Chapter Two
As Jarrod walked pass the corral closet to the barn and headed towards the front yard, he ran one of the last memories he had with Jessie in it. He and his wife were sitting on the front porch swing of their home. He was running his hand over her very swollen belly. The two had been laughing and talking about the day the doctor had told them he suspected she was carrying not two, but three babies. Then Jessie had stopped laughing and grown very serious.
"Multiple births have more risks than single births." Jessie ran her hands over her abdomen and then looked at Jarrod with great concern in her eyes as the two rode in the family's private railroad car. "If the worst should happen, you wouldn't blame the children would you? You wouldn't think it was better if they'd never been born would you?'
Jarrod was shocked at her words, even though he understood her fears. They'd both seen situations where attitudes had not been the best due to the loss of the mother or one of the children. He had to make sure Jessie didn't have to worry about that one. "I'd never blame you if one of the children doesn't make it, and I won't blame any of them if something happens to you. I'd also do all I could to make sure no one else did…or get away with anything similar." He assured Jessie as he sat behind her and pulled her into his embrace, watching the scenery pass them by. Over the past five years Jarrod had wondered if, somehow, Jessie had had an inkling that something would happen. Naturally, he never dwelt on that thought very long as there was no way to find out now. Still, he'd kept the promise and now, as the Hardins came into view, Jarrod counted to a hundred. He was going to keep it again.
"Jarrod?" Victoria, who had just joined the Hardins, looked at her oldest in concern. The fact that he was fighting to control himself was something she, as his mother, could easily see in his eyes. "What is wrong?"
Looking around, Jarrod saw Nick and Jenny laughing and talking with Heath, Brydie and a few family friends. He wasn't going to make a scene out here, for everyone's sake. "I need to talk to the Hardins, inside." Jarrod answered as he looked at the thin, wiry, man and his 'pleasantly plump' wife-as Mrs. Hardin would say. "I'd appreciate it if you came too."
Victoria didn't like the tone that was in her son's voice; something was up. She wasn't about to turn down her son's request. Standing up, she motioned towards the house. "Maybe we best take this into the study. We won't be disturbed there." She looked at Jarrod as if to say 'You didn't' think I would object coming in did you?' Jarrod chuckled inwardly. It was the reaction he'd expected from his mother.
Confused, but unwilling to make a scene, the Hardins stood up and followed Jarrod and Victoria as they headed into the house. Soon the four were in the study; Jarrod sat behind his desk while his mother and Mrs. Hardin sat on the two extra chairs in the room. Mr. Hardin insisted on standing even after Jarrod offered to go get an extra chair.
"What is this about?" Victoria, who was afraid Nick or someone would miss them and come searching for them, looked at Jarrod. The confusion she felt could be seen in her eyes, as well as in the eyes of their guests.
Jarrod took a deep breath and started talking, even as he allowed a steel like glare to escape his eyes as he looked at the Hardins. "It's about the fact that a child should never be made to feel as if they should have died at birth!" He bit his words off sharply as the fire he'd felt in the barn again began to burn in his eyes.
Victoria gasped as her head whipped sideways, allowing her to see uneasy looks appear on the couple's faces. "You said that to Jarrod's children?" Her son and guests could hear the disbelief in her voice.
"We never said a word to them!" Mrs. Hardin fidgeted with her dress. "We haven't been closer than ten feet to them the whole time we've been here!"
Jarrod stood up and slammed his hands down on his desk, leaning forward as he did. The action caused his mother and Mr. Hardin to step backwards... and Mrs. Hardin to jump in her chair. Jarrod's eyes threw fire balls at the couple as he repeated the conversation he'd had with his children word for word. By the time he was finished the Hardins had the decency to look like more than embarrassed, and if looks could kill-Victoria's would have been the cause of the Hardin's demise. "How dare you say such things!" Jarrod growled as he walked around to the front of the desk. "Sure a part of me wishes Jessie had survived the triplets' birth. It hasn't been easy trying to be both a father and mother to the children. However," He stressed the word 'However', "I've had wonderful support from my family. I would never trade one minute of the last five years and I most certainly will not allow such things too said about Charity and Thomas! Now," he straightened up and stood as tall as he could, "I am going outside to be with my children." He then growled, "I would appreciate it if you stayed completely away from me and my children for the rest of the evening and, seeing how you feel, I think you best find yourself a new attorney as well!" Jarrod, who had been handling all the Hardin's legal affairs, snapped. He then turned and walked of the room.
As he stepped out into the hallway, a wide grin appeared on Jarrod's face, one that went from ear to ear for one simple reason. The Hardins were now on the end of one of his mother's tongue lashings. For a moment Jarrod was back in time. He was listening to his father, who had pulled him out of the study while his grandmother dealt with some guests. Jarrod could hear his father saying 'The only thing worse than a mother's ire is a grandmother's. We best wait outside. "Thanks for being right, father. Mother is doing a wonderful job right now." If it weren't for the need he felt to get to his children, Jarrod would have remained in the hallway and savored his mother's lecture to the insensitive couple. As it was, moments later Audra, Jenny, Brydie and their guests were all laughing as Thomas and Charity, along with two year old Nicolas, chased the Barkley men around the yard.
The End
