“They bark, and maybe that’s their talk. Just because we don’t know what they’re saying doesn’t mean another dog doesn’t. And I think Buffer and Saddle like each other, ’cause they didn’t growl, they just barked and sniffed at each other a couple times, and then Saddle sat down beside us.”
“Then I’d say they probably do like each other.”
“Bet that barking was dog talk,” Garrett declared. “Maybe Buffer invited him to sit with us.”
“Maybe he did, honey.”
Garrett’s face screwed up in intense concentration. “You know, Mama, a dog’s ’bout the best friend a kid could have, ’cepting his mom.”
“Dads make good friends, too. Your granddad is my best friend.”
“Can uncles and aunts be a best friend?”
“Many often are,” she said.
“Well, I sure have a lot of aunts and uncles. So how can all of them be my
best
friend?”
“You’re right, honey; you can only have
one
best friend.”
“But what about the others who aren’t?”
“They’ll still be people you love.”
“Will they still love me?”
“I think they already do, sweetheart.” She leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes.
J
ed left the barn to go and unpack his seabag. His brothers had asked him to delay the wedding until their cousin Rico arrived and he knew Caroline wouldn’t have a problem with that; she certainly wasn’t looking forward to the event. But he wanted to inform her of it so it wouldn’t come as a surprise to her.
As he walked to Clay’s house, he saw Caroline and Garrett asleep under a tree. Buffer and Saddle were stretched out beside them like sentinels.
Jed sat down under an opposite tree in the clearing and stared at them. As if relieved of duty, the two dogs rose and padded away.
Had he read more into their departure than intended? Were the two dogs actually aware that the woman and child would now be his responsibility to protect for the rest of his life?
You’re losing your mind, Fraser, when you start wondering what a dog is thinking.
His gaze fixed on Caroline’s face, and he marveled again how peaceful she looked when she slept. No bitterness, no scornful glares to mar its loveliness.
He’d known from the morning after she’d told him about Andy that he wouldn’t force her to marry him. That had been a hasty and ludicrous decision on his part. But she had stunned him by agreeing to marry him, and that astounding challenge to convince him to seduce her.
His gaze rested on her face again. She was delightful to be around when she wasn’t angry at him, and he enjoyed her company to no end. Especially the way she constantly challenged him. No woman ever did that with him, and he found it a refreshing change.
It was a shame that due to the bad beginning between them, she’d probably never forgive him—and he couldn’t forgive her for what she’d done to his family.
Funny that not one of his brothers had appeared disturbed by her action—or lack of action. Were they so elated to hear that Andy had fathered a child that they didn’t realize that they might have never seen or known that child? That’s what would have happened if the issue had been left to her.
He stood up.
Yes, you’re beautiful and appealing, Caroline Collins, but beauty is only skin deep. Integrity is the real beauty in a woman…or man.
Later, Clay took them on a tour of the building where they made the wine. He led them over to a large vat in the corner. “This is the press where we squeeze the grape juice.”
“I thought the women stomped the grapes with their bare feet.”
“We’ve let them do it a couple of times, because they enjoy it. It’s hysterical—but slippery, and if they’re pregnant we certainly don’t want them to fall. That’s why we generally use a press. The wine fermenting in those barrels that run along that whole wall over there is a claret we make from California grapes, which is our predominant crop. Jed, remember those grape cuttings you brought me from France two years ago? We harvested a small crop of them, and I’ve been experimenting with a white, drier wine than the claret.”
“What actually causes the wine to ferment?” Caroline asked.
“The natural yeast in the skins of the grapes. The oak barrel adds to the flavor of the wine during the fermentation.”
“Who makes the barrels for you?” Caroline asked.
“Believe it or not, Garth. He’s great at it and seems to really enjoy it.”
“We bottle it and store it in here, in the wine cave.” Clay opened a door to reveal racks of sealed bottles. He lit a lantern, and they stepped inside.
“This actually is a cave!” Caroline exclaimed as she glanced around.
“Yes, it is,” he said. “We keep the wine in here because the temperature is cool and stays constant. We framed the entrance, put a door on it, and
voilà!
”
“Remarkable,” Nathan said.
“I discovered it when we first came here, and that’s why I decided to build my house nearby.”
“Well, this has been a fascinating tour, Clay,” Nathan said. “I’m impressed with your vision and skill. I’m sure you didn’t accomplish all this overnight.”
“Clay always was the one among us who had vision, sir,” Jed said. “Garth fixated on finding Uncle Henry’s gold mine. Colt’s dreams were to become a lawman, Andy a preacher. Will’s love was Fraser Keep, and mine was the sea.”
“Thankfully, I’ve had a lot of help from my family—physically and financially—and it’s finally beginning to pay off. I’ve got a hunch that one day California wine is going to be as popular as the French and other European labels. And Fraser Keep wines will be right up there with them.”
“I don’t doubt that for a moment. I promised Paddy I’d play a game of chess, so I should be leaving,” Nathan said. “My thanks again for the tour, Clay.”
“I’ll come with you, Father,” Caroline said. “I want to see what Garrett’s up to.”
“You and Caroline have a quarrel?” Clay asked, as soon as they were alone.
“Why do you ask?”
“No body contact. No eye contact. And I could have cut the tension between you with a knife. I noticed it from the time you arrived today, despite a couple of feeble attempts by you to try and show affection toward her.”
“It’s just marriage jitters.”
“Marriage jitters my ass, Jed. If you don’t want to talk about it, fine—it’s none of my business. But when the excitement dies down, don’t think the others won’t notice, too.”
“We won’t be around that long for them to notice.”
“If that’s the way you want it.” Clay turned to leave.
“Hell, Clay, that’s
not
the way I want it. The truth is…Caroline and I aren’t in love. This is a marriage of convenience.”
“You mean she’s pregnant?”
“No, I haven’t touched her. It’s about Garrett.”
Jed proceeded to tell him the whole truth about his relationship with Caroline and why he’d demanded she marry him. When he finished, Clay was silent for a long moment before he finally spoke.
“That’s not fair to Caroline, Jed. Or to you. You both deserve better.”
“We’re doing it for Garrett’s sake. I love that kid, and I know I can be a good father to him.”
“I’m sure you can, but what kind of husband will you be to Caroline?”
“Doesn’t it bother you that she never tried to notify Andy that he had a son?”
Clay looked at him sadly. “Jed, Andy was dead before any word would have reached him.”
“At least Mom and Dad would have known about Garrett before they died.”
“Perhaps, but does it really matter in the end? How could it have changed their lives in any way?”
“I would think knowing that the memory of Andy would live on in his son might have eased their passing.”
“Perhaps you’re right. But their faith was so strong; I’m sure they were at peace knowing they would soon be joining Andy, and our nephews Joey and little Paul.” He smiled gently. “You know Mom; had she lived, she probably would have fretted herself to death worrying they were up there without her to look after them.”
“Garrett’s a
Fraser
, Clay! If I hadn’t run into them by chance in San Francisco, he never would have been raised as one.”
“Aren’t you forgetting about destiny, Brother Jed?”
“Destiny! Good God—do you think when Andy was born, he was destined to die on a battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania? Or sixteen-year-old Joey at Sharpsburg; or little Paul, burning up with fever in his crib? Every time there’s no rhyme nor reason for what happens, we cry Destiny or Providence. Oh, yeah, and Fate. That’s another word to fall back on when you don’t have the answers.”
“I believe in predetermined destiny,” Clay said. “Garth was destined to find Uncle Henry’s gold mine, or he wouldn’t have; Becky picking me out of a wagon train of men because she needed a husband was destiny, or she would have picked a different one; Colt being on the same stagecoach as Cassie when it was held up was destiny; and your walking into a restaurant in San Francisco the same time Caroline was there was destiny.
“Providence is just another way of believing God is determining our destiny. Fate is where God and Destiny part company. Whether by choice or chance, our lives often lead us down a different path than He had planned for us. And that’s when Fate gets involved. Sometimes the result can be good, sometimes bad. But don’t blame God for the outcome.”
“So you believe it was Destiny that brought me and Caroline together after all these years?”
“Yes, but I think it was Garrett’s destiny—not yours or Caroline’s. He was destined to be raised a Fraser, no matter what path Andy, Caroline, or you may have chosen. And the final chapter hasn’t been written yet for you. It’s in the hands of Fate now, because the way I see it, you’re marrying Caroline for all the wrong reasons. Are you sure you aren’t forcing her into this marriage for something other than what you’re claiming?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Maybe you care for her more than you’re willing to admit—even to yourself—and using Garrett as an excuse to get her.”
“That’s bullshit. I’m a grown man. I know what I’m doing when it comes to women.”
Clay grinned. “If you do, then you’re the only man I know who’s been able to figure it out.”
“No matter what you think, Caroline and I agree it’s the right thing to do for Garrett’s sake.”
“But what about love? You have to have that for a happy marriage, you know.”
“We’re both adults and understand what we have to do. We’ve worked out an agreement that shouldn’t be too difficult to honor. I’ll be at sea most of the time, anyway, so that will make it easier.”
“Worked out an agreement? I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you. You’re not thinking straight, Jed.”
“Garrett will legally have the name of Fraser. I felt it’s a matter of family honor. I owe it to Andy.”
“Yeah, that’s great—but what’s honorable about trying to delude Garrett into believing his parents are in love? And not only Garrett; you intend to do it to the whole family.”
“What they don’t know won’t hurt them. I shouldn’t have even told you.”
“They already figured out Garrett is a Fraser. Nobody had to tell them.”
“How did they react?”
“They think it’s great that Andy had a son and that you’ll be raising him. As far as the two of you getting married, they figure it’s the icing on the cake. Of course, it hasn’t entered their minds that you and Caroline aren’t marrying for love.”
“Then don’t tell them differently, Clay. Keep it between you and me.”
“I don’t keep secrets from them, Jed. They’re your brothers and sister, too. If we start keeping secrets from each other, before you know it, the truth gets out and results in bad feelings.
“Becky and I have no secrets between us. A good marriage is all about love and trust. That’s the real
agreement
in marriage.
“The resemblance between you and Garrett is so remarkable, our wives are probably thinking you’re the father. You think they won’t question us? They’ll be all over us with questions! You talk family honor from one side of your mouth, then tell us to lie to our wives from the other side of it. As long as you’re determined to go through with this marriage, don’t hide from the truth, Jed. That will catch up with you and start eating you alive.”
Deflated, Jed walked to the door. “You’re right; I should tell them the truth. I don’t want any bad feelings between any of us.”
Clay slapped him on the shoulder. “You know that Lissy and your brothers are behind you one hundred percent. But, Brother Jed, don’t ever try to deceive those women we married. Together, they’re a united force, and you wouldn’t have a prayer.”
Caroline found Garrett sitting on a fence railing watching Colt trim the bark off a log.
“There you are. I’ve been looking for you,” she said.
“Mama, did you know Uncle Colt knows Kit Carson? He’s been telling me ’bout the time Apache Indians surrounded their town, and him and Kit Carson faced off with them.”
“That must have been exciting.”
Colt grinned. “Things still aren’t as settled in New Mexico as they are here in California.”
“I understand you’re a sheriff, Colt.”
“Just a deputy now. I turned the job over to Jeff Braden, Cassie’s brother. Sometimes I give him a hand on weekends when there’s a big crowd in town. Cassie and I have our hands full running the ranch, especially since we’ve had children. Cassie can handle a horse better than most men, but I don’t want her riding yet. She just had Sam a couple of months ago.”
“That’s too bad, cowboy, because I’m not stopping,” Cassie said from the doorway.
He chuckled. “Riding or having babies, Cass?”
“Neither one, Colt Fraser. Caroline, come on inside where we can talk.”
Caroline joined her in the kitchen where Cassie was rolling out a pie crust.
“You feel like peeling apples?” she asked. “I’m making pies for the barbecue tomorrow.”
Grateful for having something useful to do, Caroline said, “I’d love to. I’m used to being the one
doing
the waiting on not being waited on.”
“Then sit yourself down at the table. You’ve just been hired.” Cassie put a bowl of apples down on the table and rooted through a kitchen drawer.
“This is Rory’s kitchen, so I’m having a little trouble finding things. Aha, here’s one!” She handed Caroline a paring knife.
“Where is Rory?”
“She’s lying down. Her back’s been bothering her. The poor dear had a rough time with her first pregnancy, and she’d barely gotten back on her feet when she got pregnant again. Danny’s only eleven months old, and now this one’s past due.”
Cassie lowered her voice to a whisper. “She told me Garth wanted to abstain until she was healthy and back on her feet, but Rory said she wanted childbearing out of the way so she could enjoy her children while she was still young.”
“I’ve totally forgotten what it was like to bear a child. I was sixteen when Garrett was born,” Caroline said.
“So that would make you twenty-four now.”
Caroline nodded. “How long have you been married, Cassie?”
“Three years. Colt and I were married in ’66; Jeb was born the following year.”
“Did you say Jeb or Jed?”
“Jeb,” Cassie said. “One Jed in the family is enough. Our son’s named after Colt’s hero, General J.E.B. Stuart, his commanding officer during the late war until the general was killed.”