Marrying An Older Man Part 5

He set aside his coffee cup and folded his arms. "Mustard greens," he said.

Caroline's eyebrows went up. Mustard greens? She didn't know anyone who actually liked mustard greens.

Sarah laughed. ' 'Mustard greens swimming in a clear jalapeno sauce, hot enough to melt the bowl," she said.

"For Thanksgiving?" Caroline asked.

Jesse rubbed a hand over his chin. "You asked."

Caroline picked up the pencil and wrote down mustard greens in jalapeno sauce. With corn bread. She trusted that Sarah had that recipe, too.

"What about you?" Jesse asked.

She sent him a surprised look. "What about me?"

"What favorite of yours are you going to include on the menu?"

She blinked at him. She honestly hadn't thought beyond cooking the meal itself. "Oh, I won't be staying to eat. I couldn't-"

"Of course you will!" Sarah exclaimed.

"No, really. I don't want to intrude."

"You're just going to cook and go?" Jesse said.

"That's what you pay me for," Caroline replied carefully.

He snorted at that and renegotiated his position, uncrossing his ankles and rolling his weight onto one hip. "You don't have family to eat with."

"No, but-"

"This is silly," Sarah said to Caroline. "You eat with us every day. You'll either eat with us on Thanksgiving or you won't cook."

"But-"

Jesse pushed away from the counter and retrieved his cup, strolling past Caroline to the doorway. "Give up, Blondie. You're not going to plan and cook the feast and then go home alone to a TV dinner. n.o.body here would enjoy the meal mat way. So either say yes or we all eat TV dinners. I mean it."

He actually smiled down at her, and her heart turned over in her chest. She whispered, "Yes." Happiness swelled inside her.

They really seemed to want her here. '

His smile grew satisfied^ smug even. "Good," he said turning away.' 'I sure don't want to miss my mustard greens." He winked and went through the door, disappearing from view.

Caroline sat very still. Did that wink mean that he really didn't want to miss her? The hope she felt was so acute mat it was very nearly painful. She could barely pretend to pay attention as Sarah went on with planning the menu, but somehow she managed, and gradually the euphoria hardened into resolve. She was going to be with Jesse and his family and friends on Thanksgiving, a real Thanksgiving. Her first.

She was nervous. It was ridiculous; she'd been cooking for the family and hands for some time now, and she was confident in her abilities. She certainly hadn't had any complaints. Yet she was nervous, nervous and excited and nappy. For the first time she would sit at a Thanksgiving table with someone other than her mother and, on occasion, one of her mother's boyfriends. Those times had been the worst, for whenever Irene had a man around, she had no time for anyone else. Dinner had often been eaten in front of the television set on those occasions, with the man hi question hollering advice to some football team or other.

It was true that Sarah had scheduled mis year's Thanksgiving dinner around a football game, but she'd a.s.sured Caroline that she would enjoy the day. Sarah intended to watch the game herself and was happier than Caroline had seen her so far, even though her younger son wouldn't be joining the family for dinner, after all. Maybe Sarah's mood had to do with the fact that Rye had promised to come Christmas and stay for a week or so, bringing bis family with him. Whatever the reason, Caroline was glad to see Sarah smiling and hear her humming as they worked together in the kitchen.

"This broccoli torte smells so good!" she said after checking the oven once more. "I love ricotta cheese."

* 'Think Jesse will like it?'' Caroline asked absently, stirring the mustard greens. The aroma wafting up from the pot was enough to clear the most tightly clogged sinuses. Sarah chuckled.

"Honey, after he tucks into those greens he won't be able to taste anything else."

"Look who's here." Haney walked into the kitchen and

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brought another man with him. Sarah laughed and opened her arms.

"Kanaka!"

Caroline watched as the man embraced Sarah. Of only average height, he nevertheless gave the impression of being a large, powerful man of quiet dignity. As the two separated, Caroline noticdd that his ink black hair was quite long and clubbed at the nape with a strip of painted leather. His facial features were those of one of the area's indigenous Indian tribes. His dark eyes danced merrily as they made a blatant perusal of her.

"Shoes Kanaka," Sarah said, performing the introductions, "I'd like you to meet my good right arm."

Shoes Kanaka folded his hands together in front of him. Inclining his head, he said solemnly, "h.e.l.lo, Good Right Arm."

Caroline laughed, and Sarah slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Her name is Caroline Moncton."

"But if you have to give her another name, call her Blondie," said Jesse, striding into the now crowded room. He clapped Shoes Kanaka on the back and cuffed him lightly about the head. "How's my newly married brother?"

"Happy."

"And yourself?"

"Happy for him."

"Me, too. Glad you could make it. Wait'11 you taste her cooking."

Kanaka smiled serenely and pushed his gaze back to the "her" in question. Caroline smiled back. "She cooks, too?" he murmured smoothly.

Caroline blushed, while everyone else laughed and Haney said, "According to Sarah she's even more useful ten she is pretty."

"She. Her. Blondie. And what name do you prefer?" Shoes asked, his disturbingly discerning gaze never leaving her face.

She shrugged and tried not to look at Jesse. "I'd settle for Good Right Arm."

"Oh, no, you won't!" Sarah exclaimed laughingly.

"Caroline is a beautiful name," Shoes Kanaka said. His dark eyes swept over her. "Blondie is apt. But Caroline suits better."

She smiled at him; "Thank you. Caroline it is. Nowv do I call

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you Kanaka or Shoes?" She let her tone convey her puzzlement at the odd moniker. His smile became a silent chuckle.

"I am a farrier by trade, Caroline. That means I-"

"Shoe horses. I see."

"It makes more sense when you realize that his Chako name is virtually unp.r.o.nounceable," Jesse said.

Kanaka put on an offended expression. "Only for weak-minded whites," he said mildly, and everyone laughed at Jesse's comeuppance. Everyone but Caroline. Shoes Kanaka noticed. With a smile he said, "Perhaps you should judge for yourself. My Chako name is Wilipikin'ao'oa'nikilswaume."

Caroline blinked, lost after the first half dozen guttural syllables. "Well, we could always call you Willie," she quipped, and the look on Shoes Kanaka's face made everyone laugh.

After his initial reaction, which was something between surprise and horror, Shoes put his head back and roared. Tears were rolling down his cheeks when he finally managed to say, "I think Kanaka, if you do not mind, Caroline."

"All right," Caroline said, chuckling. "It's nice to meet you, Kanaka."

Kanaka took both her hands in his and stacked mem one on top of the other, squeezing them flatbetween bis own. "It's nice to meet you, Caroline," he said formally. Then he patted his middle, grinned and asked, "When do we eat?" That set everyone off again.

Sarah eventually got the men out of the kitchen. Caroline listened to their laughter and banter from the den as she and Sarah hurried to put the final touches on the meal. Tiger showed up and was accepted into the camaraderie of his fellows. Finally it was all on the table. Sarah called everyone in and directed them to their seats. Haney and Jesse got the head and foot of the table, with Sarah on Haney's right and Caroline on Jesse's. Tiger sat next to Caroline, Kanaka next to Sarah and on Jesse's left, which put him opposite Caroline.

"Now," Sarah said firmly, "I want everyone here to name at least one dung he or she is thankful for. Haney, you start."

Haney made a face, but then he cleared his throat and said, "I'm thankful Rye is happily settled with Kara in New Mexico."

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A chorus of "Here, here!" went around the table. Haney looked at Tiger.

Tiger swallowed and said, "You tell him and I'll deny it, but... I'm thankful for Handsome. He's been a lot of help around here."

"Amen to that," Jesse said, "and anyone who repeats it will answer to me."

Everyone laughed, but then it was Caroline's turn. She couldn't keep her gaze off Jesse's face. "I'm thankful for my job and...for new friends."

Jesse smiled and addressed the table at large. "Well, I don't even know where to begin. Guess I'll sum it all up by saying I'm very thankful for this place and for my family and for friends, old and new." Caroline smiled down at her plate, hoping he included her in there somewhere.

Shoes had the floor, and he was smiling almost secretively. "I echo Haney in this. I've never seen Rye and Champ so happy. New Mexico and Kara have been good for them. Also for me." He said this with some surprise. "We're putting together a new business venture, Rye and I...and a very fierce Jicarilla Apache from the reservation down there."

"I hear she's really something to look at, too," Jesse said meaningfully.

Kanaka grinned. "She can cut your heart out and make you want to watch," he said.

The men hooted, and Sarah announced gleefully, "I smell romance in the air!"

"Maybe," Shoes admitted. "I'm working on it."

"Well, that's something definitely to be thankful for," Sarah said.

"I want to hear more about this business venture," Haney said.

"Later," Sarah told him. "It's my turn now." She looked around the table. "I'm always thankful for my family and for friends, as well, but right now, I'm especially thankful for a recent addition." She looked directly at Caroline, who caught her breath in shock. "You've no idea how much easier you've made my life, dear," she said to Caroline. "I can't thank you enough for ail mat you do."

"But it's just my job,** Caroline pointed out meekly:5 ;; "Nonsense," Sarah said. "You go way beyond what we pay you to do, and don't think I haven't noticed."

Caroline blushed. Her eyes filled with tears. She'd been thinking only about Jesse and making him like her when she'd come here. She hadn't counted on this. She gulped and managed to say, "Thank you. I love it here."

"Good," Sarah said, and with a satisfied nod, she turned to her husband. "You can carve up that bird now. I'm starved!"

Caroline bowed her head and blinked back the tears while everyone else got down to the business of filling their plates. To her everlasting delight, she felt Jesse's big, heavy hand gently, briefly pat her knee, but before she could even glance her grat.i.tude to him, he was reaching for the mustard greens.

The meal was a delight for Caroline. She heard her cooking praised by everyone present-even Sarah, who had overseen everything and contributed recipes as well as ample guidance. Conversation focused on the business venture Shoes and Rye were considering, a re-creation of an Old West cattle drive, complete with Indians and chuck wagon for paying tourists. That turned into a detailed account of the very real cattle drive Rye had undertaken in order to save his wife, Kara's, New Mexico ranch. Caroline had heard and read the news accounts, of course, like everyone else, but the details were interesting and sometimes shocking.

It was hard to believe mat sheer greed could make Kara's own cousin repeatedly attempt sabotage and even murder to keep Kara from saving her ranch. But thanks to Rye, Kara succeeded, and the hards.h.i.+p of the experience had forged a relations.h.i.+p between the two that had led to love, marriage, and by all accounts, happiness for Rye, Kara and Rye's son by a first marriage, Champ. It sounded as though it might yet lead to romance for Shoes Kanaka, too.

They were all groaning by the time Haney announced that the ball game was about to start, and dessert hadn't even been served yet. The men immediately rose to their feet. Caroline saw Sarah wring her hands lightly, a sure sign that she was hurting, but Sarah gamely began clearing the table.

Caroline snagged Jesse's sleeve as he moved by her. A nod in

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