Merry Christmas, My Love

She smiled at his earnestness, finding it sweet. She sat up and swung her legs back and forth. “I also have very strong feelings for Ian and he does for me as well, but I don’t want to marry him.”

“Very funny.”

“You realize if I were to marry I would lose my job?”

“Why?”

“When my cousin Ellie married Max, the Guthrie Board of Education made him fire her. They said it was against their policy to employ young married women. Old married women were okay. What’s amusing about that was, as her principal, Max and Ellie had never gotten along and he was actually trying to find a husband for her so he could fire her.”

“And?”

“While he was doing that, they fell in love so he had to fire her after all.”

“Now that’s funny.”

“Ellie didn’t think so.”

He ran his knuckle over her cheek, leaving her skin tingling in its wake. “But I am going to convince you.”

“How?”

His head descended, and he covered her mouth in another toe-curling kiss. His strong hand cupped her face and held it gently. So much power in his body, yet he was so gentle with her. She turned slightly so she could hold onto his shoulders. His palms moved to her back and he pulled her closer against his chest until her breasts were pushed up against him. Since she had been heading to bed, she no longer wore her corset, while warmth from their bodies took away any lingering chill.

Mitch released her mouth and moved his lips to her jaw then to her neck. She tilted her head back to give him greater access. His nimble fingers opened the front of her dress and spread the bodice apart. He cupped her breast, shaping it, flicking his thumb over her nipple.

“We can’t do this,” she gasped.

“Yes, we can.” He replaced his thumb with his mouth.

“It’s not right,” she gasped.

“It’s perfectly all right,” he mumbled switching from one breast to the other. He slid his arms underneath her legs and stood. The blanket fell to the floor and he stepped over it then carried her to the bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed and covered her body with his.

The evening of the Christmas concert and pageant had arrived. Priscilla flew from child to child, checking costumes, taking candy from mouths, and breaking up arm wrestling between two of the shepherds.

“Ian, quick, can you take little Denny to the lavatory?”

“Sure, Miss Cochran. I can do that.” He reached for the tiny angel’s hand.

How she loved that boy. In addition to her attraction to Mitch, the thought of marrying him and being mother to Ian was very appealing. However, becoming a mother to a wonderful boy was not a strong enough reason to marry his father.

When they’d made love again the night he’d saved her from the mountain lion, he spent time trying to convince her that he actually wanted to marry her and wasn’t asking to “do the right thing.” Still not sure his feelings were strong enough to make having to give up her job an even swap, she’d put him off.

Nothing had been settled, and as busy as she’d been with the pageant, tonight would be the first time she would see him since he’d dropped her off from church the morning after with the declaration, “Think about it.”

Now she had to put Mitch and everything about him out of her mind so she could concentrate on the children and the performance.

Priscilla held up her hands to quiet the children down. “All right, boys and girls, let’s do a wonderful job for all your family and friends out there.” Waving them a kiss, she scooted around the curtain Mitch had hung to separate the performance area from the audience in the church hall.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for coming this evening.”

“Hey, Mitch, I hear you took down that mountain lion last week.” Ray Morrow slapped him on the back. “That one was a bugger. And fast, too. Hit both the Dennison ranch and the Headley farm all in the same night two days before you got him. The Town Council is mighty grateful.”

“I’m just glad I was there. I never expected the animal to come that far into town.”

“Pa, Miss Cochran said she made a batch of oatmeal cookies, and we can all have one if we help her clean up from the play. Can we stay?”

“Sure.” He ruffled his son’s hair, only to have him pull away. “Pa, stop. I’m getting too old for that.”