Sleigh Bells & Mistletoe: A Short Story (The Brides Series 1.5) Read Online Free PDF

boys.
    And he loved her .
    He’d become closer to her than her own father had ever been when she was growing up. She no longer constantly felt like she didn’t measure up. Or at least when she did feel that way, she also recognized the thoughts were coming from within. Pop certainly wasn’t making her feel that way, and neither was Isaac. It came from a deep place inside, from a lifetime of insecurity and self-doubt.
    Those times came less frequently now. More often she felt a deep sense of peace, even contentment. It was like one of the scriptures Isaac liked to quote, about finding the secret of being content in all circumstances, whether rich or poor, wherever you were. There were so many blessings. So many ways to see God in the little things. And the big things.
    She’d do well to remember not to take herself so seriously whenever she failed. Like with the biscuits. And the apple pies.
    “You ready?” Pop called out to the boys, and they came running, tripping over their own feet and dragging the sleigh bells behind them. Loudly.
    Pop winced only the slightest bit and patted the edge of the bear rug, well away from the snapping fire. “All right, we’re going to practice a bit first. You stand here, and when I give you the nod, you’re going to shake those bells. All right?”
    “Bells!” Levi cried, nodding vigorously.
    “Bells, bells, bells!” Jake chimed in, equally as loud, evidently deciding they’d been set free from their imposed silence.
    Pop plucked a few practice chords, delightfully in tune, and soon his fingers were flying over the strings, playing a lively, bouncing rendition of “The One Horse Open Sleigh.”
    Isaac and Jem returned then, as if the folksy melody had called to them. Becky eyed them as they strode in. Pop had said they’d gone to the barn, but they didn’t look like they’d been outside. In fact, she didn’t see any sign of cold or snow on them... No coats, no dampened hems. Their cheeks weren’t whipped red by the wind. Their hair wasn’t mussed from wearing a hat. So where had they been? And why did they look like they were hiding something? Why was Isaac so obviously trying not to grin? She could tell that easily enough. She knew every plane and curve of that man’s face. Those laughter lines at the corners of his eyes were crinkled slightly. And, to her mind, Jem seemed just a little too studiously expressionless, as he took his place standing near the mantel.
    Hmmm ...
    They were obviously up to something. It could simply be one of the surprises they’d planned for the boys, she supposed, but something about the way Isaac glanced at her struck her as...suppressed excitement. As if this particular surprise had less to do with the boys and more to do with her. A nervous little thrill shot through her. What had he done? Would she like it? Perhaps it was nothing at all, just his anticipation of the music. He did enjoy singing. Or perhaps he was simply looking forward to Christmas morning with the boys. Except... some inner voice insisted he was planning some surprise for her . Was he? And did it have anything to do with Pop offering to go hunting with her early this morning? And his desire to take a rather circuitous path home? Definitely suspicious. There was some sort of collusion going on—she was almost sure of it.
    Isaac came up right behind her and slid his arms around her, tugging her gently but firmly against him. As Pop began to sing, they joined in. She felt the rumble of Isaac’s chest against her back as his pleasing baritone joined her soprano, and Jem’s voice joined in—although with more effort than skill on his part.
     
    Dashing thro’ the snow,
    In a one-horse open sleigh,
    O’er the hills we go,
    Laughing all the way;
    Bells on bobtail ring,
    Making spirits bright,
    Oh what sport to ride and sing
    A sleighing song tonight.
     
    Jingle bells, jingle bells,
    Jingle all the way;
    Oh! what joy it is to ride
    In a one-horse open