Chapter 12

Nick was very solicitous of his mother and Lucy on the way to Stockton on the train. The family car was well stocked with light food and drink, and Nick made sure to see the women always had what they wanted and were comfortable. Heath helped when he was asked to, or when it was necessary to track down the conductor, but otherwise he let Nick take the lead. Too much attention was not what Lucy needed right now.

Their car was the last on the train, and at one point Lucy said she'd like to go out the back for some fresh air. Victoria looked worried about her being alone out there, partly afraid she might accidentally fall off, partly afraid she might jump. Nick got the message from his mother's eyes and said, "Better let me go with you, Lucy. Trains get rocky sometimes and I can steady you if it does."

Lucy just nodded. Nick escorted her to the landing just outside the door, closing the door carefully behind them, staying close as she leaned on the railing. It was a cruelly beautiful afternoon, not a cloud in the sky. Not a tear from heaven for Phil Layton.

Lucy just looked at the sky and the scenery. Nick stayed close, and when the train swayed awkwardly, he put his arm around her until it was steady again.

"Thank you," she said. "You and your family have been wonderful. I couldn't have taken this – " She stopped. Then unexpectedly she said, "For a moment, I forgot how Phil died."

"You know Jarrod never meant to hurt him," Nick said. "He's really broken up about it."

"I know," Lucy said. "I'm just not sure how to feel about it yet, any of it."

"I know – well, I know your marriage wasn't what you wanted it to be," Nick said.

"It was once," Lucy said. But then she seemed to relax a little. "I'll hold onto that and try to put aside what's happened lately. I'll forgive Jarrod, Nick. I know he'll take care of things for me in Lodi. I know he's a good man and he didn't mean to hurt Phil and everything that happened – just happened. It's just – right now – I can't seem to get myself together about things."

Nick said, "Lucy, I hope you'll stay with us for a while, until you get your bearings straight. If you don't feel like you can talk to Jarrod about what you want to do in the future, you can always talk to Mother, or to me. I take after my mother. We're both good listeners."

Lucy finally smiled. "Thank you, Nick. I appreciate everything you're doing. Right now, though, I'd just rather look at the sky and the land and – and see that the world really hasn't fallen completely apart."

"It is beautiful," Nick said.

Together, they just looked.

XXXXXXX

When they got to the ranch, Silas was ready to see they were all fed properly at dinner. The women were both weary from the trip and retired early. Nick and Heath shared a game of pool.

They didn't talk much about Lucy Layton, or Phil or even Jarrod. They talked about the work they had to do on the ranch, and about how Nick planned to stay close to the house at least for a day or two. Heath acknowledged he'd take over ramrodding the work in the field, but he resisted saying anything about Nick being so attentive to Lucy. He wanted to warn him to be careful, for her sake mainly but also for his, but Heath decided not to. If things got a little awkward, Victoria would address it.

All Heath really said about the situation was, "I hope Jarrod can get things in order for Lucy in Lodi pretty quick."

"It'll take time," Nick said. "Everything with the law takes time."

"Maybe he can take care of some of it from here," Heath said.

"Don't count on it," Nick said, "but he said he'd wire us every day. He might have something to tell us tomorrow. I think I'll see if Mother and Lucy would like to go in for lunch, relax a little bit, see what we get from Jarrod."

Heath gave a little grunt of agreement. That was the end of the subject.

When Nick brought it up at breakfast, Lucy was a little reluctant, but Victoria said, "It might do you good to get out in the world a little bit. We won't stay long."

"Just for lunch and a check-in with the telegraph office," Nick said.

"Well, maybe you're right," Lucy said.

They arrived in town just before noon. Victoria suggested that she and Lucy get settled at Cattlemen's for lunch while Nick stopped over at the telegraph office to see if there was anything from Jarrod. When Nick caught up with them at the restaurant, he was carrying a telegram. He sat down with them and started explaining before they even asked.

"Jarrod said he got Phil's will at the clerk's office and it leaves everything to Lucy. He's getting the required notices together and plans to file them later today."

"Didn't you say Phil shared a secretary with some other attorneys?" Victoria asked.

Lucy nodded. "Jarrod will have the clerical help he needs."

Nick went on. "Several of Phil's clients have already contacted him. He's working with the secretary to make sure he talks to all Phil's clients, and he's already talked to the landlord about the office. He'll talk to an auctioneer about the office furniture later today too. He's moving right along."

"I need to decide what to do about the house," Lucy said, and looked distressed.

"You don't need to decide today or even this week," Victoria said. "Don't rush yourself."

Nick put the telegram into his shirt pocket. "Jarrod can move fast on the business side of things, but he won't rush the personal side. The court will have time requirements when it comes to the will."

"I know," Lucy said. "I remember from my father. Phil told me – " She stopped. Then she said, "I didn't think I'd be going through this again so soon."

The waitress came over. Victoria said, "Lucy, why don't you have something to eat before you start thinking too deeply."

"You're right," Lucy said.

Lucy ordered, and Victoria and Nick ordered right behind her. They started talking about other, more mundane things – about Stockton, about the best places in town to buy this and that, about the lovelier areas near town that were nice to picnic in – all the things people would talk to an out of town guest about. They ate, they all started feeling more chipper. Lucy even smiled more often.

Lucy was ready for a nap again this afternoon when they got back to the ranch. After she disappeared up to her room, Nick said to his mother, "Maybe I'll ride out to the herd and be sure everything is going all right."

"It will be," Victoria said. "Heath can handle it, and McColl is there too."

"You'd rather I stuck around?"

"Yes. Lucy might want to take an afternoon nap but sometimes afternoon naps don't last more than half an hour," Victoria said. "I don't know that we'll need you, but I'd rather have you here in case we do."

"Well, I have to admit," Nick said, "I don't mind spending the entire day with two lovely ladies."

Victoria said, "Do you remember, when Lucy first came along, before we knew who she was and that she was married?"

Nick nodded. "You told me that I tended to rush into things. You told me not to do that."

"I've asked you to stay to help us," Victoria said, "but you'd still better be very careful. She's available now, but she's a widow."

"And she's also extra unhappy because of the way her marriage went bad and the way it ended," Nick said. "I understand, Mother. I'll just keep being the gentleman you raised me to be. I won't press."

"Thank you, Nick," Victoria said.