It was almost the end of the year, a very crazy year that no one could have predicted. It was December 30th, and Lisa was busy in the kitchen prepping things for their family New Year's Eve dinner. No one wanted to go out that night, but everyone liked the idea of having a nice, cozy evening with a family dinner. She wasn't making anything too crazy, but she'd decided on a variety of soups, some homemade bread, and at the request of the household, more pies. Lou had offered to help, but with her most recent admission, Lisa had told her she'd take care of the meal. Today was just a general prep day; she'd make the food tomorrow, but Jack was already in town-with Tim-picking up some of the lumber for the office framing, and she'd sent him with a grocery list for this big family meal. Right now, though, she was feeding John and enjoying his reaction to now eating solid food.

With John done eating and somehow covered in food, she had him at the sink and noticed someone walking up the steps to the front door. She hadn't heard a car pull in, which was unusual, and at quick glance, she noticed a truck parked closer to the barn, which would explain why she hadn't heard anything. With John on her shoulder, she walked to the door and heard the knock as she was almost there.

"Hi," Lisa said, shifting John while trying to brace herself from the extreme cold that hit her as she opened the door. "May I help you?" She studied this older man, someone she'd not seen around here before, and by the looks of him and his truck, he wasn't some big oil guy or big time rancher; he didn't have that sort of polish or look.

He gave her an odd look and tiled his head while greeting her with a tip of his hat. Manners, she noticed. He had that. "Ahh, hi," he said clearly puzzled, "I'm looking for Jack, and I know this is the Heartland Ranch, but you're not Amy, and not Lou, even though I haven't seen her in years."

"No," Lisa smiled, shifting John again as he started to fuss, probably at the cold hitting him. "I'm Lisa, Jack's wife." She decided if he was able to provide that kind of information, he must certainly know Jack, and even with his hardened face, he looked to be about Jack's age.

"Jack's wife?" he asked, the shock hitting his face. He chuckled and nodded, "Ahh, well that explains it. I usually get a Christmas card from my good friend, Jack, each December, and I didn't get one this year. Most of the time these days, that's all I hear from him, which is more than I do, so I'm glad he keeps in touch. He's on top of things compared to me. Nothing crazy, just some card where he signs his name, but it lets me know the guy is still kicking. No card this year, and I had to go to Calgary for some materials for my barn, cause I live way up north, and I thought I'd stop by on my way home and check on him. Oh, excuse my manners, name is Will Vernon."

"Oh," Lisa's eyes widened, and she gestured him inside, "Jack's told me so much about you. Please come inside."

He glanced at her up and down as he nodded, stepping inside, "He's told me a lot about you too, just not apparently the part that you're this young beauty, and pardon my pointing this out, but it appears you have a baby on your shoulder. That isn't one of his new grandbabies, is it?"

Lisa chuckled lightly as Will stepped inside. She closed the door and helped Will with his coat, gesturing to the kitchen table for him. She waited for him to finish taking off his outerwear and addressed his question.

"No," she nodded with a warm smile, "this is not one of Jack's grandchildren. This is John, our son."

"Holy moly," Will's eyes widened as he processed that, taking a seat at the table. "Wow, I'd say this would have been a good year for a card and maybe a note. Ahh," he looked at Lisa, "that's," he chuckled, "some big news."

"Yes, it is," she grinned at him. "It has been quite the year. Jack is in town and should be home shortly. I'm sure he will be excited to see you. Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

"Coffee would be great," he nodded, and at that, Lisa moved to put John back into his highchair so she could get Will set with something to drink and eat. Will turned to look at John as she strapped him in.

"So, this young whippersnapper is Jack's son?"

"That he is," Lisa smiled at him and moved to the cabinets to get a cup for the coffee.

"Well, that's a pretty good twist late in life, especially for Jack. A son," he nodded. Lisa smiled again as she delivered the coffee and gestured to the table for cream or sugar.

"I do have some pie, if you like, apple," she told him.

He raised his eyebrows, "Homemade?"

"Yes, it is," she nodded, and he gestured for it.

"I'll be happy to take some off your hands," he told her. He looked back to John who was behaving so well and just looking around. "Tell me, how old is this little guy?"

"Four months," Lisa looked over her shoulder to answer. She was slicing the pie. "He was born in August, actually," she turned and gestured at him, "on Jack's late sister's birthday."

"June," he nodded. "Heard lots of stories about her over the years. Huh," he nodded, a small smile with his nod. "Okay, then, I've gotten more information from you, Lisa, in five minutes than from Jack in over a year. When did you get married?"

"October," she told him as she delivered his pie, "in France."

He looked at her shaking his head with a chuckle, "Are we talking about the same Jack Bartlett? You're telling me that Jack first had a baby with someone way young beauty out of his league," he gestured with a wink at Lisa, and she shook her head and chuckled. Then, after this baby is born, he finally decides to marry you and in France, no less, Jack, the same guy who thinks visiting me at my hermit shack is some grand vacation? You got him to marry you in France?"

She nodded, "Pretty accurate with the exception of the young beauty part."

He pointed his fork at her, grinning, "I like your wit. Wow, I can't wait to get on Jack about this. Definitely worthy of a Christmas update."

"That may not have all been Jack's fault, I mean," she gestured to John, "John was in the hospital for a week the beginning of December with RSV, in the pediatric ICU. He was pretty sick, and we both commented we felt like December was this big blur."

"Oh," he frowned, looking at John, "I'm sorry to hear that. Is the little guy doing okay now? He sure does look like Jack, that jaw and those eyes."

"Yes," she nodded with a warm smile, "he's doing just fine. He's a great baby and doesn't fuss much or demand much. He's sleeping well, and he's been an absolute delight. I was also pretty sick when I was pregnant, hospitalized as well, and yeah," she nodded, "it's been a lot. Add to that Jack recovering from his heart attack-"

"Heart attack?" Will looked up at her. "He didn't tell me about that."

"Yes," she said with a sigh. "It's been a year for sure."

"Sounds like it," and as Lisa was about to sit, she heard a car door. She looked out the window to see Jack and Tim had returned, in Tim's truck with a load of lumber and supplies. Jack had wanted to drive his truck, but Lisa had pointed out that he didn't need to be scratching it up with all the lumber, to which he'd said it was a truck, and that was the point, but she wanted to laugh seeing they'd taken Tim's truck.

"Speak of the devil," she pointed out the window and gestured to Will. He looked up, excitedly, ready to see his old friend.

"Well, this ought to be good," he nodded, turning in his chair to watch for Jack at the door.

Lisa stood at the kitchen sink with her hand on her hip watching this reunion. "Lisa," Jack called to her as he stepped inside, "I've got the groceries. If you can grab them from me, I'll get the rest. No need for you to be out in this cold."

Lisa walked to the door, nodding at Will as she walked by him, and she was greeted with the cold again as soon as she stepped into the mud room.

"Hi," she told him, and he leaned in to give her a kiss. She put her hand on his shoulder to kiss him back, and then she gestured to the table. "You have a visitor."

"Who? I didn't see a car," he said, stepping further inside and handing off the grocery bags to Lisa. She walked to the counter, and Jack followed. Lisa grinned when Jack's expression changed.

"Will Vernon, how are you?" Jack walked to him, and Will turned to shake his hand. "Good to see you."

"You too, old friend, but wow," he whistled, "it's a really good thing I stopped by. To think I was worried something had happened to you when I didn't hear from you this Christmas and to stop by and find out you're hiding this beauty here and produced this young sire."

Jack broke out in a full-blown laugh, and Lisa started to laugh too as she watched Jack blush. Jack just nodded and patted Will's back. "Yeah, I suppose we have some catching up to do. Lisa," he looked to her again, "let me get the rest of your groceries. Tim is whining already about unloading the lumber because it's too cold for him," he rolled his eyes and gestured to the door. "Will, just give me a minute, and I'll be right in."

Will finished his pie while Jack brought in the rest of the groceries. Lisa worked on putting everything away, and by the time Jack had come back inside, taken off his outwear and boots, and was ready to join Will at the table, Lisa had finished with everything and had a hot cup of coffee and a piece of pie waiting for Jack too. He washed up his hands and joined Will at the table, leaning over to kiss Lisa's cheek at the counter where she was covering the pie before he sat. "Thank you for the coffee and pie."

"Of course," she said, turning to face the men as Jack sat down. She hooked her hand to the bedroom, "I'm going to get John ready for his nap." She gestured at him, "He's almost asleep there in his chair," and the adults all chuckled at that. Jack gestured to Lisa that he would get him out of his highchair, and with a couple of clasps, he had John on his shoulder.

"I suppose you met John," Jack said, patting at John's back before he handed him to Lisa.

"Oh, I most certainly did, feel sorry for the young guy that he has to look so much like you. Kid should have gotten more of Lisa's looks to have a decent chance."

"You haven't changed a bit," Jack chuckled, gesturing to Lisa. "This guy always has a comeback for everything."

"Oh, an older version of Tim, then, ehh?" Lisa grinned at her sarcastic comment.

Jack almost spit out his coffee, and Will pointed to her again, "You are something. I like your humor and style. Yes, I can definitely see why Jack's been hiding you all these years."

She shrugged at them, and she patted at John's back, "It's nice to finally meet you, Will, but if you gentlemen will excuse me, I'm going to put him down for his nap." She squeezed Jack's shoulder, and he nodded at her.

"Oh, Lise," he called to her as she stepped out of the room, "where's he sleeping? I need to grab my phone charger from our bedroom if you're putting him there. Cold weather is killing my phone."

"No," she tilted her head, "that old phone is killing itself. I got you that phone, yes, but I only got you it because you refuse to buy the new, updated ones. The cold weather might be a little, but you need a better phone, Jack."

"Don't understand cell phones, myself," Will grumbled.

"You see," Jack gestured to Will, but Lisa, out of sight, rolled her eyes. She gestured toward the hallway.

"I'll put him in his room for his nap. We said he needed to move, so we'll try it and see how he does."

As Lisa moved down the hallway, she heard Jack explaining more to Will, "He's been sleeping in our room, but his own room is ready now. He was just so sick, and I never thought I'd be this happy or protective again, but I am."

Lisa smiled at that, glad to hear Jack speaking of them. She was glad his old friend had stopped in for a visit. It had been quite a year, one she'd never imagined or could even have made up. Just when it seemed like they'd been thrown as many curve balls as they could, another one came along. She thought about things, though, and now worried Will's visit would ruin her surprise. Well, she'd just have to wait and see how things worked out.