The following morning each of the Barkley family members slowly gathered in the dining room for breakfast. It was apparent on each face that neither Barkley had much sleep.

“Well I see all of you look as bad as I feel.” Victoria commented to her children seated around the table while she entered the dining room.

“Good Morning Mother,” Nick got up from his seat and gave his mother a bear hug followed by a kiss.

“Good Morning Nick. Thank you. Good Morning Audra, Jarrod.” Victoria returned her son’s affection and then took her seat at the opposite end of the table from Jarrod.

“Good Morning Mother.” Jarrod and Audra both replied.

“I think it’s best that we just treat today as any other day. If…if Heath shows up we will talk…but if he doesn’t…then we must carry on.” Victoria tried to speak with authority but she didn’t feel what she was saying.

“Well I need to get that bridge fixed today. The peaches were picked yesterday and delivered to meet the contract in time, thank goodness. We have to get those horses broke for the Army contract. Not to mention the cattle drive in May that needs preparations made.” Nick rambled on the immediate concerns of the ranch in hopes of quickly changing the topic.

“I have to prepare for the Litton case. It’s going to be a big case and I fear the publicity will be all over it.”

“Well, Pappy, are you going to bring Rosa here while the case is going on so you won’t be away from her for too long?” Nick teased.

“Well Brother Nick…”

“Stop it! Just stop acting like last night never happened,” Audra cried.

“Audra…”

“I’m sorry Mother, but I can’t pretend last night didn’t happen. Whether Heath comes today or not I can’t pretend.”

“None of us can sweetheart,” Victoria’s words pierced Audra in the heart, as she knew her mother was talking about the affair.

“Oh Mother! I’m sorry!”

“I know, dear, I know.”

“Well I for one am not going to let that boy change anything for me! If he doesn’t want to live here then fine! I’m not going to think about him.” Nick tried to cover up what he was really thinking and feeling.

“How can you say that? He’s your brother!”

“Well, little sister, he’s not here now is he?”

Before Audra and Nick could continue their argument a knock at the door made everyone jump. Everyone froze in their seats as they waited to see who was at the door.

Duke and Hattie McCall were sitting on their front porch drinking a cup of coffee together when they saw Heath ride up to the barn. Duke got up and met Heath as he dismounted from his horse.

“Good Morning Heath. I’m glad you came back,” Duke smiled as he reached out his hand to the young man.

“Thank ya Duke,” Heath returned the handshake.

“Why don’t you go on into the house, I’ll take care of your horse for you.”

“I should…”

“Go on. No need to procrastinate any longer.” Duke smiled and paused, seeing the hesitation on the young man’s face “they’re good people, son, real good people.”

“I know.” Heath sighed and gathered his saddlebags before giving the reins to Duke and turning to head for the big white house. Heath hesitated before knocking and then Silas opened the door.

“Uh…Howdy, I’m Heath Thomson and I’m here to see Mrs. Barkley.”

“Come in Mr. Heath.” Silas left and then soon returned, “Mrs. Barkley said to wait in the library and she’ll be right with you.”

“Thank you,” Heath followed Silas to the library where he removed his hat and began playing with it.

“Would you like me to take your things, Mr. Heath?”

“I’d like to keep ‘em, Mr.?”

“Silas,” Silas walked out of the room and left Heath alone. Heath looked around the massive room and his eyes caught Tom Barkley’s portrait above the mantle. He jumped when he heard the library door open. Turning around he saw Mrs. Barkley and all of her children enter and he became even more nervous.

“Heath, I’m glad you decided to come.” Victoria shook Heath’s hand.

“Thank ya for invitin’ me, Mrs. Barkley.”

“Heath, I believe you’ve met everyone but let me officially introduce you. This is Jarrod.”

“Heath, it’s a pleasure.” Jarrod and Heath shook hands and when Jarrod smiled at him Heath became a little more relaxed as he looked into his brother’s comforting ocean blue eyes.

“This is Nick.”

“Hello.” When they shook hands Heath could feel the strong hand of his brother’s. He felt something else in that handshake but he wasn’t sure exactly what it was. For a moment the hazel eyes and blue eyes were able to see into each other’s souls.

“This is Audra.”

“Hello Heath,” Audra didn’t bother shaking Heath’s hand, instead she embraced him with a hug. Shocked by the embrace, Heath smiled as he returned the hug.

“Now why don’t we take a seat? Heath, sit by me here on the sofa?” Victoria sat down and directed Heath to sit beside her. As he sat down Heath placed his saddlebags near his feet. Audra sat on the other side of Heath, while Nick and Jarrod both took a chair and moved them in front of the sofa. Heath felt overwhelmed and trapped by the surrounding of this new family of his. He stared down at his hat and began playing with it. His hands stopped their movements when a small hand touched his callused hands.

“Heath, would you like to have Silas take your things for you?”

“No Ma’am, I’d like to keep ‘em if that’s all right?”

“That’s fine,” Victoria smiled at the nervousness; he was so much like his father.

“Heath, maybe we should start with you telling us a bit about yourself?”

“What do ya wanna know?”

“Whatever you’d like to tell us.” Victoria encouraged, “Why don’t we start with your birthday, when were you born?”

“I’m 20 years old…I was born in Strawberry on May 8th.”

“Oh you have a birthday coming up, that’s fabulous.” Audra smiled as she tried to calm her new brother. Heath turned and smiled at her.

“When’s your birthday?” Heath quietly asked Audra.

“September 15th, we’re only two years apart.”

“Do you have any other family, Heath?” Jarrod asked

“My Aunt Rachel and Aunt Hannah.” Heath smiled and the love shone brightly in his eyes as he spoke of the ladies.

“Your Mother’s sisters?” Victoria asked.

“No they aren’t really my Aunts, I just call ‘em that. They were the closest to family I had and so it seemed appropriate. Aunt Rachel used to be a schoolteacher and she became a close friend with my Mama. Aunt Hannah is a former slave who came to know ‘em and became part of their little family.”

“Do you have any other family?” Audra asked him.

“Uncle Matt and Aunt Martha…my Mama’s brother…but I’d rather not talk about ‘em.” Heath’s tone of disgust was apparent to everyone.

“That’s fine, Heath.” Victoria wondered why he didn’t want to talk about them. “What was your childhood like?” Victoria really wanted to know and she became concerned by Heath’s hesitancy.

“It’s not a happy story, Ma’am.”

“That’s all right, Heath, if you don’t mind I’d like to hear it.” Victoria braced herself for what she would hear. Everyone in the room held their breath.

“I started workin’ in the mines when I was six years old. When I was nine years old I got a second job workin’ in the livery stables. That’s where I started workin’ with horses. Always loved ‘em but never could have one as a child so workin’ in the livery was the closest I came to having one. When I was 14 I left Strawberry.” Heath paused and then grinned, “That’s the short version.”

“Did you go to school?” Victoria realized he wasn’t ready for the long version of his life so she didn’t press him.

“No Ma’am. My Aunt Rachel taught me how to read and write. I’m not really good at it but I know enough to get by.”

“But why didn’t you go to school?” Audra’s innocence didn’t allow her to grasp the reason for her brother not going to school. Heath didn’t want to break her heart with the reason but he knew they wouldn’t let it go.

“The town decided it was for the best.”

“But why would they do such a thing?” Victoria, Jarrod and Nick knew what Heath meant but still Audra’s innocence didn’t allow her to understand.

“They didn’t want a bastard to be associated with their Christian children.” Realizing there was no easy way to say it Heath decided he would be blunt but Audra’s reaction made him regret it. Audra’s hands flew to her mouth as she gasped and then tears formed in her eyes.

“It’s probably best that way, Ma’am,” Heath smiled at Audra. “At least I didn’t have to worry about those stupid tests and readin’ out loud like the other kids had to.” Audra laughed and then put her hand on his. She realized what he was doing.

“Call me Audra, Heath. I’m your sister!” She playfully slapped his arm and the look of happiness returned to her eyes and he bashfully smiled at her.

“Yes, Ma’am…I mean Audra,” Everyone laughed and Heath blushed.

“What did you do after leaving Strawberry?” Jarrod asked as he puffed on his cigar and leaned back in his chair.

“A lot of stuff. I was a deputy, a scout for the Indians, worked in a rodeo in Mexico, worked on some ranches.” Everyone’s eyebrows were raised as Heath rattled off his various jobs. He was just a kid!

“When did you find out who your father was?” Jarrod continued to quiz his new brother, and everyone in the room heard the lawyer voice but Heath.

“Less than a month ago.”

“What happened less than a month ago?”

“My Mama died two days after Christmas. Before she died she showed me a newspaper clippin’ on Tom Barkley. Before I could ask her if he was my father she had died.”

“Is that clipping what made you come here?”

“No.”

“Then what did?”

“My Aunt Rachel told me what happened between ‘em.”

”What did she say?” Jarrod urged on.

“Heath, I would like to apologize for my son. Sometimes he forgets he isn’t in a courtroom.” Victoria glared at Jarrod before turning her attention back to Heath. “You’re not entitled to answer that question, Heath.”

“It’s all right Mrs. Barkley I understand where Jarrod’s comin’ from,” Heath saw the glare Victoria gave Jarrod and he felt guilty for it, because he did understand.

“I would like to answer Jarrod’s question. Actually that is why I came here today.” Heath stared at Victoria, “I thought maybe if I told ya what happened it might offer you some comfort.”

“All right Heath, if that’s what you would like.” Victoria braced herself. She never knew what really happened between her husband and Leah Thomson. Part of her wanted to know what happened, but another part of her didn’t. However, she was curious at his comment that it might offer her comfort.

“Your husband owned the mine in Strawberry and came for business. He was robbed and beaten outside of the saloon. Everything was taken, his money and anything that might have told who he was. His clothes were torn and tattered.”

“My Mama brought him back to her cabin and nursed him back to health. When he woke up he had no memory of who he was. The only thing on him was his wallet that had the name ‘Thomas’ on it so that is what they called him. He and my Mama fell in love. My Mama had never been with a man before and she thought he was the one she would spend the rest of her life with.”

“Aunt Rachel was the first to realize his memory started returnin’ and confronted him about it. He admitted everything. He had a wife named Victoria and they just lost a son, Charles, who was six months old from the fever and he had two sons ages three and eight.”

“Aunt Rachel made him tell my Mama what happened and when he told her she punched him in the jaw,” Heath chuckled at the thought. “He tried to apologize and say that he didn’t mean to hurt her but she wouldn’t listen to him. He told her he would do anything for her and told her to just let him know then he left and never came back.”

Heath looked down and played with his hat as he told the story. Everyone in the room could tell that Heath was reciting the story as told to him but there was void of emotion in his words. Everyone was stunned by what they had heard. Victoria and Audra were both crying. Victoria realized her husband never intentionally set out to betray her.

“He didn’t tell me about the amnesia,” Victoria choked. “I’m sorry about your Mother, Heath. Did…did he know…did she tell him…about you?”

“No, Ma’am, he never knew about me. He wrote her a letter but she never answered him back.” Heath grabbed his saddlebags and his trembling hands dug inside for the letter. With the letter in his hands he gave it to Victoria.

“I thought…if ya wanted I mean…he was your husband. I think ya have the right to know what it says.” Heath fumbled on his words and Victoria could see he was having a hard time with this.

“Thank you, Heath. If you’re sure.”

“I am Mrs. Barkley.”

Taking the letter Victoria gasped at her husband’s writing of Leah’s name on the envelope. “I think I’ll read this later, if that is all right?”

“That’s fine.”

“I think this is enough interrogation for awhile Heath,” Victoria smiled, “if you don’t have any questions maybe you would like to get settled?”

“Uh…” Heath paused causing a silence to envelope the room, “just a couple questions Ma’am”

“All right.”

“Do I…uh…do I look like him? I mean your husband?”

“Yes Heath you look like him,” Victoria answered.

Audra reached to the side table and took the photo of the previous night and handed it to Heath, “This is father and mother right after they were married, Heath. Standing with them in the photo is father’s brother, Uncle John and his wife Aunt Ellen.”

Staring at the photo with a man who looked like him staring back caused Heath to gasp. “I’m so sorry,” Heath’s words were just above a whisper.

“Heath, what are you sorry for?” Victoria was confused.

“What looking at me must do to ya?”

“I admit it was a shock at first but it’s not your fault, Heath.”

“But to have your husband’s bastard son look so much like him.”

“HEATH!” Victoria snapped as she turned Heath’s face to look at her, “Don’t you ever call yourself that again in my presence! I hate that word!” Victoria calmed herself and continued, “The upset over you looking like my husband has nothing to do with the circumstances of your birth. The resemblance makes me remember him more, which is not a bad thing. So I don’t want you to apologize. All right?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Heath, you said you had two questions, what was the other?” Audra curiously asked.

“Mrs. Barkley, what did ya mean about me getting’ settled?”

“Well, I thought by you coming here meant you were going to stay here.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I just came to tell ya what happened. To give ya’ll a peace of mind about him.”

“Why not stay here? This is your home, Heath. As I told you last night, all of Tom Barkley’s children deserve the same thing. Living here is part of that.”

“But I don’t want my presence to upset anybody.” Heath stood up and began for the door. “Nobody was supposed to be any wiser of who I was. This isn’t how this was suppose to be.”

“Heath?” Audra’s sweet voice caused Heath to stop and turn around to look at her, “I want a chance to get to know my brother. Please stay, Heath.”

“I would also like to get to know you, Heath,” Jarrod piped in.

Victoria watched her children with pride. Silence engulfed the room causing Jarrod and Audra to turn and glare at their brother Nick. The family was puzzled about Nick's unusual silence during Heath's homily. They knew of Nick's almost godlike hero worship of his father and worried how Nick would react. Fidgeting in his seat under the intense glares Nick mumbled, “Yeah you seem to have experience on ranches and your work yesterday was impressive. I could use another good man around the ranch.”

“Well, Heath, we want you to stay. Do you want to stay?” Victoria asked hoping to break the tension Nick’s comment caused.

Heath stood in the doorway of the library looking down watching his hands play with the rim of his hat. He wasn’t sure what to do. He couldn’t believe they wanted him to stay. Were they aware of the consequences?

“Do ya’ll know what will happen if I stay here? The talk from the ranch hands and the town will be fierce. I’m use to the talk, but ya’ll ain’t.”

“Heath, this family has never backed down from something because of the fear from what others would say.”

“But the talk won’t just be about me, it’ll also be about each of ya.”

“And your father.” Victoria knew what would happen, her husband’s good name would be put to the test. “There will be people in this town thrilled to tear down Tom Barkley’s name. But that doesn’t mean we’ll turn our backs on anyone in this family. If Tom was alive today he wouldn’t turn his back on you because of what people would say, and neither will we.”

“Don’t let others decide your future for you, Heath!” Victoria walked over and stood in front of Heath and put her right hand under his chin to make him look at her. “I know you want to be a part of this family. At least try. If it’s not what you want and you feel like you should leave then you can leave but at least try it.”

When Victoria touched his face and looked him in the eye the feeling Heath had felt the night before was there again. There was something about this woman that seemed to make Heath feel like he was somebody special. He never wanted to disappoint this woman. Tom Barkley’s widow the person who became his biggest supporter. Who ever would have thought?

Heath flashed a smile at Victoria, “All right, Mrs. Barkley, I’ll try.”

“Good.” Victoria returned Heath’s smile and began walking with him out to the foyer and up the stairs. “Now, let us go get you settled. You can choose whichever room you would like.”

Audra, not wanting to miss out on making Heath feel welcomed, quickly followed her mother and new brother up the stairs. She would join Heath on his search for his room and be there to let him know he had her support.

“I’m going to go outside and check with Duke to see how the men are doing.” Nick stood up and walked out the door leaving Jarrod in the library by himself. In truth it was only an excuse, he needed to be by himself to think about all that had transpired.

Jarrod picked up the photo of his parents and shook his head. He still couldn’t believe how everything in his life had changed in only one day.

After looking at all the rooms, Heath felt dizzy. This house was bigger than a hotel! Granted he had never been in a big fancy hotel before but he had heard about them. This house would put those hotels he heard about to shame. The rooms were massive, bigger than the little cabin he and his Mama lived in. But it was the last room on the search that caught his attention.

The room was smaller than the others were and it was apparent to Heath that Mrs. Barkley wouldn’t have chosen it for him. But he loved it, and it was the type of room he always dreamed of having. The room was beside Nick’s bedroom and the water closet and was, in Heath’s mind, still a large room. Once you walked into the room on the wall to the right side had a fireplace, a dresser and a chair that sat beside the window. To the left side there was a large closet and a nightstand beside the big brass bed that sat in the middle of the room. On the other side of the large bed was a roll top desk and chair.

Victoria knew this was the room Heath wanted. He stood in this room longer and surveyed everything in the room. “I’d like this room, Mrs. Barkley.”

“Heath, are you sure you don’t want one of the larger rooms?” Victoria had to try, she felt he deserved one of the larger rooms and wanted him to know she felt that way.

“To be honest, Ma’am, I’d need a map to find my way around one of those rooms.” Heath blushed when he heard Audra giggle. “Please, Mrs. Barkley, this room is still large enough. It’s even larger then the cabin my Mama had.”

“All right Heath. If this is the room you want then you can have this one.”

“Thank ya.” Heath laid his saddlebags on the bed and sat down marveling at the comfort in his new bed. He never sat on a finer bed in his entire life and he tried to imagine what it would feel like to sleep on it. Heath ran his fingers over the checkered quilt that graced the bed and smiled.

Victoria and Audra shared a look as they watched Heath marvel at the bed. A pain filled their heart at the thought of how much this young man had lost out on. Victoria sat down on the bed beside Heath, “Is everything all right? Is there anything I can get you?”

“No Ma’am,” Heath smiled and looked at her, “everything’s perfect.”

“All right. Well Audra and I will leave you be and let you get settled.” Victoria stood up and took Audra by the arm.

“I’ll see you later, Heath,” Audra smiled.

“See ya later,” Heath smiled back at her.

Victoria and Audra left the room and closed the door behind them. As they began walking downstairs Audra spoke quietly to her Mother, “Mother, Heath has had a rough life. I’m glad he’s staying here.”

“Me too, sweetheart.” Victoria smiled as she put her arm around her daughter and brought her into a hug before walking back to the library. Jarrod was sitting behind the desk trying to attempt some paperwork while Nick stood looking into the fireplace with his mind faraway in thought. Both men looked at the ladies when they came into the room.

“How did it go?” Jarrod asked as he looked up at the ladies.

“He picked the room beside Nick’s,” Audra smiled as she sat down on the sofa.

“That room is smaller than the rest. Why that one?” Nick asked suspiciously.

Audra giggled as she explained, “He said he’d need a map to find his way around the other rooms.”

“What’s he doing right now?” Jarrod asked.

“He’s getting settled,” Victoria answered.

“Well we have to find some way to control the gossip that will fill this town when they find out. Maybe I’ll take him to town…”

“What do you want to do, Pappy? Display him for the entire town like a circus show?!” Nick growled.

“No Nick but Heath is right and we are in for some rough times. If we can prevent some of that…”

“You can’t prevent it Jarrod,” Victoria smiled, “the town will talk.”

“Well I would like to try. Not to mention we have to get him an account at the bank and talk to the ranch hands. Plus he needs to go shopping for new clothes.”

“Can’t that wait? Give the boy some room to breathe! Hell give us all room to breathe!” Nick gave an exasperated sigh, “All I’m interested in is how much that boy knows about ranch work! I think I’ll go get him and see if he wants to help me fix the bridge that collapsed yesterday.” Nick stormed out of the room and up the stairs.

“Nick’s right Jarrod. We all need time to adjust to all of this. This is only the first day. Let’s take it one day at a time all right?” Victoria smiled at her eldest son. She knew he was thinking what was best for the family but she also knew that sometimes his way could be a little overwhelming. Knowing Heath was already skittish she feared Jarrod’s way would run him off.

Nick bounded up the stairs and forcefully knocked on Heath’s door. Hearing a “Come in” Nick opened the door to find Heath trying to open the window.

“Here let me get that for you.” Nick walked over and began to push the window open. “These windows are old and very tricky to open. They’re the ones that were put in when father built the house. We were going to replace them but never got around to doing it.”

With one more forceful push the window came open with a loud creak, “There you go. You sure you want this open? The nights get really cold.”

“Yeah, I like an open window when I sleep.” Heath sighed as he felt the outside breeze across his face, releasing the tension that was building when he feared the window wouldn’t open.

Somehow sensing the blond’s thoughts, Nick grinned knowingly, “You’re claustrophobic aren’t you?”

“Huh? Claustro…what?”

“Claustrophobic! It means you don’t like closed places.”

“Yeah,” Heath smiled, “that’s me. I didn’t know there was a name for it.”

“Those fancy city doctors give names to everything. Makes ‘em feel special,” Nick grinned at his own joke.

Heath smiled back. “Guess they need to feel all that money they make is worth it, huh?”

Both men shared a laugh and then Nick asked, “If you’re all settled, would you like to do some work? We got that bridge that collapsed on us yesterday and I wondered if you wanted to help me repair it.”

“I’d like that,” Heath smiled.

“Good, let’s go!” Nick smacked Heath on the back and then both men walked out of the room descending the back stairs that went to the kitchen.

...Continued