Chapter Twenty Five

"I'm not surprised," said Heath, as he sat on the brand new sofa that Jarrod had bought for his office. Jarrod had just finished telling him about the telegram their Uncle Jim had sent. "I'm just glad Nick was able to convince Ruth to take the boy and come to the ranch." The whole time he was talking, Heath was removing his prosthetic leg and laying it next to him. That was a habit he had when he was going to be sitting anywhere for more than a few minutes. 'Blasted thing's not all that comfortable if truth be known, but what other choice do I have but to wear it? I can't work the ranch on crutches' were his exact words to Jarrod and the family the first time he'd sat down and taken it off.

"I'm not either and, yes, I agree; she and the boy belong here." Jarrod sat back in his chair, fighting successfully to keep his eyes on his blond haired brother and not on the prosthetic leg. It still sent a slight wave of guilt over Jarrod every time he saw Heath take the fake leg off. His head knew Heath had made the choice to take the bullets for him and the choice to ride off refusing aide, Heath had stated those facts a couple of times himself, but Jarrod's heart was a different matter. Still, Jarrod was doing as Heath had asked him the first time the two had had a heart to heart talk…he was working on truly putting everything behind him. After all, what good would it do to hold onto what could not be changed. He went on to tell Heath that Jim had promised to keep Kyle Randall on the ranch as long as he could; that is, without making it obvious to the gentleman that he, Jim, was doing so. He'd also assured them that all the ranch hands had been sworn to secrecy.

"What does her father's will say? Does he name his sons specifically?" Heath asked. He'd been curious about that one from the moment he learned what the papers on Jarrod's desk were.

"No," Jarrod picked up the papers and thumbed through them once more. "He simply states 'my sons' which means that, even though he didn't know about Timothy, the lad can still inherit the money." Jarrod answered, though he had a slight frown upon his face.

"What is it, Jarrod?" Heath thought that, maybe, there was a hitch that Jarrod hadn't told him yet.

"As stupid as it sounds, I think that- even with everything that Ruth has told us being verified- the law may still want an actual person to verify Timothy is indeed her baby brother when it comes to the inheritance." Jarrod answered as he lowered the papers, though he kept them in his hands as he looked from them to Heath.

"She won't bring her friend and her friend's husband into..." Heath started to say and then stopped, sitting straight up as he did so.

"What is it?" Jarrod laid the papers down on his desk and leaned forward, very interested in what Heath had just thought of.

"I was in the loft the other day; the loft doors were slightly open. Nick and Ruth were walking past the barn. Since they didn't stop, I didn't catch everything they were saying only they were talking about her ex-husband and another friend of hers. From what they were saying, locating the ex-husband wouldn't do any good." Heath answered as he leaned against the back of the couch and rested his right arm on the top of it, keeping his other arm on his good leg. "However, that other friend of hers, Ruth said the woman was with her while she packed her and Timothy's things the day she, Ruth, left her husband."

Jarrod sat straight up, catching onto what Heath was saying without a problem. "We've got to get her to give us that woman's name. I'll pay for her to come to Stockton myself if I have to. Do you think you can get her to give you a name?"

Heath couldn't help but chuckle. "Why should I have to? Just tell Nick what you told me; he'll get the information for you a lot faster than any of us will."

Jarrod, who realized he'd gotten a bit too excited, chuckled also. He should have thought about that first thing. Of course, there was no need to admit that out loud. "I have to be in town all day. On the other hand, you'll be heading home soon. Would you do the honors?"

Heath, who had begun to put his prosthetic leg back on, threw Jarrod a lopsided grin. "I can do that." Within a few minutes, Heath was walking out of his brother's office, chuckling silently to himself as he did so.

~oOo~

"They have a point." Nick, who had gone riding with Ruth and Timothy, stood under a tree, next to Ruth with her hand in his, while Timothy was playing with the puppy Nick had given him in a nearby clearing. "The information Jarrod has in his office only proves you're telling the truth to a point. It does not verity that Timothy himself is your brother. That friend could verify it for the judge. It's that or your ex-husband and, somehow, I don't think you want to go that route."

Ruth shot Nick a 'you have that right' look even as she felt like she might as well be climbing a wall. Elizabeth Johnson had been a very good friend to her at one time, but it had been seven years since she'd seen the woman. Was she still as good as she was back then? Would she, or could she, travel clear to California as she'd told Jarrod she would? For that matter, did the woman even live in Franklin anymore? Then again, what choice did she have? Timothy deserved to get what their father had, unknowingly, left behind for him. "I'll give Jarrod her name." Ruth said just as Timothy and the puppy headed towards them.