Chapter 14
Sam laughed at her excitement, "That does sound like fun. Do you have her phone number, so I can call her mom?" Lily nodded and reached into her pocket for the crumpled up paper, that had been a cute invitation. Sam read it and tried to figure out if she knew the people.
Robbie had gone to Selena's house early today. They had baby furniture being delivered and needed her to let them in and show them where to put it. Sam got Lily a snack and then said, "Lil, I have some news for you." Lily looked up at with her bright eyes full of joy, "What? Is it another party?" "No, it's not another party. I found your brother Tommy." Sam told her, quietly waiting for her reaction. Lily's eyes got big and she flew into Sam's waiting arms. Pulling back from Sam, she asked, "Can I see him?" Sam smiled and told her the plan. Lily was so excited she didn't know what to do first. "I wish Nana was here, we could make some cookies for him, as a present." Lily said clasping her hands together. Sam laughed, "Well, if you'll help me, I'll help you to make cookies. I haven't made cookies since before I left for college."
Lily didn't bat an eye, as she proceeded to get all the ingredients together and lay them out on the island. She was so excited she dropped both of the cookie sheets and they made such a clatter she giggled and did it again. "Ok, that'll do with the noise, kiddo." Sam laughed. Lily laughed and clanged them together one more time, just for fun.
They were just taking the cookies out of the oven when Jake walked in the door, with Tommy behind him. He looked to Sam to be sure it was alright to come in. "Come on in. Lily has made cookies for you." Sam told them as she realized she hadn't told Lily that Jake would be bringing Tommy to the ranch. Lily was frozen in her chair at the sink, not looking at Tommy, but at Jake. Her little hands began to shake and Sam went and picked her up. "Lil, you can take Tommy up and show him your room." She didn't need any more encouragement as she took Tommy's hand and skirted around Jake, not wanting to get too near. Tommy noticed this and furrowed his brow, wondering why she didn't like Jake.
"You're early." Sam told Jake. "Sorry, I thought this would be a good time for them. I can leave Sam." he said. "No, you don't have to leave yet. I guess this will be a good time for me to get the information I need from you. The therapists number? A deal's a deal." She told him. Jake reached in his pocket and got her card out, handing it to Sam. She took it and looked at it, "Coffee?" Jake nodded and went to the pot, helping himself. "Sam, I'm really sorry I scared Lily so bad. Do you think I could try again with her?" Sam sat down across from him at the table, "Well, it will take some time Jake. You can't force the issue with her. She's pretty bright, when it's time for the next step, she will let you know. Bringing Tommy back to her is the right direction, a really good first step." Jake took a deep breath and put his head in his hands, "I'm thirty three Sam, and I've wasted most of those years. I just want to change so many things. I was going to wait and let Doc tell you and Mom this part, but maybe you need to know now."
Sam found that she wanted to hear what he had to say. His voice was so different than she had ever heard it, as if he were in pain. "Ok." Jake cleared his throat, "I have a brain disorder. If it had been diagnosed when I was a kid, things around here would have been different. Taking this medicine has changed my whole way of thinking and feeling. Doc figured it out real quick and sent me to the right folks for a diagnosis. My brain kinda goes on overload, real quick. That's why I was always angry. I know it doesn't change any of the bad things I did, but somehow, it helps me to deal with it now. Knowing, I'm not just the bad seed."
Neither of them had heard Robbie come in the door. She stood there and gasped as she heard the words come from Jake. Jake turned to see his mom and got up and hugged her. Sam was shaken at this, she had never seen Jake hug anyone.
Through her tears, Robbie asked, "Is it.." she couldn't finish. She thought he was dying. Jake laughed, "No Mom, it's not like that. It's a condition, not a disease."
Robbie sighed with relief, "Oh thank goodness." Sam couldn't believe the sound of Jake's laughter. It wasn't him at all, someone new had taken over his body, someone she didn't know at all. Still wary, Sam decided to test Jake's meds. "Jake, what do you think we should do about Tommy?" she asked. Jake sat back down and took a breath, "Well, I talked to Aggie about him this afternoon. At first she was really upset, you know, thinking she could get in trouble for having him on the ranch, underage and all. But she agreed to wait before she calls the authorities. He's a great worker, kinda quiet."
"Why wait?" Sam asked. Jake looked shocked by her words, "Well..I thought..with Lily, you might want to take him in." Now it was Sam's turn to be shocked, "Me? Jake, I'm still learning everyday how to care for Lily, I can't handle any more than I already have on my plate. But, I want him taken care of properly. I want what's best for him.. for Lily's sake." Sam was close to tears and Robbie took her hand. "Honey, nobody has to make a decision tonight. It's enough for now, that Lily knows he is safe." Jake got up, "If you need me to come get him later, I will." Robbie was unaware of their agreement and said, "No, Jake, you stay for supper too." Sam sent him a look and nodded to him that it would be ok with her. She didn't want her mom upset tonight.
Lily took Tommy out to the barn to show him Munch, Sam thought this might be a good time for her to go out with them and get to know Tommy a bit. "Do you have a special horse at the ranch Tommy?" she asked. He shook his head no. Sam realized that she had come out too soon, he wasn't ready to trust her. "Well, you two come on back in soon, supper will be ready." she told them and left. Back in the kitchen and helping Robbie with supper, Jake told her to be patient with him. Sam couldn't believe what she was hearing from Jake, of all people.
Jericho came in the door and hung his hat on the rack, nodding to everyone. Jake looked uncomfortable and Sam didn't know how to break the ice that had suddenly formed in the room as she helped her mother with the meal. "Chill setting in for tonight, I brought some wood up for the fireplace." Jericho told Robbie. "Thank you Jericho, a fire would feel good tonight." Sam told him. "I'll go start it for you Mom."Jake said, needing to leave the room. Jericho settled himself at the table with his paper, as if it were quite usual to have Jake there at suppertime. Lily and Tommy came in the door, bringing a swish of cold air with them. He cheeks were bright red from the cold and the happiness she felt from finally being reunited with her brother. Jericho grabbed her up in his lap and blew on her cheeks, she laughed with delight as Tommy watched from the doorway. Jake called to him to help with the wood and they went into the family room.
Sam let out a breath, as though she had been holding onto it too long. Jericho smiled and glanced at her. "It's all good Sam." he told her quietly. Sam tried to smile, but she couldn't quite pull it off. Her nerves were getting the best of her, trying to make her way around the kitchen with Jake and Jericho almost in the same room together. She was so afraid that Jake would say something hateful to Jericho, she was shaking. Robbie called them all to the table as she laid the roast on the table. Jake was the first one to sit, right across from Jericho. Lily went around to the side where Jericho was sitting and climbed up beside him. Robbie sat down and motioned to Sam to sit beside Tommy. "Well, this is nice. I just love to cook for family." Robbie said to them all, smiling a smile that invited them all to do the same.
Sam had to laugh, "Ok, let's dig in! Tommy, you're going to love those special creamed potatoes, my Mom makes the best in the world." Jericho nodded, "She sure does." As everyone filled their plates, conversation turned to "please pass and thank you" quickly lifting the heaviness from the room. Tommy actually smiled when he tasted the roast, "Man, this is really good." Jake laughed, "Tommy is used to the ranch cook. He makes the food filling, but it lacks a certain..spice." Tommy laughed and nodded with Jake. Lily was so thrilled to have Tommy back, she forgot about Jake for awhile and enjoyed the talk that began around the table. Sam even relaxed and joined in the conversation occasionally too.
Jake and Tommy left soon after the meal was over, saying they had an early day coming up in the morning. Lily climbed up in Jericho's lap and watched T.V. until bath time. Sam went out to the barn to check on a mare that was soon to foal. She sat on a bale and wept finding herself alone finally, the events of the evening had taken it's toll on her nerves. Drying her tears and telling herself to grow up, she went back in the house and told Jericho the mare was close and they would have to take turns checking on her through the night. "You get some rest tonight Sam, I'll check on her and let you know if I need any help." he told her as he left. He was still staying in the tack room for the time being. The cabin would be ready as soon as the inspector gave his approval, but it would be another week before he could come and look at it. Sam was worried that it would be too cold for him out in the barn and took a small heater out to him.
Jericho smiled, "Thanks Sam, but I'll be fine. I bought an electric blanket the last time I went to town, it was on sale." Sam laughed, "You're something else Jericho. Have I told you how glad I am you are here with us?" she asked him. He just nodded, "I know. I know. Get some rest Sam, we may have to call Ned and get him out of bed tonight, I have a bad feeling about this one." Sam had the same feeling, the mare seemed way to edgy for her liking. She decided to give Ned a call early with a heads up and made the call as soon as she got to the house. Ned assured her he would come out as soon as she needed him.
Two hours later, Sam's phone rang. She knew it would be Jericho and jumped out of bed as she answered. The mare was in trouble sooner than they had expected. She called Ned as she headed out the door. A strong cold wind hit her in the face and she turned away from it as she made her way to the barn. Glad to be inside from the wind, she ran to the stall and found Jericho trying to calm the mare. It took both of them to calm her and she seemed to feel better with Sam's hand on her neck, talking to her. Sam could see that the foal was coming in a breach position and wished that Ned would hurry. The horse knew too, that she was in trouble, her eyes showing the concern of a mother, worried about her foal were wide and darted from side to side with fear. Sam was doing all that she could to try and calm her, when she fell down. One of her hooves hit Jericho in the shin and he fell too. Sam let go of her hold on the horse and helped Jericho up and out of the way of her thrashing legs and hooves. Pulling up his pant leg, the cut was ugly and Sam ran to the tack room for bandages.
Ned came in the barn as she was running back to the stall, "Thank goodness. Jericho got cut on the leg." she told him. Ned took a look at Jericho before the horse. "Sam, take these scissors and cut off the pants." he told her. She cut off the pants, revealing a deep cut in Jericho's leg. Ned took out antiseptic and bandages out of his bag and cleaned the wound, wrapping it neatly with gauze. "Jericho, how long since you've had tetanus shot?" Jericho raised his eyebrows, telling Ned that he never had. "You better get one tomorrow, ok?" Ned told him. "Don't worry, I'll take him to the doctor myself." Sam told them both. Ned then turned to the mare. He first checked to be sure the foal was still alive, it was and he began the procedure to deliver it, with Sam helping. They didn't need any heat in the barn, because by the time they were done, they were sweating and quite warm. The mother and foal were resting nicely, side by side as they left the barn.
"Ned, thank you. I think we would have lost them both without your help tonight." Sam told him as they sat in the kitchen with a much needed cup of coffee. Ned smiled, "That's my job Sam. I'm always glad too, when I can save one of 'em. I hate to see one die, if I can prevent it. I'm just glad not too many of them need my help. I hope Jericho won't have too much trouble with that leg." Sam nodded in agreement, "Well, I guess this night is shot as far as sleep goes. Are you hungry?" she asked him. Ned grinned, "I'm always hungry." Robbie walked into the kitchen as he spoke and said, "Well, I guess we'll have breakfast a little early today. How's the mare?" She started pulling ham and eggs out and Sam grinned, "She'll be fine, so will the little filly." Sam was grateful her mother had decided to fix the food, she didn't think she had the energy.
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