"Then is wouldn't have been a surprise," she informed him as they hugged. She rarely saw him since he had started college.
Jarrod kissed her cheek. "Well, a pleasant one at that. I thought it was going to be just me and Nick all weekend with the rest of the family visiting Uncle Jim." Draping his arm around her shoulder he asked, "Where is that delicate flower of a brother of mine anyway?"
Michelle laughed. "Let's see, out chasing either mountain lions... or girls. Depending on the mood of the day."
They walked to the study with Jarrod asking, "Mood of the day?"
"Every morning he and Ray and Billy... oops sorry, he likes to be addressed as Bill now, make a plan of action for the day," she explained.
"Mountain lions or girls," Jarrod spoke over her. "I suppose they're in that between age."
The slamming of the front door signaled the return of the brother in question.
"Michelle! Michelle!" Nick bellowed. "Where are you?" He came through the study door flanked by his friends. "There you are. We need some ice and..." He stopped in his tracks. "Jarrod!" He grinned broadly.
"Brother Nick, good to see you," Jarrod said. He approached Nick with open arms only to have Nick take a step back, his smile fading. Puzzled Jarrod asked, "Don't I get a kiss?"
Nick's eyes darted from Ray to Bill as they snickered. "Um... um." Quickly he turned to Michelle. "Ray slammed his finger in the gate. Could we get some ice?"
"Yes, ma'am, it's startin' to swell." Ray held up his hand.
Michelle looked to Jarrod who nodded then watched her lead the young men from the room.
When Michelle returned to the study she found her cousin on the settee fingering an empty shot glass. "How's the patient?" he inquired.
"He'll never play the violin again," she joked melodramatically.
"He never played."
Sitting beside him she shrugged, "Then he's fine." There was a pause. "How about you?"
He glanced to her with red-rimmed eyes. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
Michelle folded her arms. "You always cry when you're fine... And don't even bother trying to deny it. Your eyes are still red."
Jarrod shook his head. "It's nothing."
Michelle ran a hand over his hair. "Try that on someone who'll buy it."
Jarrod handed her the empty glass. "You're not are you?"
Placing the glass on the table she responded. "Not for a moment. I know you too well. Nick's rebuff is bothering you."
Jarrod chuckled. "If you knew what it was why ask?" He sighed. "I guess it's that it's the first time he's ever done that. I suppose I wasn't expecting it is all."
"I'm not sure you should have to expect that."
"Are you kidding? Nick is at that age. He has his friends around and what do I do?" He put his hand to his forehead. "I ask him for a kiss." He shuddered. "I can't say I blame him."
"Then why were you crying?"
"Yeah. Can you imagine. Me getting teary because my brother didn't kiss me. Silly isn't it." He tried to laugh it off.
Michelle pinned him with a hard gaze. "Is that really how you feel about it?"
"Yes... No... Maybe." Oh, how he hated his cousin's directness. "Let's just say I do understand how he feels about it and leave it at that.
A few hours later Michelle found Nick in the barn brushing his horse and whispering sweet nothings to her.
"Now what do you suppose Ray and Bill would think if they heard all that sap?" Michelle asked as she neared the stall.
Nick startled. "Where did you come from?"
"New York," she answered matter-of-factly.
"You're very funny."
"Glad you think so," Michelle commented. "Now answer MY question."
"What question? Oh, yeah." He tossed his brush aside. "What do I care what they'd think about me sweet talkin' Buttermilk here."
Michelle took a classic stance. "You seemed to care earlier."
Nick gave her a blank stare. She responded with a penetrating stare of her own as if searing her point into his brain for him to retrieve on his own. And it worked. A setting realization converted Nick's expression. His jaw dropped and his heart accelerated as he tried desperately to create a reason for his earlier actions knowing full well Michelle would not accept whatever rationalization he came up with. Nick stammered for a minute before asking, "Is Jarrod mad at me?"
Michelle shook her head almost imperceptibly. "No. He's not mad. A little hurt but not mad. And surprisingly understanding. Well, it's not so surprising."
"I don't know what came over me. You've got to believe that." He looked to his cousin for some reassurance. "I would never do anything to hurt Jarrod."
"I know."
Nick placed a blanket over Buttermilk's back. "Didn't you come out here to yell at me about it?" Nick asked jokingly.
"Is that what you think?" Michelle watched Nick pat his horse one last time and exit the stall.
"Truth... Yes." They began the walk to the house. "I figured I had something coming."
Michelle stopped him with a hand to his arm. "Jarrod feels you're at that age..."
"Where I don't want affection in front of my friends," Nick finished.
"Well?"
"I don't know. It's like right now, talking to you. I know better." Nick sighed. "This morning... well... you know." He grinned at her. "Isn't this where you tell me what to do?"
Michelle shook her head. "Not this time. You see I feel you're at that age where you can reason what is right without being told."
Nick chuckled. "I was afraid you'd say that. You know it was a lot easier being marched to the barn for a session with the belt."
"Just draw on what Jarrod taught you."
Nick kissed her forehead. "I'll do that." He ran ahead to the house. He had much thinking to do.
"Hey, Barkley, help me with this rope. My finger is still on the mend," Ray moaned to Nick the next morning.
Nick rolled his eyes as he took the rope from his friend. "You're gonna milk this little injury for all it's worth aren't ya?"
Bill rapped Ray on the back. "He's just trying to wrangle some extra sympathy from that pretty cousin of yours."
Nick shoved the rope at him. "Well, she's not out here right now..." He paused as he noticed Jarrod leading his mount from the barn. "I'll be back in a sec," he told them and hurried to his older brother. "Where're you off to?"
"Just thought I'd go for a ride. I'm going to meet Michelle in town for lunch later." He noticed Nick glance to his friends.
Nick turned back to Jarrod. He swallowed and nervously wet his lips. "Since when do you take off without kissing me good-bye?" he asked, his heart racing. He smiled slightly at his brother. Jarrod smiled back. They both understood what was left unspoken.
"You're right. I forgot." He dropped a kiss on Nick's forehead, feeling Nick kiss his cheek before climbing on his horse and riding away.
Nick inhaled deeply then turned to find Ray and Bill had come up behind him sporting smirks. Nick's eyes went from one to the other and he offered the only explanation he felt necessary. "He's my brother."
THE END