Chapter Forty Nine
Jarrod came down the hall and stopped when he heard Lisette's voice reading to Henry and Kai. The door was halfway open and he stood in the doorframe watching the heartwarming scene. She was propped in the middle of the bed with a boy on each side of her. She was using various voices to portray each character in the book. The boys were giggling and spurring her on to read longer.
Kai's plaster of Paris casted leg was propped with pillows and his head lay on her shoulder. Henry laying on his side as close as he could be to his mother—-propped up on one arm.
Since they arrived back at the ranch, they had only one moment alone.
Henry would not leave his mother's side until Jarrod took him on a ride so she could visit with his mother, Grete and Anna.
She was distressed to see Grete's face so bruised and swollen.
"I can take broth and soup well. Each day it feels a bit better. I just hate Heath for seeing me this way."
"Grete, he loves you and is thankful you are safe and home. He sees the woman he married; I have never seen a man look at his wife with such love—-"
"Danke. I just wish—-"
"Grete, you have a lifetime with him. Just rest and let him care for you and Kai."
Lissette trimmed up Anna's butchered hair and tried a new braid style on her with Audra's help. Nick had still not been told about the kidnapping and the torture of the ladies. The family agreed it would be too much for him until he had healed more.
"Lissy, Audra thank you. I feel so much better. I have been blessed for Nick not to notice. He still is so weak."
"What happened to you was my fault—I am sorry i brought this upon you all—-"
The ladies all embraced and had a good cry over the events of the week.
Jarrod brought back a happier Henry. They had discussed horseback lessons for the summer and he was excited.
Lissette left the ladies and greeted them in the foyer.
Henry excitedly told his mother about the lessons and Lissette looked at Jarrod with gratitude.
"Thank you Jarrod. I got to talk uninterrupted with the ladies and Henry came home happy. A good day home."
"Home I like that." as he watched Henry run upstairs to see Kai. Jarrod looked around carefully and no one was around.
Lisette blushed and Jarrod took her in his arms—-and kissed her passionately. He took her breath away and finally they separated.
He winked at her, "Just in case I don't get to tell you goodnight properly"
"That was a proper goodnight, Mr Barkley."
"I wish it could be quite improper," he whispered.
"Me too," she whispered back.
They had agreed to stay apart for Henry's sake and his family's at the mansion. And they were committed to being discreet for the sake of all their family.
—-&—
Jarrod and Lissette met in the study after breakfast. They went over all the paperwork again for the estate. She felt comfortable with the Denver and San Francisco sales. Jarrod tallied her assets and her bank accounts after the withdrawals for the Modesto salaries.
"Lissy, I don't want to be intrusive but I wanted to balance your bank accounts. Especially after the federal marshals asked about them. I see the salaries—-but the dressmaker in San Francisco and the trip expenses."
"It's not intrusive. It's been a long time since someone took the time to look after me." She smiled with gratitude.
"I had a French pourboire, a draft for the dressmaker. The champagne estate is quite a supporter of haute couture; my uncle often barters with Worth and others, pattern makers. A largesse. The San Francisco dressmaker studied under Worth and stayed at the estate. It was a form of gratuity. My cousins visited the west two years ago. They invested in her salon by purchasing and wearing them in the states. She got quite a few orders from back east, the knickerbocker crew. I met them for a week in Newport but I did not come west. My father was on the east coast and we rented a summer home that year. And I am very frugal—-I would never spend that kind of money on dresses. I even had enough to treat Prudy and the twins with the benefaction."
"You are always a lady of surprises. And as you know barters or troc are not assets and do not have to be revealed. Now if you have any pull on that champagne—-for my fee course."
She laughed and winked, "Will see, my dearest. But Jarrod, I plan on paying for your legal services."
"We will talk about that later—-"
She cocked her head in confusion. He brought the conversation back to her finances.
"Lissy, these are the totals I have."
"It is such a relief not to have to sell to Buck, kidnapping or not—"
"You can say that again."
She perused them carefully,"I just don't know if we can salvage enough out of Modesto at this point."
"I agree. Let's go to town and my office. I will treat you to lunch and we can check the mail and bank—maybe there are new offers from the broker. Bax may have written too."
"And Stockton? The prepaid shipments?"
"I have left word at the freight office to store them at an empty warehouse Carl Wheeler owns by the docks. I rented it for us. But as we discussed, it is the last hurdle we have."
"Thank you, Jarrod. I don't know what I would do without your help."
"Lissy—-there is nothing I would rather do than stand by your side during this time."
He leaned over to kiss her but quickly pulled back as Heath entered the study.
"Sorry, looking for that cattle bill of sale." Heath said obliviously.
Jarrod walked to the desk, "This is the one Nick was working on the day before the shooting."
"He's better, Jarrod. Wanted me to come get this so he could tell me what to negotiate. As if I was a young pup needing schooling."
"He's better." Jarrod grinned.
"Yep," Heath returned the smile, "Better get back before he starts a yelling."
—-&—-
Jarrod ordered lunch at the Cattleman's and paid extra to be delivered to his office. He picked up the mail and stopped by the bank.
"Good news my dear. New offer from San Francisco just came in for Modesto. Only forty cents on the dollar but better than the twenty or thirty cents we were given last week"
"Is it enough?"
"Barely enough to break even. Doesn't touch Stockton debt."
"Any other for San Francisco?"
"Yes but lower. Denver too."
She chewed on her lip, "I want out of them. It wasn't worth almost losing the life of my friends and my son being taken—please sell them all."
"Or losing you Lissy." and he grabbed both of her hands.
"So you agree, sell at the loss? It's what I want to do."
"Yes, I do. It's time for you to start your life over."
She smiled, "Then let's do it. Especially before Paul shows back up and tries another swindle."
"I doubt he will with federal marshals involved."
"I pray you are right."
"Now Lissy, let's go over the fine print."