“Good morning, sweetheart. You should have woken me.” He glanced over at the turkey and back at the bowl of stuffing. “How many people are coming?”
“Seven,” she answered, blowing away the hair that had fallen into her eyes. “But I want plenty of leftovers so we can send everybody home with turkey for a few days.”
He laughed and smoothed an errant hank of hair behind her ear. “Looks like there will be plenty of leftovers.” He kissed her nose. “How can I help?”
“Actually, you’re just in time to help me stuff the turkey. Can you hold him down while I stuff?”
Rob laughed. “Sure. As bizarre as that sounds, I’m happy to hold a dead bird down while you stuff him full of bread.”
She smiled, and together they successfully tackled the task.
There was a knock at the kitchen door, and her mother popped her head inside. “Rob, can you help me unload the car?”
Rob and her mother made several trips, and MJ’s counters became cluttered with pies and containers of food as Tess and Nick joined them. Tyler brought in a cooler full of beer, and several boxes of liquor and mixers that Rob helped him set up in a corner of the dining room. Mom and Tess set the table.
As their preparations got closer to completion, Jethro arrived and regaled the group with stories about past Thanksgivings. Maverick watched him warily at first, but eventually belly-crawled nearby and settled in to have his head rubbed by the elderly man.
The house filled with laughter, and the smell of cooking food. During the few moments when she excused herself to check on the turkey’s progress, MJ gave thanks for her family, Rob, and their new friends. She liked Tyler instantly, and she vaguely remembered him as being a year ahead of her in high school. Rob’s new boss, Jethro, was a real character, and she figured Rob would never have a dull moment working with him.
When she came back into the living room, she glanced over at Maverick and saw the dog staring adoringly at Jethro. The man’s fingers wove into the canine’s ruff, and he absently petted him. She came up behind Rob and silently nudged him and nodded her head in Jethro’s direction.
He smiled at the man and dog. “Looks like you’ve got a friend there, Jethro.”
“Yep. This here’s a good dog. You teach him how to herd cattle yet?”
“Not yet, but I’ll bet he’s smart enough.”
The man nodded. “Why don’t you bring him over sometime, and we’ll see whether he has any instinct for the work.”
“I’d like that. He’s used to being a working dog, so I want to find something for him to do. He’s trained to sniff out explosives and alert to IEDs.”
“Not much call around here for that unless he’s working for the bomb squad.”
MJ checked the turkey again, and with her mother and Tess’s help, mashed potatoes and took the bird out of the oven to set while she made gravy.
Later, as they sat around the dining room table, she asked Rob to say a prayer.
“Thank you, Lord, for the people around this table, and the blessings we have today. We are grateful for the bounty in our lives, and those who keep us safe from harm. We thank you for all the blessings you’ve given us, and we will work to honor you in everything we say and do. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
“Amen,” those around the table echoed.
After sharing their meal, the group sat together in the living room to watch football. The light-hearted teasing and commentary made MJ appreciate their group even more. Jethro seemed especially pleased to share his stories and opinions. She noticed Tyler watching him carefully and occasionally frowning.
When she and Rob carried the pie plates back into the kitchen to wash, Tyler followed them with several plates and forks.
“Keep an eye on Jethro,” he told Rob. “I don’t like his color.”
“What do you mean?” MJ asked.
“I’m not sure, but his complexion looks a little gray to me. Like he’s not feeling well.”
“Does he have any health problems?” Rob asked.
“Not that I know of, but he seems to have lost some of his energy in the past few months. I’m glad you’ll be around to help him. The work on the ranch is getting too hard, I’d say. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“I will,” Rob promised.
The gathering ended around four, and MJ packed up leftover food for each guest. MJ and Rob stood at the door and watched everyone leave, waving as each car pulled out of the driveway.
“That went well,” said Rob, kissing the crown of her head.
“I think so, too. Everybody seemed to get along. I like Tyler. He seems like a nice guy.”
“I think so. I’ll have to keep an eye on Jethro.”
“I agree. I’m glad you’ll be around to help him.”
They walked into the kitchen together and tackled the dishes.
***
The next morning was cold and breezy, and Rob figured this must be what winter would be like in East Tennessee. He dressed in layers, and packed gloves and the knit cap locals referred to as a “toboggan.”
The lights were on in Jethro’s house, and Rob knocked and let himself in, heading into the kitchen to have a cup of coffee. Jethro joined him a few minutes later.
“Hope you don’t mind that I let myself in.”
“Nope, don’t stand on ceremony. Thanks for the good time yesterday. Your girl is a peach, ain’t she?”
“I’m a lucky guy,” Rob acknowledged. He looked carefully
