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My heart stumbled because the last time we were in the carriage, it was a special moment, just the three of us. Tonight was going to be so much harder than I anticipated. Being here reminded me of everything I loved about the Monroes, the farm, and Knox.
Emmett helped us into the carriage, and we settled under the blanket. I wanted to ask where Knox was, but it was like the words were stuck in my throat. I felt awkward talking to Emmett about his brother, and it wasn’t right for him to be placed in the middle.
“Where are we going?” Addy asked.
Emmett flashed her a smile. “It’s a surprise.”
When he snapped the reins, the horses clip-clopped forward. The steady cadence of their feet competed with the erratic beat of my heart.
“How are you holding up?” Emmett asked me in a low voice.
“Not great.”
He nodded toward Addy. “Does she know?”
“No,” I said, wondering why he was asking.
He nodded grimly. “That’s good.”
I wanted to ask why that was good, but we were turning down the lane toward Emmett’s house. “Where are we going?”
“I can’t tell you since it’s a surprise.”
“There are lights,” Addy cried out, and when I followed her finger, I could see the outline of something in red and green.
“What is it?” I asked Emmett.
“This is what Talon’s been working on,” Emmett said easily.
As we got closer, it was easy to see that it was Santa in his sleigh with his reindeer.
“Look, it’s Santa,” Addy said, gripping my arm.
“I can’t believe he had time to make all of this,” I said.
“There’s more,” Emmett said, nodding down the lane. He slowed the horses so that we could look our fill of the first display before heading toward the next one.
“Is this for the party?” I asked him as we came upon a nursery rhyme series of displays, with the woman and her kids in the shoe, a duck with a nursery rhyme book, and Jack and Jill next to a well.
“He has more plans for this area, but this was all he had time for. He assumed most people would prefer the holiday displays.”
“These are amazing. I don’t know how he had time to make these. Or where he got the inspiration.”
“He’s been busy,” was all Emmett said.
When Addy was done chatting about each nursery rhyme, Emmett continued forward. The next one had reindeer jumping from one side to the other. The display was so impressive I couldn’t believe it. “This is amazing.”
“He surprised us with this one. It doesn’t always work, though.” Emmett stopped the horses and slipped out of the sleigh, but we were too engrossed with the leaping reindeer to pay much attention.
The carriage rocked as Knox climbed aboard.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him.
Addy climbed over me to climb into his lap. “I missed you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung tightly to him. Even though I hadn’t said anything about the situation, she must have sensed that something was wrong.
My heart hurt for her because I was going to have to tell her the truth.
“I missed you, too,” Knox said to her, turning her so she was facing forward in his lap. “I have one more thing to show you.”
