The Christmas Bargain by Shanna Hatfield

Author:Shanna Hatfield [Hatfield, Shanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General Fiction, cookie429, Kat, Extratorrents
ISBN: 9781480257856
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2012-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Arriving home a few minutes early, Luke entered a quiet house. He could smell ham baking in the oven, but Mrs. Kellogg had gone home and Filly was nowhere to be seen, at least not on the main floor. Wandering through the kitchen a second time, he found an envelope with his name penned across the front leaning against a plate of cookies.

Slitting it open, he was filled with dread, recalling the last envelope from Filly resulted in a midnight ride to track her down before she returned to her father’s farm.

Quickly scanning her message, he smiled, hurrying down the hallway to his room. Changing from his suit into jeans, a woolen shirt and his work boots, he put on his wool-lined chore coat, and settled his old battered Stetson on his head.

Apparently Filly decided to ride up to the tree line to get some branches for decorating.

Hustling to the barn, Luke saddled Drake, and headed off in the direction of the end of their property. He didn’t see Filly anywhere immediately, but noticed fresh tracks in the snow and followed them. He topped a small rise to see his wife standing, actually standing, on Sheeba’s saddle reaching above her head to get a bunch of moss.

Not wanting to startle her or the horse, he and Drake sat quietly waiting until Filly retrieved her moss and, in one fluid motion, returned to a sitting position in the saddle.

Urging Drake forward, Luke called to Filly and she turned in surprise, waving a hand at him.

“Hi, Luke,” she said, cheeks glowing and eyes bright with happiness and fresh air. “Look what I found.”

Luke noticed a pile of greenery, some twigs of holly and, of course, the bunch of moss still in her hand.

“Good land, Filly, how are you going to get all this home?” Luke asked, eyeing the small mountain of greens.

“I haven’t exactly gotten that far in my plans,” she said, looking around and not seeing any immediate answer to the problem. “I may have gotten a little carried away.”

“Perhaps,” Luke teased, dismounting Drake and looking around. He quickly found what he was looking for and in no time had a travois lashed together using long, thin poles and the rope from his saddle. Throwing the greenery on top, he tied the end of the rope to his saddle horn. “Let’s start home before it gets completely dark out.”

“Thanks for helping me,” Filly said, riding beside him. “I was going to come home after I got the moss and then there you were, coming to my rescue again.”

“What would you do without me?” Luke questioned lightheartedly, but Filly’s expression grew somber.

“I don’t want to think about it,” she said quietly. Before the mood could get as dark as the evening sky, Filly started to sing Jingle Bells and insisted Luke join in the chorus. Not one given to an abundance of holiday cheer, Luke realized he was about to be dragged into the festivities headfirst this year and relished the thought of experiencing it with Filly.

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