Chapter 7

Nick took himself back into Stockton fairly early the next morning and knocked on Jarrod's office door. When he heard his brother tell him to come in, he did.

Jarrod was still in the clothes he'd been wearing the night before, only now his tie was on his desk, his collar open and his jacket draped over the back of his desk chair. He had that next day growth of beard, and his eyes were out and out bloodshot.

"I see you didn't get any sleep," Nick said. He suspected the red eyes were from tears but he didn't say so.

Jarrod pointed to the small sofa in the alcove. "It's not long enough for me to get comfortable on. I took a long walk instead, then just napped a little."

"I think you better plan to go home today. Mother's liable to be in here after you if you don't."

"I was planning to, soon as I had a shave and got myself together. Don't want to give her too much time to come after me."

"I talked to Amanda after I left you last night."

"I thought you might."

"I told her what you said. She still wasn't so sure she wanted to keep on seeing me."

Jarrod looked up at his brother. Nick was nearly floored to see what he thought he was seeing – disappointment? Jarrod looked away, like he was looking for something on the floor, which he was. He only had one boot on.

Jarrod took a deep breath. "I had a lot of time to think about it overnight. You're so unlucky in love, Nick – I don't want to put a stumbling block in your way now. You stumble too much all by yourself."

Nick actually chuckled a little. "I appreciate that, Jarrod. I really do. But I think this is up to me to work out. If Amanda and I can't get past this, well, then, maybe it's just not meant to be."

Jarrod found his boot and sat down on one of the chairs in front of his desk to pull it on. After it was on, he looked up at Nick. "I loved Beth, Nick. I loved her with everything in me. I loved her like I never loved anyone before and I'll never love anyone again. How can I deny the two of you a chance like that? Beth would never forgive me."

Nick sat down in the other chair in front of Jarrod's desk. "She really was something special, wasn't she?"

"She was," Jarrod said. "And maybe Amanda is, too. Go find out, Nick. Don't let the chance get away. If you think she might be the one, go find out. And if she is – "Jarrod put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'll give you away at your wedding."

Nick snorted a laugh, both surprised and grateful at what his brother said. He put a hand against Jarrod's neck and gave it a rub.

XXXXXXX

Nick left Jarrod to get himself together and went over to Harry's saloon. It wasn't open yet, but Nick pounded on the doors anyway. Harry was bound to be inside and would hear it. He was right. Harry opened the door with an annoyed look on his face.

"Nick, I'm not open," Harry said. "I don't even know if Amanda's up yet."

Nick stepped back a bit and yelled, "AMANDA?!"

"Nick!" Harry complained and opened the door to let him in.

Amanda appeared on the upper level, dressed in a robe and slippers. "Nick!" she complained, too. "I'm not even dressed yet!"

Nick hurried up the steps, and Harry didn't bother trying to stop him. Amanda backed up a little when he came toward her, and Nick stopped, trying to catch his breath.

"I talked to the family, and I talked to Jarrod," Nick said.

Amanda looked apprehensive. "And?"

"The family said they'd want what Jarrod wants," Nick said. "Jarrod said that he wanted to give us the chance to find out if we're right for each other, and if we are, he'd give me away at the wedding."

Amanda began to laugh. "He'd give you away?"

Nick nodded. "He told me how much he loved his wife, and he didn't want us to miss the chance at the same thing."

"Oh – " Amanda said, and she fell into Nick's arms.

"Does this mean you'll let me court you proper?" Nick asked.

"Yes," Amanda said.

"Well, thank God for that," Harry bellowed from below and went back behind the bar.

They laughed at him, and they hugged again, and kissed, even though they knew he was watching.

XXXXXXXX

Nick's courtship of Amanda was a bit unorthodox. Being a saloon girl, there were certain activities she might normally engage in, but she actually never had. Harry wouldn't go for it, not the girl who was his daughter's friend. So, the only man who ever went to her room was Nick, and Harry kept a close eye on the time he was up there. No more than five minutes, and the door had to be kept open slightly. Unorthodox for a saloon girl, and unorthodox for a young lady being courted.

But it seemed to work. Amanda would work during her regular hours – which included the busiest times for the saloon. When she wasn't working, Nick would call for her and they would go out. Sometimes they'd have lunch or dinner at the ranch, without Jarrod but with the family. Sometimes a long walk in town, or perhaps a picnic, all the things a normal couple would do. Some of the men in town seemed to disapprove of Amanda being off-limits, but they never challenged Nick on it. They just kept their attitudes to themselves.

Someone else who was keeping everything to himself was Jarrod. On more than one occasion, he looked out of the window of his office to see his brother and the tiny brunette walking down the street. Nick seemed happy as a clam every time she was with him, and she was laughing and cuddling close to him as they walked, too. At first Jarrod found it awkward to see, but after a few times watching them, he began to feel better about it. Each time he saw them together, they seemed to huddle closer to one another as they walked, seemed to be smiling and laughing more. At one point, as he was taking her back into the saloon, Nick stole a kiss, in public. It made Amanda smile. Jarrod was a little surprised that it made him smile, too.

Nick and Amanda had been courting for several weeks when one Friday night at home, after dinner with the family without Amanda but including Jarrod, Nick thought he might broach a subject with everyone while they were all together. He planned to do it during after dinner coffee, but Jarrod snuck out onto the terrace for a smoke before Nick got the chance. Jarrod's cigar breaks could take all evening these days. Since Beth's death, he often walked for an hour or more alone. Nick decided to talk to him alone on the terrace, before he left it and disappeared into the yard.

Jarrod heard him come out and suspected a talk was coming.

"Nice night," Nick said.

"Beautiful," Jarrod said, puffed on his cigar and breathed the smoke out.

"Haven't talked with you much lately," Nick said.

"Well, I've been busy and you've been courting. How have you and Amanda been getting along?"

"I wanted to talk to you about that – you and the family, but you ducked out here before I got the chance. And maybe we ought to talk alone first anyway."

"What did you want to tell me?" Jarrod asked.

Nick took a deep breath. "That I'm going to ask Amanda to marry me."

Jarrod had mixed feelings, but a little smile did sneak out on him. "Think she'll say yes?"

"I'm hoping." Nick paused then for a few moments before he said, "What do you think?"

"Well," Jarrod said and flicked some ash from the cigar. "I suppose I ought to adjust my approach to the two of you."

"I was thinking before I asked her, I'd see if you wanted to do that. Jarrod, if it's too soon, I can put off asking her."

Jarrod gave him a look. "Not on my account, Nick. If you love her, you should ask her."

"I do love her, but I love you, too, Pappy."

"Ah, and it's Pappy you're talking to now. I never realized you thought of me as a father figure, too, Nick."

"Aw, Jarrod, come on, will you quit dancing around the Maypole and talk to me man to man?" Nick finally blurted out. "I want you to see if you can accept her as a sister-in-law, and to do that you're gonna have to talk to her. Are you ready to talk to her? I don't want to ask her to marry me if this situation is still hanging over our heads."

Jarrod let a bit more of his smile escape. He admitted to himself that he was tormenting Nick a bit. "You know, Nick, I've been watching the two of you sometimes, when you walk down the street. It did bother me at first, but after a while, I kind of enjoyed seeing you. I even liked it when you stole that kiss."

"You saw that?"

Jarrod laughed. "Of course I saw it. Everybody on the block saw it."

Nick smiled, a little embarrassed. "Well, what do you say, Jarrod? Are you ready to talk with her?"

"Privately," Jarrod said.

"Privately?"

Jarrod nodded. "Without you. I'll take her to lunch if she'll agree."

"I'm sure she will, but why without me?"

Jarrod put the cigar out. "Because I don't want you breathing down our necks ready to jump at every word you think you don't like. If she and I are going to talk, it's going to be honestly."

Nick said, "All right. When do you want to do this?"

"Monday all right? I need to go back to San Francisco at the end of next week."

"All right. I'll ask her."

"No, I'll ask her. I'll write out an invitation tonight and you can give it to her tomorrow."

Nick smiled. "All right. Thanks, Jarrod. But don't tell her I'm going to propose, all right? I want that to be a surprise."

"All right," Jarrod said, and he stepped down off the terrace into the yard and started off on his nightly walk.

Nick watched him go, a little uneasy about how this lunch between him and Amanda was going to go, but he thought about it. He had faith in his brother, and he had faith in Amanda. And he hoped for the best.