Between the animals and the house and the paperwork, I never get real free time."
Jacob sighed and nodded. "Okay. Pretend then. What would you do for an hour or so a day, if you
had the time?"
Jake's first thought wasn't anything he was about to share with Jacob, but unfortunately the idea had
fully formed before he could stop it. He felt himself blush and said, "Watch TV, I guess. Or read.
But I can't do that for four days."
Jacob, thankfully, had been putting the milk away and missed the blush. "Why not?"
"It's just not who I am, Jacob. Can't sit still that long."
"Well, what did you do before you went to the ranch?"
Jake rolled his eyes. "You know I was in jail, kid."
Jacob's eyes widened. "Oh, right. Forgot. Well, they didn't have horses there, did they? What did
you do?"
Pulling out a chair at the table, Jake sat. "Do you really want to know this stuff, Jacob?" he asked.
Did he really want to talk about it, was likely the real question.
Jacob shrugged. "You must have had free time, right?"
Jake nodded. "Worked most of the day, but I was taking classes and getting sober, so I had a lot of things to do. Did schoolwork, went to see the doctors, spent some time in therapy sessions. Not
every day, but there was structure. I went from one thing to the next."
Jacob merely nodded and drank his milk.
"There was time in the gym or out in the yard--you lock up all those men, you make sure they exer-
cise. And at night there was TV and reading and talking and card games." There was a hell of a lot more than that, but there wasn't any power on earth or in hell that would make Jake tell Jacob about
that.
"So… you can read for a while," Jacob said. "Then go outside and do something. Play solitaire for a bit. Go shopping. Maybe it's not so much that you can't read all day as it is you miss having a list
of things to do. Sure, you're not busy here, but there's stuff to fill time with. Just don't watch the
soaps. And don't beat my high scores on the PlayStation."
Jake stared at his nephew. "Who are you and where did that kid go?" he asked. Jacob's ability to 68
Chris Owen
reach out and touch him wasn't exactly unexpected, but this particular expression of the boy's love
for him was something Jake hadn't seen coming. He'd been prepared for a hug, for maybe--
eventually--a serious talk about serious matters. He hadn't once thought that Jacob would have the
urge to take care of him.
Jacob flushed but didn't look away. "I don't… I want you to be happy, Uncle Jake. Not crazy."
Jake laughed and nodded. "Okay. I don't blame you. I'll make myself a schedule, then."
"Yeah," Jacob said with a grin. "Too bad we don't have a time clock. No slacking off when you're on duty, y'hear?"
"I hear you, Jacob," he agreed with a grin. "I hear you."
69
Natural Disaster
Chapter Nineteen
Friday evening Jake was putting the second of two takeout orders of Chinese food in the oven to
reheat when Cath came out of 'Lissa's room, a box in her arms and her eyes watery.
"Okay?" he asked gently, taking the box and moving it to the pile by the back door. Most of 'Lissa's things would be donated on Monday, both Jake and Cath agreeing that they couldn't bring themselves to sell her clothes and more personal items. Picture frames and knick-knacks that didn't have
a lot of sentimental value were fine, but there was just something about the idea of watching
strangers try on her coats that made them both wince.
"Yeah, fine," Cath said with a sigh. "Everything's out of her room now, except the furniture. You get to move that in the morning, unless you want to bring people in to see it."
"We'll see how it goes." Jake reached out and tugged her into his arms. "Sit awhile, Cath. Have something to eat."
She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder for a long moment. "When's Tor getting here?"
"Soon, I think. He said he'd be around to help take the tables outside so we can just set up in the morning."
Cath sighed again and hugged him
Jacob sighed and nodded. "Okay. Pretend then. What would you do for an hour or so a day, if you
had the time?"
Jake's first thought wasn't anything he was about to share with Jacob, but unfortunately the idea had
fully formed before he could stop it. He felt himself blush and said, "Watch TV, I guess. Or read.
But I can't do that for four days."
Jacob, thankfully, had been putting the milk away and missed the blush. "Why not?"
"It's just not who I am, Jacob. Can't sit still that long."
"Well, what did you do before you went to the ranch?"
Jake rolled his eyes. "You know I was in jail, kid."
Jacob's eyes widened. "Oh, right. Forgot. Well, they didn't have horses there, did they? What did
you do?"
Pulling out a chair at the table, Jake sat. "Do you really want to know this stuff, Jacob?" he asked.
Did he really want to talk about it, was likely the real question.
Jacob shrugged. "You must have had free time, right?"
Jake nodded. "Worked most of the day, but I was taking classes and getting sober, so I had a lot of things to do. Did schoolwork, went to see the doctors, spent some time in therapy sessions. Not
every day, but there was structure. I went from one thing to the next."
Jacob merely nodded and drank his milk.
"There was time in the gym or out in the yard--you lock up all those men, you make sure they exer-
cise. And at night there was TV and reading and talking and card games." There was a hell of a lot more than that, but there wasn't any power on earth or in hell that would make Jake tell Jacob about
that.
"So… you can read for a while," Jacob said. "Then go outside and do something. Play solitaire for a bit. Go shopping. Maybe it's not so much that you can't read all day as it is you miss having a list
of things to do. Sure, you're not busy here, but there's stuff to fill time with. Just don't watch the
soaps. And don't beat my high scores on the PlayStation."
Jake stared at his nephew. "Who are you and where did that kid go?" he asked. Jacob's ability to 68
Chris Owen
reach out and touch him wasn't exactly unexpected, but this particular expression of the boy's love
for him was something Jake hadn't seen coming. He'd been prepared for a hug, for maybe--
eventually--a serious talk about serious matters. He hadn't once thought that Jacob would have the
urge to take care of him.
Jacob flushed but didn't look away. "I don't… I want you to be happy, Uncle Jake. Not crazy."
Jake laughed and nodded. "Okay. I don't blame you. I'll make myself a schedule, then."
"Yeah," Jacob said with a grin. "Too bad we don't have a time clock. No slacking off when you're on duty, y'hear?"
"I hear you, Jacob," he agreed with a grin. "I hear you."
69
Natural Disaster
Chapter Nineteen
Friday evening Jake was putting the second of two takeout orders of Chinese food in the oven to
reheat when Cath came out of 'Lissa's room, a box in her arms and her eyes watery.
"Okay?" he asked gently, taking the box and moving it to the pile by the back door. Most of 'Lissa's things would be donated on Monday, both Jake and Cath agreeing that they couldn't bring themselves to sell her clothes and more personal items. Picture frames and knick-knacks that didn't have
a lot of sentimental value were fine, but there was just something about the idea of watching
strangers try on her coats that made them both wince.
"Yeah, fine," Cath said with a sigh. "Everything's out of her room now, except the furniture. You get to move that in the morning, unless you want to bring people in to see it."
"We'll see how it goes." Jake reached out and tugged her into his arms. "Sit awhile, Cath. Have something to eat."
She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder for a long moment. "When's Tor getting here?"
"Soon, I think. He said he'd be around to help take the tables outside so we can just set up in the morning."
Cath sighed again and hugged him
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