Melinda and the Wild West (10 page)

“Pa, watch out.”

Just as he looked toward her, the snowball
hit him in the chest. Surprised, he quickly slid off his horse and
grabbed a handful of snow and hid it behind his back.

Walking toward Jenny, he said, “So, Jenny.
You want to play? You want a snowball fight, eh?”

Jenny smiled and nodded.

“All right, you asked for it.”

Quickly he swung his arm forward and the
snowball hit Jenny right on the chin.

Jenny was not ready for such a sneaky move
and was startled. Then she burst into laughter, “Hey, Pa. That was
fast thinking. I didn’t even have time to duck.”

Noticing a handful of snow in Jenny’s hand,
Gilbert warned, “Hey, Jen. If you want Saint Nicholas to visit you
this Christmas, you’d better be good to your pa or a piece of coal
may end up in your stocking this year.”

As Melinda watched, she was silently laughing at
the fun that a father and his daughter could have together.

Jenny giggled as she dropped the snowball on the
ground. She understood her father’s warning and he did not have to
say more. They tied their horses to the hitching post and walked
arm in arm toward the house.

As they sat around the kitchen table
talking, Gilbert noticed the beautiful Christmas tree through the
doorway. It was decorated in red and gold with a star on top. There
was a wreath above the fireplace and a toy train had been placed
around the tree for decoration. A few presents had been placed
under the tree and just above the kitchen doorway was mistletoe for
fun and tradition.

Gilbert grinned at the mistletoe and looked
over at Melinda, but when his eyes met Aunt Martha’s, she winked at
him, which made him laugh. It was a low, pleasant sounding laugh
and Melinda suddenly turned her head and looked at Gilbert in a
questioning manner, but he only shrugged and smiled.

“So, where are you going for Christmas,
Melinda?” he asked.

“Back to Boston. I leave tomorrow
morning.”

“That’s near the ocean, isn’t it?”

“Yes, the Atlantic.”

“Do you get snow there?”

“Yes, but not like this. I’ve never seen
such deep snow as this before. And the mountains? Goodness. We
don’t have mountains in Boston. There are beauties here that I
never imagined.”

Gilbert smiled. He loved this area, living in the
Rocky Mountains. People called it the Wild West because it had not
been tamed. But many moved to the West for peace of mind, away from
the noises and humdrum of city life. There was something peaceful
about the West, yet exciting at the same time. There was a touch of
danger to those who were not used to the West, but they soon
learned how to deal with it. Paris was Gilbert’s home and he was
proud of it.

After supper was over, Melinda sat at the
piano and played Christmas carols while everyone lounged in chairs
and sang along. After a while, Gilbert stood and walked over to the
piano and watched Melinda’s hands dance gracefully across the keys
as he sang. His deep, rich baritone voice rang through the room and
Melinda was very surprised that this rugged rancher had such a
lovely voice. She was learning more about him each time he came
over for Sunday dinner, which was nearly every week. For some
reason, Aunt Martha had taken him under her wing and he was
becoming a regular guest in the home.

When the song came to an end, she turned in
her seat and looked up into his face. “You have a lovely
voice.”

Gilbert could see the surprise in her eyes
and hear it in her voice. He raised his eyebrows and said jokingly,
“Thanks. I sing to my cows so they’ll give me more milk.”

Melinda laughed at the thought of Gilbert
singing to his cows. “Now that’s something I would like to
see.”

Gilbert enjoyed her delightful laughter and noticed
that her eyes glowed with happiness. Her charm was like a fairy
gift from angels. And she had an ethereal beauty about her that
made it difficult to stop gazing at her. Was it because it was
Christmas that made her seem lovelier to him? Was it his
imagination that she was more at ease around him or were they just
getting to know one another better? He had noticed his attraction
toward her was growing with each visit and he looked forward to
every Sunday meal at Martha’s home.

“Mr. Roberts, have you heard of ‘Far, Far
Away on Judea’s Plains’?”

“Yes, I have. And please call me
Gilbert.”

She smiled but didn’t respond to his
request. “Did you know that it was composed by John Macfarlane from
St. George, Utah?”

“Yes, I did.”

Gilbert was amused that Melinda would
underestimate his knowledge of music. He did not know the classical
composers and music like Melinda did, but when it came to Christmas
music he had no competition. Christmas was one of his favorite
times of the year. He did know one classical composer, though, and
that was Handel because he had written “Joy to the World.”

With sort of a bragging tone, he said, “In
fact, Melinda, did you know that he woke up in the middle of the
night with the tune and words in his head?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“It was so strong that he couldn’t go back
to sleep, so he woke his wife up and asked her to help him. He
played and sang the song as his wife wrote down each note and word.
They stayed up all night until they finished the song.”

Melinda’s eyes lit up. “I didn’t know
that.”

“He died four years ago in 1892.”

“I didn’t know that, either.” She smiled.
“Do you want to sing it with me?”

Gilbert nodded and she turned back to the piano,
flipped the page over, and began playing.

Gilbert’s rich baritone voice blended
beautifully with Melinda’s mellow alto voice. The blend of harmony
was so beautiful and each word was sung with such feeling that a
hush came over the room as they sang.

Far, far away on Judea’s plains,

Shepherds of old heard the joyous
strains:

Glory to God, Glory to God,

Glory to God in the highest;

Peace on Earth, good-will to men;

Peace on Earth, good-will to men!

After they finished the song, the room was
still and no one said a word. Melinda could feel the sweet spirit
in the room and she turned to look at Gilbert. He had an air of
contentment about him and she wondered if he could feel the
peaceful atmosphere in the room as she did.

When their eyes met, Melinda felt warmth
creep into her cheeks. His eyes seemed to be searching hers. But
why? Feeling uncomfortable, she quickly averted her eyes and
stood.

“Jenny, I have a gift for you because I
won’t be here for Christmas to give it to you,” Melinda said.

Melinda walked over to the Christmas tree,
picked up a small gift, and handed it to Jenny and then sat down.
Jenny’s eyes sparkled with delight as she ripped the paper open.
Inside the package was a lovely blue ribbon.

“It’s for your hair, Jenny. And it’s your
favorite color, too.”

Jenny ran to Melinda and wrapped her arms around her
neck, hugging her tightly. Melinda sighed and wrapped her arms
around Jenny. Jenny’s voice sounded constricted as she spoke,
“Thank you, Miss Gamble.” She looked up into Melinda’s eyes and
said lovingly, “I love you.”

Melinda was touched. She had not expected
this sudden display of affection. She had never had a student tell
her that before. Her eyes moistened and her chest was tight with
emotion. These were such simple words, yet they seemed to have an
intense effect upon her.

Gilbert watched his daughter and Melinda. He
saw how touched Melinda was by his daughter’s affection and he saw
his daughter’s love for her teacher. No other teacher had ever
affected his daughter like this before. In fact, no other teacher
had ever cared enough to help his daughter in school before. He
knew Melinda had done some good in his daughter’s life. In fact, he
felt that she had made a difference in his own life, too. He felt
alive again, as he had never felt before.

Aunt Martha had watched Gilbert at
Thanksgiving and noticed that he seemed to be quite interested in
Melinda, so she had made sure he was invited over every Sunday
evening for supper. The town called Martha “Cupid” because she
enjoyed pairing people up. And that was true. Martha wanted others
to have the joy and happiness she had in marriage. So, when she
noticed Gilbert’s interest in Melinda, she had decided on a
plan.

While everyone had been singing, Martha put a coffee
table just inside the kitchen door where the mistletoe hung. Then
she carefully placed the dessert and plates upon it. When Melinda
or Gilbert would get a cookie or brownie, they would be positioned
perfectly under the mistletoe. Martha thought her idea was very
clever.

Uncle William watched Martha studiously and
he chuckled. He knew his wife and he knew what she was doing. He
sat comfortably on the sofa as Martha came with a plate of cookies
for him and for Jenny.

As she handed Jenny her plate, she said,
“Sit by the fire and enjoy the warmth while you eat your
dessert.”

Then she sat down beside William and handed
him his plate with a smile. William whispered in her ear, “Thanks,
Cupid.”

Aunt Martha acted innocent. “What do you
mean?”

Uncle William whispered, “I’ve been living
with you for over fifty years now and I believe I know you inside
and out.”

He grinned at her as she tried to act
innocent and then he kissed her cheek lovingly.

Aunt Martha smiled at him and then called
out, “Dessert everyone! There’s cookies, brownies, and tarts on the
coffee table.”

Melinda headed for the dessert table and
began filling a plate. As she stood in the doorway of the kitchen,
it had not dawned on her why Aunt Martha had put the table there
instead of the living room. Gilbert walked up to the coffee table,
waiting for his turn. He had noticed the mistletoe, but was not
sure if he should say anything or if he should take advantage of
the situation.

Martha grinned and said, “Oh, oh! Look at that.
Melinda is under the mistletoe. Well, what are you going to do
about it, Gilbert? You can’t let her get away tomorrow on that
train without a kiss, especially when it’s tradition. No one can
avoid the mistletoe, you know.”

Melinda quickly looked up at the mistletoe
in surprise and then jerked her head toward Aunt Martha with a
shocked expression.

When she turned to face Gilbert, his soft
eyes seemed to glow as he stood before her. Melinda quickly touched
her cheek with the tips of her fingers when she felt the warmth
creep into her face. She felt so embarrassed. She was nervous and
felt uneasy as he gazed into her eyes. She was not sure what to
expect.

Gilbert smiled with amusement when he saw
her blush a rosy color. Then he said in a low and soft tone,
“Melinda?”

His eyes held hers as he searched them for
an answer. Then Melinda lowered her eyelids and looked down at her
hands that were nervously playing with the red satin ribbon at her
waist. Gilbert could see that she felt apprehensive and uneasy and
he did not want to embarrass her more than she already was. So, as
his eyes stayed glued to her expression, he gently took her slender
hand into his and lifted it toward his lips. Then he pressed them
tenderly against the back of her hand, lingering a bit.

Melinda was surprised at this chivalrous gesture
and raised her eyes to meet his. The tenderness of his kiss and the
softness in his eyes touched Melinda and a warm glow filled her
soul. She was sure he could feel her pulse race as he held her hand
in his and her fingers seemed to tingle from the touch of his lips.
It did not take much to turn her face a rosy glow once again. Then,
instantly, a strange sensation of joy came over her that she had
not expected.

Gilbert let go of her hand as he turned to
Aunt Martha and said, “We had better go, Martha. It’s getting
late.”

The softness of Melinda’s hand in his and
her many blushes seemed to have their effects on Gilbert. His heart
had skipped a beat that night and he felt it was time to leave. He
was not ready for what his heart was trying to tell him. He had
concerns that he was not yet ready to face.

Aunt Martha grabbed their coats and a bag
with cookies and roast beef inside and handed them to Gilbert. As
she walked them to the door, she whispered, “Don’t worry. She’ll
soften towards you. It will just take time.”

After they left, Melinda felt as if she were in
a daze as she walked upstairs to her bedroom. Her heart was full
and she didn’t know why. For the life of her, she could not figure
out why she had reacted in such a way to his tenderness. She tried
not to think about it because the following day she would be
catching the train to Boston and she needed her sleep.

As the train clattered down the tracks,
Melinda was thinking of home. She could not wait to see her
parents. She pictured her mother’s face. Her hair was slightly
graying, but she still had a youthful look. Her father was a tall,
heavy man who spent too many days at his desk. He never found time
to exercise, so he tended to be overweight. He had a thick
salt-and-pepper mustache and a large nose. Melinda felt that there
was more of him to love than an ordinary father and loved him just
the way he was. She would not change one thing about him.

Melinda had fond memories of vacationing
with her parents. The bond between them was solid. Her memory went
back to ten months ago when her father had excitedly bought the
three of them tickets for the grand opening of the Crystal Carnival
and Ice Palace in Leadville, Colorado.

When she had looked upon the Ice Palace from a
distance, it had seemed like a fairyland. As the three of them
approached the Ice Palace, she was in awe. It was made of five
thousand tons of ice blocks formed into the shape of a magnificent
palace, which stood on five acres of ground. It sparkled and
glimmered in the sun and she felt like a princess walking into a
storybook world.