Convenient Christmas Bride (9781460389034) Read online

  Anna Mae shook her head. “You are not helping me keep their schedule, but today, it’s all right. I’m looking forward to getting a tree.” Joy bubbled within her. Her husband had been paying attention. He’d noticed how much the tree would mean to her. Did she dare hope that he was finding something to love about her?

  * * *

  Josiah pulled a sled behind him as he and Anna Mae made their way into the woods. Rose and Ruby sat on the toboggan, giggling. The breeze was cold as it blew against his cheeks.

  “Do you think they will be all right? It’s a little chilly out here,” Anna Mae said, looking over her shoulder at the twins.

  “They will be fine. It won’t take long to chop down a tree and get them back to the house. We might even have time to get them down for—” he lowered his voice “—that nap you mentioned earlier.”

  Her pink cheeks and the soft tendrils about her face gave her a youthful look. Anna Mae’s eyes sparkled as she turned to face him. “That would be good.”

  He pushed on through the light snow. She didn’t know it but he’d already found the perfect tree. He just hoped Anna Mae thought it was perfect, too.

  “Did you have a Christmas tree when you were a kid?” she asked, looking at all the evergreens around them.

  Josiah sighed. “No, Grady didn’t think Christmas trees were safe. He didn’t allow one.”

  “That’s too bad. What about before you went to work for him?” she pressed, again checking on the girls.

  “My dad enjoyed his bottle more than he did Christmas trees.” How could Josiah change the subject? He searched his mind and then it dawned on him to just ask her the same question. “Did you?”

  Her gaze swept back to him. Big brown eyes studied his face knowingly. “Yes, my parents threw a big party every year, so we had a large tree in the entry.”

  Josiah arrived at the tree he’d picked out. “What do you think of this one?”

  Anna Mae walked around it and studied its branches. “It’s not very tall.” She touched the vibrant green pine needles.

  “I don’t know that we want it too tall.” Josiah ran his hand around the back of his neck.

  She turned with a smile. “You’re right. I think it will work fine.” She glanced at the girls again. “Uh-oh.”

  Josiah spun around to see what she was looking at. His sweet daughters were curled up like little foxes on the sled. “Well, you got your wish. They are napping now.” He leaned down and tucked the blanket tighter around them.

  Anna Mae sighed. “Yes, but I kind of hoped they’d wait until we got home.”

  He gently turned the sled back toward home. “I’ll take you home and then come back for the tree.”

  Her shoulders slumped as she walked along beside him. His girls often interfered in things Anna Mae wanted to do. Feeling bad, Josiah draped his arm around her. “I know you wanted to be there when I cut it. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s all right. I’ll get them down for their nap, then start looking for things to decorate the tree with.”

  The brave smile she gave him melted a small part of his heart. Josiah leaned over and kissed her temple. “You are some woman, Annie Miller.” He’d been looking for a reason to get this close to her since he’d seen her stirring milk at his cookstove. He only wished she’d offered her lips for his kiss and not just her temple. He could get used to kissing Anna Mae and deep down he knew his feelings for her were growing stronger every day.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The next morning, Anna Mae walked up Main Street. Many of the houses sported Christmas decorations and store windows displayed the best of their goods. In some shop entryways Anna Mae spotted mistletoe.

  She grinned and blushed at the same time, remembering the kiss Josiah had given her in the barn. How many times would she relive that sweet kiss? Yesterday, she’d enjoyed his lips on her temple. Heat fill her face as she remembered, wishing it were another true kiss on the lips. She pushed the thoughts away and focused on the reason she was in town.

  She’d dropped the twins off at Emily Jane’s, with plans for a little time to herself. It felt odd not to have the girls with her. Over the past two months she’d grown used to having them around at all times.

  What would Josiah think of her sneaking off with the girls so that she could buy a pair of boots for him? His looked worn and needed to be replaced. She knew he didn’t like not knowing where she was, but for Christmas Anna Mae wanted to buy him new boots, and the twins ribbons and penny candy.

  Anna Mae knew Josiah wasn’t in Granite. Wade had come by the house earlier in the morning to tell her that Grady wanted Josiah to meet him on the edge of town. Later the deputy had returned, saying Josiah would be gone for the rest of the day.

  Anna Mae had seen it as the perfect time to come into town, do her last-minute Christmas shopping and then get back home. He would never even know she’d left the farm.

  She made her way to the bank. It wouldn’t do to buy Josiah’s Christmas boots with his money. Anna Mae had saved her teaching salary, and along with the money she’d earned selling eggs and butter to Carolyn at the general store, she would have just enough to take care of Christmas.

  Pulling the bank door open, she stepped inside. Its interior seemed dim after the brilliant sunshine she’d just left. Anna Mae waited until her eyes adjusted and then made her way toward the tellers.

  An older woman, a younger one and two children stood in line ahead of her. The children were too young to attend school, so she didn’t know them. Even so, Anna Mae smiled at them.

  As she waited she glanced about the bank’s interior. There were two offices, but both were empty. Heavy dark furniture filled the rooms. A chair was positioned beside the main entry to the bank. She wondered if a guard sat there.

  Turning her attention back to the line, she noted that the teller was a middle-aged man who had a bald spot on top of his head. He seemed focused on the papers that the older woman had handed him.

  Anna Mae glanced over as the bank clock chimed the hour. It was probably the largest clock she’d ever seen, shaped like the sun, with big numbers on its face. She realized that she’d already been gone from the girls for over thirty minutes. She’d promised Emily Jane that she would be back in an hour.

  Wishing she hadn’t dawdled, Anna Mae turned back to see what was taking so long. The woman was arguing with the teller in a low voice and pointing at the papers in question.

  The younger woman held on to her children’s hands and tapped her toe. Anna Mae thought about telling her that as long as they were waiting in line, at least nothing was expected of them. But she, too, felt her impatience growing as the big clock ticked loudly.

  Sunlight briefly filtered into the room as two sets of heavy boots clomped into the bank. Anna Mae turned to look at their owners, and her blood froze. The lower halves of the men’s faces were covered by bandannas and they both held guns pointed at the bank occupants. One of them stopped and locked the door, while the other continued walking toward them as if he owned the place.

  The other two women and the bank teller paid the men no mind. Anna Mae wasn’t sure what to do. If she alerted them to the danger they were in, would they overreact and get shot?

  Two seconds later the decision was taken out of her hands. “Put your hands in the air, keep your mouths shut and we won’t have any trouble,” the bank robber closest to them growled.

  The two women immediately did exactly what he’d just told them not to do. The younger one started to cry out, and the older one argued, “Why, you good-for-nothing scoundrels, how dare you threaten us?”

  Anna Mae watched in horror as the man shoved the old woman to the floor, effectively silencing her. He grabbed one of the kids and raised his eyebrows menacingly at the mother. “Your choice, woman. Either close your mouth or lose your kid.” Th
e child, a little boy of about five, reached for his mom, his lips trembling and his face crumpling.

  The woman shook her head quickly. Not another sound issued from her and she caught her son tightly against her as he was shoved into her arms.

  Fear knotted inside Anna Mae’s chest. Why had Josiah chosen today of all days to go out of town? Wade had pulled the second night patrol, so he most likely had returned to the jailhouse to sleep for a few hours.

  As Anna Mae studied the scene in front of her, reality sank in. She might never see Josiah or the girls again. Now she wished she’d told them that she loved them. Would she ever get the chance?

  Would Josiah ever know that his wife cared for him as a wife should?

  * * *

  Josiah’s stomach tightened once again, a sure sign something wasn’t quite right. One of the first things Grady had taught him was to follow his instincts, and his instincts today shouted that he was headed in the wrong direction. From the moment they’d left Granite for Hancock, that little warning voice had whispered in his head.

  Hancock was a small town with a bank about the size of Granite’s. Grady had said he’d overheard a couple men saying that the Hancock bank was in for a surprise. Feeling sure it was going to be the location of the next bank robbery, Grady had asked Josiah to help him capture the James gang.

  Josiah looked across at his mentor. “How many men do you suppose are in the gang?”

  The older man pulled his horse to a walk. “Rumor has it that they are up to six strong, but I’m not real sure on the numbers. I’ve only seen the two scouts hanging out in Granite. Why do you ask?”

  “The night before Mary was killed, I had been stalking a couple of men who I suspected were bank robbers. While they sat around their campfire, I hid in the bushes. They plotted their next robbery, and because I had to catch them in the act, I listened. Sure ’nuff, the next morning I hightailed it to the bank I thought they’d be at, only they never showed up. Instead, they robbed the town I was sworn to protect, and killed my wife.” He paused.

  “Son, that wasn’t your fault,” Grady said, before setting his horse into an easy gallop.

  Josiah caught up to him. “In a way it was. I learned later that they had planted a false trail for me to follow.” The knot in his stomach tightened. “They knew, Grady. They knew that I was listening.” He pulled on Roy’s reins. “They caught on to the fact that I was trailing them and they set me up.”

  Grady slowed in turn. “What are you trying to say, son? That you want to turn back?”

  “I’m trying to tell you that this situation feels the same, Grady. What if they split up and are hitting two banks on the same day?” Josiah rubbed the hairs that stood up on the back of his neck. “They could have caught on that you were on their trail and deliberately set you up, just like they did me.”

  Grady’s hand rested on his gun. “It’s possible, I suppose.”

  The two lawmen studied each other, both knowing that if they split up they could possibly be facing several bank robbers alone.

  Josiah had friends and family in Granite. He couldn’t leave them vulnerable to a gang of thieves. Wade wasn’t experienced enough to know what to do should the men come out with guns blazing. Plus if Josiah knew his deputy, Wade was probably asleep on one of the jail bunks. “You taught me to trust my gut. My gut says to go back.”

  The old man nodded. “Go on,” Grady said. “Take care of your town. I’d do the same thing, if I was you.”

  Josiah sighed. “What if I’m wrong? You’ll be facing the gang by yourself.”

  “Naw, I won’t. I’ll scout out the situation. If there are too many of them for me to handle, I’ll wait and capture them another day.” Grady edged his horse up close to Josiah’s and clasped him on the shoulder. “And if I have to track them down again, you can be sure you’re going with me.”

  That was all he needed to hear. Josiah nodded once and then spun Roy around. The wind tore at his hat as they raced back to town. The closer he got the more apprehensive he felt. Thank you, God, that Annie and the girls are home safe.

  His horse’s sides heaved and white foam sprayed against his sleek coat as they finally arrived in town. When Josiah reached the bank, Levi was pulling at the door, but it didn’t open. Josiah looked at the sun. By now, the bank should be open for business. As casually as he could manage, he slid off Roy’s back and called Levi’s name. He looped Roy’s reins over the hitching post and patted his nose.

  His friend strolled toward him. “What’s up with the bank being closed, Josiah? It’s not a holiday.” Levi didn’t try to hide his irritation.

  When he got close enough to hear him, Josiah answered in a soft voice, priding himself on sounding calm. “Levi, I figure the bank is being robbed. Go home and keep your wife and family safe. Let me handle this.”

  To his credit, Levi never reacted, just turned and walked down the street. Josiah crept around to the back of the bank, cocked his gun and eased open the door. Mr. Anderson should know better than to keep this door unlocked. However, up until today, the town had never had reason for caution.

  Silent as a church mouse, Josiah passed the safe and stepped into the main part of the bank. Bitter, cold despair twisted inside him. Just as he’d figured, the place was being robbed.

  He took in the situation swiftly. There were only two outlaws visible, one standing by the door with his gun aimed at the customers, and one holding his weapon on the teller, who trembled so badly he had trouble putting the money into a bag.

  Then Josiah’s gaze moved to the customers. His heart stopped. Anna Mae stood between the robber and the small group of distraught women and children.

  Just as Josiah stepped out to confront the robbers, the sound of keys jingling in the lock of the front door drew everyone’s attention. Mr. Anderson and Levi burst through the door. The bank president shot the man closest to him.

  The young woman screamed. Anna Mae and the other woman dropped to the floor. His Annie grabbed the child closest to her and pulled her down, too. When the young woman saw them on the floor, she dropped, too.

  The other robber turned to run out the back door, and saw Josiah. Shock held the man immobile for a few seconds, then the assailant aimed and fired. Pain ripped through Josiah’s shoulder as the outlaw’s bullet found its mark.

  Josiah fired off a shot as he went down. Two things registered at once: the outlaw falling forward into the hardwood floor, and the look of horror that crossed Anna Mae’s face when she saw the blood spreading across Josiah’s chest.

  Searing pain took his breath away as his legs gave out under him. With extreme effort, he fought off the beckoning darkness. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, especially Anna Mae rising to her feet and struggling to get to him.

  Why was she here? Why did she have to see him get shot? She should have been home taking care of the kids. She could have been killed, like Mary. Anger that his job had once more put someone he loved in danger, filled him.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Anna Mae watched the events unfold before her like a bad dream. A raw groan of despair erupted from her throat as she saw Josiah stagger backward, then slump to the floor. She pushed herself up, untangled her skirt and ran to him. Anna Mae collapsed beside him, reaching to touch his chest.

  For a brief moment she clung to him, but within seconds Josiah shoved her behind him. “Stay down,” he growled. His gun arm raised and he kept it on the robber who lay a few feet away from them.

  Why? Both robbers had been shot. Anna Mae didn’t care about them or herself. All she wanted was to make sure that Josiah wasn’t going to die from his wound. “You’re hurt,” she protested.

  “I am very aware of that, Anna Mae.”

  Anna Mae. He’d called her by her given name, not Annie. Anger poured from him like hot butter. She felt it sco
rch her heart, and the withering look stopped her from attempting to touch him again.

  Levi pushed the robber over and shook his head. “This one is dead,” he said.

  “This one’s not,” the bank president called from across the room. “But he’s not going anywhere.” He pointed his gun at the man’s head and growled, “Get up.”

  Moisture began to flow down Anna Mae’s face. She swiped at it with her hands. One man was dead, two were injured and Josiah was angry with her. Disconcerted, she crossed her arms and looked away.

  Josiah lowered his head and looked down at his shoulder, where blood seeped into his shirt. “Levi, would you escort these people out of here and help Mr. Anderson get that man over to the jail?” He waved his hand toward the injured robber.

  “What about you?” Levi asked, coming to stand beside him. “You’ve been shot.”

  A harsh laugh echoed in Anna Mae’s ears and then Josiah stopped laughing and looked up at Levi. “I’m very aware I’ve been shot, Levi. My wife has already pointed that out to me.”

  “Come along, folks.” Anna Mae watched as the women and children practically ran from the bank at Mr. Anderson’s command.

  “Anderson, do you need help getting that man to jail?” Levi asked, holding Josiah’s gaze.

  “Nope, Mr. Sheridan can help me.” He motioned for the bank teller to join him. Together they lifted the injured man and then pushed him out the door.

  When he was outside, Anna Mae heard the bank president say, “There’s nothing to see here, folks. The sheriff has stopped an attempted bank robbery. Go on home. Mr. Lupan, if you will come with me, I’ll give you the whole story for your paper.”

  Her husband’s voice pulled her attention back inside. “Anna Mae, where are the girls?” Josiah still didn’t look at her.

  “With Emily Jane.”

  Speaking between gritted teeth, he commanded, “Get them and go home.”