The 12 Brides of Christmas Collection

by Mary Connealy

  The breath was knocked out of her as she fell, landing atop Harlan with a thud. It took a moment for her to regain her composure, a minute of listening to his heart beat under her ear and his own labored breathing as he caught his wind again.

  “Oh!” Maddie pushed herself away and struggled to stand. Harlan managed the feat before her, reaching out a hand to help pull her upright.

  “See where all this nonsense has gotten us?” He smiled as he brushed the snow from his clothes.

  Tears rose in Maddie’s eyes. “It’s not nonsense. And what I did was wrong. Can’t you see that? I’m trying to make amends, but you just won’t listen.” Her words ended on a strangled sob.

  “Shh … shh …” Harlan pulled her to him, holding her close and rubbing a hand down her back. “Maddie Sinclair, despite your intentions and all your harebrained ideas about these cookies, I came here in love with you, and today when I leave, I will still be in love with you.”

  “And tomorrow?” she asked, pulling away so she could see his face.

  “Still in love.” He smiled.

  Oh how she loved his smile. And oh how she wanted to believe what he said was true. “But—”

  He shook his head. “What do I have to do to make you understand? I sent for the cameo. I came to ask for your hand. Can’t you see that whatever you got from Old Lady Farley was just a ruse to take your money?”

  “I bartered,” Maddie started then broke off at Harlan’s stern look. “I don’t know,” she whispered, wishing she had the answer. She wanted to believe him. She truly did, but the nagging doubts and Grace’s voice of reason won out.

  “I tell you what. Let’s go get some of those flapjacks Prissy promised me last night, and maybe this whole thing will work itself out.”

  “Maybe,” she murmured as he released her. She looped her arm through his and allowed him to lead her back into the house.

  Harlan stepped into the warmth of the house, his mind going at full speed. How was he ever going to convince his headstrong and silly Maddie that she had been taken by the “lady” who lived at the end of the lane? Old Lady Farley was a trickster, to be sure. He had no doubt that Maddie believed that she had done something wrong. Her tears of remorse were more than enough proof of that. And even a family heirloom couldn’t convince her otherwise.

  “Can you two not stay out of the snow?” Grace bustled into the entryway, a towel at the ready.

  Harlan looked down to see he was already standing in a puddle of melted snow. “I’m sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Forgive me, I fell.”

  “Of course.” Grace smiled at him as he lifted his feet to stand on the towel and then helped Maddie take off her cloak.

  Grace took it from him, and he removed his own coat.

  “I’ll have Prissy hang these by the fire just as soon as breakfast is finished.”

  “Is that what I smell?” Maddie asked.

  The entire foyer was filled with the delicious scent of vanilla and nutmeg.

  “Prissy’s flapjacks.”

  “Smells delicious,” Harlan said. And a bit familiar.

  “Well, dry off and meet us at the table,” Grace said. “Prissy is setting it now.” She started toward the kitchen then stopped and turned back to face them. “And there’s no time to take advantage of … ahem.” She pointed to a spot above their heads.

  Harlan looked up at the sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Why had he never noticed that before?

  Grace smiled and pushed through the door that led to the kitchen.

  Harlan looked to Maddie.

  She swallowed hard as she returned his stare.

  He took a step toward her.

  “Harlan, I—”

  But he wasn’t about to take no for an answer. She loved him, and despite all her crazy ideas about love herbs and cookies, he loved her, too.

  He took her by the arms and pulled her close—not close enough that their bodies touched, but still near enough he could breathe in the lilac scent of her soap and the crisp smell of outdoors.

  She seemed about to protest, but her eyes fluttered closed a second before he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.

  Her lips were soft, sweet beneath his, and he couldn’t wait until she agreed to be his bride.

  She sighed as he lifted his head. Her eyes opened and stared into his.

  “Do you believe me now?”

  She pulled away, pressing the back of one hand against her lips. “Harlan, I—”

  “What, Maddie?” The game was growing tiresome, but he wouldn’t give up. He couldn’t give up.

  “I want to believe you,” she said. “I really do.”

  “Do you love me, Maddie?” He had to hear her say it one more time.

  “I do,” she whispered.

  “Then I won’t give up. I won’t bother you again today. But I’ll be here every day after until you realize that my love for you is genuine.”

  Without waiting for her response, he turned and made his way to the dining room.

  Maddie watched him go, the warmth of his lips pressed against hers still tingling. She had wanted to melt into his embrace, like the snow they tracked in from outside. But she held herself in check.

  He would be here every day? For how long? One week? Two? Or would he walk out of her life this afternoon, never to return?

  “Maddie,” Grace called from the other room. “We’re waiting on you.”

  She hustled into the dining room to find everyone already seated. Once again she sat across from Harlan. Her cheeks filled with heat as she recalled their kiss under the mistletoe. But he looked at her like she was almost a stranger. Had the cookies finally worn off? The thought made her heart ache in her chest.

  “Let’s pray,” her father said.

  Maddie bowed her head as her father thanked the Lord for the beautiful day, the wonderful company, nourishing food, and His Son who had died for them all. She silently added an entreaty for forgiveness for her transgressions and a plea that one day Harlan would forgive her as well.

  “Amen,” Pa concluded.

  Everyone raised their heads, and the platters of food were passed around. There were stacks of sweet-smelling flapjacks with fresh butter and rich maple syrup, bowls of fried potatoes, and mounds of country ham to be shared.

  Everything tasted so delicious, Maddie was soon reaching for another couple of flapjacks to complete her meal. They were just so good.

  “Prissy, I say you have outdone yourself this morning.”

  Their housekeeper smiled at the pastor’s praise. “Thank ye, suh. I put in those special spices you left fur me.”

  Maddie’s fork slipped from her fingers and clattered onto the table.

  Harlan stopped eating, his fork suspended midway between his plate and his mouth.

  Grace coughed delicately into her napkin.

  Only Prissy and their father seemed oblivious to the strain at the table.

  “What did you say?” Maddie asked, recovering as quickly as she could. Maybe she’d misunderstood. Maybe her father really did bring their housekeeper a bag of spices from the general store. Surely Prissy hadn’t found the bag Maddie had gotten from Old Lady Farley. After all, Maddie had thrown that away herself. Hadn’t she?

  With all the confusion yesterday over the cookies and Harlan’s impulsive proposal, Maddie couldn’t remember. But surely she wouldn’t have been so careless with something so important.

  “Why, I found a bag of spices in the kitchen yesterdee. I put ‘em in the flapjacks. They came out good, huh?”

  “Very tasty,” Pa agreed. “But I didn’t leave you any spices. Though after tasting these flapjacks, I may have to remember to do so in the future.”

  Maddie’s heart sank. “This bag,” she started, “was it small and made out of a scrap of flour sack?”

  “Why yes, it was,” Prissy answered.

  “And was it tied with a small leather string?”

  “Yes’um.” Prissy continued to eat, not reali
zing the tragedy of what she had done.

  “How could you have been so careless?” Grace hissed.

  Maddie kicked her under the table.

  Grace shot her a look and rose. “I apologize for interrupting our meal, but Maddie, can I see you in the kitchen.” It wasn’t a question.

  Maddie shook her head.

  “May we be excused, Pa?” Grace turned her attention to their father, and Maddie settled down in her seat a bit more.

  Christmas must have put him in a good mood, or maybe it was the tainted flapjacks, but their father nodded his consent.

  “But—” Maddie tried to protest, but Grace hauled her to her feet despite her sputters and dragged her toward the kitchen.

  Just before they pushed through the swinging door, Maddie heard Harlan say, “If you would excuse me, too, sir?”

  Grace turned on her the minute they were alone. “What have you done?”

  “What have I done?” she protested.

  They weren’t alone for long. Harlan pushed his way inside. “Is she talking about what I think she’s talking about?”

  Maddie nodded and bit her lip.

  “I told you this would come to no good,” Grace scolded.

  “I can’t believe the two of you actually believe all this nonsense.” Harlan shook his head.

  “Oh, we believe it all right.” Grace propped her hands on her hips and shot Maddie a look.

  “What?” she asked. Then her defenses crumbled and she wilted like a pansy in August. “I’m sorry.” She ducked her head and sniffed. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”

  “Maddie.” Harlan’s voice was firm and commanding. “Is this what you put in the cookies?”

  She looked up to find him holding the bag she had gotten from Old Lady Farley. She nodded miserably.

  He lifted it to his nose and sniffed.

  “Harlan, no.” Maddie rushed over to him and pulled the bag from his grasp. “Don’t do that. You might ingest more of it.”

  He chuckled. “Maddie, when are you going to believe me?”

  How could she?

  He tossed the bag on the counter. “If whatever it was she gave you was supposed to make me fall in love with you, then why aren’t we all in love with everyone sitting at the table? We all ate it this morning.”

  “Maybe it has a delayed effect.” It was the best reason Maddie could come up with, and it sounded weak even to her own ears.

  Grace eased open the door just a crack, only enough that she could peek at their father and Prissy still seated at the table.

  “What’s happening out there?” Maddie asked.

  “They’re drinking coffee,” Grace whispered in return.

  “And that’s it?”

  Grace jerked away from the door. It closed with a swoosh. “I think they saw me.”

  “He wasn’t proposing or anything?”

  Grace shook her head.

  “See?” Harlan said. “If they both ate the herbs—and we know they did—then they should be falling in love with each other.”

  Hope burst through Maddie. What he was saying was logical, and yet she was afraid to let herself believe. If what he said was true, then he could really and truly love her. But she could only allow herself to believe that when she was absolutely certain. Otherwise she would end up heartbroken and alone.

  “What is going on in here?”

  Grace jumped back as Pa burst through the kitchen door, missing her by mere inches.

  “Pa,” Maddie gasped.

  Grace pressed one hand to her breast, and Harlan tried not to laugh.

  Maddie shot him a look. This was not funny.

  “I’m waiting.”

  “Well,” Grace started, obviously trying to stall but not sure what she should say. That was Grace, ever truthful. Maddie was surprised her sister had kept the secret this long.

  “It’s okay, Grace.” It was time for her to step up and tell the truth. No matter the consequences. “It’s my fault.” The tension that had been in Maddie’s shoulders suddenly loosened, and she knew this was the right thing to do. Well, she had known it all along, but there was a comfort in the telling. “I went to Old Lady Farley and bought some herbs day before yesterday.”

  “Her name is Eunice Farley, and you will refer to her as Miss Farley.”

  “Yes, Pa.”

  “Why did you go buy herbs at her house?” To her father’s credit, he didn’t so much as falter when he said the word house to refer to the pitiful shack that squatted at the edge of town.

  “I wanted to make Harlan fall in love with me.” She ducked her head as she said the words, ashamed to admit them aloud and to her pious father. What an embarrassment she had to be to him.

  “And you thought Eunice Farley could help you with that?”

  She nodded as shame washed over her.

  To her surprise, her father laughed. “Are you saying that Eunice Farley sold you a love potion?”

  “It wasn’t a potion exactly. Just a bag of herbs.” She was dodging the issue, but she couldn’t seem to keep the words from slipping out.

  “The same bag of herbs that Prissy added to our breakfast cakes this morning?”

  “The very one.” Harlan came to stand by her, and Maddie was immediately bolstered by his presence.

  Pa shook his head. “I hope you learned your lesson.”

  Maddie hated when her father used that tone. That “you should know better, I thought I raised you better than this, what would your mother have to say about this?” tone he got at times like these.

  “I’m sorry, Pa, I just …” She struggled to finish.

  “You didn’t trust the Lord to provide.”

  “No,” she said, her voice small.

  “Come.” Her father motioned for her to follow him. “Let’s go talk about this in the parlor. You, too, Harlan. It seems this concerns you as well.”

  The last thing Maddie wanted to do was have her father berate her reckless behavior. She deserved it, but it was still the last thing she wanted to hear.

  And in front of Harlan, no less.

  “I’m sorry, Father.”

  They had settled down in the parlor, a pot of fresh coffee between them. Grace and Prissy had disappeared into the kitchen to clean up the breakfast dishes, but Maddie had a feeling they were standing on the other side of the door with their ears pressed against it.

  “I don’t think I’m the only one you owe an apology.”

  She turned to face Harlan, her chin tucked against her chest. “I’m truly sorry, Harlan. I didn’t mean any harm.”

  “You know I forgive you.” He smiled and warmed her heart.

  “Now.” Her father rubbed his hands together in eagerness. “Let’s get down to wedding talk.”

  Maddie’s chin jerked up, her gaze landing on her father. “What? Wedding talk?”

  “Isn’t that what this has all been about?” Pa asked.

  “You’re not angry with me?”

  “I think you’ve learned your lesson. You should know better than to divulge in the fanciful. You went there to get a love potion, and instead you got ground vanilla bean and nutmeg. I say that’s a small price to pay to relearn what you already knew.”

  “Ground vanilla—”

  Her father gave her an indulgent smile. “You didn’t really think Miss Farley gave you a real love concoction?”

  She let out a choked laugh. “Of course not.” The lie was so blatant, she was surprised her father didn’t make her ask for forgiveness right there on the spot.

  Instead, he continued. “She has to make money when she can.”

  “So you’re not even upset with her?”

  “One can’t blame the snake oil salesman, for without the buyer, how will the salesman stay in business?”

  She was chagrined. She looked to Harlan, who smiled as if to say, “I told you so.”

  “And you still want to marry me?” she asked.

  Harlan’s smile widened. “More than anything.”r />
  “Now,” her father started again. “It seems that we need a contract of sorts. A verbal agreement will do just fine. When shall the wedding take place?”

  “In the spring,” Harlan said before she could so much as take a breath to respond. “Is that all right with you?”

  She smiled. “The spring will be lovely.”

  “I assume that you will be able to provide for my daughter, keeping her in a decent house and providing for her every need.”

  Harlan nodded. “That’s why it has taken me so long to come and ask for her hand. I wanted to make sure my practice would flourish and I could provide. I’m looking to buy a parcel of land on the other side of the county, not too far out of town. Once the weather turns toward the warm, we can start building a house.”

  Maddie gasped, the reality of his feelings coming home. He did love her. Even after all her silly mistakes and crazy notions of making him fall in love with her, he still loved her.

  “Are you all right, my dear?” Harlan turned toward her, concern on his brow.

  “I’m just so happy,” she said.

  He smiled and took her hand. The warmth of his palm seeped into her skin. Love for her lit his blue eyes like the stars twinkling in the clear nighttime sky. How could one person be this happy? How could she have ever doubted that he loved her?

  “Spring it is.” Her father slapped his hands against his legs, his own joy evident. “God is good,” he said, smiling at the two of them.

  “Did we hear there’s going to be a wedding this spring?” Grace and Prissy rushed into the room, raising the excitement level twofold.

  “In the spring.” Maddie nodded, her smile so wide her cheeks hurt. She never could have asked for more than this, would never even have dreamed she could be this happy.

  Her sister and Prissy clasped hands with her, and together the three of them embraced and danced in a little circle of joy.

  “Well, there is one thing I must do first.” Harlan’s words fell like a clump of wet clay in the middle of the room.

  The girls stilled their feet and waited for him to continue. Somehow the excitement dimmed.

  The room grew quiet and expectant as he stood and smoothed down the lapels of his suit. The action seemed to take forever as Maddie waited for him to reveal the one thing that would have to come before their wedding.