Free Montana Morning by Sharon Flesch Page A

story.”
    Adrianna sat down
in the chair she had pulled up to the bed.  “Did it seem like we were gone
long?”
    Scotty nodded and
shut his eyes tight in an attempt to hold back the tears.  “I thought
maybe Grandpa changed his mind.”
    Adrianna couldn’t
believe what she was hearing.  She glanced up and saw Jack standing in the
doorway.  “Changed his mind about what, honey?”  She asked
cautiously.
    “About wanting
me,” he mumbled.  “I thought he might not come back.”
    She looked over
Scotty’s head at Jack with a questioning look.  He shrugged his shoulders
and shook his head.
    Adrianna took
Scotty’s small hands in hers and asked, “Whatever made you think he would
change his mind?”   She looked back to Jack.  “Did your grandpa
or anyone else say something to make you think that?”
    The boy shook his
head and started to sob.  “He thinks I hate him.”
     As Jack
crossed the room to Scotty’s bedside, Adrianna mouthed to him, “I’ll be right
outside.”
    Jack sat down on
the bed with his head bowed,   “Scotty, we need to talk.”  He
pulled the hanky out of his back pocket and handed it to the boy.  After
Scotty blew his nose, he started to hiccup.
    Jack laughed
softly, “I used to do that when I was a boy.”
    Scotty looked up
from under his wet lashes.  “Do what?” he asked, studying the man sitting on
his hospital bed.
    “I hiccupped after
I cried.”  Jack smiled shyly.
    “YOU cried?” His
grandpa didn’t look like the kind of man who would cry.  Scotty had never
seen any man cry.
    “Sure I did,” Jack
confessed and with a small grin added, “I even did once or twice after I grew
up.  Scotty, there’s nothing wrong with shedding a few tears, when you’re
hurt or scared.”  Scotty sat up and stared down at his blanket.
    “Now fellow, you
and I need to get something clear between us, okay?”  Jack put his hand on
Scotty’s cast.   Scotty nodded approval, but didn’t look up.
    “First of all, I’m
guessing you really don’t hate me all that much.”  He sighed and went
on.  “But even if you do, there’s something you have to know . . . Scotty
look at me,” Jack ordered gently.  He waited and slowly the boy’s eyes met
his.
     “That’s
better.  Now, you listen to me and you understand this, if you never
understand anything else I say to you,” he paused, choosing his words
carefully.  “Even if you decide you want to hate me until the day you die,
remember this . . . I’ll love you ‘till the day I die.” His rough fingers
traced Scotty’s damp cheek.
    “What that means
is I’ll always be there for you. I’ll always come and get you.  I’ll never
change my mind, no matter what.”  He sat quietly and finally asked, “Now
are we straight on this?”   
      
    “Yes Sir,” Scotty
answered very quietly, but Jack knew he’d understood.
    “And Scotty,” he
said as he retrieved his hat from the small head, placing it on the bed, “My
name’s Grandpa, not Sir.”  He opened his arms to hug his grandson.
     Scotty had
not experienced a ‘bear hug’ before, but it didn’t take long to decide he liked
it. 
    Adrianna cleared
her throat and opened the book.  The story of a boy lost in the wilderness
of Alaska was a big hit, but after reading two extra chapters she
rebelled.  “If I read any more tonight, I’ll lose my voice.”
    Jack elbowed
Scotty with a big grin.  “Now there is something every man dreams of . . .
a woman who can’t talk back.”  Scotty grinned and then joined his grandpa’s
laughter; he obviously shared the family sense of humor.
    Adrianna pretended
to be very offended.  “I’ll get even with you two.” 
    ***
    The next ten days
were a whirl of activity.   Adrianna packed and went shopping; she
and Maggie shopped some more and she repacked.   Regardless of
Maggie’s earlier assurances, she did need help moving some of her larger
items.  Red and Jack hauled them over to the