Sleigh of Hope (11 page)

A
t dawn on Christmas Eve, Adam hurried out of bed. This was the day to give others hope!

He had a long list of things to do, but first he needed to finish his father’s gift. He had made a potato box for Faith, and blocks for Cora, but he needed to finish sanding and varnishing the bootjack he was making for his father.

Faith was already working in the kitchen when he came down. His aunts and Anna and other ladies would all be up now putting the turkeys in the oven, and later adding quail that would go in the gift baskets. While Adam delivered the baskets, the ladies would begin preparing dinner for their own holiday gathering.

The Grayson family would celebrate Christmas Eve together in the hall above the greenhouse. Christmas Day they would celebrate at home with their own families.

While Faith put the coffee kettle on, Adam loaded the woodstove to surprise his father. As soon as he had a roaring blaze, he pulled on his hat, jacket, and warmest gloves and headed outside to haul in wood for their bin.

When he came inside, his father was drinking his morning coffee in the parlor, resting his stocking feet on the warming rail of the woodstove.

“Are you giving me my gift early, son?” he asked, his smile wide as he wiggled his toes.

“No, sir. I just thought you might like to come downstairs to a warm house for a change.”

“It’s a change I could get used to. My toasty toes thank you.”

Adam laughed. “Tell your toes it’s time for breakfast. My stomach is growling.”

“Tell your sister I’m too comfy to move.” Duke lounged in his favorite gentleman’s chair, a spoon-back two-seater armchair, as if he was about to fall asleep. “Let’s eat right here by the stove.”

Adam raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

His dad nodded.

“Think she’ll let us get away with it?” he asked.

“Remind her that it’s Christmas Eve and help her carry in our plates.”

“All right,” Adam said, grinning in disbelief as he headed to the kitchen. They never ate in the parlor.

But they did that morning. Just the three of them. While Cora slept upstairs, they talked and laughed quietly, stealing a few minutes for themselves while they had breakfast together.

“You’re becoming quite a young man,” Duke said. “I couldn’t be more proud about what you’re doing today. He pulled Adam into a playful hug that immediately turned into a bout of wrestling on the davenport.

“Now this is exactly why we eat at the table,” Faith said, towering over them with her hands on her hips and a smile on her face, looking pretty in her simple green frock and ruffled apron. “Eating in the parlor is uncivilized and promotes bad behavior.”

“I agree.” Duke snagged her hand and pulled her down on top of them.

Her hoot of shock sent them into a fit of laughter that probably woke Cora.

“Unhand me, Mr. Grayson,” she said, smiling into her husband’s eyes, but doing nothing to free herself from his strong arms.

“Never.” He snuggled her against him, trapping Adam’s arm between them.

“I’m still here, you two!”

Laughing, they released his arm, gave each other a quick kiss, and gathered the breakfast dishes.

It was times like these that made it so hard to share Faith and his father with anyone.

“Off with the both of you,” Duke said, waving them away. “I have important business with this wood stove.”

Adam rolled his eyes and helped Faith carry the dishes to the kitchen.

As she worked in the kitchen, he headed to the greenhouse to finish his project. It took two hours to finish sanding, staining and varnishing the bootjack, but he did each step with care wanting it to be perfect for his father. After adding a final coat of varnish, he went back outside and headed into the woods along Canadaway Creek.

He knew right where to find ground holly to decorate the hall. Getting there wasn’t easy while walking through knee-deep snow and it was still coming down. Fluffy flakes covered him, turning his shoulders white in minutes. What should have taken an hour took two, so by the time he returned home it was late morning, and he still had several porches and walking paths to shovel.

“Looks like you could use some help,” his father said, meeting him on the porch, dressed for outside work. “I’ll shovel on this side of the street. You catch the other side.”

“Thanks, Dad. I still need to get the wagon from the mill and I’m running out of time. The ladies plan to have everything ready by one o’clock.”

“Don’t fret, son. Everything will work out.”

“I hope so,” he said. “I haven’t heard from Rebecca whether or not her father will let her help. I’m not sure I can make all the deliveries if I have to drive the wagon and deliver the baskets alone. It will be dark by five o’clock.”

“You won’t have to do it alone.” His father handed him a shovel and grabbed one for himself. “Let’s get these jobs done then we’ll talk about delivering baskets.”

Adam went to work feeling relieved that his father would help him, but disappointed he hadn’t heard from Rebecca... or Leo.

It was likely that Rebecca’s parents wouldn’t allow her to go along.

Leo was delivering more wood with Cyrus, but he probably wouldn’t want to help anyway. He’d been friendlier during their hunt, but like a dog that had been kicked, his manner was still wary.

So it appeared Adam would spend a couple of hours delivering baskets with his dad. He hadn’t wanted to share his father with Leo, and now he wouldn’t have to, but a part of him felt hollow and sad. While trying not to lose his place as an only son, he was losing what he wanted to become – a man like his father and uncles.

That thought gnawed at him while he shoveled his neighbors’ porches and cleared paths to their doors.

It was well after lunch when they finished, and he was beginning to panic. He had half an hour to walk to the mill, hitch the team and drive to Anna’s house. He was going to be late, but his father made him come inside to warm up. His gloves and hat were caked with snow and his hands were freezing.

He ran upstairs to use the watercloset and warmed his hands under the faucet. As soon as his fingers began to throb, he dried his hands and rushed to his bedroom to change his damp socks and trousers.

A couple minutes later, his father called up to him, “Adam, your rig is here!”

Perched on the edge of his bed, he paused while pulling on his last sock.
What rig?

“You up there, son?”

“Yes, sir!” He lunged to his feet, hopped two steps to finish pulling on his sock, then thundered down the stairs.

His father was waiting in the foyer ready to go.

“Is someone taking us to the mill?” he asked, jamming his feet into his boots and yanking on his coat. It would save time if they could catch a ride.

Bells sounded out front as he buttoned his jacket.

Faith handed him a dry hat and gloves. “Be safe, Adam.”

“I will.” He pulled open the door expecting to see Cyrus or one of the mill hands waiting with a wagon.

But it was Radford and his family pulling up in a bedecked six-passenger sleigh pulled by two beautiful Morgans. Rebecca sat up front on the coachman’s seat with her father, wearing a bright smile and a blue wool coat trimmed with a wide fur collar and cuffs.

She looked so pretty that Adam had to drag his eyes away from her to wave to her younger brothers who sat in the rear facing seats with their mother. Evelyn, looking just as beautiful as Rebecca, held Hannah on her lap and a large wicker hamper at her side.

Bright red ribbons and several clusters of bells decorated the harnesses. Lanterns were mounted at each corner of the sleigh. Strapped to the leather boot on the back was a small wooden keg. Two wooden lockers sat on the floor between the seats.

Adam had never seen a more magnificent sleigh.

“Your rig has arrived,” his father said, nudging him out the door.

“What?” He followed his father, trying to understand what was going on. Was his uncle giving them a lift to the mill in the sleigh?

Radford stepped down. “This should make delivering all those baskets a bit easier,” he said, gesturing toward the brown broadcloth-upholstered seat he just vacated. “It’s all yours.”

Adam stared at the magnificent sleigh certain he had misunderstood. “You want me to take the sleigh?”

“With all this snow I think it’s more suitable than a wagon.”

His heart pounded as his uncle waited. “You’re going to trust me with this?”

Radford nodded. “What you’re doing today is special. The sleigh will be easier to drive and it will be a festive and fun sight for those folks receiving the baskets.”

A wild thrill shot through Adam’s chest and stomach. “It’ll be fun for me, too, sir.”

“Don’t make it too fun. Driving a sleigh is much different than a wagon. Keep to a walk or a trot. Give yourself plenty of time to make your turns. At all times respect and protect the team.”

“Yes, sir.”

“No horseplay while driving,” his father added.

“Aren’t you going with me?”

“You’ve already got a helper.” His father gestured to Rebecca. “Mrs. Leven’s will ride along with you.”

Stunned, Adam glanced at Radford and caught the subtle warning in his eyes.

“When you leave here drive straight to Mrs. Leven’s house,” he said.

“Of course,” Adam replied. At one time Radford may have issued the directive because he questioned Adam’s character, but the man was just looking out for his daughter.

“All right then,” Radford said, putting his hand on Adam’s shoulder and nudging him toward the sleigh. “Rebecca can manage the team if you run into trouble.”

Adam faced Radford man-to-man. “There won’t be any trouble. I promise.”

With a confident nod, Radford headed to the sleigh. “Let me fetch your aunt and send you on your way then.”

As Adam greeted his aunt Evelyn and the kids, Rebecca remained on the seat, her face reflecting the joy he felt inside.

He still couldn’t believe her father was loaning him their best sleigh and trusting him and Rebecca to take it out alone. Of all the things he could have wanted for Christmas, being with Rebecca topped the list.

Within five minutes he sat beside Rebecca easing the sleigh down the street while their families waved them off.

As soon as they had pulled away from the house, she giggled. “Did you think Daddy would ever do this?”

“Not in a million years,” he said, drinking in her rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes.

“He thinks a lot of you, Adam.”

Not long ago Adam would have expected to hear anything but that sentiment from her father. They hadn’t gotten off to the best start. But as he gazed at Rebecca’s beautiful face he knew loving her was worth all the risk and heartache.

“We decorated the sleigh this morning then Daddy drove over to Cavneys’ farm to get that barrel of cider that’s strapped to the back.”

He nodded, wondering if Radford would be this kind when Adam asked to marry his daughter.

“Mrs. Cavney was happy that we will offer cider at our stops.”

At what age would he consider Rebecca old enough to marry?

She bumped against him, jarring him out of his amorous stupor. “You better watch the road or I’ll have to take the reins.”

He grinned. “I’ll keep us safe, sweet Rebecca. Today and always,” he said, enjoying her surprise over his endearment. Although he thought of her as his sweet Rebecca, he’d never shared that with her, until now.

Now he felt like a man sitting beside his sweetheart. He guided the team onto Main Street, vowing to honor Rebecca and her father’s wishes by being a gentleman and by keeping them safe. But someday, when he and Rebecca were married, he would borrow this sleigh and take her for a ride – just the two of them. He would tell her how her presence lifted his spirit, how the sight of her made his knees weak, that with her by his side he could face anything.

 “We’re here,” she said, smiling up at him.

“Where?” he asked, acting lost and confused.

Laughing, she reached for the reins. “I’ll need to drive after all.”

“You might have to if you keep looking at me like I’m a delicious Christmas cookie you want to nibble on.”

Her laughter floated across the winter landscape as they pulled up at Anna’s Hermitage House. Rebecca’s sweet laugh had always filled him with joy, but there was a part of him that hurt knowing Leo wouldn’t be with them.

Boyd and Claire lived across the street and Boyd came over to help load the sleigh. Anna and the ladies had organized the baskets according to their list, so each home would get exactly what was needed most.

It took twenty minutes for Boyd and Adam to load the sleigh so the first items out would be on top and last out on the bottom. When they finished, the sleigh was mounded like rising dough in a bread pan.

As Adam surveyed the crates, pails, baskets, and barrels he felt immense gratitude to everyone who contributed. “I guess it’s time to go,” he said, excited to make the deliveries, but unable to shake the feeling that Leo should be with them.

As Boyd helped Anna onto the seat they heard a shout down the street.

Cyrus rolled up in a loaded wagon. Leo sat beside him, hailing Adam as he jumped to the ground. “Got room for me?” he asked, surveying the overloaded sleigh.

Surprised, Adam looked up at Cyrus sitting atop the wagon, covered with snow and smiling like a boy. “We got several loads of slabs delivered this morning. I’ll finish this one up now. There are a lot of happy families in town because of you, young man.”

“You should have seen their faces,” Leo said. He strode through several inches of snow and stopped beside the sleigh. “I’ll tell you about it while we deliver the baskets. I can go along, can’t I?”

Happiness expanded Adam’s chest. Leo wasn’t just asking to ride in the sleigh, he was offering the friendship that Adam had nearly destroyed.

But the sleigh was full and there wasn’t room for four on the driver’s seat. If he took Rebecca, Anna had to go along. That wouldn’t leave room for Leo.

The situation knotted Adam’s gut. He wanted to be with Rebecca more than anything in the world. But Leo was offering friendship that Adam could not turn away again.