Close to a dozen able-bodied ranch hands willingly gave their Sunday afternoon to lend a hand with the moving. Much to their delight they were rewarded with small bonuses for a job well done. Heath and Nick helped the new owner with last details before she and her son could settle in permanently.

“So Heath, ever thought of asking this girl to marry you?” Nick asked his dazed little brother as they rode back to the ranch. “I mean this is why you bought her the house, isn’t it?” Nick implied.

“Maybe,” Heath sighed with eyes twinkling impishly.

“You two are crazy about each other. One more month and you won’t be able to restrain yourselves.”

“I can manage,” Heath replied matter-of-factly, though Nick’s inference to body attraction prompted him to shift uncomfortably in his saddle.

“Yes, I can see that,” Nick laughed at the obvious itching his little brother was experiencing.

On Monday morning, the hands gathered around Nick to get their work schedule for the day. Once the tasks assigned, the men parted ways to tend to their respective chore.

“Hey Zeke, where were you last night?” asked one of the hands to the other.

“What d’ya mean where I was? It was Sunday. I was entertaining my girl, what else?” he teased, poking his friend Paul in the ribs. “Why d’ya ask?”

“Didn’t you know about the boss’s request to help out with the moving?”

“No, I didn’t. Guess I wasn’t listening when that bast…”

“Watch it!” Paul warned with a scorching glare.

“I hate taking orders from that whelp but I do it because of the pay.”

“Heath gave each of the men a great bonus for helping out.”

“Yeah? Well who cares!”

“And you wouldn’t believe where that girlfriend of his has moved into.” Zeke’s brow creased in puzzlement. “The old Atkins Place.”

“No way!” Zeke screeched. “That’s my property.”

“You parked your butt on the fence for too long, chum. The boss took it out from under ya. I have a hunch this will be their love nest before long.”

“Why that miserable…” he spewed out, pursing his lips to retain the foul language raring to spill over. In a gush of fury, Zeke marched toward Heath busy tightening the cinch on his saddle. He drew in a deep breath to quell the anger consuming him before addressing Heath in a civilized tone. “Hey boss, can I talk to you for a sec.?

“Sure, what ‘bout?”

“The guys tell me you bought the Atkins Place?”

“Yeah I did. It was Nicole’s dream house. She needed a bigger place so I got it for her.”

“Didn’t your brother Jarrod tell ya I’d been wanting that property for myself?”

“Yeah he mentioned it but didn’t think ya was serious since ya never put a down payment on it.”

“I would’ve if I could’ve,” Zeke’s tone raised an octave as he began stewing in his own juices.

“Well sorry ‘bout beatin’ ya to it, friend. They’ll be others.” On that touch of sarcasm Heath steered Charger away from Zeke who stood rooted to the spot with a clenched, unyielding jaw and fiery eyes burning a hole into his boss’s back.

“We’ll see about that,” he muttered peevishly under his breath; the seed of vengeance slowly sprouting within him.

Heath dropped by Nicole’s place to take Daniel riding and invited his mother to come along, but she declined the invitation, using house cleaning as an excuse. Usually Heath wouldn’t have had any qualm in leaving her alone, but he was somehow troubled by Zeke’s insinuation of his having stolen his property. The sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach was urging him to stand on his guard.

That afternoon, Heath didn’t stray far from his ladylove, much to Daniel’s chagrin who was hoping to see the herd of wild horses Heath had promised to show him. The next three days found Heath repeating the same routine with a new futile chore for him and Daniel to do. Although a past master in the art of concealing his emotions, his eyes could no longer belie the growing sense of doom lurking within him. Zeke had nurtured a hatred of him from their first meeting and this unfortunate set of circumstances was adding a considerable amount of fuel to the burning embers.

He ensured Nicole’s safety by teaching her how to handle a rifle; a trade she was already handy with having been raised in the big woods. She worried about Heath’s altering behaviour; his restlessness, startled at the tinniest noise that would spur him to whip his gun out.

“Heath, is there something wrong?”

“Why d’ya ask?” he replied naively.

“I couldn’t help but notice how jumpy you’ve been these last couple of days, that and the shooting lesson have me a little concerned.”

“You ain’t in a hotel no more. You’re out here by yourself. Much as I wanna I can’t be here all the time.”

“And I’m not asking you either, Heath,” she assuaged, draping her arm in his and lovingly leaning into him to lay her head on his shoulder. “But you know I’m old enough to take care of myself and Daniel. I have been doing it for years.”

“I know,” Heath sighed apologetically and brushed a feathery kiss on her forehead. “I’m just worried , is all. Don’t hold it against me. I care too much, that’s my problem.”

“This is one problem I hope you never solve,” she teased, claiming his lips for a tender kiss that was abruptly interrupted by an ecstatic Daniel.

“Look what I caught,” he exulted, holding out his muddy hands grasping a green frog.

“Where did you get it?” his mother queried, as she hunched down to admire her son’s catch.

“Down by the creek. They were dozens of them jumping around. Mommy, can I keep it? Can I? Please! Please!” he beseeched with imploring eyes that never failed to bring Nicole to her knees.

“Dan, ya should tell your mother when ya go to the creek,” Heath chastised.

“He did,” she informed, disturbed by the implying tone dripping from Heath’s voice.

“And ya let ‘im go by himself?” he snapped in spite of himself.

“Heath, for Goodness sake!” she sassed back, “The creek is on the property. I can see it right from the porch. I gave him permission to go. What is wrong with you?”

Shame-faced, Heath averted his eyes from the fiery brown orbs shooting daggers. In a frustrated sigh, he swirled on his heels and walked away, leaving a confounded mother and son in his wake.

“Mom, what’s wrong with Uncle Heath?”

“I don’t know, Daniel,” she answered absentmindedly, her gaze still fastened on the retreating back.

“What about my frog? Can I keep him?”

“Sure, but not in the house. Now you go wash up for dinner, okay?”

“Okay mom.”

While the boy scurried over to the barn to put his pet frog in an empty horse manger, Nicole caught up with Heath making his way to his horse. “You’re not leaving, are you? Certainly not before you apologize to Daniel.”

With both arms stretched out on the saddle he sighed, dropping his head heavily on his chest as he felt the woe of the world weigh on his shoulders. “Nicole I didn’t wanna to scare ya but…”

“But what?”

“One of our hands’ crossed with me for gettin’ this property for ya. Says he had his cap set on it for quite some time and…well ya shoulda seen ‘im when he found out it wasn’t on the market no more.”

“I expect he was a little miffed.”

“He ain’t just sore, he’s raving mad. I tell ya Nicole I have this gut feelin’ that he might do sump’thin’.”

“So that’s why you were so insistent in my handling a rifle?” Heath gave a slight nod of the head. “Why didn’t you just come right out and share your fears instead of letting them fester inside?”

“I don’t know. Guess I thought I was jumping the gun but I can’t shake that quake in my boots.”

Nicole wrapped her arms around Heath’s waist and buried her face into his back. “I promise I’ll be careful. I won’t open the door to strangers and I’ll keep Daniel within sight at all times. Satisfied?”

Heath flashed a lopsided grin at the heartfelt pledge to heed his warning. He turned around to face the vision of loveliness that he pulled to his chest in a soulful embrace. One whiff of her intoxicating fragrance was enough to send him adrift on a sea of burning passion. The fiery embers of love prompted him to utter without restraint, “Marry me?”

Taken aback by Heath’s sudden proposal, Nicole pulled back abruptly and gazed into his soulful eyes. “What did you say?” she asked innocently to temporize while she attempted to collect herself.

Heath enlaced her in his arms and brushed his lips against hers. “Will ya do me the honor of becomin’ my wife?” he reiterate with an amused grin fashioning at the sight of Nicole’s daze expression.

“This is so sudden, Heath. I...I,” she stuttered, trying to collect her thoughts, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” he replied with an tinge of insolence.

“I need to think about it. This is a big step. Are you sure you want to take it?”

“I ain’t never been sure of anythin’ more in my life,” he admitted unreservedly. “I love ya Nicole Watson. You and Daniel make me feel whole again. I love that kid and I wanna raise ‘im as my own. That is if ya’ll lemme.”

“I want to say yes, Heath, but,” she motioned toward Daniel washing his hands by the water pump, “it’s his decision.”

Heath flashed a triumphant grin at the prospect of asking the boy who thinks the world of him. “No sweat,” he said confidently. “If he says yes, then ya will too?” he asked with eager anticipation of her answer.

Nicole smiled responsively, sending Heath’s heart brimming over with delight. He reciprocated her smile and threw her an elfish wink as he turned toward the boy. “So how’s your frog doin’?”

“Jumpy won’t stay still in the bin. I had to put a board over it to keep him from leaping out,” Daniel explained with exasperation, eliciting a small chuckle out of Heath.

“If ya wanna I can put together a nice lit’le pen for ‘im. Would ya like that?”

“Would you?” Daniel exulted with eyes big as saucers.

“Ya betcha! I’ll arrange it so ya can put som’ water in for ‘him. Frogs need to be in the water or they dry up.”

“I’ll take care of Jumpy I promise.” Out of the blue the boy flung his arms around Heath’s legs to hug him with all of his might. “I love you Heath.”

“I love ya too lit’le fella,” Heath quavered as the rush of emotions overpowering his senses. He glanced at Nicole who responded with a blissful smile and conveyed her support with a nod of the head. Heath hunched down and clasped the boy’s hands. “Say Dan, I was wonderin’ if ya like me to stick ‘round more often with ya and your mama?”

“I’d like that but I don’t know if Nick would.”

Heath’s brows furrowed at the statement. “What d’ya mean Nick won’t like it?”

“I heard him say that he loves working with his little brother, that’s you. If you stay here with mom and me, won’t he be angry?”

An overwhelming rush of elation coursed through Heath’s body as evidence of his family’s unconditional love was once again confirmed through a child’s innocence. He momentarily bowed his head to conceal the tears welling up in his eyes as he strove to contain the flow of emotions soaring within him. He drew in a silent breath and with a squeeze on Daniel’s hands he jumped in, “I love your mama very much and I’d be mighty grateful if ya’ll lemme marry her.”

“Does that mean that you’ll be my daddy?” Daniel implied rather dispassionately, a voice inflection that Heath found disturbing.

Heath paused briefly to weigh his next words in order to avoid severing the thin thread that held him to his new life. “I reckon so, pardner. But know that your ma and me will go by your decision.”

Daniel’s gaze shifted from one expectant expression to the next. The thought of adults trusting him with this crucial decision filled his little heart with pride. A smile graced his lips at the thought of his answer that he conveyed in the form of a soul-stirring hug. “I want that very much. I want you to stay with mommy and me always.”

Heath returned the clench tenfold with his heart pounding out of chest in unison with his son’s. As Nicole joined in the warmth of the embrace a pair of dark seething eyes narrowed in contempt at the happy picture.

Heath reluctantly pried himself away from his bride-to-be to return to the ranch, which proved to be a more gruelling task than anticipated as the two lovebirds kept exchanging kiss after kiss. Finally he mentally kicked himself out of the property to ride back before Nick noticed his absence.

“Heath, glad you’re here.”

“What’s up Duke?”

“Have you seen Zeke Calloway by any chance?”

Heath bristled up at the name. “I ain’t seen him,” he replied as he dismounted his horse. “Why d’ya ask?”

“He was supposed to help us out with some branding and he never showed up.”

“Maybe he’s up by the South range. I know Nick mentioned sum’thin’ about downed fences. Maybe he went up there to help out.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Duke sighed with a creased brow that sounded Heath’s inner alarm. His eyes widened in terror at the dreadful vision that suddenly danced before his eyes. “Where are you going?” Duke asked, puzzled as to why Heath would swing back into the saddle.

“I’ve got an idea where he might be and God help ‘im if he is.” Heath seethed, kicking his mount at full tilt to outstrip the wind.

“Now now pretty lady, is that a way to greet a visitor who’s come to congratulate ya on your new property?” Zeke purred cynically, licking his lips in anticipation of what was to come.

“Please, just leave. My son will be back any second,” she pleaded with a demon hell-bent on revenge.

“Who cares! He might even enjoy the show,” he drawled with a foul breath that made her nose crinkle in disgust.

“You bast….”

He slapped his hand against her mouth. “Don’t you dare call me that” he spewed out with a smouldering glare. “I’m not the bastard, your boyfriend is and I aim to teach him a lesson.”

“You want the house? I’ll sell you back the damn house!” the woman shrieked, raising Zeke’s hackles. In a fit of rage he smacked her in the face and pinned her against the wall. Standing inches from the frightened maiden with lust in his eyes, he drawled sultrily, “The property don’t matter much to me no more. I got me sum’thin’ better” He ran a hand through her hair and leaned in for a kiss. “Now, let’s you and me go in the other room and have some fun.”

As his starving pulp lips brushed against hers she spat in his face and kicked him in the shin, causing him to momentarily lose his grip on her. She made a mad dash for the door but Zeke was quick at recovering his bearings and sprung on her like a hawk before she had a chance to escape.

“You’re a feisty broad, ain’t ya? A wild filly. I’m gonna enjoy taming ya.”

With lightning speed Heath made it to Nicole’s house with a heart pounding hard against his chest at the ghoulish thought that accompanied him during his race.

“It’s that bastard again,” Zeke flared up upon noticing Heath in the front yard. He turned to Nicole and unsheathed his gun. “Not a word out of you or I’ll kill him, is that clear?” He waited for a nod of acknowledgement before holstering his gun and heading outside.

“Calloway, what are ya doin’ here?” Heath seethed with his hand on his gun holster, poised ready to whip it out at first sign of a threat.

“I just came by to congratulate your little lady on her new home. It’s the neighbourly thing to do,” he burred with spite; sarcasm dripping from every word that was not lost on Heath.

“Why don’t I believe ya?” he retorted icily. He stood facing Zeke with steely stares locked in and itchy trigger fingers caressing the butt of their guns.

The ominous silence was reaching a pinnacle when Nicole loomed in under the doorway. “Heath, you came back?” she strained to sound surprise.

“Nicki, you alright?” Heath sidled over to his fiancé while keeping his foe within sight.

“Yeah, I’m okay Heath,” she assured with a betraying tremor in her voice. “This nic…”she faltered at the word she could not bring herself to utter. “ This man came by to see if I needed anything.”

With a wary eye Heath studied her features that belied her true emotions. “I bet he did.” Out of the blue Heath lunged at Zeke and began pummelling him with an implacable wrath. Zeke retaliated with a blow to the stomach to weaken his adversary long enough to whisk his gun out and thrust it at the mad man. Blinded with rage, Heath pounced at him once more causing Zeke to pull the trigger. The powerful rush of adrenalin coursing through his veins numbed the pain of the bullet impact as Heath trounced the man into oblivion. The enemy defeated, Heath slowly rolled onto his side to check for any injury but was surprised to find none.

“Mommy!” Daniel screamed at the sight of his mother lying on the ground. He dove to his knees and tried to shake her awake. “Mommy, wake up!” he cried hysterically.

Heath’s heart leapt down his throat as he took in the sight before him. “Oh my God, Nicole!” He bolted to his feet and went to kneel beside Nicole’s prone body. Gently he cradled her in his arms and nudged her back to consciousness. “Just hang on, we’ll get help.” A weak smile was all she could muster before she slipped back into darkness. “Oh God please, don’t take her from me now,” he beseeched with tears gushing out of his eyes. So traumatized was he that he was completely unaware of the gun pointed at his back. Zeke garnered an ounce of strength to pull the trigger, with his bullet hitting the target. Heath’s body jerked upon impact, the shock prompting him to instinctively whip out his gun to shoot the enemy dead before collapsing on top on his fiancée’s body, much to the boy’s horror.

Paralysed with fear, Daniel sat rooted to the spot and would have remained so hadn’t been for Charger’s neighing and snorting that roused him out of his trance. He staggered to his feet and hurried to the restless horse; his shaky legs causing him to stumble along the way. The boy’s familiar scent exerted a mellowing effect on the spooked horse, bringing him to gently nuzzle his small friend on the shoulder.

“Charger, you have to help me. Go back to the ranch and bring someone to help mama and Heath. PLEASE!!!!!” The child’s desperate plea caused Charger to rear up in fright. “Come on, Charger, go!” the distraught boy urged with the hopes that his equine friend would pick up on the distress in his voice. Charger nodded his head and took off at a full gallop while Daniel ran back to the two inert forms.

“Duke, have you seen Heath?” Nick asked the foreman as he rode into the barnyard.

“He was here less then thirty minutes ago. I asked where Zeke Calloway was and he hightailed it like a mad man.”

“Calloway, yes,” Nick snarled. “Lazy cuss. He slacks on the job one more time and he’s out.”

“Heath was incensed when he rode out of here.”

Nick arched an eyebrow in suspicion. “Any idea why?” Duke shook his head. “Well maybe he’s fed up as I am and he went to give him the final boot.”

As Nick steered in Coco into the barn, Charger barrelled in, snorting and kicking like a caged animal raring to break out of its cell. Nick edged over to the ornery bay, heedful to approach him with velvet gloves. “Hey there, chum, take it easy. Where’s your master?”

“Nick I don’t like it,” Duke said sombrely. “Charger has never thrown Heath unless it was an accident.”

“My thoughts exactly. “ With one easy leap, Nick swung onto Coco’s back. “Where did he say he was going?”

“He didn’t.”

“Dammit!” Nick cursed his back luck. “All right gather some men and send them to Meadow Oak. That’s where Heath was supposed to meet me. Maybe he hurt himself along the way. I’ll check out the Watson’s place.”

“Will do.”

There was no quelling that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he neared the Watson property. The sixth sense; that ethereal bond he shared with his little brother had yet to fail at sounding a false alarm and therefore he psyched himself up for the worse possible scenario.

“Uncle Nick!” Daniel cried out as he ran toward Nick. Barely had the rancher dismounted that the sobbing boy fell into his arms. “I can’t wake them up.”

“It’s all right, Danny.” He clasped the boy’s hand and together they hurried to their dying loved ones. “What happened?”

With a body racked with sobs, Daniel pointed timidly to Zeke’s corpse lying sprawled on the ground. “He shot them. Then Heath killed him but…but,” he choked, unable to restrain the gush of tears.

“It’s okay. They are both alive,” Nick assured.

“They are not breathing,” remarked the terrified boy.

“Yes they are, but just barely. Here’s what I want you to do. I’m gonna take your mother and my brother inside where they can be more comfortable and then I’m gonna ride back to the ranch to fetch some help. In the meantime I want you to keep an eye on them. Will you do that?” Blinking away the stinging tears, Daniel gave an acknowledging nod of the head. “All right”

Nick took a gentle but firm hold of Nicole’s body to lift her into his arms. Daniel led the way to the master bedroom where Nick laid her down on the bed. He then headed out again to sling Heath over his shoulder.

“They look kind of funny,” Daniel observed; the lividness of the faces and the drawn features gripping him in an icy clutch of dread.

Nick did a quick assessment of both victims’ injuries before pulling a blanket over their bodies. “You stay here with them. If one wakes up try to get him or her to drink a bit of water.”

“Okay Uncle Nick. Hurry back, please. I’m scared.”

“Don’t worry, kid. They’re strong. They’ll survive this,” he emboldened with a pat on the back. On this optimistic note Nick rushed out of the house and with a look of disgust, he grabbed Zeke’s body that he unceremoniously slung across his saddle before mounting and kicking Coco at full tilt.

The next hour felt like an eternity to Nick as he quaffed one whiskey after the other in an attempt to numb his torment. Striding up and down the living room with a heavy step he would glance up stairs at every minute, hoping to see his mother emerging from Heath’s bedroom.

“They’ve been in there a long time,” he complained to Jarrod who, like Audra, laboured to maintain his poise in the face of tragedy.

“Doctor Merar has two patients upstairs, Nick. He’ll come down when he’s through examining them.”

“I can only hope that he’ll give us encouraging news,” Audra spoke softly so not to rouse Daniel slumbering in her lap, his head resting against her shoulder.

“It was bad. Very bad,” Nick quavered, his fist tightening around his glass as the vision of the two listless figures lying in a heap came bursting forth. “He…they…God.” Nick’s face crinkled in disgust at the raw memory. He gulped down the last of the amber liquid and headed for the bar to pour himself another.

“Getting drunk isn’t going to help them,” Jarrod reasoned with a friendly hand on the wrist.

Nick would have brushed the offending hand aside had it not been for Doctor Merar and Victoria appearing under the archway. He set his glass down and strode up to the twosome; his step faltering at the forlorn expressions staring back at him. “How are they?”

The family doctor caught a glimpse of Victoria who with a strain smile encouraged him to speak his mind. “Your brother was extremely lucky. The bullet missed any vital organ and lodged itself in soft tissues. I had to dig deep to remove it but no serious damage was done.”

A wave of relief washed over the expressions of doom on everyone’s faces.

“Thank God,” Jarrod praised.

“He’ll be mighty sore for a few days. I expect they’ll be some swelling and as a result he might have trouble getting around but that will wear off in time providing he remains confined in bed for a least a week. I must stress the importance of keeping him in bed.”

“Don’t worry Doc, we’ll see to it that he does,” Nick assured with a conniving look directed at Victoria. “If he won’t listen to me I’ll send in the heavy artillery. He won’t stand a chance,” he jested with a wink.

“What about Nicole?” Jarrod’s question cast a gloom over the joyous relief. Smiles faded, brows furrowed and concerned stares locked on to the doctor’s doleful expression.

“I’m afraid she won’t make it through the night.” Barely had he finished his sentence that gasps of horror echoed through the room. “She’s a tough woman. She won’t give up easily. But…” he hung in head in dismay, “I did all I could for her.”

“We know you did Howard,” Victoria said softly with a soothing hand on the doctor’s shoulder. With eyes glistening with tears she glanced at Audra who matched her sorrow. Distraught at the news she instinctively brushed a hand through the slumbering boy’s hair and kissed the top of his head.

“Doc, do you think you could stay a while longer?” Nick requested sheepishly with imploring eyes.

“I was about to suggest it, that is,” he turned to Victoria, “if your mother will oblige.”

“Of course Howard. We wouldn’t have it any other way. I have a feeling it’s going to be a very long night.”

Victoria couldn’t be farther from the truth. Nicole fought a losing battle with her waving strength as her life was slowing ebbing away. The family seriously considered defying the doctor’s strict instruction not to rouse Heath from his healing sleep so he could sit with his fiancée as she heaved her last breath. They reluctantly opted to follow Howard’s advice, fearing a mental collapse should Heath be a witness to Nicole’s demise in his weak condition.

“I expect he will be mad at you but believe me it’s for his own good,” Howard explained to the family.

“What about the boy?” Jarrod asked, concerned that young Daniel would alone bear the brunt of this tragedy. All eyes turned to the boy still sleeping in Audra’s arms.

“When he wakes up, let him see his mother. It will be hard on him but given the fact that she is the only known relative he has, it would be unethical not to mention cruel to deny him of the last moments.” All acknowledged with a nod of the head. “And let him see Heath as well. He needs to know that he’ll be there for him.”

“Just to hear you say that is in itself very encouraging. It means that Heath is gonna be all right.”

“He should be, Nick. Physically, that is.”

“Are you sure about Nicole?” Nick reiterated, wishing for a tiny ray of hope to filter through the doctor’s grim prognosis.

“I’m sure, Nick.”

Shoulders sagged at the confirmation of the imminent death. Nick requested to go sit with Heath while the other members gathered in Nicole’s room with Daniel to bid a final farewell to his mother. Nicole awoke briefly to reason with her distraught child on God’s choice to make her an angel in Heaven and that she will be keeping an eye on him and Heath from above. She started to tell the boy about his true parentage but held back for fear of severing the delicate emotional thread keeping her son sane.

Nicole rendered the ghost in the wee hours of the morning. As she heaved her last breath, in the adjoining room Heath began to moan in his sleep. Nick scooted his chair closer to make out the intelligible words mumbled.

“Nicole…don’t go,” Heath wailed, his plea spearing Nick in the heart. “Stay…need you.”

“Heath, wake up!” Nick coaxed gently with a nudge on his shoulder. “Heath, you hear me?”

Then silence. Heath drifted back to sleep. Nick momentarily left his seat to walk to the other room where all the glum faces and the boy’s cries confirmed his fear. “She’s dead?” he asked Victoria in an atypical low tone. Victoria nodded and reached out to clench her son in a tight hold. “She said goodbye to Heath.”

“What?”

“He mumbled in his sleep just then. He pleaded with her not to go.”

At those words Victoria tightened her hold on Nick in a desperate attempt to suppress the overwhelming emotions threatening to swallow her whole. “I’m glad she did. This way he won’t be sore at us for not bringing him to her bedside.”

“I hope not, Mother. I imagine he’ll be devastated when he finds out she’s dead. And the poor kid.” He disengaged the embrace to turn to the boy still weeping in Audra’s arms. “What‘s going to become of him?”

“If I know Heath he’ll want to keep him with him on the ranch. After all he and Nicole were to be married.”

“Is Heath going to go to Heaven with my mommy?” Daniel sobbed.

“Oh no sweetheart,” Victoria allayed as she stepped up to him. She then squatted before him and clasped both his hands. “Heath is just resting in the other room. Do you want to see him?” Daniel nodded shyly between snivels.

Before following Victoria out the door he climbed on the bed to give his mother a last goodbye kiss. “I love you, mommy.”

A wave of compassion swept through the room, sending every soul present into an emotional turmoil. Bordering on tears Audra chose to slip out of the room to avoid breaking down in front of the young boy and risk frightening him more than he already was.

Howard and Jarrod remained behind to prep up the corpse for the trip to the undertaker while Victoria and Nick each took a hold of Daniel’s hands to lead him down to Heath’s bedroom. Nick lifted the little guy up on the bed where he laid beside Heath.

“You talk to him, Danny. You tell him that it’s not time for him now to join your mommy in Heaven,” Nick instructed. “You be firm now.”

“I’ll try Uncle Nick. But what if he doesn’t want to listen? My mommy didn’t.”

Feeling her son tensed up at the question that left him stumped for answers Victoria stepped in and improvised, “It was God’s choosing, Daniel. When God makes his decision one is powerless to change his mind. She has a job to do in Heaven but he hasn’t called Heath to his side yet. He might want to go anyway so it’s up to you to convince him to stay with us.”

Nick wrapped his arm around his mother’s shoulders and gave her arm a grateful squeeze. Together they stood watching Daniel plead with the unconscious patient not to leave this earth.

“My mommy’s, gone away. I don’t have anybody but you, Heath. Please stay with me. Don’t go with mommy just yet. God will take care of her. You have to take care of me.” He curled up in ball next to Heath and buried his head in the crook of his shoulder. “Please stay.”

The heart-rending scene was too much for Nick to bear. Blinking hard to keep the tears from spurting out, he squeezed his mother’s hand and crossed to the door to leave. Out in the hall he leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor where he wept.

The family’s constant cajoling and pleading failed to stir the patient’s will to join the living, including little Daniel’s. Worrisome was the length of time that Heath remained unconscious. Dr. Merar would visit the ranch twice a day to assess the progress made. Much to everyone’s relief, the physical scars were healing nicely, including the swelling in his back, but the fact that the blond was still insentient clearly expressed a lack of will to live.

The careworn siblings had exhausted all known methods to rouse to the patient. It was then up to a higher being to step in and needle the boy out of his torpor.

“Heath Barkley! You wake up now! You hear me?”

The words sliced through the thick mist, whipping the sluggish mind awake. Heath feverishly pried open his eyes but the heavy lids would only obey halfway. He squinted to focus on the blurry figure drifting over him. “Kat…Katie? Is that you?”

“That’s right. I’m very angry with you Heath Barkley! I never pegged you for a coward!” she lashed out in a defiant stance with arms tightly crossed against her bulging chest.

“I’m not,” he argued feebly.

“Yes you are,” she slashed. “You promised my sister you’d take care of her and our son Daniel. What are you doing knocking on the pearly gates? It’s not your time you know.”

“But it was time for Nicole?” he sassed back.

“What are you talking about? She’s not here.”

“But...but she came to say goodbye,” Heath replied, bemused by Katherine’s statement.

“She may have when she thought she was to join me but I sent her back.” The angelic presence stepped up to the bed and laid an ethereal hand on Heath’s forehead. “Don’t be a stubborn mule Heath and return to your family. They need you, my sister needs you and our son needs you. Do you know he’s been trying to draw you attention for the past three days? How inconsiderate of you to ignore him!”

“But…but,” Heath stammered as his muddled mind tried to make sense of the odd occurrence before him.

“Not buts! You open those bewitching blue eyes of yours and greet them. They will be gathering in this room shortly. Daniel is here,” she motioned to the right at the sleeping bundle huddled in an armchair by the bed. “He wanted to lie on the bed but he thought it might disturb you.”

Heath glanced at the boy and smiled wistfully. “He’s a great kid.”

“He’s your son, Heath.”

“I could ask why ya never told me ‘bout him but Nicky already did.”

“I sensed some good in you when we first met but it was buried deep inside. Your so-called friendship with that bunch of hoodlums was preventing it from surfacing. Your brother was placed on your path for a reason. He helped you see the light.”

“Must’ve done sump’thin’ good to deserve all that?” he said, flashing a lopsided grin.

“More than you know. So? What’s it going to be Heath?” she challenged, motioning to the boy to heighten the pressure. “Now would be a good time to wake up. It’s only fitting that he should be the one to greet you.”

Heath closed his eyes to listen to the dictates of his heart Moments later the heavenly figure had vanished. He tilted his head towards Daniel and willed him awake.

“Heath? You awake?” the boy exulted, bouncing out of his chair to climb on the bed, jostling the mattress that sent a twinge radiating down Heath’s spine. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he apologized as he gingerly slid down the bed.

“S’okay, Daniel,” Heath heaved out with a weak reassuring smile.

“I’ll go get mom.” He dashed out of the room, bumping into Nick as he crossed the door.

“Hey there, boy? Where’s the fire?”

“It’s Heath. He’s awake! He’s awake!” he cried ecstatically. “We got to go get mom.”

“Hold on a sec. pardner. I’ll go with you.” Barely had Nick finished his sentence that Daniel clasped his hand and pulled him towards the guest bedroom where Nicole was struggling to sit in her wheelchair. “You heard the good news?” Nick surmised upon seeing the foolish woman attempting the daring stunt. “And just what do you think you’re doing?”

“Don’t you just stand there! Help me get into this chair,” she countered with the same vehemence as Nick had come accustomed to. He had stubbornly refused to lend credence to the rumour that he’d met his match in this feisty woman in order to ward off any teasing.

Once he assisted her into her ‘carriage’ he wheeled her down the hall to Heath’s bedroom where Audra and Victoria were already coddling the blond. Heath’s dull eyes lit up with glee upon seeing Nicole’s beaming smile. She reached for his hand that she sandwiched between hers and let her tears fall freely down her cheeks. “I thought I’d lost you,” she sobbed, squeezing the hand that barely held any strength to reciprocate the loving touch.

“I thought…I thought you were dead,” he managed to utter.

Nicole flashed a knowing look at the threesome standing on the opposite side of the bed. “Apparently I was…for a few seconds, then I came back.”

“I saw Katherine.”

“You saw Aunt Katherine?” Daniel squealed with eyes wide as saucers. “Is she in Heaven?”

“Yes she is. And she is watching over you,” Heath assured the boy whose elation translated into a hug to Nicole whom he still believed was his natural mother. Nicole glanced at Heath over Daniel’s shoulder; their loving gazes conveying a message of hope for a bright future.

Nick’s heart soared to new heights at the exchange of silent vows between the two. For a fleeting moment his mind roved back to Rosedale on that fateful day he was thrust on his little brother’s path. He shook is head in amazement at the irony of destiny. He looked skywards and mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to the heavens for sparing the lives of two precious beings.