Bonnie's Tale Chapter Eleven

Excerpt Ch 10

"When you said a nice dinner, I didn't know you meant this nice!" A part of her wanted to tell him going to such a restaurant that had to cost a fortune wasn't necessary only she didn't want to be rude. ...

"After what you're doing for Jarrod-taking care of Bonnie and wet nursing her, you deserve it." Nick said as Mary and he followed the waiter who had approached them to an empty booth. Soon they were ordering their food and enjoying visiting each other.

Mary, who had finished nursing Bonnie and just finished changing the child's diaper, turned her head when she realized someone was watching her. Nick stood in the nursery doorway. "Keep hanging around and people are going to start talking." She grinned as she sat down in the nursery rocker and began humming a quiet lullaby to Bonnie.

Nick smiled as he stepped into the room and leaned against the dresser. "Let them talk." However, his smile dimmed a little as he admitted he hadn't slept well. "I wouldn't be in here admitting that." He took a deep breath and continued speaking. "Only I believe your late husband may be the reason why. Jarrod told me what your husband did in the war only, if I'm right, he wasn't only a spy." He made his way to the only other chair in the newly remodeled nursery. "Did your husband stand just under six feet, have dark hair, blue eyes and thin enough to fit through two fence pickets?" 'All right, no one is that thin only the man was the thinnest gentleman I've ever met.' Nick thought silently.

Mary's eyes widened in shock. She'd never hear her husband being described so perfectly when it came to his build. "You knew him? Why didn't you say so before now?"

"I didn't know his wife's first name only last night at dinner you told me more than one story of how he and his cousin were getting into one scrape or another, including embarrassing your parents in front of a few city council members. That story, the one about the council members, stuck with me until it finally hit me like a ton of bricks you had to be talking about Captain Hill. He told some stories himself; that one was one of them. I had just forgotten it." Nick told her.

"When did you meet Bryan?" Mary was as curious as all get out, and it showed in her eager eyes and, somewhat, demanding tone in her voice. Though, she was trying her best not to sound as if she was ordering him to tell her anything.

"He saved my life once the last time I saw him. Took a bullet for me, never did know whether or not he survived though. Sure, I was able to say goodbye to him only he was still in a bad way when I left him."

Mary stared at Nick for a moment, and then started grinning wide. "Looks like we both need to get after my late husband after we cross over. He fails to give you my name-though, I admit- for the times being what they were-he was probably justified. However, failing to tell me just why he got shot, is not."

"Well," Nick scratched the back of his neck-even as his eyes danced in a bit of amusement. "That might be my fault, not his."

Mary's eyebrows turned down as confusion filled her eyes. "And just why would you be at fault?"

"Well," Nick turned and looked at the nursery door; it was still open. He stood up, and then walked over to the door, shutting it tight once he got there. Turning around, he lowered his normal loud voice-as he'd been told many times one could still hear him through a closed door. "I said he took a bullet for me-I never said I didn't take another one seconds later."

Now Mary was even more curious-especially since laughter could be seen dancing in Nick's eyes. That and the closed door, made it so she definitely wanted to know what Nick had, apparently, kept even from his family. "And what is so funny about getting shot?"

"Nothing….well, it would be nothing only, let's just say simply sitting down wasn't an option for awhile. He might have been trying to save me some embarrassment." Nick's eyes then asked if she could figure out just where he'd taken the bullet.

Mary couldn't help it; she started laughing – as did Nick. Though, their laughter quickly quit as Bonnie stirred. They were both holding their breath until the child stopped squirming and slipped back into a deep sleep.

"I think we best keep quiet." Mary stood up. "Better yet, I think if we are to continue visiting, we need to go elsewhere."

"Agreed." Nick opened the door and-once Mary had exited the room then closed it once again. Once they were walking down the hallway, they started talking again only this time the talk turned to Jarrod, Heath and their trip with Fred.

"I don't like they were going to Lodi." Mary told Nick as they started descending the stairs. "I still don't trust that sheriff. I wouldn't put it past the man– or someone connected to him—to leave Bonnie-or any other infant-in those woods. Whether it was in the hopes of them dying or some other horrible fate, would be another guess."

"I wouldn't either. Only, if he or someone he knows did, and it comes out, they'll pay for it. As it is, when it comes to Bonnie, Jarrod said he was going to have his secretary file adoption papers after what you told him. No one will be getting his hands on the child again."

"Sort of wish I could have adopted her," Mary stepped onto the foyer's floor and looked up the stairs. "Still, glad she'll be in a place like this with good people. I hate thinking what would have happened if your brother hadn't found Bonnie." She literally shuddered as she spoke.

"I always wanted to be an uncle. Glad she's here too," Nick then changed subjects and asked if Mary had eaten lunch. When she replied in the negative, he invited her to have lunch with him. Something she was glad to do-even as her mind turned to Jarrod, Heath and Fred. She sure hoped that, by some miracle, they would be able to nail Sheriff Reed for all the things she just knew he was guilty of.