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By eleven, the turkey was roasting, potatoes boiling and sauerkraut simmering. Mac and cheese, dressing balls, and sweet potatoes were prepped for baking. Raw veggies were cleaned, cut, and arranged on a platter, and yeast rolls continued to rise on the counter.
And that was only what they'd accomplished since Hope's arrival. Most of the desserts—apple, pecan, and cherry pie, strawberry cheesecake, and peach cobbler—as well as several cold salads had been made the day before, and Sarah was bringing country ham, a green bean casserole, and homemade cranberry sauce.
"Until it's time to put things in the oven to bake, I think we've done about all we can for now," Anna declared as she handed Hope the last dish to dry. Letting the water out of the sink, Anna rinsed out the debris, snapped on the garbage disposal, and then wiped her hands on the tea towel she’d left slung over her shoulder. "We make a pretty good team."
Indeed, they did.
"How about some coffee?" Anna asked as she popped a pod in the machine.
"I'd love some." Once she'd gotten up and dressed, Hope hadn't stopped to brew her one allotted cup before coming to help Drew’s mother.
They sat down at the oblong walnut table nestled in the breakfast nook. "You have a beautiful home," Hope complimented.
"Thank you." Anna took a sip of her steaming coffee. "We built on the back section after Jack was born and upgraded in a few areas over the years, but for the most part, aside from the décor, it's pretty much the same as when Zeke built it for himself and Sarah."
"It's big but so cozy and warm. Very homey."
"With four boys, it was often a disaster zone." Anna chuckled. "There were days I wasn't sure I'd survive."
"I can't even imagine." The testosterone overload alone would have been impossible to manage, Hope was sure. Especially during the teenage years. That Anna Blackwood only had a smattering of gray threads in her dark hair was admirable.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Anna asked.
Hope shook her head. "No. Well, none that I know about. My mom left when I was five. I have no idea if she ever had any other children."
Sympathy shone in Anna's amber eyes. "I'm so sorry." She laid her hand over Hope's and squeezed.
"It's hard to miss what you never had," Hope replied. "Besides, my father was the absolute best. Always there, no matter what. Present in every moment, no matter how big or small. I know he made a lot of sacrifices for me, but he never complained. Or made me feel like a burden. Instead, he did everything in his power to show me that I was his number one priority." Hope swallowed past the lump in her throat. "He even called me his blessing."
Anna squeezed her hand again. "Of course you were his blessing, Hope. Just as I'm sure he was to you."
"Yes, he was," Hope murmured and manage to smile through the onslaught of tears currently blurring her vision.
"Gram," Alex called out, the interruption keeping Hope from bursting into tears as he and his brother bounded into the kitchen. "We're hungry."
"You just had breakfast an hour ago."
"I know," Zach drew out the word. "But I'm starving." He wrapped his arms around his stomach to emphasize his ravenous state.
A twinkle gleamed in Anna's brown eyes at Zach's theatrics, but there was no mistaking how crazy in love she was with both her grandsons. Hope wondered if Anna'd feel the same way about the baby she was carrying.
Her third grandchild.
Absently, Hope rubbed her hand across her belly as Anna rose from her chair.
"All right," Anna capitulated. "How about some milk and a few cookies?"
Their little faces broke into twin beams of sunshine. "Chocolate chip?" Alex asked, his voice hopeful.
Nodding, Anna poured two glasses of milk and lined a plate with about half a dozen cookies. "That should tide you over until it's time to eat." She handed Alex the plate and carried the drinks into the great room herself.
"They're adorable," Hope said when Anna returned to the kitchen.
"They're spoiled rotten is what they are," Anna returned, adoration shining in her warm amber eyes.
"They're lucky to have you. I'm sure it's been difficult since their mother passed."
Anna glanced toward the family room where the boys were sprawled on the sofa, eating their cookies and watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. "Yeah. We prayed hard for Olivia to beat it, but the cancer was too aggressive. Losing her was devastating for everyone. Especially Reese."
