The Christmas Vow (20 page)

Adam knew the man spoke the truth. “I don’t know what to do to keep them safe.”

“Keep an eye on them. I’d hoped the judge would give up, now that Tia has you. Evidently, he’s more persistent than we thought.” The sheriff put a hand on Adam’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t frighten the boy, but just make sure you or Tia never leave him alone or let him out of sight until we get a handle on this. If we can catch the man who tried to snatch him today and connect him to the judge, this nightmare will be over.”

“And if you don’t catch him? Then what?” Adam asked as he and the sheriff helped load benches into Blake’s big wagon.

“We’ll worry about crossing that bridge when we get to it. What did you say that man’s name is, the one with the scarred face?”

“Bass. His name is Beauregard Bass.”

The sheriff looked at Adam and grinned. “You are pulling my leg.”

“No, sir. That’s his name. And you don’t want to shorten it either. I once saw him run an Arkansas toothpick into a man for calling him Beau.”

“Thanks for the warning,” the sheriff said, nodding toward Ginny and Blake’s house. “Go collect your little family and get on home with them before it turns dark.”

“I will, Sheriff. Thanks again.”

Chapter Eighteen

After spending what seemed like hours tossing and turning in bed, Tia finally gave up on sleep.

She buttoned her dressing gown and slid her feet into slippers before leaving her room.

Quietly making her way to Toby’s room, she checked to make sure he was safe. In the light from the small lamp she’d set on a shelf in the hall, she noticed a smile on his face as he slept.

With devoted motherly affection, she lightly brushed the hair back from his forehead and placed a kiss there before leaving the room.

Satisfied Toby was well, she picked up the lamp and ventured to the kitchen where she stoked the stove, trying not to make any noise. When she turned around with the teakettle to make a cup of tea, she almost dropped it as Adam rushed into the kitchen brandishing a pistol in his hand.

“What are you doing?” she hissed in a whisper. Hastily plunking the kettle down on the stove, she pressed a hand to the pulse pounding so rapidly in her throat, she thought her heart might explode right out of her chest. “You scared the waddin’ out of me.”

Adam set the gun on the table and offered an apologetic grin. “I heard a noise and wanted to make sure everything was fine. I bet you haven’t said the word waddin’ since you moved to Portland.”

“Once, and I was severely reprimanded for my primitive speech.” Tia added more wood to the stove then washed her hands. “From then on, I thought it, even if I didn’t say it. I can’t help it that Grandma shared her southern dialect with me. The esteemed Devereux family were appalled by some of my word choices and made sure I knew Grandma’s favorite phrases wouldn’t be tolerated.”

Adam stepped around the table and wrapped her in his arms. “You can use them all you want around me. I always enjoyed listening to your grandma talk. It put me in mind of those big southern plantations I’ve heard about, and mint juleps, and those flowering trees. What did she call them?”

“Dogwoods,” Tia said, recalling how much her grandma loved to tell stories about her growing up years in North Carolina.

“Why did you let them take so much from you, Tia? It’s like they picked away at your spirit until there wasn’t much left.” Adam rubbed his hands comfortingly along her back.

Tia sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, relishing the security and acceptance she found with him. “What else could I do? I couldn’t leave Patrick, couldn’t come back here. I made my choice and had to stick with it. Grandma would have said something about making my bed and having to sleep in it.”

Adam chuckled. The deep rumble felt achingly familiar against Tia’s cheek as she pressed against the warm skin of Adam’s bare chest.

“I think a better saying of hers would have been the one about getting fleas from lying down with dogs.”

She sighed. “I can’t argue against that.” With her weakened defenses, Tia knew she should step away from Adam, away from the comfort and care he so willingly offered. But she was tired and lonely, fearful and pensive. Rather than put distance between them, she snuggled a little closer and trailed her fingers across the broad expanse of his back.

Adam groaned and drew her more fully against him. With unwavering clarity, Tia knew where she belonged. Home was right there in Adam’s arms.

Her thoughts trailed back over the time they’d spent together enjoying the skating party with their friends. Up until that horrid man had tried to snatch Toby, Tia thought it was the most wonderful day she’d had for years and years.

Adam had charmed her, wooed her, teased her, and romanced her. Yet because she’d been so caught up in her love for him, a crazy man had nearly snatched her child and made off with him.

Conflicted by her longing for Adam, her desire to be loved by him, and her need to protect her son, Tia battled to keep her emotions in check. Fear would drive her away from the man she loved if she wasn’t careful.

Perceiving her struggle, he picked her up, sat down on a kitchen chair, and held her on his lap. He rocked back and forth, like he would with a child, whispering words of encouragement.

“It’ll all be fine, Tia. I won’t let anyone take Toby and I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” Adam kissed the top of her head. “Everything will be just fine.”

The soothing tone of his voice combined with the comforting shelter of his presence calmed her. Fully relaxed against him, she allowed herself the pleasure of enjoying the moment, of the decadent luxury of resting in his powerful arms.

Suddenly, Adam tipped her chin up to look at him. “Do you remember how your grandma used to go on and on about the peaches she enjoyed, right off the tree in the summer? How those peaches were the sweetest, juiciest fruit she’d ever tasted?”

Tia smiled. “I remember. She made them sound like the most delicious thing that would ever touch your lips.”

Adam released a choked sound. “Every time I see a peach, I think of you, Queenie. I think of you and those luscious lips of yours and how much I want to taste them.”

Tia tipped her head back and gaped at him. If it hadn’t been for the craving for her burning brightly in his eyes, she would have been sure he jested.

“Tia…” Adam whispered her name in a husky tone that made threads of desire and longing weave throughout her entire being.

His tempting mouth rested mere inches from hers. Before anything else could happen to delay the kiss, she tugged his head down until their lips met.

Adam let her kiss him, softly at first. He held perfectly still as she pressed timid, hesitant kisses to his lips.

His only response was to trail his thumb along the column of her throat.

Emboldened by his touch, her kisses grew more demanding. As she moved closer against him, drove her hands into the tousled richness of his hair, he deepened the kiss, taking control of the sizzling passion snapping between them.

Fiery embers of yearning that had remained banked in the recesses of their hearts burst into flame. Tia knew nothing would satisfy the hunger in her except Adam. Always and forever Adam.

“Tiadora, are you sure?” Adam asked as he fumbled with the buttons on her dressing gown.

Unable to draw enough breath to speak, she melded her lips to Adam’s again, desperate to hold him closer, to love him with abandon.

His hand slipped inside her gown. The heat of his fingers seared her skin as he worked to unfasten the top buttons of her nightdress.

Full of eager anticipation, Tia screamed when a weight dropped onto her shoulder and bounced off her lap, using Adam’s head for a springboard before speeding off in a blur of white.

Startled, Adam jumped to his feet, dumping Tia onto the floor as he frantically reached for the pistol he’d left on the other end of the table. Sudden realization that their attacker was only Crabby forced a growl out of his throat. He set the pistol back down and ran a hand through his hair.

“I swear, Tia, I’m going to find that cat and turn it into a pair of fuzzy mittens!” Adam’s chest heaved as he glanced around, frustrated and angry the cat had disturbed their amorous interlude.

Tia sat on the floor, watching the impressive form of Adam’s chest rise and fall as the situation went from frightening to entirely humorous.

The hand she clapped over her mouth did nothing to stifle her giggles.

When Adam reached down to give her a hand, she jerked him off balance until he sat on the floor beside her, shoulders shaking with silent hilarity.

Finally, neither of them could hold back any longer. They both broke into uncontrollable laughter.

“Oh, Adam, you should have seen your face when Crabby jumped off your head,” Tia said between gasps of air and more giggles.

“Me? Your eyes were as wide as dinner plates when he landed on your shoulder. You looked like the grim reaper’s hand had reached out and grabbed you.” Adam snorted with glee.

Awakened by all the noise, Toby shuffled into the room, dragging a blanket behind him. “Why are you sitting on the floor? What’s funny?”

Tia reached out to him and settled him on her lap, kissing the top of his head. “I’m sorry we woke you, baby. Adam and I were just, um…” She searched for an appropriate response. “We were merely engaged in a meaningful interaction when Crabby offered his opinion on the matter.”

A fresh round of laughter assailed Adam, causing Tia to break into peals of uncontrollable giggles.

Toby stared at them as if they’d lost their minds. Finally, he got up and took a few steps away from the two adults sitting on the floor, behaving like deranged lunatics.

“I’m going to bed. Try to be quiet, please. I need more sleeps.” Toby frowned at them before marching back down the hall to his room.

Adam was the first to recover enough sense to get to his feet. He helped Tia to hers. Together, they tucked Toby back into bed then returned to the kitchen. Every time they looked at each other, Tia giggled and Adam chuckled, so they agreed it was best to turn in for the night.

Tia settled into the soft comfort of her bed with a smile in her heart and the dark, scrumptious flavor of Adam’s kisses on her lips.

Chapter Nineteen

The knob on the back door rattled as Adam unlocked it then stepped inside. Tia glanced up from where she rolled out sugar cookies on the counter and offered him a brief smile before returning her attention to the flour-coated dough.

Toby sat at the table with crayons and a paper tablet, coloring pictures. Adam stepped beside his chair and studied the drawing the boy had made of what he assumed had to be Santa Claus. A red blob stood by two brown blobs. “Is that ol’ Saint Nick?” he asked the boy.

“Yep!” Toby looked up at him and grinned. “It’s Santa with his reindeer.”

Adam ruffled the child’s golden hair. “You’re doing a great job coloring, little man.”

Toby beamed with pleasure and picked up a green crayon, drawing something that might have been a tree.

Entertained by the boy’s fascination with the upcoming holiday, Adam removed his coat, hat and scarf, leaving them on hooks by the back door.

After washing his hands at the sink, he snitched a piece of cookie dough and popped it into his mouth.

“Mmm. That’s good dough, wife.” He stuck his finger back in the bowl for another piece but Tia smacked his hand.

“Stay out of my dough.”

“Aw, come on, Queenie. I worked hard this morning shoveling walks and chopping firewood. Don’t I deserve a little treat?” Adam took a step closer to her, flashing his dimples as he stuck his fingers back into the bowl and swiped another bite.

Lost in the warmth of his gaze, Tia absently nodded her head.

“I think I need a little sugar, too.” Adam licked the last bit of dough from his index finger then traced it across Tia’s bottom lip. She opened her mouth to protest at the same moment Adam bent down and captured her lips with his, enfolding her in his arms.

Toby giggled and ran over to them, tugging on Tia’s apron. “What are you doing?”

Adam lifted his head, keeping his gaze fastened to Tia’s unsettled one as he answered the boy. “I’m kissing your mama, Toby, and I plan to do it every day, so you better get used to it.”

Toby wrinkled his nose and returned to the table. “Erin says her daddy gives her mama slobbery kisses.”

“Good for the pastor,” Adam mumbled, tracing his finger over Tia’s lip again.

Addled from his attention to her mouth and the splendor of his kiss, Tia scooped a glob of dough from the bowl and dropped it in Adam’s hand, hoping to distract him.

He winked at her and ate the dough.

Under the assumption he’d find something else to do beyond torment her with his enticing smile and mouth-watering kisses, she glanced over as he removed his shirt.

Her eyes widened as she watched him remove his undershirt and lay it along with his shirt over a chair. Adam’s broad shoulders, brawny chest and muscled arms made her fingers itch to explore all that wonderfully exposed skin.

Disconcerted by the direction of her thoughts, she frowned as he lifted his left arm. He tried to look at the stitches on his side, twisting this way and that.

Unable to see them, he scratched at his side until Tia wiped her hands on her apron and stepped over to grab his hand in hers.

“Stop that, Adam. You’re worse than a child.” She released his hand and examined the healing wound. A shudder rolled over him as she lightly ran her finger around the gash. Her fingertips burned from the slight touch. “You ought to have Doc take those stitches out. I think they’re ready.”

“Do you have a pair of sharp scissors?” Adam asked, tugging upward on the skin above the wound, trying to study it.

“If you’re planning to cut them out yourself, then the answer is a resounding no.”

Adam narrowed his gaze. “Either I do it myself or you can do it for me. I’m not going to bother Doc with something this simple.”

Tia took a step away from him, appalled at the idea of removing his stitches. She’d never been squeamish, but thoughts of touching Adam’s skin, being that close to his bare upper body, left her completely rattled.

As much as his presence affected her, she wasn’t convinced she could keep her hand still enough to pull out the stitches without causing him undue agony.

Adam glanced at her again and shook his head. “You want to help me, Toby? You did a great job helping when Doc put them in.”

Tia scowled. “No! Toby will not be the assistant to your idiotic plans.”

Resigned to helping Adam, she set a small pan of water on the stovetop to boil then disappeared down the hall. Only a minute passed before she returned with a sharp pair of scissors and a pair of tweezers. Carefully, she dropped them into the hot water.

While they boiled, she hurriedly cut out the cookie dough, dropping shapes of stars and trees onto baking sheets and shoved one into the oven. After cleaning the counter and washing her hands again, she motioned to Adam.

“Sit on the end of the counter so I don’t have to bend over to do this.” Tia lit a lamp while Adam took a seat on the counter where she indicated.

“Are you sure you can handle it, Queenie? I can have Toby help me.” Adam knew he goaded her, but he needed a distraction from his all-consuming need to own her, to love her.

She scowled at him and set the lamp beside him then opened a cupboard near the door. Unable to reach what she wanted, she pulled over a chair from the table and stood on the seat, taking down a bottle from the far back of the top shelf.

Adam’s eyebrows rose at the sight of the whiskey bottle she set near the lamp. “If I find you tipsy one evening, I’ll know the cause. What else is in that cupboard over there?”

Affronted, Tia huffed. “I’ll have you know the only liquor that’s touched these lips was the time you and Carl talked me into sampling that bottle of vile hooch Mr. Luther concocted.”

Adam chuckled at the memory. “I can’t speak for Carl, but that stuff cured me from ever wanting another drink.”

After soaping a cloth and wiping it over the wound then rinsing it, Tia poured whiskey onto a clean cloth and swabbed it over the stitches.

Adam watched her work. “Might I assume you keep that for medicinal purposes?”

“You might assume correctly.” Tia finished cleansing the area on his side then took the scissors and tweezers from the pot of boiling water.

Interested in the proceedings, Toby pulled over the chair Tia had stood on and climbed onto the seat, leaning against Adam’s knees.

“Are you sure you want to watch this, sweetheart?” Tia looked to her son.

Briskly, he nodded his head. “If I want to be a doctor someday and marry Erin, I should watch.”

Tia looked at Adam. He hid a smirk, but she saw the humor in his eyes. Afraid she might hurt him, she gingerly used the tweezers to lift the first knot in the thread and snipped it. Slowly, she pulled it loose. Her gaze lifted to Adam’s and he smiled at her, offering a look of assurance.

“You’re doing fine, Tia.”

In fact, if she kept touching him so gently, he’d forget about the stitches and Toby’s enthusiastic presence, and plunder her pretty mouth with kisses right there in the kitchen.

The blood in his veins heated and his temperature climbed with every soft brush of her hand until Adam thought he might combust.

He tried chasing his thoughts another direction, to work up some worry about the man out to grab Toby, or how they’d work things out when it was time for him to return to Portland. Try as he might to focus on something worrisome, he kept coming back around to how much he enjoyed Tia touching his skin, how much he wanted her to touch him all over.

He’d thought about stopping by the doctor’s office earlier that morning when he was shoveling the boardwalk, but he decided he’d much rather have Tia remove the stitches.

During their childhood, she’d always liked to doctor the scrapes and cuts he and Carl sustained in their daily rough and tumble play. She’d never once turned away from a wound, no matter how much it might make other girls squirm.

Right now, though, Adam was the one who felt like squirming. If she didn’t finish and fast, he shouldn’t be held at fault for anything that might happen. The idea of resuming where they’d left off the other night before the cat scared them both half to death held a great deal of appeal.

Adam glanced over at Crabby napping in his box near the stove. The cat had pranced around the house the morning after he used Adam’s head as a jumping off point as though he’d done nothing wrong.

Perhaps divine intervention had caused the cat to make his presence known at such an inopportune moment. If he’d had even a few more uninterrupted minutes with Tia, Adam knew he wouldn’t still be sleeping alone in the guest room. Instead, he’d be cuddled up close to the beautiful woman worrying her very kissable bottom lip.

Raw hunger for her filled him as she smoothly pulled out the last of his stitches.

Relieved when she finished, Adam patted Toby on the head and allowed the boy to examine the holes left behind in his skin before Tia attempted to place a bandage over it.

He slid off the counter and pushed her hand away. “It’ll be fine, Tia. Thank you for doing that for me.”

On his way out of the kitchen, Adam grabbed his clothes and sauntered down the hall.

A short while later, he reappeared dressed in a fresh shirt and a clean pair of canvas trousers. He carried Toby’s boat book and two yard-long lengths of rope, leaving them on the small bench by the door.

At Tia’s perplexed look, Adam tipped his head toward Toby. “Alex asked if I’d speak to the students this afternoon about what it’s like to be a pilot on the Columbia River. I wondered if you and Toby would like to go along.”

“Oh, yes, Mama! Please? May we go?” Toby ran across the kitchen and tugged on her apron as she placed the last sheet of cookies into the oven.

“I suppose that would be fine,” Tia smiled at Toby then glanced at Adam. “Are you sure we won’t be in the way?”

“Not at all. In fact, Alex was the one who suggested Toby might like to visit the school.” Adam lifted a hot cookie from the baking sheet Tia had just removed from the oven and juggled the cookie in his hand until it was cool enough to take a bite.

Toby started to reach for one and Adam realized he’d have to be more careful about what he did since the child mimicked his every move.

“Here, son, let’s share this one,” Adam said, breaking the cookie in half and handing part of it to Toby.

Tia glared at him then released a sigh. “You’ll spoil his lunch.”

“Oh, I don’t think part of one cookie will do him any lasting harm.” Adam placed a hand on Toby’s shoulder and gave him a slight nudge toward the door. “Why don’t the two of us go outside while your mama finishes baking her cookies?”

“Okay!” Toby grabbed his coat and ran out the door while Adam gathered the child’s mittens, hat and scarf.

He winked at Tia as he opened the door. “If we stay out of your hair for a while, will you let me snitch more cookies after lunch?”

“Only if you’re a good boy.” Tia waved her mixing spoon at him as she washed a few dishes.

“I’m always good, Mrs. Guthry. And if you give me the chance to get you alone, I’ll show you just how outstandingly amazing I can be.”

Shocked by his words, Tia blushed as Adam shut the door.

After lunch, Adam kept an eye on Toby while Tia changed her dress and combed her hair. When she breezed into the parlor, he gave her a long once-over before nodding his head in approval. He held her coat as she slipped it on, letting his fingers caress her neck and linger on her shoulders much longer than necessary.

While he helped Toby put on his hat and mittens, Tia pinned a fashionable hat on her head that matched the dark green of her coat.

Adam smiled and offered his arm to her as the three of them walked down the front steps and headed through town toward the school.

As they strolled along, Adam bent his head down and stirred the tendrils of hair she’d left dancing around her ear. “You are quite ravishing, Tia.”

She turned to smile at him and discovered his face remarkably close to hers. “Thank you, kind sir. You are quite handsome.”

Tia loved the rugged appearance of her husband. His navy coat only accentuated his tall, solidly built form. As she’d come to expect, he’d left his hat at the house, but he wore a scarf at his throat although he hadn’t slipped on his gloves.

His tanned face and white teeth created a mesmerizing contrast when he smiled a smile made for charming softhearted women. She fought down the urge to taste the dimples in his cheeks and linger over that square chin.

Disturbed by her thoughts, Tia turned her attention back to her son. He held onto her other hand and chatted non-stop about Erin, the Christmas program at church, the Christmas Carnival, and pondering if Santa would bring him what he wished for.

“Do you know what he wants for Christmas?” Adam whispered as Toby waved to Aleta Bruner when they entered the mercantile.

“He wouldn’t tell me, just said he sent his wishes to Santa Claus. I’m not even sure what he meant by that.” Tia replied as she turned to greet Aleta.

Adam picked up a box Aleta had ready for him, thanked her, and ushered Tia and Toby back outside.