Mistletoe Mayhem: Clean Historical Western Cowboy Romance Novel (Dawson Chronicles Book 1) (21 page)

              “No, you don’t.  It doesn’t matter, Sawyer,” she said.  “We weren’t meant to be.  I should have stayed with Teddy.  He doesn’t play games.”

              Sawyer stifled his jealousy.  “Devon, I know it seems that way, but you owe it to me to listen.  Please?  I miss you.”

              “I can’t go through this again.  I don’t want to talk to you,” Devon said even though she longed for him.  “I don’t trust you.  How do I know that anything was real?”

              “It was all real,” Sawyer said.  “I deserve a chance to explain.”  He grew angry.

              “And didn’t I deserve the truth?  Let me alone.”  Devon put her heels to her horse and rode quickly away.

*****

              Switch sat dejectedly at home two nights before the play.  His good friend was in jail for the holidays and might be thrown in prison.  That same good friend was supposed to have been in the play.  He smiled as he thought about how funny practices had been and the different flavor Joe brought to the part of the Spirit of Christmas Present.  He didn’t say the lines exactly the way they were written, which seemed fitting with his personality.  However, they were close enough so that the other actors didn’t miss their cues.

              “Ghost Number Two,” Switch muttered, smiling. 

              Renee came into the room.  “What did you say, Pa?”

              “Oh, nothing.  I was just thinking about poor Joe being stuck in jail for Christmas,” Switch said.  “He’s so upset about it, but he’s trying not to show it.  He’s upset about missing the play, too.  Everyone’s upset about the whole thing.  I know I am.  It makes me want to punch that Len jackass.  We know I can do it now, too, as long as I don’t think about it.  That’s how I hit that guy who pushed you.  I wasn’t thinking; I just did it.  Pulled back my fist and
wham
!  That’s what I’d like to do to Len.”

              Renee giggled.  “Pa, you’re so funny.  You were very heroic that night.  Those charges won’t hold up against Mr. Dwyer.”

              Switch shook his head.  “I hope not, but plenty of people have been put in jail who are innocent of sedition.  They have two supposed witnesses against Joe.”

              Renee joined him on the sofa.  “I know.  Joey’s so upset about it.  They all are, but he feels so badly because no one will believe him.  They’ll think he’s protecting his father.”

              “I know.  Everyone is so tense around town and afraid to talk in public at all.  It’s so quiet on the streets,” Switch said.

              “It’s ridiculous,” Renee said. 
We need to do something.

              Skip came in the front door and hung up his coat in the foyer.  “Man, it’s cold out there.  What’s for supper, Pa?”

              Switch and Renee took turns cooking whenever Hope worked late.  “Meatloaf.  Where were you?”

              “Work, remember?”

              “Oh.  Right,” Switch said.  “Well, let’s eat so we can get to rehearsal.”

              “Ok.”

              “Thanks for playing the Second Spirit for me and being backup director, Justin,” Switch said while they finished getting the meal around.

              “You’re welcome.  I wish Mr. Dwyer was doing it, though.  He’s great in the part.”

              Renee said, “Everyone was looking forward to seeing him in it.  Too bad they won’t let him out just long enough for it.”

              Skip looked at her sharply with a speculative gleam in his eyes.  “That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” he asked her.

              “It sure would be,” Renee said.  “Just think what it would do for the town’s morale.”

              Skip nodded, his eyes shining even brighter.  Switch noticed the exchange.

              “What’s going on with you two?” he asked.

              “Nothing, Pa.  That meatloaf looks great.  I’ll make up a plate for Ma to eat when she gets home,” Renee said.

              “Ok,” Switch said.  “You know, I might be crazy, but I’m not dumb.  So if you’re thinking about doing what I think you’re doing, don’t—without me, that is.”

              The siblings looked at each other.

              “What do you think we’re thinking?” Skip asked.

              “Breaking out the mayor.  It would require the skill of someone who has experience with that sort of thing.  Say someone who has helped Indians escape from a reservation for instance.  That sort of knowhow would come in handy, don’t you think?” Switch asked, smiling.

              Skip said, “You helped Indians escape from a reservation?  Who?”

              “Yes, I did.  Black Fox’s oldest daughter, Winona.  Don’t you breathe a word of that, though.  Now, let’s eat and start to work on our plan,” Switch said.

              Renee gleefully said, “Yes, let’s.”

              As they ate, Skip mentioned that Devon still wouldn’t talk to Sawyer.

              Renee said, “That’s just silly.  I think something needs to be done there.”

              Skip said, “No scheming, Renee.”

              She shook her head, her expression serious.  “You’re right.  No scheming.”
  I promised Sawyer that Devon would be hers by Christmas and I’m going to keep that promise!

              Relieved, Skip went back to eating his meal and they continued hammering out their plan.

              Devon was shocked when Chester told her that Renee had come to see her.  She entered the parlor with a quizzical expression.  Renee sat in one of the chairs.

              “Hello, Devon,” she said, smiling.

              “Hello.  Why are you here?” Devon asked, sitting on the sofa.

              Renee cocked her head slightly.  “To explain what happened with Sawyer.  It’s time that you stop letting pride get in the way of your happiness.”

              “I don’t want to talk about it,” Devon said.

              “That’s too bad.  Now, shut up,” Renee said.  “He didn’t know about our plan at first.  If the both of you had been willing to listen to each other, we wouldn’t have had to go through all those machinations.”

              Her harsh tone of voice made Devon’s eyebrows raise.  “So now it’s my fault that you lied and manipulated me?”

              “Not exactly your fault, but—never mind about that.  The point is that Sawyer loves you so much that once he knew about the plan, he went along with it because he wanted you back so much,” Renee said.

              Devon said, “Sawyer said you made a pass at him.  Why would you do that if you weren’t attracted to him?”

              “Because I knew that he would refuse me,” Renee said.  “And once he did, I could make him admit that he still loved and wanted you.  And believe me, I made it very, very difficult to turn me down.”

              Anger burned in Devon’s chest at the image of Sawyer kissing Renee.  “What do you want from me?”

              Renee said, “I don’t want Sawyer.  There’s no reason to be jealous.  He’s only a friend.  He turned me down flat because
you’re
the one he wants.  Don’t you see that?  I know men extremely well and they’re prideful and you turned his proposal down.  In his mind, he wasn’t the one who should’ve made the first move.  He wasn’t going to budge.  So, I gave him a nudge in the right direction, that’s all.  The rest of us didn’t stay involved long.  Once you’d set up your first date, he made us quit. 

“He said that he was going to do it the right way from there on out because he felt guilty about scheming.  Everything from that night on was completely real.”  Renee stood and came over to look down at Devon.  “Don’t let your stubborn pride ruin what you have with him.  You’re very lucky to have found each other.  Don’t let your man get away, Devon.”

Devon wondered at Renee’s wistful smile, who left without waiting for a response from Devon.  She stayed where she was, mulling over Renee’s visit.

*****

              Sawyer sat in the parlor of Hope House, playing knuckles with Dino and Jonathan when Devon walked into the room.  Her appearance surprised him.

              “Can we talk?” she asked him.

              “Yeah,” he said, trying not to get his hopes up. 

He got up fairly gracefully.  His ankle was coming along, but it was still weak and painful.  As they left the house, he tried to walk normally the way Marlene had instructed him. 

“I made a fire in Marcus’ tipi so we could talk in there,” Devon said.  “I know he won’t mind.”

Marcus and several others had tipis in the camp that they used part-time.  Sometimes other people stayed there when the Samuels weren’t in camp.  They entered the tipi and sat on either side of the fire pit.  Sawyer loved the way that she looked in the firelight.  He held his silence since he saw the expression that always told him that she was gathering her thoughts.

At length, she asked, “Do you have feelings for Renee?”

“No.  She’s just a friend.  I promise.  There’s nothing between us,” Sawyer replied.

The honesty in his eyes and voice reassured her.  “Why did you go along with their plan?”

“Because I was still angry with you and I wanted you to come to me.  It was stupid and petty.  I wish I had done things differently, but I have to say that their plan worked.  Honestly, if they hadn’t concocted their scheme, I wouldn’t have reached out to you.  Even though I still loved you, I was still hurt,” he said.  “I’m so sorry, Devon.”

“And all these weeks together haven’t been some game of revenge?”  Hope filled her gaze.

Sawyer poured sincerity into his words.  “No, honey.  Ever since we got back together, I’ve been so happy with you.  Just like we used to be only even better.  Having another chance with you has meant the world to me and I’ve been thinking about the future and that future includes you.”

She swallowed as tears filled her eyes.  “It does?”

He moved closer to her.  “How could it not when I love you so much.  I’m going to put aside my pride and ask you for another chance this time.  What I did was so wrong and I take full responsibility for it.  But I promise you to be completely honest from now on and there won’t be any more crazy schemes concerning you.  Please forgive me.”

Devon knew that he’d never lied or manipulated her before he’d left for the military.  His intense expression and candid words convinced her.  “I’ll forgive you, but you can’t do anything like this again.  Maybe I overreacted a little, but I love you so much and the idea that you had duped me into reconciling with you hurt so much.”

Sawyer ran his hand over her silky hair and cupped her cheek.  “I never meant to hurt you.  I love you and I need you.  You’re the love of my life and you always will be.”

Her eyes filled with a happy light.  She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips meeting his in a hungry kiss.  Sawyer was as demanding as she was and he growled when her fingers plowed through his hair as their embrace grew even more frenzied.  He bore her down to the soft sleeping pallet they sat on, stretching out beside her as he undid her coat belt and slipped his hand around her waist.

Holding her always felt heavenly and Sawyer wanted Devon with a ferocity that shook him to the core.  Devon felt the same way and she moaned softly as he pulled her firmly against his muscular body.  Just as she slipped her hands between them to unbutton his coat, someone scratched on the tipi flap, requesting entry.

Sawyer broke the kiss with a groan.  They separated and sat up, straightening their clothing.  “Come,” Sawyer said.

Skip came through the opening followed by Switch and Renee.

“What’s going on?” Sawyer asked.

Switch grinned.  “How’d you like to help break the mayor out of jail?”

*****

              Joe looked disbelievingly at Lacey as they sat on his bunk.  “Y’all are crazy,” he whispered.

              Lacey chuckled.  “I know!  Isn’t it delicious?  With everyone’s help we can pull it off and just think of how much it’ll cheer everyone up.  Please say yes.”

              Looking into her beautiful, shining, brown eyes, Joe thought it over.  He hoped and prayed that the odds swung in his favor, but there was a real possibility that he was looking at a prison sentence and most of the people charged with sedition were being given at least ten years.  Thinking about the plan his friends had concocted, he saw that it might work.  Was he willing to chance it?

              Joe had always been a risk taker, taking on seemingly impossible challenges and not giving up until he’d achieved his goal.  With sudden resolve, he decided that if he was going to spend ten years of his life stuck in a prison, he was going to have one last adventure.

              With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he said, “I’ll do it.  I worked too hard on that part not to play it.”

              Lacey kissed him, giggling against his mouth.  She never failed to excite Joe and he wished they were home so he could make love with her.  He’d missed lying next to her, holding her, and loving her.  Lacey ran her hands over his strong arms and shoulders before breaking the kiss.

              “I don’t suppose we’re allowed a conjugal visit,” she said.

              Joe grinned.  “I love how naughty you are.  I’m willin’, but I doubt they’ll go for it.”

              Lacey sobered.  “How am I supposed to live without you if they put you in prison?”  Tears welled up in her eyes.

              “Shh.  It’s gonna be all right.  I’ll be acquitted, honey,” Joe said.  “And we’ll be together just like always.”

              “But what if you’re not?” Lacey asked.

              “We’re gonna think positive, darlin’.  We have to.”

They embraced again, before quietly telling each other all of the things that were in their hearts.  Shawn informed them that it was time for Lacey to leave for the night.  When he left the area, Joe took his wife in his arms and they kissed tenderly.  Parting that night was the most difficult thing they’d ever had to do, but Lacey finally left.

              On the way home, she had to pull her car over because she couldn’t see through her tears.  Once she was back in control, she put the gar back in gear and made her way to the estate where she would put on a brave face for her family.