A Convenient Christmas Wedding

James chuckled. “Brother Levi? Have you joined a monastery without telling us, my lad?”

Levi colored, then turned to pull down the gun. “Maybe I should have. Things are going to get terribly interesting around here, I’m thinking.”

Simon reached up to lift Nora down, feeling the warmth of her as she settled beside him. “Brace yourself,” he warned her.

“Why?” she asked.

Levi fired the gun.

Nora flung herself against Simon. His arms came around her, holding her close, knowing how people generally reacted to the noise the first time. But what surprised him was that she wasn’t trying to escape the danger.

She was trying to put herself between it and him.

Levi fired again, and Simon bent his head to speak in Nora’s ear. “It’s all right. That’s just how we call everyone to dinner.”

“Oh.” She glanced up at him, the red rising in her cheeks. Those gray eyes held his, wise, warm, gentle. It was like looking into the early-morning mist, knowing the sun would not be far behind.

Maybe he’d learned something from the poets, after all.

“Dinner!” Levi shouted as if anyone could have missed his signal. As Simon glanced his way, the youth shrugged.

“You can’t bring her out here and keep it a secret,” he said, reaching for the door latch. “You’ll have to tell them now.”

As Nora looked up at him quizzically, Simon couldn’t help his sigh. “And you sound completely delighted by that,” he told his youngest brother.

“I’m truly sorry you’ll get a scolding, Simon,” Levi assured him. “But I’m going to enjoy eating dinner when my misdeeds aren’t the main topic of conversation for once.”

Chapter Five (#u8b659ff1-2d32-56d4-8e35-e5d4719ca913)

Since coming to Seattle, Nora had rarely set foot outside the town. The way to Wallin Landing fascinated her. The thick forests looked cozy, and she could imagine deer and rabbits taking shelter in the thickets of fern and wild berries. Wallin Landing itself seemed nearly as welcoming, with its big two-story log cabin looking out through the trees toward Lake Union, the sturdy log barn and the schoolhouse at the back of the long clearing.

Then Levi had fired that gun, and she’d nearly jumped out of her skin. All she could think about was protecting the ones she loved from danger.

Which was silly. No one was in any danger. And Simon Wallin hardly needed her protection. Besides, she most certainly was not in love with him.

Yet she had to admit that standing in the circle of his arms felt rather nice.

“Why are you in trouble?” she asked him as he released her and started toward the house, leaving James to deal with the horses. “Are we late for dinner?”

“No,” Simon said, his jaw tight. “I have to explain things to my family.”

Very likely he did. They would not have been expecting Simon’s convenient wife to move out to Wallin Landing. She could only hope they were better at listening than Charles and Meredith had been.

He led her up the porch and through the door. She was met with the smell of something spicy, and she spotted stew bubbling in a large kettle on a clever step stove that backed up to a stone hearth. Simon’s sister, Beth, a young lady with sunny-blond hair, was taking down a jar of what looked like apple preserves from the wide shelves lining one wall. Nora could only admire the girl’s simple wool gown. The blue was a good color for her clear complexion, and the scalloped neckline was a concession to style over practicality.

Beth paused when she saw Nora, then her round face broke into a smile. “Oh, Simon, how nice of you to bring us company! Are you traveling through the area, miss? Going out to meet your family?”

Nora looked to Simon, who appeared to be scowling though she could not identify the reason. “This is Nora,” Simon said to his sister.

Beth bobbed a curtsy, her dark blue eyes clearly showing her curiosity. “Very pleased to meet you, Nora. I think I saw you talking to Simon at Maddie O’Rourke’s wedding. I hope you brought lots of news from town. Things get a little quiet out here at times.”

Unlike Simon’s sister, it seemed.

“Go on in,” Beth continued, reaching for Nora’s cloak, which she hung by the back door next to several other brown coats like Simon’s. “I’ll fetch another place setting. I can’t wait to become better acquainted.”

What a lovely way to be welcomed to the family. Nora was smiling as Simon doffed his coat and led her through an arch beside the stove. On the other side lay the cabin’s main room, a wide, warm space, with ladder-back chairs scattered here and there along the log walls and a bentwood rocker next to the rounded stone fireplace. Nora’s gaze immediately lit on the small quilts, most likely the work of Simon’s mother, draping the chairs.

But a noise to her left alerted her to the long table there, flanked by benches on either side. Those benches were crowded with people all gazing at her with looks ranging from eagerness to surprise.

“Simon.” His mother looked up from her seat at the foot of the table. “Have you brought us a guest?”

Even as his mother’s green eyes crinkled in welcome, Nora was struck by the lack of resemblance to Simon. Where he was lean, his features razor-edged, his mother was round and soft, her face more closely resembling her daughter’s. Her green wool gown was clean and well-tailored, for all it favored an earlier style.

“Not precisely a guest, Ma,” Simon answered, and Nora was surprised to hear his voice come out stiff.

John, who had just come in the front door, stopped at the sight of Nora and raised his head heavenward as if petitioning the Lord for help.

Simon took Nora’s hand in his, his grip sure, firm. “Allow me to introduce my wife, Nora.”

Nora smiled at them all. Only Levi and John smiled back. The rest of them looked to be in a state of shock if the paling skin and widening eyes were any indication.

“Wife?” his mother gasped out. “Oh, Simon, what have you done?”

* * *

Simon’s stomach knotted. Beside him, Nora’s whole body tightened. She glanced up at him, her eyes wide, no doubt realizing for the first time that he had never told them the truth. She didn’t deserve to hear their protests. He’d been the one who’d been unable to find a way to explain the situation.

Knowing he would have as difficult a time now, he slipped his arm about her shoulders and gave her a nod he hoped was encouraging, then turned to face his family.

“Nora and I introduced ourselves at Maddie O’Rourke’s wedding,” he said. “We discovered we share a similar philosophy.”

“Family,” John put in helpfully as he slipped into his seat at the table. “Sacrifice for those we love.”

Nora offered his brother a tremulous smile.

“You knew about this?” Ma demanded.

John visibly swallowed. “Levi and I stood as witnesses.”

Levi held up his hands as his mother’s glare pinned him. “Don’t look at me. It was Simon’s idea. And I say he made a good choice. She can fix a sailing ship.”

His mother frowned at that, but Drew rose from the head of the table. It was a point of pride that Simon was the only one who could look Drew in the eyes, for all his brother was more muscular.

“Forgive our manners, Nora,” Drew said in his deep voice. “We were just surprised by Simon’s news.” The look in his dark blue eyes told Simon his oldest brother was merely saving his questions for later, in private. “I’m Drew, and this is my wife, Catherine.”

Catherine rose as well. Dressed in a light blue wool gown, the pale-haired beauty rested a hand on her swelling middle and smiled. “Nora and I are acquainted from our time aboard the Continental. Welcome to the family, Nora.”

Simon could feel Nora’s body thawing a little.