This never-before published Christmas scene features Matt and Molly from
my historical western romance THE WREN. Blurb ~ Captured by Comanche as a child, Molly Hart was
assumed dead. Ten years later, Texas Ranger Matt Ryan finds a woman with the
same blue eyes.
North Texas
December 24th, 1877
Matt shifted the two gifts to one hand as he opened the door
to the bedroom he shared with his wife. Molly sat on the bed, her back against
a pile of pillows. Balancing a plate atop her growing belly, she spooned a
large bite into her mouth.
"Is that Rosita's caramel cake?" he asked. "I
thought it was all gone." Rosita, his folks' cook at the SR Ranch, had
baked her delicious concoction for the large family gathering this evening. It
was based on a recipe his ma had long used, however Matt was certain the
elderly Mexican cook added a few peppers to spice it up.
Molly nodded, unable to speak around the sweet dessert. Her
auburn hair, having finally grown longer, tumbled out of the bun from earlier,
and she still wore the deep green gown his ma had given her as a gift earlier
in the week.
He approached the bed, sat beside her, and reached for a
morsel of cake. Molly shifted the plate away from him. He laughed. "I
can't have any?"
"It's the last piece." She glared at him.
"And I'm eating for two."
Matt knew not to come between his wife and food. Having
recently recovered her appetite after a long bout of morning woes, he was glad
she could keep something down at long last. And now that her hunger had
returned, it was like the force of a bull.
"I wanted to give you these tonight," he said and
placed the boxes beside her.
She smiled, quickly consumed the remainder of the cake and
set the dish aside. She opened the first gift, and went still.
"Where did you get this?" she whispered.
"My ma had it. After your folks were killed, and your
sisters sent away, she went through the Hart homestead and collected whatever
mementos she found. I had a new frame sent from Dallas. I thought you might
like to have it."
Molly began to cry. Matt reached out to snag a crumb from
her cheek. She kissed him, tasting of Rosita's cake, both sweet and spicy.
"We can put it on the mantle of the Rocking Wren when
the house is complete," she said against his lips, referring to the ranch
he was building just for her. She resumed staring at her gift. "This photo
must've been taken before we left Virginia for Texas. I was probably only eight
years old."
The portrait featured Molly with her mama and papa, and her
sisters, Mary and Emma. Although she'd recently learned that Robert Hart wasn't
her real father, he nonetheless remained close in her heart. Matt knew she
would cherish a family keepsake such as this.
"I can't wait to show Mary and Emma tomorrow," she
said.
Matt knew this was a special Christmas for Molly. After
having lived with the Comanche for years, she'd hadn't celebrated the holiday
since she was a little girl. And now, both of her sisters were with her—Emma
had arrived weeks ago and promptly married his friend, Nathan Blackmore, and
Mary, the oldest, had arrived just days ago with her husband and three
children. They'd traveled from the Arizona Territory with Cale Walker—Molly's
new-found half-brother—and his wife, Tess. Matt's folks had a full house at the
moment, including his brother Logan, his wife Claire and her younger brother
Jimmy.
He handed Molly the second gift. She swiftly discarded the
paper and retrieved the item inside the box. Once again, she froze. Then, she
beamed. Holding up the smooth and brand new slingshot, she raised an eyebrow
and asked, "Am I allowed to use it in the house?"
"No."
She pulled on the rubber sling. "I'll call it 'Wren the
Second'."
As a child, Molly had a knack for getting into trouble with
a slingshot she'd labeled 'The Wren', since she imagined the rocks she used in
it came from the wrens who laid a pebble-strewn path as a guide to their nests.
"These are very thoughtful gifts, Matt." Molly
took his hand and brought it to her belly. He felt the babe move, and he
marveled at the good fortune in his life since encountering, many months ago, a
woman thought long dead.
"I have a gift for you,"
she added. "And I know what you're thinking, but that will come later,
once the cake settles." She smiled, a bit bashful, and he grinned.
"For now, I have something else to give you." She
covered his hand with both of her own. "Emma told me that we're to have a
son."
Molly's younger sister had a knack for the 'knowing' of
things. Matt never put much stock in such nonsense, but when Nathan—a former
Texas Ranger alongside Matt—told him the wild tale of Nathan's adventure with
Emma in the Grand Canyon, Matt found it difficult to discount Emma's abilities.
A son.
He leaned his head down and gently kissed the boy through
the fabric of Molly's gown.
Matt had everything he wanted.
"If Rosita makes more cake tomorrow," he murmured,
"I'll swipe it just for you."
"Promise?"
He sat up and gathered her into his arms. "I
promise."
Copyright ©
2014 K. McCaffrey LLC
Here's my modern take on Rosita's cake, although there's no
caramel or peppers in mine. My sister-in-law shared this recipe with me many
years ago, before my first child was born, and I've made it every holiday
since. My son, the eldest, can eat an entire cake by himself, so I make this
many times during the Christmas season. It's very easy and is a great
housewarming gift or quick dessert for those last minute dinners.
REALLY RICH CAKE
1 18-1/2 oz. package yellow cake mix
1 3 oz package instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup oil (I replace half of this with applesauce for a
lower fat version)
1/2 cup water
1 6 oz. package chocolate chips
1 6 oz. choc. candy bar broken into pieces
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased
and floured 10-inch Bundt pan and bake at 350deg for 50 minutes. Cool and
serve.
