Page 158 of Knotting the Cowboys

River nearly walks into Austin's back, grumbling something about doorways not being parking spots before he too freezes.

Cole and Mavi crowd in behind them, and for a moment, they all just stand there, staring at the kitchen like they've walked into the wrong house.

The silence stretches long enough that my arms start to ache from holding the turkey platter.

Luna breaks it with a delighted shriek, pointing at the golden bird like it's the most amazing thing she's ever seen.

Her enthusiasm seems to snap the men out of their trance.

"Is that—" Cole's voice comes out rough. He clears his throat, tries again. "Willa, did you cook all this?"

I shift my weight, suddenly feeling exposed despite the armor of my apron.

"Did you all forget what today is?"

They exchange looks—the kind of guilty, caught-with-their-hands-in-the-cookie-jar expressions that would be comical if my heart wasn't lodged somewhere in my throat.

"Thanksgiving," River says slowly, like he's remembering the word from a foreign language class. "Today's Thanksgiving."

"Shit," Mavi mutters, running a hand through his hair. "I saw the date this morning and it didn't even register."

"Everything's open in town," Cole adds, something like wonder creeping into his voice. "Bank, post office, even the diner. Sweetwater just... doesn't really do Thanksgiving. Never has, least not since I've lived here."

"We used to," Austin says quietly, shifting Luna to his other hip. "When Mom was alive. But after..." He trails off, and the others nod, understanding passing between them in that wordless way packs have.

I set the turkey down carefully on the trivets I'd arranged earlier, my movements deliberate to hide the way their admission makes my chest ache.

"I've never really celebrated either. In my old pack, holidays were just... regular days. Everyone worked. No one cooked special meals or gathered around tables or—" My voice catches, and I have to pause, pretending to adjust the platter. "But I wanted to. Always wanted to. So when you all had errands today, I thought maybe I could..."

"You did all this yourself?" Cole steps further into the kitchen, his steel-gray eyes taking in every dish, every detail. "Willa, this must have taken all day."

"Started at five," I admit, twisting my hands in the apron. "The turkey took forever, and I might have burned the first batch of cranberry sauce. Actually, the first three batches. And there's stuffing on the ceiling that I couldn't reach, and I'm pretty sure I used every dish we own, but?—"

"It's perfect," River interrupts, his voice thick with something I can't name. "It's absolutely perfect."

Luna makes another grab for me, and Austin finally crosses the kitchen to hand her over.

She immediately goes for my hair, probably drawn by the smell of food that's seeped into every part of me.

"Hi, star girl," I murmur, pressing a kiss to her chubby cheek. "Did you have a good check-up? Tell me all about it while I finish getting dinner ready."

She babbles enthusiastically, syllables that might be words or might just be baby enthusiasm for the feast before her. The men still seem frozen by the doorway, and I can feel their eyes following my movements as I bounce Luna gently.

"Well?" I aim for lightness, though my voice wavers. "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to wash up for dinner? Everything's ready, and Luna's probably starving. Growing girls need their turkey."

That breaks the spell.

They scatter like startled deer—River heading for the downstairs bathroom, Mavi taking the stairs two at a time, Cole moving to help Austin wash Luna's hands at the kitchen sink. The sudden bustle of activity makes the kitchen feel alive in a way it hasn't all day, when it was just me and my determination and the ghosts of holidays never celebrated.

"You didn't have to do this," Cole says quietly as he runs a soft cloth over Luna's face. She protests the cleaning with sounds of outrage that make Austin chuckle. "But I'm glad you did."

"Someone should cook for you all," I say, focusing on Luna's grabby hands rather than the weight of his gaze. "You take care of everyone else. Someone should take care of you too."

The look that passes between Cole and Austin makes my cheeks heat, but before either can respond, River's calling fromthe dining room about needing help with something, and the moment passes.

But the warmth of it lingers, settling into my bones like the satisfaction of a perfectly roasted turkey.

After all, this is what holidays are supposed to feel like.

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