Chapter Four
Previously:
"Well?" Nick snapped a bit sharper than he meant to-and then quickly apologized.
"I have to go into town tomorrow morning anyway. I'll send a telegram off." Jarrod told Nick. "Don't worry about it for now. Okay?"
Nick frowned; he wanted Jarrod to do something that minute. However, he told himself to relax. At least Jarrod was going to help. "I won't do anything, but it's going to be in my mind until you find out what's going on." Nick turned and left the room, leaving Jarrod to wonder what was going on as well.
Jarrod, who left the buggy he'd driven into town at the livery stable, was almost to the telegraph office when Fred Madden stopped him. "Is what I heard at the telegraph office true? Did Nick go get himself married?"
Rather than answer the question, Jarrod asked one of his own. "Who said he did?"
"I heard Emmett talking to his father as I entered the office. His father quickly told him to be quiet and not to say anything 'until one of the Barkleys announced it.' The man was trying to whisper as he chewed his son out, only I still heard him. No, I haven't said anything to anyone, only-when I saw you-" He smiled. "I couldn't resist?"
"I'd appreciate it if you kept quiet about it for now. If anyone asks, simply say you and whoever is asking are going to have to wait to see if it's true or not." Jarrod's voice was steady enough only his eyes pled with Fred to do as he asked.
"As long as nothing illegal is going on, I'll remain silent." Fred-who was more curious than ever now- assured him. "Though, I would not mind it a bit if you told me the first chance you're free to do so."
"I promise." Jarrod told him before heading for the telegraph office again-hoping that Emmett would be busy doing something, anything, that had made it so he was not in the office when he got there. Also, he was glad the streets of Stockton were practically empty. He hoped that meant no one else had heard similar rumblings, and no one else would approach him.
Jarrod was relieved to have both his desires granted-not one man or woman stopped him after Fred left – as he did not see Emmett when entering the telegraph office and approaching Andrew Stone, who was sitting at his desk just finishing writing another message which had come in.
"Hello, Jarrod!" Andrew smiled wide as he stood up and walked over to some nearby shelves. "How are you and your family?"
No one had to tell Jarrod the man was fishing for information; that fact could easily be determined by the look in the man's eyes as he spoke. However, before Jarrod had time to open his mouth, Fred had entered the office and told Mr. Stone that he needed to talk to him in private-but not to worry that Mr. Stone wasn't the one in trouble.
The moment Fred and Mr. Stone had stepped into the back office and shut the door, Jarrod took advantage of being left alone and sent off a telegraph himself, but not before taking out some money and laying it on Mr. Stone's desk. Jarrod couldn't help but smile as he remembered an old acquaintance saying that he didn't know why Jarrod was learning to do such a thing- referring to sending telegrams – as 'that's what telegraph operators are for'. 'Never hurts to have some extra skills' had been his reply. Times like this, being able to send the message himself sure came in handy. By the time Fred and Mr. Stone came out of the back office, Jarrod had left the building.
While Jarrod rose early and left for town, Nick and Heath, along with a few of their employees, had risen even earlier and were now moving some of the cattle to another part of the ranch. The early morning sun was casting streams of gold over the rolling hills that surrounded Nick and Heath, and the grass was covered with fresh dew. That same dew made the green blades appear as if they were actually shining in the sunlight. The air felt crispy, yet refreshing and held the sound of birds who were chirping from various tree branches. The calm feeling nature was handing out for the day was helped out by the lowing of cattle which could be heard throughout the area.
With none of the hired help help close enough to hear the two brothers-as even Nick was keeping the volume of his voice quieter than normal-the two brothers began talking about the bull that had gotten Nick's attention. Nick made his blonde-haired brother's head snap to the side when mentioning who was bringing them the animal.
"I can't believe Alan is going to help anyone bring the bull to us." Heath shook his head. "Don't know a thing about his friend, but him? He'd rather sweep a saloon floor than to do anything with a live animal. His friend has to know a lot about cattle-and Alan has to owe him one or something. I mean to agree to be the one to help his friend with the task, there has to be something pushing him to do so."
For the first time since the celebration, Nick grew uneasy. He might not have, only he realized, in his haste to do something more than talk business, he'd never stopped to ask more about Adam's friend. Heath, sensing the change in his brother stiffened ever so slightly. "You don't know a thing about his friend. Do you?"
"Not really, heard someone call him Charles at the party, and the fact that he wasn't afraid of any animal. No one said anything bad about him; then again, I wasn't asking any questions about him either." Nick admitted slowly, and then quickly made himself reassure himself there was nothing to worry about. "The man has to know what he's doing. He was smart enough to insist on having written permission to deal with the matter and, as I just said, people said he wasn't afraid of any type of animal."
"Exactly what happened on your trip to Merced anyway? Besides accepting Alan's and his friend's offer to bring that bull to us?" Heath leaned forward in his saddle-as he and Nick had stopped their horses for a moment.
"Like I told Jarrod, nothing-absolutely, nothing!" Nick snapped and then apologized and then repeated all that he'd told Jarrod. "He is going to start investigating the matter today. Though, guess I should have told him Adam's friend's name as well. I am so upset by this-I let that fact slide by me." He took a deep breath and then said, "Let's change subjects."
Heath nodded even as he silently chewed his brother out for signing something without reading it. He hoped Adam and this Charles fellow delivered the bull without any problems….the whole time praying Jarrod would find out who this "Mariah" was and if they did indeed have a new sister-in-law.