Victoria knew she had a problem, a big one and she wasn't quite sure how to handle it. Jarrod had made the decision to step away from handling the ranch business so he could concentrate on his law practices. The entire family supported his decision except for one person, Nick and he was fighting it tooth and nail. Audra and Heath helped with the paperwork and Audra had started working with Victoria on handling the bookkeeping and accounting.

Nick on the other hand had almost lost one large contract and missed a meeting he had originally set up but yet he blamed Jarrod for this. Victoria could not make him understand this was not Jarrod's fault but his own. Nick attitude towards Jarrod was volatile at best and she knew they already had gotten into one fight. Now she feared Nick's resentment towards Jarrod would escalate into much more.

However Victoria had also noticed a change in her eldest son as he was much more relaxed now. She wasn't sure if it was from him removing some of his workload or if it was based on the rumors she had heard in town regarding him. Of course Jarrod for his part never brought up the ranch business or his new lady friend. Victoria suspected her son's new attitude was based in part to the new lady he had been seen with.

Victoria also suspected some of Nick's resentment towards Jarrod was based on the fact that he was now doing what Nick had been doing in the past; going out in the evenings. When Nick told her that Jarrod had been going to the new Pool Emporium Victoria didn't not see any problem with that but Nick had. When Victoria tried to talk to Nick about it he would get angry and say she always took Jarrod's side and storm off. Nick's work on the ranch also suffered somewhat as he started putting more and more of the workload on Heath saying he had paperwork to do but yet nothing had been done.

Heath and Nick had gotten into a heated argument one night when Heath discovered Nick had been drinking a good bit of the day while he toiled in the heat. Nick told him he was doing exactly what Jarrod used to do; feign he was working on contracts while he stayed in the house drinking his scotch and relaxing. Heath told him that although Jarrod did not do as much ranch work as they had done he knew Jarrod would have ALL the paperwork done instead of pushing it off on them.

After that incident Heath went out of this way to avoid Nick. He was fed up with his attitude towards Jarrod and his general mood. Victoria sighed as she looked at the accounting and knew she had to tell Nick what she had discovered and hoped that would change his tune. She heard the door open and close and wondered which of her children had come home. She knew it wasn't Nick since the door hadn't been slammed so she assumed it was Heath or Audra.

Jarrod entered the study whistling. He didn't see his mother and jumped slightly when she spoke.

"Hello Jarrod."

Jarrod was embarrassed he hadn't noticed his mother at the desk. "Ah, hello Lovely Lady."

Victoria looked at her eldest and noticed he no longer had the dark circles under his eyes and his eyes were sparkling; it was a woman who was having this effect on him.

"What are you doing home at this time of day?"

Jarrod frowned slightly at her question but knew she meant nothing by it. "I just finished a rather successful business meeting and I need to pack a few things to take to San Francisco this afternoon."

Victoria frowned at Jarrod, "I thought you weren't going till next week."

Jarrod sighed as he answered, "Something has came up." Jarrod knew he couldn't say anything to his mother about possibly taking on the Harris' family business. "The meeting I originally had scheduled for next week has been moved up."

"Oh," was all Victoria said.

Jarrod looked at his mother and knew something was wrong. He had a nagging feeling it had to do with Nick. "Is everything okay mother?"

Victoria smiled at her eldest son concern, "Nothing I can't handle or straighten out."

Jarrod chuckled, "Would that involve a wooden spoon for a certain person?"

Victoria smirked as she answered, "It may come down to that."

Jarrod sighed as he walked to the desk and admitted to himself that seeing his mother behind the desk didn't look right or natural. "Mother I hope you know I didn't mean to start any trouble between Nick and myself."

"I know that sweetheart. Nick is being rather stubborn right now."

Jarrod smirked, "And I've been told I am the most stubborn Barkley."

Victoria chuckled, "You are."

Jarrod feigned shock at his mother's statement as he laughed. He looked at the accounting book lying out and asked, "Is everything in order?"

"Yes, although I have found a few concerning items," Jarrod frowned at her statement but Victoria continued, "You know exactly what I'm talking about young man." She looked at her eldest as he fidgeted. "Why didn't you pay yourself Jarrod? Or better yet why didn't you at least reimburse yourself for all the expenses you have incurred?"

Jarrod sighed as he walked to the fireplace. "I thought it would look bad if I paid myself for not doing as much as Nick did."

Victoria stood up and joined Jarrod at the fireplace, "Jarrod you contribute just as much as Nick does and sometimes even more. Oh you may not do the physical work that your brothers do but what you did was just as important as what they do and Nick is finding that out now."

Jarrod smirked, "Ben Miller came by my office earlier and told me what happened."

Victoria shook her head, "Thank goodness Ben is an old family friend and was understanding."

Jarrod snorted, "Hmph. Ben said Nick blamed me in a roundabout way." Jarrod walked away from the fireplace as he rubbed his sore chin, "Ben said the only reason he agreed to accept the contract was because of you and in the future he doesn't want to deal with Nick any longer."

Victoria sighed, "I know, I was there when Nick attempted to apologize and after he left Ben made no bones about the fact he only wanted to deal with me or you. I told him you had made the decision to step away so you could concentrate on your law practices. Ben said that if I didn't get Nick in line we would be losing a lot of business because of his temperament and attitude."

Jarrod spat, "He doesn't take responsibility for anything because it's always someone else's fault." Jarrod paused, "What about Heath? Can't he meet with the people?"

Victoria blew out a long breath, "I've been talking to Heath about that and he will do whatever it takes to make the ranch run smoothly."

Jarrod ran his hands through his hair, "This is my fault, I'm sorry."

Victoria went to her eldest and put her hands on his back, "No it's not Jarrod. We took advantage of you for far too long. It would be different if you didn't have two law practices but you do and you have an obligation to your clients."

Jarrod smiled weakly at his mother, "Nick doesn't feel that way."

"I am working on him. And after I show him what I found I'm sure he will feel differently."

"I would rather you didn't show it to him."

Victoria raised her eyebrows in shock, "Why on earth for?"

Jarrod smirked, "He'll just turn it around and make me look like the bad person or that's what I should have been doing in the first place." Jarrod sighed as he continued quietly, "He has no respect for what I do or for me. All he thinks I do is sit in my office surrounded by my old dusty law books."

"He is starting to see what you used to do."

"It won't make a difference to him mother. In his eyes all I am is a paper pusher who can't or won't do anything for the ranch."

"Jarrod, that is not true!" Victoria argued.

"Ask him. If you'll excuse me I need to go pack a few things before I leave." Jarrod left without saying another word.