Chapter Eight

Thanksgiving Dinner

Home of Wallace Prescott and Family

Susana placed the last of the serving dishes on the dining room table and straightened the napkins and cutlery. Seth had made a centerpiece out of leaves and gourds. It was lovely once she'd removed the small garden spiders that clung to the foliage. With any luck, she got them all and none would be crawling across the table while they were sharing their meal.

Jake had arrived an hour earlier, and he and her father had been holed up in the parlor discussing the sawmill's next expansion plans. Seth and Will had spent the time planning for the tree they were going to cut down and searching the attic for the boxes of ornaments they were certain had come with them from Saint Louis.

"Seth! Will! Come downstairs please," Susana called out. Both brothers bound down the back stairs. As soon as they reached the kitchen, Susana pointed them both toward the sink. "Wash your hands, please. Then you can let Father and Mister Harkness know our meal is ready."

"He said we could call him Jake," Seth reminded her.

"You call him Jake," Will pointed out. "I heard you."

Susana rolled her eyes in a show of mock anger. "Go. Wash and then fetch."

Once they were all seated around the table, Wallace asked, "Jake, would you like to give the blessing? Or should I?"

"I'd be honored," Jake told them. Bowing his head, he began, "Dear Lord, we give thanks for this food prepared by loving hands. We give thanks for the freedom to enjoy it and all our other blessings. We pray for health and strength to carry on and try to live as You would have us live. In Jesus' name, Amen."

"Amen," Susana said softly, her father and brothers repeating the simple, yet meaningful, word.

"What have you made for us today, Susana," Papa asked.

"We have turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade cranberry relish, sweet summer squash, fried corn, and dinner rolls," she explained.

"What about dessert?" Will asked.

She shot her brother a grin before saying, "Apple crumble, spice cake, and sweet potato pie with whipping cream."

"It all sounds delicious," Jake commented. "I'm a huge fan of apple crumble."

They ate in companionable silence, broken only by the clinking of bowls, plates, and silverware. Second helpings gave way to smaller thirds until, finally, her father pushed his chair back from the table. "I'm stuffed," he proclaimed. "I think that was the best holiday meal you've ever made."

"You didn't save room for dessert?" Susana teased.

"I may have to wait and have mine with a cup of tea later this evening."

She turned to her brothers. "What about you two? Do you have room for dessert?"

"You betcha," Will said. "I want a slice of pie and a scoop of crumble."

"Just pie for me," Seth said.

"Apple crumble for you, Jake?" she asked as she stood to retrieve the desserts from the kitchen.

"I wouldn't mind trying a small bite of everything. Very small."

While she dished out the desserts, Susana could hear mumbles, mixed with laughter, coming from the dining room. Hopefully Will wasn't trying to tell Jake another of his humorless jokes.

When she returned, plates balanced carefully on her arm, she served their guest first, then set a plate in front of both brothers before retaking her seat.

"No dessert for you?" Jake asked.

"After cooking all day, my appetite has disappeared. I'll share something with my father later."

"Missus Wilkins says the same thing from time to time," Jake told her.

Rather than dig into his plate of baked goods, Jake pushed himself to his feet and circled the table, coming to stand directly at her side. Meeting his warm brown gaze, she prompted, "Jake? Is there…"

Her words died away when he dropped to one knee at her side. Susana was certain she was going to have a case of the vapors when he held up a ring case and popped the lid to reveal a huge ruby stone.

"Susana Prescott, I love you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Her brother's muffled laughter echoed through the room.

"I…um… I…"

"Say ‘yes', silly," Will encouraged.

She looked down at where Jake still waited, the expression on his handsome face filled with hope. "Yes, of course, yes."

At the far end of the table, her father released a long sigh of relief. "I was worried there for a minute you were going to come up with some ridiculous reason to say ‘no'," Wallace admitted.

She looked directly at her father. "You're okay with this, despite the short time we've known one another? Not to mention the very limited courting," Susana confirmed.

"I'm happy as the dickens, Susana. You deserve all the happiness in the world, and I think Jake is just the fellow to give you that."

Turning to her brothers, she asked, "And the two of you approve?"

"Of course," Seth gushed. "He's got horses."

Jake pushed himself to his feet and drew her from her chair and into a gentle embrace. "Typical brothers. Willing to trade you in for a horse."

Susana wrapped her arms around Jake's neck and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I don't mind. After all, I get you and that's better than any old horse, even your fancy blue roan."

"Enough of all this mushy stuff," Will ordered. "When can we cut down our tree?

An Almost Christmas Wedding

Saturday, December 20, 1890

Windemere United Church

"Sis, I'm so happy you made it to the wedding," Susana said, hugging Martha tightly. "I wish your husband could have come with you."

"He's got a big business deal in the works and couldn't get away. Besides, I'd much rather devote all my time to you, and Pa, and the boys. I couldn't very well let you get married without a proper matron of honor, could I?"

"No, I suppose you couldn't."

"You look beautiful in mama's dress. I really wanted to wear it but… well… there's too much of me up top to fit."

"Not a problem for me," Susana joked as she smoothed the satin fabric over her trim frame.

"I really like Jake," Martha said. "He seems like a great guy. So down to earth. Seth said he works at the sawmill."

Susana smothered her chuckle. "He owns the sawmill."

"Oh. Even better. You can give up that little bakery of yours and spend your time running your new home." Martha paused, then asked, "He does have a housekeeper, doesn't he?"

"Part time. And, for the record, I will not be closing my bakery. I love owning my own business."

"You say that now, but just wait until the children start coming along. You'll not be so eager to slave over a hot stove then."

"Why not? I slaved over a hot stove when you and the boys were growing up."

Martha gave a dramatic roll of her big blue eyes. "It's different when they're babies. Someone as strapping as your lumberjack will probably want a house full of children."

A tap sounded at the door, drawing her blessedly from her younger sister's crazy suppositions about hers and Jake's wedded life.

"Are you girls ready?" Papa asked through the closed door.

"Yes, Papa. Whenever the reverend wants to start."

The door opened, and Martha stepped out first, followed by Susana. Papa's eyes filled with tears when he saw she was wearing her mother's dress.

"You both look lovely." Staring directly into Susana's eyes, he told her, "Your mother would be overjoyed to see you in her gown."

"I'm confident she can see me."

"As am I, my dear."

The Wedding March began, the signal for Martha to start down the aisleway. The entire congregation had turned out for the ceremony, filling the small church from wall-to-wall. Susana's heart overflowed with happiness. Not just because she was marrying the man she loved, but because of all the wonderful friends she'd made, the closeness she felt to God because of her faith, and just as importantly, the love she felt for her family.

Jake waited for her on the dais. Dressed in a charcoal suit, white shirt, and tie, he was the most handsome man she'd ever known. And he was hers. Or, at least, he would be in a few short minutes.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are, Missus Harkness?" Jake whispered in her ear.

"At least a dozen times since we left the church and arrived at the reception. But… I'm not tired of hearing it." She raised herself onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"One hundred and thirty-six times since I proposed."

"I think you missed a few," she teased. "Also, I might add, you look pretty darned handsome in your wedding suit."

"We need to get a picture. I won't be wearing it again anytime soon."

"Not even to church?"

"I have another perfectly good suit for church. This one's special." He glanced around the church hall before leaning in to steal a kiss. "How much longer do you think we will be here? After all, shouldn't we be on our honeymoon by now?"

"We had our meal and cut the cake. I suppose we could leave. Our neighbors can celebrate without us."

"I'll go get the buggy. You tell your family goodbye."

"Why the rush?" she teased.

"You're kidding, right?"

She laughed softly. "Yes, I'm kidding. I'm looking forward to our wedding night just as much as you are."

This time, Jake snorted a loud chuckle. "I highly doubt that my darling."

As Jake scurried off faster than a fox being chased by a pack of hounds, Susana spared a moment for the idea of a ‘wedding night'. She wasn't na?ve. She knew what to expect. She supposed she would soon find out what all the fuss was about.