CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The JR Conundrum

Nick was dressed and ready to start the day, but he wasn't sure if he should go downstairs or wait for Heath or what, so he left his door open and sat on the chair.

It wasn't long before Heath breezed in. "Good. You're up. Can you stay with Margaret while I grab some food?"

"Sure. Why don't you just go ahead and eat down there and relax?"

Heath paused. "I suppose. You don't mind watching her?"

"That's what I came here to do."

"Well, I know, but that's while I'm working. Tell you what. If you go stay with her, I'll bring you up some coffee and biscuits or something to hold you over, and then you can eat a real breakfast when she wakes up."

Nick nodded and went to Margaret's room. He wished he'd brought a book or something with him. Just sitting wasn't something he was good at.

True to his word, Heath reappeared in just a few minutes. He had a cup of coffee, some toast and jam, and a newspaper.

Nick grinned. "How'd you know I'd want something to read?" he whispered.

"Because I know you," Heath replied, also careful to keep his voice down so as to not awaken Maragret. "You can't sit still for a minute." Heath hurried out.

Nick moved the chair by the desk so he could watch Sleeping Beauty while he ate and read.

Just as he emptied his coffee, Margaret stirred. "Heath?" she asked, sitting up.

"It's Nick. Heath went down to breakfast."

"Oh." She looked at her closet and then the bathroom as though trying to figure out how she was going to parade past Nick.

"I'll sit in the doorway," Nick stated. He moved the chair into the doorway, facing the hall.

"Thanks," Margaret said.

He could hear her moving around.

Heath ran down the hall. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

"Letting Margaret get dressed."

"I told you to stay in her room."

"Calm down, little brother. I can hear her, and I can hear if anyone opens a window. I don't think she wanted me ogling her while she went to her closet and to the bathroom."

"I would hope you wouldn't ogle her."

Nick smiled. "You know I wouldn't. But she wasn't comfortable having a strange man in her bedroom."

Heath nervously assessed the situation. He squeezed by Nick and went to the closed bathroom door. "Margaret, are you okay?"

She opened the door an inch. "Yes. Almost ready."

"I'm gonna go on to work. Nick will stay with you today."

"I'm fine, Heath." She pushed the door open a bit farther. "Can you button my dress?"

"Sure." Heath went into the bathroom.

Nick sat and rolled his eyes. He couldn't imagine JR being okay with Heath sleeping in Margaret's room and helping her dress. For a man who wouldn't let his daughter out of the house, he sure was lax on what went on inside that house.

At first Nick could hear distant chatting, but then everything grew silent. After a few long minutes, Heath and Margaret came out of the bathroom. Heath's blush went to his ears.

Nick winked at Heath. "Looks like you got the job done." He bowed slightly at Margaret and offered his arm. "Miss Margaret? May I escort you to breakfast?"

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JR was still at breakfast when Nick and Margaret arrived. "Did you sleep well?" he asked Nick.

"Yes, sir. Best night's sleep in at least a week." He studied the table, trying to figure out where he should sit.

"Anywhere," JR said. "We don't have assigned seating in this house."

Nick nodded and took the closest seat. He didn't see a buffet set up, so he wasn't sure what to do to get food. For now, he'd wait.

"Margaret?"

"I slept well, Daddy." She kissed his cheek before sitting across from him. "And you?"

"Fine. Had to open those windows, though." He shook his head. "Heath is a bit of a worry wart."

Nick didn't say anything. He tended to agree with Heath—he'd seen men out for spite before, and he knew how treacherous they could be. And his gut told him they hadn't dropped the charges out of kindness.

Elwood carried in two plates, one for Margaret and one for Nick. Nick's had three times the amount of food on it as Margaret's. "Is there anything else I can get for you, Mr. Barkley?" he asked.

"Nick. Please, just call me Nick. Coffee?"

"It's on the table, sir."

"Thanks, Elwood." Nick hadn't noticed the plain carafe of coffee, but, seeing it, he poured himself a cup. "Margaret?" he asked.

"I'll have orange juice," she said, and poured herself a glass.

"What do you have planned for today?" JR asked.

"Heath wanted me to work with Margaret on shooting."

JR frowned. "I'm not too happy about that, but Heath seems to think it's necessary."

Nick nodded. "I do as well. Everybody should be able to protect his or herself."

"I am allowing it—at least for now," JR stated.

"Maybe after we shoot a while, maybe Margaret and me could go for a ride?"

JR looked at Margaret. "If she rides side saddle as a lady should," he stated firmly.

Margaret chewed her lip but said nothing.

"Mother and my sister Audra ride—"

"Your brother has already told me," JR interrupted. "But as long as Margaret is under my roof, she will ride side saddle or she will not ride at all."

Nick leaned back in his chair. He'd never seen this side of JR before, although Heath had spoken of it. A man who didn't want his daughter to shoot a gun or ride a horse, but who allowed a man to sleep in her room and allowed her to go out of town with him? He sighed and dug into the waffles and sausages. At least the food was good.

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Nick reviewed the safety rules with Margaret, and then asked her how Heath had taught her to grip the revolver. She showed him.

"Is that comfortable for you?"

"I think so."

"If it's not, we can modify it."

"It's fine."

Nick studied her a moment. "If it's not, please let me know. It's not a problem to show you a little bit of a different way to hold it."

"Heath wanted me to hold it this way."

Nick's brow furrowed. "I'm sure Heath wants you to hold it in the way that's most comfortable for you."

"This is the way he showed me," she stated. "And I don't want to upset him by doing it a different way."

Nick scratched his forehead. He couldn't imagine Heath being upset by such a thing. In fact, he was sure he wouldn't be. But he wasn't going to argue with her. "It looks like Heath set up some targets for you. Which one do you want to aim at?"

"The largest one?" she asked.

"Show me how you're gonna do it before you pull the trigger, okay?"

She deliberately set her feet and bent her knees. Nick handed the revolver to her. She again gripped it and extended her arms straight out.

Nick examined her posture. "Good. Good." He stepped back. "Go ahead and shoot when you're ready."

She shot, but her wrist snapped up and she went high. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about." Nick took the gun from her and set it aside. He looked at her wrist, then felt around the joint. "Does that hurt?"

"Yes."

"How long did you practice yesterday?"

"A few hours."

Nick nodded. He unloaded the gun and put it in his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Margaret asked.

"We're gonna go back in the house and make you a splint for your wrist. I think you overdid it yesterday, and if we keep shooting today, it's gonna get worse."

"What do you need to make a splint?"

"We don't want it to be too stiff—just enough to give your wrist a bit of support. So, let's make it outta newspapers and any kind of soft cloth you have." He shrugged. "Or, if you have some wide strips of leather, we can use that. Maybe we can ask your daddy."

"Please don't," she asked, a tremble in her voice.

"Why?"

"He'll say that it serves me right and that's why women shouldn't shoot."

Nick took in a sharp breath. From what he'd seen in the last hour or so, she was probably right about her father. "Okay. Then we'll work on some other things."

"Other things?"

"Yeah. Like, if someone is shooting back at you, you don't want to be standing up and making yourself a big target. You want to make yourself as small as possible."

"How do you do that?"

"Get on the ground. Get behind something solid. If you don't have time, at least get down to your knees." Nick faced her. "And do that immediately, as soon as you hear a loud noise or a pop. Don't worry about making a fool outta yourself. Just hit the ground."

Margaret looked at him, her emerald green eyes large. "Do you think someone will shoot at me?"

Nick smiled. "I seriously doubt it, but you have to be prepared for anything."

"Do you think I'm safe in the house?"

Nick hesitated. "I think so," he said slowly. "I know Heath is worried about you, but he's making sure someone is with you all the time." He squeezed her hand. "He will make sure you are safe."

"But you can't stay here forever."

"No, but when I leave, Jarrod will come for a while."

"And then what?"

"We will make sure you are safe," Nick stated.

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