Page 26 of The Sound of Sleighbells

The girls raced among the trees, looking for the perfect one. Skip followed to keep an eye on his sisters, leaving Judd and Ruth to stand on the sidelines and watch.

Judd stepped to the refreshment table, picked up two Styrofoam cups of cocoa, and handed one to Ruth. “You’ve done a fine job of raising that boy,” he said. “He’s responsible, caring, courteous, everything a young man should be.”

“Skip has pretty much raised himself. He’s had to.” Ruth sipped her cocoa in silence for a long moment. “I saw Digger in town today. We exchanged a few words. He said he was staying with you.”

“He showed up and I let him sleep in the bunkhouse. I didn’t have the heart to turn him away in a storm. But it won’t be for long. I’ll see to that.”

“I don’t want Skip around him, Judd. Digger knows too much about the old days—and he always was a talker.”

“That’s not the worst of it,” Judd said. “He’s done time for dealing drugs, and I’ve smelled weed on him. I’ve told Skip he’s not to go near the man.”

“Can’t you just throw him out?”

“I could. But there might be repercussions. He could even show up on your doorstep next. I’ve been trying to reach the sheriff to see if there are any warrants on him. I’m still waiting to hear back.”

“Meanwhile, you can’t expect me to let Skip anywhere near your friend,” Ruth said. “I’ve never told anybody about you and me, and I intend to keep that secret.”

An image flashed through Judd’s memory—Ruth lying beside him in the long summer grass, the stars overhead, her breathing soft in the darkness . . .

But that was a long time ago, and their love had ended in heartbreak. He forced the thought from his mind.

“Digger was wild back in the day,” Ruth continued. “And it appears he hasn’t changed. I can’t trust him around my son.”

“I understand,” Judd said. “But Skip’s doing some fine work on that harness for the parade. He’ll be crushed if he’s not allowed to finish it in time.”

“Worse things could happen. The sleigh could always be pulled with a tractor. But nothing is worth having my son—or Trevor—hurt in any way.”

She stood in silence, watching her daughters flit like fireflies among the rows of Christmas trees. Skip stood by the refreshment table, sipping cocoa and talking with a pretty girl while he kept an eye on them.

At last Ruth spoke again.

“Could the harness be moved to Abner’s barn, so the boys could work on it there? That’s where they built the sleigh last year.”

“I wish it was that easy,” Judd said. “But they need the machines to cut and sew the straps, and those can’t be moved. Digger has orders to stay out of the shop, and I’ll be there the whole time. Knowing how strong your feelings are, I’ll make sure Digger doesn’t get anywhere near the boys.”

Ruth sighed. “All right, we’ll try it tomorrow. But as long as Digger’s there, I won’t be driving to your place. I don’t want him to get any ideas. If Trevor’s well enough to work, I can leave Skip at his house. If not, I’ll leave Skip at Abner’s and pick him up there. He can walk the rest of the way. But if anything goes wrong, anything at all, my son won’t be coming back. Understand?”

“I understand.” But Judd wasn’t sure he understood his own feelings. He’d never wanted the boys working in his shop. But he’d just begged Ruth to let Skip come back. Maybe he was getting soft.

“Mom! We found our tree!” Janeen was waving. Tammy was bouncing up and down. Leaving Judd, Ruth hurried to join them.

The tree was perfect—not too tall for the house, but beautifully shaped, full and fresh, its needles fragrant with the scent of pine. But Ruth’s heart sank as she saw the price tag. The amount was almost double what she’d planned to pay.

“Are you sure this is the one you want?” she asked the girls. “There are plenty of other nice trees here.”

“No!” Tammy tugged at her coat. “Please, Mommy! We want this tree. It’s the prettiest one of all.”

Ruth sighed. She had never known a time when she didn’t have to count every cent. Tonight was no different. But standing here with her girls gazing up at her and “White Christmas” playing over the speakers, she remembered her vow to make this the best Christmas ever for her children. For Skip that would mean the bicycle she’d put on layaway at the Target in Cottonwood Springs. For Janeen and Tammy, it would mean the dolls they’d chosen from the Sears Roebuck catalog—and the perfect tree.

She would make up the difference somehow.

Opening her purse, she found a pen and her checkbook. Leaving the girls with the tree, she joined the short line to the cash register. Hank Miller, who was collecting payment, gave her a smile. Ruth could only hope that meant he’d be willing to take her check and hold it till Monday.

She reached the front of the line and laid her checkbook on the counter.

“You won’t need that check, Ruth,” Hank said. “Your tree’s been paid for, along with a stand to hold it. Look.”

Ruth followed the direction of his nod. Judd and Skip were carrying the tree out to the truck, with the girls dancing along behind.

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