by Zina Abbott
Annie caught a sob in her throat. How many years had it been that she had longed to hug a man she could love and trust, a man who chose to share his love with her, not one who only sought to take from her?
Isaiah sighed with contentment. For years, he had dreamed of being able to hold his sweet Annie in his embrace. His yearning for this and so much more had disturbed his sleep more nights than he could count. He loved that she was a big woman with a broad back that completely filled his arms. He smiled and nuzzled her neck once he felt her body relax against his, her curves molding against his frame. They stood that way for minutes, both ignoring the passing of time. Isaiah could feel the calm when it finally descended upon Annie.
Slowly, Isaiah grazed his chin whiskers across Annie’s cheek until their lips met. He kept their first kiss gentle, not willing to risk frightening her so that she skittered away from him. He finally had her, and did not want to give her any reason to leave. Gratified that she immediately responded and kissed him back, he continued to tenderly kiss her. He wanted to tighten his hold on her even more and deepen his kisses. Instead, he held back from expressing the passion he felt for her.
Somehow, he sensed that she struggled with past experiences and her own fears about herself. He took solace in remembering that she already said she would marry him. She had offered before he had taken the chance to ask her. She was his. Once she worked things out in her mind, she would be able to totally give herself to him without the ghosts of the past wearing away at her. He could wait.
Isaiah broke off their kissing with a quick peck. He once again pressed his cheek against the side of her face next to her eye and whispered in her ear.
“How soon you want to wed?”
Annie stiffened at his words. She pulled away to face him, resting her hands on Isaiah’s shoulders. Isaiah loosened his hold, keeping his hands gently pressed against the sides of her waist.
“Isaiah, when I said I’d marry you, you was a-talkin’ about when you’d muster out of the Army and be a-lookin’ for work before you got your own place. When you’d be a-ranchin’, not a-soldierin’. That’s when I was a-thinkin’. I’d marry you right now, except I can’t go back to the fort to live. I just can’t.”
Isaiah nodded his head, trying to understand. She had already agreed to go to the fort for New Year’s Eve and attend the dance with him. What was the difference between that and going back to live with him until he mustered out?
Annie continued.
“The Claytons have been real good to me, taking me and the youngsters on even though they’re a-losin’ money on their ranch in this depression. And now, with Mrs. Clayton in the family way, she’s a-needin’ my help more than ever. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton, they only been married six months, but she’s bigger than she ought to be for as far along as she is.”
“Maybe they got an early start on their honeymoon,” Isaiah chuckled.
Annie shook her head.
“If you knew Mrs. Clayton like I do, you wouldn’t be a-thinkin’ that. I guess it’s because she’s a twin.”
In the moonlight pouring through the opening to the back porch, Annie watched Isaiah’s forehead wrinkle with confusion. She explained.
“Nanny Griggs, my old midwife back in Kentucky who helped me birth Samuel and Arletta? She once told me twins can run in families. Sometimes, there’s not enough room for them inside, so they birth early. A lot of them don’t make it if they come into the world too soon. Some who birth early and live still got problems. Their lungs aren’t ready or their eyes aren’t ready or some such. I’m a-guessin’ the reason Thea’s half blind is ’cause she and her twin birthed early and her eyes weren’t all that ready.”
“I see,” said Isaiah, hiding his disappointment. He wondered how long Annie would feel obligated to stay and help Mrs. Clayton with her new baby. Or babies.
“I can’t leave no time soon because then all the heavy work around the house would fall to her and those girls. She’ll try to do too much. That could bring on her a-birthin’ too soon. Then, once the baby’s birthed, whether it’s one or two, she’ll be a-needin’ extra help for months after.”
Annie studied Isaiah’s face, her own expression imploring him to understand.
“And then, there’s my two. Isaiah, I can’t take Samuel back to the fort, not with his memories of his pa there and how things were when we left. He’s a-doin’ real good here. I can’t take him away from this and go back there.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. He’s finally a-gettin’ through his schoolin’ here. Mr. Clayton told Samuel he don’t have no use for more ignorant ranch hands. He told Samuel he’s got to take lessons with Mrs. Clayton in the mornings. He’s got to be polite to Mrs. Clayton and learn his readin’ and writin’ and figures. Sam’s been a-doin’ it, too, a lot better than at the school at the fort. Then, after dinner, Mr. Clayton shows him a thing or two, lets him work in the barn and help with the small animals to earn pay toward his own clothes and such. I’m afeared he’d backslide somethin’ awful if I was to take him back to the fort.”
“Reckon you got a good point there, Annie.”
“Letta, now, she’ll be tickled when she hears we’re a-gettin’ wed. But, she’s a-doin’ real good with Mrs. Clayton, too, learnin’ faster than when she was at the fort. Plus, in the afternoons, Mrs. Clayton and Victoria been a-teachin’ her fancy stitchin’, singin’ and such. I’d like her to have a little more time of that. Then again, I’m not sure how much of that Mrs. Clayton’s a-goin’ to be able to do once she’s got a baby to tend.”
“We won’t move to the fort, Annie. If we wed before I muster out, you and your youngsters can stay here, give the Claytons time to find other help. I’ll just do my visiting when I can get some leave.”
“We got to get my youngsters used to the idea we’re a-goin’ to marry. Especially Samuel. It really hurt that boy the way his pa neglected him. But still, he’s fiercely loyal to his pa.”
Isaiah nodded in agreement.
“And, Isaiah? I’m not a-wantin’ to start our honeymoon early. It’s not right. Besides, for years I lived with the shame of Samuel’s birth date in my Bible a-bein’ three months after my marriage date the next page over. I want better for our babies.”
“I wouldn’t ask it of you, Annie. I want everything about our marriage to be right, start to finish. When you’re ready, we’ll find a way to wed first.”
“Thank you, Isaiah,” A sob of gratitude caught in Annie’s voice as she clutched Isaiah to her, burying her face in his neck. Isaiah, noticing that she was starting to quiver from the cold, opened the jacket and wrapped it around Annie as far as it would stretch, hoping to share some of his warmth with her. The two stood holding each other in the cold of the night, oblivious to the magic the moonlight spread over the snow-covered yard. Both felt reluctant to end the physical and emotional closeness that bound them together.
Finally, Isaiah could no longer ignore Annie’s shivering or the noises coming from the kitchen.
“Speaking of your youngsters, it sounds like they’re back from visiting the Claytons.”
Annie raised her head to listen to the scuffing of furniture and the whispered bickering taking place on the other side of the door.
“We better go back in or Samuel will be asking if I was stepping out with you in the dark again,” Isaiah chuckled. “Besides, my sweet Annie, you look like you’re getting a mite cold.” Reluctantly, he let Annie go and returned the borrowed jacket to its peg.
Isaiah took the opportunity to one last time wrap his arms around Annie and kiss her. He inhaled as he leaned away from her, savoring the moment before returning to join the children in the kitchen.
Annie put her hand on the door to open it. She immediately felt resistance coming from the other side.
“No! Not yet, Ma,” Arletta’s muffled voice penetrated the door. Annie and Isaiah could hear Arletta’s loud whisper directed toward her brother, “Hurry up, Sammy.”
“I keep a-
tellin’ you. It’s Sam! I’m about done.”
Annie and Isaiah glanced at each other. Even in the deep shadow cast by the moon shining from behind them, they knew the other was grinning.
“What do you reckon those two are up to?” Isaiah chuckled.
“Don’t know.”
Next they heard the sound of a chair being scraped across the floor. The door cracked open, held in place by Arletta who was backlit by the kitchen lantern.
“You all can come in now,” she said breathlessly. She continued to hold the door at an angle as if guiding them so they ended up standing where she wanted them placed. Samuel stood a several feet behind his sister, his hands hanging at his sides. As soon as both Annie and Isaiah stepped completely into the room, Arletta quickly closed the door. She ran until she stood next to her brother.
Both Annie and Isaiah studied the two children, trying to figure out what they were doing.
“You been out a-walkin’ Ma in the dark again, Sgt. Jenkins?” Samuel asked.
“Nope. We just stepped out on the back stoop for a spell to look at the moon shining on the snow. Mighty pretty sight.”
“Mighty cold out there, I reckon.”
“Yup. Reckon that’s why we figured we’d best come on back inside.”
Annie started to step further into the room. Arletta threw up her hands, palms out, to stop her.
“No, Ma. Stay right there.” Then, waving the fingers of her right hand, she said, “Maybe step that way just a mite. Okay, that’s far enough. Stop.”
Isaiah and Annie glanced at each other, both puzzled. They turned back toward the children. Samuel stood stiffly in place as if he was a soldier on the parade ground at the fort standing at attention. Arletta’s grin filled her face as she clasped her hands behind her back and rocked heel to toe. Filled with expectation, both children stared at Annie and Isaiah.
Annie couldn’t stand the suspense any longer.
“What’re you two up to?”
Samuel raised his hand and pointed to a spot above her head. Both of the adults looked up. Then they smiled.
Not long after the cold weather had arrived, Annie has strung a rope across the kitchen just below the ceiling from the far corner to the door jamb so that in the winter between meals she had something on which hang wet dishtowels and newly washed unmentionables to dry. A sprig of mistletoe was now attached to that line.
Arletta bounced up and down with excitement. “It’s the mistletoe game. Mrs. Clayton showed us how it works. Sgt. Jenkins is supposed to kiss you, Ma.”
“Sam,” Isaiah said, focusing on the boy, “It okay with you if I kiss your ma?”
Annie and Isaiah watched the discomfort settle on Samuel’s face as he considered Isaiah’s question.
“I guess.” Samuel looked down at his feet and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s only a game.”
Isaiah slid his arms around Annie and pulled her into his embrace. He gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. As the two broke apart, they turned back toward the children. Arletta stood with her shoulders hunched up and her hands clasped in front of her face while she tried to suppress a giggle.
However, it was the scowl on Samuel’s face that captured the pair’s attention.
“You’re not a-doin’ it right. You’re supposed to kiss her on her cheek.”
Isaiah rubbed his whiskers as if giving Samuel’s words serious consideration.
“That so, Sam? Guess for a moment I forgot how this game works. Reckon I better try it again, see if I can do it right this time. Now, Annie—er—Mrs. Murdock, I’m all for making sure you’re standing right under that mistletoe. Then we’re going to have another go at it. Now, turn your cheek out, just so...”
After making a production of positioning Annie so that she stood directly under the sprig of greenery, Isaiah leaned towards her and gave her a noisy, lip-smacking kiss on her cheek. Afterward, he turned back to Samuel for approval.
“Did I get it done right this time, Sam?”
Samuel raised his eyes to meet Isaiah’s for a moment before he dropped his head and again studied the floor.
“I guess.”
“My turn,” chirped Arletta bouncing across the floor. “I want a kiss under the mistletoe.”
“Why, of course, little darlin’,” Isaiah said as he stepped toward Arletta. Annie, a smile on her face, moved to the side as Isaiah took her daughter’s hand and gently guided her toward the mistletoe. Using both hands, he made a production of positioning her so she stood directly beneath the sprig. Then be bent over and gave her offered cheek a peck that sent Arletta into a fit of giggles.
“Your turn, Sam,” Isaiah said turning to the boy. “Come over here and give Letta a little kiss under the mistletoe.”
“Ew, no! She’s my sister!”
“Why, Sam, you can still kiss your sister on the cheek for Christmas. Didn’t Mrs. Clayton tell you that part when she taught you the game?”
The boy adamantly shook his head no.
“I kissed Mrs. Clayton and Victoria and even Vera. But I told Mrs. Clayton I wasn’t a-goin’ to kiss Letta because she’s my sister.”
“Well, then, little Letta,” Isaiah said, his arms akimbo, “it looks like ol’ Sgt. Jenkins, here, gets to give you another kiss to make up for Sam not giving you a kiss on account of him being your brother. Don’t want you to get short-changed none. Turn your cheek up so’s I can reach it real easy.”
Eyes sparkling with excitement, Arletta did as she was told. After Isaiah gave her the second kiss on the cheek, Arletta clapped and bounced across the kitchen.
“Isn’t the mistletoe game fun, Ma? I like Sgt. Jenkins kissing me instead of Sammy.”
“Sam!”
“Arletta, please try to remember to call your brother ‘Sam.’” Annie gently corrected her daughter. “You can consider it your Christmas present to him.”
Her words won a grateful glance from her son.
“What’s he going to give me for a Christmas present, Ma?”
“I’m sure he’ll think of something, Letta. Won’t you, Sam?”
“I guess,” Sam mumbled, tapping his toe against the floor.
“All right,” Letta said. Then, muttering under her breath, she twirled in a circle while she repeated, “Sam. Sam. Sam.”
“All right, Annie, you need to step right back under this mistletoe one more time,” Isaiah said as he pulled her into position. “Sam, you maybe didn’t want to kiss your sister, but you need to give your ma a kiss for Christmas.”
Frowning, Samuel straightened to his full height.
“I’m too old to kiss my ma.”
Isaiah once again thoughtfully scratched his chin.
“You love your ma, don’t you, Sam?”
“Yeah. But a man don’t go around a-kissin’ his ma all the time.”
“Well, Sam, I reckon I recall when I got too old to be kissing my ma all the time. But, there’s still times you need to show your Ma you love her. And the one time it’s okay to kiss your ma is at Christmas under the mistletoe. I bet she’d figure that’d be a real nice Christmas present. How about it, Sam?”
The boy thought about Isaiah’s words. He reluctantly stepped toward his mother. Annie bent over so he could reach her cheek with his lips. As he finished his kiss, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him tight against her.
“Ma!”
Annie released Samuel and stood up straight, her hands on his shoulders.
“Thank you, Sam. That was the best Christmas present ever.”
Worried that she was being left out, Arletta immediately ran to Annie and tugged on her skirt.
“I want to give you my Christmas kiss for a present, too.”
Annie pulled her daughter in her arms and offered her cheek for a kiss.
“Thank you, Letta. That was also the best Christmas present ever.”
“I want to give Sgt. Jenkins a kiss under the mistletoe, too.”
Arletta grabbed Isaiah’s hand and tugged him in plac
e. He stooped over so his face was at the same level as hers and pointed to his cheek.
“Right here, Letta, just above the whiskers.”
“It’s good Mrs. Clayton taught us the mistletoe game, huh, Ma?” asked Arletta as she finished her kiss.
“It sure is. Did you have fun with the Claytons?”
“Sure did. And not just because they taught us the mistletoe game. They gave us presents!”
“Yeah! We didn’t have to wait for morning to get a present after all, Ma,” said Samuel, excitement in his voice. “Here, let me show you what Mrs. Clayton made for me. I put it in your room so’s I could hang the mistletoe. Be back right quick.”
“Me, too! I want to show you my present, too,” Arletta sang out as she skipped after her brother.
Samuel returned with a knit wool muffler of madder red yarn wrapped twice around his neck and the lower half of his face. Only his eyes showed over the top. Once he stood within a few feet of his mother, he pulled the wrapping down so he could talk.
“Don’t this look just great, Ma. This’ll keep me real warm when I’m outside a-workin’. Mrs. Clayton made one just like it for Mr. Clayton, too, only his is blue.”
“That’s right special, Sam. You remembered to thank her, didn’t you?”
“Yes, Ma, I surely did,” Sam said impatiently.
“Look, Ma. Look at my present.” Using her hip, Arletta knocked her brother out of the way in her enthusiasm to show off the white muslin pinafore with ruffles across the shoulder straps.
Annie could see that across the front yoke Thea had used strands of the madder red yard to embroider a floral pattern using a daisy chain stitch.
Touched, her eyes watered as she realized that Thea had been with her when she picked out the calico with small white and blue flowers on a red background. Thea had designed the pinafore so it would match the dress perfectly. Even though the two women had come from different parts of the country and from levels of society, Annie could not help but consider Thea Clayton one of the truest women friends she had ever had.