Over the next four months Jenny did go home to visit her parents. Her mother had even suggested that she should invite Heath to accompany her one time for supper, but Jenny told her that he was too busy. She knew if she asked him he would agree to the invite out politeness, but would not feel comfortable with the situation, so she didn't ask. She cared too much for him to put him through that.

Jenny dressed in her riding clothes and exited her bedroom. She planned on riding out to the little creek in the north pasture. Then she would continue on to visit with her family. She loved riding Misty, the horse Heath and Nick gave her for her birthday. The black mare was so gentle, just like the man who broke her.

Jenny had just reached the top of the stairs, when she saw her blond husband enter the house with a ranch hand. She saw him give the riffle to the hand as his brothers asked him to meet the guest they were entertaining. Like a flash of lightning his expression changed from joy to a murderous rage. She watched in horror as he attacked the guest. She watched as Jarrod and Nick pulled Heath off the guest and demanded to know what had gotten into him.

"That's Matt Bentell." Heath screamed.

Jenny had never seen Heath so enraged. Even the night that her brothers had beat him up and forced him to marry her he did not show this much hatred. She believed that he wanted to kill this man and that if his brothers had not stopped him he would have. She watched as he once again tried to lunge at the man he called Matt Bentell, but his brothers prevented him and dragged him into the study. Mrs. Barkley followed her sons into the study.

Jenny stood frozen on the stairs staring at the closed door of the study. Finally the door opened and Heath exited the study. When he raced out of the house she followed him. He ran to his horse that was tied to the hitching post just outside the barn. Jenny tried to catch up to him, but he was too fast. He untied Charger, mounted him, roughly pulled the horse's head around, and smacked the horse hard with the reins. Charger leaped forward and raced through the gates. Jenny had never seen him treat Charger or any other horse this way.

Jenny ran into the barn, quickly bridled Misty and mounted. She didn't saddle the horse she didn't have time. She rode through the barn door and kicked Misty into a gallop as she rode through the big white gate and headed in the direction Heath had rode.

Finally she found Charger standing with his head down, sides heaving and covered in sweat. She dismounted Misty and walked over to the big bay. Charger was favoring his front right leg. She felt it and was relieve to find that it wasn't serious.

She looked around for Heath, but could not see him. She called out his name, but received no answer. She tied both horses to a tree and set out on foot to find him. She finally found him a few feet away sitting on a boulder. He looked so lost.

"Heath!" She said as she approached him, but he didn't acknowledge her. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he recoiled as if she burnt him. When he looked at her she could see all the pain, rage, confusion, and terror burning in his eyes.

"Go back the ranch Jenny." He ordered through gritted teeth.

"I am not going anywhere." Jenny said.

"Leave me alone." He screamed.

"You didn't leave me alone when I needed help and I won't leave you now. I want to help." Jenny calmly replied.

"You can't. Now go back to the ranch." He demanded.

"Who is that man and what did he do to you to make you hate him so much?" Jenny asked.

"You would never understand." He seethed. He wanted her to go away.

"Try me."

"How can you understand? How can anyone who hasn't lived it understand what it is like to be so afraid that you would die and pray that you would?"

"Because I know what it's like to want to die. You helped me through that let me help you through this. Please talk to me." Jenny pleaded.

Jenny sat beside him and listened as Heath told her the horrors of a place called Carterson and the sadistic man who ran it. He told of maggoty food and fifthly water. Of being worked in the hot sun with little water or food. Of being beaten and whipped. Of being treated like he was less than an animal. Of how Matt Bentell took pleasure in trying to break the spirits of his prisoners.

He told her how some men just gave up. How they would get this cold empty look in their eyes and he knew that they had lost hope. Some of these men would just stop eating and drinking as a slow form of suicide. Others would wait until a guard was looking and then they would climb the fence, so that they would be shot. He told her how he had tried to stop a friend of his from doing this and failed. He told her how all those cold empty eyes still haunted him to this day.

He told her how the prisoner's planned an escape. That Bentell knew about it, but instead of stopping it he had allowed the prisoners to try while he waited for them to come out of the tunnel and shot them. The only prisoners that survived that night were the ones who were still in the tunnel. Those who survived were brutally beaten and whipped. Then they were left hanging in the hot sun until they wished they had been among those who were shot.

He told her how sometimes he still awoke in a cold sweat, believing that he was still in that place and fearing the guards would come for him. How the screams of the men who died in that place still haunted his dreams.

"I swore I would kill him if I ever got the chance." Heath screamed.

Jenny grabbed his chin and made him look at her. "If you kill him you become like him and he has won. I can't believe that you would have fought so hard to survive that place to let him destroy you now."

She put her arms around his quaking shoulders and held him while he fought to regain control of his emotions. Jenny held him and wept as she thought of a fourteen year old boy caught in the horrors of a man's war. A boy forced to become man way too soon. She remembered him telling her that he knew what it was like to be alone and hurting with no one to turn to. Her heart broke with the knowledge of how alone and hurt he had been.

Jenny thought of the men that he described who had lost hope and chose death over fighting for life. She remembered what that felt like, but in her darkest hour Heath was there and he saved her. He had helped her find the strength to fight back and the courage to live. Her heart cried for the men in Carterson, who were unable to find that strength and courage.

Jenny wondered how Heath could have survived the horrors that he had described to her. She hated the man who did this to him. She did not know for how long she sat there with her arms around his shoulders, but finally he pulled away from her and stood up.

"We should get back to the ranch." He stated.

They walked back to the horses. When Heath saw Charger favoring his leg he was angry with himself. He bent down and checked the leg. Once he assured himself that it wasn't that serious he helped Jenny on Misty then climb up behind her. They rode double back to the ranch while leading Charger.

When they arrived at the ranch they tended to the horses. Heath rubbed some ligament on Charger's leg. With a couple days rest the horse would be fine. After the horses where taken care of they went to the house.

"Heath, your brothers and I would like a word with you. Please come to the study." Victoria said as soon as they walked through the door.

Jenny watched as her blond husband followed Victoria into the study. When the door closed Jenny walked over and listened. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she was worried about Heath. She was shocked when she heard his family inform him that they expected him to accompany Matt Bentell to the logging camp as a bodyguard.

"The Hell I will." She heard Heath yell as he tried to protest, but they still insisted he go.

Jenny listened as Victoria told Heath that she had hated the man that killed her husband, but finally realized that she had to let go of that hate before it consumed her. That Heath had to do the same thing by going with Matt Bentell. Then Mrs. Barkley told Heath to show her some of Tom Barkley's guts.

"Fine, I'll go." She heard Heath snap. Then the door opened and he stormed out of the room.

Heath!" Jenny grabbed his arm as he past her. He didn't even look at her he just pulled away and headed for the stairs that led to his bedroom.

She turned and walked into the study. She was furious. "How can you do this to him? How can you force him to go with that man?"

"Jenny, it is wrong to eavesdrop. This does not concern you." Jarrod rebuked her.

"Doesn't concern me. He is my husband and I won't let you do this to him." She screamed. For the first time since Heath and she were married she referred to him as her husband.

"Jenny it is for his own good he goes. He must let go of this hatred before it consumes him." Victoria tried to reason with the furious girl.

"With all due respect Mrs. Barkley, no one ever forced you to risk your life to protect the man who killed your husband. No one made you sit down and eat with him. If I am not mistaken the man who murdered Mr. Barkley was shot and killed. You got your justice. When does Heath get his?" Jenny screamed.

"Jenny you will not talk to her like that. Mr. Bentell was brought up on charges for his crimes and acquitted. He was only doing his job as a commander of prison camp during a horrible war that tore this country apart. He should not have to pay the rest of his life for that." Jarrod told his brother's young wife.

"Why not? Heath is." Jenny yelled.

"That is why we want him to go and protect Matt Bentell, so he finally face this and deal with it." Victoria tried again to convince the red head that this was good idea.

"He needs his family to help him deal with this, not the man who almost destroyed him." Jenny screamed. "How can you force him to go with the man that did the horrible things Heath told me he did?"

Nick had been listening to the exchange between Jarrod, Victoria and Jenny. He could see that what they were purposing outraged the girl. When Heath had told them that the man they had hired was Matt Bentell he wanted to fire the man on the spot, but Jarrod convinced him not to. Jarrod believed that the only way Heath could come to terms with his hatred was to spend time with Bentell. Nick did not like the idea much, but since his mother and Jarrod were convinced that it would help Heath, he reluctantly agreed to go along with it. When Heath had wildly refused Nick felt like he was betraying his younger brother, but he said nothing as he watched as his mother and Jarrod persuaded his blond brother to go.

"What exactly did Heath tell you?" Nick asked. Somehow he got the feeling that Heath had shared more with Jenny than he had told them about Carterson.

They listened as Jenny told them every horrible detail that Heath had revealed to her.

Most of what Jenny told them they knew. Heath had told them about the maggoty food, filthy water and beatings. He had even told them of the prisoner's attempt to escape and how Bentell shot them as they exited the tunnel.

Jarrod had even seen the scars that covered his younger brother's back the night he had helped the doctor bind Heath's broken rib. He had wanted to ask his blond brother that night about them, but Heath had been too upset about being forced into a marriage, so Jarrod said nothing about the scars. The next day Heath had told them that the reason he had chosen to marry Jenny instead of going to jail was because he lived through Carterson and wasn't willing to go to prison again. The Lawyer realized that the scars Heath bore on his back were received at Carterson. That night Jarrod had wanted to ask Heath more questions about the place, but got the feeling his younger brother didn't want to talk about it. He had hoped that given time that his younger brother would discuss the place with his family, but that was the last time Heath mentioned Carterson until Matt Bentell showed up today.

That afternoon after he and Nick pulled Heath off Matt Bentell; Jarrod saw the uncontrollable rage that burned in his brother's eyes. He feared that if his younger brother didn't deal with his rage that it would destroy him. Jarrod believed that if his blond brother were forced to get to know Matt Bentell as a man not a prison camp commander, Heath would finally be able to let go of the hate.

Jarrod honestly believed that Matt Bentell was a man that had a job to do during the war and did what he had to do not what he wanted. After all, the south was losing they didn't have much food or medicine they could not be expected to give what little they had to the prisoners while their troops starved. If prisoners stepped out of line a Commander would have to order them punished. If they tried to escape a Commander would have no choice but to stop them. He believed that Bentell should not have to pay the rest of his life for that.

Jenny told Heath's family that on the night of the escape attempt, the prisoners that were still in the tunnel were brutally beaten then tied to whipping posts and whipped. She told them that they were left there for hours. Then Matt Bentell came out of his office, walked amongst the prisoners and ordered them to beg for mercy. Those who begged were cut down, but those who refused were left tied to the posts. Heath had refused and had spat in the Commanders face. Bentell personally whipped the boy twenty more times and then left him tied to the post to die. Heath would have died there, but the prison camp was liberated that day. The blond boy had past out tied to the whipping post. He awoke in an army hospital.

As Jarrod listened to Heath's sixteen-year-old wife, a girl too young to know about the horrors of war, tell of the sadistic way Bentell took pleasure in making his prisoners suffer, he realized that his brother had only been fourteen when he lived it. He also realized what he was asking of his younger brother was wrong.

"I am going to throw that son-of-a-bitch off this ranch." Nick screamed as he jumped to his feet and headed for the door.

Jarrod grabbed his younger brother's arm and stopped him. "Wait Nick. I think it is more important right now to talk to Heath."

"Oh no, Jarrod. There is no way in hell I am letting you make my brother go with that sadistic monster. That man almost killed him." Nick yelled as he tried to push past Jarrod.

"Nicolas! Jarrod is right. It is late and the Bentells have already turned in for the night. For Mrs. Bentells sake we can wait until the morning to tell Mr. Bentell that his employment with us is terminated and kick him off this ranch. It is more important that we talk to Heath now." Victoria told her middle son.

"Fine, I'll go." Heath snap as he turned, bolted for the door and stormed out of the room. He heard Jenny call his name. He felt her hand grab his arm, but he couldn't look at her as he pulled free of her grip and continued to his room.

Heath entered his room, walked over to the nightstand and turned up the lamp. He picked up the picture of his family and stared at it. How could they make him do this? How could they force him to go with this man? In a rage he threw the picture against the wall. He thought about packing his stuff and leaving. But no matter what they were doing to him they were his family, he loved them and he couldn't leave. He also could not turn his back on his responsibility to Jenny, so he would do what they asked of him.

After Heath packed his gear for the next morning he removed his gun belt and hung it on the bedpost. Then he removed his boots and lay down on the bed. He did not bother blowing out the night lamp. He just lay on top of the covers fully dressed staring at the ceiling while he fought to get control of his emotions. Then he heard a knock on his door.

"Heath, we need to talk." Jarrod said as he knocked on his young brother's bedroom door. When he received no answer he opened the door and entered the room.

Heath ignored his brother's knock and plea to talk to him. Then Jarrod opened the door and entered the room followed by Nick, Victoria and Jenny. Heath did not say anything he just turned over to his side to face the opposite wall.

"Heath, sweetheart your brothers and I need to talk to you." Victoria said as she walked over, sat on the edge of his bed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Heath shrugged off her hand as he sat up. He refused to look at them. "We already talked. Actually you ordered and I obeyed. I have already agreed to go to the lumber camp with Bentell, now please leave my room so I can get some sleep." Heath demanded.

"We were wrong to ask you to do that." Jarrod said.

At that Heath stood and turned to face his family. "Why Jarrod? Less than hour ago you insisted that I go. You told me I needed to go, so I could deal with my anger before it consumed me. Why all of a sudden have you changed your mind?"

"Jenny convinced us it was wrong of us to ask this of you. She told us what you told her." Jarrod explained.

"She had no right." He screamed as he turned and walked over to stare out the bedroom window. "She should not have told you."

"You are right Heath. She should not have told us, you should have. Why didn't you trust us with this?" Victoria asked.

"Why should what she told you make a difference? Why wasn't it enough that I told you who he was and that I was his prisoner? Why wasn't it enough that I told you he starved and beat us? Why wasn't it enough that I told you he waited for the prisoners to exit the tunnel so he could shoot them? Why did you have to hear all the horrifying details of my shame before you believed I had a right to hate him?" Heath asked as he continued to stare out the window.

"Heath! You have nothing to be ashamed of. You did nothing wrong. Matt Bentell should be ashamed for what he did to you." Victoria told her young blond son as she tried to place a hand on his quaking shoulders, but he pulled away.

"We are sorry that we did not listen to you. I hope you can forgive us for what we almost made you do. Tomorrow morning we are telling Mr. Bentell that we are terminating his employment. You will never have to see him again." Jarrod said as he and the rest of the family turned to leave the room.

They were almost to the door when Heath turned to face them. "Let me fire him."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Jarrod asked. He had actually wanted to talk to Heath before firing Bentell, because he wanted to give his blond brother the opportunity to do it.

"Yes." Heath said as he walked over and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Very well, Heath." Jarrod said.

Jenny had stood at the doorway of Heath's bedroom while his family talked to him. She had heard him say she had no right to tell them what she did. She was afraid that he was angry with her. She waited until Nick, Victoria and Jarrod left the room. Then she approached Heath and sat down beside him on the edge of the bed.

"Please don't be mad at me for telling them. It was the only way they would listen. I didn't want them to make you go with that man." She pleaded with him to forgive her for breaking his trust in her. Heath turned to her and pulled her into an embrace.

"Thank you." He whispered in her ear as he held on to her tight.

Heath kissed her gently on the cheek. Then his mouth found hers. He kissed her hard and long as he pushed her down on the bed. She felt his weight on top of her and felt his hands caressing her body. Then all of a sudden he pulled away.

"Oh God! Jenny I am sorry. I should have done that. You should not be in here. Go back to your room now." He ordered as he jumped to his feet and walked to the window. He refused to look at her as she got up and left the room.

The night Jenny's brother's and father ordered him to marry Jenny he had fought them, but in the end he agreed to marry her. He had decided that night that he would raise the child she carried as his own, but then Jenny tried to kill herself and the child was lost. Jarrod had arranged to have the marriage annulled, but Heath had refused to sign the papers. He realized that if he did Jenny's father and brothers would not allow him to see her. He knew he was the only one she trusted at the time and the only one who could help her. He would rather live with her as a wife than a ghost that haunted his dreams. He had too many of them all ready, so he remained married to her.

Over the months they were married he had fallen in love with her, but she was in love with a dead man who she was still grieving for. He wanted to be near her to hold her in his arms as a husband holds a wife, but he vowed to wait until she came to him. Tonight in a moment of weakness he had almost given in to his need to be with her. She was being a friend to him and he almost forced himself on her. Oh God! He thought what have I done?

When she was forced to marry Heath, Jenny had been grieving for another man. Over the months they were married Heath had been so kind and gentle toward her. She could not help but fall in love with him, but he never treated her like a wife, until tonight. When Heath had started to kiss her Jenny had been surprised, but she responded to him because she loved him and wanted him. Then he pushed her away and ordered her out of his room.

Jenny raced out of Heath's room and ran down the hall to her own. She threw herself on the bed and cried. Her heart was broken. He didn't love her. He didn't want her. To him she would always be the girl he was forced to marry.

She wished that Audra were here. She really wanted to talk to her friend, but the blonde girl had gone to visit her brother Eugene. Jenny cried herself to sleep.