A Convenient Christmas Bride. Rhonda Gibson

of the stairs, looking up. Ruby held a soft spot for the young schoolteacher. She pulled herself up on the bottom step and began to climb.

      “Oh, no, you don’t, little lady.” Josiah scooped her into his free arm and held her tight. His gaze moved up the stairs, where he knew Anna Mae had fled.

      Poor woman. She’d lost her job and her reputation today. When word got out that the school board was looking for a new teacher, everyone would want to know why, and even though he’d threatened to toss Mrs. Anderson in jail if she bad-mouthed Anna Mae, he knew the older woman would tell everyone what had happened. And if she didn’t, Mrs. Bradshaw would. He sighed heavily.

      “I think I’ll go up and see if I can make her feel any better.” His sister-in-law pushed herself up from the bench.

      Josiah nodded. “Thank you again for taking care of the girls.”

      “You’re welcome. They were good.” She walked past him and headed up the stairs, then stopped and said, “I hope you and the girls can come into town for Sunday lunch. I’ll fry up a chicken if you do.”

      He grinned at her. “If the weather stays clear, we’ll be there.”

      She nodded and then continued up the stairs.

      Josiah carried the girls out to his wagon and put them onto the seat. He handed them the rope to hold on to and then tucked several blankets around them. The wagon tipped slightly as he pulled himself up and sat down beside Rose. As long as he was in town with the wagon he might as well go to the general store for supplies.

      Mentally he ticked off what he needed—coffee, salt and beans. Thanks to Anna Mae, he now knew how to cook ham and beans that didn’t taste plain and hard. He guided the horse to the store.

      Once inside, he sat the girls down and took each one by the hand. They were old enough now to toddle along with him. Carolyn Moore came out of the back room.

      “Josiah, how good to see you. Did you get a lot of snow out at your place?” she asked, coming around and kneeling in front of the girls.

      “We got our share, that’s for sure.” He laughed as he watched Carolyn give both twins a big hug.

      “You girls don’t look too frostbitten,” she teased.

      They giggled and tucked their faces into his legs.

      It always amazed him that the girls could turn shy in an instant. He stroked their curls and grinned like the proud papa he was.

      “What can I help you with today?” Carolyn asked. She wiped at a thin layer of flour on her apron, reminding him that he should get some more of that, too.

      “It seems I’m in need of coffee, beans, flour and something else.” For the life of him Josiah couldn’t remember the other item. Anna Mae would know what he needed at the house.

      Would she be all right? Now that she’d lost her teaching job, what would she do? Maybe instead of denying that the school board would release her, he should have helped Annie plan a new future.

      “I’ll gather the coffee, beans and flour for you. As for the something else, as soon as you remember what it is, let me know and I’ll add it to your pile.” Carolyn went to measure out his requests.

      A heaviness centered in his chest and there was a sour feeling in the pit of his stomach that caused him to rub the affected area. He should have stood up for her better. But what more could he have said to help her keep her job? As it was, he thought he might have made the situation worse. He could still see the look of tiredness that had passed over her features, and hear the strained tone of her voice.

      “Have you remembered what the other something was that you needed?” Carolyn asked as she placed a brown paper bag full of beans onto the counter.

      Josiah looked about the store. His gaze landed where the spices were and he remembered. “Salt.”

      Rose and Ruby pulled at his hands. He didn’t understand their babble, but looked toward where they were straining. They seemed to have spotted a section of toys and wanted to get closer to them. “When did you start carrying toys?” he asked, as he allowed the girls to pull him forward.

      Carolyn grinned. “We got a shipment in right before the storm hit. Wilson thought it would be good to carry toys, since Christmas is right around the corner.”

      “If these girls are any indication, I believe your husband was right,” Josiah said, releasing their little hands so that the girls could get to the toys. It wouldn’t hurt to see what they might be interested in. As Carolyn had said, Christmas was right around the corner. He watched as Ruby grabbed a stuffed brown horse with a white mane and white spots, and Rose pulled at an ugly gray toy elephant.

      What would Anna Mae do about the upcoming holidays? With no job and no income, she certainly wouldn’t have much of a Christmas. He sighed and let his gaze move about the store. A dress hung in the dry goods area. The pretty fabric would look nice on the schoolteacher.

      Josiah shook his head. His thoughts refused to stop bringing Anna Mae to mind. He felt responsible for her. Hadn’t he said that no matter what happened he’d stand beside her?

      “Is there anything else I can get you, Sheriff?” Carolyn asked, placing the salt into a box for him.

      “Do you think the twins will remember the toys they’re playing with now, if I buy and hide them until Christmas morning?” he asked, picking up each of the girls, who held tightly to the toys. Josiah carried them to the counter.

      “I doubt it. They are still pretty young,” Carolyn said, tickling Rose and taking the toy from her at the same time.

      “Then go ahead and wrap them up for me, if you will.”

      “Be my pleasure to do so.” Carolyn handed Rose a peppermint stick to replace the toy.

      Josiah grinned at the ease with which the shopkeeper distracted the girls with candy. She took Ruby’s toy also and replaced it likewise. The twins smiled and smacked their lips as they sucked on the candy. They were so, oh what was that word Anna Mae described them with? Oh yes, adorable. They had a double dose of it.

      “You do have a way with children,” he said.

      Carolyn wrapped the toys in brown paper and placed them in the box. “I’ve had lots of experience.” She smiled at him and then added the cost of the toys to the list she’d been tallying for him.

      Josiah paid for his supplies and the toys and then carried them out to the wagon, while Carolyn watched the girls. As he placed the box in the back, he froze, his hand clenched on the sideboard. Suddenly, with crystal clarity, he knew what he had to do to make things right with Anna Mae.

      The girls needed a mother and Anna Mae needed a home and her reputation restored. And he needed someone he could trust to take care of his girls while he worked. His sister-in-law could no longer watch his girls and run a bakery with a newborn to take care of as well.

      With courage and determination settling like a rock inside him, he girded himself with resolve. He would marry her.

      His mind went through a thorough deliberation process before he allowed himself to act. Would this benefit them both or were his motives selfish? If she agreed to this harebrained scheme, what would her motives be? Would a marriage between them benefit them each?

      He already knew that marriage would solve both their problems. She would have a home and the girls would have a mother. But would it produce positive results like he pictured in his mind, or bring regrets further down the road?

      Josiah stood still and listened to his gut. In the few years he’d been sheriff, it had never steered him wrong. He turned his head sideways to hear better. Not a word; not even a growl.

      He fell back on the evidence. She cooked better than he did. She’d been sick the entire time she was with him, yet his house looked cleaner. The most persuasive piece of evidence won the case. She loved his girls and she tolerated him pretty well.

      Now