Chapter 3

Audra climbed into the surrey's back seat when her mother and brother picked her up at the orphanage. She saw the two packages in the back seat with her. "Oh, what are these?"

"A rain poncho I bought for myself, and a birthday present Mother bought for Nick," Jarrod said.

"For Nick?" Audra said, and before she could say another word her mother turned in the front seat and gave her a look that warned her to be very careful.

"Oh," Audra said cautiously. "What is it?"

"A nice bone-handled 45," Jarrod said.

Audra smiled, and Victoria turned around again. "Well, I guess it's a secret then," Audra said.

"Very much so," Victoria said.

When they arrived home, Ciego took charge of the surrey while Jarrod carried the packages into the house. It was only midday, so Jarrod was a bit surprised to see Nick and Heath at the house. "What brings you two in so early?" he asked.

"Lunch," Nick said flatly.

Heath shrugged. "Nick got hungry."

"I'll take that," Victoria said and took the package containing the handgun from Jarrod. Very unobtrusively, she carried it toward the kitchen.

"Whatcha got there?" Nick asked about the package Jarrod still held.

"Well, since we went to the bank and I discovered I was far wealthier than my wildest dreams, I bought myself a new rain poncho," Jarrod said.

"New rain poncho, huh? I guess I can have my old one back now?" Nick said.

Jarrod had been borrowing one Nick used to use but replaced a few months back. "If you want it. It does have holes."

"Just like me," Nick said with a grin.

Jarrod put the package down on the table in the foyer, and then he took his gunbelt and hat off and hung them in the hall. He noticed a nice scent in the house. "Smells like Silas has been getting fancy in the kitchen."

"No more than usual," Heath said. "That's the reason Nick likes coming in for lunch when he's really hungry. Silas cooks better than Old Jube at the chuck wagon."

"Silas cooks better than practically anyone," Jarrod said. "At least to my limited experience."

Victoria returned, saying, "Lunch is ready."

"Oh, good, I'm starving, too," Audra said.

They went into the dining room together, and Jarrod was somewhat astonished to see that in addition to a large spread of chicken and dumplings, vegetables and coffee on the table, there was a cake in the middle of the table. Silas stood by, looking very, very happy.

"What's the occasion – " Jarrod started and then saw the writing on the cake.

Happy Birthday Jarrod

"What?" Jarrod asked, confused.

"Today is your birthday, Jarrod," Victoria said. "We thought you probably didn't remember, so we planned what is probably the only birthday party where the guest of honor really is surprised."

Jarrod laughed. "Well, you got that right. My birthday is today, really?"

"Really," Audra said and kissed him. "Happy Birthday, Big Brother."

"Thirty-four," Heath reminded him.

His brothers each shook his hand, and then he happened to notice the box at his place at the table. The walnut box from the mercantile. "Oh – " he said, at a loss for words, and he opened it and saw, of course, the bone-handled gun. "It never occurred to me that this was for me."

"Well, it's a little more 'for you' than you think," Nick said. "This is actually your gun."

"What?" Jarrod asked.

"When we got to Rockville, all we found was your horse and some of your personal possessions," Heath said. "This was among them. This is the gun you always used to carry."

Jarrod picked it up with what came close to reverence as Nick said, "I gave it to you when you turned 16. I was about to be 12. After we thought we'd lost you last year, I didn't have the heart to sell it until about a week before you came to the front door last month. I had Audra give the money I got for it to the orphanage, in your name, but when you turned up, I went back to the mercantile and bought it back. I had Abel hold onto it until today. I'm glad it's back where it belongs, Pappy."

Jarrod couldn't recall ever feeling so special in his life. He put his arm around his brother in a half bear hug. "Thank you, Nick. It's a fine weapon. I'll have to work with it a bit today and get used to it again."

"We have other things for you," Audra said, went into the kitchen, and then came back out with three boxes.

Smiling awkwardly, Jarrod opened each one – a fine new holster from Heath, a silk Eastern-style necktie from Audra, a leather-bound blank journal from Victoria. Overwhelmed, Jarrod just shook his head. "You know, this is the first birthday party I can remember having, and for all intents and purposes, these are the first gifts of any kind I ever received. Thank you all, thank you very much."

"Well, now let's eat and get to the cake," Nick said.

Jarrod grinned at his mother. "Why do I find myself thinking this is not the first time Nick has ever said those words?"

XXXXX

Nick set six empty tin cans on top of the fence that was closest to the hill behind the barn and came back to where his two brothers stood. It was a spot where they usually practiced target shooting – or took on each other at it, because there was no real chance anyone would get hurt out here. Jarrod stood with his new – actually, old – handgun in his new holster at his side, facing the row of tin cans.

Neither Nick nor Heath had really noticed before, but they both suddenly did now. Jarrod was wearing his holster tied down to his thigh, like the two of them wore theirs. Jarrod Barkley never did that. It was more the way a man who thought he was going to be needing that gun fast would wear it. Jarrod was never that kind of man. Apparently, Dakota was.

"Let's see how it feels, Jarrod," Nick said.

And almost before he got all the words out, Jarrod drew and fired. In seconds, four of the six cans were shot away.

Nick and Heath looked at each other. Jarrod was never that fast before, or that accurate.

Jarrod holstered the gun. "Hey, this has a really nice balance to it. You say you gave it to me when you were 12, Nick?"

"Yeah," Nick said, still a bit surprised that Jarrod was that fast, and that he seemed perfectly comfortable about it. "Uh – Father picked it out, I just paid for it out of money I earned doing some odd jobs around here and there. And, to be honest, I bought it for you so you'd hand me down the weapon you were carrying at the time."

Jarrod chuckled, took the gun out of its holster, emptied the brass and reloaded it. "Mercenary little kid, weren't you?"

"Something like that," Nick said. "Say, Heath, set those cans up three and three. What say you and I have a little contest, Jarrod? Whoever takes down his three first wins."

"What do I win?" Jarrod asked, his blue eyes twinkling.

Nick gave a bit of a laugh that said what his next words said. "You don't really think you're gonna outshoot me, do you?"

"I really do," Jarrod said.

Heath put the cans up and came back beside them. Nick and Jarrod both got ready to draw and fire. Heath said, "On three." And then, very rapidly, he said, "One, two, three!"

His brothers drew and fired at almost exactly the same time, and Jarrod took his three cans out in a heartbeat. But Nick missed his third can and had to take another shot to down it. Heath shook his head. "He's got you beat, Nick."

"How did you do that?" Nick asked, incredulous.

Jarrod laughed. "I got three shots left, Nick. You have two. Care to toss a few rocks? If you hit your two, but I fail to hit all three of mine, you win."

"What do I win?" Nick asked.

"Bragging rights," Jarrod laughed.

Heath picked up a few rocks about the size of a small potato. "All right. Nick first. Here's one – " Heath tossed it up.

Nick drew, fired and hit it. He did the same thing with his second rock.

"Okay, Jarrod," Heath said. "Here's one – "

Jarrod drew, fired and hit it. Then he did the same thing with the next two.

Nick grumbled as he emptied his brass and reloaded. "I don't believe it. What have you been doing this past year? Sidelining as a hired gun?"

"No," Jarrod said, emptying his brass and reloading his own gun. Both he and Nick reholstered their pistols. "I just found out I needed to hone my skills pretty fast. Nobody ever told me I wasn't good at it, so I guess I thought I was."

Nick shook his head. "A lawyer outdraws and outshoots me. I may never live this down."

Jarrod laughed again. "Well, I won't tell anybody if Heath won't."

"I don't know," Heath said. "This may be too good not to tell."