Chapter Fourteen

Previously:

"Are you still feeling uneasy? I thought we had that solved." Clara stood in her backyard looking at her sister.

"I just can't shake the feeling there's something I'm not being told." She admitted it made her wonder if her sons were hiding something from her.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Enjoy your stay here…and lay into your sons later if you must."

"Hey, you best be careful." Theresa walked up to Nick; he'd just finished working the barn room and had been descending the ladder. Due to missing the last rung, he'd almost fallen. "We don't need you to break something else before the wedding. After all, it's only two days away." She folded her arms and continued speaking. "Is *a wedding rehearsal this afternoon really necessary. I've never heard of such a thing."

"Neither have I only Jarrod's secretary had one a few months ago. That is, his secretary in San Francisco." Nick wrapped his arm around Theresa's shoulders and headed for the house. "If you ask me, kind of sounds fun to me. It's like getting married twice." He grinned as he gave her a small squeeze, though it was all he could do to not bring the truth of the matter up. A good portion of him really wanted to only, due to the risks Jerusha had taken and the need to know if she was right, Nick forced himself to remain quiet on the matter.

Theresa still thought it was unnecessary only Nick had a point; it did sound fun. "Well, then, let's go get ready for the first one."

While Theresa and Nick were talking, Victoria was cornering Jarrod in his study. She'd had enough of feeling strongly something wasn't right and was demanding answers. "I don't want to hear anything but the truth! There is more to this wedding rehearsal than we're being told. I can feel it!"

Jarrod silently groaned. There were enough people who knew about Jerusha and what she suspected-such as the witnesses that had come to town along with the judge and Sheriff Madden - the famous Stockton attorney hadn't wanted anyone else to know. After all, the more people knew, the more chance of something slipping out. "Please, Mother, I can't tell you right now. Only, I beg of you, not to voice those thoughts out loud… to anyone outside this room." He paused then asked, "Will it help if I promise you that; no matter what, you'll have your answers by tonight?" 'If Theresa is guilty, you'll have them sooner' was a thought he naturally had to keep to himself.

Victoria didn't like it. She had known something was up only, until Jarrod had asked her not to share her feelings, she hadn't truly thought the matter was extremely serious. "If I have your promise." She kept a stern glare on her oldest.

"You have it. Now," Jarrod stood up. "Let's get going. We need to get ready. We don't want the reverend to find himself waiting on any of us."

Victoria agreed and walked out of the study with Jarrod. By one o'clock they, along with the rest of the Barkleys and Theresa were standing inside Stockton's church. The main room was completely empty except for the good reverend who stood in front of the pulpit. After reviewing a number of items, Jarrod approached the reverend.

"Thanks for your willingness to do this." Jarrod did his best to smile at the reverend.

"I've had stranger requests than this, believe me." Reverend Stacy smiled-even as he shot a confused look towards his office.

Jarrod didn't have to asked why Reverend Stacy was confused. Not only was the good reverend dealing with something he'd never heard of, but the unseen guests were just adding to the confusion. It might have only peaked the man's curiosity only the number of hidden guests had actually climbed when Jerusha had relented to be a part of the group, along with the arrival of an unexpected man no one had expected to see in Stockton any time soon. "Don't worry about that." Jarrod barely whispered. "Just remember, don't say a word about them."

The reverend might have answered only his wife had entered the church and was now sitting in front of the piano. Also, Nick was walking up the aisle.

"Let's get this over with." Nick forced himself to speak extremely low.

The fact that Nick was on edge only served to stir up the good reverend's imagination. After all, the famous Stockton rancher was not acting like the average groom. "I'm ready when you are." Reverend Stacy smiled cordially. He nodded towards his wife.

Nick watched as his mother and sister sat on the pews, listened as Mrs. Stacy began playing the piano and watched as Heath led Theresa up the aisle. The whole time he had to force himself to smile, mostly because his mind was on the witnesses hidden inside the reverend's office. The room's door was opened ever so slightly…. allowing anything that was said in the main part of the building to be heard without revealing the people inside.

For Theresa's part, she fought to keep herself from turning around and walking out the door. After all, in spite of what she'd said to Nick, she was still of the mind that a rehearsal was simply silly nonsense. The urge to do so grew some as she caught sight of the slightly opened office door and saw a tiny part of a shadow. However, she pushed the unease aside and continued walking. To turn around was unacceptable. After all, if she did that, Nick would think she had changed her mind about the actual marriage.

Heath let go of her arm when they reached Nick and then stepped aside. He too had to wear his poker face. He had to since he had no clue if his brother's dreams were about to be shattered or not.

A/N My research says wedding rehearsals are more of a modern-day tradition. However, since some ideas are around a lot long than the actual event…. Jarrod ran with the idea? Ok ok talk like that keeps my family rolling their eyes at me. LoL