Chapter 2

Jarrod and Maggie planned to get up late – it was nearly nine – but then there really wasn't any reason to get up early. It felt wonderful to just lie there together and talk quietly, and kiss quietly, and do other things quietly. Luckily, they were only talking when the knock came at the door.

"Come in," Jarrod said with a yawn.

Victoria came in, carrying a silver tray with breakfast and flowers, thinking privately I finally get to do this, but saying, "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Barkley."

Maggie pulled the blankets up almost to her chin, but Jarrod just left them falling halfway down his chest, saying, "Mother, you didn't need to do that."

"I know I didn't," Victoria said and put the tray down on the small table at the foot of the bed. "But I'm celebrating your first full day as man and wife." She stood up straight, smiling. "And I see you have been, too. So I will let you two enjoy your breakfast and everything else, and I'll see you downstairs, later."

She turned and went out, and after she had closed the door, Maggie covered her mouth with the sheet and laughed. Jarrod didn't bother to cover his mouth. He simply let his laugh dissolve with his mouth on Maggie's, and laughing turned to kissing for both of them.

"Are you hungry?" Jarrod asked then.

"Yes, I am," Maggie said.

Jarrod climbed out of bed and fetched the tray. Maggie pulled herself up in the bed, not worrying about where the blankets fell, and Jarrod set the tray on her lap. Then he climbed back under the covers beside her and moved the tray so they both had it in front of them.

"Ah, wonderful, Silas's scrambled eggs," Jarrod said.

"Watch the hot coffee," Maggie said.

"I know how to do that. I've been sick enough to have breakfast in bed more than once."

Jarrod poured from the coffee pot to the cups, making sure to fill them only halfway. Then he put the coffee pot on the nighttable and out of the way.

Maggie raised her coffee cup, and Jarrod raised his and clinked hers. "Here's to you, Mrs. Barkley," Jarrod said. "I'll have to get used to that, having more than one Mrs. Barkley in this house."

"I'll have to get used to being Mrs. Barkley," Maggie said. "But I'll love every minute of it."

"I think I'll kiss you after each bite of breakfast we eat," Jarrod said and kissed her.

Maggie said, "Sounds good to me."

XXXXXXX

By the time they came downstairs, only Victoria and Audra were still at home. They were both in the living room, putting some finishing touches on embroidery they were working on for the tables at the wedding. They looked up, smiling, when Jarrod and Maggie came down the stairs.

"It's a good thing you only get breakfast in bed once," Victoria said. "Do you realize it's nearly eleven?"

"Oh," Maggie said. "No, I don't think we did realize it."

"I don't suppose you'll be interested in lunch with the rest of us."

"Are Nick and Heath planning to come in?" Jarrod asked.

"So they said. They should be here by noon."

"Good. We have some other things to talk about while we're all together."

Victoria looked up. "Oh?"

"Relax your curiosity, Mother," Jarrod said. "We'll do all our talking when the boys are here."

"I was planning to go see Jennie about my wedding dress this afternoon, if that's all right, Jarrod," Audra said.

Jarrod said, "Say, has Nick ever started seeing Jennie again?"

Victoria said, "I think he decided Jennie wasn't quite the right one for him."

"And she decided Nick wasn't the right one for her," Audra said.

"That's too bad," Jarrod said. "I thought they had a special something that Nick wasn't finding in anyone else."

"So did I," Victoria said, "but I guess we were both wrong. Nick is still looking, as is Heath."

Just about then, the front door opened, and Nick came limping in, his arm around Heath's shoulder. Limping turned into hopping as they came into the living room and Nick settled down into a chair.

"What happened to you?" Jarrod asked.

"Horse kicked him," Heath said.

"Leg broken?"

"No, I don't think so, but he got it in the shin and it hurts like the devil."

"I can speak for myself," Nick said. "I got it in the shin and it hurts like the devil."

Victoria got up from the settee. "Take your boot and sock off and let me have a look."

Jarrod saw Maggie was beginning to look a little green. Morning sickness, maybe, but maybe also her aversion to the cattle was now transferring to horses. Jarrod put his arm around her and steered her toward the front door. "I think I'll take my lovely wife for some air before lunch," he said and they were gone.

Nick had removed his boot and sock, and Victoria pulled his pantleg up and out of the way. "Audra, get the first aid kit. The skin is broken and the wound needs cleaning."

Audra got up and went to the kitchen for the first aid kit.

Victoria probed the area around the wound, being careful not to touch it. Nick grimaced and tensed, but did not complain otherwise. "Nothing seems broken. I'll clean it up and doctor it for you and it should heal up fine."

"You look grouchy," Heath said. "Cheer up, you'll be fine."

"I know I'm just – mad." Nick was looking for a better word than "mad" but he couldn't find it.

Audra returned with the first aid supplies and a basin of water and a cloth. "I just noticed Jarrod and Maggie were out back," she said. "Maggie didn't look very good. I think she had thrown up."

"Jarrod said something about the cattle and their hooves had made her a bit green when they were here a couple months ago," Heath said. "I guess Nick getting kicked hit that same nerve for her."

Victoria thought it might be something else. She just said, "Yes, I guess that could be it."

XXXXXX

An hour or so later, everyone was seated at the table and eating lunch. Maggie seemed fine, and Nick was happier once he got some food inside of him. Silas had made some wonderful ham salad, and after they were finished but before they left the table, Jarrod said, "There's something else Maggie and I wanted to talk to you all about."

"What's that?" Nick asked.

Jarrod leaned forward on his elbows, smiling at his wife. "Got any good ideas for baby names?"

"Baby names?" Nick asked.

Mouths fell open. Audra squealed and jumped up from the table, throwing her arms around Maggie and then Jarrod.

"Jarrod Junior," Heath said right away. "If it's a boy, it's got to be Jarrod Thomas Barkley Junior."

Jarrod hemmed and hawed a little.

"What? You don't like the name I gave you?" Victoria said with a grin.

"No, I like it fine," Jarrod said, and before he could say anything else, Maggie spoke up.

"I like Jarrod Thomas Junior as well. So what about a girl's name?"

"What was your mother's name?" Audra asked.

Maggie said, "Eve."

"Victoria Eve," Jarrod said. "I think we have our baby names."

"When do you think you're due?" Victoria asked.

"October or November," Maggie said. "And yes, we're a little embarrassed about the timing, but frankly, I didn't think I could have a baby. Then all of a sudden, well…"

"We're pretty darned happy about it," Jarrod said.

"Congratulations, Pappy," Nick said with a smile. He raised his water glass. "Here's to Jarrod Thomas Junior or Victoria Eve."

The others joined him, with Victoria saying, "Here, here!"

Jarrod felt relieved – the timing issue seemed to be a non-issue. Instead, he let the warmth of family, and the joy of starting his own family, settle in and feed his smile. After Beth died, he had given up the idea of becoming a father, and when his illness crept in on him, he was certain it would never be. And now, here it was. His beautiful wife pregnant, baby names all chosen. It was real. He was going to be a father.

It didn't occur to him for a moment that he would not be around to see his child born. And what came after that, he'd leave up to God. A year, five years, whatever it was going to be, he would accept. The joy of this moment washed all bad feeling away.