Page 117 of The Wayward Son

“I think she doesn’t trust herself. She’s afraid to commit openly to something for fear of it disappearing.”

“This is all way beyond me giving you brotherly advice. All I can say is, be patient and let her figure it out. She’ll come around. She’s been crushing on you since middle school.”

“So you’ve said.”

“I also think you should talk to Dad. If anyone can give you advice, it’s him.”

They camped for the night halfway to the summer pasture. They’d made good time, and if all went well tomorrow, they’d be home early Sunday. After dinner, Jake and Sawyer walked up on a nearby ridge overlooking the herd. When they came to a fallen log, Jake nodded toward it.

“Take a seat, son.” They both sat and watched the cows for a moment as they settled in for the night. “I’m glad you’re home, Sawyer. I know you had to follow your heart and do the boxing thing. But I’m glad you’re done with it. I hope you don’t regret it.”

“No, sir. Not at all. I probably should’ve done it sooner.” He smiled. “Maybe before that last fight.”

Jake laughed. “That was a rough one. I know you’re a grown man and all. But you’re still my son, and it pains me to see you hurt like that. You won’t really understand that until you have a few kids of your own. J.T. gets it now.”

“Yeah, he’s stepped right into those father boots.”

“He sure did.”

They were quiet for a few minutes, then Sawyer said, “Can I talk to you about something?”

“Anytime, son. You know that.”

He was still wearing his ball cap, and he took it off, then turned it around and put it on backwards. “Jade and I… I’m breaking a confidence here, but…”

“What is it?”

“We kind of left the whole friendship thing behind in Missoula.”

“I don’t see how that’s a problem.”

“It’s not. It’s great. I’m pretty sure I love her. She just doesn’t want anyone to know yet. And it’s getting hard for me to stick with that. As witnessed by me sitting here talking to you about it.”

Jake took a moment to respond. “You were raised in a loving home. You saw firsthand what a relationship between a man and a woman should look like. Even though we lost your mother. You were old enough to experience the love she and I shared. Jade didn’t have that. She grew up with fear and trying to survive into adulthood. Counting the days until she could get away from her father. Having you in her life, and discovering you love her and she loves you. She doesn’t know what to do with that.”

“You’d think she’d jump at the chance to experience it.”

“I’m sure she’ll be jumping in with both feet before you know it.”

Sawyer blew out a breath. “So, be patient?”

“Just love her. And give her time to figure it out.”

“I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, son.”

Sawyer sighed. “Now that I know a little bit like what it feels to love someone. I can’t even imagine how you survived losing Mom after loving her for sixteen years.”

“I nearly didn’t. The only thing that kept me going were you kids.”

“And then you found Ember.”

“Yes. I’m a lucky man.”

As he settled into his bunk under J.T., Sawyer felt slightly guilty for telling both his father and his brother about the change in his relationship with Jade. But he needed to do it. And talking it out helped him better understand why Jade was reluctant to announce their relationship to everyone. His father was right, as always. He just needed to keep loving her and make her feel secure in the fact that he did.

He went to sleep believing it would all work itself out and the world would know soon enough how he and Jade felt about each other.

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