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Mom stood behind the cake, lighting a couple of candles that had burnt out while she sang with everyone else. Molly and Hunter stood arm-in-arm, their kids at various places around the room. The other cowboys were there—Mission, Travis, Vince, and Cord.
Poppy had come from next door, and she stood behind the table full of food with Aunt Gloria and Uncle Matt. Steele Thatcher helped put out cups at the end of the table, and right behind him stood Jane and Deacon Hammond.
Gerty loved them all so much, and she raised her hands in clapping as the song ended and the cheering began. “Thank you,” she yelled into the fray. “Thank you.”
Daddy stepped into her and hugged her tightly, and Gerty wondered why she’d been cross with him. He simply wanted her birthday to be fantastic, and he always had. She sometimes got sad on her birthday, thinking about her birth mother, and he’d worked hard over the years to make it a special day for her.
“Thank you, Daddy,” she said into his ear.
He beamed at her as he pulled back. “All right,” he said as he turned to face the crowd. “Gerty loves appetizers, so we set up an appetizer bar. Baby?”
Mom came out from behind the cake. “She needs to blow out the candles first, Boone.”
“Oh, right.” He laughed. “Candles, Gerty, before Molly calls the Fire Marshall.”
Gerty left Mike’s side and took the two steps to the cake. She drew in a huge, puff-her-cheeks breath, and blew out as hard as she could. She didn’t quite get all thirty candles, so Britt and Keith helped her, and the three of them laughed together.
“Gerty, Gerty!” Amy said. “Come see your presents.” Her sister grabbed onto both of her hands.
“Not yet, Amy,” Boone said to her. “We’re eating first, remember?” He looked over to Poppy. “Gerty’s mom is going to tell you about the food.”
Gerty didn’t see why it had to be explained, but she kept her mouth shut as Mom joined Poppy at the table. “Gerty loves finger foods,” Mom started. “And anything miniature, so one year for Halloween, I made these ‘ghoulish’ mummy dogs, and she loved them. So we have those.”
Gerty’s memories of that night flowed through her head. She’d dressed up as a cowgirl and called herself Apple Jack from the My Little Pony cartoon. If she could pass off her regular clothes as a costume, she was all for that.
“Her mother had a recipe for this sweet kielbasa,” Mom said. “She and her father used to make it every year on New Year’s Eve to ring in the New Year.” She smiled fondly at Gerty and Daddy, who put his arm around her.
They both smiled back at Mom. “Poppy? What’s down by you?”
“Gerty came to my wedding when I married Travis,” she said. “And we had these miniature—” She swept her arm toward Mom with a grin. “—veggie kabobs. I remember Gerty talking about them for days. She doesn’t like carrots of any kind, so these are cucumber, cauliflower, and grape tomato skewers, with ranch dressing—her favorite.”
A warm hand slid into hers, and Gerty looked over to Mike. “You still don’t like carrots?”
“No, sir,” she said.
“We needed a main course,” Poppy continued. “And Gerty loves beef with her whole soul, at least according to her daddy. So these are sliders, with just the bun, the burger, and cheese.”
“Keith is cutting the cake right now,” Mom said. “And the last thing you’ll all want to try is one of Gerty’s favorite things that she happened upon by accident. Boone?”
“Fried mashed potato balls,” he said. “They’re fantastic straight-up, but I made a cheese sauce that has a slight kick to it, because Gerty doesn’t like anything too spicy, but she loves cheese.” He clapped his hands together. “All right. Tables outside in the shade. Let’s eat.”
Gerty wanted to stay out of the way, but Daddy insisted she go through the line first. She did, getting some of everything, because these were all of her favorite things. She paused to hug Poppy and said, “Thank you,” and when she reached the end of the table, she could only smile at her mother.
Tears filled her eyes, and she didn’t have words for how well this woman had loved her over the years.
“Don’t,” Mom said, her own eyes growing watery. “We’re just so happy you’re here this year.”
“I’m sorry,” Gerty choked out. She’d been on the road for some of her birthdays, and simply living somewhere else for others. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to be with her family until this very moment.
“I’ve got the cake, Gerty,” Mike said from behind her, but she couldn’t answer as she stepped into her mom’s arms and let her hold her.
“I love you, Gerty-girl,” Mom said. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.” She smiled at her as she released her, and Gerty blinked the tears back into her eyes.
“Presents in like, ten minutes?” Amy asked as Gerty went by Daddy again.
“Amy, everyone has to eat,” Daddy said. “If you ask me one more time about the presents, I’m sending you to the farmhouse while the rest of us enjoy the party.”
