Brian kneeled on a wooden chair and rested his elbows on the table. “That's cause Mama's been cookin' all day,” he said proudly, “but there's no turkey. We got moose, rabbit, sweet potatoes, and—”
“All right, Brian, that's enough,” Jean said, wiping her hands on her cotton apron. She took Jessie's hands and squeezed them gently. “I'm so glad you could come.”
“It's an honor to be included in your family's celebration, especially on such a special day—your first Thanksgiving in Alaska.”
Carrying the pie, Will followed the women into the kitchen. “It's blistering cold out there, and the temperature's still dropping. This could be a bad one.” He handed the pie to Jean. “From Jessie,” he said with a smile.
“It looks wonderful. What kind is it?”
“Lowbush cranberry. I got the recipe from one of the old-timers who came up long before Steward and me. I've been using it since my first summer. It's never failed me.”
“I'll set it up here.” Jean placed it in the stove's warming closet. “Can I get you anything? Coffee or tea?”
“A cup of tea does sound good. Might warm me up a bit.” Jessie peeked into the front room, then sat at the kitchen table. “You've made this into a real nice home.”
“Thank you,” Jean said.
“We have three bedrooms—two upstairs and one down,” Brian bragged.
“And we have a washing machine on our back porch.”
Jessie smiled at the boy. “Your daddy must be a good carpenter.”
“He is.”
Steps sounded from the staircase, and a moment later Luke walked into the kitchen. “Hi, Jessie. Good to see you.”
“Luke, how are you?”
“Good. Been doin' a lot of hunting.”
“Yeah, he shot the rabbit we're eatin' today,” Brian said.
“So, you're a pretty good shot?” Jessie asked.
“Not bad. Alex has been giving me some tips. He's got a lot more experience than me. He's gonna show me and Dad how to run a trapline.”
“Good idea. There's always a market for furs.”
Jean set a cup of tea on the table in front of Jessie. “Would you like sugar?”
“Yes. Thank you.” Jessie scanned the room. “You've done really well for yourselves. You can be proud of your accomplishments. It's not easy to move to a new home and start over, especially one in the wilderness.”
“I wish everyone felt like you,” Laurel said, sitting at the end of the table. “Some of the homesteaders still don't think we can make it and want us to leave.”
Jean set a bowl of sugar and a spoon on the table.
Jessie dipped out a half teaspoon of sugar and sifted it into her cup. Stirring, she said, “Not everyone feels like that, and more are coming around every day. Don't give up.”
Laurel nodded. Ray Townsend, however, seemed to be getting worse. Celeste now had to make excuses to see her.
“Robert's here!” Brian shouted, running for the back door. He flung it open wide and jumped into his big friend's arms.
Robert picked up the little boy and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Howdy, young man. Are you still full of goose feathers?”
Brian giggled and kicked his feet.
Joanna carried a pie. “Mama thought you might like this,” she said, handing the pastry to Jean.
“Thank you.” She smelled the warm pie. “Mincemeat?”
“Yep. I helped bake it,” thirteen-year-old Veronica said, joining the group in the kitchen. “Hope you like it.” She smiled, brown eyes sparkling and a deep dimple creasing her right cheek.
“I'm sure we will.” Jean set the pie in the warmer alongside Jessie's.
Patricia Lundeen walked in, hung up her coat, then greeted every one of the Haspers with a friendly hug. She smiled, plump cheeks red from the cold. “I'm awfully glad we live close. I'd hate to think what it would be like to travel far in this weather.”
“You girls go play and stay out of trouble,” Patricia cautioned.
Sixteen-year-old Joanna flung a dark braid off her shoulder. “Mama, we're not babies.”
“Oh, of course, I forgot for a moment,” Patricia said with a wink at Jean.
The women settled at the table while the men headed for the barn. “What is it that men do in barns anyway?” Jessie asked.
Laurel opened a jar of string beans. “I've no idea, but they spend hours doing it.”
“I think they talk about farming and politics. It's a place to get away from the women.” Jean sprinkled brown sugar over a pan of sweet potatoes. With a wicked smile, she said, “I splurged and bought marshmallows. We'd decided to buy only necessities, but this is a special occasion.”