Chapter 30 – Sunday Morning (long)

Sunday morning came way too early for several members of the household. For the first time that he could remember, Jack wasn't up with his alarm. Instead, he shut it off and pulled the blanket back up over his head. Nathan woke up with Jack's alarm, he looked at the time before falling back to his pillow.

"Why did you set the alarm so early?" Nathan asked in frustration.

Jack groaned.

"Normally." Jack said. "I am expected to help with my horses when I am here. I just don't feel like it this morning. I don't even want to get out of bed this morning. I don't want to go to church, I don't want to face people."

"Okay." Nathan said. "But I think that your grandparents are expecting you to go to church and to jump practice at some point."

Jack groaned again.

"Fine." Jack said. "Might as well get up. It can't get any worse. I have done it with less sleep. I think I might just have to turn in extra early tonight."

Jack and Nathan were quickly up and pulling on clothes to go do chores. As they headed up the stairs, they both smelled the coffee. As they passed the kitchen, Gran held out a travel mug for each of them.

"Black coffee." She said.

"Thank you." Jack mumbled.

"I didn't know if you like cream or sugar, Nathan." Gran said. "But I can add it if you want."

"No, ma'am." Nathan said. "Black is fine."

"We will be back shortly." Jack said after taking a couple sips of coffee.

The boys pulled on their boots and headed out. Jack led them down to the stables by the house. They were met by a couple of stable hands. Both could see that Jack was in no mood for conversation that morning so just nodded a hello and went about their work. Jack and Nathan headed to where Bandit and Honey were. Both greeted Jack with nickers, that was when Nathan noticed a third horse in close proximity to the other two. That horse stuck its head over the stall clamoring for attention from Jack.

"Morning girl." Jack said, greeting the third horse.

"Who is that?" Nathan asked.

"That is Athena." Jack said. "She was Laura's horse, but somehow became my trail horse."

Nathan went over to greet Athena. He saw that she was a beautiful black mare. She took a moment to sniff Nathan's outstretched hand before blowing on it and lipping his hand. Nathan approached the stall and Athena nuzzled into him. Nathan in turn petted her muzzle and spoke softly to the horse.

"Wow." Jack said.

"What?" Nathan said.

"I have never seen her take to someone like that." Jack said. "There are stable hands that have worked here for years that can't get that close to her. She tolerates being handled by other people, most of the time, but you can tell that she isn't happy and just wants them to leave her alone."

"Well then." Nathan said. "Maybe I can ride her later."

"Sure." Jack said. "I doubt that she gets ridden much as she doesn't generally like most people. There are only two other people that can get close enough to riding her and I know that neither have a lot of time in their schedules to ride her."

"Well that will change while I am here." Nathan said.

"Let's get these three taken care of." Jack said. "Then we can shower and grab a quick bite before church."

Nathan and Jack set about checking the horses, feeding them and cleaning their stalls.

"Let's put these three in a close pen." Jack said. "They can graze there and it will be easy to get them when we are ready to jump. Athena will be fine grazing with these two. Normally I wouldn't put a mare and stallion together, but for some reason Bandit has never shown interest in either Honey or Athena."

"Okay." Nathan said. "Lead the way."

They clipped a lead rope on each of the horses and led them to a fenced area not that far from the house. They went back to the stable to make sure they had finished everything. Jack also talked to a couple of the hands about making sure that there were jumps set up in the outdoor ring. With that done, Jack and Nathan grabbed their now empty coffee mugs and headed back to the house. They walked in to see Tommy sitting at the kitchen counter playing on his phone.

"We are going to shower and then be back up in a bit." Jack said.

"Take you time." Gran said. "We still have time."

"Nathan." Jack said. "You shower in our bathroom. I will head over to the gym."

Nathan nodded and the two headed downstairs to get ready. Since they were going out for brunch, Gran had only fixed a light breakfast of fresh fruit and made toast as people wanted. Tommy was finished eating and sent downstairs to get ready for church.

"No hats, no ripped clothes." Gran said. "And please, please comb your hair."

"Yes, ma'am." Tommy mumbled as he headed down the stairs.

It wasn't long and both Jack and Nathan were back upstairs. Jack was dressed in black Ariat jeans with a black polo shirt that had red and white across the shoulders and there was also some yellow along the collar. Nathan was dressed in dark blue jeans with a red and gray polo shirt that had a white strip across the chest. Both looked very good and Gran nodded in approval. Shortly after both Jack and Nathan sat down with a bowl of fruit and some toast, Elizabeth came upstairs. She was wearing black Ariat jeans as well. She had paired them with her black short boots. She wore a light pink short sleeve henley shirt with an open white button up. When she turned around, Jack noticed that the back of the shirt was mainly a lace panel on the body of the shirt. He thought that it looked lovely on Elizabeth and with the light pink shirt underneath it was perfect. Her hair was down her back and he noticed that it had a hint of red to it. Jack thought she was breathtaking. He had to close his eyes and take a deep breath. He needed to keep reminding himself that she wasn't his and he needed to be respectful.

"How are you feeling this morning, dear?" Gran asked.

"Okay." Elizabeth said. "A little tired, I guess, but mostly okay."

"Good." Gran said.

Elizabeth sat down next to Jack with some coffee and a small bowl of fruit.

"You look nice." Elizabeth said. "I like that polo shirt."

"Thank you." Jack said. "I wasn't sure about the colors, but I like it."

"You look nice as well, Nathan." Elizabeth said.

"Thank you." Nathan said. "I wasn't sure about the jeans. I didn't bring a lot of dress clothes. I mostly brought jeans and shorts. I have my suit for the charity event, but that felt too much for church."

"Jeans are fine." Gran said. "As long as they are clean and no rips."

"Good to know." Nathan said. "I have someone getting me some more clothes and they will be sent up with Mr Thornton. I asked him to include a couple more pairs of my dressier pants as well as some more polo shirts. I didn't know the exact dress code you had up here."

"Let us know if you need anything." Gran said. "It is okay, you look fine."

"Yes." James said coming into the kitchen. "We know that you hadn't planned on being here as long as it sounds like you will be, so if you need anything, please let us know."

"Thank you, I will." Nathan said.

Looking at his watch, James looked around the kitchen.

"Are we almost ready to go?" He asked.

Jack and Nathan nodded.

"Yes." Gran said. "Tommy should be back in a moment and I haven't seen Char this morning, but I heard her moving around."

"I am right here." Charlotte said. "Sorry, I had to make sure that Tommy was dressed properly."

"Before we leave." Jack said. "Where are we going for brunch?"

"I was thinking of two different places." James said. "Both are more upscale, but you are all dressed fine."

"Okay." Jack said. "What were you thinking?"

"Prime at Saratoga National." James said. "Or we could do 550 Waterfront."

"Jack." Nathan said. "I don't know either."

"I have to choose?" Jack asked.

"If you want." Gran said. "I was thinking it would be nice to have a good meal, but we can go someplace else."

"Well." Jack said. "I assume we will eat at Prime when we are at the track, I was thinking something else."

"I was thinking of The Local." Charlotte said.

"Yeah." Jack said. "Let's do that. I haven't been there since they first opened."

"Then that is what we will do." James said. "I will call and make sure we have a table for after church. Then let's get going. Char, will you please drive. I got something in my eye this morning and don't feel comfortable driving just yet."

"Yes, Dad." Charlotte said. "See you three at church. Let's go Tommy."

"We will be right behind you." Jack said.

True to his word, Jack and them were only five minutes behind. As Nathan pulled out of the garage, Jack texted the rest of the security to let them know the plan. As they headed into town, Jack explained about the church and told them that they could participate as they felt comfortable. He also explained about communion and let them know that they were more than welcome to go up for a blessing.

"I don't want to be the only one." Elizabeth said.

"You won't be." Jack said. "There will be others. Younger children who can't receive as well as spouses who aren't Catholic. If you don't want to, you are more than welcome to stay in the pew. You will see."

"Okay." Elizabeth said.

"Actually." Nathan said. "I am Catholic. Another reason that Devin and your father chose me. Devin thought it would be good since I might understand where you were coming from."

"Okay, then." Jack said. "I didn't want to assume anything. I know that it was something that we haven't talked about. My family may not always show it, but our faith is important to us. It is especially important to me after everything that has happened."

"I understand." Nathan said. "Few people know about my faith. It tends to bring up more questions than I want to share. Let's just say that I have not always been Catholic, but now that I am, I wouldn't have it any other way. Devin knows because he saw me praying the Rosary a few times."

Elizabeth looked at him with many questions, but now was not the time to ask them. As if sensing her questions, Nathan took a deep breath and kept his focus on the road as he spoke.

"My family has always professed a faith in Christ." Nathan said. "When things got hard between my parents, I went looking for deeper answers. One day, I wandered into the Catholic Church near my family's home in Scranton. It was like I was drawn to it. I ended up having several long conversations with the priest over several weeks. He patiently answered all my questions and showed me where to find answers to some of my questions in the Bible. More importantly, he listened to me and made me feel heard. It was one of the first times that an adult did that. I didn't have a good life growing up, but I am not going to talk about that.

After about two months of this, I went to see him one day. I didn't know who else I could talk to that would understand. I had just had a huge fight with my parents, mainly my father. Father sat with me as we talked and prayed. He didn't push, but let me tell him as I was able. He reminded me that just because we are told to honor our parents, it doesn't mean that we have to like everything that they do. One thing led to another and before the conversation was over, I was asking him how I could become Catholic. It seemed like I was getting more from him as far as my faith then the "Bible church" that my parents, well my mother, took me to. Long story short, I was welcomed into the Catholic church the following Easter despite what my family said and wanted. I was sixteen. There was even a brief time that I considered going to seminary, but that is a story for another time."

"Definitely one that I would like to hear." Jack said.

"That can be arranged." Nathan said. "But enough about me I don't talk about me much or growing up. Please don't ask me more right now. I think we are almost there."

"You are right." Jack said. "But don't think I am going to forget. If you don't want to talk about your past, you don't have to. What you share with us, is up to you. But I will ask you about the seminary story at some point.

Nathan just looked over at him and gave him a lopsided smirk. He pulled in the parking lot and found a spot. They headed into the church, followed by two additional security members who stayed in the back. Only a handful of people even knew that there were two armed security members in the church. To most, they would just look like any other visitor. Jack led Nathan and Elizabeth to the pew behind his grandmother, mother and brother. As they sat down, Elizabeth looked around uncomfortably. Jack could sense that she was getting work up, so he suggested that she move to sit between him and Nathan. Jack then leaned over and whispered to Elizabeth.

"It is okay." Jack said. "Nothing will happen to you. Just relax and try to enjoy the music and sermon. You are safe here."

"I will try." Elizabeth said. "This is so much different than what I am used to."

"It is okay." Jack said again.

He then gave her arm a squeeze before kneeling and saying a few prayers, one of which was for Elizabeth. Elizabeth felt a little better sitting between Jack and Nathan. She didn't realize that there was security also at the back of the church. As Jack and Nathan were kneeling praying, Elizabeth closed her eyes and tried to calm her body and mind. She was used to a very informal setting with a small crowd. It appeared that this was a fairly good size church. It wasn't the largest church in the area, but it was one of the older ones being over one hundred and fifty years old. It was the church that Charlotte had grown up in. Both her and her parents had been married in that parish, but not necessarily in the building they were sitting in. Elizabeth appreciated that Jack tried to make her feel more comfortable. She had her own questions about the Catholic Church and she wondered if Nathan would feel comfortable talking to her about them at some point. She wanted to know why he converted. She had been raised to believe in God, but they never really had a regular church as they seemed to move around according to her mother's changing whims. She had attended wherever her mother took her, but none of them ever felt like home.

Elizabeth sat there for a few moments with her eyes closed. As she was sitting there, the choir was warming up. She listened to the music and felt a peace come over her. She hadn't realized she was crying until Jack had reached over and wiped a tear off her check. Jack wasn't sure what possessed him to cup Elizabeth's face and use his thumb to wipe the tear from her cheek, but when he did he felt a new level of intimacy between them and he hadn't even kissed her. He was concerned something was seriously wrong with her, but he took a deep breath and leaned closer to try and not draw anymore attention to them. Elizabeth was startled when Jack cupped her face and wiped her tears away. She couldn't explain it, but she remembered the words that Jack had said the night before to his grandmother and she instantly knew as well that they were meant for each other. No matter what happened, she knew that her future was with Jack. She also knew that she didn't want to continue to fight what she was feeling. She wanted to be with Jack. Sitting there in church, everything was clear – her future was with Jack.

"Are you okay?" Jack whispered.

"Yes." Elizabeth whispered. "For the first time in a long time, yes I am okay. I am trying not to think of everything else and focus on what is happening in front of me."

Jack wasn't sure what was going on, but took it as a good sign. He turned his attention back to the music book that he had pulled out. He was looking up the songs that had been posted for the service. He marked them and put the book back. He then sat quietly until the service started. Jack was thinking about Elizabeth and he prayed to calm his body because every time he took a deep breath, he breathed in the smell of Elizabeth's lavender body spray. Jack was deep in thought about Elizabeth and their future together that he almost missed the start of the service.

As they were singing, Elizabeth stopped for a moment and listened to Jack and Nathan on either side of her. She had known from the night before that their voices blended well together, but there in the church it sounded even better. She wanted to hear more of them singing, but she also wanted to take in the service since it was so different then what she was used to. Elizabeth took it all in and watched as the priest came to the front of the church. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off him. She wanted to know why he did certain things. Elizabeth wanted to know everything and since it was basically all new to her she was memorized. She knew it wasn't the time to ask questions, but she started a list in her head. She just hoped that she remembered everything that she wanted to ask. She listened as the readings were given and then listened as the priest gave a short sermon. Even the prayers as formal as they were drew Elizabeth in. She wanted to know why they used those prayers. More than that, she wanted to learn the responses that everyone else was giving.

When they moved into the second part of the Mass, Elizabeth sat in awe. She didn't fully understand everything that was going on, but she couldn't take her eyes off what was happening. She was so in awe of everything going on around her, that she couldn't even sing. She listened to the words that others sang and they spoke to her heart in a way that she had never had happen before. When it was time to go up for communion, she went up and received a blessing from the priest. It was at that moment that Elizabeth had wanted to fully participate in the Mass and receive communion like everyone else. She had again been between Jack and Nathan. Nathan had insisted that Jack go first and he follow Elizabeth. As Elizabeth moved to the front of the church, she knew that she was willing to do anything that needed to be done so she could receive what Jack and Nathan were receiving. She wondered if their faith wasn't what made them different from other guys that she had met. She knew that she would need to think about it more. In the moment, she listened to the words that the choir was singing as they slowly moved forward.

Before long, Mass was over and Elizabeth was still wondering what happened. She couldn't even describe what she was feeling. But for the first time in her life that she could remember, she felt comfortable in church and around other people who were professing their faith. The only word that she could come up with was peace and that didn't even describe it. She felt a peace she had never felt before. She didn't know why or where it came from, but she was going to go with it.

It wasn't just peace about the moment, but a peace that she had never known. Elizabeth was at peace about her past and future. She was also more sure of her future then she had ever been. She could also see clearly that her and Jack would be together. She saw them standing at the altar pledging their love to each other in that very church. She saw them standing there with their children in the future. Elizabeth wasn't sure what happened, but everything had been so clear that it scared her. She had only known Jack for a few days and yet she also knew that she couldn't live without him. She knew that there were still things that they needed to work through, but she also knew that there was nothing that was going to keep them apart.

Elizabeth couldn't wait until she and Jack could express their love for each other. She wasn't just thinking verbally. She wanted to know Jack in every way. She blushed slightly at the thought of her and Jack together. She knew that she needed to talk to Jack, but she also knew that the opportunity would present itself and she would know what to say. She put aside any thoughts of taking it slow. She wanted to be wrapped in Jack's arms and listen to his heart beat. She wanted to snuggle into that spot where she just fit to him. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. She wanted to feel him up against her. She needed to shake her head as some of the thoughts that she was having, she shouldn't be having in church.

Elizabeth wanted to breathe in that scent that was him. She couldn't believe that for someone who lived in the city that he smelled of fresh rain and pine with a hint of old leather. She knew that it was unique to him and that even if someone else wore the same scents it would never be Jack. She had never smelt those scents together, but they very quickly became her favorite and what she looked forward to. She had to will her body to calm when she barely caught a whiff of them. It was something new for Elizabeth. A whiff of Jack and it sent her world reeling and launched an army of butterflies in her stomach.