BECCA Season of Willows (19 page)

Mac frowned and kicked an innocent bit of dirt.
“Ah hell, we’re gonna do chores!”
River grunted and barked a laugh.
“Yep!”
 

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
 

Thanksgiving was just three days away and Becca was busy as a cat with a room full of kittens. Uncle Frank and Auntie Marcie had gone back to Virginia saying they wanted to be home for Thanksgiving. Becca was already missing her flighty relatives. She had prepared for this all summer and fall harvest. She wanted this holiday to show every bit of love and gratitude she had for all that had happened in just these few months since she had gotten off that train in Colorado Territory.

The peaches had been preserved. The apples had been dried. Nuts and berries were prepared for the stuffing. The bread was rising in the pans. She would make the pie dough today and start the baking.
For just a moment she thought of Harrison and how much she had spoiled him with her baked goods. Her heart warmed knowing she had done her best for him and to be the best wife she knew how.
“Thank you, Harrison. I hope you are happy where you are. Thank you for everything.”
She smiled and went to work making the pies. With new cowboys hired and her family to feed, this Thanksgiving was going to be a full house.
She trimmed the ham and scored it. She had Mazie and Mac help poke whole cloves in it.

Then Becca made a marinade of oranges, spices and honey for the ham while it baked. The best potatoes were chosen and carrots were brought up from the cellar. As the day arrived, Becca felt a great satisfaction in her handy work. Pies were setting to cool. The ham turned out perfect. The venison roast was off the spit, sliced and ready.

The large table in the dining room was set and the sweet tea was made and coffee. The table in the kitchen had all the food that the warming oven couldn’t handle.
Finally she had it all set out and rang the dinner bell as men came spilling out of every door of the bunk house and the barn.

Each man had on his best and was clean and shaved. Even River got wide eyed at the spectacle.
 

They all sat down at the table as Becca poured coffee or sweet tea. She sat at the foot of the table and smiled at River at the head. River held up a hand for silence. He looked around the table with love and admiration.
“I was ask by my wife to say prayer for food but I changed mind. This year has brought much change for much good out of great sorrows. I sat by Willows at the stream and thought much of this year. And after I think, I ask my son, Mac to ask prayer for us because he was one to start the wheel to turn as Great Spirit moved over my family.

Mac? You have prayer of thanks to Great Spirit for us?”

Mac stood and nodded.
“I do, Ahte. I have written it down so I could remember it all.”

Mac looked around at the faces at the table and looked at his paper. Everyone bowed their heads.

“Dearest Great Father Spirit, I ask that this be a happy day for our friends and family.

We thank you for making us in all our sorrow like the Willow by the stream. We remained green and bend with the winds but our roots are deep as we draw water from the stream.
Give us comfort to know our Pa and Aunt Nola are with you and are happy as we think of them today. We give thanks and are grateful for family and the friends who have stood with us as we moved through many sorrows to healing.

Thank you for our lives and the gifts from this land we love. Amen.

Everyone looked around the table understanding the sweet moment of the prayer. There were whispered ‘amens’ around the large table as Becca lifted the mashed potatoes and passed them to the left.
“Let’s eat!”

She briefly looked up to see Still River, her wonderful husband watching her with a look of love in his eyes that went all the way to her butterflies in her stomach. The baby kicked to let her know he knew what she was thinking. Becca grinned and giggled at River.

“I love you too, Still River with all my heart. You, our children and all our extended family here at this table.”

She patted Tuck’s arm at his blushing. The other cowboys sniggered.

Still River sighed knowing he loved Becca with a deep love and a passion he would have for life. He winked at a giggling Mazie and squeezed Mac’s shoulder giving him a wink.

He looked into Becca’s eyes once more remembering the great, great sorrows, the open laughter and abundance of love this year had brought.
 

Reaching for the biscuits and gravy, he piled his plate with food as he stuffed a warm biscuit in his cheek and grunted winking at his wife. “Is good…is very good.”