Chapter One

The sound of a rooster could be heard flying through the air, as Jarrod made his way from his bedroom down to the breakfast table. He'd gotten in late the night before, but since the case he'd been working on was over, he had been able to catch up on a bit of much needed sleep. By the time he got to the table, his family was already seated. He wasn't surprised when Nick and Heath started ribbing him about sleeping in and attributed to the 'effects of aging'.

"Enough teasing, let's get this food blessed and eaten before it grows cold." Victoria reprimanded her sons, though she did so with a smile on her face and laughter in her eyes.

"Oh, Jarrod," Audra spoke up, apologizing, "You were in and out so much yesterday, and got in so late last night, I forgot to give you a letter that arrived for you yesterday." She pointed towards the credenza that sat off to the side of the room. "It's over there."

"You can get it after you eat." Victoria spoke up when her oldest started to stand up. "At least, I'd appreciate it if you did." She didn't like it that Jarrod would miss various meals when he was working on a case, and this last case had been no different. If, by some wild chance, there was anything in the letter that would be the start of another case, she wanted to know he'd had a good meal first.

Jarrod grinned and sat back down. He didn't have to ask his mother why she'd looked at him with such concern in her eyes. He knew how he got at times and he knew how she felt about it. "All right, mother, I'll wait." He then picked up his utensils and began eating his breakfast and talking with his family.

~oOo~

By the time Nick and Heath were finished eating, Jarrod had already left the table. Since they had thought Jarrod was going into Stockton, both Nick and Heath were surprised to find Jarrod sitting and staring into the empty fireplace. The letter that Audra had spoken of was in his hands and opened. The two brothers looked at each other; each had a puzzled look on their face. "What's wrong, Jarrod?" Nick asked as he and Heath looked back towards their elder brother, almost afraid of what news was in the letter their brother held.

What was wrong? Jarrod sighed inwardly as he looked at the letter and read Sir, my name is Jefferson Hilton. I'm writing on the behalf of the late Zachariah Stapleton. Zachariah Stapleton, it was a name he had not seen for a couple of years. When Jarrod had first met Zach, the title in front of the man's name had been that of a Major. In spite of the fact that Zach, as those who knew him, outranked Jarrod, the two had still found a strong brotherly bond over a period of time… even though Zach was ten years older than Jarrod. After the war was over, but before Heath joined the family, Zach had traveled to California. He'd stopped by to visit Jarrod and to meet the rest of the family. "It's from a law firm in Nevada. Zach's passed away." Jarrod answered as he stood up, slid the letter back into its envelope and into his vest pocket, and then walked over to table that constantly held a decanter filled with a bit of something for them, or a guest if they had one, to drink.

It took a moment for the name to really register with Nick. He'd only met the man during the man's visit to the ranch and had not had any cause to think a lot about the man. When he made the connection, his eyes widened. "I'm sorry to hear that. I know his friendship meant a lot to you." Nick looked from Jarrod to Heath, and then gave Heath a brief summary of Mr. Stapleton. "What did the law firm in Nevada say?" Nick asked a bit concerned, knowing it wasn't normally a law's office place to notify someone of another person's passing. For Jarrod to take a drink right after breakfast, it had to be something huge.

"Don't you think you're jumping the gun?" Jarrod, who stood in the study talking to his friend, leaned against the huge oak desk he'd bought the week before. The old desk had finally gotten to the point where it just had to be replaced."

Zach let out an amused chuckle. "I hope so, only I'm not getting any younger." The man then grew dead serious and any signs of amusement flew out the window. "You made me a promise during the war, Jarrod. I know when you made that promise I had been severely wounded, and neither one of us knew if I would survive. I might not be dying now; still, I want to ask if you're still willing to keep that promise. After all, with my Katie gone, I'd like to have a peace of mind on the matter." His wife's name had actually been Catalina, only Zach had seldom used it. She had been Zach's wife for close to twenty four years, but her health had started failing her after twenty one years of the marriage.

Jarrod sighed. He had re-affirmed the promise his friend had asked of him while hoping he'd never have to keep it. Only now, almost five years since the two had last talked, he found himself in a boat he wished he could get out of. "They're carrying out the orders Zach left is his will." Jarrod answered as he put down the glass as he turned to face his brothers with the most serious look they'd ever seen on their brother's face. "Is mother still in the dining room?"

Now Nick and Heath both knew something was up. Jarrod wouldn't have 'that' look on his face and asking the whereabouts of their mother if something wasn't going on. Only question they had was…what was going on? "She went into the kitchen to talk to Silas." Nick answered. He went to say something else, only to have Jarrod excuse himself and exit the living room faster than Nick thought humanly possible.

"Boy howdy," Heath said as he watched Jarrod disappear from the room. "How come I get the feeling there was more than 'you've inherited such and such' in that letter?" It was a question that Nick didn't bother answering as he felt the same way.