Emily Parker

Chapter 1

Nick couldn't have been more astonished when he got the letter. After all, it had been more than ten years – almost a third of his life ago - since he'd seen this name, and he never expected to see it again, but there it was, at the bottom of the page.

A single page that sent him not only back through the years, but tore the heart straight out of him, for more reasons than one. He closed his eyes, to compose himself, and put the letter back into the envelope, and the envelope into the inner breast pocket of his leather jacket. Then he called, "Audra?"

His sister came in from the library. "Yes, Nick?"

"I need to go to town," Nick said.

"You just got back," Audra said.

"Something came up," Nick said.

His frown bothered her. "Something in the mail?"

Nick just said, "Will you let Mother know when she gets back from the Miles place? And I'll be staying in town tonight. Tell Heath, he'll need to handle things around here tomorrow – maybe for a couple days."

"Nick, is something wrong?"

"Something I need to pay attention to," Nick said. "It might take me a little while."

"Will you be staying at the Stockton House?" Audra asked, more interested in the why but deciding to leave that alone and just ask about the where. The look on Nick's face told her not to dig too deep.

"Yeah, I think so," Nick said.

"All right," Audra said. "Will you tell Jarrod when you're in town?"

"If I see him."

Nick looked at the clock by the stair. It would be another seven hours before the ten o'clock train arrived. He wasn't sure he'd look up Jarrod when he got to town – he wasn't sure he wanted to - but he would have time to arrange for rooms at the Stockton House, and get some dinner and a drink. A good stiff drink, but only one. He wanted to be perfectly sober when he met the train.

XXXXXX

Nick didn't go to Jarrod's office when he got to Stockton, but went straight to the Stockton House to get a couple rooms. The desk clerk there was someone Nick had seen once or twice but didn't really know. Nick arranged for two rooms and paid in advance.

"No bag, Mr. Barkley?" the clerk asked.

Nick just then realized he had forgotten to bring any clean clothes or toiletries. He fumbled for a minute, then decided what to do and said, "I'll have it later when I pick up the room keys."

Nick went out. Jarrod kept a small bag in his office that contained a clean shirt, socks, underwear and toiletries. He and Jarrod were pretty much the same size, except that Nick's legs were an inch or so longer, but Nick didn't think he'd need clean trousers. He decided to go to Jarrod's office and hoped Jarrod would lend him his bag without asking too many questions.

But Jarrod did have questions. He had that big brother look on his face when Nick asked if he could have the bag for a day or two. "Sure," Jarrod said, "but what's going on? Why are you staying in town?"

Nick hesitated.

Before Nick could say I just need to, Jarrod asked, "Is there anything you need help with?"

Nick hesitated again. He didn't want to explain, but he really did want to explain.

Jarrod saw the anxiety as well as the indecision. "Why don't I buy you a drink before you head to the hotel?"

"Jarrod, I'm not sure I can explain everything," Nick said.

Jarrod gave him a smile. "Right now I think you need a drink more than I need an explanation. Come on. I'm buying."

They went across the street to the Empire, where Jarrod ordered scotch and Nick ordered plain whiskey. "Long day?" Harry the bartender said as he poured.

"Long day," Jarrod said. Then he gave Nick a tap on the arm and led him to a table in the back, somewhat secluded, safe from eavesdroppers. They sat down together and Jarrod said quietly, "Why don't you tell me what's wrong without the whiskey loosening you up? You know I can keep a secret, and you're about to bust."

"I'm not really sure what is up yet," Nick said. "But Emily Parker is coming in on the ten o'clock train."

Jarrod stiffened. Emily Parker was the younger sister of all the Parker brothers – Matt, Ross and Worth. It had only been two months since Julia Saxon was here, two months since Heath killed Worth and Ross went to prison for being involved with Worth in the killing of Tom Mac Gregor. MacGregor ran the Gaiety Theatre and was the one who had hired Julia Saxon, the former Confederate spy Jarrod had once been in love with. The spy who had duped Matt Parker, who later killed himself.

"Now you know why I didn't tell you flat out," Nick said.

There was one more thing about the Parkers that Jarrod remembered but not really very much, because he wasn't around for it. After he turned 17 and went off to war back east, Nick took up with Emily. Then as soon as he turned 17 himself, Nick followed Jarrod east, and before long got the dreaded letter from Emily. She met someone else and was going to marry him.

"Oh," Jarrod said. "I'd forgotten you knew her that well. You didn't seem all that close to the Parker family after the war – well, I guess now that I think about it, I know why. Do you think she's coming because of what happened to Worth and Ross?"

"I don't know," Nick said. "If she was, I don't know why in the world it's me she wrote to."

"Well, I don't think she's here to kill me," Jarrod said. "She'd have written me to meet her if she was. I take it you don't know whether her husband's coming with her either."

Nick shook his head. "He's not coming. She's widowed."

"Oh," Jarrod said.

"I don't want you around when I meet her. I want to get some idea of what this about – without all the extra problems you being there would bring. Heaven knows, she and I have enough of our own to handle."

Jarrod gave it another few moments of thought – because maybe heaven knew all about it but Jarrod knew there was plenty he didn't know and now wasn't the time to dig it up. He said, "Tell you what. Let me buy you dinner at Cattlemen's. Then we'll get my bag at the office for you and I'll head home. I'll be in the office by eight in the morning and I'll bring you some of your own things, in case you aren't going to be coming home tomorrow. Come by after you've talked to Emily about why she's here. If I'm involved, then we'll deal with it. If I'm not, you'll have what you need if you need to stay around town. And if you need me, you know where I'll be."

Nick finished off his whiskey. "After that business with Julia Saxon, I know you're not too anxious to deal with another Parker."

"Julia's come and gone, Nick, and she won't be back," Jarrod said. "And maybe I owe it to Matt, to help you with his sister if you need it. But I won't intrude if you don't need me to."

"Thanks, Jarrod," Nick said. "I guess I'll know by tomorrow morning. And I'll take you up on dinner."

XXXXX

The brothers ate together and talked together, not about Julia Saxon and not about the Parker brothers. But Nick told Jarrod more about how he and Emily had become close after Jarrod went off to war. He talked about going to dances together, about a couple times he'd gone to the Parker home for dinner and Emily had come to the Barkley ranch. It was a budding romance but one that never had the time to fully bloom, and after he came home from the war, Nick made sure to leave it and the rest of the Parkers behind him.

The memories actually made Nick smile, until he thought about the war and what happened then. "I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. Emily and I never got to the point about getting married or anything, and I really did want to join the war effort more than I wanted to stay here and marry her, I guess."

"It never seemed to bother any of her brothers that you didn't marry her," Jarrod said.

"No, I think they were pretty happy she found someone else. I never heard that she was unhappy in her marriage. I never saw her brothers much at all over the years. You knew the Parker family better than I did."

"Well, Matt and I were in the war together, and then, with the court martial and everything…". Jarrod trailed off.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up."

"Well, this whole Parker family is a big sore spot for both of us," Jarrod said. "That's why I want to help you if you need it, and I won't discuss it with the family if you don't want me to."

"Don't tell them I'm meeting Emily at the train," Nick said. "Let me find out what it's all about first and talk to you in the morning."

"All right," Jarrod said, then got up, saying, "Pardon me while I see a man about a horse."

Jarrod left for a few minutes, and Nick took the opportunity to read Emily's letter again.

Dear Nick –

I understand if you decide not to read this letter once you see who it comes from, but I hope will read it and you will help me. I have nowhere else to turn.

I am a widow now with no children, and with Matt and Worth gone, and Ross in prison I have no family at all to turn to now in my hour of need. I know my family has been nothing but pain for you, and I have probably done you more harm than any of the others, but once, long ago, we had something together. I let it go too soon.

Please don't think that what I am asking now is for any kind of reconciliation so that I can live a comfortable happily ever after leaning on you. For reasons that will be obvious if you see me, that will never happen. What I need from you is help, but only over the short term. You will understand if you see me.

I will arrive on the ten o'clock train, on the night of June 22. Even if you don't think you can help me, please meet me. Please see me. Help me get settled, and if there is to be any more than that, it will be completely up to you.

I owe you explanations, Nick. You owe me nothing. But I hope you will give me a few minutes of your time and meet me at the station.

With fondness, Emily Parker Dupree