Page 8 of Tizzy's Little Thanksgiving

Lucas chuckled. “I don’t believe they can hear you.”

“They can hear, they’re just not listening,” Eddie countered.

With a look that spoke volumes, the two men lifted their fingers to their mouths and rent the air with a pair of piercing whistles. Not only were they effective in having every bird in a two-acre radius taking flight, they had two Little girls jerking to a stop as if running into the log exterior of the building that was still several feet ahead of them.

Tizzy and Georgie turned back, both looking rather shocked to see Eddie standing.

“Teresa Lynn Anderson,” Eddie called, stating her full name in case she had any question about his recovery. “Stop running and get your cute little butt back here right now.”

“That goes for you too, Georgina Rhea Mayer,” Lucas said.

“But we’re going to get a doctor, Daddy,” Georgie shouted back.

“Good grief, Iama doctor,” Eddie reminded them, shaking his head.

The two girls looked at each other, broke out into giggles, and then, joined hands swinging, bounced down the stairs to come back toward the men.

“I thought you said this place offered you the peace and quiet you couldn’t find in Houston,” Eddie said as the cab driver began to unload their bags from the trunk.

“That was before.” Lucas shrugged as he took the handle of an orange suitcase.

“Before what?” Eddie asked, pulling his wallet from his pocket to get money for a tip, making it a hefty one since the man had the decency to pretend none of this idiocy had happened on his watch.

“Before your sister got here, of course,” Lucas said, slapping him on the shoulder before reaching out to snag his bride-to-be around the waist to pull her to him, turning her slightly to pop his hand against her rear.

“Daddy!” Georgie squealed. “I really forgot Eddie’s a doctor,” she said and then giggled as Teresa stood gawking.

Eddie figured when in Rome and before she could blink, Teresa found her hands flying back to rub at her bottom after receiving a swat from Eddie.

“What was that for?” she asked.

Eddie didn’t miss her wide eyes or the fact that the gold in them was sparkling when it hadn’t only a moment ago.

“Just reminding you of the discussion we were having before Georgie tried to maim me.” Eddie slipped his arm around her waist as the four began to walk back to the building, each pulling a suitcase beside them.

“It’s not my fault you didn’t have your seat belt on,” Georgie quipped, not waiting for him to respond before she asked, “What was the discussion about?”

“None of your business, nosy britches,” the men answered at the exact same time as they had ever since the girl had started toddling after them in their youth.

Georgie huffed and turned to her bestie. “Remind me, why didn’t I just elope?”

“I don’t know. You tell me, you’re the bride,” Teresa teased, throwing Georgie’s words back at her. The two women were soon giggling again and Eddie looked over their heads at the groom-to-be.

“Welcome back to Rawhide Ranch,” Lucas said with a grin.

“Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Eddie returned and while his words were for Lucas, he only had eyes on a certain Little whose raincheck was about to be redeemed.

Chapter 3

Teresa

The four surrenderedtheir luggage to a very tall, large man who wore his long black hair in a braid down his back. When a pretty brunette named Erika introduced him as Moses and Teresa saw fingers flying, she understood the man was deaf. She smiled and signed her thanks which made Moses’s grin go wider and nod as he gathered all the suitcases to take them to their rooms.

“I didn’t know you knew sign language,” Georgie said as Eddie and Lucas went with Erika toward what Teresa thought must be the registration desk.

“I had to do something to fill my time since you moved to Montana,” Teresa explained. “I’m not very good yet, but it’s actually been helpful. I could communicate with the sweetest deaf couple who brought their little boy to the hospital for surgery.”

“That’s really awesome,” Georgie said. “You’ve always been a quick learner.”

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