Jarrod waited outside the school after classes were let out for the day. He had a surprise for Remington and couldn't wait for her reaction. So here he was, under a brilliant November sky, standing in the sun, waiting. A few of the other teachers greeted him, smiling. Everyone in town was aware of the growing relationship between the beautiful new teacher and the handsome lawyer and approved heartily. It was about time one of the Barkley brothers found a woman and settled down, especially a woman who was rapidly becoming a respected member of the community.

After a few moments, the object of Jarrod's affection came down the steps.

"Jarrod," Remi greeted him happily. "What are you doing here?"

He walked up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Waiting for you, my darling," he replied. "I have a surprise for you."

Remi smiled. Over the past few weeks, she and Jarrod had seen a lot of each other. Late suppers at the Stockton House, long, rambling rides and picnics on the Barkley ranch. Jarrod had always been a complete gentleman, except where his kisses left her breathless and weak in the knees.

"What kind of surprise?" she asked, eyes dancing in anticipation. She was looking forward to spending more time with him.

Jarrod reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out an envelope and handed it to her. "Open it," he told her.

When she saw the envelope's contents, Remi gasped. "Jarrod!" she exclaimed. In her hand, she held two tickets to the opening of 'Carmen' in San Francisco the following weekend. She threw her arms around him and kissed him, uncaring of the impropriety of such an embrace on the steps of a public school. "I can't believe I'm really going!"

Jarrod just laughed. Her reaction was all he hoped for and more. "I'm glad you like it," he said as they walked arm in arm back to Mrs. McDonald's. "I have to be in San Francisco all next week, but Mother and Audra were planning a trip for some shopping. I thought you might like to accompany them on the train Friday afternoon. We could meet for dinner and I could show you around the city the next day before the show."

She smiled at him, delight evident on her face. "That sounds wonderful. You're too good to me, Jarrod."

Jarrod kissed her hand as they stopped in front of the boardinghouse. "There is nothing too good for you, Remington," was his heartfelt reply.

She kissed his cheek. "Oh, I have so much to get ready!" She was almost bursting with excitement. "Will you excuse me?"

"Only if you promise to come to the ranch for Sunday dinner," he bargained, refusing to let go of her hand until she said yes.

Mrs. McDonald was concerned about the appropriateness of a young woman spending the weekend in San Francisco in the company of a single gentleman, no matter how sterling the reputation of Jarrod Barkley might be. Remi assured her they would be well chaperoned by the presence of Victoria and Audra, which satisfied her motherly landlady.

"Victoria will make sure you're well taken care of," Mrs. McDonald declared at length, "and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time."

Remi was sure she'd have one of the most wonderful weekends she could ever imagine. In the days preceding the trip, she checked and re-checked, making sure she had everything she needed. She wanted the weekend to be perfect.

.

Remi had been thrilled when she discovered they were taking the Barkley private car to San Francisco and the delight was still on her face when Jarrod met them at the train station. They collected their luggage and Jarrod instructed the driver of the rented carriage to take them to the Palace Hotel. There Jarrod had arranged for the women to have a suite of rooms with Victoria in one bedroom and Audra and Remi sharing the other.

Victoria and Audra had made plans to visit with friends that evening, so Jarrod took Remi for dinner at one of his favorite restaurants overlooking the bay. They talked late into the night over a bottle of champagne and their goodnight kiss when he returned her to the hotel was full of passion and promise.

Remington had carefully packed her most formal gown when she moved to Stockton, even though she hadn't been sure if she'd get a chance to wear it. She was glad she had, since it was the perfect thing to wear on her night at the opera with Jarrod.

Audra gasped when she saw it. "Remi, that is the most magnificent dress I've ever seen!" she said effusively. "You are going to be the most beautiful woman there!"

It was a deep, rich red, cut low across the bodice with short, cap sleeves. The back draped into a moderate train with a simple flounce and the gown was trimmed with gold braid. Remi had swept her hair onto the top of her head, a few soft curls falling to her shoulders. A simple gold locket hung around her neck, the one her brother had given her for her sixteenth birthday.

"I think I'd better go out first and prepare Jarrod before he sees you," Audra continued with a twinkle in her eyes.

Remi laughed, a bit nervously. "You really think he'll like it?"

Audra looked at her in disbelief. "If he doesn't, there's something wrong with him," she maintained. "And I know there's nothing wrong with my brother!"

There was a knock on the door to the bedroom and Audra answered it.

Victoria entered. "Remington, Jarrod is here and I told him I'd see if you were ready." She looked at the young woman who had captured her son's heart with approval. "Shall I tell him you'll be a minute? A little anticipation can be a good thing."

"That would be fine, thank you."

Victoria went back into the front room. "She'll be right out, Jarrod."

Jarrod cut a fine figure himself in his formal evening wear. Always careful with his appearance, Victoria detected he had spent extra time for this occasion.

"I don't know if I've told you what a wonderful woman Remington is and how glad I am that you and Nick finally cleared up any misunderstandings about each others' feelings."

"It was a relief to realize he felt more like a big brother to her than anything else," Jarrod replied smiling, "even though he questions me every time I see her to make sure I haven't done anything improper with 'his Red'."

Victoria walked over and gave him a motherly kiss. "I'm just glad both my sons are happy," she told him.

At that moment, the bedroom door opened and Audra came out, followed by Remi and for a moment, Jarrod couldn't do anything by stare at the amazingly beautiful woman before him. He recovered quickly and walked over to take her hand.

"You look incredible," he whispered in her ear. She blushed.

"I thought you were trying not to say that kind of thing to me," she teased gently.

He smiled. "It's still something I need to work on," he told her, "and you don't help, looking this beautiful."

Victoria and Audra watched their interaction in amusement. It was obvious how much they adored each other.

"Have good time, dears," said Victoria as they were ready to go.

"Tell me everything when you get back," Audra insisted.

They both smiled. "I'll try to have her back at a reasonable hour," Jarrod promised as they left for what was promising to be an unforgettable evening.

When they arrived at the theatre, Jarrod escorted Remington to a private box. He had to trade a few favours for these seats, but the expression on her face was worth it.

"I can hardly believe this, Jarrod," she said in wonder. "It's almost like being a princess in a fairy tale."

He leaned over and took her hands in his. "I assure you, this is very real." He kissed her lightly. "And no more than you deserve."

Remington gazed at him with adoring eyes as the lights dimmed and the first strains of Bizet's overture drifted toward them.

Remi was mesmerized. The prima donna who sang Carmen was as seductive as she could imagine a gypsy temptress would be. Her heart soared with the stirring music of the toreador's song and she gasped with the rest of the audience as Carmen turned over the death card. When Don Jose stabbed his love, Remington almost cried.

Jarrod, while thoroughly enjoying the performance, was more captivated by Remington's obvious enthrallment. Her reaction to the events on stage heightened his appreciation and drew him toward her even more. When the last curtain call was finished, he turned to her.

"Did you enjoy it?"

She stared at him, eyes bright. "It was the most incredible thing I've ever seen," she breathed. "I—" She couldn't think of any more words to describe what she was feeling.

"Your face says it all," Jarrod told her with an indulgent smile. He gathered Remington into his arms and they shared a brief embrace. "Shall we go, my darling?"

She nodded and took his arm, the wonderful performance still playing over in her mind. She felt as though she was walking on a cloud and sharing the experience with the man she loved made it doubly special. She hadn't said the words to him yet, but there was no doubt in her mind. She loved Jarrod Barkley and she was determined to let nothing come between them.

That was when she saw him. He was standing near the entrance, smoking a cigar, his cold brown eyes scanning the room. She felt a rush of panic and gripped Jarrod's arm tighter.

"What is it, Remington?" Jarrod asked, noticing her distress.

She shook her head unable to speak, unable to take her eyes off the figure across the room. Suddenly, he glanced her way and caught sight of her. She was filled with dread as he started to come over.

"Jarrod, let's go," she managed. But it was too late. He loomed in front of them.

"Why, Remington. What a surprise," the rich, deep voice intoned.

Remi's mouth felt dry. She couldn't seem to speak and only wanted to run away from there, as fast as she could. She clung to Jarrod's arm and drew a measure of calm from his presence. Jarrod was with her. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. She took a deep breath and tried to settle her fears.

"Hello, Will," she said quietly.

Jarrod was concerned by the effect this tall, burly man was having on his companion. He could feel her body tremble as she pressed closer to him and her face was pale. She clearly knew the man and the acquaintance was not a welcome one.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" the man she called Will asked smoothly. Remi took a moment to collect herself and turned an ashen face toward Jarrod.

"Will, this is Jarrod Barkley. Jarrod, this is William Ellis." Her voice was faint.

"A pleasure," Ellis said, extending a hand.

Jarrod ignored it. "Mr. Ellis," he acknowledged, not trying to be polite. He only wanted to get Remington out of there, but Ellis was blocking their way.

"I'm so pleased to find you again, my dear," Ellis continued. "It's been too long since we've seen each other. I'm sure you've told your Mr. Barkley all about us."

Detecting the stricken look on Remi's face, Jarrod replied coldly, "She's never mentioned you. We should leave." He tried to move past, but Ellis prevented them.

"Not at all, my dear? You haven't told him about that wonderfully passionate night we spent together? How we—"

Jarrod couldn't take anymore and neither could Remi, he noted. He fought down the urge to slam a fist in Ellis' smug face and instead took Remi by the waist and conducted her quickly out of the theatre.

He looked down at the trembling woman he was holding. She was valiantly trying to fight back tears and hang on to her self-control, but Jarrod could tell she was losing the battle. He quickly decided against taking her back to the hotel. His mother and sister would want an explanation and he didn't think Remi was in any condition to provide one.

"My office is only a couple blocks from here," he told her with a calmness he didn't feel. "Do you think you can make it that far?"

Remi nodded, unable to speak. She wasn't sure if she could walk two steps, let alone two blocks, but Jarrod kept a supportive arm around her and she managed to put one foot in front of the other.

As they walked, she didn't know what she was going to do. Jarrod would have questions, questions she would have to answer. Was it only an hour ago she had been swept up in the glorious sights and sounds of the opera? It was fitting, so many operas ended in tragedy, and now her world was crashing down around her.

Jarrod respected her silence as they made their way down the street. He wanted to say something, to comfort her and reassure her that everything would be all right, but how could he when he wasn't even sure what was going on?

When they reached the privacy of his office, Jarrod unlocked the door and ushered her inside, steering her to the small sofa. As he lit a lamp, he hoped Remi would feel comfortable enough to open up and confide in him. She looked so small and frightened, sitting there with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, not meeting his gaze. He sat carefully beside her and placed an arm lightly around her shoulders.

The control Remi had been holding onto dissolved with his touch and she burst into tears, crying brokenheartedly on his shoulder. Jarrod held her gently, stroking her hair as the storm of tears overwhelmed her.

After a long while, she pulled away slightly. He took his handkerchief and dried her tears with a gentle touch.

"Would you like to talk?" he asked her carefully.

"I—" Her voice broke and she couldn't go on. Jarrod walked over to the table and poured her a shot of scotch.

"Here," he said, handing her the glass as he sat back down. "I think you could use this."

Remi gave him a wan smile and took a sip. The burning feeling on the way down seemed to help her focus as she considered what to say. The truth, she thought miserably. Jarrod deserved nothing less than the truth from her, no matter how hard it was or what the consequences might be.

"I knew Will in Philadelphia," she started quietly. "He…he courted me, I guess you could say." She took another drink.

"I didn't encourage him, but my father found him acceptable, so Will persisted." She paused another moment.

Jarrod remained silent, giving her space to collect her thoughts.

"I never liked him. There was always something… disturbing in the way he acted, the way he looked at me." The alcohol was taking effect, the words started to come a bit more easily. "He asked my father for his permission to marry me. Father said yes, I refused."

Remi put down the drink and stood up. She walked across the room, her back to Jarrod. "He wouldn't take no for an answer." Her voice started to tremble. "One night, when everyone else was gone, he came into the house. He grabbed me and he…he…"

She couldn't say it. Even talking about it brought that horrible night back to life, the terror and the pain as he brutally raped her. She felt ashamed, ashamed of the dishonour her father said she had brought on the family and herself. She also knew Jarrod could never forgive her.

"Afterwards, Will said I'd have to marry him. No other man would ever want me. So I left. I left Philadelphia and came to California," she finished, tears coming again.

There. It was done. She waited, heart heavy, for the man she loved to tell her she was no better than a whore and how much he detested her.

Jarrod was livid. It was all he could do to keep from grabbing his revolver and hunting down the animal who committed this horrific act against the woman he loved. For he did love her and the fact that she needed him, now, was the only thing that held him back from committing murder.

He walked over to Remington and turned her to face him. He stared into her eyes, which were red from crying, and pulled her into his arms.

"I want you," he told her. "I'll always want you." He placed a hand under her chin and tilted her head so she had to look at him. He saw the uncertainty and fear in her eyes. How could he convince her it didn't matter to him? Well, it did matter, actually, just not in the way she thought. It mattered that she had been terribly hurt in a way he could never hope to understand.

"How can you?" she asked in an anguished tone. "After what he did to me?"

Jarrod held her close. "What he did to you. You are not responsible for what happened." He didn't let go for a long moment. "I love you, Remington. I only wish there was some way I could take away this pain."

"Oh, Jarrod!" she whispered, not daring to believe what she just heard. "I love you, too."

He looked down at her. Her lower lip trembled as she fought back more tears. Jarrod leaned forward and kissed it tenderly. As she felt the warmth of his lips against hers, the tears started to flow, but this time in relief. Jarrod loved her and it wasn't hard to convince herself everything was going to be all right.

.

William Ellis sat in his hotel room, contemplating the events of the evening. So she had come to California after all. After she left Philadelphia, he had made inquiries as to where she went. The consensus was California, but no one seemed to know exactly where. Even her father claimed to have no knowledge of his daughter's whereabouts. Kirk had been almost as anxious as himself to see the little tramp married off, if just to erase the stain her dishonour left on the family name. His groin tightened as he recalled the feeling of her body writhing beneath him, her cries of pain as he took what was rightfully his. And she was his, no one else's. He would have her again, he vowed, and set off to track down Remington and Jarrod Barkley.

.

The next day, Remington, Jarrod, Audra and Victoria returned to Stockton. Remi had shared enough details of the opera to satisfy Audra so she wouldn't pry any deeper.

Audra happily chatted about all the wonderful things she had bought and how she hoped Charlie would like the new dress she had purchased for the next social. Only Victoria noticed how quiet and reserved Remi was acting, quite a change from the high-spirited young woman she had been on the trip to San Francisco.

She also was aware of Jarrod's protective attitude. He almost started a fight at the train station when someone had rudely jostled Remi, which wasn't like Jarrod at all. Jarrod remained close to Remi the entire time while they waited for the train and even now, in the privacy of their own car, he didn't leave her side for a moment, as if he felt the need to shield her from harm.

Victoria sensed something else happened last night, something that neither Jarrod nor Remi wanted to talk about. Victoria hoped it was nothing serious. She knew how much both Jarrod and Nick cared for this woman and she would hate to see any of them hurt.

None of them had noticed the tall, burly man watching as the Barkleys boarded the train for Stockton. William Ellis quickly bought a ticket for the common coach and boarded as well.