*Author's Note*
Thank you for all the follows, faves, and reviews.
I know I should be working on my other stories, but the muses for this story were loud and very demanding that I write this chapter and get it out. Eh, I don't think ya'll mind tho.
'78 Thanksgiving Pt.1
Jessa POV:
For the last few weeks I've been splitting my time between Shaw and Tolbert. Oh, and of course I was doing my chores around the main McCoy house too. I had to admit that my luncheons with Tolbert were nice. He always made sure to come home in enough time where we could eat together and he always complimented my cooking. I swear, I could serve that man dirt and he'd think it was gourmet. Also, he was always nice and was managing to keep his temper and moods in check. Also, my dinners and random afternoon visits and walks with Shaw were nice too. He was very charming and always managed to make me laugh. Plus, it was nice to be able to talk and connect with somebody that was from the future and experienced modern things.
Today's Thanksgiving and I was currently sitting on the porch with Roseanna shucking corn while Alifair and Sally were inside roasting the turkey and slow cooking cranberry sauce. I was dressed in one of my nicer dresses since later on after dinner Shaw was coming over to pick me up to take me to meet his family (mom, brother, and sister) for Thanksgiving desert.
"Oh, you're so lucky to be courtin' Shaw Eldridge. He's so handsome." Roseanna gushed, a slight blush on her cheeks, as she gave me a dreamy smile.
"We're not officially courting. I'm also spending time with your brother, Tolbert, too in order to see who's the better pick for me to court." I reminded my soft-spoken friend as I tossed a cleaned corn cob into a large bowl.
"I know Tolbert's my brother, but he's a bit moody." Roseanna told me with a slightly pointed look. Changing her demeanor to a more relaxed look she added in, "Shaw's more level headed and he's so charming."
"Yea." I nodded, a small smile on my lips. Looking at her I revealed, "He's charming and funny too."
Pointing her half-husked ear of corn at me, Roseanna blurted out, "See, that's why you're so lucky to have him."
I just nodded my head, giving Roseanna a smile and slightly shrugging my shoulders as I shucked an ear of corn.
"I wish somebody handsome and charmin'd ask for my hand." Roseanna swooned as she resumed in shucking her ear of corn.
Poor thing was going to get screwed over by Johnse Hatfield, the Don Lothario of the hills. I didn't want to see that happen. Wanting to change her fate, I looked at the sweet blonde and advised her, "Don't fall for the first guy that comes along and don't be so eager to find somebody. It'll happen when it's supposed to."
"I'll keep that in mind." Roseanna nodded her head, makin' her half pulled back blonde waves and slight curls bounce a bit around her shoulders. Placing the ear of corn into the bowl before grabbing another one to shuck, Roseanna smiled brightly at me while telling me, "But at least you got a handsome, charmin', and funny man in pursuit of ya."
"Yea, but I also got your brother after me too." I reminded Roseanna, placing my husked corn ear into the bowl with the other cleaned ones.
"Tolbert's mean and isn't able to be very nice for long." I heard Roseanna tell me as I grabbed another ear of corn. "I bet he's just puttin' on a front cause he's afraid of bein' alone, 'specially since he's been havin' trouble courtin' the last few years." She told me as we husked our ears of corn.
I hope she was wrong about that. I really did.
Allie POV:
This was my first Thanksgiving with the Hatfields (as Mrs. Allie Hatfield to boot) and I was so excited. Cap brought us to his parents' house bright and early so that I could help Levicy cook. I didn't mind, I was used to helping Levicy cook anyways. Currently, I was in the kitchen with Levicy, Vera, and Vera's Granny Rue. Granny Rue was very old and was sitting at the table watching the rest of us prep and cook since she was ailing. Vera and Skunk Hair, both in confidence, had told me and Cap that they didn't expect Granny Rue to live past winter especially since she was coming down with a nasty cough.
"Oh, is Wall bringin' Jane and Essie over today?" Granny Rue asked, her raspy voice on the verge of breaking out into a low ragged cough.
Shaking her head, Levicy answered the elderly woman with, "No, they're going to visit with Sawyer Amstead's family over in Boone."
"Oh, yes, didn't Essie and him just get engaged?" Granny Rue asked, her winkled brow arching up curiously.
"Yea, a couple months or so back." Levicy said while cutting up the potatoes me and Vera were peeling.
Granny Rue just nodded before saying, "Well, hopefully Tom Wallace proposes to Vera soon instead of just stayin' in our house."
"Granny Rue…" Vera sighed exasperatedly, while giving her the side eye.
"Well, I'm sure Skunk Hair'll propose when the time's right." I said with a smile, trying to change the awkward and rigid mood the elderly woman was creating with her remarks about Skunk Hair's lack of a solid commitment.
Hell, this old lady would be stroking out if she knew that living together without being married was a norm in 2018. Well, it was sort of a norm here in 1878 too, but was referred to as being common law or shacking up. Okay, so living together was always common…
Looking at her granddaughter, the elderly woman said in a near weeze, "I don't got many good years left. I want to see ya married off right, not wastin' your years with a man that's all talk and no actions."
"Granny Rue, I'm sure Skunk Hair's a man of action." Levicy remarked, giving the old lady a pointed look, while grabbing a peeled potato from the bowl me and Vera were puttin' them in.
"I hope so." Granny Rue said before snipping in a hard edged and raspy tone, "I'd hate for Vera to end up like poor Peggy Colette did. Losing her heart to a man only for him to take off and her have to fall back and depend on another man's charity."
Hmm, so Peggy's maiden name's Colette. Bet her name's really something sophisticated like Margaret Colette, but she just sliced it down to Peggy. Hey, I heard once that Peggy was short for Margaret. Well, Uncle Jim says that Peggy was to proud to ask the family for help and took up with the butcher Eldridge instead. Hmm, I'm thinking that maybe Peggy, Sully, and Peter were in a triangle or something, but nobody'll say so for sure.
While placing potato slices into a bowl, Levicy defended her cousin-in-law with the remark of, "Peggy and Sully's situation wasn't so cut and dry. There was a war goin' on when he left, not like he took off cause he was tired of her."
"Oh yes, he had to do a service to his country." Granny Rue scoffed while rolling her eyes a bit dramatically.
Damn, this old lady reminds me of Sophia from the Golden Girls…
"Well, those war years were hard times for us all." My mother-in-law said with a hard edge to her syrupy tone. Looking at me, she changed the atmosphere of the room by smiling and asking, "How're you and Cap doin'?"
"We're doing good." I answered while peeling a potato.
"Cap's a good boy, ya did well makin' him your husband." Granny Rue told me before going into a slight coughing fit. Vera just silently dropped what she was doin' to lightly rub and pat her granny's back, soothing her as she coughed.
Oh boy, I don't think this winter's going to be very good health wise to the elderly lady. Hopefully she makes it to spring, but with her coughing fits I doubt it…
Meanwhile Outside On The Porch…
Cap POV:
All the men were out on the porch, sititn' on rockers or standin' 'round while the women were inside cookin'. I was sittin' on the porch, leanin' by the post by the steps, while watchin' my younger siblin's playin' in the vast front yard. Abel and Skunk Hair were sittin' next to me.
Takin' a drag off his cigarette, Abel asked me, "So, how're you and my sister doin'? Still blissfully happy?"
"Still blissfully happy." I nodded with a smirk.
"Hell, Abel, them two ain't ever gonna not be happy." Skunk Hair's voice piped up, a slight scoff lodged in the back of his throat. "They just got that way t'gether, ya know." He said while takin' his pouch of chewin' t'backy out of his pocket.
Abel nodded 'fore lookin' at me and askin', "So, am I gonna be an uncle soon?"
"Allie ain't expectin' yet if that's what you're askin'." I told my brother-in-law while takin' my cigarette case out of my pocket.
While openin' my case and pullin' out a smoke I heard Skunk Hair make the remark of, "Hell, Cap, if ya'll are anythin' like me an' Vera…" As I placed my cigarette into my mouth and placed my case back into my pocket, I listened to Skunk Hair go on with, "Well, she's gonna be sharin' good news sooner rather than later."
I pulled my matchbox out of my pocket and lit up my smoke. While wavin' the match 'round in the air to put out the flame I mumbled out, "Ya an' Vera ain't married yet, be careful pokin' her."
Abel chuckled and waved me off with, "Oh, Cap, relax, I'm sure they're practicin' the pull-out method."
"Abel, please, I don't wanna think 'bout what they do in bed." I groaned, tryin' to keep any unwanted images from poppin' into my head.
"It don't just gotta be in bed." Abel winked.
"Abel!" Both me and Skunk Hair yelled at him scornfully in an attempt to make him shut up. Oh my god, my brother-in-law had no shame.
Abel let out a loud and very exaggerated chuckle while tossin' his cigarette butt out into the yard.
Dear lord, can't the women cook any faster? I don't know how much longer I can handle bein' 'round my brother-in-law. Don't get me wrong, I like Abel, but sometimes he says shit that he shouldn't or that's just a bit much.
"So, Abel, ya found a lucky lady t'see yet?" Skunk Hair asked after leanin' his head off the porch and spittin' out some of his backy juice.
"Other than a whore?" He sarcastically asked 'fore shakin' his head and poppin' out a quick, "Nope." I took a drag off my cigarette, blowin' the smoke outta my nose and mouth, while listenin' to Abel reveal in a slightly high-pitched and scandalous tone, "Ya know Shaw shouldn't have any competition when it comes to winnin' over Jessa since Tolbert's spendin' plenty of nights drinkin' and seein' a pretty blonde whore at the Pikeville whorehouse."
"Ya seen him there?" I asked, my brow furrowed a bit skeptically. I wanted to know for sure 'fore I took this information back t'my wife. I mean the news that Tolbert's got a whore and Shaw's workin' his charm real hard on Jessa ought'a make Allie happy. If Jessa can be pulled to our side; into the Hatfield family fold, then my wife would get her childhood best friend back. A lot was ridin' on what Abel was sayin'.
Skunk Hair tilted his head at my brother-in-law, patiently awaitin' his answer. Noddin' his head, Abel answered me with a simple, "Yea, seen him there every night I'm there."
Dang…I'm sure if he's spendin' his nights drinkin' with a whore an' workin' his still durin' the days that his time wit' Jessa's prolly far in'tween. "Looks like Shaw's gonna be winnin' over Miss Jessa." I confidently let out while tippin' some cigarette ashes out over the side of the porch.
"Yep." Abel popped out.
Skunk Hair spit out some t'backy juice 'fore tellin' us, "Ya know Peggy, Shaw's mama, been lookin' flush an' feverish last few times I've seen her in town."
With an arched brow, I asked, "She sick or comin' down wit' somethin'?"
"Dunno." Skunk Hair shrugged. "But if so, Shaw's gonna need help takin' care of her an' his siblin's."
"I hope she'll be okay. She's a nice lady." Abel sincerely said, leanin' slight against the porch post he was sittin' by.
Subtly pointin' at Sully, I lowly remarked in my deep voice, "For his sake I hope Peggy's not getting' ill. Don't know how he'll handle it." Shakin' my head I sighed, "Shaw'd take it bad too."
Skunk Hair and Abel just nodded solemnly. I just took a silent drag off my smoke, turnin' my head to look at my siblings playin' and laughin'. Hmm, kids never have nothin' to worry 'bout. It's nice while it lasts I s'pose, but then ya gotta grow up and deal wit' the shit life throws at ya.
Shaw POV:
Mom's hands were shakin' slightly as she peeled potatoes. It was making me a bit concerned since she always had a steady hand with a knife. I got up from my spot on my sittin' chair and walked over to the kitchen table, where my mom was sittin' at shakily peelin' potatoes. I came up to her side, stillin' her hand by closin' my own over it. "Mom, I'll prep and cook dinner. You seem a bit shaky; could use some rest."
"I'm fine, Shaw. Just a bit tired from workin' the diner all week's all." She protested, shakin' her head at me.
A part of me just didn't believe her. She's seemed flushed for weeks on end, but kept assurin' me she was fine. The other day I could've sworn she was havin' a dizzy spell and was clutchin' on the edges of counters and tables for balance at the diner, but she denied it. With a long sigh I told her, "Mom, just sit down on the sofa and take a break." Givin' her my best puppy dog eyes look I added in a soft plea of, "Please."
Givin' in with a nod, mom sighed, "Okay, I'll go rest on the sofa." Before standin' up she waggled a finger at me and ordered, "Ya better not make the food tast like burnt shit or your sister an' brother'll be upset an' starved."
Rollin' my eyes, I huffed, "Mom, I know how to cook." With a smirk I sat down at the table; takin' her discarded knife I told her, "Don't worry, Todd and Mary won't starve or be upset by burnt food."
She just nodded before walking the short distance to the sitting room where the chairs and sofa were at. With a slight out of breath soundin' huff, she took a seat on the blue velvet sofa. My siblin's were on the floor in the corner of the main room playin' a game of jacks. Oh, let me tell you that steppin' on a Lego is nothin' compared to steppin' on a jack. Those sharp metal things are designed by Satan himself; spear and stab the bottom of your foot and draw blood when stepped on.
"Mom, are you sure you're up to meetin' Jessa tonight? If you're unwell we can reschedule." I told my mom, concern in my voice, as I peeled the potato that she had jaggedly half-peeled.
"Shaw, honey, I'm fine." Mom assured me, her voice a bit tight and breathy, as she relaxed back into the sofa. "We're not reschedulin', I want to meet this girl that my baby boy's star struck by."
"Okay, mom, but only if you're sure you're up to it." I told her, tossin' my freshly peeled potato into a bowl holdin' a few other cleaned taters.
"I'm just a tad bit tired right now, but I'll be rested up 'nough to have pie with Jessa tonight." I heard my mom tell me as I picked up another potato from a bowl full of the roots that needed peeled.
I didn't say a word, just nodded and started to peel the potato that was in my hand.
Tolbert POV:
After doin' my chores an' tendin' my still, I went over t'my folks' place for Thanksgivin'. Poppy an' Perry Cline were out on the porch, sittin' an' walkin' while sippin' on coffee, whenever I arrived. "Food's almost ready." Poppy told me as I hitched Eldorado on the post by the porch.
"Looks like I got 'ere just in time then." I nodded, leavin' my horses side an' makin' my way up the porch steps.
"Brenton's in Frankfurt spendin' the holiday with Novella and Senator Billings." Perry told me, thinkin' that I cared when in fact I didn't, as I stood in front of him an' poppy, leanin' my shoulder 'gainst the porch post.
"Ah…" I nodded my head, tryin' my best t'be polite since the lawyer was both poppy's best friend an' kin. Perry Cline was twice related t'me by bein' both poppy's cousin an' mama's nephew. Ma an' poppy's cousins, but that was common in the hills. My distant cousin, Ella, didn't want me an' neither did her poppy, Brenton, want me for her. She got Senator Billings instead 'long wit' all his riches an' political prestige.
Me, well I was tryin' t'convince Jessa that I was the man for her. So far I think I was doin' a well 'nough job. She seemed t'enjoy havin' lunch wit' me an' spendin' time wit' me after church on Sundays. I was even watchin' my tongue an' temper 'round her, which was mighty hard thing t'do. Only if that bastard Shaw Eldridge would give up an' leave her the hell 'lone, then I'd have it made.
"So, is Miss Jessa's other suitor, Mister Shaw Eldridge, havin' turkey dinner with us?" Perry asked, givin' me a pointed look from over the rim of his coffee mug 'fore takin' a slow sip of it.
"No, he's pickin' her up afterwards for desert at his mama's." I spat, my nose curlin' up in disgust.
"Tolbert, don't be takin' yer temper out on that boy's mother. Peggy's a nice woman, was good friends wit' yer mother 'fore the years went by an' work took it's toll on them bein' able t'visit one 'nother."
"Peggy, that woman sure can make a mean chicken fried steak." Perry spoke up causin' me to narrow my eyes at him. I didn't care 'bout that woman's cookin'; I didn't like the bitch cause she threw a bucket of water on me. With his dark brow raised curiously, Perry rested his cup on the arm of his chair while sayin', "Wonder if she taught her son how t'cook since he helps runs the diner."
"Prolly." Poppy shrugged, sippin' on his coffee.
"Woman's place's in the kitchen, not a man's." I scoffed a bit mockin'ly in my smoothly gruff voice. Shakin' my head an' pullin' my flask outta my pocket I chuckled, "He's best suited takin' up butcherin', not bakin'."
"Peter Eldridge was a good an' honest butcher. Tug Valley could use 'nother like him." My poppy pointed out wit' his cup slightly raised into the air.
Oh god, I hope he don't go on a tirade 'bout his stoled pig 'gain. Hear 'bout that shit least once a week anymore.
"And you think his son Shaw's potentially that one?" Perry asked before takin' a sip of his coffee.
"Yes, don't see why not." Poppy nodded. He took a sip of his coffee 'fore chucklin', "Boy does have a mouth that can run 'way from him, but so does Tolbert."
"Poppy, don't ever compare me to that bastard. I'm a better man then him." I snapped, seein' red that poppy'd even put me into the same category as that shifty Eldridge bastard.
"Are you?" Perry Cline asked with a raised brow. "As I understand Shaw's not seein' whores over at the whorehouse like you are. He's actually committed to Miss Jessa unlike you…" The lawyer had the stones to say, liftin' his cup up to his lips and takin' a long sip off it.
"Seein' a whore don't mean I ain't committed, just means I got needs." I rolled my stormy eyes at the slick lawyer rockin' next t'poppy.
Jessa POV:
I couldn't believe my ears, what I just heard as I stepped out of the door to make the announcement that dinner was ready. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to hear Perry say that Tolbert visited whores while Shaw didn't, meaning the latter cared more and was committed let alone hearing Tolbert admit to seeing whores behind my back and not even feeling bad about it or viewing it as cheating. Oh my god, and to think that I actually was leaning more towards the redhead then the golden brunette with hair that brushed his shoulders. Oh my, I felt crushed. My chest was tight and hollow at the same time.
Acting like I didn't just overhear something I wasn't supposed to, I slammed the door shut to make it seem like I just walked out onto the porch. The men turned their heads and looked at me curiously. Forcing a smile on my face, I made the announcement of, "Dinner's ready."
"We'll be right there." Randall assured me with a slight nod of his head.
"Ya look purty, Jessa." Tolbert told me with a smile.
"Thanks." I told him before quickly adding in, as a slight zinger, "I'm goin' to be meetin' Shaw's family after dinner, that's why I'm wearing one of my nicer dresses."
Tolbert's nostrils flared and his chest tightened, his jaw locking angrily as he narrowed his stormy eyes at him. He's upset, good. Learning that he's screwing some whore at night when I'm braiding his little sisters' hair and tucking them in bed hurt me. Doesn't feel to good learning that the person you like's with somebody else.
I just walked across the porch and down the steps, determined to go find the younger children that were playing in order to round them up for dinner. Also, I had to get the older boys from their spot bullshitting behind the barn.
AN:
I'll be finishing up the Thanksgiving stuff in the next chapter. I couldn't fit everything I wanted to do in this chapter cause it'd be too many scenes and would go on forever. Shaw…yea…keep an eye on that shady bastard…LOL! Oh, in the next chapter Shaw's charm is going to come oozing out (just a fair warning). Jessa, oh boy she has a lot to think about huh?