Read Sweetwater Springs Scrooge: A Montana Sky Holiday Short Story (The Montana Sky Series) Online
Authors: Debra Holland
Sweetwater Springs Scrooge: A Montana Sky Holiday Short Story (The Montana Sky Series) (7 page)
Moaning a protest, the boy squirmed to get down.
Elias lowered Noah to his feet, steadying him to make sure he wouldn’t fall against the stove, and rewrapped the blanket around him.
Marian walked over to the stove and stirred up the banked coals, adding more wood.
The noise woke Haggai, who was sleeping in a basket near the stove. The kitten yawned and stretched, then climbed out and stumbled toward Noah.
Noah scooped up the kitten, cuddling him. “You sleepy, too, Haggai?”
Marian waved toward the table. “Thank you for the grand gesture, Elias.” She drew her eyebrows together and pursed her lips in a mock frown. “Not that we needed it.”
He laughed. “Perhaps
I
needed to send that turkey. I’m Scrooge reborn, after all. I just needed some visits from Master Noah here—” he dropped a hand on the boy’s head “—instead of the three ghosts.”
Noah beamed.
Marian hadn’t seen her grandson look so happy since before his mother died, and her heart rejoiced. She glanced at Elias.
He watched Noah, his gaze tender.
Warmth swirled in her chest, spreading through her. Yes, Marian knew she loved Elias, had always loved him, even if she’d kept that love tucked into a secret compartment of her heart. But now, seeing him with Noah gave a richness and depth to her feelings that she hadn’t dreamed was possible.
Noah glanced at the clock and grinned. “It’s after twelve.” He wiggled, which made Haggai stretch in protest. “Grandma, I want you to open your present now. I can’t wait until morning. Please?”
I couldn’t possibly receive anything more precious than the gifts I’ve already been given tonight.
But Marian couldn’t resist those pleading eyes. “Very well.”
“The gift is in the sleigh,” Elias said to Noah. “I’ll be right back.”
The stove started to warm up, and Marian spread her fingers toward the heat.
Elias returned, carrying a package wrapped in red velvet that he extended to Noah.
The child set down the kitten, took the gift, and walked toward her.
Curious, Marian looked back and forth between the two, sensing some kind of shared secret.
They grinned at her with identical expressions of excitement.
Noah held out the package. “This is from me, Grandma. But Mr. Masters helped.”
Her heart beating in excitement, Marian unwound the material to find a porcelain vase. She stared down at it, noticing the familiar shape and the violet and rose pattern. Her hands shaking, she glanced at them, and then clasped the vase to her chest. “A lovely, lovely gift.”
Noah grinned, then yawned and rubbed his eyes.
“But how?” Marian asked, still clutching the precious vase to her heart. “How did the two of you manage to get together in the first place?”
“I tried to buy the vase, and I didn’t have enough money,” Noah said sheepishly, scuffing his foot, which tangled in the edge of the blanket still wrapped around him. “Mr. Masters was there and gave me some. But he said I had to work it off.”
She placed the vase on the table and stepped back to admire her present. “Perfect. Thank you, gentlemen. I will treasure this.”
Holding the blanket around him, Noah bunny-hopped to the kitchen table and plopped onto a chair. “Can I have some milk, Grandma?”
“Certainly. Let me warm it up. Then off to bed with you, young man. You’ve had quite a day.”
“But what about my stocking?” Noah protested as he covered up a big yawn.
“I’ll hang it up for you,” Marian assured him.
Noah looked up at Elias in appeal. “Will you stay and have some milk, too, Mr. Masters?”
Marian gave Elias a nod of encouragement.
“For a few minutes. I can’t leave the horse out in the cold for too long.”
“Good.” Noah yawned again and leaned over to pick up the kitten.
The milk in the icebox was almost frozen, and Marian poured the slushy mass from the pitcher into a pot on the stove, using a wooden spoon to stir it. The milk warmed, and she poured the comforting beverage into three cups of her best china. But when she turned, holding two cups and saucers, Marian saw Noah had fallen asleep again, his head pillowed on his arms and Haggai curled on his lap. Smiling, she set the cups on the table.
“I’ll get him.” Elias rose from his seat. He picked up Haggai and handed the kitten to her before scooping up Noah.
Marian motioned Elias to follow her. She picked up the lamp and still carrying the kitten, walked down the hallway to Noah’s room. She set the lamp on his chest of drawers and the kitten on the far side of his pillow, and then yanked back the covers of his bed. “Oh, dear, there isn’t time to heat up a hot brick. The sheets are going to be cold.”
“Leave him in his clothes, take off his shoes, and keep this blanket around him.” As he spoke, Elias laid the boy on the bed. “You can give it back to me tomorrow.”
Marian removed Noah’s shoes and tucked his feet under the covers. Then she pulled the blankets up around his shoulders. “Sweet dreams, dearest,” she whispered to him, kissing her grandson’s forehead.
Straightening, she glanced at Elias and found him watching her, a tender look in his eyes.
Suddenly shy, she looked down at the floor.
Elias pulled her into an embrace.
Marian snuggled against him in the same way she had so many years ago and let out a sigh of satisfaction.
Blissful!
She’d never thought she’d feel this way again.
Elias held her for a long moment, resting his cheek against her head.
She glanced from her sleeping grandson to Elias. “After all the pain of the last years, I never thought to be happy again—not like this. And now I have the two I love most in the world with me.” With a pang, Marian thought of her beloved daughter. “I think Juliana would approve of us.”
“She’ll always be your daughter, and you’ll never stop being her mother.”
“Thank you for understanding—for not trying to….” She smoothed a hand over the lapel of his coat, right over his generous heart.
“To hurry you out of your grief?”
“Oh, Elias,” Marian said on a grateful breath. “I feel very blessed.”
“I’m the one who’s blessed.” Elias stroked Marian’s cheek. “I love you so, Marian. And Noah, too. God has blessed us every one,” he slightly misquoted Tiny Tim and leaned in to kiss her.
Happy Holidays to my readers! If you want more short Christmas stories,
Montana Sky Christmas
takes place in 1894—the year before
Sweetwater Springs Scrooge
. And
Sweetwater Springs Christmas
has more stories of Christmas in 1895.
Please sign up for my newsletter at
http://drdebraholland.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In memory of Tanya Lauralynn Freed,
whom our family lost at age 20
Always loved and never forgotten.
And with love to her mother—
my cousin Mindy Codner Freed, my assistant and friend—
who (without knowing it)
provided some of Marian’s words and emotions.
In gratitude to:
My editors:
Louella Nelson
and
Linda Carroll-Bradd,
who always make my stories better.
To Delle Jacobs, friend and talented cover artist.
To my formatter:
Author E.M.S.,
whom I always trust to do a great job.
To my beta readers:
My mother, Honey Holland
My aunt, Hedy Codner
Kandice Moser
Marlene Larsen
To superfan Ed Millner,
who has rescued my formatting on several occasions.
To all my Facebook friends,
who make suggestions when I ask for help
and are so eager for more Montana Sky Stories,
I’m truly blessed to “know” you!
MONTANA SKY SERIES
1882
1886
Mail-Order Brides of the West: Trudy
Mail-Order Brides of the West: Lina
Mail-Order Brides of the West: Darcy
1890s
Montana Sky Christmas: A Sweetwater Springs Short Story Collection
Painted Montana Sky: A Sweetwater Springs Novella
Sweetwater Springs Christmas: A Montana Sky Short Story Anthology
Look for future Montana Sky books, novellas, and short stories
ABOUT DEBRA HOLLAND
New York Times
and
USA Today
Bestselling author Debra Holland is a three-time Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist and one time winner. She is the author of the
Montana Sky Series
, sweet, historical Western romances and
The Gods’ Dream Trilogy,
fantasy romance
.
In February, 2013, Amazon selected her book
Starry Montana Sky
as one of the top 50 Greatest Love Stories.
Debra has written a nonfiction book,
The Essential Guide to Grief and Grieving
from Alpha Books (a subsidiary of Penguin). Sign up for her newsletter and receive a free download of
58 Tips for Getting What You Want From a Difficult Conversation
:
http://drdebraholland.com
Also look for her:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/debra.holland.731
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/drdebraholland
Blog:
http://drdebraholland.blogspot.com
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