Mistletoe Mayhem: Clean Historical Western Cowboy Romance Novel (Dawson Chronicles Book 1)

by Linda Bridey

  “No, I’m not,” she said. “I like spending time with him. He’s so funny and he treats me really well. He’s very handsome and gentlemanly and I sound like I’m talking about one of my brothers, don’t I?” Devon asked.

  “I didn’t wanna say it, but it kinda does,” Joe said, smiling slightly.

  Devon hid her face against Joe’s chest. “How am I going to tell him?”

  “Tell who what?” Joe asked. “Teddy that you can’t see him anymore or Sawyer that you still love him?”

  Devon raised her head quickly. “Teddy that I can’t keep seeing him. I’ll never tell Sawyer that I still love him. I can’t. It won’t make a difference in how he feels about me. He hates me now and I don’t blame him.”

  Lacey said, “I doubt he hates you, sweetie.”

  “It sure seems like it. I deserve it, too. He said I was selfish, and he’s right.”

  Joe said, “You’re not selfish. What makes you say that? You know, you’ve never told us what happened between you two. You just kept saying that you were fighting all the time and that you couldn’t come to an agreement. What about?”

  Devon told them, feeling more ashamed with every word that passed over her lips. Her face was hot from it and her eyes burned with unshed tears. “So you see, I’m a horrible, selfish person because I wasn’t strong enough to marry him knowing that he would leave soon after we did. We would’ve just been starting our life together and then he’d leave me behind. I would be left here brokenhearted and I was brokenhearted anyway. I’m such an idiot.”

  Joe and Lacey exchanged a sympathetic look over her head as Joe hugged her. “Well, sweetheart, sometimes fear makes us do things that aren’t very smart. You’re not a horrible person, Devon. Anger and fear don’t help people make good decisions, even when we think we’re doing the right thing at the time. See, when I went to Texas to confront Daddy, I wanted revenge, but I also wanted to make him leave me alone so that I knew that Lacey would be safe. I wanted to do it in person, not in a letter that he could just throw away.

  “No, I wanted to look him in the eye and let him know that I knew what he’d done and that if he ever tried anything like that again, I really would put a bullet in him. I thought I was doing right, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Lucky for me, your mama forgave me, though. I bet Sawyer might, too.”

  Devon shook her head. “No, he won’t. He’s never going to trust me again. There’s a chance that he might go back oversees, so he’d never—”

  Lacey put a hand on her leg. “Honey, do you love him enough to try? It’ll take time, but if you really want him back, it’ll be worth it. Even if it doesn’t work out, you’ll know that you did everything you could and didn’t give up easily.”

  Her mother made sense, but Devon didn’t know if she could take that risk. “Daddy would you have ever given up?”

  “Not a chance, but I can’t say what’s right for you. Only you can. But I agree with Lacey. You’ll never know if you don’t give it a whirl,” Joe said.

  Devon sighed and then smiled sweetly at Lacey. “Will you tell Teddy for me?”

  Lacey laughed. “Absolutely not. Nice try.”

  The sunroom door opened and five-year-old Hunter hollered, “Nana, will you come read my story to me?”

  Lacey stood up. “I certainly will.” She kissed Devon’s cheek. “You’ll find the words. Goodnight, honey.”

  “Goodnight, Mama.”

  Chapter Six

  Tap, tap, tap.

  Rolling over towards her window, Snow Song looked out it and started when she saw someone standing outside. Looking closer, she recognized Joey and let out an exasperated breath. She quickly got out of bed and went to the window, opening it a little.

  “Go away!” she whispered. “You’re gonna get me in trouble.”

  “Can’t we just talk about this? I miss you so much. Mama and Daddy haven’t told anyone about us, not even my family,” he said.

  “Shh! My parents are going to hear you,” she said.

  “Please, Snow Song. It’s only been a week and I’m already going crazy without you. I love you. Just come talk to me a little,” he pleaded. “Please?”

  Snow Song missed him, too, and she gave in to him. “Ok. I’ll meet you out at the rock ledge.”

  He smiled and ran away. Snow Song closed the window and moved silently from her room out to the parlor, quickly donning her coat. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She jumped and turned around to face her father.

  Raven Dwyer was just as big as his father, Black Fox, and most of the time he was just as genial and kind. “Where are you off to, daughter?” he asked in Lakota, watching her closely.

  “For a walk. I cannot sleep,” she responded in kind.

  “Might this be because someone was knocking on your window?”

  Dang it, Joey! There was no sense in denying it because Raven would know that she was lying. “Yes. A friend needs to talk to me.”

  “Would this friend happen to be a boy?” Raven saw anger flash in her eyes and he was reminded of his cousin Minx when she went on the offense.

  “Would you be worried about it if I was a boy? I do not recall you worrying about Dusty when he did not come home until late at night. I do not remember you stopping him from leaving the house. I am going to talk to my friend and the only way you will stop me is to tie me up,” she said.

  Raven smiled inside even as his irritation grew. Another fierce bravette. I guess it’s the Great Spirit’s way of keeping Uncle He Who Run’s spirit alive in our family. Why did I have to get two such daughters to raise, though? She’s almost as bad as Hailey. “You do not think I will? You are my daughter and I will protect you as any good father would. I do not know this friend. How do I know that you will be safe?”

  “It’s just Joey,” she blurted in English.

  Raven’s eyes narrowed. “Joey? Why is Joey coming to see you?”

  Snow Song desperately tried to keep her voice normal. “He’s upset about something.”

  “Is there an emergency?” Raven asked, concern in his expression.

  “No. Well, it’s an emergency to him, but you know how he is,” Snow Song said, smiling. “I think he might be a little drunk, too. I’ll bet him and Skip were up to no good.”

  Raven smiled. “One day they’re going to get arrested and Joe will let him sit in jail. Ok. Go talk to him, but don’t be long.”

  Snow Song said, “I’ll be back soon.”

  Raven’s smile faded as she left.

  *****

  Joey waited for Snow Song in the large clearing of the rock ledge that the tribe had used for generations. It was where people had come to think, meditate, and seek visions. Lovers had met there for trysts and couples had become engaged there, too.

  Had Raven caught her? He wouldn’t doubt it. He’d tried to be quiet, but she was a sound sleeper and he’d had to knock a second time. Then he saw her tall, lithe figure walking towards him and an intense longing for her flooded him. She sat down a ways from him and, although he wanted to hold her hand, he stayed put, knowing that she wouldn’t allow it.

  He said, “I really wasn’t gonna tell Daddy who you were that night. I wouldn’t have ever told him your name or that you were in my closet. I was trying to give you the time you wanted. Honest.”

  Snow Song folded her arms over her chest. “Why can’t you be satisfied with what we have?”

  “Had. You broke up with me. I want you back, but only if we don’t hide our relationship. I love you and I wanna be able to hold your hand in public and go places with you. Don’t get me wrong, making love with you is amazing, but I wanna share everything with you, not just that. Don’t you understand?” he asked.

  Snow Song bit her bottom lip as she thought about his response.

  Joey crawled over to her, but he didn’t touch her. “You’re one of the bravest people I know. Are you really gonna let what other people think interfere with our happiness?
If you are, maybe you’re not as brave as I think you are.”

  Her chin rose and her delicate nostrils flared. She was offended over being accused of cowardice, but he was right. Why should she let the naysayers win or get in the way of loving Joey? And how she loved him! He was so handsome, kind, and sweet. She knew that a lot of people wouldn’t believe how tender and thoughtful he could be. He was always bringing her little things like candy or a new quartz rock because he knew how much she liked their sparkle.

  He was the only boy she’d ever been with, but she doubted that any other could ever be a more intense lover than him. Their attraction was potent and unstoppable. They were always careful, neither of them wanting a baby at that point in their lives. Knowing that he was waiting for an answer, she looked into his hazel eyes that appeared mint-green in the dim moonlight. Like his sister, Emily, he was a younger version of his father. His strong jaw and well-muscled body created a hunger inside her that she knew would never be quenched.

  Rising up on her knees, Snow Song pressed her lips to his, encircling his neck and pulling him close. His response was swift and passionate. Then he broke away from her.

  “Does this mean what I think it does? Are you ready for people to know about us?”

  “Yes, I’m ready,” she said, smiling.

  Joey wanted to shout for joy, but he kissed her instead before pulling away again. “I have to ask your daddy for permission to court you first. I’ll ask him right away tomorrow. I love you so much and I won’t let anyone say anything bad. I’ll take on the whole town if I have to. You’ll see.”

  Just as his lips were about to claim hers, a deep voice asked, “Why wait? Why not ask me right now?”

  Joey froze. “Did you hear that? Please tell me it was just my imagination,” he whispered.

  “I wish I could,” she whispered back.

  Quickly putting distance between them, Joey stood up. Although his heart pounded with fear, Joey was determined to face Raven with bravery, knowing how much the Lakota admired it in the face of adversity.

  “All right. I will,” he said, meeting Raven’s eyes. “I love your daughter very much, more than anything in this world. I would do anything for her—fight anyone for her, even you, if that’s what it took. I would’ve already asked you, but she didn’t want anyone to know about us because of all the tensions about race right now. So I honored her wishes and didn’t say anything. But I want everything to be out in the open now and to court her properly. I’ll always treat her with respect and love. Will you let me court Snow Song?”

  Raven’s gaze moved from Joey to Snow Song and he saw love and hope in her eyes. His heart softened slightly, remembering what it had been like when he and his wife, Zoe, had been courting. However, he’d heard Joey say that they’d been intimate and this was very serious to him, as it was to many parents.

  “You took Snow Song’s virginity.” It wasn’t a question.

  Snow Song gasped. “Pa! That’s none of your business.”

  “Wrong, daughter. It is. A man should never do that unless he is married to the woman, or at least intends to marry her,” Raven said.

  “Stop it!” Snow Song said through gritted teeth. “Just stop it!”

  Raven didn’t often become angry, but he did now. “It is my right as a father to look out for you! You have given something to him that you shouldn’t have. He says he loves you, but there is no guarantee, no assurance that he will stay with you. He has been with other girls the whole time he has been seeing you, however long that is. He is just like his father that way.”

  Incensed, Joey walked right up to Raven and actually poked his chest. “Now you listen to me, Mr. Dwyer. I’ve only been with one girl before Snow Song and it was only one time. Seeing those other girls was just an act so that people didn’t suspect I was seeing Snow Song.

  “And don’t you insult my father. He taught us boys to treat women with more respect than he did. He taught us to be better men than he was when he was younger. I can’t speak for my brothers, but I’m a one-woman man.”

  Raven was impressed by his courage and the direct way Joey looked into his eyes. He might not have picked up Joe’s Southern accent the way Emily had, but Joey’s manner of speaking was much like Joe’s. He liked that Joey was protective of Snow Song and also of his father, for whom he had great respect and affection. Raven’s statements had only been a test to see how Joey would react.

  Years ago, Joe had adopted Raven so he’d be eligible for land ownership. It wasn’t meant to establish a father-son relationship, rather it represented sponsorship and great friendship. Raven had taken Joe’s last name out of gratitude for Joe selling the camp land to the tribe.

  Whether Snow Song liked it or not, Raven planned to secure her future. “I’m glad to hear that. Then you have no reservations about marrying her,” he said, further testing Joey.

  Snow Song let out a frustrated noise. “Don’t talk about me as though I’m not here! That’s between me and Joey!”

  Joey rose to Raven’s challenge, knowing that he was questioning his commitment to Snow Song. “No reservations whatsoever, sir.”

  Raven hadn’t expected that and one of his brows arched in surprise.

  “Joey, don’t let him intimidate you! He’s just being a bully.”

  Joey smiled at her. “No, he’s being a father, that’s all. He’s not intimidating me. He’s just lookin’ out for his little girl, honey. If I had no intention of marrying you, I’d say so. You know me; I say what I feel.”

  “We’re too young,” Snow Song said. “Besides, this isn’t how I want to be proposed to!”

  Raven felt badly about that, but he knew from the physical way he’d seen the two of them interact that they weren’t going to stop that side of their relationship. The only way that would be curtailed is if they were constantly under watchful eyes, and even then, they would find a way to be together.

  His daughter was tricky and brave—a bad combination for a parent to have in a teenaged child. Even he, a trained warrior, hadn’t known she had left the house. Maybe he was getting soft. Of course, she’d been raised Lakota so moving silently had been ingrained in her.

  She could become pregnant no matter how careful they were, if at all. He didn’t want his daughter to marry because she’d gotten in trouble. He wanted her to marry for love, the same way he and Zoe had.

  “She’s right about that,” Joey said. “That sort of thing should be left to the beau. Besides, you haven’t even given me permission to court her, let alone marry her.”

  Raven couldn’t stay completely serious in the face of Joey’s disarming smile. His mouth curved upwards as he thought about what his father would do. If Black Fox had taught him anything over the years, it was to not rush to judgement and to give stressful situations careful consideration before acting. This was a decision that Zoe and he should make together. “Come back tomorrow night at seven and bring your parents. We’ll discuss this then.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll do that. Thank you for not saying no right away,” Joey said.

  He quickly kissed Snow Song’s cheek and ran off, throwing a devilish grin back at them before disappearing from sight. Snow Song glared at Raven before walking away angrily. Raven sighed and waited a moment before following her to their house.

  *****

  Sawyer hopped up the steps with his crutches onto his grandparents’ front porch and opened the door. “Hi, Grandma.”

  “Oh, Sawyer,” she said, smiling. “Let me help you with the door.” Once she’d assisted him inside, she kissed his cheek. “How are you feeling today?”

  “Bored. Everyone is busy or in town.”

  Sympathy shone in her blue eyes. “In other words, you’re desperate for some company and since I’m the only one around …”

  Sawyer smiled at her unsaid meaning. “No, I’m not desperate. Actually, it’s nice to have a little time alone with you. Feel like making cookies?”

  Tessa laughed. “We always had the best time do
ing that, didn’t we?”

  “We’d get flour all over the kitchen, but we made the best cookies,” Sawyer said, sitting down at the kitchen table.

  “Yes, we did,” Tessa agreed. “Well, as you can see, I’m knee deep in all of this.” She waved her hands around at piles of pictures, journals, and other papers that littered the table and counters.

  Sawyer picked up a journal and opened it. The handwriting inside said it belonged to Marcus. “What are you doing?”

  “Well, at our library meeting last week, we decided to create a historical society since Dawson doesn’t have one. We’ve been collecting all sorts of things over the last couple of years, but we’re finally getting serious about doing something with it,” she said.

  Sawyer saw something he could do while he was laid up and said, “I’ll help organize it. There has to be tons of history here. We’ll have to put it in chronological order as best we can. We’ll have to cross-reference it all so that certain events in the journals and these other papers that coincided can be put together.”

  Tessa’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “You sound just like D.J. He’s always been such a stickler about that sort of thing.”

  “Who do you think taught me?”

  “Let me run this idea by you. I don’t want all of this made into some crusty, dry book that nobody will ever want to read. I want it to be dramatic and exciting. I want the history of Dawson to come alive for the people who read it a hundred or so years from now,” she said. “I think it should be a novel—but factual, of course.”

  Sawyer looked around at the mountain of material. “There’s no way all of this can be put into just one book. It’s still going to be a history book of sorts, Grandma.”

  “Not if it’s done correctly.”

  As a famous novelist, Tessa’s mind worked more in the fictional realm, but she always tried to research subjects thoroughly to have the most accurate depictions possible.