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“Ready.” Tracy laughed as Clara came bounding into sight, bundled into layers of warm clothes.
“Can we go now?” she demanded. “And can Bucket come with us?”
“That’s fine with me,” Rush said. “I’ll bet Bucket’s already waiting for us in the sleigh. Tracy, do you mind sharing the ride with a smelly, wiggly dog?”
“The more the merrier,” Tracy said. “Let’s go.”
They trooped out the door to the backyard, where the sleigh was waiting with Conner at the reins and Bucket next to him on the driver’s bench. The sleigh rides for customers wouldn’t start until tomorrow. Today the partners had made an afternoon trial run with the sleigh and horses. But they needed to make another run by moonlight, with passengers, to test the trail again, and to re-accustom the Percherons to nighttime sounds and shadows that might startle them.
Tonight, Conner, the most experienced driver, would handle the team. Rush, Tracy, and Clara would ride in the sleigh. Travis would keep an eye on business at the house.
The ride would take them across the pastures, over the hill to the tree forest, and back again for a round-trip of about forty minutes—plenty of time on a chilly night.
Rush helped Tracy and Clara into the sleigh and tucked a warm quilt around them before he climbed onto the seat beside them. They sat with Clara in the middle, keeping her warm from both sides.
“Ready?” Conner glanced back over his shoulder, grinning.
“Ready!” Clara said.
“Okay,” Conner said. “Before we start I need to tell you a couple of things. People on these sleigh rides tend to make a lot of noise. I need you to get the horses used to the ruckus so they won’t be scared next time. Shout, sing, hoot, and holler, anything you want to. Understand?”
“You said a couple of things. What else do we need to know?” Tracy asked.
“Just a word of caution.” Conner winked. “Last year there were three marriage proposals on these sleigh rides. And some of the couples got so passionate that I didn’t dare look back at them. There’s something about being out here on a beautiful moonlit night that brings out the romance in people. If that happens to you, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Clara giggled. “You can kiss her, Daddy. I won’t look.”
Conner whooped with laughter. “Here we go!” He clucked his tongue and slapped the reins lightly on the horses’ backs. The traces tightened as the massive animals pulled, moving the sleigh effortlessly over the packed snow. Bucket kept his balance on the driver’s bench next to Conner, ears pricked, nose sniffing the air.
The night was cold and clear, the stars like a spill of diamond dust across the ink black sky. The rising moon hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow across the snowy landscape.
The horses moved at an easy walk, their hooves all but silent on the snow as the sleigh glided along. Tracy was entranced by the peace of the night, broken only by the snort of a horse, the faint swish of runners, and the faint jingle of harness bells; but it wasn’t meant to last.
“I don’t hear any hootin’ and hollerin’ back there,” Conner called to them. “Come on, folks, let’s have some noise!”
“I’ve never been much of a hootin’ and hollerin’ type,” Tracy confessed to Rush in a whisper.
“Then how about we sing? Come on now.” Rush broke into “Jingle Bells,” his voice a deep, musical baritone. Clara joined in, then Tracy. Once she got warmed up, it became fun. After “Jingle Bells,” they sang their way through “Here Comes Santa Claus,” and “Up on the House Top.” They’d just started on “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” when a startled jackrabbit leaped out of a sage clump, almost under the front hooves of t
he horses.
The two huge animals snorted, stamped, and reared, yanking at their harnesses. As the sleigh rocked, almost tipping, Rush flung himself protectively in front of Clara and Tracy, holding them in place on the seat.
A less skilled driver than Conner might have lost control of the team. But within seconds, working the reins and talking in a soothing voice, he managed to calm the horses and avoid a dangerous spill. As the sleigh swayed to a halt, they all took a breath of relief.
“Are you all right?” Conner asked his passengers.
“We’re fine,” Rush said. “But where’s the dog?”
Conner swore under his breath. Evidently, Bucket had caught sight of the rabbit as it bounded off across the snow. He’d leaped off the sleigh and gone rocketing after it. By the time Conner had quieted the horses, he was almost over the next hill, a distant dot against the moonlit snow.
“Bucket!” Conner shouted at the top of his lungs. “Come back here, you blasted mutt!”
Bucket didn’t respond.
“What can we do?” Clara was close to tears.
“All we can do is keep going and hope the fool dog comes back,” Conner said.
