Unexpected Hope (Book 2 in the Red Valley series)

Chapter 14

All three families got together at Levi and Hope's house for Thanksgiving as they'd planned. Grace and Ann had become Hope's closest friends, something she'd never had, and she found herself looking forward to Sunday dinners until the snow came making it too dangerous to travel. Christmas was just two weeks away and for the first time since she was a little girl she was excited about the holiday.

She and Ellie had finally talked Levi into cutting down a Christmas tree; although neither one had to talk very much. Both of the girls had him wrapped around their little fingers. The three of them bundled up then traipsed through the snow for what seemed like hours until they found the perfect tree. Hope showed Ellie how to string colorful berries together to put on the tree. They made ornaments and garland decorated with the same colorful berries and tied it with red and silver bows.

Levi rode through the Triple L gates with a deep feeling of satisfaction and anticipation. For the first time in his life he was truly happy. He had a beautiful wife and daughter that he loved and hopefully there would be many more children to fill their house. He patted his vest pocket, smiling to himself then continued down the drive. Smoke billowed from several of the house's chimneys but that's not what caught his attention. Each window in the front of the house had the curtains opened and a lit lantern sat on the sills. Green garland was draped on both the upper and lower porch railings and wreaths with red berries hung on the front doors. It was beautiful.

He rode around to the barn and jumped off his horse then led him inside, out of the freezing cold. Whinney heard him walking and stuck her head out of the stall neighing to get his attention. Chuckling, Levi reached into his sheepskin coat pocket and pulled out a lump of sugar he always had for her. Greedily she took it then nuzzled him for more. "You know you only get one girl." He said as he patted her neck and continued on to Buck's stall.

A few minutes later he walked in the back door where he took off his coat and hung it on a wall peg then went into the kitchen. There he saw his lovely wife bending over pulling what smelled like cookies out of the oven. He walked up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist as she set the pan on the counter. "I missed you, Love." He said nuzzling her neck.

Hope turned around to face him then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Not as much as I missed you. Drawing back to look at his handsome face and noticed the fresh snow on the brim of his chocolate colored hat. Drawing her hands up, she cupped his cheeks. "Oh my goodness. Your face feels like ice. Come over here and sit down while I make you a fresh cup of coffee to warm you up."

"I know of a better way to warm me up." He said as he waggled his eyebrows and pulled her onto his lap.

Jumping up and swatting his hands Hope tried to scold him. "Not where Ellie and Harold, not to mention your men, can walk in. Shame on you." A few minutes later she placed a steaming cup of coffee and a plate of fresh sugar cookies in front of him. "Did you get everything you needed from town?"

"I sure did." He said as he sipped his coffee then bit into a soft warm cookie. His eyes slid closed in ecstasy. He had to be the luckiest son of a bitch walking. The woman he'd married had not made one single thing that had not been absolutely delicious. And then there were the all too short nights they spent in each other's arms. Opening his eyes, he noticed the garland on the mantle in the kitchen. "It looks like you've been busy today. You've made cookies and the greenery on the mantle and the lanterns in the windows, which look very good by the way."

"Well, I hope you don't mind but I borrowed the men. But only after they had finished their work." She added quickly.

"What do you mean you borrowed the men?"