A Creed Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller Read Free Book Online Page B

finest velvet, and he wanted to touch her fiery hair.
    Instead, he hung his hat on its peg, shrugged out of his coat and hung that, too. “School over for the day?”
    She nodded. “We accomplished a lot,” she said quietly.
    Lincoln smiled down at Gracie again. “So I hear,” he replied. “Where are the others?”
    “Theresa’s putting Daisy and Billy-Moses down for their naps,” Juliana answered, seeming pleased that he’d asked. “Joseph is with Tom—they spotted a flock ofwild turkeys and they’re hoping to bring back a big one for Christmas dinner.”
    Christmas. He’d forgotten all about that, and it was coming up fast. Fortunately, he’d already bought Gracie’s dictionary, and his mother had taken care of the rest. There was a stash of peppermint sticks, books, doll clothes and other gifts hidden away on the high shelf of Cora’s wardrobe; she’d shown him the loot before she left on her trip, and admonished him not to forget to put up a tree.
    As though reading his mind, Gracie tugged at his sleeve. “Are we getting a Christmas tree?”
    Lincoln thought it was a foolish thing to cut down a living tree, minding its own business in some copse or forest, and he flat-out refused to allow any lighted candles in the branches. But he always gave in and hiked out into the woods with an ax, and nailed two chunks of wood crisscross for a stand, because it meant so much to his little girl. “Don’t we always?” he countered.
    “I thought you might change your mind this year,” Gracie said. “You said it was a very German thing to do. What’s German?”
    It was Juliana, the schoolmarm, who answered.“Germany is a country, like the United States and Canada. People from Germany are…?”
    “Germans!” Gracie cried in triumph.
    “Very good,” Juliana said, with pleasure growing in her eyes.
    “Go take a nap,” Lincoln told his daughter.
    “Papa, I never take naps,” Gracie reminded him. “I’m not a baby .”
    “Neither are Daisy and Billy-Moses,” Lincoln said. “Go.”
    Gracie turned to Juliana. “Is Theresa going to take a nap?”
    At that moment, Theresa entered the kitchen, and it was apparent, by the sparkle of collusion in her eyes, that she’d heard at least part of the exchange. She held out a hand to Gracie. “Come,” she said. “We’ll just lie down for a while and rest. We don’t have to sleep, and I’ll read you a story.”
    “I’ll read you a story,” Gracie insisted.
    Theresa smiled, nodded slightly.
    Gracie could never resist any opportunity to show off her uncanny mastery of the written word. When she was barely three years old, Beth had taught her the alphabet, and after that, she’d been able to divine the mechanics of the reading process. It was as if the child had been born knowing how to make sense of books.
    Lincoln felt a pang, thinking of Beth when he wanted so badly to be alone in that kitchen with Juliana, for whatever time Providence might allot them. It wasn’t as if he meant to touch her, or “offer for her,” the way Tom had suggested out there by the creek. She warmed him deep down, that was all. In places where the heat from the cookstove didn’t reach.
    When Gracie and Theresa were gone, though, he just stood there, mute as a stump.
    “Wash up,” Juliana told him, keeping her gaze averted. “You must be hungry.”
    He went to the sink, rolled up his sleeves, pumped some water and lathered his hands with soap. It was harsh stuff, fit to take the hide off, as his mother complained.
    Juliana fetched a bowl and spoon, dished up stew for him. The task was ordinary enough, but it made Lincoln think about the conversation with Tom again.
    He drew back his chair at the table, sat down. “Did you eat?” he asked, because he wanted Juliana to join him.
    She nodded. “Coffee?”
    “You don’t have to wait on me, Juliana,” he replied.
    “Nonsense,” she replied, bustling off, returning to the table with a steaming mug. “You’ve given us