A Texas Christmas Reunion Page 22

  “Yes, and I’d do it again. But the thing is—I wanted you to be guilty. Would have given me respect in this town if I’d apprehended an arsonist. I know I’m on thin ice with my job, what with my criminal cousins causing trouble and some other mistakes I’ve made. If I could have gotten you convicted—hell, I’d have looked better. I want you to know, I do regret how I closed my eyes to the fact that you might have been innocent.”

  “Have you noticed that we’ve got a couple of things in common, Underwood?”

  “Don’t know about that. From all I can see, your students think highly of you. The folks of Beaumont Spur don’t think much of me.”

  “Some of them don’t think much of me, either. It occurs to me that’s for a bit of the same reason. You’ve been fighting your family’s reputation for a long time, same as I’ve been fighting my father’s.”

  “Reckon that’s so. Never saw the similarity before.” The sheriff nodded, grimaced. “I’ve said my piece, now I’ll be on my way.”

  “Hold up a minute. What I’ve got to say goes for you, too.”

  “Man’s got something to say, folks!” the sheriff called, as if he needed to get anyone’s attention.

  “You know that Juliette Lindor is planning Christmas dinner for you all at the hotel tonight. That’s still going to happen. So is the pageant. And so is my wedding to Juliette. You are all invited.”

  “Wedding!” He heard gasps all over the room.

  After everything, he would not have minded it being a private affair, but he needed to make it clear that he and Juliette were engaged so folks would not think they had been carrying on a tawdry affair under the noses of them all.

  Yes, a part of him did not want to invite them, but he did it anyway. If there was ever an event to mend a rift, it was a Christmas Eve wedding.

  * * *

  What Juliette wanted to do was watch out her dining room window for Trea to return to the hotel.

  According to Rose, he had been set free when Charlie revealed the truth about his mother.

  But once again, Father Lindor was stressed over his children’s missing cat and no matter how she tried to convince him that Dixie was the absent animal, he would not believe it.

  Truth be told, she was grateful that he did not. As surly as he often was, he was hers and it broke her heart to watch him fade.

  In the end, they spent an hour looking under the lobby trees and the beds, and in dim closets before he forgot what they were searching for and decided to take a nap, instead.

  As soon as Warren fell asleep, Lena wanted to be fed. Juliette didn’t mind that, since it would give her a few moments to sit beside the window and watch for Trea’s return.

  But would he return? She had gone against his desire to protect her by making a very public declaration.

  She had betrayed him, even though in her eyes it had been the right thing to do. Perhaps her disregard of his wishes had caused a wound too painful to heal. A dark place in her heart suggested that he’d left town without a backward glance.

  Of course he hadn’t! To think so was yet another betrayal.

  What she needed to do was focus on the depth of her love for Trea and have faith in his love for her—believe that nothing could shake that.

  “Look at that, Lena,” she murmured to the baby, even though she had fallen asleep. “All of a sudden it’s snowing. I would have bet money that it wouldn’t. So, in the spirit of wondrous happenings, I am getting married tonight, and you, my sweet girl, are getting a father.”

  In an hour she was going to her room, where she would prepare for her wedding.

  She would put up her hair in simple but pretty whirls and attach the ribbons, berries and flowers that took the place of a veil. In high spirits, she would shimmy into her lacy underwear. With a rejoicing, grateful heart, she would step into her wedding gown.

  After that, she would go to the lobby and greet her guests...however many showed up after today’s drama.

  All she needed was one more gift for Christmas—if she got it, she would never need another.

  She rallied her spirits with a vision of Trea and the preacher, wrapped up in a huge red bow, standing in front of the biggest and most dazzling of her Christmas trees.

  Lighting the hundreds of candles on that tree and the others would have been impossible without Rose’s help. Everything she’d done to get ready for this night would have been, as well.

  How Trea had managed to do it all on his own, she could not imagine. She fell in love with him all over again for going to the effort.

  But where was he?

  At last, she stood among her trees in her green wedding gown with candlelight winking merrily on the satin, believing in Christmas and that all would be well.

  Looking up at the angel Trea and Charlie had fashioned from straw, she felt confidence rise. Love was, after all, more powerful than life, death or betrayal. She made this thought her anchor.

  Since the guests were not due to begin arriving for another twenty minutes, she had a bit of spare time to wander about the lobby, appreciating the magic caused by candlelight shimmering off walls, floor and ceiling.

  She half thought Santa’s elves had checked into the hotel.

  Remembering how the place had been and seeing how it was now, she was proud of what she had done. But more than that, she was grateful. Had Laura Lee not given her such an unheard-of gift, this might still be a home for vermin and fleas.

  The thing was, without Trea, none of it mattered.

  Yes, she could live without him. Life had taught her that lesson.

  But the sad fact was that her days without him would be much like this lobby had been before the addition of the Christmas trees. Adequate, comfortable, but without magic.

  Making her way back to the big tree by the stairs, she looked up, past flickering candles. She gazed upon the handcrafted angel, let the loving spirit of Christmas swirl around and through her.

  “Where are you, Trea Culverson?”

  A hand, firm and familiar, touched her shoulder from behind. “Hello, Beautiful.”

  She spun about, launched herself against him.

  It took a moment of squeezing to believe he was really here and not one of the fantasies that had lived in her mind all day long.

  “You’re here!”

  “It’s our wedding day. Where else would I be?”

  She cupped his freshly shaven cheeks in her palms, breathed deeply of his clean masculine scent.

  “I’m sorry, Trea, I only said what I did because—” He kissed her words away, made her half dizzy for want of breath.

  “You were right to do it. I’m sorry for—”

  This time she kissed him, felt the quick thud of his heart. “You don’t have a single thing to be—”

  They kissed each other, lips colliding and hearts rejoicing.

  “You’re really free?” Of course he was; she was touching the curve of his cheek, the line of his jaw, and the moisture from their kisses lingered on her lips.

  “Only until you tangle me up in wedding vows. Let’s quit being sorry and get married,” he said.

  “Not much time, then, until you feel those shackles and chains.”

  He shook his head, his hair glinting deep brown in the candle glow.

  “Better value your own freedom while you can. The preacher should be here soon.” And there was that teasing half smile she loved. Her heart was overwhelmed, knowing she could freely announce that she loved him whenever the urge came upon her.

  “But I don’t value it.” Not one little bit. “Where have you been?”

  He stepped away from her, tilting his head at a jaunty angle and showing off his fancy black suit.

  “Can’t you tell? Getting spiffed up for our vows. Me and my best man.”

  “Who is that?”

 
“Charlie.”

  “I heard what happened! Was his mother arrested? I didn’t hear what happened to her.”

  “No. The woman ran off without a word.”

  “What a wicked thing to do to him. Poor Charlie. I should have guessed as much when I visited him. That house was so dark and cold.”

  “I imagine it was even worse when she was there. In the end, Charlie will be better off with her gone.”

  “I could not be happier that you chose him for your best man. How is he holding up? It’s an awful lot for a boy to handle.”

  “He’s strong, and Cora has taken him under her wing. But the thing is, I don’t want him for just my best man. He’ll need a home. I’d like to offer ours.”

  “Yes!” What a wonderful and generous man she was about to marry. “Yes! Yes and yes! All of a sudden I can’t picture our family without him.”

  “No wonder I love you.” He wrapped her up tight and squeezed.

  “Where is he now?”

  “Across the street with the other students, getting ready for the performance.” He held her at arm’s length. His gaze passed over her, lingering, intimate on the places that tended to flare and curve. “You look like a Christmas angel all dressed in green.”

  “Oh, well.” She lowered her voice even though no one was nearby. “I’m wearing white underneath, but I don’t think there’s anything angelic about it. You’ll have to let me know later.”

  “It’s a very good thing the wedding is right after the performance.”

  “More than you know. I’ve already moved your clothes into my closet.”

  * * *

  His clothes in her closet?

  He hadn’t thought of that before now, his pants hanging beside her skirts. He’d imagined plenty of other things, but the image of his ties tangled in a drawer with her garters was all kinds of erotic.

  “I nearly wish we could skip the performance, say the vows quick and run to the bedroom.” And get as tangled up as ties and garters.

  “Tempting. But I want to look at my handsome groom for a while first.” She stroked the fabric of the black vest showing under his coat.

  “You like it? I’ve got Sheriff Hank to thank for these fine threads.”

  He heard voices on the porch. In only a moment the event Juliette had worked so hard for would begin.

  “What?”

  “He rousted Leif from his apartment over the store and got him to sell me this suit.” Trea posed, turned this way and that, showing off the fine cut of the garments. “He’s the one who bought Charlie’s suit. Then he took us back to his house to let us bathe and get ready.”

  “I hardly know what to say. Will he be here tonight?”

  Trea shook his head. “I tried to convince him to come, but he thinks his presence will cast a shadow. Besides, he says he’s got a lot of thinking to do, looking deep down to see if he’s cut out for being a lawman. And just so you know—our wedding isn’t going to be a surprise, after all. I made the announcement so there ought to be a big crowd tonight.”

  “It’s what I wanted and there is plenty of food. Thank goodness and Rose.”

  While she appeared to fall deep into thought, probably reviewing seating and wedding cake, the front door opened.

  She hurried forward. So did Trea. Everyone here was his guest as well as his bride-to-be’s—bride-to-be for a very brief time, that was.

  Adelaide Jones swept inside, laughing, taking the room in with a glance. Her children followed, dressed in Christmas finery.

  The youngest, a girl, clung to her mother’s skirt, but her eyes and her mouth opened in astonished circles at the sight of so many candles.

  “Santa already comed here!” she gasped.

  “Not yet, Pauline.” Adelaide picked up the child and walked through the trees, exclaiming at this and that.

  The other three children trailed after. Adelaide looked like a hen leading her chicks from wonder to wonder.

  “Santa won’t come until later tonight when we’re all abed,” Adelaide reminded them.

  Abed seemed a fine place to be, in Trea’s soon-to-be-wed opinion.

  “And Papa’s getting coal?” the little one asked.

  “Oh, yes, my sweet one. He certainly is.”

  Trea slipped his arm around Juliette’s waist, tugged her in tight then whispered, “Ho-ho-ho.”

  She turned in his arms, kissed him deeply.

  “Merry Christmas, indeed,” she whispered against his ear then lightly nipped the soft, fleshy lobe.

  “Just so I’m not surprised, what color are those garters in your drawer?”

  “Hell.” The raspy voice of his father jolted him back to the here and now, reminding him that he was not yet a married man, not quite free to act on his every impulse. “I recall a time when your mother—”

  Felix stood beside Ephraim, a broad grin stretching the wrinkles bracketing his mouth.

  “What is it you recall?” Trea asked. Could his father be about to say something good about his mother?

  “Most of it, you don’t want to know—but she was nearly as pretty as your gal is—and a long time ago she looked at me the same way. Still, you won’t get me to say sweet, flowery things about her.”

  That would have to do, and it was more than Trea had gotten in the past.

  Plus, it was nice to note that both men had cleaned up before coming from next door.

  “Tell him why you came, then,” Felix said.

  “Wouldn’t you like to stay?” Juliette asked, including both men in the invitation.

  “All this fancy—” Ephraim indicated the room with a jab of one finger “—decor. It makes me itch.”

  “I’d be pleased to stay, Mrs. Lindor.” Felix tipped his hat, then went to join some other guests who had come in.

  “I appreciate you speaking up for me earlier, Pa.”

  “It was the blamed truth, bore saying is all.” He put one finger between his neck and his shirt, yanked it as if it were choking him. “I’ll have my say, then get on back. The thing is, with Mrs. Lindor on her crusade to make this town respectable, don’t see how I’ll be able to support two saloons—even with Suzie Folsom closing up. So I figure you might as well have The Saucy Goose for your schoolhouse.”

  “That’s very kind of you, Mr. Culverson!” Juliette spoke up when Trea stood silent as a stone. “The children will be grateful.”

  His pa nodded his head once, firmly, then turned and took four steps toward the door.

  “Pa! Wait!” Trea dashed after him, halted his father with a tug on his elbow. “I’d like for you to stay, for my wedding, right after the children sing.”

  “Son, you—” Ephraim placed his big rough hand on Trea’s shoulder, squeezed, then seemed to be searching for words. “That boy’s going to sing again, you say?”

  “He is.” Trea placed his hand on top of his father’s, squeezed back.

  “Where’d Felix get off to?”

  A second later she and Trea both stared through the trees, seeing the big silhouette lumbering in and out of sight.

  “I think he just gave us his blessing,” Trea murmured.

  “Yes, I’m sure that’s what that was.”

  Trea kissed her cheek. “I better bring the children over. The sooner they sing, the sooner you become my wife.”

  “I’ll be here greeting guests and checking on the food.”

  * * *

  Juliette felt compelled to watch Trea in the distance while he spoke to his father, just to make sure he was really there and that she had not dreamed the gift of the new schoolhouse.

  She hoped that Trea would make a public announcement of it so people would quit looking at Ephraim and Felix as if they had accidently wandered into the wrong building.

  “There you are!”

  “Hello, Nannie.
”

  “You won’t believe it!” As always, when she had something to reveal, Nannie’s eyes glowed bright blue, her chin jutted forward.

  “I might. Let me guess. Dr. Fulsom is sweet on you and plans to begin courting?”

  Of all things, Nannie blushed. Juliette could not recall seeing that happen in the past.

  “I hope that’s true, but it isn’t my news.” She snatched up Juliette’s hands, held on to them as if she might float off the floor if she did not. “Papa is retiring and leaving the newspaper to me. Can you believe it? We are both career women. Of course, you’ll need to tell me how to balance babies and work just in case the doctor—but I’ve vowed that I will not get ahead of myself like I did with Trea.”

  Nannie dropped her hands, put them behind her back. “I see now that he only ever wanted you, even when we were young. I’m sorry for everything, Juliette, and especially what I said to everyone earlier today. I don’t know what got into me, except that I wanted to make up for—”

  “It’s all right,” Juliette rushed to say, because it was. Everything was working out as it should. “I know you meant well.”

  “Yes, I did. But I haven’t always, and you know it. I think, though, you forgive me and I’m grateful. And wait until you see my headline for the next edition of the paper. It’s all about how you pulled Beaumont Spur back from the edge of desolation. Made it a promising place to live.”

  The article might be the very thing to make families intending to move reconsider! Having Nannie Breene running the paper might be a very good thing.

  Nannie looked as if she was about to walk away, but didn’t.

  “You know, Juliette, you might have done something more elegant with your hair, given that it’s your wedding day. But—” the newspaperwoman cocked her head to one side, studying her appearance “—it would not have looked half as lovely. You are a simply stunning bride and I will say so in the paper for everyone to read.”

  “There’s one thing I don’t have. Perhaps you can help me with it.”

  “Of course. I’ll try.”

  “I don’t have anyone to stand up with me. Would you do me the honor?”