The Loner's Thanksgiving Wish

Heavy footsteps clomped down the hall and pulled to a stop outside Cade’s room. At his brother’s startled expression, Jack turned toward the door.

Charley and Uncle Pauley walked into the room. Short and burly, with thick necks, heavy jowls and small, piercing eyes set deep in their florid faces, no one could mistake them for anything but brothers. But while Pauley held the part-time, unpaid position as town mayor, Charley laid no claim to a job of any sort and was entirely too proud of how he managed to remain on disability for no good reason.

“So, I hear you’re taking it easy here,” Charley boomed, nodding at Cade. He and Pauley settled their bulky frames into the two chairs in the room. “Pauley and me were just over at the Cowboy Café for some pie, and thought we’d check in on you.”

“Since everyone’s talking about the accident, we thought we’d better get the news firsthand,” Pauley added, his chest expanding with pride. “I need to know what’s going on in this town.”

No surprise, there. Pauley did almost nothing in his role as mayor, but he was definitely one for gossip, and he gladly shared it with his kin. When Samuel’s side of the family somehow managed to campaign him into office last year, they’d supplied themselves with a pipeline of information.

“I heard Mei Clayton was there on the trail.” Disappointment flickered to life in Charley’s beady eyes. “I didn’t know she’d come back to town.”

Jack reined in a surge of irritation. “She was the first one on the scene. She made a dangerous hundred-foot descent to get to Cade and Jasmine, and she provided initial first aid.”

“That’s a shame. Oh, not about you gettin’ rescued and all, boy.” He waved a hand dismissively. “But it’s real disappointing that she actually showed her face in town again. We hoped she mighta stayed in China, or wherever it is she moved to.”

“With George’s other grandchildren showing up right along, we were counting on her to skip out.” Pauley frowned, pursing his full lips. “Of course, there’s that fool brother of hers. I hear he’s got himself lost in some Florida swamp, so maybe he’ll be the one to break ole George’s will.”

“I don’t think you two ought to be planning on any windfall just yet.” Cade pulled himself up in bed. “George’s grandchildren are going to earn that inheritance because Arabella and all of the other cousins are planning to meet every stipulation of that will.”

Pauley chortled. “So they say. But things happen.”

Jack had heard rumors about a few of those “things” over the past few months—events that might have been designed to drive some of the cousins away from town before they fulfilled their required time here. He suspected none of them had been accidental.

“Just so you know, fellas, Mei is here to stay,” Jack said. “I’ll take great exception to anyone who tries to cause trouble for her. And—” he leveled a look at each of them in turn “—I’ll know who to come after.”

“I have no idea what you mean, boy.” Charley swiveled in his seat to look up at Jack, the veiled mockery in his voice coming across crystal clear. “Cause trouble? We only hope those spoiled, self-serving cousins slip up because they don’t deserve to have that inheritance given to them on a silver platter. By all rights, at least half of George’s wealth should have belonged to Samuel and to us.”

“But we surely aren’t going to do anything illegal to get it all back,” Pauley added with a smirk. “No sirree. That uppity side of the family always blames us for anything that goes wrong … but that just shows what kinda fools they are.”

At a soft knock on the door, they all looked toward the door.

Mei, nearly hidden by a giant bouquet of yellow, orange and white flowers of some kind, stepped inside. “Hi, Cade.” She shot a surprised look at the other three men. “I … um … see you have company.”

She dropped her gaze to the flowers as she settled them on a shelf under the window and adjusted the big yellow bow fastened to the vase.

Pauley elbowed his brother. “Maybe we’d better get on our way. I told Vincent I was gonna meet up with him about now.”

Pauley and Charley lumbered to their feet, nodded at Cade and shot a look of pure dislike toward Mei. They left without another word.

“Oh, my,” she murmured as their footsteps receded down the hall. “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Company’s a good thing,” Jack said, hoping he could make her smile. “Especially when it’s someone who risked her own safety to help my brother.”

“Anyone else would have done the same.”

“By rappelling down a cliff face? I doubt that.”

“I just happened to be at the right place at the right moment, I guess.” She darted a quick, uncertain glance at him, then turned her attention to Cade. “This is all they had in the grocery store floral section, so I hope you like Thanksgiving colors.” She pulled a green Randolph’s Pharmacy bag from her purse. “And here are some magazines.”

Her silky black hair swung forward when she leaned over the bed rail to rest a hand on one of Cade’s, hiding her expression from Jack’s view. “How are you doing, cowboy?”

He blushed. “I surely don’t need to be here. But thanks—that was real nice of you, coming by like this. Jasmine will love the flowers when she comes in.”

“I saw her after church, actually, with Arabella and the triplets. I told her that I’d stop by now, and she’ll be coming after she helps with Sunday dinner.”

“You are coming to the wedding, right?” he asked earnestly. “Jasmine said you hadn’t heard about it ‘til we saw you on the trail yesterday.”

“I guess I’ve been out of the loop. I … don’t make it back here much. My grandfather’s funeral was the last time.”

Digging his elbows into the mattress, Cade hiked himself higher in the bed. “Sorry about your grandpa.”

A shadow crossed her delicate features, though as far as Jack had seen of him, George Clayton Sr. hadn’t been a kindly man. Difficult, controlling and power hungry were the words most of the townsfolk used to describe him.

Mei nodded. “Thanks, Cade.”

“Hi, everyone. Doesn’t he look good? I can’t believe it!” Jasmine flitted through the doorway and hurried to the bed to drop a kiss on Cade’s cheek. “Arabella let me come over right away because I was just too nervous to stay home. Wow—look at those beautiful flowers.”

Cade chuckled, and Jack found himself smiling at the joy she emanated. No matter how foolhardy their marriage plans were, no one could deny that Cade and his young fiancée were hopelessly in love.

Jasmine slid her hand into his. “Did you tell them about our Thanksgiving dinner plans?”

“Uh … not yet.”

Mei tilted her head. “So you’re really going to go through with this?”

“Yep. We started working out the plans last night. Cade and I are putting on a huge Thanksgiving feast this year.”

“She still insists that it’ll be for both sides of the family,” Cade added with a rueful shake of his head. “I’m guessing that it just might be the most memorable holiday ever, if everyone shows up and they all survive.”

“What he means is that it’s high time everyone got together and got along, after all these years of feuding between the two branches of the Clayton family tree.” Jasmine’s mouth formed a firm line. “And for all those who think Cade and I are too immature to get married, putting on this dinner is going to prove to everyone that we are mature, capable adults.”

Mei’s eyes widened. “Oh, dear. Have you discussed this with Arabella?”

“Yes, and last night I called Brooke, Vivienne and Zach, too.”

“And they said …”

Jasmine’s cheeks flushed. “I admit it took some explaining. But honestly, it’s ridiculous to keep up all the hatred—as if the Claytons were the Colorado version of the Hatfields and McCoys, or something.” She took a deep breath. “Since I’ve been living with Arabella, I’m supposedly part of George’s ‘side,’ and Cade is part of Samuel’s. Our marriage is …”

“It’s going to be a bit like the Clayton version of Romeo and Juliet, to add another analogy,” Jack said dryly. “With a much better ending.”

“Exactly. But after this dinner I expect everyone to come to our Christmas wedding and behave.”

“Goodness.” Mei blinked and fell silent for a moment. “Have you thought about the expense of making such a dinner for so many people?”

“I’ve figured out the costs to a penny.” Jasmine grinned.

“We’re using a good share of our wedding money to pull it off, but we figure we’re investing in our future.”