Chapter Three

Previously:

Jarrod sucked in his breath. Had the bear been the reason he'd been told to get out of the woods? And, he held Bonnie just a bit closer, had whoever hid the child been killed as well? Those questions would have to remain unanswered for the moment. He had to get Bonnie back to the ranch. Once he had her safely with his family, he was going to have a talk with Fred. He might not have decided to go that route only he was getting a funny feeling off the sheriff as the man talked.

Once again Jarrod traveled towards Stockton only this time Bonnie was secured in a sling that was strapped around his chest and over his left shoulder. Mrs. Arnold had been kind enough to put various items in a cloth bag and given it to him. Her father-in-law had shocked Jarrod as well.

"That bottle won't do you a bit of good until you can get back to Stockton, as we have nothing to send with you to put in it. Don't leave our house until I get back." Mr. Arnold had then ridden away only to return with a woman whom Jarrod was sure had to be in her late twenties, if not early thirties. "This is Mary Hill. She is willing to care for the child until you get to Stockton. Count yourself blessed that she moved back to this area. I don't know any other woman who is a position to go with you. That is, the only good woman who can."

Jarrod glanced at the dark brown-haired woman riding alongside him. Her auburn hair was done up in a bun on the back of her head. It turned out that she had been nursing a number of babies through the years whose mothers were unable to. She was also a widow-as it turned out her husband had also perished in the woods-though it was by the hand of a robber who had eventually been caught and hung.

"My Bryan never minded my nursing the babies, and they needed the milk. Before you ask though, the two children I had with my late husband died in infancy." Mary had commented during the conversation she, Mr. Arnold, and Jarrod had first had.

Jarrod felt bad for the woman- losing her husband and both her babies. Still, he had to admit, he was grateful she was willing to travel to Stockton with him. Though, he pondered whether or not to tell her the truth about Bonnie before they reached Stockton. After all, the truth would come out then. However, before he could decide one way or the other, Bonnie was hollering to be fed. "Looks like we need to stop for a bit." Jarrod said as he stopped underneath a tree and dismounted; Mary did the same. Soon she sat under the tree nursing Bonnie while Jarrod chose to sit-with his back facing Mary and his 'daughter'.

As Mary fed the baby, Jarrod found his mind wandering back to the night he found Bonnie, to the thoughts he'd had in his head, to the local sheriff giving the Arnolds the news of Amelia's husband's death. Maybe it was Mr. Arnold questioning his son even being in the area-along with the feeling Jarrod had gotten off the sheriff-only he started growing uncomfortable. He couldn't help but wonder why Mr. Arnold had been in the woods in the first place. He was definitely going to have to talk to Fred the first chance he got.

When he heard Mary patting Bonnie's back, Jarrod turned around. He found himself studying Mary as well. She was friendly and, from what little conversation the two of them had had so far, he could tell she was intelligent. Though, there was an air of sadness about her as well. With her husband having died and neither one of her children surviving, he understood the feeling. Well, most of him did. The part that couldn't was the part that was starting to tell him the good woman had other crosses she bore. He couldn't help but wonder what they were only there was no way he could ask either. He was too much of a gentleman to do such a thing.

"I have never been to Stockton or any of the ranches in that area, not that I haven't seen plenty of other places. I'm looking forward to it." Mary's voice broke through Jarrod's thoughts. "Your ranch-is it small or large?" She told herself she shouldn't be 'so nosy' only she was curious.

"It's my family's ranch, and it's a pretty large spread…thirty thousand acres." Jarrod replied as Mary finished burping Bonnie and began taking care of the child's other needs. "Father started out with ten acres and it grew from there. It helped that Mother was working by his side a lot. She never has shied away from hard work."

Mary let out a low whistle. "I believe you. Accomplishments like that aren't done if you have no work ethics. Your family must be kept quite busy."

"My brothers Nick and Heath, along with our hired help, do a rather amazing job. Though, I help out on occasions-as does my mother. Though, most of her time is spent doing charitable work and other things." Jarrod's eyes took on the look of one that was looking at pictures of the past. "My other brother, Eugene. and my sister, Audra, used to only they are both married now and living elsewhere." He shook off the nostalgic feeling that had swept over him.

"My husband and I wanted a spread, not a large one mind you-just something he could handle with the help of the sons we hoped to have." Mary sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Some things are just not meant to be, I guess."

"What was your husband like?" Jarrod didn't know why he asked such a question only he did. For a split second he wondered if he should have asked only the thought he might have crossed some sort of line quickly disappeared as Mary's smile grew wide as she finished what she was doing and wrapped Bonnie's light blanket around her and slid her back into the sling that still hung over Jarrod's shoulder.

"I'll tell you all about him as we continue our journey." She assured him as she remounted her horse while he mounted Jingo. Once they had the horses moving forward, she began talking again.