Once Upon a Montana Christmas

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

T wo days passed without word from Mr. Strauss. Eva was fast losing patience with so much at stake. Word had come the tracks had been repaired and a regular service would resume tomorrow, and it was her intention to be on the first available train heading west, desperately hopeful she would have Lily in her arms.

Her deadline to reach San Francisco was fast approaching, and with every passing hour, her spirits sunk lower than ever. She didn’t know what to do if her new plan was dashed.

She pulled the beige curtain back for the umpteenth time and glanced down onto the street below. All was quiet, not a soul was stirring. Only the crescent moon and twinkling stars made their appearance known. She had been even more anxious and uneasy than usual this evening, but could not explain why. Probably just her nerves getting the better of her. Returning to the bed, she glanced down at the sleeping angel.

Over the last several months, she had nurtured and cared for this little girl. It was only when Mr. Strauss had slammed the door in her face that she’d realized she did not want to give the baby up. Lily had come to mean the world to her, had become the daughter of her heart.

She had made a promise, but if Mr. Strauss would not take in his niece, she would not abandon Lily the way her family had abandoned her. Still, the thought of raising a child alone in an unfamiliar place was daunting. What would people think of an unmarried woman raising a child on her own? She could make up a story, pretend she was a widow trying to create a better life for herself and the baby. Surely raising a child by herself was better than the alternative—being alone in the world.

There was no one left who cared for Eva. Her father was gone. She had no memory of her mother, having been so little when she died. Her father had never talked of her mother; there were no paintings, no personal items that once belonged to the woman who had given her life to bring her little brother into the world, a life that was now turned upside down.

Worse still, she knew deep down that the distant uncle, who was hundreds of miles away, was no more interested in her than her dead father. A sense of hurt and betrayal swept over her. She had been foolish for embarking on this journey.

She sat on the bed and pulled the blue and white cameo from her pocket. She traced the delicate image of the lily with her finger. It still truly amazed her that, within a short amount of time, Lily’s mother, CeCe, had become such a good friend and confidant.

They had formed a special bond, and shared much of their life stories with one another. Although CeCe had fallen into an unfortunate situation, she was a remarkable woman with a caring heart. On that distant day, when CeCe had taken her last breath, Eva had vowed to make sure Lily would know what a wonderful person her mother had been, and that she had loved her.

She shook off the memory of that horrible day so many months ago when that sweet young woman she had come to adore had died in her arms. Tucking the cameo back into her pocket, she went to the window once again, drawn by the insistent high-pitched sound of a dog barking.

As she looked out the window, a soft glow emanated from the side of the building. Pressing her face against the cool glass, she strained to get a better look. Moments later, she heard cries ring throughout the hotel.

“Fire! Fire!”

Without a second thought, she picked up Lily, grabbing a warm blanket in the process, and rushed to the door. She could hear hurried footsteps running down the hall and feared the worst. Opening the door, she began to choke as smoke filled her lungs, although she could see no flames. She tightened the blanket around the crying baby, hoping to protect her from the smoke, and ran down the hall, following those before her.

There was commotion all around as hotel guests scurried about, panicking as they tried to reach the safety of outside. Some had had the foresight to grab possessions, while others had left their rooms with only the clothes on their backs.

When she reached the cool night air, she breathed a sigh of relief. She kissed the top of Lily’s head. They were safe, but the fire was raging out of control. In a daze, she felt someone usher her across the street to where others were huddled together. She watched as men formed a bucket chain to douse the flames. Their efforts seemed in vain as the fire consumed the building. Sounds of cracking wood and falling timber disturbed the night.

Hours later, as the sun crept over the eastern slope, she could see the total destruction the blaze had wrought. All her possessions, all her money, everything was gone. Trembling consumed her body as she took in just how dire their situation had become.

She could not help but wonder if this was a sign from above that she was destined to stay here. First the train, now this.

Just then, she heard an elderly woman call out, “Shoo!” Half expecting to see some wild animal, she turned just in time to see a small black and white dog urinating on some ashes. Her laughter caused the small pup to stop.

“Is this your dog?” she questioned one of the other displaced hotel guests.

“Nope. I think it’s a stray. Seen it rummaging ‘round here for several days.”

As soon as she bent down, the pup approached and nuzzled into her skirt as Lily cooed. She felt sorry for the pup, but her own situation was most concerning. She did not know what she would do, or how she would care for Lily, let alone a dog.

Standing up, she walked away toward a group of hotel guests, trying to ignore the whimpering animal. The last thing she needed was another mouth to feed.

Hours passed as those around watched the cleanup. Murmurs of alternate plans circulated around her, but she had none. She had no money, no family, nothing.

More time passed before she finally admitted to herself there was only one place they could go. Her muscles tightened with just the thought of what she was about to do. To make matters worse, she was filthy; her face and dress were smudged with soot, and even without a mirror, she knew her hair was a tangled mess. Despite her appearance, or perhaps because of her disheveled looks, she was able to convince Mr. Burton from the livery stables to drive her and Lily out to the ranch free of charge. She assumed the man felt guilty for abandoning her the other day. Whatever the reason, he agreed without so much as an argument.

No sooner had she and Lily reached their destination and descended the conveyance than Mr. Burton bid them good day and left. She watched the carriage get smaller on the horizon. Trying not to wake the sleeping baby in her arms, she smoothed wisps of hair back from her face.

Taking in a deep breath to steel her nerves, she knocked on the door with firm purpose.

Expecting the arrogant Mr. Strauss to open it, she prepared to give the man a sound lashing. It was his fault that she was stranded here, after all. If he had just been civilized the first day they’d met, she would have returned to town and boarded the next train west, avoiding any delays. And he hadn’t even done her the courtesy of replying to her request for custody.

As the door began to open, she took in a deep breath, telling herself, You can do this . “Mr. Str…” The words stopped short when she saw that it was not Mr. Strauss, but a petite older woman, who was even shorter than her own five foot three inches. But it was her eyes that Eva found most comforting. They were the same color as Lily’s, a beautiful shade of emerald green.

“Oh my, dearie, what happened to you?”

“There was a fire at the hotel, and…” Eva could feel the lump in her throat rise as tears pooled in the corner of her eyes.

“You must be half frozen.” Opening the door wide to allow entry, the older woman said in a gentle voice, “Please, please, come in. Is that your dog?”

Eva had been so worried about her appearance and nerves she’d failed to notice the pup had followed them from town. “No, I believe he is a stray. He can stay outside.” She would think about what to do about the four-legged creature later. One problem at a time.

The dog must have understood. He turned and found a sunny spot on the veranda and plopped down, ready for a nap.

The moment she walked into the warm space, a sense of belonging enveloped her, which was odd, given Mr. Strauss’s cold nature. This was not just a house, it was a home. She’d credit the lady who had opened the door and invited her in for that.

The fire in the grate was inviting, and the smell of biscuits filled the air. The furnishings were far more elegant than she would have expected in a wild frontier town. She had not been in a house since she’d left England all those months ago—having lived out of her trunk in inns, on a ship, and then a train—and even then, her own home never felt so welcoming as this. Perhaps all the smoke from the hotel blaze had addled her brain.

“Please have a seat. You must be tired.” The older woman waved Eva farther into the parlor. She had only just sat down when the woman introduced herself. “I am Hunt’s aunt.”

“Hunt?”

“Konrad Anselm Huntsman Strauss IV. Fancy title, but we all call him ‘Hunt.’ Had good instincts, just like his father.” The woman talked about her family with such pride.

Eva was uncertain what to do or say. Only days ago, the rudest man she had ever encountered had slammed the door in her face and now she was being welcomed into his home by his aunt. She was most certain that Mr. Strauss did not have knowledge of what his aunt was about.

Almost forgetting her manners, she responded, “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Strauss.”

“You must call me Aunt Carol, everybody does.” The older woman must have caught Eva’s questioning look because she added, “No, no, I insist, dearie. Now, I believe you have some information to share.”

Eva shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She did not know what Mr. Strauss had told his aunt about her or Lily, but she preferred to discuss her situation with this kind woman rather than her gruff nephew.

Although she had rehearsed this speech many times, it did not make it any easier to say. “I fear that I am the bearer of unpleasant news and…”

A deep masculine voice from behind growled out, “What is she doing here?”

Lily decided on just that moment to start wailing, accompanied by the sound of the dog barking on the veranda. “I do apologize,” Eva began, speaking over the crying baby. She continued with sarcasm in her voice, “You have startled her, Mr. Strauss.”

His expression turned to stone. It was clear that he was not pleased to see her again, or hear a reprimand. He probably had never had any intention of discussing the matter of Lily with her. Dammit, but even with that unpleasant expression, Eva thought him to be one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. He had the same shade of green eyes as his aunt and Lily. Set against his dark brown hair, those eyes were even more alluring. He was tall, much taller than any of the men of her acquaintance back in England. His broad shoulders and muscular physique spoke of someone used to hours of hard labor. He was more than the quintessential cowboy. She had always been fascinated with cowboys and the Wild West, but Mr. Strauss surpassed even her imagination.

Perhaps she really had inhaled too much smoke.

Aunt Carol approached them, distracting her from her unnerving thoughts, and rubbed the baby’s head. “Shh, don’t you cry, little one. What’s her name?” she asked as she continued to try to soothe the unhappy baby.

“Lily.”

Aunt Carol gave Mr. Strauss a knowing look before turning her attention back to the baby. Laying a hand over her heart, she asked, “May I?”

Eva stood and handed the crying baby to Aunt Carol with a great deal of reluctance. Although she knew she wasn’t handing Lily over for the last time, she felt the loss as if it were a stab to the heart.

The older woman pulled the blanket aside and stared at the baby. Her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Hunt, she looks just like?—”

“Take the baby to the kitchen. I want to have a word with Miss Kenward.”

Eva added rude to his growing list of faults. She was even more nervous than the day when she’d run away from home and embarked on this adventure. What could he possibly say to her that he hadn’t said already? She stood still, waiting as the seconds dragged out. Only when she heard Aunt Carol’s footsteps fade did she dare glance up into those perfect green eyes.

“Why are you here?” Not waiting for her to respond, he jumped into an interrogation instead. “Where is your jacket? What has happened? Is?—”

Eva’s patience snapped. “If you would just shut up and listen,” she stopped mid-sentence. “Bloody hell,” she murmured. Losing her temper was not going to help the situation. Rubbing her sore neck, she explained, “The hotel burned to the ground. My trunk—” She swallowed hard. She was trying not to sound desperate, but once the words started to flow, she couldn’t stop herself. “Lily’s clothes, all of our things, my money…everything is gone. I have nowhere to go, and…” She swallowed her pride and uttered the words she never thought would cross her lips. “I would like a job.”

Mr. Strauss stood glaring at her. She could not even guess what he was thinking. But the truth was, she needed him. Her dream of reaching San Francisco by Christmas was shattered. In one night, all her priorities had changed. Surviving the winter was utmost in her mind.

His features softened, and before she knew what had happened, he’d closed the short distance between them, pulled her into him, and kissed her.

The moment their lips touched, she felt powerless to the onslaught of emotion. She did not know what she had done to first enrage him, then encourage this…

However, what had started as a harsh kiss quickly turned into something else, something unfamiliar. Something that thrilled and frightened her all in the same breath. When she felt his tongue flick her lips, she pulled back and slapped him hard across the face.

Hunt knew he deserved that slap. One moment he had been listening to Miss Kenward’s plight, the next, he’d pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She had been taunting him in his dreams for the past two nights and, damn it all, he had given into his impulses. No female had ever affected him so, and he was chagrined at his lack of control.

“How dare you! I did not come here to be treated as such. I am not one of your saloon trollops that you can….”

Cutting her off, his response was quick. “I apologize. It won’t happen again.”

“I should hope not.” The woman stood her ground, carefully delineating her plan. “I want a proper job. As soon as I have saved enough money, Lily and I will leave. You do not have to be concerned that I will try and change your mind or blackmail you, or...” She waved a hand in the air, seemingly uncertain about what to say about what had just happened. “Or any such…”

Hunt admired her courage. The problem was, although he did not want her to leave, he did not want her to stay, either. The easiest solution would be to give her money and be done with it, but for the life of him, he could not. Something deeper kept nagging him and until he figured out what that was, he wanted to keep her close at hand. There was no question in his mind there was more than met the eye with regard to Miss Kenward. He didn’t even have time to answer her before Aunt Carol came strolling back into the room with a very wide-awake, green-eyed Lily.

“I think it is a wonderful idea, Hunt. Miss Kenward can help with the Christmas festival.” Aunt Carol ignored the glare he shot her and instead addressed Eva. “I’m getting too old to do all the decorating myself, and poor Mrs. Walker, the housekeeper, vowed never to stand on a stepladder again, not after last year’s fall. Oh, and the men…” She let out a long, dreary whistle. “The men are utterly hopeless…” Hunt wondered if his aunt would ever come up for air, she went on for so long. After several minutes of rambling, she asked Eva, “Please say you’ll stay, dearie?”

Hunt held his breath, waiting for Miss Kenward to respond, at odds with what he wanted. When she glared at him, and then finally agreed, he exhaled in relief. He didn’t understand his own feelings. He had vowed never to let another woman affect him so, and yet here he was, hoping that a total stranger with a baby in tow would stay. He did not know what it was about Miss Kenward that disrupted him so, but he intended to find out.