Page 14 of The Sound of Sleighbells

There was still time to leave, he rationalized. He could turn his truck around and explain to Abner later that he’d had a sudden sick spell.

But no, it was already too late. Abner had come out onto the porch, smiling and waving at him. Steeling his nerves, Judd parked his truck, picked up the insulated bag that held the ice cream, and opened the driver’s door. The flying sleet struck him like a barrage of birdshot, the wind almost tearing the door out of his hand as he closed it.

“Come on in, Judd,” Abner greeted him as he made it to the shelter of the porch. “You’re just in time. We’ll be eating in about fifteen minutes.”

“Thanks for inviting me, Abner.” Judd brushed the moisture off his jacket. “I didn’t realize there was going to be a crowd.”

“What’s Thanksgiving dinner without friends at the table? You can toss your coat on the rack.” Abner opened the door. Judd was greeted by a rush of warmth and the rich aromas of a holiday dinner. His eyes swept the living room. No sign of Ruth, but as he hung up his jacket, he saw her tan trench coat hanging next to it.

Abner took the insulated bag Judd had brought and peeked inside. “Yum! Ice cream! I’ll put it into the freezer for you. It’ll taste great with the pie.” He disappeared through the swinging door into the kitchen.

Cooper Chapman rose from the couch to greet him. Trevor and Skip were watching TV. So Skip must be Ruth’s son after all. But the boy had mentioned that his father’s first name was Thomas. Judd had understood that Ruth was married to Ed McCoy. Had she married more than once? And was she still married to Ed? Maybe the next hour would answer those questions.

Judd was just beginning to realize how little he knew about Ruth’s life. He’d seen her with the two little girls who were sitting on the rug, petting Abner’s dog. They resembled their mother. But Skip had a different look about him—lighter coloring, sharper bones. Judd would never venture to ask Ruth about her past. But maybe Abner could tell him something later.

“Sit down and get warm, Judd.” Cooper motioned him to a seat on the couch. “That storm’s a wicked one. Let’s hope it blows over before we need to head out.”

“I’m afraid I won’t be staying long,” Judd said. “I hate to eat and run, but I’ve got work piled up at home and customers wanting their saddles before Christmas.”

“Trevor tells me that he and Skip will be repairing that harness for the Christmas sleigh. Won’t having them in your workshop slow you down? You know what they say. ‘One boy is a boy. Two boys is half a boy. And three boys is no boy at all.’ ”

“I can’t let them slow me down. All I can do is show them what to do and turn them loose. And at least there won’t be three of them.”

Cooper chuckled. “Not unless you get Maggie as well. She wants to help, too. But don’t count her out. That girl can do anything she puts her mind to.”

Judd felt a touch on his knee. He glanced down to see the older of Ruth’s two little girls. She was holding a pen and an odd-looking paper turkey shaped like a hand.

“Hello, mister,” she said, thrusting the pen into his hand. “My name is Janeen. I need you to write your name right here on this turkey. Okay?”

“Maybe.” Judd couldn’t hold back a smile. “But first tell me why you need my name on a turkey.”

“It goes by your plate at the table, so you’ll know where to sit.” She was a charming child with her mother’s hazel eyes.

“Well, in that case, of course.” Judd laid the turkey on the coffee table and printed his first name across its belly. “There you are.”

“J, U, D, D.” She studied the letters, reading them out loud. “Thanks. It’s almost time to eat.” She took the turkey and skipped off into the dining room.

“Ruth’s done a great job with those kids, considering the hell Ed put the family through,” Cooper said. “Jess and I hope she can move on and find herself a good man this time.”

“So she’s divorced?”

“For almost a year now. With her husband in prison, the judge didn’t make her wait. Say, you’re single, Judd. Maybe you ought to think about—”

“Oh, no. Not me. I’d never have the patience to take on a family, especially one that isn’t mine. That takes a special kind of sainthood.”

Just then, Janeen skipped back into the room, ringing a small handbell. “Dinner’s ready!” she announced. “Everybody to the table. Skip, Mom says to turn off the TV.”

Everybody was hungry. They trooped into the dining room. Judd found his name near the foot of the table, with Skip on his left. There was still no sign of Ruth, but he could hear women’s voices in the kitchen. A moment later, Jess came out through the swinging door with a platter of carved meat. She set it in the center of the table before taking her seat on Judd’s right.

Everyone was seated except Ruth. Judd found himself churning inside. His appetite had fled. Did she know he was here? Was she avoiding him? Lord help him, he should never have agreed to come.

However he played this encounter, it was going to be awkward as hell.

His heart seemed to stop as the kitchen door swung open.

Chapter Four

Ruth had come in from the kitchen carrying a bowl heaped with mashed potatoes. At the sight of Judd sitting at the table next to her son, her fingers seemed to freeze. The bowl started to slip from her hands. She recovered and grabbed it just in time to keep it from crashing to the floor.

---