Chapter 15
"I realized something important today," Jarrod said. "As I talked to Rev. Johnson, I realized something about myself. Not that I hadn't realized it before, but now I realized it had a big impact on why you and I broke up all those years ago."
Now Naomi was curious. "What is it you realized?"
Jarrod took a deep breath. "I'm a secretive man, Naomi. Not just because I'm a lawyer, and my nature is probably helpful in my profession, but not in my personal life. Not in my relationship with you. We broke up because I closed up. We were becoming closer and if I hadn't been – " Jarrod fumbled for the proper words. "There were things that had happened to me in life, during the war, things I couldn't tell you about and so I shut myself away and let you go. And I don't want to do that now. I have to let you in to everything I am, everything I was then that affected us 13 years ago."
"I'm listening," Naomi said.
Jarrod explained. He explained about the war. He explained about his part in Union intelligence operations and he explained about Julia Saxon. He explained about their relationship, about her betrayal, about Matt Parker, about everything. Most of all he explained that he not only felt betrayed. He felt that HE had betrayed his friend Matt, and he had betrayed his country even though he had never given Julia any secrets. "My secretive nature was protecting me with that," he said. "But then, with you, my secretive nature betrayed me. It wouldn't let me get close to you, and that's why we didn't work out."
"Jarrod, it wasn't entirely your fault," Naomi said. "You're not the only person in the world who keeps secrets."
"What secrets could you have that are as bad as that one I had?" Jarrod asked.
"You were not my first love affair either," Naomi said. "I never told you about mine. I closed up too."
"Is it something you want to tell me about now?"
"It wasn't as complicated as yours, but I fell for the wrong person too," Naomi said. "Before I knew you, before you came into the firm, I fell in love with one of the other lawyers. He was married."
Jarrod didn't say anything.
"I knew he was married," Naomi said. "I fell anyway. I was a foolish girl and he used me and discarded me and left the firm without even a word of good-bye. I was crushed, and I was left with terrible doubts about my judgment. About myself. Then you came along and yes – we got to that certain point where we were becoming closer. And I think I was as ashamed as you apparently were."
Jarrod said, "We were young."
Naomi nodded. "We backed away from each other because we couldn't share what we needed to share to become closer."
Dom made a loud gurgle, a loud "Ah!"
"An editorial comment," Jarrod noted with a smile. "You realize what's happening now, though, don't you?"
"Yes," Naomi said. "That hurdle we couldn't get over when we were young, we're getting over now."
Jarrod nodded. He leaned toward Naomi for a kiss, and she leaned to him. "Let's keep going now," Jarrod said. "Let's get by that hurdle now. Please."
Naomi nodded. "I know I'm still a new widow and I can't promise I won't feel that and it won't affect me – but yes, let's keep going. I want that – and I know Dom would want me to be happy again."
"He was a remarkable man, Naomi," Jarrod said. "Our breaking up years ago let you find him, so it really wasn't such a bad thing. Maybe it was an absolutely right thing."
Dom Jr. looked toward his mother and gurgled and smiled again. Naomi kissed him. "Maybe it was a right thing. Will you stay for dinner?"
Dom Jr. let out another "Ah!"
"I'd love to," Jarrod said.
XXXXXXX
Time went on. Jarrod continued to see Naomi, and he brought her and Dom to the house more than once. Dom was growing fast, and even though Jarrod expected Audra would be the one to dote on him the most – and she did dote on him – it was Nick who really took a shine to the little guy. Every time he picked Dom up, Dom would laugh and reach to touch Nick's dimples. Something about those dimples tickled the baby.
But it was Jarrod Dom reached for most often, over and over again as he and Naomi continued to see each other, continued to talk, continued to grow closer. It was Jarrod Dom began to call "Da!"
It was just as Dom was cutting his first teeth and getting cranky that Naomi looked like she felt at loose ends, but when Jarrod took a piece of ice from the ice box, wrapped it in a towel and had Dom suck on it, Naomi understood everything. "I should have known. You've done this before."
"With my younger brother and sister," Jarrod said. "My father even taught me this trick with Nick, when I wasn't even five years old yet."
Naomi sat down beside Jarrod on the sofa. Dom quieted down in his arms. "Thank you," she said. "I was beginning to feel lost."
Jarrod smiled at her, and then softly he said, "May I find you?"
"Find me?" she asked. "You already have."
"No," Jarrod said. "I mean, in every way. I know it hasn't been a year yet since Dom died, and I know that maybe it's not proper and we should put it off until that year goes by, but Naomi – Dom wanted me to ask you to marry me, and I want you to marry me more than I can ever properly express. So I'll keep it simple. Will you marry me?"
Naomi smiled, leaned close and kissed him.
XXXXXXX
"So, you did the deed, did you?" Nick asked with a grin when Jarrod came home that evening with a big smile on his face.
"Does it show that much?" Jarrod asked.
"What did she say?" Heath asked.
"She said yes," Jarrod said.
The family surrounded him, hugged him, slapped his back.
"We'll wait a few months before the wedding," Jarrod said. "Propriety and all that. But this is real. This is going to happen. I'm going to marry Naomi Chase, and I'm going to be Dom Chase Jr.'s father."
"Oh, Jarrod, I couldn't be happier!" Victoria gushed.
Nick said, "We need champagne!" and he and Heath went off to get some.
Audra said, "I just can't wait to be Aunt Audra!"
"Well, you pretty much already are," Jarrod said. "Naomi feels like she's with family when she's here. So do I."
"So do we," Victoria said. She pulled Jarrod to the settee in the living room and sat down with him. "Have you talked about where you'll live?"
"No, not yet, that can wait," Jarrod said. "We haven't rushed into anything yet. We're not going to start now."
"Thirteen years – yes, that's definitely not rushing into anything," Audra said.
"We were young," Jarrod said. "Thirteen years ago we weren't ready, and it turned out to be a pretty good thing we weren't. We've lived lives that have made us more ready for each other." He smiled at his mother. "I couldn't be happier, and I know Dom Sr. would be happy for us. And even Beth."
"Isn't it wonderful, to grow older and wiser?" Victoria asked.
"In my case, it definitely is," Jarrod said.
Nick and Heath appeared with a bottle of champagne and champagne glasses. "Here we are!" Nick announced.
He and Heath poured and handed glasses around, and then Nick said, "To the bride and groom – and my new nephew."
Jarrod laughed and raised his glass. "To all of us."
It was into 1881 before Jarrod and Naomi married. Dom Jr. was toddling then, more or less, and he brought the wedding ring down the aisle while the best man, his Uncle Nick, kept a firm hand on his, ready to steady him if need be. Heath gave the bride away, while Audra was her bridesmaid. Victoria felt like mother of both the bride and the groom, and a doting grandmother when Nick deposited Dom Jr. with her after delivering the ring.
After the first dance with his wife, Jarrod bowed to his mother, and together they waltzed around the room while Nick waltzed with Naomi. "You make a beautiful couple," Victoria said.
Jarrod noticed Audra "dancing" in a corner with Dom Jr. "A triple," Jarrod said.
"I'm very happy for you," Victoria said. "And I'm glad you've decided to live at the ranch for a while. Having a little person around the house again will be a joy."
"Are you sorry we took it as slowly as we did?"
"Oh, no, no," Victoria said. "You did what was right for the two of you – for the three of you. I couldn't be happier."
Jarrod smiled and held her close. "Neither could I."
The End