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and sat down quickly.  His wind-blown dark hair was appealing.  His blue eyes looked at the roasted chicken on the table.
                  “That looks fantastic.  I’m starving,” Eddie said.
                  Joe let out a growl of frustration and got up.  His strides were swift as he went into the kitchen.  He soon returned, pushing a slim older woman with gray hair ahead of him.  He held her by the shoulders and sat her down.  Sliding her seat into the table, Joe kissed the woman’s cheek.
                  “That’s better.  Addie, you are not to get up until dinner is done.  You hear?” Joe said with a smile.
                  “All right, Joey,” Addie said with a chuckle.  “You’re always fussing over me too much.”
                  “Nonsense,” Joe said.  “You work too hard.  Good Lord!  Why do I have to round everyone up like a herd of cattle?  Ya’ll go ahead and start.”
                  Gina watched him walk past the table and down the hallway.  It really did remind Gina of herding cattle as he came back with his arms around two young women who laughed at him as he told a joke.
                  “Now we’re missing one more.  Eddie, where’s Darryl?” Joe asked as he seated the two women.
                  His question was answered as the front door opened and shut quickly.  A young man ran into the room.  “I’m sorry to be late.  I lost track of time.  Sorry,” he said.
                  “Darryl, plant your fanny in that chair.  We’re hungry,” Joe said and sat back down.  He let out a sigh and said, “Dig in!”
                  Suddenly it became a free-for-all and dishes were passed helter-skelter around the table.  Gina sat next to Randall who was very helpful in introducing her to everyone.  She learned that Darryl was an assistant groom to Eddie, the head groom.  The young man was slight of build and looked to be about twenty to Gina.  His wire-rimmed glasses framed blue eyes and his blond hair was very neatly combed.
                  The two young women were Callie and Rita, red-headed sisters who were live-in housekeepers and also helped with the children.  Addie, otherwise known as Cook, looked to be somewhere in her sixties and seemed to be a surrogate mother to Joe.  Several times during the meal, Joe physically restrained her from getting up from the table when she wanted to go get something from the kitchen.
                  Lacey said, “Addie, he’s not going to let you go into that kitchen.  You’ll disappear and go back to work.  You need to relax a little.”
                  “Lacey, honey, I’m happiest when I’m working,” Addie said.
                  Eddie said, “Addie, just do us a favor and eat your dinner?  You make me nervous with all your runnin’ around.  Please?”
                  Addie chuckled.  “Ok.  You win.”
                  “There’s our girl,” Joe said as he rolled up his shirt sleeves.
                  Gina noticed how nicely Joe dressed.  His hair was short-cropped and attractively styled.  It was evident that, even though he was mayor, he didn’t just sit around.  He was fit and strong from riding and training horses.
                  He made Lacey laugh and Gina thought Lacey was a beautiful woman with her long, dark hair and brown eyes.  Gina was envious of her.  The woman had given birth only three weeks prior and looked like she had barely gained any weight during the pregnancy.  Emily, Ryan, and Chloe looked as if they were becoming fast friends.  They talked about silly things and laughed together.
                  Gina had trouble keeping track of the conversations because it seemed like some were interrupted to talk about a new subject and then they went back to the other