A lifetime ago

Jared's hot skin felt as if it were being touched by a cool spring rain. His face automatically turns slightly, following the light sensation. Hearing Grace's voice, a faint smile shows itself. "I'd know your touch... anywhere." His voice was almost a whisper, forced through feverish exhaustion.

His eyes crack open slightly, just enough to make out her blurry form."It's different... than anyone else's." His fingers curl around hers weakly. "You're gonna... gonna get tired of... seeing me like such a mess."

Tal tries to ignore the other people in the park, inwardly rolling his eyes at the coincidence. Alec sure had a knack for showing up at the worst times. It wouldn't be so bad, but when Ryan looks at him, though her mouth was smiling, something in her eyes wasn't. And all it did was irritate him. 

He forces his own smile though and takes a sip of lemonade before chuckling. "Mm... sounds like a good idea to me." His cheeks redden slightly, but his eyes twinkle with humor. "Might as well take advantage of him being gone." 

"Hey..." Eli's growl from his throat was low as he looks over at them. "I have eyes everywhere. Even when I'm gone... I still know everything."

Tal snickers. "I knew you had hidden cameras. I just knew it." 

Eli grins and flips over a hamburger, really not bothered at all by the thought of Tal spending even more time with Ryan. If there was ever a man he trusted with his sister, it was Tal. Slipping his arm across Scarlet's waist, he pulls her closer, still grinning. "I guess I'm gonna have enough to think about without worrying about these two back here..." 

"How's the restaurant going?"

 Carson thinks as he chews his hamburger. "It's going alright. A little slow at the moment, but I expect things will pick up again."

Ken nods thoughtfully as he watches Mackenzie sitting next to her biological father, and wondering at the girl's drive to spend time with him. She'd stopped her constant begging to see Carson lately, but it was obvious that today she was enjoying his company immensely. Even Carson seemed to be doing a little better as far as interaction went. He still seemed a bit awkward around his daughter, but maybe Justin was right... maybe the man really was trying to get his life straight, and, as a result, he was responding to Mackenzie better than he had before. It hadn't been easy for Ken and Jeanette to agree to this get-together today, but they trusted Justin. He'd told them how Carson's situation wasn't quite what it seemed, and Alec had proven to be trustworthy. A picnic had seemed a safe test to see how things went.

"I miss your pizza." Mackenzie nudges Carson's arm.

"Well I'm still making it." He nudges her back.

Mackenzie smirks and glances over to her mom. "Can we eat at Mom and Pop's again sometime soon?"

Jeanette grins and shakes her head. "We'll see."

Alec is the quietest, mostly just watching the others. He was more of an outsider than anyone here, but deep down inside, there was a warm feeling for being included. After his little chat with Carson, he'd talked to Justin about getting Mackenzie and Carson together again, but he really hadn't expected himself to be invited. His and Carson's relationship wasn't terrific, he knew he had yet to earn full trust of Ken and Jeanette, and Carson was still unsteady around his daughter. This whole little scene really shouldn't be happening at all... but it was... and... deep down, he liked it.

Carson had felt ill-prepared for today, but he'd agreed anyway. He wasn't sure why. But...perhaps on the sleepless nights when the only thing his heart felt was desperate loneliness and grief for what he had lost, he had realized just how many things he'd taken for granted - Mackenzie included. He still wasn't sure how the whole father/daughter thing was supposed to work, and her affection still made him feel a bit awkward but... in a way, her desire to be with him was a little ray of light in hid world which had become so dark lately. And Alec... well... maybe he was starting to see the value in his brother as well. At least in a way he had a very small connection to Misty through him.

The little picnic couldn't last too long, and soon the group was parting near the cars in the gravel lot.

"Bye, Alec." Mackenzie gives him a hug, giggling when he tickles her on the ribs. "See you soon."

"You betcha, Blondie."

She scrunches up her nose to smirk at him, but her grin proved she didn't mind the nickname. Moving to Carson, she hugged him extra tight, seemingly unwilling to let go. Carson put a little more effort than usual into returning the hug, hoping to reassure the girl that he was still here and wasn't going anywhere. No...no, he wasn't going anywhere. "Hey..." He coaxes her back a little so he could look down at her face. And for the first time, he saw himself in her eyes. And it brings a small smile to his lips. "You behave yourself, alright?"

"Yeah, okay." Mackenzie shrugs. "Will I get to see you again?"

"Mm... well, that'd be up to your parents." He glances over to Ken and Jeanette. "You just keep on trusting them and listening to what they say, 'cause they love you and only want to do what's best for you."

Mackenzie sighs and finally lets him go. "Bye."

Within minutes, Carson and Alec stood alone, watching the car drive away. It was Carson who sighs first. "Thanks, Alec."

"Huh? For what?"

"For instigating this."

"Oh." Alec shrugs. "I sorta had fun I guess."

"Yeah... me too, I guess."

Soon it was just Alec standing alone. He'd parked on the other side of the park, and slowly makes his way to his motorcycle. As he walks through the grass, his eyes glance back over to the other group. But all it did was send that all-too familiar pain through his heart again. He missed Ryan. He even missed Eli. He missed being a part of their family. Their friends. He missed the experience of hanging out with them and having fun. 

Swallowing hard, he pulls his eyes away and continues to his bike. All of that... was a lifetime ago.

After Katie's initial comment, Jason was even less glad he was on this job. No, he and Katie weren't yelling at each other all time, or any of the time. They were very civil and as far as he was concerned, they were getting along quite well after everything that had happened. But she obviously didn't want to be here either, and it just made the atmosphere worse.

When she presents the Mountain Dew though, Jason's lips act faster than his brain as they smile. He rolls his eyes but accepts the drink. "You always did think of everything, didn't you?" Opening the bottle, he takes a swig and nods. "Thanks."

A moment or two later, he can't help a laugh. "Here we are, both wishing we were somewhere else. Doesn't seem like all that long ago we would have begged to be on a stakeout together." He dares a glance at Katie, giving her a sorry sort of smile. "But I guess when you can't go back... all you've got is the future, huh?"

His heart hurt. More than he'd like to admit. He had a good thing going with Misty, no doubt, and he was certainly happy with her. But he'd been with Katie for so long and been so close to her, that being at odds with her still stung. And yet... he knew that this tension couldn't go on forever. At least he didn't want it to. There was no point.

Lifting his bottle of Mountain Dew, he offers her a toast. "To the future. And to us... wherever our paths take us."

"There. Nobody will recognize you."

Dylan smirks at Eric as he brushes some stray pieces of hair from his shirt. "It wasn't that bad."

Eric grins and checks himself in a mirror, running a hand through his newly-cut hair. "Not if you like being a caveman."

"Shut up." Dylan gives Eric's arm a shove, though a grin sits just below the surface. "Besides, you should talk. You know Jeff's gonna say you didn't get enough cut off."

"He's just jealous of my naturally gorgeous locks."

Dylan rolls his eyes. "Right."

Eric just laughs and aims for the barbershop door. "Come on. The girls said they'd meet us next door for lunch."

It really was shaping up to be a fun day in town. Plans had changed somewhat, so they could be sure and be back to the ranch in time for supper and a little party for Wes. Eric had wondered if they should even come to town at all, but he didn't know what time Wes and Cindy would even come to the ranch, and he figured they would have enough attention the way it was. So the foursome had come into town as planned - just a little earlier, and it would be lunch together rather than dinner.

"Ah. There they are." Eric opens the family diner door for Dylan before following him inside and to where Stacy and Ashlee were waiting. "Well, ladies... what do you think? Do we pass the handsome inspection?"

Dylan gives him an elbow to the ribs, while his face turns a little red.

"I'm always ready, as long as you're by my side." Cindy smiles up at Wes, knowing he was nervous. She couldn't blame him. After all, he'd been gone for so long, and much of the time, thought to be dead. It was strange for the others, and strange for him too. But she knew that everyone would be so very happy to see him, that the awkwardness wouldn't last long. 

She squeezes his hand and starts forward. "Come on. If we don't go soon, your brothers will probably come throttle you for making them wait so long." 

They could have driven, but the walk was too nice today. Sunshine and a warm breeze made for lovely walking weather, and Cindy couldn't remember a walk she'd enjoyed more. When they finally reach the ranch yard, she stops and scans the area to see everything alive with activity. 

It was Mick who spots them first. Having just come from the barn, he stops and stares for a moment, his heart flooding with so many emotions. There was his brother. The man they thought would never return to them. Who they had accepted as dead and tried to move on. There he was, standing with Cindy, very much alive. 

Keeping himself from running, he approaches them while taking off his gloves. His smile though, couldn't be hidden. Stopping in front of them, he looks to Cindy first with a nod, then finally to his brother, locking eyes with him. "You sure know how give a person a shock, you know that?" Unable to contain himself any longer, he reaches out and pulls Wes into a strong hug as tears fill his eyes. "Man, it's good to see you."