Read Online Christmas Under Western Skies by Anna Schmidt - Free Book Online

Nathan Cook.
    â€œThank you, God, for this food we are about to receive,” Laura prayed. Assuming his sister’s prayer would begin and end as their grace always did, Luke’s hand shot out to retrieve the first of the biscuits. But Laura scowled at him from under lowered lashes and continued. “And thank you for sending Captain Cook to us. And thank you for making Mama so happy today. Amen.”
    â€œAmen,” Nathan added, looking across the table at Julianne.
    â€œLuke, please pass our guest the biscuits first before you serve yourself,” she instructed, glad for the excuse of teaching a lesson in manners to avoid meeting Nathan’s questioning gaze. The man had to be wondering why her happiness was so unusual as to be a part of the blessing of the food.
    â€œCaptain Cook,” Luke said, his voice breaking slightly with nervousness. “I know you said nobody wins at war, but can I ask you something else?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œDid you carry a gun?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThen you know how to use a rifle like my Pa’s?” Luke glanced at the rifle mounted over the door.
    Julianne knew exactly where this was going. Luke’s father had promised to teach the boy to fire the rifle and to take him hunting this fall. He’d filled the boy’shead with tales of how they would shoot a wild turkey and bring it home for a feast at Christmas. “Luke, this is hardly—”
    â€œI can do that,” Nathan replied at the same moment. He looked to Julianne for guidance before continuing. “Tell you what, Mr. Foster and I were talking about doing some hunting. Glory has her heart set on a wild turkey for Christmas dinner. With the snow on the ground, tracking comes easier.”
    â€œYes, sir,” Luke said, his eyes sparkling with hope.
    â€œIf your mother agrees, Mr. Foster and I could let you come along, help with the tracking.”
    â€œCould I, Mom?”
    On the one hand, Julianne felt cornered. On the other, she was well aware that this day had to come. And Nathan was offering her son a safe entry into the man’s world of hunting.
    Taking her hesitation as a good sign, Luke pressed his case. “I’ll do all my chores without you having to ask, and I’ll practice my multiplication tables and—”
    â€œI suppose, if Mr. Foster is willing. But you’ll do no shooting,” she said.
    Luke started to protest, but Nathan gave the boy a signal that had him agreeing to her terms. “Then I can go?”
    â€œYes, but on one condition.”
    His smile wavered.
    â€œI want to hear you recite your multiplication tables all the way to twelve times twelve without looking to your sister for hints,” she said. “The day you can do thatis the day you can tell Captain Cook here that you are ready to go hunting.”
    Luke’s face fell. Math was not his strong suit.
    â€œI’ll help,” Laura said softly. “Come on, Luke, it’ll be fun. Like playing school.”
    Luke groaned and Julianne could not hide her grin. Laura’s favorite game was “school”. She would line up her two dolls and teach them the lessons she’d learned that week. She would also beg Luke to play along, but he usually refused. A chance to make both of her children so happy was not something Julianne was going to pass up.
    â€œI think that’s a fine idea, Luke,” she said.
    â€œYes, ma’am,” Luke said, admitting defeat. “But once I can say the tables, I don’t have to play any more?”
    â€œSeems to me that playing school with your sister every now and again might not be such a bad thing,” Nathan said. “Seems to me there might even come a time when you’d play the part of the teacher—maybe teach her about tracking,” he suggested.
    â€œYes,” Luke exclaimed, his high spirits restored.
    â€œI should be heading back,” Nathan said, as he