Mac cleared his throat. "That was very kind of you boys to think of Christine. I'm proud of you."
"Don't cry, Mama! The snow is here. It's okay now." Charles' concerned look and caring words just caused Julia to cry harder. Mac reached past her for the handkerchief she usually kept under her pillow.
After handing it to Julia, Mac again spoke to the boys. "Your mother's tears are because she is just as proud of you as I am, that you prayed and thought of Christine's happiness."
"Is Christine going to marry Uncle Luke?"
"Why do you ask, Charles?" Julia asked as she dried her face.
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"They were holding hands on Sunday and Uncle Luke smiles a lot."
"Yeah," Charles joined in. "He still plays and talks with us, but his eyes are always watching Christine."
"Well, I think that Luke and Christine care for each other, but marriage is a big step, and until they decide what they want and share it with us-" Mac paused here to make sure he had both boys' attention-"we are not going to ask them or bring the subject up. Understood?" Both boys nodded solemnly. "Okay, go get bundled up. We've got some shoveling to do."
The boy's shouts and laughter echoed back to Mac and Julia's ears as they ran for their room.
"What's the frown for?"
"Well, you just told the boys we're not going to ask Luke and Christine what's going on, and I was hoping you would talk to Luke and find out how he feels."
"Julia, my sweet, that is none of our business." His voice was patient.
"I know! That is precisely why I was trying to figure a way to find out." She stated this so matter-of-factly that Mac burst into gales of laughter. Julia hit him with a pillow, but to no avail. He was still chuckling when he was dressed and ready to leave the room.
He bent over Julia, who was buried beneath the covers in bed, his face close to hers.
"Do you know what I'm thankful for?"
Julia smiled, sure she would hear a loving endearment.
"I'm thankful that being married to Julia means never being bored." Mac kissed the tip of her nose and scooted toward the door. He slipped out an instant before another pillow sailed through the air.
"Go ahead, Luke, I don't mind staying." "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not leaving you here."
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"You haven't seen Christine since Sunday. Go, Luke! It doesn't take both of us to check on this colt."
"Forget it, Silas! We're in this together and I won't hear another word about it."
Silas turned away. When Luke made up his mind, there was no swaying him.
The men had come out that morning to find a mare had foaled unexpectedly. The colt seemed to be all right, but it was small, and for the sake of both horses it was best to be sure there was no problem.
So Luke stubbornly stood at the stall of the first-time mother and newborn colt, thankful for its safe arrival but wishing he could be with Christine.
"I hate having Paul gone on the holidays. You wouldn't think with the mob we'll have here that I could miss anyone, but I do." Grandma Em's voice was wistful.
"Who is Paul the most like?"
"Oh, he's such a combination, yet he's his own person. He's a wonderful listener like Si and a gentle presence like Mark. But he can also be very commanding and behave like Luke. And like Julia, there's also that side of him that flaunts convention."
"He sounds too good to be true."
"No, no. He's far from perfect! He struggles with doubts and fears, and they sometimes get the best of him."
"You never did say what you were the most thankful for in Paul's life."
Grandma Em stopped her peeling and looked thoughtful. "I guess I'm most thankful he went to seminary school. It was no easy decision, I can tell you. He was so unhappy at the ranch. He'd been raised with those horses but he wasn't satisfied to stay on, as Luke and Silas were. He considered going into medicine. He even went out with Mark a few times, but it just wasn't for him. His letters home are filled
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with the joy of the Lord. So I guess I'm thankful he's where he's supposed to be and happy about it."
The women went on with their dinner preparation. The turkey was cooking and the potatoes were peeled. Christine was working on pumpkin and mincemeat pies. Both Julia and Susanne were bringing dishes so that everything would not be left to Grandma Em and Christine.
"You never asked me what I'm thankful for today."
Grandma Em looked surprised. "You're right, I didn't. Will you tell me now?" she asked kindly.
"I'm thankful for you," Christine answered with her head down, her voice quiet and thick with tears as she rolled out the pie dough. She stopped when she felt Grandma Em at her side. The women hugged and cried silently for a time.
"Do you remember how awful our first meeting was?"
"Yes, I was scared to death of you."
"I said that awful thing about you stealing."
Both women found this all highly amusing. So when the MacDonald family entered a few minutes later, it was to find Christine and Grandma Em with the giggles, their eyes still wet with tears.
Mac hugged both women and then stood regarding them in turn. "There must be something in the air. Julia has been crying today too."
"Ours were tears of joy," Christine told him.
"Hers were too," he smiled back at her.
"Well, look at you two!" Grandma Em spoke to the little boys standing around Mac's legs. "You look like you're ready to brave the snow."
"We're here for Christine," Calvin announced.
"That's right, we're going to show her how to have a snowball fight."
Christine laughed with delight and knelt down to pull both heavily garbed boys into her arms. They both became suddenly shy, and Christine said, "I'll go get ready."
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"Not very good, am I?"
Trying to be tactful, Calvin hesitated, but Charles spoke right out.
"You're a terrible thrower, Christine! You haven't hit a thing you've aimed at!"
"Well, she throws it pretty far, though-just not in the right direction." Calvin spoke now in an effort to soften Charles' words.
Christine bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. The boys were so serious. Charles had generously taken her onto his team against Calvin, but Calvin was killing them. He never missed. Charles was a fair shot, but Christine was awful. She tried to be optimistic.
"Well, it's my first time. Let's try it again." The boys were agreeable and they spent some time building up their arsenal.
"Okay, I think we're ready." With that the war was on in earnest. What Christine lost in throwing she made up for in ducking Calvin's barrage. At one point he took her by surprise and hit her right on the side of the head. She let out a false bellow of rage that had both boys in stitches before winding up like a pro and letting a snowball fly. As usual, her aim was quite poor at best, but she did hit someone, causing all three snowball throwers to become deathly quiet and watch as Luke wiped the snow from his face. Knowing beyond a shadow of doubt that Christine's throw was a mistake, Luke couldn't pass up the opportunity to tackle her into the snow.
Her cheeks were cherry red with the cold and her eyes were bright with suppressed laughter. Her hat was tilted a bit and had snow on one side. Luke couldn't think when she had ever looked more beautiful.
He spoke slowly as he approached. "So this is the way I'm treated when I don't see you for three days!"
"It was an accident, I'm sorry," Christine said on a bubble of laughter.
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"Oh, you sound very sorry!" Luke fought his own mirth
This made Christine laugh harder, and she began to back away. "What are you going to do to me?"
Luke smiled at this question and Christine, a little afraid of that smile, turned and ran. She had rounded the far end of the house and thought freedom was in sight when her legs went out from under her.
Christine rolled onto her back and put both hands up to wipe the snow from her f
ace. When she felt Luke's hands join her own, she looked up to see him kneeling beside her.
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him what a rascal he was for knocking her in the snow, but he was leaning over her now, his eyes locked with hers, his lips descending.
"Christine," he breathed, his lips nearly touching hers.
"We'll save you, Christine!" The spell was broken. Calvin's gallant cry reached them.
Before the boys could round the corner of the house, Luke helped Christine to her feet. He pulled her into his arms and held her close under the guise of dusting the snow off her back. The boys bounced on to the scene just as he released her.
Even as the boys danced around their legs, Luke and Christine's eyes locked once again. "I'm sorry," Christine said, the words for his ears alone. Luke took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Later," she heard him say. The look in his eyes told Christine it was a promise he would keep.
I
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The dishes were done and Susanne had just fed Elizabeth and put her down for a nap. Grandma Em called everyone into the front room. Christine was surprised as Silas sat down at the piano and played a few hymns. Everyone sang and then Grandma Em asked the children to share what they were thankful for.
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.
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"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 snowcovered 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
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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.
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"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?"
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"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?
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"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?"