Chapter 7

Danny knew he was underage but figured he could probably pass, so he went to the saloon, where he thought his father would be. He was right. Scott Matthews sat alone at a table in the back, nursing a beer. He looked up when Danny came to the other side of the table and stood there. Matthews was surprised and stood up.

"I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with me," Matthews said.

"I didn't," Danny said, "until Ma came. Now I have to. I want to talk to you about – everything."

Matthews gestured to a chair. "Sit down."

They both sat.

"Do you drink?" Matthews asked.

Danny shook his head. "I don't want anything to drink. I just want to talk."

"About your ma?"

"About you. Where have you been, Pa? Why did you leave us and not come back?"

There was a catch in Danny's voice that said out loud that he was asking questions he'd had bottled up for years. Matthews found he had to swallow and hang his head. "I was in prison. I was innocent and got railroaded and lost all my money, but I got a lawyer to help me out and we worked on it together, and I got out a couple months ago. I came straight out here."

"Why didn't you write? We looked and looked and there was never even a letter! We thought you were dead!"

"Sometimes you think it's better if the people you love think you're dead. When I got out, I knew it was a stupid thing to do, but while I was in prison – I was just so – ashamed, Danny. I couldn't face you. I couldn't bear the thought of you knowing I was in prison. And I thought I'd be getting out a lot faster than I did."

Danny leaned back in his chair. "Didn't you know Ma couldn't wait forever? Didn't you know how lonely she was? Didn't you know how lonely for you I was?"

"Yes! I knew, I knew!" Matthews slammed his fist on the table so hard that everybody in the place looked up. With no damage being done, the bartender left him alone. "I was a fool! I threw away everything I had over a – pipedream about some gold vein that was never really there! I was a fool."

"So what do you expect us to do now?" Danny asked. "Ma is married to somebody else, and she's happy. How can you expect things to be the way they were?"

Matthews stood up fast and began to walk away, but then he stopped and came back. He sat down again at the table. "I didn't expect. I hoped. I guess I hoped wrong."

Danny said, "Yeah, you hoped wrong, Pa. And you can't go being mad about it, not mad at us. I remember, before you left, you used to take me fishing, and you showed me how to hold the rod and pull the big one in. You taught me how to ride a horse, how to saddle one and groom one. You were kind to me, Pa. You loved me, and now you don't love me anymore."

Matthews looked him in the eyes. "I do love you, Danny. I just – I just don't know – "

"You haven't even once said you're sorry, Pa."

Matthews was at the point that he didn't know what to say or do. He shook his head and just said, "I am sorry."

Danny didn't see the three Barkley brothers come in the door behind him, but Matthews did. He straightened in his chair. He started to get up, but Jarrod came up to the table while Nick and Heath stood by the bar. Jarrod held up his hand, and Matthews sat back down. At least the man was not drunk, Jarrod thought. At least he'd understand what was going on.

Jarrod sat down beside Danny, who looked startled. "Danny, have you said to your father what you came to say?" Jarrod didn't really know what Danny had come to say, but he had a feeling.

Danny shook his head.

"Why don't you go ahead and say it?"

Danny looked hesitant.

Jarrod said, "It's all right. Go ahead."

Dakota was here, by his side. Danny felt braver just for him being there. He looked at his father and said, "Pa, I would like to understand you. I'd like to talk more to you. I'd like to believe that you won't hurt me again, or Ma. I'd like to believe you'd let her be happy for once. And if you leave her be happy, and let me get to know you again, in San Francisco, nowhere else. If you give her the divorce, I'll be happy to let you come talk to me and for us to get to know each other again, in San Francisco, if you give her the divorce."

Matthews hung his head.

Jarrod asked, "Danny, you're sure this is what you want?"

Danny nodded. "It IS what I want. I want to know my pa again, but only if he's willing to let my ma go. You gotta be willing to do that, Pa."

Jarrod said, "Your son is a man now, Scott. He's made his own decision on this. You should consider it carefully. It's not every man God gives a son like Danny."

Matthews looked at Jarrod, then at his son, then back at Jarrod again. "You draw up the papers, Counselor. I'll agree to the divorce. Tell Libby – tell Libby, I just want her to be happy."

Jarrod smiled. "I can have the forms ready in a couple hours. You sign them tonight, I'll have Libby sign them in the morning and I'll file them tomorrow. Then you and Danny can go back to San Francisco whenever you like."

"Tomorrow?" Matthews asked, looking at Danny.

Danny nodded. "Tomorrow."

Danny got up from the table then, and Jarrod did, too. As they walked out together, Jarrod could see his younger brothers were keeping an eye on Matthews, who had not budged. Nick and Heath followed them out of the saloon.

When they got out into the street, Jarrod put his hand on the back of Danny's neck.

"You're absolutely sure about what you're doing?" Jarrod asked.

Danny nodded. "I am. When you came to us, Dakota, I needed a pa, and you were a pa for me. I need my own real pa now, or at least I need to try to get to know him. And if I can do that and get my ma what she needs too, well I'm gonna do that."

"Just remember, if you need me, I'll be right here."

"I know."

Jarrod gave him a slap on the back. "You go on home with Nick and Heath. I'm gonna go draw up those divorce papers and get your father's signature."

"You sure you'll be all right alone with him, Jarrod?" Nick asked.

Jarrod nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. Tell Mother I'll be very late. Danny, I'll let you talk to your mother and tell her what's happened. If she has any questions, I'll talk to her when I get home, or first thing in the morning. Tell her we'll head to Sacramento tomorrow."

Danny nodded, and he went to his horse and mounted. Nick gave Jarrod a pat on the back as he and Heath also mounted up. Danny, Nick and Heath rode off together.

Jarrod watched. He started to think about what might have been again, but shook it off. He let his gaze fall for a moment, then headed over to his office.

XXXXXX

When Libby said good-bye to her son the next day, it was without Matthews being around. Danny just kissed her as she got on the train to Sacramento with Jarrod. She told him to take care of himself, and he promised he would, before he went back into town to look for his father.

Jarrod and Libby did not talk much on the trip to Sacramento. Libby dozed, her head falling on Jarrod's shoulder. He didn't mind. He let his thoughts drift back to the time they had together in Rockville. He remembered waking up to her pressing a damp cloth to his forehead. He remembered her patience with him as he tried to figure out who he was and what was happening. He remembered her soft touch on his arm when he came back from days of searching that proved absolutely fruitless. He did not think long about how she had kept the truth from him for one short time that nearly proved disastrous, because it didn't. What he mainly remembered that he was going out of his mind with fear, and she kept him sane.

Now and then, though, as the train rumbled along he wished she were Beth. A couple times he looked over and willed her to be Beth, but of course, she wasn't. In the end, Jarrod simply accepted her for who she was, a friend who had saved his life once and whose life he was saving now.

As the train jerked to a stop in Sacramento, Libby woke up. "Oh – are we here?"

"We're here," Jarrod said.

He got up and helped Libby up. He got his bag and hers down from the overhead rack and followed her out to the platform. There were a lot of people there – and Michael was one of them.

Libby ran to him beaming. They kissed and held each other for a long time. Jarrod kept a discreet distance, but he did hear her say to him, "It's over. Dakota and Danny took care of everything."

Michael held his hand out to Jarrod, and Jarrod shook it. "Mostly Danny," Jarrod said. "I just do the paperwork."

"You got the divorce?" Michael asked.

Jarrod said, "We got the divorce. I'll file the papers now, but it will be a while before the final decree comes out. You should wait until then to remarry. And, if you decide you'd like a honeymoon away, the Barkley family has a lovely lodge in the mountains we'll be thrilled to have you borrow."

Libby smiled and laughed. Jarrod realized he had never heard her laugh before. It was beautiful.

"Will you stay with us overnight?" Michael asked.

Jarrod shook his head, "No, thank, you, I have a room at the Capitol House reserved. I think you two need some time alone together tonight."

Libby unexpectedly leaned toward Jarrod and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for everything, Dakota."

Jarrod tipped his hat. "My pleasure."

He handed Michael Libby's bag and watched them go off together, arms around each other, two people deeply and perfectly in love.

He remembered what it was like, and for the first time in a long time, as he thought about love, he smiled.