Author's Note

This is another missing moment from 'The Ghost of Christmas Past,' but it follows the storyline of my GAMM 'Dream' alternate universe (AU), which takes place in the 1860's. In it, Daniel Gregg is alive and captain of his own ship. Carolyn, Candy, and Jonathan Muir, Martha Grant, and all the GAMM canon characters are living in his day, along with a few other characters that belong to me.

My goal is to tie all of my 'Dream' stories together with 'The Ghost of Christmas Past.' This is another piece in that process and picks up the story after my first missing moment for the Ghost of Christmas Past and before Carolyn goes to work Christmas Eve morning.

The Ghost of Christmas Past: Another Missing Moment

After dressing, Carolyn had a quick breakfast of toast and coffee, which was made more enjoyable by the long-awaited arrival of Captain Daniel Gregg earlier that morning. He had been away for six long months, and the whole family was happy to have him home in time for Christmas.

Earlier, while she and the children were upstairs getting ready for the day, the seaman had gone out to the barn to hitch his horse, Bonhomme, to the sleigh. To save Carolyn time, he was going to drive her to town, where she worked for her insufferable, penny pinching uncle. Even before she had agreed to move into Gull Cottage, Daniel purchased the sleigh and a wheeled jaunting cart, with the idea that it would make it easier for the family to get to and from Schooner Bay. When he did bring the subject up, it turned out to be more of a battle than he'd expected.

The family first moved to Schooner Bay in late summer the previous year, and their original accommodations left a lot to be desired. They'd moved in with her uncle, Claymore Ebenezer, whose house was small, dingy, and unkempt when they arrived. While they were able to clean it, her tightwad uncle refused to spend any money to paint or provide any creature comforts for his niece and her family.

When Daniel and Carolyn met, their feelings for one another had quickly grown, and, if their relationship could survive the long separations required of his profession, a future together looked like a real possibility. At the same time, the Captain found himself in some difficulty just before he was scheduled to sail. Unexpectedly, his housekeeper moved away to care for her daughter, and, though he was sorry to lose Mrs. Westfield, he saw it as an opportunity to get the Muirs out of their deplorable living conditions. All he had to do was convince Carolyn to move to Gull Cottage, on the premise of taking care of his house and property while he was at sea.

Initially, she refused his offer unless he agreed to let her pay rent. Despite a rather loud discussion, she wouldn't budge from her demand and refused to back down. He quickly realized he'd met his match in this beautiful woman and agreed to have her pay rent. Since that time, he had done everything he could to ensure the house was as maintenance free as it could be and provided her with everything she and the family needed to go about life living outside of town.

XXXXX

While the family was eating their breakfast, Martha went upstairs to the master cabin. At the Captain's request, she'd gone up to retrieve his dress uniform from the closet, which had been stored there for safe keeping when he sailed. He hadn't explained why he needed it but asked that she not say anything to Carolyn. With that in mind, she carefully folded it and put it in a canvas sack, so he could get it out of the house without Mrs. Muir knowing what it was.

XXXXX

With the seaman finally home, the children wanted to stay close to him and asked if they could ride to town with him to take their mom to work. Daniel had a few things to take care of that he didn't want them to know about and had to tell them no, but he promised to be back as quickly as possible. When he returned, they would go up on the hill to find the perfect Christmas tree.

Candy and Jonathan were disappointed, but accepted his response and soon wished they'd kept quiet. As the Captain and their mother were preparing to leave, the seaman strongly suggested they spread the Christmas spirit of giving by washing the breakfast dishes for Martha.

XXXXX

When the couple arrived in town, the street was so crowded with people and carriages, Daniel had to park down from the office of Marley and Ebenezer. As he helped his lady out of the sleigh, he kissed her hand, and the intense feelings they had for one another were obvious, causing more than a few passersby to stare.

"Captain, will you be coming in to say hello to Uncle?" Carolyn asked when she realized people were watching.

"I think not, Mrs. Muir. Why don't we save that surprise for later; I wouldn't want to spoil his mood so early in the day," he replied with a teasing grin.

"Then, I'll see you at half past five," she said, smiling and turned to walk away. As she tried to let go of his hand, she found herself being pulled toward him.

"Before you go, Mrs. Muir . . ."

"Yes, Captain?"

"I love you," he said quietly, his warm breath on her ear causing her to tremble.

She could have melted into him right there but managed to maintain control.

"I love you too," she replied softly. "I'm so glad you're home."

"No more than I, my love."

They gazed at each other for several moments, and when they finally went their separate ways, both found it difficult to remove the smile of complete joy from their faces.

Carolyn made her way to the office, and the contentment in her heart was obvious by her cheerful greeting to her disagreeable uncle. Daniel quickly ran his errands, going first to the church to have a word with Reverend Farley, to let him know he was home and to set his plan in motion. From there, he stopped at the Inn to have his uniform brushed and pressed and leave a note for two recently registered guests.

XXXXX

True to his word, the Captain returned to Gull Cottage after only a slight delay, and he, Candy, and Jonathan bundled up and made their way to the hill where the Gregg family had always gone to get their Christmas trees. There, they had an unpleasant run-in with the children's Uncle Claymore, who showed up out of nowhere and demanded payment for the tree they were chopping down. The money-gouging grub threatened to have the seaman arrested for trespassing, if he didn't pay, happily telling them he had recently foreclosed on the land. Daniel knew the owners, who had been long-time friends of the Captain's family. They had fallen on difficult times a few years earlier and, as a result, were required to mortgage their beloved property.

Upon returning to the house, they found Martha in the kitchen where she had hot chocolate, chicken soup, fresh bread and cookies waiting for them. Along with all the baking and cooking she'd been doing, she'd also made a makeshift cradle out of a laundry basket for the foundling they'd taken in. It was sitting on the table with the baby lying comfortably in it, sound asleep. It seemed he was a good sleeper and wasn't the least bit bothered by the conversation that went on around him while the family ate their lunch.

When they finished eating and washing the dishes, Daniel and the children brought the tree in. They set it up in the living room, and, with help from Martha, put it in a large bucket of wet sand to help keep it steady and watered. Once Carolyn came home from work, and they finished supper, they would decorate the tree as a family. In the meantime, Candy and Jonathan went to work making a garland from the popcorn and cranberries Martha provided.

Both children were beyond excited to have the Captain home. The previous year, he'd been on a voyage to Europe, so they had celebrated Christmas twice. The first time, without him, on the actual day, and, the second time, with him, when he returned to port in June. Celebrating twice had been fun, but they were really looking forward him being with them this year for their first Christmas together.

While they were stringing the garland, Daniel found himself being silently called to the kitchen by the amazing aromas coming from Martha's culinary efforts. As he entered the room, the baby had awakened and gurgled happily as the man with the kind eyes and bearded face came into view.

Daniel looked down at him and smiled.

"Well, M'boy! Here are the smells you will learn to savor: mincemeat, pumpkin, ginger, chestnuts, raisins, cinnamon . . . What glorious, mouth-watering aromas, Martha! I can't wait for the feast!" he said walking toward her and claiming a fresh tart that had just come out of the oven.

While he nibbled on the tart, he complemented her again on what an excellent cook she was, comparing her cooking to the meals at the Inn. While the food there was good, it couldn't hold a candle to hers. She remarked that it was a shame he had to stay there, causing him to remind her that he could hardly stay at Gull Cottage until he and Carolyn were married. That, of course, led to a discussion of when the wedding would take place.

The Captain suggested Christmas, which was the following day, but Martha spread her arms over her domain and told him she couldn't possibly be ready in time. New Years was more realistic and would suit her fine. Taking her idea under consideration, he told her that would be his second suggestion to Carolyn. Then, leaning in, he kissed her cheek, grabbed another tart, and escaped with his prize, while she chased after him.

Daniel spent most of the afternoon in the living room with the children while they were stringing the garland. Candy and Jonathan seemed to be eating as much or more than they were using for the garland, and it didn't take long for him to realize they were going to have to pop more corn. It was the only way they would have enough to drape around the tree.

When they did run out of supplies and started complaining about their hands being sore, he suggested they take Scruffy outside to burn off some energy. They were hesitant to go, until he told them he'd be out to join them in a few minutes.

As they ran out the front door with the dog, Daniel wandered into the kitchen again. There he found the baby asleep in the basket, and Martha washing dishes. Feeling guilty about what he was getting ready to do, he grabbed a clean towel and worked alongside her, drying whatever she put on the drainboard.

After a few moments talking about the garland situation, he cleared this throat and brought up the topic that needed to be discussed.

"Martha, you've already put a lot of preparation into Christmas dinner, and I would hate for you to have to go through all of this again next week. I need to tell you something . . . I . . . ah . . . I've already made arrangements for Carolyn and me to be married. Reverend Farley is going to perform the wedding ceremony here at Gull Cottage . . . tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!"

"Yes. I know it's a terrible imposition, but I think, in the long run, it will save you time and a lot of extra work . . . not having to do it all again next week."

"Daniel Gregg! Does Mrs. Muir know about this?"

"No, ma'am, and I'd like to keep it that way. You know how she hates anyone making any kind of a fuss over her."

"What happened to discussing the proposed dates with her?"

"I've decided to surprise her."

"She'll certainly be surprised. Captain, I do know that she hates to be made a fuss of, but I also know she has always regretted eloping when she married Robert Muir. Her parents didn't find out about it until after the fact. She knew she'd hurt them terribly, and I don't think she'll be happy excluding them again."

"Is that you're only objection?"

"It's the only one I can think of that would cause her to hesitate. Mrs. Muir would regret shutting her parents out again for the rest of her life, and I would hate putting her in that position . . . as should you," she said, looking at him sternly. "But I also wouldn't want to see her put off marrying you until her parents could get here. Who knows when Mr. Williams would be able to pull himself away from the bank?"

"If her parents being here were not an issue, would you agree to help me make this Christmas wedding a reality?"

"What exactly do you mean?"

"I'm not saying . . . but do we have enough food to serve an additional eight to ten people?"

"Eight to ten extra people?!" she exclaimed, looking around the room, as if taking an inventory of what she had on hand.

"Aye," he admitted ruefully.

Martha looked at him as if he were a misbehaving little boy but didn't say a word for several moments. Finally, she replied.

"Well, we should have enough meat. I was planning on Claymore being here; he always eats like it's his last meal . . . when he's not paying for the food that is. I thought Ed would be joining us too, but he's going to his sister's for Christmas dinner . . . she lives in Camden. You know, even though he's so slender, he can really put the food away, especially desserts," she remarked. "We invited the Farleys and Horans but both couples had to decline at the last minute, after I'd done my shopping. Knowing what I know now, I suspect you're the reason for that, and we can expect to see them tomorrow?"

Daniel nodded guiltily.

"All right; who else has been invited?"

"Ahh, Colm and Seamus will be here, and the Calvert's were invited but Bill's hurt his leg, so they won't be coming. Carolyn mentioned she was going to invite Claymore to Christmas dinner, but he wouldn't know anything about the wedding."

"Hmm. Anyone else?"

"At least two more people."

"Please tell me it's not the Muirs."

"No, although Mrs. Muir would have been welcomed."

"Agreed," she nodded. "Well then, although you did have me worried, I was still hopeful you would be home for Christmas and planned for it. I also purchased what I thought would be enough to get several meals out of the mutton," she told him. "It's a good thing too. We should be all right as far as the meat goes. There's still plenty of food in the root cellar for the sides, so that's not a worry," she said, giving him a look as if to say, 'I can't believe I'm agreeing to this.' "The only thing I may have to do is bake a few more pies, and a larger batch of rolls, but that won't be a problem."

"Martha you are a prize! I don't know what I'd do without you," he said wrapping his arms around her in a heartfelt hug.

"Oh, go on, you," she said pushing him away, blushing.

They went back to washing and drying the dishes; Daniel smiling ear to ear, and Martha running things through her head to make sure she wasn't missing anything. Suddenly, she stopped and looked up at him.

"A wedding cake! We have to have a wedding cake!"

"We do?"

"Of course, we do! You can't get married without a cake . . . or I should say, I won't allow Mrs. Muir to get married without having everything she should have and deserves."

"Martha, I bow to your knowledge of all things wedding related, but I would ask we keep this between ourselves. Carolyn doesn't know, and I don't think Candy and Jonathan would be able to keep a secret this big."

Before she could respond, the front door opened, and the children ran into the kitchen. She gave him a quick nod as they turned toward the commotion.

"Captain, are you coming outside? We thought we could have a snowball fight. It's really snowing now!" Jonathan asked eagerly.

"Yeah, and it's a wet snow, so it packs really well," Candy added.

Daniel looked at the children, glanced out the window, and pulled out his pocket watch. Seeing the time, he shook his head and apologized.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize how late it was. I'm afraid we won't have time for a snowball fight. With it snowing like this, I'll have to leave earlier to pick up your mother and was going to ask if you wanted to come along."

"Sure!" They both shouted.

"But you'll catch your death of cold if your coats get soaked from playing in the snow."

"Oh."

"I'm afraid it looks like they're already wet."

"Captain, when did you plan on leaving?" Martha asked.

"Around a quarter past four."

"I think if we hang their things on the back of the chairs in front of the fireplace, their coats will have plenty of time to dry."

XXXXX

By the time Daniel was ready to go to town, the children's gloves, hats, and coats were dry and toasty, and the three headed out. They arrived early, and, instead of taking the children inside with him, the Captain asked them to stay in the sleigh. Not knowing what kind of mood Claymore would be in, he wanted to spare them if there was a repeat of the earlier unpleasantness on the hill. So, on the pretext that they would surprise their mom, Candy and Jonathan readily agreed.

When Daniel opened the office door, Claymore's mood didn't seem improved, but the seaman was surprised to learn that he had just agreed to let Carolyn leave a whole ten minutes early. While he helped his lady with her coat, she encouraged the disagreeable penny pincher to join them for Christmas dinner but was immediately refused. Despite his desire to throttle the man, Daniel wished him a Merry Christmas, and the couple left the office.

When she saw her children waiting in the sleigh, the smile on Carolyn's face spread wider.

"Hello, you two! What brings you to town tonight?"

"The Captain invited us to come with him, so we could surprise you!" Jonathan told her happily.

"Did we?" Candy asked.

"You certainly did. I can't think of more pleasant company to see me home than the three of you."

Daniel presented his hand to assist her into the sleigh and as she took a seat, she realized she'd forgotten something.

"Oh, dear, I've left my lunch pail at my desk. I'd better go back for it."

"My love, I'll get it for you. You wait here with the children."

"Thank you, Daniel."

When the seaman opened the door to the office, Claymore whipped around, annoyed at the interruption.

"What do you want now?"

"Carolyn left her lunch pail."

"Well, get it and get out. I have work to do."

The Captain picked up the pail, but instead of going toward the door, he walked over to miser and towered over him as he sat at his desk. Despite his personal feelings on the matter, Daniel suspected, if she wanted her uncle to come for Christmas dinner, Carolyn would want him to attend their wedding . . . if she knew about it that is. Against his own wishes, he glared down at him.

Seeing the look on this seaman's face, Claymore complexion turned pale.

"W-w-w-what do you want?" he asked nervously, not feeling as confident as he'd been with Carolyn or the children around to temper the seaman's anger.

"Your niece has invited you to Christmas dinner. I don't know why she wants to endure your company, but she does, so you will come, and you will behave in a polite and grateful manner. Do you understand?"

"I-I-I do."

"That's the perfect answer. Perhaps a good night's sleep will put you in a more festive mood . . . be sure to bring it with you tomorrow. Goodnight, Claymore," he said, leaving the miserable skinflint a nervous wreck.

XXXXX

After a dinner of hot sandwiches from chicken left over from previous night's meal, the family spent the evening decorating the tree. This was what they had all been looking forward to, when the seaman had promised to be home for Christmas. They weren't just excited to have him home for the holy day itself, they were excited about including him in all the activities leading up to it too.

Candy and Jonathan were beside themselves with happiness. They had spent most of the day with the Captain, sharing breakfast with him, finding the perfect tree, having lunch, and spending the afternoon together, before being invited to go with him to pick up their mom at work. It had been one their best days.

As the family decorated, they sang Christmas songs, laughed, and shared stories as they hung the gingerbread men decorations Martha had baked, bows Carolyn had tied, other homemade items, and the garland the children had strung earlier in the day.

In his travels, the Captain had picked up Christmas ornaments from all around the world. After only a little encouragement from the family, he went up to the attic and brought down two boxes of ornaments to add to the tree. There were, what looked like, brand new items from England, Scotland, Germany, France, and many other countries that had never been opened. In the other box, though, there were beautiful decorations from Ireland that had belonged to his mother as well as other items the Gregg family had decorated their home with when Daniel was a boy. It took a little prodding, but he did share some stories that, at times, made them laugh and, at others, touched their hearts. Knowing the family's history, Carolyn was especially moved and, once or twice, was seen wiping away tears.

As the evening began to wind down, it was time for the children to get ready for bed. Goodnight and Merry Christmas hugs and kisses were given to Martha, who lovingly returned them. Handing the baby's bottle to Mrs. Muir, she explained there were a few more things she needed to do before she would be going to bed. When the family started up to the nursery, Daniel was the recipient of one of her 'looks,' reminding him that his impatience was the reason there was work still to do.

XXXXX

Once they were dressed for bed, Candy and Jonathan asked their mom if she would read "A Visit from Saint Nicholas." Carolyn had her hands full, getting the baby ready for bed and feeding him, and asked if it would be all right for the Captain read to them tonight. She needn't have asked; they were more than happy for him to read the story.

Before he started, Daniel moved the rocker next to his chair, so Carolyn and the baby would be by his side. Candy and Jonathan crawled into their beds, snuggled under the covers, and talked happily as the baby was changed.

When everyone was settled, and the baby enjoying his bedtime bottle, Daniel began reading with his usual enthusiasm, and the children hung on every word. He had them visualizing everything, and wishing they could catch a glimpse of Saint Nicolas, when he visited Gull Cottage, just like in the story.

As the final line was spoken, Candy and Jonathan were far from ready to settle down, although, the baby's eyes were closed, and his lips was barely attached to the bottle.

"Captain, will you be here when we wake up in the morning?" Candy asked.

"Yeah. You have to be here; it wouldn't feel right if you weren't," Jonathan added.

The seaman looked at his lady, who subtly nodded.

"I suppose I can get up early and be here in time for breakfast."

"But you have to be here when we wake up," Candy insisted.

"Please," Jonathan begged.

Carolyn looked from the children Daniel.

"Yes, please come early," she said smiling. "As they said, it wouldn't feel right without you being here first thing."

Their eyes met, and their mutual disappointment that he had to leave at all was clear.

"As you wish, my love."

"Yay!" the children cheered.

"Shhh!" their mother reminded them, as the baby startled at the noise.

Both put their hands to their mouths and anxiously looked on to see if he was going to wake up. Neither moved for a good thirty seconds until they were sure he was still asleep.

"Daniel, why don't you start the tucking in process? I'll go put him down and be right back."

He watched her leave as she left to take the baby to the master cabin, then took a moment to put the rocker and his chair back where they belonged. With everything in its place, he went first to Candy to kiss her goodnight.

"Goodnight, Captain. I love you."

"I love you too, my girl. Sweet dreams."

The girl's arms wrapped around his neck to hug him.

"We're so glad you're home for Christmas."

"Aye. So am I, sweetheart."

When he stood up straight to move over to Jonathan, Carolyn was standing at the door and had witnessed the heart-warming scene. She smiled at Daniel and went behind him to kiss Candy goodnight. She ran her hand lovingly across his back as she passed him; her gentle touch bringing him up short. He turned around and took her hand in his. They gazed lovingly at one another and even the children couldn't help recognizing the love the seaman had for their mom and her love for him. Both Candy and Jonathan smiled contently seeing their mom so happy.

With the tucking in process complete, Daniel and Carolyn said goodnight again from the doorway and stepped out of the room.

"Candy?" Jonathan whispered. "Do you think Mom and the Captain will get married now that he's home?"

"I sure hope so. I've been praying every night that they will. I love the Captain, and I think they love each other very much."

"I think so too, but do you think our prayers will work this time?"

"I sure hope so," she replied.

"I can't wait for the Captain to be our dad."

"Me too!"

XXXXX

As the couple came downstairs, they heard Martha working in the kitchen. Looking in, they found her icing the cake she'd baked earlier. Carolyn thought they had more than enough sweets for Christmas, although Jonathan would have argued that point, but she didn't say anything. She knew who the queen of this kitchen was and knew when to keep her mouth shut. Without a word, she and Daniel turned to go into the living room. Walking ahead of him, she missed the guilty look on his face as he nodded to Martha.

Settling on the couch to enjoy the tree, all the decorations, and the comforting fire, it only took a moment before they were wrapped in each other's arms.

"Alone at last," Carolyn whispered as she snuggled against his chest.

"Well, as alone as we can be . . . for now."

She giggled quietly.

"You do bring up an interesting point, though," she said looking up at him.

"Oh?"

"Yes. I suppose we should discuss when we're going to be married. There's a lot to do, and Martha and I need to start making plans."

"Are you sure you still want me to marry you?" Daniel asked teasingly.

"Well . . . I did ask, and you did say yes . . . although it has been six very long months . . ." She tried to sound as if she were having second thoughts, but couldn't pull it off, and started giggling again.

"Madam, you have no idea how long those months have been, and I do not look upon that time as a laughing matter. It has actually been over a year since we met, and I am beginning to question just how long I can last without you in my life on a full-time basis . . . and in my bed every night," he added quietly.

"Daniel Gregg!"

"Now, before you start scolding me, let's be clear on one thing, I love you and you love me, so there's no point in pretending you don't want that as much as I do. However, before we start making wedding plans, let's get through tomorrow and enjoy Christmas before you and Martha get started with whatever has to be done. Agreed?"

She nodded, but before she could say anything else, his mouth captured hers and their need and desire pushed all thought aside. There was no coyness or pretending. It was clear that neither one wanted to wait any longer than necessary.

When they finally broke the kiss, their eyes met.

"My God, how I love you," he said softly. "I don't know how I've lived without you for all these years. You make me whole in a way I've never been before, and, until we are married, I will continue to feel I am less than the man I could be."

"Oh, Daniel," she sighed. "I love you more than I could ever say, and I feel the same way. You make me feel complete. It's as if we are two halves and, together, we make a whole that is stronger and better than either of us could be on our own."

This time, it was Carolyn who was the aggressor. Putting her arms around his neck, she laid back on the couch and pulled him down with her. While their feet may have been on the floor . . . barely . . . their bodies fit comfortably together, and their mouths and hands moved with abandon.

XXXXX

Martha finished icing the cake, but before she started anything else, she wanted Mrs. Muir to have gone up for the night, so she wouldn't discover what all the extra work was about. As she reached the living room, she couldn't help seeing the Captain and his lady completely lost in each other, and while she wanted her employer to go to bed, she intended that she go to bed alone . . . at least one more night.

Needing to bring their activities to end, but not wanting to embarrass Mrs. Muir, or herself, she quietly returned to the kitchen. From the doorway, she called out and waited for a response.

"Mrs. Muir?"

Carolyn and Daniel scrambled to make themselves presentable and shared a look of regret.

"Yes, Martha?"

Her friend counted to ten and then walked across the foyer.

"Mrs. Muir. Captain, I'm sorry to interrupt," she said trying not to smile. "But we're all going to be up early tomorrow . . . you know how the children are Christmas morning. I think it would be a good idea if the Captain went back to town and you turned in."

The couple gazed at each other and then back to Martha.

"You're right. Candy and Jonathan have already asked that Daniel be here when they wake up."

"Well, he can't stay here tonight!"

"No. Unfortunately, not tonight," Daniel replied, getting a raised eyebrow from Martha.

Carolyn fought the giggle that was trying to escape and put her hand over her mouth, producing an obviously fake cough to stop it.

"No, of course not," she finally said.

As they rose to say their goodnight, a thought occurred to her.

"Daniel how will you get back to town?"

"Oh, I can walk. The snow has stopped and it's not too deep."

"You can't do that, Captain. You'll freeze out there," Martha told him.

"Why don't you ride Bonhomme back to town? You're going to need some way to get here early tomorrow. Although, it would be so much easier if you just spent the night here. We do have a guest room," Carolyn said playfully . . . mostly to get a rise out of Martha.

"Mrs. Muir! The Captain will NOT be sleeping under this roof tonight! Do you realize the scandal it would cause if anyone noticed he never returned to the Inn tonight?!"

Trying not to laugh, Daniel glanced at Martha before turning to Carolyn.

"My dear, Martha is right. There's no need to invite scandal now. I will accept your invitation to ride Bonhomme back to town, though. I can't imagine you needing him between now and when I return in the morning. What time should I arrive if I am to be here before the children awaken?"

"If that's the plan, maybe he should spend the night," Martha muttered under her breath, not realizing she was heard by both of them until they chuckled. Joining them, she repeated, "I'm sorry Captain, but as convenient as it would be, you cannot spend the night here."

"I agree . . . Not tonight."

"Let me get your coat," she said and hurried off.

"One day, my love, no one will be able to keep me from spending time alone with you . . . day or night . . . and I have no desire to wait much longer for that day," he said taking her in his arms.

A discreet cough from the doorway interrupted their kiss. Carolyn rested her head on his chest and Daniel kissed her hair.

"I'll see you out the back way," she said, regretfully.

Behind her, Martha, in a slight panic, was shaking her head at the Captain. If Mrs. Muir were to see everything stored in the mud room, she would start asking questions, and neither one of them wanted that.

"No, my dear. Let me go saddle Bonhomme, and I'll bring him around front and say a proper goodbye on the porch."

An almost audible sigh of relief escaped Martha.

"Come along, Captain, I'll see you to the back door," she said hurriedly.

The couple shared a smile.

"Of course," he replied to Martha before looking back at Carolyn. "My love, I'll meet you out front in ten minutes," he said and kissed the tip of her nose.

As he was escorted through the kitchen, Daniel quietly thanked Martha for all she was doing, but when they reached the mud room, and he saw the wedding cake, he stopped in his tracks.

"Martha, the cake is beautiful. I know Carolyn will love it, and I can't thank you enough for everything you've done and will do to make our 'one day' a reality."

"You're welcome, Captain, but you need to go. I still have work to do, but Mrs. Muir needs to go to bed before I can finish."

He nodded as he hugged her.

"I owe you so much and promise you will be rewarded. Goodnight, Martha."

"Goodnight, Captain. You don't owe me anything, but please don't dawdle on the porch with Mrs. Muir. We all have a big day ahead of us."

"Yes, ma'am he smiled and kissed her cheek.

XXXXX

While Daniel saddled the horse, Carolyn checked on the children to make sure they were asleep. Assured they were, she retrieved the gifts that had been hiding in her closet and took them down to the Christmas tree.

While she was arranging the gifts, she heard the Captain's quiet knock. Slipping into her cape, she eagerly opened the door to join him on the porch and found herself immersed in his loving arms.

"Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight, Daniel. Please be safe riding back to town."

"You can be assured Bonhomme and I will take good care of one another."

"I haven't had a chance, but I wanted to thank you for all you did with Candy and Jonathan today. They told me they had a wonderful time," she told him.

"The feelings are mutual. The only thing that would have made the day better was if you had been with us. Perhaps next year we can all go in search of the perfect Christmas tree."

"They love you very much, you know."

"I do, and I love them," he replied. "And I'm also very fond of their mother."

"Oh, you are, are you?"

"I am. My love, you will never have cause to doubt my love for you," he said and kissed her soundly. Before they could get carried away, he remembered his promise to Martha and stepped back. "I should be going. What time should I be here in the morning? You never did say."

"The earlier the better, but certainly before six. Candy and Jonathan will be up and ready to get started well before the sun comes up."

"I'll be here. Will anyone be up before six?"

Carolyn had to chuckle.

"Daniel, tomorrow is Christmas day; Martha will be up before all of us. She's always an early riser, especially when she has a big dinner to prepare."

"Then, I shall see you when you awaken, my love," he said, kissing her gently.

His eyes twinkled with the knowledge that he would not be kissing her goodnight on the front porch tomorrow night. He just hoped poor Martha was able to get at least some sleep tonight and reminded himself he really needed to come up with some way to thank her properly.

"Goodnight, Daniel."

"Goodnight, my love. Sweet dreams."

Author's Note

Merry Christmas everyone! I had hoped to have this to you Friday night but, as you would expect, life and Christmas got in the way this week.

One paragraph of dialog, when Daniel is talking to the baby in the kitchen, is from the original script of "The Ghost of Christmas Past," written by Jean Holloway. All other dialog was written by me, but every bit of what I write is inspired by Ms. Holloway and the other wonderful writers of the Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

As always, I'd like to thank Mary for being my beta. She is always there whenever I ask for assistance, keeps my head where it needs to be, and encourages me more than she knows.

I'd like to wish everyone the best in the new year and pray 2021 is a whole lot better than 2020 turned out to be. Stay safe.

Peggy