Thanksgiving morning dawned clear and bright and cold and things at the Pride ranch were quiet. A few hours later, that had changed as the kitchen was a whirlwind of activity as Jessie and Bo busied themselves with food preparation. Jessie watched as Bo placed the thawed turkey in the roasting pan, "We're gonna be eating turkey for weeks, aren't we?"
Her sister-in-law laughed, "Probably. We can freeze some; it's only a thirteen pound bird. I didn't know Buzz would be absent when I got this thing."
Jessie tilted her head as she acknowledged the point, "Fair 'nough. We probably wouldn't have had any leftovers if he hadn't had to go on a mission." She grinned, knowing how much her fiancé could eat. "I'm gonna be in a lot of trouble if we have a boy some day; between the two of them, I might have to feed 'em like I do the horses… with bags strapped to their faces. Where's the bread for the dressing?"
"On the counter over there. Did you hear from Buzz recently?"
"We talked a little the other day. He was pretty sure they weren't gonna eat nearly as well there," she smiled. "He did say to tell you both hello. Speaking of your other half, where is my brother anyway? He's gonna be late."
As if on cue, Woody came into the kitchen, "Any of that food ready yet?" Instead of being dressed in his usual attire, he was clad in most of a turkey costume and carried the head and mittens under his arm. Jessie and Bo both fought back laughter at the sight, especially as the yellow leggings made his legs look even skinnier than they were. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up," he pretended to sulk. "Apparently this is a tradition… the newest guy on the squad has to be the turkey in the parade. I tried to lobby against it; after all, Al would be much better. He has the chicken suit already."
"They're different birds, dear," Bo quipped with a smile as she retrieved the herbs she needed.
"Yes, I know that, thank you," he gave her a quick grin. "My point is that he's already used to playing the part of a fowl," he chuckled. Al, the local toy store owner, was famous for dressing up in a chicken suit for his commercials.
"He's foul, all right," Jessie muttered as she savagely sliced celery. "I still maintain that he stole that china doll of yours, Bo," she gestured with the knife.
Woody held up a hand, "Now, Jessie, you know there was never any proof of that."
"Doesn't mean he didn't do it."
The doll to which Jessie referred had been given to Bo by her grandmother. It was a porcelain shepherdess, dressed in a pink frock and bonnet, a sheep standing dociley at her feet. When Bo held a yard sale before moving to the ranch, somehow the doll ended up on one of the tables. The mistake was quickly rectified, but at the end of the day it was discovered to be missing. Al had been there, as he often was at any local yard sales, looking for old toys. He would have them refurbished and then sell them online to the highest bidder. Jessie held him in distaste, as did Woody and Bo, if the truth was told. They found him to be sleazy and tried to do as little business with him as possible.
Bo sighed wistfully, "I do miss that doll. I mean, she wasn't a family heirloom; Nana gave her to me when I got my job at the preschool. But every time I looked at her, it made me think of Nana, and those are good memories. I imagine that doll was sold online a long time ago."
Woody gave her a soft kiss on her cheek. He knew how close Bo had been to her grandmother and that the holidays were still tinged with sadness since her passing. "I better get down to the station."
"Before you go?" Bo smiled, "Would you mind getting neck and stuff out of that turkey? I forgot to remove it and I have to get all of this into the cavity." She nodded to the heaping pile of oranges and onions and other aromatics spilling from her hands.
"Yuck; do I have to?" he recoiled slightly.
Jessie laughed, "You've got to be kiddin' me. All those years workin' with cows and you're afraid to stick your hand into a dead bird? Go on, get outta here; I'll take care of this." She pushed up her sleeve and reached into the turkey without hesitation. She emptied out the cavity and held the bag of organs toward her brother, "You want this for your costume? Make it a little more authentic?"
"No, thank you. I think that might traumatize the kids," he laughed. "You girls have fun; I should be home a little after noon." He waved as he left the house; Jessie and Bo watched in some amusement as he struggled to fit into his truck. He finally managed and, with a beep of the horn, drove down the lane towards town.
Bo shared a grin with Jessie and the two went back to their own work. As she peeled the potatoes over the sink, Bo turned to her friend and sister-in-law, "You know, I was thinking, Jessie…a lot of the good memories I have of Nana involve the holidays. And while I miss those days, and I miss her, I'm really glad to be spending it with you."
"I'm thankful for that, too," Jessie smiled. "Here's hopin' we'll have a lot more Thanksgivings like this…maybe we can bribe Andy into makin' Woody the turkey every year."
"HA! I'm not sure he'd be thankful for that. But if it keeps him out of the kitchen, it might be worth looking into." They laughed together, the sound of it filling the kitchen. Later that day, when Woody returned, a warm contentment settled over the entire house as they shared the traditions of the holiday. Jessie looked over at her family with a smile and she offered up a silent prayer of thanks for what she had been given.