Chapter Twenty-Five
In the outer office, Juliet's parents and Jarrod waited in the midst of an uncomfortable silence occasionally broken by the chattering of one little boy. Jarrod smiled at his earnestness but turned when addressed by Juliet's father.
"Mr. Barkley, is it?"
"Yes, Reverend?
"Your brother, may I ask if he was with Sherman through Georgia and Carolina?"
Jarrod paused, his mind having already done the math, but he didn't hesitate to answer truthfully. "Yes, Sir. Nick was with Sherman through Georgia and in the Carolina Campaign." Jarrod watched as Reverend Jackson gave a hard look to his wife, one she pointedly ignored.
Instead, she turned to Jarrod. "Mr. Barkley, perhaps you could help clear up some confusion on my part."
"If I can."
"Our daughter, Juliet, wanted to stop here in Stockton to pay her respects to a Mr. and Mrs. Barkley, I assume your parents. It was our understanding, my husband's and mine, that Juliet had been friends with a son of theirs who had been killed during the war."
A look of confusion crossed Jarrod's face, quickly replaced by a look of understanding. "I'll note that our father died some years back, but as far as a son having been killed during the war, I suspect she may have been talking about Nick. You see, Nick was mistakenly listed on a casualty list during the Carolina Campaign."
"Mistakenly listed? Would it have been at Monroe's Crossroads by any chance?" Reverend Jackson suggested.
Nicky piped up, "Grandfather, my father died at Monroe's Crossroads."
Elizabeth looked down at the boy, her smile tender, "Yes, darling. Monroe's Crossroads," she answered even as she exchanged a quick look with her husband.
Jarrod hesitated for the briefest moment as all the pieces of the puzzle fell in place for him. "Yes, Sir," he answered to Reverend Jackson, "Nick was on the casualty list at Monroe's Crossroads." The sickening feeling that had started in Jarrod's stomach changed into a lump of lead as they all waited in silence for several moments and Jarrod found himself smiling at Nicky, registering all the features the child had inherited from his brother. Recovering some manners, Jarrod changed the focus of the conversation. "You said you were stopping in Stockton. May I ask where you're heading?"
"We're on our way to San Francisco, Mr. Barkley. My husband is going to serve at a church there."
"Reverend Jackson? Of course! Are you the new minister at the Unitarian Church in San Francisco?"
"Indeed. You're familiar with the congregation, Sir?" he asked.
"I am. I split my time between here in Stockton and San Francisco and have attended many a service at First Church."
Elizabeth gave Jarrod a sincere smile. "How nice that we'll already know someone in the congregation."
"Yes. I'm sorry to say I'm not a regular attendee what with dividing my time between the two cities, but please let me know if there's anything I can do to make your ministry easier."
Stephen watched as his wife and the lawyer launched into a half-hearted conversation about San Francisco while he stood by, wondering how he could enlist Jarrod's help in persuading his brother to do right by Juliet and Nicky. Perhaps he could refer them to another attorney in the congregation if the situation developed to the point where the law needed to become involved. And wouldn't that be a fine introduction to a new city – the news that his daughter, supposedly a widow, had been lying all this time, for he felt certain that the man in the next room had fathered Nicky. What would the congregation think if he pummeled the man, although he quickly dismissed the thought, knowing he couldn't possibly stand a chance with the younger, taller man in the next room.
Suddenly, the door to the street opened, drawing their attention, and Heath stepped in, Dr. Merar in tow. "Jarrod," Dr. Merar said in acknowledgment, nodding to the others in the room.
"Mrs. Jackson, Reverend Jackson, this is Doctor Howard Merar and Nick's and my younger brother, Heath. Howard, your patient is the Jacksons' daughter. She's in my office," Jarrod said, knocking on the interior door. He forced a smile at the others as he waited for the door of his own office to open, thinking as the seconds ticked by, "Little Brother, you better be behaving with this woman's parents and son waiting out here. And her father a minister, yet." Jarrod glanced around the room, recognizing that Stephen Jackson probably shared his thoughts, wondering just what Elizabeth thought. There were too many coincidences to not consider that Nick was this boy's father, although he found it hard to believe that his brother would have left a girl in such a situation, although if it had happened with their father . . . Jarrod knocked again. "Nick, Howard Merar is here," he added. Much to his relief, the door opened just moments later and Jarrod threw his younger brother a Pappy look as Nick held the door open, the Jacksons following Howard Merar into the room.
"Doc, glad you're here. This is Juliet Jackson."
"Juliet Barker," she said, correcting him.
"Un huh. There was a stage barreling down the street and Juliet had to dive out the way."
"I'm fine. I may be black and blue tomorrow but I'm sure I'll be fine," Juliet added.
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" Dr. Merar suggested. "Any loss of consciousness?"
"No, but she was fairly shaken up at first," Nick answered.
Howard glanced over his shoulder at Nick before looking back to Juliet. "Did you hit your head?"
"I don't think so," Juliet answered.
"She's seemed pretty clear headed since we got to Jarrod's office," Nick offered.
"Any pain?" Doctor Merar asked.
"She was complaining earlier about her right shoulder and was it your ribs or more of your back?" Nick asked, eliciting a smile from Juliet.
Doctor Merar turned and glared at Nick. "Thank you, Nick, but if she's as clear headed as you say, how about if we let her answer?"
Juliet smiled at Nick as he blustered, "Doc, it's just that we've been talking the last few minutes."
"And if you stop talking, perhaps I can examine my patient."
"Well, I – "
"Nick," Juliet insisted gently, "Go talk with Nicky. You can start to get to know him," and she watched as Nick walked up to the young boy, the normally confident rancher suddenly ill at ease. "C'mon, Boy," he said, leading the child out, joining his brothers in the outer office. He dropped down to one knee, his eyes scanning the young boy's face, his gaze taking in everything about him. A son. He had a son. And by the looks of him, a fine, strapping boy. A son to raise, a son to carry on his name, to ride at his side. He raised his hand to stroke the boy's head, but stopped and let it fall. "Nicky," he said, stopping to swallow hard. "How would you like to go see a real cattle ranch?"
"What's on a cattle ranch?"
Nick chuckled, grabbing at his ear. "Well, for one thing, cattle. More cows and steers and bulls than you can count at a time, but other than that, just about anything a boy could want. Horses, fishing holes, plenty of wide open spaces to run and play, trees to climb. How does that sound for a start?"
Nick watched the boy's response, his own smile growing larger as the boy's eyes grew wider. "That sounds great! But I'd have to ask my mother."
"Well, see now, your mother and I were talking about it and we think you and she and your grandparents should come stay with me and my family on our ranch instead of at the hotel." At this last comment, Jarrod raised one eyebrow, an action which did not go unnoticed by Heath.
"We're supposed to be going on to San Francisco."
"Well, we talked about that, too. Thought you all could stay with us for a while," Nick added, then he and his brothers looked up as Stephen Jackson joined them in the outer office.
"My wife is staying with Juliet." His eyes fixed on Nick. "Although it may seem at times that fathers are dispensable, allow me to assure you that they're not."
Nick's head jerked up at the comment, and he stared back at Juliet's father, fighting to keep his voice calm. "If you knew me, you wouldn't need to say that."
"But then, I don't know you, do I? Let it suffice to say that sometimes actions speak louder than words."
"Is that a fact?" Nick asked, his body rising with his temper, his mouth clamping down into a straight line.
"Oftentimes." Stephen, on the other hand, seemed completely calm, but was nonetheless adamant.
Nick stood with his fists firmly planted at his waist, his shoulders broad. "And sometimes there are misunderstandings, pure and simple," Nick seethed.
"I don't think this can be described as simple. Certainly not as pure. And misunderstandings? Mr. Barkley, I've heard a lot of excuses in my life and in my work as men shirk their responsibilities – "
Nick sucked in a breath. "Listen here, I don't shirk my responsibilities."
"No?"
Jarrod stepped in between the two men, throwing a pointed look at Nicky. "Nick, Reverend Jackson, I don't think this is the time or place."
Stephen looked down at Nicky and forced a smile, then turned back to Nick, his expression far more somber. "Some matters are too important to be put off. Perhaps you and I should step outside to discuss this."
The door to Jarrod's office opened with Juliet, Elizabeth and Dr. Merar walking out of the inside office as Nick and Stephen were headed for the front door.
Juliet spoke quickly. "Where are you two going?"
Stephen answered. "Your . . . friend and I are going to have a talk."
"No," she insisted. "Nick has invited us to stay at his family's ranch and I think that's an excellent idea. If you and Mother have to go, Nicky and I will join you later, but you're not due in San Francisco for several days yet and I would think you'd want to stay. I know you wanted to be at the church for Sunday, but I think we'll all agree that other unforseen matters are more pressing. So for now, I suggest all of us going to the hotel to pack and conversations that we need to have will happen later tonight. Much later," she added, with a pointed look at Nicky. "If need be, they can go on well into the night, but they'll not happen before then."
"Mr. Barkley, it won't be an inconvenience for us all to come?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, Ma'am, not at all. You can meet our mother and sister, Audra, and, well, I'm sure they'll be eager to meet all of you." Nick hesitated for a moment, his voice without the bravado it normally had. "My father died some years back," he added, a rueful smile crossing his face as he glanced down at Nicky. "He would have loved to have met you."
Juliet followed his gaze, feeling guilty that Nicky never had the chance to meet his grandfather but she nodded and with a smile, she looked down at Nicky. "Nicky, how does that sound to you? Going out to a cattle ranch?"
"That sounds great, Mama! Mr. Barkley says there are cows and horses and places to fish!"
"Does he now?"
"Yes, Ma'am. Can I go riding?" Nicky asked, turning to Nick.
"Of course we can go riding," Nick answered eagerly. "You like to ride, Boy?"
"Yes, sir. I love horses, I always have. Mama says I used to point at them in the street from before I could talk or walk."
Juliet looked over at Nick, watching the way he was beaming so intently at Nicky, watching the delight he seemed to have just listening to his son. She bit her lower lip for a moment, fighting to contain the tears that threatened. There had been times years before when she had imagined what their life would be like if Nick were alive, but those were dreams that she had dismissed years ago. Now to see the two of them together, to see the eagerness and joy in Nick's eyes, gave her a sense of peace that she had not known in a very long time.
That sense of peace disappeared when she caught a view of her father. He was not a man given to anger often, but she knew from one look at him that anger had given way to fury. Throwing a look to her mother, Juliet silently asked for her help. Elizabeth turned her attention to her grandson and then to Nick. "You did indeed, Nicky. Mr. Barkley, I take it you like horses as well. Were you in the cavalry by any chance?"
"Yes, Ma'am, I was."
She shook her head at her daughter, almost in disbelief, then looked back to Nick, answering sweetly, "How in the world did I know that?" Placing one hand on Nicky's back, and taking her daughter's arm in hers, she continued, "I suppose we better get back to the hotel and get packed up. I have the feeling that there are several interesting stories that the two of you have to tell."