Chapter 8

Nick went back inside, to the library where the rest of the family had gathered. Heath had racked up the balls on the pool table.

"Game, Nick?" he asked.

"Uh – sure," Nick said.

But everyone could tell he was distracted. "What's wrong?" Victoria asked.

"I – just told Jarrod I was going to ask Amanda to marry me."

The reaction was the same from everyone – momentary joy, followed by apprehension. They had come to know Amanda over the weeks Nick had been seeing her, and they liked her. They even thought she was right for Nick. But Jarrod - "What did he say?" Audra asked.

Nick heaved a sigh. "I suggested he talk to her, and he's gonna take her to lunch on Monday."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Victoria asked. "He is willing to meet with her."

"I think so," Nick said, "but he didn't want me there. I'm not sure what he's going to say to her. He kept that close to his vest."

Victoria said, "Relax, Nick. Have faith in your brother."

"You're just nervous because you won't be there," Heath said. "You never do like something going on that you don't know about."

"I guess you're right," Nick said.

Victoria said, "You haven't asked us what we think of you getting married."

"Oh!" Nick said. "I was so worried about Jarrod – well, what do you think? Shall I ask her?"

"Do you think she's ready to be asked?" Audra asked.

"I guess that depends on what Jarrod says to her on Monday."

Victoria got up, went to him, and kissed him. "Don't worry so. Jarrod and Amanda will work it out just fine. And yes, I'd love to have Amanda for a daughter-in-law."

Nick smiled. Half the family battle was won. Now he just had to trust Jarrod with the rest of it.

XXXXXXXX

Amanda was somewhat startled – and frightened – when she read the invitation Nick had given her. Mostly it was being nervous about what Jarrod wanted. She looked at the invitation for quite a while.

She and Nick were in her room, preparing to take an early Sunday dinner together. Nick saw her apprehension, and of course, he understood it. But he said, "Don't decline, Amanda. He really wants to discuss things with you, and I think we've been seeing each other long enough that maybe you and he ought to talk."

Amanda looked up at him. "What if he wants to say he objects to us? Are you ready for him to say that?"

Nick had been considering that very thing, and "I don't know, really. I know I don't want to hurt him, but – I love you, Mandy. I don't know how you feel – if he does object and you can't live with seeing me anymore, I'll accept that, but I don't think that's what he's going to say. I think he really wants – I don't think he wants to be watching us from a distance anymore. I don't think he wants to keep bowing out of dinners with the family when you're coming. Please, have lunch with him tomorrow."

"You won't be there, will you?"

"No," Nick said. "You two don't want me breathing down your neck."

Amanda read the invitation again. "The Cattlemen's. Pretty fancy."

Nick smiled. "My brother is a classy guy. You ought to accept the invitation if only for the food."

Amanda laughed. "All right, but please come see me tomorrow evening, will you? I think I'll want to talk."

"All right. Are you working?"

"No, I don't have to."

"Then I'll be by for dinner. We'll just have it here. It won't be very crowded." He kissed her. "So, ready for dinner now?"

Amanda smiled and nodded.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jarrod was one of the most reliably prompt men in California. Nick once said you could set your watch by him, so when he came into Harry's saloon precisely at noon, Harry was not surprised. Amanda had said he was coming to take her to lunch.

"Afternoon, Harry," Jarrod said as he went up to the bar.

"Afternoon, Jarrod," Harry said. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Well, I was in San Francisco for quite a while and, well, you know how it's been."

Harry glanced up to the second floor, where he saw Amanda coming. "Your date is as prompt as you are."

Jarrod followed his gaze. Amanda came down the stairs, dressed in a lovely blue dress with white ribbons, not wearing a bonnet today. Jarrod recalled seeing her on the street wearing that dress, once when she was going out with Nick. He smiled and went to meet her at the bottom of the stairs.

He offered his arm. "Thank you for having lunch with me."

"Thank you for asking me," Amanda said, and she gave a smile to Harry, who was frowning their way.

Jarrod looked Harry's way and kept his smile. "See you later, Harry."

Jarrod escorted Amanda outside. The Cattlemen's was not far away, so their talk on the way was brief and polite. Once they were inside and seated, Amanda asked Jarrod to order for them. He ordered the special – a beef with wine – for each of them.

And then it was time to let the small talk go. Amanda felt her hands trembling.

Jarrod said, "I've been wanting to meet you for quite some time, but things being the way they are – me being the way I've been – I've felt awkward about it."

Amanda said. "I'm glad we're meeting now. Nick and I have grown to be very close. I understand that may be making you feel very uncomfortable."

"Not as uncomfortable as I was afraid it might," Jarrod said. "When I came home early that night and found you with him at the ranch – well, I reacted very rudely, and I apologize."

"That's not necessary. I understood completely. My brother – what my brother did to you and your wife was beyond horrible, and I know how hard it must be to forgive it."

"Well, that's the point, isn't it?" Jarrod said. "There's nothing at all I need to forgive you about. You had absolutely nothing to do with it, nothing at all. I'm the one who should be begging your forgiveness for being such a selfish – " He couldn't think of the right word.

But Amanda cut him off anyway. "Oh, no, Jarrod. Why should you beg my forgiveness when all you did was react to seeing me? What happened with Cass hadn't even been six months, and you were coming home tired after a long time away, and you should have been coming home to your wife instead of to me. Because of my brother, you weren't."

"But none of that was your fault," Jarrod said. "Just please say you forgive me for my boorish behavior."

Amanda smiled, feeling more at ease than she had when they came in here. "All right. I forgive you."

Jarrod smiled. "Thank you. And I hope you will also forgive me for all these weeks of avoiding you."

"I forgive you," Amanda said. "You needed time to heal, and I was salt in the wound. Maybe I'm not anymore?"

It was a hopeful question. Jarrod smiled and shook his head. "You're not anymore. I'll be honest. I may never be completely – healed." His eyes grew dark as he thought about that, but he took a deep breath and got rid of it. "But, that's not anything you are responsible for. What you are responsible for is making my brother a very happy man."

His saying that got rid of almost all of Amanda's apprehension. "He's made me a very happy woman."

"That's what counts," Jarrod said. "I told Nick how very much in love I was with my wife. I wished him and you the same. Dare I hope my wish is coming true?"

"It is," Amanda said.

"Marvelous," Jarrod said. "And now, I just want to tell you something else. If you will allow me, I'd like to be more of a friend to you than I've been. I hope you and Nick will allow me to be more a part of your lives."

"Yes, I'd like you to be part of our lives, too."

"Done, then," Jarrod said. "Thank you for your forgiveness and for allowing me to be a better friend."

The food came, and they went on to eating and talking about things that were not so deep – about Nick, primarily, and all the embarrassing things about him that Jarrod had always wanted to tell Nick's prospective wife. He and Amanda laughed a lot, and they grew much more at ease with each other.

By the time Jarrod was walking her back to the saloon, he was ready to give her a peck on the cheek in front of Harry, and she was ready to accept it. As she went on up to her room, Jarrod stood at the bar, smiling and watching her. "She's a charmer," Jarrod said to Harry.

"And she's very important to me, Jarrod," Harry said.

Jarrod looked at him. "She's also very important to Nick. I hope you've been all right with that."

"Nick's a fine man," Harry said. "I don't think he'd ever disappoint her."

"He wouldn't," Jarrod said. "And now I won't, either. Don't worry, Harry. I may not be all the way back from the man I turned into a few months ago, but I'm on the way. And I think knowing that my brother and Cass Hyatt's sister are in love with each other might help me get there."

"You're a good man, Jarrod."

Jarrod smiled. "I'm working on it."

"Drink on the house?"

"Now that sounds good."