JC opened the second box to show Claudette her platter…

JC opened the second box to show Claudette her platter and three large serving bowls to match her 12 place settings. By this time Kat, the kids, Percy, Peter, Paul, Jessie, Claudette, Buck and even James were in the living room to see Claudette’s surprise.

“I didn’t know boys liked dishes,” said a befuddled Kyle.

That got a good chuckle out of everyone and had JC actually blushing. Or so Jessie thought.

Claudette leaned down and tousled Kyle’s hair, “JC is an artist sugar, he made all of these beautiful things.” She looked up at Percy with a look of adoration, “He made ‘em just for me I suppose.”

Percy grinned as he hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans and just said, “Yup.”

Claudette jumped up to hug Percy’s neck one more time as Kat and helper Kaylie began to repack the dishes.

“Oh no!” Claudette called, “We have to use them for lunch! I can’t think of a better group of guests to break them in on.”

“Well hopefully you won’t be breakin’ any,” Paul teased as he pushed up the sleeves on his long-sleeve John Deere t-shirt, “Already had to listen to Percy for a good solid month about how he hoped you’d like your anniversary gift.”

Claudette paused in the doorway to the kitchen causing the choo-choo train of helpers behind her to pile up. “But sugar,” Claudette said as she leaned her head back into the room, “Our anniversary was two months ago.”

“Yup,” James chimed in, “But I told him you probably didn’t like the new dish towels he got ya.”

Claudette gave James a wink, “Good call brother, GOOD call.”

As the group trotted off to the kitchen Jessie realized she was still eyeing JC as he passed through the screen door out to the front porch. She shook her head to clear her mind. She heard Claudette order “the boys” outside to go show the kids the pig pen and the hen house. Jessie walked to the front door and hollered out, “I think Claudette wants you to stay for dinner.”

It was then she realized JC had left his SUV running. “Yeah hadn’t planned on that,” he said as he reached through the window to turn off the car. “But from what I hear you can’t really turn down Claudette.”

Jessie wasn’t quite sure how to take that comment given it was said so bland and bluntly. This fella was obviously absent the day they handed out charisma. Jessie went to hold the door open for him as he made his way past the geraniums on the front steps. JC stopped and stared at the lush plants and made a “tsk” sound, “Wish I had a green thumb.”

Jessie looked at his potters hands lightly tinged with what she assumed was some remnant of green glaze. “Looks like you do,” she said with a grin as she nodded to his hands.

JC just walked past her and through the front room.

“Your hands, kinda green…” Jessie trailed off in exasperation as he just headed on towards the kitchen and the oohs and ahhs coming through the doorway. “Okay…”

Kat was herding the girls towards the bathroom…

Kat was herding the girls towards the bathroom and Claudette was battling to keep the sweets out of Percy’s reach. “I’ll get it,” Jess said.

As she rounded the kitchen entrance and headed toward the front door she did a double take. OMG it’s Brawny Ultra, is this JC?

Standing at the front door was Brawny meets Tom Seleck and then roll in some Schwarzenegger muscle and killer blue eyes. Of course Jessie came to that conclusion based only on the strong arms and the nose and eyes visible above the boxes he was carrying.

“Catch the door for me,” came a pleasant if frustrated voice “Got something here for the lady of the house.”

It was then that Jessie realized she was just staring through the screen door. She jolted and pushed it open as she leaned away to make room for his entrance. Buck trotted in behind sniffing suspiciously at his jeans.

Percy met the new guest in the living room, “JC, good to see ya, let me take one of those off your hands.”

Buck trotted back to Jessie and she realized she still had the screen door open. As Buck sat down with a huff through his nose Jessie made sure the screen door didn’t slap shut.

“Is that another mouth for lunch?” Claudette called from the kitchen.

“Yup!” Percy hollered back, “and he’s come to help set the table.”

At that odd remark Claudette made her way into the front room at the same time Kaylie and Kris came tearing in from the washroom. “I’m a good table helper too!” Kaylie said.

“Hi there sugar pie,” Claudette said as she leaned in and gave JC a quick hug, “what are you two boys up to?” she asked as she eyed the two large boxes set on her sofa.

JC stepped back shyly, which was odd to see given his muscular size, and nodded toward Percy.

Jessie couldn’t help but grin at Percy’s giddy state. She’d never seen him like this. Buck made some grumbling noises as JC edge slightly closer to them to obviously move out of Claudette’s way.

“Go ahead,” Percy nodded at the boxes and said to Claudette, “Open ‘em up.”

Claudette eyed Percy out of the corner of her eye and set a dishtowel down on the end table. As she opened the first box she pulled out a sheet of bubble wrap and started to squeal. She proceeded to pull out the most beautiful ocean blue plate with subtle gilded edges with a slightly worn look. The plate was followed by hand crafted mug, followed by bowl and saucer. “Oh Lordy sweetheart they’re gorgeous!” she said as she wrapped her arms with a plate and mug in her hands around Percy’s neck. “My own dishes,” she sang.

“Oh JC!” she squealed again, “These are gorgeous; I can’t believe how talented you are, I mean, they’re just fantastic sugar!”

JC quietly thanked her as Claudette squeezed him into a bear hug of Texas-size proportions.

There is just no way that man is smelling anything but White Rain for the next 12 hours, Jessie thought.

As three of the Turnbull boys made their way towards the house…

As three of the Turnbull boys made their way towards the house, Jessie stepped on the back porch and waved, “Hidee fellas, I brought some young farm hands over for some hard labor!”

Kyle, Kaylie and Kris came barreling out the back door behind her.

“Is us!” little Kris called again.

“Well it certainly is,” Percy says as he reaches the enthusiastic group and ruffles Kris and Kaylie’s hair. “And hello sir,” he says as he extends a hand to Kyle.

Kyle’s face breaks into an authentic grin and his chest puffs out as he take’s Percy’s hands, “Hello Mr. Percy, my sister wants to see your pig.”

Peter and Paul both chuckled as they made their way toward the back door and Percy grinned, “Well I’m sure we can manage that.”

Jessie swung her arms around Peter and Paul’s shoulders, “Hey fellas! Haven’t seen you in ages, how’s the crop?”

“Good,” they both confirmed in unison.

As the troop made their way into the house they found Kat and Claudette with their heads together eyeing whatever part of lunch was in the oven.

“I’ve got to have that recipe,” Kat was telling Claudette.

As they both leaned up and turned around Claudette asked, “What are you boys doing in so early? It’s a good hour until lunch will be ready.”

“I’d asked JC to swing by for something, wondered if the truck I heard was his,” said Percy, “Instead I find us overrun with giggly midgets!”

Percy leaned down and began tickling Kayce and Kris until they squealed. Claudette slapped at Peter as he tried to sneak a peanut butter cookie with chocolate chunks off one of Kat’s goodie plates.

“After dinner,” Claudette said.

Kyle looked up at Paul who had sat down at the old oak kitchen table. With eyes the size of saucers he whispered conspiratorially, “You mean girls boss you around even when you’re growed up?”

Paul fought back a grin and looked down to Kyle with a solemn head nod and, “Yup.”

As Percy let the girls down to run toward their mama, Paul gave Kyle a noogie and then there was a knock on the front screen door. “Anyone home?” hollered a voice through the screen.

Laden down with kiddos and cookies, Jessie and Kat decided to caravan…

Laden down with kiddos and cookies, Jessie and Kat decided to caravan to the Turnbull farm in separate cars. When they drove up, Jessie let Kyle and Kaylie out of the truck cab. The kids ran over to Kat’s car to unload Kris and about three dozen cookies. Jessie rested her wrists on the top of the steering wheel and peered out the windshield at the cozy farm house the Turnbull’s had called home for decades. She noticed Claudette’s touches even from the front porch. Gorgeous ten gallon geraniums flanked the front steps that led up to the whitewashed front porch. Hanging pots were scattered around the porch between posts with different types of streaming ivy.

Jessie noticed some familiar looking rocking chairs off to the side of the porch. It looked like Case’s handiwork was making its way around Chancy.

“Come on Aunt Jess,” hollered Kaylie as she hopped up and down outside the car, dropping a few crumbs off the plate of cookies she had.

Jessie grinned and opened the door, “Careful sugar, you’re going to drop your goodies before Percy and his brothers get to try ‘em.”

“Okay, do you think I can save a cookie for the piggies?” Kaylie eagerly asked.

An impatient Kyle behind her just rolled his eyes and tugged on her sleeve. “Come on, let’s go see Ms. Claudette.”

As the troop made their way up the front steps, Claudette opened the front door, “Who’s that I see on my front porch?!”

“Is us!” called out Kris.

With a good chuckle, Claudette hauled little Kris up for a hug, “So I see sugar, so I see. Come on in and let me take those cookies off your hands.”

Claudette ushered the kids through the front room and into the bright sunny kitchen and dining area that served as the hub of the Turnbull farm. Through the back windows you could see the barn off to the left and the wide open peanut fields to the right and beyond. Jessie walked to the back windows as the kids and Kat unloaded their plates of cookies on the counters. Kaylie was informing Miss Claudette that some of the cookies were for the piggies as Jessie watched Percy come around the barn followed by Peter and Paul. There was no doubt that all three were brothers. They had the same height, give an inch or two, same no-nonsense stride and Turnbull ears.