“And” Nick reiterates “Being a part of this family you have to get away from calling us sirs and ma’ams. You are sirring and maaming us to death. Call us by our names, call Mother-Mother. Okay? Will you try to do that?” with his hands gently holding onto his chin lifting it up so that Heath is looking at him while having his other hand still tightly on Heath’s arm “Try calling us by our names; hmm?” Heath replies, “Can’t.”
“Yes you can” Nick tells him “I told you that you could. Please Heath, call me by my name.” As Heath doesn’t answer but looks at Nick “Please Heath” Nick asks again “Nothing is gonna happen to you if you call me by my name. I give you my word. I just want you to call me by my name. Okay, hmm?”
Staring into Nick’s eyes Heath blurts out, “I’ll try.”
“Good” Nick replies “And don’t worry, Heath. All of what we are about to do is gonna take time. We will take it slow, okay? One day at a time.”
Nodding his head, “Okay,” Heath says. Nick asks of Heath, “Okay what?” who replies, “Okay sir.” Nick then says, “Heath, what did I just say?”
Swallowing hard, “Stop saying sir,” Heath replies.
“Right,” Nick tells him, “I want you to say my name. Please? Say my name. You managed to say Duke’s and Bobby’s, you could say mine too.”
Taking a deep breath and swallowing hard again while keeping a fix on Nick Heath doesn’t say anything.
“Come on Heath,” Nick tells him, “I assure you everything is fine,” keeping his hold on his chin, “Come on boy, say my name.”
Closing his eyes, grimacing Heath answers in a very slow and quiet tone, “Ni…i…ck…k…” as he swallows hard one more time.
Smiling “Good boy,” Nick replies “That’s a start” patting Heath on the cheek lightly he then says, “And see Heath, I am not doing anything to you. You could say my name anytime of the day or night. You don’t need permission to do that either. I want to hear you saying my name. Okay?” watching as Heath nods his head as he starts to relax.
Releasing his hold on him “Heath” Nick extends his right hand out to him with his palm showing. Studying the hand Heath looks up at Nick and then back down at the hand as he slowly moves his left hand towards it; Nick waiting patiently grips hold of it as it makes contact and upon helping him up on his feet “Good boy” tells him with a huge smile.
Escorting Heath back over to his seat with his hand on his back Nick says, “I’ll say one thing for you.” Heath asks, “What’s that Nick?”
Replying “You could move at lightning speed” Nick picks up the fork places it in the sink and gets Heath another one “But everything is gonna be alright, just wait and see. Just give it time. Oh, one more thing” Nick says returning to his seat.
“What,” Heath asks, “Nick?”
“I” Nick says “Remember giving you a hard time about you not liking your uncle. You don’t like him much do you?” Shaking his head “No!” Heath answers sternly.
“You want to know something?” Nick says to Heath who asks, “What Nick?”
“I don’t like him much either,” Nick points out, “From the little I got out of you I don’t want to ever see him and I hope I never have to meet or run into him ever. The same goes for your Aunt Martha and all those responsible for what they did. He and all them that did what they did are gonna be sorry that they ever hurt you.
Somehow, I don’t think you’ve ever had anyone there for you before, right?”
Looking down at his plate shrugging his shoulders Heath shakes his head.
“Well, you know something Heath?” Nick informs him, “You have me now. And I will be there from now and for always as will Jarrod, Mother, Eugene and Audra. We will be all there for you?”
As Heath looks at Nick with almost a partial grin popping out “Okay” Nick tells him, “Finish your dinner. Once we are finished here you could turn in, alright?”
Replying, “Alright Nick,” Heath picks up his fork and resumes eating.
“Oh Heath,” Nick says with Heath asking, “Yes Nick?”
“I know I scared the daylights out of you just now,” Nick mentions, “But you want to know something?” Nick asks, “What Nick?”
“You,” Nick informs him, “Scared the daylights out of me. You woke me up to what I was doing. I’m sorry about everything that I did to you but I also want to thank you for waking me up. I never thought or realized just how bad I could be until you came along. I’m sorry about that; I’m not like that usually. Just took someone like you to make me see it. For that I want to thank you. And if you like I would like for us to become friends.”
“I like that Nick,” Heath mentions, “Don’t have many.”
“Well,” putting his fork down “You have me” holding his hand out “Friends?” Nick asks.
At first looking at the offered hand not sure of what to think looks up at Nick then back down at the hand as he slowly moves it towards it and upon taking it into his “Friends” Heath acknowledges. As Nick squeezes it tight Heath comments, “I now have three friends.”
“Who are the other two?” Nick inquires. Heath answers, “Duke and Audra.”
“Well,” Nick points out, “Duke is a good friend of mine too as well as a good friend of the family. And Audra, she can be a good friend too; she liked you from the very first day. But, do you know Heath, you have more than three?”
Narrowing his eyes perplexed, “I do, Nick?” Heath asks.
“Yes,” Nick informs him, “You have Jarrod, Eugene and Mother. That is three more. You also have Silas so that makes seven when it includes me. And in time, I’m sure you will make more, once others get to know you. Like maybe some of the men that work here for instance.”
“I’d like that Nick,” Heath notes, “I do like Bobby.”
“Well” Nick mentions “Bobby likes you too. So that would make eight” finishing his dinner in between says “Oh, one more thing.” Heath asks “What’s that Nick?”
“You,” says, “Don’t have to say my name every time you speak. You could just say no or yes or what. You don’t have to say no Nick or yes Nick or what Nick each time. I mean you could if you like but you don’t have to say it with every word spoken or with every sentence. I mean I rather you call me by my name instead of by sir, but you don’t have to be that formal or polite with every word coming out. You understand what I mean?” Heath answers, “I think I do.”
“Just like that,” Nick points out, “Just watch how we all talk to each other you’ll get what I mean down the road, okay?”
Nodding his head, “Okay,” Heath replies and upon finishing what he has on his plate Nick asks, “Do you want more? You’re probably still hungry.”
“If it’s alright,” Heath replies.
“Of course it is” Nick says as he gets up and fixes his plate with a second helping of what he had “Now eat!” he tells him.
Replying, “Yes sir, I mean yes Nick,” Heath resumes eating.
“Well Heath” Nick says “I think we’ve made a little progress. It’s a beginning and Heath?” Heath replies “Yes Nick?”
“When,” Nick inquires, “You worked the West Ridge what happened?”
With his brow furrowed in thought, “What happened?” Heath asks.
“When you worked with Barrett,” Nick mentions.
“We checked the herd,” Heath replies, “He went one way and had me go the other. We kept checking to see if any got out.” Nick asks, “Did any get out?”
“They did,” swallowing hard Heath informs him, “Once. But we got them back.”
“What happened when the shift was over?” Nick wanted to know.
Heath mimics, “Shift was over?”
“When the men didn’t come,” Nick inquires, “Barrett left you there, right?”
“He did,” Heath replies. Nick asks, “Did he say anything?” Heath repeats, “He did.” Nick asks, “What did he say?”
“He said,” Heath summarizes of what was said, “I wonder where are replacement is. It’s after eleven. They should be here by now. Tell you what. You stay here and wait for them and I’ll go back. When they come you could go but don’t leave until they come. If you leave before they come Nick will have your head.”
“He said that to you?” Nick queries.
“He did,” Heath informs him, “I didn’t want you to have my head.”
“Have your head?” Nick mimics, “I’m not gonna have your head, Heath. I’m gonna have a couple of hands that work for me heads when I see them in the morning though.” Heath asks, “What are you gonna do with them?”
Getting up “Nothing Heath” Nick places his hand on Heath’s back and says “I am gonna have a nice long talk with them.” Putting things away that are not being used and upon pouring Heath another glass of what he is drinking Nick asks, “Heath would you like a piece of cake to go with that? Silas made it.”
Replying, “Okay,” Heath finishes what is on his plate. Retrieving the cake that is there Nick places it on the table and slices two nice pieces. Placing one dish in front of Heath he tells him, “Okay Heath, eat up.”
Once again replying, “Yes Nick,” Heath then begins taking a bite out of his with Nick taking a bite of his. Watching Heath, “How is it?” Nick asks.
Answering “Fine” Heath starts off with the middle first. At first Nick eating his doesn’t notice but then a couple minutes later observing asks “Heath, how come you’re doing that?” Heath replies “Just like to.”
“You like to eat the cake first?” Nick asks. Heath says, “I do.”
Replying “I see” Nick then tells him “Well go ahead. Eat it the way you’re eating it” as they continue on until the plates are clean with Heath saving the frosting for last. After they finish Nick offers Heath another piece to which he replies, “Yes, thank you; if it’s alright to.”
“Of course it is” Nick tells him as slices him another piece. As he is eating it “You really like cake don’t you?” Nick asks of him who replies “I do, sir. I mean Nick.”
“Well,” Nick tells him, “Eat up!”
Doing so Heath eats the second piece the way he ate the first starting in the middle and saving the frosting for last. After he finishes Nick tells him to finish his drink. Replying, “Yes Nick,” Heath does as instructed.
While finishing his cake Nick asks Heath if he wants anymore to which he replies, “No this is enough” and as he begins clearing the table notices Heath’s chin moving downward and his eyes closing “Well Heath” he says “How about you going upstairs to bed while I clean up in here, okay?”
Opening his eyes and hearing Nick’s voice, “Okay Nick,” Heath replies. As he gets up out of his seat Nick bids him goodnight and tells him he’ll be up to check on him when he’s done. Telling Nick goodnight Heath goes up the back stairwell.
Taking the dishes off the table Nick washes and puts everything back where it needs to go. Once the kitchen is cleaned up he heads upstairs.
Knocking on the door and not hearing any sound Nick opens the door to find Heath lying on top of the bed but staring up at the ceiling not sleeping. Walking over to him he calls out to him who turns and replies, “Yes Nick?”
Nick asks, “What are you doing?” Swallowing hard, “Nothing, sir,” Heath nervously answers.
“Why are you just lying there?” Nick inquires “And not dressed for bed?” As Heath just looks at him puzzled he open his mouth but nothing comes out. Nick then says “Oh I get it! I told you to go upstairs” sitting on the bed alongside of him “But I didn’t tell you that you could change your clothes first.”
Getting up and retrieving a nightshirt from the top drawer of Heath’s dresser “Here Heath” Nick tells him “Put this on. But take those off first. I’ll be back in a couple minutes okay? I expect you to be dressed for bed. Got that?”
Replying “Yes Nick” Heath takes the nightshirt from him. Exiting the room “We do have a long way to go Heath” Nick tells Heath who quickly changes into his nightshirt. Returning, “Well, that’s much better,” Nick asks him, “How does it fit?” Heath replies, “Fine.”
“Well it looks fine” Nick says “Now get up for one minute.” Standing up Heath watches as Nick takes his clothes off the bed and upon opening the covers he is instructed “Okay, under the covers.” Doing as told Heath climbs into bed and as he gets in under the covers Nick fixes them and sitting back down on the edge of the bed tells him “Heath, everything is gonna be just fine. Trust me, okay?”
Heath replies, “Yes Nick.”
Thinking of something, “I just thought of something,” Nick says snapping his fingers, “Do you need to use the bathroom before going to sleep?”
“I already went,” Heath informs him.
A little surprised, “You did?” Nick asks.
“Yes,” Heath mentions, “When first came up here; thought it be okay to do.”
“And you are so right,” Nick informs him, “It is okay to do that and anything else you want to do in this house, got that?” Heath answers, “I do Nick.”
Nick tells him, “Things will get easier. Just give it time okay?”
“Okay Nick,” Heath replies.
“Remember” Nick tells him “You don’t have to say my name with each word.”
“I remember,” Heath replies.
Once again bidding Heath goodnight Nick places the clothes near the closet and upon going over to the door says, “Oh Heath?” Heath asks, “Yes Nick?”
Letting out a sigh as he lowers his head briefly, “If you should over sleep in the morning,” Nick tells him, “Don’t worry about it. I will let you. You need your sleep so whenever you wake up, you wake up. Okay?”
Nodding his head, “Okay,” Heath answers.
“And,” Nick adds, “We’ll talk some more tomorrow.”
Closing the door behind him Heath lies there and looks up at the ceiling remaining there until he is sure the house is silent. Once he’s convinced that everyone including Nick has gone to sleep he gets out of bed, goes out to the barn bids Gal goodnight and lies down next to her. After a couple minutes of looking straight ahead and thinking his eyes close and he falls sound asleep.
Friday, January 27, 1871, 5:20am next morning
As each member of the family awakens and enter the dining room for breakfast they bid Victoria, who is seated already, “Goodmorning Mother” with Nick being the last to enter and crossing to her right side giving her a kiss on the cheek.
As Jarrod asks, “Where is Heath?” Victoria replies, “I don’t know. He hasn’t come down as of yet.”
“Maybe,” Eugene remarks, “He’s still sleeping.”
“Do you want me to go and see if he’s awake?” Audra offers.
“Go ahead dear” Victoria replies.
“Audra, if he’s not awake” Nick cuts in “Don’t wake him. I told him he could sleep longer.”
While Audra goes up the stairs to Heath’s room “That sure is a surprise, Brother Nick” Jarrod looking over at Nick says “You are not raising your voice over his not being down here on time” with a sideway grin “And you’re even letting him sleep longer.”
“There’s a reason for that,” Nick brings up.
Jarrod asks, “Such as?” Nick informs him, “I will tell you later.”
Jarrod then says, “I remember you coming into my room last night and asking me if I was awake.”
“Yes I did,” Nick admits. Jarrod asks, “What did you want?” Nick answers, “I’ll explain it later as well,” as Audra comes back into the dining room, “Where is he dear?” Victoria inquires. Audra mentions, “He’s not upstairs.”
“I sure hope you didn’t do anything to send him packing Brother Nick,” Jarrod says.
“No Brother Jarrod,” Nick replies, “I wouldn’t do that,” getting up, “Excuse me!”
“Where you going?” Jarrod asks.
“To see if his horse is out there,” Nick informs him, “Be right back.”
Going out the front door Nick is met by Duke who is coming towards him as he is heading up the walk. Bidding him goodmorning Nick then asks if he’s seen Heath. “No” Duke replies “Not yet. I just came out. Why? Is he not in the house?”
“No,” Nick notes, “I was gonna see if his horse is there.”
“Come on,” Duke suggests, “Let’s go see,” and goes with Nick inside the barn.
Entering the barn they find Gal still in his stall and Heath sound asleep on a stack of hay; lying on his right side with his right palm extended.
“There he is, Nick,” Duke notes watching to see what Nick’s reaction will be.
With his mouth opened, “I wonder,” Nick says astounded, “What he’s doing out here.” Duke asks quietly, “Do you want to wake him?”
Replying “No, let him sleep” Nick seeing a blanket on the ground picks it up and shakes all the hay off of it, “Let me put this here blanket on him.” After placing it over him gently they quietly walk out.
Standing outside the barn, “Nick,” Duke asks, “Are you ready to talk some more? We do need to talk about him.”
“I know we do,” Nick admits, “Could we wait until Audra and Gene go off to school? We do need to talk; you are right. But for right now I don’t want them to hear what is going on.” Duke replies, “Sure; how about six?”
“Six will be fine,” Nick suggests, “Make it more like a little after six. Oh if you are out here when he awakens, tell him to come inside that he doesn’t need permission to walk in.” Duke mimics, “Permission?” Nick says, “Just do it.”
“Okay,” Duke replies. Nick then tells him “Also, assign four men to work on the fence with him. I don’t want him to ever working alone again.”
“I’ll do that,” Duke smiles, “I’ll get the wagon ready for them.”
“That’s fine,” Nick then says, “Oh Duke,” before going back inside.
“Yes Nick?” Duke asks.
“You were right about me sitting down and talking to him,” Nick mentions, “You were right about everything you were trying to get through to me on. I just wanted you to know that.”
“I knew you had it in you,” Duke notes, “And I knew once you talked to him that you would understand more.”
“Well I do,” Nick admits, “So much more now than I did before.”
“Oh,” Duke says, “And Nick?” Nick asks, “What?”
“I didn’t want to tell you this before,” Duke mentions, “But I guess now is as an appropriate time to tell you that Heath has been sleeping in the barn at least the past couple of nights. Bobby saw him in there and I thought you had a right to know that now.”
“Thanks Duke,” Nick replies, “And everything is gonna be fine now. No more of what I was doing to him.”
“That’s all I ever wanted from you,” Duke informs him who responds, “I know. Oh what happened on the West Ridge the other day when Heath and Barrett were working and Barrett left him there all alone?”
“When the shift was over” Duke says “Barrett left after waiting a couple of minutes and Heath remained. Sam and Austin who were supposed to show up didn’t. They didn’t think anyone would notice. They figured Barrett didn’t know anything and Heath wouldn’t talk. I told them I’d talk to you about what to do with them.”
“What do you think we should do with them?” Nick asks.
“Well” Duke suggests “Seeing how everything wasn’t running exactly the way it should be, seeing you had your mind elsewhere, for now I have them doing double shifts on the West Ridge for the rest of the week. I thought that might make up for what they did.”
“Very well,” Nick notes, “I’ll leave it as it is; thanks for filling me in.”
“Certainly,” Duke smiling tells him, “Oh welcome back,” who graciously thanks him as he walks away.
Coming out of the bunkhouse and going over to the barn Bobby catches sight of Nick going inside the house and calls out to Duke who answers, “Yes Bobby.”
“Nick knows about Heath sleeping in the barn?” Bobby inquires.
Duke states, “He does.”
“How is he with it,” Bobby wanted to know, “And him?”
“Better,” Duke mentions, “He understands I think now.”
Replying, “Good,” Bobby lets out a sigh of relief, “Maybe things will finally start looking up for him.”
“I think they just might,” Duke confides, “Hey, I’ll be in a few minutes. As soon as Heath awakens I’ll join you for breakfast.”
“Sure,” Bobby then says, “Oh, by the way, goodmorning.”
“Yes it is,” Duke notes, “Goodmorning Bobby.” While Bobby turns back around and goes back inside the bunkhouse Duke starts getting the wagon ready while waiting for Heath to awaken.
As Nick returns to the dining room, “Well?” Victoria asks.
“He’s outside in the barn sleeping,” Nick answers.
“In the barn sleeping?” Gene mimics.
“What’s he doing out there?” Jarrod asks with Audra inquiring, “How come he’s out there?”
“I don’t know” Nick replies “When I went to bed last night I left him in his bed. I even tucked him in. He must’ve went out there sometime after I went to sleep I imagine.”
With a crooked smile, “You tucked Heath in?” Jarrod asks surprised.
“I did,” Nick states.
Placing his right hand over his chest “The same one you were trying to get run off this here ranch since day one” Jarrod asks still in a state of shock.
“I just said I did,” Nick reiterates. Jarrod says, “That’s a switch and I am surprised.”
“Me too,” Gene admits, “Just a week ago you were doing everything you could to get him off this here property. You didn’t want him here” looking at Nick directly.
“Well Jarrod,” Nick says, “Gene,” looking at each of them, “I changed my mind; I do want him here.”
“I guess Brother Nick,” Jarrod remarks, “Maybe you are finally coming down off your high horse.” Nick states, “Something like that.”
“Nick,” Jarrod then asks, “Something happened last night when you went out to get him didn’t it?” Nick replies, “Yes Jarrod.”
“Do you want to fill us in?” Victoria asks.
With all eyes on him “Like I told you last night Mother” Nick says “And like I’m telling everyone here at this table now, that you were right about me going out there to get him. If I hadn’t he would’ve still been out there. He was waiting for me or someone to come out there and give him permission to return to the house.”
Victoria and Audra ask at the same time,” Permission?”
“Permission,” Gene then inquires, “He wanted permission to return to the house?” with a smirk on his face.
“Yes,” Nick tells him sternly, “Permission! Gene wipe that smirk off your face this is not at all funny.” Replying, “Sorry,” Gene removes the smirk from his face.
“Oh Nick,” Victoria says with Nick replying, “There is more.”
“Such as,” Jarrod says with Victoria inquiring, “Like what?”
“I was wrong about him,” Nick answers, “And you were right about him. I was wrong for yelling at him the way I have been, I was wrong in so many ways I can’t begin to tell you.”
“It takes a big person,” Jarrod states, “To say when they are wrong, Brother Nick,” with his sideway grin looking over at Nick.
“Well I was wrong Pappy” Nick tells him “Dead wrong! I feel so bad about it. But also I want you all to try to understand my position as I tried to tell each one of you I did what I thought was right. I did what I thought Father would want of me to do to safeguard this family. I do know now that I was wrong about Heath but if I had to do it again I probably would do it again in a heartbeat without hesitation because you mean everything to me. I now know that Heath isn’t like that. I am sorry for what I did to him and what I put him through but I just had to be sure at the same time. I do feel bad for him but I want you all to hear it now from me, that I finally accepted him. I told you when I was ready I would let you know. Well” looking at each member of the family as he speaks “That day has come. No matter what else happens I want him here to be a part of this here family; for now and for always.”
“Oh Nick,” Victoria replies, “That’s all I ever wanted from you.”
“I know that now,” Nick informs her, “But I also must tell you all that I did something else bad to him that I didn’t realize until last night. Something I’m very ashamed and sorry for now.”
“What’s that Nick?” comes from Audra and, “What Nick?” comes from Victoria.
“I had him putting up the fence,” Nick answers, “And didn’t bother checking on him until last night when you told me to Mother. I also had him working alone; no one with him.”
Doing a double-take, “You mean,” Victoria asks, “You had that boy out there all alone? Nick, how could you? Where was your heart?”
“It was a terrible mistake,” Nick admits, “I found it now. I also never checked on him at all while you were gone, never bothered to see if he was alright or not and I just learned that he needed to be told to come in otherwise he would never have came back. I told him I was sorry about everything that I did and that it won’t ever happen again.”
“I should say not Nick,” Victoria says.