A Place Called Home (27 page)

Emily was thankful for a new sister and that she only cried some of the time. Charles was thankful for the snow and for turkey dinner. Calvin made Christine cry when he expressed thanks for snow and that Christine had played with them.

Luke and Christine had no time alone together, but Christine was thrilled at the way he stayed by her side throughout the day.

The day was a long and happy one. It was late before Luke and Silas left. If Christine hadn't known she would see him the next morning, she would have begged him to stay.

After Christine climbed into bed, she kept the lamp turned up and reached for her Bible. Holding it unopened, she began to pray.

Christine thanked God for the wonderful family to whom He had brought her. She knew in her heart that God had led her right to them. Tears slid down her cheeks as she thought of her grandfather, wishing with all her heart he could have
met Luke and his family. She knew they would have liked one another.

Christine fell asleep hoping that at some time her grandfather had made that step of faith. She asked God to help her keep from dwelling on the subject and to go on from where she was, in obedience to His will and not to fret about things she couldn't change.

Visions of Luke and the ranch floated through her mind. Tomorrow! Tomorrow she would see him again.

“Ready to go?” Luke asked the women who stood before him.

“We've been ready to go since—”

“Yes, we're ready!” Christine interrupted Grandma Em loudly and sent her a pleading look. But it was too late.

“Up early, Christine?” Luke asked innocently.

“What makes you think that?” Christine threw over her shoulder as she moved through the snow toward the cutter.

The three of them on the seat was a tight fit, but it was nice for warmth. Christine was thankful that Luke had dropped the subject of when she awoke. She was not at all willing for him to know she had awakened very early and had paced until it was time to go.

Luke had his own reasons for not rekindling the subject. He too had risen some two hours earlier than usual and had made coffee and tried to read but ended up pacing just like Christine.

Baxter was a world of white, much to Christine's enjoyment. The trees and housetops were powdered and glistening in the morning sun.

Grandma Em was snuggled for warmth between Luke and Christine, and Christine was able to lean over the side and watch the sleigh runners race along the snow-covered ground.
Her attention was brought back to the road when the horse snorted loudly and picked up his pace; home was in sight.

Christine's first close-up look of the Cameron ranch house was a sight she would never forget.

The rectangular snow-covered roof sported two chimneys, both billowing smoke. The front door, off-center and to the left, was preceded by a wide, multipillared porch.

Luke pulled up in front of the porch and surprised Christine when he took her by the waist and swung her all the way onto it. Grandma Em was shortly beside her and Silas was out to bustle them into the house.

Grandma Em went directly to the fire burning in the stove. Christine stood admiring the immense room. It was a combination front room, kitchen, and dining room. She took in the beautiful oak furnishings, from the piano to the kitchen table.

Everything was orderly, though not without its bachelor touches: a stack of papers spread across a table by the sofa, a pair of boots standing in the corner with socks dangling from the top. The atmosphere was welcoming and this made Christine smile.

“I hope that smile means you approve.” Luke was standing beside her, intently watching her face.

“I think your home is wonderful!” Christine replied in all seriousness.

“Why don't I show you the stables before you take off your coat?”

Christine readily agreed. She and Luke walked down to the stables, Luke leading the horse and cutter.

Christine stepped in when Luke threw the door open wide to admit the sleigh. She breathed deeply of the familiar aromas of hay, horses, and leather. Rows of windows allowed the November sun to stream in and take some of the chill from the air.

Christine walked along the stalls, admiring the beautiful coats and healthy looks of the Cameron's quarter horses.

Luke went to park the cutter and rub down his horse. Christine had continued her tour until she came to a stall that housed the most magnificent black stallion she had ever seen.

She stepped close to speak softly with him. “Hello there, fella. What's your name? Oh, you are a beauty! You remind me of Raven.”

“Who's Raven?” Luke spoke from his place at Christine's side. She was growing accustomed to the way he could move so silently.

“Raven is my horse in Spooner.”

“Is she as black as her name?”

“Yes. I helped our coachman with her birth, and when he saw her he said, ‘She's as black as a raven's wing.' The next day my grandfather reminded me she had been born after midnight and on my sixteenth birthday. He gave her to me and I named her Raven.” Christine stopped abruptly, feeling as though she were babbling, but Luke was fascinated.

“When is your birthday?”

“Next month.”

“What day?”

“The 24th.”

“The 24th! You're a Christmas Eve baby! Christine for Christmas Eve.” Luke sounded delighted, but Christine was a bit embarrassed. She wished sometimes that he wouldn't watch her so intently. It was most unsettling.

“Does anyone call you Christie?” In his mind she had been Christie for some time.

“My grandfather used to. And his housekeeper, Mrs. Hall, still does.”

Christine moved down the stalls then to escape those blue eyes that were able to frustrate and confuse her so.

Luke followed along, giving a short history of any horse that Christine showed an interest in. She was delighted with several foals, and Luke returned to the subject of Raven's birth. They discussed it further and he was impressed with how knowledgeable she was.

They were about halfway through when Luke asked, “Are you warm enough?”

“Oh, yes, this coat is very warm.”

“I don't think I've ever told you, but it looks wonderful on you.”

Christine hated herself for it, but she was embarrassed by the compliment, so she changed the subject.

“Luke, I've been meaning to ask you. How did you get to Grandma Em's ahead of me on the day my coat arrived?”

“It's no great trick, Christine, I assure you,” Luke answered with a smile. “You were so angry that you didn't even see me ride directly past you.”

“Oh,” was all Christine could think to say before moving along and looking into the next stall. She stood for a few minutes watching the very pregnant mare within before turning to ask Luke about the animal.

To Christine's surprise Luke had stepped directly behind her, so that when she turned she found herself face-to-face with him as he bent slightly over her.

Christine couldn't move, so trapped was she by the love she saw written in his eyes.

“Christie,” Luke spoke as his hands came up to frame her face, his lips brushing her forehead and then her cheek.

“I'm in love with you, Christie.” The words came out in a breathless whisper just before his lips met hers.

Christine's hands came up to cling to Luke's arms in an attempt to steady herself as Luke tenderly kissed her. It was brief and sweet, and when Luke raised his head, Christine felt
her hat being tugged off. Luke touched the thick tresses that fell from beneath the hat and marveled at the softness.

“I've wanted to touch your hair for so long, to see if it's as soft as it looks.”

“I've been tempted to cut it many times.” Christine's voice was little more than a whisper.

“If you ever cut it, I'll paddle you.” Luke spoke before once again lowering his head. It was the most natural thing in the world when Luke broke the kiss for Christine to share what was in her heart.

“I love you, Luke.”

“Oh, Christie, Christie, I had begun to think I would never hear you say those words. I could see it in your eyes, but I was afraid you would be too shy to say them. When, Christie, when did you first know?”

“The Sunday morning I spilled coffee on your pants and you tried so hard not to show your irritation. When was it for you?

“Well, I must admit I was attracted to you immediately, but with you not knowing Christ, I took special care to keep the attraction in check. For me it was the night of the fire. I knew when I carried you away from the barn that I wouldn't be feeling the way I did about almost losing you if I didn't love you.”

Christine beamed as she heard the words again.

“Do you know how close you come to getting kissed every time I see that smile?”

“I think so. It makes me a little bit afraid of you.”

“Really, I hadn't noticed!”

Christine shook her head at him. “Calvin is right. You
are
a terrible tease!” They had begun to walk toward the door, but Luke stopped abruptly.

“Christie, did I make you cry the Sunday I teased you at Mark and Sue's?”

“No, it wasn't your teasing.” She tried to keep walking, but Luke pulled her to him.

“Please tell me, Christie.”

Christine hesitated and then sighed. “I had finally begun to admit to myself that I was in love with you, and when I saw you and Caroline on the couch together with Elizabeth, I thought it was hopeless.” Christine's words came out with heavy reluctance, and she didn't look at Luke. “Caroline is so dainty and fair. I felt as big as Mac and as dark as a thundercloud.”

“Christie!” Two fingers beneath Christine's chin tipped her head back until she was looking Luke in the eye. The tenderness she saw there, combined with the loving way he said her nickname, had a way of breaking down all her defenses.

“Caroline Chambers is a sweet, rather spoiled girl, and I do mean girl. I am in love with a woman—a tall, beautiful woman whose green eyes and chestnut-colored hair drive me to distraction.”

He pulled her into his arms then and once again kissed her thoroughly.

Christine couldn't remember the walk back to the house. She was once again on the front porch with Luke, and he was telling her he loved her. He didn't kiss her this time, but held her close before opening the door to the warmth within.

“I think it's snowing too hard for Grandma Em and Christine to go home.”

Silas looked at the miniscule flakes barely falling out of the sky. The men were walking to the stables, and Silas' laughter echoed in the cold air.

“Are you afraid Christine is going to get away from you if you let her out of your sight?”

Luke was disgusted at Silas' lack of sympathy. “You just wait, little brother”—a ridiculous statement, since Silas was only an inch shorter than the twins and a year younger. “When you fall in love, it will be
my
turn to give
you
a hard time.”

Silas was undaunted. “Oh, so you've finally figured out you're in love?”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Well, I've known for some time.”

“Is that a fact?”

“Sure, a blind man could see it. Christine blushed to the roots of her hair every time you got within ten feet of her, and you spent most of your time trying
not
to look at her.”

Luke stopped dead in his tracks, so accurate was the description of his and Christine's relationship a few weeks back. Silas just thumped him on the chest and walked into the barn, still laughing. He was most pleased with himself.