The Christmas Bargain (16 page)

“Just don’t let the word get out around town,” Luke said, trying to look solemn. “I don’t want everyone to know what a great laundry person I’d make. I might have to switch careers.”

Filly giggled and Chauncy laughed as he helped hang up the last of the wet laundry.

“Well, wife, we better get you back home,” Luke said as he helped Filly on with her coat. Walking out the door, Luke shook hands with his friend, “Let us know if Abby needs anything.”

“I will. Thanks for coming over to help today. We both appreciate it so much,” Chauncy said, waving as left the parsonage and headed toward home.

Arriving back at the house, Luke finished shoveling their walks, the path to the barn and carriage house and made sure none of the pipes were in danger of freezing before he came in for a break.

Filly offered him a mug of hot chocolate along with molasses cookies. Savoring every bite, Luke closed his eyes in bliss.

“Have I mentioned how much I appreciate your cooking talents?” Luke asked as he devoured his third cookie.

“You may have hinted at it once or twice. If I didn’t know better, I might be inclined to think you’re partial to sweets,” Filly said with a saucy grin.

“What would give you that idea, Filly?” Luke said as he devoured another cookie.

“Maybe it is the fact you lose all control when there are cookies, cake or pie left unattended,” Filly said, sipping at her own cup of chocolate. “Really, Luke, how could you eat two slices of pie between the time I went to bed and breakfast the other morning?”

“You don’t have any proof it was me,” Luke said, taking another cookie.

“The pumpkin pie smeared all over the sleeve of your shirt said otherwise,” Filly said.

“Is that right?” Luke asked, enjoying their banter, although somewhat annoyed to be caught sneaking sweets. He felt like a naughty child who’d just been thoroughly scolded. “You don’t know as much about me as you think you do.”

“Are you sure about that?” Filly asked, a knowing look on her face.

“Quite sure,” Luke said smugly. She might have caught him stealing pie, but he didn’t think she paid much attention to his likes and dislikes.

Arching one shapely eyebrow, Filly turned her big emerald eyes on Luke. “I know you have an insatiable sweet tooth, you dislike canned peas, and you like your steak cooked just a smidgen past raw. You can’t abide card games, prefer to read biographies to fiction, and you like the bathroom towels folded in thirds. You enjoy a good joke, would do anything for your friends and have a big heart that you attempt to hide behind a businesslike exterior. You own a coal mine to the north, are a partner in a mill to the south and would rather spend your days riding Drake and chasing cattle than figuring columns of numbers at the bank. You prefer tea to coffee, although you wouldn’t admit it, and you take great pleasure in teasing me.”

Luke sat staring at her. How had she noticed so much about him in the short time they had been married? Maybe she cared for him more than he suspected. Maybe there was hope of making this marriage real and lasting. He quickly went through the list of things he knew about her and realized he had noticed her likes and dislikes as well.

“Aren’t you observant, Mrs. Granger.”

“I try,” Filly said, hiding her smile behind her mug of chocolate.

“I happen to know a thing or two about you,” Luke said, shooting her a sideways glance.

“Do tell, kind sir,” Filly said, batting her eyelashes at him. If Luke didn’t know better, he would think she was being downright flirtatious.

“I have observed, dear woman, that you put others before yourself, you are a dedicated and caring friend and that you have a keen mind with a quick wit. You are clever and smart and not afraid of hard work. You are very talented with domestic skills and are inspiring as a cook. Your chocolate pudding could make grown men weep.”

Filly offered him a perturbed glare. “So, Mr. Granger, I have missed my calling as a school teacher or perhaps a cook at the restaurant. If my chocolate pudding makes grown men weep, what will my peach pie do to the male population? Bring them to their knees? Make them beg for mercy?”

Luke laughed out loud, causing Filly to grin.

“Filly, my girl, you are something else,” Luke said, then reached across the table and captured her hand in his. “You might not think I notice you, wife of mine, but I know you dislike cabbage. You inhale the scent of hot bread like it is expensive perfume, and will have just a little extra slice of apple pie because it is your favorite. You hum silly songs and sing when you think no one is around to listen. You smell like a rose garden on a warm summer night, your eyes sparkle like emeralds particularly when you are excited about something, and the slightest bit of attention cast your direction makes you blush. Your hair is beyond lovely and quite a distraction to your husband. You are passionate and spirited, but afraid to give your emotions free rein. I am confident, however, given enough time I shall overcome that particular flaw.”

Filly blushed again. Luke did notice her, really notice her, after all.

“You say the nicest things,” she whispered, staring at her hand clasped firmly in his.

“Only about the nicest people,” Luke said, letting go of her hand and getting up from the table.

Shrugging into his coat and settling his hat on his head, he kissed her cheek and opened the kitchen door. “I really do need to go help Harlan at the bank. I’ll be back in time for dinner.”

Filly nodded and got up from the table, carrying their mugs to the sink. She nearly dropped them when Luke popped his head back in the door.

“One more thing, wife, it’s far  past time for more of your lessons. I expect you to put that lip balm I sent you to good use.” Giving her a bold wink, he shut the door and walked jauntily down the sidewalk.

Filly put the mugs in the sink and held cool hands to her hot cheeks. Luke was such a tease.

Chapter Nine

Participating in more of Luke’s kissing lessons scrambled Filly’s thoughts the next morning as she turned on the kitchen lights and started setting out the items she needed to make cinnamon muffings, fried ham and eggs for breakfast.

Although he’d teased her about it plenty the previous evening, a neighbor in need of a hand kept Luke out late and Filly had gone to bed with thoughts of his kisses lingering in her dreams.

Humming a rousing rendition of 
Deck the Halls,
Filly acknowledged she was both anticipating and dreading her next kissing lesson with Luke. Whenever he touched her, she tingled all over and felt strange fluttering sensations in her midsection. Just looking at his inviting lips made her feel flushed and light headed.

Retrieving eggs from the ice box, she turned to witness the biggest spider she’d ever seen in her life crawling across the counter.

Dropping the eggs, she let out a blood curdling scream that sounded throughout the house.

Just finishing his morning shave after taking a bath, Luke nearly sliced through his jaw with the razor when Filly’s scream echoed down the hallway. Dropping the razor in the sink, Luke tore out of the bathroom and ran down the hall, skidding into the kitchen to find a wide-eyed Filly staring transfixed at the counter.

Casting his glance that direction, he was surprised to see a huge spider scurrying across the end of the counter and vaulting itself to the floor. Luke hurried to the pantry, retrieved the broom and killed the spider. Sweeping it out the door, he went to Filly and folded her into his arms.

Putting her arms around him and resting her head on his chest, he felt her take in a huge gulp of air. He rubbed her back and murmured soft words until he felt her relax. Pushing her back, he cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes.

“Okay, now?” he asked, realizing the jokes he’d heard about women needing men to kill spiders for them was true.

Filly was anything but okay. Luke was standing before her in nothing but a towel knotted around his waist. Trying not to stare, but helpless not to notice, she took in his broad shoulders, tight muscles and fine matting of golden hair on his chest. His hair was still damp and fell in waves around his forehead, and a dollop of shaving cream still clung to one cheek. Her mouth suddenly went dry and she felt dizzy.

Luke had as fine a physique as any man should be allowed to have and the majority of it was on display right there in the kitchen.

“Filly, are you okay?” Luke asked, putting his hands on her upper arms and giving her a worried look when she didn’t respond.

Nodding her head, she attempted to regain her composure.

“I would never have pictured you as an afraid-of-spiders kind of girl,” Luke said, trying to lighten the mood with his teasing.  “Granted it was a big one, but I thought you’d been nearly killed by your screaming.”

“Sorry,” Filly said, stepping back so she could lean against the counter until her knees felt capable of holding her upright without assistance. Seeing the spider brought back unpleasant memories she’d rather have kept buried. She knew it was silly to have such a reaction, but she couldn’t help it.

“What is it?” Luke asked, genuinely concerned at her white face and shaking hands. “Come on, Filly, tell me what’s wrong.”

Shuddering, Filly wrapped her arms around herself and looked off in the distance, lost in the past. “My father sometimes locked me in the cellar when he got really angry with me. It was dark and there were spiders. So many spiders. I couldn’t see them and they’d crawl on me and… I don’t like spiders.”

“Filly,” Luke’s voice came out in a ragged whisper. “I’m so sorry, darlin’. So sorry.” Pulling her to him again, he held her close, furious once again at the suffering she had needlessly endured. “Everything is fine now. No one will ever put you in the cellar. And you scream all you want anytime you see a spider. I promise to come slay it for you.”

“Thank you,” Filly whispered, once again stepping back from Luke. Knowing they were married, a part of her still felt wicked for seeing Luke in his current state of undress. Unable to resist the temptation, though, she reached out a hand and rested it on his muscled chest, right above his heart. “Thank you for being such a good man.”

Filly’s hand on his chest was about to burn right through Luke. He had completely forgotten all he wore was a towel until he felt her hand warm against his skin. He would like nothing better than to sweep her into his arms and continue their kissing lesson, skipping right past hugging and moving directly on to marital bliss.

Now was not the time to give in to his growing desire for his wife. Instead, he took a moment to tamp down his need and let Filly gather herself together.

“I’ll finish getting dressed and help you clean up the mess,” he said, as she stood holding the edge of the counter in a death grip.

“That won’t be necessary,” she said, grabbing a kitchen towel and bending down to clean up the broken eggs. When she turned to see if Luke had left the kitchen, he was standing watching her. Her vision was suddenly filled with Luke’s muscled legs and she felt her cheeks flame once again as her eyes traveled up to where his thighs disappeared behind the white towel.

Watching Filly blush, Luke bent over and grasped her arm, pulling her to her feet. “See something you like, Mrs. Granger?”

“Good gracious, Luke, don’t be…” Filly was so rattled, she couldn’t even think of a word to describe him.

“Dashing, charming, your knight devoid of his armor?” Luke teased, quite pleased at his wife’s flustered state.

“No, so…so…” Filly spluttered, completely flustered.

“Appealing, enchanting, handsome?” Luke added, kissing her cheek.

“Conceited!” Filly managed to say, trying to keep from smiling.

Luke slapped a hand to his chest and took a step back. “You wound me, wife, deeply and profoundly.” Luke would have continued his theatrics, but the towel started to slip. Grabbing it with both hands, he shot Filly a devilish grin then sauntered back to the bathroom to finish getting ready.