Chapter 300 – Frank and Father Mark Talk More

Father Mark took a seat next to Frank. Father Mark took a deep breath and then looked at Frank.

"Talk to me."

"Nothing to talk about." Frank said, without looking up from his laptop.

Father Mark put his hand on Frank's arm.

"I promise you can talk to me." Father Mark said. "Obviously something is bothering you."

Frank sighed.

"I was just thinking about something that Father Tom said on Sunday." Frank said. "It made me think of one of my Army buddies and all that we have been through together. I haven't thought about him in a few years and now I have been feeling bad about that."

"People drift apart over time." Father Mark said. "Especially if you don't see them all the time or they live far away. Sometimes I find if I am thinking about someone that I haven't seen or spoken to in a while, it is a message for me to reach out and see how they are doing. Maybe he is thinking about you as well and just doesn't know how to get hold of you."

"I doubt that he is thinking about anything." Frank said.

"Why do you say that?" Father Mark asked.

"He was killed when we were in Afghanistan on my first tour." Frank said.

"I am sorry." Father Mark said. "Tell me about him."

"He was one of the first people that I met when I joined my unit." Frank said. "We were in the same squad. He was the one that was always cracking jokes and pulling pranks. He kept the morale up around the camp. We worked great together and we were often assigned to patrols as teammates. You always went out in pairs and were encouraged to stick together because it kept both of you safer by watching each other's back."

"Sounds like a wonderful person." Father Mark said. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking."

"We were out on patrol." Frank said.

Frank wiped his hand across his face to take a moment and collect himself as the memories washed over him. Frank prayed for his new friend as he saw the pain on his face. Father Mark saw how hard it was for Frank to think about his time in Afghanistan.

"You don't have to tell if it is too hard." Father Mark said.

Frank shook his head, moved his laptop off his lap, leaned forward and dropped his head.

"I just haven't thought about that day in a while." Frank said. "While I have thought of my friend, I haven't thought about the day it happened in quite awhile."

"Like I said." Father Mark said. "You don't have to talk about it if it is too hard. I just thought it might help."

"It is okay." Frank said. "It is like I said, I just haven't thought about that day in a while and it seems like every time that I do, it feels like I am right back there."

"That sounds quite normal for something like that." Father Mark said. "I know that there are still times that I feel like I am right there when I talk about what happened to Laura or what I went through finding that young woman. I know that it is not the same, but it is the best that I can do to compare."

"I understand what you are saying." Frank said. "I have talked about it quite a bit as was required by the Army, but I really haven't ever talked about it with other people."

"Like I have said." Father Mark said. "You don't have to talk about it."

"I just feel like I need to talk about it." Frank said. "I just don't want to upset anyone by doing it."

"I will listen if you want to talk about it." Father Mark said. "I know that we have talked about things and shared from our pasts, but I also know that there are lots of things that you don't want to talk about or can't talk about because of what you saw over there, but I promise I will always be willing to listen."

"Thank you." Frank said. "I know that you are willing to listen and you have been great about sharing when we have been talking. I just am unsure about how much I should share about my actual time in Afghanistan. Most people can't handle hearing the down and dirty of what happened while we were over there. Most also can't understand, but if you are willing to listen, I think I might be willing to share over time. But you have to promise me that if it gets too much you will let me know."

"I will always listen and I promise I will say something to you if I can't handle it." Father Mark said. "But I think it will help you to talk about it. It sounds like you have some PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). From my understanding, most soldiers who have seen action have some form of it, even if it hasn't been formally diagnosed. Also seeking treatment if the symptoms get too bad is nothing to be ashamed of."

"I know that." Frank said. "It is still just hard to accept help because the Army is not big on mental health. I know that they are trying to be better about it, but they still have a very long way to go to be accepting of mental health issues."

"I won't disagree with you on that." Father Mark said. "It is getting late. We can talk tonight if you feel like it or we can sit down at another time. I am just worried about you. You seemed a bit withdrawn today. I know that there is a lot going on around here and if you need a break, you just need to say something. I also know that you are taking on a huge job for Jack. I don't want you to feel like you have to take everything on just because you are the elder of the group. If things get to be too much, you need to say something."

"I will." Frank said. "I have no trouble speaking up for myself and I know that Jack has asked me to take on a huge project. I want to do the best I can for him. I just hope that he understands that his vision is going to take a lot of time to produce results."

"I think he understands that it is going to take time." Father Mark said. "I also think that he knows what he wants and trusts you enough to know that you can handle it. Jack knows that he can't be hands on with everything anymore. And if he doesn't, I have no problem constantly reminding him. He has been told several times that he needs to trust the people that he has hired around him to handle things that they can. I just hope that he has learned that lesson because of how much he has been taking on. That was something that we talked about tonight and I think he is seeing that he is going to be more overseeing things and not always the hands-on person as things progress and he takes on more and more of the business from both his grandfathers."

"Good." Frank said. "I was worried when you all told me that he was taking over both companies. I mean this place alone is a full time job, not to mention the new properties and then his Grandpa John's businesses. John alone works the equivalent of two full time jobs."

"I know." Father Mark said. "But it is going to be about ten years before Jack is fully in control of either company. And I am talking ten years at minimum, because I think as long as either of his grandfathers have breath in their bodies, they will have a hand in things."

"I tend to agree with you." Frank said. "I also heard Jack and Elizabeth talking and it is going to take Jack close to six years to finish his schooling, so there is that as well."

"I am not surprised." Father Mark said. "He has an ambitious plan and I think he doesn't understand how hard college is going to be while also juggling a new wife and potentially a family. I went to college when I was young and it was hard enough."

"I am just glad that he is going to have Nathan, Doug and Lee to be around to keep him grounded." Frank said.

"I agree." Father Mark said. "Doug and Lee have always had a positive effect on Jack and Nathan has been great with him. Nathan reminds me of my sister Laura and how she was with Jack. I think that Nathan and Laura would have been great friends."

"So she was nothing like Emily." Frank said.

"Emily has always been the wild one." Father Mark said. "She knew that she was beautiful and she could flirt to get what she wanted. She would do it in school and my parents always seemed to spoil her just a bit more than the rest of us. I never really understood why she got spoiled as much as she did. It was like she could do no wrong in our parents eyes no matter what happened. Emily always just took what she wanted. Yes, she rode for a few years, but only because my parents required us all to learn and expected us to jump for a period of time growing up.

Laura on the other hand while she was the baby of the family, she was never spoiled like other youngest children. Grandpa had her on a horse as soon as she could sit independently. She was taking formal riding lessons on a full grown horse by the time she was three and pushing thousand pound animals around in a round pen by the time she was five. She was going to competitions long before she could compete. She was always determined to work with the horses and know everything about them. She could tell you more about the anatomy of a horse by the time she was seven then move vet techs. Laura was also extremely intelligent. She always gave Jack a run for his money when it came to smarts. I never knew for sure, but I was pretty sure she had a photographic memory of some kind. She could have graduated high school when she was fourteen/fifteen, but Mom and Dad didn't want the other siblings, especially Emily, to be upset about Laura jumping them in school. It was Emily's senior year, I think."

"I am sorry about that." Frank said. "I know what it is like to not be the golden child and always feel like the others are a priority."

"It is okay." Father Mark said. "I have always known from a young age that I was different from others. I knew very early that I wanted to be a priest and that never wavered. My siblings never understood and I don't think that my parents did either. Yes, they were supportive when I was in high school and into college. But, I still think that they thought I would change my mind. I think they held those thoughts until I took my first vows. I think that was the first time that they realized that I was serious and I wasn't going to be dissuaded from what I had always believed."

"It was nice that you had a passion for something so early." Frank said. "It wasn't until I joined the Army that I found a purpose in my life. As I was growing up, I never knew what I wanted to do. I had always wanted to travel and see the world. I have always loved horses, maybe because I grew up around them, but I never wanted to do what my father did. When I got hurt and was forced to leave the Army, I thought I had lost the purpose in my life. I had no idea what I was going to do, especially given how young I still was. Once I joined the Army, I thought I would be there until I either died or grew old. I never thought I would be leaving the Army in my mid-thirties."

"I am sure that was hard." Father Mark said. "I don't know if I even know what I would do if I couldn't be a priest."

"Sure you do." Frank said. "You would be out there working with the horses, keeping Jack in line."

"Probably." Father Mark said.

"Do you ever miss it?" Frank asked. "Riding competitively."

"Not really anymore." Father Mark said. "I did the first year after I quit. I questioned if I was doing the right thing, but I also knew I couldn't keep up the training schedule and the studies that were required of me to attend seminary. I knew where I was called and therefore, I made choices in my life that reflected that."

"I can see that." Frank said. "I thank God that I met Jack and Doug at that retreat back in March. I am also so glad that Jack called me when he needed help and then offered me a wonderful job. He has given me a new purpose in life. He has given me a new group of people to call family and for that I will always be grateful."

"I am glad." Father Mark said. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, I am." Frank said. "Thank you for sitting and talking with me. I think we should turn in. It sounds like it is going to be a busy few weeks, especially if we need to keep an eye on Jack so he doesn't push it."

"I agree." Father Mark said.

The duo got up and headed to their room to head to bed. It was late and he had both had heavy talks with both Jack and Frank. Father Mark was starting to feel emotionally exhausted again. Once he changed, he said his prayers and then knelt by his bed and prayed. He knew that he should probably get some sleep, but he felt he needed to pray first. Father Mark knelt there and prayed for over an hour before he crawled in bed.

… … … …

Tuesday and Wednesday were busy dealing with horses and other things around the house. Nothing was said about Jack's injury other than people checking in with him and him getting annoyed by it. Everyone could tell Jack was frustrated with being injured and despite him ditching the immobilizer, he was still being forced to take it easy until he saw the doctor. The one good thing about Jack being forced to slow down and not being allowed to ride was that he was able to get a lot done on his computer and read through all of the end of the month reports that had already come in and been forwarded to him. He knew he was supposed to limit his screen time as well, but he hadn't had any signs of a concussion so he figured if he couldn't ride, he was going to catch up on other things, especially reports and paperwork he had been ignoring.

Tuesday and Wednesday people also noticed that there was something off with both Frank and Father Mark. No one wanted to ask what was bothering either man, but saw the two go off and talk alone several times over the two days. Whatever was going on, it seemed that they were helping each other. Gran commented that she was glad that they were becoming friends, especially with Frank staying to work on the orchard property once everyone else heads back to the city. Whatever was going on with Frank and Father Mark, they seemed to be keeping it to themselves or only sharing between themselves. Everyone was going to give them the space to work things out themselves. Everyone also knew that the two men were good for each other. James told his grandson as much when he saw Father Mark and Frank talking.

… … … …

Thursday, Jack and Nathan left after breakfast to get to the appointment in Albany. Chris went with and drove them both in the towncar. Jack wasn't happy about it, but knew that the extra security was not an option at the moment. He knew that his grandfather was insistent on it with the media attention all week because of his injury. At least they wouldn't be bothered while they were in the clinic in Albany, but both Nathan and Chris figured on them being followed and that is exactly what happened. Chris tried to lose them, but there was media outside the clinic when they arrived.

Jack was sure that his photo was taken while he and Nathan walked in. They didn't have to wait long and they were taken back to a room. Jack had insisted on Nathan coming back with him. The nurse wasn't going to allow it, but Jack refused to relent. Jack and Nathan didn't have to wait too long and Dr Shepherd joined them.

"How are you feeling?" Carson asked.

"Better." Jack said. "No concussion symptoms all week. I mean I had a headache on Saturday night, but nothing since."

"When did you ditch the immobilizer?"

"Tuesday night." Jack said. "They still won't let me do anything and it has been sore to move. I have tried to do just a range of motion exercises as much as I can."

Carson looked at Jack.

"I fell off a horse and broke my collarbone twice." Jack said. "First time I was four and the second time I was ten. I remember the exercises that I had to do. I also looked up a few others for range of motion."

"So how long have you been riding?" Carson asked. "You never really said on Saturday. You just said a long time."

"I have been riding a horse since I have been able to sit up on my own." Jack said. "I started lessons when I was eighteen months old. I started in competitions when I was three. I stopped riding competitively shortly before my seventeenth birthday and just started again when I came up here this summer."

"Wow." Carson said.

"I agree, wow." Nathan said. "When you said you have been riding forever I guess you meant it."

"I guess." Jack said. "I guess I don't think about it unless someone asks me specifically."

"I can understand that." Carson said. "So let me check out your shoulder and we can go from there."

Carson checked Jack's shoulder and range of motion. He noticed Jack wince a few times and another time that Nathan pointed out.

"Okay." Carson said. "I will clear you to ride on Saturday as long as you are feeling up to it. I want you to be careful and wear a vest."

"I always wear a vest." Jack said. "My grandfather insists on it. I started as a hunter jumper so it helps."

"I am glad that you wear a vest." Carson said. "But I still want you to be careful. I honestly would prefer that you didn't ride, but from everything that I have read about you, I know that you would have probably rode even if I would prefer if you don't."

"I understand." Jack said. "I am sure that my grandfathers would prefer it if I don't ride this weekend. But can you please sign the association release so I can ride if I am feeling up to it."

"I will do that." Carson said. "But I would seriously think about taking the weekend off."

"Jack." Nathan said. "I know you feel like you need to jump this weekend because you made the commitment, but no one will be upset if you don't jump. So please think about what Carson is saying and take the weekend off. We have the show next weekend in Albany and then you know what the weekend after that is."

"I know, I know." Jack said.

"What is the weekend after the Albany show?" Carson asked.

Jack and Nathan looked at each other.

"If I tell you." Jack said. "You can't say anything, because we are keeping it quiet."

"Anything said here will not be repeated." Carson said.

"I am marrying my girlfriend." Jack said. "Then I am taking her to Canada for a week-long honeymoon before we start at Columbia."

"Is this the young woman that was announced that you were courting?" Carson asked.

"Yes." Jack said. "Neither of our parents approve and her father is demanding that she marry another young man who is older, but doesn't have the best reputation."

"Kensington?" Carson asked.

Jack looked at Carson with a raised eyebrow.

"My wife Amber loves the gossip magazines." Carson said. "She loves to tell me all about what she has read. I constantly remind her that the gossip magazines make things up and don't tell the whole story. She also follows the jumping circuit and has for years. I think she was a fan of your cousins. She used to ride competitively before she decided to start attending nursing school. She still likes to stay up on the gossip that is part of the circuit."

"Oh." Jack said.

"I promise I didn't tell her I treated you." Carson said. "I don't speak about my patients."

"Okay." Jack said. "With the trouble that Kensington and William Pennybaker have caused, I just am worried. That is why Nathan is with me. Not only is he my friend, but he is also trained in close security."

"Yes." Carson said. "I have had a conversation with your Grandfather. I didn't tell him anything that you said personally. He just wanted to check and see if there was something about your injury that you hadn't told him. I told him the exact same thing that I told you. I promise I didn't talk about anything else. I also know that there was a release of information on file so I could speak to your grandfather."

"I understand." Jack said. "Thank you. We have just been being so careful. The last thing that we want is for the wedding to get out. There is already enough attention on me. The last thing I need is more."

"I can imagine." Carson said. "I will fill out the paperwork, but I would still encourage you to think about riding this weekend."

"I will see how I feel." Jack said. "I will not take undue risks. I have already made that promise to people."

"Very well." Carson said. "Please call me if you need anything."

"And if you or your wife ever want to go for a ride on a retired thoroughbred, please call me." Jack said.

"I will." Carson said.

The two men exchanged contact information and then Jack and Nathan left. Again there was a ton of press when the duo left the clinic. Jack could hear the click of shutters as he and Nathan walked the short distance to the car. As soon as they were in, Chris took off and headed toward John's place instead of the ranch.

"Why are we headed to Grandpa John's?" Jack asked.

"Because that was my instructions." Chris said.

"Okay." Jack said.

Jack sat back and just let Chris continue toward his grandfather's place.