The Christmas Vow

by Shanna Hatfield

  “Certainly.” The sheriff and Adam rose to their feet when Tia stood. Adam held her coat while she slipped it on. As the sheriff pulled on his coat, Tia pinned on a hat, tugged on her gloves, picked up her reticule and the correspondence from the judge. She promised Adam she wouldn’t be gone long then rushed out the door with the sheriff.

  Adam took the tea tray back to the kitchen, inhaled the delicious scent of the roasting chicken, and carried in more wood for the fires.

  By the time he’d washed the dishes and dried them, Toby wandered into the kitchen, sleepy-eyed, dragging a stuffed bunny behind him that had seen better days. Crabby glanced up from his box by the stove and watched Toby before closing his eyes.

  “Where’s Mama?” Toby asked as Adam squatted down and let the boy lean against his chest.

  “She had to run an errand, but she’ll be back soon enough. Do you suppose you’d keep me company until she returns? Maybe we could sit in that big rocking chair by the fire. Is that a good place to wait?” He lifted Toby in his arms and carried him to the parlor.

  Adam sank into the chair and the child nestled against him, holding tightly to his stuffed toy. “What’s your rabbit’s name?” Adam asked as he set the chair into motion, unhurriedly rocking back and forth.

  “Bunny.” Toby yawned and his eyelids drooped.

  Lazily closing his eyes, Adam continued rocking the chair. The crackling of logs on the fire added to the cozy atmosphere of the room. “Bunny’s a good name,” he whispered as Toby released a soft breath, falling back asleep.

  Unaware how long he slept, Adam awoke to a cool hand on his cheek and looked up into Tia’s smiling face. A finger to her lips indicated he should be quiet as she lifted Toby and carried him out of the room.

  Groggy, Adam got to his feet and waited for her to return.

  “You two looked so peaceful sleeping, I hated to wake you, but I was afraid you’d get a crick in your neck.”

  Adam rolled his neck to one side then the other and grinned at her. “I didn’t mean to doze off, but it was hard to keep my eyes open sitting by the fire.”

  “I do the same thing,” Tia admitted. “Thank you for your help today and keeping watch over Toby. Would you like to stay for dinner?”

  “No, I need to get going, but I appreciate the offer. Did you have a good conversation with Mr. Carlton?” Adam asked as he grabbed his coat from the hall tree and shoved his arms into the sleeves

  “It was enlightening,” Tia said, turning to straighten a pillow on the sofa.

  “How so?”

  Tia couldn’t force herself to meet Adam’s gaze. “Mr. Carlton is of the opinion that the judge’s petition to gain guardianship wouldn’t hold up in any court if, by some happenstance, the status of my widowhood altered in the immediate future.” Nervous, she fiddled with the button on the sleeve of her dark blue woolen gown.

  Adam observed her nervous movements. “Just spit it out, Queenie. What did Mr. Carlton say?”

  Embarrassed, she turned to stare out the front window. Frost already rimmed the edges of the glass as afternoon gave way to a cold evening.

  Humiliation sent heat creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. “He said if I’d wed someone immediately, then Cedric would have no chance at getting Toby.”

  Air whooshed out of Adam. More than once in the past few days, marriage had crossed his mind as a solution to Tia’s troubles. If he cared to admit it, which he didn’t, the thought held a great deal of appeal to him.

  “What are you going to do? Do you have someone in mind?”

  “Good heavens!” Tia spun around and glared at Adam.

  You. Only and forever you.

  She huffed in feigned irritation. “Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll figure something out that doesn’t involve a man sacrificing his freedom to save my son.”

  Uncertain what to say in response, he offered her a curt nod and rushed out the door.

  Tia watched him in the light from the street lamps as he hurried down the street in the direction of Arlan and Alex’s place.

  She couldn’t blame him for his abrupt departure. Any man with a lick of sense would run far and fast when a woman found herself in desperate need of a husband.

  Chapter Seven

  “You… you what!” Arlan stammered as the knife in his hand clattered onto the table. The bite of mashed potatoes Alex held on her fork halted mid-air, halfway to her mouth.

  Both of them turned astonished looks to Adam. He pushed food around on his plate instead of eating the meal Alex hurried to put on the table when she arrived home from teaching school.

  “I said I’m thinking about asking Tia to marry me.” Adam scowled at Arlan as his brother continued to gape at him.

  Alex set her fork on the edge of her plate while Arlan cleared his throat and gathered his thoughts. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Adam. I mean… after all… the last time you…” The memories hung heavily between them.

  “He proposed to her before?” Alex asked, glancing from her husband to Adam. “Tia turned you down?”

  “No. I never got the opportunity to ask her. She left town before I worked up the nerve and that was the last time I saw her until Carl’s funeral.”

  “Oh.” Alex lifted a dark eyebrow Arlan’s direction and he shook his head in some unspoken communication Adam had no hope of interpreting.

  “Based on the painful situation that occurred the last time you considered marrying the girl, I’m concerned you might be rushing into this.” Arlan sat back in his chair and eyed his brother.

  Adam had always been the bold one, full of mischief and fun, along with an eagerness to experience every adventure available.

  After Tia broke his heart the first time, Adam embraced an entirely new level of reckless abandon that frightened his younger sibling and eventually led to his job as a pilot on the Columbia River.

  Arlan cleared his throat and rapidly fired out questions. “Have you thought things through? Where would you live? Could she put up with your demanding work schedule? Are you prepared for the possibility she’ll never love you? What if she leaves you?”

  Disconcerted, Adam rocked back in his chair and blew out a long breath. “Yes, Arlan, I’ve thought things through. Truthfully, I’ve thought of little else since I discovered her former father-in-law wants to take Toby away from her. She still has a house in Portland, but she did say she plans to sell it. We could live there or buy a house close to the river. I make a good wage at my work and am capable of supporting a family. However, I’m under the impression her husband left her well cared for upon his death. Tia or Toby aren’t lacking money. At any rate, I love my work on the river, so Tia would just have to get used to the idea of my schedule.”

  “But you’d be gone often, wouldn’t you?” Alex asked, placing a hand on Adam’s arm. “No wife wants to consider her husband being gone for days on end, especially when he might be in a perilous situation and never return.”

  “I know. It’s not perfect, but we could make it work if we’re both willing to try.” Adam turned to Arlan. “I’m not saying I’m pledging my heart to Tia. She destroyed it the first time she left. Regardless, I’m vowing to keep her and Toby together by offering a marriage of convenience. I wouldn’t expect anything from her. In fact, if she wanted to stay here in Hardman, that might be for the best. As for her leaving me high and dry, I assume she could have the marriage annulled any time it suited her purposes. I once loved her with every bit of emotion an eighteen-year-old boy can give, but I’m not a boy any longer.”

  Adam studied the food growing cold on his plate before he spoke again. “This isn’t about reuniting with a long lost love. Not in the least. It’s about saving Toby from the clutches of a cruel, manipulative man. Tia and her son aren’t my problem or my responsibility. But if you had the opportunity to keep a little boy from being separated from the one person in the world who loves him completely, wouldn’t you do everything humanly possible to help?”

  Slo
wly, Arlan nodded his head. “I suppose I would, but what about your heart, Adam? You can lie to yourself all you like, but you still have feelings for Tia.”

  Adam growled and ran a hand over his head. “I didn’t realize it was that obvious.”

  “It isn’t, only to those who know you well.” Arlan grinned at Alex. “And those who’ve just met you. Perhaps to a stranger walking down the street.”

  Alex winked at her brother-in-law. “From what I’ve observed, Tia cares about you a great deal. Probably as much as you care about her. She seems like a very nice person and I can’t see her backing out of a vow to you once it’s made. Nevertheless, aren’t you cheating yourself out of the opportunity to fall in love with someone by marrying her now?”

  “Like I said, Tia drained every bit of love out of my heart the summer we were eighteen. I’m not ever going to fall in love again, so it matters little to me if I tie myself to Tia and Toby. If marrying her ensures Toby’s safety, then I’ll do it without a moment of regret.” Adam shifted his gaze from Alex to Arlan. “As for you, that’s enough teasing and sarcasm for one night.”

  The playful shove he delivered to Arlan nearly knocked him from his chair, but both brothers chuckled as they picked up their forks and returned to their meals.

  “Did the cat really tear up that man’s clothes?” Alex asked as Adam sliced a bite of roast beef.

  A snort escaped from him. “He sure did. If I hadn’t heard it was the cat that had gotten to him, I’d have assumed he’d wrestled with a spool of barbed fencing wire or encountered a cougar.”

  Arlan chuckled. “Remind me to take a wide berth around ol’ Crabby. I knew the cat didn’t care for people, but I had no idea Tia had trained it to attack.”

  Humored, Adam shook his head. “I don’t think she had any idea he’d attack, either. She seemed as surprised as anyone did by the cat’s behavior. On the other hand, Toby appeared impressed and entertained by the cat’s antics.”

  “I’m sure he was.” Arlan smiled. “For being such a handful, he really is a good boy.”

  “Yes, he is,” Adam agreed.

  “Are you sure you’re ready to become a father? You wouldn’t just be marrying Tia. You’d also be taking on responsibility for her small son.” Arlan set down his knife and fork, waiting for his brother to consider his words.

  Finally, Adam nodded his head. “I know I haven’t spent much time around children, but Toby and I get along with no trouble. He’s bright and inquisitive, yet he minds well and truly does have a tender little spirit.”

  Surprised by his brother’s observations, Arlan nodded his head. “It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”

  “If Tia will agree to marry me, we should do so right away. She can send word to the judge she is no longer a widow alone and any attempts on his part to take Toby are pointless.” Adam buttered a slice of bread. Alex passed him a dish of strawberry jam and he slathered it over the entire surface before taking a bite.

  “If Tia does agree to wed, would you give us a few days to prepare? The ladies of Hardman would be terribly disappointed if they lacked the opportunity to make a true celebration out of the event.” Alex offered Adam an innocent smile, belying the impishness twinkling in her eyes.

  A groan escaped Adam. “Can’t we just have Chauncy marry us in a quiet little ceremony?”

  “Most likely,” Alex grinned at him, “but where’s the fun in that? Besides, the women of Hardman are quite good at throwing together a wedding reception on a moment’s notice.”

  “The ladies in town had a nice spread for Luke and Filly’s wedding and that was with less than a week’s notice. Ginny and Blake got married with only a few hours to plan, although it was a Christmas Eve wedding, so the church was already decorated,” Arlan commented. He reached across the table and squeezed Alex’s hand, sharing a look full of love. “I thought we might have a second Christmas Eve wedding last year when I begged this gorgeous woman to marry me with as much speed as possible, but she insisted we invite you to the wedding and wait for your reply.”

  “I wish I’d been here. By the time I received the telegram, it was a week old and I didn’t want to hold things up any longer than necessary.” Adam waggled his eyebrows at Arlan. “I suppose I should have asked you to wait while I arranged to take time away from work and then traveled halfway across the state. However, I assumed you’d much rather marry your bride and have your way with her in all due haste.”

  Alex blushed and Arlan choked on the bite he’d just swallowed. Adam thumped him on the back and winked at his sister-in-law. “In the event I failed to mention it before, I’m so glad you two have each other. I’m thrilled to see you both so much in love.”

  “Thank you, Adam.” Alex turned back to her meal, although a pink hue persisted in coloring her cheeks.

  After dinner, the three of them gathered in the parlor where they continued discussing Adam’s plans.

  When they retired for the evening, Adam hugged Alex and shook Arlan’s hand. “Even though marrying Tia isn’t what you believe is best for me, I appreciate knowing you’ll support me no matter what I decide to do.”

  “Of course, Adam. That’s what family is for.” Arlan squeezed his shoulder then disappeared with Alex into their bedroom.

  As they readied for bed, Alex sat in front of the mirror at her dressing table, brushing her long, dark hair and smiling at Arlan in the reflection of the glass. “Do you really think Adam will work up the gumption to ask Tia to wed?”

  “Yes. Once he’s decided on something, there’s usually no changing his mind.” Arlan moved behind Alex and took the brush from her hand, running it gently through her hair, admiring the way her midnight tresses gleamed in the lamplight. “Adam never stopped loving Tia and she hasn’t gotten over him, either. It’s about time the two of them finally do what they should have done years ago.”

  “Why, Arlan Guthry! You are a matchmaker in disguise.” Alex grinned at her husband as he continued to brush her hair. “What was all that falderal about his plans to wed Tia being a terrible idea and suggesting he was rushing into things?”

  “Generally, Adam does the opposite of what I suggest just to show he can. He might be the oldest, but he’s also the most obstinate and stubborn. I learned a long time ago if I wanted Adam to do something, I had to tell him he couldn’t or shouldn’t. The more I emphasize it’s a bad idea, the more determined he’ll be to prove me wrong.” Arlan gave her a smug smile. “By noon tomorrow, he’ll be an engaged man.”

  “I had no idea I’d married such an underhanded schemer.” Alex’s eyes held amusement and invitation as she gazed at Arlan in the mirror. “I kind of like seeing this side of you.”

  Arlan set down the brush and placed a warm, moist kiss to her neck. “I’ve got a few more things I can show you, Mrs. Guthry. Are you interested?”

  She turned and pressed her lips to his in a heated exchange. When she pulled back, desire glowed in her eyes. “You bet I am.”

  Chapter Eight

  Nerves unlike anything Adam had ever experienced made it impossible for him to swallow any of his breakfast the following morning. He refused the coffee Alex offered him, eventually agreeing to a cup of tea.

  He left the house with Arlan and Alex, accompanying them to the point where they headed toward the school. For a few minutes, he watched them walk together. Arlan would help Alex get a fire going at the school and bring in more wood for the stove before he went to the bank for the day.

  Leisurely strolling through town, Adam admired the festive pine garlands and bright bows several businesses had put out to decorate their storefronts in the last few days. The effect was appealing and cheerful — a reminder Christmas would soon be upon them.

  Thoughts of spending the holiday with Tia and Toby made him consider what would be appropriate gifts for the two of them. An idea for a gift for Toby came to mind and Adam decided whether Tia wed him or not, he’d make the present for the boy.

  He veered toward the
mercantile, intent on finding the necessary supplies, then decided he needed to ask Tia the question weighing heavy on his mind before he lost his nerve.

  As he meandered toward her home, he waved to people he’d known most of his life, pleased by their smiles and words of greeting.

  The friendly atmosphere of the town was one thing he missed living in Portland. No one in the neighborhood where he lived waved from their porch or invited him to stop in for a cup of coffee. For the most part, people didn’t even make eye contact as they hurried down the street, intent on their errands.

  Adam stopped at the end of Tia’s front walk and stared at the snug little house. With the roof repaired, it appeared to be in good shape, although he was sure he could find a few things to work on if Tia let him.

  “Might as well get this over with,” he muttered as he trudged down the walk and up the porch steps, shoving his gloves into his coat pockets.

  Prior to his hand connecting with the wood of the door to knock, he inhaled a deep breath.

  The loud rap reverberated in the still of the morning. At least the day hinted that it would be one full of sunshine as streaks of gold gradually filled the sky.

  The door swung inward and Tia smiled at him through the screen door. “Good morning, Adam. What brings you by so early in the day?”

  “I um… there’s a matter I…” Adam struggled to hang onto his thoughts as Tia’s enticing scent ensnared his senses while his eyes lingered on the luxurious depths of her hair. It fell to her waist in a cascade of finger-tempting waves.

  As children, he’d tugged on her hair plenty of times. He’d dipped the end of her braid into an inkwell just to see what color it would turn, and even threaded flowers into it one spring day when she declared she’d wanted a crown for her head.