Chapter Fifteen

"Thanks," Victoria took the flowers Silas had brought up to the guest bedroom from their faithful servant, before he turned around and left the room. Victoria walked over to one of two set of drawers that were in the room. Jarrod had brought home the mail, which included a telegram from Heath and Nick informing them they were bringing home a couple of guests; Jim's niece and a young boy. Though, thanks to the fact that neither Heath or Nick, along with Jim, wanted to chance Ruth and Timothy's true relation slipping out too son, Audra and Victoria were left thinking it was a mother and her son coming to stay with them. While Victoria and the rest of the family were curious about the guests, Victoria hadn't dwelt on the subject. Instead she'd wasted no time in asking Jarrod and Gene, who was home visiting for a few days, to fetch a smaller bed that the family kept in the attic. The two brothers had rearranged the furniture per Victoria's request. The guest bedroom now held two beds, a chair beside each, a small table between the beds, a chest of drawers for their clothes; one of the drawers sat by the window. By placing the dresser by the window, Jim's niece would be able to use the sun's refection to look in the mirror as she dressed. Victoria had wanted everything to be ready for their guests' arrival.

Victoria stood back and surveyed the work that had been done in the room, just as Audra stepped into the room carrying extra bedding in her arms. The young woman also looked around the room. Up to the year before the room had been the smallest room in the house, with another small room right next to it. Victoria had decided that it made more sense to knock out the wall between the two small rooms and make one large guest room. "It's a good thing we had this room remodeled last year." Audra told her mother.

"In this case, it might have been better the other way around. Although," Victoria smiled at her daughter and said, "I have no intention of making this room into two separate rooms again." She then thanked Audra for fetching the extra sheets and blankets.

"It was nothing." Audra started making the second bed and then wondered aloud about their guests. "Heath didn't say why Jim's niece and her son needed to come here. I hope everything is okay with Uncle Jim." The young woman didn't like the idea her that her uncle might be having serious problems.

"I wouldn't worry about your Uncle Jim. If he has any problems serious enough that he needs help, Nick and Heath would have said so. As for as his niece and her son goes," Victoria looked at Audra with a look of partial disbelief. "Is there something wrong with the woman and her young son coming here?" Victoria didn't look very pleased as she looked upon her daughter and asked the question.

"Oh no!" Audra exclaimed, horrified that her mother thought she, Audra, was thinking such things. "I will welcome them the same as I would my own cousins. I was simply curious is all."

Victoria smiled and admitted she was too, but then pointed out there was no use dwelling on such things at the moment. Afterwards, Victoria asked Audra to finish getting the room ready, while she went to talk with Silas.

~oOo~

"Get your extra clothing out of the drawer." Ruth told Timothy, who was standing near his dresser. She was packing their bags as she and Timothy were going to be boarding the stagecoach with Nick and Heath that very afternoon.

"Why can't we just stay here?" Timothy asked as he did as he was told. "You said Uncle Jim can be trusted. Did you change your mind?" He didn't like that idea.

"No, I didn't." Ruth began folding his extra clothes and putting them into the suitcase their uncle had given her. "But, it's like I already told you. Nick and Heath Barkley have invited us to visit their ranch. We are going to meet their family while we're there and visit them." Not knowing about the money he was supposed to inherit, nor the danger his sister feared would come his way, or the fact that Heath and Nick had both promised to talk to Jarrod once they arrived home, Timothy was left to come up with his own conclusions. He turned and started walking out of the room, but not before sending shock waves through Ruth. "If Nick Barkley wants to court you, I could find you some clay ear plugs too."

Ruth would have hurried out of the room and given her "son" an earful only she hadn't taken more than two steps towards the door when Nick Barkley appeared in the doorway. The dark haired rancher was smiling from ear to ear. There was also a twinkle in his eyes, one that told Ruth the man just had to have heard what Timothy said. If she could have disappeared right then and then, she would have. "May I help you?" She managed to keep a straight face and ask the question in a serious tone; she didn't want it to show just how nervous she really was.

Nick had indeed heard what Timothy said-and had gotten quite the chuckle out of seeing one very embarrassed child hurry past him and down the stairs. Timothy didn't have to tell him how loud he, Nick, could be; Nick knew it. He also knew it mattered very little to him what the majority of the people around him thought about some of his characteristics. However, when it came to what Ruth thought, that was another story all together. "I am loud."

Ruth felt her face drain of its color just a little. She was embarrassed. "Timothy does have a way of speaking rather bluntly when he chooses to talk."

Nick chuckled and told her not to worry about it. "May I come in?" He asked once he stopped laughing.

"Sure," Ruth went back to packing. "But I don't know what kind of company I will be. I'm still packing."

Nick took a few steps and reached out, taking a hold of her hands as he did so. "And you can finish the moment we get through talking."

Ruth felt her heart skip a beat and fear took a hold of her. The serious in Nick's eyes made her thing something was dreadfully wrong. "It's not Uncle Kyle is it? He's not in the area is he?"

"No, no," Nick hurried to calm Ruth, who looked as if she was on the verge of a panic attack. "He's nowhere near the ranch. I," Nick removed his hands from hers and laid his hands upon her shoulders. A caring and loving look replaced the more serious one he'd been wearing. "I just wanted to ask you if, once we're back in Stockton and after Heath and I talked to Jarrod, if I could court you."

Ruth was speechless. She liked Nick, and had secretly started having more thoughts about him. However, she had never thought he'd seriously want to court her, not with her having 'extra baggage' as it were and knowing each other such a short time. She didn't count the couple of weeks he was in the makeshift hospital. He'd been an injured eighteen year-old, and she'd been a mere child.

Nick, who seemed to read her mind, cupped her face in his hands and tilted her face slightly upwards. "Believe me, waiting a week and a half before asking you is a record for me. I've never been one to wait when I'm interested in someone. When I said I was loud, I could have added I'm also known to be stubborn and a bit impulsive at times. As far as Timothy goes, I'll make, or buy, him all the earplugs he wants." Nick then lowered his head and, leaning over just a little due to fact that Ruth only stood five feet four, gently covered her mouth with his.

Ruth told herself she should pull away; that he was moving far too fast only she didn't listen to herself. Throwing caution to the wind, she slid her arms around his waist. She also prayed Nick and Heath were right when they said they were sure Jarrod, and his friends from the Pinkerton Agency, could help get what belonged to Timothy…and Nick and Heath, along with their family and the men on their ranch, could protect him at the same time if necessary.