Wild Western Women Mistletoe, Montana: Sweet Western Historical Holiday Box Set

by Caroline Clemmons

  "I found my mother's jewelry box that held her diamonds and my father had given me his pocket watch to make certain I came home on time. That's all I have left," she said, her eyes shadowed with pain, her face white. In the glow of the fireplace, he could see the grief reflected in her beautiful green eyes and his heart ached for her.

  "I wish I'd been there to hold you, comfort you," he said quietly, knowing there was no way he was staying out of her bed tonight. He needed to wrap his arms around her. He wanted these last few hours with Everleigh.

  She looked up at him, smiling. "I do, too." Sighing, she grabbed a piece of paper and tried to appear chipper. "Let's make a Christmas wish."

  Frowning, he wasn't certain what she wanted, but at this moment, he would do anything to make her happy. "What do you mean?"

  "Let's write our wishes on a piece of paper and hang them on the tree. Then on Christmas morning, we'll look at them."

  "I doubt you'll be here on Christmas morning, but we can do that if you want."

  "You can't peek, but you can bring them to my aunt and uncle's house."

  Quickly, she cut the paper in half, folded it, and punched a small hole with a knitting needle. She attached a piece of thread through to tie it to the tree and handed the paper to him. Knowing what he really wanted to write on that paper, but uncertain she was ready to hear the words, he quickly wrote his carefully worded feelings on the ornament.

  When she finished, she stood and he followed her lead. Together, they hung their wishes on the tree she had beautifully decorated. She'd made his tiny house feel like a home and he hadn't had that experience since leaving Oregon.

  Knowing he was in so much trouble, but unable to stop himself he pulled her into his arms, her scent wrapping around him like an aphrodisiac creating a burning sensation that heated his blood. Everleigh drew out the best in him, made him a better man, turned his house into a home.

  The past days had been more fun, all because she made him laugh. She smiled and teased and made him happy. Returning to his old way of living would be difficult and yet wasn't that what he wanted? To be single and alone and living off the land? Why did the idea of following her to New York sound better and better, and yet he knew he could never be happy there. This was his home. But he didn't want to let Everleigh go.

  "Let's go to bed, Everleigh," he whispered as he nuzzled her neck, already drunk on the taste of her skin, thinking of the passionate night ahead and dreading the days beyond.

  The next morning she awoke to bright sunlight streaming through the window and didn't know if she should feel happy or sad. Her gut clenched and she knew in her heart he would take her to her uncle's today. Just as soon as he checked on his herd, Seth would insist it was time for her to leave, before her reputation was completely unsalvageable. And yet right now, she didn't care.

  Lying there, thinking about the night before, her heart burst. They'd made love, not once but twice and each time, she fell deeper and deeper in love with him. How could she go off and leave? After what they'd shared, she couldn't imagine never seeing him again and yet, her lifelong dream of being a journalist was in New York.

  With a twinge, her conscience reminded her it was a typing position, but she hoped eventually the paper would see her abilities as a writer and let her become a journalist. But what were the odds of them taking someone from their typists and seeing them anywhere but behind that new-fangled machine newspapers now used.

  Giving up her dream of being a journalist would be heart wrenching. And yet, losing Seth would be worse.

  Without knowing the answer and realizing he hadn't even asked her to marry him, it would be difficult to toss her dreams aside. He may not share the feelings that were growing within her, causing her so much confusion. Jumping out of bed, she went in search of the man she loved.

  Opening up the door to the main section of the house, she saw a note sitting on the table.

  Everleigh,

  I went to feed the cattle. When I return, we need to talk.

  Seth

  A tremor of apprehension scurried down her spine. The note had an ominous tone. Hurriedly, she dressed, preparing herself for the discussion she was certain would either bring them closer or tear them apart. She made a pot of coffee, knowing that while the sun was shining brightly, the temperature was still cold. Seth would appreciate a hot cup of coffee to chase away the chill and it was something she could do for him.

  The sleigh drove into the yard, just as the coffee finished brewing. Fixing him a cup, she waited, but he didn't appear.

  Finally, she bundled up and hurried outside. The chill bit her to the bone as she walked the thirty feet to the building she could now see clearly in the sunshine.

  Walking inside, it was obvious he'd been busy this morning. The animals all had fresh hay, oats, and water. Glancing around the barn the building appeared empty.

  "Seth?"

  "Up here," he said, and she glanced up to see him in the hayloft.

  "Did you feed your cows?"

  "Yes," he said, his voice sounding strained.

  Funny how she knew something troubled him. With a determined stride, she hurried to the ladder that led to the loft and hastily climbed before he could protest.

  When she reached the top, she crawled onto the hayloft.

  "What are you doing?" he said as he spied her from where he was pitching hay down below.

  "I came to see you," she said, and stared at the man she'd shared the most intimate act on earth with. Something worried him and she wanted to ease the way his brow was furrowed, his blue eyes darkening at the sight of her. There was a quiet gentleness about him that intrigued her. Yet she knew from experience, he was a commanding man with a stubborn streak for righteousness. "You were gone when I woke."

  He swallowed and pitched a forkful of hay out the opening of the barn. "I had to check on the cattle."

  "Were they all right?"

  "They were hungry and happy to see me," he said.

  He dropped the pitchfork and walked toward her, a serious expression on his face.

  She knew immediately in her gut what he was going to say and she wasn't ready to hear the words. She didn't want to listen to reason and she didn't want to face the realities of what they'd done unless he said the words she longed to hear. These days together had been idyllic and even now she didn't want them to end.

  Reaching behind her, she grabbed a handful of hay. When he neared her, she tossed the straw at him.

  "What was that for?" he sputtered.

  "Because," she said, not willing to say the words, wanting to put off this discussion for as long as possible. "Because I can. Because I saw that serious look in your eyes, and I don't want to face what you're going to say."

  "We need to talk."

  "Not yet," she said.

  Shaking his head, he reached down and she knew he was going to retaliate, so she ran. Sprinting across the loft, she scurried to the far corner, where there were several bales of the loose straw. Hiding behind the bundled straw, she drew back her arm and threw several handfuls at him. Walking toward her with a purpose, the strands of the dried grass, bounced off his coat, pants, and fell to the ground at his feet.

  That little sputtering of hay didn't slow him as he continued toward her, his stride confidant and secure. With nowhere to run, she tried to dart to the side, but he reached out and wrapped his fingers around her arm. With a toss, she landed onto a bed of loose hay. Dropping down beside her, he began to cover her with the straw.

  "What are you doing?" she laughed.

  "I'm burying you," he said, reaching out and tickling her, sending the dried grass everywhere. "This way you won't ever leave this barn."

  She laughed out loud, throwing her head back, until he landed on top of her, swishing the air from her lungs. Every inch of his rock-hard male body pressed against her as heat poured through her veins, leaving her gasping. Staring into the warmth of his blue eyes, losing herself in his gaze, she wondered how she could live
without him.

  "Oh, Mr. Ketchum, I see straw excites you," she said, reaching up and pulling his face closer to her, her breathing ragged as her nipples hardened, her womanly body softening, responding to his masculinity.

  "No, you excite me. I can't keep my hands off you, even in the hayloft," he said, nuzzling her neck, licking her earlobe, sending delightful shivers coursing through her.

  She let out a long sigh as his mouth covered hers. Once again, her body responded to his kiss in a way that snatched her breath away, her heart racing as his lips lit a fire inside her that drove the cold from the barn. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around Seth's neck, aching with the knowledge that soon she'd be gone. Soon she'd never see him again and her chest tightened and burned with unshed tears.

  Releasing her mouth, his hands reached inside her coat and pulled her dress down far enough to give him access to her breasts. Swirling his tongue around her hardened nipple, he pulled the pebble into his mouth, sending a rush of desire scorching through her.

  "Oh, Seth," she moaned. Reaching for his belt, she quickly unbuckled the leather, unbuttoned his pants and reached inside, wanting, needing to touch him once more. Just once more to be joined together.

  "Everleigh," he moaned. "We can't do this again."

  "I want you," she said against his throat, knowing she craved him one last time.

  Like her worst nightmare ever, she heard a man's voice calling out. "Seth. Seth you up there?"

  Seth froze on top of her, her hands inside his pants, his mouth on her breasts. He cursed. "We're in trouble."

  "Who is it?" she asked, wondering if it was her uncle.

  Shaking his head, he stood and quickly buttoned his pants. "I'm here, preacher. I'll be right down."

  "The preacher?" she asked, her heart skipping a beat and then racing like wild to catch up, leaving her nauseous and faint.

  "None other," he said, and slowly crawled over the side of the hayloft.

  Chapter 8

  Seth climbed down the ladder and realized he couldn't go off and leave Everleigh up there alone. The woman could trip and fall on her skirt, coming down the ladder.

  "Just a minute, preacher," he said and then went halfway back up the ladder. "Everleigh, come down."

  She'd already pulled her dress back into place and now she shook the hay off her skirt and blouse and tried to get it out of her hair. But it was everywhere. There was no hiding what they'd been doing.

  "Let me help you down. I don't want you to fall," he said, watching her hesitancy. Shaking her head, she swung a leg over the ladder and he quickly moved out of the way.

  Standing below, but close enough to catch her if she fell, he watched her crawl down the ladder. When she was safely on the ground, they both faced the preacher who looked like he would faint.

  "Good morning," she said.

  The man's eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the two of them. Finally, he took a deep breath. "You didn't make it to your uncle's?"

  Seth glanced at Everleigh and then the preacher. "No, sir, it was snowing so hard, we barely made it here."

  "And you've been here the entire time?"

  "Yes, sir," Everleigh said, her eyes staring at him, her body rigid. "We had no choice. It was either continue on and risk dying or stay at Seth's. We chose to live."

  For a woman who had first doubted his decision to stop at his home instead of continuing on, she was doing a fine job of defending him. Even at the cost to her reputation, could that mean she would be open to his proposal of marriage?

  The man's lips pursed into a taut line. "Seth, can I speak to you outside."

  "Whatever you're going to say to him, you can say it here in front of me," Everleigh replied.

  While Seth admired her spunk, now was not the time and he was certain he knew what the preacher was going to say to him. She would completely lose her composure at the mere mention of marriage. He wasn't going to embarrass her or himself in front of the man from his church.

  Reaching over he patted her on the arm. "Give us just a moment, Everleigh, then we can all talk."

  "The answer is no," she said belligerently. "No, I'm not being forced to get married and no, not..."

  Her voice trailed off and the preacher's eyes widened. Sometimes women would be better off if they kept their mouth shut and let him handle the situation. Yes, she was responding exactly like he'd known she'd react. She didn't want to marry a rancher. She wanted a big city career and probably a banker as well. He was fooling himself if he thought they had a chance at marriage.

  Leading the preacher out of the barn, Seth left Everleigh in the building smoldering with resentment. Sighing, he said, "Follow me, Bart. Did you go up to the house? I'd been out feeding the cattle and then I had plans on taking Everleigh to her uncle's this afternoon. But my cattle were starving and I had to take care of them."

  It was true. Just as soon as he'd finished filling up the hay barrel he'd been intent on taking Everleigh to her uncle's today. But sometimes God had a mean streak and they'd been caught. Almost flagrant delicto. If Bart had come five minutes later, his ears would have probably burned from the noises he would have heard coming from the hayloft.

  The preacher was quiet as they made their way to his sleigh, the cold breeze stinging their exposed skin. Finally, he halted by his vehicle and cleared his throat. "Seth, you're a good man. But you've compromised this young woman and you know as a Christian and a man of faith what you need to do."

  The man was saying the very words his mother would have said to him. He'd thought about it all morning long while he fed the cattle, but Everleigh didn't want him. She had no desire to live here in Montana and he was not going to follow her back to the big city.

  "I know what I should do, but she doesn't want me permanently."

  "She could be with child. Your child. She will be considered a ruined and defiled woman. An outcast from church and society. You need to do what's right," he said softly, giving Seth a fatherly glance. "Obviously, she felt something for you. Let me know when. I can marry you two anytime."

  Seth watched as he climbed up in his sleigh. "There's been an outbreak of measles in town. It's the reason I stopped to check on you before I drove out to James and Myrtle's house. It's my duty to tell her uncle what I saw today. I'll tell him he can expect the two of you later this afternoon."

  "Yes, sir," Seth said really not liking this man at the moment. Sure, he'd been wrong, but it was a delicious wrong. One that was probably going to break his heart and make him an outcast in town. Now he had to go back into the barn and tell Everleigh her uncle would know the truth when they arrived.

  "The town is just starting to recover from the epidemic. We're having a town celebration for Christmas. I hope to see you two there as man and wife. Let's avoid a Mistletoe scandal."

  Seth marched back into the barn. He'd been such a fool. First with Catherine and now Everleigh. Catherine, he'd blindly believed they were in love and she wanted to marry him. Everleigh, because the woman made him forget his principles.

  She made him forget everything but the perfect way she fit against his body as he held her in his arms, the smell of roses and lavender that filled the air around her and the way she had him discussing everything from politics to women's clothes. In the last ten days, he'd smiled and laughed more than he had since being stood up at the altar.

  And now it had come crashing to an end.

  Slamming the barn door, the animals all jerked their heads up from their feed to gaze in bewilderment, while Everleigh hurried over to him.

  "What did he say?"

  "What any preacher would say. That I should marry you."

  She didn't respond.

  Licking his lips, he stared at her. "I was going to talk to you later this morning, when I came in from the barn. I think we should get married."

  "Why?" she asked. "And are you willing to move to New York?"

  "No. I have a home. A ranch, everything right here. We could li
ve here."

  "And I have a job," she said, biting her lip. "I've never lived anywhere besides New York."

  "You have family here," he said. "There's no one waiting for you in New York."

  He watched her wringing her hands. What was he doing? Trying to persuade a woman who didn't love him to marry him was not the marriage his parents experienced.

  "You could be with child, even now," he said softly. But he didn't want her to marry for that reason.

  Call him old fashioned, but he wanted her to marry him because she'd fallen in love. He'd watched his parents’ marriage. Love had poured from the two of them. Sure, they fought, but they also kissed, laughed, and made up. That was what he wanted. Not a woman forced to marry him, but because she wanted to spend the rest of her days at his side.

  She held up her hand. "I refuse to consider that possibility. I can't deal with the thought of being pregnant and alone."

  He couldn't either. He didn't want to take a chance. He wanted Everleigh to marry him.

  "You wouldn't be alone. It would be my child just as much as yours. And it would have my name."

  She walked out of the barn and he followed. "If you're pregnant, we're getting married."

  She whirled around to face him. "Nobody is telling me what to do. I'll be back in New York, so you'll never know."

  Damn, she could be difficult. But he was not going to give up. "I'll find out."

  "If we marry, I will have agreed to your proposal. Which I haven't heard yet."

  What was wrong with her. Did she think he was going to get down on bended knee with the preacher watching? Had she considered that he would want to speak to her uncle before he asked for her hand? Did she ever consider that he would want to try to make his proposal special? Or did she just want to hop on that train back to New York and forget him.

  "Well, pardon me, but I'm not exactly in the mood to get down and go through the motions of asking you to be my wife."

  As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew that was the wrong thing to say. Her jaw dropped open and she tensed. Then turned and started walking to the house again.