LOST AND FOUND - PART IV
CHRISTMAS DAY
Chapter 31
Adam closed the door quietly and carefully made his way through the bedroom in the still dim light of the breaking dawn. He carried the twins to the far side of the bed and slipped them under the covers, robes and all. Then he came back around to sit in the chair near the head of the bed to watch his wife sleep.
He smiled at how innocent she looked, slumbering so peacefully and he almost laughed, but restrained himself. Reaching into a pocket he pulled something out that glimmered in the strengthening sunlight. Thea was lying on her right side and he carefully took her left hand in his to slip another ring onto her ring finger. The pink, heart-shaped diamond surrounded by white diamonds caught the light and dazzled his eyes as he bent his head forward and kissed her hand. He gently laid it back on the bed, but when he tried to slip his out from under, her fingers closed over his in a surprisingly strong grip.
Thea slowly opened her eyes and smiled sweetly at him. "What are you up to?" she said softly, then noticed the ring. Her eyes opened wide and she clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle a cry of delight.
Adam started laughing quietly as she slipped from the bed and crawled into his lap. Cradling the back of his head with her hands she pulled him forward and kissed him deeply. He slid his left arm around her waist and thrust the fingers of his right hand into her hair as he pulled her against him. Neither of them was aware that the twins had woken up.
Adam was startled when he opened his eyes slightly and saw them both sitting cross-legged near the edge of the bed, grinning as they watched their parents intently. He dragged his mouth away from hers and nodded over her shoulder when she looked questioningly into his eyes. She took one look then buried her red face in his neck as she giggled helplessly at their pleased expressions. He just shook his head with a smile when the children began to giggle too.
One of the babies woke up then with a cry and the other two quickly joined in chorus. Adam slipped his arm under Thea's knees and stood. She squeaked in surprise then laughed fully as he looked down into her face with a resigned expression and a sigh as he said, "Merry Christmas, love."
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An hour later Adam and Thea finally had all five children and themselves dressed and ready to go downstairs. The twins were practically bursting with anticipation and had to be restrained by their father to keep them from flying down the stairs and no doubt breaking their necks.
Everyone else in the house was already there and waiting for the family to appear. The twins trotted down the last few steps and hurried over to Hoss who was sitting with Dora close by his side on the sofa. Unfortunately Joe was sitting closely on her other side. Adam and Thea exchanged a glance and then couldn't help but grin at each other when the twins squeezed themselves in between their youngest uncle and their mother's cousin. Without being told, they were doing what Adam, Thea, and Ben would have to do today - keep Joe away from Dora.
Adam had told her about the previous nights happenings so to further distract Joe, Thea walked right up to him and deposited Matthew in his lap. He instinctively wrapped his arms around the child after giving her a startled look. Luckily, the baby was in one of his good moods and smiled sweetly up at the young man while waving his little arms around. Joe laughed.
Hoss then came to take his namesake and since there was only one chair empty Adam led Thea to it and sat down on the floor in front of her with Benjamin in his lap. Of course, Thea took advantage of her position and kept tickling her husband on the back of the neck. Then she ran the nails of her right hand up his spine. His back stiffened and he shivered as she watched goose bumps appear on his neck and arms. He turned his head to shoot her a quick look and whispered forcefully, "Stop that!"
Thea settled back in her chair, satisfied with his response, but her mouth fell open when she felt his long-fingered hand all of a sudden pull off her shoe and latch onto her stocking-clad foot.
She closed her mouth with a snap and almost bit her tongue, then pressed her top teeth into her lower lip to keep from shrieking with laughter. Adam knew very well how sensitive her feet were. Her brow furrowed and she folded her lips in, desperately holding on until she just couldn't stand it anymore. Leaning forward she said, "Alright! Uncle! You win!" in a strangled whisper.
Adam stopped tickling her immediately, but did not let go of her foot. She got the message and leaned back in relief. Thea knew all about biding her time and waiting for the right moment to have her revenge. Her husband knew that too and smiled in anticipation of her next move, even as his shoulders shook with nearly silent laughter at having bested her again. Then the two turned their attention back to their assembled friends and family.
When planning the party Adam had the single adults who were not family members draw names from a hat for gift giving, a tradition they had started when their family of friends had first formed. The givers were to remain anonymous, no one would know who had given what to whom. Adam turned his head to nod at Joe who had been assigned the task of passing them out with the twins as his helpers. Keeping Alexander and Annalise busy was always a good idea at any gathering and Adam wanted to teach them restraint by having them wait for theirs until the end.
The two quickly slid down off the sofa, as Joe stood then looked up at him expectantly. All conversation stopped as the three made their way to the tree. They took turns delivering presents and their younger uncle was careful to only give the children the smaller, lighter packages to deliver while taking care of the rest himself.
Each package was opened by the recipient and exclaimed over before the next was delivered. Everyone roared with laughter when Roy received a new pair of Tower double-lock handcuffs with a case. Then the women sighed with pleasure when Dulcy opened a large package and took out a hooded, dark- green velvet cloak lined with white fur.
Wes received an engraved silver cigar case, and Nate was surprised when the buckskin jacket he was given fit perfectly. When he glanced at Thea she smiled and said, "Someone measured one of your shirts." He laughed, appreciating the cleverness of that "someone."
An engraved, ornate brass plaque that read, "Hal Winston, Proprietor" made that young man's eyes open wide with pleasure as he envisioned it on his office door, and John couldn't help but laugh, as did everyone else, when he received a new gun belt.
Mike was extremely pleased with his new badly needed saddlebags and Marie gasped with delight as she lifted the silk shawl that was her gift. The gorgeous creation was done in lavender with thin stripes of smoky blue, silvery green, and dusty rose, the type of colors she favored.
Everyone looked on, pleased, when Cassie's breath caught in her throat as she held up her gift - a soft, mink capelet, hat, and muff. Matt was fascinated by the leather case that held a collection of scalpels made of the best Spanish steel.
Dante quickly put his gift on - a gold stickpin set with a smoky gray topaz that just matched his eyes and Dora laughed with joy when she found a large, leather-bound book in her package. She held it carefully and was absorbed in looking at the colored, engraved illustrations of North American birds. Observing all animals in the wild had been a passion of hers since she was a child.
The twins then carried a very small package to their grandfather and Ben pulled them up into his lap before opening it. He was surprised when he found a new pocket watch nestled in tissue paper. The elegantly slim case had his initials engraved on it, and he smiled when it chimed the hour. He was about to tuck it into his pocket when Annalise stopped him by putting her hand on his wrist. She turned the watch over and smiled up at her grandfather. "Open it!" Alexander said and Ben quickly did so. The back of the watch folded out into three ovals, each one set with a thin ivory miniature of each of his wives.
Thea was watching Ben closely and when she saw his expression as he looked down at the miniature portraits, she sighed with contentment. She had asked Adam to leave his father's gift up to her and he had not known what it was until now. Knowing he must still be puzzled at the unusual way the watch was made, she leaned down and whispered to him about the portraits. He looked at her over his shoulder with a broad smile, extremely pleased, then turned back to watch his father again.
Ben slowly lifted his eyes and looked directly at Thea's shining face. He stood with his arms around the twins, turned to set them in the chair then turned back to come toward her. Adam stood, took Benjamin from Thea's arms, and stepped aside as his father reached them.
Thea smiled up into her father-in-law's face as he reached down, picked her up, and held her tightly as her feet dangled - one shoe on, one off. When he set her down he looked down into her happy face, "How did you..." he stopped, not exactly sure what he was asking.
She pulled his head down to whisper in his ear, "I saw them." He leaned back to give her a puzzled look, then she saw his eyes open wide with understanding. Pulling her back against him, he squeezed her tight saying, "Thank you." And Thea understood he was thanking her also for the second gift she had just given him.
Adam had been entertaining Benjamin by talking to him softly and gently rubbing his small belly as his father and his wife held each other. But all three of them gasped in surprise when they could have sworn they heard the two-month old loudly and clearly say, "Pa!" They looked at each other with their mouths hanging open.
"No, that can't be!" Thea said as she and Ben turned to look at the baby cradled in Adam's arms.
"Accident or not, that's what he said," Adam shook his head.
"I heard it too," Hoss said as everyone came to crowd around, including the twins.
"I heard him too, Pa!" Alexander tugged on his father's pant leg to get his attention. Adam looked down at his eldest son with a smile and was about to answer him when Benjamin said "Pa!" again. The baby then began to kick his legs as he gurgled and chuckled, thoroughly enjoying all the attention. Everyone burst out laughing.
When the noise died down and people moved away to resume their seats, Joe called Alexander and Annalise back to the three. "Hey, who is this big box for?" He was standing next to a large box that had both children's names on it.
"Us!!" the two children caroled in unison and came running. Adam quickly handed Benjamin to his father and followed the twins and everyone else in the room stopped what they were doing to watch.
The two children fell on the unwrapped wooden box and struggled to get the lid open.
"Need some help?" they heard their father say as he leaned over them. They both nodded vigorously so Joe and Adam each grabbed an end of the rectangular lid and pried it off.
The twins looked in eagerly and saw that the box was packed with straw. They practically dove in and the straw went flying. When their gifts were uncovered they both stared, not understanding what they were seeing at first.
Two small saddles, one black, one red, lay side-by-side in the bottom of the box and when they realized what they were, they stared at each other with open mouths. "Ponies!" they shrieked at each other and heard their father laughing over their heads. They rushed to latch onto his legs and look up into his face while they bounced up and down caroling "Ponies! Ponies! Ponies!"
Adam went down on one knee to put an arm around each of them. "Go get your coats on," he said and didn't reprove them for running at full speed to obey.
The adults hurried to retrieve their own coats that had been stashed around the room in anticipation so the entire party spilled out the front door and headed for the barn with Adam and the twins in the lead. Hoss paused to scoop up both saddles and he hurried after the rest of the group.
Adam opened the barn door and the twins rushed in only to stop dead and look around, not knowing which way to go. They looked up at him with shining eyes.
"They're in the stall at the end of this aisle..." he said while quickly grabbing them both by their coat collars. "Whoa! Slow down, you don't want to startle them," he cautioned the children then let go as they both nodded.
He stepped in front of them and led the way as the rest of the group began coming through the barn door. When he reached the stall he looked over it to see the ponies standing there watching the door expectantly - he smiled.
The twins were crowded up against him and he motioned for them to back up so he could open the door. He carefully swung it open and the children stepped up, one on either side of him looking eagerly in.
Alexander was the first to react. He rushed up to the gray pony and was promptly knocked down when the horse tried to nudge the boy in the abdomen sideways with his head. The pony looked down at him with wide, startled eyes as Alexander laughed and popped right back up.
Annalise stood motionless next to her father, staring at the gold pony in fascination. She slowly moved forward and stretched her hands out to gently touch the horse's velvety nose. Then she startled everyone by bursting into tears and throwing her arms around the pony's neck.
Her brother turned around saying, "What are you cryin' for?"
"'Cause I'm so happy!" The little girl's voice was muffled because she had her face buried in the horse's neck. The pony gently turned her head to rest her chin on the little girl's shoulder, as though trying to comfort her.
Adam couldn't help but smile at his daughter's reaction then stepped into the stall. He crouched down next to her and began to rub her little back as she continued to sob into the pony's neck. After a few moments she turned to throw her arms around her father while sobbing out, "She's so beautiful, Pa!"
He laughed as he picked her up and the observing crowd laughed themselves when Alexander's pony knocked him down again. The boy jumped right back up.
Annalise leaned back in her father's arms. "What's her name?" she said as he pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and wiped her face dry.
"She doesn't have a name yet, honey. You have to name her."
The little girl turned her head to look at the pony, then back at her father. "Honey, that's what I'll name her," she said with an emphatic nod, looking exactly like her mother.
"Then Honey it is!" Adam said then turned to look at his son who was just getting up after being knocked down for a third time, but was still laughing.
Alexander put his arms around the pony's neck and held on having figured out that was necessary to stay standing. "What about you Alexander?" his father asked. "What do you think his name should be?"
The boy's expression became serious and his brow furrowed as he considered his father's question carefully. When his expression cleared he looked up at his father, then back at the pony, then back at his father again.
Swallowing nervously he said, "Would it be alright to name him Jerry, Pa? He looks like him."
Adam quickly realized his son meant the horse's coat was the same color as Jerry's hair, so he moved over to him and placed one large hand on his son's small head. "I think that's an excellent idea Alex."
The boy looked up at his father and when he saw the approval in Adam's expression he grinned and turned back to the pony. "Your name is Jerry," he whispered into the horse's ear and was promptly knocked down again. He had forgotten to keep holding on.
Thea came into the stall then, walked up to Honey and held her hand out toward her daughter. The little girl squirmed so her father set her down. She hurried over to her mother as Adam bent down to pick Alexander up and set him back on his feet.
Hoss came into the stall with the saddles and placed them on two small sawhorses in the corner. The twin's eyes lit up when they saw that, but their father called them over then knelt on one knee in front of them. "Settle down now, you two. Hoss and I will show you everything you need to know about these ponies this afternoon, but right now it's time to head back to the house."
He stood. "All right everybody, back to the house," he called out and gave each child a gentle push toward the stall door. The two children dragged their feet, but obeyed. Even the adults seemed reluctant to leave, but everyone gradually left the barn with Adam, Thea, and Hoss stopping to bundle the babies inside their coats before stepping out into the frigid wind.
Breakfast was soon over and the babies were taken upstairs by their parents and settled in for a nap. The twins had been instructed to stick to their uncle Joe, but they too soon succumbed to the morning's excitement and were stretched out on the floor in front of the tree, fast asleep.
Dora and Hoss had been trying to find a spot with a bit of privacy, but Joe stuck to them like a leech, never taking his eyes off the two of them. When Hoss noticed the twins on the floor asleep he took the blanket off the back of the sofa and went to cover them with it.
Feeling almost desperate by this point, Dora was thinking furiously, trying to come up with an idea when her eyes fell on the new pair of handcuffs that had been Roy's gift. Her brow cleared and she smiled to herself as she saw Joe approaching. She reached to pick the cuffs up and held them as though examining their design as she slowly walked toward the stairs. Sitting down on the landing, she looked up as though surprised when Joe appeared in front of her.
She smiled up at him then looked back down at the cuffs. "How do these work?" she said in a pleasant tone, then almost felt guilty when Joe's face lit up at the first word she had said to him that day.
"Want me to show you?" he said eagerly.
"Yes, please."
He took the cuffs from her hands and showed her the small lever that kept the cuffs from tightening too much after they were locked.
"So this thing goes around a wrist so?" she said, snapping one of the cuffs on Joe's wrist. He laughed. "Yep, that's the way it works."
"And if you wished to hold someone in one place you would place the other cuff so?" she said and snapped the other around one of the stair rails. Joe laughed again. "See, you figured it out by yourself." He twisted his wrist in the cuff and tugged on it. "No one would be able to get out of these."
"Yes, I see." Dora agreed.
"Would you mind getting the key out of the case?" Joe said and she quickly stood.
"I'll be right back," Dora said then walked across the room to retrieve the leather case. While her back was to Joe she quickly pocketed the key then turned to hurry back to him.
"Joe! I looked in the case but there is no key!'
Her victim turned white and held his hand out for the case to look himself.
"Oh Joe, I am so sorry!" Dora exclaimed and people came to see what all the noise was about. Joe turned red with embarrassment when his predicament was quickly figured out.
Roy took the case from him saying, "Now I know the key was in here before we went to the barn. What could have happened? Has anybody seen it?" No one had.
Joe put a hand over his red face and Dora felt another twinge of guilt, but still backed out of the crowd and sidled up to Hoss. She nudged him with her elbow and jerked her head toward the front door. "The barn," she whispered and turned away to retrieve a package she had hidden near the front door.
Tucking it under her arm, she slipped out and hurried across the yard and into the barn's dim warmth. Hoss appeared a few moments later. They grinned at each other then Dora took his hand to pull him down the aisle to what she had come to think of as 'their' stall.
She led him over to a bale of hay and sat down while tugging on his hand. When he was seated next to her she handed him the flat, rectangular package and said, "Merry Christmas, Hoss."
He blinked in surprise then took the package from her. He took his time opening it and Dora clasped her hands together to stop herself from ripping the wrapping off for him.
When he saw he was holding a frame he held it up to the light so he could see the picture. He started to laugh when he realized he was looking at a skillfully done watercolor that depicted the "Honeymoon Suite" incident. Still laughing he looked down into her smiling face. "You did this?"
At her quick nod he laughed even harder. "How?" he managed to gasp out.
"Nate described it to me."
He carefully placed the frame on the stall floor then wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight as he continued to laugh. When he finally had himself under control he leaned back and quietly said, "Thank you," his eyes shining with pleasure at her cleverness.
Dora blushed a deep red and ducked her head - his reaction to her gift had been better than she had hoped for.
Hoss put one hand under her chin and nudged upward until their eyes met. He smiled saying, "Close your eyes."
She quickly did and felt him take her left hand and slip something onto her ring finger. Her eyes popped open and she gasped with surprise when she saw a delicate rose-gold filigree ring set with a cabochon ruby. Hoss raised her hand to his lips and kissed the ring then looked her in the eye. "This ring was my mother's," he said quietly.
Her eyes filled then overflowed as she looked up at him, her right hand over her heart. He smiled and pulled her to him then bent his head to capture her mouth with his own. But they both looked up a moment later when they could have sworn they heard a faint rumble of deep laughter echoing through the rafters.
The barn door opening and then closing with a loud bang made them both jump, startled.
"Hoss! Dora! Adam! Thea! Would you all please come out now?" Ben's deeply irritated voice reached them clearly. "I know at least one of you has a key that will open those handcuffs!"
Hoss and Dora heard that deep laughter again along with Thea's chuckle. The other couple had been up in the hayloft the whole time!
Dora clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle a squeak of dismay, but then smiled when she saw Hoss's shoulders shaking. He stood and held his hand out to her. She rose and he picked the picture up before leading her out of the stall. They moved down the aisle toward Ben who was standing in front of the door with his hands on his hips.
Just as they reached him, Adam and Thea came around the corner from where the ladder to the hayloft was. Ben's snapping eyes zeroed in on Dora.
"Don't think I'm not aware that you handcuffed Joe to that railing on purpose, young lady." He held out his hand, "Now give me the key."
The young woman ducked her head and reached for the key as Adam and Thea were desperately trying to hold back their amusement.
Then Dora went cold. There was a hole in her pocket and the key was gone. She froze. Hoss felt her grip on his hand tighten almost painfully.
"What's wrong?" he said looking down at her concerned.
She tried to speak, but the words died in her throat as she looked up at her future father-in-law, horrified.
"Oh no, the key is gone?" Ben said tightly, reading her expression. He closed his eyes and put a hand to his forehead trying to control his temper.
"Pa, calm down. I'm sure my key will work," Adam said in a tightly controlled voice as Thea lost the battle and a small snort of laughter escaped.
"This is not funny, Theadora." Ben said turning his angry gaze on her. But her expression as she shook with silent laughter finally pierced his anger and he smiled. "Now stop that!" he said to her, but she just shook her head and raised her hands in a helpless gesture. His lips began to twitch and he bit back a chuckle. Thea's laughter was difficult to resist.
He heard Hoss start to strangle on his own laughter and a giggle escaped Dora. Adam looked at his future sister-in-law and choked out, "You actually handcuffed Joe to the railing?"
When Dora bit her lower lip and nodded he gave up trying and just roared with laughter while throwing his arms around his wife who leaned into him weakly as she let her own mirth out. Hoss and Dora did the same.
Ben stood there watching them for a moment then threw up his hands, "You are all completely insane." That only made them laugh harder and to his surprise he found himself joining them a moment later.
When they all couldn't laugh any more they stood there quietly for a few moments while trying to regain their breath.
"Oh God," Adam gasped, "Joe must be frantic by now." He threw one arm over his father's shoulders. "We better get back before he kicks the railing apart." The two men went out the door.
Thea came to take Hoss's right arm while Dora took his left. The three of them almost started laughing again at the mental picture of Joe kicking the railing down. But with a huge effort they restrained themselves and moved through the door sideways, kicked it shut behind them then hurried across the yard and into the house.
CHRISTMAS DAY
Chapter 31
Adam closed the door quietly and carefully made his way through the bedroom in the still dim light of the breaking dawn. He carried the twins to the far side of the bed and slipped them under the covers, robes and all. Then he came back around to sit in the chair near the head of the bed to watch his wife sleep.
He smiled at how innocent she looked, slumbering so peacefully and he almost laughed, but restrained himself. Reaching into a pocket he pulled something out that glimmered in the strengthening sunlight. Thea was lying on her right side and he carefully took her left hand in his to slip another ring onto her ring finger. The pink, heart-shaped diamond surrounded by white diamonds caught the light and dazzled his eyes as he bent his head forward and kissed her hand. He gently laid it back on the bed, but when he tried to slip his out from under, her fingers closed over his in a surprisingly strong grip.
Thea slowly opened her eyes and smiled sweetly at him. "What are you up to?" she said softly, then noticed the ring. Her eyes opened wide and she clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle a cry of delight.
Adam started laughing quietly as she slipped from the bed and crawled into his lap. Cradling the back of his head with her hands she pulled him forward and kissed him deeply. He slid his left arm around her waist and thrust the fingers of his right hand into her hair as he pulled her against him. Neither of them was aware that the twins had woken up.
Adam was startled when he opened his eyes slightly and saw them both sitting cross-legged near the edge of the bed, grinning as they watched their parents intently. He dragged his mouth away from hers and nodded over her shoulder when she looked questioningly into his eyes. She took one look then buried her red face in his neck as she giggled helplessly at their pleased expressions. He just shook his head with a smile when the children began to giggle too.
One of the babies woke up then with a cry and the other two quickly joined in chorus. Adam slipped his arm under Thea's knees and stood. She squeaked in surprise then laughed fully as he looked down into her face with a resigned expression and a sigh as he said, "Merry Christmas, love."
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An hour later Adam and Thea finally had all five children and themselves dressed and ready to go downstairs. The twins were practically bursting with anticipation and had to be restrained by their father to keep them from flying down the stairs and no doubt breaking their necks.
Everyone else in the house was already there and waiting for the family to appear. The twins trotted down the last few steps and hurried over to Hoss who was sitting with Dora close by his side on the sofa. Unfortunately Joe was sitting closely on her other side. Adam and Thea exchanged a glance and then couldn't help but grin at each other when the twins squeezed themselves in between their youngest uncle and their mother's cousin. Without being told, they were doing what Adam, Thea, and Ben would have to do today - keep Joe away from Dora.
Adam had told her about the previous nights happenings so to further distract Joe, Thea walked right up to him and deposited Matthew in his lap. He instinctively wrapped his arms around the child after giving her a startled look. Luckily, the baby was in one of his good moods and smiled sweetly up at the young man while waving his little arms around. Joe laughed.
Hoss then came to take his namesake and since there was only one chair empty Adam led Thea to it and sat down on the floor in front of her with Benjamin in his lap. Of course, Thea took advantage of her position and kept tickling her husband on the back of the neck. Then she ran the nails of her right hand up his spine. His back stiffened and he shivered as she watched goose bumps appear on his neck and arms. He turned his head to shoot her a quick look and whispered forcefully, "Stop that!"
Thea settled back in her chair, satisfied with his response, but her mouth fell open when she felt his long-fingered hand all of a sudden pull off her shoe and latch onto her stocking-clad foot.
She closed her mouth with a snap and almost bit her tongue, then pressed her top teeth into her lower lip to keep from shrieking with laughter. Adam knew very well how sensitive her feet were. Her brow furrowed and she folded her lips in, desperately holding on until she just couldn't stand it anymore. Leaning forward she said, "Alright! Uncle! You win!" in a strangled whisper.
Adam stopped tickling her immediately, but did not let go of her foot. She got the message and leaned back in relief. Thea knew all about biding her time and waiting for the right moment to have her revenge. Her husband knew that too and smiled in anticipation of her next move, even as his shoulders shook with nearly silent laughter at having bested her again. Then the two turned their attention back to their assembled friends and family.
When planning the party Adam had the single adults who were not family members draw names from a hat for gift giving, a tradition they had started when their family of friends had first formed. The givers were to remain anonymous, no one would know who had given what to whom. Adam turned his head to nod at Joe who had been assigned the task of passing them out with the twins as his helpers. Keeping Alexander and Annalise busy was always a good idea at any gathering and Adam wanted to teach them restraint by having them wait for theirs until the end.
The two quickly slid down off the sofa, as Joe stood then looked up at him expectantly. All conversation stopped as the three made their way to the tree. They took turns delivering presents and their younger uncle was careful to only give the children the smaller, lighter packages to deliver while taking care of the rest himself.
Each package was opened by the recipient and exclaimed over before the next was delivered. Everyone roared with laughter when Roy received a new pair of Tower double-lock handcuffs with a case. Then the women sighed with pleasure when Dulcy opened a large package and took out a hooded, dark- green velvet cloak lined with white fur.
Wes received an engraved silver cigar case, and Nate was surprised when the buckskin jacket he was given fit perfectly. When he glanced at Thea she smiled and said, "Someone measured one of your shirts." He laughed, appreciating the cleverness of that "someone."
An engraved, ornate brass plaque that read, "Hal Winston, Proprietor" made that young man's eyes open wide with pleasure as he envisioned it on his office door, and John couldn't help but laugh, as did everyone else, when he received a new gun belt.
Mike was extremely pleased with his new badly needed saddlebags and Marie gasped with delight as she lifted the silk shawl that was her gift. The gorgeous creation was done in lavender with thin stripes of smoky blue, silvery green, and dusty rose, the type of colors she favored.
Everyone looked on, pleased, when Cassie's breath caught in her throat as she held up her gift - a soft, mink capelet, hat, and muff. Matt was fascinated by the leather case that held a collection of scalpels made of the best Spanish steel.
Dante quickly put his gift on - a gold stickpin set with a smoky gray topaz that just matched his eyes and Dora laughed with joy when she found a large, leather-bound book in her package. She held it carefully and was absorbed in looking at the colored, engraved illustrations of North American birds. Observing all animals in the wild had been a passion of hers since she was a child.
The twins then carried a very small package to their grandfather and Ben pulled them up into his lap before opening it. He was surprised when he found a new pocket watch nestled in tissue paper. The elegantly slim case had his initials engraved on it, and he smiled when it chimed the hour. He was about to tuck it into his pocket when Annalise stopped him by putting her hand on his wrist. She turned the watch over and smiled up at her grandfather. "Open it!" Alexander said and Ben quickly did so. The back of the watch folded out into three ovals, each one set with a thin ivory miniature of each of his wives.
Thea was watching Ben closely and when she saw his expression as he looked down at the miniature portraits, she sighed with contentment. She had asked Adam to leave his father's gift up to her and he had not known what it was until now. Knowing he must still be puzzled at the unusual way the watch was made, she leaned down and whispered to him about the portraits. He looked at her over his shoulder with a broad smile, extremely pleased, then turned back to watch his father again.
Ben slowly lifted his eyes and looked directly at Thea's shining face. He stood with his arms around the twins, turned to set them in the chair then turned back to come toward her. Adam stood, took Benjamin from Thea's arms, and stepped aside as his father reached them.
Thea smiled up into her father-in-law's face as he reached down, picked her up, and held her tightly as her feet dangled - one shoe on, one off. When he set her down he looked down into her happy face, "How did you..." he stopped, not exactly sure what he was asking.
She pulled his head down to whisper in his ear, "I saw them." He leaned back to give her a puzzled look, then she saw his eyes open wide with understanding. Pulling her back against him, he squeezed her tight saying, "Thank you." And Thea understood he was thanking her also for the second gift she had just given him.
Adam had been entertaining Benjamin by talking to him softly and gently rubbing his small belly as his father and his wife held each other. But all three of them gasped in surprise when they could have sworn they heard the two-month old loudly and clearly say, "Pa!" They looked at each other with their mouths hanging open.
"No, that can't be!" Thea said as she and Ben turned to look at the baby cradled in Adam's arms.
"Accident or not, that's what he said," Adam shook his head.
"I heard it too," Hoss said as everyone came to crowd around, including the twins.
"I heard him too, Pa!" Alexander tugged on his father's pant leg to get his attention. Adam looked down at his eldest son with a smile and was about to answer him when Benjamin said "Pa!" again. The baby then began to kick his legs as he gurgled and chuckled, thoroughly enjoying all the attention. Everyone burst out laughing.
When the noise died down and people moved away to resume their seats, Joe called Alexander and Annalise back to the three. "Hey, who is this big box for?" He was standing next to a large box that had both children's names on it.
"Us!!" the two children caroled in unison and came running. Adam quickly handed Benjamin to his father and followed the twins and everyone else in the room stopped what they were doing to watch.
The two children fell on the unwrapped wooden box and struggled to get the lid open.
"Need some help?" they heard their father say as he leaned over them. They both nodded vigorously so Joe and Adam each grabbed an end of the rectangular lid and pried it off.
The twins looked in eagerly and saw that the box was packed with straw. They practically dove in and the straw went flying. When their gifts were uncovered they both stared, not understanding what they were seeing at first.
Two small saddles, one black, one red, lay side-by-side in the bottom of the box and when they realized what they were, they stared at each other with open mouths. "Ponies!" they shrieked at each other and heard their father laughing over their heads. They rushed to latch onto his legs and look up into his face while they bounced up and down caroling "Ponies! Ponies! Ponies!"
Adam went down on one knee to put an arm around each of them. "Go get your coats on," he said and didn't reprove them for running at full speed to obey.
The adults hurried to retrieve their own coats that had been stashed around the room in anticipation so the entire party spilled out the front door and headed for the barn with Adam and the twins in the lead. Hoss paused to scoop up both saddles and he hurried after the rest of the group.
Adam opened the barn door and the twins rushed in only to stop dead and look around, not knowing which way to go. They looked up at him with shining eyes.
"They're in the stall at the end of this aisle..." he said while quickly grabbing them both by their coat collars. "Whoa! Slow down, you don't want to startle them," he cautioned the children then let go as they both nodded.
He stepped in front of them and led the way as the rest of the group began coming through the barn door. When he reached the stall he looked over it to see the ponies standing there watching the door expectantly - he smiled.
The twins were crowded up against him and he motioned for them to back up so he could open the door. He carefully swung it open and the children stepped up, one on either side of him looking eagerly in.
Alexander was the first to react. He rushed up to the gray pony and was promptly knocked down when the horse tried to nudge the boy in the abdomen sideways with his head. The pony looked down at him with wide, startled eyes as Alexander laughed and popped right back up.
Annalise stood motionless next to her father, staring at the gold pony in fascination. She slowly moved forward and stretched her hands out to gently touch the horse's velvety nose. Then she startled everyone by bursting into tears and throwing her arms around the pony's neck.
Her brother turned around saying, "What are you cryin' for?"
"'Cause I'm so happy!" The little girl's voice was muffled because she had her face buried in the horse's neck. The pony gently turned her head to rest her chin on the little girl's shoulder, as though trying to comfort her.
Adam couldn't help but smile at his daughter's reaction then stepped into the stall. He crouched down next to her and began to rub her little back as she continued to sob into the pony's neck. After a few moments she turned to throw her arms around her father while sobbing out, "She's so beautiful, Pa!"
He laughed as he picked her up and the observing crowd laughed themselves when Alexander's pony knocked him down again. The boy jumped right back up.
Annalise leaned back in her father's arms. "What's her name?" she said as he pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and wiped her face dry.
"She doesn't have a name yet, honey. You have to name her."
The little girl turned her head to look at the pony, then back at her father. "Honey, that's what I'll name her," she said with an emphatic nod, looking exactly like her mother.
"Then Honey it is!" Adam said then turned to look at his son who was just getting up after being knocked down for a third time, but was still laughing.
Alexander put his arms around the pony's neck and held on having figured out that was necessary to stay standing. "What about you Alexander?" his father asked. "What do you think his name should be?"
The boy's expression became serious and his brow furrowed as he considered his father's question carefully. When his expression cleared he looked up at his father, then back at the pony, then back at his father again.
Swallowing nervously he said, "Would it be alright to name him Jerry, Pa? He looks like him."
Adam quickly realized his son meant the horse's coat was the same color as Jerry's hair, so he moved over to him and placed one large hand on his son's small head. "I think that's an excellent idea Alex."
The boy looked up at his father and when he saw the approval in Adam's expression he grinned and turned back to the pony. "Your name is Jerry," he whispered into the horse's ear and was promptly knocked down again. He had forgotten to keep holding on.
Thea came into the stall then, walked up to Honey and held her hand out toward her daughter. The little girl squirmed so her father set her down. She hurried over to her mother as Adam bent down to pick Alexander up and set him back on his feet.
Hoss came into the stall with the saddles and placed them on two small sawhorses in the corner. The twin's eyes lit up when they saw that, but their father called them over then knelt on one knee in front of them. "Settle down now, you two. Hoss and I will show you everything you need to know about these ponies this afternoon, but right now it's time to head back to the house."
He stood. "All right everybody, back to the house," he called out and gave each child a gentle push toward the stall door. The two children dragged their feet, but obeyed. Even the adults seemed reluctant to leave, but everyone gradually left the barn with Adam, Thea, and Hoss stopping to bundle the babies inside their coats before stepping out into the frigid wind.
Breakfast was soon over and the babies were taken upstairs by their parents and settled in for a nap. The twins had been instructed to stick to their uncle Joe, but they too soon succumbed to the morning's excitement and were stretched out on the floor in front of the tree, fast asleep.
Dora and Hoss had been trying to find a spot with a bit of privacy, but Joe stuck to them like a leech, never taking his eyes off the two of them. When Hoss noticed the twins on the floor asleep he took the blanket off the back of the sofa and went to cover them with it.
Feeling almost desperate by this point, Dora was thinking furiously, trying to come up with an idea when her eyes fell on the new pair of handcuffs that had been Roy's gift. Her brow cleared and she smiled to herself as she saw Joe approaching. She reached to pick the cuffs up and held them as though examining their design as she slowly walked toward the stairs. Sitting down on the landing, she looked up as though surprised when Joe appeared in front of her.
She smiled up at him then looked back down at the cuffs. "How do these work?" she said in a pleasant tone, then almost felt guilty when Joe's face lit up at the first word she had said to him that day.
"Want me to show you?" he said eagerly.
"Yes, please."
He took the cuffs from her hands and showed her the small lever that kept the cuffs from tightening too much after they were locked.
"So this thing goes around a wrist so?" she said, snapping one of the cuffs on Joe's wrist. He laughed. "Yep, that's the way it works."
"And if you wished to hold someone in one place you would place the other cuff so?" she said and snapped the other around one of the stair rails. Joe laughed again. "See, you figured it out by yourself." He twisted his wrist in the cuff and tugged on it. "No one would be able to get out of these."
"Yes, I see." Dora agreed.
"Would you mind getting the key out of the case?" Joe said and she quickly stood.
"I'll be right back," Dora said then walked across the room to retrieve the leather case. While her back was to Joe she quickly pocketed the key then turned to hurry back to him.
"Joe! I looked in the case but there is no key!'
Her victim turned white and held his hand out for the case to look himself.
"Oh Joe, I am so sorry!" Dora exclaimed and people came to see what all the noise was about. Joe turned red with embarrassment when his predicament was quickly figured out.
Roy took the case from him saying, "Now I know the key was in here before we went to the barn. What could have happened? Has anybody seen it?" No one had.
Joe put a hand over his red face and Dora felt another twinge of guilt, but still backed out of the crowd and sidled up to Hoss. She nudged him with her elbow and jerked her head toward the front door. "The barn," she whispered and turned away to retrieve a package she had hidden near the front door.
Tucking it under her arm, she slipped out and hurried across the yard and into the barn's dim warmth. Hoss appeared a few moments later. They grinned at each other then Dora took his hand to pull him down the aisle to what she had come to think of as 'their' stall.
She led him over to a bale of hay and sat down while tugging on his hand. When he was seated next to her she handed him the flat, rectangular package and said, "Merry Christmas, Hoss."
He blinked in surprise then took the package from her. He took his time opening it and Dora clasped her hands together to stop herself from ripping the wrapping off for him.
When he saw he was holding a frame he held it up to the light so he could see the picture. He started to laugh when he realized he was looking at a skillfully done watercolor that depicted the "Honeymoon Suite" incident. Still laughing he looked down into her smiling face. "You did this?"
At her quick nod he laughed even harder. "How?" he managed to gasp out.
"Nate described it to me."
He carefully placed the frame on the stall floor then wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight as he continued to laugh. When he finally had himself under control he leaned back and quietly said, "Thank you," his eyes shining with pleasure at her cleverness.
Dora blushed a deep red and ducked her head - his reaction to her gift had been better than she had hoped for.
Hoss put one hand under her chin and nudged upward until their eyes met. He smiled saying, "Close your eyes."
She quickly did and felt him take her left hand and slip something onto her ring finger. Her eyes popped open and she gasped with surprise when she saw a delicate rose-gold filigree ring set with a cabochon ruby. Hoss raised her hand to his lips and kissed the ring then looked her in the eye. "This ring was my mother's," he said quietly.
Her eyes filled then overflowed as she looked up at him, her right hand over her heart. He smiled and pulled her to him then bent his head to capture her mouth with his own. But they both looked up a moment later when they could have sworn they heard a faint rumble of deep laughter echoing through the rafters.
The barn door opening and then closing with a loud bang made them both jump, startled.
"Hoss! Dora! Adam! Thea! Would you all please come out now?" Ben's deeply irritated voice reached them clearly. "I know at least one of you has a key that will open those handcuffs!"
Hoss and Dora heard that deep laughter again along with Thea's chuckle. The other couple had been up in the hayloft the whole time!
Dora clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle a squeak of dismay, but then smiled when she saw Hoss's shoulders shaking. He stood and held his hand out to her. She rose and he picked the picture up before leading her out of the stall. They moved down the aisle toward Ben who was standing in front of the door with his hands on his hips.
Just as they reached him, Adam and Thea came around the corner from where the ladder to the hayloft was. Ben's snapping eyes zeroed in on Dora.
"Don't think I'm not aware that you handcuffed Joe to that railing on purpose, young lady." He held out his hand, "Now give me the key."
The young woman ducked her head and reached for the key as Adam and Thea were desperately trying to hold back their amusement.
Then Dora went cold. There was a hole in her pocket and the key was gone. She froze. Hoss felt her grip on his hand tighten almost painfully.
"What's wrong?" he said looking down at her concerned.
She tried to speak, but the words died in her throat as she looked up at her future father-in-law, horrified.
"Oh no, the key is gone?" Ben said tightly, reading her expression. He closed his eyes and put a hand to his forehead trying to control his temper.
"Pa, calm down. I'm sure my key will work," Adam said in a tightly controlled voice as Thea lost the battle and a small snort of laughter escaped.
"This is not funny, Theadora." Ben said turning his angry gaze on her. But her expression as she shook with silent laughter finally pierced his anger and he smiled. "Now stop that!" he said to her, but she just shook her head and raised her hands in a helpless gesture. His lips began to twitch and he bit back a chuckle. Thea's laughter was difficult to resist.
He heard Hoss start to strangle on his own laughter and a giggle escaped Dora. Adam looked at his future sister-in-law and choked out, "You actually handcuffed Joe to the railing?"
When Dora bit her lower lip and nodded he gave up trying and just roared with laughter while throwing his arms around his wife who leaned into him weakly as she let her own mirth out. Hoss and Dora did the same.
Ben stood there watching them for a moment then threw up his hands, "You are all completely insane." That only made them laugh harder and to his surprise he found himself joining them a moment later.
When they all couldn't laugh any more they stood there quietly for a few moments while trying to regain their breath.
"Oh God," Adam gasped, "Joe must be frantic by now." He threw one arm over his father's shoulders. "We better get back before he kicks the railing apart." The two men went out the door.
Thea came to take Hoss's right arm while Dora took his left. The three of them almost started laughing again at the mental picture of Joe kicking the railing down. But with a huge effort they restrained themselves and moved through the door sideways, kicked it shut behind them then hurried across the yard and into the house.