The Christmas Vow (23 page)

“No.”

He frowned at her.

She took another deep breath and held his gaze. “I planned to come back after a few weeks. Grandma was sure by the time I returned, you’d be over me or you’d realize how much you loved me and be ready to do something about it. The afternoon before I’d planned to come back, I went for a walk in the park near Aunt Lorraine’s home. I met Patrick there. He was quite a bit older, but so charming and handsome with his golden hair and light blue eyes. Quite suddenly, he’d asked me to marry him and I agreed because you didn’t want me.”

Tia took a moment to compose herself before continuing. “You didn’t want me enough to come after me and you didn’t love me enough to write me a single letter while I was gone. I married Patrick, not because I loved him, but because he promised to treat me like a princess. For the most part, he did. I was something he showed off and bragged about then tucked away in the house when he had no use for me. But no matter how much I regret leaving without telling you my feelings, no matter how much I wish things were different, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, because it gave me Toby.”

Although he understood, it didn’t make it any easier for him to hear. She’d loved him, would have married him if he’d just worked up the courage to ask her before she left.

“Why’d you come home?” he asked, nervously fiddling with a thread he plucked off the carpet beneath his feet.

“Initially, to bury Grandma, and pack up my memories here. Once I came back, once I stood inside this house, I couldn’t leave.” Tia brushed at a tear then pinned him with her gaze, her eyes as dark and gray as a stormy winter sky. “Do you want to know why, Adam?”

He didn’t move, waiting for her to continue.

She got to her feet and looked down at him with regret oozing from every pore. “I couldn’t leave, because of you. Because you were in the memories of this house and this town, and I couldn’t let them go. I didn’t want to let them go.”

“Tia…” Adam stood and reached for her, but she backed away.

Her hands clenched at her sides and tears filled her eyes, but she took a deep breath and finished what must be said. “I’ve loved you since I was six years old, Adam. I’ve never stopped loving you. Not a single day has gone by that I haven’t thought of you. The only reason I agreed to marry you is because I love you, not because you promised to save Toby from Cedric. It’s because I’ve always and forever loved only you.”

Before he could take her in his arms, before he could confess his love for her, she spun away and ran down the hall. The click of her door shutting, locking him out, echoed through the stillness of the house.

Adam sank onto the sofa, holding his head in his hands and praying for wisdom.

There had to be some way to convince his wife he loved her, had always loved her.

He’d been so young and foolish when he let Tia leave all those years ago. Suddenly, he wondered if he’d outgrown it. Instead of pretending he felt nothing for Tia, he should have professed his love for her from the start.

No matter what it took, he would convince her she was wanted, needed, and so deeply loved.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Adam tried to hide his awe as he cupped Tia’s elbow in one hand and held the handles of a basket with his other. Together, they walked up the steps to Dora and Greg Granger’s impressive house.

The home the senior Granger couple had built the previous year looked like an elaborate gingerbread house Adam had seen a few years ago in Portland.

Snow sprinkled the shakes of the roof and sifted across the peaks and gables as though an artistic baker had dusted the whole thing with powdered sugar and piped white frosting along the edges.

Pine garlands and red bows bedecked the porch. Two matching wreaths hung on the big front entry doors while the sounds of holiday music trickled outside. The scents of cinnamon and apples mingled with the fragrance of pine and fir, wafting around guests with a pleasant aromatic welcome.

“This is quite the house,” Adam whispered into Tia’s ear as they walked up the steps.

“It’s exquisite,” she said, smiling up at him, admiring the light shining in his brilliant blue eyes, matching the shade of the scarf wrapped around his neck. Earlier, when he’d walked into the kitchen in the suit he’d worn to their wedding, Tia almost dropped the chocolate pie she’d held in her hands.

Adam Guthry was a unique cross of rugged handsomeness and kind gentlemanliness that made her heart flutter and any number of inappropriate thoughts dash around in her head.

Tia noticed a few young women eyeing him as they stepped inside the foyer, greeted by Dora and Greg Granger.

Even if Tia hadn’t known them, she would have picked up on the family resemblance between Dora and Ginny. Dora still looked young enough to be a sister to her daughter, rather than her mother.

“Tia and Adam! We’re so sorry we missed your wedding.” Dora gave them each a hug. “And, Toby… how nice to see you.”

Greg shook Adam’s hand then thumped him on the back. “Good for you marrying this lovely girl before someone else took a notion to claim her.”

Adam grinned and helped Tia remove her coat. Toby yanked his off and handed it to the servants gathering wraps, coats, and hats in the large entry.

“Please go right on in. If you brought something for the potluck luncheon, it goes in the dining room, there.” Greg indicated the first door down the hallway.

Adam took Tia’s hand and led her into the dining room where she set out two chocolate pies, a gingerbread cake, and a chicken casserole.

Filly gave her a hug then bustled back to the kitchen where she and a handful of volunteers ensured all the attendees at the second annual Hardman Christmas Carnival would have plenty to eat and drink.

Toby tugged on Tia’s hand, capturing her attention. “Come on, Mama. I want to find Erin.”

“And I want to listen to Arlan play his trumpet,” Adam said, lifting Toby in one arm and offering the other to Tia. She took it with an indulgent smile and they proceeded to the large parlor where the community band played and most people gathered, waiting for lunch.

Arlan acknowledged them with a wink as he performed. Adam set Toby down and watched as the boy ran over to where Erin perched on her father’s knee, listening to the festive music.

Adam led Tia across the room to a chair near Chauncy’s and motioned for her to take a seat while he stood behind her, leaving his hand on her shoulder.

Since their discussion the previous evening and her admission that she loved him, had always loved him, she’d acted hesitant around him. At breakfast she barely spoke, and remained quiet as she worked in the kitchen preparing food to contribute to the potluck.

Adam decided not to press her, at least not until later when they were alone. Neither of them would get any sleep until things between them were resolved, even if they stayed awake the whole night to do it.

If Adam had his way, there wouldn’t be any need for him to continue sleeping in the guest bedroom. He’d waited long enough to make Tia his own and one more night seemed far too many.

Forcefully returning his thoughts to the Christmas event they attended, Adam gazed around the room full of neighbors and friends. Arlan had explained Alex and Ginny came up with the idea for the celebration the previous year. Since everyone enjoyed it so much, the community decided to make it an annual event.

Adam noticed Ginny flitting in and out, overseeing Blake and Luke as they carried in more chairs.

A tall figure at the door dressed in an elaborate red and black costume caught his attention. He bent down so he could whisper in Tia’s ear. “It appears sister Alex is the star of the show.”

Tia nodded her head in agreement. “She’s so striking, such a beautiful woman. I love her costume.”

In truth, Adam was a bit surprised to see Alex wearing black pants tucked into knee-high boots. The ruffled white blouse and black damask waistcoat embroidered with delicate red rosebuds beneath her red velvet topcoat highlighted her feminine appearance despite her pants.

A black top hat, adorned with a red feather and a bit of holly, sat at a jaunty angle on top of her head while dark hair cascaded around her shoulders and down her back.

“I don’t see how a bookish ol’ banker like Arlan convinced Alex to marry him,” Adam teased, secretly proud of his brother and his lovely wife.

Tia glanced up at him and grinned. “It’s that Guthry charm you and your brother both seem to possess.”

The band stopped playing when Greg stepped to the front of the room and thanked everyone for coming. He invited them to eat, as soon as Chauncy asked a blessing on the meal.

After lunch, an auction of various art projects, crafts and unique items created by Alex’s students raised funds for a local charity.

 Once the auction ended, the crowd trailed upstairs to watch Alex’s magic performance.

Slightly disappointed he wouldn’t get to see her perform out of her wagon, Adam still looked forward to her show.

Several people in town had talked about how entertaining the performance had been the previous year.

Arlan sat beside Adam as they watched Alex go through her routine with Tom Grove serving as her assistant.

Tia smiled at Toby as he sat one row up with Chauncy, Abby, and Erin Dodd. From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a face she recognized, one that gave her a moment of pause.

Carefully studying the crowd, she decided her imagination had somehow conjured an image of her former father-in-law.

The last place Judge Cedric Devereux would be caught on Christmas Eve was a magic show in the town of Hardman.

Chastising herself for her overactive imagination, she gave herself a mental lecture.

“Everything okay, Tia?” The warmth of Adam’s breath caressed her neck while his deep voice tantalized her ear.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she whispered, giving him a brief glance before returning her attention to Alex’s show.

Enthralled with her sister-in-law’s ability to make objects appear and disappear, cast illusions, and draw the crowd into a web of light-hearted magical fun, Tia clapped as enthusiastically as anyone when the show ended.

“Oh, she’s marvelous, Arlan!” Tia leaned around Adam and grinned at her brother-in-law. “It’s a shame she doesn’t have the opportunity to perform more often.”

“I know. She misses being on the road doing shows, but most of the time she is perfectly content with her work at the school.”

Tia reached out and squeezed his hand. “And it’s obvious she’s crazy about you. The lure of magic wouldn’t hold a candle to the love in her heart.”

Arlan gave her a pleased smile and nodded his head. “That’s what she keeps telling me.” He stood as the crowd began to wander back downstairs for cider and dessert. “If I ask nicely, can you help me haul her props downstairs, Adam?”

“I’d be happy to.” Adam kissed Tia’s cheek. “As long as the queen doesn’t mind.”

She rolled her eyes at him and fluttered her hand toward the stage. “Go on, but you better hurry or I can’t promise there’ll be any gingerbread cake left for you.”

“Save me a piece, Queenie. Please?” Adam winked at her and followed Arlan behind the stage.

Tia glanced around and saw Toby skipping out the door, holding hands with Erin Dodd.

Satisfied he behaved himself, she grinned when Ginny looped arms with her. The two of them descended the stairs, talking about their plans for the following day when they’d gather at Luke and Filly’s home for Christmas dinner. In addition to the Granger and Stratton families, Arlan and Alex, Adam, Tia and Toby, the Dodd family, and the Bruner’s would all meet at Granger House to celebrate Christmas together and enjoy a holiday feast.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Tia once again thought she caught a glimpse of the judge in the milling crowd, but knew her mind had to be playing tricks on her. She rubbed her temple and sighed.

“Are you unwell, Tia? You look a little pale.” Ginny place a hand on her shoulder and glanced at her in concern.

“I’m fine, Ginny, but thank you for asking. It’s probably just all the excitement of the day.”

“It is an exciting day, isn’t it?” Ginny smiled at her then waved to her mother-in-law. She excused herself to help Filly and some of the other women pour coffee and cider.

Unreasonably unsettled, Tia looked around until she located Toby and Erin sharing a sugar cookie and giggling together in the parlor with a group of children.

Relieved to see her son having such a wonderful time with his little friends, she turned into the dining room and cut a large slice of gingerbread for Adam and a small piece of pumpkin pie Alex had brought.

She visited with some of the women from church as she ate the pie then went to check on Toby.

The boy was not in the front room with the other children, although Erin was there. Mindful the two youngsters generally stayed together, she set Adam’s piece of cake on a side table and approached Erin.

“Erin, have you seen Toby?”

The little girl nodded her head and swallowed the bite of cookie in her mouth. “He said he needed to use the necessary.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Tia cupped her chin and gave her a warm smile. “And thank you for being such a good friend to Toby.”

Tia left the front parlor and strode down the hall toward the bathroom. The door stood open so she returned to the dining room, hoping to find Toby there, snitching more cookies.

He wasn’t among those in the room, so Tia rushed into the kitchen and asked if anyone had seen Toby.

“I haven’t, Tia, but he’s got to be around here somewhere,” Filly said, cutting a sheet cake into squares and placing the slices onto plates. “Have you asked Erin?”

“She said he went to the bathroom, but he wasn’t in there. I checked the front parlor and the dining room.” An impending sense of panic made Tia’s breath come in short gasps as she knotted her hands at her waist.

Filly quickly wiped her hands on a dishtowel then reached out and grabbed one of Tia’s hands. “Come on, we’ll find him.”

Together, they checked the library, the guest rooms on the main floor of the house, even the linen closet and didn’t see Toby.

As they hurried down the hall, they ran into Arlan, Adam, and Luke as they returned from carrying Alex’s props outside to her magic wagon.

Immediately, Adam stepped forward and grasped Tia’s arms. Concerned by the fear in her eyes and the grim set of her mouth, he gave her an imploring glance. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

“I can’t find Toby. He was eating cookies with Erin one moment and the next, he was just gone.” Tia leaned against Adam, drawing strength from his presence. “What if the judge sent someone else to try and take him? What if…”

Adam shook his head. “The sheriff wired the U.S. Marshal’s office in Portland yesterday. They were going to arrest him based on the confession from Mr. Bass.”

“But Adam, if nothing’s wrong, where is he?” Tia clutched the lapels of his coat in her hands and gave them a frantic shake. “I can feel it, Adam. Something’s happened.”

“Then we’ll find him.” Adam turned to his brother and his friends. They agreed to search the house as well as outside.

Alex sent one of her older students to fetch the sheriff who’d already returned to his office.

Arlan and Adam pulled on their coats and gloves. Tia started to reach for hers, but Adam shook his head. “Stay here, Tia. If Toby is in the house, you need to be here for him.”

“But, Adam…” Tia blinked to keep the tears pooling in her eyes from spilling down her cheeks.

“I’ll find him, Tia. I promise.” Adam kissed her full on the mouth. It wasn’t a kiss borne of passion, but one shared from love and apprehension. “You know I always keep my promises.”

She nodded and squeezed his hand. “Hurry, Adam. Please hurry.”

Arlan and Adam raced outside with Luke and Blake.

“Let’s spread out and go through town a street at a time,” Luke suggested. “Blake and I’ll take the north half if you two take the south.”

“Good idea,” Adam said, turning and walking down a block with Arlan beside him. “If you were trying to get a child out of town without being seen, where would you go?”