Free Montana Morning by Sharon Flesch Page B

house for her.  Jack
liked Red immediately and hoped he and Maggie would be able to resolve their
differences.
    By the time Friday
rolled around, Adrianna was fairly certain she had everything in order. 
All her boxes were in the middle of the living room floor when Jack arrived to
take her to the hospital.
    “Good grief! 
Is all this yours?” Jack shook his head in disbelief.  “You realize we
have to take two huge propane tanks for the gas lights and supplies too, don’t
you?” He could feel Maggie and Adrianna grinning at him.  When he looked
up, he saw the ‘dreaded list’ in her hand.  “There’s more?”  
    She nodded and
watched him squirm; his eyebrows had risen almost to his hairline. 
“Relax, Cowboy,” she said and headed for the kitchen.  “Do we have time
for a cup of coffee and a talk before we leave?” 
    He watched Maggie
disappear down the hall, and knew this was serious.
    “We’ll make
time.”  He sipped the coffee and waited.  “What’s up?”
    This was touchy,
and Adrianna searched for the right approach.  “What did you do with all
of Mary’s things?”  Seeing the cloud of sorrow cross his face, she wished
there had been another way.
    He didn’t look up
at her.  “I had one of Jeff and Mary’s friends box everything up and ship
it to me.   It’s in a storage warehouse here in town.”   He
bit his lip, “Why?”
    “Today, while I was
waiting for the therapist with Scotty, he mentioned things he missed, and I was
wondering if we could get them for him.”  She knew it would be difficult
for Jack to go through Mary’s things.  “I can help you look, if you want,”
she offered.
    Jack seemed to be
lost in thought.  He was searching for the strength to face the task of
sifting through Mary’s life.  “Do we have to do it now?”
    “It can wait.”
    “But it would it
make it easier for Scotty to adjust?” He was still looking into his cup.
    “I think so,” she
said softly, watching his face.
    Jack got up from
the table and stood staring out the window, “Sunday morning, after
church.” 
    ***
    Adrianna finished
the story, assuring Scotty it was part of a series and she would take the other
volumes to the ranch.   She sensed his apprehension about the move to
his new home and suggested Jack visit him alone tomorrow.   She had
to call her children again, to let them know she was ready to leave.  Her
son had been anything but pleased, when she had told him about the job she had
taken. Amy, on the other hand, had been excited about the whole idea.  ‘A
new beginning, a new adventure!’ she had exclaimed. 
    ***
    She knew she was
stalling.  She should have called Chad hours ago, but she really didn’t
want to hear his disapproval again.  Chad, as always, had been polite and
respectful, but his tone had said it all.  He had finished with, “You
know, Dad would never have approved of you doing this.”  She was checking
her list of calls to be made once more, when the phone rang.  It was long
distance from Germany.
    “Chad?”  She
tried not to sound as timid as she felt.
    “Mom, I’m sorry,”
he shouted over the poor connection.
    “Sorry for what?”
    “Don’t play the
dumb blonde with me, Mom.  You know for what; I acted like a spoiled brat.
I called Maggie and she explained everything to me.”  He couldn’t hear her
on the other end.  “Mom, are you still there?”
    “I’m here,” she
said as she felt the tears edging down her cheeks.
    “Listen,
Mom.  I guess I just didn’t like the idea of sharing you with anyone
else,” he confessed.  “This kid sounds like he really needs you and you’ll
be great for him . . . Hey, Mom?”
    “Yes, Chad?” she
asked, watching the snow falling from the trees as the wind picked up.
    “Is this place
really as remote as Maggie says?”
    “Remote and
beautiful!  A great place to ride, I’ll bet,” she added wistfully.
    “I plan to see for
myself,” he told her, wishing he could