I’d avoided explaining exactly who Cal was to Henry. I’d kept it simple and said he was a rodeo rider who’d come to help the town and we were being polite by asking him to have brunch with us. Of course, I knew the truth would come out. The family resemblance would be obvious even to a child. And Henry had photographs of his dad in his room. Would he make the connection on his own? It wasn’t worth the risk. But I was torn on exactly how to tell him—and when.
What if I told him a new uncle was coming to meet him, and then Cal got cold feet and backed out at the last minute? Would Henry be hurt? But what if I didn’t say anything, Cal arrived, and Henry didn’t take the surprise well? Lord knew,I’dbeen shocked the first time I’d seen the man. Wasn’t it better to prepare him? But what would I say?Here’s your dead father’s half brother that none of us knew existed?Maybe not quite that.
“Henry, come here for a minute,” I said when he came back into the room. I waited until he looked right at me and I spoke slowly and clearly. “The man coming today is Uncle Jake and Uncle Brian’s older brother. He lives far away so this is the first time he’s come to the ranch. Do you understand?”
“Oh, so he’s family?” His simple assessment warmed my heart.
“That’s right,” I said, as the doorbell rang. “Ready?” I took his hand and led him to the living room.
When Henry and I got there, I saw that Laura had answered the door but retreated several feet across the room. Her hand was clasped over her mouth and she was staring at Cal, who was turning his hat in hishands, appearing more awkward than a man that handsome should ever be.
“Cal, welcome to the ranch,” I said to smooth things over and get past this uncomfortable first meeting. Why had I thought this was a good idea?Because it is, I reminded myself. Like Henry said, Cal was family. “Henry, go get your uncles. They’re in the courtyard.” I gave my son a little push in that direction.
“Yes, of course. I’m sorry.” Laura seemed to recover herself. “Where are my manners? Welcome to the ranch, Cal. We’re so glad you could join us today. I’m Laura, your…”
“It’s nice to meet you, Laura,” Cal said quickly, helping his biological mother maneuver around the words that seemed to catch in her throat. The overly loud stomping of boots striking the wood floor drew our attention to Henry returning with his uncles.
“And these two are Brian and Jake.” I gestured to each one as I introduced them. They weren’t identical twins, but their expressions matched perfectly at that moment. Flickers of stunned pain passed over their faces. I understood so well where that came from. My gaze shifted to Cal. His stance was rigid, and I felt sympathy for him, too. This wasn’t easy on anyone. “Brian and Jake, this is Cal Pierce.”
The men all nodded. Were they just going to stare at each other? But then Cal stepped forward and offered his hand to each of them and the usual polite pleasantries were exchanged. No one was comfortable, and I felt responsible for that. I had to do something to break the tension. I could offer people drinks or maybe take Cal on a tour of the ranch while the rest of the family recovered. Before I could suggest something, Henry focused the attention on himself.
“I’m Henry.” He came forward with his outstretched hand to mimic the adult men’s behavior.
Thank God for children and their innocence. I was proud of him, too, for jumping in and easing the tension.
“Henry, thanks for having me over,” Cal said as he shook the boy’s hand.
“Mom did that part.” Henry glanced up at me before re-focusing on Cal. “Mr. Pierce, do you ride bulls or broncs?”
“Well, I’ve done a bit of both, but mostly, I’m a roper. So, both and neither. Personally, I don’t recommend bull riding or broncs. It’s bad on your back.” Cal said. “And you can call me Cal.”
“Thanks. Do you ride bareback or saddle?” Henry questioned.
“I’ve done both, but I mostly stick to saddle.” Cal kept his attention on my little boy.
“Do you think cowboys need to know math?” Henry’s little face was so anxious.
I almost laughed since I hadn’t been expecting that one, and I waited to see how Cal would handle it.
“Absolutely,” Cal said. “How would I compare my times or count my winnings without math?”
“Never thought of that,” Henry said, seeming a little disappointed to realize the man had made an argument he couldn’t refute. “Guess I’ll have to learn that stuff after all.”
“You will,” Cal said in a serious tone, “because real cowboys do math.”
I could have kissed Cal and Henry at that moment. Henry had defused a fraught situation by just being a kid, and Cal hadn’t missed a beat before encouraging my son to pay attention in school. I was pleased with both of them, even though I could take no credit for the man Cal was.
“Should we eat?” Laura suggested and moved toward the dining room. “Everything’s ready.”
Henry grabbed Cal’s hand and towed him to a place at the table next to his own. “Sit here,” Henry said as the rest of us filed into the room. The place Henry offered used to be Luke’s seat, and it was normally kept empty. Henry probably didn’t remember that, but I glanced toward Jake and Brian. Jake merely scowled, but it was Brian, the more emotionally intuitive twin, who shot me a look I could read.I’ll make him move if you want me to. I shook my head and took a seat across from Cal and Henry. Laura and Jake took the ends of the table and Brian settled in next to me.
Cal must have picked up on the tension because he gave me a questioning look. I mouthed “You’re fine” to him. He gave his chin a little dip in acknowledgment and returned his attention to Henry. The funny thing was that I realized itwasfine. My husband had been gone for four years, and our love for each other gone longer than that. I’d loved Luke as best I could, but that “in love” part of our relationship had been fleeting for us.
Besides, since my conversation with Cal in the diner, I’d made an effort to see him as his own man, not just a lookalike for my husband. Their personalities, at least what I’d seen, were different. Cal cared about himself less than he cared about others. He’d come to my rescue during the radio interview and put me at ease at our lunch. There was definitely kindness and empathy in him.
While Laura passed the serving dishes, Cal initiated conversation with his brothers in a way that Luke wouldn’t have thought to do. Luke had always viewed the twins as mere kids, but they’d been men in their own right when he’d died.
“I understand you’re sheriff in these parts,” Cal said to Brian. “What’s that like around here?”
