Christmas Cowboy Kisses Read online

  “Thank you, sweetheart,” he said, dropping a quick kiss against her forehead. He reached for the doorknob and turned to face her, his eyes warm as they swept over her from her feet to the top of her head. “You’re a real beauty, Joy. I’m happy that you’re in my life. Just be patient, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. The roads are treacherous, but at least it doesn’t look like we’ve got any snow coming tonight. Don’t go outside, you hear?”

  “I won’t. I’ll stay in here and feed Joseph and see if I can coax Grandpa to eat a bit. We’ll be fine. I want to stay close to Grandpa and be sure he’s all right. Please tell the doctor to hurry.”

  “I will.” With a last, long look at her, he opened the door, quickly pulling it shut behind him. She watched through the window as he went to the barn, the path he’d shoveled the day before free of fresh snow. The barn door stayed open as he saddled her mare quickly, put on her bridle and then led the animal from the barn, closing the door tightly behind him.

  He looked toward the house and then mounted the mare in a swift motion, waving at Joy as she waved back from the window. And as he passed by the porch, he lifted a hand to his mouth and blew a kiss in her direction, a wide smile following it. Then he was gone and she felt the warmth of his kiss as though he had delivered it to her from close at hand. “Sweetheart”, he’d said. He’d called her sweetheart.

  She pulled the curtain over the window, keeping as much heat in the house as possible, then checked the potatoes, drained them in the sink and covered them again. She opened the oven and lifted the cover on the roast, then added a bit of water to have plenty of gravy. She could mash the potatoes later, she decided. The green beans she’d cooked half the day were more than done and she set them aside to keep them warm while she checked on Grandpa and Joseph again.

  Joseph had moved to sit on a small stool next to Grandpa and was still telling him a fanciful tale he made up as he went along. Grandpa was snoozing a bit, his head tilted to one side, leaning against a pillow; she felt relieved that he seemed to be resting well.

  “We’ll eat in just a bit, Joseph,” she whispered. “Your father has gone to town, so you keep an eye on Grandpa for me while I make the gravy and fix our plates. We’ll have a picnic here in the parlor. Will that be all right with you?” she asked, and the boy grinned widely at her.

  “Oh, yes, Joy. That will be fun and Grandpa can stay where he is and not have to get up.”

  “I’ll bring our food in very shortly,” Joy said, leaving the boy in charge, a job he seemed to relish.

  After putting the finishing touches on the meal, she filled their plates well and carried them all into the parlor on a cookie sheet. Joseph grinned widely and whispered that Grandpa was sleeping.

  “I’ll put your food on the quilt on the floor, Joseph,” she told him, snatching up an extra quilt from the rocking chair and arranging the boy’s plate before him on the floor. Then she sat next to him, hugging him close as she closed her eyes and prayed a fervent blessing not only on the food but for the elderly man she loved so dearly.

  Joseph picked up his fork and tasted the potatoes and gravy. “You sure are a good cook, Joy. I like the way you fix the food for me and Daddy every day. I’ll bet he’ll like some of this when he gets back from town.”

  “We’ll save a good bit for him, Joseph,” she assured the boy.

  She tucked into her own dinner, urging Joseph to eat as she did. The meat was tender and tasty and the green beans were nicely flavored with the onion. When they had finished their meal, she took Grandpa’s plate from the cookie sheet and removed the cover she’d kept atop his food to keep it warm.

  Kneeling by his side, she whispered quietly, deciding that if he didn’t answer, she’d leave him dozing. But he surprised her by opening his eyes and speaking in a low voice, “I thought you’d never get to my dinner, Joy.” His eyes twinkled, but the lack of color in his cheeks alarmed Joy more than she could say.

  “I thought you might eat a bit of potato, Grandpa,” she said, holding the plate before him and handing him his fork.

  “I think maybe you’d better feed me, honey girl,” he said, his voice seeming weak to her ears.

  “I surely can,” she said, holding his fork and then offering it to him with just a bit of potato on it and a mere scrap of pork on top.

  Grandpa opened his mouth and took the food from his fork, chewing a bit and then swallowing. “Just a few bites, Joy. I’m not feeling up to snuff yet, and I don’t want to risk eating more than my stomach can handle. Just enough to keep me going for a while.”

  Joy gave him another small morsel of meat with some potatoes on it and Grandpa ate it readily. “Sure is tasty, Joy,” he managed to murmur, then closed his eyes as if he was too weary to keep them open.

  “I think you’ve had enough for now, Grandpa. Just rest easy until Gideon gets back here. If things go well, he’ll be bringing the doctor back and we’ll get you taken care of.”

  Grandpa nodded his agreement, but his eyes remained closed and Joy tugged the quilt up to his throat, the better to keep him warm. She held his hand for a moment and bent low to his ear. “I’m praying for you, Grandpa,” she said, and was pleased when he nodded his head a bit.

  “Can I help you take the stuff back to the kitchen?” Joseph asked from behind her, and Joy was pleased at his offer.

  “You’re a good boy, Joseph,” she told him, turning to hand him Grandpa’s plate.

  “He wasn’t very hungry, was he?” the boy said sadly. “Can I give him a hug, Joy? I want him to know how bad I need him to get better. I don’t have any grandpa at all, and I want to keep this one for a long time.”

  “Come over here, Joseph. Put the dishes on the cookie sheet first and then come tell Grandpa you want him to feel better real soon.”

  Joseph did as Joy had bid him and then backed off. “I think he’s sleeping. He’s got his eyes closed and he’s breathing real soft, isn’t he?”

  Joy nodded. “Let’s clear this food away, Joseph. I wouldn’t be surprised if your father arrived home pretty soon. Let’s go out to the kitchen for a minute so I can tend to the food on the stove and you can put the dishes we used into the sink.”

  The boy seemed to be agreeable to anything she suggested and she was pleased. They went to the kitchen and Joseph put the dishes in the sink in short order. Then he went to the window, pulling the curtain aside.

  “Come look, Joy. I think Daddy is in the barn.” As if in response to Joseph’s voice, a whinny came from the barn and the boy grinned. “He’s back, for sure. Your mare must be glad to be home, too.”

  “Yes, and here comes a buggy down the lane. The doctor must have followed right on your father’s heels.” Joy watched with tear-filled eyes as the buggy halted before the back porch and two men climbed down, joined quickly by Gideon, who apparently had finished in the barn.

  The three figures headed for the porch and Joy opened the backdoor, welcoming them into the house. Then she bent to Joseph. “Run and stay with Grandpa for a few minutes to keep an eye on him. The doctor will want to come in as soon as he hangs up his coat.”

  Joseph did as she asked, and within seconds the kitchen was filled with the sound of masculine voices as the three men took off their coats and hung them near the door. They took their boots off and stood them behind the stove, and then Gideon turned to hold out his arms for Joy.

  She walked into his embrace and bent her head against his chest. “I’m so glad you’re back, Gideon. I think Grandpa is dozing again, and I sent Joseph in to keep an eye on him. But I’ll be happy to have Doc Stevens check him over.”

  “Well, I think your grandfather will be pleased to see our other visitor, Joy. We saw the pastor of the church walking home from the general store and the doctor asked him if he’d like to come along and talk to your grandpa. He just hustled home and dumped his packages with hi
s wife and climbed into the buggy. I’m pleased he was so willing to take a ride in the cold weather. He seems to think well of Grandpa and wanted to see if he could help in any way.”

  While they spoke, the doctor went into the parlor, followed by Pastor Wright. When Joy and Gideon stepped into the front room, they saw the two men kneeling before the sofa, speaking to Joy’s grandfather.

  Doc Stevens opened his bag and brought out his stethoscope, warming it in his palm as he spoke to the old man on the sofa.

  “Sounds like you’re having a bad time of it, sir,” he said, his keen eyes assessing the elderly man. Grandpa nodded and pulled aside his warm sweater, leaving space for the doctor to get beneath his clothing.

  Joy went to the sofa and spoke to the doctor. “Can I help with anything? Grandpa is still wearing his nightshirt beneath his sweater. I wanted him to be warm.”

  “I’ll just unbutton it a bit, Joy.” He made a space for the instrument he held and placed the earpieces in his ears. “Let’s take a listen, Grandpa. Just breathe like you usually do and I’ll check out your old ticker here.” He smiled at his patient and moved the instrument easily across Grandpa’s chest, listening carefully to the sounds that carried to his ears.

  “I think I need to listen to his back, too.” Dr. Stevens withdrew his stethoscope and handed it to Joy. “We’ll have to sit him up. I can hear all right through his nightshirt, I think.”

  Gideon stood behind the sofa and placed his big hand on Grandpa’s back, supporting his weight easily. In a few minutes, the doctor had done his job, muttering a bit, then helping Grandpa to lie back against the pillow Joy had provided.

  “I’ve got some medicine I think will help you feel better, sir. Your heart needs a bit of help to keep it beating as strongly as it should, but I think you’re going to be right as rain before too long, Grandpa. But, the thing is, your heart is telling me that you’ve worked hard all your life, so now it’s time to rest a bit and let the younger ones take over. I think Joy is capable of running things here, and this young man seems to have the chores in hand. The best thing for you is to stay in bed or on the sofa and get rested up. I’m going to leave the medication I think will help you. Once the snow clears up, I’ll be back to check on you again. If things go well, a week or so will see you feeling a bit better. I’ll tell Joy how to measure out the doses of your medication so you’ll get the most help from this stuff.”

  Grandpa nodded his agreement and Joy bent to kiss his cheek. “We’ll keep him down, Doc. And I’ll be sure to give him the medicine just like you tell me.” Joy felt a huge relief at the doctor’s diagnosis.

  “I think we’ll just leave you alone for a few minutes with your pastor now,” Doc Stevens said. “He wanted to see you, said with the bad weather you hadn’t been able to make it to town to attend services, so this would be a good chance to catch up with you.”

  Grandpa shook the doctor’s hand and the medical man seemed pleased at the gesture, holding the elderly man’s hand in his own for a few minutes while he explained all about the medicine he was leaving and the way Joy would fix it for his consumption. Then he withdrew, leaving Grandpa alone with Pastor Wright.

  In the meantime, Gideon had scooped Joy up in a loose embrace, his arm around her waist and his other hand reaching for Joseph, who was more than pleased to follow his father from the parlor. Together the three of them went to the kitchen and Gideon sat at the table. “Did you save some for me?” he asked, sniffing the aromas that filled the room. “I can tell you cooked beans, Joy. The onions smell good, and I’ll warrant the meat you fixed is tasty.”

  “Why don’t I fix you a plate and you can see for yourself how it tastes,” Joy said. And then as the doctor came into the room, she offered him some of the same. “I’d be pleased to have you eat a bit, Doc Stevens. I hope we didn’t take you away from your dinner.”

  “No, I was walking back from the store with Elda’s groceries. Thought I’d better come out here and see how things were, once this fella here told me what was going on.” He motioned at Gideon. “Seems like you’ve got yourself a fine man here, Joy. I’m sure he’s been a godsend to you and your grandpa.”

  Joy turned from the stove where she was filling Gideon’s plate. “You have no idea, Doc. He’s only been here for a short while but he’s saved me a lot of work, and Grandpa is quite taken with him and especially his boy, Joseph.” She carried Gideon’s plate to the table and placed it before him, offering a knife and fork along with a clean napkin.

  “Can I fix you a plate, Doc?” she asked.

  “It sure looks like good food to me, Joy. I’d be happy to join Gideon here and sample your cooking.”

  So it was that the two men were hungrily making their way through dinner when the pastor appeared in the doorway a bit later. “It sounds like you fellas are having a good meal out here without me,” he said, peering over Joy’s shoulder at the food on the stove. And as Joy offered him a plate from the cabinet, he nodded, heading for the sink to wash his hands. She heaped the plate with food and placed it across from Gideon, then filled coffee cups from her big pot that was always at the ready.

  “I’m going in with Grandpa while you gentlemen eat,” she said to the men at the table. “I’ll be back in a bit.” Her skirts swished as she turned to the doorway and made her way from the kitchen, followed closely by Joseph and the doctor, who had cleaned his plate in no time.

  The pastor sat down and ate several bites, swallowed and then nodded at the man across from him. “That girl can sure cook up a storm, Gideon. She’ll be a fine wife for the right man—and after talking to her grandpa, I think I need to speak with you. The old fella in the parlor is determined that you stay on here and relieve his granddaughter of the job of running this farm. I don’t know her feelings on the subject, but I thought I’d better come out here and talk to you to see how the land lies, so to speak.

  “Her grandpa and I talked for a bit and I prayed with him and heard his viewpoint on things, like I said, and then he kinda tucked himself in and went to sleep. I sat there for a few more minutes, but he’s resting nicely. I think hearing his favorite psalm from the Bible gave him some comfort. Told me he was feeling better just seeing me walk in, and after the doctor checked him over, he was agreeable to do as he was told, so long as he didn’t have to worry about Joy any longer.”

  Gideon spoke up, his voice firm, his intent clear. “I’ll take care of Joy and keep Grandpa’s farm running just the way he wants it, Pastor.”

  “Well, that isn’t all Joy’s grandpa wants you to do, Gideon,” the young preacher said. “He thinks maybe you and Joy should be married, what with you living here and planning on staying on.”

  Chapter Seven

  Gideon grinned as the preacher spoke. “He whispered that to me just now, too. And I’m most agreeable. But it’s up to Joy. I don’t know if she’d like the idea, but she’s been right nice to me and she sure loves that boy of mine. Give me a few minutes and let me talk to her. Since you’re here and it’s what her grandfather wants, maybe she’ll be amenable to the idea.”

  “You go on ahead and speak your piece, Gideon. I’ll wait in the parlor with her grandpa until you get an answer from the girl.” He took Gideon’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “The very best to you, Gideon. I’m thinking this would be an answer to a prayer, for her grandfather tells me he’s been praying for a good husband for Joy. He said he wants to see her settled before he dies. I’ll go on into the parlor and send her out here to you. If she’s agreeable, we’ll have us a wedding today. I always have my book of sacraments with me and the doctor can serve as your witness.”

  So it was that in a few minutes’ time Joy walked into the kitchen and approached Gideon, who stood at the window awaiting her arrival. “The pastor said you wanted to speak with me, Gideon,” she said quietly. “Is there a problem?”

  “Not with me, Joy,�
� he replied. “I’m just hoping you’ll be agreeable to what the preacher man and I were speaking about out here. He tells me that your grandpa and I are kinda on the same track with our ideas about you. I dropped off the paperwork we spoke of at the sheriff’s office and he’s checking up on my credentials, and I told the preacher what I’d done and he approved of it. Said it spoke well of me that I was willing to let my past be looked into by the authorities.

  “Now for the important part of things. I’ve been wanting to persuade you into us joining forces here on the farm. If you’d see fit to spend your life with me, I’d be the happiest man on earth today. And now your grandpa has stated right out that he’d like for us to be married, and the pastor is ready to do the job. So now it’s all up to you, Joy. Can you find it in your heart to wear my ring on your finger and share your life with me?”

  Joy looked floored by his words. Her mouth opened, then closed, and she turned away, lifting her hands to her face.

  Gideon held her firmly by her shoulders as he bent to whisper in her ear. “I didn’t mean to alarm you, Joy, or cause you to be upset. I know we’re almost strangers, but I feel such a link between us, as if our meeting was meant to be. I’m not trying to push you into anything. I just want what’s best for you, and for me and my son. Joseph needs a mother and he’s already looking at you as a candidate for the job. I told you already that he wants to call you his mother and I’m ready to call you my wife. The rest is up to you.”

  Joy was silent for a moment, then stepped back a few inches until her back was warm against Gideon, and he felt the full length of her pressed against his own sturdy frame. He bent to her again and his lips pressed a kiss against her cheek, then visited the softness beneath her ear. “I’m trying so hard not to press you for an answer, Joy,” he said quietly, “but at the same time I want to kiss you and hold you close and know the sweetness of your mouth pressed to mine.”