Chapter Ten

Previously:

"I won't only, what are we going to do when they come? I mean, sooner or later Thomas, his uncle and whoever they pull into it, will come after me and-from the sounds of it-at least one member of your family, if not all." A look of great concern was in her eyes. "They will travel to Stockton."

"We'll be ready… and that means the three of us plus the rest of my family." Nick assured her. "Those men are not getting you, and the railroad is not getting that land! And no one can tell me the railroad isn't-or won't be-involved. They have to be, or will be, with Crown involved."

"Amen!" Chelsie, who hadn't really smiled in weeks, allowed herself to relax and smile wide.

"What is it, Jarrod?" Victoria entered the foyer to find Jarrod standing to the side of the fireplace; he was reading a telegram-or rereading it and had look of great concern in his eyes. She wasn't sure what to think.

"It's from Heath." Jarrod took his eyes off the telegram and looked at his mother.

Victoria stiffened slightly, remembering what Jarrod had told her when his brothers had left Stockton. "What's happened?"

Jarrod handed the telegram to Victoria, who was now standing not all that far from him. "This was just delivered a few minutes ago."

Victoria read the message- 'Coming Home STOP Land Deal Not Right STOP Investor coming with us.' "What is he talking about? I thought you said they went down there because someone was going around calling herself Nick's wife."

"They did." Jarrod went on to confess what he'd instructed Heath to do once Nick and Heath arrived in Carson City. "Something's not right and, due to that last line, I am assuming we're getting company."

"Nick's 'wife'?" Victoria asked, the concern she felt was in her eyes and could be clearly heard in her voice.

"Yes," Jarrod took the telegram she had handed back to him. "Though, I can't shake the feeling our quiet spell around here is about to end."

Victoria didn't have to ask what her eldest meant by that. Life had been relatively quiet the past few years. The only major changes had been good ones. Eugene had switched colleges; became a part-time veterinarian, married a young woman by the name of Hannah Elizabeth Thomas and moved to be closer to the new campus. The couple said they were going to try and start a family soon. When it came to Audra, she had just married a rancher by the name of Paul Miller; the couple lived on his ranch in Modesto. She too was talking about trying to have children in the near future. Audra visited the family as often as possible. Jarrod had remarried a few months ago; though, at the moment, Celeste was visiting relatives back in Massachusetts. The blonde-haired woman had brought two children to the marriage-two girls; they had gone with their mother. Victoria still hoped the couple would be able to at least have one or two of their own someday. She hoped Heath and Brydie would make an announcement soon-as they seemed rather serious. When it came to Nick … she figured it would take a miracle to get him to settle down. "Well, I suppose there's nothing we can do until they get here and tell us what's going on." Victoria turned away and headed for the front door. "I am going to the orphanage and help Father John set up the fundraiser they're having tomorrow."

"Fine," Jarrod smiled at her, and then sighed as he looked at the telegram for the hundredth time before folding it and putting it in his vest pocket and headed for the study. He had work to do.

While Jarrod was talking to his mother, Nick, Heath and Chelsie were boarding the midnight train in Carson City.

"Still think this is an insane hour to be boarding a train." Chelsie looked at Nick before she started climbing the steps that led up to the train car they'd be riding in.

"I agree." Nick told her as he and Heath followed her up the steps and into the train car they'd be riding on. Since Nick had paid bit extra, they had a private car. Not that the train was overly crowded at this time of night, it wasn't. Nick had simply wanted the three of them to be able to talk freely without the worry of someone overhearing and then repeating things. After all, all of them felt it was safe to assume that there were more men than Roger Lane looking for Chelsie.

While they didn't know it, leaving on that midnight train was indeed the best thing they could have done. For, not an hour after it had pulled away from the station, Roger Miller was picking the lock on the door that Nick and Heath had rented from the Widow Crane—having actually paid for the use of it until the next morning. It left Roger to curse as he entered the room, pistol in hand, only to find the room completely empty. All he could do was exit the room and slip out the side door he'd entered from.

As far as Roger Lane was concerned, Nick Barkley had to be taken out of the picture, and Thomas had to marry Chelsie. He might not feel that way only Thomas had told his father everything-and promised to give Roger four thousand dollars if he helped Thomas and his friend. A wicked grin spread over Roger's face as he hurried down the empty boardwalk that ran through Carson City and headed for the train station-even at this late night, there was bound to be a train going to California. At least, he hoped there was. One way or the other, he was going to get rid of the dark-haired rancher.