Uncle
Authors: E. M. Leya
UNCLE
© 2012 by E.M. Leya
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This book is a work of fiction. References to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or persons or locales, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This book fell together in sections, and I could not have put it together without the help of many others who made it what it is. I have a great team to support me and help make a mess into something readable. Thank you all for all your time and help. Karissa, Tammi, Marcia, Carolyn, and Adriana, without your help, this would have never been possible.
And most of all, thanks to God, who gives me the patience and talent to write.
Travis stared across the desk at the lawyer who was about to read his sister and brother-in-laws will. He kept his eyes forward, trying to ignore his sister's in-laws, who sat beside him. He only met the couple a few times before his sister's death and had never much liked them.
After spending more time with them in the last week to take care of funeral arrangements and cleaning out his sister's house, he was more than ready to have this over. His emotions were stretched about as far as they could go, and no amount of praying seemed to bring him any peace.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Once they heard what his sister had planned for his nephew, Jason, he would be able to try to move forward, and maybe heal from the pain that losing his sister and brother-in-law caused.
He smiled as he thought about Jason. The six year old was the best thing that ever happened to him. He never thought of himself as a kid person, but when Janet gave birth to Jason, his whole view changed. He loved that kid as if he was his own. After all, he wouldn't be having any of his own kids, so his nephew filled a role that he wouldn't have experienced otherwise.
Jason amazed him. Even through the funeral and everything else going on the six year old had kept a brave face. His grandparents had done a good job of keeping him busy, but Travis worried once the shock wore off and things settled down, that this might hit the poor boy hard.
"Thank you all for coming in. I'm sure you all just want to get this over, so I will begin." The lawyer cleared his throat and started reading.
The will was basic and as Travis figured, everything was to be sold and put into a trust for Jason. He was glad that his sister had taken the time to set everything up. He'd helped clean the house out over the last week, and knew it wouldn't take long to sell the home.
"Now as for custody." The lawyer flipped through a few pages, and made a quick note. "Both parties have signed that Mr. Murdock is granted full custodial rights of the child."
Travis sat back shocked. The last thing he expected was for his sister to send Jason to live with him. He knew nothing about raising a child. He thought for sure that Jason would live with his grandparents. He wasn't upset by the decision, though. His dislike for the Steeles had left him uneasy about his nephew being raised by them.
As the information sunk in, he smiled.
"This can't be. He isn't fit to raise a child!" Mrs. Steele stood.
Travis stared at her. "And just why not? I am more than able to provide for him, and offer him a safe place to live."
"But you're…" She bit down on her lip. "Unfit."
Travis's temper flared and he had to force his anger back. He knew exactly what her problem was.
"We can give the boy a much better home." Mr. Steele reached for his wife's hand and tugged her back down into her seat. "We raised one son already. Raising Jason would be an honor to us."
"The will states that Mr. Murdock will have custody. Unless he refuses there isn't much you can do."
"You don't understand, he isn't suited to be a parent." Mrs. Steele glared at Travis.
"And why not, Mrs. Steele? Why don't you just spit out what you are trying to say?" Travis met her glare with his own confident gaze.
"You're… You're gay," she said the words as if she was talking about some life-threatening disease.
"I am. But you still haven't told me why I'm unfit to raise Jason." He glanced at the lawyer, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was.
"Well, I just did tell you why. You can't raise a young impressionable child around that." Mrs. Steele wrung her hands together in her lap.
"Around what?" Travis fisted his hands at his side in anger.
"Listen, please. The will states that Mr. Murdock is the legal guardian. If you have an issue with this, you will need to bring it up with the courts. Now might we finish up here?" The lawyer reached for the bottle of water at his side and took a long drink.
Travis nodded, and sat silent as the lawyer spoke. He was only half listening as he thought about how his life was about to change. A nervous excitement filled him as he thought about having Jason around all the time. Yet, at the same time, fear crept through him. He would have to change a lot of things, plan his schedule better to include school and all the other activities Jason was used to.
As they finished the meeting, Travis stood, brushing his hands down the suit he couldn't wait to get out of, and after shaking hands with the lawyer, he turned to the Steeles. "I will be by to pick up Jason this afternoon, unless you would like me to do it now? I want to make this as easy on him as we can."
"You know we are going to fight you on this." Mr. Steele adjusted his tie.
"As I said, I will be by to pick him up around four. I won't fight about this around him. You do what you feel you need to, but I ask you not to say things around Jason."
"You can't hide who you are." Mrs. Steele reached for her purse.
"No, Ma'am, I never planned to. Jason already knows who I am. He and I will get along fine."
"You know what I mean." She took her husband's hand.
"No, Ma'am, I don't."
She shook her head. "Harold, let's go. I need to call our lawyer."
Travis sighed as he watched them leave the room. He had no doubt they were serious about fighting him, and he would fight back. If his sister trusted him enough to raise her child, he sure the hell was going to do it.
He left the office and drove down the street to the local department store. If he was going to make Jason feel at home, he had best start preparing for it. He said a silent prayer as he drove, asking God to give him the strength to do this.
Parking the truck, he headed inside. Shopping wasn't one of his favorite things, but he figured he better get used to it now. Heading for the bedding section, he turned down several aisles, pushing his cart as he tried to think what he needed to get.
First he found a couple sets of cartoon character sheets. He tried to remember if Jason had mentioned what cartoons he liked, but he couldn't recall. He hoped he got the right ones. The ones with cars all over them looked good to him.
Next he headed to the clothing, grabbing shirts, pants, and standing like an idiot trying to decide on what size underwear a six year old would wear. After staring at the display for almost ten minutes, he finally turned to the woman beside him and asked her for help. Her son appeared the same age as Jason, and he hoped they would wear about the same size.
Once he left clothing, he headed over to the toys. Jason would be bringing all his stuff with him, but Travis hoped that having a few new items might help make the transition easier for the kid. Besides, he didn't doubt for a minute that the Steeles would try and make things as hard for him as they could. He was used to the hate, but he prayed that they were decent enough not to cause a scene in front of an innocent six year old.
By the time he left the store, he had spent over three hundred dollars. As he loaded the bags into the truck, he wondered if he should hold off on giving some of the stuff to Jason. He didn't want to spoil the boy and then have him come to expect it all the time.
The drive back to the ranch felt longer than it should have. He wasn't too far out of the city limits, but his thousand acre ranch was still a good twenty minute drive from everything. He couldn't wait to get back and tell Jake, his foreman, that Jason was going to be living with them. Jake and the other hands working for him all took to Jason as if he was their own. They would be excited to have him around all the time.
He was relieved that he had them around to help him keep an eye on Jason and keep him from getting into trouble. The ranch was no place for a six year old to run around unattended.
He parked in front of the large ranch house. He had built the two story home shortly after his parent's death, leaving their smaller house, several hundred yards away, for his foreman and the other hands to use when they stayed the night or needed a place to get out of the sun during the day.
He stepped out of his truck and took a moment to look over his place. Across from the house sat several corrals and two large barns. He watched several horses running through the far corral and smiled as he thought about taking Jason out riding. The two of them rode together every time his sister would bring him to visit. Now they would have the chance to do it all the time. He looked at the old palomino and wondered if that would be a good horse for Jason to call his own. He would have to give that some thought.
Leaving the bags in the truck for now, he made his way to the barn. Two of his hands worked shoeing one horse as another hand sat on the bales of hay watching. He gave them a wave and continued on down to the other end of the barn, to where his foreman stood trying to fix one of the latches on a stall door.
"Hey, how did it go?" Jake looked up.
Travis leaned against the wall beside him. "Just as I figured, everything is to be sold and put in a trust for Jason." He and Jake were more than boss and employee. Jake had been his best friend since high school. The two of them talked about everything.
When the call came in that his sister and brother-in-law had been killed in a car accident, Jake had stepped right up and took over the handling of the ranch so Travis could deal with his family issues. He owed his friend more than he could ever repay.
"How's Jason holding up?" Jake worked the screwdriver as he tightened the latch.
"You can ask him himself this afternoon."