Chapter Nineteen

Scott, who had now been coherent for roughly eight hours, opened his eyes when he heard the door open. He wasn't surprised by the questioning look that he saw on Jarrod's face. After all Scott, had only asked Audra to have Jarrod come see him; he hadn't instructed her to tell her brother what he wanted.

"Audra said you wanted to talk to me." Jarrod said as he approached the bed, and involuntarily shuddered ever so slightly; the man still looked pretty bad.

Scott couldn't help but chuckle, though he did it softly as his ribs couldn't take anything else. "I think I'll be looking this bad for awhile." He gave Jarrod a small smile. When Jarrod started to apologize, Scott stopped him. "No need to worry." He then grew serious. "Audra told me that you are talking about postponing that wedding of yours."

Jarrod didn't answer at first. His wedding was supposed to take place in two days. If he and Polly went through with the wedding on the original date, Scott would miss it as he was battling an infection that set in due to the wounds upon his back. Jarrod hated the idea of Audra being at the wedding alone. Surely it would be a cause for the wrong kind of talk to be started, and she'd suffered enough of that up to the time Scott and she married. He finally nodded his head and replied, "Yes, I am."

While Scott would admit there was a time he would have let such a thing go to his head, he couldn't have Jarrod and Polly postpone such a thing for him now. He shocked Jarrod when he told him not to do such a thing. "Life is too short Jarrod; we both know that. The two of you are getting married outside in the yard." Scott pointed to the window next to his bed. Due to the fact that he was propped up by more than one pillow, he could see out the window. "I'll be able to see it from here. Don't put it off on my account."

Jarrod was shocked. The Scott he had known before would have never said such a thing. Then again, Audra had been trying to tell him and his brothers that they were only ever seeing one side of Scott. He was going to have to apologize to Audra later. "I'll leave it up to Polly." He promised and then he and Scott spent a good fifteen minutes clearing the air between them.

"I'll do my best by your sister. I may still fail in the long run only, like I just said, I'll do my best. I promise you that much." Scott said as he closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them back up.

After they'd talked another twenty minutes, Jarrod gave Scott a smile and excused himself. He might have stayed longer only he could see that Scott was quite tired. Seeing how Audra had also spent an hour talking to her husband before Jarrod was sent for, and the time they'd just spent visiting, Jarrod figured the man had had talked enough. No sooner had he stepped out into the hallway and shut the door behind him than Audra, who was coming up the hallway, cornered him.

"So, do I still get to be a bridesmaid?" Audra asked and then quickly added, "In two days," She didn't want to hand her brother any loopholes to jump through. She just knew if she gave her brother any leeway, he would seize the opening and run with it. Come to think about it, any of her brothers would do that if they were given the opportunity to do so.

Jarrod repeated what he'd said to Scott and then apologized to his sister as he'd planned on. "I still don't like his business practices only, from everything you've told me, and from everything he and I just talked about, things could have been a lot worse for you." Jarrod said as all he had learned from both his sister and brother-in-law. "I guess I just couldn't believe he hadn't been using you this whole time." He hadn't known what to think when he'd heard that Scott had not laid a hand on Audra for a whole year and then, when he did, he had a ring on her hand within twenty-four hours.

Audra gave him an understanding smile. "I know and I don't blame you. I'm just glad you realize that's not the case now. You do realize it, don't you? You do know you don't have to worry about me anymore right?"

Jarrod nodded, though he found himself wondering if sometime in the future Scott would find himself a mistress. After all, men in Scott's position saw nothing wrong with such a practice. Jarrod didn't like the fact that the idea kept finding itself into his mind, only it did. However, he didn't voice the concern. Why should he? It's not like he could do anything to prevent if that day did come. Besides, with Dr. Merar confirming that Audra was most likely carrying Scott's baby, Jarrod didn't want to upset his sister. He then confessed that he and Scott had been talking about her the majority of the time he, Jarrod, had been in the room. "All I want to know is your truly happy."

Audra shrugged her shoulders, smiled and told him the same things she'd told their mother. She then gave Jarrod a giant bear hug. "I've got to go change Scott's bandages, give him his medicine and then I need to go help Polly finish that dress of hers. And no," Audra said as she opened the bedroom door, "I'm not describing it to you."

Jarrod chuckled and walked away. His sister had turned into an amazing, mature woman. He had to admit that. He then started whistling as he made his way to the study. He had things to get done before the wedding for, while he would talk to Polly, he had the feeling the wedding would go ahead as planned.