Meg saw her putting her hands to her mouth and quickly ran from her seat to take whatever Luella was holding away from her. The toddler took one look at Meg and sniffled twice.
Meg heard footsteps coming back up the stairs, but she didn’t turn around. As soon as Luella saw the men come through the door, she took a deep breath, put her head back and screamed.
Chapter 9
“No! No. Honey, stop crying,” Meg said picking up the little girl. She bounced the child in her arms.
“What happened?” Cole asked sharply, taking Luella from her arms. Meg felt the loss instantly.
“N-n-nothing,” Meg stammered.
“A little girl doesn’t cry over nothing.”
Meg held her hand out, a flat button sitting in her palm. “I took this from her. I didn’t want her to choke.”
Luella lunged for the button, but Cole turned her away. “There is nothing to cry over. Let’s find you something else to play with.”
Minnie returned. “Let me take her. I’ll get her a clean diaper and get her ready for the trip home.”
Cole relinquished the child and turned back to Meg. “I apologize for snapping at you. This evening has been…” he lifted his hand. “I don’t even have words to describe it.”
“I understand. I understand if you don’t want to get married. You have a lovely family…”
“What? Meg, I’m not changing my mind. I just had to get my head around us having two extra people at the house.”
“So, you are taking Agnes and Roscoe home with us?”
“Yes. With us. It is going to be your home too, so your family becomes my family.” He sighed. “I guess this means the children will have grandparents too.”
Meg wanted to throw her arms around Cole, but she thought he might be uncomfortable with such a grand gesture. She clasped her hands together tightly. “Thank you very much.”
Cole took her hand. It felt warm without the gloves in between them. “We need to get married tonight unless you want to wait until Spring.”
“Spring?”
“Yes. Now we have two other folks staying with us; I wouldn’t have to worry about your reputation. We won’t be back until the spring thaw.”
“Don’t you want to get married now?” Meg felt her bottom lip start to quiver. Phillip pushed off marrying her for as long as possible, and now the man in front of her was trying to do the same. Meg brushed a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand.
“I do want to get married now. I just wanted to make sure you are comfortable.”
“Let’s do it tonight.”
Cole nodded and released her hand. “I’ll go get the preacher.”
“Why don’t I come with you?”
“Alright. Let me tell Minnie where we are going.”
It only took a minute for Cole to disappear into the kitchen. “I told her we would be right back. Let’s get your coat on and we can walk down the road.”
Meg nodded and followed Cole back down to the mercantile. The lights were dimmed since the store was closed. He led her to the woodstove. Meg noticed bricks on top of the stove and underneath the potbelly frame. “What are those for?”
Cole held out her coat and Meg slipped her arms inside. “To keep us warm on the way home.”
“How far it is?” The thought of another long ride made Meg want to cry.
“Once we leave it will take about an hour to go up the mountain to the house.”
“Oh, that isn’t too far.”
“Once we get there, we probably won’t be able to leave until Spring.”
“Does the snow get that high?”
“Sometimes it drifts right up to the roof.”
“Oh goodness.”
Cole opened the door and a cold rush of air greeted Meg. She went outside and waited for him on the platform. The wagon was in front of the store. She could see that her trunks were already in the wagon, as well as several other items. Wooden crates and bags were pressed up against the side of the wagon bed.
How everyone was going to fit in the little space left, Meg didn’t know.
Cole shut the door and grabbed Meg’s hand. She wished she wasn’t wearing gloves so she could feel his hand.
They walked down past several houses, past a livery and another building and then stopped in front of a small wooden cottage. Cole knocked on the door twice.
A woman, a bit older than Meg answered the door. “Cole Tucker!” she exclaimed. “I thought we were coming down in about an hour.”
“Plans changed, Mrs. Adams. We need to head up the mountain tonight.”
Mrs. Adams moved out of the way to let them inside. “Tonight? It looks like snow.”
“I know. Will probably be the first bad snow of the season, so we need to hurry along.”
“Of course. Let’s go in here and I’ll go get the pastor.” She led them to a small room off the side of the house.
Meg looked around. The room was empty apart from a small pulpit and a cross hanging on the wall. There was a table with a vase of silk flowers, but nothing else. No chairs, no pictures, no window. Nothing.
Meg tightened her grip on Cole’s hand. He didn’t say anything but just looked down at her with those deep brown eyes. She wished she knew what was going on in his mind.
“Cole,” a thin, tall man said as he came into the room. “I thought we were meeting you at the Grant’s.”
“Plans changed. We need to get married now so I can head back up the mountain.”
“Yes, yes,” the preacher agreed. “It did smell like snow.”
“First major snowfall of the year.”
“Well I don’t want to keep you, so let’s get this done, shall we?” The preacher moved around Meg and pulled a dark robe from behind the door. “What is your name, dear?”
Meg moved out of the way. “Meg. I mean Margaret. Margaret Dasher.”
“Splendid. Do you have a middle name, Miss Dasher?”
“Theresa.”
“Margaret Theresa Dasher. Lovely name.” He turned to Cole as he threaded his arms through the sleeve of his robe. “Cole, what is your middle name?”
“James.”
“Splendid.” He held out his hand and directed them towards the pulpit. “Did you bring a ring?”
Cole released Meg’s hand and fished in his pocket before producing a round gold band that he handed to the preacher.
“Mrs. Adams will serve as a witness. Let us begin.” He motioned to Meg to move closer to Cole. “Dearly beloved…”
Meg looked in Cole’s eyes, not paying attention to the words the preacher was saying. He had a slight smile behind the whiskers. The snow had started to gather on his shoulder just from the short walk over. Meg reached up and brushed it away. Where was he several years ago when she was young and the perfect age to be a bride?
“Miss Dasher?”
“Oh!” Meg exclaimed looking at the preacher. “I am sorry. What did you say?”
The preacher gave a low chuckle. “Happens all the time. We are going to say your vows. Repeat after me.”
“I, Margaret Theresa Dasher…”
Meg repeated the phrase. And the next, and the one after that until her vows were complete. Then she looked at the preacher once more.
“Now your turn. Repeat after me. I, Colton James Tucker…”
Colton James Tucker. She knew her husband’s full name. Meg felt almost faint as Cole repeated the vows. His voice was strong as he said the words.
“And now the ring.”
The preacher gave Cole words to recite and he slipped the ring on her finger. She was now married.
“You may kiss your bride.”
Meg looked up at Colton. She still couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but she could have sworn it looked like excitement in his eyes.
Cole hesitated for only a moment, before cupping Meg’s face in his palms and leaning down to press their lips together, sealing the marriage.
It only lasted a second, but Meg wanted it t
o last much longer. He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “We’ll make this work, Mrs. Tucker.”
Mrs. Tucker.
She wanted to cry. She was now married to an honorable man, so why was she so upset. Perhaps it was that Agnes and Roscoe hadn’t seen her exchange vows.
Meg nodded. She turned to the preacher. “Thank you very much,” she said.
“My pleasure. I hope you come to services on Sunday when the weather breaks.”
“I would like that.”
Meg twisted the ring on her finger as Cole paid the reverend and signed a ledger. He then directed Meg to sign it as well. She wrote her full name. Margaret Theresa Dasher, and then crossed out Dasher and replaced it with Tucker. She handed the fountain pen back to the preacher who blotted the ink before closing the book.
“Come on Meg, we need to get our children and go home.”
Our children.
Meg hoped that she wouldn’t cry before they got home.
Chapter 10
Cole looked in the back of the wagon as the horses slowly climbed the incline back to the cabin. The snow was coming down harder now that they had reached a higher elevation.
In the back of the wagon, Roscoe laid down, with his head in Agnes’s lap. The boys were sitting on either side of them and Frank. Luella was curled up under a blanket directly behind the seat. Cole tucked the hot bricks around them before covering everyone with another blanket.
Cole wanted Meg to sit in the back of the wagon as well. He figured if everyone was together, they would stay warmer. But instead, she insisted on sitting upfront with him. She was nestled under a blanket pulled up to her chin. The snow was starting to gather on that bonnet with the wide brim.
“How’s the potato?” Cole asked softly.
Meg turned to look at him, the wide brim of her bonnet hitting him in the chin.
“I’m so sorry,” she said softly, peeking over her shoulder to see if everyone was sleeping. Frank blinked as he looked at her. His eyes were getting heavy. Hopefully, everyone would be asleep soon. The cold was making Meg tired. “They are still warm,” she said.
Meg was surprised when Minnie gave her two potatoes to slip in the pockets of her coat. Cole explained it would keep her hands warm for the ride home.
“We can use them tomorrow for supper.”
“Do you often repurpose things, Cole?” Meg softly asked.
“It isn’t an easy life out here. You know we can’t go to town often, so everything we buy has a purpose. Every animal has a purpose. Every piece of equipment, every tool has a purpose.”
“Minnie said you were a trapper. What do you trap?”
“I trap furs. Mostly small game. Rabbits, foxes, martins. Occasionally I get something larger in the trap. Like a lynx or a wolf.”
“What do you do with them?”
“I trade the fur for supplies and money. You don’t need a lot of money out here, because there aren’t many things to buy. I know Oskar has a catalog at the store where you can make purchases, but for the most part, we make do with what we have.”
Cole saw Meg open her mouth to ask another question when suddenly the sound of a howl could be heard in the distance.
Meg leaned into him. “What was that?”
“That was the sound of wolves.” Cole cupped his hand around his mouth and howled. “Try it.”
“I don’t know how.”
“It is fairly easy. Just cup your mouth and howl at the sky.”
A low mournful cry resounded across the night, followed by several other cries coming from different areas.
“What are they doing?” Meg whispered. Cole noticed she had moved closer to him on the wagon seat. He shifted the reins to one hand and put his other arm around her.
“They are talking to each other.”
“I wonder what they are saying.”
“It could be just greeting each other. Letting each other know where the boundaries are for their pack.”
“I saw wolves running next to the stagecoach on our way out here. The man on top shot two and the rest ran off. I didn’t realize that they were going after the horses.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “They were beautiful though. They reminded me of a large dog.”
“With very sharp teeth,” Cole said.
“Do they come around the cabin.”
“I’ve not seen any. But I know they are out there.”
“What other animals do you have in the woods?”
“Occasionally we get a bear that wanders through.”
“A bear?”
Cole nodded. “I try to scare them off, but if they insist on coming back, I put them in the smokehouse."
“You smoke them?”
“I salt the meat and smoke it, and it stores for a long time. Bear is mighty good eating.”
“I don’t know if I want to try that.”
“When you are hungry, you’ll eat almost anything,” he laughed.
Meg looked back out at the night. When the wolves howled again, she jumped a little in the seat.
“That scared me,” she said.
Cole pulled her closer. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He felt her nod and snuggle in under his arm.
Cole watched as her head nodded. They would be home soon. In the distance, a coyote added its voice to the cacophony of howls. Its high-pitched cry sounded different than the low mournful howl of the wolves.
He tsked to the horses to increase their tempo. His family would be home soon, and safe indoors from the sounds in the night.
Cole lifted his eyes to the sky. It was bright and clear with stars twinkling in the distance. He could see the shadow of snow clouds in the distance and a moon glowing from behind them. He said a little prayer of gratitude. It was a perfect winter’s night.
He heard the wolves agree.
Chapter 11
It took longer than planned to get home due to the weight of the wagon and the falling snow. By the time they arrived at the clearing where the cabin was, the moon was high in the sky. Everyone had a light dusting of snow on their coats and blankets.
Cole pulled up in front of the house and put the wagon in line with the front door. He gave Meg a little shake to wake her up. She rode nestled underneath his arm the entire way. He could feel her heat penetrating his coat. He didn’t want to disturb her, but he couldn’t very well just park the wagon in the barn and leave everyone there.
“Meg, honey,” he said softly. “We are at home. Wake up.”
Meg sat up on the bench and looked around. The blanket fell over her knees as she stretched her arms up to the sky. “I must have fallen asleep.”
“Let’s get the children in, and then we can get Roscoe and Agnes.” He climbed down from the wagon bench and reached over to assist Meg down. “Can you get Luella?” he asked.
Meg nodded and lifted the blanket. Luella squirmed as the cold air enveloped her. Cole heard Luella give a little cry as Meg picked her up.
Cole carried Jack inside. He must have put on weight in the past year, as Cole didn’t recall him being so heavy. He shifted the boy to his other shoulder, so he could unlatch the door and let them in.
“Their room is this way,” Cole said, leading Meg to a room off to the side of the house. She followed him inside the room. “Lulu sleeps over there on the floor.”
“Why the floor?” Meg asked as she crouched to lay the sleeping child down.
“If she was in a bed, she may fall out during the night. This way if she rolls, she doesn’t go anywhere.”
“How does she stay warm?”
“There is a fur underneath her mattress.”
Cole laid Jack down on his bed and began to shrug the young boy from his coat and boots. Jack could change in the morning. There wasn’t any point in getting him undressed. Cole lifted Jack’s legs under the covers and pulled the quilt up to his son’s chin.
He stood, stretching his back and watched Meg as she unbundled Luella before tucking her in. Wh
en she was done, he watched her lean over and press a kiss against Luella’s curly top.
She rolled back on her heels and Cole extended a hand to assist her to stand. When the hopped to her feet, she hopped too much and fell forward into Cole.
His arms immediately went around her and pulled her close. Her eyes flew open and her mouth slightly parted. Cole groaned. If she wasn’t wearing that silly bonnet, he would have leaned down to kiss her. Thoughts of the kiss from the wedding still ran through his mind. Her lips were soft, and Cole couldn’t wait to taste them properly.
“Pa? I’m tired.”
Cole released Meg and backed away. “Go to bed, Frank,” he said, moving to the bed to flip down the covers. Frank shucked his shoes and climbed under the blanket.
“Shouldn’t I get changed, Pa?” he asked.
“Not tonight. Just go to sleep, son.” He ruffled the boy’s hair.
When he turned around Meg was nowhere to be found. He walked to the kitchen to see her leading Roscoe through the door.
“I would have come out,” Cole said, worried about the sick man.
“I’m not dead yet, son,” Roscoe said to him.
Cole pulled out one of the wooden chairs from the table and guided Roscoe to sit.
“Let me start a fire,” Agnes offered. “Where do you keep your wood?”
Cole pointed to a wooden box next to a second door, which led outside. He insisted that the house have two doors, just in case anything was to happen.
“I need to get the horses in the barn and then I’ll be back in to get the trunks.” He pointed to the top of the woodstove. “Coffee is in that tin and water is in the bucket by the door if you want coffee. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He headed out the door and walked towards his team. Before he could step off the porch, he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Meg looking up at him. She didn’t have on her ridiculous stiff brimmed bonnet.
“Thank you, Colton,” she said.
Cole stopped. It had been years since anyone called him Colton. Not even Frieda used his Christian name.
“You’re welcome,” he stammered.
She stood up on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on his cheek. As she held her lips there for a moment, he turned his head slightly, capturing her lips with his.
A Mother for Christmas Page 6