Saving Grace

Chapter 38

Joe and Levi hitched the new horses to the go-devils. Joe looked up to see Grace and Sarah step out into the cold.

"Are you dressed warm enough?"

Grace nodded.

Levi hopped on the runners. "Sarah, put your feet behind mine and wrap your arms around my waist." When she was in place, he clucked to the horse. "Hup, you."

Joe looked up at Grace. "You ready?"

"We have to do that?"

Joe shrugged. "Unless you wanna walk."

She stepped onto the runners and grinned. "I'd rather not get too cold."

Joe nodded and stepped in front of her. He patted her hands as they slid around his waist. "Let me know if you get too cold." He felt her nod against his back. "Hup, you. Let's catch up."

Grace squealed and tightened her grip around him as the sled moved down the trail. Joe grinned and patted her hands.

Levi pulled up next to a tree and asked Sarah a question. She shook her head.

"Looks like we're going further out. She doesn't like these."

Grace laughed. Her voice ringing through the hills like Christmas bells. They moved through the trees at a fast clip, pausing here and there so that Sarah could veto the pathetic excuses for trees.

Joe looked over his shoulder at Grace's gleaming face. "Think we'll go over the river next?"

She giggled. "Grandmother doesn't live close."

Levi stopped the horse and tied him to a tree. Sarah clomped along after him, stopping at several trees.

"We'd better go help find a good one," Grace said.

"Go on. I'll catch up as soon as I tie up the horse."

Grace followed the trail through the snow. She lifted her skirts at first then let them hang as she held onto branches to avoid slipping.

Joe bumped into Grace, sending her sprawling in the snow. "I'm so sorry." He rushed forward to help her up. She grabbed his hand and pulled, sending him head over heels into the snowbank.

Grace piled snow on him as he struggled to rise. Joe laughed as he grasped her arm and yanked. She tumbled down the hill with him in a small slide. They tumbled to a stop in front of Levi and Sarah. He shared a look with Grace then they both started lobbing snowballs at the children.

Shrieks and laughter filled the air as they dodged through the icy missiles. Finally, they fell into a heap. Sarah looked up at the tree. "This is the one."

Joe laughed. "Sounds good to me."

"Are you sure?" Grace asked. "It's awful scraggly."

Sarah grinned. "Yes. This is the fun tree."

"The fun tree?"

"Yes. This is the tree where we had fun."

Joe grinned and pulled the wire saw from his pocket. He looped it around the tree and quickly cut it down. "How 'bout we drag those go-devils to the hill we came up and sled down a couple times."

Sarah clapped her hands with glee.

He grabbed her hand and led her up the slope, dragging the tree behind them. He sat on the sled and pulled Sarah onto his lap. "Ready?"

"Yes."

Joe pushed off with his hands as they careened down the slope. Sarah's giggles echoed through the trees.

Grace and Levi came down after them. Their sled capsized halfway down the hill, spilling them into the snow. Joe dragged the sled back to the top. Levi and Sarah went down again and again.

Grace brushed the snow from her clothes and winced.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded and smiled. "I'm a bit cold but I'm fine. They're having too much fun for me to ruin it for them."

"Yeah." He hitched the sled back to the horse and strapped the tree in place. "Just so we'll be ready to go back when they are. They'll play til they're too cold to move."

Sarah climbed the hill, obviously shivering. Her face fell as she saw the other sled hitched up. "But I'm not done yet."

Joe nodded. "Go again, then."

She grinned. "You'll come with me?"

"Sure."

He climbed on the sled, gasping when Levi and Sarah climbed on top of him. Grace pushed his back and they whipped down the hill. Sarah shrieked with glee. She tumbled off his lap and almost ran back up the hill. Levi pushed him off the sled into the snow and took off running, dragging it behind him.

Joe spluttered for a moment before he turned to watch the pair reach the top and slide down once again. He scrambled out of the way as they slid to a stop next to him.

Sarah yelled, "Again!"

Joe grinned. He tromped to the top of the hill and laughed at Grace's face.

"I thought you were hurt for a minute. I didn't realize Levi had pushed you off."

"The little devil. I swear, he stomped my head into the snow before he took off with the sled."

"You've gotta be faster."

"Shall we take the horses to the bottom? Then they won't hafta hike back up with the sled when they're done."

She nodded and untied the first horse, leading it down the hill. Joe followed with the second horse.

Sarah and Levi rushed past them again and again as they played.

Joe watched as the sled capsized once again, spilling its riders across the frosty surface. Sarah's cries cut through the happiness.

Levi rushed to her side and pulled her to her feet. "It's okay. We'll go get warm." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the waiting horses.

"She all right?" Joe asked.

"Just cold. That last spill was the end."

"Take this horse and the tree and get her to the cabin. I'll take the other and Grace."

"Yes, sir."

Grace wrapped her arms around him as they stood on the runners. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Today. It's exactly what we needed."

"Christmas should be fun."

"I thought you didn't believe in this nonsense."

He glanced over his shoulder. "I don't believe in the bible."

"Christmas is based on the bible. It's a celebration of the birth of Christ. You can't believe in one without the other."

"Didn't look at it that way." He sighed. "God's never been there when I needed him. He's never helped. If he's real, he's let too many bad things happen in my life."

"God doesn't prevent the bad things. He just lends us the strength to get through the things we don't think we can get through alone."

Joe snapped the reins over the horse's back. "He took my brother and not me. It shoulda been me. My brother was the good one."

Grace shook her head against his back. "You're an amazing person, Joe. You have such strength of character. You love without asking for anything in return. You serve without question. You protect and defend those who can't do it for themselves. You have all the traits of a godly man."

"But I'm not."

"You are. You just have to realize it." She squeezed his ribs then stepped off the runners in front of the house.

Joe looked down at the snow sliding past. "What does she mean?"