Chapter 12
September 1873
Nick exploded and was across the whole library in two big strides. "San Francisco?! You can't be serious!"
"I am serious, Nick," Jarrod said, staying calm at least for now.
"I'm NOT going for it!"
"I don't need you to approve it, Nick, but hear me out before you burst a blood vessel. The railroad is getting more and more aggressive and we can't let them get the upper hand, or we're going to end up with another shooting war. I have to be in San Francisco – that's where the back room deals are being made and where the legislative war is going to start. I have to be there if I'm going to be more effective than I was three years ago."
"Oh, and are you going to guarantee me you're going to be more effective, because you sure didn't help things the last time!"
Jarrod expected that kind of reaction from Nick. Sooner or later, he'd throw their father's killing into his face, and Jarrod had decided long ago that when Nick did that, he'd let him.
But Victoria quickly said, "Nick, don't go there. Jarrod's not to blame for what happened three years ago."
Nick wouldn't argue with his mother, although he wanted to. He turned away from both his mother and his brother – and he saw a couple shadows moving in the hall, under the library door. He knew who was listening. Even he knew he'd have to temper himself or Audra and Eugene would be bursting through that door to defend their surrogate father.
Jarrod saw the shadows, too. "Nick, look," he said. "I can be a hundred times more effective in San Francisco than I can here, and even if I can't stop a shooting war, maybe I can shorten it. I'll be of a lot more use there than I will be here."
Nick turned back toward Jarrod again. "So how much time are we talking about you spending there?"
"To get myself set up might take a couple months or more."
"A couple months?!"
"Nick – " Victoria said, and glanced at the door. She had seen the shadows, too.
Nick calmed down again. "And after that?"
"A month or two at a time," Jarrod said. "I'd get back here for a couple weeks at a time in between, at least as I see things now. And if you had something important that only I could do, I could be back in a day if you wire me, or you can ship things to me in the same amount of time."
Nick turned again, then came back around and spoke more quietly. "And what about Eugene and Audra? I don't have the time to help mother raise them."
"As Jarrod said, he'll only be a day away if an emergency arises," Victoria said, just as quietly. "I can handle things day to day."
"Audra is as headstrong as Jarrod and I ever were," Nick said.
"True," Victoria said, "but she reins in pretty well once you talk to her, and you have a way with her, Nick. She feels like you understand her. I think you'll be more effective in less time than you think."
"Besides, you have to learn how to raise children sometime, Nick," Jarrod said. "You'll be having your own before you know it."
Nick heaved a sigh. "All right. But I want the same deal, Jarrod."
"Including Mother as arbitrator," Jarrod said.
Nick nodded. "And you break the news to Audra and Eugene."
Jarrod glanced toward the door. "I think they already know." He spoke louder. "Do you two want to come in here?"
The door opened, and sixteen-year-old Audra and fifteen-year-old Eugene came in. "We heard you," Audra said. She looked at Jarrod. "You're leaving again."
Jarrod nodded. "I have to, honey. It's very important."
"And what about me?" Eugene asked. "You were going away to school when you were about my age. I want that chance, too."
"And you'll get it," Jarrod said. "If I expand my practice, we'll have even more money coming in. I'll send you to school, maybe to the same place I went."
"Wait a minute," Nick said. "I was hoping to have a little help around here, and you need to start learning the ropes."
"I wasn't talking about leaving just yet, Nick," Eugene said. "I don't even know what I want to study yet."
"Law, maybe?" Jarrod asked with a grin.
Eugene said, "Medicine, maybe."
"I wish I'd had a doctor around here when the two of you were growing up," Victoria said to Jarrod and Nick.
They were beginning to ease up with Jarrod's decision – all of them except Audra. She still looked unhappy and said, "I still wish you wouldn't go. You're always going."
They all privately admitted she was right about that. Jarrod went to her and put an arm around her. "It does seem to be that way, doesn't it? But it won't be like when I went to war. I'll be back more often."
"You'd better be," Audra said with an impish grin, "or I'll act even more headstrong than I do now just to get you back."
"I guess the decision's made," Nick said. He offered a hand to Jarrod. "Here's wishing you luck, Pappy."
"Thanks, Nick," Jarrod said and shook his hand.
XXXXXXXXXX
February 1874
Victoria sat beside her middle son's bed, worrying, trying not to cry. Nick had been injured when his horse threw him and he hit his head on a rock, the morning before. The doctor had diagnosed a concussion, and the problem was that he wasn't waking up. Victoria wasn't horribly worried yet – her sons had all knocked themselves out at one time or another – but they had always come back around within twenty-four hours at most. Nick had been out for over thirty hours now, and he still showed no signs of even moving.
Victoria was thinking about going downstairs for some lunch but was hesitant to leave him. Then Jarrod came in. They had sent for him the evening before and Victoria had expected him earlier in the morning.
"I'm sorry, Mother," was the first thing he said. "The overnight train was delayed. How's he doing?"
"He's not waking up," Victoria said. "The doctor said he'd be by again this afternoon."
"How long has it been?"
"Close to thirty-one hours. He hasn't moved at all."
"Does the doctor think there's a skull fracture?"
"No, but he's sure there's a concussion. He's not sure when Nick will wake up – if he will wake up."
Jarrod squeezed her shoulders. "Hey, now, don't fret. Nick has the hardest head in central California, you now that. He'll wake up."
"I'm really worried, Jarrod. If he does wake up – if there's some residual damage – "
"Stop now. Don't borrow trouble. Whatever happens, we will deal with it, but he will wake up, and he'll be fine in a couple days. In the meantime, I'll stay and take care of the business concerns until he's able to do it again."
"I do wish Eugene were in a better position to cover for Nick while he's laid up, but Eugene isn't taking to the ranching and the business end of things the way Nick wants."
"I know, Nick wrote me about that. Father had Nick to lean on. I wish Nick could lean on Eugene but the kid just isn't interested."
"Is being here taking you away from anything important in San Francisco?"
"Nothing that can't be put off or handed off to my friend Nat. Have you eaten?"
"No, I was just about to go down and get something to eat."
"Why don't you go ahead and do that? Audra and Eugene are sitting down to lunch now. They're pretty scared, too. They could use you with them. I'll stay with Nick."
Victoria slowly got up. Jarrod could see her eyes were red, and she was moving as if she were ten years older than she was. Jarrod gave her a hug and a kiss.
And Nick said, "What are you doing here, Big Brother?"
"Well," Jarrod laughed, and Victoria sat down again and took Nick's hand. "Nice of you to rejoin the living, Brother Nick."
Nick's eyes were tired, but he was smiling. "Don't tell me I'm hurt bad enough to drag you away from the big city," he said wearily.
"Let's just say your hard head didn't protect you enough this time," Jarrod said.
"How do you feel, Nick?" Victoria asked. "Can you move everything? Can you see all right?"
Nick thought about it. "Head hurts, but everything seems to work all right. Yes, I know you're my mother and this is my lawyer big brother and the year is 1874. Have I been out for a while?"
"Thirty hours," Victoria said.
"Hmm," Nick said. "Guess I needed some rest. You gonna stick around a while, Pappy?"
"Till I'm sure you're functioning, at least as well as you ever did," Jarrod said.
"Ha-ha," Nick said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. "When do I get to eat?"
"Oh, he's all right," Jarrod said.
"He won't be when he realizes all he's going to get for a while is broth," Victoria said.
"Broth," Nick said, this time with a sneer. "I want a steak."
"We'll see what the doctor has to say about that," Victoria said.
"Mother, why don't you go see to Audra and Gene?" Jarrod said, not wanting to mention lunch with Nick listening. "I'll keep Nick awake."
Victoria got up again, moving better this time, and she kissed Nick on the forehead. Nick smiled. "Bring on the broth," he said, and Victoria laughed.
As she went out, Jarrod sat down. "Well, looks like I'll have to take care of the ranch for a few days."
"I can trust McCall with the ranch, but don't you mess up my books," Nick said.
"I won't touch your books," Jarrod said.
"I didn't say that," Nick said, and he smiled at his brother. "I'm sorry I had to bring you home this way, but it's good to see you, Jarrod. You haven't been here for weeks."
"I know," Jarrod said. "The legislature's back in session. It's been pretty busy."
"The railroad?"
Jarrod nodded. "The railroad."
Nick sighed. "I don't want another war, but if we have to have one, can you hold it off until I'm up and around again? I want another crack at those s.o.b.s."
"You'll be up and around long before the roof caves in, if it caves in."
"You think it will?"
Jarrod frowned. "Yes, I think it will."
Nick sighed. "You better be here this time if we have to shoot it out."
Jarrod knew Nick had never really forgiven him for not being here when their father died. He nodded. "I'll do everything in my power to be here before that happens this time, Nick. I'm sorry I let you down last time."
Nick closed his eyes but said, "All right. How about a cup of coffee?"
"If Mother will allow," Jarrod said, getting up. "Stay right there, though. She'll box your ears if you try to get up."
"I will. I don't need a second concussion. Thanks for coming home, Jarrod."
Jarrod smiled. "Just don't go smashing your head every time you think you need to get me here."
"Don't worry about that, I won't. My head isn't as hard as you claim it is."
