Chapter 12

Mason quickly slammed his hand down on the annoying buzzing that his alarm clock was sending off. He had almost forgotten that he had told Coach Jackson that he and Tex would help with the roof repair on the high school. He let out a low moan and managed to pull himself up from his comfortable bed. The house was still and very quiet which meant that neither Tex nor Beth were up yet, which was a whole battle in it's self. He reached up and stretched towards the ceiling trying to loosen up his muscles. He was still feeling pretty tense from last night's altercation between him and his siblings. He dreaded having to talk with Tex and Beth this morning. Maybe he could put it off until after working on the roof. He was hoping that maybe some hard work would exhaust him to the point that he wouldn't have any energy to be angry with them anymore. Mace pulled out some old jeans and grabbed a Bixby Basketball t-shirt and moved on out to start some coffee. But instead on starting it he took a side detour first and moved onto Tex's room. He opened the door and there laid his brother facing the door looking much younger than that of the age of fifteen. Mason flinched as he noticed that the bruise on Texas' cheek had turned a deep purple with a bit of blue surrounding the outer circle of the bruise. Mace honestly didn't mean to hurt the boy like that. He never meant to cause any physical harm to either of his siblings. This was Pop's fault he thought as he watched the boy sleep. If he was here doing his fatherly duty than Mason wouldn't have to do all the parenting and lose his temper so quick with the two.

After standing in Tex's door for what seemed like a few minutes, Mason knew that he needed to get him up. "Tex!" Mason yelled. When the boy didn't move Mason hollered again. "Tex! Get up! We've got to be leaving here in about twenty minutes." Mason started to move into the boy's room further when he decided to try one more time. "C'mon Tex. Don't make me dump a cold bucket of water on you again." Once Mason was done with his threats he caught sight of a flying pillow coming in his direction but it stopped short of hitting him. Mason let out a deep chuckle, "You need to work on your aim there Tex. You missed me by about three feet."

"Shut up Mace!" Tex muffled as he turned his head into the mattress.

Mace shook the boy's foot that was hanging out the bottom of the bed. "Get up." Mason said bending over and picking up Texas' missed thrown pillow and tossing it right back at him. though his aim was much better than that of his younger brother. It landed right on his head, where Texas' hands quickly came up to grab it as he tugged it down over his ears so that he didn't have to listen to his brother anymore. Mason just gave out another laugh and walked towards the other bedroom in the house. For Mason took it upon himself to take over their parents' bedroom, seeing their Pop was gone so much. When he was home, Mason bunked back in with Texas, which always caused a fight, but what else was new between the two.

He moved over to the door that was still closed and slowly opened it, to his surprise he didn't find a sleeping child. Beth was up and sitting with her back to the door looking out the window. She looked so broken, which tugged at Mason's heart. Her head was tilted down, her hands folded tightly in her lap; she was dressed in her favorite overall shorts with a white t-shirt underneath, hair loosely pulled back in a ponytail . The sun shining through the window was glistening off of her golden locks, but her eyes looked so sad. She hadn't moved but knew from the creak of the door that someone was standing behind her. The silence that was filling the air indicated to Beth exactly who had opened her door.

"Morning Mace." She said softly still looking out the window.

"How long you been up?" He asked from the door. She only shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, awhile, I guess." Mason continued to lean on her door frame as he watched the breeze blow through the window, lifting through the curtains.

"How are you feeling this morning?" He asked with concern. Even though he let his temper get the best of him last night, he was still concerned about his sister's injuries.

"I'm a little sore, but nothing for you to be worrying about. I'll be alright."

"I do worry Beth." Beth could hear the sincerity in his voice which only made her feel more emotional than she was already feeling that morning. "You let me know if it gets too bad. I can give you something that might help with the pain." She just nodded her head and the two were silent for another minute or so. Finally Mason broke the silence. He wanted to apologize and move on but something inside him wasn't ready yet, so instead of apologizing he shared some news. "I have some bad news."

"What else is new?" The girl said sarcastically. Mason let out a heavy sigh and decided to move further into the room. He was hoping that he could make things right between him and her before they headed out for the day, but he wasn't off to a very good start. Mason knew she would be the easiest to make things right with rather than Tex, so he might as well give it a try. He rounded her brass bed and sat gingerly next to her on it. He ran his hands up and down his jeans, neither one making eye contact.

"Well, Bob told me that Mona was making Jaime attend the County Ladies Social Gathering this morning so she won't be able to come over and watch you after all."

"So I have to come with you and Tex?" She asked reaching up to brush a strand of hair out of her face that the wind had just blown out of place.

"Yeah, sorry. I've given my word to help so I can't really back out." Mason tried to make it sound honorable, but Beth wasn't buying it.

"Actually you're probably pretty happy about it." Mason was caught by surprise with this remark. When had his sister become so sassy he thought. He finally turned and faced her.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you know it's gonna be boring for me. And that you think it'll serve me right for after what I did yesterday and last night." Mason could hear the strain in his sister's voice and knew that she was trying not to cry. He needed to reassure her that wasn't the case at all. In fact the thought hadn't even crossed his mind until now.

"Beth." He paused and got up off the bed and stepped in front of the window so he now was blocking whatever was grabbing his little sister's attention out it. "Beth, that's not the case at all. I wouldn't use bringing you with us as punishment for running off last night or disobeying my orders yesterday. I'm doing it because I gave my word that Tex and I would be there to help. And I don't go…"

"Back on your word. I know Mace." The tone is Beth's voice almost pieced right through Mason. He didn't like where this was going, for he actually thought the two of them could smooth things over pretty quickly. What was happening here? Since when had Beth become so cynical? He crouched down so that he was at eye level with the girl. He could see the pools of tears starting to cloud her beautiful green eyes. "Beth about yesterday and last night, I'm sorry I lost my temper. I should have been more patient with you and Tex. I should have listened to the whole story." When Beth dipped her head Mason caught a single tear starting to leak out of the corner of her left eye. He wanted to wipe it away but when he brought his hand up to do so Beth turned her head so now she was looking at her pillows. Mace took a deep breath and placed that hand on her knee and gave it a little rub. "I'm not perfect Beth, and I make mistakes, and you're not perfect either, and I shouldn't expect you to be." Mason paused again hoping to see some acknowledgement from the girl but when he got none, he pushed on. "It just gets tough sometimes. I get scared of what could happen to you and Tex, when I'm not around…." Mason stopped himself again because he wasn't ready to have this conversation with his siblings, not yet anyways. "Now, why don't you pack up some coloring books and crayons, maybe a book and anything else that might keep you entertained while we're helping out at school today."

"Alright." She whispered, but still refusing to make eye contact with her brother. Mason waited a second in hopes that he would see her eyes, but when she was just tracing the patterns on her guilt, Mason knew he needed to give her a little more space. He tapped her knee as he stood up, which was his way of saying, "Good girl, or I love you." But those words weren't used very often, especially since the death of their mother. No instead he just gave the soft gesture of the rub and got up.

"I'm gonna get some breakfast ready. When you're done with your bag come meet us in the kitchen." Mason moved back around the bed and towards the door but never received a verbal answer just a nod of her head. It looked like he underestimated Beth. It now looked like he had a lot of work ahead of him to get things right with that one, but that's what made Beth, Beth. Mason took one more look at his sister before heading into the kitchen. As he moved passed Texas' room he noticed that his bed was empty which meant he must be out with the horses and as if right on cue he could hear the boy talking to them through the open windows in the kitchen. Mason glanced out the window of the kitchen and noticed that Texas was putting them out in the pasture. That was good Mace thought. It will help save on the hay he just purchased. Mason needed to remind himself to make sure he tells Tex it was a good idea. Maybe that would help build the bridge from yesterday's fight between the two.

Mason was just finishing up with scrambled eggs and toast when Texas came in from outside. The boys glanced at each other but neither one spoke. Mason filled the three empty plates on the table, while Texas washed up at the sink. As he was drying his hands and Mason was putting the skillet back on the stove top, when Beth came around the corner with her bag in hand. Tex eyed it and raised a brow as he took his seat at the table. Mason was just about to tell Tex about the good idea for turning the horses to the pasture when Tex tossed his head in Beth's direction.

"What's that for?" Tex asked as he scooped up a forkful of eggs.

"For today." Beth answered while joining him as the table and applying jelly to her toast.

"You going somewhere?" Tex asked with his mouthful. Beth didn't answer Tex but instead slowly moved her eyes towards their big brother. When Tex followed her gaze he locked eyes with Mason. The three sat there in complete silence before someone finally spoke.

"She's coming with us." Mason stated. Texas sat with a look of disgust. "Stop looking at me that way Tex. I've got no other options. Jaime can't do it, and I can't leave her by her lonesome. She'll be fine. She's got things to do. Ain't that so Beth?" Beth gave a short nod and continued to nibble on her toast not caring too much about getting in the middle of this conversation.

"I could stay home with her."

"Oh, and that worked out so good yesterday, now didn't it?" Mason didn't mean to sound like a jerk, but he was completely being one at the moment. He couldn't help it though. He was just still upset about yesterday and unfortunately Tex was on the delivering end of it. Mason was about to apologize when Texas beat him to the punch.

"Oh,I see how it is." Texas hissed towards his brother.

Mason was going to try his hand at the apology again. "Tex, I didn't mean it like that." But before the apology could come out Tex was slamming his fork down on his plate.

"Then just how did you mean it Mason?" Tex shouted as he got up from the table. The boy quickly scrapped his eggs into the trash and grabbed a baseball cap and spoke harshly, "I'll be waiting outside."

Mason turned back around and noticed that Beth was now getting up from the table as well. "Let me guess? You'll be waiting outside too?" Beth shrugged her shoulder as she scrapped her eggs in the trashed and placed her plate in the sink. She reached down and grabbed her bag and started out the door. "I don't even know why I cook!" Mason shouted as the screen door banged behind the younger two.