A gasp swallowed up the rest of his sentence. Right outside the barn door, Tucker stood in front of his sleigh, the horses all hooked up and ready to take them away.
“Where did you get that?” Benny ran right over to him, but Jake seemed to be too busy gawking to move.
“This was my grandpa’s sleigh.” Tucker lifted Benny and set him in the back.
Jake finally wandered forward, slowly and reverently like he wanted to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. “It’s just like Santa’s.” He raised his hand to run it along the side.
“My grandpa told me he got it in the North Pole,” Tucker said, lifting Jake to set him by Benny. “He always used to say it was one of Santa’s old sleighs.”
Jake looked back at Kenna and the expression of pure wonder brought hot stinging tears to her eyes.
“So what’d you say?” Tucker asked, walking toward her. “You want to go for a ride?” He held out his hand. Behind them the boys squealed their yeses, but he waited for Kenna to answer.
Her throat still burned too much to talk, so she simply placed her hand in his. Together, they walked to the sleigh and Tucker helped her climb onto the front bench seat.
Once he was settled in next to her, he looked back at the boys. “I thought maybe you guys would want to come with me to pick up my mom.”
“Your mom?” A hopeful expression opened Benny’s eyes wider. “Is she all better?”
“Not quite but she’s close. The hospital said she can finally come home.”
Kenna closed her eyes, releasing a couple of tears. “I’m so glad she’ll be home for Christmas,” she murmured.
“Me too.” He laughed. “And she’s gonna get one heck of a surprise when we show up to break her out of the hospital in this thing.”
The boys giggled. “Let’s go!”
Tucker clicked his tongue and prompted the horses to get moving. While they glided along, the boys chatted about every detail of the sleigh—from the soft velvety “pillows” to the glossy red color.
“I bet Santa used magic paint!” Benny said.
“I wonder if it can still fly,” Jake mused.
“I didn’t used to think so.” Tucker scooted closer to Kenna and slipped his arm around her. “But I’m starting to believe in magic again.”
Yes. She rested her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and breathed it all in. When she opened her eyes, they were floating along Main Street in the glow of all the Christmas lights. The boys continued to trade theories about Santa’s sleigh, but she stayed quiet, content to listen and simply take in the moment.
As they reached the hospital, Tucker steered the horses right up to the main entrance. “You guys wait here,” he said, jumping down from the bench. “Mom and I’ll be right back.”
After he’d gone, the boys got antsy, but they didn’t have time to get into any mischief before the doors rolled open and Tucker led his mom outside.
Birdie halted. “What on earth?”
“It’s a sleigh!” the boys chanted. “We came to pick you up in a sleigh from the North Pole!”
“Tucker.” His mom’s hand rested in the very center of her chest as she walked closer. “When did you— How—”
Kenna brushed away a few more tears. He obviously hadn’t told his mom about his upgrades to the sleigh.
“What’d you think?” Taking his mom’s hand, he helped her climb in and then hoisted her suitcase onto the floor between the boys.
“It’s beautiful.” Her voice sounded a lot like Jake’s had when he’d first seen the sleigh, all awe and happiness. “Oh, Tucker, it’s like a dream. All the memories we’ve shared in this sled. This just brings everything back.”
“Those were good times,” he agreed.
Kenna watched his face carefully. They hadn’t had much time to talk during the day, but he told her he and his dad had spent three hours talking last night, and while it didn’t mean he’d worked through everything yet, he seemed different. Lighter somehow.
“But now it’s time to make new memories,” Tucker said, sending a wink to Kenna. Somehow, even in the cold night air, she found herself blushing.
“You can sit between us, Miss Birdie.” Benny patted the seat between him and his brother. “We’re gonna take you to the pageant now. And you’re going to love it! It’s the bestest pageant ever!”
“Oh, I can’t wait. I just can’t wait.” Birdie wedged herself between the boys and Tucker covered them all with the blanket.
All the way back to the Cortez Ranch, Birdie and the boys sang Christmas carols while Kenna snuggled as close to Tucker as she could get without climbing into his lap. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but she waited, simply listening to those three in the back enjoy the ride. It ended too soon for Jake and Benny, who let out disappointed sighs when Tucker steered the horses around the cars that were parked outside the barn.
Birdie hurried to climb down before Tucker could help her. “Why don’t I take you boys inside and your mom and Tucker can come in soon?”
Gratitude welled up in Kenna’s eyes. They wouldn’t have long before they had to go in and run the pageant, but it would be a gift to steal a few minutes alone with him before everything got started.
“Okay!”
“Yes! Then we can change into our costumes!”
Benny and Jake climbed down and politely waited for Birdie to take their hands before the three of them traipsed to the door.
Kenna stayed right where she was, still in the magic sleigh, still nestled against Tucker’s side. “Well, I think it’s safe to say this will go down as their favorite Christmas in the history of Christmases.”
Tucker dropped the reins and turned to face her. “It’s pretty amazing. To see the holiday through their eyes. It really does bring back the magic.” He leaned closer with that passion glowing on his face. “You bring back the magic too, Kenna. I’ve felt like a part of me has been missing for so long, but you and the boys helped me find it. You helped me face things I was too afraid to confront.”
She held his hands, squeezing hard to feel that connection even through their bulky gloves. “You helped us too. You made me believe again. You brought back my hope.” She kissed him softly, with all the surety she felt. Like she’d told the boys, this Christmas was all about new beginnings.
And she’d finally found hers.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to my mom, who has always embodied Birdie’s same Christmas spirit. Nowadays I know how much work goes into making the holidays magical, and I treasure the memories and traditions I get to pass down to my kids.
This is my eleventh book with the talented team at Forever, and I continue to be amazed by their hard work and dedication to every project. Thank you Amy Pierpont for your diligence and especially your patience in helping me get to the heart of every story. Working with you continues to make me a better writer. To the rest of the team—Gabi, Estelle, Jodi, and my production editor Melanie Gold—thank you for your work on my behalf. You girls rock!
None of my stories would ever see the light of day without my fabulous agent, Suzie Townsend. Thank you for continued guidance and professionalism.
As always, my husband, Will, and my two precious boys, AJ and Kaleb, deserve my deepest gratitude and thanks. Living with a writer on a deadline is not easy, but they never complain and always love me well. When I go underwater, they jump right in to rescue me and give me a safe, solid place to set my feet. Thank you for making me better, stronger, braver, happier, and so hopeful.
About the Author
Sara Richardson grew up chasing adventure in Colorado’s rugged mountains. She’s climbed to the top of a 14,000-foot peak at midnight, swum through Class IV rapids, completed her wilderness first-aid certification, and spent seven days at a time tromping through the wilderness with a thirty-pound backpack strapped to her shoulders.
Eventually Sara did the responsible thing and got an education in writing and journalism. After a brief stint in the cor
porate writing world, she stopped ignoring the voices in her head and started writing fiction. Now she uses her experience as a mountain adventure guide to write stories that incorporate adventure with romance. Still indulging her adventurous spirit, Sara lives and plays in Colorado with her saint of a husband and two young sons.
Learn more at:
http://www.sararichardson.net
Twitter @sarar_books
Facebook.com/sararichardsonbooks
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