by Regina Scott
Nora eyed the pile of fir limbs and ivy Simon’s sister had amassed on the table before them. Among the greenery she spotted pink satin ribbon and rosy apples. “What is this?”
Beth looked down and sighed. “Something I suspect I won’t need either.” She raised her head. “But it’s a lovely, romantic gesture nonetheless. It’s a kissing bough.”
A kissing bough. Nora knew the tradition, though, like Beth and Levi, she had never had occasion to make use of it. A kissing bough hung in a doorway or from a chandelier. Whenever a gentleman found a lady under it, they might share a kiss. She could see the two other married couples in the family enjoying it.
But her and Simon?
Heat filled her cheeks. Would she be so bold as to stand under it? Would he kiss her, better than what he’d given on their wedding day? She could imagine those strong arms around her again, those firm lips caressing hers. Would having a kissing bough encourage Simon to confess that he had come to care for her?
Was she willing to take that chance?
Beth was watching her, likely waiting for some sign of approval or encouragement.
Nora squared her shoulders. “I think it’s a perfectly lovely tradition, Beth. I would be delighted to help you craft a kissing bough.”
And she would wait with trepidation to see what Simon would make of it.
* * *
Unfortunately, she and Beth did not have time to hang the bough before they had to clear the table for dinner. Beth took their creation to the bedchambers upstairs, as if determined that Simon should not see it until the appropriate moment. Nora noticed that Beth and Levi whispered together before the others arrived, but she thought it was likely about the upcoming theatrical.
For her part, she made sure to find Fleet and take him home for his own dinner before returning for hers. Sitting beside Simon, she could barely do justice to the venison pie Mrs. Wallin had baked. She kept wondering about the kissing bough upstairs.
“Let’s play a game after dinner,” Beth said, looking around at her family. For some reason, her look to Nora was brightest. Simon opened his mouth as if he meant to refuse, but Beth affixed him with a stern look, and he gave her a resigned nod.
Nora helped Beth take the dishes to the tub, but when she returned to the main room, she found Simon bracketed by Drew and Levi. Seeing her standing there, Simon frowned at his youngest brother, but Levi merely smiled at him. Nora had no choice but to take the remaining seat across from Simon and next to John. Though John offered her a smile as he made room, Simon did not look amused.
While Mrs. Wallin watched from her rocker, Beth stood at the head of the table. “This is a thinking game,” she announced. “It is called I Love My Love. You will be assigned a letter of the alphabet, and you must think of a name, an occupation and a quality. I will start.” She clasped her hands before her and looked at her family beseechingly. “I love my love with an A, for his name is Adam, he is an architect and he is amiable.”
Nora could see understanding dawning around the table.
“Me next,” James proclaimed. He clasped his hands together and looked out at them all wide-eyed, in a perfect mimic of Beth’s manner.
“No,” Beth snapped before he could speak. “It’s Catherine’s turn. She has the letter B.”
Clearly surprised by her vehemence, James subsided.
Catherine sat a little taller. “I love my love with a B, for his name is Benjamin, he is a barber and he is quite burly.”
Smiles of appreciation blossomed on the family’s faces.
Before Beth could direct him, Drew gazed at his wife, his deep voice bursting forth. “I love my love with a C, for her name is Catherine, she is a good cook and a better nurse and she is clever.”
Catherine sighed and leaned in for his kiss.
Beth beamed. “Well done, Drew. Simon, you’re next.”
Simon was frowning, but whether in thought or annoyance, Nora wasn’t sure. “I love my love with a D,” he said, “for her name is Delores, she is a doctor and she is far from dreary.”
“Nice,” Levi said before launching into his statement about his love with an E.
But Nora wasn’t paying attention; her mind was stuck on what Simon had said. Was that what he wanted in his love—someone smart enough to be a doctor and far from dreary? She wasn’t nearly that smart. Did he think she was dreary?
“Nora?” Beth asked, breaking into her thoughts. “We’re up to G. Aren’t you going to do that one?”
G? Oh, of course. John must have done F while she was woolgathering. “I love my love with a G,” she said, “for his name is George, he is a grocer and he’s quite good-looking.”
Everyone nodded their approval.
As they progressed around the table, Simon seemed to relax, and so did Nora. It was just a game, after all. No need to apply it to their situation. She should just enjoy herself.
Catherine had just finished K when Levi scrambled to his feet.
“Nora, what was I thinking? You must want to sit next to Simon. Here, change seats with me. Simon, scoot over.”
He was so insistent that Nora rose and came around the table, and Simon obliged by letting her slip in between him and Drew. But it wasn’t until she had claimed her love as Michael the miner who was muscular that she realized what Levi had done.
Simon had the letter N.
Everyone was waiting around the table. She could see them all watching Simon. Would he say something sweet as Drew had done? Something romantic even? She could hardly breathe.
“I love my love with an N,” he said. “For her name is Nancy, she is a nurse and she is neat.”
Nora sagged. Even with her seated next to him, he’d managed to overlook her. She couldn’t meet his family’s no-doubt pitying gazes.
Across the table, Levi rose, and she couldn’t help looking up at him. His deep blue eyes were narrowed, his lower lip sticking out. “Let’s skip right to S, shall we?” he said, and no one seemed eager to argue with him. “I don’t much like my brother with an S, for his name is Simon, he’s married to a seamstress and he’s rather stupid.”
* * *
Everyone in his family started talking at once then. Catherine scolded Levi for his lack of tact, Rina for his poor word choice. Beth berated Simon for missing a perfectly good opportunity to praise Nora. Drew defended Simon, while James defended Levi, and John tried to calm everyone down. Simon folded his arms over his chest and refused to respond.
“It’s all right,” Nora murmured, and every other voice quieted. “It’s just a game.”
Simon lowered his arms. At least she understood. If they had something to say to each other, it should be said in private, not in front of his family. As it was, his discussion with Beth last night had troubled him most of the day, and he still wasn’t sure what he felt for Nora.
His mother rose from her rocker. “Perhaps it’s time we all got our rest. There’s only a few more days until the theatrical, after all.”
Levi and Beth exchanged glances, which Simon saw did not go unnoticed by their teacher. He could only hope his youngest siblings weren’t planning something extra with their play.
After they’d taken their leave, Nora was quiet as she walked with him back to the house.
“I hope Beth’s game didn’t trouble you,” he said as they followed the dark path.
A steady rain was falling, and she drew her cloak closer about her. “It was just a game.”
She had said that earlier. It was almost as if she thought by repeating it she would make it true.
“It was just a game,” Simon agreed, moving to open the door to the cabin for her. “Anything we need say to each other can be said without an audience.”
She paused in the doorway, and for a moment he could almost see the hope shining in her eyes. “Y
es, of course, Simon,” she said, but she went straight to the ladder and climbed it with no help from him.
He eyed Fleet, who had curled up around Simon’s bedding. “I have a feeling she thinks you deserve that spot more than I do right now,” he told the dog.
Fleet seemed to grin at him.
* * *
Nora was gone the next morning when Simon rose. She had taken the dog with her, leaving the house surprisingly silent. Perhaps that was why his brothers’ talk as they climbed to the new acreage sounded louder than usual.
Today, they were to start chopping down the next group of trees, some of the biggest on the claim. John had made the first cuts on a mammoth cedar, then pounded in boards a few feet up to use as platforms for Simon and Drew to work the big saw. While John prepared the next tree, his cap down over his red hair to fend off the drizzle that misted the cool air, James stood guard. Simon could see his middle brother strolling along the edges of the growing clearing, his head swiveling from side to side, his plaid shirt showing red over his thick coat.
“James has learned a lot since the day Pa died,” Drew commented as if aware of Simon’s thoughts.
“So have we all,” Simon answered, positioning the center of the two-man saw into the opening John had made.
Drew chuckled. “Me more than most. This will be a more blessed Christmas than I could have dreamed, with Catherine beside me and our child on the way.”
“You weren’t sure of her to begin with,” Simon reminded him, going to take up his spot on the other platform.
“I never thought to marry,” Drew admitted, stepping up onto the platform. “But you and the others kept pushing us together, and here we are.”
Was that what he needed—his brothers’ prodding? Was he not man enough to own his feelings?
Drew grabbed the handle of the saw, and Simon leaned into his handle, drawing the blade back and forth, deeper and deeper into the trunk. He’d worked beside his brother often enough that the effort took little thought. Good thing, because his mind remained on Nora.
Beth seemed to believe that Simon wasn’t doing right by his wife. Was it merely a matter of perspective, or was Simon indeed failing to keep his side of the bargain? Was there something more he should do?
Or someone else he should be?
When the big tree keeled over and John moved in to start working on the branches, Simon caught Drew’s arm before he could walk away. “A moment. I need your opinion.”
Drew raised a brow. “I’m listening.”
“You’ve seen Nora,” Simon said. “She’s happy, carefree. The exact opposite of me. How can such differences survive close proximity?”
Drew laughed. “Bringing you kicking and protesting into the light, is she, brother? That’s only to the good.”
“Perhaps,” Simon said, and his brother laughed all the more.
Simon managed a rueful smile as he wiped mist from his cheek. “You see? I’m the cynic of the family, Drew, the one most likely to spot the flaw in any situation.”
“And the one most likely to find a way to overcome it,” Drew countered. “What flaw do you see now?”
Simon glanced to where the cleared trees showed the lake sparkling in the distance. “Always the flaw has been in others—their plans, their characters. This time, I fear it is in me.”
Drew sobered. “Then only you can resolve the matter, Simon.”
“I know.” Simon shook his head. “Do you ever think that perhaps you were destined to be a certain way?”
Drew frowned. “Like what?”
Simon waved a hand to encompass his brothers. “James sees the joke in every situation. John’s compassion touches us all. And you have always put family first.”
“Perhaps those qualities are in our nature,” Drew allowed, “but Levi has seldom thought of anyone but himself, and I refuse to believe that will be his only legacy.”
Simon thought about how hard his youngest brother was working on the theatrical, how often he’d taken time to help Simon. “Levi is coming into his own. He’s young.”
“Whereas you are ancient and set in your ways,” Drew teased.
Simon seized his end of the saw and pulled it off the stump. “Next you’ll quote the Bible to me. ‘Physician, heal thyself.’ I don’t know how, Drew. If I did, I would have changed my character long ago.”
“You didn’t consider your character a problem until Nora arrived,” Drew pointed out. “In fact, you gave me the impression you liked being the cynic.”
“And is that any better?” Simon demanded, hefting the big blade. “Is that my contribution to the family, to rant and rail about jobs not done to my satisfaction, plans ill conceived?”
Drew was unruffled as he picked up an ax to go help John. “Only you can decide that. You are an intelligent man, Simon, likely the smartest of us all. But maybe intellect isn’t the issue in this case. I know what Pa would say if he was here. He’d tell you to pray about the matter.”
Simon nodded, but his heart was not encouraged. If the good Lord had seen fit to make him a cynic, then it was unlikely He would change Simon when approached in prayer.
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
The remembered verse seemed to echo in the clearing, yet Simon knew he alone had heard it. It stayed on his mind as they finished their work for the day. When the time came for them to start for the house, he let his brothers go on ahead of him.
In the twilight, he gazed around at the land he hoped would feed his family. Half the trees were gone now, the rich black earth awaiting plowing and planting. In his mind he could see the house he had sketched out for Nora. Prayer came surprisingly easy.
I thought earning this land by marrying Nora was the right thing, Lord. It brought hope to our family and gave Nora safety from her brother. But she deserves more than safety. She deserves a husband who will love and honor her. How can I be that man?
For a moment, the breeze was his only answer. Then a verse popped into his mind.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Drew had sacrificed time to be the father they had lost. How Simon had chafed as a young man under his brother’s command. Was that his problem now? Was he still that boy trying to prove he was a man? Was he as self-centered as Levi?
He refused to allow that image to be himself. He had earned his patent by proving up his claim—clearing the original acreage and building a cabin. He didn’t need anyone’s approval.
He sighed as he started down the path toward the main clearing. Between the scarcity of ladies and his own character, he had resigned himself to being alone. He’d felt rather confident in his decision, until he’d agreed to Nora’s convenient wedding.
Drew was right—Nora’s presence pulled Simon into the light, made him see the good among the bad, made him dream of possibilities.
But how did a cynic go about making those dreams reality?
Chapter Sixteen
Nora passed the day in trepidation. She had lain awake a long time the night before. She’d heard Simon talk to the dog, more than once. Normally, that would have made her smile, but at that moment her heart only hurt. He could share his feelings with Fleet, but not with her?
No matter how many times she told herself the letter game last night meant nothing, she couldn’t make herself believe it. His statement that he’d rather talk directly with her was endearing, only he didn’t talk to her. Not about love.
She had managed to rise before he did that morning. Fleet had been waiting for her at the bottom of the ladder, hopping about as if eager to escape outside. She’d beckoned him closer and had given him a quick hug, and he’d turned and licked her face. At least her dog liked her.
Britta had been equally sweet when Nor
a had milked her, standing so patiently and turning her head to fix her deep brown eyes on Nora. The cow trusted her. If only Simon would trust her with his heart.
She spent the day helping Simon’s mother with chores and Christmas preparations. Beth had made swags—fir boughs with ribbon entwined—to hang on the doors. She and Nora trekked around to all the houses and the school to put them up that afternoon. And then Beth insisted on hanging the kissing bough, even though Nora tried to discourage her.
“Simon just needs help,” Beth told her as she dragged a chair over to the spot near the door where she’d determined the bough should hang. “We need to do everything we can to encourage him.”
Nora couldn’t help looking at the creation with hope. Could a collection of fir, ivy, apples and ribbons really make Simon think kindly on her? It seemed almost too good to be true.
As dinnertime neared, Nora took to pacing the floor. Mrs. Wallin had relented and allowed Fleet to come in. He followed Nora back and forth for a while, then evidently decided the game wasn’t to his liking, for he went to curl up near the door to the kitchen as if to keep watch over the food inside. Soon he was asleep, his paws twitching as if he was running across the snow again.
But Nora couldn’t relax. What would Simon say when he saw the kissing bough? What would he do? What should she do?
As it was, she looked up each time the door of the main cabin opened.
Levi loped through first, hurrying toward the stairs to the second story without a glance at the decoration. John came next, but at least he took the time to look around and compliment them on their work before heading toward the kitchen to help with dinner.
“He’ll be here,” Beth assured Nora, who managed a nod.
But Drew and Catherine and James and Rina came through the door with no sign of Simon. Both couples took advantage of the kissing bough, their embraces so tender that Nora could only sigh with longing.
Should she worry about Simon? No, surely he was fine or one of his brothers would have reported an injury and Catherine would no doubt be rushing to tend him. Had he decided to eat at their cabin tonight?