Ingrid stared at it, thinking she hadn’t had a present in a long time.
Smiling at her reaction, Clint said, “Open it.”
Giggling like a young girl, Ingrid untied the twine and eagerly pushed the paper aside. When she saw the bolts of expensive material, she gasped. Reverently running her hands over the silks and satins, she exclaimed, “Oh my! It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen such beautiful material.”
“Do you think it will make pretty dresses?”
Admiring the pink and cream silk fabrics, she replied, “Son, this is much too fine for dresses.”
Clint frowned. “Mrs. Stanton at the mercantile told me it would be perfect.”
Ingrid’s eyes widened. “She did? I’m surprised. This material is meant for ball gowns, not everyday dresses.”
“Perfect. I told her I wanted something very special. Can you make dresses for you, Amelia and the girls?”
“Of course I can. Are we going to a party?”
Clint shrugged. “Can you have them done by Christmas?”
Ingrid nodded.
“Can you also make a fancy dress for Lucy?”
Ingrid gave him a quizzical look. “Annie’s doll?”
“Yep.”
“I’ll make her doll look like a princess.”
Clint smiled at her excitement. “I want to see you wearing your new dress on Christmas Day.” He saw that she was about to object, so he added, “No mourning clothes on Christmas.”
Ingrid gave him a wistful look. “No, your father wouldn’t have wanted us to mourn on Christmas.”
Pointing to the other packages, he added, “These are all of the other things you ladies wear. I told Mrs. Stanton to put whatever you need in there.” He walked to the stove to see what his mother was cooking. “What’s for dinner? I’m starving.”
“Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, beans and cornbread. I thought we would eat in the bedroom tonight, with Amelia. She’s already had a full day; John carried the tub to the bedroom so she could have a bath. She looks better, but I think just that little exertion tired her out.”
“It’s a relief to know she’s on the mend.”
“John’s talking to her now. We told her it was safe to come home, but she’s worried she can’t keep the ranch. I told her she was welcome to stay with us.”
Clint pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket and held it for his mother to see. “She won’t have to worry about her ranch now. I was going to tell her later.”
Ingrid saw the note Clint held was from the bank. Once she read the paper, she gave Clint a hug. “Son, this is wonderful.”
“I’m going to tell Amelia that I’ll leave in the morning for Honey Creek and bring the girls home. I know Whitt will come back with me, and I’ll tell the other families it’s safe to return if they want to join us.”
“I hope they all want to come home. We had some lovely neighbors.”
“I want to tell you what I planned with Mr. and Mrs. Stanton for Christmas. They are going to need your help while I’m gone, and I don’t want Amelia to know.” While his mother finished cooking dinner, Clint shared his plans for Christmas.
* * *
Dinner ended, but Clint remained in the room with Amelia so he could tell her he was leaving in the morning for Honey Creek. He told her about his trip into town and that many people were returning to their homes.
“I’m not certain the Nelsons will want to come back yet.”
“Do you want to stay with them?” Clint asked.
“That was our original plan. I told your mother earlier that I’m not certain I can keep the ranch. I don’t know how I can support the girls if I stay here.”
“Ma told me your concern about the ranch.” Clint pulled the bank note from his back pocket and laid it on top of her blanket.
Amelia picked up the paper and arched her brow at him. “What’s this?”
“Read it.”
Unfolding the paper, the first thing Amelia saw were the three words every property owner wanted to see: PAID IN FULL. Her eyes filled with tears as they met his. “Did you do this?”
“There’s no reason for you to worry about staying here if this is where you want to be.”
“But I can’t let you pay off my ranch.” Amelia wiped away her tears.
“Of course you can. You saw how much gold I found. It’s more than I’ll ever need,” Clint replied.
“But how can I ever repay you?”
Clint wanted to tell her he was crazy about her, but he didn’t want her to feel obligated to him. “You don’t have to repay me. That’s not why I did it.”
They stared at each other for a few moments before she asked, “Why did you do it?”
“You needed help, and you helped my mother in her time of need. I wanted to do something for you and the girls.”
Lowering her eyes to the paper, Amelia was thankful beyond measure, but she had hoped he might say he cared about her. She knew he cared about the girls, but she had dreams that he might develop deeper feelings for her. Casey had told her he would take care of her and the girls, but she wasn’t in love with Casey. She didn’t know exactly when it had happened, but she’d fallen in love with this tall, handsome cowboy. “This is very generous of you, but I want to pay you back when I get on my feet.”
All day Clint had planned on professing his feelings for her. He’d even practiced what he wanted to say, but now that he was alone with her, he couldn’t remember a word. “We won’t worry about that right now. Now that you no longer need to concern yourself about the mortgage, and you’re not dependent on the Nelsons; do you want to stay here?”
Amelia didn’t have to think about her response. “Yes, the girls and I love it here. Your mother said Casey is still at the ranch, so I’ll have some help.”
Clint bristled, hearing her mention Casey again. “Then it’s settled. I’ll leave in the morning
