A/N: Hey, everybody! This is my first Heartland story, so I'm not exactly sure how well I'm going to do with it. So, everybody be gentle and let me know how this story turned out. It's only a one-shot; just something easy for me to start with. Plus, I also thought it would be fun and easy to do a Thanksgiving one. Ok, I'm done talking; enjoy the story. :D
~~ Countdown To Turkey ~~
7:30 a.m.
The sun shone through the cracked blinds, casting fractured rays of light onto the opposite wall of the trailer. The heater hummed almost silently, warming the small place and keeping the chill from the outside out. Amy Fleming-Borden opened her eyes slowly, coming into full consciousness. She smiled to herself as she felt her new husband's arm wrapped securely around her waist. Slowly and carefully, Amy turned over in the bed until she was facing her husband. Ty was still sleeping, but he did stir slightly, pulling her closer. Their bodies fit together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces. Amy ran her hand through his tousled hair softly, pushing it back.
"Don't you get tired of watching me sleep?" Ty's voice reverberated through the quiet trailer, even as his eyes were still closed. Amy was startled at his sudden awakening, her hand jerking still and then falling back to the mattress. He opened his eyes after a minute.
Amy laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you, but no, I don't," she answered, still snickering a little bit. Then, she turned the tables around on him. She poked him in the chest. "Besides, I've caught you doing the same thing to me."
"That's because you look more beautiful sleeping than I do," Ty told her, leaning up on his elbow. He moved over her slightly, causing her to lay on her back. He smiled down at her, his hand going to stroke her face and moving down her neck.
"Well, that's just not true," Amy said, laughing self-consciously. "I think you may still be half asleep." Her eyes fluttered and she shivered in pleasure as his hand traveled along down her shoulder, down her side to her hip.
"I believe we have a difference in opinion then," Ty replied, leaning closer, with his lips hovering over hers. She quirked an eyebrow, daring him to come even closer. He took her challenge, pressing his lips firmly to hers. They kissed passionately, falling deeper against the bed. Their bodies molded together, and their lips moved in synchronization, their tongues slipping and sliding together. Their love burned between them, intensifying their movements further.
The beeping of a pager was the only thing that could halt their passion. Ty dropped his head down onto to Amy's shoulder with a groan as Amy leaned her head against the pillow with a half groan, half chuckle.
"I guess having Thanksgiving off was too much to hope for," Ty joked, picking his head back up.
Amy smiled, nudging him up and sitting up herself. "Well, that's the perks of having your own vet practice,...Dr. Borden," she said. She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. Ty ducked his head out of humbleness. Then, he slid out of the bed to answer his pager. Amy stayed where she was, raising her legs underneath the blanket in a tent-like fashion and leaning forward against them, watching Ty. He was so serious and focused as he answered the page. It only took a couple minutes and then he set the page down, starting to get dressed.
"It's an emergency?" Amy asked, even though she already knew the answer. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, sitting there.
"Yeah, a dog was hit by a car," Ty explained, pulling on a clean shirt. "It's in pretty bad shape, it might need surgery."
"Well, someone's holiday isn't starting off on a good note," Amy mused, expressing sympathy for the family of the injured dog.
Ty nodded, sitting down beside her on the bed to put his shoes on. "You'll still make it to Thanksgiving dinner tonight, right?" Amy asked him, glancing at him. "I believe Lou is going all out this year. She'll be pretty angry with you if you missed it."
Ty chuckled, "She goes crazy over the holidays every year. Why is this one any different?"
"I don't know," Amy replied, laughing. She swept her hair back and then pulled it over her shoulder. "Something feels different this time, like she's trying to make it more special."
"Maybe because we're married now," Ty smiled, leaning over and nuzzling her neck. Amy giggled, finding it hard to resist his ministrations. She tried to pull away, putting her hand on his chest to put some distance between them. Ty smiled, and tried to remember what he had been saying. "Anyway, I'll try not to be too long. I don't want to miss our first Thanksgiving together as a married couple." He leaned over to peck her cheek, before standing up to finish getting ready.
Amy grinned happily. Ty glanced back at her as he strapped on his watch. "What are you going to do today?" he asked her.
"I think I'll take Spartan for a ride over to Heartland," Amy told him, standing up and stretching her sleepy muscles. "and see if I can help Lou out."
Ty cocked an eyebrow at her. "Really?" he smirked, stifling his laughter.
"Ha, ha, ha," Amy smiled, then admitted, "You got me. I want to check on Moonstone and see how she is settling in." Moonstone was the newest horse to come to Heartland, needing the Miracle Girl's help. The mare had recently gone blind from an illness and had taken her new handicap badly. Being thrust into sudden darkness is hard and even harder for a horse. The owners came to Amy as a last resort to try to retrain Moonstone, or else they were going to put the mare down.
Ty grinned lovingly at her. "That's the Miracle Girl I know and love," he teased her. He stepped back toward her, his hand coming up to cup the back of her neck. He gave her a sweet kiss on the lips and she kissed him back just as slow and sweet. When they pulled apart, his hand trailed across her neck and chest slowly before returning to his side. "I'll see you later," he said. "I'll call you when I'm heading home."
Amy nodded, still able to feel the pressure of his lips on hers. She didn't want him to leave; she wanted to grab him and pull him back to her. But she knew he had to go; he had an animal waiting for him and she had monopolized his time too much already. She watched him go, and he shot her one last smile before he disappeared through the door. Then, Amy showered and dressed in relatively nice clothes for Thanksgiving, getting ready for her ride with Spartan.
xXx
8:00 a.m.
"Georgie, can you finish up please? I need the table space," Lou said to her adopted daughter, as she bustled around the kitchen as a near blur.
The thirteen year old sat at the kitchen table, eating some cereal. She watched her adoptive mother bustle around the room, over her spoon, getting almost dizzy. Lou dropped some dishes and platters onto the table, and Georgie had to quickly grab a hold of her bowl before it went skidding off the table and onto her lap.
"Hey, watch it, I'm right here!" Georgie exclaimed.
Lou didn't stop what she was doing. She opened the refrigerator and started to take some food out. "Well, Georgie, can you hurry and not be right here," Lou said. Then, she turned back around and placed some vegetables on the table, directly in front of Georgie. "Unless you want to change your mind and help me after all?" Lou stared at her eldest daughter, one hand on her hip.
Georgie stared back at her, making a face and raising an eyebrow. "On second thought, I'm done," she replied. She pushed back her chair, stood up, and picked her bowl up. She walked it over to the sink, setting it in. "I'm going to go out and see Phoenix," she announced. She walked over to the front door to put on her boots and jacket.
"Hey, Georgie, if you take him out, don't ride too far," Lou instructed her. "It's Thanksgiving, I don't want to have to send out a search party like last weekend." She placed a cutting board down on the table, then went to rinse off the celery.
"That was just one time," Georgie reasoned, standing back up after slipping her boots on. "It wasn't my fault; it was dark and I couldn't see the trail."
Lou gave her a pointed look as she returned to the table.
"Fine," Georgie relented, grabbing her coat off the hook. She was just sliding her arms into the sleeves of her coat when a squeal cut through the house.
"Noooooooo!" Katie ran into the kitchen, her pink horse-y nightgown swishing around her legs. She ran into Lou and ducked behind her. Peter came into the kitchen after her, carrying the 'offensive item' the little girl was running from.
"C'mon, Katie, don't you want to wear this pretty dress?" Peter asked his daughter, exasperatedly. He held up the brown jumper with a turkey face on it and a rainbow turtleneck underneath that was to represent the turkey's tail feathers.
"No!" Katie exclaimed, peeking around Lou's legs and then hiding again.
Lou turned around and knelt down in front of her youngest daughter. "Sweetie, don't you want to look so pretty for Thanksgiving?" she asked her. "Mommy picked that dress out special for you."
"That dress is kind of lame," Georgie commented, making a face at the cute dress. Katie glanced over at her big sister, valuing her opinion very much.
Lou gaped and scoffed at Georgie, shocked. Peter stepped over closer to Lou and Katie. "Shhh, you're not helping," he said, addressing the older girl. He knelt down next to his wife. "Everyone is going to think you're so beautiful, sweetheart."
"I wanna wear my jammies and cowgirl boots!" Katie argued. Her blonde hair was already a mess and falling out of its' ponytail, and Katie pulled it out all the way. She started twisting the elastic band around her fingers.
"Ok, sweetie, how about this?" Lou compromised, putting her hands on Katie's arms. "You can wear your cowgirl boots, but you have to wear this dress." She nodded her head at the dress still in Peter's hands.
Katie pursed her lips, deliberating.
Georgie moved closer to her sister to help. "Katie, if you get dressed, you come ride Pogey with me and Phoenix," she offered, leaning on her legs to look at Katie.
Katie's eyes lit up and she smiled, gasping. "Okay!" The little girl took the dress from her father and ran off to her room to get changed.
Lou and Peter stood back up at the same time. "I didn't really want her riding in that dress," Lou admitted, sighing.
"Oops," Georgie giggled, and ran out the door.
"Well, I have something I needed to do for work," Peter began, sliding an arm around Lou's waist. Lou frowned at him at the mention of work, but he continued. "but I'll let her make some paper turkeys as a distraction and then maybe she'll forget about riding."
"Thank you," Lou smiled up at him. "I just want today to be perfect."
"And it will be," Peter assured her, bending his head down toward her. She met him halfway, and their lips brushed together lightly. The kiss deepened, and Lou pressed herself closer to him. Peter slid his hand down along her, pausing at her stomach. They broke the kiss off, gazing into each other's eyes and smiled secretively at each other.
They heard footsteps approaching the kitchen, so they reluctantly pulled away from each other. Jack was chuckling when he entered the kitchen. "Do you two know that Katie is in her room trying to put her dress over her nightgown," Jack wondered, pointing over his shoulder back the way he had come.
"And that's my cue," Peter grinned, nodding at Jack, before leaving the room. Lou went back to cutting the celery, smiling hello at Jack as she did so.
Jack made his way through the kitchen, taking a mug down from the cabinet to get some coffee. He reached to pour himself a cup of coffee, but stopped short. "Why is there a turkey pan where the coffeepot should be?" he questioned, his hand dropping down to his side as turned to face Lou.
"Oh, I had to put it away so that there will be room to prepare the turkey," Lou explained, glancing up at him before looking back down at what she was chopping. "If dad ever gets here with it," she added, as a mumble.
"You let your father be charge of getting the turkey," Jack laughed, shaking his head disbelievingly. "Oh, that is rich!"
"Well, dad practically begged me to let him get it," Lou replied, setting down the knife and started scooping the celery strips into the vegetable tray. "I had no choice."
"I'm sure he'll find some way to screw this up," Jack remarked, walking over to the door. "Where is Tim anyway?"
"He went to Moosejaw to pick up Miranda and Shane," Lou told him, wiping off her hands on a dish towel. "I'm hoping he gets back here in time."
"When it comes to Tim, I wouldn't count on it," Jack said. He pulled on his jacket and settled his stetson on his head.
"Grandpa, wait, where are you going?" Lou asked him, calling him back. "You're not going to help me?"
"Well, I need some coffee if I'm going to do anything and since I'm not going to get that here, I'm going up to Maggie's," Jack told her. "And one of the fences up in the field is broken that your father was supposed to fix, so naturally I have to go up there and fix it myself."
"Alright," Lou murmured, as Jack left through the door. "I guess it's just me..." She turned around to get some more vegetables.
"Not quite," stated a voice from the doorway. Lou turned away from the counter again, and saw Lisa standing there. The older woman smiled at her volunteering, spreading out her hands. "Put me to work."
Lou nodded and smiled back, but then turned around. She stifled a small sigh and bit her lip, knowing this team would only turn out to be a disaster.
xXx
8:20 a.m.
Georgie ran out to the barn, her single braid flying out behind her. She reached the barn doors, smelling the familiar and wonderful smell of horses and hay. She entered the barn, her boots clacking against the floor and the few horses inside pricked their ears at her approach. The first stall Georgie came to held a light chestnut colored mare with a white dip on her face. The mare stood at the back of her stall, standing still with her ears pricked and smelling insistently. Her eyes stared forward unseeingly.
"Hey, Moonstone," Georgie cooed, softly, walking carefully over to the stall. The mare acknowledged her, listening intently. "I got something for you, girl." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a mint. Georgie moved her hand over the stall door slowly and carefully, holding out the mint for Moonstone.
The horse sniffed and snorted loudly, inhaling the sweet scent wafting to her nose. She lifted her head, her eyes still gazing past Georgie's head unmoving. Moonstone lifted one leg and took a hesitant step forward as she stretched out her neck, searching for the treat.
Suddenly, a loud neigh sounded from out in the yard and Moonstone jumped to the back of her stall again. Georgie sighed, and left the mint on top of the stall door like always. Moonstone will eat it when no one is around. Georgie turned to the barn doors to see what was going on.
It had been Spartan who had neighed, being excited to be back at Heartland. When Georgie looked, Amy was just dismounting from the gelding and tied him to a post. Spartan immediately tried to nibble at some grass, but he was just out of reach.
"Amy!" Georgie called out to her, waving her arm. Ever since Amy had moved in with Ty at the trailer, Georgie saw less of her especially with school and everything.
Amy smiled and waved back at the younger girl. She patted Spartan's back, making sure the horse was settled before walking over to the barn. Amy took notice of whose stall Georgie was standing in front of. "How is our girl doing?" Amy asked, walking closer.
"I don't think she trusts us yet," Georgie commented. Amy nodded and looked over at Moonstone with sympathy, taking a few steps closer. Georgie followed suit. The mare didn't move. "I feel so bad for her," Georgie murmured. "It must be scary suddenly going blind like that."
"Yeah," Amy agreed, softly. She put her arm around the younger girl. "But we'll make things easy for her and more comfortable, too." They watched Moonstone in quiet solitude. She was still smelling for the mint, inching her way closer to it.
Then, breaking the moment, Phoenix whinnied and stamped his foot. He put his head over his stall, looking for Georgie and wondering what was taking her so long to get over there. Amy and Georgie laughed at the horse's antics. Georgie walked over to her horse, rubbing between his eyes. "I didn't forget about you, boy," she cooed to him. Then, she whipped her head back around toward Amy, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, I almost forgot! A bunch of kids from school were saying how they've seen some wild horses down by the river," she retold.
"Oh, really?" Amy nodded, picking up a misplaced bridle and going to put it away.
Georgie followed behind her, her eyes lit up in excitement. "I was wondering if maybe we could ride up there and see them?" she asked.
"Oh," Amy blurted out, startled at Georgie's request. She slipped the bridle back onto the hook, and turned around to face Georgie. "Well, I should probably go inside the house and see if Lou needs any help..."
"No, you can't go in there!" Georgie exclaimed, a little bit over dramatically but completely serious. "Lou has gone totally crazy. I just barely made it out with my life." Amy laughed. "C'mon, please, I really, really want to see the wild horses!" Georgie pleaded.
Amy pursed her lips indecisively, a grin teasing on her lips. "Alright," she relented, and Georgie whooped with joy. "I'll help you tack up Phoenix."
The girls worked in tandem to brush and tack Phoenix ready for the ride. Amy was just sliding the bridle over Phoenix's head when Georgie realized she left her helmet somewhere. "Oh, I left my helmet up in the loft," she announced, "I'm going to go get it." She started running to retrieve it.
"Ok, hurry up," Amy told her, finishing up.
Georgie darted up the stairs to the loft and through the doorway, trying to map in her head where she had left her helmet. She was so focused that she didn't expect the unexpected. The couple that had been kissing in the bed were startled as well as Georgie.
"Oh, whoa!" Georgie exclaimed, shielding her eyes and turning her head.
"Georgie, what the hell?!" Caleb burst out, as both he and Ashley covered themselves with the sheet.
"Sorry, sorry, I just wanted to get my helmet," Georgie explained, in a rush, still looking away. She spied her helmet on the floor, and made a beeline for it. She grabbed up her helmet, and made a hasty exit. "So, uhhh,...bye!"
Georgie dashed out the door, and Ashley and Caleb laughed off the awkward moment with the thirteen year old, falling back onto the bed.
xXx
10:00 a.m.
"I don't see how you need all of this stuff for just a couple of hours," Tim complained, walking out of the house carrying two bags. Shane followed behind him, his own backpack over his shoulder, busily texting on his phone.
"Mom, didn't tell you?" Shane said, glancing up from his phone. "We're sleeping over at the dude ranch so that we don't have drive home at night."
"Well, that makes sense," Tim replied, swinging the bags into the back of his truck. "Now, if only we can get your mother on the road before dessert. Do you want to put that in the back?" He motioned to Shane's backpack.
"Nah, I got it," Shane declined. The teenager opened the back door of the truck to put his bag inside, but he stopped short. His eyes narrowed in curiosity, turning toward Tim with a quizzical look on his face. "Uh, dad, why is there a frozen turkey buckled into the backseat?"
"Huh?" Tim stepped over to the backseat of the truck, then realized what Shane was talking about a second later without having to peer inside the truck. "Oh, that. I convinced Lou to let me bring the turkey. I got a real good price from a guy and it's all natural. This is going to be the best turkey you've ever eaten in your life." Tim was grinning like a fool and gesturing wildly.
Shane gave him closed-mouthed smile, nodding along, but was internally rolling his eyes. He walked around to the other side of the truck, and opened the door. As he was climbing into the truck, his phone buzzed and he was reading a text before he was all the way seated.
Tim was watching him curiously, as the back door was closed shut. Then, his attention was diverted by a short squeal. He turned around and saw Miranda attempting to carry two pies and a pan of sweet potatoes. "Whoa, whoa, hold on there," Tim called out to her, and dashed over to her side. He took the dish of potatoes, which had been in the most danger of landing on the ground.
"Thank you," Miranda smiled up at him, gratefully. "I didn't think the sweet potatoes were going to make it." She laughed quietly to herself, not realizing that he wasn't fully paying attention.
Tim was back to watching Shane through the truck window, as they walked. "Who does he keep texting?" he finally asked. "That phone is basically glued to his hand."
Miranda glanced at Shane when Tim nodded at him, and she smiled knowingly. "Ah, well, I don't know how you'll feel about this, but," Miranda started to explain. "Shane has a girlfriend."
Tim's eyebrows rose, his eyes widening. He was speechless for a couple seconds. "Wow," was what he finally said. "That's good, I guess."
"Yeah, she's a very nice girl. Her name is Tara," Miranda nodded.
Tim was at a loss for words, still mulling over the idea that his son was at the age of dating. Soon, he'd be graduating and going off to college. They reached the truck, and Tim helped Miranda inside, helping her to balance the dishes of food. It wasn't until she said something that he realized that she had been staring at him.
"Are you okay with this?" Miranda asked him, softly.
"Yeah," Tim nodded, shaking himself out of his head. Then, to prove it, he said, "Do we really need two pumpkin pies?" Miranda laughed and so did Tim, then they were on their way.
xXx
12:00 p.m.
The vet clinic was quiet, mostly due to the holiday. The occasional sound came from the animals occupying the cages. Ty stood over the two year old beagle pup lying on the examination table. The dog lay on its' side, completely still with its' tongue hanging out of its' mouth. The dog was hit on her side by the car, breaking her front left leg, but the main damage was internal.
Ty held up the x-rays, reviewing them. "Ok, Lulu, let's see what happened..." he mumbled to the dog, but mostly to himself. Lulu barely had enough strength to flick her eyes at him, still her eyes reflected the pain she was in.
Looking at the x-rays, Ty found that the dog had broken her leg in two places and had a couple of cracked ribs, along with several contusions all over her body. This dog was going to need surgery to correct the broken bones and soon. Her cracked ribs could very easily puncture her lungs, and then things could go from stable to critical very fast. Ty placed the x-rays down on the counter top, blowing out a breath. He would need the family's permission before starting the surgery. He began to head to the waiting room to do just that, giving Lulu a comforting pat on her head as he left.
Ty walked down the hall, the dogs in the kennel started barking and getting excited when they saw him pass by the door. He continued walking straight, only glancing in the room out of habit. Out in the waiting room, a couple stood alone waiting. The man stood in one place, arms crossed with a frown, the woman was pacing and wringing her hands, and a ten year old girl with wild curly red hair sat in a chair with legs pulled up to her chest.
When they saw Ty come out, the girl was the first one to run toward him. "Is Lulu okay?" she wanted to know, near hysterics. "Can we take her home? She loves eating turkey."
"Uhhh," Ty began, looking at the endearing girl obviously worried about her first pet. Then, he looked up at her parents, who had filtered over behind their daughter.
"How bad is it?" the woman asked, wanting to hear the truth. "It was so terrible. I didn't want Gianna to see Lulu like that, but..."
"Honestly, it looked a lot worse than it was," Ty interrupted, holding up his hand. "Your dog has broken her leg and cracked a few ribs. She's not critical now, but she could be very soon."
"So, she'll need surgery?" the father finished for Ty.
Ty nodded.
"Do it, daddy!" Gianna urged her father, then she faced Ty. "Please save Lulu!"
The girl's father put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. He nodded at Ty. "Do what you have to do to save our dog," he permitted Ty.
Ty shook the man's hand and nodded as well. "I'll do everything I can," he said to the family. He gave the young girl a reassuring smile and turned to leave. As he walked back down the hall to prepare for the surgery, Ty pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a familiar number. The phone rang five times and then went straight to voice mail. Ty decided to leave a message.
"Hey, Amy, it's me," Ty began. "I might be a little late for dinner, I have to do surgery now. But I promise I'll make it home as soon as I can. I don't want to miss our first Thanksgiving together as a married couple. I love you." He was still smiling when he ended the message and continued down the hall.
xXx
1:00 p.m.
"Well, I say we're doing pretty good, if I don't say so myself," Lisa announced, putting a lid over the pot of potatoes to let them continue to simmer. Then, she lifted the lid of another pot, peeking inside. She picked up a wooden spoon and started stirring the cranberry sauce inside the pot. She peered over her shoulder at Lou, smiling at their achievement.
"I think we'd be doing even better if the turkey was in the oven," Lou quipped, making the stuffing. She flashed her hands through the air, before going back to the cooking. "But that's dad for you. Where could he possibly be?"
"I'm sure he's almost here," Lisa reassured her, closing the pot lid again. She turned around away from the stove. "Ok, what's left?"
"Besides putting the turkey that is not here yet in the oven, I think we just have the biscuits and the apple pie to bake," Lou rattled off, her hands working deftly to finish the stuffing.
Lisa went to the refrigerator to get the biscuits out, and that's when Katie came walking into the kitchen. The little girl stood there for a second, then she reached up and plucked a sliced cucumber from the tray. Lou smiled at her daughter.
"Hi, sweetie, what are you doing?" Lou asked her.
"I'm bored!" the little girl exclaimed, taking a bite out of her cucumber.
Lou looked at her, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Bored? Aren't you making paper turkeys with daddy?" she questioned her daughter.
"No," Katie answered, shaking her head, causing her hair to fly back and forth as well. "Daddy working."
"What?" Lou gaped. She wiped her hands on a dishcloth, murmured that 'she'd be right back' to Lisa, and took Katie's hand. She walked with Katie to the living room, where she was supposed to be doing arts and crafts.
Instead, there were construction paper, glue, feathers, Popsicle sticks and googly eyes spread out on the coffee table. There was also a half made turkey lying forgotten on the table, crayon scribbles on a pink construction sheet, and a pillow on the floor where Katie had been sitting. Peter was sitting on the sofa, with his head buried in his laptop, working.
"Peter!" Lou exclaimed, coming up behind the couch. Peter's head snapped up and he looked up like he was coming out of a trance. He looked over the couch at Katie, wondering how she got there when she had been sitting right in front of him the last time he checked.
"I can't believe you're working," Lou said to him, appalled.
"I'm not,...I'm just checking...my, um, email," Peter explained, weakly, as he kept glancing at the computer screen.
Lou slapped his shoulder in response to his weak explanation. "Peter, no work today," she reprimanded him. "You promised."
"I know, I know," Peter sighed, realizing his mistake. "I'm sorry." He closed the laptop and moved it farther away on the coffee table. Katie came around the couch and climbed on top of Peter's lap. "How about we make those turkeys now?" he asked his daughter.
Katie nodded happily, and started reaching for a feather. He looked up at Lou, showing her that he was done with work now. Lou was skeptical, but she bent her head down, receiving his kiss. It was short and sweet, and when they pulled apart, she smiled wickedly at him.
"Just to be sure," Lou said, walking around the couch. She picked up the laptop, holding it against her chest. "I'm taking this and hiding it until tomorrow."
Peter opened his mouth to argue, but two things interrupted him. The first one was that Katie had reached the glue bottle and he had to quickly intercept her before the glue went everywhere. The next thing was a loud bellow from the kitchen.
"Turkey's here!"
Lou straightened, looking toward the kitchen with a less than amused expression on her face. "Finally," she muttered, "Maybe now we can eat before tomorrow."
Peter chuckled, patting her arm as she walked by him. Then, he turned his attention back to his daughter, who was trying to glue two feathers together. He laughed, as he helped her make paper turkeys, not thinking about work once.
xXx
1:30 p.m.
The two horses walked beside each other, their heads bobbing in tune with their steps. The younger rider kept a sharp eye on her surroundings, looking for any movement. The older rider had called it quits on their journey, trying to tell the other one that it was pointless. Neither one of them was giving in.
"C'mon, we haven't seen them yet," Georgie insisted. "They have to be around here somewhere."
"Georgie, they're wild horses. You can't expect them to be in the same place every time," Amy told her, dropping one hand from the reins. "We've circled the river three times and we've been out here for hours. I think it's time to call it a day, maybe we'll come back on another day."
"I really want to see them," Georgie complained, beginning to come to terms with the fact that she wasn't going to see the wild horses today.
"I know, but-" Amy started to say, but she was cut off by the sound of thundering hooves. She and Georgie stopped the horses, peering down the slight hill to where they heard the sound. A herd of horses appeared through the trees, trotting down to the river.
Georgie was riveted, watching the graceful and powerful animals. They stayed together as a group, the leader keeping them altogether. Spartan and Phoenix watched the wild horses as well, ears pricked forward at their wild brethren. Amy looked over at Georgie's glowing face, smiling that the younger girl got her wish.
"Happy now?" Amy asked, almost rhetorically. She steadied Spartan, who was getting anxious.
Georgie nodded. "Uh-huh," she breathed, quietly. "They're amazing." Phoenix danced in place, itching to run with the other horses. Georgie still managed to hold Phoenix in place, despite being hypnotized by the wild horses. Amy laughed.
Suddenly, two ringing shots rang out through the air, startling every horse and human in the area. It only took a second for Amy to realize those shots were gunshots. The horses panicked and began running. Spartan and Phoenix were spooked as well and took both Amy's and Georgie's full attentions to keep them standing. Amy and Georgie were both worried for the wild horses, and it only doubled when they caught sight of two hunters walking out of the woods.
"No!" Georgie yelled, and acted without thinking. She kicked Phoenix's side sharply, and they took off down the hillside toward the hunters.
"Georgie, no!" Amy shouted, nudging Spartan after Georgie and Phoenix. They raced down the hillside. It was when they were about halfway there that the hunters saw them. The hunters didn't try to fight them, the two men just turned and ran off back the way they came.
Georgie pulled Phoenix to a stop and the horse balked. He reared up, nearly unseating the thirteen year old. She kept her balance, managing to calm her horse down. Amy was at Georgie's side now, ready to help the girl if she needed it.
"They can't get away with that!" Georgie shouted, motioning after the two hunters, after she had settled Phoenix down. "We have to go after them, call the police, something!"
"Georgie, Georgie!" Amy called, to get the girl's attention. She nudged Spartan forward, stopping him right in front of the white horse. Georgie reluctantly looked at Amy. "There's nothing we can do. Running down here like that, it was stupid and reckless. You could have been seriously hurt, or gotten Phoenix hurt."
"I know," Georgie grumbled, looking down at her hands. "I just didn't want those hunters to hurt the horses." She looked up at Amy with shining compassion in her eyes.
"I know," Amy replied, understandingly. It bothered her to see the wild horses in danger, too. "And that makes you a wonderful person. But there are some things you can't stop on your own."
Georgie nodded reluctantly, gazing back down at Phoenix's neck. She ran her hand over his mane absentmindedly.
"Ok, how about we go eat some turkey now?" Amy suggested, smiling over at Georgie.
That pulled Georgie out her funk. She smiled back at Amy. "Okay," she agreed. Then, they raced back to Heartland, Georgie claiming the lead the majority of the ride.
xXx
6:00 p.m.
It was finally time for their Thanksgiving feast, and almost everybody was there. Katie was already seated at the table, with Georgie occupying her by making up clapping games. The other adults were busy bringing the food to the table. Amy placed the biscuits on the table, and then checked her watch for the umpteenth time. She had gotten Ty's message earlier and hadn't heard from him since. She knew he was busy with the emergency animal surgery and she was so very proud of him, but she desperately wanted him to make it to dinner on time.
Amy sat down at the table, trying not to think about Ty. Georgie helped her by beginning to talk about the wild horses, and, together, they explained the majesty of the wild horses to Katie. The little girl looked on in wonder, listening to them like it was a princess fairytale. Suddenly, Georgie bit down on her lip to stifle a laugh and smile. Before Amy could wonder what she was doing, a pair of hands came down over her eyes. Amy didn't even try to hide her smile.
"Guess who?" a husky voice whispered in her ear.
Amy played along, pretending to think about it. "Hmmm, could it be my very handsome husband?" she guessed. A low chuckle echoed in her ear as an answer.
"It's Uncle Ty!" Katie announced, excitedly, her hands waving in the air. Georgie laughed and tickled her little sister, Katie squealed happily in protest.
Ty took his hands away, bringing his face in front of Amy's as she turned to meet him halfway. "I was starting to think you weren't going to make it," she admitted.
Ty leaned his forehead against hers. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world," he whispered to her. They leaned closer, their lips pressing together lightly. They savored the taste of each other, reveling in getting reacquainted with each other. Of course, the kiss didn't last that long with two kids sitting at the table and the possibility of another family member walking in on them. They separated from each other with the promise of continuing this later that night hanging between them.
Everybody else gathered around the table, and the turkey was served. After a small little argument between Jack and Tim over who was going to carve the turkey, the turkey was finally carved and ready to eat. Before everybody dove into their feast, Lou and Peter had an announcement to make. Lou was pregnant again! Everybody was happy for them and expressed it in congratulatory hugs and praises. Georgie was excited too and so was Katie, as much as she could understand with her numerous questions.
Ty took Amy's hand under the table, giving it a squeeze. They relished in this Thanksgiving and future ones, where there could be more little ones around the table.
A/N: How was my first Heartland story? I hope you all liked; I worked really hard on it. Please tell me what you all thought of it. I would love hearing from you. Happy belated Thanksgiving!