The Christmas Quandary: Sweet Historical Holiday Romance (Hardman Holidays Book 5) Read online

  Tom shook his head. “I doubt that, Miss Granger.” He glanced around the room, seeing many familiar faces, including several he’d sat behind in classes when they were younger. “There hasn’t been a tarring or feathering since I was in fourth grade.”

  Lila laughed, the sound shooting arrows of delight into Tom’s heart. “And were you in charge of the tar or the feathers, Mr. Grove?”

  “The tar, of course,” he replied. Aware that everyone in the room intently listened to their conversation, he bowed to Lila. “We’ll leave the students in your capable hands, but they better be prepared to have a hard taskmaster in charge tomorrow.”

  The students looked at him wide-eyed, but Lila winked at him. “I’ll make sure they’re ready for you.” She turned to Luke. “And I’ll see you at home this evening, cousin.”

  “Have a good day, Lila,” Luke said, opening the door.

  Cold swirled around them, blowing away the lingering scent of her soft fragrance. Tom snatched up his glove and shoved it into his pocket then followed Luke outside.

  Arlan and Luke showed him the teacher’s house. Although basic, it was furnished with everything he’d need. He knew he could get linens from his mother and a trip to the mercantile would stock the cupboards.

  “Do you want a ride anywhere?” Luke asked as he climbed in the sleigh and lifted the reins.

  “No, thank you, Luke.” Tom remained standing in front of the little house. “I think I’ll wander around town a bit, until it’s time to meet my father.”

  “Thanks again for taking on the job, Tom. We greatly appreciate it,” Luke said as Arlan slid onto the seat.

  Arlan glanced over at Tom. “Be sure to stop by our house. Alex is most anxious to see you. She’ll want to hear all about the newspaper and she’ll probably have some ideas for lesson plans.”

  Tom nodded. “I promise to stop by later.”

  Luke snapped the reins and the sleigh swooshed across the snow back into town.

  He watched it go. Slowly ambling out to the boardwalk, he wondered what sort of spell Miss Lila Granger had cast over him.

  Never, not even once in his twenty-one years of living, had he experienced anything like the feelings coursing through him the moment he’d set on eyes on her.

  Interest in a girl he’d only see for a few weeks, especially one related to the well-to-do Grangers, was pure folly. But she certainly was pretty and plenty feisty.

  A self-depreciating smile touched his lips. “There really must be something in the water.”

  Chapter Three

  Lila locked the door to the school with a click, dropped the key in her reticule, and rushed down the steps.

  “Come on, girls. Let’s go,” she called to Erin Dodd and Maura Granger. Although unrelated by blood, the two were closer than most sisters could hope to be.

  With dark curls and blue eyes, Erin was a little beauty full of sass and spunk. Maura’s strawberry blond curls and pale green eyes gave her the appearance of a delicate doll.

  At the ripe old age of nearly seven, Erin felt it her duty to instruct Maura in everything from the best way to swing to the tastiest bites of snow. Lila discovered a few of the busybodies in town frowned upon the pastor allowing his child to be so lively. Even if Chauncy and Abby wanted to subdue their spirited little girl, it would have been impossible to do so.

  “Hurry, Maura,” Erin encouraged, holding out a hand to the four-year-old. Although Maura was young to be in school, she begged to attend classes and her parents finally relented. Most days, the child was ready to go home at noon. On days when fun things transpired in the classroom, she lasted until school released for the day. At any rate, someone was there to check on her when the students rushed outside for their lunch recess.

  Lila held out her hands to the children. Erin took her left while Maura latched onto her right. “Well, Miss Erin, what do you think of Mr. Grove teaching until Aunt Alex is feeling better?”

  “I think it’s splendid,” Erin said, grinning up at Lila with a missing front tooth. “Tom, I mean Mr. Grove, used to play with us sometimes. And he helps Aunt Alex with her magics.”

  “Oh, he does?”

  “Yep.” Erin skipped along, curls bobbing with each bounce. Maura tried to mimic her actions, but had a hard time keeping up.

  Lila slowed her steps for the youngster. “Does Mr. Grove live here?”

  “No. He moved away to Portland, but he gets to see Uncle Adam and Aunt Tia and he visits my best friend, Toby.” Erin turned her elfin face up to Lila’s again. “I’m going to marry Toby when we grow up. He’s going to be a doctor and we will live on a boat and eat Turkish delight every day!”

  One shapely, dark eyebrow arched upward. “Is that so? Decisiveness is a grand trait, Erin. One that will serve you well.”

  “That’s what my daddy says.” Erin giggled and pointed across the street to where Percy Bruner held hands with Anna Jenkins. “Percy’s been sweet on Anna forever.”

  “Forever,” Maura echoed.

  She looked at her cousin’s daughter. “What about you, Maura? Who do you fancy?”

  “Nobody!” the little girl said, jumping forward and landing on both feet with a solid thud. “I like Bart bestest.”

  Lila laughed. “I’m sure your father will be pleased to know that mangy dog is held highest in your affections.”

  “Bart’s a good doggie,” Maura said, giving her head one curt toss to accentuate her thoughts on the matter.

  “Yes, he is.” Lila agreed. She took a tighter grip on the girls’ hands as they crossed the street and walked past the mercantile to Abby Dodd’s dress shop.

  Erin ran ahead and opened the door to her mother’s store, racing inside.

  “Hi, Mama!” Erin wrapped her arms around her mother’s shoulders as she sat at a sewing machine, stitching a seam down the ruby silk skirt of a holiday dress.

  Abby Dodd kissed her daughter’s rosy cheek then heavily lumbered to her feet.

  Lila grinned as Erin gently tapped her mother’s tummy. “Hi, baby. Hurry and get here so I can play with you.”

  Abby looked down at Erin and cupped her chin. “Your brother, or sister, will arrive when he or she is good and ready and not a minute sooner.” She glanced up at Lila and smiled. “Although, at this point later might be best. I still have four holiday gowns to finish.”

  “If you need help, Abby, let me know. I can’t do the fancy stitching, but I can at least sew a straight seam.” Lila backed toward the door before Maura decided she wanted to stay and play with the toys Abby kept in a corner of her shop.

  “I might take you up on that, if Luke and Filly run out of things to keep you busy.” Abby waddled over and gave Maura’s little cheek a kiss. “Did you have a good day at school, sweetheart?”

  “Oh, yes, Aunt Abby. Lila let us sing. I love to sing.”

  “Yes, you do.” Abby smiled at the child. “Did I hear you’ll have a different teacher tomorrow?”

  “Yep! Mr. Grove is gonna teached us.” Maura swung back and forth while holding onto Lila’s hand.

  “That will be fun, won’t it?” Abby pressed both fists into her lower back.

  “Are you well, Abby? Do you need anything?” Lila asked, concerned by the woman’s continued rubbing of her back and the discomfort lingering around her eyes.

  “I’m just a little stiff from sewing all day. Nothing to worry about.” Abby turned to her daughter. “Erin, honey, will you grab Mama’s coat? We need to head home. Your father will be there soon, ready for his supper.”

  “I best get this little one home, too,” Lila said, tugging Maura toward the door. “She’s had a long day.”

  “She has, but I bet it was entertaining with you in charge of the class.”

  “It was so fun, Mama. Miss Lila even played with us outside and helped us build a snowman!” Erin said, dragging Abby’s coat across the floor.

  Abby took it from her and slipped it on. “Tell Filly I’ll stop by in the morning for a final fitting o
f her gown.”

  “I’ll do that, Abby. Have a wonderful evening.” Lila opened the door and stepped outside. Maura hopped on one foot then the other a few steps before she suddenly deflated like a flattened ball, dragging against Lila’s arm.

  She smiled and picked up the little girl, settling her on her hip. “Well, miss honey bunny, what happened?”

  “I runned out of steam.” Maura rested her head against Lila’s shoulder.

  “Yes, you did,” Lila said, kissing the tiny dimple in Maura’s chin.

  Lila hurried through town, eager to return to Granger House. Since the day she set foot in Hardman three months ago, she’d enjoyed every minute of her time there.

  When her parents died in a tragic boating accident the previous summer, she wasn’t sure how she’d go on without them. Her father’s favorite cousin, Greg Granger, and his wife, Dora, traveled from their home in Oregon to help her settle her parents’ estate and invited her to visit them in Hardman.

  Lila wasn’t in a hurry to do anything rash or to leave behind the New York home where she’d been born and raised. A handsome young man who’d been courting her seriously for more than a year proposed not long after her parents passed away. Emerson Lylan confessed his timing was inappropriate, particularly for a girl who was grieving such a devastating loss, but he would soon leave to spend a year studying abroad. He wanted to ensure Lila’s affections would still belong to him upon his return.

  Once she agreed to marry him when he came back to America, he hugged her tenderly on New Year’s Eve as the clock struck midnight. His kiss held warmth and promises for the future. The next day, he left with many vows to write often and miss her every moment while he was away.

  The last letter Lila had from him, he elaborated on his plans to return to New York mid-January. He’d hinted at wanting to marry her in an April ceremony.

  In truth, Lila wasn’t sure a spring wedding was a good idea. She thought it wise if she and Emerson spent time becoming reacquainted before they made any further commitments to each other. While she’d been quite enamored of the dashing young man with vibrant blue eyes and thick golden hair, the many months apart gave her the time she needed to grow up and develop more certainty about herself.

  As her self-confidence grew, so did her resolve that she would not jump headlong into marriage with anyone, even if she’d been engaged to Emerson for nearly a year.

  She missed his wit and intellect, his courtly manner and attentive interest, but she wanted to be one hundred percent certain she was madly in love with him before they exchanged vows.

  In an attempt to fill the emptiness left by the death of her parents and Emerson’s departure, she’d joined committees, volunteered to help with any number of charities, and kept herself too busy to think.

  One morning, as she rushed out the door, she’d realized she wasn’t enjoying life. She wasn’t living it. Rather, she was merely getting through one day then the next and the next.

  That very afternoon, she’d sent a telegram to Greg letting him know to expect her arrival the following week. She packed her trunks, purchased a train ticket, set her business affairs in order, and made the trip to Oregon without a chaperone.

  Scandalized by the fact she traveled alone, Dora Granger protested her travel arrangements, but her daughter, Ginny Stratton, encouraged Lila to be independent.

  It took Lila all of a day to decide rather than stay at Dora and Greg’s spacious house, she would live at Luke and Filly’s home. Granger House was where everyone seemed to gather. Fun and excitement fairly filled the home to the rafters.

  Lila stepped off the boardwalk and walked along the path Luke had shoveled to the back entry of his home. She rushed up the steps and smiled at the dog lounging by the kitchen door.

  “Bart, my friend, are you keeping guard over Filly?”

  The dog lifted his head and woofed, wagging his tail as he stared at her, waiting for the scratch behind the ears she usually delivered.

  “My hands are full of our girl, Bart. You’ll have to wait a minute,” Lila said, opening the door and stepping inside the homey kitchen.

  Filly glanced up from where she stood in front of the stove, stirring a pot of stew that filled the house with a mouth-watering beefy scent. Fresh bread cooling on the counter, redolent with a yeasty aroma, made Lila want to snatch a piece and dredge it in butter.

  “That smells so good, Filly. I can hardly wait until dinner.” Lila toed the door closed behind her and set Maura down on the end of the kitchen counter.

  “Oh, baby, did you have a long day?” Filly asked, pulling off Maura’s knit cap and unbuttoning her coat.

  “I’s tired, Mama,” Maura whispered, eyes fluttering closed.

  “I’m sure you are,” Filly said, smiling over her daughter’s head to Lila. “I knew she’d be exhausted when she refused to let her daddy bring her home earlier.”

  “She did have a busy day.” Lila opened the back door and gave Bart several good scratches before stepping back inside and removing her coat and hat.

  “I’m glad for that,” Filly said, lifting her daughter and carrying her down the hall to the parlor where a merry fire blazed in the fireplace.

  Lila washed her hands and peeked in the cradle near the kitchen table where little Cullen Granger slept.

  The baby boy was only two months old and as sweet as he could be. Lila adjusted the blanket over the infant then hurried to set the table.

  Filly breezed back into the room and smiled appreciatively at Lila. “Thank you so much for setting the table. As far as I know, there aren’t any unexpected guests coming for dinner tonight.”

  Lila laughed. “When has that ever stopped Luke from inviting one or two or four extras along?”

  Filly gave the stew a stir. “Never, but I truly don’t mind. At least I don’t now that I’m feeling back to normal.”

  Little Cullen’s arrival had been a much more difficult birth than Maura’s. Lila wondered how the lovely woman married to her cousin survived the ordeal. In truth, Lila had been as worried about Luke as she had Filly. He’d nearly gone mad with worry during the labor that stretched from one day into two as Filly battled to deliver the baby. Chauncy, Blake, and Arlan had all taken turns keeping him company while Abby, Ginny, and Alex alternated staying with Filly. Lila took charge of Maura and Erin with the help of Greg and Dora.

  Much to Lila’s surprise, once the healthy baby arrived, Luke rushed to Filly’s side and refused to leave, promising he wouldn’t put her through a similar ordeal.

  Now, two months later, Luke nearly burst with pride any time someone asked about his son. Lila would have said he played favorites, except the man was equally as thrilled with his adorable little girl.

  In spite of his obvious affection for both of his children, she couldn’t help but notice his immeasurable love for his wife. Luke looked at Filly as if she floated on air.

  The love the couple shared was the type Lila wanted. And before she agreed to set a wedding date with Emerson, she would make sure that’s how he felt about her.

  Emerson was wealthy in his own right, so she knew he wasn’t after her money or social status. He’d been kindness itself after her parents’ untimely passing.

  Flattered Emerson had chosen her to wed, Lila wondered if part of her recent hesitation stemmed from the distance between the two of them.

  In less than two months, she’d see him again. Most likely, love would surge through her the instant Emerson held her hand in his and gazed at her with his bright eyes. However, instead of picturing Emerson, her thoughts drifted to the pair of soulful eyes and a warm, callused hand that had captivated her earlier when she met Tom Grove.

  Filly bumped into Lila, drawing her back to the present. “Were you wool gathering or daydreaming?”

  Lila shrugged. “A little of both, I suppose.”

  “At least you’re honest.” Filly wiped off her hands and wrapped an arm around Lila’s shoulders, giving her a hug. “If I haven’t mentioned
it lately, I’m so thankful to have you here. You’ve been such a blessing to us and I don’t know what I would have done without you since Cullen arrived.”

  “My pleasure, Filly. I didn’t realize how dull my life had become until I moved in with you and Luke. Thank you for giving me a place to stay.” Lila gazed up at the woman who stood a good five inches taller than her height. “It seems life here in Hardman quite suits the Grangers.”

  Filly laughed. “That it does. Even Dora has stopped wistfully talking about returning to New York.”

  “That’s because she’s too busy doting over her grandbabies. She’ll forget any other place exists by the time Ginny and Blake welcome their little one.”

  “You’re probably right,” Filly said, filling glasses with water and setting them on the table.

  Lila cocked an ear and listened as Luke whistled his way around to the kitchen door. “It appears Luke is capable of coming home by himself,” she said, tossing Filly a jaunty grin.

  “Surely not,” Filly teased. When Luke opened the door and stepped inside, Filly cast a coy glance at her husband. “Are you losing your touch, Luke? You haven’t come home by yourself in weeks. Wasn’t there some homeless degenerate or wayward stranger you failed to invite for supper?”

  Luke smirked and stepped across the kitchen. He grabbed Filly around the waist and planted a kiss on her lips. Before she pulled away, he slid cold hands down the neck of her dress.

  Filly squirmed away, shaking a spoon at him. “You best behave yourself, Mr. Granger, or you’ll be sent to your room without any supper.”

  He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Only if you promise to come with me.”

  Lila laughed and filled a glass with milk for Maura while Filly flushed with embarrassment at his scandalous teasing.

  Luke shed his outerwear, washed his hands, and then looked around the kitchen. “Where’s my girl?”

  “Asleep, in the parlor. She didn’t quite make it home before she lost her pep,” Filly said.

  “I’ll see if she’s still sleeping.” Luke hurried out of the kitchen.