Newlywed Christmas (Brides of Juniper Junction Book 4) Read online

  "Get in. You need your rest."

  Tassie stomped her foot and crossed her arms as best she could over her swollen breasts, though they ended up resting on the top of her swollen belly when it was too uncomfortable to have them touching her breasts.

  "There's too much to do, Cal. The baby will be here before we know it and Christmas is coming too. I don't have time for a nap." Her blood pounded as anger and a sense of panic washed through her. At first she'd thought having a baby at Christmas was sweet and romantic and the best thing ever. Then she tried to walk on the slippery front porch with her ungainly body making balance tricky even on a dry day, let alone when snow was three inches thick, and decided that a spring or summer delivery would have been much better.

  She wanted this Christmas to be perfect. It would be their baby's first Christmas and though he... or she... wouldn't remember it, Tassie knew it would be the most special Christmas ever.

  Until next year. When their baby would be a year old. Oh, her heart flushed with happiness just thinking about what the future held.

  But that was quickly dashed by the long to-do list rumbling through her brain.

  And Cal thought she ought to take a nap. Men.

  Cal pulled back the covers and patted the mattress. Despite her temper tantrum, he remained calm. Good thing he was used to dealing with the more unruly elements of society. She'd become one of them lately. And she feared it would get worse.

  Cupping her face in his palms, Cal gazed down at her with affection and determination. He kissed the tip of her nose, then spoke in his strict sheriff voice. The one that always did funny things to her.

  "You are running yourself ragged trying to do everything around here, and get ready for a baby and Christmas too. None of that is as important as you and the baby." His tone softened to one of awe when he said "baby" and he slipped a hand down to caress the swell of her tummy. As if sensing his... or her... father's touch, the baby kicked right into his palm.

  "Wow," Cal said, "he's a strong one."

  "Yes," Tassie said, covering Cal's hand with hers hoping to feel another kick. "He's quite the active little guy." She loved feeling her baby move, knowing he ... or she... was growing big and strong and healthy inside her body. It was the most wondrous feeling in the entire world. A baby. A real human being growing inside her.

  Cal's baby.

  Sure, she'd known about it for several months already, but now that the time was getting close, as signified by the blowing snow and the large Christmas tree in the center of town, as well as her continued discomfort and swelling belly, it all became more and more real to her.

  A mother. She had vague memories of her own mother, but they were hard to extract from the deep recesses of her mind. But she would do everything she could to be a good mother. And that's why she needed to get busy.

  There were diapers to stitch, and nightgowns for the baby as well as booties and hats to knit. She might have had some help with these things but with Posey and Lizzie having babies at the same time, each of them was overwhelmed with their own preparations, though Tassie had been working on a small gown for each of her friends too.

  She gazed at Cal and her heart swelled with happiness. Who would have ever thought that when she ran off and ended up in Juniper Junction that soon she'd be married to the sheriff, have bosom friends as well as the most miraculous thing of all. A baby.

  "Come on, darlin'," Cal coaxed. "You need to rest a bit. I know you've got a lot to do, but none of that matters more than taking care of yourself and the baby. Everything else can wait."

  "B-but, Cal—" she started, taking in the tear in the cuff of his shirt with a sigh. It had been weeks since she'd even looked at the mending basket. Oh lord. How would she ever get it all done?

  He reached around and gave her bottom a squeeze. "Don't 'But, Cal' me. It's nap time." He took her arm and led her to the bed, then knelt down and untied her boots. She rested her hands on his shoulders as she stepped out of one and then the other. It was a sweet gesture that she appreciated wholeheartedly. It was also a necessity since her big stomach made it impossible to get the boots on herself, let alone tie them. Her ankles had swollen so much that Cal tied them more and more loosely each day.

  Once her shoes were off, he helped her out of her dress, then tucked her into the bed in her undergarments. She rolled onto her side so she was facing him and he put a pillow between her knees.

  "How's that?" he asked, rubbing at the knotted muscles of her lower back.

  "Ohh. It's wonderful. Thank you." She sighed.

  "But, don't you need to get back to the jail?" She tried to sit up and Cal put his hand on her shoulder to keep her in place.

  "Roy can handle things. My job is taking care of my baby girl."

  "Or boy..." Tassie said, with a smile.

  Cal leaned down and kissed her temple. "No, you're my baby girl. Always will be. Now you get some rest. I'll come and get you in an hour and then we'll tackle some of the chores around here together."

  She gazed up at him, shocked yet again that such a man loved her.

  "That sounds perfect," she said with a yawn.

  It was a busy day at the post office and Posey was tired. Moving around to get people their letters and packages was tiring and with her ungainly girth as the baby continued to grow and grow inside her, it was even more challenging. Strangely, though, people didn't seem to mind and she'd gotten many more smiles than scowls in recent weeks which helped immensely, though her back still pained her.

  Jake had been insistent that she quit her job at the post office, but Posey loved working there with Mrs. Everett who had become not just her employer, but a friend and in some ways, a mother figure to Posey. And she found she was desperate for some maternal guidance now that her own pregnancy was coming to term.

  She and Jake had had words over her continued employment, but so far he had backed down on his edict that she quit. At least for now.

  On the days when she got home and could barely move due to the ache in her legs and back, she thought he might be right.

  But the job meant so much to her and after a good, or as good as she could get these days, night’s sleep she was ready to go again. She only worked two days per week so there was time to rest up in between.

  "You really are glowing, Posey," Josie said when she came in to pick up the mail for the folks at the general store. "I hope you feel as great as you look."

  "Whew." Posey blew out her breath and stretched as she paused to chat with Josie for a moment. There was a lull in the events at the post office, it seemed Josie planned her visits to try to hit the slow time so she had a minute to talk to Posey, which she appreciated. "I'm feeling pretty good, I think. I'm not exactly sure how an expectant mother is supposed to feel, but I'm doing fine. My back hurts and my feet and ankles are horribly swollen after a day at the post office, but I enjoy the work so much, I hate to give it up."

  "I can understand that," Josie said, thoughtfully. "But do you think you'll have time to work here and care for a baby? What would you do with the baby during work hours?"

  "Oh, I know it will be a lot. Mrs. Everett says I can bring the baby with me, but I know that's probably not a good idea. At least not at first. It'll be a big adjustment for all of us. I am hoping that Mrs. Everett will hold my job for me for a few weeks at least, in case I decide to come back."

  "Lots of big decisions for you," Josie said. "Have you and Jake talked about names for the baby?"

  "Yes," Posey said, with a smile. "We seem to be having some disagreements about names, though. Can you believe it? Jake is so easygoing about almost everything, but on this point he is being stubborn."

  "What name does he want?" Josie asked, leaning forward with a grin.

  Before Posey could answer, though, a group of people came in looking for their mail and Posey had to excuse herself and get busy with their requests. Mrs. Everett had stepped out for a few minutes to make deliveries to some older folks who couldn't get out so wel
l now that winter had set in, leaving Posey to manage things.

  After several pleasant interactions, she turned to the counter to see grumpy Mrs. Ryan. Posey paused and reminded herself that she was a sworn member of the Wyoming Territory Postal Service and she had a duty to uphold. She put on a smile. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Ryan. How may I help you?"

  "I'm waiting for a shipment of books from San Francisco. I was promised they'd be on today's train." Mrs. Ryan was not known for chitchat or even smiling.

  "Of course," Posey replied. "I believe I saw a box for you in the backroom. I'll go check on that."

  Sure enough, there was a wooden crate addressed to Mrs. Ryan. It wasn't so large that Posey couldn't carry it. Or at least a non-pregnant Posey could carry it easily. Gripping the edges she tested the weight of the parcel. Jake had warned her repeatedly, every day that she went to work as a matter of fact, no heavy lifting.

  She chewed her lip and debated what to do. If Mrs. Everett was there she'd know how to handle the situation. The two of them could manage it easily or she'd simply tell Mrs. Ryan to send one of her errand boys to collect it.

  But Posey didn't dare say any of those things. Not to dour Mrs. Ryan.

  She tested the heaviness again. It wasn't so bad and it was a short distance to the counter. Wrapping her arms around it, she held it close to her short and squat body and managed to get it out to the main room of the post office and set it on the counter.

  Mrs. Ryan stared at the box. "It is larger than I expected." She pointed out the window. “You can just carry it out and put it in my carriage.” Mrs. Ryan tugged on her gloves and looked at Posey as though she worked for Mrs. Ryan and not the Postal Service of Wyoming Territory.

  Posey stared at the crate and considered her options. A pain shot along her spine and down her right leg and the idea of carrying the shipment the short distance to Mrs. Ryan’s carriage was daunting, to say the least. She turned to get her cloak from a peg on the wall. The howling wind made even a short trip outside bitterly cold.

  "What the hell is going on around here?" A familiar voice boomed through the room and just as quickly Jake was at her side helping her with her cloak. He turned back to Mrs. Ryan and gave her a scowl. "Here's your shipment."

  “Yes, I know that,” she spoke to Jake with even more contempt than she’d used with Posey.

  Jake, who never got upset with anyone, glared at Mrs. Ryan. "It's time for Posey to close up here, so you'll need to take your package and head for home."

  "B-but, I can't carry that." Mrs. Ryan appeared aghast at the mere notion and Posey held her breath. The last time Jake had been this mad at the post office, he'd punched Posey's uncle in the nose and nearly got himself arrested.

  Posey didn't think he'd punch Mrs. Ryan, but she honestly couldn't say for sure. He was mighty protective of her, and even more so now that she was carrying his child.

  "It's fine, Jake," she said, putting a hand on his forearm in an attempt to calm the situation. "Besides, we don't close for another thirty minutes."

  "Oh no," Jake said, his voice deadly quiet, "you're closing now and coming home with me. I should have put a stop to this weeks ago. You're not to be lifting heavy things." He glared at Mrs. Ryan again. "And you ought to know that too, but that doesn't mean anything to you, does it? Shriveled up old prune."

  Posey gasped and Mrs. Ryan took a step back, one hand clutching at the string of pearls around her neck. "Why, I never."

  "No," Jake said, "I'm sure that's true."

  Mrs. Ryan's beady eyes moved from Jake to Posey to the front door, no doubt hoping Mrs. Everett would appear, but she must have gotten waylaid by the snow that was coming down faster than Posey realized. It had been some time since she'd paused to look outside.

  "I'll send a boy to get it for me in the morning," Mrs. Ryan said, turning for the door.

  "Oh no you won't," Jake told her. "Shame on you, treating my wife like the hired help. You'll carry that package yourself or I'll put it in the fire." He nodded to the pot-bellied stove in the corner that heated the room.

  Posey gasped then covered her mouth with her hands. Everyone knew Mrs. Ryan was nothing but a cranky old woman, but she was also a major troublemaker in Juniper Junction. And Posey should know since she was… well, Nosey Posey.

  There were rumors around town that Mrs. Ryan had gotten more than one person in town fired and at least two families evicted from their homes.

  Posey quaked imagining the trouble Mrs. Ryan could cause for Jake… and her.

  But for once, Posey kept her nose out of it. She trusted Jake to handle things and even if her knees were knocking together beneath her heavy skirts, she’d stand by her man, come hell or high water.

  Tension hung heavy in the air and Posey’s gaze darted from Jake to Mrs. Ryan and back again.

  “Fine,” Mrs. Ryan finally said, picking up the crate and staggering a bit on her way to the door.

  “Let me get that for you,” Jake said and Mrs. Ryan looked up at him, relieved, holding the box toward him.

  He moved past her and opened the front door of the post office. “Here you go,” he said, holding the door for her and giving her a tip of his hat as she moved past.

  When the door closed behind Mrs. Ryan, Posey finally let her breath out. She ought to scold him for being so rude, but how could she when he was her hero? Her knight in shining armor who always protected her. Always stood up for her and would risk everything for her.

  “Come on, honey,” he said, fastening the closures on her cloak and pulling her hood up over her head, “it’s time to take my family home.”

  Chapter 7

  LIZZIE AND MATT

  The smell of fresh pine filled the cozy home Lizzie shared with her husband, Matt. And soon baby would make three. That would be cozy indeed. Lizzie didn't spend a lot of time thinking about the life she’d left behind in St. Louis where she’d enjoyed an opulent home surrounded by luxury and servants. She'd given all that up when she'd seen Matt's advertisement for a mail order bride. Something about his words had touched her heart and as they had corresponded, she fell in love with him, though the idea of leaving everything and everyone she knew behind and heading for Juniper Junction in the wilds of the Wyoming Territory had seemed daunting. Romantic, yes, but in reality, when push came to shove, it had scared her.

  Then the decision was made for her when her father arranged for her to marry a horrible man as part of a business deal.

  All of that seemed so long ago and like it was actually another person. Elizabeth. Not Lizzie.

  But as Christmas, and the birth of her first child, approached, she felt a bit homesick and sentimental. At Pendleton House the Christmas decorations had been legendary. People from all over St. Louis would walk or ride by to see the house festooned with pine boughs and ribbons. And at night, candles lit each of the windows. Lizzie had no idea how many, and now that she lived a more modest life she was sometimes stunned by the wastefulness of burning candles in empty rooms simply for a display. But at the time, it had filled her with hope and excitement that Christmas was on its way.

  No longer a child, she was a grown woman who was about to embark on the most womanly of all endeavors... motherhood. She wondered what traditions she and Matt might create for their family.

  When she'd seen one of the local boys dragging a sled through town covered with pine boughs he'd cut himself, she'd rushed out and hired him to bring her a sled full as well. His eyes had gone big as saucers when she presented him with a gold coin. "I ain't got enough change, ma'am," he'd said, flustered as he stared at the shiny disc.

  "Merry Christmas," she'd said, then leaned down, as best she could with her nearly full-term tummy, and whispered, "buy your mama something nice for Christmas, but save some for a rainy day too."

  He'd gaped at her and when she nodded he put the precious coin in his pocket. "Thank you, ma'am," he'd said, almost reverently. "If you need any more pine boughs, or anything at all, my name's Sam and I'm a hard worker."r />
  "Thank you, Sam. I'll keep that in mind."

  He'd carried the pine boughs into the house for her and she'd been tempted to ask him to stay and help her hang them but the snow was picking up and the sun set so early in December, she sent him on his way with the promise that if she needed any more tasks done, she'd send for him.

  “You know what, Sam?” she said, “I could use some red ribbon from the general store. If I give you the money, and a note for Josie about what I want, would you do that errand for me? I’d really appreciate it.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said eagerly. “Be happy to!”

  Lizzie gathered up a few coins and wrote out a short note. “And get yourself a piece of candy while you’re there.”

  Sam’s face lit up. “Thank you, ma’am!” He pocketed the coins and note and headed for the door.

  As she watched him rush down the street, she couldn't help but wonder about someday having a son who was a hard worker and had a big smile like Sam. She rubbed her belly and felt overwhelming love for the little being who kept her awake at night with his kicks. During the times when she couldn’t sleep, she imagined holding him in her arms.

  Would he... or she... have Matt's eyes? Or her hair?

  She took a deep breath of the pine scent and got herself out of her reverie. Christmas and the baby were coming whether she was ready or not and she needed to get those pine boughs hung.

  With a ball of string and some scissors, she managed to decorate the mantel and around the windowsills. Standing back to admire her handiwork, she felt a thrill of satisfaction. It wasn't the big estate she'd grown up in, but this was home in a way the gilded Pendleton house had never been.

  She continued working and even managed to form a wreath out of the supple boughs, tying it with the string to hold it in place. Inspecting her creation, she smiled. Not too bad for an heiress.

  There was a place above the mantel where the wreath would fit perfectly. The fire was going strong to combat the cold wind blowing outside. Mindful of her skirts and careful not to get them dirty on the fireplace screen, she tried to reach high enough to hang the wreath. Fortunately there was already a nail sticking out of the wall from a painting which had been there when she first arrived. Even more fortunately, she'd persuaded Matt to take it to the stable at Windy River because although he seemed quite fond of the painting, she hated it. She'd kept that bit of information to herself.