Chapter 21
Mom was in her element the few days before Bryan's wedding. Kit and Cricket had flown in from Hawaii with their new son Lucas. Kit teased his mom since she was rarely without her newest grandson in her arms.
"Should I just come back for him one he's potty trained?" Kit asked with a laugh.
"Sure," Mom teased him back. "Though you might have to clear that with Cricket. I might not give him back. I miss not having a baby in the house."
"You still have a baby in the house, Mom," Quinn piped in as he held one of his daughters. "Jakey was just potty trained himself last month."
"Har har," Jake rolled his eyes. He was sitting on the couch with Hunter bouncing on his knee. His nephew was screaming in laughter as he bounced. The family loved seeing him interacting like this.
Mom noticed that Jake was smiling a bit more than he had in so long. Sometimes she'd see the sadness in his eyes if he didn't realize anyone was watching, but it came less often than before.
"Looks like Hunter's ready for his first pony," Kit remarked.
"Not quite yet," Vanis shook her head.
"We were riding with Dad at his age," Nate told his wife.
"Not quite yet," Vanis said again, giving Nate a look.
He grinned at her and she stuck her tongue out at him, surprising the rest of the family. Vanessa put her hand over her mouth immediately, her eyes wide as she looked over at Jake. The rest of the Elys also glanced at Jake.
Jake didn't seem to have noticed. He was talking to Hunter, continuing to bounce him on his knee.
Vanis looked at Nate who shrugged.
"We need to play football," Kit announced, standing up.
"Heck yeah," Quinn stood up, looking for someone to take Monique from him.
"Absolutely not," Mom told them all. "Last time you all ended up bruised for the wedding."
"Oh Mom," Bryan came over to hug her. "We'll be careful."
"No you won't," Mom shook her head. "I know you boys."
Her sons ignored her as they all stood up, depositing the younger ones with their mothers.
Vanis took Hunter from Jake. Hunter screamed, holding out his arms to his Uncle Jake. Jake smiled at his nephew and then at Vanessa.
"Jake, I…," Vanis began to apologize for sticking out her tongue like Sam used to.
"It's okay," Jake assured her.
She looked up into his dark face.
"Really," he said and Vanis nodded. She couldn't help shifting Hunter into one arm and hugging Jake with the other. Jake colored and the rest of them saw how uncomfortable he was.
"Hey Nate, Vanis is leaving you for Jakey," Adam joked.
"He can have the two o'clock feedings," Nate teased.
"Excuse me?" Vanis let go of Jake. "How exactly do you feed him at two o'clock?"
"Uh, ah…" Nate stammered.
"Good come back, Nate," Quinn laughed. "Way to de-man yourself in front of the rest of us."
Nate gave him a shove and chased Quinn out of the house.
"I swear they'll never grow up," Mom rolled her eyes and the rest of them laughed.
"Come on boys," Bryan announced. "We need to kick some football butt."
"Bryan!' Mom reprimanded her son. Bryan just grinned at his mother, giving her a kiss on the cheek before heading outside.
Kit was tossing the football that he had gotten from out of the barn.
"Gosh, it's been a year since we played last," Kit reminded them, opening the pasture gate and going in."
"Now you're a dad and Adam will be soon," Quinn said, shaking his head. "So much has changed in the past few years."
Just like that, they all remembered her. How last year she had joked with them as they had played football at Adam's. How this year she was no where to be found because of what she had done to Jake.
His brothers glanced at him. Jake wasn't look at any of them. Kit saw the heartache in his eyes as Jake remembered what Sam had been like then. Then suddenly it was gone.
"Let's play some football," Jake said and his brothers were relieved.