The Deardons Complete Mini-Series
Page 37
“Lucas! Noah! Jonah!” Lucy ran out into the yard just in time to catch them before they’d headed back out.
Lucas jumped down off his horse and ran toward her.
“I found this in Sophia’s room.” She handed her husband a small piece of paper.
After studying it for a moment with scrunched brows, Lucas handed it to Jonah.
It was a drawing of his father’s new sleigh with stick-like images of toys sticking out of the back.
“You don’t think she…?” Lucy’s question trailed.
“Yes,” Lucas said with confidence. “I definitely think she would. She loves that man and was fascinated by the sleigh.”
“Do you know where he was headed?” Noah asked.
Lucy nodded, then proceeded to tell them the names of the three families Gabe had chosen to help this year.
“But, he would have also stopped by the center of town,” she added, “to place the new piece in the nativity.”
The men nodded and without wasting another moment, mounted their horses and headed in the direction of town.
“The Collins place is closest,” Lucas informed them, yelling to be heard over the sound of the wind as it blew large snowflakes in several directions at once. “We’ll start there.”
As they approached a small farmhouse, Jonah caught a glimpse of red shining back at him through the snow and the muffled sound of anxious horses swirled in the air.
“Over there!” he yelled to his brothers as he pointed in the direction of the house ahead.
With a quick slap of his reins, he approached his father’s sleigh, but there was no sign of him or the little girl.
“Dad!” Noah yelled as he jumped down off his horse and ran toward a snow-covered lump just outside the gate.
In moments, Lucas and Jonah joined them. Jonah held his breath as Noah leaned down against their father to check for breath.
Jonah’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest as his father’s eyes opened and he began struggling to get up. Gabe opened his jacket to reveal little Sophia cuddling up against him. One look at Lucas and she pushed away from her grandfather and jumped up.
“Daddy!” she squealed as she ran into his open arms.
Jonah reached down with Noah to help their father to his feet.
Lucas picked Sophia up and spun her around in circles, holding her close against him. He buried his face in her curls, his body shaking with emotion. He pulled back and kissed her face, her cheeks, her head.
Jonah’s chest swelled with warmth and he said a silent prayer of gratitude. She was all right.
“What happened, Dad?” Noah asked. “We’ve been looking for Sophia for hours.”
Gabe wobbled one direction, then another and his arms shot out to steady himself against his sons.
“She stowed away in the back with all the blankets and toys.” He tried to take a step, but his knee buckled beneath him and he groaned in pain.
“Blasted leg,” he grumped.
Jonah positioned himself under his father’s arm and Noah did the same on the other side and they heaved him toward the sleigh.
“Am I in trouble, Daddy?” Sophia asked as they got closer.
Lucas laughed through his tears. “No, baby. But, never ever leave again without talking to me or Mama first, all right?”
“But, Daddy,” she said.
Lucas looked at her with a raised brow.
“Yes, sir,” she said quickly before she leaned in close to him. “Granddad is Father Christmas.” She placed a finger over her lips. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
Everyone laughed.
She was safe. They were all safe.
Chapter Eleven
Christmas Day
Jonah had never seen so many of his relatives in one place at the same time. Laughter rang through the room like a welcome guest spreading its Christmas joy. The savory aromas of roasted meats and salted potatoes mingled with the sweet scent of several confectionary delicacies.
He looked over at Emma, who beamed at her boys as they recounted their adventures since coming to Whisper Ridge and Jonah smiled. Moving here had been the right decision.
The afternoon promised a good time with a plethora of Deardon family traditions and festivities—many he had never even heard of.
“Dad,” Jonah said, shifting in his seat to look at his father. “I just want to tell you—”
“We both made mistakes, son. Let’s leave it at that. It’s time we look forward and work at being a family again.” He winked. “And now that you’re moving into the MacPherson place, well, we’ll have plenty of time to catch up.” His father clapped him on the back. “What do you say we have some of that pie?”
Relief washed over Jonah like a warm bath. He’d finally found peace.
“I have to admit, I’m a little jealous that you all will be living so close to each other. I hate to leave knowing everyone else will be here,” Noah said as he squeezed his wife’s hand.
“Do you think any more of your neighbors will be selling?” Kate chimed in.
“Hell,” Gabe said without hesitation, “we’ll build you a place.”
Everyone laughed.
“I think it’s time we hear our Lucy play something on the piano,” Uncle Hank called from the other end of the table.
Lucy wiped the corner of her mouth with her napkin and jumped up. She grabbed the music Lucas had given her from the armoire in the corner and sat down to play.
Silent Night.
Jonah looked at his father and shifted uneasily in his seat. Music had not been allowed in their home since their mother had left more than thirty years ago and he feared his father’s reaction to the carol. The peace he’d felt just moments ago was suddenly stripped from him and he held his breath as the verse began.
“Silent night. Holy night. All is calm…” everyone sang.
Then it happened. Something Jonah could have never expected.
“All is bright.” The small sound coming from his father grew. “Round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild.”
Everyone else had stopped singing, but Gabe just sang louder.
“Sleep in heavenly peace.” His gravelly voice quieted to almost a whisper. “Sleep in heavenly peace.”
Jonah wiped the tear that streamed down his face and started in on the second verse with the rest of his family.
He was home.
THE END
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More by Kelli Ann Morgan
To read more about his cousin, Levi Redbourne, or others in the Redbourne family, check out the Redbourne Series full length titles
(Click on title to order from Amazon)
The Rancher
Redbourne Series Book One
Cole’s Story
The Bounty Hunter
Redbourne Series Book Two
Rafe’s Story
The Blacksmith
Redbourne Series Book Three
Ethan’s Story
The Iron Horseman
Redbourne Series Book Four
Levi’s Story
The Outrider
Redbourne Series Book Five
Will’s Story
Holden’s Heart
Silver Springs Series Book One
Available from Inspire Books
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KELLI ANN MORGAN is a bestselling author whose western historical romance books have been downloaded near a quarter of a million times and maintain a better than four-star rating.
Kelli Ann lives in beautiful Northern Utah with her wonderfully creative and witty husband, her fun and imaginative teenage son, and two very playful cats. Before she started writing historical western romance, she’s worked as a photographer, jewelry designer, motivational speaker, but has found fulfillment living her dream of writing romance and designing book covers for herself and other authors.
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