While Heath slowly recovered with his brush with death at the doctor’s with Nick by his side to perk him up, Tom signed old man Sid Kellerman to the job of super intendant of the Barkley mine making it official for the coming year. Building material would be supplied, including new shoring beams to secure the shafts. As for him, Sid promised to hire able-bodied men to work the grounds and devise a schedule to upgrade productivity. Both men parted on a hearty handshake to seal the deal.

Tom returned to the doctor’s office to find his son and his little friend playing with the small bird that he suspected Nick had snuck in without Dr. Conrad’s consent. “If Doctor Conrad catches you with that bird in here he’s going to have a fit,” Tom scolded as he padded into the room.

“He knows, Father. I asked him if it were okay and he said yes as long as I kept an eye on it.”

“How’s Petey doing?”

“It still can’t fly but he’s hopping around. That’s a good sign.”

“I like him,” Heath crooned as he delicately held the tiny bird in his hands with a thumb gently brushing the soft feathers.

“He’s yours,” Nick told him, hoping to raise a lopsided smile out of his friend.

“You mean it?” Heath exulted, rewarding Nick with a broad beam.

“Sure. Besides it’s not like I’m never going to see Petey again since you’re coming to the ranch with us.” He turned to his father for confirmation. “Isn’t that right, Father?”

“Right now we need permission from his mother.”

“She’ll say yes. I know she will,” Heath asserted, confident that his entreating had managed to influence his mother’s decision. At that moment he caught a glimpse of Leah entering the room. “Isn’t that right, Mama?”

“What’s right, darling? Hello Tom, Nick.”

“Miss Thomson, Heath was just telling us that you agreed to let him come with us to the ranch,” Nick blurted out excitedly.

“Oh he did, didn’t he?” She cast an incredulous glance at her son who instantly turned on his puppy-dog eyes. “Well I guess if it’s okay with Mister Barkley I won’t object.”

Heath whopped with joy only to have his broken rib shot a twinge of pain through his chest. His mother dashed by his side to ease him back onto his pillow. “Take it easy, son. We wouldn’t want to aggravate your injuries.”

“No ma’am. I forgot. I’m sorry.”

“Euh Leah, could I see you outside for a minute?” Leah acknowledged with a nod and kissed Heath on the forehead. “I’ll be right back, son,” She stood from the bed and followed Tom out of the room.

“Thank you Leah. You’ve made that boy very happy.”

“I’m going with him,” she stated firmly. “There’s no way I’m going to let my son travel alone, not even for his own f…,” she quickly withdrew the revealing word from the sentence with the hopes it went unnoticed.

“His own what?” Tom insisted.

“Never mind. It’s not important.”

“The hell it isn’t. Leah, level with me. Heath is my son, isn’t he?” He waited for an answer that never came. He then clasped both of her shoulders to force her to look at him. “Isn’t he?”

“No. His father is dead.”

“Do you have a picture of him?” Tom asked matter-of-factly, taking Leah by surprise.

“I…I don’t know, perhaps,” she stammered, worried that a photo of her dark-haired husband would contest Heath’s parentage.

“I’d like to see it,” Tom said forcefully.

“Please Tom, let it go,” she beseeched.

“I can’t Leah. If Heath is indeed my son, I want to make up for all those lost years.”

“And what about your wife? Doesn’t she have a saying in this?”

“So you are saying Heath is my son.” Leah closed her eyes and hung her head in shame. Tom grasped her firmly by the shoulders and will her eyes to his. “Leah please, tell me. Is Heath my son?”

Following seconds of excruciating silence, Leah finally conceded and in a breath, she whispered, “Yes.” Out of the blue she was pulled to his chest and held in a tight clench. “He’s all I have Tom. I beg of you, don’t take him away from me.”

Tom disengaged the embrace and frowned quizzically, as if offended by the plea. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Leah. But I do wish for you both to accept to move to Stockton where Heath could be near the ranch. I know Nick would be thrilled to have a little brother. He’s been pestering us to bring him a baby brother for Christmas.”

“Tom, think about this. Think very carefully,” Leah cautioned about the implications of the current situation. “I wouldn’t want this to break your marriage.”

“Leah, Victoria already knows about the affair. We’ve put it behind us. In fact it strengthened our marriage. She understood that I was amnesiac when it happened.” Tom delicately cupped her face in his hands and stared lovingly into her dewy eyes. “But believe me, I loved you with every fiber of my being. Heath was conceived in love. That’s why I need to be with him; to get to know my son. Don’t deny me that time with him.”

Leah drew in a deep breath and sighed heavily. “I won’t, but I need to be with him.”

“Of course. I’ll arrange so you can stay with him at the ranch.”

Leah was wedged in between granting her son what he richly deserved and her own selfish need to have him all to herself. She dreaded the outcome of a visit to the Barkley ranch, a heaven bound to impress the boy to the point of no return. Was she ready to let go for Heath’s well-being?

Two days later a telegram came to the ranch announcing their return, catching Victoria unawares by the news of the two guests who were to lodge at the ranch for a couple of days. The whirl of raw memories of that dark period of her life resurfaced, sending her mind spiraling out of control. She sat briefly to collect her thoughts before informing Silas of their guests’ arrival.

“Oh Tom, why are you bringing her here after all this time?” she wondered to herself, afraid to seek the answer she feared.

It was late in the afternoon when the wagon pulled in front of the mansion. Heath was positively spellbound by the stateliness of the estate. With eyes wide as saucers and a jaw dragging on the ground, Heath drank in the majesty displaying before him.

“We’re home, kid. How d’ya like it?” Nick asked proudly of his heritage to his new friend.

“It’s…it’s…it’s…” Heath stuttered, unable to phrase his thought.

“It’s magnificent, Tom,” Leah answered for the boy whose mouth was catching flies. She gently closed it and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “What do you say, Heath?”

“It’s beautiful mama. Just like in fairy tales.”

“Well it’s not, I can assure you,” Tom said, picking up the suitcases. “Come, let’s go inside.”

In the foyer, Victoria psyched herself up one last time in front of the mirror, inhaling deeply to retain her composure. She put on a happy face and went to the front door.

“Tom!” she exulted, falling into his arms. “I’ve missed you.”

“Same here, Torie.” He reciprocated, though not with the same atypical exuberance she displayed, which he found somewhat puzzling, even disturbing. He turned to Leah whose stiff expression warned him to proceed cautiously with this first introduction. “This is Leah Thomson and her son, Heath.”

“How do you do, Mrs. Barkley. Your husband’s told me a lot about you.” Leah inwardly cringed at that last remark, chiding herself for failing where she had warned Tom not to.

“He’s told me a lot about you as well, Miss Thomson,” Victoria replied composedly, grateful that the woman had broken the thin ice upon which both were treading. She fashioned a light-hearted smile at her guest before squatting to Heath’s level. “And it’s nice to meet you too, young man,” she greeted warmly, extending her hand to shake the boy’s.

“Hello ma’am,” he choked out shyly, keeping a tight hold on his mother’s hand. “It’s a nice house you have,” he managed to breathed out once the initial distress had worn off.

“This will be your house for the next few days. I hope you’ll like it here,” she said genuinely, flashing Leah a knowing look that the woman perceived as a threat not to overstep the boundaries on her home territory.

“I sure will.”

“Father, Mother, can I show Heath the horses?” young Nick asked pleadingly so to ensure a positive reply.

Victoria’s eyes shifted from Tom’s to Leah’s to read their answer before smiling responsively to Nick. “Sure you can. But don’t stray too far.”

As she watched Nick lead his friend out the door, Victoria caught Tom’s eyes in a sidelong glance and shot him a glare that made him recoil. He suspected his wife’s reaction would be of defiance, hence anger and resentment toward his decision to bring a woman from his past into her house, but he felt it was necessary to insure the boy’s future welfare.

She invited Leah to the living room where she offered a small sherry as a tension-breaker before showing her to her room. Leah accepted, knowing Tom was close, ready to catch her in the event she stumbled and fell before the daunting matriarch.

“Mrs. Barkley I am utterly grateful to your husband for inviting to stay at the ranch. My son and your son have forged a friendship and…well… it was hard saying no when they begged me to agree to come,” she explained diffidently, pausing to gauge Victoria’s reaction.

“I understand,” Victoria said with a contrived smile.

“I can assure you that we will not overstay our welcome.”

Duke was passing by the paddock when he noticed two tuffs of hair barely protruding from above the fence. His knitted brow softened into a smile as two beaming faces admiring the horses fashioned into view.

“You be careful around those horses, ya hear?” he issued mildly, confident that Nick would not allow his friend to step anywhere near the wild mare.

“We won’t. Say Duke I’d like you to meet my new friend. His name’s Heath.”

Duke was mute with stupefaction at the boy’s coloring. He forced a smile to mask his emotion and extended his hand to shake the boy’s. “Nice to meet you, Heath. Are you from around here?”

“No. I live in Strawberry with my mama.”

“Strawberry you say?” Heath nodded, confirming Duke’s suspicion that Heath’s likeness to a young Tom Barkley was far beyond mere coincidences.

“He’s here visiting with his mother,” Nick elaborated.

“You mean Le…I mean…” Duke stammered, briefly chiding himself inwardly for his near blunder before perking himself up, “That’s nice. I hope you like it here.”

“I already do, sir. Thank you.”

Duke walked away, casting a last glance at the boy he feared was to be the catalyst in a scorching family feud.

“Who’s he?”

“That’s Duke. He’s the foreman on the ranch and a very good friend of mine. He let’s me do a lot of work around here. I’m learning to be a rancher just like my dad,” he boasted proudly to his young friend whose adoring eyes spoke volume.

“You’re lucky to be living here with all those great horses.” Heath said absentmindedly as he spotted a bay ambling toward him.

“I wish you could live around here. It’d be fun to play together. Strawberry is a long way off.”

“I know,” he sighed heavily as he held out his hand for the mare, “but I can’t leave my mama. She needs me.”

“I never did ask you. How come you were working in the mines? Ain’t no place for a kid your age.”

“I know how to take care of myself,” Heath snapped at the remark with an unyielding chin and a chest bulging out in defiance.

“Sorry Squirt, I didn’t mean to upset you. But you must admit that you’re kinda young to be working the mines. Heck I am too and I’m much older than you are. My dad would skin me alive if he found me in one of those shafts.”

“She’s nice,” Heath said of the mare sniffing his hand to veer off subject.

“Yeah,” Nick agreed, patting the horse’s neck. “Her name’s Mindy. My father bought her at the same time he bought Champion,” he said wistfully.

“Champion?”

“My horse. I was riding him the other day and he stumbled and fell. Broke his leg and my father had to…,” Nick’s choked up voice faltered at the raw memory surfacing.

Feeling instant compassion for his bereaved friend, Heath reached out to Nick with a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I know how you feel,” Heath sympathized. “It happened to Mister Brewster’s horse at the livery in Strawberry. He didn’t want me to see but I heard the shot. I hated it and cried for a day.”

Nick quickly blinked back his tears and retorted, “I ain’t crying. Just got something in my eye, is all.” Nick’s boldness failed to convince Heath who in spite of his young age had witnessed his share of misfortunes and could relate to Nick’s grief. “Besides my father said he was gonna buy me a new horse.”

“You’re so lucky. I wish I could have my own horse and ride the wind.”

“While you’re here you can pick one and we’ll go riding. What d’ya say?”

“I’ll have to ask my mama.”

“Of course. I’ll need to square it with my father too but I’m sure he’ll say yes.”

Heath’s heart swelled up with ecstasy. Dewy blue eyes filled with profound esteem dwelled on Nick’s hazel. Pursing his lips to suppress an overwhelming emotion threatening to swallow him whole, Heath drew in a deep breath and cried, “You’re the best friend I ever had.” Out of the blue, he threw himself into Nick’s arms and hugged him for all eternity.

Nick’s arms instantly flung around his friend to return the hug tenfold. “And you’re mine, Squirt. Friends forever.”

“Forever.” Heath and Nick hooked fingers and turned their attention back to the horses, unaware that a proud Tom Barkley had witnessed their display of affection.

Later that night after seeing to Leah and Heath’s needs, Tom returned to his room where he braced himself for the storm to hit.

“Everyone’s settled for the night,” he informed meekly as an attempt to allay the palpable tension.

“Why did you invite her here?” came the dreaded question on a sharp accusatory tone.

“She’s the boy’s mother. I couldn’t forbid her to come along with her son.”

“Why ask them to come here?”

“Torie, you should have seen the boy’s face when I told him about the ranch. I simply couldn’t deny him this pleasure. Besides I owe him this much after he nearly died in that mine explosion.”

Victoria silently strode over to her vanity where she sat and paused to ponder her next question. “Who is he, Tom?”

Tom shrugged and aired an innocent look, “What do you mean?”

“He’s Leah’s son, for God’s sake.” she grinded out with a clenched jaw. “What do you take me for, Tom? I’m not blind.” She angrily tossed her head at him, her scorching glare boring into him. “I saw the resemblance. Don’t tell me you haven’t.”

“I swear to you, Torie, I didn’t know about the boy.”

“Of course you didn’t. Otherwise you would have returned to Strawberry.” She closed her eyes to prevent the flood of tears from gushing out. One shuddering breath later she looked up and stared blankly into the mirror. “When you first told me about the affair it never occurred to me that it could have gone this far between the two of you.”

“It was this one time.”

“That will do it,” was all she could muster.

“What do you want me to do?” Tom gnarled in spite of his better judgment. “Throw them out!”

Irked by her husband’s icy tone, Victoria angrily tossed her head aside and glowered at him. “Would you do it if I said yes?” she challenged.

“No, because I know you won’t ask me. That’s why.”

Victoria roused from her chair and drifted to the bed where she sat with her head in her hands. “What are we going to tell the boys?”

“I see no need to tell them.”

She rubbed her strained, teary eyes and sighed heavily. “They are bound to discover the truth sooner or later. Nick is deeply taken with the boy. I suspect he already considers him his little brother.”

Tom came to sit by his wife and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “They are good friends, that’s all they are.”

“What will happen when he returns to Strawberry with his mother?” She asked to gauge his reaction. “Will you let them?” she further implied.

Tom pulled back his arm and stood from the bed, churning over the question as he stepped up to the window. “I asked Leah to stay in Stockton. She said she’d think about it.”

“I see. If it comes to that we’ll have to tell everyone.”

“No one has to know.”

“Tom for Christ sake!” she lashed out at his senselessness. “I saw it! I saw the resemblance. People are bound to ask questions. Some forked tongues will spread rumors like wildfire. I do not wish my children to suffer the consequences,” an embittered Victoria fumed to her remorseful husband. “We’ll have to tell them that Heath is their brother.”

“What?” resounded a choked voice.

“Oh my God,” Victoria lamented upon seeing Nick standing by the door. “Nicolas, come here,” she beckoned the stunned boy who stood transfixed. She stepped over to Nick and clasped his hand. “Come to the bed and we’ll explain.”

“Explain what?”

Victoria turned to Tom to seek moral support in the delicate endeavor she was about to undertake.

“You just said that Heath was my brother? How is that possible?”

“It’s true, son,” a shamed-faced Tom breathed out, his head hanging low in repentance.

“But he has a mother.”

“Leah is his mother, but…” the voice faltered as he cautiously weighed the implications of his next sentence.

A sinking feeling grew in the pit of his stomach as he waited for his father’s explanation that never came. Shocked and confused he turned to his mother, “If you’re not his mother, then…” he turned his attention back to Tom whose doleful expression sadly confirmed his misgiving. “Oh father, how could you!” Nick spluttered angrily. “How could you to this to mother?” Shaking his head in utter repugnance, he slowly stepped back and dashed out the door.

“Nicolas!” Victoria shouted, starting after him only to be grasped by the arm.

“No! I’ll go. I need to do this alone.”

Nick outstripped the wind as far as his legs would carry him. Out of breath he dropped to his knees and pounded the ground with his fists. “How could he do this? How? I hate him! I hate all of them!”

“Well looky here! If it isn’t the little snitch.”

Nick reared up and gasped. “You?”

“Yeah, me.” the man crowed triumphantly, forcefully grabbing Nick’s arm and yanking him to his feet. “Come on, cry baby. You’re coming with me.”

“No!” Nick protested, thrashing about to wrench his arm free from the man’s grip. His efforts only won him a smack in the face.

“Stop it you little skunk!” the man seethed with eyes ablaze. “You’re my bargaining chip and I ain’t gonna lose it. You cost me my job you punk and I aim to get my revenge. So LET’S GO!” Connelly slapped his hand across Nick’s mouth and dragged him kicking and groaning to his horse.

“Mama! Mama!” Heath screamed, springing up in his bed. “Mama!”

Alerted by her son’s cries, Leah started out of sleep and reached for her son. “Heath, son. What is it?” she asked, flustered.

Heath flung her arms around her neck and buried his face in her chest. “Mama, he’s back. The bad man’s back,” he sobbed.

“Heath, darling, you just had a nightmare,” she soothed, rubbing a hand across his back. Seconds later there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”

“What’s wrong?” Victoria asked worriedly.

“Heath just had a nightmare. He’ll be all right.”

Heath peeled his dewy cheeks from her mother’s breast to turn to Victoria perch on the edge of the mattress. “Mrs. Barkley, where is Nick?”

“He’s outside. Why?”

“I have to find him.” Without warning Heath squirmed out of his mother’s hold and slid out of bed. He spotted his pants draped across a chair and slipped them on.

“Heath, no need to go after him,” Victoria tried to reason. “He’s in the yard. My husband’s gone after him.”

“He’s in trouble. The bad man is with him.”

“What is he talking about?” Victoria asked quizzically to Leah who shook her head in dismissal.

“Heath, son, come back to bed. Mama will read you a story.”

“Mama, Nick is in danger,” Heath insisted, the urgency in his voice sending Victoria into a panic.

“I’ll go see if Tom has found him.”

“Can I go with you?”

Victoria’s eyes pleaded with Leah. “May I?” Once she received permission she clasped Heath’s hand and led him out of the room and down the stairs.

Outside they scanned the area for any sign of either Nick or Tom. They covered some ground before spotting Tom walking back toward the barn.

“Tom, where’s Nicolas?”

“That’s a good question. I looked everywhere I could think of.”

“We have to find him!” Victoria shrieked, her arms instinctively enfolding Heath as to protect him.

“He can’t be far away. He was on foot. I’ll saddle a horse and bring two men with me.”

“I think I know where he is,” Heath piped up, surprised that he could know something they didn’t.

“Where?”

Heath shrugged, “Don’t rightly know where it is exactly but I know I can find it.” A look of bafflement displayed on their faces. “He’s with the bad man.”

“What bad man?” Tom queried with distress mounting.

“It’s the man you fired, Tom,” Leah informed.

“Connelly?”

“Heath always feared him and he’s been having nightmares about him.”

“He’s here, mama,” Heath cried, his little hand pulling on her night robe. “He’s here and he took Nick.”

“Tom I believe him. I don’t…I don’t know why but I do,” Victoria stammered in fear, her gray eyes imploring her husband to trust the child’s instincts.

Tom acquiesced by rounding a few good men to join in the search. He sat the boy in the saddle with him and off they went with Heath’s sixth sense guiding their way.

“Sit down!” Connelly roared, ramming a cantankerous Nick on his chair for the umpteenth time. “If you don’t behave I’ll tie you up, you little scum.”

“My father will find me and he’ll beat you hollow. You’ll bite the dirt,” Nick vociferated.

“Those are strong words coming from a scrawny vermin like you,” Connelly goaded the kid whose eyes turned to smoldering embers. “Your old man will pay dearly to have you back. Not that he would want a crybaby like you. I may be doing him a favour, ” he further needled.

Nick started to counter with an insult when he suddenly felt a presence nearby. “Heath,” he whispered to himself. A small curl of lip fashioned into a full bloom satisfied smile. “Attaboy Squirt.”

“What d’ya say?”

“Nothing,” Nick answered meekly, suppressing a chuckle.

At that moment, the door was kicked open, startling Connelly who jumped out of his chair. Tom collared him and rammed his fist into his gut before he had time to reach for his gun. Another sucker punch in the jaw hurled him backward against the wall where he slid to the floor, unconscious.

“Take care of him,” he instructed his two hands.

“Father!” Nick whooped with joy, excitedly throwing himself into his father’s awaiting arms. “I know you’d find me. Heath’s with you, isn’t he?”

Tom was slightly taken aback by Nick’s question. “How do you know?”

“I just do.” Without further explanation Nick dashed out the door and let his sense guide him to his friend waiting anxiously in the company of two ranch hands.

“Heath!”

“Nick!”

Heath released the hand holding his and ran toward Nick. He fell into his arms, huffing and puffing. “Nick, you’re all right.”

“Yeah I am, Squirt. How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“About where to find me?”

“I just did.”

“It’s funny you should that because I don’t know how I knew you were there either. I kind of sensed you were here with father. Weird, isn’t it?”

Heath flung his arms around Nick’s neck and hugged him. “You’re my best friend. I don’t want you to leave me.”

“I’m not, Squirt. Look I’m here.”

“But you won’t always be. Mama and me we’ll have to go back to Strawberry,” he sobbed with a voice cracking with emotions.

The reality of the moment hit Nick like a ton of bricks; his anger towards his father waning as he glanced up at him with teary eyes, pleading for some emboldening words to offer the frightened boy.

“You might never have to leave here, Heath. I’ll have you and your mama stay in Stockton so you can be near the ranch and perhaps go to school with Nick.”

“Oh wow!” Heath exulted with eyes wide as saucers. “I’d like that. Can we, really?”

“We’ll have to ask your mama.”

“She’ll say yes! She’ll say yes!” Heath bounced up and down before clenching Tom’s legs in a tight embrace.

Tom assumed the huge task of convincing both women that the living arrangements would prove salutary for both boys. After much pondering, Leah accepted providing Heath’s parentage remained private. Tom and Victoria complied with her request and even Nick surprisingly managed to hold his tongue as well until Heath reached the age of thirteen when, on her deathbed, Leah revealed the truth. Nick helped smooth the transition from friend to brother when it seemed too much to bear for the young blond.

When war came knocking, Jarrod, Nick and Heath all enrolled in the Army. Heath was later captured and taken to a prison camp. Each morning a small sparrow he called Petey would visit him in his cell, bringing with him hopes of a better tomorrow when he would be reunited with his family.