Nightfall came all too soon, and not soon enough. The moon was covered by a dense blanket of clouds; there was a snow storm brewing. Once all was quiet around the house, I wrapped my shawl around my shoulders and waited on the front porch. It wasn’t long before William rode up, flashing his devilish smile. A hat hid his dark brown hair, and he was dressed in a pair of brown pants and a brown jacket to match.

“You’re here,” he said.

“Did you think I wouldn’t be?” I asked, tightening my shawl.

He shrugged. “I thought maybe you’d be afraid of getting caught. A lady’s virtue is important. The town will talk if we’re discovered.”

I snorted and waved him off. “We’ll be fine.” It was just a dream anyway. I didn’t care what anyone thought.

William reached out and grabbed my hand, so he could help pull me up onto his horse. “Climb up,” he said. I put my foot in the stirrup and jumped on behind him. “Hold on tight.”

I laid my head against his back and squeezed my arms around his waist. “I’m good. Let’s go.” We rode across the field and into the woods. “You live alone, right?”

He chuckled. “Yes. My uncle is still a little angry at me for choosing you over Elizabeth.”

I scoffed. “My grandparents don’t care about that kind of stuff. They just want me to be happy. They know adversity better than most, as my grandmother had been a servant when my grandfather wanted to marry her. No one approved of her, but my grandfather didn’t care. He married her anyway.”

William placed a hand over mine. “And they’ve been happy ever since.”

There were lights up ahead in a small cabin by a frozen creek. I recognized the creek. I used to play in it as a child, only there was never a cabin beside it.

We rode up to the small stable in the back and William hopped off. Grabbing my waist, he helped me down. “When we go inside, don’t laugh at me. I’m trying to get into the Christmas spirit.” He secured his horse in the small barn, and took my hand as we walked to the front door.

I could smell food and my stomach grumbled. Excitement bubbled in my veins.

William placed his hand on the handle and took a deep breath. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

When he opened the door, I gasped in surprise. Inside, was a bare Christmas tree, but on his wooden kitchen table were dozens and dozens of ornaments. “William, this is fantastic.” I walked in and went straight to the table. There were crocheted stars and stockings in red, green, and white, along with various ornament balls in the same colors. The only thing he was missing were lights, but we didn’t need them. It was going to be beautiful, no matter what.

William cleared his throat and grabbed one of the small stockings. “I thought maybe you could help me decorate the tree. I’ve never done it before.”

“You never helped your parents?” I asked, staring at him like that was the ultimate sin.

He shook his head. “It was never my thing. Besides, my mother used to like to do it her own way. Each ornament had to be placed in a specific spot.”

It probably wasn’t the right time for me to admit I was kind of like that as well. “I think it’s a perfectionist kind of thing,” I confessed, sliding one of the stockings onto a branch. “I try not to take decorating so seriously, but I like the ornaments to be spread out evenly. I blame my family for that.”

He placed a star ornament on the tree, a couple branches over. “I told you I was going to try to get into the Christmas spirit, so this is the first step. I promise I won’t get mad if you move the ornaments around after I put them on.”

I broke out with laughter. “I’ll try not to. So far, you’re doing admirably.”

Even if he did place his ornaments close to another, I wasn’t going to move them. All that mattered was that we were together. “Afterward,” he said, carefully placing a star ornament on the tree, “we can eat the beef stew I made.”

Surprised, I couldn’t stop from smiling. “You cooked?” The delicious smell came from one of the pots on the stove and my stomach grumbled again.

William smirked. “I’m not all that bad at it. You’re just the first woman I’ve ever done it for.” He walked over to a smaller pot on the stove and poured steaming amber liquid into two cups. “Do you like apple cider?”

“Love it is more like it.” He walked over and handed me a cup. The aroma reminded me of the way my house smelled when I had my candles lit. “I feel special now.” I blew the steam away and moaned as my first taste of the sweet, hot liquid ran down my throat. It was absolutely delicious.

“I was hoping you’d do something for me in return,” he said sheepishly. “I thought maybe the dinner would butter you up.”

Brows furrowed, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. “The cider itself buttered me up. What do you need me to do?”

Setting his cup down, he took a stocking and hung it on the tree. “First, I want to say thank you for helping me decorate. I honestly don’t know the first thing about it.”

Grabbing a handful of ornaments, I giggled. “You’re welcome, William. There’s not much to it.” I hung one of the red, shiny balls on the tree. “You just put them on and enjoy. There’s no right or wrong.”

There was nothing more enjoyable than decorating for Christmas. William’s chuckle caught my attention. I looked over at him and his eyes twinkled. “Why are you laughing at me?”

He took another ornament off the table and hung it. “I’ve never seen your face so lit up before. You’re beautiful.”

Heat rose to my cheeks. “Thank you. I blame it on the holidays. It was always so magical as a kid, being able to decorate the Christmas trees and wrap the presents.”

“What about now?”

I shrugged. “It’s still just as joyous, but I’m older. It’s not the same as it used to be. I think it’s because I’m more alone now. Everyone I know is married and starting families.” I started to hang another ornament, but he grabbed my hand.

“You could always spend Christmas here with me. It’s only a couple of days away.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I sucked in a breath. If I were still in my dream at Christmas, there was no way I could turn him down. “I’d be happy to,” I murmured.

“Good. Because you’re the only reason I’m doing all this.” He chuckled.

It was in that moment, I almost believed he loved me. I just wished it was real.

William poured us another cup of apple cider after we’d cleared the table of our dishes.

“Dinner was amazing,” I gushed, sitting back in my chair, absolutely stuffed. “Probably the best beef stew I’ve ever had.”

He chuckled. “Coming from a woman who loves to cook, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

I took another sip of my cider. “So, what is the thing you needed me to do?”

That devilish smile of his was back. “I’ll get to that in a minute. How about we play a game of cards first?”

“Why not?” I loved playing cards. It was something my family enjoyed doing at our get togethers. Waiting on William to fetch a deck of cards, I wondered what types of games they played in the 1860s. “What game do you have in mind?” I asked as he sat back down. “I’m not sure if I know how to play very many.”

Shuffling the cards, he grinned. “There’s a game I learned at a party last year. It’s called Draw of Truth.”

“I have never heard of that,” I said, more intrigued by the minute. “How do you play?”

“Simple. Before I set down the card, we have to guess what it is, not the suit, just the number. If your answer is closer, you get to ask me a question. If I’m closer, I get to ask you one. If we’re both one away, it’s a tie and we draw again. It’s a good way to get to know each other better.”

“Interesting. I’m in.”

Placing a hand on the first card, he lifted his brows. “What’s your guess?”

“Let’s see,” I said, staring at the card. “I’ll go with a four.”

“I say a king.” He flipped the card over. Chuckling, he tossed a ten onto the table. “I win.” Rubbing his stubbly chin, he hummed in thought. “I’ll start off easy. What’s your favorite color?”

I nodded over at my shawl, which was a hunter green. “Green,” I replied, “but more of a brighter green. Not the darker shade of my shawl.”

“Blue is mine,” he added, grinning wide.

“I didn’t think you had to answer.”

He winked. “I wanted to tell you. I’m pretty good at this game. I have a feeling you’re not going to get to ask me any questions.”

I smacked his arm. “Ha-ha. I could beat you left and right at poker. I used to play with my grandfather all the time.”

His gaze narrowed. “I was under the assumption you’d just met your grandparents for the first time.”

For a moment, I’d forgotten that the people in my dream wouldn’t know where I was from. “My other grandfather,” I said, laughing it off.

A sad expression passed across his face. “Do you miss your family?”

“You didn’t draw.” I tapped the cards. “No more questions until we continue the game.”

Shaking his head, he focused back on the cards. “I apologize. I now regret bringing up the game. There are so many things I want to know about you.”

I placed my hand over the cards. “Then ask. We don’t need a card game to get to know each other. I’ll answer anything you want, as long as you do the same.”

Sliding the cards away, he reached over and clasped my hands. “Ask away.”

Heart racing, I bit my lip. “What is the most important quality you look for in a woman?”

Eyes wide, he let go of my hands and sat back, blowing out a breath. “That’s a hard question. But I know I prefer a woman who has a good heart; someone who’s genuine. I want a woman who’s strong, but also one who doesn’t mind me taking care of her. If you haven’t noticed, I can be a little protective over the things I care about.”

My cheeks burned, and I felt the heat all over my body. “I did notice that. I’m not going to lie, I like that part of you. It makes me feel safe.”

His lips pulled back in a sly grin. “What else do you like about me?”

“I’m not done listening to the qualities you prefer. Surely, there are more?”

Grabbing my hand, he kissed it gently. “I could go on and on about all the things I admire and like about you.”

“So, the qualities you already mentioned are ones I possess?”

He nodded. “And then some. You’re smart, witty, adventurous, beautiful, and kind.” Taking a deep breath, he let it out slow. “I want to be the kind of man you need, Adeline. With you, I’m feeling and doing things I never have before. It’s all so new to me.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I replied breathlessly. “The only thing we can do is go with what we’re feeling. It scares me to let someone in, but I’m ready.”

William stood and pulled me up. “I’m ready too. Which is one of the reasons I wanted you here tonight. I thought we could take our relationship to the next level.”

Brows lifted, I stared at him curiously. “And how do you propose we do that?”

Grinning wide, he squeezed my hand and guided me into the kitchen. He opened the cabinet door beside the stove, then pulled out a sack of flour and other ingredients, and placed them onto the counter. Once everything was out, he faced me. “This is where I ask you for that favor. As you may know, I’m not the type of man who likes to admit I can’t do something. And knowing you know how to bake, I thought you could teach me a thing or two.”

I giggled. That wasn’t exactly what I thought he had in mind, but I’d take it. “What do you want to learn how to make?”

He waved his hand toward the ingredients. “Snickerdoodle cookies. They’ve been my favorite ever since I was a kid.”

Excitement fluttered through my body. Who would’ve thought his favorite cookie was one of mine? “It just so happens that snickerdoodles are one of my specialties. You’re in luck tonight.”

He beamed, and it was the cutest expression I’d ever seen on him. And now I was more determined than ever to make Christmas William’s favorite time of the year.

“Who made you the snickerdoodles you love so much?” I asked.

He grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and I poured a couple of cups of flour into it. I’d made them so much, I never had to measure.

“My mother. She would always make me snickerdoodles, and my brother macaroons.”

William watched me mix the dough as if he was serious about learning. He was such a handsome, rugged-looking man, but just recently, I’d begun to see a part of him I’d never seen in any other man. He cared about the things I did.

“Did she make them only at Christmas?” I wondered.

He shrugged. “Yes, and she would make the dough different colors. As I got older, she stopped doing them that way.”

“By the look on your face, I’d almost think you miss the colored cookies. And here I thought you didn’t like Christmas.” I sprinkled a dusting of flour onto the counter top and dropped the dough on it, kneading it.

“It’s a long story, Adeline. Let’s just say, I’ve spent a lot of time alone during the holidays. Eventually, it just turned into another normal day.”

When the dough was done, William helped me roll it into little balls, drop them in the sugar mixture, and place the cookies in the oven. I cleaned my hands and we walked over to the couch and sat down. “I’m sorry to hear what it’s been like for you. I guess it’s been different for me. Christmas has brought about some of the best moments in my life. I feel bad for telling you how awesome my holidays were, when yours were lonely.”

He waved it off. “It’s okay. I’m making new memories now. That’s all that matters.” Grinning wide, he stood and marched over to the other side of the room. “Speaking of which, I found something I thought you’d like.” He disappeared into the bedroom and came out with a small, brown paper wrapped package. “This is for you,” he said, holding it out for me. “It’s fragile, so be careful.”

I slowly unwrapped it, gasping when I got a good look at the oval, ceramic ornament with a beautiful angel painted on the front. My eyes burned with unshed tears. “How did you know I loved angels?”

“I didn’t,” he murmured. “I saw it and thought of you. Maybe it’s because the angel resembles you.” A few seconds passed, and I couldn’t take my eyes away from it. “Do you like it?”

I set it down on the table and stood to wrap my arms around him. “I love it. I’m starting to think this Christmas will be the best yet.”

He hugged me back, his hands dipping down to my hips. The warmth of his lips touched the side of my neck and my breath hitched. “One of many, I hope,” he whispered softly, kissing me again.