Greetings

Jason would like to tell Katie it was more than alright, and quite frankly, he'd like it if she came along with him to begin with. But...he knew she was here for her own family too...and he didn't want to pull her away from that.

Thanks, Hero.

A part of him wants to hug her...she looked so lost... he felt so lost... but she's already on her way. Instead, he simply doesn't let her hand go, and walks with her up the driveway.

Getting into the ranchyard, Jason changes his mind about staying here for a while. He would see Austin and everyone else later or tomorrow. Glancing around, he doesn't see anybody closeby, so he opts to just go ahead and head for the house.

Turning to Katie, he gives a nod. "I'll catch you later. If you need anything..." He lets the sentence hang. He knew that she knew the rest. Aiming for the lane, he heads off before anyone can stop him. Maybe the walk would do him good anyway...clear his mind a little.



The mess hall is alive as always this time of the evening. Dishes clatter, voices echo and laughter rings. Suppertime was always the ranch fellowship time. It was like this year round... but especially now when the visiting season was over, just having the close-knit family and friends...it made it seems just a little extra special.

Jeff is the first to glance out the window and see the two newcomers. A smile creases his lips. Seeing Jason part from Katie, he quietly gets up from his seat without announcing it to anyone else. Slipping outside, he steps down off the porch, hooking his hands in his pockets. He hadn't put a jacket on and it was chilly, but he didn't mind. He cocks his head and gives Katie a warm smile. "Welcome home, Katie."



Jason wanders up the driveway and to the front door, a slight lump rising in his throat. His pulse quickened just a little. His emotional state felt like a jar trying to contain fireworks. Taking a deep breath, he pushes it all aside, and stands a little taller before ringing the doorbell.

Cindy almost drops the plate before setting it onto the dining room table, squealing with delight. She almost runs into Wes in her excitement. Hurrying to the door, she throws it open and just looks up at her son for several moments, her smile widening from ear to ear. "Jason."

He can't help but return a crooked smile. "Mom."

Cindy can't wait any longer and throws her arms around him. "Oh, Jason, I'm so glad you finally came!"

Jason returns the hug, feeling just a bit of guilt creeping up on him for waiting so long.

Cindy withdraws and looks at him again for a few more seconds, her eyes dancing. "You alone?"

"Um...yeah."

"You never did say if Camryn would be coming or not, so I didn't plan on..."

"It's okay," Jason interrupts, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's just me."

Cindy gives a sigh, then suddenly realizes she's still standing in the door. "Oh, come in. Put your bag down, and we're just getting ready for supper." She stops, her eyes widening. "And it's going to burn if I don't take it out of the oven!"

Jason grins and shakes his head. It had been a long time since he'd seen his mom like this. Stepping inside, he sets his backpack down and looks around for a moment. It felt strange...this was his family's home...but not his home...but sort of...

Turning around, he sees that Wes is in the dining room, and slowly enters, again, unsure of himself. He'd thought he'd gotten over this awkwardness before, but... maybe it was all the secrets he'd been keeping that made it worse. "Hey, Wes."