CHAPTER ONE

Home Again

"Nick's home!" Audra announced.

"Hold your ears," Victoria warned as the three women went to greet him.

"I love that he hollers as soon as he comes in the door." Isabella's dark eyes twinkled. "It means he's impatient to reconnect with the people he loves."

Victoria stared at her daughter-in-law, then pulled her into a hug. "I've never considered that. And, you know, I think you're right." She shook her head. "Who would've thought that in the short time you've known Nick, you could understand him better than his mother does?"

Isabella returned her mother-in-law's hug. "You raised a good man."

The door opened. "Isa—" Nick stopped, a grin spreading across his face. "Oh, there you are." He grabbed Isabella into a bear hug. "How are you feeling? Are you eating? Resting?" Before she could answer, he looked at his mother. "Is she eating? Resting?"

"Yes, Nick," Victoria said, not able to keep from laughing.

Nick pulled her and Audra into the hug. "Where are my boys?"

"Papa!" they yelled in unison, running into the foyer.

"We helped Mr. Silas make cookies." Andy's flour-dusted hair bobbed as he spoke.

"I missed you, Papa," Levi said.

Nick released the women and grabbed a boy up in each arm. "Not as much as I missed you!" He twirled in circles, swinging them out. "Oh!" He stopped and put them down. "Something is stuck in my pocket." He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a ball for each of them.

"Thank you!" they yelled almost simultaneously and took off.

Nick laughed.

"How did things go?" Isabella asked.

Nick nodded to the library. "Let's go in and sit down and I'll tell you."

"Is Heath all right?" Victoria asked.

"Yes, he's fine," Nick said.

Jarrod hurried down the stairs. "I wondered what all the noise was!" He shook Nick's hand and followed the family into the library.

Nick sat on a settee and put his feet up on the coffee table.

Victoria raised an eyebrow.

Nick grinned, his dimples full, as he put his feet on the floor. He scooted down to stretch his legs.

"So what happened?" Victoria prompted.

"Would you like some coffee?" Isabella asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"I would," Nick said, standing. "But I'll get it." He pointed at her. "You put your legs up."

She headed into the kitchen in front of him.

"Go sit down!" Nick ordered.

She turned long enough to flash him a smile and a raised eyebrow but continued to the kitchen.

Silas was still cleaning up the cookie-making mess. "I'll bring coffee."

"No, No," Nick said. "I've been sitting on a train all morning. I need to move around a bit." He waited until Silas turned his back, then threw his arms around Isabella and kissed her passionately on the lips. Finally, he released her. "I missed you," he whispered.

"I missed you too."

Silas stayed with his back to them, drying a pan that was already dry.

Nick laughed. "Sorry, Silas. We'll take that coffee and be on our way."

Nick and Isabella returned to the library. He again sat on a settee and made room for Isabella to sit next to him.

"So, Nick," Victoria said. "You were going to tell us—"

"Oh, yeah." Nick took a sip of the coffee and put it on the coffee table. "So, the long version?"

Jarrod shrugged. "Might as well."

"Well, I got to Roseville Friday afternoon. I went to Isabella's house, but there was no sign that Heath was staying there. Nothing in the ice box, no clothes, nuttin'. So, I went out to Sam's to see if Jeannie knew where Heath was. Well, Sam answered the door."

"Okay?" Audra prompted, confused as to the significance.

"It wasn't even five o'clock yet. Sam should've been at work, but he wasn't. So, I went inside, and Jeannie came out holding a new baby." Nick beamed. "They named him after me. Austin Nicholas Sampson."

Audra's smile rivaled Nick's. "How sweet!"

"I asked Sam what was going on, and he said Heath had fired him."

Victoria frowned. "Heath fired him?"

Isabella set down her coffee.

"Hey!" Nick yelled, pointing at Isabella's coffee. "You're not supposed to be drinking that!"

Isabella looked at Victoria.

"Nicholas, let your poor wife be."

"You were supposed to be watching her!" Nick yelled at Victoria.

Victoria rolled her eyes at him. "Why did Heath fire Sam?"

"Long story short, Heath wanted the men to work late on Monday, and Sam wanted to go home and be with Jeannie. He told Heath he was leaving, and they got into an argument and Heath told him if he left, he was fired."

"Why would Heath do that?" Audra asked. "Surely he knew Sam needed to be home."

Nick sighed. "No, Heath didn't realize that. Jeannie wasn't due for another two weeks or more, and he thought Sam was just being ornery. Anyway, Sam went back to work on Thursday, and he and Heath got into another argument, and—"

"That's not like Heath," Victoria said. "He's not usually difficult."

Nick's eyebrow flashed up. "He just behaves hisself around you."

Jarrod chuckled.

"Anyway," Nick continued. "Sam slugged Heath."

"Oh, no!" Victoria said. "Is he okay?"

"Sam? Yeah. His knuckles were pretty bruised, but he's fine."

"Heath! Is Heath okay?"

Nick's dimples appeared even though he tried to stop them. "Yes, Mother. He got seven stitches in his busted lip and his bruised chin will be fine. Trust me, he's had a lot worse." He took a sip of coffee. "But you don't hit the foreman."

"I thought Sam was training to be the foreman," Isabella said quietly.

"JR decided not to tell him that news yet, so Sam didn't know about that."

Jarrod rubbed his forehead.

"Worse, he hit Heath in front of JR. They don't think any of the men saw, but a couple of 'em might've, although we're not sure."

"So, there's no doubt he's fired," Jarrod stated.

"Right. Which is why he telegraphed me and said he needed a job. So, I told him I'd come back in a week—Jarrod, can we use the Barkley car?"

"Sure."

"—and help him pack and move him here."

"What does Heath think of that?" Victoria asked.

"He's none too happy about it." Nick shrugged. "Anyway, Heath is actually living in the big house—JR's house—and has his own bedroom there."

Jarrod grinned. "I'll bet Heath is liking that."

"Yeah," Nick said dryly.

"Am I missing something?" Audra looked from Nick to Jarrod and back.

"JR has a daughter," Jarrod said. "And she's a bit of a looker."

"Ohhh." Audra giggled.

"And she and Heath play chest every night," Nick added.

"What?" Victoria jumped up.

Jarrod's grin grew.

"Chess," Nick said, feigning innocence. "You know, like we play?" He waved at the chessboard in the corner.

"Oh." Victoria sat down.

Jarrod covered his chuckle with his hand.

"So is Heath coming home next weekend with Sam?" Victoria asked.

"Uh, no." Nick took in a big breath. "Heath is gonna stay at JR's for two more months—"

"Two months!" Victoria shook her head. "He needs to come home now."

Nick glanced at her. She hadn't seemed that upset when Nick went away for six months. "Sam is gonna come here for two months, and I'm gonna train him to be foreman."

"And then what?" Victoria asked.

"Then it's up to them. Sam can either stay here and continue to work as a foreman or he can go back to JR's as a foreman—"

"Even though he hit Heath?" Jarrod questioned.

"It will blow over in a month or two." Nick took a breath. "And Heath can either come home or he can stay at JR's as foreman. It's up to them."

"Of course, Heath should come home," Victoria said firmly.

"It's up to Heath, Mother," Nick said equally.

"But they can both stay here or both stay at JR's?" Jarrod asked.

"No. They can both stay here, but only one of them can stay at JR's." Nick shrugged. "JR don't think they can get along, and he only needs one foreman."

Victoria shook her head. "I don't like that."

"That JR only needs one foreman?" Nick asked.

"No. That Heath might stay there and that Heath and Sam can't get along."

Jarrod tilted his head. "Sam seems like a good man."

"He is."

"Why can't they get along?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know." Nick shrugged. "I don't think Sam will hold a grudge, but you know how Heath can nurse one."

"Oh, Heath doesn't—" Audra stopped.

No one said anything.

When the silence became awkward, Nick ran a hand through his hair. "Anyway, that's what happened while I was gone. What happened here?"

"Poor Heath." Victoria shook her head.

The boys ran into the room. "Mama! Papa! There's a big slimy thing coming out of Tom Kitty."

Nick, his forehead wrinkled, glanced at Jarrod.

Jarrod shrugged.

Audra stood. "Why don't you show me?" she asked the boys.

Nick jumped to his feet. "I think maybe I'd better check this out."

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