by DiAnn Mills
Again, he laughed aloud, and the sound reverberated around the house. God had a sense of humor. Nothing about Zack’s life of late followed any traditional rules. Watching the events of the next few months would be an adventure for sure. He pulled the key from his pocket and was careful to lock both doors.
I can’t wait to show Chloe. I hope she loves the house as much as I do.
Chapter 18
Chloe waved at Miss Scott as the older woman entered the boardinghouse with the twins in tow. From the looks of the two children, tutoring must have been hard today. Miss Scott carried a bundle wrapped in brown paper. Most likely the clothes she’d promised.
“Good afternoon,” Chloe said. “How was school this beautiful Wednesday?”
“Hard.” Curly frowned. “But Miss Scott is helping us learn stuff.”
Chloe muffled a laugh.
“She’s helping us learn a lot so we’ll be smart like the other kids.” Charlie glared at her brother. “And we’re making a Christmas present for Poppy. Two of ’em.”
Chloe gasped, then smiled, “Two Christmas presents for Poppy? I can hardly wait to see them.”
“We can tell you.” Curly glanced at his sister. “Right?”
“’Course. Miss Chloe won’t tell Poppy.” Charlie peered all around. “We don’t want anyone to give away our secret.”
“I agree.” Chloe stepped from behind the registration desk and bent down toward the children. “No one will hear down here. We’ll whisper. And I promise not to tell anyone.”
“I’m making a book about when he found us in New York and what happened.” Charlie tilted her head. “We don’t want him to ever forget.”
“Uh, Charlie, I want him to forget that we took his wallet.” Curly pointed a finger at his sister’s face, much like she often did to him.
Charlie touched her finger to her lip. “Yeah, but good things happened after that. Remember how Grandma says God takes bad things and makes them good for all the people who love Him?”
“All right. Can I tell my present now?”
Charlie nodded.
“She forgot to say that we’re making Christmas ornaments out of paper. They’re stars, and we’ve colored them.”
“Oh, that sounds beautiful.” Chloe watched the light dance in his eyes and ruffled his red curls.
“And I’m making him a little bird feeder,” Curly said. “I put peanut butter on a pinecone and then put seeds on top so the birds won’t get hungry.”
“Magnificent. He will be so happy with your gifts. Your poppy is a very lucky man.”
“We love him very much. Do you love our poppy, too?” Charlie said.
How did Chloe answer that question?
“I do.” Miss Scott said. “Everyone who meets your poppy loves him. I loved him when he was a little boy the same age as you and Curly.”
Chloe smiled up at the woman with all the gratitude she could muster.
“Poppy says he’s not perfeck—”
“Perfect,” Charlie said. “The word is perfect. You have to work harder on sayin’ words right.”
Curly narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. “I was tellin’ Miss Scott and Miss Chloe that Poppy says we should always try our best.”
“Very good,” Miss Scott said. “These two have had a long day.” She smiled at Chloe. “I think I will give them a little game to play at the table so you and I can chat—if you have a few moments.”
“I am all caught up right now.” She hugged the twins then stood to face the dear woman. “I believe Simeon has corn bread and milk left from lunch. Would you like for me to get the twins a piece with a little butter and honey?”
“Yes, please,” they said.
“A splendid idea,” Miss Scott said. “But I’ll take care of getting the corn bread for Curly and Charlie. You finish up what you need to, and then I have exciting news to share.”
I think you’d rather see Simeon, and he’d rather see you than me. Chloe went about her duties, knowing Miss Scott’s retrieval of corn bread and milk would take a little time. She closed the ledger and placed it in its proper spot. How she longed for Miss Scott and Simeon to find real love together.
Once Miss Scott had the twins nibbling on corn bread and working on a word game, she ventured into the parlor and admired the beginnings of the Christmas decorations.
“Once we have a tree up and decorated, we’ll have the parlor finished.”
“We, as in you and Mr. Barton?”
Chloe sighed.
“Is the situation any better?”
“Actually it’s worse. The sad part is I feel sorry for him. I can’t be what he wants. Neither do I want to be. Yet without a doubt, I’d like for him to find happiness.”
Miss Scott frowned. “I’m so sorry. Zack will simply have to propose so Mr. Barton can turn his affections elsewhere.”
Chloe nearly choked. “Miss Scott, I hardly think a proposal will happen in the near future. Maybe never.”
The woman clicked her tongue. “I am quite observant, and you two are deeper in love than anyone I’ve seen in a long time.” She handed Chloe the bundle. “These are the items I promised you. I think you’ll be pleased. I learned from a good source that the clothes came from another town. No need to worry about a contributor seeing you wear her dresses and embarrassing you.”
Chloe’s face warmed. “I am grateful. Thank you for thinking of me.”
“I’m thinking of you all the time. You are very dear to me, and your happiness gives me much pleasure.” Miss Scott folded her hands in front of her, and a smile lit her face. “I have exciting news. My niece from Dallas is coming to spend Christmas with me.”
“You mean Rose, the daughter of your oldest brother?”
“Yes, she’s a few years older than you and is almost finished with college. She’ll graduate in the spring.”
“I remember your telling me about her. Doesn’t she plan to be a teacher?”
Miss Scott laughed. “Just like me. I’m so proud of her, and to think she plans to spend a few weeks with me at Christmas. It’s a shame Eli has taken off. Rose might have been able to help him.” She wiggled her shoulders. “My obstinate brother, Eli’s father, claims his son is better off dead. Can you imagine? I told him he was wrong and cruel to say such things. Then he asked me to leave his home and not come back.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“Oh, one day the Lord will grab my brother by the collar and straighten him up.”
Her response startled Chloe. Normally the woman chose her words carefully before she spoke. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”
“With my brother, it will be his one hundredth. Never mind. I wanted you to know how excited I am about Rose’s visit.”
“When is she coming?”
“Sunday the seventeenth and she’ll stay until the twenty-ninth. I want all my friends to meet her. She is quite lovely and very intelligent.”
“That sounds delightful. I’m looking forward to putting a face and a smile with all the wonderful things you have said about her. And you will have someone to share Christmas with you.”
Miss Scott leaned closer. “Simeon and I wanted to spend part of Christmas Day together, but we were concerned about the lack of a chaperone.”
Cupid has definitely sent his arrows into Simeon’s and Miss Scott’s hearts. “Your problem is solved, and I’m glad your relationship is blossoming.”
Miss Scott’s cheeks flushed. “I’ve told Rose about Simeon, and she is anxious to meet him.”
Chloe blinked back the tears. “Of all the people in this town, you are the one who most deserves the contentment and joy of love.”
“I’m not sure what I deserve, but I am happy. Simeon thinks . . .” This time Miss Scott’s eyes welled up.
“What? You can tell me.”
“Well, he thinks my idea of adopting a street child or two from New York is grand. He says I look as young as a girl. And if our relationship continues to grow, we could raise the children to
gether.”
Chloe put her arms around the older woman’s shoulder, and in the next moment, both of them were weeping.
“We need to stop this,” Miss Scott said. “I feel rather foolish.”
“I will if you will.”
“All right.” Miss Scott pulled away from Chloe’s embrace. “I’ll count to three, and then we stop this silly schoolgirl nonsense. I never thought a man would make me feel so giddy.” She took a breath. “One, two, three.”
Chloe reached inside her pocket for a handkerchief and dabbed her nose. “It didn’t work.”
Then they laughed until they cried again.
*****
In the privacy of her room, Chloe sorted through the bundle of clothes from Miss Scott. One green dress and a black skirt and white blouse seized her attention. They were nearly new. Quickly she shed her worn dress and slipped into the deep green one with its slightly gored skirt and full sleeves. It fit nicely. How wonderful to have something new and different to wear for Christmas. She removed it and folded it on her bed. Next she tried on the shirtwaist blouse and skirt. The two also fit. These could be worn to church beginning this Sunday. Included in the bundle were much-needed undergarments and a pair of shoes. Tears filled her eyes. Zack would never have said a thing about her lack of clothing, but she always wondered what he thought. No matter. With these additional garments, she no longer had to concern herself about embarrassing him. Slipping her feet into the button-up shoes, she noted they were a tiny bit too large. Better that the shoes were too big than too snug, causing her feet to ache. She could wear thick woolen stockings for a better fit.
Holding up the green dress, she thought how grand Christmas would be when she presented herself in something that befit Zack’s family. Not that they cared what she wore, but Chloe did. She wanted Zack to be proud of her. And now he would be.
*****
“The deed to the Carroll place is clear and ready for you to take over.” Morgan handed Zack the document. “I’ve had my eye on that piece of property for a long time. Glad to see you’re able to buy it.”
“The twins and I need to leave the boardinghouse before we’re thrown out. But it’s a surprise. I want to tell the family at Christmas.”
“Fine by me. Mind if I tell Casey?”
“I’d expect you to.” Zack tapped his finger on the desktop in Morgan’s office. “Uh, you and Aunt Casey have been married a lot of years.”
“We have, and every one gets better. Good times are a gift from God, and the hard ones move us closer to Him and to each other.”
Zack’s pulse quickened with the thoughts rolling through his mind. “You two always seem so happy.”
“And we are. The worst part of our relationship was before we were married. No secret my sweet wife was an outlaw, and I was a bloodthirsty fool. Once we realized what God had purposed for us, we put Him at the head of our lives.” Morgan tilted back in his chair. “All teasing aside, with you and Chloe, let your old uncle give you a little advice. Children will gray your hair and cause you to wonder what you were thinking when you had them—I suppose that has already happened with the twins. Difficult times with money and differences of opinion will cause you two to fuss. But remember, if God has put you together, then grab on to her hand and fight for your love.”
Zack smiled. “Thanks. I have no idea what the future holds for Chloe and me, but I’ve loved her since she was eight and I was fourteen.”
“Bonnie said she remembered your bringing an extra sandwich every day to school for a little girl and protecting her from school kids who teased her about being part Indian and poor.”
“That was Chloe.”
Morgan laughed. “I think you swallowed the hook way back then.”
“I believe so.”
“Zack, I could loan you the money for the mortgage, and—”
“No thanks. I appreciate the offer, but I want to go through the bank. The idea of owing a family member money sounds like the start of bad feelings.”
Morgan smiled. “You sound like your father. I’m sure he’s looking down from heaven and proud of you. Before I forget it, I expect to hear any day from the judge in New York. I’d think he’d want the matter settled with the twins before Christmas.”
“That would set my mind at ease.”
“All you’d need then is a weddin’ ring for Chloe.”
The teasing was heading his way, and he might as well be prepared for it. Zack fished for the right words. “Not yet. I want the twins good and secure first. They lost both parents and had no one to help them through the grieving. They were abandoned, cold, and hungry. As much as I love Chloe, I can’t risk frightening them with the prospect of losing my love. I know the Bible says my first priority is to be my wife, and I will honor that. But until I am married, I am devoted to my twins.”
Morgan reached out and grasped his hand. “God bless you, Zack.” Then he grinned. “I’m glad you’re not denying what you feel for Chloe.”
Zack laughed and pointed a finger at him. “I need to get back to the newspaper office and see what Hank and Gil are up to.”
“I thought after our heart-to-heart talk, you’d volunteer to help me decorate the outside of my office to look like Christmas or at least offer free advertising at the paper.”
“Right. Painless Lawyer?” He dipped his hands into his pockets and turned them inside out.
Chapter 19
Saturday afternoon, with the temperatures in the low sixties, Zack escorted his children to the town square where everyone gathered to trim the town’s tree. Morgan and Casey had planted the nineteen-foot fir twenty years ago for this very purpose.
“Poppy, this feels like summer, not winter.” Curly shrugged off his jacket. “I’m gettin’ hot.”
Charlie tugged at her jacket, too. “I’m glad we live where it’s warm.”
Zack took Curly’s jacket and helped Charlie with hers. “Me, too. I don’t know if I could handle slipping on any more ice.”
Their little faces shot up at him, and he laughed. “I’m teasing.”
Young and old crowded around the tree and talked until Mayor George Kahler quieted them.
“Good afternoon,” he said. “And Merry Christmas.”
The crowd echoed back their greeting.
“We have some wonderful folks here today who have volunteered to lead groups for decorating the tree. Miss Scott will take the children over to my right. My lovely wife is assisting a group of our older citizens to the left, and I’ll help the rest of you. Or should I say, the rest of you need to help me.”
Laughter rose from the crowd.
“I promise not to sing. But you folks can sing every Christmas song you know. Some of you already have your storefronts ready for the season, and they look real fine.” He pointed to the new pastor of the Lutheran church. “Pastor Schwamp, I sure like the nativity scene in the front yard of your church.” He gestured to three tables behind him. “Enjoy the fun, and when we’re finished, several of our ladies have cookies and cakes for us. Jacob Barton from the boardinghouse has brought hot apple cider. The town here appreciates his hosting a dinner on Christmas Eve for those in the community who have no family to share Christmas with. Anyone who wants to volunteer at the boardinghouse restaurant that evening, please see Jacob.”
Had Jacob closed the feed store for today’s event? He surely hadn’t closed the boardinghouse so Simeon and Chloe could attend the community tree trimming. Zack shook his head. It was wrong to condemn the man because he shared an interest in Chloe, and she couldn’t be here due to work responsibilities. Jacob is a good man, despite our love for the same woman. Forgive me, Lord.
Gathering up Curly’s and Charlie’s hands, Zack wove his way through the crowd to Miss Scott. He’d already offered to help her with the little ones, and he was beginning to wonder if he’d taken leave of his senses. The twins were hard enough to handle without a dozen more children. He also wanted to take note of what the other folks were doing to trim
the tree so he could mention it in an article. Gil was here with his oldest child, while Hank was working hard at the paper with the typesetters.
A glance around the crowd revealed at least fifty Kahler cousins. Uncle George and Aunt Ellen’s children were busy. On the eve of Christmas Day, he and the twins would be at Uncle George and Aunt Ellen’s for a Kahler celebration. Curly and Charlie would be worn out the next day after all the festivities, but Lydia Anne had promised to come early the morning after Christmas so Curly and Charlie could rest while Zack worked.
He missed Chloe. She should be here beside him. He saw Jacob at the edge of the crowd talking to some folks. The man must have sensed Zack’s gaze, for he nodded in his direction. Zack waved and turned back to the task of stringing popcorn. He snatched up a handful of it and a long piece of string that already had a needle attached to it. Bending to the twins’ level, he showed them how to carefully insert the needle into the popcorn kernel without sticking themselves. Each child was to contribute to the decorations and be assured they’d played a vital part in trimming the town’s community tree. Large baskets of fruit, nuts, paper ornaments, and tinsel set on and around the tables for young and old. The adults were in charge of wiring the candles on the evergreen branches, and all hoped the tree didn’t go up in flames. Oh for the day when Kahlerville would have electricity. The Christmas trees in New York looked grand with the lights and trimmings.
“Don’t you wish Grandma and Grandpa were here?” Curly said.
“They are.” Zack pointed to a far group.
“Goodie.” Charlie jumped up and down. “Grandma. Grandpa.”
“We’ll head over there as soon as we’re finished here.”
“Why couldn’t Miss Chloe come?” Charlie tilted her little round head.
“She’s working.”
The little girl frowned. “Next to you, I love her best.”
Zack understood. With Chloe, the four of them were complete, as close to a family as they could be right now. He stood and waved at his aunt Ellen. When he turned his attention back to the twins, he saw Jacob had walked his way.
“Afternoon, Zack. Who’s mindin’ the paper?”