A Baker’s Christmas Wonder (Preview)

Chapter One

Leadville, Colorado

1881

“I’m just going to take these to Matthews Mercantile, Marge,” Katherine said as she picked up the basket.

Marge looked up, flour all the way up to her elbows. Then she frowned at the window, where the snow was still coming down thickly.

“Are you sure, Miss Katherine?” she asked. “It’s started snowing again, and it’s already deep enough that you’ll end up with soaked boots.”

“It’ll be fine. It’s not like I have to go far in this weather.”

“But it’s still four blocks until you get to the general store,” Marge pointed out, blowing a strand of white hair out of her face. “Something could still happen to you.”

Katherine smiled at her employee. Marge was always worried about her boss’s welfare. She was concerned that something would happen whenever Katherine left the bakery on her own. Of course, Leadville had a bit of crime going on, but Katherine had never been bothered by that. She always made sure to go about her deliveries where there were plenty of people and never took a shortcut back to her home or the bakery. Even if something happened, she was always armed with a knife, which she kept in a hidden pocket in her dress.

Not that Marge needed to know that, of course.

“You don’t need to be so flustered. I’ve done the journey so many times that I could probably do the walk with my eyes closed.”

A laugh from behind made Katherine turn around, and Marge’s husband, Elliot, entered the bakery, carrying a tray with freshly baked loaves on top. The top of his bald head was red and shining with sweat.

“Don’t try that out anytime soon, Miss Katherine,” he said as he placed the tray onto the huge counter. “Knowing you, you’ll end up walking into someone or the side of a building.”

“I would not!”

“Really?” Elliot gave her a knowing look. “I remember the last time you declared that you could do it, and then you immediately walked into the side of the door. You had a black eye for about a week.”

“That’s not fair!” Katherine protested. “I was eleven years old when I did that! I’m far older now!”

“You still managed to miss the open doorway and hit the door itself. I thought your father would never stop laughing.”

The slight mention of her father caused a knot in Katherine’s stomach, but she ignored it, rolling her eyes at Elliot’s comment.

“It’s nice to know that my father loved me despite everything,” she grumbled.

“Well, you did make a fool of yourself. At least, he didn’t say ‘I told you so’ after warning you that it wasn’t that simple.”

“I suppose.” Katherine picked up the baskets. “I’d better get going with this. The snow’s just started coming down again, and I want to leave with these before it gets too bad.”

Elliot glanced at Marge, who shrugged with her hands still kneading the dough.

“Don’t look at me, dear. I told her she shouldn’t do it, but you know how Miss Katherine is.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to take them?” Elliot asked as he started to take off his gloves. “It’s far too cold out there.”

Katherine sighed and held up the baskets to show her gloved hands.

“Seriously, you two, stop mothering me. I’ve got a coat, hat, and gloves on. I have done the journey multiple times, and I can handle the snow. It’s nothing to me.”

Elliot grimaced, looking slightly chastised, and Marge sighed.

“Sorry, Miss Katherine. It’s just a force of habit. We’ve known you practically all your life, so it’s hard to imagine you being all grown-up and running a bakery at your young age.”

“I know that, Marge, which is why I’m not bothered by it. It’s sweet that you’re concerned.” Katherine smiled at her to assure the older woman. “You two are sweethearts, and I understand your worries, but you don’t need to. I’m perfectly fine.”

Marge bit her lip. Then she nodded.

“We’re sorry.”

“Don’t be. I love the pair of you, so there’s no harm done.” Katherine gestured at the loaves on the tray. “Hopefully, those will be cool enough to put them out shortly before the rush. I didn’t expect our morning stash to have sold out so quickly.”

“It’s the snow that does that,” Elliot commented. “I don’t know why, but people seem to get hungrier when there’s more snow.”

“That’s because people are concerned about being stuck in a storm and want to make sure they’ve got food to eat,” Marge shot back. “How long have you lived in Leadville that you don’t know that?”

“Well, we never seem to have any troubles when it happens to us.”

Marge rolled her eyes and looked at Katherine.

“You’d think he lived where there’s no snow. Men!”

Katherine could only laugh at their interaction as she left the bakery and started down the street toward the general store. She was looking forward to seeing her friend there and having a brief respite before returning to work. Clara was always in her father’s store helping out, and seeing her friend was the highlight of her day. Her father, Wallace Matthews, preferred his daughter to work constantly, but Clara was not someone to be controlled. She made it perfectly clear.

The weather was bitingly cold, and even with her coat, gloves, and hat on, Katherine was shivering as she walked along the street, keeping to the sidewalk. The wind stung her face, and she could feel her teeth chattering. It didn’t help that it went down the gap between her neck and collar of her coat, which just made her colder. Perhaps she needed to get herself a scarf to replace her last one. That had become so threadbare that it had just disintegrated. Maybe she could ask old Mrs. Haverly across the street if she could knit Katherine a new scarf for payment. She was like a magician with knitting needles.

Just this delivery, and then Katherine could scurry into the back room where the oven was set up and thaw herself out beside it. She hated it during the summer, but it was a blessing during winter. Working with snow outside was like a blessing when the bakery itself was always warm.

She was turning into the street where the general store was, and Katherine could see the front of the shop. Thank goodness for that; the snow had been getting thicker while she had been outside, and it would soon be pretty bad by the time she returned. Her boots were sturdy for this weather, but they were beginning to let the snow in. Her socks felt soggy, and her toes were numb. The snow was already up to her ankles.

Katherine was used to it being rather slippery, but she wasn’t expecting her foot to slip when she put it down. It went forward and Katherine couldn’t help screaming as her legs went in different directions. Momentarily, she began to panic. If she dropped her goods onto the ground, the snow would swallow them up. Matthews would not accept them if they had been dropped.

“Steady there!”

Someone grabbed her around the waist and kept her upright. But it didn’t stop Katherine from dropping one of the baskets. A hand shot out and snagged the handle before it hit the ground, and then he was straightening Katherine upright.

“Are you all right? You looked like you were going to do yourself a mischief there.”

Katherine looked up at her rescuer to say thank you, only for the words to die on her lips when she saw the man standing before her. He was tall, practically towering over her, with short dark hair under his hat. His well-built frame was wearing a long black coat over clothes also in black. His skin was a golden brown, as if he had spent a lot of time in the sun, but Katherine could see the white lines of obvious scars on his cheek and one along his jaw. He looked like he had seen some horrific times.

But it was his eyes that drew Katherine in the most. They were a deep blue, the color of sapphires. And they had a piercing gaze, staring at Katherine with a slight twinkle that made her tremble and not because of the cold.

Then she realized she was staring at him with her mouth open, not doing anything except look like a fool. She cleared her throat and managed a small smile.

“Thank you for that,” she said hurriedly, aware that her face was getting warm. “I appreciate it.”

He smiled back, and Katherine’s knees went weak. Then he held out the basket toward her.

“Just be careful. That could have been very nasty.”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” Katherine commented, taking the basket from him while trying not to touch his hand. “I’m born and raised in Leadville.”

“Really?”

“This is nothing new.”

His smile didn’t leave his face, and Katherine wished he would simply scowl. It would stop her feeling like this. Then again, she felt that her heart would still be racing even if he did that. Then he touched his fingers to his Stetson, bowing his head slightly.

“Well, take care, miss. We don’t want you to get hurt, do we?”

Then he walked away, moving with a confident stride that made Katherine a little envious. She watched him go, unable to look away from the self-assured way he carried himself. Then she remembered what she was meant to be doing and turned away quickly.

“Nice way to make a fool of yourself, Katherine,” she muttered as she continued walking, taking a bit more care where she was putting her feet.

It didn’t take more than a couple of minutes to get to Matthews Mercantile finally, and Katherine got inside by nudging the door open with her hip. Clara Matthews was stocking the shelves near the door, and she hurried off when she saw her friend.

“Careful there!” She grabbed the door and held it open as Katherine came inside. “We don’t want you falling over with all of that.”

“I’ve almost done that already,” Katherine grunted, handing one of the baskets to her. “Luckily, someone stopped me from falling flat on my face and ruining your order.”

“Well, that’s a relief. I wouldn’t want to explain to my father what happened.” Clara put the basket on the counter. “It’s a good thing you’re sure-footed, Katherine.”

“I wasn’t. Like I say, someone stopped me from dropping everything.” Katherine set the basket down with a sigh of relief. She rolled her shoulders; carrying the baskets was fine, but it did tug at the muscles in her arms. “A man dressed all in black saved me. If it hadn’t been for him …”

“A man dressed all in black?” Clara stared at her. “You saw him?”

“What do you mean, Clara? Do you know him?”

“Not really. He just came into the store yesterday asking Father if there was any work around for him.”

So he was a newcomer. Katherine didn’t know everyone in Leadville – it was a big place – but she did know the people in their area. This man certainly stood out, both for the way he dressed and how handsome he was.

God, why did she think of that right now? She couldn’t blush in front of Clara. Her friend would pick up on that immediately.

“Who is he? Do you know?”

“Just that his name is Jason Wells, and he’s looking for work. He had an accent that suggested that he was from somewhere near Chicago. I don’t really know, but I’m sure I’ve heard that twang in his voice before from somewhere.”

“I see.”

Clara grinned, leaning on the counter.

“You thought he was handsome, didn’t you?”

“What?” Katherine jumped. “What makes you think that?”

“Because you’re looking a little flushed, and it’s not from the weather outside.” Clara winked. “You actually found a man attractive. I just know it.”

Katherine groaned. She didn’t like being embarrassed. She prided herself on being a successful and independent businesswoman who didn’t need a man in her life. She had been running the bakery since her father’s death the year before, and Katherine had no intention of letting anyone take that from her. Alfred Houghton had been a proud man who loved his bakery as much as he loved his daughter, and he would do whatever he could to make it the center of the community. Katherine planned to carry on that legacy. She didn’t have time for anything else, only relying on Marge and Elliot, who had been working for her father since he started the business.

She didn’t want anyone thinking otherwise about her finding a man handsome. It was just a fleeting thing for a newcomer she had never seen before; that was it.

“So, when’s the wedding?” Clara giggled.

“Clara!”

“Well, I know how practical you are. You’d be planning the wedding in your head already.”

Katherine gave her a warning look.

“Do you want me to tease you about Ethan? I can do that if you keep teasing me about this.”

Clara’s eyes widened and straightened up quickly.

“Careful!” she hissed, putting a finger to her lips and pointing toward the back of the shop. “Father is in there. I don’t want him hearing about that.”

“Well, I will if you keep going.”

Clara pursed her lips as she pouted.

“Honestly, Katherine, you’re no fun at times.”

Katherine shrugged.

“You still love me, anyway.”

“Unfortunately. Sometimes, I wonder why.”

Laughing, Katherine gestured at the baskets.

“Bring those back to me once you’ve unloaded them. I’ve got plenty of them back at the bakery. And I don’t think my fingers can carry them home.”

Clara arched an eyebrow.

“Are you just trying to get out of carrying a couple of empty baskets home?”

“No. But I would rather not fall over again. The wind is picking up, and if the baskets get caught, I’m going to get pulled along the street.” Katherine imitated the action, which made Clara laugh. “I would rather not hurt myself and look like a fool around everyone else.”

“It might get more people interested enough to come by and see the madwoman.”

“Very amusing.” Katherine headed toward the door. “I’ll see you later, Clara.”

Elliot and Marge could handle the bakery on their own, so Katherine didn’t need to hurry back. But she didn’t know the meaning of slowing down and making the most of her spare time to sit down and do nothing. She was a busy person, and she liked keeping things going.

If she stopped, Katherine was certain that she would never get going again.

***

Jason managed to find the edge of the curb before he ended up tipping himself onto the road. He looked back and forth until the road was clear – which was easy enough when there weren’t many carts and carriages about due to the snow – and then crossed, his boots sturdy enough against the ice and the slush. The snow on the street and the roofs of the buildings was beautiful, but on the main road it was turning dark gray and brown. Puddles were forming, and they looked like they were small patches of ice.

Missouri had snow at this time of year, but it felt like Colorado had something else. It was … more intense.

The saloon, the Great Ox, was right in front of him. Jason was looking forward to a drink and taking refuge in a warm place. The woman who ran the small bed and breakfast where Jason had left his belongings had said that this place was the best for its whiskey, according to her husband. It was also a good spot to look for work and find out things you wouldn’t normally hear in public.

Jason didn’t know what to think about that last part. The person he was in his old life had pricked up his ears at that, but Jason pushed it away. He wasn’t about to get into doing all that again. He left Missouri for a reason; there would be no point in going back to what he was trying to get away from.

He wanted a new life different from what he had before. He wasn’t interested.

At least, that’s what he kept telling himself, and he felt like he was lying.

Coming to Leadville had been a rather outlandish move, one that his friends questioned him about, but Jason wanted something different. Leadville was a frontier town, but it was steadily growing, and there was always an opportunity for someone. Jason had experience with several things over the years and was eager to pick up anything possible. With the money he had brought with him, it would be enough to settle down and start afresh.

The wash of warm air hit him as he stepped into the saloon. It felt like a relief after walking around in the cold snow and feeling the sludge squish through his boots. It was unpleasant, and Jason was grateful to have a moment to dry off and plan his next move.

Perhaps he could ask for some advice on where to find a good job, once he had gathered his thoughts.

As he settled down at a table near the fireplace and asked a passing serving woman for a drink, Jason thought back to when he stopped a pretty young woman from falling over in the snow. He had seen her struggling with the two baskets full of what looked to be bread rolls and cakes. The smell that indicated they were freshly baked had reached his nostrils, and Jason had wanted to stick his face into the products to take a big sniff. It reminded him of growing up across from a bakery as a child. When the woman had slipped and started to fall, Jason’s immediate reaction had been to grab her and the basket. But then the woman was plastered up against his chest, her face looking up at his, and Jason had fallen into the beautiful blue eyes staring back at him. They weren’t as dark as his eyes, but they were certainly stunning. Her dark hair was starting to fall out of the braid she had running down her back, and Jason could see the smattering of freckles across her face. She was a striking woman, and Jason had found that he didn’t want to let her go.

He shook his head and rubbed his hands over his face. He really needed to focus on what was important, not on the pretty women around Leadville. If Jason started chasing women in his current situation, things would get tougher than they already were.

He came here for peace, not for trouble.

The serving girl came back with a tankard, which she placed in front of Jason. He gave her a pleasant smile.

“Thank you. Do you do food here as well?”

“We sure do.” The girl’s accent was distinctly Irish, still very thick, as she grinned at him. “We have a variety of options. Would you like me to find out what is being cooked today?”

“Please.”

Jason hadn’t planned to come in for food, but he was feeling really cold. Food in his belly would go a long way to making him feel warmer than he was now. Giving him another sparkly smile, the serving girl walked away, slightly swaying her hips. As she left, Jason reached into his jacket and brought out his notebook. He might as well do some sketching while he was waiting. He didn’t think he could sit still and do nothing while waiting for the food to come out. Jason wasn’t good at doing that.

Finding his pencil, he opened up to a clean page and began to draw. In his mind’s eye, he saw the girl he had rescued, saw every detail of her face. It was beautiful to him, and Jason felt his chest tighten at the sight of her in his head.

As he began to brush the pencil across the page, the shapes taking form, Jason heard a conversation start behind him by the fire.

“Now that is exactly what I needed. I’ve been waiting for this all day.”

Another voice chuckled.

“I don’t know why you’re talking like this, Meldrew. You’re in here every day drinking the same thing.”

“I like things to be the same, Teddy. It makes things simple for me. And life isn’t simple anymore.”

“I know the feeling,” Teddy grunted, followed by a slurp of liquid. “It’s just a lot of hard work at the moment. Especially with the Eddie Blue gang going around harassing people.”

“Eddie Blue? He’s come back around here again?”

“It would appear so. Old Man Carlson was attacked, and his place was ransacked last night. He recognized a few of the men and knew they were from Eddie Blue’s posse.”

Meldrew snorted.

“I don’t know why he would keep coming back and attacking almost the same places. Didn’t Carlson get attacked this time last year?”

“It was either Eddie Blue or Carlson’s wife. They’re not on the best terms, and we all know how much of a battle axe she is.”

“No more than my wife,” Meldrew muttered, making a sound like he was smacking his lips a moment later.

“He complains about everyone,” Teddy said with a grunt. “He’s like that with everyone.”

“That’s a fair point. But he does have a legitimate concern regarding the Eddie Blue gang. They’re a big problem.” Meldrew made a noise that made Jason jump. It was somewhere between a sneeze and a cough. “I don’t know why they keep targeting the same places each time. Either they’re going with familiarity, or they’re sending a message. I’m not entirely sure which one of those it is.”

“I don’t know what’s going on there, either,” Teddy replied. “Blue isn’t exactly someone with motives on his sleeve.”

“I thought it was wearing your heart on your sleeve.”

“You know what I mean,” Teddy said dismissively. “Do you think Carlson will report to the sheriff this time? He didn’t last year.”

Meldrew sighed.

“I doubt it. There’s something about Sheriff Roxton that makes me very uncomfortable.”

“What? He’s a charismatic man, or is that something you don’t like?” Teddy teased.

“That’s the problem. He’s too charming. Like he’s trying too hard. And I heard rumors that he left Texas because he was accepting bribes to look the other way when it came to crime.”

Teddy scoffed.

“I don’t think that’s the case. He’s still new, Meldrew. It’s only been six months since he came to town.”

“And he went straight into the sheriff position when Sheriff Clyde had no intentions of passing it on to someone else. Days after he arrived, Roxton is in his place and Clyde is gone. There’s nothing to indicate that anything happened, but we all know Roxton did something.”

Meldrew’s voice was getting louder, almost like he was standing directly behind Jason. He jumped when the Irish serving girl appeared at his side again.

“Do you still want to eat, sir?” she asked.

“I … yes, please.”

Jason tried to concentrate on the list she gave him while attempting to ignore the conversation behind him with the two men. He hadn’t planned to eavesdrop, but the mention of Eddie Blue got his attention. He hadn’t encountered the gang, but their reputation was everywhere. Jason had heard about them back where he lived before. They were not people to be trifled with, and Jason was glad they hadn’t ventured into Missouri lately.

But with a gang around Leadville and a possibly corrupt sheriff … Jason had a feeling that Leadville was not going to be as quiet as he wanted. Problems were going to follow him no matter what happened.

Maybe there wasn’t much point in leaving Missouri and settling in Colorado in the first place.