Kiss of The Christmas Wind by Janelle Taylor Read Free Book Online

better on a cold day. When our first garden comes in next year, Martha will have to teach me how to make soup. It’s been a long time since I’ve done canning and such.”
    “You miss teaching school?”
    Tom didn’t know much about her past; he knew she had once worked in a Tucson school, but not that she’d only been using the identity of Carolyn Starns, schoolmarm, as a cover while she fled her outlaw existence. “I haven’t had time since I quit, married, and moved here. With getting the ranch started next spring, I doubt I will.”
    “You’re sure good with children. My little Lucy loves you. That was mighty kind of you to make those cookies and that doll. She finished them off in a few days and never lets that doll go for more than a minute or two.”
    Carrie Sue assumed Martha had let her secret slip to her husband, but she didn’t comment on her pregnancy. “I’m happy she likes it. She’s a fine girl, Tom. So sweet, polite, and smart. Be proud of her.”
    The man beamed again. “We are. It scared years off my life when she got shot. You never think about things like that happening to you.”
    No innocent victim of a crime did, she thought, ashamed again of her past that could have had little Lucys in it if Thad hadn’t stepped into her life. “At least she’ll be well soon; that’s a lot to be thankful for.”
    “Me and Martha got plenty to be thankful for, more this year than most. Sure is nice to have good neighbors like you and the marshal. Now, tell me what I can do to help out whilst he’s gone.”
    She could ask Tom to shovel out the cow’s stall, but she needed work to distract her and she wanted to be alone in case Thad returned home soon. Yet Tom had ridden over and needed to do something for her. “I appreciate the offer, Tom, but my daily chores are few and easy. The only thing I can think of is help with the water trough. It froze too deep last night for me to bust through. I was about to work on it again.”
    He was delighted to do a good deed for her. “Just show me your breaker and I’ll get rid of it. That’s hard and heavy work for a female.”
    Carrie Sue led him to the barn and handed him the tool which looked similar to a large hammer. They went into the corral. She watched Tom slam it into the hard surface several times, sending chips of ice flying in all directions. He labored until the frozen barrier yielded to his superior strength and efforts. He flipped large hunks to the white ground, then filled it halfway with water from the nearby well.
    “It’ll probably freeze again at night, so just pour two buckets of water atop it every morning. That’ll give you enough room to add what the stock needs for a few days. Least we haven’t gotten that blizzard yet, but it’s been threatening to come for a week. Getting colder ever’ day.” Tom glanced around at the lovely valley and cloudy sky as he checked the weather and talked. “Course Wednesday’s snow is soft and pretty. Might be best if the sun don’t come out and warm it. Minute it gets cold, it’ll freeze into ice; that’s what’s dangerous. After you been here a winter or two, you’ll learn the signs and get used to it. What else can I do for you?”
    “That’s it. Thank you. Would you like some coffee?”
    Tom studied the gloomy sky once more. “I best get back home. Weather’s as sly as a fox this time of year. You stay close to the house. I’ll be over again Sunday or Monday to see if you need anything.”
    Carrie Sue expressed her gratitude again. She waved goodbye to her nearest neighbor and watched his departure. She stared at the ominous sky. “Hurry home, my love; this weather doesn’t look good. I don’t want you and Nighthawk stuck somewhere during a violent blizzard.”
    She went to the barn, shoveled out the waste-stained straw, then spread fresh straw in the stall. She checked those of the horses and steers, and decided those could wait another few days, as they were not penned up day