Convenient Christmas Bride (9781460389034) Read online

  Josiah felt an indefinable feeling of rightness. He believed her. He stretched out an arm and touched her cheek. “Thank you for not being mad at me. I learned too late in my first marriage that communication was seventy-five percent of what made a partnership work. I hope we always talk things out, and with a marriage like we have, we both need assurances from each other on private subjects that most couples work out during their courting days.” He joined their hands again. “Is there anything you would like to ask me? Something that might make you feel better?”

  “Well, yes, actually there is.” Amusement flickered in the eyes that met his. “Where is your gun?”

  * * *

  Laughter floated up from her throat as Anna Mae observed the changing expressions that crossed Josiah’s face. Clear, observant eyes looked out from his suntanned face, regarding her speculatively before his mouth twitched with amusement. His voice, though quiet, held an ominous quality. Had she not seen the flash of humor, she would have felt like one of his prisoners being interrogated.

  “Now why would a sweet little thing like you need a gun?”

  “Oh, I didn’t say a word about needing a gun.”

  Josiah untangled their hands, making her wonder if she’d pushed him too far in their teasing. He bent over and pulled a small hand gun out of his boot and laid it on the table. “There’s this one. It’s a Philadelphia Derringer.” He pulled his coat aside and pulled a larger gun from behind his waist. “There is also one here; it’s a Colt revolver. And of course when I’m not traveling, the rifle will always be over the fireplace.”

  He leaned back, sizing her up. “Where’s yours?” he asked with an arched eyebrow.

  He’d figured her concern was that the guns not be lying around where the twins, or anyone else for that matter, could get hold of them, causing Lord knows what kind of trouble. She gloried briefly in the shared moment. She tipped her cup to her lips and tried to force her expression into all seriousness. “Why, Sheriff, I thought you knew that schoolteachers are not allowed to carry weapons.”

  Laughter floated up from his throat. It was the first time Anna Mae had heard him sound so merry. The only problem being his happiness woke the girls.

  Two twin heads popped out of the box. “Out,” they echoed and then grinned at each other. “Eat,” they called.

  “Now look what you’ve done. The monster babies are awake.” Josiah turned and collected the two girls.

  Anna Mae shook her head. “I’m not the one that was laughing, you were.” She turned to the stove and collected the two plates that she’d prepared earlier.

  Josiah got the twins seated and then handed each of them a spoon. She returned to the table with cups of warm apple cider. “I wouldn’t give this to them until they’ve eaten their fill,” she suggested, “otherwise you won’t get them to eat another bite.”

  “It’s that good, huh?”

  “Emily Jane made it, what do you think?” she asked.

  The two girls stared up at them. Each held a spoon and a piece of bread. Anna Mae realized that neither had taken a bite of their food.

  “What are you two waiting for? Eat up,” Josiah said, giving them permission to eat.

  They shook their heads and closed their eyes before bowing their heads.

  Puzzled, Josiah looked from the girls to Anna Mae. She giggled. “They are waiting for you to say grace.”

  Josiah bowed his head and said a quick prayer of thanks. Anna Mae’s heart swelled when he thanked the Lord for bringing her into their lives one stormy night, and then closed by thanking Him for his thoughtful sister-in-law and the food the girls were about to consume. Anna Mae looked up and found it impossible not to return his disarming smile.

  While the children ate, Josiah talked to them as he helped them. Anna Mae washed up the few dishes they had dirtied and poured herself a cup of the warm cider. Her life here was going to be pleasant. It didn’t have to have the type of love a man and wife shared. She would be happy with the blessing of a family.

  * * *

  Three nights later, Anna Mae sat at the kitchen table and wrote to her parents. She wondered what her mother would think of her quick marriage. The last time she’d written, Anna Mae had bragged on how well school was going and how much she loved teaching. She’d assured her mother that she’d probably never marry. But now, less than a month later, she anxiously tried to figure out how to tell her that not only was she married, she also had two little girls.

  The fire crackled and popped. Anna Mae’s gaze moved to Josiah. The girls were already in bed sleeping, and he sat reading the Bible that was open in his lap. She had to admit that her feelings of friendship for him were growing. Anna Mae felt certain it wasn’t love, because her heart didn’t seem to be involved. The Lord knew her heart couldn’t take another breaking. And she planned to guard against such things as love.

  Anna Mae refocused on the letter.

  Dear Mom and Dad,

  A lot has happened since I last wrote to you. We have had some really bad weather here and...

  Anna Mae chewed on the pencil. And what? And I got married? I was accused of breaking the rules of my contract and was fired as the Granite schoolteacher? Or guess what? You are the grandparents of two very precious girls? How did she tell her parents all the things that had happened over the last few weeks?

  Her gaze moved to her kitchen. She’d done a lot of work, cleaning and reorganizing it to fit her style and mood. A new curtain hung at the window over her wash area. She loved the window being there. Come spring, she could look out at her garden in the backyard. She’d also scrubbed all the pots and pans, and Josiah agreed to help her hang them along the back wall. That job they planned to do tomorrow. He’d said something about large hooks packed somewhere in the barn attic.

  Outside, the snow drifted down in glistening white flakes. She sighed. Would her mother be interested in hearing about that? Anna Mae wasn’t sure. Mother lived in a big house with lots of servants. What would she think of her daughter’s three-bedroom farmhouse? What would she think of her sheriff husband and twin daughters?

  Did it matter what her mother thought? Not really, since it was already a done deal. Then why should she agonize over it? Anna Mae looked back down at her letter. She picked up where she’d left off.

  And since my last letter, I have gotten married. Josiah Miller is a wonderful man and the sheriff of Granite. He has twin daughters that are almost two years old. They are adorable. Both are small because they are twins, but they talk more than any girls their age that I’ve ever met. Not that I’ve actually met that many others.

  We live on a small farm that has a three-bedroom house and an orchard. I’m hoping to have a nice garden next summer. Maybe you can come visit then.

  Well, it is getting late and I need to get some rest. I love you both, Anna Mae Miller.

  She looked at her name. It was the first time since they’d gotten married that she’d written it out. She whispered, “Anna Mae Miller.”

  “It has a nice ring to it.”

  She jumped. When had Josiah come up behind her? Had he read her letter as she wrote? Anna Mae glanced over her shoulder at him. He smiled down on her. A cup of coffee filled his large hands.

  “I think so, too,” she admitted. “I was just writing my parents to tell them about our marriage.” She folded the letter and tucked it inside a homemade envelope.

  “I hope they approve of our marrying.” He slipped into the chair beside her.

  She smiled. Anna Mae hoped so, too, but if they didn’t there was nothing they could do about it now. They’d thought Mark Peters was the catch of the season and look where that had gotten her.

  Josiah Miller was a good man. She just prayed their marriage could stand the test of time. A flicker of apprehension coursed through her. What if it didn’t? Where on earth would
she go? Would she be forced to return to her parents’ home? Anna Mae didn’t think she could face her mother’s disappointment in her again.

  Chapter Nine

  Josiah sipped his coffee. He’d read the letter over Anna Mae’s shoulder. Not to be nosy but because he wanted to make sure she was happy. The letter hadn’t indicated either sadness or unhappiness. She did seem a little awed when she’d said her married name aloud. He guessed all women had to get used to the name change and possibly enjoyed the sound of their married name. It seemed odd to him but what did he know?

  She looked up from the envelope she held. “I’m sure my parents will approve of our marriage.” Her hand shook slightly, leading him to believe that maybe she wasn’t as sure as she sounded. “After all, what’s not to like? You were the catch of the season. Never mind that I had to catch a few other things before I caught you, like pneumonia, high fever...” Her voice contained a strong suggestion of reproach, but her eyes flashed with humor and teasing.

  He couldn’t help himself as he burst out laughing. On almost every topic they’d discussed, Anna Mae had the best attitude of anyone he’d ever met. “I hope you think you wound up with the best deal of all that catching.” He grinned.

  “What about you? I noticed a few heads turning in your direction before I allowed you to catch me. One of them being Mrs. Bradshaw’s,” she teased back.

  Josiah frowned. “I refuse to give the woman any more of my thoughts. As the sheriff, I am duty bound to protect her, but as a citizen I think I’ll give her a wide berth.”

  Why had she brought up Mrs. Bradshaw? The woman left a sour taste in his mouth and stomach. He took his coffee to the sink. Or maybe it was the coffee. He might need to stop drinking the stuff for a while if it kept affecting his stomach. Josiah decided to change the subject. “I need to go to town early in the morning. I’ll try to be back by midafternoon to help hang those pots and pans.” He set the half-empty cup down.

  Her gaze moved to the window. “What about the storm?” Was that concern he heard in her voice?

  “I’ll be fine. It’s not supposed to be as bad as the last one, and besides, with my job I have to be out in all kinds of weather.”

  Anna Mae nodded. “I suppose you do. It will take some getting used to, being married to the town sheriff.”

  As if to deny his very words, the wind whipped fiercely about the farmhouse windows. Anna Mae noticed it, too, and caught her lower lip between her teeth. He sought for ways to distract her. He’d never asked her about her family. “What does your father do for a living?”

  Josiah rinsed his coffee cup, refilled it with cider and walked back to the table. He enjoyed the feel of the warmth of the cup against his palms. Maybe he was addicted to having something occupy his hands more than actual coffee.

  She set back in her chair. “Papa runs a shipping company.”

  “So I gather that doesn’t require him to be away from home in the evenings?”

  Her brown hair swayed with the shake of her head. “No, he keeps regular business hours.”

  “And your mother? Does she work outside the home?”

  An amused laugh bubbled out of Anna Mae. “Hardly. She thought I was crazy for wanting to be a teacher. Said a woman’s place is in the home.”

  “What do you think, Annie?” Josiah looked over at her and raised his eyebrows. Did she want to work outside the home or was she content to stay at the house and watch the girls? Perhaps he should have asked her those questions before they got married, Josiah mused.

  “I loved being a teacher but I think I’ll enjoy staying at home and taking care of things around here.” She smiled at him. “Did Mary enjoy staying home or did she want to work?”

  “You know, it never occurred to me to ask her.” Josiah had just assumed when he’d married his first wife that she wanted to stay home and raise his children. As far as he knew, Mary had never worked.

  “Do you have anything against women working?”

  “No. Not that I’ve thought much on the matter. I guess as long as a woman’s job didn’t interfere with the running of the house or care of her husband and family, it’s fine.”

  “And if it did interfere, how would you feel?”

  He couldn’t tell from Anna Mae’s expression what she was getting at, so he thought carefully about his answer. “Again, to be fair, I don’t know how I’d feel. I think the Bible is the final authority and it states that a woman’s place is in the home. In other places in God’s word, like Proverbs, it speaks of all the work that a woman does and a lot of it is outside the home. So like everything else the Bible teaches, I think moderation is the key.”

  In neat tight handwriting, Anna Mae wrote her mother’s name and address on the envelope. Josiah wondered briefly why she didn’t address the letter to both parents. The more he learned about his new wife, the more he realized Anna Mae thought carefully about the decisions she made, never acted flighty or careless, and observed the dictates of society on manners and charity. She made a perfect sheriff’s wife. But he guessed correctly, it might take him a lifetime to find out the reasoning going on behind those beautiful eyes.

  “Will you mail this for me tomorrow?” She ran a finger over the flap, sealing it tight.

  “Be glad to. Do you have a list of things you might need from the dry goods store?”

  “No, I haven’t checked the larder, but Emily Jane told me there was food in the root cellar that the former owners left.”

  “Why, yes, there is. I’ll bring some of it up tomorrow when I get home. I know there’s a lot of beans in a sack down there. I’ll get some salt pork from the store and milk from the Smiths’ dairy.”

  Josiah made a mental note to bring other goodies to make their next few weeks a little easier, because from the sound of the storm, they would be closed in for a little while.

  “I know it may be a bit uncomfortable for you, but could you bring my book satchel from the school? It has my sight cards...” Her eyes grew round. “Oh, Josiah, those are my writing examples on the walls, and the two red readers are mine. Would it be wrong of me to want to keep them? I could use them to teach the girls when they’re older, on snowy days when we can’t get to the school. They mean a lot to me. I spent my first paycheck on them.”

  That was his Annie. She had an inherent kindness and sense of rightness that showed up in her thought processes. He, on the other hand, wouldn’t leave anything in the school to help Mrs. Anderson. Let her buy her own books and supplies. Yes, Lord, I know that’s the wrong way to be. I’ll try harder.

  “I’ll get your things for you. And no, it isn’t wrong. If you can think of anything else, let me know before I leave and I’ll get it for you.”

  “Thanks, Josiah.” Anna Mae propped the letter against the saltshaker, then stood. “Well, I’ll say good-night. Will you be leaving early in the morning or sometime after breakfast?”

  “I’ll leave before daylight so no need to get up. I’ll let the latch down behind me so you’ll be locked in. If all goes as planned I should be back shortly after lunch.”

  “Be safe, Josiah. ’Night.”

  Josiah savored the feeling of satisfaction her words left with him. It had been a long time since anyone cared about his safety. It felt good.

  “’Night, Annie.”

  * * *

  The next morning, Anna Mae heard the latch fall into the slot and jumped from the bed as if it was on fire. She’d awakened at the first sound of Josiah moving in the next room. She’d lain perfectly still, aware that the walls were paper thin, and hoping and praying the twins wouldn’t wake just yet. She’d like to get a start on the day while they still slept.

  In less than fifteen minutes she’d finished her morning ablutions, dressed and tiptoed into the sitting room. She stood back a ways from the window, but watched as Josiah vanished in
to the gray dawn. Then she ran and stared, faced pressed against the pane, to see if she could spot him at any other site down the road. Thankfully, it had stopped precipitating, so she could see clearly across the snowy landscape. The road dipped and when he came back up the other side she could barely make him out, but this satisfied one of her many curiosities. If she watched for him at lunch, he wouldn’t be able to sneak up on her; for some reason that was important right now.

  After all, she planned to move some of his stuff around. Well, she had no idea if the things in the house were his or the former owners, but she knew she could make it look better than it did right now. To her way of thinking it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Still, she’d rather not get caught in the act. She was totally bewildered by her mixed emotions, but decided the job before her was more important than analyzing why she felt like a trespasser in her own home. Besides, it would be hers after she put her mark on it.

  She looked around the sitting room. It was partially open to the kitchen, but the entrance, which should have permitted one to see all of the kitchen except the pantry and back door, had been blocked off by crates, and Anna Mae could see a shovel and what looked like the girls’ wagon that William had used to pull them about in a few months ago.

  She quietly lifted the first crate from the top and carried it to the table. Stacks of wanted posters and official looking forms were tossed in haphazardly, so she set it against the wall in the kitchen.

  Thirty minutes later, the wagon had been moved to the third bedroom, where Anna Mae nearly fainted. The room looked like the gardener’s shed at her parents’ estate. Everything from hoes to milk cans filled the space, and even the bed was covered with junk. She closed the door quickly so she wouldn’t be tempted to drag everything out and rearrange. If she did that, she’d never be through by the time Josiah arrived home.

  Finally, she had the opening cleared and the couch pulled out from the wall. She never had been one to cover windows, and furniture pushed up against one seemed out of place to her. She put a chair on either side of the fireplace and moved the couch in closer. If they sat on the sofa and read to the girls, they could stretch their toes toward the fire. Anna Mae could envision their happy family doing just that and felt deep satisfaction that her thoughts were for their well-being.