Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

A couple nights later, Theo woke up in a panic. His heart raced and tears sprung to his eyes. He couldn't get control of his breathing as he panted and wept. His whimpers and cries were like that of a child. Rolling out of the bed, he stood when his feet hit the cold floor. He hated when he had these spells. His heart wouldn't slow down, and the tears wouldn't stop coming. Try as he might, he couldn't remember the dream he'd had that caused all this. What dream had sparked this fear? In the darkness of his room, he paced toward the door. He needed to get out of here. He needed fresh air in the hopes that he could get ahold of himself. His heart thumped so hard and so fast, he thought he might be suffering from dropsy himself.

Only the softest bit of silver moonlight slanted into the upstairs hallway from the window at the end. He stepped out of his bedroom and swiped at his cheeks and gripped his chest. Honestly, he wasn't certain what was worse, the uncontrollable crying or the fact that his heart felt as though it might explode like nitroglycerin. The pain in his chest was unbearable, and his breathing came out panicked since he was unable to draw a full breath. Although he'd struggled with these spells since the war, tonight seemed to be the worst he'd suffered.

The door opened to Serena's bedroom, and Theo thought his heart would stop beating. Her wide eyes glowed silver in the moonlight. In worry, she looked over toward him, and he wished he could disappear. "Are you doing poorly?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

He wanted to apologize. He wanted to reassure her that everything was fine and he was doing all right, but instead, a sob escaped him and the tears returned with vigor. With one hand against the wall, he slid to the floor, blubbering. Everything he'd been holding in seemed to release at once. How was he supposed to be a strong husband and to run the ranch on his own when he could barely sleep a wink without this fear taking hold of him? He felt so weak. And these thoughts only sent him spiraling further into the hole.

Then soft hands took hold of his shoulders, and the warmth of Serena's touch surprised him. "It's all right," she said to him quietly. "Everything is going to be all right."

He could barely hear her over the sound of his own sobs, but she just kept repeating the words over and over while she rubbed his back. How could she be so kind? How could she stay with him and say those things? Her words and her touch grounded him, and it was like she was both a lantern and a rope to help him climb out of the hole and know that he wasn't alone, and the darkness did have an end. Focusing on the sound of her voice helped him to slowly find calm. After several minutes, his heart slowed, his tears stopped, and his breathing became more controlled. Finally, he could draw a long breath and look up into her moonlit face. How long had they been like this? How long had she knelt beside him in the hallway while he lost all control of himself, and just been a calming, reassuring presence. He knew that it had been quite a while, perhaps even an hour before he'd gotten control of himself. Finally, he was able to speak, though his voice cracked when he said, "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about."

Confused, he searched her eyes in the scant light and saw no ridicule there, no guile or malice. "How… How did you know what to do?"

Her hand still remained on his back the whole time. The constant reminder of her presence keeping him sane. She smiled softly at him. "My grandmother used to have night terrors, too. When she was sick toward the end, they happened almost every night. I stayed with her in the same bed so that I could help her and hold her hand through them."

Theo blinked at her. Didn't he think her a debutante? When he'd first seen her, hadn't he wondered how a woman with such poise and grace could have suffered anything in her life more than a hair out of place? No, Serena's history was nothing as he'd imagined at first sight. She was forthright and knowledgeable and tried harder than anyone he'd ever met before. Her quiet strength made him want to be a better man, a better rancher, a better cowboy. But right now, he needed to get off his knees. Slowly he rose to his feet, the fear within him under more control, but still not completely gone. He didn't feel the need to go outside anymore, but he didn't yet want to go back to bed. He looked around, feeling unsure.

"My grandmother would have me warm some tea for her to help her settle. She said that fear liked to live in cold places, and staying warm was one way to chase it away."

Tea? Somehow that did sound appealing. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble?" he asked, his throat aching from use.

"It's no trouble," she said, and then offered him a hand.

His heart skipped a beat as he accepted her offer. And her tiny, warm hand gripped his with more force than he was expecting. Again he was struck with how very strong she was as she led him down the stairs and to the kitchen. When she released his hand, he was sad to let it go.

"Sit," she ordered him as she went to fill the kettle with water from the pitcher and then set it on the wood stove which was already lit to help heat the house. Then she stepped away and said, "I'll be right back."

He felt the absence of her calming presence immediately, and the fear crept back up his spine again. He'd almost forgotten the icy fingers of the panic he'd just been going through. But once he was alone, all those feelings were returning, and his heart began to pound a little harder. Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep breath, trying to concentrate on his breathing and forget everything else. Then warm hands returned to his shoulders as a quilt was placed over them. His eyes snapped open, and he found Serena's soft smile greeting him.

"Staying warm is important right now. If you're cold, it will only make things worse."

He breathed deep of the familiar cedar scent of his grandmother's quilt which he'd forgotten was in the trunk in the spare room where Serena was now staying. Although Theo was close to his grandmother when he was young, she'd passed when he was just seven years old. This seemed to be something else that he and Serena had in common. "You were very close to your grandmother, then?" he asked.

She nodded as she got two cups from the cabinet. "I was raised by my grandmother since both of my parents served in the war."

His lips tugged down a little. "They were serving the confederacy, then?"

She nodded. "I don't know much about the war or what it was for since I was so young. But it wasn't just about slavery. My parents didn't own slaves and were abhorred at the thought. They wanted freedom for them, too, but the union soldiers devastated many cites in the south and treated the citizens there horribly, it culminated when Sherman burned Atlanta, and that's when I lost both of my parents and my grandmother."

"I'm so sorry. That whole situation was a blight on the Union. I'm sure that some soldiers didn't appreciate the fact that we were still all one people and may have treated the southerners as though they were inferior."

"That's for certain."

"So, your grandmother raised you? What was she like?"

A smile spread across her face and her countenance glowed in the dim light from the wood stove. "She was the kindest but also the strictest grandmother. At least that was what I felt until I met Johann. She had me practice the piano every day to learn the songs I was supposed to play for my parents when they returned."

Remembering what it was like to take piano lessons when he was young, his expression soured. "So, you hated playing the piano?"

Her small smile continued as she shook her head. "No, I loved playing the piano back then. It was my favorite thing. My grandmother would sit on the bench with me and place her hands on mine while I played. Her love and warmth would surround me, along with the smell of powder and lavender, and I loved every minute of the closeness. I'm filled with joy at the memory."

Slowly he nodded while she turned around and began to pour the hot water into the two mugs where she'd already prepared the tea leaves. Theo remembered that their old, upright piano used to be in the bedroom where Serena now slept, but his mother moved it when she got her first sewing machine. He wondered if Serena missed being able to play. She brought him a cup and for a moment, he just held it in his cold hands, closing his eyes and relishing the feeling of it.

The chair scraped against the stone floor as she pulled it out and when his eyes opened, he found her sitting next to him, closer than she had at their meals together. She studied him. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. Thank you." He took a small sip of the warm liquid and felt it as it went down his throat all the way to his stomach. There the warmth seemed to multiply and reach toward the rest of his body, offering comfort. He watched her while she took a sip and breathed in the vapors above her cup. This young woman who he'd married was unexpectedly kind. She tended to have a pensive, hard expression, but softened the minute she held little Joshua, or whenever she was helping Theo with things. He'd seen how she looked at other people, like Hank and even Mrs. Slocum, but it seemed that she looked at him differently, and that made him feel special somehow.

His heart fluttered in his chest, quickening, but in a gentler way than it had been earlier in his terror. It had been less than a week and he was already growing accustomed to having her nearby. What would happen when she decided that she wanted to annul the marriage and perhaps even leave the ranch? His stomach sank at the thought. He hadn't realized how much he would grow to rely upon her. Not just for help with the care of Mrs. Collins and little Joshua, or even because she seemed to be gaining a knack for cooking, but also because this warmth and peace and kindness had been missing from his life for quite a while. Maybe since he'd lost his mother. He hadn't truly realized how much he'd missed it. Although he didn't want to rely upon her, he couldn't help but want to lean into what she was offering him. And if she pulled away and left him cold? He'd rather that she did it later than he pull back now in anticipation of its coming. Letting out a slow breath, he came to a decision. He'd accept all the grace and kindness she'd offer him for as long as she would. Even if she never loved him or even had the kind of affection that he had growing for her, he could accept her friendship for now.

Because it was an unusually warm day for December, Serena decided to take Joshua for a walk. At nearly three months old, the baby was able to enjoy the walk as he was carried, looking in every direction at all the new sights and sounds, babbling to himself and to Serena, while occasionally tugging at her shawl or her hair. Because of his grasping hands, Serena had taken to putting her hair up out of the way, but occasionally wisps of it would fall down enough to allow the baby to take hold. She gave a soft sigh.

Her grandmother's birthday would have been today, December 16 th , and Serena didn't want the day to go by without thoughts of all her grandmother was and had been to her. Theo didn't know it, but she was making her grandmother's favorite dish that evening, Chicken and Dumplings. Serena's own birthday had come and gone without any fanfare. Johann had always made a huge deal out of her birthdays, having a grand party and putting it in the social pages of the newspaper. People gave her expensive gifts in an effort to impress Johann, but she was happy to have none of it. She'd let her birthday go by without saying a word, until last night when she'd brought it up at supper in passing. As of this day, she'd been at the Archer Ranch for three weeks, and she was very happy to be settling in without having seen or heard a word from Johann. The matron had said that she'd write a letter to Serena if she needed to, and she'd not heard a word there either which made Serena feel as though maybe she could get some respite from the worry that he might come for her. As of late, her hand had been feeling much more normal. The pain had subsided completely and while she was caring for the baby and doing household chores, she felt no significant weakness or difference between it and the other hand.

As she rounded the corner of the backside of the main barn, she released another sigh as she headed back toward the house. Even though her main goal was to take little Joshua for a walk in the fresh air and give him new sights to look at, she'd also hoped to catch sight of Theo while he was working, just to say hello. But she'd never found him. She imagined that on a day like this Theo might have been working with the other cowboys on a horse somewhere over the hundreds of acres that made up the ranch. She'd hardly seen any cows, but apparently they were down in the hollow for the winter, and she'd see them in the spring.

The sun set so early this time of year, that as she was reaching the house, the light around them had begun to gray a bit as the sun dipped just below the hills to the west. It was strange to Serena how much she missed Theo throughout the day when he was gone to work. When Johann left her, which was rare, she almost relished in the freedom of his absence. In those times she could do whatever she wanted. And she regretted to say that she had a few ethereal fantasies that maybe this time he would never return.

But with Theo it was entirely different. She couldn't wait for him to return. Their conversations over supper were the highlight of her day. He always had a funny story to tell her of how the day had gone or something interesting that had happened with the horses or cattle. They could talk for hours, and she'd never grow bored. And he listened well, too. By now, he knew all of her history that she was willing to divulge, though she'd not yet told him about her temporary fame in Atlanta or how Johann had forced her to play in concerts. Instead, she relished in the memories that she had with her grandmother and even some of the best moments of her life in the orphanage. She rarely spoke of her five years with Johann unless it was some odd time that she actually remembered pleasantly. And those times were rare, for the most part.

She stifled a yawn as she drew closer to the house. These days, she'd been prone to taking naps in the afternoon when Joshua did. It made it easier, since she'd spent a couple of nights per week helping Theo through his night terrors. They didn't seize him quite as frequently as they did her grandmother, and with her help, he settled down a little faster and the last time, he'd not even shed any tears. It made her proud that she was able to help her benefactor… her husband… in this way. She wished she could do more, as it hurt her to see him in any kind of pain.

When she reached the porch, she could hear male voices inside the house, and it made her pause on the step. Her stomach twisted a bit until she recognized the timbre of them as coming from Theo, Hank, and one of the other cowboys, Tom. Then her heart fluttered instead. No wonder she'd not been able to find him out by the barn. He'd somehow snuck around her and made it to the house before she had. With a smile on her lips, she stepped up to the great oak door at the front of the house and took hold of the tarnished brass handle. She turned it and stepped inside.

"Surprise!" the three men said in unison, with Mrs. Collins, who'd been able to spend more time on her feet the last few weeks and had started helping with some of the daily chores, but only at will and in short intervals as she rested quite often.

Serena blinked and set a hand to her chest as little Joshua squealed with excitement in her arms. The four of them stood in a row as though hiding something behind their backs. She tilted her head in wonder. "What's going on?"

Theo stepped forward and took hold of her hand. "You told me last evening that you'd let your birthday pass two weeks ago without saying a word. We couldn't have that. When I talked to Mrs. Collins she told me that my mother's piano was in storage up in the attic, so I got the boys to help me to bring it down here to the parlor."

All of them stepped out of the way, their hands gesturing in a grand flourish toward the old mahogany upright piano. Serena blinked at it, feeling a bit incredulous. "How? Where?"

"In the attic," Mrs. Collins said with a laugh. "I'm certain that it hasn't been touched in about fifteen years, so it's going to be very out of tune, but it should be play-worthy once we find someone who can fix that for us."

The piano reminded her so much of her grandmother's upright. She'd not played one in years. There was a different sound to them than the concert grands she'd become accustomed to, and oh, how she missed the smaller, tinny sound of an upright. She stepped forward and touched the keys with her injured hand, seeing the line of scar that had remained from when she'd slammed it in the doorway. Then her vision blurred a bit, so she swiped at her eyes. "I can't tell you all how much I appreciate this. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart."

Mrs. Collins took the baby from her arms. "I've got Joshua, dear. Even though it's out of tune, why don't you give it a whirl and see what we have?"

"Are you sure?" she asked as she looked shyly towards Theo.

He nodded to reassure her. "We'd love to hear you play, even if it's not perfect."

"Play a Christmas tune to put us all in the holiday spirit, especially since it's so hot outside," Hank said.

Feeling a bit excited, but wanting to do as everyone had suggested, she took a seat on the piano bench and studied the keys for a moment. She fisted and unfisted her hands. Yes, her hand had definitely healed enough to do this. And even though she knew some of the keys would be a little off, she still wanted to give the piano a try. She let out a deep breath, and wanting to play a jaunty tune, chose God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman .

Recognizing the tune, the foursome sang along, clapping their hands, and Mrs. Collins took to dancing a bit with Joshua in her arms. And Serena laughed with them, continuing to play, even when the note went a little sour or when a key stuck and didn't play the note the next time she hit it. It didn't matter. Without question the song was still recognizable, and everyone enjoyed it immensely. When she drew it to a close, she played a few extra cords at the end to give it a fancier flourish.

Theo's smile was the widest. "You played that from memory? That's pretty amazing. Can you remember any others?"

Her cheeks ached from smiling so much. Then she nodded and started playing The Twelve Days of Christmas . The others began to sing it, arguing over which animal or gift was given on which day as they played their way through the repeated chords. They'd reached the seventh day when a horrified cry stopped all of their revelry. Serena's heart sank as she stopped playing and looked up into the face of the man she'd dreaded seeing for nearly a month.

"Stop!" Johann cried from the doorway as he rushed forward with a flabbergasted look that bordered between anger and incredulity. "Stop this at once. You can't expect someone like her to be playing tunes for a Christmas party and on that horrid, tinny, out-of-tune upright piano! Your grandmother would roll in her grave."

Everyone turned toward him, the cowboy's jaws dropped in surprise. But as Johann drew closer to Serena, his eyes fixed upon her, Theo immediately stepped in the way. Serena blinked up at his strong back and presence standing between her and the source of her discomfiture. Theo's voice sounded deep and threatening as he asked, "Just who are you, sir, and what are you doing in my house uninvited?"

Slowly, Serena stood from the bench and drew closer to Theo, setting a hand on his back while standing just behind him but to the side so that she could see Johann's stunned face as he looked up toward the taller cowboy. One of Johann's hands fluttered toward his chest. "I'm Johann Weber, the guardian of Serena Carver, and I'm here to retrieve my ward."

Looking a bit uncertain, Theo cast a glance toward Serena.

Steeling herself, Serena shook her head and took hold of Theo's arm, hugging it to her chest. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, sir. There is no one here by that name. I am Serena Archer, the wife of Mr. Theodore Archer."

That familiar anger mixed with confusion flickered across Johann's face before he schooled his expression, as he always did. Then he said, flatly, "You wed as a minor, and you are not permitted to marry without your guardian's permission."

"Even if you nullify our marriage on those shaky grounds, then I will just marry him all over again. I am of age now, and no longer a minor, so I can make decisions for myself."

His eye twitched. It was the first time she'd seen him lose composure to the extent that it showed in his expression. Then he took a deep breath and looked a bit defeated. "You left all of your dresses, all of your things with me in our house in Atlanta. Won't you return for them with me?"

She shook her head. "I have no interest in those things. I am happier with a simple life here."

He grit his teeth. "What would your grandmother say?"

"She would say that she's proud of me. That I'm living the life that she would have wanted me to live. Simple, meaningful, and one where I'm happy."

His brows knit in confusion. "Are you saying that you weren't happy with me?"

A bit of guilt coursed through her. "There were happy times, but they've gotten more infrequent of late. Surely you felt it yourself. The frustration, the anxiousness, the knowing that because I was becoming an adult, I wasn't as special as I used to be. It was only a matter of time before no one would even care to know my name or go to my concerts. I'd rather retire now than endure that."

"That's not true. I could have continued to work to make things right. I'm a master of publicity and making deals. We may have reached a hiccup, but you could practice harder and it would have—"

"No, Johann. I don't want you to work harder for me. I don't want to practice harder. I don't want to play in concerts, and fame means nothing to me. I'd rather live a quiet, simple life. And I ask you to respect that."

They glared at each other for several seconds, and it was surprising how everyone in the room just watched on. Only the sound of Joshua's babbling broke the silence. Then Johann blinked. "There's nothing I can say or do to change your mind?"

She shook her head. "Please, just let me go."

He searched her eyes again and then took a deep breath, his shoulders falling. "Fine. You stay here in this house with your cowboy." Then he stepped toward the piano and said, "But at least let me tune this wretched thing for you so that you will stop making that horrible excuse for music."

Together everyone in the room let out a collective breath of relief as Johann stepped up to the piano and began to tune it. Mrs. Collins smiled and said, "How about some cider for everyone? I've got a batch already started. And I know that Mrs. Archer has a special dinner planned as well, that she told me about." Then she turned to Johann. "Won't you stay for dinner, too, Mr. Weber?"

His arm was still in the back of the piano adjusting a screw when he shot a glance toward Serena and said, sadly, "I don't know if I'm truly welcome to."

Serena shook her head. "You're welcome to. I'm making my grandmother's favorite meal today, chicken and dumplings."

His brow scrunched. "You cook now?"

She nodded. "Grandmother taught me how, I was just out of practice since you never allowed me to."

"I never realized that I was taking away things that you wanted to do. I thought I was easing your burden," he said as he pushed a key and then adjusted another screw.

"You were," she said, "I understand that you were helping me, in your own way," then she drew another deep breath. "Will you stay for dinner Johann?"

"I suppose I need to at least eat one meal that you cooked in this lifetime. And besides, as your guardian, I guess I should meet your husband as well."

Serena blinked at him. Did he really mean it? She'd expected Johann to be much angrier that she was choosing to do things that he didn't agree with. But instead of having a tantrum, he seemed to be accepting each turn of events. Maybe he did care for her after all, and it wasn't just about what she could do for him as his protégé.

Then she felt the softest touch at her elbow and turned to face Theo's worried green eyes. "Could I speak with you for a moment?"

She nodded and then followed his lead out onto the front porch at the same time as Mrs. Collins returned with the apple cider. While they were inside, the sun had set and darkness enveloped them while the temperature had dropped. The windows cast light from the lanterns inside. A low ceiling of clouds covered the sky and a breeze picked up. Serena wrapped her shawl around her shoulders a little tighter.

"Are you all right? I know that this must have been hard for you." Theo stood next to her, their shoulders close enough together that they could almost touch.

She nodded. "I imagined this moment going much worse than it did. I'm happy that Johann seems to be willing to let me go."

"That's good," he said quietly. "Then you're free. Are you sure that this is where you want to be? I mean, I don't want you to feel as though you must stay here. If you'd like to go somewhere else, and get our annulment, I'd be willing to. I just don't want you to feel as though you are trapped here, like you were trapped there."

At his words, her heart sank in her chest. Was this his way of getting rid of her? She thought they'd grown closer and become friends, but maybe she'd been deluding herself. She'd never had a true friend before, aside from her grandmother, and maybe this wasn't what she'd thought it was. Maybe Theo was just kind, and she was mistaking that kindness for something that it wasn't. Her chest ached and a lump formed in her throat. She swallowed, and her voice cracked as she asked, "Are you asking me to leave?"

He turned toward her, his green eyes shining in the scant light. "No. Absolutely not. I want you to stay, but I fear that my wants and yours might not be the same."

Relief flooded her, and her knees went a little weak. "Mine are the same. I want to stay here. And… I don't want an annulment."

His eyes widened and slowly, he took her hand in both of his. The warmth of his rough palms enveloped her hand and she hoped he'd never let go. Their eyes met and his swirled with uncertainty mixed with something else. "I don't want one either. In fact, if you'll agree to it, I'd like to get married again. Officially. Facing each other and in front of everyone."

She blinked up at him, a small giggle bubbling up from her chest. "You do?"

"I know it's a lot to ask, and you may not feel the same, but I need to tell you everything. Each day I spend with you, my affection is growing faster than little Joshua. In the past few weeks, you've changed my life for the better. I can't imagine living without you now. It would hurt me far too much. I… honestly, I'm not certain what love is, but I can't imagine it being a stronger feeling than I have for you now." He shook his head. "No. That's only partly true. I'm certain. I love you."

The sting of tears reached the backs of her eyes. She swallowed and swiped at them, trying to get a hold of herself, but she couldn't. Finally, with tears continuing to stream down her face, she said, "I haven't felt as though I had a family since my grandmother passed away. For years I just wasted away, letting each day pass without much feeling. But since I've been here on your ranch, things have changed. I also can't imagine love being a stronger feeling than the one I have now." She nodded, swiping at her cheeks. "I love you too."

He stepped into her, moving his hands up her arms to her shoulders, and pulled her into an embrace. Submerged in his warmth, Serena breathed in deep of his scent, leather and horses, and found the comfort and peace there that she'd always longed for. When he pulled back a little, she already felt as though they were too far apart. Then he leaned his face in, resting his forehead on hers. This time his eyes had lost all uncertainties, and she could feel his affection there. Then his eyes closed as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

Her heart burst in her chest. The warmth of his lips against hers was a new sensation, one she'd never felt before. His arms circled her gently but tightly and pulled her close to his chest. Stars popped in her vision, and she realized her eyes were closed, too. The world tilted under her feet. Did everyone feel this way when they kissed? Somehow this experience felt singular, extraordinary. And the closeness she was feeling with Theo only made her greedy for more. When he pulled back, she reached forward and grabbed him by the collar. His eyes went wide as she pulled him in and kissed him again.

She could feel him smile against her lips, and then he deepened the kiss. She tasted the salt from her tears, and everything swirled around her like the best kind of music. This feeling rose in a crescendo, and she thought that she herself might swell with it until she'd explode.

When he pulled away again, they both stood there breathlessly, still in each other's arms, looking into each other's eyes with amusement and amazement. It felt like a miracle that he loved her, too.

At the doorway to the house, someone cleared their throat. They both jumped away from each other as thought they'd been caught doing something indecent. Johann stood at the door with a sad look on his face. "Could you two at least wait until I've gone before showing so much affection?"

"I… I'm sorry," Serena said as her cheeks flushed.

He held up a hand. "No need to apologize. But if you're going to make supper, could you consider getting started so that I can find an inn for the night?"

"No need for an inn," Theo said right away. "You're welcome to stay in one of our spare rooms."

Uncertainty flickered across Johann's face. "I suppose I'll accept your offer then."

Serena patted her cheeks trying to get rid of the warmth, and then ducked to get past Johann. "I should go start making supper."

Part of her was afraid to look back at her husband for fear of what his expression might be. Her husband. That was the first time she'd thought of Theo in that way. It had a nice ring to it. Mrs. Collins had returned to her room with the baby and was feeding Joshua with a bottle while she sat in the bed. The two cowboys were both sitting on the bench, talking about the piano until one of them pressed an odd key.

"Stop!" Johann said sharply, causing everyone to look up at him. "Pianos aren't toys, they are tools. If you aren't learning to use it properly, then don't use it all. Would you use a hammer to cut wood or a saw to sink nails? I think not."

Shooing the two cowboys away from the bench, Johann himself sat upon it. Then he began to play It Came Upon a Midnight Clear , and the others fell right into song. In all the years that people at galas and parties would ask Johann to play, he always declined. Serena was unused to hearing him, although sometimes in the night she thought she heard him playing when he was alone. What had made him stop playing for audiences? Maybe she'd never know. But right now, she enjoyed hearing him play the out-of-character Christmas tunes for the cowboys in the parlor. She sent up a prayer of gratitude for how things were coming together, and then started making dinner in earnest. Her grandmother would have been happy to see where she'd ended up. Now Serena had a family that welcomed and loved her and a husband who she loved as well. He'd given her a piano for her birthday, and she didn't need anything else, now that she had her cowboy for Christmas.