Page 19 of Chloe's Christmas Escape
“Not that I know of.”
“You can’t winter in a covered wagon, son,” Mr. Higgins interjected.
“No, no. I wouldn’t do that.” Jackson held up his hand. “There is a boarding house. It was the first building built in the town. We will stay there until we select where we want to build our house.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” Mrs. Higgins’ focus shifted back to Chloe, who nodded. They pushed aside their dinner dishes and Chloe pulled the cake towards her.
“We should share this with the others. They worked so hard to make it.” She picked up the cake knife from the edge of the tray. “May I?” She glanced around the table.
“It’s your cake, sweet girl,” Mrs. Higgins smiled softly at Chloe.
Portioning out seven pieces, she passed them out and put the three extra slices to the side. Jackson stood, picking up two of the slices and nodding toward the kitchen. Chloe smiled gratefully, picked up the third piece and followed him to the door, where she bumped it with her hip as if she’d been doing it all of her life.
“Ladies,” she called out cheerfully, and a clatter of silverware echoed in response. The three women were at the table, steaming cups of something in front of them.
“Is something wrong with the cake?” the cook asked, quickly pushing away from the table.
“Oh, no, Alice. Not at all. I appreciate you making a beautiful cake. It is a celebration though, and in my family, everyone must have a piece to usher in abundance for the coming year. There would be no way for us to finish it all tonight.” Chloe set the piece she was holding down in front of the chair the cook had abandoned.
“Thank you for your kindness.” Jackson offered cake to the other two women in the room. “We’ll be back again one day.”
“We’ll pack up what you don’t eat to take with you in the morning,” the maid offered helpfully.
“That’s unnecessary, Emma. I divided it evenly, so there is nothing left.”
“Yes, ma’am.” All three nodded, and Jackson hooked an arm around his wife, drawing her back to the dining room.
As the door swung behind them, he looked at Chloe. “You know their names?”
She blinked several times. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Jackson gave a little laugh. “It took me nearly a month to realize they had names.”
She gave him a little smack on the arm. “Silly man. Everyone has a name.”
Leaning down, he brushed his lips against her hair. “I know that. I haven’t heard anyone use them. It amazes me you learned them so quickly.”
After a cup of coffee and a slice of the sweet cake, he was ready to find his bed.
“Thank you for your kindness today,” Chloe spoke as if reading his mind. “But if we are to be up before the sun, we should head to bed.”
“Of course,” Mrs. Higgins smiled. “The girls will fill the tub in the washroom so that you can bathe before you leave. Had I known you were departing so soon, I would have washed your clothes for the journey.”
“You are truly too kind. Jackson says we will be back one day.” Chloe tugged at his hand, and he appreciated her signal to get up and retire.
Standing, he held her chair so that she could get up as well. He gave the couple a nod. “Thank you both.”
“We look forward to having you stay with us again.” Mrs. Higgins clasped her husband’s hand on the tabletop while Jackson ushered Chloe out of the room.
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
He was certain that this night would be agonizing, as he imagined her relaxing in the bathtub across the hall.
Chapter Eight
The first light of dawn had barely crested the horizon, but Chloe was already up and sitting on the top step of the boarding house. She had soaked in the tub until her skin pruned, then sprawled on her bed for what little rest she could muster. She shifted on the step and moved her bag closer to her. Leaning her head against the column, she closed her eyes and prayed for a few minutes more of sleep. The sun hadn’t even risen yet, and it was already too bright for her strained eyes.
She could hear Jackson pace at the bottom of the steps. The sound was reassuring and familiar. With her eyes closed, she could almost imagine it was Da pacing in his office. Without opening her eyes, she asked, “Are you sure there’s a stage this morning?”
