Saving Grace

Chapter 40

Joe laid out the rabbit skins and grimaced. He needed several more to complete the pants. With Christmas only days away, he was determined to finish them. He gathered his pack and rifle and headed outside, determined to check the traps again.

The cold wind bit his skin. He turned up his collar and pulled his hat lower on his bare head. A horse whinnied at him from the pen. "Get back inside, you nut."

Branches seemed to reach out and claw at him as he made his way through the brush. He grinned as he spotted the white body in the trap. "That's one. I only need another four or five." He reset the trap and moved on. "A dozen more."

He beamed as he approached the last trap. "Excellent. That's the last one I need. They won't be dry in time, but at least I can have them started."

He slipped on the edge of the ravine and grabbed the nearby willow branches to pull himself back up. The creek rushed by several feet below. Joe gritted his teeth. "May hafta move this trap."

A shot rang out, whipping him around. He crouched to the ground, looking for the source. As another followed, he narrowed his eyes. He shouldered his pack and hurried back to the cabin. Levi knelt in the snow just across the clearing.

"Levi!"

Levi turned, his face split by a smile. "Got it."

Joe rushed across the clearing to find him kneeling over a large deer. "Great job, Levi."

"Thanks. How'd you do?"

"A couple of rabbits. Didn't check the fish trap."

"Why?"

"Heard your shots."

"Trying to save the world again?"

Joe chuckled. "Just my world. Do ya want help with that?"

Levi nodded his head. "Sure. Can you ask the girls how they want this? I need to know how to cut it up. Whether we're smoking or drying or what."

"We'll get the skin off and take it inside. It'll be easier if we cut it up where it's warm."

Levi and Joe struggled through the door, holding the deer between them.

"You got it. Great job," Sarah said as she clapped her hands with glee.

Grace cleared the table, making room for them to slide the deer onto it. "What are we doing with this?"

"That's up to you. Do you want steaks, smoked meat, dried meat?"

"I think a little of everything."

"Mr. Joe. Did you see the tree?"

"Yep. You did a great job on it." He looked over to the corner to see the tree adorned with fabric bows and pine cones. "I've never seen one quite so pretty."

Sarah giggled.

"Why don't you take the rabbits out of my pack? I'm gonna go back out and check the fish trap."

"What's this fish trap I keep hearing about?" Grace asked.

"Just a basket we submerged. It's got a hole near the top. The fish swim in and can't get out."

"Why can't they get out?"

"Fish typically swim low to escape. With the hole at the top, they don't think about going there. If we had a different style of trap, we could catch crawdads too."

"They have those out here?"

"Yeah. Not too many, but there are some."

"What kind of trap do you need?"

"I'll show you when I get back. Might bring some reeds back with me." He winked as he headed toward the door.

"Can I come?" Grace asked.

Joe paused by the door and smiled. "Of course. It's awful cold out there, though." He thought for a moment before striding to his bedding. "Put these on first." He held the rabbit fur pants up for her.

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

Joe looked at the ground. "They're not finished, but they'll keep you warm. I know they're not much to look at..."

"Joe, they're beautiful. And so soft." She ran her fingers over the fur.

"I was saving them for Christmas, but if you're going out now, I'd rather you be warm."

Her eyes glittered as she looked at him. "Thank you."

Joe swallowed, loving that look on her face. "You're, uh, welcome."

She disappeared behind the curtain.

Levi chuckled. "That's where to rabbit skins kept disappearing to."

Joe nodded. "Yeah."