That night, after dinner, everyone sat on the front porch, enjoying the sunset. The point of discussion? The fishing bet.

Jarrod, the consummate diplomat started the debate. “I think that each of us should pick a spot on the lake and stay for a period of time. The winner will be the one who comes back with the largest fish.”

Nick frowned. “How much time?”

“How much time do you need?” Audra asked. She flashed him an innocent look. “I don’t know about you incompetent fishermen, but I won’t need much time at all.”

Nick’s frown turned into a smile. Audra will surely be surprised when she tried to put together her fishing pole only to find a much-needed piece was missing. He had finally found Heath’s rod, too.

“Well, then, how much time do you want to say?” Nick asked his little sister.

“How about 3 hours? Will that you give you enough time to lose?” Audra almost crooned.

“Y’all take too long in fishin’. I only need half that time.” Heath countered. His fishing pole was still tucked away, safe from all the looters. At least he hoped so. Nick was awfully sneaky when he wanted to be.

“An hour and a half?” Jarrod exclaimed. “That’s it?”

“That’s all I need, big brother.”

“Fine with me,” said Nick.

“I want at least 3 hours,” Audra stated firmly. “I hate to rush greatness.”

“I think Audra’s right. Three hours is definitely more like it.” Jarrod didn’t want to rush his afternoon either. It was going to take him 3 hours just to get himself set up.

“Does anyone want my opinion?” asked Eugene.

Four voices spoke as one. “No!” Eugene sat back, a large scowl on his face. He had come into this bet without any idea of how or why it got started. He didn’t even like to fish.

Victoria interjected. “Since it’s a tie, I’ll break it. The contest will last from 9am until noon. It’s up to you to figure out how much time you need to get to your specific location. Now, enough of that. I expect large fish from each of you with all this bravado talk.”

Nick smiled. His pole was untouched (or so he thought). And he knew of the perfect spot. Jarrod smiled. His pole was untouched (or so he thought). And he knew of the perfect spot. Audra smiled. Her pole was untouched (or so she thought). And she knew of the perfect spot. Heath smiled. His poled was untouched (or so he thought). And since he had never been here before, he hoped he could find the perfect spot. Eugene frowned. He remained impassive. He didn’t even know if his pole was packed. And he didn’t know of any good spot.

Victoria chuckled under her breath. She knew that each pole had been sabotaged. What a day it will be tomorrow!

The Fishing Contest

The day of the fishing contest had finally arrived. Two months in the making, one would think that each of these great fishermen (or fisherpersons) would have checked their equipment thoroughly before starting out.

One would think…. Jarrod

Jarrod trudged up to where he and his father used to fish years ago. He loved this spot – shady and sunny at the same time. Perfect for trout fishing. Cutthroat trout is what he and his father used to catch here. Jarrod did his homework – he was prepared for this particular fishing adventure. He had a new rod and reel for spin fishing, lures and weights. Since he didn’t like to wade in the water, he opted for this method over fly-fishing.

Jarrod set up his camp for the morning. Blanket, cigars, scotch, book. All set. He took a moment to enjoy the early morning sun and looked at his watch. Five minutes to nine. He and his father were always successful at this particular fishing hole, so he didn’t even think that he wouldn’t walk away with some type of catch. Since cutthroats could average 8 lbs as adults, he was hoping to catch at least a six-pounder.

Jarrod pulled out his fishing pole and started to put it together. As he checked the pole several times, he realized that the small middle piece that held both larger pieces together was missing. He checked the bag several times until he knew what had happened.

“NICK!” he growled under his breath.

Eugene

Eugene dragged himself over to a nearby rock and almost threw down his equipment. How did he get into this anyway? They made this ridiculous bet while he was at school and didn’t even bother to ask him if he wanted to participate or not. He hated fishing. He really didn’t like the outdoors, which is why he attended the university.

Oh, well, he thought. Might as well make the best of it. He laid down his blanket and supplies that Nick had graciously provided. He also unpacked his snack bag that his mother packed for him. Delicious….muffins and fruit. He finished eating and thought he might as well give this fishing thing a try. Wouldn’t it be great to come back with the winning fish? He smiled for the first time and decided to put some enthusiasm into it.

Eugene sat and took out the fishing pole pieces and started putting it together. As his thoughts went back to a paper that he was doing at school, he didn’t even realize that he wasted the entire fishing time trying to put a rod together that was missing three pieces. When it finally dawned on him that the pole had been tinkered with, he threw down the equipment and stood up.

“Damn you, Nick!! I could have been reading instead!!” God, he hated the outdoors!!

Heath

Heath was instructed that his fishing spot was within close proximity to the lodge, so he really didn’t have too much choice of where to fish. It was either accept this small compromise to the fishing bet or not participate at all. His injury still caused him discomfort, and he continued to have trouble walking long distances. With these thoughts in mind, he opted to stay close to the lodge.

He didn’t mind, though. He was able to catch fish almost anywhere he went. Survival many times had him relying on his ability to find food even in the most remote places. A lake filled with trout should be easy.

Heath brought with him a pot of coffee that Victoria brewed for him that morning, and some hot biscuits. His appetite was still a point of contention with his mother, so he graciously took the offered breakfast. His digestion still required him to eat in small amounts.

He put down his blanket and supplies and sat for a minute admiring the scene before him. Boy howdy, was this an excellent view! In all his dreams, he never imagined himself to be part of something so incredible.

Heath took out his pole and started to put it together. As he tried to fit the top and bottom pieces together, he noticed that the small ring that held them together was missing. He took a quick look in the sack he kept the rod in, but already knew it wasn’t there.

Nick! That sneak.

Heath smiled. But he had a trick or two up his sleeve, too.

Audra

Audra found herself walking toward a spot that she and Jarrod had picnicked last summer. He had told her it would also be a good place to fish because the area of water had both sunny and shady areas. Audra was glad that Jarrod chose a different spot, especially since this was the only one she knew.

As she laid out her blanket and set down her supplies, Audra contemplated the worst part of fishing. Baiting the hook. She looked into the bucket that held the worms she dug up the previous evening. Yuck. Absolutely, worms had to be the most disgusting creatures on this earth. But determined to win the bet, she began to pick out a big, fat worm for her hook.

She grimaced as she wound the worm around the hook. …gag….Audra prayed she wouldn’t throw up all over her fishing rod.

She placed the hook down and went to put together the rod that was in her bag. She had a feeling that the boys would try to incapacitate her gear, so she had packed a backup rod and reel just in case. True to form the rod that she placed in the wagon was definitely missing some pieces. Audra reached for the other bag, cleverly marked as ‘hats,’ and pulled out a brand new rod and reel.

Unfortunately, this rod and reel was also missing the crucial middle piece. She almost threw up her breakfast for nothing.

“Nick!!! I’m gonna get you!”

Nick

The strong rancher strode to his favorite fishing place, quite a distance from the lodge. His spot was probably the farthest, but was also the best. Cutthroat trout is what he was after in this fabulous lake; this lake had been a part of his childhood, and a very special part of his time with his late father. It held dear memories, and now this year, it was going to hold one more.

Nick was determined to win this bet. He thought back to that morning when Heath brought up the idea of having a fishing contest. Heath. The thought of his little brother brought a wide smile to the handsome face. Heath had not only fit into the Barkley family structure, he actually enhanced it. The quiet man brought with him a sense of fulfillment to the sad family unit. The loss of Tom Barkley was filled with the arrival of his unknown son; and their lives were all the richer for it.

He had finally found his younger brother’s rod cleverly hidden amongst his mother’s household items. It had taken awhile, but he had persevered in order to find the blond’s equipment and doctor things up a bit. Won’t he be surprised, right about now, Nick surmised, as he settled in to put his rod together? Hah! The bet was his! Between the pieces he took from Jarrod’s, Audra’s and Heath’s rods, he could almost make another one for himself! After all, no one said anything about tinkering with the equipment in the rules. In fact, nobody even mentioned rules.

Looking over the lake, he tried to picture where each of his siblings had camped out. He knew Heath had to be close to the lodge, but Audra, Eugene and Jarrod could be anywhere. He wished he could see their faces as they tried to put their rods together.

Nick spread his blanket down, but didn’t plan on sitting on it. He had brought waders with him. Nick planned to wade to where he knew the fish liked to hide. He had taken the time this morning to catch some small minnows. The big rancher was after the largest trout the lake had to offer, and he knew they loved to eat fresh fish. He planned to cast a mudder minnow on a fast sinking line, just like he remembered his father teaching him.

He knew that Jarrod would try and damage his rod, just like he did to Jarrod’s, so he was very happy to pack a second rod and reel hidden carefully amongst his sister’s dresses. That’s when he had found his sister’s backup fishing gear.

Finishing up his pole and bait, Nick placed it down to put on his waders. He picked his way to a section of the shore line that he knew would be perfect for his quarry and carefully stepped into the lake, wading in thigh deep.

As Nick found his footing, he cast out his line. As he did so, the top of his rod came off and flew into the lake along with his hooked bait. What the hell!? At the same time, he felt a steady stream of cold water enter his boots.

If steam could actually come out of a person’s ears, Nick Barkely would have accomplished that feat on this beautiful, sunny morning.

“JARROD!!!!! HEATH!!!!”

Victoria

Victoria could swear that she heard several bellows coming across the lake in different directions as she rocked gently on the lodge’s front porch. She threw back her head and laughed out loud. She knew that each of the boys had been sneaking around the house and barn looking for each other’s equipment. Poor Audra, she thought. Poor Eugene. Audra was getting introduced to the fine art of tomfoolery, Barkley boys’ style. Eugene should have known better.

She wondered if any of them had actually bothered to double check their equipment prior to leaving for the lodge.

From the sounds emanating across the lake, she didn’t think so. Good thing that Silas packed plenty of food. Fish may not be on the menu tonight, she thought.

Conclusion and Epilogues
The Winner

The five Barkley contestants returned one by one to the lodge at the appointed time. They each had a very memorable morning fishing, or not fishing as it were, with sabotaged equipment.

Victoria, smartly dressed in a pair of black trousers and a soft pink blouse, stood on the porch precisely at noon. Her best guess would have her blond son returning first, and her second son returning last.

She wasn’t wrong.

Heath, who knew how to fish without a rod and reel, was the first to return to the lodge. He walked slowly up from where he camped carrying a string of trout, each one averaging 6 lbs. His blue eyes twinkled and his blond hair gleamed in the afternoon sun, as he greeted his mother on the front porch. He held up his catch for the matriarch to see as he limped to the top of the stairs, and gingerly sat down with a grunt.

“Congratulations, sweetheart!” Victoria exclaimed. “It looks like you were successful.”

The tired cowboy leaned back against the railing post and heaved a sigh. “Between you and me, Mother, I was lucky.”

“Lucky that you had another way to fish besides your rod?” Victoria’s voice indicated she knew the subterfuge that had occurred.

Heath looked sheepish as he gave his mother a lopsided grin. “How did you know?”

“There isn’t much that goes on in our home that I don’t know,” the lady of the house explained. “Silas, too,” she added wistfully.

Victoria noticed that he was still slightly out of breath. “Are you okay, son?”

“I’m okay. Just a little tired is all.”

Victoria was about to suggest he take a nap after lunch, when they both noticed the eldest brother walking down the trail, his shirt tails lightly flapping in the breeze. He carried his rod in one hand, and an empty string in the other.

Jarrod saw Heath resting against the porch railing with a fine catch, and shook his head as he inwardly laughed. His newest brother had a penchant for surprises.

“Well, Brother Heath. It appears that, so far, you are the winner.” Jarrod climbed the stairs and sat down across from his blond sibling.

“Didn’t catch even one, Counselor?”

“Not a one. But I did have an absolutely beautiful morning in blessed solitude.” Heath nodded in understanding, and noticed that Jarrod did indeed have a serene look on his face, not realizing it was largely due to his brother’s alcohol tainted breakfast.

Jarrod looked up at his mother. “And how are you fairing, lovely lady?”

“Wonderful, thank you. Too bad about your lack of fish, sweetheart.” Victoria delivered a mock pout.

“It happens to the best of us, Mother.” Jarrod winked his eye and held up his broken fishing rod. Everyone chuckled at the unspoken truth.

The next sibling to return was Audra, who sported a pale face and a queasy stomach. From the opposite direction that Jarrod had returned, she shuffled down the trail to the lodge mumbling under her breath and holding her arms across her stomach. Those worms!! Just the mere thought of baiting another hook was causing her to experience waves of fresh nausea.

“Where are your fish, honey?” Jarrod asked sweetly. Victoria raised her eyebrow as Heath tried to hide his smile.

“In the lake!” The only Barkley daughter stomped up the stairs and plopped unceremoniously into a chair. “I hate fishing! And I’m not too keen on a certain brother right now, either!”

“What happened, sweetheart?” Victoria again feigned innocence.

“Nothing….but worms.”

“Worms?”

“Not now, Mother. My stomach is still churning.” Audra became indignant. “And stop laughing. It’s not funny!”

“Not if you say so,” Heath said, as they group tried to stifle their laughter.

The youngest Barkley also stomped up the lodge’s porch stairs, and threw down his broken equipment at his mother’s feet.

“Big brothers,” he said with a tight face, “can be big pains. Did you know that, Mother?”

Victoria turned to Heath, who was suddenly interested in a nearby tree branch. Jarrod put his hands in his pockets, and started whistling a tune, while concentrating on his shoes. Audra started giggling, but stopped when her stomach growled.

“Why would you say something like that, Eugene?” At this point, Victoria was at her wit’s end to keep from laughing out loud.

“Why?! Why?! Because someBODY graciously set me up with a broken rod to fish with, that’s why! And that someBODY is an older brother!”

Eugene was red with fury. He flopped down on the steps below his other two brothers, trying to dissipate his anger. “So, who’s winning so far?”

“So far, Heath is the only one to return with any fish, regardless of size,” Jarrod explained. He knew that Nick had provided a broken rod to Eugene. Poor kid. He needs to smarten up.

Last to walk up to the lodge was the second eldest son. Nick returned in his usual black garb, but soaking wet. After quite a bit of searching, he was able to find the broken piece of fishing rod that he unwittingly cast into the water, and had actually snagged (and lost) a few very large fish. He ditched the waders since he was already soaked through, and found that he was having the time of his life fishing in the lake of his boyhood years.

Nick’s booming smile took everyone by surprise as he walked half-way up the stairs to the lodge and paused, showing off his one fish….a cutthroat trout that measured an incredible 11 lbs.

“Boy howdy, Nick, you’ve got a real winner there! How did you do it?”

“How did I do it? Heath, I think you mean, how did I win with a broken rod and wader boots that had holes in them the size of the Grand Canyon?”

“Your rod was broken? Really?” Aquamarine eyes twinkled with merriment.

“Don’t play innocent with me, Jarrod! You know what you did!”

“And you know what you did, Nick Barkley! I baited my hook and…everything…just to find out that my rod was missing a piece!” Audra still thought she might be sick.

Nick’s face feigned shock.

“My rod didn’t work right either, Nick. Care to explain why I wasted my time this morning?” Eugene was still livid.

Again, Nick tried to give a look of innocence.

“Brother Nick, my rod was also mysteriously sabotaged. Did you have anything to do with that?” Jarrod wasn’t feeling any pain, and really didn’t care at this point if he won or not. Scotch was wonderful.

“And my rod was also missing the middle ring. Now, how do ya suppose that happened?” Heath smiled.

The tall rancher raised his hands in protection. “Hey, I didn’t mess with everyone’s rod. I think that Jarrod and Heath also had something to do with missing and broken pieces and holes in boots?” Nick looked ready to pounce.

Heath and Jarrod looked at each and burst out laughing. “That we did brother, that we did!” Now that the truth was out, it was pretty funny.

“I think the next time we set out to have a contest of sorts, we need to have some ground rules, too.” Audra was not happy. Not only did she lose, but Nick had won. That made her stomach turn even more. Fence post digging was not her favorite pastime.

“I agree with that,” Victoria declared. “Each of you boys, with the exception of Eugene, spent more time slinking around the house trying to ruin each other’s chances when you could have spent more time on strategy. Next time, at least let Audra in on the game.”

“By the way, Heath, good hiding spot for your rod. Took me a long time to find it.”

“Thanks, Nick. Yours was easy to find.”

“Ha, ha, ha.”

“So, as winner, Brother Nick, what chores will you have us do?”

Heath held his breath. Audra tried to ease her stomach from rumbling. Jarrod continued his serene disposition. Eugene wondered why Jarrod was so tranquil. Victoria bit her lip in anticipation.

“Well, I thought a long while about this, and here is what I have planned for each of you.” Nick took his big, bad Barkely stance with arms crossed at his chest, and feet slightly apart. He stood his full height. He purposely waited a full minute to have the level of anxiety rise.

“Jarrod, you will help brand next week. So clear your calendar.” He paused. Jarrod nodded in acceptance. Not bad. He could handle that.

“Heath, you will also help brand next week, so clear your calendar.” He paused again. Heath smiled. Excellent! That’s what he wanted to do anyway!

“Gene, you go back to school. You and the outdoors just don’t mix.” He paused again. Eugene smiled. Perfect!! Maybe Nick wasn’t so bad after all!

“Audra, you will take a cooking class in town. I already signed you up.” In his heart, Nick would never allow his baby sister to dig fence posts. He locked eyes with his sister as they shared a brief, but private moment.

Audra took a deep breath, visibly relieved at the outcome. “Thanks, Nick! I wanted to take that class anyway!”

Victoria finally let go the mirth that she had been holding since her brood came back from the lake. Jarrod, Heath and Eugene all shook with laughter as well.

Victoria was so proud. She extended her arms to give her son a warm embrace.

Nick flashed the most radiant smile as he accepted his mother’s affection. “So we’re all winners! And just for the record, I did manage to snag a 20 lb Cutthroat, but it got away!”

Epilogue I
At the Lodge, the Night of the Contest

Jarrod stepped out onto the lodge’s porch, his left hand loosely in his pants pocket, his right hand holding a custom made cigar. He looked at the crimson sun setting over the lake and reveled in the beauty this land held. No wonder his father built the lodge here, he thought. The view across the water was breathtaking.

The lawyer was content. Life was good.

He fiddled with the cigar in his hand and absently looked for his two wandering siblings. They certainly were joined together, he mused. The two not only worked together, but played together as well. Long hours in each other’s company only deepened their obvious bond.

Again, he felt content. He was thankful Nick finally found the little brother and partner he bugged his parents about for years while they were growing up. He was thankful that Heath found a place to be loved and to belong. He was thankful that the family had prospered with the newest family addition in spite of the loss of their father.

Yes, life was good.

As the head of the family, albeit a different type of leadership besides the silver haired matriarch, Jarrod thrived in the power that the Barkley name commanded. He was comfortable in the world of opulence, and he appreciated the luxurious surroundings the mansion, the lodge and his San Francisco residence offered. He worked hard to establish and maintain his well-credited law firms, and he enjoyed the notoriety that his career held.

Mostly, he enjoyed the successes that he, and his brothers, experienced from their labors. The ranch was flourishing and his law practices were prospering.

He took a moment to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment for both himself and his family.

Yes, yes, life was indeed good.

He walked to the railing and half-sat on the edge. As he ran the cigar under his nose to smell the intoxicating fragrance of the fine tobacco he paid top dollar for, Eugene appeared at the doorway.

“Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all.”

The porch on the lodge was expansive, and it held quite an array of furniture. Eugene passed by the comfortable seating choices and also took residence on the railing by his older brother.

“Beautiful night.”

“It sure is.” Jarrod reached into his pocket for a match.

“Care to partake, young one?” Jarrod offered the student a smoke.

Eugene thought about it, but answered with a negative shake of his head.

Jarrod went about his business of breaking off the tip, lighting the match and puffing on the fragrant leaves as white billows of smoke rose overhead.

“Where did they go? Do you see them?”

“Knowing Nick, he’ll want to show Heath every inch of the lake this week. They’re probably down by the water’s edge.”

“You know, the last time I was up here was before I started college.”

“Really? That long ago?”

“Yup. I came up here with Nick and Father to do some hunting.”

“Where was I?”

“You were in San Francisco. I think you were in the middle of some big case.”

“Sounds about right.” Jarrod puffed on the weed. He expertly exhaled perfect round smoke rings in several different sizes.

“What’s on your mind?” the older brother offered, but he already knew. He pushed on. “As soon as your wandering brothers return, we can have a drink from that stash of scotch I brought.”

“I don’t like scotch, Jarrod.”

“Pity.”

“Jarrod,” Eugene spoke slowly. “Is Heath going to be okay?”

“He already is okay. Howard will give him permission to get back into the saddle when we get back, I’m sure. This vacation was strategically done at this time to provide Heath a few more weeks of rest. Both he and Nick will be on their horses galloping up to the North Ridge as soon as they receive the affirmative from the doctor.” He swung his hand in an upward motion to emphasize his point.

“Good. That’s good.” Eugene looked at his feet.

Jarrod patiently waited while the youngest Barkley gathered his courage to broach the subject he really wanted to.

Puff, puff. Smoke ring.

“Jarrod,” Eugene began.

“Yes?”

“Nick and Heath spend an awful lot of time together, don’t they?”

“Yes, I suppose they do.”

Puff. Bigger smoke ring.

“Don’t you feel left out?”

Jarrod smiled. It was a question that his Uncle Jim had broached to him on his last visit as well.

“No, I don’t feel that way at all.”

”Why not? I mean….”

”Gene, Nick and Heath have a lot in common. They are both cowboys and ranchers in their hearts and souls. You and I actually have more in common with each other than with our two middle brothers.”

“How so?”

“Well, we each have attended, or in your case, attending, higher education. We aspire to build our careers off the ranch. And I surmise that you will probably not return to Stockton once you graduate, am I right?”

“I haven’t made that decision yet.”

“In any event, you are not a rancher, or a cowboy. And quite frankly, neither am I. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to be.”

”I thought you always liked the cattle drives, especially when Father was alive.”

Puff, puff. Huge smoke ring.

“I did enjoy the drives as my way of spending more time with Father, but I certainly don’t want to do them on a consistent basis like our cow-crazed brothers. I suppose I’ll participate in a few more in my day, but I very much prefer my warm and secure office to an outside bedroll.”

“Am I wrong to feel left out?”

“No, you never have to apologize for your feelings. But know this, Gene, Nick and Heath are a part of the land that they manage. This might be trite, but I bet if you bent down at the ranch and picked up a handful of soil, you would find their blood mixed in with it.”

Eugene fell silent. He watched Jarrod suck and puff on his cigar, and decided to try his hand at the “finer” things.

“Jarrod, can I try one of your cigars?”

“Certainly, my boy. Inhale slowly and lightly at first, otherwise you’ll get light headed and nauseous.”

”You mean like when we had Audra’s cooking the other night? That awful pork stuff?” Eugene thought his joke was funny.

“Uh, don’t let your sister hear you say that, young man,” Jarrod directed, “or we might be subjected to her cooking for more than we can handle.”

“I guess that cooking class that Audra has to attend from Nick winning the contest will be good, then, huh?”

“It will be a gift from God.”

Jarrod puffed and expelled six perfectly white circles.

“When you feel comfortable with the smoke, I’ll show you how to do rings.”

As the two brothers puffed on their rolled leaves, Nick and Heath started up from the water’s edge, just as Jarrod had predicted.

Jarrod noticed their silhouettes against the golden hues of the setting sun. Nick had his arm loosely around Heath’s waist, giving tentative support to the blond cowboy, who still had a slight limp to his gait. Jarrod pointed out the returning ranchers to Eugene, who acknowledged by sending up a few smoke rings of his own.

The two cowboys paused several times on their way back from the lake, turning to look at the glorious setting sun. The shades of purple, orange and pink mixed into the darkening sky, producing a brilliant pallet of color.

“Is that our baby brother up there puffin’ and smokin’ with the lawyer?” Heath asked between breaths. He was slightly winded from the walk.

“Looks like it. That means the counselor has held out on us with his hand-made cigars. That also means he has Scotch that he’s been hiding.”

“Can’t have him holdin’ out on us, now can we?”

“Nope. We can enjoy the finer things in life, too.”

“I think we already do, big brother.” Heath smiled. He felt good. He felt healed.

“I think you’re right, little brother. But we can still partake in some of that attorney’s personal reserves.”

The two best friends slowly made their way to the lodge’s front porch. The light was fading faster now, and Eugene went inside to retrieve a lantern.

“Have you shown Heath every inch of the lake tonight, Nick?”

“Almost.” Nick climbed the stairs and held out his hand, palm up, to his older brother. “Uh, hand ‘em over, Jarrod. Two gold-banded cigars….with your name on them….now!” Nick’s fingers waved the message that he wanted a quick response.

“What makes you think that I brought extra?”

“If you didn’t, big brother, you are going to feel every inch of that saddle during branding.” Nick turned back to Heath, who had limped his way to the top of the stairs, and winked.

Jarrod didn’t hesitate. His brother could certainly make life difficult when he wanted to. “Okay, okay, you win. I just happen to have a few more in my pocket right here.” He handed one to each of the cowboys.

Nick sat down on the top step, and assisted Heath to sit down on the next step in front of him. Heath leaned back against his brother, well aware of the protective overture of Nick’s move. Prior to coming to the Barkley family, Heath would have never accepted this type of attention from anyone. He felt blessed that life brought him to a place where he had not one, but three brothers, looking out for his well-being. Since the wagon incident, maybe especially since the accident, he acknowledged how much he yearned for a feeling of belonging to fill his empty soul. Now, he basked in the offered warmth, and gratefully accepted it without question.

The eldest Barkley watched the two brothers settle down and smiled. Nick was certainly a mother hen when he wanted to be. Jarrod surmised that the long walk the two men just finished had irritated the hip. But there was no cause for alarm. It was a hard task to keep his two brothers idle for long.

Jarrod offered matches as Eugene returned with the lantern, Jarrod’s preferred scotch and four glasses. Eugene noted how his two brothers were seated, and a pang of jealousy flowed through his body.

Eugene paused and fought the emotion down. He knew he had nothing to be envious about. What he and Jarrod had talked about was true….his endeavors were leading him elsewhere in the world. The partner that Nick had always craved came at the right time in everyone’s life…Heath’s acceptance with the family allowed Eugene to pursue his career choice without reservation. No longer would he feel guilty about not wanting to run the ranch with Nick.

Like a clap of thunder, a weight was lifted from his shoulders.

“I thought you didn’t like scotch?” Jarrod’s question startled the young student out of his reverie.

“Oh….I don’t, but I want to give it another try.”

“Go for it, lad.”

The bottle slowly dwindled as the night became darker. Smoke rings continued to rise into the forest canopy, with all four brothers trying to outdo the other.

“Say, Nick, how did you catch that fish today, anyway?” Jarrod was curious.

”You mean with a broken pole and leaking waders?”

“Yeah, how did you big brother?” Eugene was starting to feel giddy.

“Well, gentlemen, fishing is a skill that only a few people possess. I, for one, have...”

”Tons of luck,” Heath drawled.

Eugene tried to stifle his laughter with this hand that held the cigar, and almost succeeded in poking his eye out.

“Don’t be jealous, my blond brother. Even you can aspire to be as talented as Nick Barkley.” Nick took a long drag on his cigar to seal his argument.

“Don’t need talent to catch fish, Nick; just need the right equipment.”

“I’ve got all the right equipment, little brother!”

Laughter peeled through the night. “Now wait a minute…”

As the night wore on, and feeling the effects of the alcohol and tobacco, Eugene poured the last round the second bottle had to offer.

“I want to props’e a toast.” Eugene said slightly slurred.

“A toast, Gene?”

“Yeah, Heaf. Here goes.” He cleared his throat.

“To Brotherhood! May we always know how muchs we mean to each othr’r,”

Four glasses clinked. “Hear, hear.”

“May we always know how much our lives are rich’r for knowing each othr’r,”

“Hear , hear.”

“May we always have big brothr’s scotccch and shigars at our dispos’l,”

“Hear , hear!”

He started giggling. “And may we never have to eat Audra’s pork stuff again!”

“HEAR, HEAR!”

Four glasses were thrown over the porch as one, splintering against the large rocks.

Swirling skirts were heard at the door, “Boys, is everything okay? I heard glass breaking…..”

“Nick made us do it, Mother.”

“HEATH!!!!”

Epilogue II
At the ranch, a month after the lodge

Nick raced through the streets of Stockton calling for Heath. The town was experiencing an earthquake and buildings were falling everywhere.

He ran and ran, but he could not find this brother. He looked down alleys as he dashed down Main Street. He was starting to panic, and he desperately tried to reason that Heath was no where in town when the earthquake hit.

But he knew that this wasn’t true. His heart told him that Heath was here.

Just as he turned a corner, he saw Heath ahead of him, waving a greeting. He had the biggest smile on his face; the smile that the family cherished and that Heath only doled out in limited quantity.

He shouted for him to move! There was a building falling and Heath was in the line of its collapse! Move, he screamed, Heath, run!

But Heath just stood there, smiling and waving.

Some people darted about, but most just strolled about their everyday business in town.

He looked to his left and saw Jarrod walking toward him. He, too, was smiling. His demeanor had a laissez faire attitude.

What’s the matter with everyone?! Nick was so confused.

Just then, the house that Nick was standing next to started to disintegrate. As the roof slid off the structure and headed right for the rancher, Nick started calling for help.

Nick sat up straight in his bed breathing hard. He took a moment to get his bearings, and then quickly realized that the screaming he heard was not only in his dream, but coming from the adjacent bedroom. Nick raced across to his brother’s room to find him lying perfectly still on his bed clutched in a horrific nightmare.

Nick crossed the room to his brother’s bed and reached to hold Heath’s hands. Heath had his hands up by his head, screaming and trembling in fear. The nightmares caused by the wagon incident continued, although they had lessened quite a bit in the last few weeks…for both himself and his brother.

“Heavy….heavy, get it off….please….”

“It’s okay, Heath, I’m here, you’re not under the wagon anymore. It’s okay, it’s okay,” Nick’s voice was soft and soothing, trying to draw his brother out of his terrifying dream. Nick squeezed his brother’s hands and gently massaged the younger man’s hands with his fingers. The physical connection of the hand clasp helped to provide his troubled sibling a solid hold on which to focus.

Heath stopped trembling. He heard his brother’s voice and his body visibly relaxed. He felt his brother’s presence as he struggled to wake up. He was safe…safe…unhurt.

“You need help?” Jarrod quietly questioned from the door.

Nick turned his head toward the doorway. “No, I’m okay. I got here just as it started. He’ll be awake in a minute. You can go back to sleep.”

“Call me if you need me.”

“Will do.”

Nick turned back to the bed and was rewarded with half-open sapphire eyes. “Well, hey, little brother, how are you doing? Just about woke up half the Valley,” Nick teased. He kept his voice low as he started to withdraw his hold on Heath’s hands.

“Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.” Heath spoke softly, his eyes closing back into sleep. “Don’t let go.” He weakly grabbed for his best friend’s clasp.

Nick gave his brother a little smile and a gentle shake.

“Anything for you, little brother. Anything.”