Diamond S Ranch

32-Apologies

Jake was up early the next morning. He didn't feel really refreshed not considering he hardly slept however he did feel better, somewhat anyway.  Maybe it was talking things out with Zach last night, getting a lot of it off his chest, whatever it was he felt lighter than he had in quite sometime.  

He was sitting with James, sipping his coffee, as several of the ranch hands strolled in for breakfast. James had given him some good news.  It seemed the scours crisis had finally passed and all the new claves where all appearing healthy and growing now with no new reports of the disease for over a week now.  That was good news to Jake's ears.  He looked at the time and finished up his coffee and then headed up stairs, he wanted to catch Gage before he came down this morning.

Jake knocked on Gage's door then entered finding Gage standing in the middle of the room talking with Garrett. They both turned to look at him as he entered.

"Um, hey," Jake said as he poked his in, then came on into the room.

He stood there for a few seconds unable to ignore the tension coming from Gage as he stood there ridged, his back turned towards Jake. Garrett gave Jake a sympathetic look. 

"Hey, Garrett do you mind giving us a minute?" He asked.

Garrett looked to Gage, then to Jake and headed back to his side of the room.  He paused and then looked back to Jake again. Jake noticed he too seemed a bit uneasy himself. 

"Uh, Jake, you aren't mad at me...are you?" Garrett asked.

Puzzled Jake looked over to where Garrett was standing. For just a spit second, standing there, his face all anxious and worried, he looked like the little boy Jake remembered from years ago when he would think he was in trouble for something. Made him almost forget how close to becoming a young man he really is. 

"No, why would you think I was mad at you?" Jake genuinely asked.

Garrett looked away and kind of shuffled around, "I don't know. I guess cause I was the one who texted Zach and Kaison yesterday." He confessed.

Jake gave a half smile, he already knew that, Zach had told him that last night when he asked how he knew to come to the house yesterday.  

"No, Garrett I am not mad with you." Jake said, he then let out a slight sigh, "If anything I should probably thank you."

He and Garrett locked onto each other and just stared for several long moments. Finally, the sides of Garrett's mouth lifted and he gave him a crooked grin and with a nod, stepped on over to his side of the room. 

By the time Jake had turned his attention back to Gage he was sitting down on the bed putting his socks. Jake joined him on the bed.

"I, um, sent an email to your teacher and to the coach last night explaining what happened." Jake finally said trying to break the icy coldness that stretched between them. Gage just continued to put his socks on, then reached for his shoes.  "I haven't heard anything yet this morning, so I was going to ride down to the school see if I can meet with them, try and straighten this mess out."

Gage finished putting his shoes on and stood up, not saying anything.

Jake watched as he went to his closet and grabbed a white polo shirt. 

"Gage, listen, I am sorry. I truly am. I should have listened to you. I should have believed you and I didn't. I was wrong." Jake looked up from where he was sitting.  He had leaned up and propped his elbows on his thighs as he watched his brother as he pulled his shirt on over his head, still not saying anything. He was trying to be patient. He was trying to be understanding but for him just to completely ignore him. No...that he would not tolerate.