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“You sure that’s all it is?” Will started toward her. “I didn’t do something, and you’re too nice to say?”
“If you did something, I’d tell you.” Sarah pushed through the gate and hurried away. If she stuck around much longer, Will might hit on the truth. That was the downside of family—they knew you too well.
“If something’s the matter—”
“Forget it. I’m fine.” Sarah jogged faster, half-fleeing down the drive. West came to meet her, skidding across the pond, and she took his hand and led him back to the crowd.
“Where’d your dad get to?”
“Helping Aunt Val hooch up the punch.”
Sarah snorted at that. “‘Hooch up the punch?’ Who taught you that?”
“That’s what Aunt Nancy said. Ishoochsomething bad?”
“Not when you’re older,” said Sarah. She wouldn’t mind a good slug of spiked punch herself, something to take the edge off the day. She spied Tad and waved, and to her relief he waved back. He held up two cups, and she managed a smile as she stepped over to join him.
“Thank you,” she said, accepting her cup. “I could really use—”
“I snagged us two cups before your aunt broke out the bourbon.”
Sarah’s smile curdled on her lips. She took a long swig to hide her sour expression. “Thanks,” she said. “I was thirsty.”
“Look, Dad! The horsies.” West pointed back the way they’d come. Will was driving the sleigh along the snowpacked drive, Jenny and Aster jingling all the way. The kids ran to meet them: West and the twins, Tim and Rose close behind, then a stampede of cousins and town kids streaming down the hill. Will slowed as they swarmed him. The horses, unbothered, stooped for headpats.
“Is that safe?” Tad started forward, but Sarah took his arm.
“It’s fine,” she said. “Jenny and Aster are both great with kids. And if anyone gets too boisterous, Will can step in.”
“You guys pulled your straws yet?” Aunt Nancy strode up, her fist full of straws. “For the first ride, you know, while the horses are fresh?”
Tad glanced at the straws, then at Sarah. “You do it,” he said. “My luck’s not in.”
Sarah frowned, nettled—had that been some kind of dig? But Aunt Nancy was waiting, so she plucked out a straw. “It’s short. Is that good or bad?”
“It’s great,” said Aunt Nancy. “You get the first ride. Go down and tell Will, and he’ll let you on.”
“Looks like fun,” said Tad, but his light tone seemed forced. Sarah hurried to catch up to him as he started up the drive.
“Tad? You okay?”
“All good,” he said. He stopped in his tracks and looked up at the sky. “Looks like snow, maybe a lot of it.”
“We can still ride in the snow. But they might move the cocoa and punch inside.”
“It’d be nice if it snowed,” said Tad. “It’d be like a Christmas card.”
“Or like the song.” Sarah took his hand, hopeful, and began to sing. “Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh—well, two-horse, for us—”
“Bells on bobtails ring.”
“Laughing all the way.”
“Let’s try to enjoy this,” said Tad. “We had a rough start today, but let’s try for West.”
Sarah’s eyes prickled. She’d thought this was an olive branch, till he’d addedfor West.Still, she dredged up a smile, because Tad had a point. West deserved a fun ride, and the good memories that went with it. Grownup drama had no place here.
“Let’s do this,” she said, and skipped ahead. It hurt her to force it, hurt that she had to, but West’s innocent joy did a lot to ease the pain. She settled in next to him and hugged him to her side.
