“Christmas,” she said.
“I know what I want for Christmas,” he said, nuzzling her neck.
“Jace…”
“It’s nice to know I’ve finally graduated from being Mr. Montgomery.”
She leaned back against him. Here and now, standing so close to this man, she could almost believe that the moment could last forever. “I must go home,” she said, but she made no effort to move out of his embrace.
“There are no lanterns for the wagon and no moon to speak of. We’ll have to stay here tonight.” He clasped her tighter. “I guess you’ll be safe with all these chaperons.”
She turned around in his arms. “I’m not sure I want to be safe.”
She felt him draw in his breath, then he kissed her, long and deeply and lovingly, letting her know how he was coming to care for her more each day.
From the porch came a set of giggles.
“We have an audience,” he whispered as he nibbled her ear.
“So it seems.” She was reluctant to release him, but the giggles came again, so she dropped her arms and he took her hand in his and they started back toward the cabin. There was the sound of children scurrying into the cabin ahead of them.
“Our kids behave like that and I’ll tan their backsides,” Jace said.
Nellie laughed. “I can’t imagine you striking anyone, least of all a child.”
“Maybe not. Maybe I’ll just put our bedroom on one end of the house and the kids’ on the other.”
It wasn’t until later, when Nellie was snuggled down into bed with the girls, that she realized they had been talking as though their marriage was a foregone conclusion. She went to sleep smiling.
Chapter Seven
When Nellie awoke the next morning she was still smiling. There was a great deal to do in preparing breakfast for six kids and three adults, but she loved the bustle and activity. The children saw that Jace was a pushover when it came to discipline, and they talked their way out of doing their chores for the day. It was only when the unmilked cow was bawling, there was no wood for the stove, and no water had been brought from the well that Nellie went after them.
Jace teased her, untied her apron strings, then talked Nellie into playing with them. The boys piled bales of hay up to the barn roof, then made a slide. After much teasing and laughing, Jace and the kids persuaded Nellie to take a turn on the slide, too. Jace sat down behind her, his legs stretched out beside hers, and they went sliding down together, landing at the bottom in a heap of straw and petticoats. Jace tried to “help” her right herself and regain her dignity, but his hands seemed to be all over her at once, and she was laughing so helplessly that she fell back into the straw, the children tumbling on top of her and Jace.
When she came up for air she didn’t at first recognize the sheriff standing over them.
“Hello,” she managed to say, pulling straw from her hair and righting a child at the same time.
“Nellie,” the sheriff said, “did you know that all of Chandler is looking for you? There are rumors that you’ve been kidnapped, or worse.”
Nellie sat blinking at the man. “But I left a note,” she managed to say, and she turned to look at Jace, half-buried in the straw beside her. He looked away, and she knew without a doubt that he’d stolen the note.
“You’d best come back with me, Nellie,” the sheriff said, “and show everyone that you’re all right.”
“Nellie,” Jace said, his hand on her shoulder, “I’ll go back with you. I’ll explain that it was my fault that you were missing.”
“You’d better not,” she whispered. She knew what waited for her at home: her father’s anger, Terel’s tears, and her own feelings of guilt for having worried them so. “I must face them alone, and besides, you need to stay with the children until Mrs. Everett is well.”
Jace walked her to the sheriff’s buggy, and as she started to mount the steps he turned her toward him. “Nellie, don’t let them be too hard on you. I’ll see your father later today and explain.”
“No,” she said quickly, “you might lose your job.”
He smiled at her. “Don’t worry about my job.” In front of everyone, he took her in his arms and kissed her. “I have to go to Denver tomorrow on business, but I’ll be back the day of the Harvest Ball. I’ll see you then.” He kissed her again. “Save every dance for me.”
She nodded at him and reluctantly released him, and he helped her into the buggy.
“Take good care of my girl, sheriff,” Jace called as the buggy started to move.