The Christmas Vow (18 page)

“Nothing, huh?” It was obvious something pained her. He’d get an answer out of her sooner or later. “Let me take a look at those scratches from Crabby.”

Tia shook her head and backed away from him. “No. I’m fine. However, it’s time for me to go to bed.” She reached back to untie her apron strings and jerked on them.

Like a dog chasing its tail, she went around and around in circles, furiously yanking on the strings until Adam pulled her to a stop.

“Looks like Toby got to your apron, too. How’d he tie it in a knot without you noticing?”

Tia stamped her foot in frustration. “He said he needed to fix my bow. Oh, that child has been utterly vexing today! He’s never been so full of orneriness before and I can’t imagine what’s gotten into him now.”

Her gaze turned to Adam as he worked the apron strings loose. Once he released the knot, she whipped off the apron and shook it at him. “In truth, the facts point to your influence as the cause for my troubles with Toby.”

“Me?” Adam asked, perplexed. “All I did was show him how to fashion a few knots every man ought to know how to tie. You’re the one who was home all day while he tied the house into knots.”

Tia sank onto the sofa and covered her face with her hands. Adam couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying from the way her shoulders shook. Finally, she lifted her gaze to his. Although her eyes watered, the smile that brought apples to her cheeks made him grin at her mirth.

When she gained control of her laughter, she released a breath. “Honestly, Adam, I can’t begin to explain what happened today. One minute he was helping me set out the holiday decorations and wrist-deep in my cookie dough. The next minute, I turned around to see knots everywhere. Toby told me he wanted to play in the parlor and I kept checking on him. Nothing seemed amiss. Since he played so quietly, I didn’t think anything of it. I stepped outside to speak to Mrs. Ferguson for a moment, and he stayed in the kitchen. When I returned inside… knots everywhere.” Tia leaned back and giggled. “Poor ol’ Crabby. That cat would let Toby scalp him and not twitch an ear, but he sure didn’t like me touching his tail. I’m surprised he let you hold him while I finished.”

“Crabby knows a good guy when he sees one.” Adam’s lopsided grin charmed her.

Tia’s face softened. “Yes, I guess he does.”

“Now, Mrs. Guthry, I want to check those scratches. Arlan always claimed you could get more diseases from cat scratches than from eating candy you found in the outhouse.”

Repulsed, she wrinkled her nose and he chuckled. She started to move but Adam blocked her in on the sofa.

Every inch she scooted back, he advanced forward until she’d wedged herself into the corner of the sofa and had nowhere to run.

“Come on, Tia. Let me see. You may need me to do some doctoring.” The wicked smile he gave her did nothing to soothe her overwrought nerves.

Ever so slowly, he picked up one foot, worked off her shoe and let it drop to the floor. He repeated the process with the other. Gently, he massaged both feet, causing Tia to swallow back a groan.

When his warm, callused hand slid beneath her skirt and petticoats, she sucked in a gulp of air. “Adam! Stop it right now. That’s enough.”

He raised a heated gaze to her while his hand moved up her calf, over her knee and trailed across her thigh. “Oh, calm down, Tia. It’s not like I haven’t seen it all before.”

Indignant, she glowered at him. “Swimming in our underclothes in the creek when we were nine is a lot different than you… than you doing… this!”

“And what is this, Tia?” Adam’s voice dropped to such a husky level, she shivered in response to it.

In truth, she didn’t want Adam to stop. She wanted to be his wife, his true wife, but not because of an obligation on his part to fulfill his duties as a husband. And certainly not because he was a virile man who found her attractive. She wanted Adam to want her out of love, out of his heart’s need for her, just as she loved and needed him.

As the flame in his eyes cast a spell over her, he slid both hands up and down her legs. Gently, he pushed up her skirts and petticoats.

When he exposed her bloomers to the light, he gasped at the streaks of dried blood running down both legs.

“I’m gonna wring that cat’s neck right now.” Adam growled as he carefully lifted the fabric away from her skin.

“Oh, leave Crabby alone. It isn’t his fault. If anyone is to blame for the whole mess, it’s you.” Tia knew the cat drew blood by the sting she’d felt when he’d sunk his claws into her leg, but she’d been too angry to pay any mind. Now, though, as Adam tried to pull the blood-crusted fabric of her bloomers and stockings away from her skin, it hurt.

A whimper escaped her as he touched a particularly sore spot.

His eyes found hers again. “I’m so sorry, Tia. I’m truly sorry for…”

She put a hand over his mouth to silence him. “It’s just a few scratches, Adam. I’m not made of glass and I won’t break. You seem to have forgotten I could outclimb, outrun, and outshoot you when we were young.”

“I know, but you’re a refined lady of society now, not that rough and tumble playmate from so long ago.” Adam rocked back on his heels. “Why don’t you remove those bloody clothes and let me see to those scratches? You really do need to be careful about them getting infected.”

“If you think this is the first time Crabby and I have done battle, you would be sadly mistaken.” Disappointed that Adam got to his feet and stepped back from her, Tia wished he’d take her in his arms, or at least tease her by saying outlandish things she had to pretend offended her.

“I’m going to take a hot bath. And I assure you, I can tend to the scratches on my own.” Tia rose and picked up her shoes before crossing the room. She looked back at the sleigh full of nuts on the table. “Thank you for the thoughtful gift. I truly appreciate it. I also appreciate your help with Toby this evening. He adores you, you know.”

“I really do love him, Tia. He’s a special boy, even if he does tie you up in knots.”

Grinning at his joke, she gave him one final glance then walked down the hall, conflicted. Part of her rejoiced that Adam loved her son. The rest of her possessed bitter jealousy that Adam didn’t love her, too.

Chapter Seventeen

“Oh, just look at everyone!” Tia squeezed Adam’s arm as they walked toward the pond where half the town skated. Others sat around the edges on benches visiting or stood close to the roaring bonfire, warming chilled hands and feet.

A large table held a variety of refreshments. Tia waved at Ginny and hurried over to give her a hug.

Adam set a gingerbread cake she’d made on the table then lifted Toby from where he’d ridden on his shoulder as they walked out to the farm.

Although Adam offered to borrow or rent a sleigh, Tia wanted to walk. Invigorated by the clean, fresh air and the sunshine overhead, she enjoyed sauntering down the road with the two males she loved the most.

Seeing Toby ride on Adam’s broad shoulder made her heart ache with joy and sadness. At some point, when Adam decided he wanted out of their fake marriage, it would devastate Toby.

For her son’s sake, she hoped Adam kept his promise to honor his vows.

Determined to enjoy the day, she chased away her sad thoughts and greeted her friends.

Toby located Erin among the throng and the two children raced around laughing and giggling.

Finally, Adam picked up Toby and strapped on his skates while Chauncy put a pair on Erin.

The two youngsters stepped onto the ice. Their feet slid from beneath them, leaving them on their bottoms.

Erin’s lip puckered into a pout, but Toby giggled. “Come on, Erin, let’s do it again!”

In light of her playmate’s enthusiasm, the little girl worked herself upright and the two of them made it a few feet before falling to the ice again.

Tia sat down on a bench and put on her skates. She glanced over at Adam, pleased to see he strapped on skates as well. Ever since she was thirteen, she’d dreamed of him skating with her as a man who loved her, not as a boy who liked her as a chum.

Sixteen years later, she still wished that dream would magically come true. Unsteadily, she got to her feet and took a few tentative steps. Hampered by her long coat, she removed it and draped it over the bench.

Adam stood and pretended to wobble on his skates.

Tia laughed. “You were always a good skater, Adam. You’re not fooling me.” Slowly moving her feet forward, she stepped onto the ice.

“You weren’t too shabby yourself,” Adam said, gliding in a circle around her. “In case I didn’t make mention of it earlier, Mrs. Guthry, you are perfectly charming today.”

Politely, Tia tipped her head, pleased by his compliment. A black velvet brocade jacket topped her red plaid skirt, accented by the bright red gloves on her hands. She’d fastened a smart little black hat with a cluster of red satin roses on top of her head while a red scarf encircled her neck.

“In fact, wife of mine, you are charmingly perfect and astoundingly lovely in your skating outfit.”

Adam skated another circle around her, offering her a grin so full of boyish appeal, for a moment she felt seventeen again.

“You don’t look bad yourself, Mr. Guthry.” Tia admired the way Adam’s shoulders filled out his double-breasted navy pea coat. Rather than denims, as he often wore, he had on a pair of tan canvas trousers. He’d left his hat at home. His thick tousled hair drew her interest, as did the sparkling blue of his eyes, enhanced by the sapphire-hued scarf around his neck. “You’ve grown into a very handsome man, Adam.”

He stopped skating and stared at her a moment. Flustered by his intent perusal that started at her head and went to the tips of her skates, she reached out a hand to him. “Since you’re an old married man now, you’re stuck skating with me today, sailor. Come on. Take me for a spin across the ice.”

“I thought you’d never start making demands, Queenie.” Adam winked then moved behind her, settling one hand on her waist while holding her hand with his other. They both slid their right foot forward, skating in unison around the pond.

“This is nice.” Tia wasn’t sure if he heard her over the noise around them, but his hand tightened ever so slightly on her waist and he pulled her closer against him.

Lost in dreams, she closed her eyes and allowed him to glide her around the pond. Unexpectedly, someone crashed into their legs and knocked their feet out from beneath them.

“Sorry, Mrs. Guthry, Mr. Guthry. I’m not very good at this yet.” One of Alex’s students struggled to get to her feet.

Adam stood and gave Tia a hand, making sure she was uninjured before assisting the girl. He offered Tia an inquisitive glance, seeking permission to help the teen. Tia nodded, impressed Adam had sought her approval.

“Here, let me give you a few pointers,” Adam said, taking the girl’s hand in his and showing her how to glide instead of trying to walk on her skates. He took her for a spin around the pond then returned to Tia as she made her way over to her son. Toby and Erin continued to take a few steps and fall on their rumps.

“At this rate, our boy won’t be able to sit down for a week,” Adam mused as he watched Toby take another spill.

Tia’s heart filled to overflowing at Adam’s reference to Toby as “our boy.” He cared for her son as he would his own.

Adam grabbed her hand and tugged her along behind him. “I’ve got an idea.” After snatching two of the pillows Ginny had placed on a bench for some of the older women to sit on, he secured them to Erin and Toby by tying a thin rope around their waists.

“But, Mama, this is dumb,” Toby whined as Adam tied Erin’s rope.

“Oh, just give it a try, son,” Tia encouraged.

Resigned to wearing the ridiculous cushion, Toby took a few faltering steps and fell backward onto the pillow. As it cushioned his fall, he grinned at Erin.

“It’s fun, Erin! Give it a try!”

The little girl took a few faltering steps and fell, giggling as she bounced on the pillow.

Adam placed his hand on Tia’s waist and bent down by her ear. “Should we give them some skating lessons or just let them play.”

“For today, let them play. We can teach them another time when there aren’t so many around. With the skating rink open in town, this shouldn’t be such a novelty,” Tia mused as Adam guided her back onto the pond.

As their blades cut across the ice with a smooth
whoosh, whooshing
sound, Tia smiled. It reminded her of the many times she, Carl, and Adam had skated together. Only Carl wasn’t the one she wanted to hold her hand or her heart. Always and forever, it had been Adam.

Beneath the shadow of her long eyelashes, she glanced up at her husband. The firm outline of his jaw, strong chin, and the puckish look of his face when he grinned filled her with admiration.

As long as she could remember, Tia had loved the dimples in his cheeks. His smile made him appear so lovable and playful. Yet, as she studied him, she admitted Adam possessed raw, rugged masculinity.

Bliss settled over Tia — pure, sweet bliss at skating around the pond on a wintery afternoon with the man she wholeheartedly loved.

“You’re awfully quiet, Miss Queenie. What’s rattling around in that pretty head of yours?” Adam asked, turning her in his arms so he skated backward and could see her face.

“According to what you and Carl always told me, a bucket full of beans with a few rocks thrown in for good measure.” Tia grinned as Adam chuckled.

“We did tease you a lot, didn’t we.”

Tia rolled her eyes. “All the time. In fact, I’m not certain the two of you were ever serious.”

“Oh, we had our moments.” Adam turned again, skating beside her as he held both her hands in his. “Do you remember the spring social when you wore that peach-colored dress?”

Heat filled Tia’s cheeks as she recalled one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. “How could I forget?”

 “Well, you did make an impression on everyone there.” Adam laughed as memories washed over him. “Tell me again how it all transpired.”

“You know good and well what happened, and it was partially your fault,” Tia accused, shooting Adam a reproachful glare.

“Aw, come on and tell me anyway,” he coaxed, kissing her cheek.

Distracted by Adam’s kiss, she almost lost her footing, but he held her steady. She glanced over her shoulder at him and he offered her a rakish grin. “Go on, Tia, tell me the story.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “I wanted a new dress for the spring social and Grandma told me I had to make it myself. You know how much I hated sewing.”

Adam smirked. “Almost as much as you hated losing a contest to me or Carl.”

“Exactly. Anyway, she helped me cut out the pattern and offered suggestions as I sewed that blasted dress, but she didn’t make a single stitch on it. That was a year or two before she bought a sewing machine so every single seam had to be sewn by hand. I worked on that thing for two weeks. I ripped out the seam in the back so many times, I thought I might wear out the fabric. The day of the social, I still hadn’t finished it so I decided it wouldn’t hurt anything to run a quick basting stitch through the last few seams instead of sewing it properly. Out of pity, Grandma sewed on the lace trim and ribbons while I took a bath and got ready.”

“And you were as pretty as a just-picked summer peach when you walked into ol’ man Luther’s barn. I thought I was gonna have to wallop every unmarried man there, from school boys to adults, for the way they ogled you.” Adam leaned a little closer to her ear. “There wasn’t a thing in this whole world sweeter than the way you looked strolling into that barn, standing near the door in a ray of afternoon sunshine. Your hair was pulled back with a matching ribbon and I could have kissed the living daylights out of you.”

Shocked by Adam’s confession, Tia glanced over her shoulder to see if he was joking. The sincerity on his face and the glow in his eyes told her he spoke the truth. “I had no idea, Adam.”

“How could you not know, Tia? It was pitiful how infatuated I was with you back then. Carl hounded me about it all the time.”

Tia could easily picture Carl tormenting Adam. “He did not.”

“He did. That’s the truth. Ask Arlan if you don’t believe me.” Adam squeezed her waist again. “Now, go on with the story, if you please.”

“Where was I…? Oh, so Grandma sewed the trim on the dress while I got ready then hurried out to Mr. Luther’s farm. You and Carl were both in fine form, dancing me around the barn, teasing me mercilessly, flirting with every girl there.”

“I did not!”

“You did, too, and you know it.” Tia giggled. “I wanted to snatch all the other girls bald-headed for flirting back. Anyway, you and Carl both decided to dance with me at the same time. Rather than take a turn, you each pulled on an arm and the sleeves ripped right out of my dress. You two fell back, and my flimsy seams gave way. The bodice dropped forward and there I was, in that barn full of people, in my ruined dress with my chemise showing. You and Carl stood there like two idiots, staring at the dress sleeves you held in your hands while I thought I might die of humiliation.”

“I came to your rescue.” Adam guided her around three teen boys who’d fallen in a heap.

Tia giggled. “You grabbed an old horse blanket and wrapped it around me. Even if I’d wanted to repair the dress and wear it again, which I didn’t, it smelled like Mr. Luther’s old nag.”

Adam laughed. “But it was a memorable dance.”

“No doubt about that,” Tia said, releasing a breath in the frosty air.  “The spring social was the last time I wore anything in that color, too.”

Unhurried, he leaned forward until his breath brushed across her neck. In a deep tone that made shivers of pleasure trickle over her, he whispered in her ear. “Maybe you should rethink that decision, Queenie. That color was made to be worn by you.”

She glanced back at him and he nodded, flashing his dimples at her. “I’m not saying all your fancy gowns don’t look nice, because they absolutely do. However, the next time you need a new dress, consider that color. Or…” Adam paused and quirked an eyebrow suggestively, “you could just wear your underthings. In fact, I’d be happy with nothing at all.”

A blush started at her neck and seared across her cheeks at his flirtatious and somewhat scandalous words.

Before she could scold him for being so outrageous, Toby skated toward them with Erin.

“Hi, Mama!” Toby grinned broadly. “See us! See us skate!”

“I do see you, sweetheart. Are you having fun?”

Erin took a tumble, landing on her pillow-covered bottom. Toby managed to stay upright and held out his hand to help her.

Adam smiled at Tia, proud over the boy’s nice manners.

“I’m ready for some of those refreshments,” Adam said, pointing to the table where women served cake, pie, cookies, and hot cider.

“Me, too,” Toby agreed, taking hold of Adam’s hand while Erin clung to Tia’s. The two children wanted cookies and clomped through the snow on their skates to eat them with their friends.

Adam chose a generous slice of the gingerbread cake Tia brought while she took a piece of chocolate cake Filly had made.

“Umm, this is good.” Adam pointed to the moist, spice-laden cake with his fork. “I’m partial to any sort of spice cake. I almost asked if you’d let me lick the bowl this morning when you mixed up the batter.”