Christmas Surprise Read online

  Her cheeks turned warm. "What, a good man who loves me?"

  Chapter Six

  Hank kept a close eye on the MacGregor twins during the hunt and couldn't be more impressed with their skills and moral values. When Luc opened up to someone as easily as he did with Tam and Jory today, it meant they'd also measured up to his high standards. He needed to find a way to keep them around long enough to tempt Caroline. Either one would make a decent son-in-law, but he had learned the hard way not to be too obvious in pressuring her into marriage.

  Matthias pulled his mount up next to his. "You're deep in thought. What's going on in your head?"

  "What do you think of the two MacGregors?"

  "They're decent. I can't believe the one used his knife instead of another shot to make his kill. That took guts."

  Hank chortled. "It was something I would have expected Luc to pull."

  "I know what you're thinking and I am warning you not to do it."

  Hank glanced at his brother-in-law. "Why, you don't think Isabella would approve of her daughter marrying a Scot?"

  "I have no idea what my sister would have thought, but I do know how your daughter will react if she thinks you want her to marry one of them. She will fight you all the way to spinsterhood."

  Hank sighed. "I have no idea how to handle Caroline anymore."

  "Let her decide who and when she wants to marry. She's a lovely young woman and her mother gave her a lot of skills to work with. Sit back and let her figure out what she wants."

  They reached the trading post and headed toward the barn. Luc turned a bright smile on Hank and Matthias as he dismounted. "We young'uns will dress down the deer. You old men go in and grab yourselves some ale."

  "Will you listen to the boy, Matthias? No respect anymore." Hank raised his shoulders and guffawed. "We'll save you a glass."

  Jory turned around at the comment. "You got some good Scotch whisky?"

  "We've got you covered, young MacGregor." Matthias said and left the barn alongside Hank.

  They found Big Dog reading a novel in front of the fireplace. He'd restocked the woodbin and built a good-sized fire. "Thank you for keeping the fire going today," Hank said, as he and Matthias held their cold hands near the warmth.

  "You're welcome." Big Dog closed his book and set it on the table by his chair. "How'd the hunt go?"

  "Three good-sized bucks today. The boys are dressing out the deer."

  Big Dog chuckled. "I've been riding alongside them boys all the way here from Paradise Pines." He shook his head. "I only wish I had their energy and wit. They're a couple of scrapers, though."

  "They seem to like each other," Hank said.

  "Yup, the two are very close. They have three older brothers and all of them are quick to use their fists."

  Matthias locked his gaze with Hank's. "I wonder what will happen when one unmovable force meets another."

  Big Dog frowned at them.

  "It's a family joke. Sorry we were rude." Hank looked around. "Speaking of rude, where is the Madam Vellechamp this morning?"

  Big Dog shrugged. "I haven't seen her. Could be she's tired and decided to rest today. With her you can't expect the predictable."

  "Are my daughters with the governess?"

  "Yup, all six of them are in the dining room with her right now."

  Hank frowned at Big Dog. "You mean five."

  "No, all six are taking lessons."

  "Well, I'll be damned." Hank turned to Matthias. "What do you suppose changed Caroline's mind about refusing to attend Genevieve's lessons?"

  "You have an amazing daughter, Hank. I found her at her Mother's grave this morning."

  "What?"

  "It's not my information to give, but Caroline is in a lot of emotional pain. Listen to what she has to say and unlock her heart from the prison she's put herself in."

  Hank felt stunned by the man's comment. He sat down in the chair next to Big Dog. "She's opened up to you, a stranger?"

  "It's easier to talk to someone who has no emotional tie."

  The usual penetrating grief wrapped around Hank's heart. No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't let go of his own pain.

  "I'm sorry, man, for stepping someplace I had no place to tread."

  Hank gripped his arm. "No, don't take my silence that way. I've been so worried about Caroline since the accident. I haven't known how to get through to her and in one morning she reaches out to you."

  "I didn't preach to her. I listened."

  "We've had some arguments lately. I don't know what to say to her."

  Big Dog leaned closer. "I didn't preach to her. I listened."

  "I hear ya." He got up and headed toward the large dining room. He knocked on the door and joined the women. "We're back from the hunt. How are lessons going?"

  "Hi Daddy," Gabriella jumped up and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  He glanced around at his other daughters and then Genevieve. It warmed his heart to see the smiles.

  "Teacher is so nice."

  "I'm glad you're happy, Gabby."

  He glanced at Caroline. "May I have a few moments with you?"

  "Now?"

  "Yes, I think it's best."

  Caroline got up and met him at the door. He motioned for her to go before him and shut the door behind them. "It's warmed up outside. Let's take a walk."

  Hank didn't know how to start the conversation, but he knew who could help them. He handed her a coat and slipped his on. He escorted her back to the garden cemetery. Her eyes reflected doubt, so he wrapped his arm around her and led her through the gate to the bench. "Please, my dear child, sit with me close to your mother, and tell me why you hurt. I promise not to interrupt you or make judgment."

  Tears filled her eyes.

  He wanted to hold her like he did when she was little, but knew it was the worst thing he could do right now. Instead, he cried along with her.

  "Daddy, I'm so sorry."

  "Please, Caroline, tell me why."

  She wiped the tears away, but shuddered until he lifted her chin. "Whatever is troubling you can't be so bad we can't fix it together."

  She looked into his eyes and the pain he saw scared him. "Please, share whatever it is with me."

  Caroline nodded. "All right, but please don't hate me."

  "I could never hate you, sweetheart." He pushed a tuft of hair away from her face."

  "It's my fault Mama is dead. I k-k-killed her."

  His heart stuttered a beat. "Why? Why do you think you killed your mother?"

  "Mama raised her voice to me because I was not paying attention to where I was while dancing around the fire pit. I was upset and ran from her. She chased after me, but I ignored her call to return. She rode bareback on Shameless trying to catch me. I hid in the brush as she rode by me. Before I could show her where I was, she fell. There was so much blood coming out of the side of her head."

  Hank pulled his daughter into his arms. He rocked back and forth until her sobs slowed down and finally stopped. Words escaped him. How did I miss this?

  "There's one more thing and it's what gives me the nightmares."

  "I'm listening. Tell me the rest."

  "I ran to her. Mama stared at me and started to say something, but she couldn't talk. I want to know what she tried to say, but in my dreams, it comes out different each time."

  He squeezed her closer to his heart. "I love you, baby. You did not kill your mother. Shameless stumbled and she fell."

  "If I hadn't been acting the fool, she wouldn't have been angry with me."

  "She wasn't mad at you, Caroline, she was upset with me. We'd had words earlier in the day."

  She wiggled out of his embrace and stared into his eyes as if she was trying to figure out if he was telling her the truth or not. He must have passed her scrutiny because she returned against his chest and he tightened his arms back around her. They sat like that for what seemed an eternity, neither making a move.

  He'd been trying
to find the words to comfort her, but didn't want to say the wrong thing. Finally, Caroline pulled away. "Are you blaming yourself, too, Daddy?"

  "I hadn't thought about it until now, but maybe you're right. Your mother was the love of my life. When she died, I couldn't face the pain. I pushed it deep inside of me and now I see I can't heal without facing it." He kissed the top of her head.

  Caroline looked at him, then got up and stepped through the snow to her mother's grave. She patted the top of the wooden marker. "You were right, Mama, Daddy and I are even more alike than I realized." She brushed the snow away from her name and the words below it. Gone but never forgotten.

  "We both miss you and we both took responsibility for your death."

  Hank's heart swelled at the change in his daughter's attitude. Their gazes locked for a moment, and then she smiled.

  "I used to think it a curse, but now I'm proud to own your stubborn streak, Daddy." She held out her hand. "Let's lean on each other and we'll get through this together."

  He got up and pushed open the gate. She walked out of the cemetery ahead of him. "I think we should plant some colorful flowers near Mama in the spring. What do you think?"

  "Maybe Genevieve will plan a lesson day for planting the flowers." She stopped walking. "I apologize for that temper tantrum the other day. You were right. Genevieve is not anything like I expected."

  "Thank you. I do see we've come to a crossroads, don't you?"

  "I don't understand what you mean."

  "If you don't want to take the lessons, you don't have to take them. You've shown me you are the mature young woman your mother and I always knew you'd become. You did it right in front of me and because I can be a stubborn fool at times, I hadn't noticed how much you'd stepped into your mother's role in running the house. Luc mentioned it the other day, but until our quiet moments today, I hadn't given what he said much thought. Forgive me?"

  "Thank you, Daddy. Your approval means a lot to me."

  "There's one more thing."

  She looked up at him.

  "I won't be forcing you to get married on Christmas Eve. As long as you don't go crazy on me, I'll let you make your own decisions."

  She clapped her hands. "Aww, thank you."

  Hank's heart hurt as he saw his daughter not as a child, but as a young woman.

  "I promise not to scare you, too much."

  "I'd appreciate it if you'd at least try to ease me into this next phase of fatherhood. It's going to take time and adjustments on both our parts to make this new type of relationship prosper."

  "I know, Daddy, but I won't let you down."

  "I wasn't talking about you so much as I was about me. When your mother handed you to me for the first time, you were so small that your head fit in the palm of my hand. At that moment, I fell in love with you and every day since I've tried to keep you safe."

  He took both of her hands into his. "Since we are being honest here, I must say this last thing. It's not easy for any father to let go, Caroline. I know it sounds like an odd thing for me to say since for the past year I've been pushing you to get married. I thought if you could find the right man for a husband—you know, one I approved of—I would still be protecting you."

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed. "It's all right, Daddy, I know it's because you love me. All I ask is that you suggest and not demand from now on."

  He kissed her brow. "I will try."

  The two continued into the lodge and entered through the back door. They took their coats off and hung them on the hooks.

  When they walked into the main room, Big Dog glanced up from his book and smiled when Hank nodded at him. Caroline was not deterred for a moment. She stepped up to the giant of a man and asked him to stand.

  He set his book down and did as she asked.

  "If you would allow me, I would like to give you a hug."

  His cheeks turned bright red. "I would be honored."

  Caroline wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed. "Thank you for being our friend." She pulled away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I am missing lessons."

  Hank glanced at Big Dog. "I'm also thankful for your advice, but will shake your hand instead of a hug."

  Big Dog chuckled as he grabbed Hank's hand.

  Before Caroline reached the classroom door, it opened. The teacher and her pupils filed into the main room.

  Genevieve glanced around. "Where's my mother?"

  "We've not seen her yet today," Hank said.

  "Big Dog, you haven't seen Mother either?"

  "No."

  "It's unusual behavior for her."

  TAM MACGREGOR ENTERED the lodge to find out what Hank wanted them to do with the venison. Caroline looked up at him, but he missed the usual smile. He pushed thoughts about storing the meat from his mind and approached her. "Is something wrong? You look sad."

  "Madam Vellechamp died during the night. Our governess is naturally upset."

  He sat next to her and took her hand. "I'm so sorry her death has saddened you, too."

  "I know Genevieve mourns her mother, but the woman was so hateful. I don't know what to say to make her feel better."

  "I lost my mother shortly after we arrived in Paradise Pines from our home in Scotland. Nobody knew us in the mountain community, but the townsfolk paid their respects and offered their condolences."

  "I'm sorry, Tam."

  "The thing I remember the most was seeing my mother lying so quiet and pale on her bed. She died from too much hard work and never recovering from losing so many babies."

  Tam sharing his thoughts softened Caroline's heart toward him. "How did you get over your grief?"

  "I gave my mother something she wished for, but didn't live long enough to see. I settled down and did something with my life. She wanted all of us to work together and build something to be proud of."

  "Do you miss your home and your brothers?"

  "Yes, but not as much as I expected. It's beautiful here in the Northwoods and I've grown to love it here, too."

  His intense gaze told her more than his words. Tam leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Her heart beat so fast she could barely breathe. She ran her fingers over her lips. "You've given me my first kiss."

  "You are so beautiful, Caroline."

  He slipped his hands up her arms and pulled her toward him. She met him halfway and kissed him back. Her cheeks burned, but she didn't care. Tam had kissed her twice and she had enjoyed the sensation both times.

  "I came in here for a reason, but I've forgotten what it was."

  Jory opened the door and saw them sitting close together. "We're waiting to bring the meat in. Did you find out where we're supposed to put it?"

  "I can show you the ice room where we store the meat, Jory. There's a cellar under the kitchen."

  "Show me what you have and I'll help Jory and Luc bring the meat in," Tam said to Caroline and at the same time glared at his brother.

  "Fine," Jory said as he shut the front door.

  Tam walked into the kitchen beside Caroline. She pulled a multi-colored braided rug off a hatch door located between the preparation table and cabinets along one wall. He pulled the latch up and lifted the door. Caroline lit a lantern and led him down a staircase into a very cold room. Shelves with boxes lined the walls of a wide tunnel. Every space was filled with either jars of food or boxes labeled as to date and content. He'd not seen anything like this tunnel before.

  Caroline stopped in front of a half empty shelving area. "Right here is where you should bring the venison. Make sure the boxes are dated and labeled like these others."

  Tam shook his head as he walked along reading the labels on the boxes. "Pheasant, venison, walleye—"

  "You're looking at Mama's work. She organized everything, including us girls. When she tried to organize Daddy, he would raise his eyebrows until she gave up and let him alone."

  A chill ran through him. "Let's get out of here."

  She set the la
ntern on the floor next to the bottom stair. "When you're done, make sure everything is closed up properly. I have some chores to do, so let me know when you're ready for a tour of the trading post. Your brother is welcome, too, if he'd like to join us."

  Like hell he's welcome. He did not intend to let Jory wedge his way into Caroline's affections. They stepped up to the kitchen and he closed the trapdoor.

  "Just leave the rug off until you're finished putting the meat in the tunnel."

  "I promise. See you later." He returned to the barn and made sure they labeled and dated all the boxes. "Follow me." He led Jory and Luc to the kitchen cellar.

  "I'm surprised you didn't know about the tunnel down here, Luc," Tam said as he pulled the door open.

  "I've put meats in here plenty of time."

  Tam straightened and stared at Luc. "Why didn't you stop me from bothering Caroline?

  Luc and Jory looked at each other and chuckled. "You seemed hell-bent on spending time with my niece."

  "Caroline's your niece?"

  "Yeah, her grandparents are foster mother and father to Josef and me."

  "I hadn't drawn the connection. That's interesting."

  They lowered the boxes down to Tam and he placed them on one of the shelves. When they finished, he shut the door, and rolled the carpet over the top. "We are done."

  "You want to come back to the stable and help Luc and me take care of the horses?"

  "Thanks, but there's something I need to take care of. Maybe later."

  Jory and Luc left for the stables and he went to find Caroline. He didn't see her in the main room. He checked rooms on the bottom floor and located her stocking shelves in the store off to the left of the main room. "Are you ready to take me around the post, Caroline?"

  "Yes, let's go. I can finish up with these boxes later."

  "No, I'll help you finish first and then we won't have to worry about hurrying back." He handed her the canned goods and she put them on the shelves. Their joint effort didn't take long to finish. She removed her apron and shoved it under the counter.