Chapter 3

"Nick!"

Nick was heading for the front door to keep after Jarrod, but his mother's voice called him back. Still seething, he came back in to where his mother, sister and brother Heath were gathered, confused and even alarmed.

"What is this about?" Victoria asked.

"A runner just brought Jarrod a telegram and opened his big mouth," Nick said. "It was in the San Francisco paper yesterday that Jarrod got a twelve-year-old boy in San Francisco indicted for murder."

"Twelve?!" Audra blurted out.

"And he never said word one to us about it," Nick said.

"What are you upset about?" Victoria asked. "The fact that he got a twelve-year-old indicted, or the fact that he didn't talk to you about it?"

Nick calmed down right away. Maybe he was mostly peeved because Jarrod had kept this to himself, not so much about the fact that he had done it.

Victoria said, "Does this involve a client of Jarrod's?"

"Apparently," Nick said.

"Then why do you expect him to tell us about it?" Victoria asked. "He can't tell us about his business with his clients."

"The twelve-year-old being indicted is public knowledge, and so is Jarrod's involvement."

"And why does that entitle us to know everything else about it?"

Nick's stomach was jumping up in him again. "Mother, he's been getting these mysterious telegrams and having these rotten headaches."

"Right now, it seems you're the one giving him the headache."

Nick grumbled and poured himself some whiskey.

"Leave him alone, Nick," Victoria said. "He'll talk about it when he's ready, and when he believes he can do so without breaking his oath to his client."

Nick looked at Heath, hoping for some support, but Heath just smiled one of his lop-sided smiles, shrugged and shook his head. Nick got the message. Mother has spoken.

XXXXXXXX

Jarrod wandered down to the corral and watched a couple horses there as they trotted about. They spotted him and came straight to him, because they knew he usually carried sugar. Jarrod smiled as they pushed their great heads over the rail and nuzzled for his pocket.

Jarrod laughed and took out two sugar cubes. He fed one to each of the horses, saying, "There you go. No more today." He showed them empty hands, and they got the message and went back to what they were doing before he showed up.

"Jarrod?"

Jarrod sighed, hearing the familiar voice. Now it was Heath coming after him. He didn't turn around, but in a moment he felt Heath step up beside him. "Not you, too," Jarrod said.

"It was either me or Nick," Heath said.

"There's nothing I can talk about, Heath, so just let it alone, all right?"

"All right," Heath said and rested his arms on the top corral rail. "You planning to come out and work with us on Monday?"

"If this headache Nick gave me eases up."

"Take one of those powders Mother has."

Jarrod just grunted. He was not keen on medications. They didn't always work, and sometimes they created more problems than they cured.

"I know Nick can spread the pain around, but he doesn't usually give you headaches," Heath said. "Think you need to see the doctor?"

"I will if they keep up, but if I get out and work – even if I work for Nick – they ought to go away."

"Your line of work is good at creating headaches, isn't it?"

"Sometimes."

Heath recognized that Jarrod was good and closed off. Even casual conversation seemed to be out of his ken at the moment. Heath finally backed off from the corral and gave his older brother a slap on the back. "Come on back inside for a drink. I promise, I'll slug Nick if he leans on you too much."

That brought a nod from his older brother. "I'll be there in a minute or two."

Heath went back into the house. Jarrod didn't even watch him go. He felt bad he was leaving his family in the dark about things – he always felt bad when he did that, even when he had to. Sometimes he thought it might be time to give up his profession and live like a normal human being again, one who could talk about this problems with his family and not have to keep them confidential when they ate away at him. Lately each time he had that thought, it was more compelling.

XXXXXXXX

Sunday was quiet, and the family went to church together. Thankfully everyone left Jarrod alone about the news in the paper, even though Jarrod could tell they were itching to ask him about it. He just kept a smile on his face, and the headache did not come back.

Jarrod did go out to work with Nick and Heath on Monday. They were replacing a section of fence that had been taken down by trees falling in a storm. Nick and Heath had already removed the fallen trees, so now the work was to reset the posts and restring wire.

It was hot, so they all shed their shirts, but they kept their gloves on. They did not want to shred their hands on post splinters and barbed wire. They did not talk much as they worked – Jarrod seemed want to do more thinking than talking. He didn't even begin much conversation when they broke for lunch.

Nick was beginning to feel irritated at the silence. Heath could see it, so he said, "You know, we're gonna finish up here in another couple hours, and we're not far from that waterfall on the San Pedro creek. I sure could fancy a cold dip before we head home."

"Not a bad idea," Nick said. "Mother would appreciate it if we didn't smell too bad when we got to the house."

Even Jarrod said, "I'm in."

Around mid-afternoon, they were finished with the fence and were skinny-dipping in the creek near the waterfall. Jarrod was the first under the falls, letting the water run down his face and his back and it felt so good he was reluctant to give it up. How sweet to lose your troubles in a waterfall, he thought.

Eventually he swam out from under the falls and found a spot to just lie back and enjoy the cool water. Nick and Heath took a few minutes to take in the falls, and after about an hour in the water, they were all dressed again and ready to head home.

Nick and Heath sat together on the bench of the buckboard, while Jarrod made himself a spot to lie down in the back, his legs bent at the knees and hanging down, his hands under the back of his head. Heath glanced back at him and turned around again. "A couple weeks of work like today and our big brother will be right as rain again."

Nick, driving, did not turn around to look at Jarrod, but said, "I hope so," he said quietly, "but I got the feeling there's more wrong than he's talking about."

"Wrong with his work?"

"I think so. But he won't talk about it yet, not even if we hold his feet to the fire. The man can stay as tight-lipped as they come when he wants."

Jarrod could hear them, even though they were trying to be quiet and the rumbling of the wagon interfered. He had hoped, when he came home, that no one would see how bothered he was about his work, but the newspaper story blasted those plans right out of the water. He knew it wouldn't be long he would have to tell them the whole thing, but just composing the words he would use to do that was making that headache come back.

With a sigh, he sat up and began to stretch his neck again to get rid of the tension. Heath noticed. He looked back, then looked at Nick again. Nick took an unhappy deep breath and moved the horses along faster.