Late nights and early mornings are not a healthy combo. Gary Maxwell is experiencing just that as he throws the last of fifty sacks of cattle cake in the bed of a customer's pickup. "There you go sir. You have a nice day!"

"You too!" The gentleman calls as he swings his door open.

Wiping sweat from his forehead Gary settles on a stack of sacked feed near the entrance to the Lazy Grey Feed Store. "Thank goodness the day is almost over," he mumbles. Starting at six that morning it had been non stop with people coming in and getting feed. Lots of it. Now that the day is coming to an end he stretches his aching muscles and locks up the doors to the feed barn. Most days are relatively slow with only a couple people having really big loads, but not today.  Anyone that has driven into the lot has wanted twenty sacks or more.

His mind begins to run with thoughts as he starts the short drive to his parents house where he has been living for the past year since graduating college. Not very many days does he really pay attention to the pastures and houses that are along the road. Today is a different story, though, especially when a pickup on the side of the road catches his eye. He slows down as the flashers on the white Ford start to blink. Just as he rolls to a stop black cattle begins to steadily mosey across the pavement.

Rolling down his window as a older gentleman with a black felt hat on his head and spurs on his boots walks up to greet him he smiles. "How's it been going for y'all today?" Gary asks.

"Not too bad," the man says as they exchange a friendly hand shake. "Yourself?"

Gary can't help the chuckle that escapes him. "A bit busier than I would have liked, but nothing that hurt me."

"Ah, busy it good until you get too busy. I'll let you get on. You have a good day."

Putting his pickup back in drive and lifting his hand in a half wave he says, "You too."

It isn't long and he is pulling into his usual parking spot at his parents house. After cutting the engine he makes his way towards the shop. From the doorway he watches his dad, Benjamin, and his youngest brother, Karl, discuss something as they are bent over a piece of pipe. Clearing his throat he watches smiles appear on the men's faces.

"Hey son!" Benjamin declares waving his oldest over to them.

Karl extends his hand to his oldest brother. "How was the weight lifting?"

Gary chuckles and slaps his hand against the not so little one. "Well my muscles are growing so I guess not too bad."

"What's on your mind, son?" Benjamin jumps in.

Gary looks from one man to the other before sucking in a load of air. "I have something I want to talk to you about."

Karl nods and rests the pipe on the bench. "I'll go see what Momma is thinking for supper."

With a stool now resting under him he runs one hand over his scruffy chin. "I want to start something new something exciting and fun. I want to take my talents and do something with it."

A simple nod is Benjamin's only reply.

"I've been talking to Little Lynn and she said since she's expecting things have been getting tough. I think I'm going to move in with them for a little while and see where that takes me. I want to get back to how you raised me."

Benjamin swallows hard. "Gary, you have to do what is right for you and even though I'm going to miss having you around you're right you need to go and follow where God is taking you."

The two stand and embrace one another in a hug. Even though Gary did move out when he went to college it is still tough to be moving two hours away. However, knowing he gets to be with his little sister, Jaelyn, is comforting.  Not to mention the fact that before long he will be a uncle to her little one!

"Now you get to do the fun part. Telling your momma."
***

Brooke throws her slick apron in the washer and signs her time card. "See you tomorrow, Kirsten!" She calls to her boss. In her car she lets her long light brown hair down and cranks the radio up as 'Call it Grace' by Unspoken begins to play. She directs her car towards the little house on the edge of town that she shares with her brother. It isn't much, but it fits them well. Just big enough so they don't invade one another's space, but yet not so big that they get lost.

To no surprise Jeremiah is still at work when she pulls under the shed off to the side of the house. She sets her purse down in her bedroom and lays back on the bed. What now? Laundry was done yesterday, she finished her book this morning before work, small group at church isn't until tomorrow, and Jeremiah already informed her he wouldn't be here for supper tonight. Not knowing what else to do she plugs her phone into the speakers and takes up her decorative paper and fancy pen. Recently she has taken up writing letters to people that have influenced her life in some way.

Since starting this there is one person she has yet to write one to. Tyson Reed. Sure, she hasn't always been best of friends with him or anything, but he did marry her best friend and has done a pretty good job at making her happy so the guy has moved up a bit. So shears out on her stomach and let's her hand flow.

Tyson,
I can already see the look on your face when you see that I wrote you a letter. Don't worry this isn't a plot to kill you like I had in my mind to a while ago. We won't talk about that though. No, this is a letter to thank you for making my best friend so happy. As much as I miss the constant time with her I respect that she needs me just a little less now that she permanently has you. I mean that now! P. E. R. M. A. N. E. N. T. L. Y. When you said 'I do' to her I witnessed that and am not letting you get out of it. Ever.
Okay! Now that we got that settled we can move on to better things. Such as the fact that you are going to be a dad! I can't tell you how excited I am that I get to spoil a little kid. Y'alls kid. How adorable it is going to be! Just so you know when you miss your wife a ton after she's had that cutie just call me and I'll be over to babysit while y'all have a sweet date.
I'll stop harassing you now. ~ Brooke

She claps her hands in satisfaction. "All done!" She slides it into an envelope and signs Tyson's name on the front. Just then her phone lights up with none other than her best friend's name, Jaelyn.

"Hey girl friend! What are you up to?"

"Not too much, just wondering if my bestie wants to help me clean out the guest room a bit. You know I kind of might need help moving stuff."

Brooke laughs. "I know it kills you to say that! Yeah of course, I'll be right over."

"Thank you so much! See you soon." With that the two friends end the call and Brooke grabs her keys. She scoops up the letter for Tyson and heads out the door with a smile shining on her face.

When she pulls up in Jaelyn and Tyson's driveway it is no surprise to find the barn doors open and Tyson's pickup gone. Jaelyn spends as much time as physically possible in the barn with her horses and as a vet with his own practice Tyson is often at his clinic or on a field call.

Standing in the entrance of the large barn she watches her best friend ride her five year old stud around bareback and tackless. The two are like one that glides around the covered arena in a graceful motion. The only thing that has changed about this picture over the years is the small, yet growing, bump that sticks out on her abdomen.

"Hey Brookey!"

Brooke scratches Cobalt's neck. "Hey Jae! You sure you are supposed to be doing that?"

Jaelyn slides off and pats Cobalt letting him know he can go as he pleases now. "I'm probably not suppose to, but I can't help it!"

Brooke laughs. "I know, I know. I feel like I haven't been over here in forever! How are your student?" Jaelyn has her license as a therapeutic riding instructor and has about fourteen student who are handicapped in some way that come to ride and about a dozen that are not handicapped that come out and ride.

"They are doing really good! Little Jessi, she's the one that has a spinal cord issue, is getting more balance and she can feel it when you touch her legs now."

"That's great! See I always knew that you would make an impact."

Jaelyn shakes her head as they begin to walk to the house. "I don't know if I am making one on them, but their adorable little smiles sure do make one on me."

Brooke smiles and steps in sync with her slightly shorter friend. "It's a chain of goodness."

"Speaking of goodness I am so thankful you were able to come over and help me today! Tyson has been crazy busy with fall calving and stuff."

"I'm sorry he's so busy. How are you doing with the little monkey in there?" She asks placing a hand on the watermelon like belly.

Jaelyn smiles and rubs her baby belly. "Well it is getting harder to saddle the horses for the kids and things, but I've been feeling pretty good. I am thinking monkey here is going to take after daddy and be a big one."

Brooke laughs. "How far along are you again?"

"Sixteen weeks."

"Well when you put it that way, yeah it does look like it's going to be a big one. What are you going to do when you can't saddle the horses and stuff?"

Jaelyn grins mischievously. "That brings me to why I need to clean the guest room out. Gary is going to come live with us for a while. He is going to help me out for a while and feel out job opportunities around here."

Brooke's heart rate picks up slightly. "Oh cool!"
***

Gary throws the last small suitcase in the back of his pickup and turns back to the four bedroom house he has called home for the last year and many before then. Leaning against the wooden beam of the wrap around porch stands his mother with a spark of tears in her eyes. Behind her is his dad with his arms wrapped her and a look of satisfaction in his solemn expression. Gary takes the steps two at a time until he has his long muscular arms wrapped around his parents. It isn't until he shakes hands and hugs two of his little brothers that a word is spoken.

"Take care Gare," Karl says clapping his brother's shoulder. "Tell Little Lynn hello for me. You know you don't have to be such a independent dude this time you can call me every once in a while."

Gary nods with a chuckle. "I will." Then he looks to Andrew and narrows his eyes. "You stay out of trouble."

With a chuckle Andrew pulls his big brother close. "No promises, but I'll try. You stay out of trouble yourself and see what our sister has up her sleeve now a'days. Keep her in line if you can."

This causes Gary to laugh. "You mean besides a baby? And I'm pretty sure Tyson does a pretty good job of that. He probably doesn't need my help."

Everyone breaks into a smile. "Besides that," Andrew says. "Then keep them both in line."

Shaking his head, but wearing a smile Gary starts down the stairs.

The family follows him out to his beat up Ford pickup and watch as he climbs in and slams the door closed. As the engine rumbles to life he extends his arm out the open window in a small wave. As a small dust cloud forms while the wheels rolls down the dirt driveway he watches his family grow smaller in the review mirrior. As much as he is going to miss this part of his family he is excited to spend time with his sister and grow in who the Lord wants him to be. No matter where that takes him.

The tires of his Ford eats up the pavement up the closer to Fort Stockton he gets. He turns the black steering wheel to the left so that the pavement changes to white chalechy dirt underneath him. Not too far up ahead a semi-familiar house meets his view causing a smile to grace his sun-kissed face. Gentle pressure to the brakes leaves him rolling to a stop beside Tyson's, his sister's husband, work pickup. He cuts the engine and drags both suitcases from the bed of his pickup. With one sweep around his surroundings he lets out a satisfied sigh and starts to the front door.

He first knocks, but when that doesn't get an answer he opens the door and steps in. "Hello?" He hollers. Still no reply can be heard. He wonders aimlessly through the house not sure where his sister might be in the three bedroom house. Finally he gives up on the couple being in the house and starts outside towards the large cedar barn just down the white dirt road.

Even before he enters the organized building he can smell the relaxing scent of horses. Once he does step inside he looks around him and marvels at the detail that has been added to the place in the past two years. Everything that is needed for wheelchairs to get around has been added along with color coated signs directing you wherever you might want to go in a barn. He starts to the tack room as it seems like a logical place to begin looking for his horse crazy sister.

The sight that meets his eyes when he gets to the wide door of the 'junk room', as his mom liked to call it in order to aggravate his dad, makes a smirk appear on his face. In the tall cushioned chair positioned behind the heavy wooden desk, that he in fact had made himself, sits six foot tall Tyson with five foot three inches tall Jaelyn in his lap kissing him rather passionately. Gary isn't sure if he should let the chuckle out that rest in his throat or step back and make some noise to warn the couple. It only takes a couple of seconds for a mischievous smile to appear on his lips. He takes a few steps back before lightly hitting a bucket with the toe of his boot.

Within seconds his little sister's head pops out of the doorway. The instant her gaze settles on him her eyebrows shoot up and a smile a mile wide slides into place. "Gary!"

The waddling run she does to be in his arms makes him laugh as he carefully pulls her to him. "Little Lynn."

"Gare, you aren't going to break me. You can actually hug me, you know?"

The chuckle behind her announces that Tyson has made his appearance. "That has been spoken a lot around here. How are you, Gary?" The two shake hands as Jaelyn, once again, wraps her arms around Tyson.

"I'm good, how about you?" Aggravating his sister has always been a past time of his, to an extent, and that sure hasn't changed just because she is married. Nope, that just gives him ten more things to aggravate her about.

Tyson smiles brightly and looks down at his dynamite like wife. "Never been better, but I'm sure you already guessed that."

Jaelyn's finger shoots up and a stern look takes the place of the overly happy one. "Nope! Not happening. We are not going all sappy about baby stuff and what I should and shouldn't do. Let's go get you settled in your room," she says pointing to Gary before strutting out of the barn with power and determination.

The two men stare after her for a minute before she turns around and raises her eyebrows at them. "Yes ma'am!" they chorus in unison. Both have been the victim of her dynamite stick when it explodes and don't feel like lighting that fuse this early in the day.

Gary can remember, on more than one occasion, getting her teeth sunk into his skin or whacked over the head with a stick because he hadn't quit tickling her when she said to or he hadn't obeyed her orders when she thought they should be. More he had the privilege of hearing the story of her whacking their brother Cane and Tyson both over the head with a stick when they didn't quit fist fighting after she told them not to. That is only one of the many stories he has enjoyed hearing about the adventures she has gotten herself and Tyson into. It always turned out pretty good in the end, though.

As soon as Gary sets foot in the house and spots her busying herself around the kitchen his lips muscles control themselves and form a smile. As kids he remembers Jaelyn hardly ever cooking or cleaning, unless mom and dad were gone and then she couldn't stand he or Cane's cooking so she took over. Now as she moved around the kitchen he sees she is very much at home there and even seems to enjoy it a little bit. "Where do you want me to put my stuff?"

"Oh right! Superman, do you want to show him?" She asks looking over her shoulder and throwing a sweet smile in the direction of her husband.

Tyson nods with a twinkly of mischief in his eyes. "Sure, my little cactus." He sneaks up behind her and wraps his arms around her belly before covering her cheeks and neck with little feathery kisses.

"Superman!" she drags her pet name for him out.

He chuckles and places one more firm kiss on her cheek before nodding to Gary and heading down the hall.

Gary can't help but to chuckle at his sister and brother-in-law. They are very much in love and aren't afraid to show it. However, he still has the upper hand on them a little bit, being that he is in fact the big brother. Just because he is in their house that doesn't mean that the big brother authorities go out the window.

As he sets his suitcases in the closet he all of a sudden feels as though he is just a burden to his sister, like he is intruding. Clumsily he flops back onto the bed and runs his hands up and down his face under the cool air from the ceiling fan. There is no turning back now, but it may be a long road until he finds a place of his own. He might be here to help and might even begin to feel like he is a help, but two semi-newly weds with a baby on the way have just a bit too much romance going on for his likings.