Love Inspired Historical December 2013 Bundle: Mail-Order Mistletoe Brides\The Wife Campaign\A Hero for Christmas\Return of the Cowboy Doctor (88 page)

“I'm not letting you down,” she said.

“I saw your face in there. You were crying.”

She came toward him, but she must've tripped on her skirt or something. She wobbled on the step above him and then began to fall.

Reaching out for her was as natural as breathing, and she fell against him with a soft “Oomph!” His arms closed around her of their own accord.

She said something, but her words were muffled in his shirt. Holding her like this scrambled his senses and it was a moment before he could draw back, ask her to repeat what she'd said.

“I
said
that your words were so beautiful they made me cry and that I would prefer to make my return declarations in private. That's all that you saw on my face inside.”

“Your what...?” He barely choked out the words, joy and hope zinging through him, racing like fire in his blood.

“For someone so intelligent...” she said softly, words burning against his chin.

He had a glimpse of her eyes in the lamplight spilling from the still-open door, and then her soft hands were on his cheeks, pulling him toward her.

She kissed him.

When he was so discombobulated he could barely remember his own name, she pulled back—slightly—in his arms and whispered, “I love you, too.”

Which led him to crush her to his chest as he repeated it into her hair, over and over. He kissed her again, unaware of anything but the woman in his arms until a throat cleared nearby.

Maxwell shifted so that Hattie would be out of the line of sight of anyone who had come upon them. She didn't move away from him but did reach up to her hair to fix the mess he'd made of her pins.

“I think they've had long enough to clear things up,” he heard Sam's voice say.

“Yeah, don't want to let them get too carried away...at least until after the wedding.”

Maxwell growled. He appreciated Sam and Oscar's interference—to a point. A line that was perilously close to being crossed right at this moment.

“She hasn't agreed to marry me yet,” Maxwell said.

“What?” Oscar's voice came again, disembodied in the night because Maxwell couldn't look away from the small slice of light falling on Hattie's face and illuminating her shining eyes.

“That can't be right,” Sam teased. “They've been out here plenty long enough to get things settled. What d'you think they've been doing all this time?”

“All right” came a female voice from somewhere slightly farther away than Oscar and Sam. A schoolteacher's tone. Sarah. “You two can tease all you want—later. Leave Maxwell and Hattie alone.”

“We're just trying to make sure no reputations are tarnished tonight,” protested her husband.

“Just wanted to tell them that the wagon is out front—in plain sight of anybody walking along the boardwalk or peeking out from a window. In case they wanted to sit there instead of hiding back here in the shadows. Ow—Emily!” Sam half howled.

Hattie grinned up at Maxwell, likely echoing the expression on his own face.

Maxwell knew they were right. He would never compromise Hattie. He gave her one last peck on the lips before taking her arm and carefully leading her through the darkness around the café—he couldn't quite find the courage to face the crowd inside, not yet. He didn't regret for one second showing Hattie that he loved her with his poem, but that didn't mean he wanted to go shake hands with all the other young folks.

“I guess your brothers had a hand in tonight's events?” she asked, clinging to his arm though he knew she could walk perfectly well. Her closeness was
right.
At last.

“More than you know.”

He boosted her up into the wagon bed, then sat beside her, legs hanging down.

Light and voices spilled from the café's windows and open door, but he and Hattie were left in relative privacy as the other young people played their social games.

He clasped her hand in his. “Should I...ask your pa for your hand? Or is it...too early? I don't want to push.”

After both of her previous rejections, he might've expected her to stiffen up or move away when he brought up marriage, but she leaned her head on his shoulder with a contented sigh.

“I'll agree to marry you—if we wait to settle the details of the engagement until we figure out about medical school. For both of us.”

With her tucked beneath his arm, he felt her deep inhalation.

“I'm sorry about pushing you away before,” she continued. “I was afraid that...that if I admitted I was in love with you, then eventually I'd stop wanting to be a doctor and just want to be your wife.”

“I would never ask you to give up on your dreams.”

“I know that. I know. I just got scared.”

She turned her face slightly up toward his and he used the opportunity to steal a quick kiss. Or what he intended to be a quick kiss. Her hand met his jaw and he forgot everything else for a few moments.

A wolf whistle interrupted the moment, and they broke apart.

He recaptured her hand. “What changed your mind?”

“You. And your family, seeing how they interact. Or rather, remembering what I'd seen. Your father in the kitchen because your mother can't cook. Your brothers pitching in. I realized...that we can make things work, even after children come along.”

The thought of having children—having children with Hattie—made his mouth go dry in a very good way.

“Once we get things worked out with medical school,” she reminded him.

He held her close, willing to agree to almost anything for the woman he loved. The woman he could now hold close beside him.

Epilogue

Three months later

H
attie shook out one of her dresses, examining the wrinkles left from being packed away in a trunk. This one would have to be ironed. She laid it out on the boardinghouse bed, on top of two others that hadn't fared well on the train journey. Once she'd had time to go down to the kitchen area and iron them, she would hang them up in the small bureau.

She could barely believe it—she was here, newly arrived in Denver. Her first day of medical school would be tomorrow. Her first lecture, first chance to interact with classmates. A glance at her school texts, all lined up in an orderly row on the tiny desk beneath the window, brought a smile to her lips.

“Everything all right?” Maxwell asked, shouldering through the door, a small wrapped package in his hands.

And best of all, her husband—husband!—was right here with her.

They'd arrived between the noon meal and supper, but after days of train food, Hattie had wanted something better to eat. And her conscientious husband knew of a nearby bakery and set out to provide for her.

She greeted him with a kiss.

“I walked five blocks to get these pastries for you—don't distract me now,” he teased, holding her in a loose embrace and feathering kisses across her cheek and ear. “Or rather, not yet...”

She pinched him on his side, the exact spot Breanna had shown her on one of the blissful days she'd spent with the White family before they'd had to leave Bear Creek. He yelped, jumping away with an overdone pout.

She didn't want to admit it, but she already missed both of their families and was glad to have him by her side for this journey—an unexpected blessing she never would have thought to ask for.

The scholarship committee had approved her for a tuition scholarship before she'd even left Omaha. And she'd been accepted to the same medical school Maxwell attended here in Denver. She would be nearly two years behind him in studies. But Papa and Maxwell had come up with the idea for him to seek a short-term partnership in Denver—there were many medical clinics and hospitals looking for doctors—until Hattie's graduation, when they would both move back to Bear Creek and take over Papa's practice. Her father had claimed he was ready to retire, though Hattie didn't quite believe him. Time would tell if he worked part-time in the clinic with them or not.

Things had smoothed over with Hattie's mama the instant she and Maxwell had sat down in the parlor and expressed their intention to marry. Mama had burst into tears, thrown her arms around Hattie and immediately started making plans.

And as for the White family...they'd taken her in as if she was one of their own. Maxwell's brothers had teased her until she'd retaliated by playing a prank on them—and then they'd begun pulling pranks themselves, until Penny had had to threaten them with harm if they mucked up the wedding.

Maxwell and Hattie had married several weeks before the semester was to start, so they could finalize their plans. He had planned to find work in the city, until a benefactor Hattie's father had contacted offered him a partial scholarship. With the funds he'd earned from working alongside Oscar throughout the summer, Maxwell would be able to finish his last two years of schooling.

And now here they were. Married. Getting ready to embark on the next adventure in their lives together.

She settled on the bed, smoothing her skirt before she reached for the pastry he offered her. “You promised to let me read another of your poems when we arrived,” she reminded him. Since the poetry reading, he'd occasionally allowed himself to be talked into sharing some of his words.

Very rarely, in fact, but she'd argued that their arrival at school was a special occasion.

He sighed but settled against the headboard, long legs stretched out before him.

She snuggled next to him, pillowing her head on his shoulder.

“I'm glad to be here with you,” she whispered before he began.

He put one arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. “Me, too, darlin'. Me, too.”

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from CHRISTMAS HEARTS by Jillian Hart.

Dear Reader,

Thank you for taking the time to read Maxwell and Hattie's love story. I will admit I've had a soft spot in my heart for Maxwell since I wrote
The Homesteader's Sweetheart.
There is something about a sensitive, quiet hero that I love—not to mention how he's bravely overcome his past to make something of himself. I knew he would need a special woman to capture his heart, and when I “met” Hattie, I knew she was perfect for him.

This was a fun story to write, but it did take a lot of research into medical practices, and any mistakes are my own! I hope to be back to visit Bear Creek and another of Maxwell's brothers soon....

I always love hearing from readers and want to know what you thought about this story. Did you like Maxwell as much as I did? You can send me a note at
[email protected]
or in care of Love Inspired Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.

Lacy Williams

Discussion Questions

1. In the beginning of the book, Maxwell returns home disappointed that he hasn't yet achieved his goal of completing medical school. Have you ever had a life goal that you had to delay or give up? What was it? How did you feel about what happened?

2. Hattie begins the story waiting for the chance to chase her goal of becoming a doctor. What is the biggest thing you've ever waited for, and why was it so important to you?

3. What are some of Maxwell's most prominent traits in the book? Hattie's? Which character did you identify with more in the story?

4. Maxwell is part of a big, boisterous family, while Hattie is an only child. What is your family situation like, and did you ever wish it was different?

5. Maxwell's parents encouraged him to reach for his goals. Who has been the biggest encourager in your life, and why?

6. Hattie's parents wanted to protect her but ended up trying to keep her from her dreams. What has been your biggest obstacle to achieving your dreams?

7. Maxwell tries to keep his poetry a secret from his brothers. Share a secret about yourself that your family might not know.

8. Maxwell's brothers ultimately help him win over the woman of his dreams. What is something your family has helped you achieve? How did they go about it?

9. Hattie was afraid of giving up one dream for another. Have you ever had to make a choice like this? Discuss.

10. Much of this story takes place in a small-town doctor's office and includes some quirky characters who visit the doctor. We all have humorous stories about doctor visits. Share one of yours.

11. At what part of the story did you think Maxwell fell in love with Hattie? When did Hattie fall in love with Maxwell?

12. Who was your favorite secondary character in this story? Why?

13. Hattie and Maxwell are blessed to have close friends in Sam and Emily Castlerock. Discuss how a close friend can change your life. Give an example from your own life, if possible.

14. What was your favorite part of the story? Why?

15. Did you think Hattie and Maxwell should have ended up together? Why or why not?

We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical title.

You find illumination in days gone by.
Love Inspired Historical
stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.

Enjoy four new stories from Love Inspired Historical every month!

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