Page 25 of Soldier's Chrismas Hope
“If you want,” River told him, “I can hold you up so you can see him better.”
Nora held her breath, wondering what the boy would decide.
After a second, John-John lifted his arms up to River, his eyes solemn.
“Okay,” River said. “Here we go.”
Pixie stepped back a bit to watch the two of them, and Nora came forward to take her hand.
“He’s being really brave,” Pixie whispered.
“I’m so proud of him,” Nora whispered back.
With John-John on his hip, River reached out to give Peter another scratch.
This time the horse held perfectly still, as if he knew that the little boy might be feeling shy.
A moment later, John-John extended his little hand.
Nora felt a burst of pride when he stroked the big horse right on his diamond forehead.
“He’s warm,” John-John said in delighted surprise.
“Yes,” River said. “He has his nice, thick winter coat to keep him toasty warm even when he’s outside.”
“I’m going to give him a snack,” John-John decided.
“Great,” River told him, moving away from the fence to pull something out of his pocket.
Nora saw that it was two halved apples in a plastic baggie.
“You can give him a piece and Pixie can give him the other one,” River said. “Then Nora and I can give Tinkerbell her snacks.”
“Okay,” John-John said breathlessly.
“You’re going to hold your palm out flat and nice and still,” River told him. “Keep your hand flat so it’s easy for him to find the apple. He would never hurt you, but you don’t want your fingers to be in the way.”
“Okay,” John-John said, putting his hand out.
River placed an apple half on it, and they all watched as the little boy kept his hand perfectly still and allowed the horse to snuffle it up from his palm.
Peter chewed and swallowed, and John-John’s delighted laughter rang out.
“He chewed itone time,” John-John squeaked. “He just chewed itone time and swallowedit.”
Pixie laughed too and River turned to smile at her, the kindness in his brown eyes making Nora’s heart ache.
Once both horseshad their snacks, River saddled up Peter and talked with Pixie about how to hold herself while she was riding.
In no time, he was leading the big horse around by his halter, with Pixie riding on his back, an expression of pride and awe on her sweet face.
“She’s doing it,” John-John breathed, clinging to the fence with his mittened hands. “She’sridinga horse.”
When Pixie’s ride was done, River offered John-John a turn. But hejust wanted to watch, so River took the saddle off the big horse and gave him another nice scratch before patting him on the rump and watching him canter away.
“I’m a horse, Pixie,” John-John yelled suddenly. “You have to catch me.”
“Get back here, horsey,” Pixie called to him, taking off after her brother.
