Читать книгу Christmas Cowboy Kisses - Carol Arens - Страница 15

Chapter Five

The scent of apples filled the kitchen as Gideon used Joy’s grinder to fill a large pan with juice and pulp from the fruit he’d gathered from the cellar. He’d washed the apples, sorting through them and discarding the ones with bad spots. Although this was a new endeavor for him, he felt confident he would be able to make a decent batch of cider in his own makeshift way.

The grinder worked well for the job, and he set about straining the apples into another container with Joy’s large strainer. By the time he was finished, he had over a gallon of the fragrant juice, along with a goodly amount of pulp, and had set aside the rest of the pulp and skins for the pigs who lived in a pen with a sheltered lean-to attached to the barn. There were three pigs, all of them ready for butchering, a job Gideon meant to inquire about in town or perhaps with the nearby neighbor once the snow cleared up. Surely there would be someone in the area who specialized in such things.

Joy worked at the table, mixing the dough for the cookies, finally dumping a part of the dough onto the flour-covered table. She patted it into a circle, then used her rolling pin to flatten it and ready it for Joseph’s task of cutting out cookies. He knelt on a chair, one of her aprons tied around him to protect his clothing from all the flour that would be flying about as he worked.

He cut out first one star, then another, until he had almost two dozen, not all of them perfect, but all of them suitable for the cookie sheets Joy had readied. Using her spatula, she transferred one after another of the stars until she had filled the sheet.

“This one goes into the oven, Joseph. We’ll give them ten minutes and then check them out. They should be pretty near baked by then.” After sliding the pan into the hot oven, Joy brought her other cookie sheet to the table. “Now let’s fill this one,” she said with a smile for the eager boy who watched her.

In no time, she found room for the rest of his stars on the cookie sheet and placed it on the warming shelf to await its turn in the oven below. She piled up the remnants of the dough and added more from her bread pan, then went through the same process as she had the first time. This time, Joseph was given a cookie cutter that resembled an angel. His tongue was caught in one corner of his mouth as he worked, and Joy and Gideon exchanged smiles as they watched him, Joy lending a hand when needed, for Joseph wasn’t yet adept at fitting the angels closely together on the cookie sheet.

The morning passed quickly as one pan then another left the oven. The cookies were just a touch brown, marking their readiness for the next step. After the table was piled high across one end with ten dozen cookies, according to Joy’s count, they got ready to frost them. Joy filled a bowl with white icing and found some small bottles of colored sugar in the pantry, which she transferred to empty salt and pepper shakers. “I never did this before,” Joseph announced as Joy began frosting the cookies.

“Well, it’ll take you and your father both to keep up with me, I fear,” Joy said with a laugh as she moved her frosted cookies closer to the boy. Gideon joined him, and they all sprinkled the colored sugar on the stars and angels before them, Joseph more than generous with his shakers, colored sugar flying about with gusto. Gideon announced that one of them was damaged by too many sugar crystals and must be eaten immediately, calling forth laughter from Joy and his son.

He made a big production out of eating the angel he’d considered to be damaged, sharing it with Joseph bite for bite. “That’s the best cookie I ever ate, ma’am,” the boy declared fervently. “It surely was good. I’ll bet I could eat another one, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“I’d be happy to get you a glass of milk to go with it, if you’d like, Joseph. And perhaps even one for your father,” Joy said happily. She hadn’t had this much fun in a month of Sundays, she decided, watching the wide grin spread across the boy’s face.

“Would you, ma’am? I’d sure like that and I know my daddy would, too,” Joseph said, smiling through the icing that adorned his lips and cheeks.

Within a few minutes, Grandpa had joined them, and all four sat at the table, drinking milk and sampling the cookies before them. Joy moved as many cookies to the cooled cookie sheets as she could and then found two more in the cupboard to hold the excess. The kitchen dresser held all four sheets and still the table was almost half full.

“We’ll have enough cookies to last us for a month,” Joy said happily. “We’ll hang some on the tree later on, when the icing is completely dry. Probably by tonight. And in the meantime, I have some other tasks to finish up before the day is over. If you’ll all excuse me, I’m going to sit on the rocker in the corner and get out my knitting.”

“Can I go in the parlor and look at the Christmas tree?” Joseph asked. “I just want to sit on the sofa and enjoy it.”

“You sure can, son,” Gideon said, ushering the boy away from the knitting scene lest he figure out that the work keeping Joy so busy was intended for him. She’d finished the hat last night and had begun working on the scarf before her eyes closed midway through a row, almost causing a calamity when the stitches came close to sliding from her needles. Now she knit the final ball of yarn into the length she’d determined would fit around the boy’s neck and crisscross on his chest to keep him warm beneath his coat. The mittens would have to wait till after Christmas, for she had another task she wanted to complete before dark.

She’d found a large ball of brown yarn in her basket of supplies and determined to do a scarf for Gideon, even if it took all evening. She was quick at the task, for she’d been knitting since she was but a youngster. She’d made Grandpa a new hat and scarf over the past weeks, working at it in her bedroom to keep it a secret from him, and had fashioned a vest for him out of the deerhide she’d cleaned and stretched. Now if Gideon’s scarf was ready in time, she’d wrap them in the tissue she’d bought in town a while ago. It was red and would look festive under the tree come morning. She needed only to make out small name tags for the packages and then scoot into the parlor after everyone else was in bed to put them beneath the tree.

* * *

Christmas morning began before the sun came up. Joy was busily making cinnamon rolls, having put them to rise atop the warming oven the night before. She fried up a panful of bacon and a dozen eggs, sliding them onto her big platter to sit in the center of the table when everyone had assembled for breakfast. She toasted six slices of bread in the oven, then buttered them and presented them on another small plate.

“This is a feast fit for a king,” Gideon pronounced. His cheeks were ruddy from the cold and he sat closest to the stove to soak up the warmth. The chores were done, he’d said as he came in the backdoor, and after he’d washed up at the sink, he helped Joseph wash, then sat him on a store catalog atop his chair. Grandpa came in, a smug look on his face as he joined the group around the table.

They held hands while Gideon said a blessing over their food, and then they all tucked in with a will, the bacon and eggs disappearing quickly. The cinnamon rolls were hot from the oven and Joy cut them up in big squares and passed the butter. They drank coffee and ate the rolls almost in silence, so tasty were the sweet offerings. Joseph drank two glasses of milk, declaring the rolls to be the best thing he’d eaten in forever, causing his father and Joy to laugh heartily.

They lit the candles on the tree, and then all sat down on the sofa but for Gideon, who announced he would distribute the gifts. Joseph was delighted with the hat and scarf Joy had made and thanked her profusely. Grandpa was surprised at his own knitted gift and muttered his thanks with a low growl. His misty eyes needed wiping with his big kerchief as he unwrapped the vest Joy had stitched so carefully from the deerhide.

“I sure didn’t expect such a wonderful surprise, girl,” he said in a gruff tone, his smile belying the sound. With Gideon’s help, he donned his gift and beamed as he smoothed his hands over the front, examining the buttonholes Joy had worked into the suede fabric. Gideon was more than happy with the scarf he received, declaring it a lifesaver, for he needed something to keep his ears warm.

Grandpa pointed at a brown-wrapped package and Gideon lifted it from beneath the tree and cast a questioning look at him. “Give it to Joy,” he said, and Gideon did so with a flourish. Joy took it on her lap with a cry of glee.

“How did you...? What did you...?” she asked, her cheeks pink with confusion and pleasure as her fingers untied the string that encircled the package. She folded back the paper, and within the wrapping lay a navy blue cloak, three frog fastenings at its throat. Joy stood up and held it before her, admiring the red binding that accented it, encircling the neck and then running down the front of each lapel and down to the hem.

“Oh, my! Oh, my!” she crooned, unfastening the loops and swirling the cloak about her, holding it closely against her throat and turning in a slow circle before her audience. Grandpa smiled, Joseph clapped his hands with glee and Gideon could only watch in admiration as the woman before him cast warm glances at all the males in her family.

“You surely do look like a Christmas angel, Joy,” Grandpa said with a hint of tears in his voice. “I knew you’d look beautiful in that thing. Had it ordered from the catalog for you and picked it up a while ago when we went to town.”

“I didn’t know,” Joy said. “You sure are good at keeping a secret, Grandpa. And I thank you so much. It’s just beautiful and will keep me warm. I’ll even put it over my quilt on the bed when I go to sleep.” She bent over her grandfather and kissed him across his forehead and down one cheek, murmuring soft words of love to him as she did so.

“You look pretty enough to put on the top of the tree, Joy,” Gideon said. “You sure enough look like an angel in that beautiful cloak. Your grandfather knew just what would look lovely on you.”

“I have something else for Joseph,” Joy said hesitantly. “I didn’t wrap them, but I thought he might like something I’ve enjoyed for many years. In fact,” she said, bringing a pile of books from beneath the tree, “if Joseph would like me to, I’d enjoy reading one of the stories to him tonight before he goes to bed.”

“Would you really, Joy?” the boy asked, his eyes pleading as he stood before her, his hands reaching for the books she held. “Oh, look, Daddy. Just look at the books Joy gave me.” Joseph sat down on the floor and looked over the assortment Joy had gathered together from her own library for him.

“Here’s a whole book about horses and another about dogs. There’s lots of stories in this one, and look at the pictures of all kinds of horses in this one. And here’s Black Beauty, too.” He hugged the book to his chest. “I’ve always wanted to have someone read this story to me. And now Joy says she will. Will we be here long enough for her to read the whole thing, Daddy? Will we?” the boy asked pleadingly.

“Of course you will,” Joy said quickly. “I’m sure you and your father aren’t going anywhere in a hurry, Joseph. You’ll be here for a good while, I’m certain.”

“As long as Joy and her grandfather will let us stay,” Gideon added with a quick smile at Joy. “There’s lots of work I can do here to make life easier for Joy and Grandpa this winter. We’ll stay for a while.”

“You betcha,” Grandpa added. “We’ve been needing someone to lend a hand around here. It’s too much for Joy, and I can’t do much to help her. At least not in the snow.”

“That’s settled, then,” Joy said with a wide grin. “You can stay as long as you like, Gideon.”

“Well, this has been the merriest Christmas we’ve had for several years,” Gideon said, bending to pick Joseph up in his arms. “I just know my son hasn’t been so happy in a long time.” And then Grandpa called out for Joseph to draw near to him.

The boy scooted over to stand by Grandpa while the old man dug in his pocket, finally drawing forth a wooden figure. It was a small horse, and the boy watched wide-eyed as the old man held it in the palm of his hand. “Maybe this could be Black Beauty, sonny,” Grandpa said with a wide smile. “Not the right color horse, but you can pretend he’s black till your pa can paint him for you one day.”

“Oh, I can pretend without black paint, Grandpa,” the lad cried, holding out his palm for the small figure.

Grandpa placed the figure in Joseph’s hand and then had to stop and wipe his eyes and nose, so caught up in the lad’s pleasure he almost shed a few tears. “I’m happy you like it, Joseph,” he said, reaching to hug the boy in a quick embrace.

Joseph ran to his father. “Lookee what Grandpa made for me, Daddy. Ain’t it the prettiest thing you ever saw?”

“Sure enough it is,” Gideon said, casting a thankful look at the old man who watched the boy so closely.

Joy rose from the sofa, bent on making it to the kitchen before tears escaped her control. “I’m going to clean up and get ready to fix our Christmas dinner,” she said, hurrying from the room.

“I reckon I’ll give her a hand.” Gideon put his son on the floor and headed after the young woman he’d barely been able to keep his gaze from all morning. Joseph ran to the sofa.

“Can you and me just sit here and watch the Christmas tree?” he asked Grandpa, who held out an arm to enclose the lad’s shoulders as he sat beside him.

Gideon went to the kitchen where Joy was wiping the last of her tears and had set about with the breakfast dishes. His arms encircled her and she rested against him for a few moments. “It’s been a wonderful morning, but now the dishes await me, Gideon,” she said with a sigh.

“Tell you what, ma’am. I’ll dry if you’ll wash,” he said, picking up the dish towel and waving it with a flourish, as if intent on drying her tears with his foolishness.

And so the day passed, all enjoying the dinner Joy fixed for them, Gideon doing the chores closer to nightfall and Grandpa whittling another figure for Joseph to match the horse he’d given him. “This way you’ll have a team of ’em,” Grandpa said, busily carving the long legs on the figure in his hands.

It was truly the best Christmas Joy could recall as she sat on the sofa after replacing the candles on the tree and lighting them anew. Gideon came in from the barn and stomped his feet as he hung his coat and then joined them in the parlor.

“I’m going to see about putting this boy to bed. He’s had a big day and he’s about ready to shut his eyes and doze off,” Gideon said quietly, picking Joseph up and holding him close.

“Well, get him ready for bed and send him down to me if he’s still wide-awake. I’ll read to him for a while from Black Beauty and see how he likes it. It’s a good story, for sure,” Joy said.

So it was that she curled up on the sofa with a lamp on the table next to her on one side and a small boy gathered to her on the other. The book lay open on her lap and she found herself with an audience as Gideon joined them, sitting on the floor by her feet as she read. Joseph snuggled close as if he hadn’t been cuddled in a long while and his head drooped against her, finally dropping to her lap as he snoozed while she read.

Joy closed the book after inserting a bookmark she’d knitted, a miniature scarf, only an inch or so wide.

Gideon smiled as he saw it. “You’re just full of talents, Joy,” he said. “You not only cook and clean, but you know how to tend to a family in every way possible. I’m in awe at your abilities.”

Joy flushed, nodding her thanks for the compliment, placing the book she’d been reading on the table beside her. “This boy is about out for the night,” she whispered to Gideon as he approached.

“I’ll take him up now. And I think I’ll crawl in beside him. We’re both nearly tuckered out. Will you being going up, too, Grandpa?” he asked the older man.

Grandpa nodded and headed for the stairs, dropping a quick kiss on Joy’s cheek as he passed her chair. “Good night, Grandpa. And you, too, Gideon. I’ll lock the doors and be on my way, too,” Joy said, stifling a yawn as she spoke.

“It was the most beautiful Christmas I’ve ever had,” Gideon said as he paused by her chair. “And you made it possible, Joy. You and your grandfather. I can’t thank you enough, both from me and my son. I’ll bank the fire in the kitchen and be right back to tote my boy upstairs.”

Joy looked up into his eyes and felt warmed from within. Gideon’s smile was one she’d never seen before, filled with more than affection, for he bestowed upon her a smile that spoke to her heart.

“I’ll be turning in, too, once I make sure all the candles are out,” she said.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Joy. God bless you, for you’ve been a real blessing to me. And to Joseph.” He bent, leaving the touch of his lips against her cheek, then went into the kitchen where she heard him lifting a burner on the stove, preparatory to banking the fire for the night. By the time she’d gone to her own room he was back in the parlor, picking up his son and carrying him to the stairs, where she heard his footsteps touch each step. She watched from her bedroom doorway as he climbed, looking down at the lad he carried, lifting him close to his heart as he reached the top of the stairs and headed to the first room on the right.

The house was quiet as Joy found her bed. Before she snuggled beneath her quilts, she lifted herself up a bit to blow out the candle she’d brought to light her way. Her fingers touched the spot on her cheek where Gideon had left his warmth. The man seemed to have crept into her life and her heart in a way she’d never have dreamed possible. He was the very image of what she had long harbored in her heart as the perfect man for her future. Not only tall and strong and handsome but a wonderful father to his son. Perhaps it would be her Christmas gift from the powers that be, that Gideon would find her pleasing. For though he’d told her she was to be admired, she could only wish for more.

Her head swam with images from the whole day as she sank into slumber. And all of them included the tall man who had swept into her life and somehow...into her heart.