Chapter Twenty-Nine

It was the morning after his talk with Jarrod and Nick when Heath walked into the kitchen and saw a surprising sight. He had been up early to get going on the ranch chores and planned to grab a quick breakfast in the kitchen. There were several tasks in the north pasture that needed to be done, so he did not want to linger in the dining room.

Maud was standing in the stove, a white apron over her dress, while Simon, Thomas Henry, and Alden sat at the table covered with the red checked cloth. Heath could see Silas and Rosalie hovering in the background. He noted that the two older boys were eating some thin pancakes with a berry spread on top of them. Alden had more of the red jam over his face than on the pancake in front of him. There was also bacon, eggs, and fresh squeezed orange juice.

"Senor Heath come eat with us. Mormor is making Swedish pancakes with lingonberry jam." Simon greeted him happily, as did the two other boys.

"It looks like Alden is wearing more than he is eating." Heath answered, as he took a damp cloth from the sink and wiped the little boy's face clean. Rosalie had come up as he started to use the cloth, but Heath had waved her off.

"Hello Heath, please sit down. Silas has been gracious enough to share his kitchen with me." Maud indicated another place at the table. "I have some pancakes all done, and the lingonberry spread is on the table." She passed him a plate that had several thin pancakes folded into triangles. Simon passed him a mason jar with the bright red spread.

"What are lingonberries?" Heath asked, as he accepted a glass of orange juice from Silas, who also set a platter of bacon in front of him. He took a spoonful from the jar and put a small amount on his plate to taste.

"They grow on bushes in the countryside of Sweden. We have a small cottage in the country that we go to in the summer. I have a garden, and before we leave in the fall, I put up many jars of the spread. I remembered how much Simon had liked lingonberries when he was visiting us, so I brought some jars along." Maud explained.

"My mama and I helped her pick them, and she said I ate as many as I picked." Simon smiled, and then looked sad for a moment.

"Your mama is in heaven, looking down at you Simon. She and your father loved you very much." Maud came from the stove and hugged the boy, who returned the gesture. Heath was touched at how warmly Maud spoke of Magda, and it made him wonder about their relationship.

"Mmm, this is good – it tastes slightly similar to our cranberries, but sweeter." He announced after taking a taste. To Maud's pleasure he put several spoonful's on his pancakes, and after taking a bite complimented her.

"Mr. Heath, I told Mrs. Folsom the same thing." Silas gave the woman a warm smile, as he went on. "The pancakes are similar to crepes, and she is very talented at cooking them perfectly." It was clear that Maud had made a friend in Silas, who could be funny about non-family members in his kitchen.

"Heath, I have a favor to ask you. I would really like to explore the ranch, and the citrus groves. Would you be willing to take me around in a buggy? I am not much of a horsewoman." She looked at him expectantly.

He paused in eating, as he thought about her request. There was a good amount of work in the north pasture that he had been hoping to finish up. However, taking Maud around the ranch would give him the chance to get to know her better, and see what her plans were for Simon. Heath admitted to himself that the hands could manage the work without him.

"Of course, I would be glad to Maud. Would Olaf like to come along with us?" Heath hoped the man would come along, so he could talk to both of them.

"Olaf left earlier to go into town. He wants to spend time exploring the wharves, and the commerce on the river." She explained with a smile, adding "Olaf is very impressed with America." Maud then offered him another helping of pancakes, which he could not turn down. They decided to meet up in an hour, for the tour.

"Senor Heath, Mormor can I come along?" Simon looked at them expectantly, and Heath was prepared to say yes. However, Maud had other ideas.

"No Simon you need to stay and do your lessons – that is very important." She stated with emphasis, before adding with a smile "I am sure you have done plenty of exploring on the ranch."

"Yes, I have seen some of the ranch. My riding is getting better. Senor Nick, he brought me my own pony." Simon went on to tell Maud about the dappled grey pony that was exclusively his.

Nick had presented the pony to Simon at the beginning of December, to help encourage his riding. The pony came from a neighboring ranch, whose children had outgrown the animal. Heath had been pleased to see the excitement on Simon's face when he met the pony. He was not pleased that Nick had not consulted him about the matter. In talking to his brother later though, Nick had explained that the neighbors had been looking for a new home for the pony.

His brother had also added that having his own horse would be good for Simon, because it would help him learn responsibility. Nick had then explained how their father had done that for him when he was five years old and made him help to care for the animal until he was big enough to do it himself. He had added that he would be getting Thomas Henry a pony when he turned five.

Heath was touched that Nick was treating Simon like family. He had appreciated his brother sharing the memory of their father. That had made Heath think of how he had grown up and he made a solemn vow that Simon would never have to experience what he had gone through. Heath decided that he would be the one to help Simon learn how to take care of a horse – he definitely knew how to do that.

An hour later he was waiting out front with the small surrey when Maud came out of the house. She was wearing a hat and carrying a parasol, Heath noted. He had been trying to figure out what to show her, since the surrey could not go all the places they could've on horseback. In the end he took her to the citrus groves, the summer meadow, and the blending house in the vineyards.

"This is quite the estate Heath." Maud explained as they were leaving the blending house. It was clear to her that Heath loved his land and being outdoors; Maud had encouraged him to talk, wanting him to be comfortable with her.

"Heath, I would like to see your house." She had carefully timed her request, so it would be well received. Maud noted the surprised look on his face as she made her request.

"My house? Why do you want to see my house?" Heath's voice had hesitation in it, which made Maud wonder about the structure. Maybe Simon was not only at the Big House because of the nursery setup.

"Senor Delgado told me that when he brought Simon up here, it was to your house. I am interested to see where that was." In truth Maud was also interested in what had happened with Heath's marriage. Simon was her grandson, and she wanted to make sure he was taken care of. She was also very direct when she wanted to know something. Olaf and Erick had always appreciated that about her; she hoped Heath would also.

"Of course." Heath agreed, realizing that Maud was probably going to ask him about his current living situation. That would lead to him having to talk about his marriage, which he really did not want to do. However, because of Simon he understood that Maud would want the truth – at least he hoped she did.

The drive from the blending house took very little time, and as Heath rounded the curve and turned into the driveway he looked with pleasure at his house. He noted how sturdy and well-constructed the dwelling was, and his longing to be living here hit him hard. Heath pushed the feeling aside and pulled up to the front porch.

"This feels like it is its own world." Maud observed, as she took in the air of solitude. She also noted the plainness of the house and wondered about Heath's ex-wife. She then looked over at Heath and smiled. "That is part of the appeal for you, isn't it? This is exclusively yours."

"Yes, I guess you are right. I liked the location because it was quiet and protected by the trees." Heath offered, and Maud could tell he was not one who liked talking about emotions.

"Well can we go in? You can show me the house, and then we can talk." She was not going to beat around the bushes with Heath. "Just so you are aware, I am known for being very direct in my conversations and dealings." Maud looked directly at the young man opposite her and watched as he nodded his head.

The next ten minutes were spent with Heath walking her through the house. She made a point to ask a question or two but was finding it hard to say anything very complimentary. The house was large, and well made, especially the woodwork. However, it was plain, with no carved decoration. The rooms looked like something from a furniture catalog, with no personal touches at all.

Maud's impression was of coldness, but she was not dismayed by the feeling. She recalled Olaf's comment about Heath's marriage and hoped that he had been right. When they came to the kitchen, Maud asked for some water, as she sat down at the table. Heath brought the water over, and then guardedly sat down across from her.

"I want you to know that if it wasn't for Simon, I wouldn't be asking what I am going to ask." Maud stated firmly. "Erick and Magda were very open with Olaf and I about Simon's birth." She went on to explain that Erick had had very little chance of becoming a father, because of a disease he had had as a child.

"This morning you spoke very warmly about Magda I noticed." Heath commented and Maud wondered if he was trying to turn the conversation away from himself.

"I was very happy when Erick wrote to us that he was marrying Magda. Over the course of letters, I came to know her well, and when I met her in person my opinions were confirmed." Maud smiled with happy memory. "She was a good woman, and she made my son very happy; that is what every mother wants."

"Heath, I want you to be honest with me – did Simon's arrival cause your wife to leave you?" Maud asked, even as she was sure she knew the answer, based on the house. However, she wanted to hear it from Heaths lips.

"Simon gave my wife the excuse to file for divorce, while not looking bad about doing it." He decided to be honest with Maud because she would expect nothing less. He was also impressed with how she had talked about Magda.

"Tell me all about it, please." She answered with a motherly smile.

He proceeded to tell her the story of Sarah, from first meeting to last night together. Heath, as he talked, saw that his marriage had been over long before Simon arrived on the scene. As he told the story it came to him how much more honest his life was now. He did not have to make excuses or pretend everything was fine with Sarah.

The feeling was not new though; he had thought that way after she had left. However, the divorce papers and her demands had soured his outlook. Heath saw those feelings had spilled over into his dealings with everyone and everything. Nick's comment about how he should look to the future rung in his mind.

It was like a great weight had been lifted off him, and suddenly he did not care about Sarah's remarriage. Heath remembered someone telling him that you never want to go down a dead-end road twice. He saw that following up with the Pinkerton agent would accomplish nothing.

"So, what are your plans Heath?" She asked with interest, going on "Magda felt bad about excluding you from Simon's life. She told me how she had lied to you, to protect both of your reputations. It weighed heavily on her heart."

Maud's comments gave him pause, and as he thought back to that long-ago time, he mentally winced at his actions. Heath could see that the woman knew exactly what he was thinking.

"It was for the best, that things happened as they did. My son loved being Simon's father and loved Magda. If it were not for you, he would not have had any of that. Thank you." She took a dainty lace trimmed handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbed her eyes before speaking. "So, what are your plans for the future?"

"I was thinking about moving back to the house here, but" he paused and shrugged his shoulders. "My mother wasn't in favor of it; she thought I needed to be around my family after everything that had occurred. And now" Heath looked over at Maud and decided to ask what he'd been wondering about since the couple had arrived.

"What are your plans for after Christmas, with Simon?" He was sure he knew the answer but wanted confirmation. Heath had been consoling himself with the fact that he would be able to spend Christmas with his son. What Maud said though surprised him, in several ways.

"Olaf is going to talk to you and Jarrod after he returns from San Francisco." She stood up and took her glass over to the sink, so her back was towards him.

"When is he going to San Francisco?" Putting aside his concern about Simon's future Heath immediately thought of that two-week gap when the couple had first arrived from Mexico. He recalled his mother's suspicions about their stay in the city, so he was curious as to why Olaf had to go back to San Francisco so soon.

"Tomorrow morning. He has business at our Consulate office." Maud answered his question before he could ask. Whether it was true or not was another matter, and his old lawman ways were fired up as a plan came to him.

"Heath, thank you for the tour, and for sharing your story with me. I appreciate you trusting me, and want you know that Olaf and I only want what is best for Simon." She came over and hugged him, which surprised him, but he returned the gesture. "Let us head back to the main house. I don't want to miss lunch with the boys." Maud smiled in happy anticipation, which Heath could understand since he enjoyed eating with the children.

Later that evening Heath, Jarrod and Nick were all playing billiards while waiting for everyone else to retire for the night. Heath had let his brothers know earlier that he wanted to talk to them privately. Jarrod had looked worried when Heath had approached him, and as he thought about their last conversation, he could not blame his brother.

"Let me pour myself a drink; do you all want one?" Jarrod asked his brothers after the room was clear. Heath was not sure if his brother felt he had to brace himself for what Heath was going to say.

"Look, I owe you an apology Jarrod, about the other day. I was surprised at Sarah's marriage and did not react well. I believe what you told me." He accepted a glass of bourbon from his brother, before he turned to Nick. "You were right Nick, about me needing to get over the matter. I am going to stop brooding on what happened and look toward the future."

"I will accept your apology gladly, but can you tell us why this change in your attitude?" Jarrod slapped Heath on the back.

"Have you met someone?" Nick asked expectantly, which caused Heath to wince. The last thing I need is a relationship he thought to himself. Women were more trouble than they were worth, at least based on his experience.

"No, I have not met anyone. I have told you that I have no interest in courting." He stated firmly, looking Nick directly in the eye. "I was talking to Maud this morning, and it gave me a great deal of understanding about what had happened with Sarah."

"So, you won't be going to the city tomorrow? Oh, I should have the Pinkerton report on Maud and Olaf within the next two days." Jarrod went over to the desk and picked up a telegram, which he handed to Heath.

"Here's the thing, I want to go to San Francisco tomorrow, but I don't want anyone to know." He paused and then announced "Olaf is going up to the city tomorrow for several days. When he gets back, he is going to talk to us about Simon."

"What do you think you're going to do in the city? Skulk around and follow the man?" Nick had a skeptical look on his face. "It was bad enough when you wanted to go play detective with the Pinkerton agent about your ex-wife!" He gulped his whiskey and glared at Heath.

"I am sure he will take the express train that leaves at 9:00am; I can take the Milk Train up, and liaison with a Pinkerton agent before Olaf arrives. We can see what he is doing. You remember mother's comment about the two weeks the couple spent in the city before they came to Stockton." Heath explained, hoping to appease Nick.

"You already planned on me being gone tomorrow, so it won't affect the workload that much." He told Nick, who at least looked a little less annoyed. "You can tell everyone I'm going down to Strawberry to check on my mother's and Hannah's grave. I will ride over and pick up the train" he mentioned the town that was the next stop on the train route going north.

"Personally, I think this will bear even less fruit than when you wanted to go ask questions about Sarah." Jarrod shook his head and gave Nick a sympathetic glance Heath noted. He was all set to say something, but Jarrod cut him off.

"However, if it will make you feel better than I'm all for it. You know where the agency is in the city, correct?" Jarrod put his glass down and announced that he was going to bed. Nick said his good nights also, and left Heath in the room by himself. It had been apparent that both his brothers were humoring him, which he did not particularly care for but could do nothing about.