AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The other picture was of his grandfather andgrandmother on his father’s side. Grandmother Esty was full blood Chippewa and Jake had grown up with her. They lived on the ranch in a home by the creek until she died unexpectedly when Jake was thirteen. It was his first real loss, and he took it hard. His grandfather lived another ten years, but was never quite the same.
Jake took some clean clothes from the dresser and went into take his shower. The shower had always been a place for him to reflect. But no great revelations came to him about the last five months and he got out, got dressed, and headed downstairs. When he got to the bottom, he heard a shriek and his sister Genny came running from the kitchen. She threw her arms around him and nearly knocked them both to the ground.
“Jake, oh my gosh. I can’t believe we found you.” Jake hugged her, then she stepped back and shoved him. “Where the hell have you been? Why would you do that to me?”
He rubbed his chest where she’d shoved him. “I didn’t do anything to you, Gen. I think I’m the victim here, not you.”
She hugged him again. “We all thought you were dead.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Well, they did. I knew you weren’t. I would’ve felt it.”
Genny was Jake’s twin sister, and she’d always swore they had a connection, but he’d never really felt it. The few times he sensed something was wrong with her, he passed it off as normal family intuition. He saw it in Sageand Sawyer, though. They definitely were in tune with each other. When they weren’t arguing about something, that is.
Genny took his arm. “Come on. I brought a lasagna over. Sage is making a salad to go with it.”
Jake looked around. “Where’s Dad?”
“The boys have already helped him to the table.”
“How is he, really?”
She sighed. “I thought for sure we lost him when it happened. But he’s made great progress. He does seem to have hit a plateau, though.” She patted Jake's arm. “Now that you’re back, you’ll know what to do.”
“How do you figure?”
“Because you’re the older brother.”
Jake laughed. “I love how when it suits you, I’m your older brother.”
“By two minutes.”
“Come on, let’s go eat. I miss your lasagna.”
When they went into the kitchen, Sawyer and Sage were arguing about the bread.
Jake whistled. “What the hell, guys?”
Sawyer looked at him. “She knows I don’t eat butter on my bread. But she slathered it onto every piece.”
“How is a little butter on your bread any different from you finishing Dad’s breakfast this morning?”
Genny went to a tote she’d brought and tookout another loaf of bread. “Here you go. No butter.”
Sawyer took it from her. “Thank you Aunt Genny.”
“You’re welcome.”
Jake looked at his father who was propped up in the chair with a pillow under his right side. He didn’t look very comfortable, but Jake knew Jacob was too stubborn to tell the boys he didn’t want to be there.
“Dad. If you’d be more comfortable on the couch or in bed—”
“I’m fine, son. Just serve me up some of Genny’s lasagna.”
Jake nodded and sat at the big table in the kitchen with the rest of the family. They had a dining room, but they rarely used it. It was reserved for holidays and the rare occasion when they had company over. The kitchen was warm, inviting, and always smelled good.
Jacob was the family cook and always had been. Even while Rachel was alive, they shared the kitchen duties. Jacob had raised Jake and Genny by himself, with a lot of support from his parents. But he made dinner every night for as far back as Jake could remember.
But Genny made the best lasagna ever. And he was enjoying it. The family, it seemed, though, couldn’t quite get past the fact he was sitting there with them.
“Guys. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. So,please, can we get past the shock and move forward from here?”
