Chapter Twelve

Previously:

While Heath and Jarrod wanted to know how Nick got injured, they didn't ask Fen any questions. Why should they? They could get those answers from Nick himself. …

"So, tell me-and them-what is going on-and start at the beginning." Sheriff Langston folded his arms, sat on the edge of his desk and kept his eyes on Fen while Jarrod and Heath sat down on a couple of nearby chairs.

"It's like this." Fen looked at the three men and started talking.

Leah again sat on the porch talking with Nick-who had found himself snapping peas for Mrs. Douglas. He might have complained only he figured he'd brought it upon himself when he vocalized the frustration of feeling as if he was rather useless. He had just finished telling how Heath had tricked Nick into thinking Heath had found water using a forked stick.

"It never dawned on you that he'd already known there was water there?" Leah raised one eyebrow=even as laughter was dancing in her eyes.

""Sure, it did." Nick paused as his own grin spread over his face.

Leah quickly caught on and busted up laughing. "Shortly before, or after, you reached water?"

Nick nodded. Then, due to the fact he caught sight of Fen returning- and that Jarrod and Heath were riding with him, stopped the joking around. "Look, before they," he gestured in the direction of her uncle and his brothers, "get here, I want to ask you something."

"What's that?" Leah kept one eye on Nick and the other on the approaching men.

"During breakfast your uncle mentioned that he was looking at land and a home just outside Stockton. If he gets it, would you be moving with him?" Nick leaned slightly forward.

Leah quickly caught on to what he was really asking. While she was flattered, and did like Nick, she found herself hesitating to answer. As if Nick could read her mind, he reached out and took a hold of her wrist. That was easy to do-as the chair she was sitting on was only a few inches away from where was he sitting. "Like you said, Layla and you are two different people. I'm not hoping to make you her. Please, if you move, I really would like to get to know you better. I promise, I'll do my best to rein in my famous fast paced courting. Though," he frowned slightly-even as his eyes were laughing, "I can't promise how successful I'll be. However, I will do my honest best."

"Then- I'll honestly think about it." Leah smiled.

Nick might have said more only Fen and his brothers were almost to the house and Carl, who had looked through the window and seen his Uncle Fen and the two men with him, stepped out onto the porch.

When it came to Jarrod and Heath, the moment the Douglas house had come into their sight, they could easily see Nick and Leah sitting on the porch. It was all the two Barkley brothers could do not to stare. As it was, Fen had told them about the relationship between Leah and Layla. This being the case, the two brothers managed to avoid the staring bit.

"Just remember," Fen threw a glance towards Jarrod and Heath, "Don't bring the subject of Layla and her husband up unless Leah brings it up first."

"Things are that bad between them?" Jarrod asked, a bit surprised by the man's words.

"Well, not to the point where they won't write to each other." Fen shook his head, "only let's say that-unless Leah can truly accept Layla's husband – I can't see the two women going back to being the way they were before." Fen wasn't about to admit he leaned towards being on Leah's side. No, there was no way he was going to put himself into the middle of that one.

Having never met Layla's husband, Jarrod and Heath could only imagine what kind of man Mr. Johnson was. "Well, since we have more pressing matters, I don't think avoiding that subject will be a problem." Jarrod assured the gentleman. Soon they were in front of the house and talking with Nick.

"I was wondering what was taking you so long." Nick watched Fen dismount his horse. He then looked at his brothers, who were now standing next to their horses. After introducing Leah to his brothers, and them to her, he finished by thanking them for coming. "Hope I am safe in assuming Fen's told you everything,"

"He did." Jarrod answered, even as he accepted Carl's offer to take Jingo to the barn-an offer that was extended to Heath as well.

"We would have been here sooner only we were talking with the sheriff." Heath climbed the steps up to the porch.

"Wish I'd known that man was going to be back in town. If I had known, I wouldn't have asked you to come. Though," Nick shrugged his shoulders. "I will not sit here and say I wish things were different. I like having you here; we've got to find Bear. The one thing those crooks are sure about is that Mr. Douglas should on his way home. The sooner we can start our search the better."

"We," Jarrod looked at Fen before turning his face back towards Nick, "told the sheriff we will start looking first thing in the morning. He says he has to have solid proof of what Carl is telling us, as he can't arrest anyone on heresay." He glanced up at the darkening sky and then continued. "The best thing Heath and you can do is stay right here. After all, those men might just get it into their heads to send a man-or men- out here. Sheriff is going to keep his ears and eyes wide open in town."

Nick might have argued only he could tell by the look in both his brothers' eyes that they had already discussed who was going with Fen and who would stay at the Douglas house. Besides, Jarrod had a very valid point when it came to what the crooks might do. It was a possibility that he, Leah and Mrs. Douglas had already discussed…after Carl had voiced the same concern.

"All right," Nick agreed – even as he wished there was a way to make the night go faster.