by catgirl63
Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program
"Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and
have been used without permission. No copyright
infringement is intended by the author.
The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.
Heath remembered stumbling
outside from a house. The light of the
falling sun blinded him and he walked around the building shading his eyes with
his hand. His legs wouldn’t work
correctly, they had a mind of their own, not obeying his wishes.
‘Croker’s loose. I gotta find him.’
His gut was saying his
thoughts were wrong, his head messed up from the blows to the floor by
Croker. The face of the man he fought
with flashed before him.
‘No, that’s not Croker.’
Confusion jumbled any
other cohesive thoughts he tried to bring forward in his mind. He couldn’t bring the memory of what
happened to his right side into his head or the name of the man he fought with.
Pulling himself forward,
he used the walls of the buildings to keep himself upright. Twice, he had to vomit from the queasiness
in his stomach. Putting one foot in front of another, he stumbled and met with
the ground rising up towards him.
The next thing he could
remember was waking up tied to a horse, night had fallen all around him, his
eyes were unable to focus on any landmarks before they succumbed to the pain
and closed.
The dragging of his body off
the horse and into the cabin woke him from his darkness.
Heath lay on the floor,
eyes closed striving for control from when he had been unceremoniously dropped,
his body speaking to him in waves of pain.
His thoughts confused, the ringing in his ears making his head want to
explode.
As he fought for control,
faces flashed in his mind. He tried to
remember the swirling faces as he lay on the floor, his arms tied behind
him.
Dark hair, blonde hair,
silver hair, strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, gray eyes, brown eyes, green
eyes – different physical attributes, but all people he felt a connection with,
a bond of some sorts.
The tanned face of a man
with piercing hazel eyes, dark hair and a wide grin stood out above all the
rest which flashed before him. He knew
that face. He could feel deep inside
him, a sense of completeness, a sense of camaraderie with this man. Searching his mind, the name which belonged
to owner of the face was elusive, hidden on the fringes of his memories.
Heath allowed the
comforting darkness to retake him and enfold him in it’s lack of awareness,
closing his mind and body down, taking away questions he couldn’t answer,
confusion he couldn’t clear up.
The lack of Hiriam and
Duke’s return to the ranch caused deep concern to it’s residents. Organizing the men, Jarrod climbed the
stairs to let Nick know he was taking some of the men into town with him. His gut telling him something was wrong, his
mind hoping he was overreacting.
Entering the room, Jarrod
saw Nick’s fingers were shaking as he tried to button his shirt.
“Nick, get back in bed.”
snapped Jarrod, his order not heard by his concentrating brother.
“Nick.” pleaded Jarrod,
his breath caught in his throat by the torture in the hazel eyes.
“He’s gone Jarrod.” growled
Nick shifting his gaze downward. “I
gotta find him!”
Hands pushed away his
shaking fingers from the buttons. Nick
looked up, the anger flaring in his hazel eyes was doused by Jarrod’s slight
smile, “Here let me help you. You know,
it’s been a long time since I had to dress you, Nick.”
Nick smiled gratefully,
his eyes welling with emotion, “Thanks, Jarrod.”
Squeezing the black vested
shoulder, Jarrod teased, “Let’s go find your other half, Nick.”
Returning empty-handed from
a search of the entire town, Fred was greeted in his office by Nick and Jarrod
Barkley. Their crew of men waited
outside the sheriff’s office, Scotty and Joe’s guilt over the missing boss,
darkening the scowls on their faces.
“What do you mean he’s confused?”
growled Nick, not liking any of the news he’d heard so far.
“It happens sometimes when
a person suffers a concussion. He can’t
bring his thoughts in order and in, some cases, people have been known to
suffer retrograde amnesia. That’s not remembering
anything prior to the head injury.” explained Howard quietly, handing Nick a
glass of headache powder. “I’m assuming
since Heath didn’t ask who Fred and I were, he’s just confused. His thoughts and memories are out of
order. They’re in there but locked up.”
Frowning, Jarrod stated,
“Or he saw Fred’s sheriff’s badge which sparked the memory of Luke Croker and
he didn’t feel threatened by your presence cause you were with the sheriff.”
“Perhaps, Jarrod. We won’t know for sure until we find him.”
sighed Howard.
Nick held his pained head
in his hands and looked up, “What has Barrett said?”
“Nothing.” stated
Fred. “He’s not talking.”
“Not talking, huh?”
repeated Nick rising and opening the inner door, ignoring the sheriff.
Standing in front of the
cell, Nick stared at the former hand, his hazel eyes burning into the other
man. “Where are they, Barrett?”
Walking over, Barrett
sneered, “I got nothing to say to you.”
Holding the bars with his
leathered hands, Nick shrugged, “Fine, then you can answer to the circuit judge
about two counts of murder.”
“What are you talking
about! I didn’t murder anyone!” snapped
Barrett, sweat making his forehead shiny.
“Are you crazy or something?”
Nick saw the uneasiness in
the brown eyes and smiled, “Hiriam and Heath Thomson are missing. You’re the only other person who was at the
Miller house, Barrett. Think on that!”
Jarrod schooled his
features to prevent his smile at Nick’s words from breaking through, admiration
flared in his blue eyes. He could see
Barrett weighing the options in his mind carefully. Up to now, all he’d done was assault Heath and nothing else.
Jarrod snorted, “Come on,
Nick. Let’s talk to Phil Archer about
the charges.”
Barrett’s face paled and he
felt his stomach rise up at the thought of murder charges. “I didn’t do anything! You can’t do that!”
Low for only Barrett’s
ears to hear, Nick replied, “I can do what I want - I’m Nick Barkley. If I say it’s to be, you’ll hang,
Barrett. Course, I might let the boys
get a hold of you first. You know how
they feel about Heath.”
“You need a body to prove
murder!” stammered Barrett, a surge of hope rising within him at the
thought. He almost jumped out of his
skin from the scream piercing the outer office.
“Sheriff! Sheriff!” exclaimed a frantic Melinda
Rankin. “Timmy found a body in the
woods.”
Fred hurried to the outer
office to speak with the boy and mother.
Nick and Jarrod turned their heads back to stare at the former hand,
their eyes cold and accusing.
“It wasn’t me!” pleaded
Barrett, his eyes wide in his perspiring face.
“You gotta believe me! I didn’t
kill anyone!”
“Com’n Jarrod. Time to talk to Phil.” stated Nick turning
and walking away.
“WAIT! WAIT!
The north line shack! That’s
where they planned to take them!” shouted Barrett. “I know they have the old man.
I was supposed to take care of bringing your brother. I don’t know where he is, maybe they got
him. I don’t know!”
“Who?” grilled Jarrod.
“That Pierson woman and a
man named Benton.” stammered Barrett, fear of hanging by the courts or the
Barkley crew running through him. “I
didn’t murder anyone. I’m sure they’re
still alive.”
Grabbing Barrett through
the bars, Nick yanked the man towards him, “For your sake, they better be or
I’ll rip you apart myself with my bare hands.”
Nick and Jarrod mounted
and lead the men out of town towards the far outlying cabin while Fred and
Billy had the grisly task of searching the body uncovered from the shallow
grave, found by Timmy as he walking home from playing in the woods with a
friend and his dog.
Pulling out the wallet,
Fred walked away from the smell and read the name out loud with a lit
match. The gasp from Melinda Rankin
turned his attention to her.
“That’s the name of the
attorney who came with Hiriam from Virginia.” explained Melinda, relieved it
wasn’t either Heath or Hiriam. “He was
supposed to have left town because his mother was sick.”
“Two missing family members
and a dead attorney.” said Fred with a shake of his head. “Billy, you take care of the body. I gotta catch up with Nick and Jarrod.”
Hiriam sat in a chair at
the table. His eyes not leaving the
blonde across the room laying on the floor whose eyes had not left the two
captors. The sapphire eyes were
slightly closed to diminish the penetration of light into the pupils, hoping to
lessen the daggers of pain the light caused.
His head pounding, Heath
struggled to keep the man and woman in sight.
His tied hands behind him striving to reach the knife hanging in the
sling between his shoulder blades, the hilt a mere inches away. Waking from his unconscious state brought
along with it confusion and anger at the position he and the older man were in.
The familiar brown eyes
reflected relief and concern when he saw them upon his own opening. He thought he’d seen a look of love also,
but his mind couldn’t fathom the reason for such an emotion from the man.
Benton seeing Heath was
awake grabbed Hiriam and set him in a chair at the table. The chocolate eyed woman placed a paper and
pen on the table in front of Hiriam.
Leaning over the table,
Benton sneered, “Write it or he dies.”
Hiriam placed his hands on
the table, “No, Benton.”
“I’m warning you old
man. I’ll cut him from ear to ear.”
threatened Benton, kneeling by Heath and tilting his chin up with the sharp
blade of his knife. “Or would you
prefer a slow death for your grandson.
A quick slash of his stomach, deep enough to let his insides spill out a
little and then he’ll slowly bleed to death.
Or perhaps he could die a death of a thousand cuts?”
Heath frowned at the word
‘grandson’, his mind not registering how this Benton thought he was the man’s
grandson. Hiriam’s face paled at the
possible damage the knife could infect with minimal effort.
Blake took the knife from
Heath’s chin and deftly sliced his bruised cheek open, blood seeped from the
wound, down the strong face and unto his shirt. Flinching from the cut, Heath clenched his jaw tightly against
the pain, his eyes burning with fury.
Benton laughed and walked
back to the table. Heath’s fingers
grasped the tip of the knife handle and he shifted slightly to adjust his
arms. “Mister, you made a big mistake, I
got no grandfather. You have the wrong
man.”
Benton and Sheila turned
to look at the blonde man on the floor, their eyes puzzled by the former
marshal’s statement. Hiriam’s brown
eyes worried over Heath’s words, the sincerity of truth in his voice rang out
clear to him.
The memory of a shipmate
with a concussion suffering memory loss thrust itself forward in his thoughts
and grabbed at his heart. Heath sported
a bandage wrapped around his head. ‘He
doesn’t remember!’ shouted the older man’s mind.
Blake smiled, “Nice try,
Thomson. For a minute, I almost
believed you.”
The black eyes lightened
with amusement, then turned to confusion when Heath stated firmly, “I don’t
lie. That man is not my
grandfather. Threatening me to get
whatever it is you want will not accomplish anything.”
Heath looked into the
brown eyes of the older man and smiled, “Don’t do what they want, I’m a dead
man anyways.”
“Yes, I believe we both
are, Heath.” replied Hiriam quietly, admiration of his grandson’s bravado in
the face of certain death reflected in his brown eyes.
Sheila headed to the
window and glanced out into the darkness.
“Blake, what if Barrett
talked? The law could be on the way
here now.” whispered Sheila in her partner’s ear. “We should get out of here.”
“Dammit, Sheila. We have to finish this – we’ve come too
far.” shouted Blake angrily.
“If you leave Heath here,
alive, I’ll go with you.” offered Hiriam, the only recourse he could see to
save his grandson from the evil he brought with him from Virginia.
“What are you doing?”
yelled Heath in a stunned voice.
“They’re not gonna let either of us live, no matter what! Listen to me!”
“SHUT UP!” screamed
Sheila.
Turning back to Hiriam,
she smiled, “You sign the will first, then we’ll leave.”
Shaking his head, Hiriam
stated, “No. We leave and I’ll sign
whatever you want when we get to the Nevada border past Strawberry.”
‘Strawberry’ resonated
throughout Heath’s mind, a myriad of flashes assaulted him, his eyes closed
briefly to stem the kaleidoscope of memories.
Hiriam watched the closing of the blue eyes after hearing the word,
Strawberry and saw the slight tilt of Heath’s head.
“You’d best decide before
his brothers, Nick and Jarrod Barkley, show up.” insisted Hiriam loudly,
glancing over quickly to his grandson to catch his reaction to the names.
Heath’s face tensed as the
throbbing in his head increased, the faces flashing quickly in his mind, taking
his breath away. His hands pulled out the
knife and he moved the blade down in between his fingers. The faces flashed, voices filled his head,
echoing throughout, deafening everything else.
The pain in his head
overriding everything and he could feel his weakened body threatening to give
into the darkness again. Opening his
eyes, he struggled to keep himself awake amidst the turmoil his mind was
creating.
Glancing upward, his
pained blue eyes gazed into the brown orbs and pleaded for forgiveness before
he felt himself lose the struggle.
The darkness is a
comforting blackness which surrounds a person like a blanket. The darkness of night frees a person’s soul,
relaxing it as one stands hidden from the eyes of the world, the moon and stars
above responsible for making one feel inconsequential among the vastness of the
sky.
The darkness of night is a
world all of it’s own, it has it’s own sounds, it’s own odors, it’s own
life. It covers the land for only a
short period of time each day and, yet, is capable of making a strong
impression in that period of time. It
can be a time of peaceful slumber or the time of unwanted nightmares.
To the determined group of
men headed through the darkness of the night towards a destination – it was a
time of fear. Fear of the unknown when
they reached their goal. Fear of the
condition the missing men would be in, if in fact they were at the destination
at all. The group fought with their
minds, fighting to stay positive and away from dark, terrifying thoughts which
threatened to swallow them as they rode.
Topping a small hill, the
group reined in their mounts, all eyes seeing the light beckoning them from the
windows of the Barkley line shack. It
was a spot of yellow in the blackness on the horizon. The moon on this night was only a sliver of itself, not allowing
for much light to fall on the earth from it’s royal position in the sky.
“Duke and Joe, stay here
with the horses.” ordered Nick climbing down and taking off the jingling spurs
from his boots. “We should be able to
get close before they know we’re here.”
The others followed the
lead of the man in the clothes which matched the darkness, the man searching
for the other half of his soul. Slowly,
the group crept closer to the cabin which encased the yellow light, spreading
out and surrounding the shack of wood.
Peering in the one window of the building, Scotty motioned with a
sideways shake of his head. Leaning
over, he whispered into Nick’s ear, “I don’t see anyone from the window.”
Nodding, Nick stood to the
side and turned the knob on the door.
Pushing it open, the door fell open.
Peering around the door frame, Nick’s quick glance showed an empty room
and his heart fell to his feet.
Stepping through the door, a strong arm wrapped itself around his neck,
cutting off his supply of air and his gun was taken out of his right hand.
“Move and I’ll blow your
head off.” were the words growled low in his ear causing Nick’s stomach to
twist viciously. Dr. Merar was right –
Heath’s head injury was confusing him.
Jarrod entered the small
cabin and froze at the sight of Heath holding a gun to his big brother’s
head. Heath’s eyes were narrowed,
watching Jarrod intently, his hand holding the gun shook slightly. Jarrod’s quick glance took in the pallor and
blood on his face, the pained eyes.
“HEATH!” urged Jarrod, his
hands in the air. “Don’t shoot,
Heath! It’s Nick and Jarrod.”
Jarrod’s words rang out
into the darkness. Fred ran to the door
and called in, “Marshal Thomson! It’s
Sheriff Maden from Stockton. I’m coming
in, don’t shoot.”
Putting his gun in it’s
holster, Fred walked in and nodded, “Marshal, you can let him go. He’s not one of them.”
“Okay, sheriff. Sorry about that, sir.” apologized Heath.
The pistol lowered and
Nick gulped in air when his throat was released. Waving off Jarrod’s concerns, Nick turned, grabbed the gun from
the lowered hand and growled angrily,
“Boy, you’re lucky you’re hurt or I’d spank you with this pistol, Mr.
Cantankerous!”
Nick’s angry glare turned
to concern when Heath flinched and leaned against the wall. His hands holding his head, fighting the
pain the memory flashes were causing, he slid to the floor when his legs gave
out.
Nick and Jarrod dropped to
kneel in front of their brother, his moan of pain tearing into them. Reaching over, Nick grabbed the strong arms,
his voice frantic with concern.
“Heath! What is it?
Heath?”
The blonde head slowly
raised and the eyes blinked rapidly, his breaths were coming in gasps. Tentatively, his hand reached upwards
towards the tanned cheek and Heath tilted his head slightly.
“I know you somehow, don’t
I?” whispered Heath, his eyes pained and confused.
“Yes, you know all of us.”
confirmed Jarrod softly. “Heath,
where’s Hiriam?”
Closing his eyes, Heath
grimaced, “I’m not sure.”
“Take your time, Heath.”
replied Nick softly squeezing the strong shoulder, frowning at the shaky hand
which wiped the blood off the cut cheek.
“Who cut you, boy?”
“Benton.” whispered Heath,
his eyes looking into the hazel ones reflected a moment of clarity. “Nevada. That’s where they took him.
Nevada.”
“When did they leave
Heath?” asked Jarrod. “Do you
remember?”
Trying to organize his
thoughts, Heath squeezed his forehead against the pain. “Not long, I’m not sure. Sorry, it’s not clear.”
“That’s okay, Heath. We’ll find him.” smiled Nick.
Looking up, Heath’s eyes
stared at the sight of the man leaning over the owner of the hazel eyes. Jarrod glanced toward where Heath was
staring, his eyes taking in Nick kneeling and Scotty leaning over the back of
him.
The picture to Jarrod was
reminiscent of the day the hand, Scotty, had brought the injured Nick in front
of him on his horse, albeit, minus the horse and the blood on Nick’s head.
“They’ll kill him. Grandfather, he’ll be dead.”
Gasping for air, Heath
struggled to stand, pushing away the hands of the men in front of him, his
efforts only earning him a fall into the cushiony darkness.
Benton knelt by the former
marshal, lifting his head and grinning at the unconscious man. Taking out his knife, he relished in the
apprehension showing in the brown eyes staring at him and his prey. Slowly he slid the blade of the knife softly
across Heath’s neck while Sheila laughed at the action.
“Please if you leave Heath
here, I will sign whatever you want.” restated Hiriam, his voice pleading,
worried eyes resting on his unconscious grandson’s form. His only thought now was to keep the young
man safe and get him out of the hands of these two vile people.
Sheila looked over at Benton
who nodded and released his hold on the blonde hair, “Okay, but you better not
try anything, old man. Let’s go.”
Benton pulled Hiriam to
his feet and tied his hands behind him while Sheila held a pistol pointed at
him to prevent any sudden movements.
Walking him outside, Benton put the older man in the saddle.
Sheila stood back from the
men, the gun steady in her small hand.
When Benton walked back, he stopped near her, Hiriam watching every
movement, afraid they would go back into the cabin and kill his unaware
grandson.
“If he’s alive, he could
positively identify us. Then the will’s
no good.” whispered Sheila. “We have to
finish him off.”
“When we get to that
deserted farmhouse Barrett showed me, I’ll sneak back and finish him off. We need to keep him thinking his grandson’s
still alive.” advised Benton. “As long as he thinks he is, he’ll sign the
will.”
Nodding, Sheila handed him
the gun and smiled, “You think of everything.”
“I try.” smirked Benton helping
Sheila up behind the older man. “You
two will have to ride together til we can get another horse.”
“Dammit, do you have to
torture me, too? Couldn’t you just
kill me now?” requested Hiriam, his voice dripping with disgust.
Handing the reins over,
Blake chuckled at Sheila’s angry cursing at the statement, enjoying the moment
of sarcasm from the former sailor.
“Now, that’s not a nice thing to say, Mr. Thomson.”
Climbing on his horse, he
lead the way to the deserted farmhouse ten miles away, grateful to his jailed
partner’s foresight to point out the hiding place two days before.
Within the hour, Hiriam
Thomson’s last living relative would be taken care of with the old man being
none the wiser.
Heath slumped over and was
caught by Nick’s hands. Laying him
gently on the floor, Nick looked over at Jarrod.
“We gotta get him out of
here.” stated Nick wiping the cut on the bruised cheek, taking advantage of his
still brother to examine his wounds.
Fred knelt beside the
brothers, “I’ll take the men and start on their trail. They can’t be that far ahead.”
Nodding, Jarrod agreed,
“I’ll come with you Fred. Nick, can you
get Heath to Stockton?”
“Yeah, I’ll get him to Dr.
Merar.”
Putting a hand on Nick’s
shoulder, Jarrod looked into the hazel eyes, “Nick, you sure you can make
it? You have a head injury yourself,
remember.”
Nick winked, “I promise
not to pass out til our little brother is safe in Stockton.”
Jarrod stared intently
into the hazel eyes, scrutinizing his other brother until he received a deep
growl, “I’m okay, Jarrod. Just a
headache, is all. You just make sure
you bring Hiriam back.”
“I will, Nick.” promised
Jarrod motioning to Scotty.
Between the two of them, they
brought Heath outside and lifted him onto Nick’s saddle. Mounting, Nick wrapped his arms around the
unconscious man and pulled him back against him.
Looking down at Jarrod,
Nick warned, “Be careful, Jarrod.”
Squeezing the black jeaned
leg, Jarrod nodded, “I will, Nick. When
you get to Stockton, why don’t you wire Jack Larkin. He may be able to send some marshals from Nevada to intercept
them.”
Nick grinned, “Good
thinking, Jarrod. I’ll wake Mr. Foster
up after Heath is settled in.”
Jarrod watched his
departing brothers before climbing on Jingo and heading out with Fred and the
rest of the men.
Nick held on tightly to
his unconscious brother, the blonde head resting against his shoulder, his
forehead against his jaw. Nick’s own
head was pounding from the day’s activities, but he couldn’t imagine how Heath
was functioning with the confusion shrouding his mind.
The pain in the ocean
colored eyes had torn at his heart but not as much as knowing Heath wasn’t sure
who he or Jarrod was. He’d been wiped
from his little brother’s memory as easily as one would wipe a chalk board in
school.
Blinking the tears away
which welled up in his eyes, Nick sighed and placed a kiss on the blonde’s
forehead, his voice cracked with emotion.
“Heath, I’m not giving up
on you remembering me and our family. You were gone from us for twenty four
years and you’re not going again! Not
if I have anything to say about it.”
“You came to Stockton as a
member of the United States Marshal Service.
You drug Luke Croker here for murdering our Father. I don’t think I ever told you about the
first time I knew you were my brother.
It was when Jarrod thanked you after you pulled Croker into the office
and you pushed your hat up.”
Heath shifted slightly in
his arms and Nick held his breath, hoping to hear the drawl of his name from
his brother’s lips. Heath mumbled
slightly but didn’t waken. Sighing,
Nick continued his walk through his memories.
“Well, when you pushed
your hat up, we were both shocked at Father’s eyes looking back at us. That was the day you entered our lives, the
day everything changed for the better in my life, our lives. I can’t imagine you not by my side everyday,
little brother. I won’t imagine it.”
“We love you, Heath. I promise I’ll do whatever I can to help you
remember us. We’d be lost without
you. Not only us, but what about
Melinda and the kids. Man, don’t make
me tell them you don’t remember, Heath.
I don’t think I’m strong enough to look into her eyes and say it.”
Tears spilled out onto the
tanned cheeks of the chiseled face, honed by the wind and elements, the strong
profile of the man breaking down at the prospect of losing one who walked by
his side, fought with him, laughed with him and returned love given to him
tenfold.
After securing Hiriam
Thomson, Benton departed the farmhouse by the back door and left the man under
Sheila’s watchful eyes. He watched the
large group of riders pass him in the dark of the night. Waiting for several minutes, he rode back to
the line shack.
Seeing the empty room, he
frowned and then realized the former marshal was more than likely on his way
back to Stockton. He was in no
condition to ride and would’ve needed assistance to make it back to the doctor.
The first light of the day
was only a couple hours away, time was of the essence now. Climbing upon his horse, he urged the tired
animal to a gallop riding as the crow flies back to Stockton.
A sucker - they say
there’s one born every minute or so Hiriam had heard. Laying on the filthy floor in a bedroom of the farmhouse,
smelling of rotting wood, mold and rodents – he knew he could be categorized as
one of those suckers. He’d been suckered in by his loyal secretary, his eyes
not seeing the real evil beneath the surface of beauty. How could someone you took in from the
cruel world turn on you because of money?
Greed was such a disgusting trait for a person to possess.
Now, his grandson and he
were destined to be killed. Shaking his
head, he worked at the ropes which bound his hands behind him, his legs tied
together at the ankles. Hiriam was
under no elusions – Benton and Sheila could not afford to leave Heath
alive.
The will he’d be forced to
sign would be no good with the former marshal alive to dispute it’s validity. He hoped his deal with the two had given
Heath’s brothers or even a complete stranger time to find him and take the boy
to Stockton. It had been a desperate
attempt and the only way he could think to leave Heath behind and alive.
The ropes cut into his
wrists the more he struggled with them.
Sighing, he lay his head on the floor and tried to ignore the pain in
his arms and shoulders. Being trussed
up like a thanksgiving turkey was frustrating.
The brown eyes stared at the wall, showing a flicker of defeat.
Hope seeped out of him at
his inability to free himself from his bonds.
If he wanted to live, he had to get free and away from his captors. The further away from Stockton they rode,
the less likely his chances of survival.
God, how he wanted to
spend the rest of his life being a grandfather to Heath. He missed out on the lives of his own
children as they grew and came to adulthood.
He didn’t want to miss out on seeing Heath married and with children of
his own in the future. A great grandfather
– what a wonderful title that would be to live up to and hear being spoken by
little voices.
A smile graced the
exhausted face, his thoughts of Heath sending a surge of adrenaline through
him. Taking a deep breath, he tried to
free his wrists again, the blonde man’s face firmly in his mind as he ignored
the pain of the ropes biting into his skin, cutting his skin by the slight
wetness he felt trickling down his fingers.
Working the ropes, his
body shifted slightly and his brown eyes widened with delight. Moving his knees up, he rolled over and
knelt on them. Clenching his jaw, he
tried to make his way closer to the wall.
His sixty year old knees protesting each small shuffle as he made his
way towards the wall and the squared large nail which stood out from the
boards.
The nail jutted out
approximately fifteen inches from the floor.
He felt his heart pounding wildly when he reached the spot he had worked
for, the sweat beading up on his forehead from the exertion. Leaning against the wall, he felt for the
nail and found it after several tries.
Lifting his wrists, he ran the rope across the nail in a seesawing
motion, thankful the piece of metal was holding firm in the wall.
He didn’t know how much
time passed before he felt the rope give slightly. He was so focused on his efforts, he’d lost track of everything
else. The slight loosening of the bonds
surged him forward with an abundance of energy. Repeating his movement, he moaned quietly with pleasure when he
was able to slip his right hand free of the bonds.
Rubbing his wrists to
restart the circulation in his hands, he untied the ropes on his ankles and
tentatively stood. His legs were
wobbly, his back and shoulders sang with pain, his knees hurt like hell from kneeling
the whole time – it was well worth it.
Walking to the window at
the end of the room, he grabbed the frame and lifted. The frame wouldn’t budge from it’s track. Taking a deep breath and letting it out
slowly, he tried again. This time he
bent at the knees and pushed upwards with legs and arms. A creaking sound echoed through the room
when the window moved upwards a few inches, the night air filtering into the
small room. Hiriam welcomed the clean
burst of air, it’s odor filling his senses and taking away the smell of his
temporary prison.
Sheila sat at the table
drinking a cup of coffee, waiting impatiently for Blake to return. A faint sound caught her ears from the
bedroom where Hiriam was bound.
Stepping over to the door, she put her head against the door and
listened. The noise sounded again from
inside. Reaching down, she turned the
key in the lock and slowly opened the door.
Entering the room, she saw
the ropes on the floor and the opened window.
Hearing a noise, she jumped to the side. Hiriam’s hands missed grabbing Sheila when she jumped to the
side. He saw her hand turn the gun and
he grabbed a hold of her wrists.
“Drop it!” demanded Hiriam
tightening his hold on her wrists and she cried out in pain from the pressure.
Stepping on his instep
viciously, Hiriam howled from her booted foot’s action. Biting his hand, she brought her knee up
into his groin and felt his legs buckle.
Hiriam’s vision blurred from the blow and his mind took a moment to
register her hands turning the gun towards him.
Quickly turning her hand
away from him, he jumped when the pistol discharged and her eyes widened with
fear before she slumped to the floor, blood spreading across her shirt, her
lifeless brown eyes staring up at the ceiling.
Staggering over to sit on
the only chair in the room, Hiriam gasped from his pained body and stared at
the dead woman. Realizing Benton hadn’t
entered the room, Hiriam took the pistol out of her limp hand and rushed
outside to the horse. There was only
one place Benton would have gone to and left Sheila behind.
Mounting, he turned the
animal towards the line shack and encouraged the horse to run at top speed with
a kick. Rounding a corner, Hiriam
pulled up sharply, preventing a near collision with the mounted men who
appeared suddenly in front of him.
Jarrod shouted, “Hiriam!”
“Jarrod, we gotta get back
to the line shack. Benton’s gonna kill
Heath!” exclaimed Hiriam.
“Heath’s on his way to
Stockton with Nick.” stated Jarrod.
“What about Sheila Pierson?”
“She’s dead.” informed
Hiriam.
Fred nodded, “Let’s ride
hard boys, I don’t like the thought of this Benton running around with Nick
trying to get Heath back to doc’s place.”
The quiet night air was broken
and filled with the sound of galloping hooves, the men pushing their horses on,
the fate of two relatives, two friends, two brothers lingering in their minds.
The air around the two
riders on the single horse was quiet save for the plodding of the hooves. Nick's voice was almost hoarse from the
nonstop talking in Heath’s ear, taking advantage of the ride to help his
unaware brother sort through the memories clouding his mind, laying out his
life since Nick had come to call him brother.
His throat strained from the emotions he strived to keep controlled as
he held his brother in front of him.
His arm across Heath’s
stomach felt his muscles tightening before the sickness welled up from within
the blonde. Stopping Coco, he leaned
Heath to the left and tried to offer comfort as the retching changed to dry
heaves.
Moaning, Heath felt his
face being wiped and strong arms holding him.
He fought to open his eyes, the strength coming from deep within him.
“Nick?” the painful word barely reached the older
man’s ears.
“I’m right here, little
brother.” assured Nick, choking back a sob of happiness at his whispered name.
“I got ya’.”
Heath’s head rolled
against the strong shoulder, his words mumbled, his voice weak. “Knife…back.”
“What?” exclaimed Nick
anxiety grabbing his heart at the idea he’d missed the damage. “You were stabbed in the back?”
“Take..out..sling.”
groaned Heath, the shaft of the knife digging into his back. “Hurts.”
Nick reached under Heath’s
vest and pulled the knife out of it’s home, thrusting it into Heath’s right
boot and smiled at the small sigh of relief which escaped from the blonde.
“Don’t scare me like that,
Heath.” growled Nick, reaching over to cup his brother’s cheek.
“Tired.” groaned the
smaller man. “Head...hurts.”
“I know it hurts,
boy. We’re almost to town.” soothed
Nick softly before asking. “Heath, do
you remember me as your, uh, brother.
The good looking one?”
“Old..one...twit..brain.”
whispered Heath before he passed out and sank back.
Chuckling, Nick wrapped
his arms around his brother, hugging him and planting a kiss on the warm
forehead while his tears of gratitude fell.
Nudging Coco forward, he headed towards the light flickering from the
town.
Stopping in front of Dr.
Merar’s, Nick dismounted carefully and slid Heath down into his arms. Carrying him up the stairs, he kicked the
door open and entered, calling loudly for the family physician.
Howard jumped up from
where he’d fallen asleep on the waiting room couch. His eyes opening wide at the man in Nick’s arms. “Heath!”
Howard held the door to a
room open, Nick passed him and laid his unconscious brother on the bed as
directed. “He woke a little while ago
and then passed out again. He remembers
me!”
Howard smiled widely at
the joy in Nick’s face, the tracks of the man’s tears clear for him to
see. “That’s good, Nick. That’s real good. Can you turn up the lamp,
I want to examine him.”
Nick turned up the flame
and stood on the other side of the bed, his hand holding Heath’s left one. His grip firm on the limp hand, not wanting
to lose physical contact with his little brother.
Howard felt Heath’s
forehead and shook his head. Opening
his shirt, he undid the bandage, his eyes unable to see any redness circling
around the stitched wounds due to the deep bruising from the encounter with
Barrett. Skillfully his hands felt the
lump on the back of Heath’s head, rewrapping the bandage. Taking a suave out of his bag, he put it on
the chafing and carefully wrapped a bandage around each wrist.
“Other than the cut on his
cheek, the chafing and a slight fever, he’s about the same.” stated
Howard. “What about Hiriam, Nick?”
Shaking his head, Nick
gruffed, “He wasn’t at the line shack when we got there. Heath said they were taking him to
Nevada. Jarrod, Fred and the men went
after him.”
Nodding, Howard smiled,
“You look beat Nick. How about you get
some rest? You can sleep in that bed
over there.”
Wiping a hand across his
face, Nick looked up, “I have to wake Mr. Foster and send a wire to Jack Larkin
first. Then I’ll come back and get some
rest.”
“Okay, Nick. Let me get you a glass of headache powder
before you go.” suggested Howard turning before any protest could be made. “Be right back.”
Nick ran his fingers down
his brother’s uncut cheek and leaned over.
“Heath, you’re at doc’s office.
I’ll be back after I send a wire, little brother.”
Howard handed a glass to
the brother some would characterize as loud and hell-bent as he strode through
life seemingly as he owned the world, but Dr. Merar and a few others had seen
the gentleness, soft like a butterfly’s wing coming out in the man by means of
caring, deep emotion and hands gentle as a summer breeze when those held in his
large heart were hurt or threatened.
Nick drank the glass of
concoction and squeezed Heath’s hand one last time, his eyes burning while he
ran them over his brother once again, almost afraid to leave him, wondering if
Heath’s moment of clarity would turn back into cloudiness.
“I’ll watch over him for
you, Nick. Go send your wire.” assured
Howard softly, his words receiving a nod from the now uncharacteristic quiet
man who hesitated for just a moment before leaving the room.
Blake Benton arrived in
Stockton in time to see Nick Barkley enter the physician’s office with Heath
Thomson in his arms. Benton walked
around the building in the shadow of the late night, his eyes seeing the raised
flame in a back window. Stepping up to
the window, he peered in from the side, unable to see the injured man. His eyes caught sight of the other two men
and the tan panted legs lying on the bed.
He couldn’t get a shot
from the window, he’d have to find another way. Heading back to the front of the building, he pondered his
choices while he watched from across the street. The choice was made for him when Nick Barkley left the office and
headed down the street towards town on his horse. Waiting until he couldn’t see the back of Nick, Benton walked
across the street and quietly entered the building.
“Go west, young man” were
the words heard by the younger version of Howard Merar some years before on the
east coast of the United States. These
four simple words spoken by a New Yorker were the catapult which started the
man and his new bride, Helen, on a trip across the great country. The trip ended in California where he
resided today.
The younger Dr. Howard
Merar, recently graduated from the Harvard Medical School, heard the words and
obeyed the urging of his wanderlust spirit deep within him. He grew up on the streets of Boston, worked
his way through school and graduated with honors. He had made himself into what he was today with tenacity and hard
work.
In his time, he’d seen his
share of violence in the world around him.
He’d held a weapon in his hands throughout his travels, but never found
the need to use one or the desire. With
everything he’d seen, he, himself, had never been a victim of any act of
violence nor partook in any such act against another human being.
Perhaps as he grew into
adulthood, it had to do with the fact he was a physician. Often times, he was the only physician in an
area and scarcity of his profession dictated he was considered more valuable
than gold. Gold couldn’t set your
bones, take out a bullet or operate to save your life. He and his wife lived a rather peaceful life
in a land settled and built by violence.
These thoughts quickly ran
through his mind after he felt a pistol shoved into his ribs and a deep low
voice whispered, “Don’t turn around.”
Obeying, Howard, glad his
wife was staying with the concerned Melinda Rankin, asked, “What do you want
from me?”
“Your patient, Heath
Thomson.” smirked Benton.
Anger surged within Howard
at the threat and he stated, “He’s not here.”
Jabbing the gun viciously
into the ribs again, Benton growled, “I saw his brother carry him in. Now move!”
“He’s unconscious. He can’t do anything to you.” informed
Howard, finding he was wishing for the first time in his life he was a man of
violence.
“He doesn’t need to be
awake for what I’m gonna do.” stated Benton coldly. “If you don’t move, I’ll blow a hole right through you.”
Howard hesitantly moved
down the hallway, assessing in his mind how long Nick had been gone, realizing
he wouldn’t return in time. The
telegraph operator, Mr. Foster, lived on the other side of town past the
telegraph office. Getting there, waking
the man up, going to the telegraph office and sending a wire – too much to
accomplish in the short time Nick’d been gone.
Howard’s steps felt as if
they were made on leaden legs, his feet feeling as if they were giant
boulders. His mouth was dry and his
back was ramrod straight in anticipation of a bullet’s path into his body.
Howard entered the room
where Heath lay unaware and turning quickly towards the unknown man, he never
saw the fist which connected with his jaw.
The physician’s body turned over a chair as he fell and landed on the
floor.
The clanging of the chair
meeting the hardwood floor reached Heath’s ears. Moaning softly, he turned his head and slowly opened his
eyes. Blake looked up from his kneeled
position beside the unconscious physician.
The opening of the blue eyes greeted him and he stood up.
Reaching the side of the
bed in two steps, Blake saw the startled eyes as awareness flooded into
them. Holding his knife to the blonde’s
throat, Blake smiled, “You first, then
your grandfather.”
The color in the sapphire
eyes seemed to change as Blake stared into them. A shiver quivered his spine from the coldness in them. The sound of a groan from the floor
distracted Benton and his arm was pulled away, his wrist twisted, the hold on
the knife lost from the quick movement.
Grabbing the strong wrist,
Heath twisted and heard the knife fall onto the floor. His lack of power not enough to break the
thick wrist. Frantic, he swung a fist
before rolling off the bed, away from his attacker and onto the floor.
Benton jumped over the bed
and felt the blade cut across his biceps from Heath’s quick slash. Ignoring the pain, he grabbed the injured
blonde and tossed him. Meeting the
unforgiving wall, Heath fell to the floor and lay still.
Taking out his gun, Benton
pointed and squeezed the trigger. The
air whooshed out of his lungs from the force of the blow to his back and he was
pushed headlong into the wall.
Stunned, Benton was
disarmed and turned. His body came to
know the full rage and strong protectiveness by the bull of the Barkley
family. Nick’s leathered hands made
short work of the man, sending him into oblivion.
His burst of expelled
energy left Nick gasping for air.
Falling to his knees, he turned his little brother onto his back.
“Heath? Heath!” called Nick tapping the blonde’s
cheek. “Com’on, boy! Talk to me!”
Heath heard the voice calling
him and tried to respond. His eyes
shifted beneath his lids but he couldn’t find the strength to open them and
moaned softly. Nick watched while Heath
struggled to heed his wish. Leaning
over, he placed his ear by the moving lips and strained to hear the whisper
while his hand was weakly squeezed.
“Get..him..Nick?”
Squeezing the tan
shoulder, Nick stated, “Got him, Heath.”
“Thanks.” whispered Heath,
his hand falling limp and he relaxed in the safe haven of his brother’s
presence.
Picking Heath up, Nick
laid him back on the bed as Jarrod, Hiriam and Fred entered the room. Fred and Hiriam helped a waking Howard to
his feet. Pointing to the beaten man
lying on the floor, Nick gruffed, “I believe that’s Benton.”
Hiriam verified the man’s
identity and Fred handcuffed him. Nick
brushed his hand through the blonde hair and whispered, “Too close, little
brother. Way too close.”
Jarrod wrapped his arms
around his shaking brother and hugged him tightly. Nick welcomed the strength from Pappy, his emotions reeling at
how close it’d been, not sure what had made him return suddenly to the
physician’s home.
Jarrod released him and
Hiriam held the taller man by the shoulders, his eyes full of unshed
tears. “Thank you, Nick. Thank you.”
Nodding, Nick looked at
Hiriam with confusion, “Where’d you come from?”
Hiriam smiled, “Time for explanations later. Now, I think we could all use some peace and
quiet.”
Jarrod and Nick stood
watch over their sleeping brother until their mother and sister arrived. Howard, sporting a bruised jaw, updated his
anxious friend on her son’s condition.
Howard warned the family
Heath’s confusion may not be thoroughly cleared up yet. His concussion would still affect him for
one to two weeks with headaches, dizziness, nausea and black outs. Heath was sleeping deeply, his body giving
in and working to heal itself.
Hiriam was at the hotel,
the older man’s pained body demanded healing sleep. The news of Ted Folcom’s murder, saddening and infuriating the
older man. He was angry at himself for
not seeing what was in front of his eyes, angry at the demon that had driven
Sheila Pierson to murder and kidnapping.
Blake Benton was a
resident of the Stockton jail with his former partner, Barrett. Hiriam informed Fred where Sheila Pierson’s
body could be found and the sheriff planned to bring it back to town
tomorrow. Before heading home, Fred
handed the puzzled Jarrod two lists of names.
“When Heath wakes up, tell
him he was right about how to find out who shot you, Nick.” smiled Fred tipping
his hat and heading out the door.
Jarrod and Nick read the
lists, their eyes widening at the name of Blake Benton on the list from the war
department, five lines down from their brother’s name.
“Heath must’ve requested
this information when he rode back to town with Fred after you were shot.”
stated Jarrod putting the papers in his pocket.
Looking at the sleeping
man on the bed, Nick growled, “Stubborn and cantankerous. Jarrod, have you ever known anyone to be so
stubborn?”
Victoria and Audra
snickered while Jarrod choked back his laughter and placed a consoling arm over
Nick’s shoulders, “Well, now that you mention it brother Nick – I can think of
only one other person.”
Glancing into the
twinkling blue eyes, Nick gruffed, “Don’t say it, Jarrod! Let’s go to the hotel.”
“That’s a good idea,
Nick. After we escort Mother and Audra
to the hotel, I’ll let Melinda know about Heath.” smiled Jarrod offering his
arms to his Mother and sister.
Nick lingered by the
bedside after the others left the room.
Reaching over, he pulled the blanket up further on Heath’s chest and
studied the bruised face, relaxed in sleep and gently squeezed his hand before
placing it back on the blanket.
Victoria watched from the
doorway, her gray eyes filled with wonder at the deep gentleness in her
masculine son. Walking over, she took
his face in her hands and kissed the tears on his cheeks.
“Nick, Heath loves you
just as deeply.” assured Victoria softly.
“You need to sleep, Nick. Heath
will be needing your strength as he heals.”
Nodding, Nick hugged her
gently and then allowed his Mother to lead him from the room to the hotel.
Two days later, Melinda
sat by the bedside, her cheek resting on her fist, elbow on the arm of the
chair. Her green eyes reflected
exhaustion, signs from her lack of sleep the past two days. After Jarrod arrived at her home to let
Melinda know of Heath’s safety, Helen Merar graciously offered her assistance
with the children, enabling the young woman to await the blonde’s return to
consciousness. The Barkley family had
gone to the train station to await the arrival of the youngest son,
Eugene.
Heath’s head moved
slightly, drawing Melinda’s attention and moving her to the edge of her
seat. The pain in his head was lessened
and Heath slowly opened his eyes to look around the room. He felt as though he’d slept for weeks, the
ringing in his ears was gone and his thoughts were clear.
His sapphire eyes gazed
into the green eyes intently, his heart thundered inside his chest, “Hi,
there.”
Remembering Dr. Merar’s
words about gauging Heath’s level of clarity when he woke, Melinda smiled back,
“Hi. Do you remember how you got here?”
Heath’s confusion at her words
showed in his eyes, “You mean Stockton?”
“No, the doctor’s office.”
frowned Melinda. “Dr. Merar wanted me
to ask you that when you woke up.”
“Yes, I remember.” sighed
Heath pushing himself into a sitting position with Melinda rushing over to
assist, placing pillows behind his back and head.
“Thanks.” Taking a hold of her small hand, Heath
whispered, “There is something I don’t remember too clearly, Melinda.”
Sitting on the bed, she
squeezed his hand, “What’s that Heath?”
“I can’t seem to remember
what it feels like when you’re near.” replied Heath seriously.
Blushing, Melinda smiled,
“Is that right?”
Releasing her hand, Heath
held her arms and pulled her closer.
“Nothing yet.”
Melinda giggled while the
process was repeated until her lips were a hair’s breath away from his. Her stomach fluttered wildly and her green
eyes sparkled.
“I missed you terribly,
Mel.” whispered Heath, his lips leaving a tender kiss on both cheeks.
Her breath caught in her
throat from the electric touch of his lips and her voice quivered, “And I
missed you, Heath. You need to rest
now.”
Shaking his head slightly,
he grimaced from the movement. Closing
his eyes briefly to stem the bout of dizziness, he reopened them and his blue
eyes burned into the green ones. The
emotion in his words caused tears to spring into her eyes.
“I didn’t remember Nick or
Jarrod. Grandfather. The kids.
You! It was strange, the
memories were there but they weren’t.
All because of someone’s greed, you could have been lost to me forever,
Melinda. God, just the thought of it
terrifies me. What if I’d been confused
forever? What if I..”
“Shhhh. Please don’t do this to yourself. Everything’s okay now, Heath. Shhh.” assured
Melinda, stopping his panicked words with her fingers on his lips.
Heath wrapped her in his
arms and held on tightly, his body trembling while his whole being burst with
emotion.
“I love you, Mel.”
whispered Heath, thankful for the chance to say the words to the woman who'd
stolen his heart.
Tears spilled onto her
cheeks and she tightened her hold, her whisper filling his heart, “I love you,
too.”
Heath placed a gentle kiss
on her lips. Pulling her closer, he
savored the sweetness of her as it deepened.
Breaking off the kiss, his eyes filled with tears.
“Mel, I love the kids,
too.”
“I know, Heath.” smiled
Melinda caressing his cheek softly.
“You need to rest and get well if we’re going to have another picnic
anytime soon.”
“Our last picnic was a lot
of fun.” sighed Heath brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Have I told you lately how beautiful you
are?”
Melinda smiled, “You tell
me every time I look into your eyes, Heath.”
Heath’s face turned
crimson. “I didn’t know I was that transparent.”
Laughing, Melinda squeezed
his hand, “How about a bowl of broth?”
The look of displeasure on
the blonde’s face at the thought of broth for breakfast caused Melinda to
giggle as she stood up and winked.
“I’ll be right back.”
Eugene jumped down from
the platform of the passenger car, his bag in his hand. His eyes swept the boardwalk of the train
depot and his blue eyes lit up with happiness.
Waving, he greeted his family with hugs and kisses.
“Where’s Heath?” inquired Eugene
not seeing the blonde anywhere.
“He’s at Dr. Merar’s.”
sighed Nick leading the family to the surrey.
“Why? Is he alright?” exclaimed Gene.
Entwining her arm into
his, Victoria smiled, “He’ll be fine, Gene.
We can stop and see him on the way to the ranch. It’s a long story.”
Nodding, Gene patted her
hand, “Okay, Mother, tell me later. How
is the planning for the big gala?”
Nick rolled his eyes and
Jarrod chuckled while Audra glared at her two older brothers, “It is not a
gala, Eugene. Just a birthday party.”
Smirking, Gene winked to
Nick, “Really? Your birthday is not a
gala. I could’ve sworn I saw a notice
in the San Francisco Chronicle which stated the guest list included governors
and senators. They said maybe even the
President is coming.”
The men laughed and
Victoria shook her head when Audra swatted her brother on the arm. Her shining blue eyes took away the look of
anger she was striving for. “Eugene
Barkley, you are as bad as your other brothers!”
Gene bowed slightly,
“That’s a mighty fine compliment, little sister. Thank you, Audra.”
Sighing loudly with
exasperation, Audra accepted Jarrod’s hand into the surrey while Gene helped
his Mother. Nick mounted Coco and lead
the way down the street, stopping in front of the physician’s office.
At the sound of
approaching footsteps, Heath tore his eyes from Melinda’s and smiled widely,
“Eugene! Good to see ya!”
Tipping his hat to
Melinda, Gene shook Heath’s hand and ran a quick eye over his blonde
brother. “Heath, you look a little
worse for wear. Every time I see you,
you’re flat on your back.”
Frowning at the laughter
from the others, Heath drawled, “Gee, I’m happy to see you, too, college boy.”
Chuckling, Gene smiled,
“What happened? Have you been sampling
Audra’s cooking again?”
Heath held onto his side
and moaned, trying to keep his laughter from escaping, “That’s not nice, little
brother. Ouch!”
The others smiled when
Audra agreed, “Heath’s right. That is
not a nice thing to say, Gene. I’m sorry
I have to invite you just cause you’re related.”
Heath winked at Gene and
drawled, “Boy howdy, it was funny though, Gene.”
Holding out a hand to his
advancing sister, Heath pleaded, “I’m injured already Audra. Go after one of your other brothers!”
Her other brothers
chuckled and Victoria squeezed Melinda’s hand, green and gray eyes lit up with
amusement at the shenanigans from the siblings. “Now, I do believe you boys have tortured your poor sister enough
for one day. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Grinning, the four men
exclaimed in unison, “Yes, Mother.”
Laying his head back onto
the pillow, Heath listened to his shadow.
Melinda tried to keep her attention focused on the plans for Audra’s
upcoming party, however, her eyes kept straying to where Heath was listening to
Nick.
Nick sat on the side of
the bed talking quietly to his blonde brother, glancing every once in a while
over to the family, laying out his plans for the ranch until Heath
returned. Glancing upwards, he smiled
at the bruised face relaxed once again in sleep.
Nick felt a small hand on
his shoulder and looked up into Melinda’s green eyes. Smiling, she whispered, “Sorry, Nick. Dr. Merar gave him some laudanum before you got here.”
Nick smirked, “Bet he
didn’t like that too much, huh?”
Chuckling softly, she
shook her head. “Not much.”
Standing, Nick tousled the
blonde hair and smiled, “I gotta get back to work. Keep an eye on him for me, okay?”
Melinda smiled widely, her
green eyes flowing with emotion, “That would be my pleasure, Nick. I’ll take good care of him.”
Nick gathered the family
members and chased them out of the room.
Stopping at the door, he smiled at the sight of Melinda sitting on the
bed and placing a kiss on his sleeping brother’s lips.
‘Yep, he’s a goner. Won’t be long til he’s not a bachelor
anymore.’ thought Nick, a smile spread across his tanned face and he left his
sleeping brother with his barber.
Dressed and looking out
the window, Heath was ready to leave, his mind deep in thought. His week stay with the family physician at
it’s end. Smiling at the sight of the
healing man, Howard cleared his throat, startling Heath back to the present.
“Morning, doc.” drawled
Heath. “Looks like a beautiful day
outside.”
Howard grinned, “I bet if
it was raining and hailing outside, you’d still think it was beautiful out.”
Laughing, Heath shook the
man’s hand, “Nothing personal, Dr. Merar, but I do believe you are correct!”
Joining Heath in laughter,
Howard walked the blonde to the kitchen where his wife was making
breakfast. Sitting at the table with
the Merar’s, Heath enjoyed his last meal with the happy couple.
“Mrs. Merar, I’ll sure
miss your cooking.” stated Heath.
“Course, if I stay here much longer, I’ll need new clothes for my
expanding waistline.”
Helen Merar shook her
finger at the blonde, “I don’t want to see you except for social reasons, young
man.”
Shocked, Heath winked,
“Mrs. Merar, you’re married!”
Helen laughed when Howard
sputtered coffee from Heath’s teasing words and received a firm pat on the
back, “Sorry bout that, doc.”
Catching his breath,
Howard took a deep breath, “I’ll have you know, young man, my wife prefers dark
hair. Right, dear?”
Helen shrugged, “I don’t
believe I’ve ever stated a preference, Howard.”
Heath sipped his coffee
and winked at the eye rolling physician.
“Will I see you at Audra’s birthday party on Friday night?”
“Yes, we’ll be there.”
confirmed Howard, eyes narrowing when Heath chuckled.
“Planning on dancing?” inquired
Heath pushing his empty plate away.
“Why?” asked Howard
suspiciously.
Patting her husband’s arm,
Helen smiled, “We love to dance, Heath.”
“Really? That’s nice to
know.” drawled Heath.
“With each other!” stated
Howard firmly winking at his wife, his dark eyes filled with laughter. “We prefer to dance only with each other,
right dear?”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever
stated that preference before either, Howard.” sighed Helen dramatically. “Since you have all the answers, dear, I
will just say goodbye to our guest.”
Standing, Heath pulled out
Helen’s chair and smiled shyly when she planted a gentle kiss on his
cheek. Taking his hands, she sighed,
“Howard and I will miss you, Heath.
You’re a welcome addition in our house anytime.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Merar.”
grinned Heath. Leaning down and
whispering loudly, Heath asked, “Save some dances for me, okay?”
Howard stood up and pulled
Heath by the arm, “Come on, Heath. Time
for you to go back to work.”
Laughing, Helen waved to
the departing man. Howard’s angry
countenance of a jealous husband not reaching his eyes or being able to stop
the laughter which threatened to erupt inside of him.
Nick entered the office in
time to see Howard shoving Heath’s hat into his hands. “Bout time you got here, Nick!”
Nick stood looking
perplexed at the aggravated tone from the physician. “What’s the matter?”
Heath winked, his blue
eyes gleaming with mischief when Howard growled, “Your brother is trying to
steal my wife. Time for him to go!”
“We can’t have that, now
can we?” exclaimed Nick. “I’d be happy
to take him off your hands, doc. Com’on
Heath, we got a ranch to run!”
Grinning, Heath shook the
hand of the physician enthusiastically, “Thanks again, Dr. Merar! See ya’ Friday!”
Following Nick’s path out the
door, Heath’s laughter rang out at the departing call, “Her dance card’s full
up Heath! Remember that come Friday!”
Stepping outside on the
boardwalk, Heath stopped at the sight of the surrey tied to the hitching
rail. “Where’s Charger?”
“Mother said take the
surrey.” smirked Nick, putting his arm
across the broad shoulders. “So, I took
the surrey.”
“Do you do everything
Mother tells you, Nick?” sighed Heath with a quick grin.
“A wise man would little
brother.” stated Nick clapping the blonde on the back. “Do you need help in, Mr. Cantankerous?”
Rolling his eyes, Heath
mumbled, “Twit brain!”
Climbing into the surrey,
Nick grabbed the reins and looked over at the blonde. “You know, Heath, Mother didn’t say how fast we could go.”
“Well, Nick. What are ya’ waiting for?” drawled Heath
with a smile.
With a loud yell and a
snap of the reins, the surrey lurched forward leaving the town in a cloud of
dust. Slowing the horse after a bit,
Nick shook his head at the sight of Heath reclining back in the seat, hat over
his eyes and his boots propped up on the metal frame.
“How’s Melinda?” asked
Nick.
“Fine, I guess.”
Frowning at the response,
Nick shrugged and inquired, “What did Timmy say about staying at the ranch for
the weekend?”
“I didn’t ask Timmy.”
Stopping the surrey, Nick
looked over and demanded, “What do you mean you didn’t ask him? You were supposed to! We talked about this four days ago.”
Heath pushed his hat up
and glanced into the tan face, “I didn’t see Timmy this week. I asked Melinda not to bring the kids over
to Dr. Merar’s.”
“WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?”
shouted Nick.
Sitting up on the seat,
Heath sighed, “I got my reasons, Nick.
Let’s leave it at that, okay?”
“No, it’s not okay! That kid thinks you’re a hero. Hell, he’s probably sitting at home
wondering why you don’t want to see him.” growled Nick angrily. “Why would you do that to him?”
“IT’S NOT YOUR CONCERN,
NICK!” yelled Heath jumping down from the surrey, his stride furious as he
walked away.
Nick’s anger wouldn’t be
calmed and he pulled the surrey to the side of the road. He quickly caught up to his brother and
yanked him around by the arm.
“I thought you loved those
kids. How can you treat them like
this?” grilled Nick, catching a quick look of anguish in the depths of his
little brother’s eyes.
“Nick, I don’t want to
discuss this right now.” informed Heath pulling his arm out of the iron grip.
Holding onto the strong
shoulders, hazel eyes bored into the sapphire eyes. Nick’s voice was strong and filled with concern, “Heath, you can
tell me anything. Don’t you know
that? I’m your brother, that’s what I’m
here for.”
Nick watched the sapphire
eyes lower and Heath shook his head slightly.
“I know, Nick.”
“Then what’s
happened? Did you and Melinda have a
fight?” inquired Nick, his voice soothing and curious.
Shuffling his feet, Heath
swallowed the lump in his throat and cleared his throat. “I shouldn’t have done it, Nick.”
“Done what?” puzzled Nick,
his breath catching at the emotion in the sapphire eyes.
“I broke my own rule and
now I don’t think I can handle it.” was the tortured response.
“Heath, you’re scaring
me. Just tell me.” urged Nick with a
slight shake of the tormented man he had by the shoulders.
Heath stood in his place, his
gut twisting in anguish, his mind twirling constantly. Nick saw the torment and he steeled his
heart for whatever could cause such a look.
“I love them, Nick. I do but it wouldn’t be fair to Mel.”
“Heath, if you love them,
I don’t understand what the problem is.” replied Nick holding Heath by the back
of the neck. “What wouldn’t be fair?”
Tears sprang into the
sapphire eyes and his voice trembled, “I can’t get it out of my mind,
Nick. It just keeps tormenting me. I have so many enemies from my past. I can’t take the chance. If we married and had kids of our own, they
could end up fatherless. I know what
that’s like and I can’t do it. I just
can’t, Nick.”
Pulling the blonde into
his arms, Nick’s hazel eyes reflected understanding. Patting the strong back, Nick sighed, “Did you talk to Melinda
about this?”
“No.” mumbled Heath. “I tried, Nick. Every time I look in her eyes, I just can’t get the words
out. The last thing I’d ever want to do
is hurt her, but I did anyway.”
Looking into the sapphire
eyes, Nick stated, “You love her, she loves you. It’s that simple, little brother. I can understand why you’re scared but you can’t live your life
this way. You two are so happy
together. I don’t understand why
you’re thinking this way now after all these months.”
“I guess Gene’s comment
about every time he sees me I’m flat on my back started it.” admitted Heath
hesitantly, not seeing the steely look in the hazel eyes. “He’s right, you know. In the time you’ve known me, how many times
have I been hurt? Almost killed?”
“Gene’s an idiot! He’s not very smart for a college boy!”
growled Nick furiously. “I can’t
believe you, Heath! Are you gonna leave
and live like a hermit? That’s what you
have to do, if you don’t want to leave the kids fatherless. What about the rest of the family? You could leave us brotherless or Mother
without a son! What about your
grandfather?”
Heath unconsciously took a
step backwards at the face darkened in fury, the words of anger shaking him to
the very core.
“You’re going to let a
wonderful woman walk away cause of things you have no control over? You’d hurt her and the kids like that?”
accused Nick, his voice loaded with disdain.
“I knew you were stubborn
but this I can’t believe! Nobody lives
forever, Heath!” shouted Nick before stalking back to the surrey, leaving his
brother staring at him and standing on the side of the road.
Heath stared while the
surrey drove off, his groan of pain not coming from any physical source. The torment within him had found another
innocent bystander to hurt.
Nick’s tone of voice and
the anger on his face lingered in the air on the wide open road. Pulling his
hat further down on his head, he started walking down the road towards the
ranch.
The sun was shining, the
birds were singing but to Heath’s ears all he heard was the disgust in Nick’s
shouted words. Nick, his brother, whom
he’d grown close to – almost as if they’d spent their whole life by each
other’s side. The tone in his words cut
as sharp as a knife and were twice as painful.
Physical pain could be handled with laudanum, however, for his inner
pain there was no modern medicine.
The sound of a horse
shifted his eyes upward. The surrey
drew wide of him and was expertly turned in a tight circle by the driver. Stopping by his little brother, Nick stared
straight ahead waiting until he felt Heath climb in.
Heath boarded the small
surrey, glancing at the profile of his still furious brother before they
started forward. Not a word was spoken
the remainder of the journey home, the words wouldn’t come to Heath. Words he sought wanting to dispel the anger
he felt radiating off the taller man.
Stopping at the house,
Heath climbed out and entered through the oak door. The rest of the family greeted him warmly, he accepted their
wishes before excusing himself and heading upstairs to the haven of his
room. His face reflected his inner
turmoil, he couldn’t keep it out of his eyes.
Nick entered the house and
the family immediately grilled him with questions for the reason of the
blonde’s retreat into his room.
Deciding the foyer was not the best place to hold this discussion, he
pointed to the study. Closing the door
behind the family, he looked at the expectant, questioning faces.
“Ask college boy!” growled
Nick pointing an index finger at the youngest son. “IT’S ALL HIS DAMN FAULT!”
“Nicholas, your language.”
admonished Victoria firmly.
Gene looked at his older
brother as if he had horns growing out the side of his head, his words were
choked when they came out, “Me? What
did I do?”
“WHAT DID YOU DO?”
repeated Nick. “You opened your mouth
before thinking, college boy!”
“Nick, what are you
talking about?” demanded Jarrod, pulling Gene behind him and out of the line of
fire from the hazel eyes.
Pacing to the french
doors, Nick sighed deeply and ran his hands through his dark mane. The rest of the family stared at the dark
clothed man, the wait for further explanation seeming to be an eternity.
“Nick?” urged Jarrod
quietly.
Nodding, Nick turned and
wrapped his arms across his chest.
“Heath thinks he made a mistake in courting a woman with kids. He broke one of his marshal rules and now
doesn’t think he can handle it.”
Jarrod nodded his understanding
while the rest of the family looked at each other curiously. Only Nick and Heath had been privy to some
information in Heath’s past, information he trusted to his brothers one
afternoon while fishing. ‘His marshal
rules and his past life’ had been the items for discussion that day. The Wednesday afternoon the three brothers
played hooky from work was the afternoon Jarrod had been fully drawn into
Heath’s circle of trusted people. The
circle of people Nick already resided in.
“Why is he having second
thoughts about Melinda now?” asked Victoria quietly. “Everyone can see how much they love each other.”
The hazel eyes turned
accusingly to the bewildered youngest male.
“Because every time Gene sees Heath – he’s flat on his back.”
Eugene’s eyes lit up with
understanding, “I was only kidding, Nick.
He couldn’t have taken that seriously.”
“You may have been Gene,
but those words started his mind thinking!
He lay in a bed for a whole week and guess what he thought about. How many times he’d almost been killed since
we’ve known him. That’s all and now
he’s, well, Heath’s scared to death that if he marries and has children.”
paused Nick rubbing his hands over his face.
“What, Nick?” whispered
Audra stunned by the words of her brother.
Looking over into his
blonde sister’s eyes, Nick remembered the first time Heath and Audra had seen
each other. The shocked look in the
matching sets of eyes, the matching hair color had stolen the breath out of the
two blondes.
“Sis, because of his
enemies in his past, he’s terrified he’ll wind up leaving the kids
fatherless. His exact words were ‘If we married and had kids of our own, they
could end up fatherless. I know what
that’s like and I can’t do it. I just
can’t, Nick’.”
“Nick, I’d never knowingly
hurt Heath like that. You gotta believe
me!” stammered Gene, his face showing his guilt. “What about Melinda? Has
he spoken with her?”
“No, he said he couldn’t
get the words out.” stated Nick.
Jarrod nodded, “Perhaps
she doesn’t know, Nick. Once we get
Heath to see he’s panicking for nothing, everything will be fine.”
Nick snapped, “He already
told her he didn’t want her to bring the kids over to Dr. Merar’s. He loves them and he’d not see them unless
there was a reason.”
Jarrod’s groan could be
heard throughout the room and Victoria shook her head.
Her words quiet and sad,
“Melinda’s a smart woman. She’ll know
something is not right by his not wanting to see the children. Heath knew they came as a package and how
important her children are to Melinda.
She knows how much he loves them.
He won’t have to put it into words, she’ll know. She won’t know why, but she’ll know.”
“Being without a father
because of death compared to Heath’s circumstances of birth not knowing who his
father is, uh, are two different things.” stated Jarrod hesitantly, his eyes
seeking the gray eyes of his mother, who nodded slightly in encouragement.
“In Heath’s mind, all he
must see is the possibility of a family being left without a male figure to take
care of their needs, financially and emotionally. I think we somehow have to get him to see this, otherwise, I
don’t think he will ever get past it.
It will always torment him and prevent him from finding happiness. As to how we accomplish that, I’m not sure.”
The air in the study hung
heavy with sadness and guilt, eyes were on the verge of unshed tears amid
thoughtful, concerned faces. Nick
briefly squeezed the shoulder of Gene as he headed out of the study. Stopping in the foyer, his eyes glanced up
the stairs and he hesitated a moment before ascending the grand staircase.
Stopping outside the
bedroom door, Nick took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in.” was heard from
inside the room.
Nick stood in the open
doorway and cleared his throat, “Heath, I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I don’t have the right to question what you
do with your life. You’re my
brother. I just want you to be happy.”
From his position in front
of the window which overlooked the corrals, Heath nodded, “I know, Nick.”
“You up to working?”
Turning slowly, Heath
smiled slightly, “Sure. Physical work
sounds good right now.”
Nick stopped Heath with a
hand on his arm, “Nothing too strenuous, okay?”
Nodding, Heath sighed and
drew the taller man into a quick hug before exiting the room.
Nick followed his brother
down the stairs and outside to the corral.
The men excitedly greeted their returning boss, his grin at their
welcome, a former shadow of itself.
Three days later, Hiriam
stopped the rented buggy in front of the Barkley mansion and climbed down. Silas directed the older Thomson to the
barn. Hiriam’s ears picked up the
raised voices between the two brothers, some of the ranch crew quickly left the
barn making themselves scarce.
Walking over, Hiriam
leaned against the frame of the large door.
Heath stood hands clenched to the side and Nick was leaning forward,
almost nose to nose with the blonde.
“When you can pick up a saddle
without wincing in pain and ripping out your stitches, Heath, then you can ride
out with us!” growled Nick angrily.
“Until then, you work around the ranch.”
“I am perfectly capable of
taking care of myself.” stated Heath firmly yanking the blanket out of his
brother’s hand. “I did it for a lot of
years before I came here.”
“YOU WANT TO RIP OUT YOUR
STITCHES AGAIN! BE MY GUEST!” shouted
Nick stepping away and turning back suddenly.
“You’re a fool Heath if you think beating yourself down is gonna take
away the pain in your heart. You’re the
only one who can do that!”
Walking past, Nick nodded
to Hiriam and left the barn. Shaking
his head, Heath turned and put the blanket on Charger, his words mumbled, the
tone angry. Putting a hand on the horn
of the saddle laying on the ground, he lifted and dropped it back down, wincing
and grabbing his right side. Grabbing
the blanket off the horse, he threw it against the wall and cursed wildly.
Charger shied away
nervously from his angry owner. Heath
leaned his head against a post before taking a deep breath and stepping closer
to calm the bay stallion. Leading the
horse back into it’s stall, he said a few more quiet words to the large animal
while rubbing his nose.
Hiriam picked up the
saddle from the ground, placing it back on the rail of the stall and put the
thrown blanket away. He put an hand on
his grandson’s shoulder, surprised when the blonde grabbed him and held on
tightly.
“Hi, grandfather.”
whispered Heath.
Patting his back, Hiriam returned
the greeting. Putting an arm over
Heath’s shoulders, Hiriam walked him out of the barn. At the corral, Duke nudged Nick, turning the hazel eyes to the
sight of the two leaving the barn and walking away from the ranch
buildings.
Nick’s eyes reflected hope
at the sight of Hiriam’s arm over his little brother’s shoulders. The blonde man had been nearly impossible to
live or work with over the past three days.
Duke saw the look in
Nick’s eyes and knew his probably reflected the same look of hope. Bunkhouse gossip decreed the
uncharacteristic foul mood of the blonde boss had to do with a certain young
lady in his life. All the crew knew to
be true was what they could see with their own eyes. Whatever it was, it was eating the man up inside and they were
all powerless to put a stop to it.
Heath firmly rebuffed any offers of help or understanding from those
close to him.
Heath allowed his
grandfather to lead him away from the ranch down to the stream where they had
spent a previous afternoon talking together.
Hiriam sat him down under a tree and looked into the blue eyes.
“Heath, what is going on?”
asked Hiriam quietly. “I saw Melinda
yesterday and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days.”
Anguish flew into the
blonde’s eyes and he sighed, “I didn’t mean to hurt her, grandfather. Some things just can’t be what you may want
them to be, is all.”
Hiriam nodded in
agreement, “Well, you know how women are.
They always want more than a person’s willing to give.”
Heath’s head shot up and
he snapped, “She’s not like that! Don’t
talk about her that way!”
“I know Heath. I just wanted to see what your reaction
would be. Now, tell me what’s going on
with you and Melinda.” replied Hiriam with a smile.
The angry look in the blue
eyes faded and a slight grin turned up a corner of his mouth. “Melinda’s a wonderful woman, but I can’t
take the chance of endangering her or the kids cause of my past. I have too many enemies to sleep soundly.”
“I see. You’re afraid someone you arrested will come
after you and find Melinda instead.
Benton and Sheila were not people from your past, but still you could
have been killed and left them alone.” stated Hiriam with a deep sigh. “I can understand why you must feel that
way.”
“You’re the only one.”
smirked Heath leaning his head against the tree. “The family doesn’t understand it at all.”
Waiting until Heath rolled
his cigarette, Hiriam smiled, “I said I understand Heath. I didn’t say I agree with you.”
Staring intently into the
brown eyes, Heath waited for the older man to continue.
“Regret is a horrible
thing to live with Heath. Take it from
me, I’ve had lots of experience with it.
Don’t live your life based on fear.
Grab at happiness with both hands and hold on with all the strength you
have.”
The sapphire eyes lowered
and a thoughtful look took over Heath’s face.
Hiriam reached over and squeezed his arm, his voice low and full of
love.
“Your grandmother, Leanne,
was a ray of sunshine. When I first saw
her, I thought she was an angel. Her
eyes sparkled, her smile could light up the blackest of nights, her laughter
was absolutely contagious. She was so
full of life and happiness. I swear the
world around us brightened each time she stepped out the door of our home. Everyday, she shared with others her love
and compassion.”
Heath saw the brown eyes
fill with tears and squeezed his grandfather’s hand. Hiriam smiled slightly, happy for the support to continue his
walk down memory lane.
“I always felt as though I
should have died in her place. She was
taken from this world too early and given a place high in the heavens where she
could watch over everyone on this earth.
If there’s one thought I want to leave with you to think on it would be
this Heath.”
Staring into the sapphire
eyes, Hiriam stated firmly. “Love with
a woman who compliments your heart and soul is the greatest love a man could
ever receive.”
“It took me a long time to
realize that if I never had the chance to receive love from a special person
like your grandmother, I would’ve been the lesser man for it. If I hadn’t taken the chance to grab at
that moment of happiness, I would have regretted it for the rest of my
life. Don’t give up a chance to have
love, not everyone finds it in their lifetime. Don’t put off til tomorrow what
you can do today. No one lives forever
and you should live your life as if it were your last day on earth.”
“I bet if you ask your
Mother, she’d say she’s happy to have had the love of your Father for the
amount of time she did.” suggested Hiriam seeing a question form in the
sapphire eyes.
“Has it ever bothered you
I call her Mother?” asked Heath quietly.
Hiriam admitted, “At
first, it did. But the more time I spent
with your family, I realized, Victoria is as much your Mother as Leah surely
was. It is a rare woman who’d love
unconditionally as she does. You are
blessed to have the love of two mothers in your lifetime, Heath.”
Heath sighed, “Yes, I
am. Are you leaving grandfather?”
“Yes, but I will be back.”
stated Hiriam. “I have decided to sell
my business and move out here.
Unfortunately, not all of the details can be handled by telegrams.”
“I’m glad,
grandfather. I like having you near.”
smiled Heath. “When will you be
leaving?”
“Tomorrow. I have to be back by the end of next month
for Benton’s trial.” stated Hiriam.
“Would you like to travel with me?”
Shaking his head, Heath
replied, “Thanks but I’d rather stay here, grandfather.”
“Heath, promise me you’ll
think about what I’ve said today. Only
you can decide if you’re able to get past your inner demons and grab at your
chance of happiness.”
Pulling the blonde to his
feet, Hiriam held onto his shoulders, “Melinda’s a wonderful woman. If you give yourself the chance, you’ll find
an abundance of happiness and joy with her.”
Nodding, Heath put his arm
over the older man’s shoulders and they walked back to the ranch house. After spending the morning together, Heath
stood watching from the front steps as he drove the rented buggy back to
Stockton.
Mrs. Beatrice Collins
watched her young worker rip out a seam for the fourth time. Her wise old eyes were in quiet
contemplation of the beautiful young woman she’d come to hold dear to her
heart.
Melinda was an excellent
seamstress, her work the best she’d ever seen.
Hiring the young lady had been the best thing she’d ever done. She was an asset to her business, gaining
Mrs. Collins many returning customers by her dedication and finished product.
For several days now,
something had been bothering the normally conscientious young woman, her mind
was obviously not on her work. Melinda
had to take her work home to complete it by the deadline given to their customers.
“Melinda, is everything
okay?” inquired Beatrice.
Looking up, Melinda gave
her employer a small smile, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Collins. I’m having a small problem, but I’ll have the dress completed in
time.”
Reaching over, Beatrice patted
the small hands and smiled, “I’m not worried about the dress, dear. I’m worried about you. Are the children okay?”
“They’re fine. Thank you for asking.” assured Melinda, any
further conversation ceased by the ringing bell in the forward area of the shop
announcing an arrival of a customer.
Beatrice heaved herself out of the chair making her way to the front of
the store.
Melinda shook her head to
clear her thoughts of Heath. She’d gone
over the time spent with him, unable to come up with the reason for him pulling
away. He hadn’t said anything, she’d
seen it in his eyes and recognized it in his actions over the past week.
She knew he loved her, but
why would be pull away. Questions
running through her mind kept her from sleeping. ‘Was it her?’ ‘Was it the
children?’ ‘Was she asking too much
from him when she declared her love for him?’
‘Had she lost him forever?’
At a call from Mrs.
Collins, Melinda put the dress she was working on to the side and walked to the
front area of the store. Stopping at
the counter, her hands gripped the edge of the wooden shelf, supporting her
shaking knees.
“Mother!” exclaimed
Melinda, her green eyes wide in her pale face.
The memories flew across
Melinda’s mind while her eyes stared into the face of her Mother. Years of stringent rules, perfect manners,
perfect behavior and stymied dreams came rushing back like the water in a flash
flood.
She felt an odd
constriction in her chest, her stomach burned and she stepped back from the
counter. The woman before her lived
with the man, who when she was a child with one look, could send a chill down
her spine. She’d lived in fear of her
father, hungering for the love he withheld.
Fear of not performing in school well enough, fear of not being the
perfect daughter, fear of being a blight in his perfect styled professional
life.
He used fear to control
his family. He didn’t need a physical
weapon of metal, such as iron or steel, he used mental weapons faster and
quicker. The damage inflicted by mental
weapons went deep into a person and couldn’t be seen by the naked eye.
Children no matter how old
they get still look to their parents for approval or disapproval. Melinda finally stopped looking to them and
taken a giant step towards breaking out of her prison when Mike Rankin smiled
at her. Her husband, though not
formally educated, had taken the girl from the cocoon and freed a delicate
butterfly.
He never understood how a
man could treat his family as her father did.
The treatment endured during Melinda’s childhood she vowed would never
be the same for her children.
“What do you want?” asked
Melinda, her voice shaking uncontrollably, matching the movements of her hands.
Grace Fields’ green eyes
welled with tears at the sight of her beautiful daughter, torn from her life by
her husband’s decree. Her voice
trembled and tears spilled out onto her cheeks.
“Mellie, I’ve missed you
so much and I love you.” whispered Grace.
Grace felt her feet moving
and went around the counter. Standing in
front of her shocked daughter, she held a shaky hand to the soft skin and cried
openly while she pulled the stunned girl into her arms.
“Does Father know you’re
here?” asked Melinda stepping out of her mother’s hold and looking around
nervously.
Wiping her eyes, Grace
shook her head negatively. Taking a
hold of her daughter’s hand, she closed her eyes briefly and then looked into
her girl’s eyes, “Your Father had a heart attack, Melinda. He passed away three weeks ago.”
Melinda’s hand flew to her
mouth, the gasp heard throughout the room.
“Mother, I didn’t know.”
Grace caressed her
daughter’s cheek, “I could have sent a wire but I wanted to tell you in person.
I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner, but it took me two weeks after his death
to realize he couldn’t tell me what to do anymore, how to live or who to love.
It’s ironic, even in death he controlled me for two weeks afterwards.”
Grasping her daughter’s
hands in hers, the emerald eyes were pleading.
“Melinda, I want to be part of your life, please forgive me for not
being strong enough to go against your Father in the past. I love you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me and give me
another chance.”
Melinda heard the words
and saw the pleading in the green eyes.
Her emotions already in turmoil were sent spiraling out of control from
the news of her Father’s death and her Mother’s sudden appearance, her mind
strived to sort through the information it was bombarded with. The room started spinning and the sound of
waves crashed in her ears.
Victoria entered the
doorway of the dress shop and saw Melinda fall to the floor when she
fainted. Rushing over, she stared at
the woman holding Melinda’s hand and knew instantly who she was.
“I’ll get Dr. Merar.”
informed Victoria to Mrs. Collins before rushing out the door.
Scotty sat in the surrey
and jumped up as the matriarch of the family rushed out the door. “Melinda’s fainted, Scotty. Get Dr. Merar!”
“Yes, Mrs. Barkley!”
shouted Scotty running down the street and bursting into the doctor’s office.
The sound of a galloping
horse brought Heath away from the corral where Duke was working with a newly
broken horse. Billy Peterson brought
his horse to a stop in front of the former marshal.
“Heath, Mrs. Rankin was
taken to Dr. Merar’s. She..” stated
Billy, his eyes widening when he was pulled quickly from the saddle of his
horse. Laying on the ground, he lifted
his head and stared at the man galloping away on his horse.
Duke rushed over and
helped the young deputy to his feet. “You
okay, Billy?”
“He stole my horse again!”
groaned Billy knocking the dust off his clothes.
“No, he just borrowed your
horse, Billy.” smirked Duke with a
slight shake of his head. “What’s the
matter with Mrs. Rankin? Is she okay?”
Gesturing to the cloud of
dust settling over the ranch yard, Billy stated, “Scotty said she fainted and asked that I come out to tell
Heath, but he didn’t give me a chance to explain! I didn’t even see his hands move before I felt the ground on my
backside!”
Chuckling and clapping the
irritated young deputy on the back, Duke grinned widely, “Com’on I’ll get you a
horse to ride back to town on.”
Howard jumped at the sound
of the slamming door and running feet.
Heath flew into the room, his face panic stricken and he grabbed the
physician by the shoulders.
“Where is she? Is she okay?” demanded Heath, his blue eyes
wide with fright.
The startled physician’s
mind took a moment to get over the unexpected arrival of his harried visitor,
his thoughts gathered themselves quickly as he realized who Heath was asking
after.
“She’s fine, Heath.”
assured Howard patiently. “Melinda just
fainted. She’s at home.”
The diagnosis worked it’s
way into the cavities of the blonde’s brain, he slowly nodded and released his
firm grip on the family physician.
Victoria watched from the doorway as the fear released itself from her
son’s body leaving him quivering.
Heath patted Howard on the
shoulder and sank into the nearest chair, his legs unable to hold his body
weight. Leaning forward with his elbows
on his knees, Heath held his head in his hands.
Victoria motioned for
Howard to leave, waiting until her old friend left the room and closed the
door. Walking over, she knelt in front
of Heath and pulled his hands away from his face.
The tortured look in the
blue eyes swimming with tears stirred concern and anger within her. Concern over the deep emotion Heath held for
Melinda, emotion he was fighting and causing his future happiness to be in danger. Anger for the stubbornness in the man who
seemed to always put others before himself.
The fear created in him from a life he should never have had to live.
Pulling his head to her
shoulder, she wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back. Heath couldn’t control the tears which left
his eyes or the trembling of his body.
The wild ride into town had his mind running with all sorts of horrors
as to what he would find when he arrived.
The thought of Melinda hurt caused him physical pain as much as
emotional.
“Heath, why don’t you take
the chance?” whispered Victoria after the tears subsided.
Staring into the ocean
eyes, she stated quietly. “You can’t run from it, sweetheart and it’s tearing
you apart.”
Heath sighed and mumbled,
“I’ve never been so afraid in my life, Mother.
I kept thinking she’d die without knowing or worse thinking I don’t love
her.”
Holding his face in her
hands, she wiped his tears off his cheeks with her thumbs. Her gray eyes fraught with love.
“Don’t fight it, Heath. Can’t you see, you were meant to be
together? When you’re apart, it’s as if
you are both missing something. When
you’re together, you’re whole.”
Closing his eyes, Heath
took a shaky deep breath and nodded, “I’m sorry for taking it out on you and the rest of the family. I know I’ve been a bit disagreeable lately.”
Chuckling, Victoria smiled
into the blue eyes, “For a while I thought I had two Nicks as my sons instead
of one.”
Smirking, Heath kissed the
top of her silver hair and pulled her into another embrace, “Thank you,
Mother.”
Breaking the hug, Victoria
held out her hand and smiled, “I’m guessing there’s a very special young woman
who would benefit very much from a visit right now.”
Taking hold of her hand,
Heath stood up and held it as they walked outside into the sunshine. Stopping suddenly on the boardwalk, Heath
groaned out loud.
“Billy’s gonna be mad at
me!”
Puzzled, Victoria asked,
“Why would he be mad?”
Shaking his head, Heath
pointed to the mare tied to the hitching rail, “I stole his horse again!”
Laughing, Victoria smiled
and pushed Heath in the direction of Melinda’s house, “I’ll ask Billy not to
press charges against you.”
Kissing her cheek, Heath
whispered, “Thank you, Mother.”
Giving the diminutive woman
one last hug, Heath headed towards the small white house. Standing at the gate of the fence which
surrounded the property, Heath slowly stepped through the opening, walked up
the small flower bordered pathway and climbed the two steps of the porch.
Taking off his hat, he ran
his fingers through his blonde locks and brushed the dust off his clothes. Reaching up, he knocked and stood hat in
hand until the door opened.
Grace Fields opened the
door and looked at the man before her.
“May I help you?”
Heath stared into the
emerald eyes, his blue eyes questioning and he cleared his throat, “Is Melinda
home, ma’am?”
Grace nodded hesitantly,
“Yes, however she is resting right now.
I’m her mother, Grace Fields.”
“Heath Thomson, ma’am.”
stated Heath offering a hand in greeting.
“Mrs. Fields, is Melinda okay?”
“Yes, she’s fine. Just tired.” smiled Grace. “Perhaps you’d like to come back another
time Mr. Thomson when Melinda is feeling better.”
Heath shifted his feet
slightly and turned at the shouted greeting.
“Mr. Heath! Mr. Heath!”
Kneeling, he grinned,
“Timmy, how’s my deputy?”
Timmy wrapped his arms
around the strong neck and shook his head, “Mr. Heath, I’s sorry but I can’t be
a deputy. Don’t be mad.”
Heath titled his head
slightly and looked into the brown eyes, “I’m not mad, Timmy. If you’re not gonna be a deputy, what are
you gonna do?”
“A rancher.” stated Timmy
firmly. “Like you and Mr. Nick.”
Chuckling, Heath grinned,
“Sounds good to me.”
Helen Merar smiled and set
Megan down on the ground, the young toddler’s feet took off running and she was
encased in a strong armed hug. Her
small face placing a kiss on the tanned face.
“Mr. Heaf.”
Heath chuckled at her
imitation of Timmy’s words and rubbed her nose with his eliciting a giggle out
of the little girl.
“Afternoon, Mrs. Merar.”
stated Heath standing with Megan in his arms.
“Did you meet Mrs. Fields?”
“Yes, I did.” said
Helen. “I just brought the children
home from the Collins’ for Melinda, Heath.
I really have to get back to help Howard.”
Waving goodbye, Heath set
Megan down on the porch and tousled Timmy’s hair. The kids stared up at the unknown woman in the doorway.
“Hi, Timmy and Megan. I’m your grandmother.” stated Grace softly.
“I came all the way from Sacramento to see you.”
Timmy shook the hand she
held out and looked up, his face scrunched with confusion, “How come you didn’t
come before, grandma? Sacramento’s not
that far.”
Grace turned crimson, “I’m
here now, Timmy.”
Satisfied for the moment,
Timmy turned back towards his hero.
“Mr. Heath, are you spending the day with us?”
“No, Timmy. Your mommy is resting.” sighed Heath. “I’ll come back when she’s awake, okay?”
“Mr. Heath, we haven’t
seen you forever.” pouted Timmy pulling on his hand. “Mommy will want to see you, too.”
“Yes, mommy would.”
The soft spoken words
floated out the door and snapping his head up, Heath’s eyes took in the pale
complexion of the woman he loved, enhanced by the white blouse she was wearing.
“Mother, would you take
Timmy and Megan inside for me?” asked Melinda.
Grace took the hands of
the children and nodded, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Thomson.”
“Likewise, ma’am.” mumbled
Heath, his blue eyes only seeing the woman before him, his hand absently patted
Timmy on the back when he was lead away.
When the door closed
behind the departing three, Heath held out his hand and his breath caught in
his throat when Melinda stood looking at it, her body not moving, her eyes deep
in thought.
The world stopped spinning
on its axis, the sun stopped shining, the wind stopped blowing and all forms of
life were held in a suspended moment of time.
Nothing moved, nothing breathed and no sound could be heard while the
green eyes stayed deep in thought.
Heath felt the ground
beneath him begin to crumble, his heart started to crack as the time crept by
second after second. Slowly,
tentatively, a small hand reached out towards his. A surge of electric current rushed up both arms when their palms
touched lightly and Heath wound his fingers around her hand.
“Mel.” whispered Heath,
his eyes showering her with love.
Leading her down the porch, he sat her on the steps and knelt down in
front of her.
Taking both of her hands
in his, Heath gazed into her green, pained eyes and stated softly, “I’m sorry,
Mel for hurting you. It’s the last
thing in the world I vowed to myself I would do, but I ending up doing it
anyway.”
“Why, Heath?” queried
Melinda, her eyes beseeching the answer she needed from the blonde who held her
dreams. “Is it me? The children? Why?”
“It wasn’t cause of you or
the children. It was me.” stated Heath,
her eyes showing confusion at his statement.
“I was doing it to protect
you and the children from people in my past.
When I was a marshal, I never dreamed of ever settling down and raising
a family. I was afraid if I married as
a marshal, I’d leave my wife a widow and my children fatherless.” sighed Heath
pausing to gather his thoughts.
“Heath, you’re not a
marshal anymore. I knew you were
pulling away for some reason, but I’m more upset you didn’t tell me why or even
give me a chance by explaining it.” stated Melinda, her eyes filling with
tears. “You didn’t trust me enough to
take the chance with you.”
“No, honey.” urged Heath
holding her face in his hands. “I
didn’t trust myself to be able to live without the fear. I thought I could be the big tough man and
go on without you. But I can’t Mel,
when it comes to you, I’m a weak man.
Not weak in a bad way, but in a way I’d never thought would be possible
or I’d ever welcome.”
Wiping her tears from her
cheeks, Heath picked up her hand and placed a kiss on her palm. His voice cracked with bottled emotion,
“Mel, I love you so much. I can’t bear
the thought of anything happening to you because of me. Or the children. You have become such a large part of my heart, I’m lost without
you.”
“Oh, Heath.” whispered
Melinda unable to stop the tears from spilling out again.
Pulling her into his arms,
Heath placed a kiss on her strawberry blonde hair, “I’ve missed you and when I
heard you’d been taken to Dr. Merar’s…”
Unable to finish his
words, Heath tightened his hold on her and Melinda could feel a quiver run
through the strong blonde. Her arms
were encircled around his waist and she ran her hands up his muscular back.
Tilting her head up, Heath
sought the delicate lips and the lingering, gentle kiss left them both desiring
more. Looking into the glazed green
eyes, he whispered, “Please forgive me, Mel for not being strong enough to push
my fear aside and grab at happiness with both hands.”
“I love you, Heath. There’s nothing to forgive.” whispered
Melinda, then winked. “Just don’t do it
ever again.”
Chuckling, Heath smiled
widely, “Yes, ma’am.”
Putting a stray wisp of
hair behind her ear, Heath’s eyes turned to concern. “Are you okay, Melinda?
Why’d you faint and what’s your mother doing here?”
Putting her fingers on his
lips, Mel’s green eyes sparkled with love.
“If you stay and have dinner, I’ll answer your questions.”
“Blackmail is against the
law, I’ll have you know.” teased Heath staring into her eyes.
“Really?” inquired Melinda
with a small smile, “What’s the punishment for that?”
Sapphire eyes light up
with anticipation and he slowly lowered his head, stopping just before the
touch of their lips. “Ah, it’s
punishment of the sweetest kind.”
Melinda’s hand reached
behind his neck and pulled him closer.
The world was spinning wildly on it’s axis, the sun was bursting in the
sky with glowing light, the wind blew a gentle breeze across their warmed
bodies and life around them burst into a flurry of motion as love was
rejoined. The pathway lay clear before
them, the future bright with possibility.
Looking out the window,
Grace spied on the two adults on the front steps. Even in Sacramento anything concerning the wealthy Barkley family
was news and made the society columns.
When she met Heath Thomson, she hadn’t realized he was the other
son. The one born out of wedlock, a
product of an act of sin and impropriety.
That knowledge was
provided by an overly excited eight year old Timmy who explained all about Mr.
Heath and Mr. Nick at the Barkley ranch.
He told about their last visit and how Mr. Heath’s brother, Mr. Nick
took him and Megan out riding.
Pulling on her hand, he
stated, “Grandma, wanna see my marshal’s badge?”
Grace drew her eyes
downward and smiled, “Sure, Timmy. Did
you make it out of paper?”
Shaking his head, Timmy
lead her to his room. Megan followed
dragging her cloth doll behind her.
Timmy took out a wooden box from his drawer, his small fingers reached
inside and placed the heavy metal badge in his grandma’s hand.
“See, it looks just like
Mr. Heath’s when he was a marshal.” explained Timmy. “It’s shaped like a star and you use this thing in the back to
pin it to your shirt.”
“Did Mr. Heath give this
to you?”
Nodding, Timmy put the
prized possession back in the box.
“Sure after he got better from his bullet wound.”
“His bullet wound? You mean he was shot?” queried Grace.
“In the side. I saw ‘em when they brung him in.” stated Timmy putting his box away. “He looked awful. He was real sick. I cut
my hand on some metal trying to make a badge.
Then, Mr. Nick said maybe Mr. Heath’d give me a real badge and he did!”
“That must have been scary
for you, Timmy.”
Shrugging, Timmy sat on
the bed by his grandmother. “Nah! When I saw Mr. Heath thrown out the hotel
window that was real scary. He was in
the street all bloody and crumpled up.
People were running around and screaming.”
Staring at the child,
Grace frowned, “When did that happen?”
Thinking, Timmy replied,
“When he was a marshal. I don’t know
who did it. All’s I know is another
marshal was killed at the jail that day.
I heard the sheriff say it was a aversion.”
Taking a lace cloth out of
her pocket, Grace dabbed at her face.
“Oh my.”
“I was gonna be a marshal,
but now I’m not. I didn’t like that
dead body I saw in the woods. It was
disgusting!” shivered Timmy.
“What dead body?” asked
Grace, her eyes wide with shock.
“Some lawyer. I think Mr. Heath knew him.” stated Timmy.
“Oh. Mr. Heath’s a rancher now, isn’t he?”
“Yep, with Mr. Nick. They have a huge house. It has a hundred rooms in it!” exclaimed
Timmy. “I got lost in it. Mr. Thomson said he got lost too.”
“Mr. Heath got lost in his
own house?”
Laughing, Timmy shook his
head, “No, grandma! Mr. Heath’s
grandfather. He’s Mr. Thomson. He stayed at the ranch too.”
“He lives there?”
“No. He got shot too. He was there to cuperate.” said Timmy before jumping off the bed
to take a book out of Megan’s hand.
“Megan, you can’t read yet. Play
with your doll.”
Grace closed her eyes and
felt sick to her stomach. ‘Out of the
mouth of babes’ she thought. Fanning
herself, she found herself wondering why Melinda was subjecting Timmy to such
violent people. Especially one who was
not of the ideal upbringing for a woman or children to be around.
Timmy looked up, his brown
eyes concerned, “You okay, grandma? You
look sick.”
Grace nodded, “I do feel a
little sick.”
Running out the door,
Timmy shouted to his mother, “Mama, Grandma’s sick!”
Melinda heard the shouts
and rushed into the house. Heath stood
in the living room while Melinda followed Timmy into his bedroom. Melinda returned to the room and walked
over to Heath.
“Do you want me to get Dr.
Merar for your mother?” asked Heath.
Shaking her head, Melinda
sighed. “No, she thinks it was just the
long trip and not having enough to eat.”
“I’d best go. Your mother should rest.” suggested Heath
caressing her cheek. “We have lots of
time to talk later.”
Melinda nodded, “I suppose
you’re right.”
Leaning over, Heath
brushed a kiss across her lips, “You’re coming to Audra’s birthday party,
right?”
Melinda squeezed his hand,
“I am now.”
Grinning, Heath opened the
door. “How about if I pick you and
everyone up at four that day to take you to the ranch?”
“I’d like that,
Heath. Thank you.” smiled Melinda. “I’ll see you in a couple days.”
Placing one last kiss on
her lips, Heath whispered, “Give the kids a hug for me.”
Closing the door behind
him, Heath’s smile was wide and happy.
Walking down the street, his smile faded slightly at the stance of an
angry deputy and dark haired brother waiting on the boardwalk by Dr. Merar’s.
“Hi boys!” said Heath
stopping in front of the pair. “Sorry
about earlier, Billy. Guess I was a
little worried and not thinking too clearly.”
Nodding, Billy grinned,
“At least Matilda isn’t lame this time.”
“Matilda!” choked
Nick. “You named your horse Matilda?”
Turning crimson, Billy
snapped, “My grandmother named her!
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that name!”
Heath shook his head and
Nick watched the deputy climb onto the mare, “You gotta admit it’s kinda funny,
Billy!”
Rolling his eyes, Billy
smirked and nudged the mare forward, “It’s about the same as naming a horse
Coco.”
“Hey!” shouted Nick to the
retreating chuckling deputy, “Coco’s a good name!”
Heath laughed and his
steps towards the Barkley horse were stopped by a firm grasp on his arm.
Nick poked his finger into
the blonde’s shoulder, “You want to know what really chaps my ass?”
Moving to the side caused
Nick’s finger to miss his shoulder and Heath replied with a smirk. “No, but you’ll tell me anyway.”
Scowling, Nick threw an
arm across his brother’s shoulders, “Cantankerous and stubborn little
brothers! Little brothers whose skull
must be as thick as a board. Little
brothers who pretend they can’t work, then gallop all the way into town on
someone else’s horse. A horse they
stole!”
“Is that what’s Gene done
now?” inquired Heath, his blue filled with amusement.
“Smart ass.” growled Nick
and then staring into the blue eyes, asked, “Melinda?”
“She had a fainting
spell. She’s fine, Nick.” said Heath
walking over to the horse standing by Coco.
Placing a firm hand on
Heath’s shoulder, Nick turned the younger man and shook his head, “Wait right
there! Fine as in ‘fine, I guess’ like
the other day. Or fine as in ‘we’re
courting again, fine’?”
“Fine as in I’m a lucky
man whose in love with a wonderful woman!” grinned Heath receiving a hearty
slap on the back from his big brother.
Heath climbed into the
saddle and glared at Nick on Coco.
“Nick, you want to know what chaps my ass about big brothers?”
Nick groaned, “Okay,
what?”
“Absolutely nothing!”
winked Heath before he urged the horse into a cantor in the direction of the
ranch. Smiling broadly, Nick caught up
quickly to his brother’s side.
Melinda tucked the
children into bed, kissing their foreheads gently. Timmy was excited about the upcoming trip to the Barkley ranch,
even if he had to wear his Sunday clothes.
All evening his favorite topic of conversation was Mr. Heath and Mr.
Nick.
Finally getting the
excited boy to sleep, Melinda closed the door behind her. Leaning against it, she sighed deeply. Pushing away from the door, she straightened
her shoulders and walked into the small living room.
Grace was sitting on the
sofa sipping tea. Melinda sat in the
chair across from her mother, her green eyes staring at the healthy woman.
“Why did you pretend to be
sick, Mother?”
The unexpected question
startled Grace. “Whatever do you mean, Mellie?”
“I am not blind,
mother. As soon as Heath left
miraculously you were cured.” snapped Melinda angrily.
Putting her cup and saucer
on the side table, Grace sighed, “I was feeling nauseous, Mellie and I don’t
appreciate your tone of voice.”
Taking a deep breath to
calm herself, Melinda sat back in her chair, “Mother, let me put it to you
another way then. Why did you pretend
to be sick like Timmy pretends so he doesn’t have to go to school?”
Grace brushed an imaginary
piece of lint off her skirt, her voice nervous. “Really, Mellie, I cannot believe you think I would do such a
thing. I think you are imaging it.”
“I don’t believe I am,
Mother.” stated Melinda quietly. “I
will not have you making judgments on my life here in Stockton.”
“Since you brought up
Stockton, Mellie.” paused Grace. “I
think you should consider moving back to Sacramento. The city will have more to offer the children as they grow and
our house has more room than I need. It
would be perfect for all of us.”
“Mother, thank you for the
offer, however, the children and I are happy here.” smiled Melinda. “I would never consider moving.”
Disappointment shown in
the emerald eyes and Grace asked quietly, “Timmy told me about Mr. Thomson’s
violent past. The children shouldn’t be
subjected to all that and Melinda are you aware, well, of his parents’ sin?”
“So that’s it.” snapped
Melinda. “You are judging Heath and you
don’t know him. All you can see is how it will look to the other
snobs around you. I see nothing has
changed after all!”
“I am not judging,
Melinda.” replied Grace rubbing her pinkie and thumb of her left hand
together.
Melinda caught the nervous
gesture which brought her back in her mind to her childhood. A gesture which caused Melinda’s stomach to
curdle when she entered the room and noticed it. More times than not, her father would be demanding she improve
herself, her acquaintances or her life.
His words made her feel lower than a snake’s belly, her mother sat in
the room prim and proper.
No movement except the
nervous gesture of the fingers on her left hand. No words said to the head of the household to stop the emotional wounds
he inflicted. No hugs or kisses from
her mother after he left the room – only a vacant look before she followed his
footsteps leaving her daughter behind, craving and yearning for love.
Shaking her head and
forcing herself back to the present, Melinda looked over at her mother.
“Heath Thomson was a
marshal when he came to Stockton.
Marshals have a dangerous job and get injured, Mother. I love Heath Thomson. He’s a wonderful man with a kind and gentle
spirit. When he came into our lives, we
were blessed.”
“Melinda, I’m sure you
think that. He is very handsome and
rich.” stammered Grace. “Those are two
nice qualities to have in a potential husband.”
“Quite frankly,
Mother. His financial matters are not
your concern.” informed Melinda. “I could
care less if he were rich or not. It
doesn’t matter to me.”
“Melinda, I don’t want to
fight with you.” smiled Grace nervously.
“Let’s talk about something else and we can discuss Sacramento later.”
“No, Mother. I will not talk about anything else. You need to understand I am not a little
girl anymore. This is my home, these
are my children and this is my life. If
you cannot accept how things are, go back to Sacramento.” stated Melinda
firmly, leaving her shocked Mother sitting on the sofa.
The Barkley mansion was
decorated with flowers and streamers.
The birthday cake sat on a table in the corner of a room, presents lined
a table next to it. The guests would be
arriving in a short time and Victoria breezed through the mansion ensuring all
was set.
Audra was upstairs
changing when Heath arrived with the first guests. Silas showed Mrs. Fields to an upstairs room where she could
change into her gown. Heath stopped
Melinda from following and lead her outside with the children. Walking towards the barn, Timmy greeted Nick
who was leading out two horses.
“Mr. Nick, what ya’
doing?” asked Timmy.
Kneeling, Nick grinned,
“Well, Coco and Sport here need some exercise.
You and Megan want to help?”
Timmy’s brown eyes grew
wide as saucers and he looked up at his mother, “Can we mama? Please?”
“Nick, both of them? Are you sure?” hesitated Melinda.
“Sure, it won’t be any
problem. I’ll have a lead rope attached
to my saddlehorn. It’ll be fine,
Sport’s real gentle. Don’t worry.” informed
Nick.
“Please, mama?” pleaded
Timmy pulling on her hand.
Receiving a nod from
Heath, Melinda smiled, “Okay, but you have to be back in time to get ready for
the party.”
“Alright!” shouted
Timmy.
Heath helped the youngster
into the saddle, adjusted the stirrups to his height and gave him some last
minute pointers. Megan sat on the
saddle in front of Nick, his arm holding her in place. Waving goodbye, the riders headed out at a
walk.
Duke lead Charger out to
the marshal boss, thanking the foreman, Heath mounted. Leaning down, he offered his hand and
Melinda smiled with a question in her eyes.
Sitting sideways in front of him, she wrapped her arms around his waist
and whispered in his ear.
“Heath, where are we
going?”
“Wherever we want, darlin’.”
replied Heath squeezing her hand and nudging Charger into a cantor, in the
opposite direction of Nick and the children.
Reaching a small stream,
Heath jumped down and reached up to help Melinda down. Holding her in his arms, he smiled into her
eyes. “I’ve missed you, Mel.”
“I missed you too.”
whispered Melinda standing on her tiptoes and brushing her lips against
his. Heath moaned and pulled her
closer, their desires building between them.
Holding her hand, he
grabbed his saddlebags and lead her beneath a large old tree. Spreading out a blanket, she smiled when he
helped her down. Green eyes watched
while Heath took out a bottle of wine, two glasses, bread and some cheese.
“What’s all this?” asked
Melinda while Heath opened the wine and nibbled on a piece of cheese he handed
her.
Handing her a glass, Heath
grinned, “Compliments of big brother Nick.
He thought we should spend some quiet time together before the
festivities tonight. He said I was a
grouchy old bear from not having seen you.”
“Well, I have to remember
to thank Nick properly.” teased Melinda.
“Properly?” growled Heath
leaning closer to her. “What do you
mean by properly?”
“Why, Heath. Nick has done us a great favor, I think a
small kiss of appreciation wouldn’t be too much.” said Melinda seriously.
Heath flashed a grin,
“This is the perfect spot for our quiet time, don’t you think?”
Looking around, Melinda’s
green eyes filled with appreciation.
“It is perfect. So beautiful,
quiet and private.”
Taking a sip of wine,
Heath tilted his head, “What kind of kiss will Nick get?”
Putting her glass on the
ground, Melinda moved over in front of the blonde. Reaching out, she pulled his face towards hers and kissed his
cheek at the last second. Giggling, her
green eyes filled with laughter, her hand covered her mouth trying to stop her
laughter.
Chuckling, Heath put his
glass down and smiled evilly. “No, I
think this is more of a kiss of appreciation.”
Pulling her closer, his
lips placed a trail of kisses down her soft neck, his hand entwined in her
hair. Melinda’s breath grew heavy from
the tingling on her skin. Heath’s eyes
glittered like blue ice and he kissed the corners of her mouth.
Pulling them over onto
their sides, he caressed her cheek and stared lovingly into her fiery eyes
before claiming her lips. Holding onto
his vest, Melinda pulled him closer to her and urged his kiss to continue. The responsiveness between them heightened
their awareness of each other, the need of longing and desire was threatening
to erupt.
Stopping his kiss, Heath
ran his hands over her arm and smiled, “Melinda, will you marry me?”
Surprise and shock flew
into the green eyes which welled with tears.
“Yes, Heath. Oh yes.”
Wrapping his arms around
her, Heath held on tightly and tilted her head back. “I love you so much, Melinda.”
“I love you, Heath.” cried
Melinda when he slipped the solitaire on her finger.
Kissing the diamond, he
released her hand and cupped her cheek.
Smiling with happiness, he pulled her over onto him and their kisses
deepened along with their hunger.
Gasping for air and control, Melinda lay by his side, her left hand on
his chest.
“Heath, are you sure? You’ll have an instant family.” whispered Melinda.
Kissing her forehead,
Heath smiled, “When you marry me, you’ll marry into the whole family. You’ll have more brothers than you’ll know
what to do with or can shake a stick at."
Laughing, Melinda’s tears
of joy ran down her cheeks. “I’m a
lucky person to have found you, Heath.”
“No, honey. I’m the luckiest man in the world to be able
to share my life with a wonderful woman like you.” stated Heath leaning on his
elbow and gazing into her eyes. Gentle kisses on the tracks of her tears ended
with one last lingering kiss on her soft lips.
Continued…