Chapter 3
Two days later, Jarrod was sitting on the edge of the bed, struggling to get his boots on, and hoping Maggie didn't notice. She was busy dressing and getting her hair put up, so he was pretty sure she didn't see. What he didn't take into account was that she was looking into her mirror, and she could see him behind her.
She had noticed several things lately, his struggle with his boots being one of them. He was fastening his belt a notch or two looser as well, and she could see that his left hand in particular was swollen almost all the time, so much so that you couldn't see the tendons and veins anymore.
Maggie knew what all that meant, but since he was seeing Dr. Merar pretty regularly, she was leaving it up to him to begin to talk about it with her. She was certain Dr. Merar saw the same things she did. She wanted to grant her husband his privacy, for now anyway. It was going to disappear all too soon.
As for the fact that her heart was breaking every time she looked at him – she kept that to herself. She would shed all her tears when he wasn't around.
Once he got his boots on and she got her hair pinned up, she turned and pulled him close while he was still sitting on the bed. "Mmmmm," he said happily.
"I expect the other Barkley will be heard from at any moment," Maggie said. "I'll see he's fed and ready for the day."
"Mrs. Reilly should be here before long," Jarrod said, referring to their housekeeper who came to prepare breakfast at seven and saw them through the day. "I have a couple right-of-way documents to finalize and take to town today."
"When are you planning to go in?"
"After lunch, I think. Shouldn't take me long."
"Stay and play a little poker if you like."
"I may just do that." Jarrod stood up and kissed his wife. "I'll put coffee on while you feed – "
Before he finished the sentence, J.J. began to wail in the nursery.
"While you feed J.J.," Jarrod said.
Maggie laughed and went off to the nursery.
Jarrod sighed happily and picked his pocket watch up from the nighttable. It was just before seven - J.J. gave them a little break this morning - and as he went into the living room, heading for the kitchen, he heard Mrs. Reilly's buggy pull up. He opened the front door to her as she was climbing down.
"Good morning, Mr. Barkley," she said and came up the steps. "How is everything this morning?"
"Just fine," Jarrod said. "I was just going to start the coffee."
"I'll take care of that," she said, went by him, and after hanging her reticule at the rack near the door, went straight to the kitchen.
Domestic bliss, Jarrod thought to himself. Look it up in the dictionary and you'll probably see the Jarrod Barkley family listed there.
Except his feet already hurt. With a sigh, he went to his desk to finish up the rights-of-way he was working on, and he lifted his feet onto the footstool he was keeping under the desk these days. It helped a little. He tried not to think about it, and soon the scent of coffee and bacon helped a lot.
XXXXXXX
It was about two in the afternoon by the time Jarrod made it to the records office to file the rights-of-way. He told himself that Nick would be happy, and he went to Harry's saloon to see if he could find a poker game.
As he crossed the street, he saw a Wheeler Ranch buggy hitched to the rail outside the mercantile, and he knew Audra was in town. He detoured into the mercantile, realizing for a moment that he could help his swollen foot problem by buying bigger boots. But he decided now was not the time, because sure enough, there Audra was, picking out fabric. Jarrod snuck up behind her and said, "Caught you."
Audra jumped, but laughed when she turned and saw who it was. "That was nasty, Jarrod," she laughed.
"I couldn't resist," Jarrod said. He saw she was examining white fabric for a shirt. "Who's this for?"
"Carl," Audra said. "His birthday is in late July. I want to make sure I have plenty of time to make him a new dress shirt. What do you think of this?"
"I like it. Make me a shirt, too?"
"When your birthday rolls around. How are Maggie and J.J.?"
"Just fine. How's Carl?"
"Just as fine. What are you doing in town?"
"Filing some papers, and Maggie gave me permission to seek out a poker game."
"You must have been a good boy."
"Always," Jarrod said and kissed Audra's cheek. "Do you have time for a cup of coffee at the Stockton House?"
"Yes," Audra said, and she gave the clerk instructions for the amount of fabric she wanted and said she'd be back for it later.
Jarrod offered his arm, and they walked together toward the Stockton House in the next block.
"I'm glad I ran into you," Audra said as they walked. "I have some news."
"Good news, I hope," Jarrod said.
"I think so," Audra said, smiling that smile that said she was hiding a wonderful secret.
Jarrod raised his eyebrows. "Tell me now, or are you going to make me wait?"
"While we're having coffee," Audra said.
And as soon as they were seated and ordered their coffee, Jarrod said, "All right, what's the good news?"
"Funny, how things seem to fall into place when you least expect it," Audra said.
"How so?"
"The day before yesterday someone left a baby at the door of the orphanage."
Jarrod thought he knew what was coming. "Oh?"
"The nuns aren't really prepared to take a baby in right now, and I talked to Carl about it. We're going to adopt her."
Jarrod brightened up visibly. "A girl? You're going to have a baby girl?"
Audra began to laugh. "Isn't it wonderful? I was going to stop by your place on my way home to ask you to handle the paperwork."
"Well, of course, I'll handle it!" Jarrod could hardly contain himself. "I can get on it as soon as I get home. I'm going to be an uncle!"
Audra laughed. "And her name is going to be Victoria Marie, for Mother and Carl's mother."
"Does Mother know yet?"
"No, and neither does anyone but you, so don't go spoiling my surprise. Carl and I plan to tell them at dinner at Mother's Friday night."
"I'll get the paperwork done as fast as I can. I take it the parents aren't known."
Audra grew a little sober. "No. There wasn't a note or anything, just the baby. The nuns say it's been years since anyone has just left a baby with them."
"I can't even think of a woman around town who's been withchild."
"Neither can I. The nuns think it was someone from one of the outlying farms, or perhaps someone from another town who didn't want her local people to know. It's so sad."
"But it happens. At least they left her at exactly the right door."
Audra beamed. "Can you believe it? Carl and I are going to have a baby!"
Jarrod reached an arm to her, stood up to span the table and gave her a hug. "Congratulations, honey. I know you'll make a wonderful mother."
"And the orphans will be happy, too. They know the baby can't stay at the orphanage, but they'll be thrilled because I'll be bringing the baby with me whenever I come."
Jarrod nodded and said, "You were right. It is funny how things seem to fall into place when you least expect it. Now, listen, as far as baby things are concerned, Maggie and I can gather up some of J.J.'s things he doesn't fit into anymore, and whatever else you need, I'll get for you at the mercantile."
"Oh, Jarrod, you don't have to do all that."
"Of course, I do. I mean, Nick and Heath have been uncles for quite some time, but this is a first for me!"
Audra laughed. "I hadn't thought of it that way."
"I think I'll be skipping the poker game. There's so much to do!"
Audra laughed again at how excited Jarrod seemed to be, and she knew for certain, as soon as she saw his reaction, that God had sent Victoria Marie directly to her, because she needed that baby as much as the baby needed her. And that Jarrod was right. She would be a good mother.
