Chapter Two

Jarrod stood on the platform in front of the train station. He could see the steam from the train off in the distance. While he waited, Jarrod's mind turned to the night before; back to when he'd gone out to see his brothers.

Heath, who had heard the front door open, looked over his shoulder as he continued playing his harmonica. He saw Jarrod exit the house and made his way to the corral. He might have continued playing only, as Jarrod drew closer and Heath saw how serious of look was upon the man's face, Heath quit playing and slid the harmonica in his pocket. He waited until Jarrod was standing in front of him before speaking. "What's wrong?"

Jarrod shook his head as he looked at Nick, who had climbed off the fence and, turning around, and headed back towards the house without saying a word. Jarrod might not have been surprised, only his heart ached for Nick. "Nothing and, maybe, everything," He said as he leaned his back against the corral and continued watching Nick walking towards the house. "Adam Cartwright and one of his brothers are coming." He went on to repeat everything he'd told their mother.

"Do you think it's wise to bring them here?" Heath asked as Nick disappeared into the house. "I mean, I know they did nothing, but they'll still be a reminder of the war, of whatever was too much for even Nick to handle. I mean, compared to where he was, Nick has come quite a ways. I'd hate to see him set back." Heath looked at his eldest brother with concern in his eyes.

Jarrod let out a 'harrumph' filled with frustration. "And he's not going to get reminded of that when he goes to the colonel's funeral?" Jarrod shook his head as he thought how the fact that Nick was actually insisting on trying to attend the colonel's funeral. It had shocked them all. Now, they were both excited and downright terrified for him. Nick had left the ranch only a handful of times…and that was before their father was killed.

Heath too let his concern show in his eyes as he looked back at the house. "Yeah, I know."

"WHOO WOOO!" The sound of the train pulling in snapped Jarrod out of his musings and he watched as the train stopped and passengers started filing out. It seemed like a thousand people stepped off the train before Jarrod saw the familiar face of Adam Cartwright. "Hello, Adam." Jarrod said as he approached Adam and the man whom Jarrod assumed was Hoss. "Good to see you."

"Good to see you too, it's been a long time." Adam shook Jarrod's hand and then introduced Hoss. "I was hoping Nick would be here too." The moment Adam said the words and saw the lightning fast look of pain in Jarrod's eyes, he knew that there had to have been something to the stories he'd heard. With that realization, he wondered if Nick was even alive. That thought was thrown out as Jarrod started speaking.

"He's working with our brother, Heath." Jarrod replied, not surprised when his words got a raised eyebrow from Adam. "I'll explain everything over lunch. Come on, the restaurant here in town has some delicious food."

Hoss' eyes lit up and his smile widened. "Sounds good to me, what about you, Adam?" He looked at his elder brother.

Adam, who wasn't really all that hungry, took pity on Hoss and his stomach. "Sounds good to me," He answered as he and Hoss followed Jarrod as he walked away from the platform and towards town.

~oOo~

Jarrod, Adam and Hoss, who had made their way around one table after another finally found an empty place in the rather noise filled restaurant, which was looking rather new thanks to the new flowery wallpaper and bright crystal chandeliers. Once they were seated, a red headed waitress, who stood roughly five feet four inches, quickly brought them three menus and some water. After she'd left, Adam and Hoss, who had not missed the surprise on his brother's face, looked at Jarrod.

Jarrod took a deep breath and began explaining all about Tom's indiscretion and Heath's appearance on the ranch. "It took me longer than I'd like to admit to truly accept him, only he's definitely the salt of the earth, one that I'm pleased to call brother."

"And Nick?" Adam's eyes filled with suspicion; his eyebrows turned downward.

Jarrod leaned back, saying nothing at first. Then he let out a slow breath and sighed. "Nick's not really been the same since our father brought him home from the army hospital." He started explaining as he kept his eyes on Adam and Hoss. Jarrod explained the shell of man that Tom Barkley had brought home. He explained how Nick had refused to speak or step out of his room for almost six months. "I eventually coaxed him out of his room, and father-over time- got him back outside and working with him, and I mean with him. If Nick lost sight of father, he'd start panicking-and I don't mean panicking on a small scale either." Jarrod sighed and continued, "Nick was actually starting to open up to father, only then he witnessed our father shot in the back and killed. It pushed him back to square one. It wasn't until Heath showed up and started working with him that anyone succeeded in getting Nick to go outside again, and that took Heath eight months to accomplish." Jarrod said as he looked at the shock on Adam and Hoss' faces.

"And he's yet to speak since your father was killed?" Adam stared at him in amazement. From what he'd just heard Tom was killed four years ago.

"I didn't say that." Jarrod said as the waitress appeared. The men stopped talking long enough to give their orders and then waited until she left before they started talking again. Jarrod shrugged his shoulders, "It's just that he still speaks very little. In fact he makes Heath, who is a quiet one, sound loud." Jarrod fought the emotion he felt raging through him. How he wanted to hear Nick holler again. For that matter, he'd even be overjoyed to pay the man's bail if he'd get into a fight. "Truth is, we were all shocked beyond measure when Nick said he was going to attempt to go to the funeral."

"I'd heard stories like that before the war ended. I mean stories connected to Nick." Adam admitted as he leaned back in his chair. "I had hoped it wasn't the case though, or had fixed itself by now. To be honest, I'm surprised he's still living with you; it can't be easy." Adam quickly added, due to an angry look that appeared in Jarrod's eyes, "Not that I'm saying your family should have taken another route. The truth is I admire you all for keeping him at the house and working with him. You're all an exception to the rule."

Jarrod shrugged his shoulders as the look of anger disappeared. "Father and mother refused to lock him away from family. I'm just glad Heath has been able to do wonders with Nick. McColl, our foreman, says Nick is now working with him as well as Heath. It's another milestone reached."

"If this new brother of yours has been able to help Nick so much," Adam said as he looked at Jarrod, "I look forward to meeting him."

Jarrod smiled. "He's a good one like I said." Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "I think the reason Heath has had more success, when it comes to Nick, is because he not only served in the war but survived Carterson as well; he was just a kid at the time. I'm thinking that, maybe, Nick is seeing that Barkley resilience in Heath and it's helping somehow." Again, he wasn't surprised the look of shock that again appeared on the Cartwright's face. The southern prison camp was far too famous for the two men not to know it, even Hoss who had not served in the war.

Adam, who had a knack of reading people, assure Jarrod that Hoss and he would treat Nick with compassion and respect, not ridicule or pity. Jarrod relaxed and continued visiting with the two brothers.