Chapter 2
He felt like he had been caught, he wished Brass had never brought him here. He was thinking to himself that SHE thought he was nosing around, and he was.
"No, I don't know why he brought me here, but yes, I do remember".
"If you want, you can leave your bags in here." she said motioning toward an empty rocking chair in the corner of the room. Then she turned and walked down the hall to the room Brass entered. Grissom put the hat back on the mirror and moved to his bag. Standing at the doorway, he overheard her asking Brass if the room was all right, and if he needed anything to let her know.
"I'll be down in the kitchen when you two get settled, come down and have some lemonade", Sara said.
She brushed past Grissom as she went down the hall to the steps. He could smell her scent as she passed by, it was a familiar smell to him, even from that long ago. He turned toward the bedroom he had previously been assigned but decided to leave his bag in her room. The thought of sleeping with her again aroused him like he hadn't been since she left.
After setting his bag in the chair Grissom turned to the door and Brass greeted him.
"Let's go get something to drink." Brass said and he walked down the steps.
Sara was busy getting glasses and a pitcher of lemonade out of the refrigerator. Her tanned body, stained with dust and dirt from the field looked appealing to Grissom. He always thought she looked good in anything. Brass sat down while Sara was washing her hands at the sink. Grissom walked up behind her and stood with his chest inches away from her back. She could feel him near her and in her mind it was her turn to freeze up. Conquering her anxieties she turned to him and said, "I'm glad your here", and reached out to hold him close.
Sara wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and pulled herself into him. For a moment, for one fleeting moment, her heart seemed to stop beating. For seven years she had not been next to this man, for seven years no one even entered into her thoughts but him.
Grissom returned her embrace with great relief. It seemed to him as though his life all made sense now. That THIS is where he should be, and where he wanted to be.
As she pulled away from him she said, "sit down and cool off, it's hot today."
Grissom obeyed. He turned to Brass and looked at him. With a nod, Grissom seemed to mentally tell Brass that he wasn't upset at him, that it was OK that he lied to him and brought him here to her.
The three of them talked about the farm and how Sara was making a living training horses. She made just enough to get by and was happy that she left the stress of the city life. Sara seemed to become distant and edgy within a few minutes of the conversation. She would get up and go to the back door as if she was waiting for someone. Grissom became increasingly nervous thinking she didn't want them there or she was hiding something that was about to happen. Brass sat idly next to him, enjoying the drink and the atmosphere almost as if he felt at home.
Sara turned to them at the table and looked deeply at Brass. She nodded to him and he acknowledges her gesture.
"Grissom, there's something I need to tell you." she said.
At that moment the wooden screen door of the back porch slammed shut, a young boy walked through carrying a book bag over his shoulder. " Hi mom.." he said, then stopped quickly in his tracks.
Sara jumped up and put her hand on his shoulder, "Hi honey ", she said.
Holding her son's shoulder she turned to Grissom and said, " Grissom, I want to you meet your son, Jared... and son, this is your ..."
" I know mom, I recognize him from his pictures, nice to meet you sir..." and Jared stepped towards his father reaching out his hand.
Grissom stood, but his legs argued the command. Extending his hand to meet his sons, he peered over to Brass with an inquiring look on his face. How could his friend have kept a secret like this from him? He couldn't believe it was possible.
Jared was seven and stood almost shoulder height to Grissom. He was light skinned with thick black hair cut in a bowl style. To Grissom he was beautiful. Next to Sara, he was probably the most beautiful thing he had seen in his life. Hazel eyes, he noticed Jared had hazel eyes.
Finally the pangs in Grissom's legs won over his minds command to stay standing, so he sat back down in the chair, like his legs suggested he do.
" I'm glad you could bring him here Uncle Jim, I hope you can stay for awhile", Jared begged.
" Honey, go out to the barn and tend to the horses, I've had them out all day and they need brushed and fed". She said.
"OK," Jared replied, "ya wanna go help Uncle Jim?" he asked.
"Sure," He said, and they moved towards the door. Brass stopped briefly and took Sara's hand and nodded. She nodded back, then they left.
She turned to look at Grissom and he looked as if he was lost.
" I wanted to tell you along time ago," She said. "But, I couldn't get up the nerve, I mean, I didn't want you coming here just because you had a son."
Grissom leaned forward, "So why now?" He said.
Sara took his hand, "because there's something else you don't know."
"And what's that?" he replied.
