A Cheyenne Thanksgiving

by Caroline Lee

  “Cam?” Hell, he even loved her whisper, “Don’t you want some dessert? You’ll miss Molly’s cake.”

  The absurdity of it pulled a sudden chuckle from him, which continued to build into a laugh when her expression turned confused. She’d just confessed her love for him; he was about to force her to tell him again, and she was worried about dessert?

  “Sorry, love,” He managed to choke out while he calmed his laughter. “It’s just that how could you possibly think I’m worried about cake? I’ve got all the sweets I want right here.” It was a dumb line, sure, but he kissed her anyway. From the way she kissed him back, she didn’t mind.

  But after, her brows dipped. He loved the little furrow that appeared between them when she was angry or confused. He resisted the urge to kiss it. “Cam, I’m not sweet. I’m serious, most of the time. I can’t be like you.”

  “Like me?”

  “You’re so… I always know what you’re feeling or thinking. You’re smiling or yelling or laughing. I’m not like that.”

  “I know.” He did kiss her brow then. “And I love you for it. I love everything about you, Teresa Li Kitchens MacLeod. My Tessa.”

  “I understand now, Cam. I didn’t before.” She sighed and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek to his chest. “Today I’m thankful not just for the way you love me, but for the way you taught me to love you.”

  His caught his breath at her words, so much more casual than her declaration in the dining room. Tilting her chin back so that he could see her eyes, he whispered, “Tell me again, Tessa.”

  “I love you, Cameron MacLeod. I’ve loved you for the longest time, but didn’t realize what love was. My life began the moment I married you.”

  Cam exhaled, and felt the peace wrap around him. The future stretched out in front of them, filled with possibilities… but for now, just knowing that she loved him made everything right in his world.

  “Cam?”

  “You were slow, then, sweetheart.” Her brow dipped again, and he knew she didn’t understand. “Remember how we met? You tried to attack me, thinking I was hurting Jacob.”

  Her smile was rueful, almost. “I just remember being terrified. I didn’t start thinking again until I was on top of you, and realized you’d protected us even then.”

  “Well, I knew then that you were something special. And when I sat you on my lap for that ride to the Fort, I knew you could make me happy.” He dropped a kiss to her lips, then, gentle and over too fast. “But when I walked into that room a few days later, and I saw the way your face—your beautiful face—lit up when you saw me… Well, that’s when I knew that I could make you happy, if you just gave me the chance.”

  “Oh, Cam…” There were tears in her eyes, and that made him smile again.

  “Thanksgiving’s a time to count our blessings, right? Well, I know I will thank God every day for the rest of my life that you said ‘yes’ to me that night.”

  She didn’t say anything, just stared up at him. He started to get uncomfortable, wondering if he’d said something wrong. “Tessa?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are you alright?”

  Suddenly, and surprisingly, she burst into laughter. She had to jump to reach her arms around his neck, but he picked her up to hold her close. “Oh, Cam!” She was still laughing, that husky, full laugh he so rarely heard. “I have never, in my life, been better. Thank you! Thank you for…”

  He cut her off with a kiss that went and wrapped around his heart and dipped clear into the pit of his stomach. He could feel the slight bulge of her womb, and knew their child—the one they’d created out of shared passion and respect—would stand as a sign of their love.

  “I love you, Tessa.”

  And then, the words he’d despaired of hearing for so long: “I love you, Cam.”

  He had the ranch he’d always dreamed of, and a supportive father. He had a healthy son and another baby on the way. And most importantly, he had a loving wife.

  He was finally home.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  On Historical Accuracy

  The benefit of setting a historic story outside of a city is that the author has more flexibility. After all, the reader knows that the Open Skye ranch is a fictional construct, but understands that it is representative of so many similarly-sized cattle ranches that spread across the American west after the cattle boom. Thus, the author doesn’t have to conform to specific incidents and places from history, as a story set in a town or city would have to (see the Author’s Note at the end of A Cheyenne Celebration).

  That said, A Cheyenne Thanksgiving is not without its historical framework. Fort Laramie, for instance, was very much a real place. Founded in 1834 as a trading post at the confluence of the North Platte and Laramie Rivers, it was taken over by the US Army in 1849 and used as a base to protect the settlers and wagon trains on the Oregon Trail. In the late ‘60s and throughout the ‘70s, the fort was used as an important Army staging point for the various wars with the nearby Native Americans (the Great Sioux War of 1876 was set off when gold was discovered in the Black Hills, and settlers began to encroach on Sioux territory). But by the late 1880s Fort Laramie’s relevance decreased, with most of the local Native Americans “pacified” and the railroad replacing wagon trains as the primary means of transport west. It was eventually decommissioned in 1890.

  Fort Laramie’s commandants are well-recorded, and Colonel John Gibbon would have been in charge in 1882 (although the Newells are entirely imaginary, and some artistic license has been taken with regards to the fort’s social whirl). Gibbon entered West Point Military Academy in 1842. After fighting in both the Mexican War and the Seminole Wars, he returned to the academy as an artillery instructor, where he wrote the definitive textbook on the subject that was used for many years (The Artillerist's Manual, 1859). He met and married his wife Frances (née Moale) before the Civil War began. When it did, he was forced to choose between his chosen career in the US Army, and his family in Charlotte, NC. He opted to continue with the Army, and thus fought against three of his brothers, who joined the Confederate forces. After the War Between the States ended, he was sent west to protect the interests of the white settlers. He was influential in the Sioux Campaign of 1876 (during which he led the troop that buried the remains of Custer’s 7th Cavalry after Little Big Horn) and the Nez Perce Campaign of 1877. He commanded a series of Forts ranged from Wisconsin to Washington, and down through the Dakotas and Utah. He retired as a General to Baltimore, where he passed away shortly before his seventieth birthday, having given fifty courageous and bloody years of service to the US Army.

  The story itself touches on various historic instances, if not characters. For instance, Tess learns all about the early history of Thanksgiving, the date of which is slightly different from today. President Lincoln made Thanksgiving a federal holiday in 1863, declaring it to be the last Thursday of November. But in 1939, President Roosevelt moved it to the next-to-the-last Thursday in November, making the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas a full week longer (and thus allowing more purchasing time for Christmas gifts). The country was in uproar over this change (mainly divided along party lines), and for three years each state chose which Thanksgiving to celebrate (and some celebrated both days as government holidays!). In 1942, Congress, the Senate, and the President finally compromised; a federal law was passed making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday of November (regardless of how many weeks the month had).

  Finally, a few notes have to be made about the backdrop of Cam and Tess’s story. The Highland Clearances were a very real event, resulting in thousands of people being pushed off of their land and immigrating to the Americas. As a result, there are more people of Highland decent living in Glengarry County, Ontario than there are in the Scottish Highlands themselves.

  This forced immigration, and so many other factors, resulted in a breed of men pushed westward, determined to beat the odds and create a successful life. Cattle ranching was a profit
able—and when Cam founded the Open Skye, foolproof—enterprise. But a severe drought in 1886 popped the “beef bubble”, and in November of that year the cattle prices dropped to half of what they were two years before. The brutal winter of that year cut herds by as much as a quarter, devastating cattle ranches even further. It is depressing to know that this is in Cam’s future, yes, but he’s lucky enough to be selling off his beeves (archaic plural of “beef”) now. Hopefully, the cattle depression will not hit him as hard as it will hit his neighbors.

  You will be able to check up on Cam and Tess and their growing family in A Cheyenne Christmas Homecoming, the last installment of The Sweet Cheyenne Quartet. In it, we will finally see Nate discover the love that he deserves… assuming he can convince Wendy that she’s worthy of it. Keep reading for a sneak peek!

  And if you want to read up on Cam and Sebastian’s history, and find out just how they ended up in business together, be sure to check out A Cheyenne Celebration.

  If you’ve enjoyed the history behind A Cheyenne Thanksgiving, I urge you to find me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter, where I frequently post fascinating pieces of social history that I find while researching. Do you like reading historical westerns, and like hanging out with others who do too? Join us on the Pioneer Hearts Facebook page, where we have the most wonderful discussions, contests, and updates about new books!

  Now that I’ve finished the five books in the apparently inaccurately named Sweet Cheyenne Quartet, I’ve started on a new series of Fairy Tales set in the Old West called Everland Ever After. If you’d like to keep up with my stories, or read deleted scenes, or receive exclusive free books, sign up for my newsletter.

  Reviews help other readers find books they’ll love!

  All feedback is read and appreciated.

  From A Cheyenne Christmas Homecoming

  Thanksgiving, 1883

  The holiday dinner had been phenomenal, to no-one’s surprise. It was the Barkers’ turn to host this year, and though the Carderocks had opted to stay in town, the MacLeods rode over from their nearby ranch. It had been a nice time, and with Molly’s cooking, delicious as well. Old Ian had brought his famous dressing, and Ash had requested Tess make her Chinese father’s rice-and-vegetable dish. Nate didn’t like it, but heard Molly say that Wendy would have liked to try it. He agreed. She had always loved to learn new things about new people.

  Pete and Noah had enjoyed having an entire day to play with Jacob, and Cam’s latest addition was passed around happily. Little Mae had more of her mother’s dark coloring than her big brother Jacob did, and that made her cuter, in Nate’s biased opinion. She was able to sit up, now, and Ash’s youngest Rose kept toddling over to bring her baby dolls or her brothers’ blocks. The little girls seemed best friends already.

  Cam was as good a man as any in Nate’s opinion, and he was glad his friend had found the happiness and family he’d deserved. A few years before, he’d seen how empty Cam had been, how much the older man wanted the belonging and acceptance a family could bring. Now it was Cam’s turn at happiness, and as they piled into the wagon to head back to the Open Skye—the MacLeod ranch—Cam lingered on the porch with Nate.

  He looked every inch the proud papa, with little Mae tucked sleepily against his shoulder. Nate nodded at the baby. “She suits you. Fatherhood suits you.”

  “Yeah.” Cam lacked Ash’s ability to hide his feelings; the older man’s face bloomed in a smile. “You’ve got no idea, Nate. Last year, even I had no idea. But being married to a woman I love, who loves me, who’s given me two healthy kids… that’s… well, that’s the best thing I could’ve hoped for.”

  Nate didn’t reply. He didn’t particularly need kids of his own, not with all of the little ones already running around. But to come home every day to a woman who loved him…? That would be pretty incredible.

  Something must have shown on his face, or else Cam knew him well enough to understand the direction of his thoughts, because his friend’s expression softened. Cam switched the baby to his left side, and put out his hand. “I’m sorry, Nate.”

  Forcing a small grin for Cam’s sake, Nate shook his friend’s hand. “Don’t be. I’m really happy for you. You got what you deserved.”

  “And you’ll get it too.” Cam squeezed, and then let go. “I had to wait a long time, you know. There’s a lot of heartache before you find this kind of happiness.” Nate snorted at the platitude, and Cam smiled. “Yeah, I know. But one day soon you’ll look back and you won’t even be able to remember this pain.”

  “Hope so.” Nate turned to watch the little boys chasing each other around the wagon, while Tess and Molly chatted. Cam propped one hip against the porch railing, and rubbed his daughter’s back. A long moment passed before Nate cleared his throat. “You got any ideas how?”

  He heard Cam sigh. “No. You still haven’t heard from her?”

  “Nope.”

  “Then you’ve got to figure out where your future lies. If it’s with her, you have to make it happen. If it’s not, if she’s part of your past, then you’ve got to figure out how to let her go.”

  Nate snorted, and tucked his hands into his armpits, wishing he’d put on his coat to come out. “Easy to say, harder to do.”

  “Yeah, well, you’ve got a whole winter ahead of you to think. So think about it.”

  Turning to his friend, Nate raised one brow. “You honestly believe I ever think about anything else?”

  There was a small grin on Cam’s lips, but pity in his eyes, when the older man said “No, I guess not.” When Tess came to bundle up Mae for the ride home, Cam pulled his hat down around his ears, and sent a smile towards the younger man. “Good luck, Nate.”

  “Thanks.” And then, long after Molly had herded the boys inside, and Ash and Annie had wandered off towards the stables, Nate stood on the porch, staring at the place where the MacLeods had disappeared over the ridge, thinking about what his friend had said: “I’ll need it.”

  Don’t worry! You can catch up with the MacLeods and watch Nate finally decide what to do about Wendy in A Cheyenne Christmas Homecoming, available now.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Caroline Lee is what George R.R. Martin once described as a "gardener author"; she delights in creating interesting and lovable characters, and allowing them to lead their own stories. Often they draw the story along to completely unexpected--and wonderful!--places. She considers a story a success if she can re-read it and sigh dreamily... and she wishes the same for you.

  A love of historical romance prompted Caroline to pursue her degrees in social history; her Master's Degree is in Comparative World History, which is the study of themes across history (for instance, 'domestication of animals throughout the world,' or 'childhood through history'). Her theme? You guessed it: Marriage throughout world history. Her favorite focus was periods of history that brought two disparate peoples together to marry, like marriage in the Levant during the Kingdom of Jerusalem, or marriage between convicts in colonial New South Wales. She hopes that she's able to bring this love of history-- and this history of love-- to her novels.

  Caroline is living her own little Happily Ever After with her husband and sons in North Carolina.

  Other works by Caroline Lee

  The Sweet Cheyenne Quartet

  A Cheyenne Christmas

  A Cheyenne Celebration

  A Cheyenne Thanksgiving

  A Cheyenne Christmas Homecoming

  Where They Belong: A Sweet Cheyenne Christmas Novella

  The Mothers of Sweet Cheyenne: A short story collection

  Everland Ever After

  Little Red (Rojita + Hank)

  Ella (Ella + Ian)

  Beauty (Arabella + Vincenzo)

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