A Wife by Christmas (8 page)

Ellie sighed as the curtain came down and the lights came up. They headed down the aisle to the exit. “I just loved the music. Thank you so much for inviting me.” Ellie smiled brightly at Max as they inched along. Mr. Snodgrass blew his nose with a loud honking noise.

This time, Max escorted Ellie to the front seat of the Oldsmobile and left Mr. Snodgrass alone in the back. He rambled on about his dear departed Agnes until Max pulled up in front of his house.

“Well, good night, Homer.” Max motioned toward the man’s house with his chin.

“Oh. I thought you said we were going for pie and coffee after the concert.” He frowned as Max shot around the motorcar to let him out.

“Too late. Miss Henderson has a curfew.”

“It’s only nine o’clock.” Homer held his watch to the gaslight outside his house as Max tugged on his arm.

“Early curfew. See you soon, good night.” Max slammed the door, and then hurried to the driver’s side. He skipped the goggles and pulled away, leaving Mr. Snodgrass staring after the automobile.

Ellie burst out laughing. Max’s jaw worked, his lips twitched, and finally he joined her. “Would you like to go for coffee and pie?”

“I think I have enough time. Mrs. Beamer said she wouldn’t lock the door until ten-thirty tonight since I attended the concert with such a fine, upstanding gentleman.” She smirked.

His watch showed twenty-five minutes past ten when Max and Ellie returned to the front of the boarding house. He’d spent the ride back from The Café telling her stories of his youth. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t reconcile this Max with the boy he’d described. Somewhere along the line, he’d lost his sense of adventure and turned into a stodgy old man. And she told him so.

“Stodgy? How many stodgy men have a beautiful woman tumble out a window at his feet?” His eyes grew dark, and his smile vanished as he stared into her face.

“Beautiful?” she whispered.

“Very.”

He slid across the short distance between them and cupped her face with strong, calloused hands. He must do more than shuffle papers with those hands. Her breath hitched and her lower parts fluttered as his head descended toward her.

“Miss Henderson, it’s ten-thirty,” Mrs. Beamer called from the porch, holding a lamp high above her head.

Chapter 7

The week before Christmas, Ellie’s thirteen-year-old cousin, Priscilla Cochran, raced toward her as Ellie opened the Cochran’s front door. With pigtails flying, the young girl threw herself into her arms, almost knocking her over.

“Goodness, Pris, it hasn’t been that long since I saw you.” Ellie laughed.

“I know, but you look so different when we’re not in school.” The young girl dragged her by the hand into the parlor.

“Come here and give me a hug, girl.” Uncle Jesse opened his arms and Ellie walked into them, giving him a hug. He and her Aunt Tori had practically raised her. She’d been only eleven when her father died, leaving the care of Ellie and her two brothers and sister to Tori, barely twenty-two herself. They’d had some rough times in the beginning, but eventually Tori and Jesse married and they all settled into the big house outside of town.

She loved the smell of this house. It signified home. Tori loved to bake, and the air always filled with the aroma of Uncle Jesse’s favorite dried apple pie, and freshly baked bread. A fire burned brightly in the parlor fireplace, adding to the cozy familiar childhood memories.

Tori bustled in, wiping her hands on a stained apron. “Ellie! So good to see you. You’ve stayed away too long.” She pulled her into a maternal hug.

Ellie closed her eyes and inhaled Tori’s scent. Always cinnamon and rose water. “Heavens, I was here for Thanksgiving.”

“Three weeks ago!” Tori turned to her daughter. “Pris, take Ellie’s coat to the closet, please.” She hooked her arm through Ellie’s and led her to the vast kitchen at the back of the house. “How is your Christmas Basket project going?”

Jesse followed them down the hallway. “Hey, wait a minute, don’t I get to visit with our niece?”

“Sure, you can even peel potatoes while you’re here.” Tori smirked.

He grabbed his wife around her middle from behind. He whispered something in her ear that made Tori blush bright red. “Jesse, stop it.” She giggled, then turned and pushed at his chest. He pulled her close and gave her an enthusiastic kiss.

Priscilla rolled her eyes. “Come on, stop it.”

Ellie laughed at Jesse’s antics. Sometimes she thought the reason she didn’t feel a draw toward marriage was because no man could measure up to her uncle. If only Max Colbert could spend time here with this family, he’d loosen up. He’s see what it’s like to be playful, but still very much a man. Jesse’s wife and children adored him, even though Priscilla had reached the age where fathers were simply a necessary evil.

The doorbell rang and Priscilla hopped up. “I’ll get it.”

Tori had handed Jesse a knife and sat him down in front of a pile of potatoes, across from where Ellie peeled carrots. “See how your aunt orders me around?” He grinned.

Voices coming from the front door grew louder as they neared the kitchen. Jesse looked up from his work and stood. “Well, hello and welcome.”

Ellie turned toward the door and dropped the knife. Like an apparition, Max Colbert filled the doorway, holding a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers.

She blinked several times. “What...what are you doing here?”

“And hello to you, too, Ellie.” He grinned.

Max stepped into the room, then handed the wine to Jesse and the flowers to Tori.

“Thank you, they’re lovely.” Tori blushed.

Jesse placed the wine on the counter and washed his hands. “Welcome to our home. I’m glad you could make it.” He dried his hands on Tori’s apron and shook hands with Max. “This is my wonderful wife and helpmate, Tori.” He tossed his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close.

Jesse pointed to his youngest daughter. “I know you see my lovely daughter Priscilla every day, as well as Ellie.” He turned to her. “I invited Max for dinner so I could get to know him better. Right now he’s the top candidate for the Superintendent of Schools job.”

Ellie continued to stare at Max, the knife forgotten on the table. She’d just wished he could spend some time here to see how her uncle related to his family, and here he stood.

Jesse leaned across the table and put his index finger on her chin. “Ellie, close your mouth.”

She snapped her mouth closed, and head down, continued to peel carrots. Jesse gave Tori a brief kiss on the lips. “Darlin,’ I’d love to help you out here in the kitchen, but I think it’s time for
man
talk.” He winked at her and turned to Max. “It’s important to keep the ladies happy. Shall we go?” He led him down the hallway and soon the sound of his office door closing put an end to the male voices.

Her mind spun like a child’s top. Max had smiled and grinned. He’d brought flowers for Tori. But the most amazing change was his attire. He wore dark blue casual trousers and a long-sleeve pale blue cotton knit shirt. She’d never seen him without a stiff collar, tie, and jacket.

The blue of the shirt set off the startling blue of his eyes. She’d also never noticed how his eyes crinkled at the edges when he smiled. A gut-clenching smile. Her heart did the double time thumping again, and her palms grew slippery holding the knife. Ridiculous. Max Colbert was the enemy. Better to remember it, and order her heart to beat normally. It paid no attention.

The table had been cleared of the dinner dishes, with only coffee cups and three of Tori’s pies left in the center of the table. Tori cut generous slices and passed them around. Jesse and Max had their heads together in deep conversation, and Ellie couldn’t keep her eyes off them.

Two strong men. One, the man she’d adored most of her life, and the other one she’d thought of as the enemy. After watching him all afternoon, she found it hard to remember that. He was funny, thoughtful, and relaxed. He listened intently when one of the children discussed something, giving them his undivided attention. He’d flattered Tori and showed respect to Jesse. And whenever he looked at her, her stomach dropped to her feet, and her mouth dried up.

“Mama, may I be excused?” Benjamin, the youngest at eleven, already had his pie stuffed in his mouth and ready to bolt from the chair.

“Yes. Be sure to start your homework right away.” She nodded at Priscilla, Paul, and Henry. “All of you may be excused. And I want homework finished within an hour.”

“Darlin’, where’s your pie?” Jesse looked at Tori’s empty place and dug into his pie.

“I’m not having any. I need to lose some of these pounds.” She sighed and looked pensively at the partial pies left on the table.

“No, you don’t. You go ahead and have some of that pie. I like those extra pounds. I’ve been telling you that for years.” He turned to Max. “She could never understand I like having enough woman to hold onto.”

Tori pulled one of the pies closer, and cut a small piece. “Maybe just a little.” She sighed. “It’s just not fair. Jesse eats like a horse, and never gains a pound.”

Jesse finished his pie and pushed back his chair, stretching his long legs under the table. “Tell me, Max, what makes you think you’d be a good Superintendent of Schools?”

Max straightened in his seat, put down his fork, and wiped his mouth with the napkin on his lap. “Well, Senator...” He stopped when Jesse held up a hand.

“Let’s stop this ‘Senator’ stuff, we’re already passed that.”

“Right.” Max attempted to adjust a tie not there. “I have a lot of good ideas on educating our children for the new century. Our students have to be ready to take over a world that changes constantly. It’s not the same work place of twenty or thirty years ago.”

Jesse inclined his head. “What about higher education?”

Max nodded. “That is something I feel we definitely have to encourage our boys to think about. They’ll need all the education they can get.”

Ellie met Jesse’s gaze across the table.

“What about the girls?” Jesse crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes sharp and assessing.

“Girls?”

“Yes, girls. Like my Priscilla, who’s at the top of her class? Or for that matter, my wife who graduated from the Teachers College, as did Ellie.” He nodded in their direction.

Max paused. Then leaned forward. “I’ll be honest with you, sir. I never thought much about girls going to college before now. And I’ll admit my plans to encourage promising students to think about college was focused on the boys.”

Jesse shook his head at Ellie, who chomped at the bit to jump into the conversation. “Let him finish, Ellie. He’s being honest, and I like that.”

Max ran his fingers through his hair. “You’re right. Any plan to encourage bright students should encompass the girls as well. I will certainly have to re-think my whole plan.”

“The fact that you’re willing to reconsider makes a big difference.” Jesse turned to Ellie. “What’s your opinion on how Max runs the school and relates to the teachers.”

Ellie glanced quickly at Max across the table. Only a couple weeks ago she would have given Uncle Jesse a mouthful, even with Max present. He’d been stuffy, overbearing, narrow-minded, and pompous. He had rules and regulations for everything, and wanted to control the lives of his teachers—especially the women—outside of school. Although that hadn’t really changed, he didn’t seem quite so overbearing lately. He’d agreed to let her continue with the Christmas Baskets project and even offered to drive her on the deliveries. He’d changed his mind about speaking with Mr. Ridley, and comforted her at the church Christmas party.

“There are some things I think could be changed to make life a little easier at school. But for the most part we have a well-run, efficient school. The students seem to like him, and while he may not always make popular decisions, the teachers respect him.” As she spoke, she realized how true her words were. She respected Max Colbert. Didn’t always agree with him, but he was fair and even on occasion compassionate. What had he done to her?

Jesse turned his gaze on Max. “Whoever is selected as Superintendent of Schools will have very little personal time, especially in the beginning. He would need to travel all over the Territory, and be involved in the petition for statehood, which we expect to be granted next year. That, again, will require travel and extensive hours.”

“That isn’t a problem, sir.”

“What about a wife, a family? Don’t you have plans for that? Most young men look forward to having a family one day.”

“No, not me. I prefer to stay single.”

Jesse glanced between Max and Ellie. Then he pushed his chair back. “The Board will have my decision before the end of the year. I’m really glad you joined us tonight.”

Max nodded and stood, then glanced at Ellie. “Can I escort you home?”

“Yes, thank you, it is getting late, and I still have papers to grade.”

Tori took her arm and they chatted as they strolled to the front closet where Jesse fetched their coats and helped them on. He hugged Ellie and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t be such a stranger.”

“I’ll be back in a few days for Christmas. Think you can wait that long?” She batted her eyelashes at him.

Jesse chuckled, then turned to Max and extended his hand. “Thanks again for coming.”

Max thanked Tori for the wonderful meal, and they left and headed to the motorcar parked in front of the large white porch.

Ellie stared out the window on the ride home. Max remained quiet, thoughtful. She snuck a look at him. His hair had fallen over his forehead again. From when he ran his fingers through it at the table. He really wanted this superintendent job. “Why?”

Pulled from his thoughts, he looked at her. “What?”

“Why? Why do you want the superintendent job so much?”

“It’s part of my plan.”

“Plan?”

Max pulled the automobile over to the side of the road and shut the engine off. Ran his fingers through is hair again. “While still in high school I laid out a plan for my life. What I wanted to accomplish, and at what age I would reach each goal. This is the next step.”