Chapter One

Jarrod couldn't believe how hot the day was as he rode down the long, dusty road that led away from Rockville. Sure, if it was in the middle of the summer it would be expected. Only, it was late fall! And the humidity, he couldn't help but wonder if someone needed an attitude adjustment. Through it all, he wondered why on earth he hadn't simply bought a round trip ticket from Stockton to Rockville and back home again. However, he was brought out of his thoughts when he saw dark clouds off in the far distant and felt a breeze begin to blow. Since one would expect to feel the temperature drop with such events, he was shocked when the heat only seemed to increase. About that time, he saw an old wooden shack. While he couldn't explain dark clouds and heat going together, he felt as if someone was pushing him to get to the building he'd just caught sight of. By the time he reached the front door, Jarrod felt himself sliding off his horse and falling.

* * *
"I can't thank you enough for taking us in, Miss." Nick stood in a bedroom in the small home he'd just carried his feverish brother into. Jarrod now lay in one of two beds in the room with a wet cloth being placed upon his forehead by a young, black haired, brown eyed woman who stood just over five feet tall. Well, Nick thought her to be no older than twenty one ; maybe twenty two. He didn't really dare ask her exact age. Though, as beautiful as she was, he might have only he figured his sick brother needed to be his top priority at the moment.

"Name's Deidra Ames." She looked up at Nick with a smile he couldn't help but notice didn't quite reach her eyes. "How long as he been ill?"

He kicked himself for not fighting his older brother harder. After all, the woman at the boarding house in Rockville had said they were more than welcome to stay a few more days if they needed too. With the look of sorrow that he'd seen in her eyes, Nick feared the worst. Still… " He started feeling poorly late last night only he down right insisted he was well enough for us to make it home by nightfall."

"Where's Home?"

Nick told her and then, because he'd noticed how closely she'd examined Jarrod, he asked, "How familiar are you with the medical field?"

Deidra gave a tired sounded sigh as she shook her head. "Too much I fear," She went on to explain her father had been a doctor and her mother his assistant. "For a spell my father and mother worked at an army hospital during the war between the states. I helped wherever I could." She paused and asked just what other symptoms Jarrod had had.

Nick felt a small wave of chills go through him. Jarrod had coughed, but only enough to cause a mild concern-and he said as much. "He also complained about feeling slightly warm once, but insisted it was nothing, and he never complained again." Just as he finished with his reply Jarrod let out a cough. "Do you think he has pneumonia?"

"How many times has he had it?" She looked from Nick to Jarrod, and then back at Nick.

Nick frowned slightly. If she'd helped in an army hospital, she could not be as young as he'd first thought her to be. Though, that reaction quickly left as Jarrod started moaning. "A couple of times, but nothing…" Nick didn't get a chance to answer as Jarrod started thrashing back and forth, muttering words that couldn't be understood.

"Hold him down while I go get ice!" Deidra spoke sharply, but with no rudeness in her tone as she hurried out of the room.

Nick quickly did as she'd asked. When Jarrod started calling out one name after the other-all family members-Nick did his best to assure him that the family was fine.

"You don't need to worry about us, Pappy. We're all fine." He continued talking until Deidra appeared with the ice.

"We'll need more. His fever has to be brought down. I just don't have any more ice that's been broken up into smaller pieces." His raging fever greatly concerned Jarrod's and Nick's angel of mercy.

"I can do that." Nick stepped away from Jarrod who had stopped thrashing around and was simply moaning. "Where do you keep your ice?" Once Deidra replied to his question, Nick hurried outside and around back to where the ice house stood. He wasted no time in retrieving more ice and getting back to his ill brother. Once he was back in the room that held Jarrod, Deidra excused herself, saying she had to get some soup on the stove.

"You'll need something to eat and; in time, he might too." Deidra said as she shut the door behind him.

Nick would have opened the door and asked her if she'd ride into town and send a telegram only problem was…there was no town close enough to ride too. Even Rockville was a number of miles behind them. He sat down and watched the perspiration rolling off his brother's face. "I should have put my foot down in Rockville. You have to pull through." He spoke in an uncharacteristically low volume.

As Nick watched Jarrod-who was now lying motionless upon the bed, the wind began blowing rather hard outside the window. He heard thunder and saw some lightening light up the sky. Nick was glad they'd stumbled onto Miss Ames' home. He'd have to thank her again…once she'd brought the soup.

While Nick watched over Jarrod, Deidra was standing next to the stove with memories racing through her mind.

"What's your name?" Deidra stood next to one of the many beds holding one soldier or another. Only this dark haired, blue eyed soldier was different. She didn't know why only she wanted to find out more about him.

"Jarrod, Jarrod Barkley." Jarrod couldn't help but smile at the young woman that stood next to his bed. She was sure easy on his eyes…though he didn't think she was a day over seventeen…probably more like sixteen. "What's your name, and what are you doing here? Kind of young to be a nurse," He smiled even as his eyes twinkled.
She laughed, told him her name and agreed, though she assured him she had every intention of becoming one. She then started asking Jarrod one question after another, along with talking with the other soldiers being tended to. That is, until her mother chased her from the room ordering her to stay out 'Unless you're with your father or I!"

To the amusement of Jarrod and the other soldiers, the young woman had simply turned around and slipped back in time and time again. Telling stories, or hearing theirs. Each time she begged the soldiers not to tell on her…as all she wanted to do was help. Desperate to hear stories and share laughs during the troubled times, the men agreed.

Deidra shook herself out of her thoughts. She had a patient to tend to and his brother to feed. Filling a bowl, she picked it and a spoon up, then headed for the guest room.