Chapter 1

Late May 1880

They were both so sound asleep on the train that they would have missed the Stockton stop had the conductor not come into their private car yelling, "Stockton coming up!"

Jarrod stirred first, and as he moved, Maggie moved. "Are we there?" she mumbled.

Jarrod sat up on the end of the sofa where they had fallen asleep, saying, "Sounds like it."

Maggie sat up then. They looked at each other and laughed.

"We look awful," Maggie said.

Jarrod handed her her reticule and fished a comb out of the breast pocket of his jacket. As he combed his hair and straightened his tie, Maggie pulled a hand mirror out of her reticule and examined her hair.

"Oh, this is hopeless," she said, trying to fix the combs that held her hair out of her eyes.

"Here, let me," Jarrod said, and reached his arms around her to resettle the hair combs. He lingered for a kiss.

"I can't believe we're here," Maggie said. "I can't believe everything that's happened to us over the past year."

Jarrod chuckled. "YOU can't believe it? I've moved to San Francisco and now back again, all within a year. Do you know how tired of moving I am?"

"I can imagine, but we won't do it anymore. We're home."

"Well, almost," Jarrod said and turned to look out of the window. They were close to Stockton, but still not quite there. "We still have to get this train to Stockton, and we'll still have to move into the house once it's done."

"You sold the townhouse so fast."

"Well, that's the San Francisco real estate market for you. Demand exceeds supply, lucky for us."

Maggie leaned over and kissed him.

"We have some time," Jarrod said. "Once we get there, we'll have to wait for them to move the car onto the siding and uncouple it."

"So – what do you want to do?"

Jarrod kissed her again. "Kissing is nice."

Kissing was nice until they felt the train uncouple and leave their car on the siding. "Guess we'd better get off," Maggie said then.

Jarrod smiled, climbing to his feet, and as soon as he was up, his brothers Nick and Heath came rushing through the door.

"Welcome home!" Nick yelled.

Jarrod shook hands with his brothers, and they each gave Maggie a hug. Then Nick and Heath saw all the luggage.

"Good grief, I thought you had already shipped or carried everything you owned back here," Nick said.

"It's only seven or eight bags, Nick," Jarrod said. "You two can handle them without me. I have to help my lovely wife down and get her safely over the tracks. She is with child, you know."

"Of course," Nick said with a bow.

Heath had already gotten hold of two small bags and two large ones, leaving Nick with four mid-sized ones. Nick struggled with getting them together – one each under each arm and one in each hand – but he did it. Meanwhile, Jarrod had already helped Maggie down off the car and was getting her across the tracks to the platform.

His mother and sister were waiting there for them, beaming from ear to ear. "Welcome home!" Audra cried.

As soon as Jarrod and Maggie had climbed up to the platform, Victoria and Audra were embracing them.

"I hope you had a good trip," Victoria said.

"We did, but we're glad to be here," Maggie said.

Nick and Heath struggled to the surrey and loaded the baggage there. Then they each mounted their horses, as Jarrod sat with his wife in the back seat in the surrey, Victoria driving and Audra beside her.

They chatted like crazy – loudly at first, until they drove out of town – and then at a more conversational level. It was idle chatter until it came to Jarrod asking, "So, how is the house coming?"

They had begun construction at the beginning of May, but wet weather slowed things down a bit. "We'll drive by and let you have a look," Victoria said over her shoulder.

"The foundation's in?" Jarrod asked.

"Oh, yes," Victoria replied. "They weren't able to get it under roof before the rains hit, though, so I guess you'll have to move into the main house for a while."

"Well, we expected that," Jarrod said.

"What we didn't expect was the house in San Francisco to sell so fast," Maggie said.

"That's just fine with us," Victoria said. "We've got plenty of room."

They chatted idly until they passed by the sign that said they were on Barkley property, and shortly after that they turned south along a country lane. A short drive over a small hill, and there before them was the beginning of their home.

The foundation was in, with the framing and one wall in place. As they had asked, the grove of trees that was special to them was intact, to the rear of the house. The outbuildings had not yet been started.

Jarrod climbed out of the surrey, leaving the ladies there so they would not get dirt on their clothing. Nick and Heath dismounted and joined him at what would one day be the front door.

"Looks good," Jarrod said.

"We gave the crew the day off today, seeing as it's Sunday," Nick said.

Jarrod nodded and began to walk around the building, imagining rooms where there were only studs, seeing a fireplace where the chimney had yet to be built. Nick and Heath walked with him, but they pretty much toured the site in silence, until they came back to the front.

"Where do you want the sign to be?" Heath asked then.

"Sign?" Jarrod asked. "What sign?"

"Gotta have a sign," Heath said. "You know, the name of your place."

"Oh," Jarrod said. "Maybe out where the lane leaves the road?"

"What name have you chosen?" Nick asked.

"For the house?" Jarrod asked.

"Of course for the house. What else are we talking about?"

"Uh – " Jarrod stuttered for a moment. Then it came to him, and he went back to the surrey to talk to Maggie. She looked confused as he asked, "What shall we name our home?"

"Seems you already have an idea," Maggie said.

Jarrod smiled. "How about 'The Grove'?"

Maggie smiled that beautiful smile Jarrod loved so much. "I like it."

Jarrod turned, spread his arms wide and said to his brothers, "'The Grove'!"

XXXXX

Once they got to the main house, Nick and Heath took the baggage up to Jarrod's room, and Jarrod and Maggie got down to the task of unpacking it. It was tiring work, but at least it was the last of moving out of San Francisco. Maggie had given up her job and apartment, Jarrod had sold his house and his practice, and now, as the baggage emptied, the biggest part of the move was over.

It was time for drinks before dinner when Jarrod and Maggie finished and came down. Everyone else had already gathered in the living room.

"Well, there they are," Nick said as he saw them coming. "What did you do, fall asleep up there?"

"No, we unpacked," Jarrod said. "Now there are nice empty suitcases for you and Heath to put into storage."

"How is it we always get the work?" Heath asked Nick.

Nick shrugged.

Jarrod slapped Nick on the back. "You're soft touches. Maggie, would you like something to drink?"

Maggie's stomach didn't react well to the thought of alcohol. "I think I'd just like some water."

"Comin' up," Heath said and poured from the pitcher kept on the refreshment table. "Jarrod, anything for you?"

Jarrod didn't answer him.

All eyes went to where he had been standing, but now he had sunk into a chair in the corner, doubled over, grabbing his chest.