"Something mellow, huh?" Jeff muses.
"Hey now." Hunter nudges Katie's shin under the table. "Mellow? What, you think I can't handle any real work?"
Jeff chuckles, shaking his head. "I think she's just trying to be nice."
"Well..." Hunter smirks at her anyway before thumping her on the side of the head. "She's not supposed to be nice. She's supposed to say, 'Here, Hunter, earn your keep!'"
Jeff just grins and finishes his small bowl of chili. "Don't worry. We'll give you plenty to do if you insist on it."
"I do. If I'm here as Katie's guest then it's the least I can do."
"I'm sure she'll rope you into a few horseback rides though - you better not say no to those."
Hunter laughs. "You kidding? I can hardly say no to anything she asks."
"That seems to be a common thread around here..." Jeff throws Katie a loving wink. It was true though - his daughter was respected and loved and there was rarely a person who knew her well that could say no to any request. "Well... I'd better get back out to the barn..." As Jeff stands, he catches himself on the back of his chair, feeling a little dizzy. He ignores it though, shaking it off. "Gotta finish up that last stall I started." He nods to Hunter. "Glad you came, Hunter..." He turns his sights to Katie. "And I'll see ya later. Maybe we'll have to have an UNO game tonight."
After rescuing Melissa from the tiny spider in the bathroom and chiding Josh for making fun of her, Jay retreats to his and Jessica's bedroom. Wandering to their dresser by the window, he picks up the dusty picture frame and wipes it off with his shirt. Leaning on the dresser, he studies all the young faces staring back at him. It wasn't just two families that happened to be friends... they'd formed their own clan. The Hensons and Pents overlapped as if they were all one family, not two. And now that Mick and Rosetta were married, it connected them in even more ways.
He runs his finger over the faces. So young. So stressed from the Agency. But so happy. He stood on the end next to Jeff... it seemed appropriate. He was always on the outskirts. Never in the middle. Never involved in the battles or daily trials of living with Agency interference. It had always been that way. Jay had involved himself from time to time, helping at certain points when needed... and he'd still run if called. But as a general rule, he avoided the clan altogether. And he'd been left in peace because of it. He had spared his family the trials and fears. He had spared them tragedy and torture.
And yet...
Sighing, he returns the photo to its place. Not a day went by that he didn't feel guilty. He felt a coward. A traitor to his family's name. He'd had a different life than the others. A different path. Different choices. But he was still a Pent. He was still a marked man for the Agency, whether he was under their thumb or not. And he was ignoring his family. His kids and wife were safe... but at what cost? All these years, Jay was just waiting for something to happen. For the Agency to attack, despite his efforts to avoid them. So if he was living in fear anyway, what had really been solved?
And he missed his siblings like no tomorrow. Every day it grew worse. The older he became, the more he longed to see his brothers and sister. Was he wasting time? Was he really sacrificing the right things to keep his wife and kids sheltered? Was it really the right choice? Or was there a way to have the best of both worlds? He wondered.
"Jay?"
Turning quickly, he's startled by Jessica's presence in the room. "Huh?"
She smiles but looks at him with a little worry. "I've been calling you... are you okay?"
"Oh yeah... yeah..." Walking up to her, he wraps his arms around her and kisses the top of her head. "I'm okay."
Jessica leans into him, resting her head on his chest. "You sure? Is everything okay with Rosetta?"
"Mm-hmm... She's worried about Jeff. I guess that spat I had with him didn't wear off and he's upset. I need to make it right with him."
Pulling back a little, Jessica looks up at him with sympathy. "Why don't you go to the ranch?"
"You know my reasons."
Jessica reaches up to place her palm on his cheek lovingly. "But it's killing you not to go."
"But it's safer."
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