Sweetwater Springs Scrooge: A Montana Sky Holiday Short Story (The Montana Sky Series) by Debra Holland Page A
Authors: Debra Holland
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back of the sleigh and up the walkway. Opening the door to the cold house, she lit the lamp on a table by the door and carried it before her.
Noah stirred with a sleepy grumble, then raised his head and gave them a heavy-eyed look.
“Come into the kitchen, where hopefully it’s warmer.” Marian led the way there. Once in the room, she took off her muff and dropped it on the table opposite the feast Elias had sent over earlier. She’d left the food out, knowing the kitchen would chill. Not that I could fit the turkey in the icebox, anyway.
Moaning a protest, the boy squirmed to get down.
Elias lowered Noah to his feet, steadying him to make sure he wouldn’t fall against the stove, and rewrapped the blanket around him.
Marian walked over to the stove and stirred up the banked coals, adding more wood.
The noise woke Haggai, who was sleeping in a basket near the stove. The kitten yawned and stretched, then climbed out and stumbled toward Noah.
Noah scooped up the kitten, cuddling him. “You sleepy, too, Haggai?”
Marian waved toward the table. “Thank you for the grand gesture, Elias.” She drew her eyebrows together and pursed her lips in a mock frown. “Not that we needed it.”
He laughed. “Perhaps I needed to send that turkey. I’m Scrooge reborn, after all. I just needed some visits from Master Noah here—” he dropped a hand on the boy’s head “—instead of the three ghosts.”
Noah beamed.
Marian hadn’t seen her grandson look so happy since before his mother died, and her heart rejoiced. She glanced at Elias.
He watched Noah, his gaze tender.
Warmth swirled in her chest, spreading through her. Yes, Marian knew she loved Elias, had always loved him, even if she’d kept that love tucked into a secret compartment of her heart. But now, seeing him with Noah gave a richness and depth to her feelings that she hadn’t dreamed was possible.
Noah glanced at the clock and grinned. “It’s after twelve.” He wiggled, which made Haggai stretch in protest. “Grandma, I want you to open your present now. I can’t wait until morning. Please?”
I couldn’t possibly receive anything more precious than the gifts I’ve already been given tonight. But Marian couldn’t resist those pleading eyes. “Very well.”
“The gift is in the sleigh,” Elias said to Noah. “I’ll be right back.”
The stove started to warm up, and Marian spread her fingers toward the heat.
Elias returned, carrying a package wrapped in red velvet that he extended to Noah.
The child set down the kitten, took the gift, and walked toward her.
Curious, Marian looked back and forth between the two, sensing some kind of shared secret.
They grinned at her with identical expressions of excitement.
Noah held out the package. “This is from me, Grandma. But Mr. Masters helped.”
Her heart beating in excitement, Marian unwound the material to find a porcelain vase. She stared down at it, noticing the familiar shape and the violet and rose pattern. Her hands shaking, she glanced at them, and then clasped the vase to her chest. “A lovely, lovely gift.”
Noah grinned, then yawned and rubbed his eyes.
“But how?” Marian asked, still clutching the precious vase to her heart. “How did the two of you manage to get together in the first place?”
“I tried to buy the vase, and I didn’t have enough money,” Noah said sheepishly, scuffing his foot, which tangled in the edge of the blanket still wrapped around him. “Mr. Masters was there and gave me some. But he said I had to work it off.”
She placed the vase on the table and stepped back to admire her present. “Perfect. Thank you, gentlemen. I will treasure this.”
Holding the blanket around him, Noah bunny-hopped to the kitchen table and plopped onto a chair. “Can I have some milk, Grandma?”
“Certainly. Let me warm it up. Then off to bed with you, young man. You’ve had quite a day.”
“But what about my stocking?” Noah protested as he covered
Noah stirred with a sleepy grumble, then raised his head and gave them a heavy-eyed look.
“Come into the kitchen, where hopefully it’s warmer.” Marian led the way there. Once in the room, she took off her muff and dropped it on the table opposite the feast Elias had sent over earlier. She’d left the food out, knowing the kitchen would chill. Not that I could fit the turkey in the icebox, anyway.
Moaning a protest, the boy squirmed to get down.
Elias lowered Noah to his feet, steadying him to make sure he wouldn’t fall against the stove, and rewrapped the blanket around him.
Marian walked over to the stove and stirred up the banked coals, adding more wood.
The noise woke Haggai, who was sleeping in a basket near the stove. The kitten yawned and stretched, then climbed out and stumbled toward Noah.
Noah scooped up the kitten, cuddling him. “You sleepy, too, Haggai?”
Marian waved toward the table. “Thank you for the grand gesture, Elias.” She drew her eyebrows together and pursed her lips in a mock frown. “Not that we needed it.”
He laughed. “Perhaps I needed to send that turkey. I’m Scrooge reborn, after all. I just needed some visits from Master Noah here—” he dropped a hand on the boy’s head “—instead of the three ghosts.”
Noah beamed.
Marian hadn’t seen her grandson look so happy since before his mother died, and her heart rejoiced. She glanced at Elias.
He watched Noah, his gaze tender.
Warmth swirled in her chest, spreading through her. Yes, Marian knew she loved Elias, had always loved him, even if she’d kept that love tucked into a secret compartment of her heart. But now, seeing him with Noah gave a richness and depth to her feelings that she hadn’t dreamed was possible.
Noah glanced at the clock and grinned. “It’s after twelve.” He wiggled, which made Haggai stretch in protest. “Grandma, I want you to open your present now. I can’t wait until morning. Please?”
I couldn’t possibly receive anything more precious than the gifts I’ve already been given tonight. But Marian couldn’t resist those pleading eyes. “Very well.”
“The gift is in the sleigh,” Elias said to Noah. “I’ll be right back.”
The stove started to warm up, and Marian spread her fingers toward the heat.
Elias returned, carrying a package wrapped in red velvet that he extended to Noah.
The child set down the kitten, took the gift, and walked toward her.
Curious, Marian looked back and forth between the two, sensing some kind of shared secret.
They grinned at her with identical expressions of excitement.
Noah held out the package. “This is from me, Grandma. But Mr. Masters helped.”
Her heart beating in excitement, Marian unwound the material to find a porcelain vase. She stared down at it, noticing the familiar shape and the violet and rose pattern. Her hands shaking, she glanced at them, and then clasped the vase to her chest. “A lovely, lovely gift.”
Noah grinned, then yawned and rubbed his eyes.
“But how?” Marian asked, still clutching the precious vase to her heart. “How did the two of you manage to get together in the first place?”
“I tried to buy the vase, and I didn’t have enough money,” Noah said sheepishly, scuffing his foot, which tangled in the edge of the blanket still wrapped around him. “Mr. Masters was there and gave me some. But he said I had to work it off.”
She placed the vase on the table and stepped back to admire her present. “Perfect. Thank you, gentlemen. I will treasure this.”
Holding the blanket around him, Noah bunny-hopped to the kitchen table and plopped onto a chair. “Can I have some milk, Grandma?”
“Certainly. Let me warm it up. Then off to bed with you, young man. You’ve had quite a day.”
“But what about my stocking?” Noah protested as he covered