Chapter 69 – Temper Tantrum from Tommy
"Is Father Mark going to ride with us?" Nathan asked.
"I don't know." Jack said. "I didn't ask him about it, but I do need to talk to him alone for a bit. I know that we need to talk as well and I promise that we will."
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "I agree that we need to talk. I am looking forward to riding with you. I also understand that you need to talk to Father Mark. As long as you don't shut me out. Please, especially since we haven't had much time since coming up here."
"We will figure it out." Doug said. "I promise that you both will get some time to talk."
"Yes." Jack said. "I am sorry that you are feeling left out. I didn't realize how much that was going to be going on when we got up here. I promise that we will talk and get some time together."
"Thank you." Elizabeth said.
"Please don't leave the property without telling someone." Thomas said.
Jack just looked at him, but didn't say anything.
"Tommy." James said. "Time to go."
James and Charlotte looked around and didn't see Tommy.
"I think he might have gone downstairs." Elizabeth said.
"I will get him." Thomas said.
"No." Charlotte said. "I will get him."
"Well." Thomas said. "I still have a few things to finish up in the office."
"Let me know if you need anything." Gran said.
Jack, Doug, Nathan, Lee and Elizabeth finished helping by putting everything from lunch away.
Charlotte found Tommy in his room. He was half dressed, when she grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs.
"Let go of me." Tommy hollered over and over.
When they got to the top of the steps, Nathan and Thomas were both there.
"Is there a problem?" Nathan asked.
"Tommy is just not happy about me dragging him from his room." Charlotte said.
"Can I have a moment with my son?" Thomas asked.
Charlotte looked at her husband and then allowed him to take Tommy.
"I will wait." Charlotte said.
"This won't take long." Thomas said.
"Need me?" Nathan asked.
"No, but please don't go far." Thomas said.
"We won't go until you are done." Nathan said.
Charlotte and Nathan watched Thomas and Tommy walk into the library and close the door, but not all the way. Nathan turned Charlotte and headed back to the kitchen area.
"It will be okay." Nathan said.
"Dad." Charlotte said. "Go, I will bring Tommy down when he is done."
"Okay." James said. "He is to go back to the cleaning tack."
"Got it." Charlotte said.
James left and Charlotte got a cup of coffee and sat back down. Nathan chose to sit with Charlotte. Lee and Elizabeth headed downstairs to get dressed for riding. Doug and Jack finished up with the lunch stuff and then sat down with a Gatorade. No one said anything, but everyone could feel the tension in the air.
The moment that Thomas let go of Tommy, he plopped down on the couch and crossed his arms. Thomas was fuming. He paced for a bit to try and control his temper. After a few minutes of silence, he grabbed Tommy by the front of his shirt and pulled him to his feet.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Thomas bellowed.
"What?" Tommy hissed.
"I have had more than enough of your attitude." Thomas said. "You are fifteen years old and you will not speak to your mother like that. You have forced my hand. As of this morning, I have enrolled you in McQuid Jesuit Boys High School. You will have a monthly allowance of one hundred dollars. You will not have your phone or tablet. You will have a school computer that doesn't allow social media. You will have a calling card if you need to call home. You will have limited clothing other then your school uniform."
"That is not fair." Tommy yelled.
"Keep it up and things will get worse." Thomas said. "As of this morning, I have had paperwork drawn up that will limit your access to your trust fund until you are at least twenty-five, keep it up and I can make that a lot longer. I have also talked to the headmaster at McQuid. I explained to him that we have enrolled you because you need a dose of reality and have a severe attitude issue when it comes to your mother and I. I was assured that you would be assigned an appropriate work detail. I also told him about the social media ban that we have given you. He assured me that it wouldn't be a problem. He also let me know that there were consequences for failure to comply with their rules and standards."
Tommy just looked at his father. He was trying to figure out what he needed to say to get his way. Tommy knew that he could usually push things far enough and his parents would eventually give in. The thing was that Tommy didn't realize that he had pushed his parents too far and his parents were extremely serious.
"Don't even think about arguing." Thomas said. "You fail at McQuid, and things will get worse. I have a lead on a military style detention camp in New Mexico. They take young men up to age twenty-one. You fail or get kicked out of McQuid, you will be at this camp until you are twenty-one, no exceptions. If that happens, you will not see your trust fund until you are at least thirty and I will not pay for you to have anything other than a roof over your head and basic food on your table. I will not allow you to have access to your trust, to get a car and I won't pay your car insurance. I will not pay for your phone or any other electronic device. Am I clear?"
Tommy refused to look at his father or answer him. Thomas stepped forward and grabbed Tommy's shirt again.
"I will take your silence as your answer." Thomas said. "You are grounded until further notice. You will not be going to the bonfire or the charity event this weekend. You will not leave this property without permission and if you do, I report you as a runaway. I have had enough of your attitude. Now, you have work to do."
Thomas let go of Tommy's shirt and grabbed his arm and physically pushed him out of the library. He walked Tommy to the kitchen. Thomas was beyond upset and he was going to get through to his son, one way or another.
Jack also ran his things downstairs as he had grabbed the stuff out of the library when he was up at one point. When he opened the safe and put the packages in there, Lee just looked at him. Jack didn't say anything, but gave him a look that meant that he didn't want to talk about what was going on. Lee and Elizabeth didn't take long to change and quickly rejoined the group in the kitchen area. She looked around and realized that they were waiting for something.
"So, Nathan." Elizabeth said. "Tell me a little more about Katie and her daughter. That way I will know more what to get them."
"Okay." Nathan said. "But you don't need to get them anything."
"I wouldn't argue." Doug whispered, leaning over. "If I have learned anything about this family, especially Jack and Gran, is when they set their mind to something, there is no changing it."
"Good to know." Nathan said. "Okay Elizabeth, Katie is a simple woman. She grew up in the mountains. She is very knowledgeable when it comes to all things plants. She grew up with horses, chickens and a couple milk cows. Her daughter Opal is five years old and very smart. She loves to color and read. She doesn't have many toys as it wasn't something the Amish really do. Even though they are not Amish, they have been living among the community for the last year. Katie has a phone, but other than that, she has lived the Amish lifestyle to better fit into the community. It has been hard for Katie because Opal is a very outgoing child and in the Amish the children are expected to be seen more than heard and even being seen is limited. Among other things, I know that getting Opal out of there was one of the reasons that she was excited about this opportunity when I told her."
"Does Opal have a favorite color?" Elizabeth asked.
"Last I checked." Nathan said. "It was pink. She also likes purple. She really doesn't have a favorite character as she hasn't had a TV in the last year. She does like teddy bears and tea parties, but I am not sure what else."
"Well that gives me a good start." Elizabeth said. "So how about simple country colors for Katie and basic things for Opal. I am sure I can figure out a few things to keep a five year old busy. We will definitely get her some coloring books and I know the perfect set of books to get a little girl. I think I might go ahead and order those from Amazon right now."
"Just wait." Jack said. "Let's get a list together and I will give you a card if there is more that we need to order. Gran, what is in the apartment?"
Before Gran could answer, they heard Thomas yelling at Tommy. They all exchanged a few looks, but no one knew what to say so Gran went on like there was nothing happening.
"It has a full size bed and dresser in one room." Gran said. "The other has a twin bed and a dresser. I think that there is a couch and table with four chairs in the front room. I know that all the appliances work. They were replaced just over a year ago. I was thinking we would pick up sheets, towels and dishes for sure."
"Sounds good." Jack said.
"I was thinking of getting some things for Opal to make her feel more welcome." Elizabeth said. "I know how hard it can be to start over."
Jack looked over and smiled at Elizabeth.
"Thank you both." Nathan said. "I am sure that they will like whatever you pick out. If there is anything that I can do to help please let me know."
"I wouldn't be adverse to you helping get things up there." Gran said. "I will wash everything before we make the beds and get things set."
"I can help with that." Nathan said. "I just really hope that this works out."
"I am sure that it will." Gran said. "James and JP have been talking about this back and forth for a time. There was just never a good time to do it. I think part of that was that they didn't know where to start."
"Correct." Jack said. "Most breeders and thoroughbred trainers haven't made the move to natural and I think that a lot of it is time and money. Both of which we have, so I am excited about this. Maybe we can be a model for other farms and ranches."
"Well." Nathan said. "Katie will give it her everything, so if there is something that you want to try, just talk to her and she will let you know if it will work or if there is something else that she would suggest."
"Thank you." Jack said. "I am just glad that we will both be here to welcome her. Gran, also don't forget to call the company and get them here to reset the greenhouses that you took down."
"I will do that today." Gran said.
"All yours." Thomas said to Charlotte. "Just so you know, Tommy is not going to the bonfire or the charity event. He is grounded until further notice."
Everyone looked at Thomas. Nathan and Charlotte nodded.
"Good to know." Charlotte said. "Now we have work to get done."
"I am not cleaning any more tack." Tommy yelled. "I don't work for you and I am not getting paid, so I am not working."
It was Nathan who stepped forward first. Thomas grabbed his arm.
"Fine." Thomas said sharply. "If he doesn't want to clean the tack, then he can sit in his room. That also means he doesn't need those clean clothes. He can sit in his shorts in his room."
"What am I supposed to do in my room?" Tommy yelled. "They took all my stuff."
"You don't want to work." Thomas said. "You can sit and do nothing. And you don't have stuff. You have been allowed to use things, but they don't belong to you."
"I hate you!" Tommy screamed.
That was when Thomas let go of Nathan's arm that was holding him back.
"So what is it?" Nathan asked. "Clean tack or sit alone in your room with nothing?"
"I am not afraid of you." Tommy sneered.
"Jack, Doug." Nathan said.
"Right behind you." Doug said.
"Please help me take Tommy to his room." Nathan said.
Doug came along the other side of Tommy and grabbed his arm. Nathan had a hold of his other arm.
"Last chance." Charlotte said. "Oh, also if you don't clean the tack, you will not be allowed out of your room except to the bathroom. You also will not be getting supper. I told you no work, no food."
"You can't do that!" Tommy yelled.
"I am not doing anything." Charlotte said. "The rules and consequences were very clearly spelled out in the paper that was given to you. I guess you didn't read what was given to you."
"Fine." Tommy huffed. "I will clean the tack, but this isn't over."
Nathan leaned over so his face was just inches from Tommy's.
"This is over." Nathan said. "I took you to the floor once and I will do it again. I am not going to put up with you disrespecting people around here. Keep it up and I will handcuff you to the wall in your room and you will only be allowed up when I say."
Tommy stared at him for a moment. He was going to argue, but then he saw the cold stare in Nathan's eyes and decided against pushing him any further.
"Good." Nathan said. "Charlotte, need help getting him to the arena."
"Tommy?" Charlotte said. "Are you going to come or are Doug and Nathan going to have to bodily carry you?"
"I will walk." Tommy huffed.
"Good." Charlotte said.
Both Doug and Nathan released Tommy's arms, but not before Nathan leaned in and whispered in his ear. Doug was close enough to hear.
"Cross me again." Nathan whispered. "And I will make you regret the day you were born. I like your brother and I have no problem teaching you a lesson out back in the woodshed."
Tommy stepped back wide eyed. He quickly went over and pulled his boots on. Charlotte quickly followed him. As soon as Charlotte and Tommy were out the door, Jack turned to Nathan.
"What did you say to him?" Jack asked.
"Nothing." Nathan said. "At least nothing I can't legally do."
Thomas looked at Nathan for a moment and then gave him a small nod.
"I guess you read the fine print." Thomas said.
"Always." Nathan said.
"Dad." Jack said. "What is he talking about?"
"The fine print in his contract." Thomas said. "It is nothing that you need to be concerned about."
"Okay." Jack said.
Jack looked over to Doug, who shook his head.
"Let's go." Lee said. "I want to get on a horse and Father Mark is coming."
"Coming." Jack said.
"See you later." Gran said. "I will be up here."
"Okay." Jack said.
Jack, Nathan, Doug, Lee and Elizabeth pulled their boots on and headed out the back door. Thomas went back to the office to get some more work done. Gran went back to working in the kitchen. Gran wasn't happy with what had just transpired and she knew that she was going to have to talk to everyone at supper.
