Page 46 of The Sound of Sleighbells

Or maybe not.

With just two weekends to go before the big Christmas celebration. Skip would want to spend the day working on the harness with Trevor and Maggie. That meant he wouldn’t be available to tend his sisters at home while she visited Abner. The hospital was no place to bring young children—and seeing their friend in pain could be distressing to the girls. She’d be better off going tonight, while Skip was at home and his sisters were asleep.

After filling the coffeemaker and switching it on, she went down the hall to Skip’s room and tapped lightly on the door.

“I’m awake, Mom. You can come in.”

She opened the door to find him sitting up in bed, reading. “I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “Is there any word about Abner?”

“Judd just called.” She gave him the news. “If you don’t mind babysitting the girls for a few hours, I thought I’d go and visit him now. I’ll be back in time for your paper route. Then, if Judd’s home, you’ll be free to spend the day working on the harness. All right?”

“That sounds great. Let me know how Abner’s doing.” He closed his book and laid it down. “And Mom, one thing.” He paused, swallowed. “I know that you and Judd dated before he got arrested. You’re both alone, and I like him a lot. If you ever, you know, wanted to get together again, it would be fine with me. The girls like him, too.”

“Oh, Skip!” She wanted to hug him, but the moment was too fragile, too precious. “Judd’s a good man, but that was a long time ago. Too much water under the bridge, as they say. Nothing’s going to happen. But I love you for telling me. I . . .” She fumbled for words. “I think the coffee’s ready. Tell the girls about Abner when they wake up. They’ve said prayers.” She turned away and fled the room to hide the moisture in her eyes.

The coffee was done. She added a dollop of milk and gulped it down before flinging on her coat and dashing out the door. Skip’s words had slammed her like a doubled-up fist. Dating? Was he really that innocent?

But it was his sweetness that had driven a knife through her heart. As if anything were possible. As if love stories could end like fairy tales, with happily ever after.

Her beloved boy would have some hard lessons to learn.

The nighttime weather was clear, the traffic sparse at this hour. A faint doggy smell lingered inside the wagon. Ruth cracked the window to freshen the air and lowered the volume on the radio.

What if life could be as simple as Skip seemed to think? She could say yes to Judd; they could marry; he would claim Skip and adopt the girls. She would move her family into his fine home, and they would live happily ever after.

But life wasn’t like that. Not for her. Her first love had gone to prison. Her second had been killed. Her third had turned out to be an abusive monster. There would be no fourth try for happiness.

The hospital was at the far end of Cottonwood Springs. Ruth drove up the main street under a dazzle of blinking Christmas lights. Arriving, she parked in the visitors’ lot and walked to the main entrance.

She’d been here before but not at Christmastime. The lobby was decorated with a glittering tree in one corner. Traditional Christmas music played whisper soft in the background. Ruth knew that the decorations and the music were meant to put people in a peaceful holiday mood. But all Ruth could feel was an empty hollow in the place where love had come and gone.

After getting the room number, she took the elevator to the fourth floor and followed the numbered doors down the long hallway. Abner’s room would be at the far end, past the nurse’s station. She could see it now, the door slightly ajar.

Inside, the room was dim, lit by a lamp above the sink. City lights glowed through the slats of the venetian blinds. Judd was nowhere to be seen.

Walking to the bed, she gazed down at Abner. He lay on his side, the faint outline of a brace showing beneath the blanket. His eyes were closed, his breathing deep and even. His resting face looked old and frail. She was tempted to take his hand and wake him, just to make sure he was still the kind, affable man she’d always known. But he was most likely on painkillers and needed to sleep.

An upholstered chair had been placed next to the bed. As she shifted it to sit down, Ruth noticed Judd’s coat hanging over the back. He wouldn’t have left it behind. He must be somewhere in the hospital.

Bone-tired, she sank into the chair and closed her eyes. She’d been running on nerves and adrenaline since the news of Abner’s accident. Now it was as if a plug had been pulled. Only now, as she rested, did Judd’s words come back to her.

Some things are more important than work.

He’d been right. Abner’s well-being was more important than saddles, more important, even, than being Santa. In the end, friends and family were all that mattered.

When had he become so wise? Clearly, he hadn’t yet learned that lesson when he’d left her to ride with his friends. Maybe he’d changed. But she’d changed, too. Life had taught her that she could depend on no one but herself.

Lulled by the warmth in the room, the low light, and the easy cadence of Abner’s breathing, she began to drift. She was almost fast asleep when she felt a touch on her shoulder. She flinched and opened her eyes.

“Hey, Ruth.” Judd was smiling down at her. “What are you doing here? I thought you were coming tomorrow.”

She stifled a yawn. “Tonight was easier. I was able to leave the girls home with Skip. And I was getting anxious about Abner.”

“As you can see, he’s out like a light.” His voice was just above a whisper.

“I promised Skip that I’d be home in time for his Saturday paper route.” She followed his cue to keep from waking Abner. “But I can stay until six o’clock. If you need to go—”

“No, I plan to stay until morning, when they’ll check him again. I don’t want to leave until I know how he’s doing and when he can come home.”

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