Tina Leonard - Triplets' Rodeo Man

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Authors: Tina Leonard
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be friends after she learned what he had done.
    He was about to be prepped for surgery and there was little time for fretting about the past. “My sons,” he said, “this is your mother.”
    It was as if a stone dropped from the ceiling and landed in the room. No one went to hug her. The brothers stared at her so finally Gisella moved forward, giving Josiah a gentle kiss on the forehead. “You look well, Josiah, for what you have been through.”
    â€œI hope I look as well tomorrow,” Josiah said.
    Gisella looked at Sara. “You must be the wonderful woman who convinced Josiah to call me.”
    Sara smiled, and the women shook hands. “I’m sure you know that no one can convince Josiah of anything unless he is already convinced of it himself.”
    Gisella laughed, a full-throated sound Jack remembered from his childhood. It came upon him with a wild, stinging sensation that he’d never gotten over missing that laugh. He had never gotten over missingher. As a boy, he couldn’t understand why she’d left him, what he’d done wrong.
    Gabe went and hugged Gisella. Dane followed and then Pete. Jack scowled, wanting to hang back, but after the wives had been introduced, Jack realized the time had come. “Mother,” he said, barely kissing her cheek.
    She smelled fresh, like spring roses, and it occurred to him he’d missed that smell. Painful memories rushed over him.
    â€œI can see my little man has grown into a big man,” Gisella said. “I’ve thought about you often, Jack.”
    â€œYes, yes,” Josiah said, interrupting the homecoming, to Jack’s infinite relief. “And now that your mother’s here, there’s some tidying up to do. Best to get these things done in case I croak under Dr. Moneybag’s good care.”
    â€œPop, there’s no point in getting worked up about things that can wait. We’re all shell-shocked to see Mom. Let us enjoy her for a moment,” Pete pointed out, but Josiah waved an impatient hand at him.
    â€œA man doesn’t go to his grave with a messy conscience,” he said, “not unless he’s an idiot or run out of time, neither of which applies to me. Sara, may I have the box, please.”
    Sara produced a shoe box from her handbag and handed it to Josiah.
    Josiah sniffed, then looked at Gisella. “Gisella, on many counts I was not a good husband.”
    â€œOn many counts, you were,” Gisella returned. “Iwas not the perfect wife. There is no such thing as perfection in a marriage.”
    â€œI like her,” Sara said. “She understands family.”
    â€œI pick good women,” Josiah said gruffly. “Sara, you might as well know this about me along with everybody else. Boys, in this box are all the letters your mother sent you over the years.” Josiah pulled the top off the box. “You can see that none of them have been opened. I could have read them to you since I speak and read French, but I chose not to out of a stubborn sense of pride and misplaced pain. For this egregious misdeed, I apologize to you all and humbly ask for forgiveness.”
    Gisella’s eyes sparkled with tears. For the first time, a little forgiveness toward his mother seeped into Jack’s heart. “Pop,” he said, “that’s kind of brutal, don’t you think?”
    Dr. Moneybags came into the room to make certain his patient was being prepped and to give his soothing pre-surgery talk. “Doc,” Josiah said, “I need ten more minutes before you roll me to the gallows.”
    â€œMr. Morgan,” Dr. Goodlaw replied, not sure whether to be offended or not, “I assure you we have an excellent team to perform this surgery. It is not a gallows situation.”
    â€œTen minutes is all I need, please, Doctor. And I meant no offence to your skills.”
    The doctor nodded. “The next time I see you, you’ll be asleep.

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