the tracks of a large elk in the snow when running the fence line. Deciding that fresh meat would be welcome, the men were going out to hunt and the women had gathered at the Wilcox home to spend the day together. After reminding their husbands to be careful and receiving kisses, the three friends waved from the porch until the horses disappeared over a ridge.
"I swear, they are as excited as little boys," Anna said as she gently rocked Johnny in her arms.
Charity giggled as she and Agatha spread a quilt out on the floor in front of the fire. "I suppose they are just excited to be tracking something other than deer. I wonder if elk tastes different than venison?" She handed her eldest daughter, Hope, her doll and Agatha handed the girl a cookie once she'd settled down onto the pallet to play.
"Forget elk, we have something far more important to discuss," Agatha said. "I call a meeting."
"Is everything all right?" Charity asked, turning her attention to her youngest daughter, Grace, and changing her diaper.
"That's what we need to discuss," Agatha said.
"Don't start the clock without me," Anna said, "let me put Johnny down." It took another few minutes before both Johnny and Grace were asleep in Agatha's bed. After refilling their coffee cups and putting the plate of cookies in the middle of the table, Agatha took her chair.
"I guess it's not a real Tick-Tock meeting," Agatha confessed. "I mean, I don't want to talk about me."
"Ah, so Wyatt forgave you for that sledding fib?" Anna asked, her eyes twinkling.
"Let's just say that if spending the better part of the afternoon wrapped in his arms is the price I'll pay for a teensy fib, then I'll gladly pay that fee any time." She paused and then giggled. "Even if my behind was a trifle warmer than the rest of me." Her friends smiled and nodded, each having experience with exactly what Agatha meant.
"Well, if you aren't going to go into more detail than that, who are we going to discuss?" Charity asked.
"Teresa… well, Teresa and Roger."
"Ah, I've been wondering what happened. I saw Roger talking with Richard the other day. They were talking too quietly to hear but both looked rather serious. I wouldn't have thought anything of it except that when they saw me, they both started talking at the same time, as if to throw me off. Of course, the fact that Richard was talking about cows and Roger about horses… needless to say, I had to wonder. What do you know?"
"Just that I'm afraid Roger might have decided that Teresa isn't worth the trouble," Agatha said. She'd just finished giving them a rundown of what she'd heard being discussed when the three were startled by a knock on the door.
"Who could that be?" Anna asked.
"I have no idea," Agatha said, rising from her chair.
"Be careful," Charity warned.
Nodding, Agatha glanced at a rack Wyatt had placed next to the door. The holster he'd made her hung there, her revolver tucked securely in its place. Before she reached for it, she peeked out the window.
Lifting the latch, she opened the door. "Ma, this is a surprise."
"I hope a pleasant one?" Catherine said.
"Of course it is. Come in… oh, hello, Reverend Jorgensen. I'm afraid you just missed the men. They've gone hunting."
"Good morning, Mrs. Wilcox. Don't mind me. I was out early, posting some flyers. When I got to the restaurant, Benjamin suggested that since I was heading out this way, it would be nice to drop Catherine off for a visit."
"That's very thoughtful of you," Agatha said. "Won't you at least come in for a cup of coffee?"
"No thank you. I'm heading out to the Colby farm. Margaret just gave birth and I wanted to go by and let them know when the christening can take place."
"Oh, that's wonderful," Charity said. "We've been wondering ourselves, since the last one was… um, well, you know."
"I do," Isiah stated. They all did. The christening planned earlier in the year had been cancelled when Wallace Thompkins had appeared instead of Isiah. With the
"I swear, they are as excited as little boys," Anna said as she gently rocked Johnny in her arms.
Charity giggled as she and Agatha spread a quilt out on the floor in front of the fire. "I suppose they are just excited to be tracking something other than deer. I wonder if elk tastes different than venison?" She handed her eldest daughter, Hope, her doll and Agatha handed the girl a cookie once she'd settled down onto the pallet to play.
"Forget elk, we have something far more important to discuss," Agatha said. "I call a meeting."
"Is everything all right?" Charity asked, turning her attention to her youngest daughter, Grace, and changing her diaper.
"That's what we need to discuss," Agatha said.
"Don't start the clock without me," Anna said, "let me put Johnny down." It took another few minutes before both Johnny and Grace were asleep in Agatha's bed. After refilling their coffee cups and putting the plate of cookies in the middle of the table, Agatha took her chair.
"I guess it's not a real Tick-Tock meeting," Agatha confessed. "I mean, I don't want to talk about me."
"Ah, so Wyatt forgave you for that sledding fib?" Anna asked, her eyes twinkling.
"Let's just say that if spending the better part of the afternoon wrapped in his arms is the price I'll pay for a teensy fib, then I'll gladly pay that fee any time." She paused and then giggled. "Even if my behind was a trifle warmer than the rest of me." Her friends smiled and nodded, each having experience with exactly what Agatha meant.
"Well, if you aren't going to go into more detail than that, who are we going to discuss?" Charity asked.
"Teresa… well, Teresa and Roger."
"Ah, I've been wondering what happened. I saw Roger talking with Richard the other day. They were talking too quietly to hear but both looked rather serious. I wouldn't have thought anything of it except that when they saw me, they both started talking at the same time, as if to throw me off. Of course, the fact that Richard was talking about cows and Roger about horses… needless to say, I had to wonder. What do you know?"
"Just that I'm afraid Roger might have decided that Teresa isn't worth the trouble," Agatha said. She'd just finished giving them a rundown of what she'd heard being discussed when the three were startled by a knock on the door.
"Who could that be?" Anna asked.
"I have no idea," Agatha said, rising from her chair.
"Be careful," Charity warned.
Nodding, Agatha glanced at a rack Wyatt had placed next to the door. The holster he'd made her hung there, her revolver tucked securely in its place. Before she reached for it, she peeked out the window.
Lifting the latch, she opened the door. "Ma, this is a surprise."
"I hope a pleasant one?" Catherine said.
"Of course it is. Come in… oh, hello, Reverend Jorgensen. I'm afraid you just missed the men. They've gone hunting."
"Good morning, Mrs. Wilcox. Don't mind me. I was out early, posting some flyers. When I got to the restaurant, Benjamin suggested that since I was heading out this way, it would be nice to drop Catherine off for a visit."
"That's very thoughtful of you," Agatha said. "Won't you at least come in for a cup of coffee?"
"No thank you. I'm heading out to the Colby farm. Margaret just gave birth and I wanted to go by and let them know when the christening can take place."
"Oh, that's wonderful," Charity said. "We've been wondering ourselves, since the last one was… um, well, you know."
"I do," Isiah stated. They all did. The christening planned earlier in the year had been cancelled when Wallace Thompkins had appeared instead of Isiah. With the
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