Texas Christmas Read online

  “I think you like spending your town’s money.”

  “Hardly. But if we are going to have a talented doctor in San Antonio, it only makes sense that we do everything we can do to please him and make him want to stay.”

  Several things ran through Luke’s mind in that moment, but all of it had to do with Gabby pleasing him, and nothing to do with the town. “It actually isn’t that small of a space,” Gabby said, looking around, completely oblivious to the way he watched her. “If we position the bed in the corner, we can bring in a night stand for you to place your lamp. And we can find you a nicer dresser than this wretched thing,” she said, walking towards the short dresser that had only three small drawers and an empty space at the bottom for shoes.

  “I don’t need much, Gabby. You don’t need to make this into some sort of luxurious home.”

  “No,” she agreed, and he saw her eyelashes lower in the fractured mirror over the dresser. “No, a luxurious home is whatever you believe it to be and whomever you have to share it with.”

  “Do you have a luxurious home?” he asked, suddenly very curious about the lifestyle she led. She was a very confident woman, and conducted herself in a manner unlike anything he had ever witnessed.

  “By society’s terms, yes, I suppose I live in a luxurious home. But I am all alone most of the time. The boys are always out on the trail with the cattle, though it does feel wonderful when I have them all home with me. But other than those few times, the house is hollow and empty.”

  She drew a deep breath and turned to face him, a smile plastered on her face. “My family has done incredibly well in the cattle market. And because of that, we are more fortunate than most. That’s why my other brothers wouldn’t come with me to San Antonio. They are so invested in that ranch they won’t even take a break for Christmas.”

  He could tell that she would be willing to give all of that up, and more, if it would allow her to see her family and be with them more often. He took a step towards her, but she backed away quickly. “Really, Luke, what are your thoughts about the room?”

  “Gabby.” He reached for her, but she took another step backwards...and slammed directly into the tree branch. She froze, her eyes growing wide in her face as the tree branch groaned loudly and the roof creaked ominously.

  “Gabby, come to me, now!”

  Nervously she took a half step forward and the large branch shook hard—and then crashed down, along with the roof.

  Chapter Ten

  “Gabby!” Luke shouted, trying to break through the frozen branches of the tree to reach her. Instead he slammed into the thick trunk of the branch. He couldn’t see Gabby anywhere. All he could see was dust and rubble.

  “Gabby, I’m coming for you, do you understand? Don’t be scared.”

  With a growl that was part groan, he shoved the tree away from him, the thinner branches snapping as it rotated on the floor. He climbed over the trunk and frantically began to dig through all of the debris and roofing material that was piled where Gabby had been standing.

  Suddenly a hand grabbed his and he held on to it with a strong grip, still pushing away at the rubble that covered her. Finally, he found her hair and released her hand to dig even faster to expose her mouth.

  Her face burst free from the rubble and she gasped, then instantly coughed on the dust. He quickly brushed the dirt and dust off her face and searched her expression. “I’m going to pull you free of all of this. Just tell me if it hurts. Now...where is your other hand?”

  “It’s—it’s over here...” She seemed to be struggling to breathe, and he realized the weight was probably crushing her. “I’ll try to push it out,” she said, her voice choppy.

  Even with the chill sweeping through the room they were both sweating by the time her other hand burst through the debris. He grabbed both of her hands and held them tightly, then began to pull, slow and steady, and gradually her body began to come out of the pile of rubble. She gasped loudly and he stopped, looking her intently in the eyes.

  “Did I hurt you? Do we need to stop?”

  “No. No, just keep pulling, please,” she said, though her voice wasn’t terribly convincing. By the time he had pulled her out far enough that her waist was exposed, she was able to start helping, by pushing down with her legs and climbing free of all the rubble.

  Once free of all of it she stumbled into his arms and he held her tightly. “I’m so sorry, Gabby. Had I known how dangerous it was here I never would have brought you up.”

  She was shaking and pale and clammy, but she gave him a weak smile as she pulled back. “I’m fine, truly. Thank you for helping me.”

  “Let’s get downstairs where you’ll be warm and safe. I’m going to have to take your family’s offer for help to rebuild this roof over the weekend.”

  She nodded at him, but he noticed there was an odd glaze to her eyes. “Gabby?” She didn’t answer him, just continued staring right through him. “Gabby? Can you hear me?”

  She squeezed his hand. “How is it that you can be so delicate with such large hands?” she asked softly, randomly, before her eyes rolled backwards and she fell limp in his arms.

  “Bloody hell,” he cursed as he swung her up into his arms and raced down the stairs as fast as he safely could. He lay her down on the freshly cleaned floor and began to search her for injuries. It quickly became apparent where the injury was when his hand came away from the top of her head bloodied.

  He hurried to the basin and washed his hands, cringing as the water turned pink from her blood, then went outside and gathered a few of the small icicles hanging from the eaves. He wrapped them in a towel and went back to Gabby, lifting her in his arms once again and settled down near the fireplace, pressing the iced towel against the top of her head.

  She was terribly pale, and he prayed her injury was nothing more than a bad bump on the head. Anything further would be unbearable to tolerate. “Talk to me, Vixen,” he said, his voice gruff. “Tell me what I’m missing here. Tell me why you think doctors are terrible. Just talk to me, please.”

  She remained silent, and the towel already had plenty of blood on it. He shifted her slightly in his lap and realized her dress had blood on it. With his heart thudding loudly in his chest, he looked more closely at her dress and saw a deep tear, probably caused by a nail or a sharp limb piece.

  Without hesitating he tore the dress open further and saw a deep, angry gash with a long scrape down to her hip bone. He had to treat her. The sooner he did it, the less likely she was to catch infection. But he didn’t want to let go of her in case she woke up. Cursing himself and every tree he’d ever known, he set her down carefully and made her another compress for the deep gash.

  He pressed it to her wound, all the while watching her face and hoping he would see a reaction. But she remained silent and still. Then he raided her medicine bag.

  She had dried rose petals, one of the best items to use to staunch bleeding when fresh petals weren’t available. He pulled out the delicate petals and pressed one to the wound on the top of her head. Then he used the comfrey paste on the wound on her side, and sealed it with a rose petal. He lightly dabbed the comfrey paste all the way down her side, then bandaged her.

  The entire time she didn’t move, but it appeared some color was returning to her face. Or maybe he was just wishfully hoping there was. He pulled her back into his arms and held her tightly, trying to remember all the prayers he had ever heard. When he had been younger and it was a particularly bitter cold morning, the priest at the church would let him in and allow him to sit in a pew far away from the other patrons of the church. They would sing so beautifully, and even their prayers were songs.

  “Luke.”

  He had become so intent on his prayers that he had closed his eyes tightly and was hunched over her. Hearing her sweet, gentle voice say his name nearly brought tears to his eyes. But instead his eyes snapped open and searched her face, looking for signs of pain or further injury.

  “What
were those beautiful words you were saying? It was almost as if you were singing.”

  He smiled at her and gently smoothed some of her hair off her forehead. “I was praying. The way the priests in London would pray.”

  She smiled weakly at him in return. “Our priest sings his prayers, also, but your voice is so much better.”

  He continued to hold her, unable to set her away from him, even though he knew he must at some point. “Do you remember what happened?”

  She let her breath out slowly. “I remember us going up to your living quarters.”

  “Good, good,” he said encouragingly.

  “We looked out your window and you asked questions about what happened at the Alamo.” He nodded. “And then...then...” She looked up at him with confusion and a hint of fear in her eyes. “I can’t remember. Why can’t I remember? Why am I in your lap? What happened Luke? What happened—oh!” She winced in pain as she tried to sit up, one hand flying to the top of her head and the other to her side.

  “Don’t move. Don’t move. Just take it easy for right now.”

  “What happened, Luke? What?”

  “You bumped into the tree limb coming through the roof and it came down on you. That and a large section of the roof. You’ve got a very nasty bump on your head, and a cut on your side, but I was able to dig through your medicine bag and find some good things to help you heal faster.”

  “My medical bag? How do you know what to use from my medical bag?”

  “You would be surprised the things I studied on the long journey to Texas.” He was still watching her closely, still holding the compress to her head.

  “You continue to surprise me every day,” she said softly. She reached up and touched his cheek. “I’m sorry I caused such a problem. I’m sure the boys will work on the roof and get all of it taken care of over the weekend.”

  “I need to get you home. You need to rest.”

  “I’m fine. Just...just help me stand.”

  Reluctantly, Luke moved her off of his lap and kneeled next to her, supporting her head as he brought her to a sitting position. She winced, but didn’t complain, and nodded when he offered to help her to stand.

  He held her steady, and saw the pain reflected in her eyes, but she gradually stood straight and smiled at him. “You’ve done a good job, Doc,” she said, drawing a deep breath. “Thank you.”

  “I never should have taken you up there.”

  She shook her head, but winced at the movement. “I think it would be good to go home now. I’m very tired.”

  He nodded and guided her to the door. “How do you feel?”

  “A bit dizzy, but I’d be surprised if I wasn’t.” She leaned into him.

  He wrapped an arm around her, careful to avoid her wound, and they stepped out into the cold. How was he going to explain this to her family?

  “A missive came for you today,” Serena said after they had settled in. Luke was worried about Gabby, but she was feeling better after the walk home helped clear her head. She had changed into a fresh dress, a pale blue one that brought out the dark sheen of her hair and the myriad of colors in her eyes.

  They were all seated around the dining room table, having just finished their dinner meal. Luke’s eyebrow lifted in question. “A missive? For me?” Who knows I’m even here?

  “Yes,” Serena said with barely contained excitement. “It carries the President’s seal on it.”

  The President? Why would he have any interest in me? Luke did his best to remain unsurprised, as if the President of the Republic of Texas was a friend, and receiving a note from him wasn’t an unusual thing.

  Serena jumped up and went to the side table, snatched a piece of parchment off of it and handed it to him eagerly. Then she sat back down and watched him expectantly. The entire family was watching him with eager eyes, before the grandfather cleared his throat. “We should clean up from dinner, now, shouldn’t we?”

  Everyone at the table appeared deflated and Angie stood and began to gather the plates. Serena and Gabby also stood, ordering Olivia to stay put and not help with anything, and gathered glasses and silverware. They had taken everything to the kitchen and had come back to grab some of the serving dishes.

  “Don’t any of you want to know what he’s written to me?” Luke asked hesitantly, wondering if they really did want to be that much involved in his life. Did they really see him as a part of their family?

  All of the women quickly sat back down and there was a chorus of “Yes” and “Of course!”

  He smiled as he carefully broke the seal and opened the envelope, pulling out a thick piece of parchment. He glanced around the table and they all had their eyes glued to his hands, watching with eager anticipation.

  He slid the parchment out and opened it, and stared at the ornate writing with perplexity. The more he read, the more confused he became.

  “Well?” Serena finally blurted out.

  “Serena! It’s his letter. He doesn’t have to share it with us if he doesn’t want to,” Olivia chided her.

  “No, no. It’s just, well, it’s an invitation.”

  “An invitation from President Lamar? What does it say? An invitation to what?” Serena was practically bouncing out of her chair. Trevor was chuckling and laid a hand over hers. She looked over at him, smiled sheepishly, and tried to temper her overwhelming excitement.

  “Take a look at it. I’m not exactly sure what to think of the thing.”

  “To the esteemed Doctor Davenport, you are hereby cordially invited to President Lamar’s Annual Christmas Gala, to be held Saturday, December 19th, the year of our Lord 1840, at the President’s home in Austin. We look forward to meeting you and your special guest at 7:00 P.M. May your Holidays be filled with peace and love. Sincerely, President Mirabeau Lamar.”

  “Oh my goodness! It is a Christmas Gala! Luke, can you imagine what this will be like?” It was Angie’s turn to start gushing about the invitation.

  “We need to be certain you have the finest attire. Do you have a nice suit?”

  “Whatever do they do at a gala?” Cade chimed in. “I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never actually seen one.”

  “Neither have we,” Olivia said, her eyes turning to Luke. “We may not be able to get you ready in the appropriate fashion.”

  Luke smiled at all of them. “I’ve been to galas before. And I have the appropriate suit to wear. You don’t need to fret about me.”

  The women kept talking as they gathered up the remainder of the dishes on the table and went to clean the kitchen. Their chatter and laughter could be heard throughout the house. Luke sat at the table and felt defeated. He thought he had escaped being the focus of special attention. Now he was being invited to an exclusive Christmas Gala, where he would be forced to mix and mingle with people he didn’t know, and whom he didn’t really care about.

  Abuelo suddenly reached across the table and caught his hand. Luke looked up, startled out of his self-pity. “Don’t forget the wisdom you gained today,” he said, his eyes smiling.

  Luke felt a load taken off of him. Yes, he had wisdom on his side. He would allow the women to have their fun. But in the end, he would remain true to himself and his beliefs. He had no one to prove himself to...other than perhaps the young woman with the flaming spirit that made his heart pound through his chest.

  Chapter Eleven

  “We’re going to have a fandango.”

  “You’ve used that word before. What does it mean?” Luke was sipping hot coffee, still trying to wake up when Gabby had come into the room, bringing with her the fresh smells of winter and making his heartbeat tick up.

  “A fandango, silly. It’s our word for a magnificent party.”

  “When? Why are you having a party?” He had the sneaking suspicion that the party had something to do with him going to the gala at the President’s home in Austin.

  “We were supposed to host the posada on the twenty-first. We don’t want you to miss out on the experienc
e. So we’re going to have it tonight instead.”

  “Are you going to be able to pull off a party that fast?” he asked incredulously.

  “We switched with one of the other families. Today is going to be very busy. You’re going to be immersed in what we do to prepare for a true fandango.”

  She was smiling brightly as she sat down near him, rubbing her hands at the hearth to warm them. Her joy was contagious, and he felt a smile pulling at his lips, too.

  “There are so many beautiful women in San Antonio,” she said suddenly, the tone of her voice changing slightly. “I’m sure you’ll find someone who is poised and sophisticated and perfect for you.”

  “What? What are you talking about?” His smile had vanished and was replaced by a furrowed brow. Why was she talking about finding someone poised and sophisticated, and perfect for him? He was worried about the men who would have their eyes set on Gabby.

  “Oh, you’ll see,” she said, and her own smile slipped a little. “I’m sure there is someone perfect just waiting for you to come into her life,” she said softly.

  What if I have already found her? his mind yelled at him. Why try to find someone else, when the woman he craved was already within his reach? And, yet, she must not share the same feelings he did. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be talking about how he was going to find a different person—a person suited to him.

  “And what about you? I’m certain there will be many men eager to have a few minutes of your time,” he said softly, his stomach churning at the thought. She belonged to him. He felt it with every fiber of his being. Why is she pushing me away?

  “I’m already considered an old spinster,” Gabby said, shaking her head. “I turn twenty next month. By society’s standards, I am no longer a desirable catch.” She chuckled to herself. “Truth be told, I don’t know that I ever was.”

  Luke caught her hands in his and began to rub them, bringing warmth to them. “Any man who thinks you aren’t a catch is a fool.” If only I were good enough for you, I’d never let you go. “One day some man will win a treasure—if he is able to catch you, that is. Are you sure you want to be caught?”