Chapter 30

*The description of the deaf/blind school and the area around it is purely made up…as I don't have a picture of what it would have looked like back in the 1800's (I'm sure more than one renovation on the building/buildings has/have been done since the school was first built-and landscapes have been known to be altered through the years.)

Insert from Ch 29

Could they have caught the stagecoach before it left town? Could they have done so without Jarrod or Victoria seeing them? She didn't really know only, for the sake of getting Tabitha to the deaf school in a timely manner, she hadn't argued with Nick when he insisted that they continue down the back alley.

Nick and Elizabeth, who had arrived in Fremont a few hours before, stood beside the huge brownish building; one they'd been told had more than one room in which to house the students. Another building, full of offices and classrooms, stood nearby. Sidewalks and freshly cut grass could also be seen throughout the area they were in. The two of them watched as Tabitha was led to a dorm by another student; the two girls were talking up a storm with their hands. It made the trip worthwhile for both Nick and Elizabeth.

"It's going to feel strange only having her with me during the holidays and summer." Elizabeth's voice had a sound that was a mixture of gratitude and concern both as she heard the Dean of the school telling her once again what Tabitha's schedule would be. The only hiccup in the trip was when Mr. Parker, the dean, asked if Tabitha had a second back up emergency contact. They'd wound up giving the school Nick's information…telling the gentleman that Nick was the child's godfather. Okay, that godfather part had been something they decided just before entering the school-as neither Elizabeth nor Nick could see Cliff agreeing to take the child in should something happen to Elizabeth before Nick and she knew whether or not they were going to marry. Those facts were something they saw no reason to disclose to the school.

"She'll be fine, and so will you." Nick turned around and started walking back towards the cab that was waiting for him and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth said nothing until they climbed into the horse drawn cab and were heading towards the hotel where the Widow Tinsdale was waiting for them. When she spoke, it was to address the topics that had not been touched on since they fled the boarding house in Hayden. "I can't settle in Stockton, Nick. Your mother wants nothing to do with me." She lowered her eyes as she spoke even quieter. "I don't see how we can successfully court each other. As it is, she'll probably be furious you've agreed to be Tabitha's godfather."

The fury Nick felt building up inside him was only squelched because he didn't want Elizabeth hurting any worse than she already was-and leaving your child in a place full of strangers (even if it was for the best) had to be high on the list of things that hurt like crazy. "I knew you were going to say that sooner or later. That is, that you can't make a home in Stockton. However, you can start your own business in *Modesto. It's 27 miles from Stockton or, if you prefer smaller towns, there are always places like *Lathrop, Morada or Linden. They are, roughly, five to eleven miles away-depends on which one you live in." He paused and then shocked Elizabeth with his next words. "There's nothing stopping me from courting you. That is, as long as Cliff won't cause us trouble. I mailed a few letters this morning. One to a man by the name of Bryce Collin in Lathrop; he has a small ranch for sale, along with some to ranchers in the other towns I mentioned. They also have places for sale. The last one was to Heath. I - I plan on going to look at one of those places I just mentioned. That is, once you decide where to settle." Nick sat straight up and turned ever so slightly. "I'm not going back to Stockton; I can't. I'm twenty-nine years old. Even if things don't work out between us, I will not stay in a home where someone else tells me who to court and who to marry-and acts as if they expect me to listen. And, before you ask, the letter I sent Heath includes a letter that states the deed to the ranch is to be transferred over to him with the condition that Mother never be asked to leave and live elsewhere. She and I may be estranged now only I can still make sure she can stay in the house Father built for her."

By the time he was finished talking, Elizabeth felt as if the wind-which was starting to blow-might as well be a Hurricane. She had never meant to be the cause of any type of storm between Nick and his mother. She felt as if her heart was breaking for him…even Victoria. Mothers shouldn't be on non speaking terms with any of their children. As if he could read her mind, Nick took a hold of her shoulders. "You are not responsible for any of this. Do you hear me? NONE of it."

"I know it in my head only it still feels like it." Elizabeth replied as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Well, it's not." Nick laid his hand on the top of her head and stroked her hair. "I'll keep telling you that as long as I need to. Until then," he shrugged his shoulders. "We best get ready to travel to *Blythe Junction. I want to talk to Cliff, find out what position he'll take on this. Though; as far as I'm concerned, I've been courting you for a few weeks now-just didn't really realize it. That is, if you agree."

Elizabeth took a deep breath. If Nick Barkley was giving up his ranch and moving away from Stockton rather have someone else tell him what to do, he definitely had a backbone. She had to admire him for that…even if her heart was still breaking for him. 'Help us through this storm,' she thought quietly, 'Help his family through it as well.' "No need to take time to think. I have friends who moved to Morada shortly before Jason died. They told us to come visit them any time…even said we could live with them until we got our own place if we decided to move there. It's a very small town only I think I could still do something…or that Jenny would help me find something."

"Fine, we'll head to Morada after we see Cliff, and I'll look up one Tyson Adams when we get there. He has a small ranch on the outskirts for sale." Nick quit talking as his mind wandered to Heath and the letter he'd written to his blonde-haired brother. He knew the shock his brother would feel once he opened the letter. Nick knew he was going to have to write another one the moment he and Elizabeth arrived in Blythe Junction. If he had anything to do with it, Heath was not going to be left in the dark on any of the choices Nick made. At the thought, Nick couldn't help groaning just a little. His family would know all his plans whether he liked it or not-with what he'd done with the ranch, and the fact he'd not asked Heath to keep quiet again-how could they not find out?

A/N *Towns and miles came from research done online.

A/N I couldn't quite tell what Jarrod said in Days of Wrath. Because I learned towards Rice Junction, I did some research. There is a ghost town named Rice which was, at one time, known as Blythe Junction. That being the case, I put Blythe Junction here.