Part V – Four Weddings and a Grandchild
October 1882 – July 1883

Chapter 19
Wedding and Another Surprise

Scotty was mucking out stalls in the barn on the early February morning. It was only a few more weeks until Audra's wedding, and she had been helping out here and there. She was glad that Nick had agreed to a smaller wedding for their own. She did not think she could have survived all of the hustle and bustle that Audra, Victoria and Clarke were about.

She brushed a stray red strand of hair out of her eyes and bent back to her work. This time of work was usually rather relaxing for her and was the reason she had escaped from the house to the barn in the first place as Audra continued to flit about with her preparations. But today, the earthy smell of manure was making her nauseous.

After several attempts to squelch the churning of her stomach she managed to reach out doors and empty her stomach of it's breakfast. It had been a tasty breakfast too, she'd thought sorrowfully, and only got another retching out of the memory. She quickly blocked her mind from the thought of food and tried to recover her heaving breaths.

"Are you all right?" she heard the distant voice of Heath as she leaned against a fence post. She slowly turned towards him and smiled.

"I'm okay," she lied. "Guess I'm just a little sick today. How's Leah?" Something flickered across Heath's face that Scotty didn't fail to recognize.

"She's okay," he replied guardedly. Scotty bit her lip. Since Christmas and Leah's recovery she'd been doing rather well and both Eugene and Dr. Merrar had said that her fatigue was a normal symptom of pregnancy. But Scotty had had a dark feeling since the days when Leah had fell so severely ill and they'd worried that not only would she lose the baby, but they'd lose her too. Something, she felt, was not right, and just then she realized that Heath felt it too.

"Where's Nick?" Heath asked after a moment.

"He's out working in the north pasture," she told him. "Ah think I'm going to go inside." She had decided right then that she would take a trip out to see Leah that day and maybe aid her in her housework that seemed to be a daunting task for her with her need for extra moments of sleep.

Inside she passed Audra and Mai who were writing out place names for the dinner table. She washed up in the water closet before returning to the room she shared with her husband. She had been pleased and surprised when, after their short honeymoon in San Francisco she had returned to find a feminine touch added to the room, as well as a wall knocked out and encroaching on the bedroom that was now Luke's for a sitting room that was furnished with a small writing desk, a love seat and overstuffed arm chair.

Still feeling queasy she quickly tossed off her clothes and changed into a pair of clean trousers and a shirt, her usual attire. Lacing up a pair of boots she returned down stairs to let Victoria know that she would be going over to Leah's for the day. She was looking forward to spending the time with her sister-in-law. She had liked Leah in the beginning when they had first met, but despite their age differences they had become quite close, especially since they had now become sisters.

Nick was busily adding a new strand of wire to a fence that had broken down several days before and Ben had ridden over to tell them that their cattle were mingling in his pasture. He and Jon had helped round up the cattle and temporarily fix the fence.

"There you are," Nick called to his younger brother. "What took you so long this morning?"

Heath didn't answer as he fell into work beside his older brother. Nick said nothing else. He knew his younger brother's worries over his wife. "Leah's still tired." He replied finally.

"Well, the docs say that's normal," Nick laid a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. He worried about him. Heath got little sleep these days, and often fell asleep while working. Nick often worried what would happen to his brother if something happened to Leah. His thoughts often turned to what he would do and how he would feel if something happened to Scotty. He wasn't sure if he could keep it together.

"She'll be all right," he added, giving Heath a small shake. "She'll be just fine."

February 24 was a bright and shiny day. A flurry of activity again encompassed the Barkley Ranch as the last minute details of the approaching wedding were taken care of. Out of town guests had arrived all during the day and well into the evening. There was hardly enough room for those staying at the house.

The next morning dawned just as bright and shiny with just a chill nip to keep everyone awake. Audra was beyond excited as she stepped into her dress, Scotty, who was still having bouts of nausea, helped her. She was having one of those bouts just then and tried to keep her stomach calm. She was quite thankful that this time she would be sitting on the sidelines watching the ceremony and not participating in it. Audra had asked Mai to be her bride's maid this time. Jarrod would be giving her away and Clarke had a business friend come to be his best man.

It was not long before the wedding march was being played and Audra slowly walked downstairs and met Jarrod. Her hand tucked under her arm she slowly walked forward, she herself giddy with excitement. So long she had waited for the right man to walk into her life, other men she had loved were merely a memory now. Clarke was her knight in shining armor.

And he was shining his brightest now as she stood next to him and they exchanged vows while their friends and families witnessed the happy event.

Scotty had contained the queasiness she'd felt all through the ceremony, but now, away from the rest everyone else she let go and everything she'd eaten that morning left her stomach. With a sigh she leaned against the solid wall of the barn and let her belly settle. She would go find her a drink of water as soon as she thought she could walk without losing a little more.

As she began to walk back towards the wedding reception, she saw Eugene and Mai walking along together, hand and hand and she wondered if there wouldn't be another wedding in the Barkley future. She thought sadly of Jarrod. She felt sorry for him, knowing that he felt left out. She frowned, wondering if she knew of any eligible women in town that might be of interest to him and then shook her head. No, she wouldn't do any match making for him. She would just pray that he would not be too lonely before the right woman entered his life.

They had seen the newlyweds off on their honeymoon and many of the out of town guests were still staying at the Barkley Ranch that night, but Scotty had determined that she could keep her secret no longer. For too many days she'd been too busy with things that needed attending to, people she needed to see and projects that needed to be organized. She had not had time yet to see a doctor, but she knew.

Nick was sitting on the side of the bed removing his boots as Scotty removed her house coat and set it on the back of the arm chair. Pensively she crawled under the covers and listened as Nick continued a tirade about the day. He had just finished and leaned over to kiss her. "So what did you think of the day?" he asked.

"Nick," she said slowly, lifting her head up from the pillow, her brilliantly red hair flowing around her. "I'm pregnant."

He stared at her a moment as if he didn't understand. And then he let out a whoop that woke up anyone in the household that was trying to sleep. Then he went out into the hallway and told anyone that would listen that he was going to be a father.

Scotty just nestled down in her warm bed and waited for him to return.

(To be continued…)