Free Plain Trouble by Kathleen Y'Barbo Page B

scooped up Bess and held her against his chest until she opened her eyes. “Did he hurt you?”
    “Tommy,” she whispered. She spied her father. “Pa? Where’s Tommy?”
    “Listen to me, Bess. Did he hurt you?”
    She shook her head. “Of course not.”
    “Then why did you scream? And how’d you end up on the floor.”
    Her eyes narrowed as the feisty female he knew all too well threatened to return. “I didn’t expect to find him up here. As to ending up on the floor, that’s what happens when you trip.”
    “I see.”
    “So where is he? He was worried about his mama, but now he’s not here? That doesn’t make sense. And what happened there?”
    Alpheus walked past her to look out what remained of the window. “Appears he fell, Bessie Mae,” he said.  
    “Fell?” She made a weak attempt to stand then gave up and sagged against Joe’s shirt. “What happened?”
    Alpheus knelt beside them. “His mama mentioned he wasn’t well,” Alpheus said gently. “It appears he might have lost his balance over there by the window.” The rancher gave Joe a direct look. “Ain’t that what happened, Joe?”
    Slowly, he nodded, knowing Tommy’s mother would hear the same story.  

    ***

    A week after Tommy Klein’s funeral, Joe packed his saddlebags and showed up on Bess’s doorstep to say good-bye. Bess tried not to cry, even as he pulled her into his arms for a kiss.  
    She’d lost track of the number somewhere between Tuesday and Friday, but she did count two more farewells before he disappeared down the trail. And one more when she caught him before he could ride away
    “I’ll come home for Christmas,” he called from somewhere beyond the mesquites.
    “You’d better,” she replied as she returned to her room to read the letters that would make good on her plans.
    That evening at supper, Pa was grinning. “What’s got into you?” she asked as she set out the plates.
    “I asked her, Bessie Mae.” His grin turned into a chuckle. “I asked Ida Klein to marry up with me soon as it was proper. Didn’t want to intrude on her grief.”
    “And what did she say?”
    “She said she’d marry me tomorrow, Bessie.” Another laugh. “Looks like I’m going to be a married man. Not sure I remember how.”
    Bess went to hug her father. “Pa, what about a Christmas Eve wedding? The church’ll already be decorated.”
    “A Christmas Eve wedding! Why, that’s a great idea.” He rose and hurried from the room.
    “Where are you going?” she called.
    “To tell Ida the good news.”

    ***

    Christmas Eve dawned bright and beautiful with a chill in the air that competed for the anticipation Bess felt. She was keeping a secret that Ida, her soon-to-be-new-mama was in on.  
    While Pa went to cut the tree for the parlor, Bess made short work of completing the arrangements for the wedding. By the time the tree was up and adorned with the Jones family decorations, Bess’s nerves were stretched thin.
    The only piece of her plan that hadn’t fallen into place involved Joe Mueller. Thus far she’d had neither letter nor telegram from the absent ranger. By the time she climbed into the buggy beside the groom-to-be, Bess had decided Joe wasn’t coming.
    A thousand reasons pelted her mind, but she refused to consider any of them. Rather, she reached across the bench and grasped Pa’s free hand then slid him a smile.
    “We’re still gonna need you at home, Bessie Mae. Don’t you ever think you’re not welcome.”
    Bess sighed. “Thank you, Pa. We’ll see how things turn out.” The last thing she wanted to be was the third person in a newly married couple’s home.
    The buggy arrived at the church, and Bess slid out to hurry to the church’s side door. There she found Ida waiting for her. The older woman looked beautiful in the new dress Bess had helped her pick out.  
    “Where are they?”
    Ida opened the door to the pastor’s study revealing the best Christmas gift of all: her sisters and their