“Court! Don’t you steal my thunder!” He flung the flask aside and grasped the handrail. The barrel of his gun waved unsteadily around the room.
His love of drawing out a tense moment, combined with too much whiskey, would be his downfall. “My father, God rest his soul,” Courtney hurried on, “warned me many times about Wil. As did my sister—and brother, Jake, once he arrived in Newport. I wouldn’t listen. I laughed in their faces. When Wil showed up in Logan Meadows with threats, my fear of being exposed as the fallen girl made me steal from the Logans to pay him off. I’m very ashamed of that. Not a kind way to repay the people who treated me like family. As I’ve waited for Wil to expose me, I realized the fear of the truth coming out was worse than what your rejection will be. By my confession tonight, Wil’s power over me is gone.”
Wil gaped from above, speechless.
“I understand, after tonight, you’ll see me differently. I’ll be an exile. I only pray you won’t let my bad behavior hurt my brother and sister. Unlike me, they’re good in every way. Please don’t allow what I’ve said tonight change the way you think or feel about them.”
Adaline wiped at tears.
Jake, Daisy, and all her friends—if they were still her friends—looked astounded. Had she said everything? Was there more? She’d best get out every detail now because she never wanted to revisit this again.
“I’ve said all I’m going to say.” She shrugged. Her future was uncertain. “And I actually feel better. This is Christmas Eve, a night of miracles.” Glancing up, she slowly shook her head. “Goodbye, Wil. You have no more power over me.”
Murmuring around her erupted.
She dropped her head, heat infusing her face, and headed for the coatroom. All she wanted was to find the door. She’d pack her carpetbag immediately and leave Logan Meadows in the morning forever. She didn’t know how she’d accomplish the deed as of yet, but she would. She’d already done the most difficult thing she could ever imagine.
“Wait!”
Tyler.
She didn’t want to stop.
He caught her arm and turned her to face him. “Don’t run off.” His gaze searched hers.
His hair had been trimmed, and he smelled good, like pine trees and a tiny splash of men’s cologne. So much of what they’d talked about washed through her. If nothing else, he was a very good friend.
“That was brave,” he whispered. “I don’t know if I could have been so bold. I admire your honesty very much.”
Horrified, she felt a prickle of heat behind her eyes. If Tyler didn’t let her leave this instant, she’d cry in front of everyone. The enormity of the situation sat on her chest like a mountain.
Music lilted. Over Tyler’s shoulder, she could see Dalton marching Wil down the stairs. Albert, Thom, and Chase encouraged people to stop talking and join in on the last waltz. The party would soon be over. Adaline stood with Jake and Daisy, watching her and Tyler.
Her lips wobbled, and she cut her gaze to the button on his shirt.
With a gentle touch, Tyler lifted her chin. “Dance with me?”
She swallowed. Didn’t he know she couldn’t show her face? She wanted out. Away from prying eyes. “I can’t.”
“You can.”
His words were warm, sweet—offering a ray of hope.
“Please, don’t deprive me a dance with the prettiest, most special girl here.”
Her throat clogged on an ocean of tears. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. All around her, the music played and others floated by as if nothing monumental had taken place. She’d held this secret inside for so long she’d become one with the hurt, so she didn’t know where her shame ended and she began.
Tyler took her hand into his warm one and led her to the middle of the dancers, but she was careful not to meet anyone’s gaze. To her horror, one by one, the couples stopped and pulled away. They fell back to the ring of others watching. Just as she’d believed they would when the truth about her was revealed. They didn’t want to be close. To be corrupted by her depravity. Unable to stand the scrutiny, she closed her eyes. She concentrated on Tyler’s steps as they moved around the floor. She wished she could hide her face against his neck but didn’t dare for the scandal the display of affection would create.
“It’s all right,” Tyler whispered. He held one hand on her waist and the other her hand. “Open your eyes.”
The warmth of his breath tickled her ear. She dared a glance. As she’d thought, the dance floor was theirs alone and all of Logan Meadows ringed them. But their expressions weren’t angry. She was shocked to see compassion and understanding. Had no one judged her harshly?
Then, someone in back began to clap. More joined in.
Without missing a step, Tyler removed his hand from her waist, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
A moment later, Jake and Daisy joined them in the waltz, as did Chase and Jessie, Brenna and Mr. Hutton, Win and Lettie, Frank and his sister, Roberta. Soon, the whole of the town didn’t mind dancing on the same floor as a fallen woman.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
The night was cold and clear. Beth couldn’t remember one so beautiful. She tried not to think of the frigid air kissing her face, and concentrate on the thick, warm coats she’d layered on before starting out. A slight breeze moved the upper branches of the tall pines causing the vestiges of snow to rain down from above. The snow from a few days ago was all but gone. She also tried not to consider Tommy Hollyhock walking at her side. He’d always been a quiet man, unless he had a funny story to tell. Now was no exception. The magnitude of the brilliant stars above had her almost speechless herself.
“You warm enough?” His deep voice came out of the darkness.
She glanced to his face in time to see the puffs of white his warm breath created in the air. “Can’t say I’m not cold but getting out into the night air has cleared my head. This is Christmas Eve. We almost let the holy night pass us by.”
He chuckled. “You’re not afraid of wolves and bears?”
“Once a woman reaches my age, Tommy, only another wrinkle or gray hair gives her pause. I’m no exception. I won’t let something as insignificant as a wild animal scare me away from a Christmas Eve walk to town.”
“Your age?” he said incredulously. “You’re barely over thirty.”
“I’m halfway to forty.”
He glanced down at her and smiled.
Then he did the strangest thing, taking her hand in his as if all the years of heartache between them hadn’t happened at all. When they rounded the corner and started the walk toward the hotel, she noticed others crossing the street from the community center toward the hill where the church stood atop, a soft glow shining from the windows. Reverend Wilbrand must already be there, lighting the candles and feeding the iron stove.
Some of the townsfolk carried lanterns and other traveled in large groups.
Sadness for missing the Christmas shindig tried to compete with her joy at being with Tommy, her hand in his, but was shut out. This magical night would live in her heart forever.
“What’s this?” he asked when he spotted the others.
“The party has ended, and most of Logan Meadows are headed to the Christmas Eve service in the church.”
He made a sound deep in his throat. “Are you still a church-going woman, Beth?”
“I am, Tommy. I never miss a Sunday.”
“What do you say we put off getting your belongings for another hour? I think I’d like to sit next to you in a pew and sing some Christmas carols.” He gently squeezed her hand.
She felt nineteen again—young and in love. Had they been given a second chance? Christmas Eve made her believe they had.
Dalton emerged from the sheriff’s office and glanced up and down the empty street. All was still on this chilly Christmas Eve. The soft strains of a Christmas carol floated down the hill.
&nbs
p; By law, Dalton could have jailed Wil Lemon for the fight he and Tyler had in the café but thought better of the action, deciding the filth being gone from town would suit Courtney, and everyone else, much better. In no uncertain terms, Dalton had demanded he clear out tonight and never show his face in Logan Meadows again. They might not lock him up and throw away the key for being a cad, but when the men of this town gave him a taste of his own medicine, he’d wish for jail time.
Being upstaged by Courtney had shocked him into a silent, despondent shell. The fact Adaline’s little sister had been brave enough to take back the power of her life filled Dalton with pride. A rush of warmth filled his chest. That girl had grit—just like her sister—and brother! Logan Meadows was a better place because of the Costner siblings.
Taking a few steps into the street, Dalton stopped. He glanced at the crystal-clear sky filled with glittering stars. The hush felt holy—as if he were the only person alive on the earth. What did his life have in store? He’d told the townspeople Logan Meadows was his new home, but could he stay if Adaline didn’t love him? Could he see her every day? Converse about everyday events, if they were destined to only be friends? Watch her fall in love with some other man? The thought was a sentence worse than death. Her disinterest tonight had been a pain he didn’t think he could endure for long.
What was the answer? What should he do? The fact Jake, from Logan Meadows, had rescued him from the prison camp had been another indication this town was where he was destined to sink his roots. It gave him permission not to return to Breckenridge, to his mother and father, and see to his own happiness. But now? After tonight? And no employment opportunities on the horizon here, either. Were the heavens telling him something?
A gentle wind moved the branches of the tall Christmas tree, as well as sending a brisk chill up Dalton’s back. He had two choices tonight. Return to his cold, lonely apartment above the sheriff’s office, retrieve his book, and then take up his cot by the woodstove downstairs with Ivan, or head up the hill to where everyone else was joyously ringing in Christmas morning. By now, the church was sure to be filled, but he could stand in the back. He glanced over his shoulder at the sheriff’s office and then up to the church. The answer seemed easy.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Squeezed in between Courtney and Daisy in a long church pew, Adaline tamped down the deep sorrow she felt for her sister. Why hadn’t Courtney confided in her during all these weeks? The thought broke her heart, and she vowed never to let such a distance between them ever grow so wide again.
She was thankful Tyler had stepped in to ask her little sister to dance, as well as make known his affection for her, walking her to church and taking a place by her side. He was a fine young man. She could see them forging a future together. And what about the good folks who’d rallied around Courtney in the community center? The picture of them dancing around Courtney and Tyler had moved Adaline to tears. Still, others who were not so goodhearted, who would judge Courtney harshly could be a possibility. She’d have a bumpy road ahead.
Courtney leaned in. “You’re not singing?”
This sister was the dear Court she knew. The one with a tender heart, always watching out for others’ feelings—not the person she’d become their last year in Newport after meeting Wil Lemon. “I’m just thinking,” Adaline replied into Courtney’s ear.
“Please, don’t worry. I know my future won’t be easy, but I’m happy. I feel lighter, like I could do anything tonight. My life will get better—with time.”
Courtney was wise beyond her years.
At their whispers, Tyler leaned forward and looked at them, questions in his eyes. His hand hadn’t left Courtney’s since asking her to dance. Adaline gave him a reassuring smile.
He nodded and sat back.
What had gotten into Dalton tonight? He’d been so attentive to her every need. Was he feeling guilty over their brief kiss at the Red Rooster? Dancing in his arms had been magical, and if she hadn’t been so blindsided by what Courtney had just revealed, Adaline would have been walking—or dancing—on air.
She glanced around the small church at the couples who had found their way to each other. Chase and Jessie, Hannah and Thom, Brenna and Gregory, Jake and Daisy, Charley and Nell, Seth and Ivy, Hunter and Tabitha, and soon to be Gabe and Julia—the list could go on and on.
She drifted her gaze to Albert and Susanna—Dalton’s true love. Nate was slumped on Susanna’s arm, the child tired out by all the excitement. Every single couple had trials and tribulations on their way to this incredible happiness they all seemed to enjoy. She wanted the same.
The hair on the back of her neck prickled. Glancing around, she found Beth looking at her—wearing a small, apologetic smile. Even Beth and Tommy Hollyhock had found their way back to each other after fifteen years. They sat side by side, happily scrunched together.
Christmas magic was happening everywhere.
The congregation had just finished the last hymn of “Angels We Have Heard on High,” sending a wave of goose bumps over Adaline’s body. How she loved Christmas. She’d been blessed beyond measure to find she and Courtney had a loving brother in Jake and a new sister in Daisy. Their hometown of Logan Meadows was the perfect spot for them. Somehow, she’d find her own happiness. Somewhere, sometime.
“Merry Christmas, everyone!” Reverend Wilbrand called out from the sanctuary. “May the peace and joy of Christmas descend upon you and remain forever. Now, bundle these sleepy children off to bed and enjoy a few moments of quiet before tomorrow arrives.”
Leaning on the back wall, Dalton waited as the reverend’s flock filed out. No one had removed their outer layers, so they were ready for the cold blast of air when Win opened the door.
“Everything go all right?” Albert asked when he and Susanna reached him. Albert cradled Nate in his arms.
Dalton nodded. “They did. Wil Lemon has seen the last of Logan Meadows.”
Albert clapped Dalton’s shoulder. “Good job.”
“You missed the excitement, Dalton,” Susanna said, almost past and into the dark night. “Gabe proposed to Julia in the front of the church just before the service started. Come January, another wedding will take place.”
Dalton smiled but didn’t feel the joy. He wanted to make Adaline his wife, but such a miracle wasn’t written in his stars. “Happy for them. I’ll tell ’em so when they come out.”
Others passed by, giving him a nod, handshake, or holiday greeting. Everyone had accepted him as deputy, and even Thom was holding back, letting him enjoy the stint in the office. Ahhh, life was good…
He caught sight of Adaline toward the front of the church as she turned and started his way. Of course, he’d found her earlier between Daisy and Courtney, and most of the service passed with him lost in thought. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold beneath her striking blue eyes. She was young, but she possessed a maturity about her, too. He needed her, he wanted her. He’d spend the rest of his life making her happy—if only she’d give him the chance.
“Here you are, Dalton,” Jake said on a laugh. He guided Daisy to the side of the vestibule, and the others followed. “I was wondering if you’d join us. Sorry, there were no seats to be saved.”
Dalton was aware of Adaline’s gaze roaming his face. He didn’t dare glance at her for fear he’d scare her away. He felt her skittishness—something had changed. Had she been thinking of him as much as he’d been thinking about her? The last thing he wanted was for Adaline to run off without getting to speak with her and wish her a merry Christmas. Had she arranged a ride home?
“I was more than comfortable standing back here,” said Dalton. “I had a good view.” He and Tyler exchanged a brief greeting and others filed out. “Adaline, may I speak with you?” People wouldn’t stay out long in this cold. He didn’t have a second to waste.
Jake glanced back. “Talk fast, Dalton. We’re driving Adaline and Marlene home to the Red Rooster. At the moment, Marl
ene is escorting Maude to the mercantile, and we’re stopping by there to pick her up. Courtney and Tyler will ride with Chase and Jessie.”
Alone, a few feet away from the doorway, Dalton and Adaline stood face-to-face. He could see having an important conversation now wasn’t going to work at all. She was too cold, shivering in her coat. Her breath came out in little puffs of white. This moment was much too important to rush.
Jake and Daisy sat huddled in a buggy they’d driven up from the community center as they waited for Adaline to join them.
“Merry Christmas, Adaline,” he said, warming up his voice. He had requested these few moments alone with her. He had to say something.
She gave a tentative smile, looking more beautiful than an angel. “Merry Christmas, Dalton.”
He reached out and gently lifted her gloved hand, encasing it between his own. “I enjoyed dancing with you tonight.” And he had, even with her ambivalence. He’d take any crumb of affection she had to give.
“I did as well,” she whispered, her gaze darting to a few families still chancing the cold.
Other than them, the yard had cleared out fast. His heart leapt at the admission. “You did? I wasn’t sure.”
“I’m so sorry. Courtney had just told me about”—she glanced away and then back at him—“about her past. I hadn’t known until tonight.”
Unfettered joy burst within Dalton. Another explanation for her distraction existed. He still had a chance. Resisting the urge to hoist her into his arms and twirl her around, all the while kissing her soundly on her beautifully sculpted lips, he just smiled between his shivers. He’d not scare her off now. Too much remained to be said.
“Dalton!” Jake barked out. “Your time’s up! Daisy is freezing, and so am I!”
“May I call on you tomorrow?”
She beamed. “Would you like to come for Christmas supper? We have a goose we’re roasting. Jake and Daisy are coming, too, after spending Christmas morning with the Logans, and bringing Courtney.”
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