CHAPTER 12
“Okay,” Travis warned his father as he stood at the door to the basement, “get prepared for an onslaught.”
Sam sat in the overstuffed chair opposite the couch where Jesse sat. “Bring them on,” he said.
Jesse smiled, seeing the excitement in Sam’s eyes. He’d eaten like a proverbial horse, giving her and Travis compliments on the food and how good it tasted. She had seen from time to time confusion in Travis’s eyes. Was it because his father wasn’t being angry or grouchy? Not using him as a whipping post? She’d ask him later after Sam left.
“Here they come,” Travis warned with a grin, opening the door.
Freya and Cyrus were standing at the top of the stairs, the five pups squirming, wriggling and racing between their legs, all of them spilling into the living room.
Sam laughed, watching all five of the pups spotting him and changing their cannon-like trajectory, galloping toward him. He was new to their world and they wanted to check him out. He leaned down as the pups leaped up on his lower pant legs and boots, yipping, sniffing and frolicking playfully around his feet.
Travis smiled as he came and sat down next to Jesse on the couch, opposite Sam. She returned his smile and sat back, watching the antics of the pups with him. Clearly dogs loved this man. Cyrus came over to his master, laying down beside the chair, thumping his tail as the pups mauled him. Four of the pups delighted in leaping all over him, which he took in patient, elder stride. Freya sat close to Jesse, watching her happy brood tumble and play around Sam’s feet and rocket around Cyrus, leaping up on his back, sliding off, yipping with glee and doing it all over again.
For the next few minutes, Jesse watched Sam come alive. He would laugh, gently pick up a pup, pet it and then set it back on the rug. She noticed the only male, who had black freckles all over the top of his muzzle and was the only one with beautiful blue eyes, hang around Sam after the others left to go romp with Cyrus.
“This is a right nice pup,” Sam congratulated them, lifting him into his hands, critically studying him. He held the puppy against his chest as it snuggled into the folds between his vest and shirt.
Travis said, “He’s the only one with blue eyes, like his mother, Freya.”
Sam continued to hold the pup and support him. “His eyes are beautiful. Never seen a dog with blue eyes before.” He grinned. “I see Cyrus really likes all those kids jumping and leaping all over him.”
“It’s nice to see them playing together,” Jesse said. “Maybe you were right, he was lonely?”
“That could well be. Heck, I get lonely out there by myself, too. Why wouldn’t Cy?”
“We’re giving away the pups on December fourteenth,” Travis said. “All but the blue-eyed male pup is spoken for.”
Peering down at the pup, Sam said, “He’s the prettiest marked of all of ’em.”
“The other four are females,” Jesse said.
“He’s the only boy, huh?”
“Yeah, but he holds his own against his sisters,” Travis chuckled.
Looking down over the arm of the chair, Sam watched the puppies playing with patient Cyrus who endured them tugging on his ears, jumping on his tail and then grabbing the hair, tugging on it and leaping on his back and rolling off it like a hair slide. “I’d like to be here when you have your puppy giveaway,” he said.
“That would be fine,” Travis said.
“Absolutely,” Jesse said, giving Sam a warm look. “I’m sure you know all the people who have asked for one.”
“Who are they?” Sam asked, placing the male pup in his lap, who instantly curled up in it, content and not wanting to move.
“Joe Varner, Libby Johnson, Alex Delgado and Katie Montgomery.”
Giving them a pleased look, Sam said, “These pups will have really good homes, then. Those folks are responsible, hard-working people. I’m sure Joe will take his and train her for all the hiking and driving around he does as a fish and game agent for the state.”
“This breed is very, very physically active,” Travis said. “I think his pick will love being outdoors a lot of the time with him.”
Nodding, Sam grinned and watched the pups. After the initial play time, they all spread out in four different directions, sniffing and moving about the living room and kitchen. “Freya is a mighty purty mother. She’s had some fine lookin’ pups. Are you going to spay her, Travis?”
“Jesse and I talked about that very topic last week. Even though Freya is a top show dog in the US, we don’t want to show her. We’d like her to have a home with us. We talked with our vet, Emily Hardy, about it. She’s going to spay Freya once the puppies are relocated.”
Sam studied them for a moment, his eyes narrowing a bit. “You look like a right nice couple together, too.”
Heat hit her cheeks and she gave Travis a glance.
“In the past month, we’ve discovered a friendship with one another,” he told his father.
Jesse released her held breath. Travis seemed unruffled by Sam’s unexpected remarks. Above all, she didn’t want to let Sam know she was renting the red caboose. So much had gone right tonight and she didn’t want it spoiled with a family squabble. Sam nodded and returned his attention to the pup who was now happy to be in his lap. Cyrus slowly got up on his old bones, sniffed the pup and then licked it a couple of times.
“I think Cyrus truly loves being around the puppies,” she said.
“Yeah, I think he does, too. Maybe he’s wanting to be with his own kind. Hangin’ around me all the time is pretty stressful. With the pups around, he gets to enjoy playing with them.”
“He’s more like a doting grandfather to them,” Jesse said, smiling. “Both of you are good with animals of all kinds.”
“Sheila, when she was alive, had a cat, a canary, a tortoise, a dog, and me.”
“She loved animals?” Jesse asked.
“Yes. We were more like a zoo. I used to kid her about it, but she enjoyed teaching Kyle and Travis about them.”
“I remember,” Travis said, a fond tone in his voice. “She loved anything that had life in it.” He looked over at Jesse. “She always had a huge garden out back, would can, freeze and make huckleberry jam for all of us.”
“I’m sorry she’s gone,” Jesse murmured.
“Makes all of us,” Sam agreed. He reluctantly placed the male puppy on the floor. “Time for me to go home. It’s been a good night, son.”
Jesse saw an instant shift in Travis, feeling the huge emotional reaction to Sam calling him “son.” Travis rose and walked with his father to the door. He helped him on with the sheepskin coat and handed him his Stetson. Cyrus stood by, knowing he was going to get a ride in the truck, something he loved.
Sam placed the hat on his head. “It’s been a good day.”
“Yes, it has.”
Reaching out, Sam patted his upper arm. He lowered his voice so only Travis could hear him. “I hope you get to be more than friends with Jesse. She reminds me so much of my Sheila.”
Nodding, Travis opened the door. “We’ll see how it plays out, Sam. Thanks for dropping by.”
Travis watched his father make his way down to the truck. He opened the passenger-side door and then helped Cyrus up onto the seat. The dog’s bones were pretty stiff, like his owner’s, and he had trouble jumping anywhere at that advanced age. Sam closed the door, lifted his chin and waved his gloved hand in Travis’s direction. Almost unbelieving of the changes in his father, he waved back and then closed the door.
Jesse stood nearby, an odd expression on her face as he turned toward her. “What’s that look for?” he asked.
“You look shell shocked, Travis.”
He laughed a little and headed to the kitchen, slipping his hand into hers. “I am. I remember when I was around five and Sam used to be like this. But after my mother died, he clammed up and went away. The man I knew then, was gone. In his place, at a much later age, was this angry male who lashed out and was always raging due to his pain.”
Giving him a sympathetic look, she released his hand when he stopped at the kitchen counter. “I’m glad the old father, the good father, seems to have returned to you.”
Travis brought down two mugs. “Coffee?”
“Sure, thanks.”
After pouring it, they sat down at the kitchen table, their elbows almost touching.
“I guess I am really in shock,” he muttered. “He called me son. He’s never said that to my face since I was sixteen. After Mom died, he never called Kyle or me son.”
“The past can’t be changed, but I think it’s his way of letting you know right now that he loves you, Travis.” Reaching out, she curved her fingers over his forearm. “Sam is a proud man. I don’t know if he’ll ever apologize for what he’s put you through, but tonight shows what hydrotherapy can do for him. He’s pain free and it makes a huge difference in his life. We should understand that better than most people. We carry the pain of PTSD inside of us 24/7. We’re miserable to be around, too.”
“Yeah,” he said heavily, giving her a knowing look. “I think that coupled with getting out, being with family, and the dogs, was like a perfect storm for Sam in the best of ways. He really enjoyed himself. I haven’t seen him happy, or smiling or laughing like this since I was sixteen.”
“He had a wonderful evening. I could see the happiness in his eyes from time to time.”
“I haven’t seen that look in so long, Jesse.” Travis shook his head. “It’s like he was reborn back to his old self I remember growing up. I’m reeling from it. A part of me wants to believe what I saw, but that was only one time. I guess I’m on guard and at the same time, wanting to so badly to believe what I saw tonight. I’d like to have my ‘real’ father back in my life.”
“Let’s see if it holds?” Her fingers tightened on his arm. “If the hydrotherapy continues to give him pain-free days, it’s going to probably restore who he was before this time.” She removed her hand. “I was so drugged up to my eyeballs for months while still in the Army. The shrink gave me anti-depressants and later, anti-anxiety meds, and I felt out of body from it. Finally, one day, I threw them away and went cold turkey. At least I got my mind back and I could function once more. It took almost a month for my body to cleanse itself of all that crap. I suspect your father will need to detox and adjust to feeling better, too.”
“Jumping into a hot tub twice a day isn’t going to cause addiction, that’s for sure.” He gave her a weak smile.
“How are you feeling about Sam coming here for most of the day on the fourteenth?”
“Okay,” he said. “Especially if he keeps improving with the hydrotherapy. We’ll see if his good mood lasts or not. I hope it does for all our sakes.”
*
December 14
Jesse had put the little collars that Travis had picked up a week earlier on each of the pups that were spoken for. Four of them had a pink collar to denote they were female. The only male sported a blue collar, but he wasn’t leaving today. He would remain with Freya. She was sure the puppy would miss his siblings and Jesse felt for the rambunctious tyke. Earlier, about ten a.m., Sam had driven over. Cyrus was with him and happy to be laying near the overstuffed chair where his master was sitting and drinking coffee. Each of their friends had long ago chosen their favorite and so it became a merry-go-round of people coming and going all afternoon. The day had turned out sunny, in the forties and windy, and everyone came dressed accordingly.
She noticed that Sam truly enjoyed himself. He knew Libby, Joe, Katie and Alex. In fact, when Katie came over to get her puppy, she brought Sam his favorite, a large pumpkin latte. Jesse saw the elder tear up over her kind thoughtfulness toward him. And she’d thoughtfully brought a big Milk Bone for Cyrus, saying that coffee would stunt his growth. Everyone got a howl out of that one! Cyrus wasn’t laughing. Instead, he had that Milk Bone between his paws, chowing down on it with gusto. Katie hadn’t forgotten her or Travis either, bringing him an Americano and her favorite, a mocha latte.
Joe came over next and he had smoked salmon that he’d made as a thank you gift. He knew from speaking to Travis the other day, that Sam would be there. For Sam, receiving a gift of smoked salmon was pure heaven. It was like Christmas for him and Jesse felt good about that. The people of Hamilton were wonderful.
When Alex arrived, she had bags of baked goods with her. She knew Sam loved pastries and had a dozen in a box for him, wrapped in a bright red bow. For Travis, he liked the fruit-filled Danish. And for Jesse, Alex had brought a half-dozen chocolate éclairs. They wouldn’t freeze well and Jesse was going to be hard pressed to eat them up soon enough. She also left enough of an assortment of cookies so that everyone could partake.
Libby Johnson had to shut down the hardware store to run over and pick up her beloved new puppy. She brought a bouquet of flowers for them in way of thanks, the bright reds of roses, green spider mums and white chrysanthemums making it a holiday atmosphere. It was a warm-hearted afternoon for everyone. Travis was happy to see the pups go to homes that would love and care for them like a member of their own family. The little blue-eyed male pup had tried to climb up Sam’s leg in order to get back into his lap. Sam had leaned down, picked him up and settled him into that cozy, comfy spot he preferred. He placed a hand over him.
“Maybe I should give him a name,” Sam said to Jesse.
“Why not? He needs one.” She saw his expression soften as he slowly continued to pet the pup, studying him for a moment.
“He’s gonna be here at the cabin with Travis. Maybe I should ask him? He might already have a name picked out for him.”
Jesse hoped he wouldn’t ask where she stayed. Travis was in the kitchen making another pot of coffee now that everyone had come and gotten their puppy. “Why not ask him when he’s done?”
Sam turned his head, watching his son. “I will.”
“Do you love his blue eyes?”
“I do. Makes him look special.”
Freya came over and sat next to Jesse’s leg and she smoothed her hand along the dog’s broad skull.
Travis brought each of them a mug of fresh coffee and sat down near Jesse.
“So?” he asked his father, “I overheard you talking. Do you have a name for him?” He pointed to the puppy who was alert and sitting up, soaking in Sam’s attention. He had cupped his hands around the pup so he wouldn’t accidentally fall off his lap and tumble onto the floor.
“I’m thinking Blue would be a good name for him. It’s not a fancy name, but you have to admit, his eyes are like blue Montana sapphire gems from Phillipsburg, with sunlight comin’ through ’em.”
“I like the name,” Travis said. Glancing toward Jesse he asked, “What do you think?”
“Love the name. It’s simple and easy to remember. Blue, it is.”
Blue perked up his tiny, black pointed ears, studying them across the coffee table between them.
“He has a blue collar too,” Travis noted, laughing at the synchronicity.
“I guess you were onto something, son, whether you knew it or not.”
Jesse saw Travis’s expression soften as his father called him son once again. Did Sam realize just how important that was to him? She didn’t know. “I’d say this is a father-son mental telepathy going on between the two of you.”
Sam gave a thoughtful nod. “I like that idea.” He snuggled Blue against his chest, the puppy loving to nuzzle his head between that elk-skin vest he wore and his red and black checkered flannel shirt. “At least Freya will have company. Maybe it’s not a bad thing that no one wanted Blue.”
“He’ll have a good home with me,” Travis promised. “Like Joe, I intend to take Freya and Blue with me on some of the overnight guide trips coming up next spring. They’re outdoor dogs and they need a lot of fresh air and exercise.”
“You’re right,” Sam said. He leaned over and petted Cyrus, who was sleeping, head resting on his paws. Straightening, he said, “You know? If this hydrotherapy treatment continues, I can come back to work. Take some of the strain of demands off you.”
“That would be good,” Travis said. “I think you’re bored being home all the time.”
“Got that right. And Cy needs some exercise and likes being out in the office. He gets an awful lot of attention from our customers and he loves that.”
“Any time you want to try out a few hours at the office,” Travis said, “let me know? Right now, Jesse is coming over twice a week to work with me on inputting all the names of our clients into our new software database. It’s going to help me schedule the trips and stay in closer touch with our clients.”
“No more filing cabinets holding those one-thousand clients’ names?” Sam wondered.
“We’ll always keep those files as a backup. If we get hacked or the computer crashes, we’ll have a physical hard copy so we can move forward.”
“Good thinkin’,” Sam praised. He smiled a little at Blue, who was now hiding warmly beneath his vest. “You gonna have Freya and Blue over at the office?”
“Yes. I want to acclimate them to the public. Maybe if you drop by for a while, you can bring Cy along. It will sort of be like a doggie day care center for the three of them,” he chuckled.
Sam chuckled with him. “That sounds good. Starting after Christmas might be a good time.”
Jesse stirred. “Sam? Do you have any plans for Christmas morning breakfast? Travis and I would love to have you and Cy come over. I’m making my world-famous French toast with peanut butter and Kahlua syrup. I can guarantee you’ll love it. What do you say?”
“Sounds interesting. I never thought of those two ingredients and French toast in the same breath. I’d like that, Jesse.” He looked down at sleeping Blue whose hind end and stubby tail were all that was visible from beneath his vest. “Besides, I get to see this little guy. Cy will like seeing him again, too.”
“I would imagine,” Jesse said drily, “that Freya will be more than happy that you and Cy have come over to get Blue’s attention.”
Chuckling, Travis traded a smile with her. “We’ve found Blue is a highly curious and stubborn little cuss. He was the last one to be weaned. Freya was going nuts because he wanted milk over kibble.”
“Yeah, this pup is a little like me: bullheaded as all git out.”
“Oh, you’ve softened a little with age,” Travis teased, meeting his father’s grizzled smile.
“Most likely,” he agreed gruffly, a crooked grin spreading across his mouth.
“Why don’t you drop over around nine a.m. Christmas morning?” Travis suggested.
“I’ll do that.”
Jesse watched as Sam rose with more vitality and was glad the hydrotherapy was working so well for him. Wasn’t it a shame that the man had to suffer for decades and not one doctor recommended a hot tub or even taking a hot bath to ease his stiffened joints? At the door, Sam patted Travis’s arm and then left. When he turned around after shutting the door, there was a new tenderness in his face. Her heart swelled with joy that perhaps the father-son disconnect was dissolving and they were forging a new, positive relationship with one another.
“You know,” Travis said, sitting down next to her, “I wouldn’t have believed that a hot tub could make such a change in Sam. Whatever it is, it’s working.”
She slipped her arm around his shoulder, nestling up against him. “I think it’s wonderful. A Christmas miracle.” Travis slid his arm around her waist, his hand resting against her hip as she languished beneath it. She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder, her arm going around him. “Sam seems to be trying really hard to atone for how he used to treat you from what I can tell.” She looked up, meeting his slanting glance. “Is that how you see it?”
“Yes. I’m shocked by the change in him. Since I’ve been home, he’s always been an angry, cantankerous man.”
“But you said he was like this kinder version of himself when you were growing up.”
Nodding, he smoothed the fabric across her hip. “Yes, he was. I guess that’s why him reverting back to that time has got me spinning. I like that he’s like his old self. Not that I don’t like it, I do. I’m wary because I’m gun-shy about him reverting back to that angry old man.”
“I think this is permanent, Travis. I’m happy for both of you. You’ve both had terrible losses: first, your mom and then your brother Kyle dying. I tried to put myself into your shoes. I tried to imagine my mom being gone.” She smoothed her palm across his broad chest. “I relied a lot on my parents emotionally after I was released from the service. It about killed me when I left them to start wandering around western Montana, trying to figure things out and get my life back.”
“I’ve met guys who came out of dysfunctional families and either didn’t have a father or had a bad one,” he said, moving his fingers through her hair. “I always loved Sam even if I couldn’t understand his change of moods. He changed drastically after my mother died. By that time, he had pain all the time from his bull-riding injuries and wasn’t pleasant to be around. After Kyle died, he retreated even deeper inside himself. By the time I left the military, he was a very changed man from the one I grew up with.”
Sighing, she closed her eyes, contentment washing through her. Inwardly, Jesse knew that he needed this, the holding, the intimacy that always sprung strongly between them. She did, too. “My parents have been a quiet, steady beacon all my life. And, you’ve given me a second chance here, Travis.” She gazed up at him. “My weekly phone calls with my parents and living here in Hamilton have given me the stability I was looking for.” She lifted her hand, grazing his cheek, her fingertips tingling along the sandpapery length of his jaw. “Only, I never entertained the thought that a man would be so instrumental in helping me get my feet beneath me once more.”
He tightened his embrace for a moment. “You’ve infused me with new life, Jesse, whether you know it or not. You talk about a Christmas miracle? You’re that miracle to me.”
Her lips twisted. “I’m hardly a miracle, Travis. I fight every day to try to appear normal when I know I’ll probably never be the old Jesse. But you give me hope, so does Freya, and the friends I’ve made here in town.”
“This little town has a special brand of magic, too,” he said. Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to her brow. He allowed his lips to rest against her skin. “You’ll always be my miracle. We’re not perfect and never will be. I like you just the way you are, Jesse.”
A small sound of pleasure hummed in her throat as he kissed her along her hairline. She pressed herself against him, letting him know she enjoyed his exploring kisses. Her scalp skittered with tiny, electric-like tingles. She leaned away, her heart starting to beat harder, her lower body feeling warm and achy with need.
“I don’t want to leave you tonight,” she whispered, lifting her lashes, drowning in his stormy-looking grey eyes. “I want to love you, Travis.” It took every scrap of courage she had within her to ask him that. His eyes widened for a moment and then a hunter-like look came to them.
“You’re sure, Jesse?”
His low, rumbling voice rolled through her. “Very sure. It’s time, Travis. At least, I feel that way. Do you?” She held her breath until she saw that lopsided boyish smile pull at that beautifully shaped mouth of his. She had her answer before he spoke.
“Let’s put the dogs away for the night?”
“Yes.” Her voice was wispy sounding even to her. It felt as if her brain were in park and she couldn’t think straight. “I’m going to grab a quick shower. I’ll meet you in your bedroom.”
Dipping his head, he kissed her tenderly and for a long, long time. When she came up for air, her heart was racing with wild need of this man.
“I’ll see you in bed,” he promised thickly.