The door to the Travis' room opened and Evie started to step back out to go back downstairs and put away the pie she had forgotten and left out on the table. She stopped in her tracks when she saw that the hall was still occupied by the young couple, and that they were too wrapped up in each other to realize that they we no longer alone. Her pulse quickened, as she stood there mesmerized by their kiss. She had seen them kiss before, but always when they knew there was a chance that someone could happen to see them, so they had kept them more subdued. Now, in this moment of unguarded intimacy, she saw the raw passion that existed between them. With an effort, she forced herself to look away and closed the door quietly."I thought you were going downstairs," the judge commented from where he sat pulling his boots off.
"I changed my mind," Evie said as she crossed the room to get her nightgown from the hook on the closet door. Her husband's puzzled expression got her to continue. "Ezra and Mary are saying goodnight. I don't want to disturb them."
"Then I'll go," Travis said as he started to get up. "They don't need to be carrying on here under our roof."
"No you won't. Orin, they aren't doing anything wrong; it's just a goodnight kiss."
"If it is just a kiss then why won't you go out of our own door?" This time he did stand and start across the room.
Evie blocked his way. "It is just a kiss, but it is the first totally unguarded moment I've seen, and I don't want to interrupt that." She stepped closer to her husband and wrapped her arms around him. "I didn't think I would ever see Mary really happy again. I wish we had Steven back and it was he that brought that light into her eyes, but we can't and it isn't. No amount of wishing is going to change that, but she's in love and it does my heart good to see her this way."
"I think the part that bothers me is that she seems happier with him than she was with Steven," the judge admitted. "I know they loved each other, but I don't remember ever seeing her look at our son like she does at Ezra."
"She did, but we just weren't really looking for it then. We knew how they felt, and we didn't need to see constant proof of it. I see you watching their every move like you keep expecting one of them to slip up so you can find a reason to not like him again." Evie laid her head on Orin's shoulder and sighed. "Why don't you stop trying to find something wrong and let yourself see the joy that they bring to each other?"
Travis hugged his wife close and lowered his head to capture her lips with his. "Who made you such a fountain of wisdom?" he asked when the kiss ended.
"I learned from the best," she said with a sly smile. "I learned from you."
+ + + + + + +
Ezra's hands followed Mary's spine, one moving upward to cradle the back of her neck, while the other roamed farther down to cup her bottom and press her tighter to him. His lips left her mouth, trailed soft kisses across her jawbone and paused to nuzzle at her ear a moment before continuing down the side of her neck.
A soft moan escaped Mary's lips as her body responded to the familiar touch. Suddenly, the soft moist lips left her neck and she felt herself pushed slightly away, not far enough to seem like a rejection, but enough to make it clear that it was deliberate. She struggled to get her breathing back under control as she searched Ezra's eyes for an explanation.
"Darlin', we have to stop this. This isn't the place, and we both know that Orin and Evie would disapprove." The gambler hated seeing the look of disappointment in Mary's eyes. "We need to control ourselves, even if we don't want to," he added with a wink
"Yes, you're right, at least for right now, but I happen to know that they are both very sound sleepers," she responded softly.
"Mary…" the southerner said in a coaxing tone.’Are you trying to get me in trouble with the Judge?"
She snuggled up closer to him again and smiled. "No, but I thought you liked to live on the edge."
"The key word there is live, and if I don't behave myself I might not get to do that much longer." His tone was serious but his eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Then I suppose I should keep you at arm's distance the rest of the time we are here," Mary replied stoically, and tried to step back from him.
Ezra tugged her back against him and looked her straight in the eyes. "I said I need to behave myself, not turn into a monk." He claimed her lips with his to make sure she realized just how much he really did want her.
"Ummmm…" she moaned into the kiss and then steeled her resolve when his lips left hers. "Well, if we have to be good, then I should go in my room while I can still manage to pull myself away from you."
"Goodnight" The gambler kissed her lightly and then let go of her. When she turned to look at him after she went into her room and just before she closed the door, he whispered softly. "I love you."
"I love you too." She smiled at him and then reluctantly closed the door.
Ezra looked at the door for a moment and then turned his back. The thought of spending the night alone again wasn't very appealing. At least back in Four Corners they could find some private time, or he could slip up to her room on nights that Billy stayed with the Potters. He was very glad that Billy and the oldest Potter boy were such good friends.
He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it in the closet, and then undressed down to his underwear before quickly climbing into the cold bed. Shivers plagued him for a couple minutes until his body heat started to warm the covers. Once the initial chill had passed his mind was able to focus on another problem, and he groaned.
Not again, he thought. It's just going to have to go away. I am not going to keep doing that. I never had so much trouble controlling myself before." He shifted uncomfortably under the covers, and moaned again when the blankets pressed lightly against his swollen manhood. "Damn!" he complained under his breath. "Two more weeks, that's all I need to get through is two more weeks."
The southerner rolled over with his back to the door and tried to think about something besides the discomfort in his groin. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep his mind away from thoughts of Mary's kisses and the feel of her in his arms. "Ah, hell!" He flipped over on his back and reached under the pillow for the handkerchief he had started keeping there.
"Does that mean you want me to leave?" A soft voice whispered from just inside the door.
"What the.."
"Shhhhh…" Mary shushed him as she moved soundlessly across the wooden floor. She sat on the edge of his bed and leaned down to silence his question with a kiss.
He couldn't help himself. She felt so good and his body was doing his thinking for him by that point. The gambler pulled her down next to him on the narrow bed and rolled to half trap her beneath him as he enticed her mouth open with his tongue. They fought for control of the kiss, neither wanting to relinquish control because they were both so starved for the contact.
Mary pulled herself free just long enough to pull back the covers and crawl under them with Ezra before she pulled him back into another fierce kiss. Trembling fingers fumbled with the buttons at the front of his winter underwear. She needed to touch him, to feel his skin against hers. A stubborn button had her tugging at the fabric in frustration.
The gambler managed to pull one hand away from its explorations of Mary's body to help with the offending button, and then it slipped back down to pull at the hem or her gown. His palm skimmed up the smooth skin of her thigh to her hip and then across to rest on her stomach. All the while they continued the fiery kiss that threatened to consume them.
When Ezra's hand slid downward to cup the mound of her womanhood, they both moaned. The sound brought the gambler to his senses momentarily, and his lips left hers to hover barely and inch above them. "We shouldn't…you shouldn't be here…" he gasped. “What if they hear?"
"They won't, if we're quiet." Mary stretched up to kiss him insistently. "Ezra, I need you. I don't think I can stand two more weeks of having you just a few feet away behind a closed door and not being able to touch you."
"Ohhh… darlin'. Those are my thoughts exactly." He tugged her gown up far enough to bare her completely up past her breasts. "I want this off of you, but I don't think we should take that chance."
She nodded as she worked his underwear over his shoulders and pushed it off his arms. Another tug, with his help, had them down to his knees. "Just make love to me, please!" she begged and urged him to move up over her.
As badly as he needed her, Ezra refused to rush. He leaned lower to trail soft wet kisses down her chest to her breast. His tongue swirled around the taut nipple, and he could feel her tremble when he sucked it into his mouth.
"Ohhh…yes," she whispered, even thought she wanted to cry out as the sensations flooded her body.
The gambler released the nipple and teased his way over to the other one, drawing close and then backing off until he she grabbed his head and pushed him toward the neglected nub. He chuckled softly as he nipped at the rosy bud and then pulled it into his mouth. Her soft moan was his undoing, and he slipped his hand back down between her legs to massage the soft mound with his palm. When she pressed herself more firmly against his fingers, he gently worked one finger between the folds to tease at the small sensitive nub hidden there. She was wet and ready for him, but he still urged her closer to her own release before he allowed himself to claim her. His rigid shaft throbbed against her belly where it lay trapped between their bodies. The urge to move and use the contact of their bodies to bring him close was almost overwhelming, but still he held back.
"Please!" Mary gasped. Her lips nearly brushed against his ear, allowing her warm breath to tickle him. "Ohhh…please." Her breath was ragged from desire; she clung to him, trying to urge him into completing their coupling.
Ezra removed his hand and pressed against her leg to get her to open them for him. He pressed the head of his engorged shaft against her and she thrust her hips upward, impaling herself on his manhood. His eyes closed and he released a throaty sigh as the ecstasy of feeling himself engulfed inside her overloaded his senses. A few seconds later his need for release urged him to move. They were both so aroused that it didn't take long. When he felt her muscles clamping down around him as her own orgasm surged through her, he lost what small amount of control he still had. A few more thrusts had him filling her with his seed.
They lay entwined in each other's arms, gasping for breath as their bodies recovered from their lovemaking. Ezra reached up to wipe a stray strand of hair away from Mary's eyes and allowed his hand to linger there to caress her face. "I keep thinking that someday I will awaken and discover that this was all a dream, just a fantasy my mind created to torture me." He rested his forehead against hers and sighed. "I don't know what I have done to deserve you."
"Played your cards right?"
"Oh, that was bad." The gambler chuckled softly and kissed the end of her nose playfully. "Here I am trying to be serious and you are making gambler jokes, bad gambler jokes."
"I thought it was pretty good, myself," Mary replied softly as she snuggled against him.
"It was a good effort, darlin'." He wrapped his arms around her and sighed in contentment. "You know we can't go to sleep, don't you?"
"Ummmm.. just for a little while?"
"You know how much I love to wake up with you in my arms, but it would not be a pleasant scene if we were caught here together," the southerner said sensibly.
"I know, but I can wish."
The two talked quietly for several minutes until they were both fighting to stay awake. Mary's eyes drifted shut, and Ezra shook her gently to wake her from her doze. "Mary, you should go so you can get some sleep."
"Umm humm," she agreed sleepily and reluctantly crawled out of the bed. "I'll see you in the morning."
Ezra sat up and kissed her tenderly when she leaned down to him and then watched her as she left his room and closed the door. The bed felt so empty and cold without her there with him.
He was never going to get used to mornings. Then again, he wasn't going to get used to going to bed around the time he would usually be starting his night's work. At least he had been getting plenty of sleep.
"Good morning!" Evie greeted him when he entered the kitchen. "Did you sleep well?"
Ezra really hoped he didn't have a guilty expression on his face when he tried to answer. He covered the sudden catch in his voice with a cough. "Excuse me. Yes, I did. Thank you." When Evie set a cup of coffee in front of him, he picked it up quickly to sip the hot brew and forestall the need to say anything else for a few moments. He just couldn't decide if it was his imagination or if the look she was giving him meant she knew what had taken place the night before.
"That's good." She filled a plate with eggs and bacon for him and then got a cup of coffee for herself. "Orin went to the office for a couple of hours. He just can't let a day go by without at least checking in. Billy loves to go to the office so he took him with him since they wouldn't be there too long." She paused to sip her coffee and studied the gambler.
"Where's Mary?" Ezra asked between bites.
"She had a couple last minute errands, so I guess you are stuck with me this morning," she teased.
"My dear Mrs. Travis, I would never consider myself to be stuck with you."
"That was a very sweet thing to say." Evie smiled at the compliment. "Before Mary gets back though, I think we should talk about something."
Ezra froze with his fork halfway to his mouth, which had suddenly gone very dry. He looked back up at his hostess and tried to keep his poker face in place as he responded. "Of course. What would you like to talk about?"
"You look like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar," Evie said accusingly. "When are you going to get the idea that you really are welcome here and no one is judging everything you do?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I had been giving that impression. The Judge and you have been such gracious hosts; no one could have made me feel more welcome than you have." The southerner meant every word he said, but inside he still wondered if she would be so gracious if she knew that he had seriously breached that hospitality last night.
"Relax; all I wanted to talk to you about was tonight. I wanted to know if you needed any help with the gifts and things. I got the impression from our talk last night that you hadn't had much in the way of Christmas celebrations. I just thought you might have some questions or something."
"Yes, I would be most grateful for some assistance. I have gifts but I am afraid I don't know what to do with them." Ezra let the tension drain that had hit suddenly when she said she wanted to talk to him.
"Mary has slipped her gifts into our room, because she'll have to try to keep Billy from waking up once we do get him to sleep. Orin and I will bring those packages downstairs as soon as Mary lets us know he's asleep. If you would like, you can bring your things at the same time, or I can come and get you after we finish with our things." Evie waited for him to consider the options.
"I think after you finish would be better. Three of us milling around out in the hall all at once would be more likely to wake Billy."
"That is my thought too, but I didn't want you to feel like I was putting you off."
"Not at all. I appreciate the offer to help."
Any further conversation was cut off by the sound of a very rambunctious boy as he came barreling into the kitchen followed closely by his grandfather.
"Ezra, look up," Evie said.
The mischievous twinkle in her eyes and the hint of a smile on her lips had him a little wary, but he looked up over his head anyway. Hanging from the center of the doorframe he stood in was a sprig of some kind of greenery. He studied it with a puzzled expression; sure that he was missing the significance of it, and feeling a little dull-witted for not having a clue what it was all about.
"It's mistletoe." The judge came to his rescue with an explanation. "It's a tradition at Christmas. Anyone caught standing under it gets a kiss."
Before the southerner could respond, Evie had closed the short distance between them to give him a kiss on the cheek. He ducked his head and blushed hotly, embarrassed by the gesture but delighted to be included in their tradition. When he recovered and glanced back up to see Evie Travis grinning at him he couldn't help but grin back, showing his dimples and a glint of gold when the light hit his gold tooth. "I do believe that is one tradition that I can definitely enjoy."
"Obviously," Mary teased, "since you are still standing there."
"Ah, well… now that I know what it's for, I thought perhaps if I stood here long enough someone else might grace me with a kiss."
"If you're expecting me to kiss you, you can just forget it." Orin Travis managed to keep such a straight face and serious tone that it took a few moments for his words to sink in.
Evie was the first to laugh and pressed her fingers to her mouth to try to stifle the sound, but it was a hopeless effort. Her laughter infected the others and soon they were all clutching their sides and trying to catch their breath. "I don't know which of you had the funniest expression, you…" she said, pointing to Ezra, "…or you." She wiped at a tear that threatened to spill over and shook her head as she pointed to her husband. "I think you surprised yourself as much as us, and poor Ezra didn't know whether to take you seriously or not."
Mary took pity on the southerner and crossed the room to wrap her arms around him. When Ezra turned his head to look at her, she leaned in to give him a kiss. It was meant to be just a quick peck, but the touch of his lips caused her good intentions to fly out the window.
"Ewwww!"
Reluctantly, Mary ended the kiss and looked toward her son and giggled.
"The time will come when you don't say ewww at the thought of kissing a girl," Ezra told the young boy and gave him a wink.
"Ezra's right," Billy's grandfather said as he scooped the boy up in his arms and made a point of giving Evie a quick kiss with the boy caught between them.
"Yuck!" The child wrinkled his nose as if he had smelled something bad.
The adults all chuckled at the expression on the child's face. "Don't worry, Billy. We don't expect you to start liking that until you're a lot older," the judge assured the boy. "You know, you should be getting to bed, young man. If you want Santa Claus to come, you need to be asleep."
"I don't want to go to bed." The boy was tired but he was fighting sleep. He was too excited to give up easily.
"How about a story, and then you go to bed?" When his grandson agreed, he carried him over to a rocking chair near the fireplace and settled the boy on his lap. Billy leaned against his grandfather's chest and looked up at him expectantly.
Everyone settled down to listen to Orin's story as he told about the first Christmas. The judge patiently answered the child's questions when he asked them, and he had the rapt attention of his entire audience. When the story came to a close it was clear that Billy wasn't about to give in to sleep yet. The adults looked at each other and sighed.
"I have something that you might like," Ezra offered. "If you'll just give me a moment." He made a quick trip up to his room and came back carrying a book.
"Here, why don't you sit here if you're going to read. The light is better." The judge got up, still holding Billy, and moved to another chair.
"Thank you." The gambler settled into the empty seat. "This doesn't begin to compare to the story we just heard, but perhaps you will enjoy it." He smiled at Billy and held the book up for him to see. "There are pictures with the story. Would you like to see them?"
Billy nodded and looked up at his grandfather uncertainly. He wanted to go to Ezra, but he still remembered how his grandfather had acted toward the gambler last time he came to Four Corners. His grandfather had been so angry then, but now he seemed to like Ezra, and the whole situation had Billy confused.
"Go on," the judge told him as he lifted the boy off his lap.
The youngster scrambled onto Ezra's lap and leaned against his chest like he had his grandfather's. He waited patiently while the southerner found the right page and showed him the picture that went along with the title. The smile that lit up the boy's face warmed the gambler's heart, making him glad that he had found the book. He was totally oblivious to the others in the room as he gave his full attention to Billy.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
or Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas
by
Major Henry Livingston Jr. (1748-1828)
(previously believed to be by Clement Clarke Moore)'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;"Saint Nicholas?" Billy looked up puzzled.
"Santa Claus," Ezra explained. "In some parts of the world he is called Saint Nicholas."
"Oh."
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,"What's a sugar-plum?"
"A plum is a fruit. They're about this big…" Ezra indicated the approximate size by making a circle with his fingers. "…and a sugar-plum is a plum that has been cooked in a thick sugar syrup and then dried."
"Have you ever tasted one?"
"Indeed I have. They are common around this time of year back east. I still know some people back there who might be persuaded to send us some. Would you like that?"
Billy nodded and rubbed at his eyes sleepily.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer."Reindeer?" The boy looked up at Ezra with a puzzled expression.
"I have never actually seen a reindeer, but I have it on good authority that they are real creatures similar to an elk. See there's a picture of the reindeer pulling the sleigh."
"Yeah! You think there's deer that would really pull a sleigh?"
"Well, if not, then Santa Claus wouldn't be able to get here, would he?"
Billy thought on that a moment and then nodded, apparently deciding that it must be true.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too."Toys? He's got toys in the sleigh?"
"Yes. See?" The gambler pointed out a picture of the loaded sleigh. "You suppose one of yours is in that sleigh?"
Billy shrugged. "Maybe."
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.A pair of wide eyes looked up at him causing Ezra to pause again. "What is it?"
"How do they get on the roof?" The boy stared at the picture of the sleigh and reindeer sitting on a rooftop.
"Why they fly, of course," the gambler said, as if a flying reindeer wasn't at all unusual.
"Fly? Really?" The youngster was amazed by this revelation. "Wow!"
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;Billy reached out and touched the picture of Santa Claus and smiled. "He looks nice," he said and then stifled a yawn.
"I would say that he is very nice, and he must love children very much."
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"The gambler shifted position carefully so he could look down at the boy. Somewhere during those last verses, Billy had finally lost the battle and had drifted off to sleep. Ezra closed the book and stuck it beside him in the chair so he could hold onto the sleeping child more securely.
"If we give him a few more minutes to get into a deeper sleep, we should be able to get him up to bed without waking him," Mary whispered.
"Just say when," Ezra acknowledged softly. "If it is like any other night he will be out for the night."
"Normally, yes, but this isn't just any other night," Evie added. "It is like he has this built in signal that shouts at him to wake up."
"Ezra, where did you get that story book? I had never heard that one before," Mary asked. "It was wonderful, and I could tell Billy really liked it."
"I was uncertain about whether it would be appropriate after I bought it. You can't imagine how relieved I was to hear that Santa Claus is part of your holiday tradition."
"It was a perfect choice," the elder Mrs. Travis reassured him. "I want to see the pictures you showed to Billy."
Ezra pulled the book back out of the side of the chair and handed it across to the older woman. "The illustrator did a wonderful job."
"I think I'll go up and get ready for bed. Maybe he'll stay asleep if I'm there and have the bed warmed up. Would you bring him up in about ten minutes?" Mary rose from her chair and then paused, waiting for the southerner's reply.
"Certainly."
"Thank you." She stopped by the rocking chair long enough to give the gambler a quick kiss and then headed up stairs.
"Orin, why don't you help me make some cocoa? Ezra, after you take him up to Mary, why don't you join us in the kitchen for a bit?" Evie offered. "We'll need to give him time to get into a deep sleep again."
"Thank you, I'd like that," Ezra responded and smiled at his hostess.
"It still beats me how a boy who could sleep through a cyclone can wake up so easily on Christmas Eve," the Judge whispered to his wife on the way out of the room.
"That's easy," Evie answered. "It's the only night of the year that he is listening for Santa Claus."
The room grew quiet after everyone had gone. Only the crackling of the fire and the soft squeak of the rocking chair broke the silence. Billy shifted slightly and sighed in his sleep.
Ezra watched, amazed by the innocence on that young face. It was hard to believe that this was the same youngster who was like a miniature whirlwind when he was awake. He hugged the child closer and closed his eyes in contentment. Had his mother ever felt like this with him? She was his own flesh and blood, but she treated him with less warmth and compassion than she did most strangers. But now, sitting here holding Mary's slumbering son, he felt like he was finally home, and that for the first time he had a family. Billy might not be of his blood, but the gambler found it hard to believe that he could love a child of his own any more than he loved this small boy. After all, he was a part of Mary, and Mary had become the focus of his life.
The southerner glanced at the mantle clock and was surprised to see that he had been sitting there lost in thought for a quarter of an hour. Billy was sound asleep and didn't even stir when the Ezra rose from the chair and made his way up the stairs. The door to Mary's room was open and the lamp was turned down to a dim glow. He moved around to the opposite side of the bed and watched Mary scoot over to make room for her son.
"Can you help me with his clothes?" She started working on the buttons of her boy's shirt, and Ezra removed his boots and loosened his pants and slid them off. He helped turn Billy enough that they could get his arms out of his shirtsleeves and then quickly pulled the covers up over the child while the bed was still warm from his mother's body heat. "Thank you."
"I will see you in the morning," the gambler told the pretty blonde. "Sleep tight."
"I will. Goodnight." Mary raised up slightly to give him a lingering kiss goodnight when he stopped by her side of the bed on the way out of the room. "Try not to be up too late. I guarantee he will be awake at the crack of dawn."
"I will make every effort to heed that advice. Goodnight, darlin'." Ezra left the room and quietly pulled the door shut behind him. He took the steps slowly to keep from making too much noise.
The smell of cocoa greeted him when he entered the kitchen and he smiled. "Evie, you will have me spoiled if you continue to offer me such irresistible treats."
Mrs. Travis giggled and grinned at the younger man. "I don't usually have anyone here to spoil except Orin, so I like to take advantage of the situation when I get someone else here to pamper."
"Did Billy wake up when you took him upstairs?" the Judge asked. "If not, we might be able to get started sooner."
"No, he didn't even bat an eyelash."
"Good! He had a long day, but he was so determined to stay awake. That is part of why I took him with me so early this morning. I was hoping it would make him tired enough to sleep."
"Since he is sleeping so well, I am going to go up and get part of our things while you two finish your cocoa. Ezra, I'll come and help you after Orin and I finish. You can stay down here or wait upstairs, whichever you want to do." Evie didn't even wait for a response before he left the room.
"Does it really take all that much time to prepare things?"
The Judge nodded. "Yes. You'd have to know my wife better to understand. She wants everything just perfect. Everyone has to have a stocking hung on the mantel and stuffed with treats. We always put out some special decorations, and then the gifts have to be set out just so. You'll see."
"Apparently I shall. Is there something I can do to help?" The gambler wanted to see the preparations, since this was his first real Christmas.
"You can help me bring in the wreath and hang it," Travis offered. "I always make sure we have plenty of wood in too, so we don't have to miss out on anything by going out for more in the morning. We try to keep the fire built up pretty good, because it is one time when we all gather around in our robes and nightshirts, or whatever you sleep in." He laughed at the puzzled expression on the younger man's face. "You'll see. It is impossible to look into those blue eyes and tell that child that he has to wait until everyone is dressed to open his Christmas presents. So, it is a very informal time." He paused and looked at the gambler questioningly. "Did you bring a robe? If not, I have one you can use. Evie got me a new one last year for Christmas, but the old one is still serviceable."
"Actually, no. I didn't think to bring one, since I didn't plan to be out of my room without being fully dressed. Especially since I had planned on staying at the hotel." Ezra explained. "I hate to admit it, but I don't even own one."
"I'll get it for you when we get finished. Are you ready?" Orin smiled when his guest nodded and rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
"Where do we start?"
+ + + + + + +
An hour later the sitting room had been transformed. A large wreath made of pine boughs hung over the mantle where five well stuffed stockings hung. The wood box was full for morning, candles were set in their holders, small wooden carvings were set out to depict the nativity, and the Travis' gifts had all been set out on each side of the fireplace.
"I am no authority on this, but isn't there usually a tree?" Ezra asked.
"If we were back east we would have had one, but here they are harder to find. We started making the wreaths, rather than destroying what pine trees there are here. They don't miss a few branches though." Evie stood back to eye her handy work. "All right, now let's get your things brought down here."
At the top of the steps, Orin ducked into his room and came back out a couple minutes later. "Here you go," he said as he handed the younger man his extra robe.
"Thank you. I appreciate the loan of it." The gambler accepted the offered garment and laid it neatly over the chair in his room.
"I am heading to bed. Evie, I'll warm up your side for you." The judge went back to his own room and softly closed the door.
"Now, what all do you have to take down?" Mrs. Travis asked. "Will one trip do, or will we need to make two?"
"I think one should do fine." Standish went to the bottom drawer of the small bureau and started removing packages. He had two each for all four of the Travis' and one extra one for Billy that he left in the drawer for the moment. Later he would slip it into the pocket of the robe so he wouldn't forget it in all the excitement. He wanted to give that one to him personally, so he planned to take it down himself in the morning.
A few minutes later found eight new packages added to the rather impressive stacks near the hearth. Ezra smiled at the sight and sighed. "It's too bad that there is no way to take photographs of events such as these."
"True, but who knows. Someday maybe that will be possible. It wasn't all that long ago that it would have been unheard of for a photographer to come into a town the size of ours, but now they pass through several times a year." Evie stepped closer and slipped a hand through the crook of his arm. "We could stand here and look at this all night, but it isn't going to make it any easier to get up when that child's eyes pop open in the morning. Come on, off to bed with you. Morning will be here way too early."
"I will take your word on it as the voice of experience." He nodded and gestured gallantly for her to take the lead. "After you."
Ezra glanced at his pocket watch before putting out the light. It was after one in the morning already. He chuckled to himself. Back home he would still be at the gaming tables and not planning to leave them anytime soon. Now he could hardly keep his eyes open. It took only a minute to strip out of his street clothes and crawl into the bed. This was one night that he went straight to sleep.
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