Chapter 4
The next day, Victoria felt refreshed enough to go to the shops with Jaq and Audra. Jarrod bid his ladies good-bye and left for an appointment of his own. Since this was Jaq's second marriage, her intentions were not to get a white dress. She had in mind to get a dress that was a beautiful shade of blue and hoped that one of the shops would have one to her liking. She also wanted one with a lot of buttons but kept that to herself. She wasn't sure she could explain to her future mother and sister in law why. Just thinking of Jarrod taking his time undressing her after they were married was enough to cause Jaq's cheeks to flush. Not out of embarrassment but anticipation.
The first two stores had nothing Jaq was interested in although both Audra and Victoria found something they liked. They were standing at a street corner waiting to cross the busy street when something caught Jaq's eye. Or rather, someone.
Across the way was a woman who looked familiar to Jaq. She had light colored hair and high cheekbones as well as blue eyes. The eyes seemed odd somehow...she realized she knew she was seeing Beth. She vividly remembered the empty look in Beth's eyes when she'd seen her at the ranch for the first time and how it had startled her. Jaq gasped.
Victoria and Audra were by her side in a moment.
"Jaq, are you alright?" Victoria asked.
Jaq continued to stare across the street. A hired hack rode by and when he'd gone past them, Jaq didn't see the woman any longer.
"I thought I saw…I could have sworn…" Jaq said. Jaq was feeling faint suddenly and Victoria and Audra helped her to a bench just over to the side.
"I'm sorry…I'm not sure what is wrong with me," Jaq stated, her head in her hands. Victoria had asked Audra to get Jaq some water. They were in front of a restaurant and Audra disappeared inside and was able to get a small glass of water. A doctor had been dining in the restaurant and heard Audra mention a companion feeling ill. He went out to see if he could help.
"I'm Dr. Stanson, are you alright, Miss?"
Jaq sat up straighter. "Yes, I'm fine. I just felt a bit light-headed."
The doctor did a cursory exam and when he felt satisfied that Jaq was not in any immediate danger, he instructed them all to go back to the hotel and rest. He left his information with Victoria and told her to not hesitate to contact him if further care was needed. Victoria offered to pay the man, but he refused and went back inside the restaurant.
"I'm so sorry," Jaq said over and over. She couldn't ever remember feeling this way before and felt awful that she'd ruined their day out shopping.
"Nonsense," Victoria assured her. "We still have plenty of time here."
The three made it back to the hotel and Victoria went with Jaq to her hotel room. Jaq insisted she was fine to settle herself, but Victoria insisted. While in the room, Victoria noticed the doors to the left of the room. Her eyebrow raised when she realized the room next to Jaq's was adjoined. Victoria also knew the room next to Jaq's was Jarrod's. Normally, Victoria would have been incensed but after all Jaq and Jarrod had been through, and the fact they were marrying one another in just over one week's time, she decided to ignore it.
Jaq awoke sometime later to see Jarrod sitting in a chair at her bedside.
"Hello, My Love," Jarrod greeted her. He got up and sat on the bed next to her and gave her a kiss.
"Jarrod, I'm so sorry," Jaq said, clearly embarrassed.
"Whatever for?" Jarrod asked.
"I feel as though I ruined everything today."
Jarrod leaned in to give her another kiss.
"You ruined nothing. Are you feeling any better?" Jarrod asked, searching her face for any signs of illness.
"Much," Jaq said, sitting up against the headboard. She'd never had an experience like she'd had earlier that day. She knew she was blessed in the fact she rarely had any issues when it was her womanly time. She'd heard of women who would be bedridden or sick for days. She'd always had an easy time of it. Maybe that was changing.
"What happened?" Jarrod asked.
"I'm not sure. I felt light-headed. Once I had some water and sat down for a few minutes I was fine."
Jarrod still looked concerned. His mother had told him Jaq mentioned seeing someone, but Jaq didn't seem inclined to share that information now. She'd also mentioned the doctor and shared the information with Jarrod.
"I think a visit to a doctor seems to be in order," Jarrod said softly.
Jaq rolled her eyes. "Jarrod, really, there is no need. I'm fine! Just the excitement of the day."
Jarrod wasn't convinced. He had a few appointments in the afternoon the next day but nothing in the morning. He decided he'd accompany the ladies on their morning shopping spree just for his own piece of mind.
"By the way, I think your mother knows about the adjoining rooms," Jaq whispered. Jarrod's eyes widened. He'd been careful to go into Jaq's room through her door which led out to the hallway to throw off any suspicion once he'd been told about what happened.
"She hasn't said anything."
Just then, there was a knock at the door and Victoria stuck her head in. She noticed Jarrod sitting on the bed with Jaq but didn't think there was anything untoward going on and she didn't let it phase her.
"How are you feeling, Jaq?" she asked, her gray eyes showing concern.
"Much better, Victoria. Thank you. Again, I apologize."
Victoria stood in the open doorway and held up her hand. "No need to apologize, Jaq. Audra and I are going down to dinner. Would you like to join us?"
Jaq started to move but Jarrod put his hand on Jaq's arm.
"Mother, if you don't mind, I'll have food sent up to Jaq's room for the two of us. I'd like for her to get some more rest," Jarrod said.
"Of course, Jarrod. If either of you needs anything, we're just down the hall," and with that Victoria closed the door. She couldn't help but smile at Jarrod's over-protectiveness.
The next few days flew by and as the train moved to Stockton, all felt much had been accomplished. Jarrod kept an eye on Jaq, but she never seemed to have any other issues since that one event.
Jaq smiled when she thought of the dress she'd bought for the wedding. It was a beautiful shade of blue that would bring out her eyes and it had a row of buttons down the back. She knew Jarrod would enjoy seeing her in it and getting her out of it.
The salesgirl was intuitive enough to ask Jaq if she wanted something more intimate that matched the dress and Jaq couldn't resist. She knew it would probably be for naught, but she did love pretty things and couldn't wait to try it on for her beloved.
Nick had been asked to have one of the larger surreys left in town for them to be able to get all their things back to the ranch and to Jaq's house. The group laughed and continued their good time throughout the ride to the ranch. Once everything that was staying at the ranch was unloaded, Jarrod and Jaq backtracked to Jaq's home. In the carriage was also the first load of Jarrod's things that he would be moving into their home.
Jarrod and Jaq laughed and enjoyed one another's company, discussing their future. They would spend their first night as husband and wife in their home then leave the next day for a week in Sacramento. Jarrod had arranged for them to stay at one of the finest hotels in the city and they would be using the private Barkley railcar to transport them there.
They unloaded the carriage and worked together to put everything away. Jaq took her dress upstairs to the spare room so Jarrod wouldn't see it. She couldn't help but smile and looked forward to wearing it in a week.
When Jaq arrived back downstairs, she found Jarrod in the study, making himself at home. It thrilled her heart to have him there. She leaned against the doorway and watched him quietly. He was wearing his gray/blue shirt and brown vest. The shirt brought out the blue in his eyes. He had rolled up the sleeves and she could see the small birthmark on his left arm.
Jarrod turned around and found Jaq watching him. He smiled and she smiled in return.
"I'm so glad you're here," Jaq said quietly. Jarrod sat down the stack of books he had in his arms and walked over to Jaq. They embraced and Jarrod began swaying in place. Jaq closed her eyes and leaned into him.
Jaq looked up into her betrothed's piercing blue eyes. She loved how they darkened with desire for her. She knew if they weren't careful, they'd not get anything else done that day and Victoria was expecting Jaq back at the ranch in just a few hours to go over the menu for the wedding.
Jarrod lowered his head and kissed Jaq, causing her to melt in his embrace. She moaned and it took all of Jarrod's self-control to not scoop her up and take her into the bedroom. The two had agreed to tone down their physical relationship until after the wedding. Both were regretting the decision and found their resolve weakening.
Jaq pushed back and smiled at Jarrod. They sat on the small settee in the study and Jarrod put his arm around her.
"I was thinking about the portrait of Paul and myself," Jaq said softly. "Would you like for me to have it placed somewhere else?"
"Not at all," Jarrod replied without hesitation. "Jaq, I don't expect for you to remove every existence of Paul from your life. I'm in no way threatened by him or by having the portrait where it is."
Jaq smiled. "Thank you. If you have any pictures of Beth…"
"I have a small one, made on the day of our wedding. I was thinking of putting it on a shelf in here if you're alright with that?"
Jaq nodded and leaned into Jarrod. She hadn't been worried that Jarrod would want her to erase Paul from their lives, but she wasn't sure what to do about the portrait. She'd leave it where it was for the time being but planned on moving it to one of the spare rooms once she could replace it with a new one of her and Jarrod.
