Page 5 of Secret Baby at Mountain Creek Ranch
When I finally sat down with the family and told them everything, there was a mix of reactions—excited, surprised, and cautious, to name a few. I couldn’t blame them for the mix. For so long, my family had a specific idea of who I was, and in one declaration of, “I’m a father,” it all changed.
I’m sitting on the front porch of the house with a cup of coffee, waiting for Tris and Sam to arrive. It's only been a few days since I last saw them, but I was already missing them.
I missed listening to Sam’s long-winded retellings of his favorite episodes of Horsey Heros. I loved how sometimes he'd get jumbled and jump around from scene to scene he could remember, and nothing would make sense. But the smile on his face when he did it was worth everything to me. I missed the secret looks between Tris and me when he did this, without needing to say a word to one another but knowing that she felt the same way I did.
I've never felt a connection with someone the way I feel one with her. Sam is the unbreakable bond between us. Whatever may come between us, we will always be uniquely connected.
A flash of silver down the drive lets me know they are finally here. I stand up and walk down the steps to greet them. I can see Sam practically bouncing in the backseat, eager to get out. I open the back door and help him with his seatbelt buckle.
"Jamie, I saw so many horses!" Sam says as I pull him out and into my arms.
“Every time we passed a horse grazing in a field, he’d yell your name and think that we were close,” Tris says.
“So, I guess you are excited to see the horses, huh buddy?” I ask. Sam smiles widely and nods his head vigorously. "Well, first, I'm going to take you back to the cabin where we are all staying. Then after lunch, we can see the horses. How does that sound?"
"Yes!" Sam yells, and Tris smiles.
4
TRIS
When Jameson mentioned his cabin, I didn't think it would be much to it. But when we drive back into the ranch property on a small dirt road, I'm surprised to find what looks like more of a small house instead.
It sits near a cluster of trees by the river. I’d mentioned my concern to Jameson about being so close to the water when he first mentioned it. But he assured me that the current by his cabin wasn’t strong enough to pull anyone away. Besides, I made sure that Sam was in swimming lessons since he was three. He knows a lot about water safety and how to swim, at least.
“Are you guys ready for a tour?” Jameson asks.
Sam bounds up the steps and lets himself in like he already owns the place.
“I guess someone is ready.” I chuckle.
I follow Jameson up the steps, and he holds open the door for me. The scent of cedar is strong when you step in, but it's nice. I've only ever lived in the city, so this cabin is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
The layout inside is very open concept, so the kitchen, dining area, and living room are in one large room. There are two doors on the back wall and a metal circular staircase that leads up to what looks like a loft.
“This door leads to my bedroom, where you will be staying,” he says, setting down my suitcase on the neatly made king-size bed.
I must not hide the surprise on my face very well because he quickly amends. “I will be on the pull-out sofa.”
“I more than happy to take the sofa.” I shrug. “That’s what I’ve been living on at my sister’s apartment.”
Jameson looks affronted that I would even suggest it. “I’m more than capable and willing to sleep on the sofa. I want you to feel at home, to have your own space here.”
This small bit of kindness is more than I've received from anyone besides Tara in a long time. A flicker of what I saw in Jameson that night so many years ago lights in my chest. But I know that I can't let it be anything more. He's only doing this for Sam. I will not allow myself to read into this any more than it is.
“Thank you.”
He smiles at me and steps back out into the living room. I follow, and we both watch Sam climbing up the circular staircase with a big smile on his face.
"It used to be just a ladder, but I didn't want him to fall, so my brothers helped me put the stairs in a few days ago," he says to me and then calls out to Sam. "Hey buddy, if you go all the way to the top, you're going to find your room."
“I get my own room?” Sam shouts and stomps up the remaining steps. The metal reverberates with each footfall. "Racecar bed! Mom, look!”
I turn to Jameson. “You didn’t.”
He smiles back at me. "I did. The salesman only had to suggest it, and I knew that he would love it."
The sound of a little hand banging on a plastic car horntoot toots.
