Then when I wasn’t talking about him, I was crying about him, Kyle said he understood. Did you know he used to be a psychologist?”
Janna shook her head. “I knew he had been a doctor, but I just assumed it was a medical doctor or a vet. Janna used to say they all had doctorates. I thought that was amazing.”
“It is. I met her this morning. I had breakfast with them.” Jemma waited for her sister to connect the dots.
“Wait. You met Janna?”
“And Justin and spouses and children. Tesla likes to do a big breakfast on Sundays,” she explained. “No one seemed shocked that Kyle had an overnight guest. I would have been asking a million questions.”
“That’s because you’re suspicious. The Cosgroves are pretty laid back. So any hot action?”
“No,” Jemma said, feeling a slow blush come over her skin. “We were making out, then we snuggled on the couch, and I fell asleep.”
“Oh, Jemma! Not on the first date.”
“Well, he fell asleep too.”
Janna nodded. “Okay, good. I heard something about movie night. Good plan.”
“Yes, I figured might as well find out now if Kassie minds us dating.”
“Smart woman. Speaking of smart, Kassie is talking more and more. At first, Mom was crying every time she spoke.”
The entire family had been walking an emotional tightrope over Kassie’s non-talking. Even after Janna assured everyone that Kassie was all well physically, and mentally, and that was her way of processing Jared’s death. “It’s hard not to break into a mess of sobs. It had been so long since she talked, but to hear to her laughing, and talking, sometimes I can’t hide my tears of happiness.”
“There’s nothing wrong with expressing your joy, just try not to let her see you do it. Kassie might think she’s doing something wrong and revert to her non-talking stage and we don’t want that.”
“No, I definitely don’t want to deal with that again.” She took a deep breath. “Her teacher wants to put her in advance placement classes, especially since she’s been speaking at school as well.”
“Oh, that wonderful! If she’s speaking at school as well, it’s not just family and Kyle. It could be that she’s ready to turn a corner and start talking completely. She was a little chatterbox at the restaurant. We heard about Nutmeg and that she wants to start jumping.”
Jemma couldn’t help it. Tears trickled down her face. “Yes, the ranch teaches a bunch of different ways to ride. She likes riding English, whatever that is,” Jemma said. “I’ll have to ask Kyle if she needs anything else.”
“You know your daughter is getting quality lessons. Kyle is a top trainer. Krista says people come from all over the US for his skills.”
Jemma hadn’t doubted that for one minute. “He carries a lot of power at the ranch. Where are the owners?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, Kyle is the ranch manager. His parents live on the ranch and take care of things. But I’ve never heard anything about the owners. Are they caretakers of the ranch?”
“In a manner of speaking. What does Kyle say?”
“I didn’t ask him, but it seems no one questions anything they do. I was just curious of how he had so much clout. Especially when he was living in Austin before he returned.”
“Sounds like great questions to ask him at movie night.” Janna rose from the sofa.
Jemma had more questions, but she knew they would get answered in time. She also knew her sister had more answers than she was willing to give. It was up to Jemma to prime that knowledge right out of her sister. “Speaking of movie night, I need to go to the grocery store. Why don’t you come with me?” She knew her sister couldn’t resist a shopping expedition of any kind.
“Yeah, Dad and Damon went on a snack attack. You’d think they’d never seen food before. You’d better have plenty of
Janna shook her head. “I knew he had been a doctor, but I just assumed it was a medical doctor or a vet. Janna used to say they all had doctorates. I thought that was amazing.”
“It is. I met her this morning. I had breakfast with them.” Jemma waited for her sister to connect the dots.
“Wait. You met Janna?”
“And Justin and spouses and children. Tesla likes to do a big breakfast on Sundays,” she explained. “No one seemed shocked that Kyle had an overnight guest. I would have been asking a million questions.”
“That’s because you’re suspicious. The Cosgroves are pretty laid back. So any hot action?”
“No,” Jemma said, feeling a slow blush come over her skin. “We were making out, then we snuggled on the couch, and I fell asleep.”
“Oh, Jemma! Not on the first date.”
“Well, he fell asleep too.”
Janna nodded. “Okay, good. I heard something about movie night. Good plan.”
“Yes, I figured might as well find out now if Kassie minds us dating.”
“Smart woman. Speaking of smart, Kassie is talking more and more. At first, Mom was crying every time she spoke.”
The entire family had been walking an emotional tightrope over Kassie’s non-talking. Even after Janna assured everyone that Kassie was all well physically, and mentally, and that was her way of processing Jared’s death. “It’s hard not to break into a mess of sobs. It had been so long since she talked, but to hear to her laughing, and talking, sometimes I can’t hide my tears of happiness.”
“There’s nothing wrong with expressing your joy, just try not to let her see you do it. Kassie might think she’s doing something wrong and revert to her non-talking stage and we don’t want that.”
“No, I definitely don’t want to deal with that again.” She took a deep breath. “Her teacher wants to put her in advance placement classes, especially since she’s been speaking at school as well.”
“Oh, that wonderful! If she’s speaking at school as well, it’s not just family and Kyle. It could be that she’s ready to turn a corner and start talking completely. She was a little chatterbox at the restaurant. We heard about Nutmeg and that she wants to start jumping.”
Jemma couldn’t help it. Tears trickled down her face. “Yes, the ranch teaches a bunch of different ways to ride. She likes riding English, whatever that is,” Jemma said. “I’ll have to ask Kyle if she needs anything else.”
“You know your daughter is getting quality lessons. Kyle is a top trainer. Krista says people come from all over the US for his skills.”
Jemma hadn’t doubted that for one minute. “He carries a lot of power at the ranch. Where are the owners?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, Kyle is the ranch manager. His parents live on the ranch and take care of things. But I’ve never heard anything about the owners. Are they caretakers of the ranch?”
“In a manner of speaking. What does Kyle say?”
“I didn’t ask him, but it seems no one questions anything they do. I was just curious of how he had so much clout. Especially when he was living in Austin before he returned.”
“Sounds like great questions to ask him at movie night.” Janna rose from the sofa.
Jemma had more questions, but she knew they would get answered in time. She also knew her sister had more answers than she was willing to give. It was up to Jemma to prime that knowledge right out of her sister. “Speaking of movie night, I need to go to the grocery store. Why don’t you come with me?” She knew her sister couldn’t resist a shopping expedition of any kind.
“Yeah, Dad and Damon went on a snack attack. You’d think they’d never seen food before. You’d better have plenty of
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