A Convenient Christmas Bride. Rhonda Gibson

entering the house.

      His gaze roved around the room and he saw the twins napping in their corral and Anna Mae asleep on the couch. He walked over and gently, so as not to wake her, covered her with a quilt.

      Josiah reached out and touched Anna Mae’s forehead. Cool. He stared down into her lovely face. Dark lashes rested against her pale cheeks. Her dark hair feathered about the pillow. Anna Mae Leland truly was beautiful.

      He grinned as he remembered the first time he’d called her Annie. She’d flared up like a hissing cat. That little bit of spitfire seemed to rouse her to get stronger. Truth be told, he preferred Annie over Anna Mae. The name seemed softer. It suited her better, so he’d continued to tease her with the name. Now it just felt natural.

      Josiah made a mental note not to call her Annie once their lives returned to normal. It was a little too informal for the schoolteacher position that she held. Would the school board fire her? He took a deep breath. He’d only wanted to help her, keep her safe, and he may have ruined this sweet woman’s life. It couldn’t be helped. There was no way that he would have turned her away, sick and in the middle of a blizzard.

      Josiah caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. He cared about her. How could he not? For the past week, he’d worried over her health and at times her life. Did Anna Mae realize how close she’d come to death?

      He shook off the worry he felt for her even now and, with a sigh, turned to the kitchen for a hot cup of coffee.

      If he could save her job and reputation, he would. If not, well, he’d cross that bridge when he got there.

      * * *

      Anna Mae woke to childish giggles and the smell of frying ham. She pushed herself up and looked about. Josiah stood at the stove and the girls played in their corral.

      How long had she slept? Her gaze went to the window. The sun still shone through the glass, and she sighed, thankful she hadn’t slept the whole day away.

      “I see you are awake.” Josiah cradled a cup of coffee in his hands and rested a hip against the sturdy kitchen table. “Did you have a good nap?”

      Her throat felt so dry, Anna Mae couldn’t speak. She tried to swallow but found she couldn’t do that, either. She nodded.

      He must have sensed her need because Josiah walked to the stove and poured her a cup of coffee. He held it out to her. “Take small sips. It might burn a little going down.”

      She took the cup and did as he instructed. The warm liquid both felt good and hurt. It was just what she needed to be able to speak. “Thank you.” The two words sounded scratchy as she forced them out of her tight throat.

      “You’re welcome.” He sat down beside her on the couch.

      “It’s kind of early for dinner, isn’t it?” she asked. “Or are you making a late lunch?”

      Josiah laughed. “Trying to get a head start on dinner tomorrow night. My wife used to make the best ham and beans. I thought I’d try my hand at it, but I think I’m doing something wrong.” He sighed dramatically. “Mine never tastes like hers.”

      “Is that why you’re frying ham now?” Anna Mae asked, looking toward the stove.

      He nodded. “But for the life of me, I can’t seem to get it right.”

      She grinned. “That’s because you don’t fry the ham first. Do you have a ham hock that hasn’t been cooked?” she asked.

      “I’m sure there is one in the root cellar. Why?”

      Anna Mae swung her legs off the couch. “Because that’s what you should put into your beans.” She croaked hoarsely as she spoke.

      “Now, Annie, don’t go thinking I wanted you to get up and cook.” He stood also. “Because that wasn’t my plan.”

      She smiled over her shoulder. “Go get the ham hock and we can have boiled beans and fresh bread for dinner tomorrow.” Anna Mae watched him slip into his coat and scarf, then head out the back door.

      In the bedroom she hurried out of his clothes and into her dress. It felt good to be back in her own clothes, and Anna Mae realized that if she must stay with the Millers, she needed to give Josiah his bedroom back.

      She eased her feet into her stockings, thankful for their warmth. As she made the bed Anna Mae made a decision. No one she’d ever known liked feeling beholden to someone, and neither did she. If she could pull her weight around here it would benefit them both. She’d look for other ways to help and right now she needed to get the beans on.

      She returned to the kitchen, pausing to check on the twins, stealing a kiss from each one. Worn-out from everything she’d done, Anna Mae sat at the kitchen table and began sorting the dry beans, making sure not one black rock remained in the mix. She could almost taste tomorrow’s meal.

      She heard Josiah before she saw him. He stomped the snow from his feet, then entered the house, triumphantly waving a ham hock in his hand. “I found it, took a while, but we now have meat.” He seemed undecided what to do with it and she stifled a giggle. “Boy, it’s cold out there. Brrr.”

      Anna Mae laughed. “Set the ham hock in that bowl to thaw. I’ll put the beans on to soak on the stove as soon as I finish sorting them.”

      If he noticed she’d changed clothes, Josiah didn’t say anything about it. Instead he asked, “Would you mind having fried eggs and ham for dinner tonight?”

      “Not at all.” Anna Mae set a rock off to the side of her bowl.

      “Good. Eggs, bacon, ham and beans are about all I know how to make. Mary was the cook, not me.” He pulled a chair out and sat down. “And when I’m on the trail of bad guys, I don’t have to cook much.” He grinned.

      Anna Mae focused on the job at hand. She wondered about his wife, but didn’t want to be nosy. She knew that Mary had been killed during a bank robbery and that she was William Barns’s sister, but that was all anyone seemed to know about her. “Back when we lived together, Emily Jane did all our cooking, before she married William. I’d gotten used to her fixing all my meals, and now that I’m staying at the boardinghouse and Beth provides my meals, well, I’m a little rusty at cooking myself. But together I think we’ll do just fine.”

      “Well, we won’t starve to death, that’s for sure. Emily Jane helped me stock the pantry before the storm hit, and the root cellar is full of meats and vegetables.” He leaned back and studied her. “But I don’t want you to overdo it today.”

      She smiled. It was nice having someone care about her. Since Emily Jane married, Anna Mae had felt alone. A feeling she was very familiar with, since she’d felt that way most of her life. She couldn’t deny that of all the things she longed for in her life, belonging to someone, being important to at least one person, ranked right at the top of her list.

      The flames crackled in the fireplace, drawing her back to the present. There was nothing like a fire to give the house a cozy feeling. She raised her eyes to find the sheriff watching her, a glint of concern in his analyzing gaze.

      “I won’t overdo, I promise.” She dumped the clean beans in the pot beside her. “It just feels so good to actually be up and moving about. To be doing something of importance. I am not fond of idleness at all.”

      Josiah picked up the pot of beans and moved to the counter. He rinsed the beans well before setting the pot on the back of the stove. When he returned to the table Anna Mae asked him, “What do you normally do while the girls have their afternoon nap?”

      Josiah shrugged. “Read or clean my guns.”

      Anna Mae pushed away from the table. “I don’t want you to change your routine because of me.” She walked back to the couch and sat down.

      Josiah followed. He dropped into the rocker beside the fireplace. “All right. What do you normally do midafternoon?” he asked, setting the rocker into motion.