauncy said as they walked to the door. “Abby’s been in a flurry all morning making preparations, but I think she’ll have everything ready.”

  “Wonderful,” Blake said, thumping Chauncy on the back as he hurried to his wagon. “Tell her I’m sorry to throw some unexpected work her way today.”

  “She’s so excited about it, I don’t think she minds one bit,” Chauncy said, waving as Blake turned his team toward Granger House. Leaving the horses in the barn, he hurried to the kitchen door and gave a quick tap before sticking his head inside.

  Filly was at the stove, stirring something in a pot while Ginny set the table. She smiled at him when he stepped inside.

  “Mother is in the parlor directing Dad and Luke in her ideal placement of the tree,” Ginny said, rolling her eyes. “Filly and I took refuge in here.”

  Blake laughed and kissed her cheek, then went down the hall to the bathroom to wash his hands. Thinking about the conveniences available at Granger House, he decided he needed to make a few improvements at his house once spring arrived. Indoor plumbing was arguably better than trudging to an outhouse in the cold.

  Returning to the kitchen, Filly asked him to let the others know lunch was ready.

  Walking down the hall, he could hear Dora instructing Luke and Greg to move the tree one way then the other.

  “Mother, it’s fine,” Luke said, sounding exasperated as Blake stood watching from the doorway.

  “Just a little more to the right,” she said, motioning for Luke to move the tree.