Chapter Nineteen

When a knock came at the door, Nick, who was the closest to the door, answered it. He found Detective Burns standing in the doorway when he did so. Stepping aside, Nick invited Detective Burns into the foyer.

The detective took off his hat as he entered the Barkley home and brushed his bangs out of his eyes as he stepped past Nick. From where he stood he could see a young, dark haired woman who looked to be in her early twenties sitting in a chair crocheting. The rest of the family sat, or stood, in various places in the living room. Detective Burns took a closer look at the young woman. If it wasn't for the short hair, simple, but nice looking dress, and glasses he might have thought she was the woman he and his men had been looking for. As it was, he figured he was about to meet Miss LaBaron. "I appreciate you sending for me." He said as Nick closed the door. To say he had been surprised when he had received the message would have been an understatement. He had thought for sure that, if he saw the woman at all, it would be closer to the end of the week, not a mere two and half days later.

Nick said nothing, as he led the Detective into the living room. The fact that everyone had stopped what they were doing and were making no attempt to leave while he questioned Miss LaBaron did not pass by the detective. He had heard how protective the family was when it came to Shelly Labaron only he hadn't believed it, due to being told she'd only been with the Barkleys a short time. Again, he repeated the fact that he appreciated being sent for and then asked, looking at Michelle and Audra, "Miss Labaron?"

"That is my name now." The fact that Michelle, who stood up and stood as straight and tall as she could and spoke with an air of confidence, impressed everyone in the room, including the detective. Though, it took a few seconds for her words to really register with the man.

It was her name now? Slowly, Detective Burns eyes widened as he realized what she just might be saying. "You're Michelle Lecaise!" He exclaimed in a louder, but not overly loud, tone of voice.

Michelle bristled slightly as she snapped even firmer tone than before, "I told you I am Miss Labaron now! You will not reference me in any other way."

Nick couldn't help but chuckle while smiles spread over Jarrod and the rest of the family's face. No matter what name she used, Michelle still held herself like a lady. Even the detective seemed to know he'd met a woman who, in spite of her father's claim, had a backbone.

"Your father hired me months ago to find you." He stated matter of factually. After learning she'd changed her name, the man was not surprised by the response he received.

"I am sorry you've wasted all that time. I changed my name and my appearance in order to hide from the Marquee. Jarrod Barkley," she said pointing towards Jarrod, "has agreed to help me change it legally." Michelle did not try to cover up the distain she held towards her father as she no longer referred to the Marquee as her father; it was either Marquee or Mr. Lacaise when she referred to him now.

All the hours of going from one end of the state to the other, all the time spent questioning people and everything he and his men had done rolled past Detective Burns eyes. If it wasn't for the fact that the he'd taken advantage of the time and made the Marquee pay dearly for his time, the detective might have been annoyed. As it was, he simply looked at the woman before him and asked, "You do realize I will have to at least tell your father where you are?"

For a moment her heart stopped beating as the fear that she'd only brought trouble to the Barkleys raised its head once more. She looked at Nick, then Jarrod and Heath, along with Victoria and Audra. A look of apology was in her eyes as she did so. Somehow, she was not surprised when each and every one of them sent her a nonverbal message that they did not blame her for whatever the Marquee might do. "Do what you have to, only you make sure he knows I left of my own accord and I am not going back to his house, no matter what. Like I said, I am no longer a Lacaise."

"Yes, ma'am," Detective Burns turned around and walked out of the living room and through the front door.

"If you'll excuse us," Nick turned his attention to his family once the detective had left while taking a hold of Michelle's hand. "We'll be outside talking."

Michelle saw Jarrod stiffen ever so slightly and inwardly cringed. The talk with Nick, and the possibility of what his reaction might be, made her sick all over again. Only, what choice did she have? A decision had to be made, and he had done nothing that would warrant her blindsiding him with anything but the revelation she herself had received up at the lodge.

No one said a thing as Nick and Michelle left the room. However, once the door shut behind them, Audra looked at her mother and said, "The detective was nice, polite and didn't push her to go back to her father. Why would she still look so uneasy?"

Victoria had expected Nick and Michelle to make an announcement once the detective was gone. After all, the transformation she'd seen in Michelle since she'd come to their home was astounding. She was sure a marriage between the two would indeed work. Thinking that way, Victoria was puzzled by her son and Michelle's actions just as much as Audra was. She looked at her other sons; however, before she could ask them anything, Jarrod stepped away from the fireplace. "I need to go to the study and get some of the work done that I have waiting for me." He had no desire to answer his sister's innocent enough question.

Heath also excused himself and left quickly. He now feared he had been right in what he had thought during his quiet observations. While he knew his mother would not appreciate him leaving without saying something, he wasn't about to spill the beans on anything, especially when he was only guessing himself.

"What did I ask that was so wrong?" Audra asked her mother, the confusion she felt could be heard in her voice and seen in her eyes.

"Nothing," Victoria answered slowly as the uneasy feeling she'd had before returned full force. "Nothing at all,"

~oOo~

Nick and Michelle saddled their horses and went for a ride at Michelle's request. They rode what seemed to be forever before coming to a stop on of a hill that lay just inside the ranch's border, a place they had visited a number of times in the past few months. Nick had begun joking that it was 'their spot'. Both dismounted, tethered their horses to a nearby tree and then sat on the huge boulder they always sat on. Only this time, with faces forward, Nick couldn't help but feel the weight of the air as Michelle said nothing. After a few moments of unbearable silence, Nick just had to speak.

"What's wrong?" There had to be something very wrong for Michelle to bring him out here and then say nothing.

Michelle clasped her hands together and began rubbing her thumbs; she was that nervous. "Nothing… and everything," She finally answered as she changed positions in order to look straight at him. It would do her no good if he couldn't see just how serious she was when she spoke. After all, honesty had built a rather strong friendship; she just hoped it would continue holding it together.

Nothing? Everything? Nick was confused, and he never liked being confused. "Just tell me what's going on, and let me decide the rest, okay?" He lifted his hand and rested it on her shoulder.

For what seemed to be the thousandth time, Michelle felt torn in half. Why did life have to be such a struggle at times? "I…" she slid off the boulder and took a few steps forward, which didn't exactly help Nick relax. "I cornered Jarrod while we were at the lodge; I, basically, told him I knew there was more than his work keeping him away from the ranch and his seemingly disconcert about me."

Nick's eyes widened in surprise, not because he hadn't suspected there was something else, but because Michelle had been the one to actually press for those answers herself. "And?" he too slid off the boulder and joined Michelle near the edge of the hill.

Michelle felt her heart racing a mile a minute as all the scenarios she'd thought of previously came back to her. "He…it's not that he doesn't trust me or like me… well…he is interested in me, but didn't want to cause any problems between the two of you by crossing any lines and actually making his feelings known. He feared the trouble it might cause if he should ask to be allowed to court me himself." Her last words came rushing out faster than any water flowing off a water fall. She kept an eye on his face, to gauge any response Nick had.

Nick felt shock waves roll through him. Jarrod was interested in Michelle? He wanted to court her? Now, it was him that felt as if a rug was being pulled out from underneath him. "And you?" Nick, who was standing rather rigid after the revelation, asked. "How do you feel about him?" He realized the only reason he could see for Michelle to be this nervous about telling him about Jarrod and his interest was if she felt the same way.

Michelle turned away and quietly replied, "I wouldn't mind getting a chance to know him better I admit. I mean, I haven't had too many of my suitors return after seeing me a few times, always had my father to scare the majority of them away. You are the first man I've really come to trust; the first man that's not trying to impress my father. I have very strong feelings for you, but I just don't know if that's because of my naivety or my undying gratitude. And, like Jarrod, the last thing I want is for this to become between you two. You both mean a lot to me, but more importantly, brothers shouldn't be at odds with each other." The fact that Jarrod had already kissed her, and the way it had made her feel, was something she felt was okay not to share. After all, she wasn't lying in the things she was saying.

Nick, who was now feeling a range of emotions, turned and walked a few feet in the opposite direction. He had courted many young women in the past who already had someone interested in them. However, never before had the man been his own brother. There was a part of him that wanted to go lay into Jarrod and ask him how on earth he could have taken even one look at Michelle knowing that Nick was courting her. He fought to keep the anger inside him, the anger that threatened to boil over, keep it in its place, not wishing to have a repeat of the past with another brother. He was successful only because, unlike Hester, Michelle and he were not engaged. And, unlike Hester, Michelle had been more than honest with him from the beginning. She was young and could very well just be infatuated with him, or even now with Jarrod for that matter. Also, it was obvious that Jarrod had gone to such lengths to distance himself from Michelle for Nick's sake. There was no manipulation of his heart going on here from either Michelle or Jarrod; still, it felt like a cannon ball had it him in the chest, waiting to explode and tear his heart apart. In spite of knowing all this Nick paled at the thought he was about to lose any chance of marrying Michelle.

"Nick?" Michelle asked quietly as she took a step towards him. He had looked angry at first. She couldn't blame him for that, but now, the way his shoulders had slumped slightly… it frightened her and Michelle wondered if telling him was such a good idea. Perhaps Jarrod's way of handling things had been the best way after all. Then, as she thought on it some more Michelle realized that it would have meant that Jarrod would have eventually distanced himself from Nick and perhaps his family as well. That idea was even more unacceptable than having to choose between the brothers, if she did at all.

Slowly, Nick turned around. The fear he saw inside her eyes nearly broke his heart even more. If nothing else, she was going to know she never had to be afraid of his reaction to anything she had to say to him. "I'm fine." He forced himself to speak in spite of the fear he now had of losing her. "I think we best get back to the house. I know for a fact that Jarrod has an obligation to attend some party in San Francisco in a couple of days, and… he'll need a date..." Nick gave a small smile, trying to quell the turmoil inside of him and alleviate her worries."So, he might as well know you're available."

Michelle, who had gotten to 'read' Nick pretty well, could tell how much of a struggle he was having. It almost changed her mind only she couldn't. Whoever she wound up with, she had to know in her heart she'd made the right choice. "Friends? No matter what?" She asked as she watched for any negative, non verbal signs. There was none.

"Friends no matter what," Nick did his best to smile again and then pointed towards the horses. "We need to head back."

Michelle, who felt as if the weight of the world had just been taken off her shoulders, started beaming as she hugged Nick. "Thank you for your understanding; you are an honorable man, Nick Barkley." She then let go and headed for her horse.

Nick, still fighting to keep the range of emotions from showing, headed for his own horse. The sooner he got home, the sooner he could findsomething, anything, to keep himself busy…just as busy, if not busier, than Jarrod had kept himself. An afternoon in the forge perhaps, where he could pound something very hard, just might be very therapeutic.