Chapter 22

Shadow Valley, Texas 1870

The cellar, with its damp earth smell and low ceiling, offered little inspiration. Halona scanned the shelves, hoping for a miracle – a forgotten cookbook, a hidden pantry overflowing with exotic ingredients, Chef Ramsey jumping out of a cupboard. Nothing. Just dusty jars of preserves and forgotten odds and ends.

Beside her, Isaac and Megan bounced with youthful impatience. Halona, however, felt a nervousness in her stomach. Memories of her modern kitchen, barely used, filled with gleaming appliances and convenient pre-packaged meals, felt like a lifetime ago. Here, the prospect of feeding two hungry children without DoorDash was daunting.

Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile. "Alright, you two, what sounds good for dinner?"

"Chicken!" Megan shouted, her enthusiasm echoing in the cool space.

"Chicken sounds good," Isaac echoed, adding, "and mashed potatoes!"

Halona grimaced internally. Chicken. Mashed potatoes. Two seemingly simple dishes that suddenly felt like a culinary impossibility. "Chicken and potatoes, okay," she agreed, her voice lacking conviction. "Now, where do you keep the chicken…" Her voice trailed off as a horrifying realization dawned on her.

"The coop!" Megan chimed in with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Halona's stomach lurched. "Ugh…" She squeaked, the image of a squawking, feathery creature flashing in her mind.

"Papa will chop its head off." Isaac tried to comfort her.

Halona forced a weak smile. "Lovely," she muttered, sarcasm dripping from her voice. The image of beheading a live chicken was not something she'd ever envisioned facing.

The cellar door clanged shut behind them as they ventured out into the farmyard. Megan dashed towards the nearby horse enclosure, her excited shrieks cutting through the air. Halona winced, remembering Buck's warnings about being gentle around the animals.

"Hold on there, Megs!" She called out, hurrying after the little girl.

Just then, Buck emerged from the barn, a questioning look on his face. Halona caught him before he could reach Megan.

"We… uh… need a chicken for dinner," she stammered, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"You're cookin'?" Buck asked, his lips twitching slightly as he bit back a smile.

Halona offered a helpless shrug. "I'm not making any promises."

Buck chuckled, the sound warm and reassuring. "Alright, come on." He strode towards the chicken coop, his easy confidence a stark contrast to Halona's nervousness.

"Here you go," he said, reaching down and throwing open the coop door. "Just hop in and grab one."

Halona stared at the entrance in horror. "Me?"

Buck's smile widened. "Just kidding," he said, his amusement evident. He scooped Megan up into his arms. "Isaac, how about you help me pick out a plump one?"

Isaac, however, piped up with another suggestion. "Halona can hold the chicken while you chop its head off, Papa!"

"I thought we were friends Isaac!" Halona exclaimed, her voice laced with mock horror.

Buck's laughter echoed across the farmyard. "Let's leave the chicken wrangling to me," he said, already reaching into the coop. "You and the kids head inside. I'll handle the, uh, less pleasant aspects of dinner."