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Glory, who now slept on the rug next to his bed, was waiting by the bedroom door. When he opened it, she went bounding down the hall to the front door, wiggling and whining until he let her out. With a happy bark, she dived off the porch and began romping in the snow.
Trevor’s dad was seated at the kitchen table, drinking his morning coffee. “I take it you haven’t heard the news on the radio,” he said.
“News?” Trevor shook his head. The local station had music at night but nothing worth hearing in the morning.
“No school,” Cooper said. “It’s called a snow day.”
“No school? You’re kidding!”
“No kidding. But there are still chores to be done. Get some warm clothes on while I make you breakfast.”
Trevor raced back to his room. He didn’t have much in the way of heavy-duty winter clothes, but he could dress in layers, a vest over a sweater, and a coat over that, with extra wool socks on his feet and the rubber rain boots he’d worn in Seattle. His dad would have gloves and a wool cap he could borrow. For now, that would have to do.
As he dressed, he could smell bacon frying in the kitchen. He would eat, take care of the horses, and then maybe go over to Abner’s and see if the old man needed any help. Abner had planned to be back from his trip last night, although the snow might have delayed him.
Skip was supposed to have come by to feed Abner’s dog and check the place. But Skip hadn’t been in school yesterday. Maybe he was sick. Or maybe he’d been needed to tend his little sisters. That happened sometimes. But surely he would show up later that afternoon when they planned to set the sleigh on its runners and try gliding it for a short distance. Even Maggie was going to be there. They’d planned to cushion the ground with straw, but snow would make everything perfect.
“We might need your help, Dad,” he said as his father scooped two fried eggs onto his plate and caught the slice of toast that popped out of the toaster. “Abner has a bad back, so he won’t be able to lift the sleigh off the sawhorses. And I don’t know if Skip and I can do it alone. With all the hardware on it, that sleigh’s pretty heavy.”
“I’ll be glad to help,” his father said. “I’ve got an article that has to be finished today, but when that’s done, which should be sometime this afternoon, I’ll come over.”
“Could you bring the horses?” Trevor slathered grape jelly on his toast and took a bite. “If you could bring them and help with the harness, we could take a real sleigh ride.”
“I could try. We’ll see how the weather’s looking by then.”
“We’ve got to do it soon. The parade’s this Saturday. We can’t just hitch up the team and go, Dad. We don’t even have a driver. I thought Abner might do it, but he says it’ll hurt his back. You said you’ve driven a hay wagon with a team. Could you do it?”
“It’s been a long time. I’d offer to be your backup. But there’s bound to be somebody better.”
“How about Mr. Rankin? He’s a real cowboy. I bet he’d know how to drive a team.”
“Judd Rankin strikes me as a loner. He’d probably say no. Let’s wait on that for now. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one working on this problem. It’ll be all right.”
Trevor cleaned his plate and gulped down the last of his hot chocolate. He was eager to get out in the snow, even if it was only to work.
“The snow shovel I found in the shed is on the porch,” his dad said. “You’ll need to clear a path to the barn. If you get tired, come find me and I’ll spell you. Right now, I’ve got to get going on that article.”
Glory was waiting on the porch. Trevor found the shovel and started scooping out a path, with the dog frisking around him.
* * *
Standing at the front window, Cooper took a moment to watch his son. There’d been times when he’d had his doubts about the move to Branding Iron and the purchase of the ranch. But so far things seemed to be working out. Trevor was maturing and becoming more responsible. He even seemed happy most of the time. It was as much as Cooper could ask for.
The Christmas tree stood in a shadowed corner of the living room. Unlit now, it recalled the absence of the woman who’d left him and driven off in the night. There’d been times when having Jess here had felt almost like family. He’d even pictured the Christmas they would enjoy together, the tree glowing, the fireplace warming the room as they played music and opened presents.
He’d known all along that she wasn’t here to stay—but the way she’d departed, angry and hurt, had left him with an aching hollow inside. He wanted her back, in his home and in his arms—for Christmas.
Now that she’d given him a second chance, he would guard his every word and every move. Whatever happened, he couldn’t risk losing her again.
Turning away from the window, he made quick work of cleaning up breakfast. Then he went back down the hall to where his overdue assignment waited. He would make every effort to finish the article and send it off by midafternoon. That would give him time to take the horses over to Abner’s, where they would probably stay until after the parade. Trevor, Skip, and Maggie would be excited for their first real sleigh ride. Cooper could only hope he’d remember how to hitch and drive the team.
Cooper had mentioned to his son that other people were working on the problem of finding a Santa and a driver. What he’d promised not to mention was the conversation he’d had with his sister the day before. Sam had found the perfect Santa, and Grace was altering the old Santa suit to fit him. Sam had also found an expert to drive the sleigh. But all that was to be a surprise for Maggie and the two boys who’d worked so hard to get the sleigh ready.
Cooper would be offering behind-the-scenes help with getting the sleigh and horses safely to town. The sleigh would be hauled the distance on a flatbed truck with a ramp. The horses would travel in an enclosed trailer. Sam would be responsible for bringing Santa. At the high school athletic field, where the parade would start, everything would come together.
Hopefully, with everyone doing their part, Branding Iron’s first Christmas parade would be a success. But he would think about that later, Cooper told himself as he took a seat and turned on his computer. Right now he needed to earn a living.
* * *
