The streets were empty and the night was cold as the rider guided his horse into the center of town. He studied the closed doors and low burning oil lamps in the windows. Strange. He studied the tracks in the snowy street and slowly followed them through town…past the Constable's office….past the stables….past the café and then down the moon lit path to the school yard. That building too was dark but he could see a multitude of tracks heading in the same direction across the frozen fields next to the school yard. He stopped a moment to consider following them as his horse stamped the frozen ground and then snorted puffs of warm air from his nostrils. The man reached to draw his hat cover his ears and then tucked the ends of his scarf into his jacket again. Finding the streets empty and the town so eerily still piqued his curiosity. He studied the tracks again and then guided his horse across the snow tracked fields. Something was going on he was going to find it.

He heard the music at the same time he saw the barn. Warm light poured out the open doors and through the windows beside them. Horses stood in the cold near the barn and tied to the wooden fence around the barn yard. Some were still hitched to a variety of hay wagons, sleighs, and buggies, contentedly munching on grain in the feed bags attached to their harnesses. The saddled horses were tied together along the fence line. He smiled a bit at the festive fiddle music and square dance caller flowing from the barn. He lifted himself down from the saddle on his horse and unbuttoned the heavy coat he wore. He could feel the warmth from the barn from where he stood so he tossed his coat and scarf over the worn saddle. He drew his horse closer to the fence and tied the reins next to another rider's animal. He reached for handful of hay from the other side of the fence and patted his horse as he held it under his nose. He rubbed the silky soft ears while the animal greedily munched and then made his way carefully around the inevitable horse piles toward the open barn doors.

He stood for a moment just inside the barn and studied the scene in front of him. It looked as if everyone in town was there. A rousing square dance filled the center of the clean smelling barn. There was something burning to help stem the animal smells. Something clean and festive. Was it pine or cranberries? Probably both. People lining the edge of the dance floor were watching and laughing and eating and drinking. Tables of food lined one side and there were apple cider kegs at each end.

He searched faces until he found her. She was actually right in front of him, braided hair drawn into a festive swirl on top of her head and a warm shawl over her shoulders. The skirts of her red dress swished and he just knew that her toes were tapping. The dance ended and a second caller jumped onto the makeshift stage with the three fiddlers. The caller set up another dance and took a sip from a cup as he waited for the next group to assemble. The newcomer reached for her hand.

"Bill!" Abigail laughed in surprise as she took in the face of her friend. "When did you get back? And how did you know we were here?"

"What's going on?" He asked as he studied the dance in progress.

"It's a celebration!" Abigail laughed. Bill grinned and took her hand in his and drew her toward the dance floor. Abigail stopped him and pulled the shawl from her shoulders. She tossed the garment to Elizabeth who obligingly tucked the shawl over her arm. Her smile widened as she watched her friend line up with her partner to dance.

Elizabeth's toes moved and her own skirts swished to the music as she studied the happy group in front of her. She looked specifically for them. Thomas was still sitting on the edge of the little stage, his fingers moving on a stick as he tried to mimic the movement of the fiddlers. He had been there most of the evening with Seth leaning protectively against a stall behind him. She saw pieces of straw floating down from the hayloft just as Ned and two other boys peered over the edge and then jerked their heads back as the girls below them looked up. The girls frowned and picked bits of hay from the tops of their heads as they went back to clapping and watching the dancers. It wasn't but a moment later when the boys above them sent another drift of straw downward and then jerked their heads back again. Elizabeth shook head and chuckled softly and then looked for Emma.

The little girl stood next to the food table with a basket of apples in her hands. Elizabeth recognized the brown wool dress she wore as one from school but tonight she had a lace collar around her neck and there were similar bits of lace pinned to the ends of her sleeves. Her curly dark hair was loose and flowing past her shoulders and held off her face with dried flowers. She looked so very pretty. Even more so as Sadie lifted an apple from the basket and studied it carefully. The little girl's dark eyes fairly shown when the woman whispered something in her ear and reached out to hug her shoulders. Emma placed the basket on the table and then wrapped her arms around Sadie's waist in a tight hug. Elizabeth sighed happily and nodded to herself.

"Hey, where did she go?" Jack exclaimed as he made his way behind the spectators with three wooden mugs of cider.

"She is out there with Bill." Elizabeth tipped her head toward the dance floor as she reached for one of the mugs in his hands. Jack handed the extra mug of cider to another bystander who smiled in surprised thanks. He took a sip from his mug as they watched Abigail, Bill and the other couples swirl past them. Elizabeth sipped the cold cider and her smile was wide when she moved the mug away from her lips. Jack studied her appreciatively. The dusky dried rose she had pinned at the neck of her cream shirtwaist complimented the burgundy shawl and wool skirt she wore. Her dark hair had been pulled into a mass of curls that spilled over her shoulders. She was beautiful in the bright lamplights of the barn but it was the sheer joy in her eyes that captured him.

"What are you thinking?" Jack chuckled. Elizabeth looked at him and sighed again.

"I am thinking about how much I love happy endings," she said. Jack smiled softly and looked around cautiously before reaching for her hand and squeezing.

"Me too," he said quietly. Their eyes met and held for a long moment. They both looked at the dance floor as the music stopped and everyone clapped. Abigail brushed strands of hair back into the braided twist on the back of her head as she made her way back to where Elizabeth and Jack were standing.

"That was a bit strenuous after hours on horseback," Bill groaned and stretched in mock agony.

"Serves you right," Abigail laughed and took her shawl from Elizabeth. She wrapped it around her shoulders. Her cheeks were pink, her brown eyes shining and her smile wide as she took in her dance partner. Jack looked up as the music changed and then handed his mug of cider to Bill.

"I know this one," he exclaimed happily and lifted Elizabeth's hand in his. "Come with me." Elizabeth's forehead furrowed and she handed her mug to Abigail and let him tug her into the middle of the swept barn floor. Their eyes met and Jack grinned a little shyly as he took her hand and then placed his other gently at her waist. Elizabeth smiled as they waited for the music to start.

"Happy endings all around," Jack asked softly. Elizabeth blushed as she felt his fingers tighten at her waist. She lifted her chin and nodded slightly. Ned, Emma Grace and Thomas….Seth and Sadie Franckle…..Bill and Abigail…..and Jack.

"All around," she replied decidedly. His eyes crinkled happily as his smile widened. The music heightened and they began to dance, swirling and turning in the midst of a crowd of their friends and neighbors and yet all alone.

Happy endings.

All around.