Chapter 4
Donna set their dinners in front of them, saying, "Do you need your glasses refilled yet?"
"Not yet," Jarrod said. "Invaders from Asia."
Donna laughed. "Keep trying."
Jarrod was actually pretty astonished then as Eugene said, "I'll be in town until Sunday night and I've already had a little talk with your uncle over there. Would you like to spend a little time with me at the arboretum, maybe get an early dinner?"
Jarrod was more astonished when Donna said yes, but he was pleased, too. But he wasn't happy to see Eugene's face fall a little when Donna asked, "Will you be coming along, Mr. Barkley?"
"No, I'm afraid I can't," Jarrod said. "This trial will have me working all day on Sunday, preparing for Monday. The fireworks will really start going off sometime next week."
"Shall we meet at the arboretum, Mr. Barkley?" she asked, turning to Eugene.
Eugene felt awkward that she was being that formal. "If you'll call me Gene. How is about two o'clock, at the east entrance?"
"I'll see you there," Donna said with a smile.
"Congratulations," Jarrod said quietly as Donna went back toward the kitchen.
"I hope it's not you she's really interest in," Eugene said.
"If she were interested in me, I'd have known about it long before now," Jarrod said. "Besides, I'm far too old for her." Then he thought about that and said, "Huh."
"What, 'huh'?" Eugene asked.
"Well," Jarrod said, "looking at my surrogate son making a date with a beautiful woman, and saying what I just said out loud – suddenly I actually feel old."
Eugene chortled. "Tell me that when you get some gray hair."
They enjoyed their dinner together, then Jarrod ordered a couple brandies to top the meal off and relax. The saloon was getting more crowded then. Jarrod looked around but didn't recognize anyone he didn't know simply from seeing them here. He was just as happy. He didn't want to be reminded of work right now.
But Eugene said, "You're expecting the trial to get wilder next week?"
Jarrod sighed. "It seems inevitable. The plaintiff is coming up with some wild testimony. His last two witnesses changed things a bit from their depositions."
"I thought that worked in your favor, if a witness changes their testimony."
"It can, or it can't. It depends on what the jury believes. It just tends to throw the opposing attorney off stride – which often works in the witness's favor."
"Well, I have faith in my big brother, the best lawyer in town."
"You'd probably hear a few people arguing you about that."
Donna had come by to check on them, just in time to hear what Eugene and then Jarrod said. "What the William the Conqueror are you saying, Mr. Barkley? You are hands down the finest attorney who comes in here."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Jarrod said, chuckling.
"Can I get you gentlemen anything else?"
"I don't think so," Jarrod said. "I'm nice and relaxed and ready to head home. And how about just plain invaders?"
"No, it's not," Donna said. Then she leaned closer and said quietly, "I'll give you one more clue and the answer if you promise not to give it to anyone else and don't claim the prize."
Jarrod smiled. "Let's hear it."
"What the best Union cavalrymen?"
Jarrod was baffled.
Donna said, "People who have fallen off their horses. I have a few more clues that might have given it to you."
Now both Jarrod and Eugene laughed. "You can add both of us to your 'few more' on this, Adelaide," Jarrod said. "I don't know a man who's ever worked on a ranch who hasn't fallen off his horse."
"'What the cowboy' is going to be one of the other clues I use," Donna said. Then she looked at Eugene instead of Jarrod. "Will I see you tomorrow?"
Eugene nodded. "Very likely."
"May I come too?" Jarrod asked, sounding – for once and intentionally – like the tag-along little brother.
"You're always welcome here too," Donna said. "And remember – tomorrow I'll be Maud."
She gave them a wink and then went back to work at other tables. Jarrod said, "Gene, if I were a few years younger, I'd give you a run for your money."
XXXXXXX
Jarrod spent the next day working, despite Eugene's telling him he'd go to an early grave if he kept up that way. "Relax, it's only short term," Jarrod said. "That's my way of life – severe intensity for a couple weeks at a time, then crashing boredom for months thereafter."
"I'm glad I'm not planning to be a lawyer," Eugene replied.
They were walking together but split up then, Jarrod heading for his office and Eugene heading for the arboretum, to scope out his date for the next afternoon. The arboretum was a relaxing place, full of beautifully kept trees and other plants. People didn't walk purposely through the arboretum – they strolled, usually in twos, sometimes with a child or three running ahead. Today, a Saturday, was a day full of families, but there were also couples, holding hands, sitting on benches, talking.
Eugene had been seeing one or two girls now and then while he was at school. The girls in San Jose always seemed eager to catch a college boy. But he was never all that eager to catch one of them. They were company. They did not inspire romance.
Donna did.
Eugene sat down for a while, thought about Donna, thought about life, and watched people come and go. He decided that yes, this would be a nice place to bring Donna, then follow it up with an early dinner. Uncle Sandy would approve. So would Jarrod.
Eugene stopped by the Green Man for lunch and "Maud" seated him and waited on him attentively. The place was not very crowded while he was there. Saturday, he figured men were with their families.
"It's usually more quiet at a Saturday lunch," Donna said. "We don't miss much custom by not opening on Sunday. Church day and family day."
"I thought we might catch an early dinner tomorrow after our visit to the arboretum," Eugene said. "I'll be needing to take an evening train back to San Jose."
"That sounds very nice," Donna said, sincerely. "You are very gentlemanly, like your brother."
"He raised me," Eugene said. "I was 11 when our father died – Jarrod was 27. He took me through my more formative years." Eugene said the last with a little laugh.
Donna took Eugene's order and checked back with him fairly often after she served it. Eugene caught Sandy looking his way now and then, but not with a scowl. Just looking. Eugene gave a slight smile whenever their eyes met.
"I'll bring Jarrod by for dinner tonight," Eugene told Donna as he signed the bill and put it on Jarrod's tab. "Or maybe I should say, he'll bring me. We students don't have as much money as working lawyers do."
"I'm sure the day will come that you'll be picking up the tab," Donna said. "I'll look forward to seeing you later."
"Would you like to give me a little hint about the game tonight?"
Donna smiled. "No. But tonight around here may be as wild as your brother expects his trial to be next week."