A Texas Kind of Christmas Page 5

  “I know,” she answered without hesitation. “I blew fairy dust on you while I danced.” She reached across the few inches separating them and touched his arm, then pulled away. “When I was little, my mother used to tell me stories of the fairies in Ireland. She said there are trees called fairy trees. That’s where they live and no one must ever cut them down for fear of having five generations of bad luck.”

  “And do the fairies live in the trees?”

  “Under them, I think. I don’t remember. All I know is that if you see a fairy tree, it’s wise to leave a shiny trinket for good luck.”

  Cody couldn’t believe he was even listening to such nonsense, but somehow everything about this night no longer seemed real. The shy lady he’d talked to in the corner of the parlor had made him laugh with her stories of all the people in the room. If he ever saw her again he’d call her friend. But when she’d vanished he had the feeling that the party was all wrong for him too.

  He’d been heading out when he found Katie, who seemed to want to talk. She had no idea what a rare gift she was giving him.

  One fact he knew. The little dancer in pink had charmed him. As the fire burned low, he told her of his life. Of growing up in Tennessee without a mother. Of leaving his family farm at fourteen with five twenty-dollar gold pieces in his pocket. Of fighting in a war he didn’t understand. He even told her of his dreams to come to Texas and become a rancher and how he’d worked so hard those first few years he swore he sometimes slept standing up.

  She hung on his every word, those big green eyes never leaving his face. She wasn’t just listening; she was traveling through his memories on his words, asking details.

  When she shivered he put more wood on the fire and started to take his coat off.

  “No,” she said as she touched his arm again. “Let’s share.”

  He opened his jacket and she fit under his arm, wrapped in his nearness. Then, she spread the tablecloth over their knees. It had been so many years since anyone had done anything to comfort him, Cody could only watch.

  Cody thought of telling her he was already warm, but there was something so caring about the way she spread the cloth over his leg before she cuddled in next to him.

  “You’re no longer afraid of me, Katie?”

  “No. I know you. You’ve shared your struggles, your fears, and your dreams.”

  He kissed her hair. “Will you share yours?”

  “No,” she answered. “I’ve given up on dreams. You’d look at me different if you saw all. I’m no one, going nowhere.”

  “But you dance?”

  She grinned even though sadness still shone in her eyes. “Yes, I do.”

  Cody shook his head. “I doubt that you will never dream again. Maybe someday the sorrow in those green eyes will pass. Can you tell me if this thing you’ll never tell me about has anything to do with how frightened you looked when you first saw me?”

  She nodded.

  “If that fear ever threatens you again, all you have to do is squeeze my hand and I’ll make it go away.”

  A tear drifted down her cheek, but she smiled up at him. “Thanks for offering, but I’ll have to face my fear myself one day.”

  He held her for a long while. She didn’t pull away. If she felt safe with him near, he’d stay as long as she wanted him to.

  Chapter 7

  Nate stepped from the trunk closet and moved down the hallway, making sure no one saw him. It was past nine and his littlebird claimed she was starving.

  As he hurried toward the sound of voices and the music, he fought the urge to turn around. What if his lady disappeared? He was twenty-four and he’d never met anyone like her. Shy. Funny. Newborn to the world, yet so smart. How could a woman in the middle of nowhere be so well read? Why hadn’t she run the minute she realized they were alone? He felt she was so right for him, if he was looking for someone, but he knew he was all wrong for her.

  He slowed his steps as anger washed through him. Why had she stayed? The answer was obvious. She was more afraid of what was outside the room than she was of being alone with a stranger. It hurt his heart that someone had been cruel to her and probably still was.

  Nate wanted to turn around and run back to her. He needed to hold her and tell her all would be all right. But he couldn’t make that promise. He had nothing to offer. No way to protect her.

  All he could do for her was make it unnoticed downstairs, slip between all the people, and collect something to eat. Then they’d talk the rest of the night away, and somehow he’d make her forget about her unkind world, if only for a few hours.

  He tried to remember the last time he’d spent the evening with a lady. Never, he decided. He’d shared meals after a performance but never one-on-one. Never in their own little private hideaway. Never with a lady.

  He’d spent money to enjoy a willing woman’s company a few times, but it was only pretend. He wasn’t loving; he was simply paying for a lesson and he didn’t like the man in the mirror when he looked at himself the next morning.

  As he walked slowly down the stairs, he forced reality in his mind. Dreaming needed to be hidden away. There was too much danger outside of the shadows.

  He wondered what happened to the marshal. Surely the driver and the guard had fixed the coach by now and were heading into town. Maybe they’d left the coach and ridden bareback. Calaber would be riding with them and he’d be mad as hell.

  Nate smiled. Even if the marshal got to the hotel and managed to get another key to his room, he couldn’t go to the ball. Nate was wearing his clothes. Calaber would see Nate’s dirty, bloody clothes in a pile and probably explode in rage. The marshal would have him hanged immediately, then shake him back alive and shoot him dead again for the trouble Nate had caused him.

  As Nate reached the ground floor, he straightened into the part he must play, even tried to act slightly inebriated as he walked around the dancers. No one wants to engage a drunk in conversation.

  The music was lively. The crowd loud. The ball was in full swing. No one would notice him. They were too busy having fun.

  He’d reached the long buffet table before noticing a group of men huddled in the back hallway. As he filled his plate, he realized these men didn’t belong. Two held Sharps rifles resting in the crook of their arms. One had a long knife strapped to his waist. All wore heavy coats and thick boots.

  They looked ready to ride through the night. But they were there, circled around someone sitting in one of the high-backed dining chairs.

  One of the men standing glanced over his shoulder and Nate caught the flash of a badge on his chest. Something besides dancing was going on, and Nate had a sinking feeling that it might have something to do with him.

  Then, he caught a glimpse of the man sitting in the center of the small group. His boots were stretched out between two men. Fancy boots branded with double Cs.

  The urge to run raged through Nate’s muscles like wildfire. But, if he moved, he’d attract attention and that was the last thing he wanted to do. Growing up he’d become an expert at moving unnoticed through crowds. His skill would come in handy now. He had to collect food and make it back to her. A few more hours in the shadows was all he’d hope for.

  Five men plus the marshal were not good odds.

  Every man standing was heavily armed.

  Nate wouldn’t have a chance and if a gun was fired in the crowded room, someone besides him might be killed. He didn’t want that guilt even though the next shot would probably end his life.

  If he died, what would the lady upstairs think? That he’d left her? She already thought she wasn’t pretty. He’d like to get his hands on whoever convinced her of that notion. Everything about her enchanted him. Her skin, her long hair, her mind, the way she laughed.

  And somehow he knew that her fate lay in his hands.

  Like he did before each curtain rise, Nate barred his emotions inside and hid behind the mask of an actor.

  He turned to an old man waiting
in line to fill his plate and played his best Calaber voice. “You know what’s happening over yonder, partner?”

  “Word is the local sheriff’s been called in. Hartman thinks his daughter has been kidnapped. They can’t find her anywhere.” The old man shrugged. “It is hard for anyone to get excited about a woman that no one’s seen.”

  Nate bobbled his head like a drunk agreeing with something he didn’t understand.

  “If that ain’t enough trouble for the night, a loud mouth marshal from Austin just arrived in town claiming his prisoner attacked him while he was bringing the outlaw in. Broke his arm. The lawman claims his escaped prisoner probably did the kidnapping.” The old guy snorted. “I think it’s part of the entertainment if you ask me. Gives folks something new to talk about.”

  “I agree.” Nate laughed the same way the old man did. “How would a kidnapper get a lady out past all these people?”

  The old man agreed and added, “Why would anyone kidnap a homely girl when there are so many pretty ones here tonight?”

  “Is Hartman’s daughter really as ugly as they say?”

  “Heard she was. According to Hartman’s wife, they have to offer land and cattle to find someone willing to marry her. Folks say she’s so shy she stays in her room when folks come to the ranch to visit.”

  Slowly Nate walked away from the table with two plates. Conversations drifted around him, but he gave no hint that he was listening. The old man was right. People were all talking about the mystery of Jacqueline Hartman’s disappearance. Calaber was probably the only one trying to solicit help by claiming the two were connected. If he could convince the posse that Nate was linked to a kidnapping, the trial would be over before the thirteen twists of a hangman’s knot could be completed.

  Within minutes he was climbing the stairs two at a time, a plate in each hand and a bottle of wine under his arm. If he only had a short time left, he wanted to spend it with his shadow lady.

  For a moment he stood in front of their hideout. If he had any brains, he’d take off for wild country. The barn would be packed with horses. No one would miss one. By midnight he’d be far enough out of town Calaber would never find him. No one would think of him heading north past the fort lines. So, that might be his best chance of survival.

  His entire body froze. If he had any heart still in him, he had to stay. If he had a brain, he had to go.

  If he stayed tonight, a few more hours would be all the time they had together. Maybe all the time he had left on earth. Eventually the marshal would search the hotel. Nate knew he’d be swinging from a rope an hour after he was caught, and she’d be married off to some fool who only wanted her land. He hadn’t believed the sad story she’d told, but he believed she was the missing princess and somehow the real story was so much sadder than the make-believe one.

  If he stayed they might have tonight and one night was more then he’d ever dreamed to have with a woman like Jacqueline. One night. Maybe, if he tried, it would be enough to last her a lifetime.

  He tapped the toe of his boot on the storage door and waited. Finally, his littlebird opened it slightly, then stepped back so quickly that he only caught a glimpse of her bare shoulder, but he knew she was beautiful. He didn’t need the light to tell him that. For this one night with his lady, Nate swore he’d be whatever she needed him to be. He’d be the one memory she carried in her heart.

  “I almost left,” she whispered. “I’m starving.”

  “If you’d vanished, pretty lady, I’d have to eat both meals.”

  “Oh, no,” she giggled. “I’ll have to stay.”

  They set up a proper dining table with trunks and boxes. He told her about seeing the marshal. “What would you say if I told you I was the outlaw he’s chasing?”

  “I’d say take me with you. I’ve always wanted to be an outlaw or maybe a pirate. Only we’ll only steal from mean people.”

  “I agree.” He leaned across the table and kissed her cheek. “And when we’re caught, we’ll die in each other’s arms.”

  “No. That’s not a grand ending. I’ll save you the moment before death, then we’ll run off to see Paris, or England, or New York. I’ve always dreamed of seeing the world. Once I saw a map of Paris in the back of a book and I memorized it just in case I’d need to know someday.”

  They made up all the tragedies that might happen on their travels and all the adventures she’d write about. He even acted out a few of their plans.

  “When we’re exhausted, we’ll come back here and live out our days on the prairie. But, you’ll have to marry me.” Her words were light as though she was making up a story.

  “I’d gladly do that. Then I could read to you in bed and you could cook me breakfast every morning.”

  “I can’t cook.”

  “Great, we’re back to starving.” This time when he leaned across their food, he kissed her lips. “Every plot of our life seems to end in death.”

  “No. Remember, I’ll save you.” She leaned back far enough to only be a shadow once more. “Will you kiss me again, later?”

  “I will, pretty lady.”

  When the food was gone he spread out a shawl she’d found in one of the trunks and they sat in the darkest corner of the storage room, holding hands as they talked.

  “Tell me your greatest fear,” he whispered as he pushed her hair back away from her face.

  “Of never having someone to love,” she answered simply. “I wouldn’t even care if he really loved me. If someone would just let me love him. Of course, he’d have to be worth the loving.”

  “How could he not be?” Nate whispered. “You’d never pick a man who wasn’t.”

  She laced her fingers in his. “You’re worth the loving.”

  Nate could think of nothing to say. He wished he had been honest from the first. He kissed her cheek and answered, “I wish I were a better man. A man worth that kind of love.”

  He held her then for a long time. She finally rested her head against his heart and whispered, “Tell me a story.”

  “Your wish is my command.”

  He told her the stories he’d seen in plays and the ones he’d read in books. He told her stories that had drifted through his mind when his days were endless boredom. He told her his dreams.

  Tomorrow’s forecast was probably death by hanging, or shooting, or even some lawman choking him to death, so he might as well get all the what-might-have-beens out.

  When he finished talking, she was asleep. He pulled her close against him and rested his head atop hers and whispered, “I wish I was worth your love. Since we only have tonight, know whatever happens I’ll love you to my last breath.”

  Chapter 8

  Carolers walked the street passing between the small shed and the grand St. Nicholas Hotel. Even when Cody couldn’t see them he could hear their voices carried on the frosty wind. Christmas had never meant much to him. Just another day to work most years but tonight memories drifted in his thoughts.

  Once, when he was about five or six, his dad took him to a neighbor’s house for a Christmas Eve meal. They’d had a tree decorated with berries and candy for the kids. He’d heard the same songs that night that echoed in the air tonight.

  If he’d had a mother would he be different? Maybe the reason he’d never finished the big house he’d started was simply because he had no family to put in it.

  He laid his big hand over Katie’s, noticing that his touch was rough against her fingers. “Katie, what happened to your parents?”

  “They were frail when we left Ireland. They didn’t make the crossing.”

  He was silent for a while, then added, “It’s nice being with you like this. I guess we’re the last of both our families. Maybe we were the strongest.” His fingers closed gently over hers.

  She smiled. “It is nice tonight. It’s like, for a moment, the world’s slowing down so we can just relax and breathe. You’re a big man, but a gentle man, Mr. Lamar.”

  “No one has ever called
me that. I was a good soldier and my men say I’m a fair boss.”

  She pulled her hand from his grip and placed her warmed fingers on his cheek. “They don’t see you like I do. We might have just met, but I feel like I’ve known you all my life. You are someone I’ve been waiting to meet. You’re my chance encounter. My mom used to say that there are people you meet for only a moment who change you.”

  “I don’t believe in chance.”

  He had no more words, but he felt what she’d meant. In watching her dance and talking with her on this cold night, she’d somehow changed him. Maybe it was just the night, the music in the air, everyone happy. Maybe, for once in his life, he’d simply stumbled on something good that was meant to be. He should just relax and enjoy the moment. He had a feeling it would soon be his favorite memory.

  Cody was aware that something was going on at the hotel long before he mentioned it to Katie.

  She relaxed against his side and watched the fire. But Cody missed little that happened beyond the shed they’d found. His years in the military and being constantly on guard against rustlers had honed his skills.

  Men, not dressed for a ball and well armed, had stormed their way in the side door. One man with his arm in a sling marched with them shouting orders as if he was boss, but Cody watched the men turn to another, a small man who gave directions with the movement of his hand.

  “Something is going on inside,” he whispered to Katie.

  “A ball? Dancing? Drinking?” She giggled.

  “No, something more.” He stood. “Maybe we should move back inside.”

  “No. I can’t. Not yet. There is someone I don’t want to see.”

  Before Cody could ask questions two men rushed out of the front door and headed straight toward them. Another two came from the side of the hotel where Cody had seen Katie dancing. Halfway across the muddy road one of the men raised his rifle.

  There was no time for Cody to leave. He’d have to stay and see what was going on. He wasn’t a man to back down from trouble. “I’ll handle this, Katie. They probably just want to ask if we saw something. With all the money and jewelry in the hotel I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a robbery.”