Author's Note: There will be parts that don't make sense to you now. But I promise as the story unfolds they will make sense and create a complete picture. Please bear with me, I'm a novice feeling my way through this. Thank you for your understanding.
Fairfield Main House
Dinnertime is a rowdy affair. With a house full of people you have to expect nothing less. Hudson is place, I know we'll be happy should we choose have a home here to be nearer to the little ones.
"Mu…..mmy take too," Thea demands as she bangs her plate with her sippy cup to get my attention.
"I'll give you a piece of steak, but try and ask me a little politely next time," I say to her as I cut up a few pieces for her plate.
"Tank, you," she half-smirks at me with getting her way.
A quick thought out of nowhere makes me aware that I've seen that half-smirk on someone other then the children. I shake myself out that random thought and voice to Lisa what I know is true about her.
"She is definitely your daughter Lisa with that appetite," JB's dad lets me know in an affectionately teasing manner.
"You wouldn't be implying something would you Ray," I ask JB's dad with raised eyebrows.
"Only that if she continues the way she is, shel'll be as healthy and as beautiful as her mother. I remember when you were young, your appetite was impressive for a miniature thing like you" Ray says sweetly.
"Why thank you Ray," I say to him remembering, how I would enjoy Sandy's cooking, when we were on school break.
"Oh… don't you worry Lisa, his over the moon that Thea loves her food. He thinks she will make a wonderful addition as the head of one of the Bowman group companies. Since we deal with supplying beef to various outlets, he thinks it's fitting that she loves beef steak and food in general. His planning an entire new product line to supply, based on her eating habits alone," JB's mum informs the rest of the table in mock affection of her husbands eager desire.
"Cassandra Bowman what of your plans for Theo and Jace to be olympic champions?" Ray reminds his wife of her plans and cluing the rest of us in as well, since it's the first anybodys heard of this development.
"Really, Sandy and here I thought, I had Ray only to worry about," I mockingly feign exasperation at JB's mum.
"So, when is Austin due back from surf camp," Jason enquires.
"Next week," I reply informing them of his arrival back to Fairfield.
"And how are you taking it?" Sandy asks wanting to know how I'v been holding up.
"Fair to day one of longest two weeks of my life," I tell her honestly.
"Well, you taking it in stride Lisa. That's all you can do and you seem to do doing well with his first trip away from you," Ray compliments me on not being frantic with worry over what Austin's doing at all times in another province.
"Where exactly did he go for this surfing camp?" Jamie wants know.
"Long Island," JB informs him.
"Ice cream, Ice cream," both Theo and Jace ask loudly makimg sure we all are aware of what they want.
"Yes, you will both get some," I tell the both of them and am rewarded with that same half-smirk their sister threw my way when she got her way too.
"We all want in on that too," Ray adds. 'Yay mummy' and 'tank you mummy ' left their adorable little mouths with that same half-smirk their sister threw their mothers sometime earlier. The same half-smirk I've seen on someone but I can't place where or who. I shake my head to get rid of these random thoughts that keep seeping into my mind.
"I guess it's time for desert, ain't that right kiddos," JB talks to the kids and also informing everyone else the table as I get out and bring the ice cream sundae's out for everyone to enjoy in the living room.
"So, Sparkles just how countrified are you," Jamie pipes up in amusement as I make sure the all the kids have their ice creams and have an adult minder to making sure they don't have chance to wonder while eating desert.
"Should you be asking me that. I'm hardly the one to know how countryfied I've become," Lisa remarks to him being honest. "Is that even a thing," I ask seriously with skepticism.
"Come on Sparkles treat us with some of that delightful country lingo you've picked up," JB encourages me.
I've got one Jamie pipes up and relays, "Even a blind man on a galloping horse could see it."
"That's all you've got Jamie. In that case you should have just kept it to yourself," Jason ribs him.
"What do you have jackass?" Jamie remarks to Jason waiting for a reply.
"Wound tighter than a three-day clock," Jason says triumphantly.
"Strong like bull, smart like tractor or I was so mad I coulda spit brass tacks or flashy as a rat with a gold tooth," I regale them with my country lingo as they refer to it.
"That last one was great Lisa," Sandy roars with laughter.
"I've got some lets start with, finer than a frog hair split four ways, or I've known a few catfish, all mouth and no brain. OR my favourite that applies to both my brothers, he could screw up a free lunch," JB joins in the fun.
"Smiling like a goat in a briar patch or the personality of a dishrag. One my favourites grinning like a jackass eating briars," I join in getting a roar out of everyone.
"I've got one that your dad likes to use boys. He's got about as much chance as a one-legged man in an ass-kickin' contest," Sandy pipes up causing laughter as the Bowman brothers point at each other.
"Enough paint to paint a battleship, and enough powder to blow it up," I say but nobody gets it. "Wearing too much makeup people," which has them rolling on the floor in tears.
"Oh! Lisa that is fantastic, where did you pick up all these delicious tid bits from. You have let me this gal or fella," Rays gets out howling with laughter.
"Sorry Ray if I tell you, I'd have to kill you," I tell him affectionately not wanting to explain my collection of Jacksims to anyone.
"Lisa must have dated a legit cowboy to know all these," Jason throws out making me wistful as the image of Jack pops in my head knowing that is correct on that count.
When I wanted to try a diet for the first time in my life, I remember Jack's saying to me while I was wrapped in his arms, 'I don't want you skinny as a rail Lise, that has no appeal for me. I like every curve you have it gives me something to hold on to which I'm partial to by the way.' I quickly rattle of some country lingo to get Jack out of my head starting with, "Couldn't organise his way out of a wet paper bag or crazy as a soup sandwich. How about, as nervous as a sword swallower with the hiccups or it's raining like a bull pissing on a flat rock." They all roar with laughter before I add, "He's all hat and no ranch, which is used on you if you're a weekend cowboy," I let them know.
I walk around collecting the kids empty ice cream sundae's dishes. But Ray obviously hasn't had enough and begs, ahh please Lisa a few more, I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. Do an old man a favour," he pleadingly requests.
"Fine but just for you and only a few more then I need to get them up stairs for a bath," I let him and all of them know.
"Thank you Lisa," Jamie says sweetly which earns him a slap on the head from Jason.
"What a suck up? Anyway Sparkles will still choose me over you anyway," Jason tells Jamie to try an antagonise him.
"Okay guys, let Sparkles have the floor. And to be clear she wouldn't choose either of you deliquents," JB says to them.
"Here goes nothing guys, if brains were trains, his is derailed," they all laugh. "This next one I use often, when they handed out brains he thought they said pains and hid," had everyone rolling on the floor. "And my personal favourite, subtle as a hand grenade in a barrel of oatmeal, which applies to you J's. Jason, Jared and you to JB," I get out as Ray and Sandy laugh along with the rest of us.
Fairfield Main House Front Porch
I need some air and walk out to the front porch because something suddenly clicked in my mind, I need to think on it alone. I simply stand there looking out trying to wrap my head around what just clicked in my head. I know it seems far fetched almost ludicrous but everything in me is saying the same thing.
All three of them Theo, Thea and Jace have this adorable half-smirk thing that they do when all is right in their world. I know it doesn't come from Lisa because she has her own quirks and this isn't one of them. Up until now I thought I'd never know where they got that from. But I'm as sure as I can be that I now know who that comes from.
Heartland's own Jack Bartlett. You know when it all clicked into place? When Lisa said, 'subtle as a hand grenade in a barrel of oatmeal' that's when it all clicked. It was like a movie on rewind, I recalled Lisa's very subtle reaction to her 'dating a legit cowboy' that Jamie's remark got from her. Her 'I'll tell you but I have to kill you' comment to me to evade answering me, when I asked who she learned cowboy lingo from. And what really sold it for me was that half-smirk that those children have. It's the exact same one that Jack Bartlett had when recalling something from his past that made him feel all was right in his world. Not to mention those green eyes or eye, I should rather say. Since all three children have a single blue and that same single soft, gentle, wise green eye that I suspect they've inherited from him. I remember what the doctors at the hospital where they born called it, heterochromia iridium where there are two different-colored eyes within a single individual.
I remember when meeting Jack I had this peculiar sense, I somehow knew him. I guess now, I know how I knew him. I know him through those children. The little quirks, the soft, gentle, wise green eye that all of them inherited, their mannerisms, they are his. Well, those that aren't Lisa's off course. Because knowing what I now suspect, I can see how those kids have got some of both of them and perfectly blend of both their parents.
I know it's far fetched, Jack's older then I am and Lisa is young like my kids. I recall his vague slip about messing up with the woman he loves. I'm now sure that he was talking about Lisa, because those kids are proof that his DNA runs through them.
I feel someone grab my arm and give it a good old shake. "Ray what's the matter you, you zoned out. I've been calling your name for an entire minute and you've looked straight through me," what's the matter Sandy enquires with concern.
I take her hand and give it a squeeze to reassure her that I'm fine.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asks me.
"I do but not here, lets take a walk," I tell her knowing what I have to say would be better of if it was said away from the main house and away from everybody. Sandy looks at me curiously but nods her head in acquiescence.
Fairfield Pond
She lets me lead her away taking a path down to a pond that is a five minute walk from the house. We reach our destination making ourselves comfortable, on a near by bench, over looking the pond.
"Ray, please tell what got you this way?" Sandy asks me now nervous after the silent walk to the pond.
"I think I figured out who Theo, Thea and Jace's father is." I tell her with a subdued shock.
"Really, because you have superpowers now?" Sandy sarcastically remarks to me.
"I'm serious Sandy."
"So, you have developed superpowers. Because short of Lisa telling you who their father is, there is no other way you could have figured it out unless as I've said you've developed superpowers and can now read minds," Sandy remarks to me sarcastically.
"No, she didn't tell me. She's never said anything ever only that the father wasn't an option. She has always been adamant about that, you know that as well as I do, Sandy. And no, I have not developed superpowers that entail the ability to read minds."
"Then how do you know, because Lisa has said nothing about the father of her children to anyone. Not JB, not her doctors, not any of us and not Harry." Sandy reminds me.
"I think I met him a couple a days ago."
"What do mean, you think?" Sandy voices with a light edge to her voice.
"I don't think Sandy. Everything in me is telling me, I met him a couple a days ago."
"If what you say is true and that's a big if, why are you only telling me NOW?"
"Calm down Sandy. I just figured it out, tonight."
"If you met him a couple days ago, I don't understand how you figured it out tonight?" Sandy says in total bafflement.
"I mean I met him then, but didn't know he was their father. That part I figured out tonight." I try to clarify for her.
"Why don't you start from the beginning? And don't you dare leave anything out Raymond Bradford Bowman."
"Yes, ma'am," I retort to her before beginning to relay the events that lead to this conclusion.
"You remember the ranch the boys and I went to. The one where we went look at the way they raise their cattle,"I ask her.
"Yes, Heartland the land you can't stop raving about and its owner Jack Bartlett. Who impressed you so much that you haven't even waited for the water samples to come back, yet you still sent the documentation to be signed for the deal."
"Good you remember. Okay, anyway I told you how impressed I am by the way their cattle operation is run. But I didn't tell you was how surreal it all felt, Heartland, meeting Jack, talking to him and to Tim his ex son-in-law. Jack's all cowboy Sandy, a straight arrow, what you see is what you get, a legit cowboy as the boys put it. He doesn't pretend to be it, he a cowboy through and through. You know he didn't try and sell me on Heartland stock at all, all he did was show me how they ran their operation. No bigging up their stock or other superfluous stuff to try and sell Heartland stock as the next sliced bread.
Flashback Ray recalls and relates to Sandy
"Ray sometimes there is a lot more to life than the prospect of a great business deal."
"Sometimes people don't know what's good for them until they don't have it anymore. Obviously your son learnt that lesson and got a second chance and stepped up. So, I think you don't have to worry too much."
"That is rare. Your son Josh should hold on and do everything in his power to never let go. Everyman needs a good woman."
"True but on the other hand as I'm so fond of telling my wife 'every woman needs a good man in her life. And it's a good thing she has me'," Ray laughably tells me.
"I seem to have heard that before or rather something quite similar." Jack smirks and laughs for the first time in a very, very long time.
"There has got be to a story behind that because you have this cat that ate the canary look on your face. The prospect of a multi million dollar deal couldn't get that look on your face but a something you just recalled certainly did the trick."
Jack mirthfully chortles with that half-smirk plastered across his face which makes those soft, gentle, wise green eyes blaze with a fire so intense it shifts something inside of me.
"I'm sure you'd be much more enthused if you sorted what is ailing you, Jack. Maybe I could help because I want you to be the driving force of this venture because I do want Heartland stock to be my companies primary product, provided the water sample comes back clean. Other then that I don't see why a deal can't be struck between us."
"Thanks for the offer Ray but I dropped the ball and lost my chance with a wonderful woman, but that's beside the point.
Ahh, Jack you're honest to the bone. Something I like in a potential business partner." Ray laughs encouragingly.
Just as Ray finishes James and Jason come racing up ahead of Mitch and Tim. Tim and Mitch come to walking pace beside up to try and gauge if we've made any sort of deal. "So the quick initial water tests came back good, now we have to wait for the detailed water test to get back from the lab but all looks good wouldn't you say Ray," Tim encourages.
"Subtle as a hand grenade in a barrel of oatmeal, isn't he," Jack sarcastically gets out amusingly to Ray.
All of that Sandy, the thing about 'there being more to life than the prospect of a business deal'. The 'people don't know what's good for them until they don't have it anymore' thing. Especially that half-smirk and those soft, gentle, green eyes makes me damn sure he is the father. You know what made it click into place for me, it was what Lisa's said last the 'subtle as a hand grenade in a barrel of oatmeal' remark that triggered the realization that Jack is indeed their father. It might sound outlandish Sandy but if you met Jack and saw all the little things I did you'd be convinced too.
"I saw you during supper trying to shake yourself of your pre occupation with something," Sandy says to me.
"It was Jace, Thea and Theo's half-smirk's that I knew I saw on someone, some where, but I could not place it. There was Lisa's very subtle discomfort at the 'legit cowboy that she might have dated" and her evading my question of where she picked it up from and my wanting to meet the fella that thought her it. With all of that put together I'm sure that Jack is their father."
"I do remember correctly, you saying the owner of Heartland was married but it was complicated. You told me the story of how his wife got sick with cancer, had her death faked, got cured in the States, didn't tell her family she was alive and let them believe she was dead for years and years and then one day showed up, out of the blue wanting her family back."
"Pretty much Sandy."
"This is absolutely crazy, Ray. On top of that you're implying Lisa was the woman he was involved with and lost his chance with and you're also implying his the father of those kids."
"Not implying anymore Sandy, I'd bet everything I have that Jack Bartlett is their father," I say with certainty.
"I can see why you didn't want to talk in front of the house," She tells me a state of shock.
"I'm certain he doesn't know about the Thea, Jace and Theo. Because a man like Jack Bartlett wouldn't have left the mother of his children."
"You're that certain of this man you spent half a day with," Sandy questions me with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, I am. There is only one thing I don't understand," I say almost to myself.
"Which would be what?"
"How did Jack and Lisa meet and how did they end up in a relationship? Because Jack Bartlett while he may not look it at all, I'm damn sure is much older than you and I. His got a grown granddaughter that's in her twenty's I would say."
"I'm sorry, what did you say? I thought I heard you say Jack Bartlett is much older then we are."
"You heard correct." For a good a few minutes, Sandy merely stars at me while she tries to process everything that she now knows.
"What are we going to do Ray?" She eventually asks me. "Our son is head over heels in love with Lisa and he loves those kids more than anything in the world. On top of that, you like this Jack Bartlett a lot from what I can tell."
"I honestly don't know Sandy." I state to Sandy bereft of anything that will help us sort through this mess.
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