“Hello,” he said, stopping mid-spin, taken aback to see the couple observing them.
“Oh, gracious!” Victoria said, pushing against his shoulder and looking behind her.
“We wondered where you two went. I told Claire you were probably making snow angels and here you are, proving my theory almost correct,” Fred said with a broad grin.
“Is the party over?” Victoria asked, thumping Trace on the shoulder. “Put me down,” she whispered and pushed against him again.
“Don’t think I will,” he said, jiggling her a little, causing her to giggle again. He looked over at Fred and Elsa. “We went for a walk and…well, we went for a walk. I’ll see Miss Victoria home now. Have a nice evening.”
“We will. You do the same,” Fred said, still grinning as he took Elsa’s hand and continued on the way to their house.
“How come I didn’t get carried home like that?” Elsa asked. Trace heard her shriek as Fred picked her up and jogged toward their front porch.
“Are you going to set me down?” Victoria asked as Trace started walking in the direction of the Carter place.
“Eventually,” he said, admiring the view he had of her upturned backside as it rested on his shoulder. He glanced away and shifted her so he carried her like a bride up the lane. Friends waved as they left the party and called out farewells.
“Set me down at once, Trace. They’ll think something is wrong to see you carrying me,” she said in a demanding whisper. Blake and Ginny Stratton tossed questioning glances their way as they drove past them in their sleigh.
“Smile and wave. They’ll know all is well,” Trace suggested.
Victoria released a long-suffering sigh then looped her arm around his neck and waved with the other hand to the departing families.
“Looks like you found a snow angel,” Luke Granger called as he and Filly left with their two children. “Don’t let her melt, Travers!”
“I won’t!” he called back and continued up the lane until they reached the house. He carried her up the porch steps and set her down at the front door. “I enjoyed taking a walk with you, Tori.”
“I enjoyed our walk, too. Thank you, Trace, for being a good friend. I appreciate it more than you can know.”
“You’re welcome. Now you better get inside before Gray comes out here with a shotgun or some such nonsense.” He took a step back. “Have a nice evening, Tori.”
“You as well.” She opened the front door, looked back at him, pecked his cheek, then darted inside and shut the door.
Trace whistled a snappy tune as he mounted his horse and rode back to the boardinghouse where he had a room. The whole way he kept thinking about how much he enjoyed seeing Victoria smile, hearing her laughter, and holding her in his arms.
That was precisely the reason he needed to stay away from the enchanting woman.
Chapter Ten
“I’ll be perfectly fine, Gray. Stop fussing like a mother hen.” Victoria scoffed at her brother as she tugged on the cinch one last time then swung into the saddle.
“Don’t wander off too far,” Gray warned, watching as she settled into the seat.
She tugged on her gloves, adjusted a pin in her hat, and offered him a smile of thanks as he handed the reins to her.
“Be sure you…”
She cut him off with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’ve ridden before, brother dear. I promise nothing will happen.” Victoria pinned him with a knowing look. “I don’t think you fuss this much at Maddie and Claire when they go for a ride.”
“Maybe not,” Gray conceded. “But they are familiar with the area. Just stay on the road, or close to it, and you’ll be fine.”
“I will, Gray. Don’t worry,” Victoria called over her shoulder as she rode down the lane toward the road. “Penelope and I will have a grand time, won’t we girl?” She reached out and rubbed a hand along the neck of the mare she rode. The horse belonged to Claire and was a spirited mount. Victoria looked forward to a fast-paced ride, one she hoped would help clear her head.
Since the night of the taffy pull, she’d been unable to get thoughts of Trace Travers off her mind. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to.
Part of her deemed it scandalous to be interested in a man so soon after her husband’s death. The more practical side of her argued that Wendell hadn’t been a true husband since shortly after they wed. Years ago, she’d grieved the loss of her husband. The man she’d been married to was an evil, sick monster. He didn’t deserve her loyalty, her mourning, or anything else except maybe her prayers. Even if she loathed him, she did pray for his soul.
Victoria glanced overhead at the blue sky, her gaze lingering on the frost-covered telephone lines that connected the Carter home to others in the Hardman area. As promised, as soon as the line was strung, Trace had come to the house and installed not one but two telephones. A wall telephone took up residence in the kitchen and a lovely candlestick telephone was placed in the parlor. Claire had promptly called Elsa at the bakery and let Maddie talk to her aunt. The little girl giggled at the marvel and was constantly wanting to call someone.
Gray teasingly chided Claire for opening a can of worms with the child, but all of them enjoyed the convenience of having the telephone in their home.
Tomorrow was the big skating party at Ginny and Blake Stratton’s home. His parents had arrived from England to spend the holiday with them, and everyone was talking about how much fun the event would be.
Victoria really hadn’t planned to stay this long in Hardman. She thought she’d visit for a few weeks then return to her aunt’s home in Boston. However, the longer she stayed, the less inclined she was to go back east. She missed her aunt and her father, but she loved being in Hardman with Gray and his family. And although she hated to admit it, she liked being around Trace.
The man was handsome, funny, intelligent, hardworking, and considerate. He treated her with great care and respect, and they’d become good friends. The night of the taffy pull she’d thought they were on their way to becoming more than friends, but since then, Trace had seemed a little aloof, almost standoffish.
She had no idea what had caused it. Certain he’d enjoyed the evening together every bit as much as she had, she couldn’t figure out what would cause him to distance himself from her, unless he didn’t like the idea of spending time with a widow whose husband had been a murderer. Undoubtedly, it was a rather off-putting fact.
Trace didn’t really seem the type to be upset by that, though. From what she’d observed, he didn’t judge people and was generally good-natured.
Perhaps she was just too boring for his tastes.
If that was the case, she was better off knowing that now than later.
But she really did miss his company.
Determined not to give the frustrating man another thought, she let her thoughts drift to the beautiful December day. Although it was cold, the sun shone brightly above her, making the snow sparkle as though one of Maddie’s imaginary fairies had randomly tossed around magic dust.
Maddie Mae was another reason Victoria loved being in Hardman. The energetic little girl hardly sat still, always doing this or that. Claire had stepped into the role of mother with ease and guided Maddie with a gentle, loving hand. As Maddie’s aunt, Victoria felt justified in spoiling the child from time to time, but not enough to get either of them in trouble with her parents. Besides, everyone needed an aunt who doted on them. Aunt Octavia had always been special to Victoria, particularly so after her mother passed away. Victoria wanted to be a special person in her niece’s life, especially after she’d missed the first four years of it.