Mistletoe Mayhem: Clean Historical Western Cowboy Romance Novel (Dawson Chronicles Book 1) (17 page)

D.J. laughed at his startled expression.  “It snuck up on you, huh?  So I take it that you’re thinking about proposing again.”

“Yeah, but maybe it’s too soon.  We haven’t been back together very long.  Things are going really well, but I don’t want to rush things,” Sawyer said.  “It’s strange because we know so much about each other, but we’re still learning things.  Is it like that with you and Mama?”

“Mmm hmm.  You’ll always find things to talk about when you’re with the right person.  And sometimes it’s just nice to sit quietly together, too.  You’ll know when it’s the right time to ask,” D.J. said.  “Until then, just enjoy things and be happy.”

Sawyer nodded.  “I plan to.  Well, I guess we should get this finished.”

“Yup.  Let’s get at it.”

Around one o’clock the next afternoon, Joe took his glass of bicarbonate of soda into what he called his “important” office where the other telephone extension was located and closed the door.  His heartburn had kicked up again and the medicine usually helped him.  He sat down at the desk that was covered with all sorts of breeding charts and horse catalogues and picked up the receiver.

              “Mr. Dwyer, it’s over!” Skip immediately shouted in his ear.  “It’s over!  The war is over!  They signed an armistice!  It just came over the telegraph!  I can’t believe you called right now!  The war is over!”

              Joe froze.  “Did you just say that the war is over?”

              “I did, Mr. Dwyer!  Our boys and girls will be coming home!  I have to get all this down for J.R.  I gotta go, but I had to tell you!”

              Joe could hear the tears in Skip’s voice and his eyes filled fast as he stood up.  “You go on, Skip.  I’ll see you after a bit, son.”

              He hung up and stood quietly for a moment, trying to absorb the fact that the horrible war was over.  It took a few minutes to sink in.  Then he raced out to the barn, finding Lacey putting a horse away.  He didn’t want to scare the horse, so he waited until she came out of the stall before grabbing her and hugging her tight, but he couldn’t speak at first.

              “What is it?” she asked, her eyes wide with fright.  “What’s happened?”

              Joe laughed and cried at once.  “The war is over, honey!  It’s over!  Skip just told me.  It just came over the telegraph!  They signed an armistice!”

              Lacey let out a happy noise and embraced Joe, laughing and crying with him.  They made so much noise that Emily and Tim heard them from where they were in the barn and came to see what was happening.  Their glad cries rang out once they’d been told and Tim ran to let everyone else know.  Joey and Devon came back with Tim and they celebrated together, hugging and crying together.

              Emily sat down on a hay bale and said, “Bobby will be home soon and he’ll be able to meet Noah.”  She covered her face and wept with joy and relief.

              Tim crouched by her, tears streaming from his brown eyes as he embraced her.  “That’s right, sis.  It’s gonna be all right now.”

              The rest of their household was alerted and Devon rode down to camp to let their friends know.  By the time Joe arrived in Dawson, word had spread thanks to Skip, who hadn’t been able to contain himself.  He’d called Mitch and the hospital and had run to bang on a few doors.  Those people had alerted others and people came out into the street to celebrate.  Dawson was still a dry town as far as selling alcohol went, but people still had it in their homes. 

              While the church bell rang, singing, laughing, and shouting accompanied it as drinks were poured and people danced in the cold afternoon air of November 11, 1918.  More and more people kept arriving in town and the streets were filled with joyous noise.  The air in Dawson and outside of town was pierced by the noise of celebratory gunfire, much the way it was on New Year’s Eve when the clock struck midnight. 

There was hardly a dry eye as people hugged and shook hands.  The celebration continued until suppertime.  Matt went to the gazebo and asked for silence around that time.  The crowd quieted and waited expectantly for him to speak.

“My dear brothers and sisters, today we are witnesses to a great, joyful moment when peace has come to the world.  May we please bow our heads in prayer?  Most gracious and holy Lord, we give You all of the glory and praise, for we know that this wondrous event is Your work.

“We thank You for moving the hearts and minds of the leaders of the world to collaborate and come to an agreement.  We know that there is still much work ahead to repair lives, rebuild cities, and to heal, but with Your help and grace we know that it can be accomplished.  We’re also grateful to You for giving our fighting men the strength and resilience to withstand the harsh and often lonely days, pressing on through the perils they faced in the name of freedom.

“Please also bless our women who went overseas to provide comfort, medical care, and entertainment for our troops.  They have also endured the war so that they could brighten our men’s days.  Dear Lord, we ask that You be with all of those who have lost loved ones.  Grant them the peace and knowledge that the family and friends who sacrificed their lives are now in Your care and lack for nothing.  Give them the assurance that those souls are happy and free in Your splendid Kingdom where there is no pain or strife.

“We ask for patience in the coming days as we wait for our men and women to come home.  Please continue to watch over our loved ones as they prepare to withdraw and return to us.  And for all of those who are wounded, please lay Your healing hands upon them and minister to their every affliction as only You can.  In Your most holy and precious name we pray.  Amen.”

Every person in the crowd shouted “Amen!” after which more cries of gladness went up.  At the Grady House, Jack and his staff prepared a free buffet supper.  Elliot donated food from the store to cook, too.  Some people even ate their meal outside of the Grady House since there was no more room inside.  As they did, the faint sounds of drums reached their ears and people quieted others so that they could hear it.

After Devon had alerted the tribe of the marvelous news, they had begun organizing a celebration of their own, which included a victory dance.  They now had five large drums which required at least four people each to play and numerous hand drummers and singers performed, too. 

Every July, Dawson hosted a rodeo, which was now popular all over the state and even into South Dakota.  The Lakota tribe and many of their family and friends put on a show during the rodeo and were a great attraction. 

The tribe played with gusto and, due to the camp’s location, their music traveled far.  Some people who heard the drums began dancing around to the beat, laughing and letting out war whoops as they celebrated with their tribe from afar.  Many people had come to feel possessive about the tribe and visited the camp often, joining in weddings and enjoying nightly gatherings around the fires.  Therefore, it only seemed fitting for them to join in the victory dance, especially since six of the Lakota had either been drafted into the military or had volunteered with the Red Cross, proving their loyalty to their country.

Around seven o’clock, the crowd began to disperse.  Even though they were ecstatic, there was still work to be done, children to care for, and businesses to close up.  However, as they went about their lives that evening, there was joy in everyone’s hearts and great anticipation to see their loved ones again.

*****

Dear Family,

              I’m coming home!  I’m not sure if we’ll be home before January or not, though.  When I say we, I mean me and Art Perrone, the fellow I told you about in my last letter home.  I convinced him to come with me since his mama said that there’s not much for him to go home to in Louisiana.  So be prepared to have another ranch hand or find some other job for him, Daddy.  He’ll need the work and he’s as proud as any other man about pulling his own weight.

              Guess who else I ran into over here?  Our very own Hailey!  She’s been working as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross division where I was brought after I got hurt.  Don’t panic!  I took some shrapnel to the back from a shell, but I’m all right.  Thank God I was off to the side of it and I didn’t get hurt nearly as bad as I could have.  All of your praying worked.

              They got it all out and stitched me up.  I’ll be fine by the time I get home, so please don’t worry.  Art got shot in the foot, but he’s coming along well, too.  You should have seen the two of us trying to help each other get to the ambulance when it arrived.  It was sort of like the blind leading the blind. 

              Jr., I’m sorry I’m not going to be there for your wedding, but don’t you dare postpone it!  You marry your girl and be happy.  I’ll celebrate with you when I get home.  If you’re not married when I get home, I’m going to hurt you.  Understand?  Hailey says the same to Snow Song.  You picked a good woman and I know the two of you will do just fine even though you’re young.  We’ll be with you in spirit on Thanksgiving, so raise a toast to us and we’ll feel it all the way here.

              Wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving for us and give them all our love.  I’ll close for now, but I’ll write you as soon as I know when we’re shipping out.

All my love,

Sergeant Kyle R. Dwyer

              Joey finished reading Kyle’s letter aloud and wiped away a tear from his cheek.  He and Snow Song sat on one of the sofas in the sunroom at the estate.  “I can’t believe they’re comin’ home.  I can’t believe that he met up with your sister.  I’m so proud of him for getting that promotion.”

              Snow Song brushed away a few tears of her own.  “Me, neither.  It’s all so wonderful.”

              Joey noticed that her response was a little lackluster and he put an arm around her.  “What’s the matter?”

              She said, “Since you won’t be drafted now, we don’t have to get married.”

              His eyes widened.  “Don’t you want to marry me?”

              “Yes, but I don’t want you to feel like you still have to,” she said.

              He made her look into his eyes.  “Snow Song, I love you and I want to marry you.  I can’t tell you how excited I am about it.  It’s only three days until our wedding.  Please don’t back out now.”

              “Are you sure?  I don’t want you to regret it.”  Her beautiful brown eyes showed her fear.

              Joey took her face in his hands and touched his forehead to hers.  “I will never regret marrying you.  I’ve loved you for too long and I want to marry you so much.”

              Reassured, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close for a kiss.  When it ended, they smiled at each other.

              “Let’s go tell your folks about Kyle running into Hailey,” Joey said.  “I’m sure that’ll make them feel good.”

              “Good idea.”

              They put on their coats and headed out the front door, walking down past the barns to the trail that led down to the Lakota camp. 

*****

              On Thanksgiving Day, the Dwyer estate was swarmed with guests and Joe loved it.  He was the consummate host and was in his element as he moved among his friends, family, and business associates.  Lacey had perfected her role as hostess over the years and the couple was very attentive to their guests’ every need.

              They couldn’t believe their little boy was getting married that day.  It seemed strange that their oldest and youngest children would be married before their middle ones.  Joey had greeted guests for a while, too, before going to get dressed closer to the appointed time for the ceremony.  After making another circuit with the crowd gathered, Joe and Lacey excused themselves to go see him.

              He was finishing tying his tie when they went into his room.  Tim was already dressed and sat on the bed.

              Joe frowned at him.  “Don’t lounge like that, Timmy.  You’ll wrinkle your tuxedo that way.  You don’t want to stand up there in front of everyone with a wrinkled suit.”

              Tim rolled his eyes and stood up.  “Ok, Daddy.  Sometimes it’s a pain in the neck being the mayor’s son.  You always expect us to look perfect.”

              Joe smiled.  “Only at social functions and especially at your brother’s wedding.”  He straightened Tim’s jacket and smoothed the lapels.

              The boys were used to this treatment and knew that it was pointless to try to stop him.  Tim waited for Joe to be done, smiling the whole time.  “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

              “Shut up,” Joe said, looking him over. 

With his dark brown hair and brown eyes, Tim looked just like Lacey.  Kyle had inherited Joe’s hazel eyes, but had gotten his dark brown hair and smile from Lacey.

“There.  You’re perfect now,” Joe said, finally satisfied.

Lacey said, “Don’t feel bad, boys.  He’ll do the same thing with everyone else, the girls included.”

Joe laughed because it was true.  He’d come from a wealthy family and his mother, whom he’d adored, had taught him all about women’s and men’s clothing.  She used to take him on shopping trips with her and her friends because they’d wanted a male opinion on their clothing.  He’d learned what worked for different body types, coloring, and how to accentuate the positive attributes of a person’s figure.  His mother’s friends had thought Joe was adorable and had lavished him with attention, which Joe had thoroughly enjoyed. 

He’d always preferred to dress in suits, wearing them sometimes even when he was working with horses.  People made fun of him for it sometimes, but it was mostly in jest.  Lacey was more relaxed about her children’s appearances, but Joe was fussy and had always insisted that they wear nice clothes for school and church when they’d first started attending once a month.  They now went at least twice a month, and lately they’d gone every Sunday.