A Headstrong Christmas Bride for the Lonely Father (5 page)

The men climbed out of the wagons and helped the women down. With a quick smile at Ben, Ella welcomed the women into the house, and helped them carry in the meal they had brought along. The men got to work outside, and with five men, and six horses, they had the frame up in no time. Soon, they were able to start work on enclosing everything. Ella put water on for tea, to keep the men warm while they worked. The temperatures were still dropping and the snow was beginning to pile, but relief was finally in sight.

Inside, the women laughed and visited, and played with Hannah. Aside from the Christmas party, they hadn’t had much opportunity to see Ella or Hannah, since Ben’s injury had occurred so soon after Ella’s arrival. Now and then, the women would take tea out to the men, to warm them and help to thaw their hands.

Within a few hours of hard work, the men were nailing the last boards into place. After moving the supplies from the little horse shack Jack had built, the barn was finally finished. They came inside and sat near the fire until they had warmed themselves. Meanwhile, the women finished warming the food and began dishing it up. They all visited and laughed while enjoying a wonderful meal together.

After supper, Charles asked Helen to go and get his fiddle, which he had brought along for everyone to enjoy after the work was done. Ben moved the table off to one side and made room for dancing. In no time, the room was filled with happy music, and the couples whirled and swirled around the room. Ben’s leg still wasn’t completely healed, but even he managed to take Ella around the dance floor a couple of times.

With all of the work and pressure lately, they had been given little time to think about Christmas. But tonight, with the company, and music, and laughter, it truly felt like Christmas. When their friends had stayed as long as they could, they wished each other a very Merry Christmas, and loaded back up into the wagons. With waves goodbye, they rumbled off towards town. Ben and Ella went back inside and, after checking to see that Hannah was still asleep, they sat together near the fire.

“Ella, I have something I want to give you,” he said. He disappeared into the other room for a moment, and returned with a small, delicately wrapped box.

“What is it?” she asked with a smile.

“Open it and see. Merry Christmas.” He smiled at her, watching her expression as she opened his gift.

Ella carefully unwrapped the box, as the paper seemed too pretty to be torn. Her face lit up as she saw the necklace.

“Oh, Ben,” she gasped, “it’s so gorgeous.”

She pulled it out of the box and let the firelight dance off of it.

“I’m so glad you like it. May I put it on you?”

“Oh, yes, please!”

She admired the small pendant that now hung from her neck, watching it gleam in the dim light, but Ben’s eyes were on her. She was a pretty girl, and there was something about seeing her in the glow of the firelight that captivated him. Her blond hair shone with subtle shades of auburn, and her cheeks were rosy from the warmth of the fire. Maybe, more than anything though, it was her gentle spirit that Ben had come to love about her. In the short time she had been here, she had defied his orders several times, but always in his best interest. She was a determined woman, and ready to fight for those who needed her, and yet she could be so gentle.

Ella sensed that he was watching her, and glanced over at him. He tried to look away and play it off, but somehow, he just couldn’t. Their eyes met. He searched her face for any sign that she wanted him as much as he did her. He reached up and brushed her hair away from her face, revealing her lovely hazel eyes. All of her defenses were let down at his touch, and she soaked in his warmth. Her mind drifted to their embrace after the fire, how his strength had surrounded her. Oh, how she had yearned to feel his embrace again. Somehow, in his arms, nothing else in the world mattered. He pulled her in close, and gently kissed her. She leaned into him and he kissed her more passionately.

“I love you,” he whispered to her.

“I love you too,” she replied, looking up at him.

“When I placed that ad, asking to marry a stranger, I did so because Hannah needed a mother. I never expected to find love. The best I had hoped for was friendship. But you’ve given me that and so much more. I feared bringing a woman out here. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to care for and protect her the way I should. Now, I couldn’t imagine going back to life without you here.” 

“You’ve provided me with such a wonderful life here. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” she assured him. “Hannah and I, we plan to have a lot more Christmases here with you.”

The End

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If you enjoyed this story, be sure to check out my other tales of romance and adventure on the Western Frontier! I love to write stories that celebrate faith and strength—and good old-fashioned love—and the wide-open spaces of the West seem like the place to make dreams come true. Many people traveled to the frontier, looking for love and a new life. I’m glad we got to travel together for a little while.

Keep dreaming!

Emma Morgan

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