The Cowboy's Package Love with Faith (COMPLETED)

Chapter 14

Jedediah pulls up to his parents house and cuts the engine. With a heavy sigh he gets lost in his thoughts. I'm not sure this was such a good idea. Why didn't I just work things out with Aubrey and make the most of sitting around the house? He spots his dad working on something in the dusty shop and decides to get out. He lets Ham out to run around for a while and heads to the shop.

His dad, Joseph, looks up and a smile spreads across his worry worn face, "Well look what the wind blew in. Good to see you son."

"You too, Dad. What you working on?" He keeps his hand from his dad's view as he looks around observing the same old look of the shop. Tools hung from hooks on the runners of the low wooden roof.

"Rebuilding this headstall for your brother." He glances at Jedediah and his eyebrows furrow together, "What'd you do to your arm?"

Jedediah sighs, "Shattered my wrist about a week ago." Wow it's only been a week, seems like a lot longer. Yeah, because you've screwed things up so many times.

"You what? How'd you do that?" Joseph yells his eyes becoming wide.

"Heifer," he says not wanting to tell the whole story.

Joseph nods, "That all she damaged?"

Jedediah shakes his head, not making eye contact with his dad, "Rib too, bruised or cracked I don't remember."

"Sure she didn't get your brain too?" His dad chuckles.

Jedediah smiles weakly and stuff his hands in his pockets. Maybe he's right because ever sense I can't do anything right. I can't even take a girl on a date without screwing up.

"You better head on into the house before your momma finds out you are here and didn't go see her first."

Jedediah nods, "She'll be mighty happy that I didn't call."

He dad agrees with a laugh. Jedediah grins and heads out of the shop back to his pickup whistling for Ham to join him on the ride to the house to greet his mother. He grabs his duffle before popping the door of his pickup and strolling up the stairs to the main door of the house, "There any cookies in the jar for me to steal?" He calls stepping inside.

He can hear, Debra, his mom shriek, "Jedediah! You didn't tell me you were coming home," she says, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Those things are called surprises mom."

She laughs, but it stops short when her gaze settles on his wrist, "What did you do?"

He sighs, "Shattered my wrist and bruised or cracked my rib, I can't remember."

"You shattered you wrist?" She shrieks her voice cracking as involuntary tears threaten to spill over and down her cheeks.

He pulls her to his chest, "I'm fine mom, I promise."

She nods and wraps her arms around the son that used to be short enough to wrap his arms around her legs and trip her up, but now he is towering over him at his six foot height, "There are peanut butter ones in the jar."

He smiles and heads to the circular, cat decorated kitchen grabbing a handful of cookies from the heavy glass cookie jar. Grinning he sneaks down the simple hall of the farm house he grew up in to the room he had shared with his three brothers. He drops his bag at the foot of the twin bed he slept in for 12 years of his life. Nothing had changed, the curtains were still the faded floral pattern, the dressers still lined up on the wall opposite the beds, and the closet door was ajar because of the bent hinges, just as it always had been. The sight makes him smile, much like himself his mom had never liked change.

He heads back to the kitchen where he grabs another handful of cookies. Sneaking out of the house to seek safety from the broom that always came when you got too many cookies he heads back to the shop. Upon entering his eyes adjust to the light and take in the things around him. Again, he finds things the same as they always have been.

"So how long are you gonna get to stay?" Joseph's southern drawl asks from behind a rickety table.

Jedediah shrugs, "I don't know, Ken doesn't care as long as I am out of his hair."

"When does the cast come off?"

"I go back in a week," he tells him pickup a leather edging tool. Silence falls between them with only the light breeze and leather rubbing against itself to be heard. He picks up a worn piece of leather and runs his fingers over the long strip. He smiles and stretches it out until it becomes taught, then his mind slips back to being a little kid.

"Keven! You can't do that," Jo, one of Jedediah's older cousins yells at yet another cousin.

Keven runs away sticking his tongue out as he does. Jedediah sits in the tree holding a piece of leather that makes a whole circle and a half around his bean pole waist. He glances up at his cousins as they chase each other around the yard trying to get the football. All three of them have their own belt that they made themselves, but he just couldn't get the holes in the right spot so that it would be tight enough without it being too tight.

"Hey Jedi!" Steven, the oldest cousin calls up the tree, "What you mad about?"

Jedediah straightens his back, "I ain't mad about nothin'," he calls down.

"I can help you get that belt to fit."

Jedediah mulls the idea over, but is just too proud to admit that he wants his cousin's help. Instead of seeking help he climbs down from the tree and heads to the barn, pulling on his too big jeans all the way.

Jedediah shakes his head and sighs, "I have always been too proud to listen to anyone let alone allow them to teach me anything. It's amazing that I know how to drive properly," he mumbles.

His mind slips to thoughts of Aubrey, Cole and everything that has happened. When he finally pulls himself from the dream land he finds he is no longer in the shop, but his feet have taken him into the yard and out to the old tree. He smiles and climbs up using the same old branches that he had as an eight year old boy.
***
Aubrey stirs the meat she has on to cook before glancing into the living room at the three boys playing. They have the metal trucks and trailers out and loaded down with toy hay bails, cattle, horses and even fake feed sacks. Her mind once again drifts to Jedediah and what he used to play as a kid.

"Momma, can you hold me?" Cole asks standing in front of her holding his arms out. She smiles and lifts him into her arms placing a kiss on his forehead. He lays his head on her shoulder and nestles closer to her causing her smile to broaden.

She kisses the top of his head, "I love you sweet boy."

Before long Cole has fallen asleep on her shoulder and Markus and Jakeston aren't far from napping themselves. She puts them to bed for their morning nap while she prepares lunch for when they wake up. While the Shepard's pie bakes in the oven she settles into a chair with a book.

Halfway through the chapter she was reading her phone rings.

A/N
Hey guys I am so sorry that I didn't update last week! Last week was super busy for me. Anyway hope you enjoyed.