Chapter 11

The wedding was scheduled to take place in Laura's garden, at three o'clock in the afternoon, with a party afterward. That morning, Michael and Kate checked out of the Yosemite and moved their bags into their new home with Laura. Laura gave Kate a nice bedroom that had once been hers when her parents were alive – when they died she took over the master bedroom, where Michael put his things but not himself, not yet.

Michael and Roger dressed for the wedding in one of the guest rooms while Laura and Kate dressed in the master bedroom. Jarrod arrived already wearing his formal wear, and Nick and Heath arrived ready to act as ushers. It wasn't actually a very big wedding, but Laura invited all the Barkleys and the men who worked on her ranch who were not needed to tend herd that afternoon. Her men all dressed as nicely as they could, given that none of them had any kind of formal wear and several had spent the morning setting things up in the garden.

Wong spent the morning cooking for the party. When Rev. Johnson arrived about half an hour before the wedding, Jarrod and his brothers were there to meet him. The Barkley women were already seated, chatting and being attended by Carl Wheeler.

"Reverend, why don't we get you ready in the butler's pantry?" Jarrod suggested. "It's nice and roomy and right off the garden area."

"That sounds fine," Rev. Johnson said.

Nick took care of the reverend while Heath went back to being an usher. Jarrod went upstairs to see how everyone else was doing.

He checked on Michael and Roger first. Both young men seemed perfectly at ease and happy, and both looked elegant in formal wear. "I'll be sending my brother Heath up to fetch you when it's time," Jarrod told them.

Jarrod then went to the master bedroom and knocked at the door. Kate's voice asked, "Yes?"

"It's Jarrod. It's getting close to wedding time. Are you ready?"

"Yes, please come in," Kate said.

Jarrod opened the door and went in – and was nearly blown away. Laura wore a gorgeous white wedding gown and a soft white veil that was not yet down over her face. She looked every bit a young woman ready to be a wife, no longer that spoiled teenager. And Kate –

Jarrod smiled at the young woman in the pale blue gown with the slightly bluer sash at her waist. The women had done each other's hair to match, with French braids in the back.

"You both look lovely," Jarrod said. He came over to Laura and kissed her on the forehead, saying, "Your mother and father would be so happy to see you today. I hope they're looking down on us."

"If they are, I'm sure they're happy that they chose you to be my guardian," Laura said. "I know I'm not your ward anymore, and I'm about to be Michael's wife – but I love you, Jarrod. I teased you once about being as stiff as my father was, but I loved him, and I love you just as much."

Jarrod smiled even more warmly and said, "I love you too, Sweetheart, and I always will. Now, I'll be back for both of you in just a few minutes. We just need to get Michael and Roger in place so they don't see you until you come down the aisle. Michael will burst when he sees you."

Jarrod left them and headed back downstairs to the garden. The music was provided by a string quartet Victoria had hired as a wedding gift, and the benches and seats were filled. Everyone there was in place.

Jarrod headed to the butler's pantry and told Rev. Johnson that it was time. The reverend knew where to go, and he put himself at the head of the congregation while Jarrod went with Heath up to fetch Michael and Roger. Jarrod waited at the master bedroom door, watching Heath escort the groom and the best man down the stairs. They were out of sight before Jarrod knocked on the master bedroom door again.

"We're all ready," he said through the door. "Let's get you married, Miss Hayden."

XXXXXX

Miss Hayden was Mrs. Patterson in less than fifteen minutes. After Jarrod escorted the bride to her betrothed, he sat down beside his mother and noticed Victoria was getting teary-eyed. Audra sat with Carl just behind them, and Jarrod suspected even Audra was using her handkerchief.

Jarrod watched with all the feelings of a genuine father – pride, happiness, a little regret that his term as Laura's teacher and protector were over, and a little relief that it was. In twenty minutes, Laura's ranch hands had the chairs moved to the side and the music began. Laura and Michael – both of them beaming – danced alone at first, then Michael came to Kate and Laura to Roger, and the dancing expanded. After dancing with Roger, Laura came to Jarrod and took his hand. "One last task to perform, my wonderful guardian," she said.

Jarrod stood up. "You can hardly call a pleasure a task."

They danced close together. Laura being almost a foot shorter than Jarrod, she rested her head against his chest. "Your heart is beating in time with the music," she told him.

Jarrod chuckled. "I guess I'm a frustrated violinist," Jarrod said. "I'm very happy for you, honey. It's been a beautiful day for you."

"I'm very happy too," Laura said. "But don't forget to have something to eat. You know how you get when you don't eat."

Jarrod was startled. Wasn't his inclination to get a little goofy somewhat of a secret? "Who told you that?" Jarrod asked.

Laura laughed. "Nick told me, the night I first brought Michael and Kate over to dinner."

"I'll have a word with him and threaten to tell a few stories on him, too."

"Don't be too hard on him," Laura said. "I was always sorry I didn't have brothers or sisters, but I'm hoping to raise a family with Michael and have children as close as you and Nick and Heath and Audra are."

"I hope that for you too, Laura," Jarrod said.

And then Laura said, "I'm still hoping the same thing for you, Jarrod."

Able to see over the top of her head, Jarrod spotted Kate dancing with Roger. "Thank you, sweetheart," he said to Laura. "I'm hoping for me too."

Laura said, "Michael and I need to be leaving around noon tomorrow for the train to San Francisco. Roger is leaving early in the morning for his train. Can you bring a surrey and take us to the depot? I know Kate wants to see us off too."

Jarrod smiled. "Of course, I'll come get you before eleven-thirty. Is Kate comfortable with staying here by herself?"

"She said she'll be fine. She'll have Wong, of course – and I told her you would look in on her a few times too."

"I'll be happy to," Jarrod said.

"Jarrod," Laura said, suddenly speaking carefully. "She's not your ward, like me. Don't Pappy her."

Jarrod chuckled. "Don't worry. Pappy is not coming anywhere near Kate, or you or Michael, for that matter."

"I'll remember you said that!" Laura said happily. "I mean, I love Pappy – but we're all grown up now."

Jarrod spotted Kate again. "Yes, sweetheart. I've noticed that."

Jarrod finally was able to dance with Kate, and he had to admit to himself, having his arms around her was giving him that very nice warm feeling again. Kate was taller than Laura. She could rest her head on his shoulder and did, when that first dance turned into a second dance.

They didn't speak much at all until the end of the second dance, when they parted and Jarrod said, "Thank you. That was lovely."

"I think it's time for me to sit down for a while," Kate said.

Jarrod led her by the hand to a vacant chair next to his mother, then sat down beside Kate. Victoria smiled and asked, "Are you having a good time, Kate?"

"I'm having a wonderful time," Kate said. "Did you teach your son to dance?"

"I taught all of them to dance," Victoria said. "And play poker."

Jarrod said, "She still beats us when we play together, and she still dances better than any of us."

"I also taught my sons how to flatter a woman," Victoria said.

Jarrod said, "Mother, I'll be taking Laura and Michael to the railroad station tomorrow, and I might take a while getting home again. I'm hoping Kate will have lunch with me after the newlyweds depart."

"I'd love to," Kate said.

"And please join us for dinner, Kate," Victoria said. "Your first night in a new house might be a little lonely." She reached for Kate's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Thank you, Mrs. Barkley, I'd love to join you."

While Kate wasn't looking, Jarrod gave his mother a wink. He finally realized, after everything that had been happening over the last few days, that he wasn't fooling her one bit about how deeply he was beginning to feel for Kate. And he was happy about it.