Gratitude of the Heart - Thanksgiving Novelette: Brides of Lilac Grove

By Kristene Holloway

Brides of Lilac Grove – Thanksgiving Novelette

 

Evie Jenkins is definitely in love with the burly Scotsman who has been asking for her hand in marriage for over a year – even if each proposal was in jest. But after two horrible marriages, Evie is quite happy with things staying as they are. She has no desire for anything to change. In her experience, her own weddings usually brought out the worst in the men that she married.

 

Bill McLaughlin has reached his limit. He wants the love of his life to be his wife. He was tired of living in limbo. But when he proposes for the last time, and Evie says nothing, his heart is broken. And to cover that hurt, he has no problem taking it out on the rest of Preston Ranch.

Unfortunately, the ranch is about to be full of guests for the Thanksgiving Holiday. The timing of their falling out could not be worse. To top things off, the fugitive turkey earmarked for Thanksgiving dinner is on the lam. 

 

If you love a good, heartwarming story, full of friendship, laughter, joy and gratitude, you will love Gratitude of the Heart, a Thanksgiving novelette by Kristene Holloway. This novelette is a stand-stand alone in the Brides of Lilac Grove Series.

 

Buy Gratitude of the Heart today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kristene Holloway
• Release date: Nov 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215492925

Book preview

Gratitude of the Heart

Brides of Lilac Grove Holiday Novella

By:

Kristene Holloway

Copyright © 2022 by Kristene Holloway

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any mean, including photocopying, recording, or other electrical or mechanical methods, without the prior written consent of the publisher, except in cases of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

for my readers,

I am truly grateful.

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CHAPTER ONE

PRESTON RANCH WAS chaotic - to say the least. There were two days left until Thanksgiving, and Evie Jenkins had never seen so much commotion. That was saying a lot about a ranch that was normally bustling with activity. Usually, though, the mood on the ranch was happy and serene. Over the last three days, it had collapsed into one of angst and aggravation.

Little Jack, who had thus far in his short life, adored everyone - especially Evie, his adopted grandmother - wanted nothing to do with anyone. The fact that he was teething did not help. He wanted his mother. Period. And poor Adelaide was exhausted. As Adelaide was newly pregnant with her second child, her husband, Jackson Preston, was a basket case.

Adelaide had a family history of difficult births, which terrified her husband. Given that his son wanted nothing to do with him, either made Jackson even worse, as he felt helpless to relieve his wife’s burden.

That left the preparation for the Thanksgiving celebration to Evie. Adelaide had wanted a huge thanksgiving party, even larger than the one she had before. Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday. Luckily, Evie had been a part of the planning, so she knew what Adelaide wanted. She was able to direct the ranch hands in decorating and accept the delivery wagons that were now arriving daily from Lilac Grove. From the dining room window, Evie watched one coming up the driveway now. None of this would have bothered her in the least, had she not been so distracted by her own predicament.

"Git out of me kitchen!" she heard Billy bellow from the back of the house.

The Scotsman's voice nearly shook the rafters, which was saying a lot in this grand house that resembled a hotel. Evie slowly closed her eyes guiltily. There it was. The real cause of the angst and nervous energy that was running through the Preston Ranch. Billy McLaughlin, the ranch cook and essential part of the Preston family, was all out of sorts. And it was all Evie’s fault.

Up until now, Billy’s outbursts had been rather contained over the last few days. He had been content to merely scowl and growl at anyone misfortunate enough to wander into his kitchen. He would shout here or there but keep it to a minimum. Now Evie heard the crashing and yelling coming from the back of the house.

She picked up her skirts and hurried to the kitchen. She was almost run over by two ranch hands trying to escape Billy’s wraith through the front. As she neared the kitchen, the commotion became louder. It sounded like a bucking bronco had been let loose. When she stepped into the large kitchen, she saw it wasn’t a horse but the large Scotsman. He was pulling things out of cabinets and drawers and banging them on the large island covered with a solid butcher’s block.

He grumbled as he worked, not realizing she was there. Evie felt a hint of her own ire begin to rise. He was acting like a petulant child. And even if she could ignore him, the rest of the ranch could not.

What are you doing? she asked, her hands going to her