Page 43 of Their Little Foursome

“Believe me, your Little boy won’t leave the grounds. Blake’s a good kid. From what Derek told me, he just needed some alone time to gather his thoughts.”

Gordon thanked him and then he and Jared sat silently, looking around and waiting.

Gordon discovered that while he had the patience to wait out any reluctant witness sitting on the stand, when it came to his Little boy, his patience was about as long as his thumbnail.

“This isn’t working,” he said as he climbed out of the cart. “If Blake was heading this way, he’d have been here by now. That boy’s already proven he can cover long distances pretty damn quickly. Hell, he walked across at least three states to get to this Ranch.”

“Okay, then what do you suggest?” Jared asked.

Gordon took his time answering, his head on a swivel as he looked in all directions. When his eyes returned to the woods, he nodded. “I’m going after him, in there.”

His friend didn’t question his decision. He simply nodded. “Take the radio. If you don’t find him, call and we’ll think of another plan.”

“Won’t need another plan. He’s in the woods. I can feel it.”

Jared nodded. “Then I guess that’s where you’d better go find your boy. I just hope his little hike has given him enough time to recognize the gift you are offering him.”

“Finding him and helping him realize he’s an integral member of our family will be the true gift. I’m not going to force him to accept me as his Daddy, he doesn’t really know me?—”

“Don’t sell yourself short and trust me. That boy knows more than you realize. You’re the exact person both those Littles need as their Daddy. Between you and Beverly, they will not only truly heal from the hell you’ve all walked through, they will have the family they deserve. You’ve come much further than I’d ever dreamed. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

Words failed him. Jared had seen him through a lot of tough times and now it was time Gordon stepped up to become the mentor, the guide Blake needed. Praying Blake would accept at least that, he lifted his hand in a wave as he headed for the tree line.

Gordon arrived at the woods after a few minutes’ brisk walk and paused for a moment before he entered. Though he hadn’t expected it, Gordon began to understand why Blake might have sought the solitude of the woods. There was a calmness to the place that would be a balm on anyone’s soul as they were forced to slow down their walk, to look where they were stepping. In doing each of those things, the outside noises and distractions faded away. As he walked, Gordon reflected on how Blake had looked the first time he’d found him in the woods. His face hadbeen dirty except for the tracks his tears had made, yet the boy’s eyes had shone with pure joy at discovering Lori had survived.

His eyes hadn’t contained anything even close to joy after learning the men responsible had been sentenced. Oh, there had been a brief moment when a flare of relief had been seen, but what Gordon now considered had been the expression on Blake’s face when he’d learned the anger he’d harbored for years had been unjust. The look was one he saw in the eyes of another Little when she knew she’d done something wrong. It was the look of guilt.

Had Blake run because he didn’t want to be in a family that Gordon realized had basically been thrust on him without his input, or had he run because he felt guilty for having walked away from that courtroom and his life without waiting for the rest of the story to play out? It might not appear to be different to other people, but Gordon knew the reason mattered to Blake and that meant it mattered to him.

He'd become aware of another’s presence though not visually at first. The sound of someone talking is what drew him closer until he could easily hear what was being said. Gordon didn’t immediately make his presence known. Satisfied that Blake looked unhurt, Gordon stood and simply listened as his Little boy carried on what appeared to be a one-sided conversation. The mention of being hungry made him smile. Weren’t all young men constantly hungry? Though Blake had left his teens behind several years earlier, his thin frame needed a lot of calories to keep up with his physical activities. Especially if he took a lot of long walkabouts.

The mention of not only Derek, but Beverly’s response when they got hold of the Little let Gordon know Blake understood he wasn’t going to get away with going AWOL. But hearing his own name mentioned…andit being mentioned by a title and not his given name, eased the worry Blake didn’t want him in his life.

But it was the mention of Lori and sharing their Mommy and Daddy as siblings do, that sealed the deal. When Blake mentioned how he’d blown his opportunity to have a real family, Gordon took action.

Stepping out from the tree’s shadow, he said, “Notcould have, Blake, youdohave a real family.”

He wasn’t surprised to see Blake startle. After all, he’d sought these woods to be alone. But what Gordon hadn’t expected was for the Little to start crying. No, not crying. Blake was sobbing so hard he was shaking like the leaves in the trees. It took Gordon a dozen steps to reach him, a second to scoop him up in his arms, and another to take his place on the boulder and settle Blake in his lap. He didn’t speak, just wrapped his arms around his precious boy and held him, rocking him gently as Blake’s sobs purged the emotional baggage he’d carried all the way from Texas to Montana years earlier and only unpacked an hour or so ago when learning the truth of how justice had won after all.

The front of Gordon’s shirt was soaked through by the time the choking sobs that wracked Blake’s body began to ease. Tears still fell, but Blake’s body stopped quaking as he pressed his face into Gordon’s neck. As the intensity lessened, Gordon began softly assuring Blake he was all right, that everything was going to be okay. When hiccups and soft snuffles took the place of sobs, Gordon began to stroke Blake’s back as he continued to rock him gently.

“That’s my good boy, let it all out. Daddy’s got you.” He was a bit disappointed when he felt Blake’s body stiffen but when it relaxed within a few moments and Blake’s hand took a new hold of Gordon’s shirt, the disappointment evaporated.

“You will never ever have to worry about being alone again. You have Lori, your Mommy, and me to make sure you know how very much you are loved.”

“Ho-how can you… they… love me? I was bad, I-I ran away again,” Blake said against Gordon’s shirt.

Remembering Lori’s declaration she was “bad,” Gordon shook his head though Blake didn’t see it. “You aren’t bad, buddy. You ran because you were confused and scared, and if I’m guessing correctly, maybe a little angry?”

Blake didn’t answer except to squirm a bit and Gordon smiled. Squirming was a definite sign he was on the right path.

“It’s perfectly okay to be a little confused. You learned a lot of things today in a short amount of time. That’s enough to take all sorts of emotions and mix them up until you don’t know which way is up. It’s normal to get angry as well. If you didn’t care about the people who love you, you wouldn’t have all these big emotions. But that’s what families are for. We help each other unravel the big balls of confusion and work on clearing them up. I promise once you let us help you, you’re going to feel a whole lot better. That’s another thing your family is for. To hold, hug, and kiss you when you’re feeling scared or lonely or just because you look like you need a hug. There is nothing you can do that will make your family stop loving you.”

He let that sink in, knowing it was a lot for the Little to assimilate. Gordon grinned when he saw a squirrel sitting on a limb across from them. He’d swear the creature was listening just as intently as the Little he was holding.

“I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just run. I promised myself I’d never run away without letting Lori know first, then… then I did anyway.”

“But you really didn’t,” Gordon corrected, loosening his hold when Blake attempted to sit back, but making sure the Little remained right where he belonged and that was on his Daddy’s lap.

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