Pulling his pickup off to the side of the road Gary listens for an answer on the other end of the phone line.

"Hey, Gary?" the deep voice holds a questioning wave in it.

Instantly Gary recognizes the long lost voice. His lips curl up in a smile so fast he isn't sure how it happened and his heart speeds up with anticipation. "Cane!" One word is all that he knows to say. So many thoughts and questions not to mention all the things he has to tell his little brother!

There is the slightest hint of chuckle that comes from Cane. "Yeah, it's me." There is a pause, but by the hanging of his last word Cane shows he isn't done talking. "Umm, I'm sorry it has been so long. I got Dad's message about Peter this morning. Darn, I don't even know how to feel. I'm sorry, Gare."

"Me too," his voice is now low with pain as he says the words. "I don't know if Dad told you in his message, but the service was today."

Gary can almost see Cane nod on the other end of the line. "Yeah, that was about the extent of what he said, but he did. I'm real sorry I missed it."

Taking in a deep breath and fiddling with the other keys hanging from the key ring that his pickup key is on he says, "I am too. So, uh, what have you been up to?"

There is a long disappointed sigh that comes before any words. "You don't want to know. Maybe sometime I will tell you, but not right now. Uh, what have you bee up to? And the rest of the family, do you keep up with them?"

This brings a smile to Gary's lips. "Yeah, yeah we keep up with each other pretty well. Before Mrs. Carol called about Peter I've been down with Tyson and Jaelyn helping her out with her riding lessons and stuff."

"Oh," is the stiff reply Cane gives at the mention of Tyson and Jaelyn.

However, Gary doesn't let that faze him. "Karl is mainly just helping dad and day working some; Andrew is about to start his last year of welding school; and mom and dad are just taking it easy." He takes a breath and then quickly adds, "Oh! And probably the most exciting and best news of all, Tyson and Jaelyn just had a baby girl. She doesn't have a first name yet, but her middle is Fiddle. She's so tiny and cute and cuddly!" he rambles with a grin on his face.

Cane chuckles despite the grudge that still remains in his heart. "Well, sounds like even if the other two aren't excited about her she isn't short on proud uncles, because you make up or it! That's great though. I mean it."

"It's good to hear you say that." There is a pause. "I know this has been short, but I'm sitting on the side of a busy Midland highway, so I'm going to head on back to the hotel. If it's okay with you I'll call you in a little while."

"Yeah, sounds good, please do."

After they say their goodbyes Gary carefully saves the number in his contacts under 'Cane' so that he will have it for next time. While driving back in the general direction of the hotel he can't help the smile on his lips or the thoughts running through his head. Instead of going back to the hotel he finds himself in the hospital parking lot.

Looking around he can only smile and shrug. With a new spring in his step he navigates his way up to the mother and baby floor and finds Jaelyn and Tyson's room. He enters without knocking, but once he looks up and around he feels as though he shouldn't have.

Obviously the door wasn't as loud as he thought, because no one even notices he has come in, but in the corner chair Brooke sits rocking and smiling with the little bundle of joy in her arms.

Man, she really needs a name already, he thinks to himself with a tiny grin.

The view in front of makes him smile brightly. He can see himself walking in the door. Quickly he shakes the fantasizes thoughts from his head and gently clears his throat as not to scare them.

Brooke looks up and immediately a blush covers her cheeks. "Hey Gary."

He smiles and sits in a chair not far away. "Hey, how's the little one?"

"Oh she's great, just sleeping away. Jaelyn and Tyson went on a walk." She smiles down at the little one then looks up. Suddenly a light bulb goes off in her mind. "Oh, would you like to hold her? I don't want to be a baby hog?"

Gary laughs. "You aren't being a baby hog, I just got here." He grins. "I wouldn't mind holding her if you can spare her though."

"Absolutely, I would be glad to let you." Just as she hands him the swaddled pink bundle Tyson and Jaelyn followed by Andrew, Karl, Benjamin, and Trisha enter the room.

Much to the surprise of everyone, especially Jaelyn, they manage to be quiet enough as not to wake the sleeping baby.

"She needs a name something terrible," Andrew remarks looking down at her over Gary's shoulder.

Tyson chuckles. "And she will have one before she leaves the hospital; we just aren't quite there yet."

Gary smiles and raises his hand. Almost everyone rolls their eyes, so he starts to speak, "I have some family news to tell y'all while we are all here at once." Brooke starts to leave, but he quickly stops her. "It is nothing you can't here. You are just as much family as the rest of us."

"That's right!" Benjamin adds heartily.

"I bet none of you can guess who called me just before I got back here."

Karl flops his hand around in front of him. "Well, come on, don't stop now!"

Gary takes a deep breath and his face becomes expressionless. "Cane."

"How is he?" "What did he have to say?" "Did you tell him what happened?" "Took him long enough." All echo throughout the room.

Jaelyn is the first to speak up out of the chaos. "Did he sound any better, Gary?" Although deeply hurt by her older brother before deep down Jaelyn never stopped loving him and caring for him as she always did growing up.

"Yes, he sounded decent anyway. Of course, looks tell more, but his voice sounded like his eyes hold life."

Andrew shakes his head. "I don't know what to think." He was most hurt when Cane up and left, probably because he is most like Cane and looks up to him as an older brother so much.

Benjamin places a hand on his third son's shoulder. "No one really knows what to think, but we can all thank the Lord he is safe and wants to talk."

"Gary, what did he say?" Trisha presses.

Nodding Gary shrugs. "Not a lot really. He didn't want to talk about himself, but asked what all of you have been up to. He had gotten dad's message and said how sorry he is that he missed the service. I told him that I would call him back later." He takes a deep breath and swivels the chair around to face Jaelyn and Tyson who are cuddled up in the hospital bed. "Please don't bite my head off until I finish, but I had an idea. So, if I'm not mistaken, little girl's car seat is still in Fort Stockton, correct?"

Jaelyn and Tyson both nod while everyone looks at them with anticipation.

"Okay, so somehow or another it needs to get here so that all of y'all can go home. I know my brother well enough to tell he feels bad, wants to be of help, and wants to see everyone." He takes another deep breath before continuing, "What if he stopped by y'alls house got the car seat and brought it here?"

Brooke is the first to speak up, "Jeremiah has been checking on things, so he could let him in he house; I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Brooke, thank you," Trisha answers with a tender smile.

Tyson looks at Jaelyn for a long moment and she nods. "I think it works out for everyone. We need to get back to being a family sometime and there is no time like the present," Jaelyn tells them in her determined tone.

Karl grins at his big sister. "Little Lynn gave the orders."

"Andrew?" Benjamin asks.

Andrew rakes his hands through his hair. "I guess, it can't hurt."

Gary nods with a smile and looks to his dad. Even though he already knows the answer he can't help but ask, "Dad?"

"I've just been waiting for the day."
***

A couple of hours later Gary sits in his hotel room that he is sharing with Andrew.

Andrew looks at him sitting on the bed and cocks an eyebrow at him. "Why are you looking at me like that? I haven't done anything to you."

"Looking at you like what?" He starts to laugh.

"Like I have two head and you expect me to start eating flies or something. I'm a normal human," he says 'normal' and 'human' very slowly and gestures to himself as he does.

Gary shakes his head while still laughing. "You are sure about this now, are you?"

"Certain of it."

"Okay then, I'll believe you." Flopping back on the bed he adds, "You really sure you are good with Cane coming and all that?"

Andrew sits in the office type chair near by and shrugs. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

This makes Gary sit up. "Come on, Andrew, be serious. I know how much it hurt you when he left and it will be hard for you to see him again. Like all of us. I want to make sure you are going to be okay with it before I call him back and tell him the plan."

"I'm fine with it. Really I am."

Gary nods satisfied. "Okay."

A/N
Okay so I hate to do this to y'all but... I'm going to take next week off from updating. I've got a lot going on settling into summer (sounds weird huh?) and I need to catch up on writing.
Then I will be right back the week after. :)

Also...
What do you think about Cane coming back?
And have you read Can Cowboys Fix Mistakes?