Chapter Thirteen 13/14
Jarrod and Liesel said their prayers with the children and settled in for the night.
"Jarrod, how do you think it will go when McColl talks to your cousins about Aunt Jane?"
"I have very high hopes. They are not overly impressed with societal roles. I did my best to present the value of Douglas to our holdings."
"You, a romantic? A Cupid? My love"
He laughed and pulled her close, "Guilty as charged"
"I missed you. The townhouse was empty without you and the children."
"I missed you too"
He cuddled with her still mindful of their loss but glad to be back in his bed at the ranch.
Downstairs, McColl and Jane met with Will and Joe in the study.
They refreshed their drinks and Douglas began. The tension in the room was stifling.
"William, Joseph, your Mother, and I have been courting these past few months."
Silence, complete silence.
Will stood with clenched fists and Joseph's arms were crossed. Their knuckles were white with pressure.
No one spoke for a few minutes. The grandfather clock chimed loudly and broke the uncomfortable silence.
Jane spoke up, "I know this is a surprise, boys but I thought it would be better than a letter. Once you get to know Douglas, you will see him as I do."
Douglas added, "Janie, I think a man-to-man conversation is what we need. Will you wait for me in the parlor?"
She hesitated but decided to trust him, "I will be waiting for you. We are NOT negotiable."
Her boys turned in surprise to hear their mother's tone. They felt like they were little boys again in trouble hearing that voice.
She turned and looked at her boys; she walked out, closing the door.
Will began "Janie, what gives you the right to call my mother Janie?"
He immediately regretted his tone, realizing how childish he sounded.
McColl clearly enunciated, "By her right, of course."
Joe began the questioning, "You know she is recently widowed, right? What exactly do you do around here? How much land do you exactly own? Do you often take advantage of the bereaved?"
McColl stiffened at the last question, "If you stopped for a moment, you would think higher of your Mother. No one takes advantage of your Mother- no one. I know this is a surprise so I will be calming myself down and answering all those questions."
Will interrupted him; McColl thought he sounded just like Jarrod at that moment.
"My mother is a very wealthy woman. How much? How much for you to walk out the door? I can have it for you in the morning."
Joe added, "You better take his offer. She doesn't have a penny that isn't managed by us-or didn't you know that?"
"Not a dime. I plan on marrying your mother with or without your blessing. I never thought to find a woman like her but since I have, I am not letting her go."
"Why you-" and Joe lunged for the foreman, thirty years his senior.
He grabbed the young man and held his fist back, almost lifting him off the ground.
"I don't think you want to do this. I taught Nick everything he knows."
Will pulled his younger brother back.
"Good Night, Mr. McColl. Our offer still stands." and he hurried his brother out of the study.
They passed their Mother in the study both shaking their heads.
McColl cooled his temper for a few minutes. He finished his drink and undid his tie. Jane opened the door and walked in.
"Well, I assume that did not go well."
He awkwardly chuckled, "Well, no blows were exchanged."
Jane kissed him on the cheek, "Tell me what happened."
"You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, They are smart boys; they know I am not good enough for you, Janie."
"Did they dare say that? I will give them a piece of my mind."
"Not in as many words. I know what they meant and I can't fault them for speaking the truth."
"It's going to take some time. They were just surprised."
He got up and walked to the front door, "Good night Janie. I got some thinking to do. I would never come between you and your family. I saw the light in your grandchildren's eyes when they saw you. Those boys love you a lot too or they wouldn't be so protective."
He kissed her on the cheek lightly and headed back to the foreman's cabin.
"McColl, you were just fooling' yourself. Janie and you gettin' married. It was just one of them pipe dreams without that opium den stuff. And to think it would make a difference to buy this fancy suit; they saw through all the fancy trapping's and saw the saddle tramp I am and will always be." and he got on his horse to check on the night crew out in the western pasture. He didn't even take off his new gray suit.
Nick settled Ben into the Cattleman's for the night. He was still recovering from the last beating he took from the Magness men before Nick stopped it with his fists, a week ago.
"I will let Jarrod know you are here. You still got the keys to his office."
"No sir. It got lost either in the shed or in the barn."
Nick took the key off his ring to Jarrod's office and handed it to him. "Here ya go. Hey-Ben, you know it took a lot of guts to take that beating and not give me up or Jarrod or the Wheelers? Many men would have given up and given them what they wanted. Jarrod is gonna be mighty proud of his junior partner. I'ffn I was you, I would ask for a raise seein' how much you did. Make ole Carl pay ya double. Make Jarrod, too. He can afford it."
Ben smiled then flinched with his bruised face, "Thanks, Nick. I think I am going to sleep several days after this."
"You deserve it."
Nick headed out to the Wheelers before he went home. "Carl, be a worried old woman if I know him."
He flashed the lantern he borrowed from the livery and the men opened the gate.
"Sorry it's late Cap but I wanted to be the first to let you know-it's over."
He loudly whooped.
Carl barreled down the stairs, "Dad, I just got her to sleep." with a crying baby.
Nick reached out for Grace Anne. She went to him easily and he began bouncing her on his shoulder. She shushed and turned her head to touch his face. She laid her fat palm on his cheek and gave him a big smile.
"How do you do that, Nick?" asked a bewildered Carl.
"Ladies have always loved me, you know that Carl. Remember Becky in fourth grade?"
The men all laughed. He fixed Nick a whiskey.
"It's over. Big Daddy is dead and JT is running things. You won't have any trouble with them. I got the money for your grandpappy's land and Ben shipped the stuff he could find already. It's probably at the ranch waitin' on me."
Grace Anne took that moment to let a big burp out. They all laughed again.
"You, been holding that in, baby girl? Ole Uncle Nick says let them go-well unless the lady folk is around. They's pretty particular about that kinda stuff."
"Well Nick, I am dying to hear all about it but Sonny is up in bed already. Let's go tell him the good news together and this story-it's gotta be a good one."
They went upstairs and Nick presented Cap with a $10,000 certified cashier's check made out to Carlsson Harper Wheeler Grace Anne Wheeler.
"How'd ya do it, Nick?"
"It wasn't easy and that young lawyer of Jarrod's took the brunt of the pain and brains that finally ended it all. I was just there for my charm and fists."
Carl took the check, "My daughter's name is on here too."
"Yep, it is. I also had to promise to buy her a white horse on her fourteenth birthday just like Emily Anne's."
Cap and Sonny looked confused. Carl looked away in pain.
"She loved those white horses, Nick."
"The last time I saw them, they were carrying Big Daddy to his final resting place."
And Nick began to tell the story of what happened in Jack County. Halfway through, Grace Anne began to snore on his shoulder.
"I do that to women too"
When Nick finished telling of their escapades, there wasn't a dry eye in the room of wizened old cowboys.
Carl walked Nick out. "I have been meaning to ask you, will you be Grace Anne's godfather?"
"Of course. I would be might proud and who else would do?"
He impulsively reached out and pulled Nick into a bear hug. "Thank you."