A lump settled in Megan's throat. "I'm not ready for this. Two months of a silent treatment will not be fun." Megan headed to the kitchen, but her movements were short and stiff. "They left me no choice," she reminded herself.
Within minutes, Danny pushed past her and seethed. "I'm going to the cabin and want to be left alone."
"Okay," Megan mumbled, not missing the emphasis on "alone." She turned and saw Jason.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
"Sure. Would you like to change your clothes first?"
"No."
She followed him to the front porch but stayed close to the house. Jason moved to the railing and leaned over it for a moment. Megan sucked her stomach in anticipating the crucial blow of his words. Instead he thanked her.
"I mean it," he said now looking at her. "Gray Cloud is great." Jason paused as if looking for the right words to continue speaking. "The kids at school loved my stories about the ranch and Blackfoot. Then Danny entered the picture." Jason's expression turned somber as he looked down at the plank floor. "His mom and my dad are getting married this fall. We are here to get to know each other…as my dad kept reminding me." He shook his head and exhaled. "We're both only children who liked things as they were."
Megan watched a calmness enter his features, something she had not seen this summer. The fun, adventurous boy from last summer was starting to shine through.
"Anyway, Danny likes sports. He loves to win at sports and games. Until last summer I thought the only way to have fun was to win no matter what it took to win. You taught me that it's more important to have fun and be a friend. The best win I ever experienced was when our team won the broom polo match."
"That was fun," Megan said as she vividly remembered that day. These kids will forever teach me about life. Jason continued. "I couldn't wait to come back and show you how much I have changed. When I think about the pranks I pulled… thank you for believing in me and not sending me home. Anyway, Danny hated my stories and he vowed to ruin this summer if he had to come. He's here and life hasn't been too grand."
"Something has changed," Megan said. "You don't seem angry anymore."