Dinner conversation was light mostly Papa just talking to my brothers and getting to know them. I just sat there picking at my food in deep thought, my life was changing so much and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. My mother had just passed away and although she wasn't even a decent human she was the only family I thought I had. But now I had seven brothers, that was crazy. My Mom always said that my Dad was an asshole who overdosed when I was young. I mean I didn't think it was that hard to believe my Mom was a drug addict and drunk. But she never once said I had brothers and they looked very well put together. I mean they were dressed in suits and rented the best car. But what if they were just as bad as Mom, would they hurt me just like she did? I couldn't seem to wrap my head around it.
"Kat honey are you okay? You've barely touched your food." Momma said giving me a solemn look.
"Yeah, I am just not very hungry." I looked down at my plate, I had probably only eaten like a quarter of what was on it. "May I be excused?"
"You have hardly eaten Katherine," Pa said and I nodded.
"It's been a long day."
He paused as if he was thinking long and hard. "You may be excused."
"Thank you," I said getting up and grabbing my plate. I walked into the kitchen dumped the food into the trash, rinsed off my plate then put it into the dishwasher. I then headed up to my room to get clothes ready so I could shower.
The hot steamy water hitting my back did wonders. I didn't realize how tense I was until the hot water helped my body relax. However, it did nothing to help my swirling thoughts. How was life going to be now? How was I going to live without Jaz and Jason minutes away? We had so many plans for high school and growing up. Now I wouldn't go to school with them and spend the summer with them.
After my shower, I went to Jaz's room to find her sitting on her bed texting. "Hey, you doing okay?"
"Yeah just taking in too much. I am a little overwhelmed." I sighed flopping down on the bed.
"Well, sleep well, Momma still wants to go to church tomorrow so we better go to bed now." She sighed flipping off the light and laying down next to me.
"Night Jaz," I said staring into the darkness.
"Good night Kat." She rolled over on her side and it wasn't long before I heard her slightly snore.
I tried to fall asleep but my mind wasn't that kind to me. I closed my eyes but sleep seemed a million miles away. I sighed looking at my phone to see it was eleven thirty at night. I got up and headed downstairs to get a glass of water, not like I was going to sleep anytime soon. As I made it downstairs I noticed that the living room light was on. I wonder who was up at this time. I started to head toward the living room when I heard their voices.
"She seems like a very well-mannered girl." I heard Bruce say causing me to stop on the outside of the entryway standing up against the wall.
"She's a good kid, always has been for everything she has lived through," Pa answered.
"What do you mean?" Ben asked.
"I don't mean to offend you two but your mother was not a great woman. She was an addict and a drunk and didn't treat Kat well. She wasn't really a mother."
"She was like that when we were younger. Our Dad tried many times to sober her up but it never worked." Ben replied.
"Can I ask why Kat ended up with your mother?" Pa asked.
I heard Ben sigh and pause for a moment. "She left in the middle of the night and took Kat with her. When our Dad finally found her five years later our mother told him Kat had died in a car wreck. She even had a death certificate that I now assume was foraged. We were all so heartbroken Kat was so important to all of us being the only girl made us all head over heels for her. We wanted to protect her and couldn't."
"Well, you are in her life now, you can make up for what she lost," Pa said.
"So this rodeo do you think we should stay?" Bruce asked and I held my breath. Please please please let them let me go.
"It depends," Pa said making me pout a little. That didn't sound like a yes.
"Oh, what?"
"Can you afford to stay a few days more?"
"We can work from here." Ben paused "You do have wifi right?"
Pa chuckled. "This is a ranch, not the past, of course, we have wifi. As for the rodeo, I think it would help. It gives you all a few more days with Kat in a familiar environment to get to know her. Plus Kat needs a fun and relaxing weekend after everything she has been through." I sighed in relief hearing his answer.
"Then we will stay, anything to make Kat happy," Ben stated.
"Well, boys we should all head to bed. The Mrs. Will be getting everyone up early to go to church." My heart skipped a beat as my brothers said night. I quickly ran back up the stairs and into Jaz's room and lay down in bed. Maybe my brothers weren't so bad after all.
The next morning and Jaz's alarms went off on our phones at the same time. I groaned hitting my phone and turning the alarm off. I am sure I had only gotten an hour or two of sleep.
"Time to get up for church." Jaz yawned as she stretched.
"Don't remind me." I groaned getting up heading straight to the bathroom. Just as I was about to go in Jason slide in like a lighten bolt and shut the door. "JASON!!! I was going in there."
"To bad so sad got to be faster than that!" He yelled through the door. "Go downstairs if you want to. I am taking a shower."
"Asshole!" I growled but in a lower voice so Momma or Pa wouldn't hear.
"Heard that!" Jason yelled through the door.
"You were meant to!" I sighed rolling my eyes.
"I heard it too. However I don't think I was meant to." I heard a stone cold voice from behind me say. I slowly turned around to see Bruce already dressed, arms crossed and a stern look on his face.
I took a big gulp giving him a sheepish smile. "I am sorry." I paused as he stared me down. "Good morning, you seem to be ready early."
"I am, Laura told us yesterday that we need to be up by now." He paused and sighed. "Listen Kat we don't do cussing especially Ben. That being said I am going to give you this one and only warning. I don't want to hear words like that come out of your mouth again. Understand?"
I looked at my feet and nodded. "Yes sir. I am sorry."
"Good now go get ready before Mr. and Mrs. Smith get upset." He said as he turned to walked down the stairs. I looked at the bathroom door hearing the shower knowing that Jason would take forever so I just headed downstairs. As I got to the bathroom Ben walked out of his room fully dressed.
"Good morning Kat. Your not ready yet?" He said narrowing his eyebrows.
"Yeah, we don't leave for another hour, I just got up, and Jason stole the upstairs bathroom from me. Now if you will excuse me I have to pee." I snapped turning around walking into the bathroom and shutting the door. Maybe I shouldn't have snapped like that but I was so tired. I just know if Pa heard me I would have gotten scolded. Guess its a good thing he wasn't around. I went to the bathroom and made sure to wash my face, my tooth brush was upstairs so that would have to wait. Once I was done I got out and headed back upstairs to my room to find something to wear. I picked out a light blue sundress that Momma had bought me not to long ago. I grabbed my sandals out of the closet and headed out to see Jason was finally out of the bathroom. I quickly brushed my teeth and hair pining it out of my face.
Once down stairs I grabbed a banana leaning on the counter as I waited for Jaz and Jason to finally come down.
"Hey sweetie wheres the twins and your brothers?" Pa said walking into the kitchen sitting down putting his boot on.
"Twins are still getting ready and I don't know where Bruce and Ben are." I shrugged and throw my banana peal away. Walking over to where my boots were at the back door slipping them on.
Pa shock his head. "At least I have one kid that knows how to get ready fast." he stood up and yelled up the stairs. "Jason Matthew and Jasmine Skylar hurry up and come on before your both stuck giving horses baths all day. I am sure they all could use them." I smiled glad I got ready fast enough giving a horse a bath was a big job, however we had plenty of them and doing them all would take all day, even for two people.
We heard the door opened to see Ben and Bruce walking through the front door carrying in a box of donuts. Right about then the twins ran down the stairs.
"We are here Pa please don't make us do that." Jaz whined.
"Is that donuts?" Jason said completely ignoring everyone but Ben who had the box in his hands.
"Yeah we figured everyone could us something to eat before we left." He smiled and went to the kitchen sitting the box onto the table.
"Thank you so much boys that was very nice of you." Pa said as Jaz and Jason said thanks grabbing a donut.
"Your welcome its the least we can do. You and your wife have been so welcoming." He smiled nodding at Pa then looked towards me with his face turning cold. "Katherine I would like to speak to you for a moment please." A shiver went down my spine. Why was he looking at me like that? I nodded and walked into the living room. Once in there he gently grabbed my chin turning it so I was looking at him. "Listen to me and listen well. I don't handle disrespect which is what you did earlier when you snapped at me. This will be your one and only warning little girl, you snap at me, get sassy or disrespectful again and there will be consequences. Do you understand?"
I stare at him for a minute, before this morning Pa had the scariest upset face and then I didn't think anyone could top Bruce's. However now seeing Ben's firm face they all three had their own level of scary. "Yes sir, I understand."
"Good now go eat." He said and ruffled my hair. fallowing me into the kitchen.
"Come on Kat we are waiting on you." Jaz said as she slide her boots on.
"Everything okay?" Pa asked as he leaned up against the wall looking from Ben to me.
"It's better now, thank you sir." Ben smiled grabbing a donut and handing it to me. "Is it time to go?"
"Thank you." I said heading to the door. "Not yet we have to go tend to the horses." I said taking a bite as the twins and Pa fallowed me out the door.
"Can we come?" Bruce said as him and Ben fallowed us out the door.
"Come on boys but you might get put to work." Pa laughed waving his hand for them to fallow. This will be fun..... not!
We all walked to barn immediately going to work. I started getting the food separated as Jaz filled water and Jason mucking the stalls. Pa was going to the horse that had just had her baby the other day to check on her.
"How can we help?" Ben looked at me and asked as I took the first horses food to her.
"I think we got it taken care of, just stay out of the way." I said walking away not realizing how bad I messed up. When I came back out of the tack room I saw Ben's face and knew I was in trouble. I might have been a little sassy when saying it and I could tell he wasn't happy. My mind quickly went to the moment in the living room and how fierce his eyes looked. He didn't say a word the rest of the time he just watched as the twins and I did our work. Once we finished we all headed to the cars. Momma, Pa and the twins all got in his truck however Ben said I had to go with him and Bruce. I climbed in the back seat and buckled up after that Ben then started to fallow Pa.
"Kat didn't we have a talk in the living room before going out to the barn?" His voice was like ice and it could cut though steal.
"Yes sir." I gulped as I felt my heart race.
"Then why did you turn right around and do it again?" He glared at me through the rearview mirror.
"I don't know I am sorry. I just didn't sleep well last night." I sighed looking away and down at my feet as Bruce turned around to raising his eyebrow.
"I never give a third chance but today is your lucky day Kat. I am giving you one more shot. However three strikes and your in big trouble. Understand?" Ben said as he pulled into the parking lot and put the car in park.
"Yes sir." I mumbled and slide out of the car going to the twins and fallowing them into our Sunday school. Everyone acted funny in church telling me how sorry they were and that they were praying for me. If this is how the funeral would be I didn't want to go. I sighed and powered thought the morning but it had taken a tole on me. I was so over everyone asking questions that I didn't want to answer and all the I am sorry, may God be with you in your time of need.