The Christmas Vow (7 page)

“No, he will not, young man.” Tia marched over and took Toby’s hand in hers, leading him toward the door. “You’ve been out here long enough. Let’s get you inside and warmed up.”

“But, Mama, I’m not cold and Mr. Adam…”

“Inside, Toby.” Tia nudged him up the steps. Although he didn’t argue or disobey, he dragged his feet as he went.  When Toby was inside the kitchen, Tia took a step back and glared at Adam. “You should know he’ll try to copy everything you do. He already talks about you like you’re a hero.”

“He does?” Adam stopped halfway up the ladder and pinned her with his mesmerizing gaze. “There’s no possible way for him to set up this heavy ladder and Toby’s a good boy. If you tell him not to do something, he minds, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, but that’s not the point.” Tia fought the urge to stamp her foot in frustration.

Toby wasn’t the cause of her worry. When she told him not to do something, her son most always obeyed.

No. Her fear was for the big, loveable lunk who’d scared her half witless when she saw him tumble off the roof.

“I believe that’s exactly the point.” Adam’s lopsided grin revealed his dimples and made her mouth water for want of his kiss.

Aggravated with herself, Tia aimed her fury at Adam. “The point is your recklessness might get you or someone else horribly injured.” She turned around and strode toward the kitchen door. “I insist you…”

A snowball caught her square in the back. Mouth hanging open in surprise, she spun around and gaped at him.

Adam worked to form another snowball, ignoring her scowl.

Incensed, Tia surrendered to the need to stamp her foot. “How dare you!”

“Just like this.” He grinned and lobbed another snowball at her, catching her on the shoulder. Bits of snow sprayed into her face and hair.

“Oh! You are in for it now, Adam Guthry!” Tia bent down and hastily formed a snowball. With unmistakable precision, she threw it at Adam, hitting him on the chin.

He spluttered and returned fire, barely grazing her arm as she twisted away at the last second.

Peals of her laughter filled the quiet December afternoon and drew Toby outside as she and Adam continued to throw snow at each other.

“Mama?” The little boy’s lip quivered. “Did you send me inside so you could play without me?”

“No, baby. I’m sorry. We didn’t intend to leave you out. Adam tossed some snow and I threw some back. That’s all.” Tia cast a reproachful glare at Adam. “Why don’t you both come inside and have a snack? I just took molasses cookies out of the oven.”

“With milk?” Toby asked, tugging on Tia’s hand.

“Of course, with milk.” She swung Toby up into her arms and kissed his cheek.

“You gots snow in your hair, Mama.” Toby reached out and brushed at it. “And your ear.”

“So I do.” Tia looked at Adam as she tipped her head and dislodged the snow. “Are you coming in?”

“I’ll finish this first. It shouldn’t take me long.” Before he scurried back up the ladder and finished nailing on the last of the shingles, Adam watched her brush snow from her dress and walk inside the house with Toby.

A smile lingered on his face as he thought about how much fun it was to play with Tia. It had been years since he’d formed a snowball. Yet tossing them at her had been just like old times when they’d engaged in snowball fights with Carl.

When he finished the roof repairs, he returned the tools to the shed behind her house and stored the ladder on hooks where Toby couldn’t reach it.

Hastily brushing off his clothes, he stuffed his gloves inside his coat pocket and tapped on the door before stepping inside.

The house was quiet and Toby was nowhere around, but the sight that greeted him made him stop mid-button as he removed his coat.

Tia sat at the kitchen table cleaning a double-barrel shotgun with a degree of calm that unnerved him.

“What are you doing?” Adam asked as he removed his coat and left it hanging on a peg by the door.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Tia swabbed a cloth down one barrel and pulled it out. “I don’t think this gun has been shot since the last time Gramps used it and he’s been gone fifteen years.” Tia swabbed the other barrel before Adam lifted the gun from her hands and set it on the table.

“Have you shot a gun since the last time you went hunting with me and Carl?” Adam used a clean rag to wipe off the outside of the shotgun.

“No, but I bet I could shoot well enough to fill Mr. Nivens’ backside full of lead.” Tia tossed down the dirty rag in her hands and walked over to the sink. She scrubbed her hands then turned back to study Adam as he finished cleaning the gun.

He lifted his brilliant blue gaze to hers. “Tia, I don’t want you trying to shoot that man. What if he wrestled the gun away from you? What if Toby ended up hurt?”

Deflated, she slumped against the counter and pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes. “I don’t know what else to do, Adam, other than run away.”

He set down the gun, wiped his hands on a rag, then moved until he stood in front of her.

“Tia?” He reached out and pulled her hands away from her face. Tears filled her eyes and her lower lip quivered, much as Toby’s had earlier. “Promise me you won’t run away. That won’t solve anything, at least not in the long-run.”

Slowly, she nodded her head.

Adam pulled her against his chest. He felt her stiff posture relax and held back a sigh. The closer he got to Tia, the more it would hurt when she left him again. Except this time it would be twice as hard since he’d come to care for Toby, too.

“Where’s Toby?” he asked as he rubbed a hand over her shoulders and along her back.

“Sleeping. He won’t take a nap for days then all of a sudden, he’ll run out of energy and need one.” Tia rubbed her cheek against the soft flannel of Adam’s shirt and breathed in the comforting familiarity of his scent. “He’ll probably sleep for an hour or so.”

“Good.” Adam kissed the top of Tia’s head then took a step back, ignoring the bereft feeling he experienced without her in his arms. He lifted his coat from the hook and slipped it on while Tia studied him.

“Where are you going?” she asked as he wrapped his scarf around his neck.

“I’m going to get the sheriff so you can tell him what happened. After that, I want you to walk over to the attorney’s office with him to discuss your options while I stay here with Toby.” Adam took Tia’s hands in his and bent his knees so he could look her square in the face. “I promise you, Tia, I won’t let anything happen to you or Toby.”

“It’s not your battle to fight, Adam. I don’t want you to…”

Adam brushed his hand along her jaw then trailed a finger across her cheek, causing her to snap her mouth shut. “I want to help you, Tia, and I will. I vow to see you through this.” His finger caressed the curve of her cheek before he dropped his hand and pulled on his gloves. “While I’m gone, keep both doors locked. And put that gun away before Toby sees it. You’re likely to scare him half to death if he happens to catch you handling it.”

Tia nodded and locked the door behind Adam when he left. Instead of moving the gun, she leaned against the door, skin tingling from his soft touch. Every part of her ached to lean into Adam, to pull his head down for a kiss, and confess her soul-deep love for him.

She knew he vowed to help her out of some misplaced sense of duty based on their old friendship, not because he held any true affection for her. Although he hadn’t been gruff with her again, she caught the wary looks he cast her way when he thought she wasn’t watching.

At a loss to set things right between them, Tia sighed and returned the gun to the spare bedroom closet where she’d found it.

In the event Adam did bring the sheriff back with him, Tia made a pot of coffee as well as one of tea, using her grandmother’s best china to fill a heavy silver tray. When Adam knocked on the front door, Tia hurried to open it and welcomed him and the sheriff inside.

“Mrs. Devereux.” The sheriff tipped his head to her as he removed his hat and coat. “Adam told me you had a little trouble this afternoon. I’d best get the story straight from you.”

“Yes, sir,” Tia said, smiling at the lawman. “Would you care for some coffee or tea?”

“Coffee would be appreciated,” he said, draping his things over the hall tree by the front door.

“Adam?” Tia asked as he removed his outerwear and left his coat by the sheriff’s.

“Coffee’s fine.” He turned to look at her. “Do you need any help?”

“No, thank you.” She breezed back to the kitchen and retrieved the tray she’d already prepared, carrying it into the parlor and setting it on the table in front of the sofa. She handed the sheriff a cup of coffee and a plate with two molasses cookies then did the same for Adam before she sat down on the sofa.

Adam took a seat next to her while the sheriff settled into a chair by the fire. After taking a sip of the coffee and a bite of a cookie, he set the  refreshments on the table next to his chair. He pulled a small notebook and pencil from inside a vest pocket.

“Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me what led up to the man coming to see you today?” The sheriff offered her an encouraging smile.

Tia began to pour herself a cup of coffee, but her hands shook so badly, she nearly dropped the pot. Adam took it from her. Instead, he poured her a cup of tea, hoping it would calm her jangled nerves.

Anxious, she took it from him and sat back against the cushions. Slowly drawing a deep breath, she relayed the story of receiving the threatening letter from her father-in-law up through the cat chasing off Mr. Nivens earlier that afternoon.

The sheriff choked on his coffee as she told about the cat climbing up the man’s leg and clawing his chin.

“I saw him walking through town, Sheriff. His trousers were in tatters and he looked like he’d wrestled a wild animal.” Adam grinned as the sheriff fought to control his urge to laugh.

“And you say he brought some papers, Mrs. Devereux?” the sheriff asked, taking notes while he finished the last bite of his cookie.

“Yes, I forgot about them until now. He dropped them by the door.” Tia jumped up and hurried to the front door, returning with a thick envelope bearing the embossed initials of the judge.

“May I?” the sheriff asked, holding out his hand.

Tia handed him the envelope. He extracted the papers, mostly filled with a plethora of legal terms that wouldn’t make sense to the average person.

“I could be mistaken, but I believe the man is seeking guardianship of your son based on the fact you are a widow of questionable means living on your own in a house that may not be suited for the adequate care of his grandson.” The sheriff held the papers out to Tia, but Adam snatched them and quickly scanned the details.

When he finished, Tia took them from Adam. A frown laced with warning settled over her face as she read them. She’d often read Patrick’s paperwork and understand most of what the papers said. The sheriff was correct, though. It boiled down to Cedric putting together a case based on the fact Tia was alone in the world.

“That judge is… is…” Tia struggled to find a word to convey her feelings that wouldn’t shock both men senseless. Finally, she gave up and looked to the sheriff. “Would you mind accompanying me to Frank Carlton’s office, sir? I’d like to discuss this matter with him, since he’s an attorney. Adam volunteered to keep an eye on Toby.”

“Certainly.” The sheriff and Adam rose to their feet when Tia stood. Adam held her coat while she slipped it on. As the sheriff pulled on his coat, Tia pinned on a hat, tugged on her gloves, picked up her reticule and the correspondence from the judge. She promised Adam she wouldn’t be gone long then rushed out the door with the sheriff.

Adam took the tea tray back to the kitchen, inhaled the delicious scent of the roasting chicken, and carried in more wood for the fires.

By the time he’d washed the dishes and dried them, Toby wandered into the kitchen, sleepy-eyed, dragging a stuffed bunny behind him that had seen better days. Crabby glanced up from his box by the stove and watched Toby before closing his eyes.

“Where’s Mama?” Toby asked as Adam squatted down and let the boy lean against his chest.

“She had to run an errand, but she’ll be back soon enough. Do you suppose you’d keep me company until she returns? Maybe we could sit in that big rocking chair by the fire. Is that a good place to wait?” He lifted Toby in his arms and carried him to the parlor.

Adam sank into the chair and the child nestled against him, holding tightly to his stuffed toy. “What’s your rabbit’s name?” Adam asked as he set the chair into motion, unhurriedly rocking back and forth.

“Bunny.”  Toby yawned and his eyelids drooped.

Lazily closing his eyes, Adam continued rocking the chair. The crackling of logs on the fire added to the cozy atmosphere of the room. “Bunny’s a good name,” he whispered as Toby released a soft breath, falling back asleep.

Unaware how long he slept, Adam awoke to a cool hand on his cheek and looked up into Tia’s smiling face. A finger to her lips indicated he should be quiet as she lifted Toby and carried him out of the room.

Groggy, Adam got to his feet and waited for her to return.