For Him, I Would

Chapter Fifty - Patching up the holes in your heart.

A week later, six days before Thanksgiving

Oakley sat on the front porch steps of the main house while Kayce and Beth were standing on the grass. They were waiting for John to finish up some phone call in the living room. He sounded gruff, but when did he not?

Oakley was looking at the siblings. With the ranch laid out behind them, it was a picturesque view, if someone didn't know their individual stories to get here. How Beth and Kayce came from the same parents, Oakley would never know. But right now, she was thankful they each had the other still by their side.

"You think Dad's gonna run for governor?" Kayce asked Beth, causing Oakley to look over at him, surprised at his boldness.

Beth looked at him with a serious expression before she smirked.

"Stick to ranching, cowboy," Beth reached up and patted Kayce's cheek before she walked over and sat down next to Oakley.

"I'm not joking," Kayce looked down at Beth.

"Neither am I," Beth eyed him.

"If he wants me to run this place, he needs to tell me what he's gonna do," Kayce sighed.

"We know about John and Jamie," Oakley mentioned, trying to ease any growing tension. "The fights at least."

Beth glanced at Oakley before looking back at Kayce.

"I...don't know honestly," Beth sighed. "You know Dad, he's only gonna tell us when he wants to. We could just go run over Jamie and end all our suffering?"

Kayce blinked a few times before turning around and looking out toward the mountain range. Oakley leaned forward on her knees and gave Beth a disapproving look.

"Don't act like it wouldn't help some of our problems if he were gone," Beth said.

"People could say that about any of us," Oakley shrugged.

"Not you," Beth frowned.

"Oh, I think there are some people who would disagree with you on that," Oakley took a deep breath.

"Dad!" Kayce yelled out.

"How are you?" Beth asked softly.

"I'm okay," Oakley nodded. "We're okay."

Oakley looked up at Kayce who was getting irritated they were still waiting.

"We have time," Oakley said to Kayce gently, making Beth snort.

"I'm done," John walked out of the house.

Oakley and Beth stood up and parted while John walked down the stairs. He glanced at Kayce as he passed him, walking to one of the trucks. They all piled in, John and Beth in the front with Kayce and Oakley in the back.

"I don't even know the last play I've been to," Beth said from the front before glancing back at Kayce. "Might have been one of yours."

"Did we do one?" Kayce looked at Oakley.

"I think we did a Christmas pageant?" Oakley tried to remember. "I don't remember Thanksgiving...but it makes more sense for the reservation schools to do one, given the historic influence and all that."

"Can't wait to see what they say," John grunted from the front seat.

"Let's just try to remember your grandson is in it," Kayce sighed. "So maybe tonight we just let everything go?"

Oakley reached over and laced her fingers through Kayce's on his leg.

Almost an hour later they were all walking into the gymnasium where a make-shift stage had been placed and rows of chairs brought in. Monica waved from one of the rows with her grandfather and other family members. They had saved chairs in the row behind them.