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Sage shook her head. “No, it’s not. He has Ember, and he’s found peace. It’s good that he didn’t feel the need to escape.”
J.T. took another sip of his drink. “I can’t believe it’s been eleven years. How is that even possible? In many ways, it seems like it was just yesterday we were here eating stuffed French toast with her.”
“Yeah. But she was the only one drinking a mimosa. We had plain orange juice and thought we were hot shit.”
J.T. grinned. “Speak for yourself. I knew it was plain orange juice.”
Sage put a hand on her brother’s arms. “She’s here with us. I can feel it.”
Sawyer nodded. “I feel her the most when I go to the barn at night and the horses are all sleeping. She loved the horses and a quiet barn.”
Sage smiled. “Remember when we spent all night in the barn waiting for Lotus to deliver her foal? Dad was out with the cows, so it was just us and Mom.”
J.T. laughed. “Yeah. Then the damn horse didn’t deliver until after she sent us all into the house to go to bed when the sun came up. And we totally missed it.” He took another drink. “Inever told you guys this, but Dad brought her out to the barn one night about a week before she died. I got up to get a drink, and I saw him carrying her across the lawn. I went and laid down on the couch to wait for them. But they didn’t come back in until morning. They spent the whole night out there.”
Sage wiped her eyes with her napkin. “Well, that’s about the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Sawyer shook his head. “It’s not sad. It’s romantic.”
“Maybe at the time. But looking back on it, it was their last time together before… Things went downhill pretty fast that last week.”
J.T. cleared his throat. “Okay. No more sad memories. Time to share the funniest time you had with Mom.”
Sawyer raised a hand. “Ice skating on the pond.”
Sage looked at him. “You were really good. Why is that a funny memory?”
“Watching you fall on your ass over and over again, was hilarious.”
Sage swung at his shoulder, but he dodged out of the way. She thought for a moment. “If we’re going in that direction, then my funniest memory is when you were the Christmas angel in the third grade.”
“I was the coolest Christmas angel ever.”
J.T. laughed. “I think you were totally miscast. You should’ve been the ass Mary rode on.”
“Wow! Thanks guys. If Mom is here with us. I hope she puts you both on a time out.”
Jake and Ember walked to the pond, then circled it and continued along a path on the far side of it. They went anotherquarter mile to a large oak tree standing in the middle of the pasture. As they got closer, the fence around it became visible.
Jake heard Ember suck in her breath when they were close enough to see the headstones inside the fence. He squeezed her hand. “It’s time you met the rest of the family.”
They went to a gate on one side of the fence, then opened it and went through it. There were six graves. Jake walked to the two that looked like they’d been there the longest.
“This is my great grandmother and great grandfather. Anne Marie and Thomas. They settled the land and built the house and the barn. They bought the place when they were in their twenties and lived well into their eighties.” He moved to the next grave. “This is my Great Uncle Jonas. Misho’s brother. He was MIA in Viet Nam. They never found him. He was declared dead in 1975. This is more of a memorial than a grave.”
The next grave was Noko Esty’s. “My grandmother. I really wish you could’ve met her. She was an incredible woman. Even though I was thirteen when she died, I was aware of that. Then Misho died ten years later. He had a heart attack, but I think he just didn’t want to live any longer without his Esty.”
Ember put her arm around Jake’s waist and laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry you lost her at such a young age.”
“It was hard, for sure.” He took the few steps to Rachel’s grave. “And this is Rachel. Damn cancer.”
Ember turned to him and gave him a hug. “I’m so sorry, Jake.”
He kissed her, then took a step back. “I didn’t bring you here to make you sad. I just wanted to show you the roots of the family.” He put his hand on her stomach. “This little guy…or girl, will be the fifth generation along with Sage, Sawyer, and J.T. Little Finn is the sixth generation on this ranch. It’s something to be proud of.”
“It’s amazing. Thank you for making me part of your family.”
He took her hand, and they headed for the gate. “When I was a kid, Noko Esty told me I’d be blessed with two lives. I didn’t know what she meant by it. And she wouldn’t explain it any further. But now I know what she meant. You are my second life.”
