Offer

Jason watches BJ run back to his friends, and watches him for several more minutes. He sighs deeply and leans his head back against the barn wall, with no gumption to get up. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulls out his wallet and runs his fingers along the words on the back. "Friendship is what binds us." It was the truth...Jason had been stupid multiple times, but somehow Katie had stuck with him, their friendship seeing them through. He needed her...and recently he'd seen that she'd needed him too. They were close...they had an unexplainable bond. Was that just the way it was supposed to be?
Jason thinks back over his conversation with Austin. Why change anything now? Why worry about the future? Jason knew he had feelings for Katie somewhere...but was it the right time to let them out? He closes his eyes for a moment, purposely letting his emotions run completely wild. Please understand why I left, Katie...I'll be back when I figure things out...I promise...



Kyle throws Katie a smirk. "Hey now, I can remember things when I want. It's just more fun not to sometimes." He grins. "You're right about that nurse though...but I think she'll end up giving herself a nervous breakdown as much of a sourpuss she is."

"Kyle!" Jen chides.

"What?" Kyle gives the look of innocence. "Just pointing out the obvious."

He lifts a silly eyebrow at Katie's reference to her appearance. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you look like pretty crap."

"Kyle!" Jen puts a hand over her eyes for a moment, shaking her head, but laughs at Katie's comment. "You're right. They never think about us, do they?"

Kyle pushes Jen closer to Katie's bed. For just a moment, he pauses as he notices Katie's bloodshot eyes. He cocks his head a little with a look of question, but moves on instead. "Katie, I'd like to introduce you to my little sister, Jen."

Jen rolls her eyes. "He's born five minutes before me and thinks that gives him the right to call me his 'little' sister." A grin forms. "Nice to meet you, Katie. Kyle was just telling me how he and the guys stopped by earlier. I hope they didn't cause too much trouble."

"Never!" Kyle mockingly defends with shock. "We were pure gentlemen."

"Uh-huh." Jen shakes her head, then looks back to Katie. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I can't shake hands too well right now myself. But we're working on that."

"Jen was a gymnast," Kyle explains. "About two years ago a faulty high beam gave way."

"Put a whole new meaning to the word 'tumble,'" Jen states ruefully. "I ended up in the hospital with the prognosis that I'd never walk again."

"Yeah, but guess what?" Pride shines in Kyle's eyes. "She walked ten steps just yesterday."

Jen can't help an almost-shy smile. "I'll never be a gymnast again, but just to walk...." She cocks her head at Katie. "You're not alone. I know how it feels. The one thing I didn't have when I was in that hospital bed though, was someone who understood, and I think that was the toughest part for me." She shrugs. "If you ever wanna talk or anything, just let me know."

"Now about that picture," Kyle interrupts, going for Katie's drawing again. "I know you're extremely busy right now..." He gives her a sidelong glance with a quirky grin. "...but if you could make another one of these with just a bit bolder colors, and then put our name at the top, sorta arched like..." He gestures on the paper. "That would be awesome. And of course, we'd pay you for your time."

Jen looks at him with question. "What's it for, Kyle?"

"Promo poster."

"What about the one you made?"

"What one?"

"The one you spent all last Saturday making."

"Oh that one." Kyle continues to study Katie's drawing. "I didn't like it."

Jen raises her eyebrows. "You said you loved it."

"I lied."

"You..."

Kyle throws his sister a warning glance, contrasting the spark in his eye. "This, on the other hand... is a work of art." He holds it up to the light and grins at Katie. "Oh, and by the way, the guys and I wondered if you'd like to go for an outing tomorrow afternoon to the lakeside beach."

"Kyle, you're gonna scare the poor girl," Jen exclaims. She looks at Katie with apology. "My brother can be a little forward sometimes. He doesn't realize that the three of them could scare anybody away just by walking into a room together."

Kyle grimaces. "Hey now." He shrugs, trying to explain himself to Katie. "See after that happened with Jen, JetStream started a little fund we call the sunshine project...we can't get everywhere, but we don't like to pass up an opportunity to help lift somebody's spirits." Again he sees the emotion being suppressed behind Katie's eyes. "I know you hardly know us, but if you want to call Jason, I know he'd vouch for us, and we'll bring Jen along too."

"Of course," Jen adds quickly with sarcasm. "I wouldn't let you three go wandering off by yourselves. You might get lost like you did in Colorado last year."

"I can't help it that the map was upside down!"