Read Online Christmas Under Western Skies by Anna Schmidt - Free Book Online Page B

well,” she said. “I accept, and now it is I who am in your debt.”
    Nathan laughed. “If you look at it that way, we could play this round-robin of thank-you gifts for years to come, Julianne.”
    His good humor was contagious, and Julianne smiled up at him. “Would that be so terrible?” It was the kind of flirtatious comment she might have made to Luke in their courting days. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
    His smile faded and his eyes softened. “Not bad at all,” he murmured, then cleared his throat and turned his attention to the children. “What do you say, children? If we work together we can have these panes in place and sealed by noon, and then go cut that Christmas tree.”
    She watched him instructing the children with patience and confidence in their ability to do as he asked. From time to time he would glance her way, as if they shared some bond built around their love ofchildren. And she realized that for the first time since Luke’s death, the idea that she might one day marry again was not as far-fetched as she had once thought.
    But it could not be Nathan , she thought sadly. She would not keep him from following his dream of reuniting with his only brother and making a fresh start in California. But she would never forget the man who had opened the window to the possibility that she would not fail.
    True to his word, the windows were fully installed by noon, and light seemed to pour into the cabin.
    â€œMama, look,” Laura said, “I can see well enough to do my schoolwork here by the window.”
    â€œWe’ll have to make curtains,” Julianne replied. “I think I have just the fabric.” She rummaged through her sewing basket and pulled out two pieces of calico. “What do you think?”
    â€œI think,” Nathan announced, “that if we don’t get going we’ll not find a tree for Christmas before dark.”
    She spun around, unaware that Nathan had come inside.
    â€œOh, you and the children go on,” she said.
    He frowned. “Choosing and cutting the tree is a family thing, Julianne. Come with us.” He took her cloak from the hook and held it out to her.
    A family thing , she thought, and wished it might be so.

Chapter Seven
    N athan watched Julianne herd the twins into the back of the wagon bed mounted on runners. She was such a small woman—not more than five feet in height—and yet she carried herself with such strength and determination. He’d have to take care in the way he offered his advice—about the orchard or anything else—for she was also a proud woman. He suspected that underneath that brave front lay the kind of fear that he’d seen more than once on the battlefield. What if an officer could not spare his men from the ravages of the battle they were about to fight? What if that officer made a mistake and chose a path that would lead not to victory but to utter defeat?
    â€œReady?” he called over his shoulder to the children.
    â€œReady,” they chorused, and then laughed with sheer delight as Nathan snapped the reins and the team took off at a trot across the snowy fields.
    Back in Virginia, the challenge of a hunt for the treewas choosing the best one. Here, the problem was finding a tree—any tree. He suspected that Julianne was well aware of his dilemma when he saw her cover her mouth with one gloved hand and pretend an intense interest in the monotonous scenery that surrounded them.
    â€œNot exactly Christmas-tree country,” he muttered, and heard her gulp back a giggle. “You might have warned me.”
    â€œThe first Christmas Luke and I spent here, we searched for hours.”
    â€œAnd found?”
    She laughed. “A little scrubby evergreen that we decorated with a single paper star and a strand of ribbon. It was so tiny, that’s all it would hold.”
    The twins were beginning to bicker over shares of the