Contents
Title Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Six months later
About the Author
Also by Lisa Schroeder
Copyright
“Y’all are kidding, right?” Hannah asked as she searched under the Christmas tree for one last box. A box that would have a note in it, telling her to head out to the barn, where she would find the horse she’d always dreamed of. The horse she was absolutely, positively getting for Christmas this year.
She’d overheard her parents talking one night, as she walked by their bedroom. All right, fine, maybe she hadn’t heard them mention the word horse, but she’d heard her mama say, “It’s a pretty big responsibility. Are you sure Hannah is ready for it?”
Her daddy had assured her mama that Hannah was, indeed, ready for it, and that was all Hannah had needed to hear. After all, what other big responsibility could they have been talking about?
Her ears had been pierced since third grade.
She already owned a cell phone.
She wasn’t old enough to drive.
It had to be a horse, Hannah had reasoned every single day from that night until now. It just had to be.
She crawled around the Christmas tree, pushing the mess of red, white, and green wrapping paper out of the way as she went, searching for the last box.
“Hannah,” her father, Mr. Crawford, said gently, from his place on the sofa next to her mother. “There isn’t another box to open. I’m sorry if you’re disappointed.”
With a heavy sigh, Hannah stopped looking and plopped down on the floor. She yanked on her flannel pajama top covered in penguins, straightening it out. “I am not disappointed. I’m … impatient. I love the gifts I’ve opened so far and I appreciate them, I really do, but I have a feeling there’s one more. Isn’t there?”
All of the gifts under the tree had been opened. The family had taken turns, to make the best part of Christmas morning last as long as possible. Her older brothers, twins Adam and Eric, were oblivious to Hannah’s desperate pleas, as they had spent the last ten minutes trying to open the box that held the new video gaming system they’d received.
Hannah glanced over at her small pile of gifts that included an adorable pair of red cowboy boots, a cookie cookbook, an apron, and a necklace with an emerald pendant (her birthstone).
“Please,” she begged. Hoping for some luck, Hannah fingered the charm bracelet hanging on her wrist, which she’d received from her camp friend Libby last week. “What do I have to do to get you to give it to me? I know there’s one more. I just know it.”
Grandpa chuckled from his place on the loveseat, next to Grandma. They lived on the same property as Hannah and her family, in the original old farmhouse, right next door. Because of their close proximity, she saw them every day, and she was thankful for that. They were two of her most favorite people in the world.
Now, Hannah eyed the two of them suspiciously. Neither of her grandparents had said a single word the past few minutes. And that wasn’t like them. At all.
She made her way over to the loveseat and, while on her hands and knees, clasped her hands together out in front of her. “Grandpa, do you like seeing me crawl around here like a beggar? What do I have to do? Tell me. Please?”
He smiled as he pointed at the tree. “Say, what is that, stuck between a couple of branches? I can’t quite tell from here.”
Hannah shrieked as she stood up and dashed over to the tree, stumbling over Grandpa’s box of new slippers. “Where?” she cried, her hands batting at the tree branches, the scent of pine circling around her.
“Careful,” her mother, Mrs. Crawford, said. “Some of those ornaments have been in my family a long time. I’d be sad to see one of them fall to the floor and break.”
Something white caught Hannah’s eye, tucked on a branch near the trunk, way up high. “I don’t know if I can reach it,” she said as she stood on her tippy-toes, stretching herself inward and upward, needles poking her cheek as she did.
And then, she had it. She grabbed whatever it was and pulled it toward her until she could see exactly what it was: an envelope.
She jumped up and down, hugging the envelope to her chest. “I knew it, I knew it!”
“What is it?” Adam asked as he brushed his long, blond bangs out of his gray-blue eyes.
“It better not be money,” Eric said. “Unless there are two more envelopes just like that one stuck in there somewhere.”
Adam looked at Eric. “Maybe we should look.”
“It’s not money,” Hannah said as she tore open the envelope.
“How do you know?” Adam asked.
“I’m curious about that as well,” her father mumbled.
“I just have a feeling, okay?” Hannah pulled out a purple piece of paper. “Aw, my favorite color.” She unfolded the paper and read the words out loud.
There’s one last gift
that’s not under the tree,
so head out to the barn
where you’ll squeal with glee.
Hannah dropped the purple note, grabbed her new cowboy boots, and slipped them on over her pajama bottoms. “Who’s going out with me?”
“I reckon I’ll go,” Grandpa said as he stood up. He reached for Grandma’s hand. “And I know your grandma doesn’t want to miss this either.”
“We’ll go too,” Mr. Crawford said as both he and Mrs. Crawford stood up.
Hannah clapped her hands. “You folks are slower than maple syrup, you know that? Come on, hurry up.” She looked at her brothers. “Don’t you want to see what it is?”
“Not right now,” Eric said.
“Yeah, maybe later,” Adam said. “Mama, I’m hungry. Can we have one of Grandma’s cinnamon rolls now?”
“I suppose,” Mrs. Crawford replied.
“Just save some for the rest of us,” Grandpa said.
“Who can eat at a time like this?” Hannah cried, grabbing her gray wool coat from the hall closet. “Let’s go!”
She’d dreamed of this moment forever, it seemed.
And her dream was finally, finally coming true.
Hannah fiddled with the charm bracelet as she walked toward the old, red barn, wishing and hoping for all the luck in the world right about now. She knew she shouldn’t be picky, but she couldn’t help wishing for the perfect horse.
Strong. Sweet. Breathtakingly beautiful.
She’d always dreamed of a golden Palomino, but she realized the chances of getting a beauty like that were slim to none, because they were usually very expensive. Still, her mind raced with the possibility.
Would it be a mare or a gelding? Hannah decided she didn’t really have a preference on that.
Her grandpa, wearing his cowboy hat and old leather work boots and dressed much more sensibly than Hannah at the moment, walked ahead and opened the large wooden barn doors. Then he stepped around the corner, flipped on the lights, and came back out.
Hannah’s heart raced. This was it. The moment she’d been waiting for.
Her parent
s and grandparents stood back, expecting Hannah to go first. She stepped inside, taking in the familiar, sweet scent of hay. Though there hadn’t been a horse or hay in the barn for four or five years, the wonderful smell remained. She went to the first stall, expecting to see the horse there, but it was empty, so she continued on to the second stall.
She stopped. Stared. Blinked a few times. She looked back at her family, who seemed to be completely thrilled, as if they were about to come face-to-face with the President of the United States.
Hannah shook her head as she turned back to the stall. “I don’t understand. What is this?”
Her grandpa stepped forward and laughed. “What do you mean, what is this?”
“Is it a … donkey?” Hannah asked. “I mean, it’s not a horse, right? If it is, it’s the strangest looking horse I’ve ever seen.”
“No, no, it’s not a donkey,” Grandpa said. “It’s a mule. One of the best-trained mules in the state, I might add. You should see the ribbons this guy’s racked up from the shows he’s been in.”
Hannah blinked the tears back. She knew she had to try and hide the disappointment she felt, because this was a gift, but it was so hard.
A mule? She was supposed to ride a mule? And be happy about it?
Her grandma stepped forward and put her arm around Hannah. “Honey, we got a real fine deal on him. He needed a good home. His previous owners wanted to find someone who would ride him and love him. We knew you could do that for him.”
“That’s right,” Grandpa said. “His family had to move away, to Phoenix, and they couldn’t take him with them. They were heartbroken about it. They worked so hard to train him. Do you know he’s both a pack mule and a saddle mule? That shows just how special he is, that he’ll happily do either. Most are one or the other.”
“Please don’t take this the wrong way,” Hannah said, her voice quivering as she stepped back to stand by herself, “but I wanted a horse. To me it’s like wanting a dog and getting a cat instead.”
Her father stepped toward her and spoke sternly. “No, darlin’. It’s not like that at all. This here mule can do everything a horse can do. In fact, he can do more. We did a lot of research before we pooled our money together in order to buy him for you. Besides, a mule is half horse. You know that, right?”
Hannah shrugged, because she hadn’t known that. What she did know was that this animal wasn’t one-hundred-percent horse, and she didn’t want anything less than that.
“I think we should leave Hannah alone with him,” Grandma said. “They can get to know each other a little bit without all of us standing around, gawking.”
Her grandpa reached into his coat and pulled out a shiny red apple. “This ought to start things off right.” He walked over and handed it to Hannah. “After we have our Christmas breakfast, you and I can come out and give him some hay, then let him out in the pen. He’ll look a lot prettier in the natural light. His chestnut coat and dark brown legs are really something else when you stand back and take him in. You’ll see. Oh, and we didn’t tell you his name, did we? It’s Bartholomew, which is a mouthful and a half, so they called him Bart for short.”
Bart? Seriously?
Just when she didn’t think it could get any worse. She bent her head and closed her eyes.
“Honey, you can change his name if you want,” Mrs. Crawford said. “We won’t mind. And I don’t think Bart will either.”
Hannah pinched her lips, trying hard to keep it together. She looked at her family, wondering if they expected her to come up with a name right now. How could she possibly do that when she could hardly wrap her head around what this all meant for her? She’d always imagined she’d name her first horse Dreamer. She loved the sound of it, and what it meant. But she’d never give this animal that name. Every time she’d have to say it, it would only remind her of what she didn’t have.
“Sure. You can do that,” her father said with a grin. “He’s smart. I bet he’ll catch on to a new name real quick.”
“All right,” Grandma said. “Let’s go have us some cinnamon rolls. We’ll see you inside in a little while, Hannah.”
Once they were gone, Hannah threw the apple into the mule’s stall and sat on the floor in the corner of the barn. Instead of squealing for glee like the note had said, she curled her knees up to her chest, and cried.
Hannah and her family spent Christmas Day with relatives who came to visit. They ate good food, played games, and watched Christmas movies. When Grandpa asked Hannah if she wanted to come with him to bring Bart in for the night, Hannah politely declined. Fortunately for her, he didn’t push it.
That night, her mom came to see her after she’d gotten into bed with a book to read. “Did you have a good Christmas?” she asked Hannah.
Hannah avoided her mother’s eyes as she traced the outside of the book with her finger. “I guess so.”
Mrs. Crawford patted her daughter’s hand. “You need to give him a chance, honey.”
She didn’t even have to say his name for Hannah to know whom her mother was talking about. Bart. “You don’t understand,” Hannah said softly. “I don’t know if I can.”
“Well, you need to try. Listen, our receptionist at the shop is out of town for Christmas, so she won’t be there tomorrow. It won’t be too busy, so Grandma thought maybe you could come along and help us out. What do you say?”
Hannah’s face lit up. It was exactly what she needed — to get away from here, where everyone would be bugging her to spend time with the mule. “I’d love that. What time are you leaving?”
“You should be downstairs for breakfast at eight.” Mrs. Crawford stood up. “I’ll call Grandpa and ask him to feed Bart in the morning and turn him out, since you’re going with us, all right?”
Hannah smiled. “Thanks, Mama.”
“Merry Christmas, Hannah.”
“Merry Christmas.”
After her mother left, Hannah set the book down and turned off the lamp, her charm bracelet jingling as she did. She burrowed down beneath the covers and thought of her three best friends from camp, Caitlin, Mia, and Libby, who shared the bracelet with Hannah, and wondered if they’d had a nice holiday. It felt like someone stuck her heart with needles, thinking about them. Boy, did she miss those girls. As she closed her eyes, all thoughts of the mule disappeared, as she recalled the laughter-filled days at Camp Brookridge.
Merry Christmas, Cabin 7 BFFs, Hannah thought as she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
The next morning, Hannah and her mother and grandmother were in the car and on their way by eight thirty-five. The plot of land Hannah’s family owned was just on the outskirts of a small town called Soddy-Daisy, about twenty minutes outside Chattanooga, Tennessee. Located between the shimmering Soddy Lake and the forest-filled mountains, the town of Soddy-Daisy was both pretty and friendly. “The pretty friendly town,” Hannah’s father liked to joke.
Grandma and Grandpa Crawford had lived here for years, since it was where they’d raised their three sons. When Hannah’s dad had proposed to her mother, he’d asked his parents if he and his bride-to-be could build a house next door. Since there was more than enough room, they’d happily agreed.
Hannah’s father worked for the electric company in Chattanooga, while her mom worked as a stylist at the beauty shop Grandma owned. Beauty by Design was Grandma’s baby. She’d worked hard to make it a fun and friendly place for the ladies of Soddy-Daisy. Although the shop had lots of space, she’d chosen to keep it cozy and intimate by only employing two other stylists besides herself. In the mornings, the television was usually on and tuned to the shopping channel. The stylists made fun of the featured products, like buzzards picking them apart. In the afternoons, Grandma served tea and cookies. The owner of the bakery next door, The Magic Oven, loved the Crawfords, because they bought dozens of cookies every week for their beauty shop clients.
Before every holiday, Beauty by Design was decorated as if the shop was going to be featured
in a magazine. In other words, the Crawfords went all out. It was another thing that made the shop extra special.
As Grandma pulled her Toyota Avalon into the parking lot behind the shop, she said, “I just have my two Thursday regulars this morning, Gladys and Nola. What about you, Sarah?”
Hannah’s mom had her appointment book in her lap. “I have two cut and colors, but I’ll be done by one. It’s definitely going to be a short day. Shall we all go out to lunch after we’re done?”
Hannah rubbed her hands together. “Yes! Can we go to Fries and Pies? Please? Pretty please?”
The two ladies chuckled. “I wonder,” her mama said, turning around and looking at her, “if you realize there are other restaurants in the great town of Soddy-Daisy?”
“Of course I realize that,” Hannah said as she unbuckled her seat belt. “But I also know none of them even come close to being as good as Fries and Pies.”
“Well,” Grandma said as she opened her door. “All I can say is thank goodness they have a few salads on the menu for the over-sixteen crowd.”
When they walked into the shop, Louanne, the other stylist who worked there, was snipping away on an older woman’s hair. Louanne was in her thirties and had been married and divorced twice already. She was pretty, with her bleached blond hair curled around her face and her fake eyelashes plastered along her big blue eyes, but boy, did she love to talk. Grandma said her husbands probably had to divorce her in order to get some peace and quiet.
“Well good morning Nancy, Sarah, and Hannah,” Louanne said, her bright red lips stretched out in a big grin. “How y’all doing? Did you have a nice Christmas?”
“We sure did,” Grandma said as she walked over to her station, the first one along the wall.
Hannah went to the receptionist’s desk and plopped down in the swivel chair. An itty-bitty fake Christmas tree decorated with tiny ornaments sat on the counter. A couple of little wrapped gifts were stuck underneath the tree, and Hannah wondered if they were real or just for looks.
Two women sat in the waiting area, flipping through magazines. Hannah recognized Gladys, an older lady with white, curly hair, but she wasn’t sure who the other woman was. She figured it had to be her mother’s first appointment. Before she could ask, her grandma kept talking.
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