Down on the Ranch

Chapter 19

Gage's P.O.V.

Man, I never want to see Jace as upset as he is at the current moment. He is clutching the material of Tory's shirt at the man's side while hysterically sobbing into Tory's chest. I knew he was upset over his new found dad's departure, but I did not realize how upset he was over the situation. Tory is softly talking with my baby, and I think he is trying to calm him down before he heads out. Everyone else has already said their goodbyes to Tory, and he made me promise to always take care of Jace, no matter what happens between him and me.

Of course, I promised him that I would.

Jace takes a step back, wiping his face as dry as he can with the paws of his oversized sweater as he sniffles many times. Walking over to my baby, I gently pull him to me, chest to chest as I hand him several tissues, I grabbed before we came outside this morning to send Tory off for this moment.

"Thanks," he sniffles into my chest as he wraps his right arm around my waist while using his left hand to blow his nose into the tissue.

Kissing him on top of his head in reply, Tory promises to visit with his mama soon, and that he will keep in touch with all of us. He climbs into his black two door Chevy Silverado, giving us one last wave to Jace, and then drives away. Once his truck is no longer visible, Jace buries his face into my flannel covered chest as he starts crying again. Tightening my arms around his waist, and hold him until he falls asleep standing up against me.

Sliding my right arm up to his shoulders, I bend at the knees slightly to slip my left arm behind his knees to hold him against me as I carry him into the house. Jason holds open the screen door for me, and I smile my 'thanks' as I walk by him. Walking to Jace's room, lying him on his bed, and remove his boots which I place on the floor next to me. Grabbing his new 'Supernatural' blanket that Tory gave him yesterday to cover my baby with it.

Lightly kissing him on the forehead before leaving his room, I exit the house to start my chores since it is already 7 a.m. Before I can leave the house though, Rayna stops me as I walk past the kitchen where she is drinking a cup of coffee.

"Gage, may I speak with you, please?" she requests softly with a worried frown.

Sighing, I turn around to walk back into the kitchen to speak with her. I have no idea what she wants, but I don't think I am gonna like it. Leaning back against the counter, crossing my arms over my chest to wait for her to start speaking.

She starts talking a few seconds later; "I have tried speaking with Jace about the situation with Tory, but he won't be honest with me. I know he feels upset, and even angry about my withholding who his dad was, and I want my son to be happy like he was before."

Raising my right eyebrow at her in frustration, asking; "What am I supposed to do about this?"

"Talk to him, and convince him that what I did was the best for the three of us," she desperately pleads with me. "I miss my son being able to freely talk with me. I think you are the only person that he will listen to besides Tory."

"Do not try and place my boyfriend in the middle of our problem," Jace grumbles as he stumbles into the room, stopping next to me with his blanket wrapped tightly around his upper body, like it is giving him warmth and protection.

Wrapping my left arm around his shoulders as he wiggles himself under my arm, drawing him into my side. He loudly yawns against my side before settling his head against the side of my peck.

"Jacey, I would appreciate it if you would just honestly speak with me about Tory," Rayna pleads with her son.

"I need time to sort out my feelings about this, and your constant bugging me about this," he grumbles around a small yawn. "You trying to get my boyfriend to speak with me on this, is not helping either."

She frowns at him with watery eyes, but Jace does not seem fazed by this as he tilts his head back slightly to look at me with red rimmed and watery eyes to ask; "Can I help you with your chores, please?"

"Of course you can, baby, but only if you really want to," I reply, kissing him on the forehead. "I think you should seriously nap in your room instead. I know how mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted right now."

"I am not," he mumbles with another tiny yawn into my shirt.

"Sure you are not, but let's go anyway," I urge, wanting to get started on my chores before it becomes any later, and get him out of the tension filled room.

"Are you bringing your blanket?" I ask as we reach the door, not sure if he wants it to become dirty.

"Yeah, I am," he murmurs, rubbing his nose with the tip of his fingers, and man he looks so damn adorable doing that.

While I muck out the horse stalls, he sits on top of a stack of three square bales of hay with his blanket still tightly wrapped around his upper body.

"Do you want to move our date to another night, love?" I ask curiously, not thinking he is in the mood to enjoy himself tonight while I work.

Jace violently shakes his head; "No! I still want to have our date tonight."

When I give him a questionable look, he pouts at me while pleading; "Please, Gage? I really, really, really want us to do this date tonight?"

He stares back at me for a few minutes with a large pout on his plump lips before I am giving in; "Okay, baby. We can still have our date tonight, but if for whatever reason you change your mind, let me know, and that is okay."

He nods with a slight smile; "Thanks, Gage! I will do that, I promise, but I won't."

By the time I have finished my chore in the horse barn, Jace is lying on his left side with his left arm under his head, and is sound asleep. Smiling fondly at my adorable little love, I pick him up to carry him to my bunk in the bunkhouse. I hope he sleeps for a little while, and feels slightly better when he wakes again. Using my hip to open the screen door, I maneuver us inside, lie him on my bunk, and he snuggles deeper into my bed with a content sigh. Shutting the screen door silently behind me, I head back to work while he gets some much needed rest.