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.
Synopsis: A sequel
to “New Start” which follows the intertwined lives of people on the Weston and
Barkley Ranches.
Captain Dan Freely stood on the platform of the depot
waiting for the train to stop and the passengers to disembark. His thoughts centered on the woman he was
meeting as he nodded absently to the greetings of the citizens around him. His eyes scanned the crowd seeking the
auburn hair and green eyes of the woman he had once proposed marriage to.
Seeing her glancing around from the steps of the train, he
waved and made his way through the crowd towards her. Suzanne Weston scanned the crowd and smiled as she waved back at
the tall man hurrying towards her.
“Sue, it’s good to see you!” exclaimed Dan as he wrapped
her in a hug and held her at arm’s length as he inspected her.
“You too, Dan.” grinned Sue at the Texas Ranger standing
before her. His blue eyes piercing from
beneath his black hat which covered the light brown hair. The men who worked
with him, held him in the highest regard and admired his skill and courage.
This man in charge of the Rangers in this section of Texas was feared and
respected.
“What happened to your neck? asked Dan with a concerned look.
Waving his concerns off, she smiled “We’ll talk about it later. How about if I check into the hotel and
then you can tell me what you found out.”
“Sure, I already reserved a room for ya’” said Dan as he
took her arm and walked her to the hotel. “How are the boys?”
“They’re all fine.
They said to say hello.” replied Sue.
Entering the hotel, Dan carried her bag into the room and
set it on the bed. “Let’s have some lunch and then we can talk. I’ll meet you downstairs in the dining
room.”
Sue nodded as she closed the door, “I’ll be just a few
minutes.” Changing her clothes, she
belted her gun back on and headed downstairs to the dining room.
Walking over, Sue sat as Dan held out the chair for
her. Manuel came over and greeted her
enthusiastically, “Miss Weston! It is a
pleasure to see you again.”
“Thank you Manuel, it’s great to see you. I’ll have whatever the special is.” smiled Sue widely.
“Same for me, Manuel.” said Dan as Manuel hurried off to
get their orders. “How’s Stockton?”
“It’s great. The
ranch is coming along nicely. You’ll
have to come see it sometime if you’re out that way.” replied Sue as she drank her coffee.
Manuel brought their meal to them and while they were
enjoying the delicious entrees, Sue described the ranch and informed Dan of
what had happened since she had been gone.
“Whew, you’re lucky to be alive.”
Sue chuckled, “I have some very good friends back
there. Heath’s family are wonderful
neighbors.”
“Sue, I get the feeling you’re not going to even consider
staying here? The ranch is yours so you
can pick up where you left off.” exclaimed Dan.
“I’ve made a new start in California. I’m happy there and I’m only here to tie up
the loose ends.”
“I was hoping that you would have reconsidered my proposal.”
sighed Dan.
Shaking her head, Sue squeezed his hand and replied
softly, “I’m sorry, Dan but I don’t love you.”
Dan smiled slightly, “Well, I guess its not true when they
say ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’.”
“There’s a wonderful woman out there for you, but it’s
just not me. You’ll still be a friend,
won’t you?” asked Sue.
“Yeah. Guess I was
just wishful thinking.” grinned Dan
“But, what about the ranch?”
“I haven’t fully decided what I’m gonna do with it yet.”
Dan stared thoughtfully at the woman across from him. He sensed she had found the part of her soul
that was ripped out from her when she had to leave her father’s ranch. Her eyes lit up when she talked about her
ranch and the people of Stockton, especially her neighbors.
Sitting over their coffee, Sue sensed an apprehension on
the part of Dan’s in his reluctance to start the conversation regarding her
father’s murder. Leaning her arms on
the table, she looked intently at him.
“Out with it. What
don’t you want to tell me?”
Dan startled and chuckled dryly, “I’d forgotten how direct
you can be.”
“I haven’t changed Dan.
I’m still the same person.” said Sue softly.
“I know. Well, it
appears Ramona had something to do with your father’s death.” he said, glancing into the emerald eyes “We were arresting a counterfeiter and found
several copies of the same will with your father’s signature on it. Someone had hired the man to forge your
father’s signature and change the will.
The original will was still in the desk where the man put it after he
had finished the fake one. He
apparently forgot he had it.”
Sue nodded as she listened intently. “What’s this forger have to say about it.”
“He died of a heart attack before we could question
him. He was an old man.”
“And then what?” asked Sue as she sat back in her chair.
“The old man kept records of the work that he did. Her name was in a ledger that indicated she
had him forge the will. I saw Judge
Mathis and he issued a search warrant for the ranch house. We went over there and found a note that was
addressed to Ramona. The note said for
a thousand dollars her husband would be taken care of on the way back to the
ranch. It was signed by Vic Monroe and
dated two weeks before your father’s murder.”
“So, you’ve arrested her and this Monroe for his murder.”
“Yes, we arrested Ramona, but Monroe was shot in a fight
with the rangers who were arresting him.
They brought him to the doctor, but he died before he could wake and
confirm she paid him. We can’t charge
her with the murder.” replied Dan with a grim look on his face.
“What? You have
the note!” said Sue astonished.
“The district attorney said it wasn’t enough evidence
without Monroe’s testimony against her.
We can only tie her to the falsified will.”
Sue rubbed her temples as the pounding in her head
increased with the rising of her blood temperature and replied angrily, “So, basically what you’re saying is that I
get my ranch back but she gets away with murder?”
“I’m sorry, Sue. You
know I’d do anything for you but without his testimony, its useless. Right now, Ramona’s in the city jail charged
with falsifying legal documents. Judge
Mathis will give her the maximum sentence.”
Sue’s eyes flashed as she leaned forward and snarled, “How
long is the maximum sentence?”
“Four years.” said Dan softly as she blanched.
“Four years!
That’s like a grain of sand in an hourglass. That’s it, four years!”
“We have our best rangers working on it. We’ll come up with something.” said Dan trying
to reassure her.
Sue stood, “I’m going out to the ranch.”
“I’ll come with you.” said Dan as he stood and followed
her to the door.
“Thanks but I’ll have Hank’s brother come with me,
Dan. You better get back to
headquarters.” said Sue softly as she walked out the door and headed down the
street.
Dan shook his head as he watched her walk further away
from him down the boardwalk.
Manuel, stood by him and smiled, “Captain, did you think
Miss Weston was gonna be happy when you told her? She’s a strong woman, that one.”
Sighing, Dan put on his hat and looked at the man beside
him, “Yeah, she’s strong alright. I
guess it has been a little too quiet around here. See ya’ Manuel.”
Manuel chuckled as he cleaned up the tables, “Si, too
quiet.”
Horace Bardo and Petey Samuels rode by the side of Sue
Weston out to the ranch she was reclaiming.
In the weeks prior to her arrival, they and Dan Freely had escorted the
hands that Ramona had hired off the ranch and secured the buildings. Friends had volunteered to guard the cattle
on the ranch until she returned from California.
Pausing on the hill overlooking the ranch site, the breath
caught in her throat at the site of the buildings that shown a run down
appearance. The disrepair was evident
from even at this distance. The once
magnificent ranch site had been left to deteriorate due to the uncaring of
Ramona and the worthless men she had employed.
Horace cleared his throat, “It can be repaired and
rebuilt.”
Sue smiled at the giant beside her. “You’re right Ace. It’s just a shock to see it like this. Com’on lets get this over with.”
Dismounting, the trio walked up and entered the ranch
house. Dust lay upon the furniture and
floor. The western style of furniture
had been replaced with an eastern style that duplicated the former owner’s
sense of gaudiness. Red velvet chairs
and sofa matched the red velvet curtains that hung over the windows.
Whistling, Sue shook her head and grinned at the men, “I
feel like I’m in a cathouse!”
Ace and Petey laughed as they followed her from room to
room shaking their heads at the new schemes throughout the house. The only room that hadn’t been changed was
the kitchen. Heading up to the attic,
Sue smiled at the sight of the furniture stored there.
“Thank god, she didn’t burn it. I’ll need some men to move this stuff downstairs.”
said Sue.
They spent the afternoon surveying the other buildings and
the ranch. Sue also spent some time by
her the graves of her parents and Haavi.
Sitting at the table and enjoying a simple dinner, Ace looked curiously
at his former boss, “You’re not staying, are you?”
“No, I love this ranch but I’ve made a new life out in
California.”
“What ya’ gonna do with this place?” asked Petey.
“Tomorrow, I’m gonna meet with Judge Mathis, see Ramona in
jail and meet with my former attorney to handle the disposition of the
ranch. When all the details are worked
out, I’ll let you in on what’s going to happen.” smiled Sue secretly as the men
looked at each other with curiosity.
Chapter 3
Sue rose early and made her way to the office of Judge
Nathan Mathis, an old family friend with Petey. Dismounting in front of the office, Petey said his goodbye and headed
out to the small homestead he had claimed after leaving the Weston ranch.
A silver haired Judge Mathis opened the door as Sue raised
her hand to knock, “Sue, welcome back!”
Smiling, Sue greeted her old friend with a kiss on the
cheek. “Nice to be back Nathan.”
‘Well, come in girl!” said the judge as he held the door
open for her. Gesturing to a chair, he
poured them each a cup of coffee.
Sitting across from her, he pointed at the fading bruises
under the bandanna on her neck, “Trouble out west?”
“Nothing to worry about.
It’s all taken care of now.” smiled Sue as she sipped her coffee.
“Did you see Captain Freely yet?” inquired Nathan.
Placing her cup on the table, Sue sighed and leaned back
in her chair. “I saw Dan
yesterday. He told me about Ramona and
how she’s not gonna be charged with Father’s murder since Monroe died without
talking.”
“We can’t prove that she actually paid him to murder your
father. All’s we got is a note that
means nothing. There’s not even a bank record of her withdrawing the amount of
money the note had in it. If only that
dang Vic Monroe hadn’t shot it out with the rangers, she’d have been looking at
a death sentence.” growled Nathan.
“Nathan, I know you and Dan did everything you could and I
appreciate it. I know you have to work
within the boundaries of the law and with what you have for evidence. I was hoping it was enough.”
“I was too, Sue.
Your father was a good friend to me and I miss him dearly.” said Nathan
softly. “What are you going to do with the
ranch?”
“I want to build a new mission with an orphanage and a
school. The part of the ranch that
borders the reservation, I’d like to give back to the Yaqui people. What do you think?”
“I think your parents and Haavi would be proud.” smiled
Judge Mathis.
Horace and Sue grinned at each other as they reached a
sign indicating Stockton was ahead. The
long journey from Texas with the wagon was finally reaching an end.
“Hank’s gonna be surprised when he sees his baby brother, Ace!”
chuckled Sue.
“He’s only five minutes older than me!” Horace laughed, “They’re all gonna be
surprised since you didn’t tell ‘em we were coming.”
“Well, this way I can see how Jack has run the ranch since
I’ve been gone. I like to keep him on
his toes.” smirked Sue. “”Don’t want him to get too comfortable.”
Horace shook his head and laughed at his boss as he drove
the wagon down the main street.
Looking around, Sue sighed, “We’re home. Go down this
street and we can drop those things off for Charity.”
Turning the horses, he stopped in front of the mission and
jumped down as his boss walked up and knocked on the door.
Opening the door, Charity was stunned at the woman before
her. ” Suzanne!” she called as she
grabbed her friend and hugged her. “Why
didn’t you tell us you were on your way back?”
“Just wanted to surprise you. Ace, can you bring that vanity here?”
Charity watched as Hank’s twin carried the vanity with
ease up the steps and into the building.
Placing it down gently, Charity looked at Sue curiously, “Suzanne, what
are you doing?”
“Charity, I know how much you always admired this vanity
and I want you to have it. It’s a
little dusty from the trip but will polish up just fine.”
Smiling, Charity ran her hand over the hardwood and fought
back tears. “It’s as beautiful as I remember.
Thank you. I’ll take good care
of it.”
“I know you will.
If you tell Ace where to put it, we’ll be on our way out to the ranch.”
said Sue as she watched Horace carry the vanity into the other room. “How about coming out for supper
tonight? About six?”
“I’d love to.
Thanks again, Suzanne and you too Horace for carrying it in.”
“My pleasure, Miss Charity.” said Horace softly.
“I’ll send Jack to bring you out.” replied Sue as she and Ace
climbed back on the wagon and headed back to the main street. Sue pointed out the establishments to Ace as
they drove down the street.
Jamie Foster walking down the boardwalk to her house
stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of the green-eyed woman on the bench
seat of the wagon. Her eyes stared as
the wagon continued by her and she could feel the recently renewed hopes of
winning Nick Barkley’s affections starting to seep out from within her.
“Afternoon Miss Foster.” said Sheriff Madden softly “Something wrong?”
Jamie startled out of her revelry, shook her head, “Sorry
I was just day dreaming. Nice to see you Sheriff.”
Fred watched her continue on her way to her house. ‘Bet she’s not too happy about Sue being
back, but I know someone who will be.’ thought Fred with a smile as he walked
into his office and sat down.
Horace smiled to himself as his boss fidgeted on the seat
as they neared the ranch. He could
feel the excitement bundled up inside her waiting to be released. The past weeks on the trail were almost at
their end and the nervous energy palpitated off her like heat off a stove.
“Boss, aren’t you gonna miss being on the trail with me
now that we’re almost home?” inquired Horace.
“We had a great time, didn’t we Ace?” replied Sue and with
a grin added. “However, I won’t miss
the times you had to cook.”
“I’m hurt you would say such a thing!” retorted Horace
with mock indignation. “I have
wonderful culinary skills.”
Laughing, she shook her head “Horace, you cook just like your twin does. Everything’s dry and burnt!”
Horace chuckled, “Guess you got me there. We sure do cook the same.”
“Maria does the cooking at the ranch and it is
superb. Wait til you try it!”
“I can’t wait to see the guys and Heath again. I still can’t believe he’s our neighbor.”
said Horace softly.
As the buildings of the ranch came into view, Sue grabbed
his arm excitedly and pointed, “You
won’t have to wait to see Heath. That’s
Charger, I’d know that horse anywhere. There’s
Coco, too”
“Coco?”
“Nick’s horse.
Heath’s brother,” stated Sue.
Horace smiled at the look on his boss’ face, “Oh, the guy
that you wrote all those letters to.”
Sue blushed, “It wasn’t that many letters, Ace.”
Horace chuckled, “I’d say a letter every two weeks was a
lot since you’ve been gone for over four months. Heck, that’s not counting the travel time in this wagon, either.”
Rolling her eyes, Sue snickered, “You wrote Hank letters
too.”
“That’s not the same thing, boss.” huffed Horace as Sue
laughed. “Let’s go see your boyfriend.”
Jose walking to the house from the corral where he had
been watching Davey breaking a horse with the rest of the crew, stopped as he
saw the wagon approaching. His eyes
widening at the sight of the woman on the seat. Rushing back to the corral, he shouted and gestured to the
wagon, “Miss Sue is coming. Miss Sue is back.” The men ran to greet the wagon as it stopped.
Jumping down, Sue and Horace, surrounded by their family
gladly accepted the hugs and welcome backs from the group. Looking around for Nick, Sue smiled when
Heath gestured behind him to the corral where Nick stood apart from the others
chewing on a piece of straw.
“Boys, we have time for questions later. Jack, you need to go get Charity in town for
supper at six. Let’s get the wagon
unloaded and then we can talk.” smiled Sue widely.
Sue walked over to the corral and stood by the dark haired
man of her dreams. ”It’s good to see you, Nick. I’ve thought about you a lot since I’ve been gone.”
Nick grunted and tossed the straw to the ground,
“Obviously you didn’t think about me that much or you’d have let me know how
you were doing in Texas.”
Sue looked at Nick in shock, “What are ya’ talking about,
Nick?”
“Not one word this whole time you’ve been gone! NOT ONE!”
“What? I wrote you
at least a dozen letters, Nick!” replied Sue angrily.
Nick stared at her with fury in his eyes, “I didn’t get
any damn letters!”
“ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR?” shouted Sue as Jack grabbed
her.
Heath, holding onto Nick’s arm, asked loudly “What is going on with you two?”
Gesturing towards Nick with her hand, Sue responded, “Your
brother called me a liar!”
“I did not!” shouted Nick. “Sue says she wrote me a dozen letters. Did I get any letters from her while she was in Texas,
Heath? ANY?”
Heath shook his head and replied softly, “No, he didn’t
Sue. I know cause Ciego always gives me
the mail when he picks it up.”
“But how could that be, Heath? I mailed the letters for her.” stated Horace puzzled.
“Heath, did you get the letters I sent you?” inquired Sue
with a frown.
Nodding, Heath replied “Yes, I did. I know Mother received some also.”
Nick ran his hand through his hair, “This doesn’t make any
sense! Jamie never said anything about
any letters when we had dinner.”
Sue’s head snapped up and her voice was cold as she asked,
“Jamie Foster?”
Heath and Jack winced at the fury in Sue’s eyes and the
look on Nick’s face as he stammered,
“It’s not what you think. Let me
explain.”
“No explanations are needed. ” replied Sue as she shook
off Jack’s hold on her arm, strode past
the ranch crew to the house, and slammed the door behind her.
Nick groaned,
“What is going on?”
Horace looked at Jack, “Honest Jack. She did write the letters and I mailed them
myself. Who’s this Jamie Foster?”
“An old friend of Nick’s.” replied Heath frowning at the
idea that was forming in his mind.
Clenching his fists, Nick growled, “She helps her dad at the post office
sometimes.”
“She couldn’t have done what I think you’re saying?” asked
Jack. “She seems like a real nice
lady.”
“I should’ve known she was up to no good when she needed
my opinion on something every couple of weeks.
Wait til I get my hands on her.” fumed Nick.
Heath grabbed Nick by the arm as he headed to Coco, “Nick,
wait. I think it’d be best if you see
Sue and try to explain it first. We can
deal with Jamie later.”
Nick nodded and sighed, “And here I thought she didn’t
care all this time.”
“Trust me, she cares.” said Horace softly.
Looking at the house, Nick smiled slightly, “Jack, do you
think she’ll let me in the door before she shoots?”
Jack squeezed his shoulder and smiled, “Me and the boys
will wait out here til we know the coast is clear.”
“Me, too.” grinned Heath as he and the others chuckled.
Rolling his eyes, Nick snorted as he walked to the house,
“Thanks fellas.”
The panes of the windows shook and a picture fell to the
floor as the door slammed behind her. Hearing
a gasp, Sue turned and saw Maria.
“Sorry, Maria.”
Overcoming her fright, Maria rushed over and hugged her
boss, “You’re home, Miss Sue. I missed
you.”
“I missed you, too.” replied Sue softly, holding on tight
as the tears threatened to flow.
Maria stepped back and looked at the woman before her,
“Something’s wrong?”
Taking a deep breath, Sue smiled, “I’m okay. Hope you don’t mind but I invited Charity to
dinner tonight. I also brought Hank’s
brother back with me so we now have one more to feed.”
Smiling widely, Maria replied, “I will make a celebration
dinner for your homecoming.”
“Thank you, Maria.
I’ll be in the study if you need me.”
Sue walked into the study and closed the door behind
her. Unbuckling her gunbelt, she hung
it on the back of a chair and stroked the sleeping kitten occupying the
seat.
Pouring a brandy for herself, she sat at the desk and
browsed through the stack of mail.
Holding an envelope in her hand, tears splattered onto the white
envelope when she could no longer hold them in check.
Dropping the paper to the desk, Sue took shallow breaths
to stem the river of tears she knew would flow freely if she didn’t stop
them. Putting her elbows on her desk,
she held her forehead in her clasped hands.
‘It wasn’t like
you had a claim staked on him. You have
been gone a long time.’ she chided herself.
Frowning, she spoke aloud to Nicodena who shifted
positions and meowed at her mistress,
‘Nick and Heath both say he didn’t get the letters. How come only he didn’t get my letters?’
Wiping her eyes, she rebuckled her gunbelt and left the
study. “Maria, I’m going to go into
town. I’ll be back later.”
“Si, Miss Sue.”
Opening the door, Sue startled Nick as he was about to
knock.
“Sue, it’s not what you think. Please let me explain.” said Nick quickly.
“Nick, I shouldn’t have blown up like that. After all, you can see whoever you like.”
replied Sue as she walked by him and down the steps.
Nick walked beside her to the barn as the men
watched. “I wasn’t seeing her. At least, not in the way you’re thinking.”
Ignoring him, Sue called over to Jack before entering the
barn, “I’m going to bring Charity out, Jack.
Be back later.”
Nick watched as she saddled Satan, “Sue, can’t we talk
about this. Don’t you even want to
listen to what I have to say?”
Leading Satan out of the barn, Sue stopped and looked at
Nick, “Nick, did you check on Nicodena for me when I was gone?”
Puzzled, Nick shook his head, “I promised I would and I
did.”
“Well, I promised to come back and I did.”
“What are you getting at?” asked Nick.
Climbing on Satan, Sue looked down at Nick, “The day I
left you asked if you could call on me when I got back, remember?”
“And you said I could.” stated Nick with a hopeful
smile.
Taking a deep breath, Sue smiled slightly, “That day, you
also said you would wait for me.”
“I have waited for you.
I wasn’t calling on Jamie Foster!” replied Nick. “It’s not how it looks.”
“Nick, that doesn’t make it hurt any less.” said Sue
softly. “We will discuss this further,
just not right now.”
Nick looked up into the emerald eyes, “Tomorrow?”
Nodding, Sue replied, “Tomorrow.”
Nudging Satan, she galloped out of the yard toward
Stockton.
Charity rode beside her friend down the main street of
Stockton chatting about the events that happened in her absence.
“Charity, I have to stop here. I’ll just be a moment.” said Sue as she tied Satan to the
hitching rail in front of the post office.
Walking inside, Sue was greeted by Mr. Foster, “Miss
Weston! How wonderful to see you back
home! How was your trip?”
“It was fine, Mr. Foster.” smiled Sue at the kindly old
man. “Is Jamie here?”
“She just ran an errand for me, but she should be back any
minute now. Can I help you with something?”
“I was just gonna ask her about some letters that I sent
to Nick Barkley. It appears he never
got them. The funny thing is the rest
of his family got their letters.” frowned Sue.
Mr. Foster shook his head, “That is strange. I remember seeing his letters from you.”
“I’ll just catch her another time, Mr. Foster. It’s nice to see you again.” smiled Sue.
“Oh, sure Miss Weston.
Come back again.” replied Mr. Foster as her words rolled around in his
head.
Closing the door behind her, Sue stepped out in front of
Jamie Foster.
“Miss Weston.” sneered Jamie as she looked at the woman in
front of her with disdain. “I see
you’re still dressing like a man.”
Glaring at the woman before her, Sue smiled, “I brought
you something from Texas, Miss Foster.”
Puzzled, Jamie looked at her, “You brought me
something? What is it?”
“This.” replied Sue as she swung and connected with the
woman’s face in front of her.
Jamie flew back onto the boardwalk as Charity yelled, “Suzanne, what are you doing?”
Rushing to Jamie’s side, Charity looked up at her friend
as the girl on the ground cried in pain and held her face.
Fred Madden ran over from across the street and stared at
the women, “What’s going on here?”
“Sheriff, she assaulted me!” screamed Jamie as she pointed
to Sue who was grinning widely. “I’m
pressing charges! I want her arrested!”
Fred looked at Sue Weston, “This true, Sue?”
Laughing, Sue exclaimed happily, “Yep! Charity, tell Jack to bring some money to
bail me out when you get to the ranch.”
Fred shook his head and held out his hand for her
gun. Handing it to him, Sue asked, “Can
we stable Satan before you lock me up?
He doesn’t like other people to handle him.”
Fred smiled at his happy prisoner, “Sure, Sue.”
Untying Satan, Sue led him down the street to the livery
with Fred walking beside her.
“I think I broke my hand.” said Sue as her right hand
started to throb on the way back to the jail.
Chuckling, Fred walked her back to the cells. Opening the door of one, Sue walked in and
sat on the cot, “I’ll get the doc and have him take a look at it.”
“Thanks, Fred.” smiled Sue as he locked the cell and left
to fetch the doctor.
Sue stood as Fred and Dr. Merar entered the cellblock. Fred unlocked the door as Howard entered and
shook his head, “Tsk, Tsk, Miss Weston.
You haven’t been back a whole day and you’re in need of my services.”
Fred chuckled and watched the blush rise on Sue’s cheeks
as she replied softly, “Sorry, doc. I just
figured you’d be knocked for a loop, if you saw me when I wasn’t a patient.”
Howard laughed and gestured for her to sit on the
cot. Putting his bag on the floor, he
sat on the stool that Fred had placed in the cell. “Let’s have a look, shall we.”
Sue held out her swollen hand to the doctor. “Fred, could you get an icepack for Miss
Weston?”
“Sure, be right back.”
Howard carefully examined her hand, “I understand from Mrs. Barkley that you
built a mission with an orphanage and a school in Texas.”
“Yes, I did.” replied Sue wincing as he felt her hand with
his fingers. “They really needed a new
one. With the land and cattle I gave
them, they should be fairly self sufficient.”
“Very generous of you, Miss Weston. There are not many people in this world that
would have done what you did.” smiled Howard.
“The missionaries were always nice to my father and
I. It was the least I could do.”
“Your hand appears to just be swollen and bruised. No broken bones that I could feel.”
Sue grinned, “Thanks, Doc. Jack would’ve skinned me alive if I’d broken something again.”
“Here’s the icepack.” said Fred as he handed it to Howard
through the bars. “You have a visitor,
Sue.”
“Already! Charity
can’t have gotten to the ranch that fast.”
“No, it’s Jarrod Barkley.” replied Fred as he opened the
door and let him in.
“Welcome home, Sue.” smiled Jarrod. “How is she, Dr. Merar?”
“No broken bones.” informed Howard. Closing his bag, he walked to the door. “Just keep the icepack on it and don’t hit
anyone else for awhile, Miss Weston.”
Sue grinned,
“Sure, whatever you say doc.
Thanks.”
Jarrod sat on the stool the doctor had vacated and took
off his hat.
“What are you doing here, Jarrod?” inquired Sue.
“Charity Jones told me you were in need of an attorney’s
services.”
Sue frowned, “Dan’s my lawyer. Why’d she get you? Not
that I’m complaining, mind you.”
Jarrod grinned, “No offense taken. Dan and Marie are out of town for a
while. Her mother’s very ill.”
“Oh, I didn’t know. That’s terrible.”
Patting her hand, Jarrod smiled, “Now, would you care to
tell me why Jamie Foster has a broken nose and looks like a raccoon?”
“I’ll get you two some coffee.” said Fred as he stifled a laugh at Jarrod’s comment and walked into
the outer room.
Chuckling, Sue nodded. “I wrote Nick some letters while I
was in Texas, but he never got a single one of them. Heath and your mother got their letters, but Nick never got
his.”
“And you think that Jamie Foster had something to do with
the missing letters?” asked Jarrod.
“I certainly don’t think her father took them home and
read them.” replied Sue sarcastically.
Fred walked in with the coffee cups and handed them to
Jarrod through the bars.
“Fred, isn’t messing with someone’s mail against the law?”
asked Sue.
“It’s a federal offense, why?”
“See Jarrod, she should be in jail with me!” exclaimed
Sue.
“Who’s messing with the mail?” asked Fred.
“Jamie Foster! She
took my letters, Fred. Go arrest her.”
stated Sue.
“We’d have to prove she took the letters, Sue. All you have is circumstantial. We need solid proof.” stated Jarrod calmly
watching the fury building in the green eyes.
Sue walked over and looked out the window realizing she
had a similar conversation before at the time of her father’s murder.
Sighing, she turned and looked at Jarrod, “It’s not just a
coincidence that Nick didn’t get his letters when everyone else did and that
she works at the post office. You know
darn well that she likes Nick a lot, Jarrod.
She’s the only one with a reason to do something like that. Even Mr. Foster remembers the letters that I
sent Nick. He told me this afternoon.”
Jarrod walked over to her and put the icepack back on her
hand, “I’ll see what I can find out, okay?
In the meantime, follow the doctor’s orders and keep this on your hand.”
“Okay. Thanks for coming over.” smiled Sue. “Oh and just so you know Jarrod, I’m not
sorry that she has a broken nose and looks like a raccoon!”
Jarrod laughed as Fred opened the door and let him
out.
Fred groaned as Sue said, “Gin”.
“How much do I owe now?”
“According to my calculations, about ten thousand
dollars.” grinned Sue, “If you’re not careful, you’ll be the only Sheriff in
California without a home, a horse, a saddle and a gun.”
Chuckling, Fred shook his head, “I’m lucky I still have
the clothes on my back.”
“Where’d you get these cards, Fred?”
“Off some peddler that came through town. They sure brought you luck this afternoon.”
Looking at him, Sue snorted, “Luck has nothing to do with
it, Fred. These cards are marked.”
“What! I don’t see
any marks?”
“Look, right there.” said Sue as she pointed out the
mark. “See it?”
“Yeah, I can’t believe I missed that.” replied Fred as he
watched the emerald eyes light up with amusement.
“When Jarrod comes back, let’s take all his money too.”
smiled Sue as Fred laughed.
Sue and Fred startled as the door to the sheriff’s office
slammed shut. A loud booming voice
filled the air and broke the quiet stillness of the office, “FRED! FRED!”
Fred shook his head, got up from his chair and walked to
the door mumbling, “’Bout gave me a heart attack.”
“I’m coming, Nick.”
Sue snickered and picked up the cards waiting for the owner
of the voice to show.
Nick waited impatiently for the sheriff to come into the
outer office hitting his gloves against his black jeans.
“Nick, what can I do for you?” inquired Fred at the sight
of the agitated cowboy.
“Someone shot Heath!” shouted Nick.
“What! Is he
alright?” called a voice from the cell area.
Nick’s eyes grew wide at the sound of the voice. He rushed past Fred to the holding area and
stared at the woman in the cell.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN JAIL?” asked Nick angrily at the
sight of Sue behind bars.
“I assaulted someone.
Is Heath okay?”
“Who’d you assault?” inquired Nick.
Sue stomped her foot and shouted, “NICK, IS HEATH
ALRIGHT?”
“Yeah, he’s got a shoulder wound, but Mother said he’ll be
okay. Dr. Merar’s on his way out there
now.” stated Nick.
Sue let out the breath she had been holding and leaned her
forehead against the cool metal bars.
Looking at Nick, she asked.
“What happened?”
Walking up to the bars, he leaned forward until his face was
an inch from hers and growled, “Let’s talk about your afternoon first, my
dear.”
Sue stared into the hazel eyes and smiled, “I stopped at
the mission and picked up Charity..”
“You didn’t assault Miss Jones, did you?” questioned Nick.
“Nick, why would I do that? Charity’s my friend.” huffed Sue. “On my way out of town, I decided to stop by the post office
and..”
“You assaulted Mr. Foster?” groaned Nick.
“Of course not!” retorted Sue.
“Then who did you assault?” asked Nick.
“If you stop interrupting, I could tell ya’” replied Sue
with a sigh.
“Sorry.” said Nick sheepishly. “Go on.”
“I was inquiring about the letters. He remembers seeing them. As I was leaving..”
“Did he say what happened to them?”
“Nick, do you wanna hear or not?” snapped Sue banging her
right hand against the bars. Pain
flared through the injured hand.
Holding it and wincing, she mumbled,
“Dammit!”
Nick grabbed her wrist to examine the swollen hand and
asked in a concerned quiet voice, “What
happened to your hand?”
Fred and Jarrod listening to the conversation between the
two, smiled at the change in Nick’s voice.
“That Nick is the consequence of giving Jamie Foster a
broken nose and making her look like a raccoon.” stated Jarrod as he walked to the
cell bars.
“You hit Jamie!” exclaimed Nick.
Shrugging, Sue grinned, “She deserved it Nick! It’s all her fault and I’m not sorry I did
it.”
Nick grinned back at her, “Is it broken?”
“No, just bruised.
Now tell me who shot Heath.”
“Someone shot Heath? Is he alright?” exclaimed
Jarrod.
“He’s fine Jarrod.” said Nick. “He caught one in the shoulder.
Mother says he’ll be fine.”
“Did Heath say who did it?” inquired Sue.
“He made it to the house and passed out. He was still unconscious when I left to get
Dr. Merar and Fred.”
“Fred, let me outta here.” stated Sue.
Fred shook his head, “Sorry, Sue. I can’t let you out til you go in front of
the circuit judge and he sets the bail."
“Oh.” replied Sue with a thoughtful look on her face.
“When will I see the judge?”
“Monday.”
Sue stared at the men outside the cell, “But, today’s
Friday! That means I have to stay here
all weekend!”
Fred nodded, “Afraid so, Sue.”
Nick smiled, “That’s what happens when you use someone for
a punching bag.”
“Oh shut up, Nick!!” retorted Sue causing the men to
chuckle. Jarrod and Fred walked into
the outer office leaving the two alone.
Watching the emerald eyes fill with concern, Nick said
softly, “I’ll let you know what Heath
tells us when he wakes up, okay?”
Sue nodded and said gratefully, “Thanks, Nick.”
Reaching through the bars, he caressed her cheek and
smiled gently, “I’ll be back later and then we can have that talk.”
“Nick, if you need a tracker, you better stop and pick up
Davey.” suggested Sue with a slight smile.
“I will.” replied Nick as he picked up her bruised hand
and placed a kiss on it. “I missed you
when you were gone, my little chameleon.”
The green eyes sparkled and trembling slightly, Sue
whispered, “I missed you, too.”
Sue and Billy, the deputy, were playing checkers to pass
the time when Jack Franklin arrived at the jail. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he glared at his boss
through the bars of the cell.
“Hi Jack.” smiled Sue.
“Sue, what were you thinking?” asked Jack with a shake of
his head.
“Ah, she’s alright Jack!
In a few weeks, the bruises should disappear.” snickered Sue with a wink
at Billy.
Smiling, Billy left the holding area to give them some
privacy. Jack sat in the chair outside the
cell.
“Charity was pretty upset when she got to the ranch. Maria’s postponing the welcome home dinner
and the boys said they’d stop in later to say hi.” stated Jack.
“I guess I did kind of shock Charity. Sorry about that.” said Sue softly and added
with a wide grin, “But, I’m not sorry about Jamie’s face though.”
Rolling his eyes, Jack retorted, “Thanks for telling me,
but, I could have figured out that from the grin you’re wearing.”
Sue’s expression took on a serious nature as she looked at
her friend and asked, “Did Nick come by to get Davey?”
“Yeah. Hank and
Horace went with them.” replied Jack softly.
“I stopped by the Barkley ranch on my way here and Mrs. Barkley said
Heath was doing better. He was sleeping
so I didn’t get a chance to see him.”
Sue smiled, “I was worried about him.”
“Jarrod told Mrs. Barkley about you spending the weekend
in here. She said she’d be in to see
you tomorrow.”
“Did Heath tell them what happened yet?”
“Seems he surprised some rustlers. The last month a few of us have lost some
cattle.” stated Jack.
“Why didn’t you tell me we were losing cattle?” asked Sue
angrily.
Jack glared at his boss and snarled, “What! It’s not like I was keeping the information
from ya’! First, you didn’t let us know
you were on your way back from Texas and second, if you hadn’t ran off and beat
up that woman, you’d know!”
Sue turned crimson and shook her head, “You’re right,
Jack. I didn’t mean it like it sounded.
I know how capable you are and you know how much I rely on you. I’m sorry.”
Jack smiled wearily at her, “I don’t think Nick knows what
he’s getting into.”
Laughing nervously, Sue sighed, “Probably not.”
Nick sat by Heath’s bed deep in thought over the events of
the day. After picking up Davey at Sue’s
ranch, Sheriff Madden and the men rode over to the Barkley ranch. Heath had regained consciousness and told
them he had been shot by the north line shack.
Dr. Merar and Mother had then chased them out of the room.
Reaching the area, Davey scouted around and picked up the
tracks of the cattle being moved by three men.
Following the trail, the rustlers had abandoned the herd when they
caught sight of the group of men trailing them. The men continued following the trail of the rustlers until it was
lost and they couldn’t pick it up again.
Admitting defeat in this round against the group that was
systematically rustling a few head of cattle at a time from the ranches in the
Stockton area, they headed back to the Barkley ranch.
In the month since the rustling activity had started, no
one had caught sight of the men or even been close enough to see them. Nick was thankful to the powers above that
Heath was able to hang on until he had reached the safe haven of the
ranch. If the rustlers had caught him,
Nick felt sure it would have ended with Heath’s death.
Hearing a moan from the bed, Nick sat forward in his chair
and was rewarded by the sight of the pools of blue looking around.
“Welcome back, little brother.” smiled Nick.
Heath blinked his eyes to bring them into focus. Biting back another moan, he gasped, “Nick.
Rustlers.”
Nick chuckled, “I know, Heath. You already told us that.”
Heath grinned slightly, “Everything’s kinda fuzzy,
Nick. Did ya’ get them?”
“No. But we
tracked ‘em and got the cattle back.”
“Sue tracked them?” asked Heath stifling a yawn.
“Nope. It’s kinda
hard to track from a jail cell.” smirked Nick.
“Sue’s in jail?”
“According to Jack, Charity said she flattened Jamie
Foster with a right hook. I’m gonna go see
her in a little while.”
“You’re gonna see Jamie!” exclaimed Heath with a glare at
his brother as he tried to sit up.
Nick pushed his brother back onto the bed and shook his
head, “No! I’m gonna see Sue! Are you sure you didn’t hit your head or something?”
Heath yawned, “I can’t seem to keep my eyes open.”
Pulling up his covers, Nick grinned and tussled Heath’s
hair, “Go back to sleep. Doc says you’ll feel better once you get
more rest.”
Heath nodded and closed his eyes, “Tell Sue hi for me.”
“I will, little brother.” said Nick gently as the even
breathing indicated Heath was asleep.
Sitting in the chair by his bed, Nick thoughts wondered back in time and
his face turned dark at his thoughts.
Victoria put her arms around Nick’s neck and hugged
him. “Penny for your thoughts.” she
whispered.
Nick sighed, “I’m just thinking about when Heath first
came and how horrible I was to him, Mother.”
“It was a difficult time, Nick. Just look at your relationship with Heath now. I know he loves you.”
Nick nodded and said quietly, “I love him too,
Mother. Remember when Sue was
recovering here at the ranch?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“I’m positive that if she hadn’t spoken with Heath, he
would have left after he called you Mother that night.”
Victoria sighed and whispered, “I think you’re right. I’m glad that Sue cared enough for Heath to
help him find his way into our family.
I couldn’t bear the thought of not having Heath with us.”
Nick stood and embraced his mother, “I couldn’t either,
Mother. I’m going into town to thank
her myself.”
Victoria nodded and smiled, “Give her a kiss for me.”
Nick grinned and winked before he left the room and headed
down the hallway. Victoria sat on the
bed by Heath, held his hand and counted her blessings as she watched him sleep.
Chapter 13
After dinner, Sue sat on the cot in the cell and read from
a dime novel that Billy had given her.
Shaking her head in disgust at the outlandish stories inside the book,
she walked to the bars and called for Billy.
“Yes, Miss Weston?”
“Billy, can I get a newspaper or something else to read?”
asked Sue as she handed him the novel.
“You didn’t like the book?” inquired Billy with a hurt
look as he took the book back.
Smiling, Sue replied, “It’s just not what I’m used to reading,
Billy. I appreciate you lending it to
me, though.”
“Oh, sure. I have
today’s newspaper and one from Modesto that’s a couple weeks old.”
“Those would be fine.” said Sue as the young deputy went
into the outer office.
Returning, he handed her the papers. “Take as long as you need, Miss Weston.”
“Thanks, Billy!” smiled Sue as she sat against the wall on
the cot and began reading.
“Ahem.”
Looking up, Sue grinned, “Hi, Dr. Merar. How’s Heath?”
Howard smiled, “He’s weak but he’ll be okay. I just wanted to stop by and see how your
hand was.”
Walking over, Sue put her hand through the bars for him to
see. “The swelling looks like its gone
down some, doc.”
“Yes, it does appear to be looking a little better. Can you make a fist?”
Amusement flared in the green eyes as she asked, “I
already made one of those today, doc.
Now look where I am.”
Laughing, Howard nodded, “Yes, you did. How about if you amuse me and do it again.”
Sue made a fist and winced when her hand protested. “Just a little stiff is all.”
“That’s fine, Miss Weston. I want you to rub this liniment on your hand three times a
day. This should help with the
stiffness.”
Turning to the deputy, he asked “Billy, Miss Weston will
need a cloth to put this liniment on.”
“Sure, be right back.”
“How long will Heath be laid up?” inquired Sue.
“I’d like him to stay in bed for a few days, but I expect
he’ll be back on his feet tomorrow.” sighed Howard as Sue laughed.
Billy returned with the cloth and Howard handed the items
to Sue. “If you have any problems, have
Billy come get me.”
“Okay, thanks Doc.” smiled Sue.
Howard nodded and picked up his bag, “Good night.”
Nick walked into the sheriff’s office and nodded to Dr.
Merar, “Heath’s sleeping like a baby, doc.”
“That’s good, Nick.
It’s the best thing for him.” replied Howard.
“Night Doc.”
Nick walked into the holding area, “Billy, okay if I visit
with the prisoner?”
“That’s fine, Mr. Barkley.” said Billy as he took a seat
by the door with Nick watching.
Howard called out, “Billy, can I see you for a moment?”
Billy walked into the outer room and Howard shut the door
to the holding area behind him. “Doc,
whatcha doing?”
Putting his arm around the young man, Howard walked him to
the outside door, “Billy, I think they
need a few minutes alone.”
Billy turned crimson and nodded, “Oh, sure Dr. Merar. I’ll just wait out here.”
Clapping him on the back, Howard smiled, “Good idea,
Billy.”
Taking a chair, Nick sat down outside the cell. “Heath’s doing fine.”
“Yes, I know. Dr.
Merar told me.” smiled Sue as she pulled the stool over and sat on the other
side of the bars. “What about the
rustlers?”
“They got away, but we got the cattle back. How’s the hand?”
“It’s not as swollen but the fingers are stiff. He gave me
some liniment for it. ”
Gesturing and leaning forward, Nick whispered, “I want to
give you something from Mother and me.”
Sue leaned closer and stared into the warm hazel eyes,
“What is that, Nick?”
“This is from Mother.” whispered Nick as their lips met
between the bars of the cell in a brief kiss.
Looking into the smoldering green eyes, he whispered in a
husky voice, “This is from me.”
Bringing his hand up behind her neck, their lips locked and the kiss
threatened to extinguish the breath left in their bodies as it deepened.
Reluctantly breaking off the kiss, they took deep breaths
and looked into each other’s eyes searching their depths for the truths that
would be found there.
Her heart pounding,
Sue whispered, “Wow.”
“I’m sorry for the homecoming you received today. Let’s have a new start between us.”
As Sue looked at him curiously, Nick smiled, took her left
hand and whispered, “My name is Nick
Barkley and I would like the pleasure of escorting you to dinner on Monday
night.”
Smiling, Sue replied in a shaky voice, “My name is Suzanne
Weston and I would be most honored to have dinner with you, Mr. Barkley.”
Saturday morning, the sunlight filtered through the window
and shined across the room. Feeling the
warmth of the sun on his face, Heath opened his eyes and smiled at the pretty
brunette patiently sitting in the chair by the bed.
Sonja Sorenson sat beside the bed trying to correct her
student’s papers and patiently wait for its occupant to open his eyes. Smiling, her mind wandered back to her first
meeting with Heath at the town library.
Preparing for the upcoming start of school, her breath had caught in her
throat when she had looked into his sky-blue eyes after their hands met as they
reached for the same book. His smile
had dazzled her and his drawl was music to her ears. The last six months they spent together had her pinching herself
to ensure it was real.
Noticing the opened blue eyes, she moved to sit on the bed
beside him and smiled, “Hi
cowboy.”
Heath pushed himself up to a sitting position and Sonja
placed a pillow behind him. “Sonja, I’m
sorry we have to see each other this way.”
Laughing, Sonja shook her head, “I’m just glad you’re
alright, Heath. I would have come out
sooner, but there was a school board meeting last night. There is nothing stopping me from spending
the whole day with my most favorite and handsomest cowboy.”
“We haven’t had much time together lately and I’ve missed
you so much, honey.” whispered Heath as he reached over and brought her lips to
his. The blood flowed rapidly through
their veins as they savored the kiss between them.
“Heath!” said Nick as he walked into the room and startled
the couple out of their passionate kiss.
They chuckled when Nick’s face turned red, “Oh, sorry!
I can come back.”
“No, that’s alright, Nick.” smiled Sonja.
“Morning, big brother.” grinned Heath with laughter
reflecting in his clear blue eyes.
“I’ll just go get your breakfast, cowboy.” replied Sonja
as she squeezed Heath’s hand. “He’s all
yours, Nick, for a little while.”
When Sonja left the room, Nick sat in the chair by the
bed, “I guess you’re feeling better.”
Heath snickered, “Yep.
I could have a relapse though, if Sonja’s gonna be my nurse.”
Nick grabbed the back of Heath’s neck and gave it a little
shake, “Boy, this is a working ranch!
We can’t afford for you to have a relapse!”
In the foyer, the other members of the family smiled as
they heard the hearty laughter coming from Heath’s room on their way to
breakfast.
“Nick, can ya’ close the door so I can change before Sonja
comes back?” asked Heath.
Nick nodded and closed the door. Walking to the dresser, he got out a pair of sleeping pants and a
shirt for him.
Seeing the sleeping pants, Heath grunted, “I’m not wearing
those.”
“Doctor’s orders.” said Nick as he threw the pants to his
brother.
Heath tossed the pants back and snarled, “Forget it! I want real pants.”
Nick laughed and got out a pair of tan jeans for
Heath. Walking over, he handed him the
jeans and smiled widely.
Heath looked puzzled at the wide smile on his brother’s
face and asked, “What?”
Choking back the emotion in his throat, Nick wrapped his
arms around Heath and said softly, “I’m just happy to have you back on your
feet, little brother.”
Heath felt the rush of emotions flowing through him and
returned the hug with his left arm, “I love you too, Nick.”
Wiping his eyes, Nick growled, “Alright, let’s get you
beautified before your lady brings you breakfast.”
Nodding, Heath grinned as Nick helped him undress and
dress.
“So, Nick how‘s your chameleon doing?” asked Heath
watching the hazel eyes sparkle with emotion.
“She’s fine.” replied Nick casually as he buttoned Heath’s
shirt.
“Just fine?” teased Heath with a lop-sided grin.
Grinning back, Nick scowled, “Okay, she’s mighty
fine. Come on, let’s get you shaved.”
Walking Heath to the water closet, Nick smirked, “I still
can’t believe she gave Jamie Foster a broken nose and two black eyes!”
Heath laughed, “Nick, she gave you a black eye one time,
remember?”
Lathering Heath’s face, Nick frowned, “Yeah, I still have
nightmares about that day. I don’t think
I’ll ever forget it.”
“Nick, she’s okay and all that business is behind
her. You have to put it behind you, too
and start fresh.” said Heath.
“Funny, that’s almost the same thing I said to her last
night about the homecoming she received yesterday.” replied Nick as he
carefully shaved his little brother.
“Thanks, Nick.” said Heath softly when Nick had finished.
“Anytime, little brother, anytime.” smiled Nick gently.
Sunday morning after breakfast, Fred Madden sat outside
the cell of Sue Weston reading a section of the day old Modesto paper and
drinking coffee with his prisoner. He
was savoring the quiet of the morning that was a sharp contrast from the steady
stream of visitors yesterday. He
couldn’t remember the last time one prisoner had warranted so much attention.
“Fred, look at this.” exclaimed Sue pointing to an article
in the section of the paper she was reading.
“What?” asked Fred as he took the paper and read where she
pointed. “That’s interesting.”
Sue nodded, “It could be the same three men that have been
rustling around here.”
“Could be or it could just be a coincidence.” stated Fred
as he reread the article.
“It could be a coincidence. But if they had a hideout that was central to Stockton and
Modesto, it would make perfect sense.”
“That’s a pretty fair chunk of land to search, Sue.”
“Yeah, it is.” said Sue thoughtfully. “Maybe the Sheriff in Modesto has a
description of the men. If he did, then
maybe Heath could verify it.”
Fred smiled at his eager prisoner, “Heath was too far away
to see their faces. I already asked.”
Frowning, Sue sighed, “Well, it was worth a shot.”
Fred chuckled as he refilled their cups, “I’m gonna have
to tell Billy you’re trying to take over the job of deputy.”
Laughing, Sue shook her head, “Must be from all those
detective stories in that dime novel Billy lent me.”
Groaning, Fred replied as he stood, “Not you too! He’s always telling me about those
stories. I gotta make the rounds, be
back later.”
Chuckling, Sue sipped her coffee and continued
reading. Hearing footsteps approaching,
she smiled and then frowned at the sight before her.
“What is that?” Sue asked the two women before her.
“This, my friend, is a dress.” stated Sonja as she turned
the dress she was holding around to display the back to Sue.
“I know it’s a dress, Sonja. It’ll look good on you.
Heath will like it.” smiled Sue sweetly.
Charity rolled her eyes, “Suzanne, this is what you’ll be
wearing when you go in front of the judge tomorrow.”
“I don’t think so.” said Sue calmly as she sipped her
coffee.
Looking at each other, the two women smiled widely and
called out, “Mrs. Barkley!”
“I’ll be right there, ladies.” called Victoria from the
outer office where she was visiting with Fred.
Sue sputtered, jumped up and whispered, “What are you two
doing?”
Patting the hand that rested on the bars, Sonja murmured,
“We’re only doing what’s best for you.”
“That’s right, Suzanne.
We only have your best interest at heart.” stated Charity with a grin.
Sue opened her mouth to reply when Victoria breezed into
the holding area.
Seeing the angry look on Sue’s face, she stifled a laugh
and greeted her warmly, “Sue, its wonderful to see you again. I’m sorry I couldn’t see you yesterday.”
“That’s okay, Victoria.
Its nice to see you.” smiled Sue.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I thought this dress would be
appropriate for your appearance in court.” said Victoria. “Fred will give you the carpetbag with the
other items you’ll be needing.”
Taking the dress from Sonja, Victoria held it between the
bars of the cell. Glaring at her two
friends, Sue took the dress and draped it over the back of the chair.
Victoria smiled and caressed her cheek, “I have to go, but
I’ll see you tomorrow at the courthouse.”
“Thank you, Victoria.” said Sue softly as she realized she
had to wear the dress if Victoria was going to be in the courtroom.
Walking by the two women, Victoria smiled and winked.
When she had left the holding area, Sue shook her finger
at the two giggling women. “Just you
two wait til I get outta here.”
Chapter 17
Waking early Monday morning, Sue put on the dress Victoria
and the two conspirators had brought her the day before. Brushing her hair until it shined, she sat
in the chair and reread the Modesto paper while waiting for Fred to escort her
to the courthouse.
Engrossed in the article about the rustling happening in
that area, Sue jumped when a deep voice said, “I must be in the wrong jail.”
Smiling, she walked to the bars, “Hi Nick.”
“Morning.” said Nick softly as he gazed at the beauty
before him. “Nervous?”
“I’m not nervous, just anxious to leave here.” admitted
Sue.
Holding her hand, Nick grinned, “I can’t wait for you to
be out of here, too. Remember, we have
a date tonight.”
“I haven’t forgotten.
I’m looking forward to it.” smiled Sue as she stared into the hazel
eyes.
“How about a good luck kiss?” whispered Nick as he brought
her closer.
“Luck for me or you?” teased Sue as her stomach fluttered
wildly.
“Us.” stated Nick as their lips met and the temperature in
the jail rose.
Walking into the holding area, Jarrod smiled and coughed
loudly. Breaking the kiss, Nick
grinned, “Morning, big brother.”
“Good morning, Nick.
Good morning, Sue.”
Blushing, Sue smiled, “Morning, Jarrod. Time to go?”
“Yep. Nick, we’ll
meet you at the courthouse.” stated Jarrod.
“Okay.” smiled Nick as he squeezed her hand. “Sue, you
look beautiful.”
“Thanks, Nick.”
Watching Nick leave, Sue turned to Jarrod, “Ready whenever
you are counselor.”
Fred unlocked the door and the trio walked to the
courthouse. Entering the room, Jarrod
walked them to the table and sat down beside her. The occupants of the courtroom stood as Judge Winters
entered. The Bailiff read the charge to
the court and judge.
Jarrod rose. “Your
honor, client is ready to post bail.”
“Very well, Mr. Barkley.
Mr. Archer, does the state have anything to say?” inquired the judge.
Phil Archer stood and stated, “Due to the circumstances
prior to the incident and Miss Weston’s position in the community, the state is
recommending this matter be concluded by the defendant paying a fine and the
medical bill of the victim.”
“What?” protested Sue loudly. “I’m not doing that!”
Jarrod grabbed her arm as she tried to rise. Heath snickered and Nick turned to look at
Jack as he groaned, “Oh, lord.”
“Mr. Barkley, please control your client.” warned the
judge.
“Yes, your honor.
I’ll need a few minutes to confer with my client.” stated Jarrod. Leaning over he whispered, “What’s wrong,
Sue?”
“Jarrod, I’m not paying her medical bill. If she hadn’t taken my letters, she wouldn’t
have a medical bill.”
“Mr. Foster and I searched her bedroom, but we couldn’t
find the letters.”
“Jarrod, it’s like admitting she didn’t do anything
wrong. That’s not right!”
“What other choice do you have? Do you want this to go to court and drag on?”
“No, I just want to get back to the ranch.” Frustrated,
Sue sighed, “Fine. Fine. I’ll do it,
but I don’t have to like it!”
Smiling, Jarrod nodded, “No, you don’t.”
Standing, Jarrod spoke, “Your Honor, my client accepts the
terms the state has recommended.”
Judge Winters nodded and pounded his gavel. “Case Closed.”
Paying the fine and medical bill from the money Jack
brought, Sue accepted the hugs and welcome backs from her friends and
family. Walking out of the courtroom
with Jack and the Barkleys, Mr. Foster approached her.
“Miss Weston, I just wanted to let you know how deeply
troubled I am for all the trouble Jamie has caused. Since I am responsible for the post office and the mail I am
entrusted with, I have decided to resign effective immediately.”
“You can’t resign, Mr. Foster!” exclaimed Sue as grumbling
was heard through the crowd.
“If she hadn’t been helping me, none of this would have
happened.” sighed Mr. Foster.
Shaking her head, Sue smiled, “Mr. Foster, you have
nothing to feel guilty about. You’re
an honest and a hard working man. Your
daughter should be ashamed of the position she has put you in because of her
actions. She’s an adult and she made
that choice. There was absolutely
nothing you can do about it.”
Looking at her curiously, he stated, “You’re very
forgiving considering you just spent the weekend in jail.”
Sue laughed, put her arm around his shoulders and walked
him to the door with the audience following and said teasingly, “You must have caught me on a good day, I’m
not normally this forgiving. Just ask
my ranch crew.”
Mr. Foster laughed as her kind words lifted the weight off
his shoulders. “Thank you, Miss Weston.
I’ll do whatever I can to ensure something like this does not happen
again.”
Stepping out into the bright sunshine, Sue grinned, “I’m
sure you will. The only thing I ask is
that your daughter not be there when I pick up my mail.”
Taking her hand, Mr. Foster shook it enthusiastically,
“Deal.”
Watching from the post office window, Jamie stared when
she saw the arm of Sue Weston around her father’s shoulders and Nick standing
beside her. Tears welled in her eyes as
she remembered the shame on her father’s face when he looked at her. He had always given her anything she had
wanted and she had destroyed the trust he had in her.
At the time she had taken the letters, her one thought was
of Nick Barkley. She was sure she could
win him back over before Sue returned from Texas. She had been in love with him since she had first lain eyes on
him. Tall, dark, handsome and
muscular. She had fantasized that he
would be the one to sweep her off her feet and carry her away. He would be the one to make her a woman. She could have any man, but she had picked
him. She’d have given him everything
and still would, if it wasn’t for that woman.
Shaking her head angrily, she thought, ‘What does he see
in her? She carries a gun and dresses
like a man! What could he possibly want
her for?’ Frowning, Jamie watched
Nick and Sue walk down the street.
Turning from the window, she went upstairs to her bedroom
and locked the door. Taking the cushion
off the chair, she turned it over and cut the seam with a knife. Reaching inside, she pulled some letters
out. Sitting on her bed, she opened the
oldest one and started to read.
Chapter 18
“I’ll saddle him for ya, Sue.” said Nick and started to
enter the stall.
Stopping him with a hand to his chest, Sue shook her head
and smiled, “Better not, Nick. He
barely tolerates Davey saddling him.
Thanks anyway.”
Watching Sue saddle Satan, Nick smiled “What you said to
Mr. Foster was real nice.”
Sue shrugged, “He’s a decent man. I’ve got nothing against him, Nick, it’s his
daughter I have a problem with.”
“You’re not gonna do something again, are ya?” asked Nick
with a worried look.
Leading Satan out of the stall, Sue grinned, “And take a
chance on missing our date tonight? No
way!”
Nick sighed with relief, “Good. I’ll be by the ranch at six.”
“Nick.” said Sue as she chewed on her bottom lip. “You do realize that I’m not gonna wear a
dress, don’t ya?”
Nick grinned at her worried expression, “I kinda figured
that. The only reason you wore that
one today is ‘cause Sonya and Charity had Mother give it to you.”
“You knew what they were up to and you didn’t tell me!”
said Sue angrily as she put her hands on her gunbelt.
Chuckling, Nick pulled her into his arms and said softly,
“I like you in dresses and jeans.
You’re beautiful in anything you wear.”
Pulling out of his arms, Sue smiled, “Thanks. I have to go and get some work done
before tonight. Mine’s a working ranch,
too!”
He pulled her back and held her close, “Not before we say
goodbye without bars between us.”
Tilting her head back, he captured her lips, his arms drawing her closer,
her arms wrapped around his neck and the passion swept through them.
Satan becoming impatient with his master stomped his hoof
and nudged her in the back, pushing the couple backwards and breaking the
kiss. Sue sighed as she looked in the
burning hazel eyes, “See you tonight, Nick.”
Nick’s eyes twinkled as he growled, “Damn horse.”
Giggling, Sue climbed up and smiled, “Bye.” Nudging Satan, Sue rode down the street and
out of town with Jack Franklin.
Walking down the street, he met up with Heath. “Ready to go, Nick?”
“Yep.” smiled Nick widely as he climbed on the wagon
beside his brother. “Did you get the
supplies?”
Heath stared at Nick and asked, “Nick, are your eyes
alright?”
Puzzled, Nick looked at Heath, “What?”
Pointing behind him with his thumb, Nick turned red at the
large load that was on the back of the wagon.
Seeing the lop-sided grin, Nick snarled, “Not one word, Heath, not one.”
Slapping the horses into moving, Nick shook his head when
a faint snicker caught his ears.
Nick scowled as another visitor approached the table to
welcome back the lady across from him.
When they arrived, Harvey had greeted them warmly, directed them to the
best table and sent a bottle of wine to the table to start things off.
Hiding a smile at the scowl on her escort’s face, Sue
asked. “You okay, Nick?”
“Fine. It’s sure
busy in here tonight.” replied Nick.
“With all these people saying howdy to you, I haven’t had you to
myself.”
Patting his hand, she smiled, “How about if we ride to the
lake for some peace and quiet?”
“Great idea. Let’s
go before anybody else comes up.” said Nick as he stood and pulled out her
chair.
Laughing, Sue made her way to the door. “Harvey, thank you for the wine and the
wonderful dinner.”
Harvey smiled, “Come back anytime, Miss Weston. You too, Mr. Barkley.”
Nodding, Nick replied, “Thanks for everything,
Harvey. Night.”
Walking hand in hand to Satan and Coco, the couple mounted
and trotted down the street. Reaching
the outskirts of town, Sue grinned at her handsome escort and yelled, “Race
ya’” as Satan took off galloping.
“CHEATER!” shouted Nick as he raced after her under the
night sky that was caressed by moonlight.
Taking the turn to the lake, Sue stopped when she didn’t
see Nick and Coco behind her. Turning around, she trotted back down the
road. Seeing Coco off to the side of
the road, she pulled up sharply and looked frantically around.
“Nick! Nick!” Sue yelled, her heart pounded furiously at
the sight of the riderless horse.
Jumping off, she ran over to Coco.
Seeing Nick laying on his back ten yards over in the grass, she ran and
knelt beside him.
“Nick!” called Sue
at sight of his closed eyes and shook
his shoulder. She screamed when he
grabbed her and rolled over, pinning her hands above her head.
Looking down, Nick growled, “Cheaters never win.”
Overcoming the shock of his sudden movement and seemingly
good health, Sue snapped angrily, “Are you crazy? I thought you were dead or something!”
Nick chuckled as the emerald eyes flashed, “I am far from
dead, my chameleon.”
“GET OFF ME!” retorted Sue as she struggled to remove his
weight.
“Say you cheated first.” smirked Nick.
“Never!” said Sue firmly.
Holding her wrists in his left hand, Nick brushed her
bangs off her forehead and smiled, “Say it!”
“Forget it, Barkley!”
“All you need to do is say it.”
“What I need is for you to let me up.” snapped Sue.
“Not going to happen until you admit it.”
“Nick, what if somebody comes by? It won’t look very good.” pleaded Sue.
“Nice try.” chuckled Nick as Sue rolled her eyes.
“Since I’m not admitting to anything, you better be
prepared to stay like this til morning.” smirked Sue with a smug look.
“Stubborn. That’s
what you are, stubborn.” smiled Nick.
Kissing her eyelids gently, he brushed his lips softly against hers and
whispered, “Say it.”
“Make me.” whispered Sue as her breath caught in her
throat.
Kissing her deeply, he rolled onto his back. His hand on the back of her neck as they
savored the kisses and felt the burning between them. Holding onto each other, they fought to control the emotions that
threatened to sweep them away.
Stroking her hair and looking at the stars, Nick said
softly, “Tell me what your letters said.”
Tightening her arms around his waist, Sue spoke
softly. She recalled for Nick the
hopes, dreams and fears she had written to him in the letters. Her voice faltering when she spoke of the mission
and orphanage built in her father’s name.
The thankfulness of the Yaqui people for her gift of land to them in the
name of her guardian. Her visit to her
stepmother in the county jail.
“You didn’t?” said Nick shocked as he looked at her
face. “What’d you do that for?”
“I wanted to tell her what my brand of justice was going
to be for her since the law couldn’t punish her. Ramona wasn’t very happy to see me.” chuckled Sue.
“Did you hit her, too?” asked Nick hesitantly.
“No! Dan wouldn’t
let me close enough to hit her.”
“Is Dan the ranger that sent the telegram?”
“He’s in charge of the Texas Rangers in that area.”
explained Sue. “I just told Ramona that
I had written a letter to an old friend.”
“How is that justice?” inquired Nick.
“Well, the letter was to a woman that had worked at one
time on our ranch. She is currently a
resident of the women’s correction center.
She’s in there for beating her husband to death. Sally always liked my father.” grinned Sue.
“So, you wrote this Sally a letter. I still don’t see it.” puzzled Nick.
“Well, Sally’s a big woman with a very nasty temper. She doesn’t like too many people and I can
tell you, Ramona is one of them that she don’t like. Sally was sent upriver before my father’s murder. I just wrote to let her know that they know
Ramona’s involved but they can’t prove it.”
Nick chuckled, “So when Ramona gets to the prison, Sally’s
gonna be waiting for her.”
“Yep! Not very
nice of me, was it?” laughed Sue.
Pulling her to her feet, Nick laughed and held her, “No, that wasn’t very nice.”
“Guess we better be getting back. It’s getting late.” stated Nick as he gently
kissed her.
Walking to the horses, they rode to Sue’s ranch. Riding up to the barn, Nick dismounted and walked
with Sue as she lead Satan. Unsaddling
him, Sue patted him on the shoulder and cooed, “Be right back, big boy.”
“Thanks for the wonderful evening, Nick.” smiled Sue as
they walked to Coco.
“I had a great time, too.” whispered Nick as he held her face
with his hands and kissed her goodnight.
Reluctantly breaking the kiss, he mounted and headed home as Sue watched
his back until she couldn’t see him anymore.
Sighing, she entered the stall and groomed Satan before heading to the
house for the night.
Life on a cattle ranch is hard, exciting, dangerous and
Sue Weston loved it! Her one focus when
she had come to Stockton was to rebuild a part of her life that had been taken
from her. Sitting on Satan and watching
the sun set on the herd she and her crew had built, filled her with pride and
satisfaction. The Texas woman and her
men worked hard each day. Rising early,
stopping for a quick lunch and working until the sun had gone to bed. They were committed to their jobs and
responsibilities. Summer was almost
gone and fall was about to begin. Weeks
passed quickly in this type of life when you waged a daily battle with the
weather and other elements.
The rustlers had a productive summer and all the ranchers
in the valley had high hopes of stopping them soon. There was nothing worse than having someone steal what you had
worked so diligently to build.
Frustration was mounting at the rustlers’ good fortune. She and her men had taken turns guarding
the herd at night to dissuade the rustlers from their ranch. Luckily for the crew and owner, this ranch
was a smaller version of the Texas ranch.
If they had a herd the size of the Barkleys, she would’ve had to hire
more men.
Thinking of the Barkley’s had her smiling as her thoughts
were swept away by Nick’s face. Each
time she thought of him, her stomach fluttered and her heart palpitated. Their work on the respective ranches cut
into the time when they could see each other. Responsibilities for their operations may keep them apart
physically but not in their thoughts and souls.
Some nights they would met at the joining boundaries of
the ranch and drink in the sight and taste of each other before heading home
after a long day. They had been to dinner at each other’s ranch and
had gone to the summer socials. Heath
and Sonja had joined them as well as Jack and Charity, the now engaged couple
who had planned a spring wedding.
Looking into the distance, Sue could see the outline of
the house she was building for her foreman and his wife to be. The day of their engagement had been one of
the happiest in her life. The wedding
of two of her best friends was an occasion she was looking forward to.
Watching the blond cowboy riding up, Sue waved and called,
“Bout time, Heath! I’d almost given up
on you.”
Reining Charger in beside her, Heath watched the sunset
with her, “Sorry, we lost a few more head of cattle last night.”
Smacking her fist on her thigh, Sue growled, “Those
rustlers are like ghosts! Did ya’ find
anything?”
“No luck. Let’s
get into town before the depot closes.” said Heath as Sue nodded.
“I appreciate your help, Heath.” smiled Sue. “I wanna be sure Nick will like it.”
Laughing, Heath smirked, “Sue, if you gave him an empty box
for his birthday, he’d be happy.”
Blushing, she teased, “So, I can send it back and keep my
money then?”
The two friends chuckled and rode to the Stockton train
depot. Dismounting and tying the
horses, they headed inside and walked to the counter.
“Hi, Mr. Perkins.
You got a package for me?” asked Sue patiently.
Looking up from his ledger, the gauntly man smiled, “Yes,
it just came in off the train. I’ll get
it for you.”
Mr. Perkins handed the box to Heath. The friends left the depot and walked across
the street to Dan Baldwin’s new office.
Knocking, Dan opened the door and ushered them inside.
“I see it’s here, Sue.”
“Yeah, are you sure you don’t mind keeping it here and
bringing it to the party next week?” asked Sue as Heath pried the top off the
crate.
“I told you before it’s not a problem.” smiled Dan as he
whistled when Heath lifted out the bronze statue.
“Boy Howdy, it looks just like him and Coco.” whispered
Heath in awe of the figure he carefully set it on the table.
Carefully examining it, Sue let out a deep sigh, “I can’t
believe it! Frederick said it was
lifelike in his letters. Boy howdy, I
never expected this.”
“What was his name again, Sue?” inquired Dan.
“Frederick Remington.” whispered Sue as she ran her hand
over the statue.
“That boy’s gonna be famous someday, mark my words.”
stated Dan.
Carefully lifting it up, Sue put it back in the crate and
Heath sealed it. “I don’t think you
have anything to worry about, Sue.
He’ll be in awe just like us.”
“Thanks for your help, you two. Dan, I will see you and your lovely family at the party.” replied
Sue as she and Heath left the office.
Leaving the office, Sue stopped Heath with a hand on his
arm and pointed up the street. “There’s
Nick now. He sure has a lot of stuff in
his arms, you think he’s buying some gifts for his own birthday.”
Heath chuckled, “Let’s get the horses and find out.”
Walking to the depot and leading the horses up the street,
Sue stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Nick kissing Jamie Foster.
“What the?” exclaimed Heath as he started for Nick and the
woman up the street.
Feeling a hand grab his arm, he stopped and looked at Sue
whose face was void of all color. The
shock of the sight reflecting in her larger than life emerald eyes.
“Heath, I’ll see you later.” she whispered as she stood by the side of Satan trying to find
strength to climb on him, her legs shaky, her hands trembling, her throat tight
with emotion, her heart feeling as though it had been ripped out and crumpled
like a piece of paper.
“Sue, wait.” begged Heath concerned by her pallor and the
shaking of her body.
Shaking her head, she mounted and galloped away from the
nightmare on the boardwalk not hearing the angry words spoken as Heath reached
Nick. The unforgiving act they had witnessed, by the brother he had come
to love and trust, caused Heath to see red and angrily explode.
“You sonofabitch” snarled Heath as he turned Nick and
threw a punch at his bewildered brother who fell onto the boardwalk
unconscious.
Mounting Charger, he raced after his friend and Jamie
Foster grinned at the sight of the man laying on the sidewalk.
Chapter 21
Jamie had never given up on finding some way to win Nick
Barkley back. She had read the letters
from Sue to him looking for something to use against her. The letters were no help since they only
contained her thoughts and feelings on what was happening when she was in
Texas.
Over the summer, Jamie had waited for an opportunity like
this. Seeing Nick with his arms full
and Sue heading up the street, she had grabbed him and kissed him hard. Nick’s back was facing the two friends
leading their horses up the street.
Stunned at the unexpected act, Nick’s senses took a few
moments to register and kick in.
Pulling out of her hands, he glared at the woman, “What in the hell are
you doing?” Not soon enough though as
the damage, unbeknownst to him, had already been done. The sight of the woman rancher heading away
from what she witnessed had Jamie’s feathers puffing with pride at her success.
The sheriff had rushed over to the unconscious man and
summoned two men to carry him to Dr. Merar’s office. Listening to the witnesses explain what happened, Fred frowned at
the wide smile on the face of Jamie.
Heading over to Jarrod’s office, he knocked and went in. Exiting with the eldest Barkley son, they
hurried to the office of Dr. Merar.
‘If I can’t have him, at least I can make her miserable.’
thought Jamie with glee as she calmly walked to the post office. Her father looked at her puzzled as she gave
him a kiss and hummed a lively tune on her way upstairs.
Fred and Jarrod stood by the bed as Howard examined Nick
who was still unconscious. Feeling the
lump on the back of Nick’s head, Howard shook his head.
“He’s got quite a lump on the back of his head. What happened?” asked Howard as he looked at
Fred and Jarrod.
Fred sighed, “Seems Sue and Heath saw him kissing Jamie
Foster. Sue rode off and Heath attacked
Nick. Then Heath rode after Sue.”
Jarrod shook his head, “That doesn’t make any sense! We all know Nick loves Sue. As far as he’s concerned, there’s no other
woman in the world. Why would he kiss
Jamie?”
Nick fought his way from the blackness he had been
abruptly slammed into. The pounding in
his head increased as his level of consciousness rose. Hearing a moan, he realized it was coming
from his lips. The pain was shooting
around in his head. Hearing voices call
his name, he fought to open his eyes.
Howard smiled as he watched the lids slowly lift revealing
the sluggish hazel eyes, “Nick, welcome back.”
Nick blinked his eyes to bring them into focus and
groaned, “What happened?”
Jarrod replied, “You ran into a fist, little brother.”
Closing his eyes to quell the dizziness he felt and
remembering, Nick said “Heath hit me!”
“Yes, he did Nick.” said Jarrod softly. “He saw you kissing Jamie Foster.”
Shaking his head and wincing from the pain the action caused,
Nick snarled, “Dammit, I didn’t kiss that woman. She grabbed me and kissed me.
Hell, I was so shocked, I didn’t know what was going on.”
Nick gingerly sat up and fought down the queasiness,
“Where’s Heath now?”
“He rode off.” stated Jarrod, hesitating on how to tell
Nick about Sue seeing the act.
“What?” inquired Nick seeing Jarrod’s hesitation.
“Sue saw it too.
Heath rode after her.” said Jarrod as Nick’s face lost its color.
“God, I gotta find her.” said Nick. Standing up, he held onto the table as the
room started to spin out of control.
Fred and Howard grabbed a hold of Nick as he wobbled,
“Nick, you have a mild concussion. You
can’t go after her in this condition.”
Shaking off their arms, Nick snarled, “I’m going! Jarrod, you coming?”
“I’m with you, Nick.
I’ll watch him, Dr. Merar.” stated Jarrod as he helped Nick out the door
and down the street.
Chapter 23
Sue galloped around Stockton and headed to the ranch. Her mind replaying the scene on the
boardwalk. Her body shaking from the
betrayal and shock of seeing the man she loved kiss another. Her thoughts racing as the tears threatened
to come. Shaking her head, she forced
them back and swallowed to rid her throat of the tightness. Her world was crumbling and she wouldn’t
stay to be witness to Nick and Jamie Foster’s romance.
Reaching the ranch, she jumped off and hurried
inside. Knowing Jack and the others
were still on the range, she shoved some clothes in her saddlebags. Hastily scrawling a note for Jack and Maria,
she took some money out of the desk drawer.
Entering the kitchen, she grabbed some items and shoved them into a
burlap bag. Walking to the door and
closing the bag she was carrying, she ran into Heath’s arms. He held on tight as she tried to back out of
his arms.
“Sue, where are you going?” he asked quietly taking in the
pale face and shell shocked glaze in her eyes.
“I gotta leave.
Let me go, Heath.” whispered Sue.
“I’m coming with you.” stated Heath firmly as she slowly
nodded.
Taking the items from her, he followed her outside to the
horses. Tying on her saddle bags, he
mounted Charger and followed her as she started riding north.
Jack frowned as he read the note from his boss. Hearing horses, he opened the front door and
walked out onto the porch. The light
from the open door cast upon Nick’s pale, sweaty face and Jarrod’s concerned
one as he watched his brother carefully.
“Nick, what happened?” asked Jack as he hurried to his
friend’s side.
“Is Sue here?” gasped Nick fighting the blackness that was
threatening the edges of his consciousness.
“No.” said Jack quietly.
“Sue left a note saying she was going out of town.”
“Jarrod, let’s go and..” whispered Nick as he lost his
battle and slide off Coco into Jack’s arms.
Lowering Nick to the ground, Jack looked at Jarrod in
confusion, “What’s going on?”
They carried Nick into the house and laid him on the couch
as Jarrod explained what had happened in town.
“Damn that Foster woman!
Hasn’t she caused enough grief!” exclaimed Jack angrily. “Jarrod, we gotta find Sue. You think Heath’s with her?”
“Maybe, he followed her out of town.” said Jarrod as he
looked at Jack. “Where would she go?”
Jack sat on a chair and frowned, “I know she was talking
about taking a trip to Sacramento to get a present for our wedding, but she
could’ve headed to Texas or just about anywhere.”
“She wouldn’t go shopping.” said Nick softly, startling
Jarrod and Jack. “She’d go somewhere to
think and be alone.”
“I think you’re right.” stated Jack. “She’d stay away from towns and cities. She’s used to being on the trail.”
Standing, Jarrod looked down at Nick, “I’m gonna ride to
the ranch and let Mother know what’s happening, in case Heath shows up
there. Stay here, we’ll start out in the
morning.”
Nick nodded and closed his eyes as Jarrod left. Feeling a hand squeeze his shoulder, he
looked at Jack as the pain tore at his heart and whispered, “I can’t lose her,
Jack.”
“You won’t Nick.
She’ll understand when you explain it to her.” said Jack softly. “Rest now, we’re gonna start out early in
the morning and you wanna be well enough to ride.”
Nick stared into the fire. His soul was empty, the fire and laughter gone with the
disappearance of Heath and Sue. His
nights filled with visions of her face,
eyes staring at him in disbelief and hurt. In his nightmares, the betrayal that shown in their faces
overwhelmed him. God, he missed them
both. The two people in the world he
felt closer to than anyone. The little
brother he had resisted for so long and the woman he had finally found that
stirred his soul as no other could.
Victoria watched as Nick sat in front of the fireplace,
his chin resting on his hands as he watched the flames. Her heart constricted at the sight of his
face. The dark shadows under his eyes,
a sign of the great weight that was burdening him. The vanishing of his little brother and the woman he loved. The past two weeks had been strenuous on
the residents of the neighboring ranches.
Heath and Sue were constantly in their thoughts.
In the two-week period, they had received one telegram
from Heath, sent from a town up north two days after they left. The wire had simply said, ‘Riding with Sue. Give my love to Sonya. Be
back when I can. Heath.’
Jarrod, Nick and Jack had taken the train to the town but
they could not locate the two missing people.
The operator had stated a man had sent the telegram. No woman had been seen with him.
Mr. Foster furious over the heartless behavior of his daughter
had sent her to the east coast to live with his sister. He had shocked Jamie when he had coldly told
her not to return to Stockton as he had put her on the train. He still loved her, but he couldn’t condone
her actions that destroyed Sue Weston and caused her to leave Stockton.
Sitting by Nick, Victoria rubbed his back as he took a
deep shuddering breath and asked.
“Where could they be, Mother?”
“We’ll find them, Nick.” replied Victoria softly watching
a tear trickle from the corner of his eye and down his cheek.
The past two weeks had been hell on the two travelers and
friends. After the anger had lessened, Heath
tried to think rationally of what he had witnessed in Stockton. His heart told him Nick loved Sue, but his
head couldn’t make sense of what he had seen.
If Heath hadn’t stopped her the first night, he was sure
she’d have ridden until the stallion she cherished could no longer move and was
sapped of all his strength. Sue’s almost catatonic state frightened him. She was going through the motions without
realizing what was going on around her.
Helping her from the saddle, he felt her shaking from the
blow that had been dealt to her very being and her legs were unable to support
her own weight. Picking her up like a
child, he had carefully put her down on the bedroll and gently covered her up. The shock of what had happened could still
be seen in the glazed eyes staring out from the pale face.
The first few nights she had waken screaming for Nick in
her dreams. He would rush over and hold
her as the shaking wracked her body.
Heath pleaded for her to talk to him about the nightmares. She would look away keeping all her thoughts
and feelings bottled inside.
Each day, Heath waited for the explosion of anger and
outrage, but it never came. No longer
trying to sleep, because of the dreams that kept invading her nights, her
appetite decreased dramatically as the time lengthened. She would sit for hours staring out over
the landscape around them. He grew
more concerned from the lack of fire in her emerald eyes and the weight he
could tell she had lost.
Concerned and frustrated at Sue’s condition, he reminded
her of what she had told him, when he thought he couldn’t handle the nightmares
of Carterson anymore and was ready to give up.
She had looked him in the eye and firmly stated, “Heath, you’ve a choice to either live as a
free man or as a slave to your nightmares.
This is up to you and you only.
If you make the wrong choice, you will slowly become a shell of the
wonderful man I know you are. Whatever
you decide, know that I will be here for you.”
Sue stared at him during his outburst and turned her eyes
back to the fire. Heath sighed and laid
on his bedroll waiting for sleep, trying to find a way through the walls
surrounding her heart and soul.
When he woke in the morning, she had already saddled the
horses and simply stated, “We’re going back.”
Heath finished packing their things and rode beside her as they turned
back towards Stockton.
Crossing the mountains two days from home, they were
caught in a violent storm that soaked their clothes with the wind driven rain and
forced them to seek shelter. The
temperature had dropped considerably and the travelers scurried to find a place
to wait out the storm. Seeing a cave,
Heath pointed and shouted, “Let’s check
it out to see if it’s inhabited.”
Sue nodded and took out her rifle. Tying the horses to some branches, they
started forward. What they thought was
a cave was actually an overhang, large enough for them and their horses. Getting the horses they brought them under
the overhang, out of the rain and put them in the back. Sue picked up some of the wood stacked
there.
“Someone else has used this place recently.” she shouted
so Heath could hear her over the howling wind and pointed to the woodpile.
“I’ll build a fire, you’d best get out of those wet
clothes.” yelled Heath as he turned to give her privacy. When she had finished, Heath changed out of
his wet clothes and made them a dinner of beans.
Frowning, he watched as she pushed the beans around on the
plate only eating a few spoonfuls. She
had been surviving on coffee and a few mouthfuls of food a day.
Reaching over he felt the warmth of her forehead, “You’ve
got a fever.”
Slapping at his hand, she growled, “It’s nothing,
Heath. Just a cold.”
“Maybe we should ride to Modesto and see a doctor.” suggested
Heath.
Looking across the fire, Sue sighed, “I just want to get this over with.”
“Get what over with?” asked Heath afraid of the answer he
was going to hear.
“I’m giving the ranch to Jack and Charity as a wedding
present. I’m moving back to Texas.”
said Sue quietly.
Stifling the urge to shout, Heath gathered his thoughts
and spoke softly, “I’ve been thinking, Sue.
I’m sure Nick loves you and there has to be some explanation for all
this.”
Putting her plate on the ground, she laid down on the bedroll
knowing that sleep was not going to come and said quietly, “Heath, thanks for
coming with me. You’re welcome in my
house anytime, but I don’t want to see him ever again.”
Listening to the even breathing of her trail partner, Sue smiled
slightly and thought, ‘How smart of you
Heath to use my own words against me’.
The outburst from the quiet man and the concern in his
eyes, stirred a small flicker deep within her numbed soul. She had helped him through the nightmare of
Carterson and she knew he would help her through her own nightmare.
At that time in his life, Heath’s eyes had been vacant
pools of blue without a sign of life after each nightmare. The shame of how he survived in that place
and the terrors he had to fend off were overwhelming him. The nightmares reliving his time at
Carterson, had been slowly eating away at his existence, stealing his soul a
little at a time.
Sipping coffee, she realized he was right. She couldn’t go on like this. She’d make a clean break when she got back
to the ranch and move away from the place that could stir her memories up and
keep the nightmares anew.
Nick’s face flashed in her mind and she squeezed her eyes
shut to will it away. The pain of the
betrayal was an open festering wound.
Disloyalty and betrayal were one of the worst acts, in her thinking,
that one person could commit against another.
She had trusted him with her emotions, her deepest desires and he had
thrown it back at her. His act of betrayal had rocked her world like an
earthquake.
Her heart ached from the loss of a man, she had thought,
was the soulmate that she would journey through life with. The pain suffocated her soul, bringing
darkness to her once sun-filled being.
Listening and not hearing the howling of the wind, she
walked away from the fire and looked out across the landscape. Her eyes widened and dread filled her at the
sight of the first falling snow.
Survival instincts kicked in as she realized the grave
mistake she had made.
Having made the decision to return to Stockton, she had
talked a reluctant Heath into taking the trail through the mountains, that was
the most direct route to their destination.
At this time of the year, one never knew if snow would
fall early or hold off til later. They
were not properly supplied to survive, if they got trapped in the mountains
when the passes filled with snow.
Cursing, she knew that her lack of thought and ignoring Heath’s
concerns, may have just led them to their deaths in a soon to be frozen land.
Kneeling down, she shook the sleeping man and said,
“Heath, if we want to get off this mountain, we better move. It’s starting to snow.”
Heath jumped up as the realization of their precarious
position hit him. Rushing, the two
travelers packed their items and lead the horses out of the overhang, mounted
and started down the trail at a trot.
The snow fell steadily and covered them in a soft white
blanket. Keeping their chins tucked
in, they strived to lessen the exposure of the cold wind to their faces. Their blankets wrapped around them for extra
warmth, they traveled on through the night and into the morning. The only thing in their favor was that the wind had greatly decreased in it’s ferocity
and was not blowing the snow up to
diminish their line of sight.
The trails turned treacherous with snow covering the ice
that lay underneath. Their boots stiff
with cold, their feet numb. The horses
struggled through the snow that was piling up.
Stopping, they dismounted and pulled the horses along. They continued putting one foot in front of
another. Fighting to keep their mounts
moving and make their way out of the deathtrap.
Slipping on the ice, Heath fell on his hip. Grimacing from the jolt, he felt Sue’s hand
on her arm and pushed himself up.
Looking at her when he heard the raspy breathing, he grew alarmed at the
flush of scarlet on her cheeks and the shivering.
“We gotta find shelter.” gasped Heath as the cold entered
his lungs.
“We can’t stop.” stated Sue as she pushed him forward with
a weak shove. “Keep moving.”
Time stood still as the two weary ranchers struggled
on. Resting briefly only when they had
to stop to help each other when they stumbled and fell. Their muscles screamed in protest, their feet
were like bricks they lifted up and put down.
Their fingers numb and stiff, lips chapped and dry from the cold.
Pushing their way through the last section of deep snow in
the pass, they felt a sliver of hope when they reached the last leg of their living
nightmare. Resting for a few minutes,
they mounted Charger and Satan with great difficulty.
Both breathed a sigh of relief at escaping the snow-filled
mountain when they reached the bottom.
The sun set behind them as they continued on, striving to put their
mountain struggle behind them and the temperatures increased slightly.
Stopping in a stand of trees by a stream, Heath clung to
Charger after he slid off. His body
still numb from the cold temperatures on the mountain. His limbs refusing to work as they
should. He knew they needed a fire to
warm them and stave off the cold in their bodies, but he was past the point of
exhaustion, feeling sick and unable to move.
His chest hurt as he let out a weak cough. The horses stood with heads hanging, sides heaving from the
grueling trip they had made. Heath’s
stomach lurched at the sound of the wet, hacking cough from Sue. He watched as she slid down off Satan and fell
to the ground.
Stumbling over, Heath felt the fever emanating from her
and helped her to lean against a tree.
Shaking and unable to stop it, Sue watched with half closed eyes at
Heath trying to build a fire with his numb fingers. The frustration glaringly clear in his blue eyes.
“Not.. beans.. again?”
Looking at her in confusion as the words worked his way
through his muddled brain, Heath tossed a weak lop-sided grin her way and
replied weakly, “No steak tonight.”
“My fault. I
should have listened.” whispered Sue as she fell onto her side and Heath
crawled over to his unconscious friend.
Holding her in his arms, he let the tears fall as he
whispered, “Hold on, we’re almost home.”
Wrapping the blankets around them both, he leaned his head
back exhausted, fighting the sleep he dearly needed and groaned aloud, “Big
brother, I’d give anything to see your face.”
Unable to fight his exhaustion and the fever that was
starting in him from their ordeal, Heath’s eyes slowly closed and darkness
reigned down.
Chapter 28
In the chill of the early morning, Sheriff Madden and the men
waited patiently for Davey to pick up the trail of the rustlers. Nick and Jack rode beside Fred. They were looking forward to putting the
rustlers out of business. Their ranches
had lost the most stock to these low lifes and they wanted this business
concluded. It had been a small
respite from the constant wondering of where Sue and Heath had vanished to and
when they would be back.
“Satan!” shouted Davey startling Jack and Nick.
Looking to the wooded area by the stream, Nick and Jack
could make out the stallion that Davey pointed to. Hearts in their throats, Jack and Nick galloped ahead of the
group, jumped from their horses and knelt by the bodies laying on the ground.
Nick gently tapped his unconscious brother’s face, felt
the warmth of Heath’s skin and saw the uncontrolled shivers. A sharp contrast to the heat searing off
Sue, who lay still in his arms. Feeling
hands moving his arms to free Sue, Heath tightened his hold, fighting Jack and
Nick in his fever-filled delirium.
“Heath!” shouted Nick as he held his brother’s face in his
hands. “Heath!”
The shouted words echoed through the murkiness that
surrounded Heath. He’d heard that voice
before, but where, his mind was refusing to focus. Hearing the words again, he knew who it was. ‘Nick.
It was Nick’s voice.’ He
struggled to respond but couldn’t open his eyes. His throat parched and dry refused to give any strength to get
the words out.
Seeing Heath’s eyes move under the lids and his mouth move
slightly, Nick leaned closer and heard a weak,
“Nick.” Knowing his brother was
there to take over, Heath let the darkness reclaim him and his arms loosened,
releasing the woman he was cradling.
Carrying the two to the fire that had been built, Jack
listened to the rattled, shallow breaths of his boss and panic filled his
being. “Nick, they’re both burning up
and Sue’s breathing don’t sound good.
We gotta get a doctor.”
Fred not liking the pallor of either of the two, barked
out orders to the rest of the group, “Get some blankets and wrap them up. Nick, you and Jack take them back to
Stockton. It’s closer.”
Hands spread the blankets on the ground and wrapped the
two unconscious people in them. Nick
and Jack mounted. Jack shook his head
when they lifted Sue to him, “I’ll take Heath.”
Nick smiled gratefully as she was placed in his arms. Tucking her close to him, he whispered into
her ear, hoping she would hear him. “I love you, Suzanne Weston. Fight for me. Fight for us. Don’t leave
me.”
Holding tight to the two in their arms, they headed
towards Stockton knowing time was of the essence. Nick’s voice hoarse, when they reached the office of Dr. Merar
from whispering in her ear, trying to elicit a response.
Howard taking a look at the two knew Sue Weston was in
imminent danger from her high fever.
“Jack, get all the ice you can.
We gotta bring the fevers down.”
Jack ran out the door and down the street to the general store.
“Nick, prop some pillows up behind her. That’ll help her breathing.” said Howard as
he cut off her pants and shirt leaving just her undergarments on. Placing a blanket over her, he listened
carefully to her congested lungs. “Damn.”
“What is it?” asked Nick.
His hazel eyes fraught with worry and he was afraid he knew what the doc
was going to say.
“Pneumonia.” said Howard briskly as he cut the clothes off
Heath and tossed them in the corner.
Listening to Heath, he stated, “He’s better, but not by much.”
Jack and Mr. Foster burst through the door each cradling a
large block of ice.
“Bring some more, we’ll need a lot of it.” said Howard as
he and Nick chipped the ice into chunks, piled it on and around the unconscious
woman until only her head was uncovered.
Several men continued to bring ice until Heath had been
covered in the same manner. Victoria
arrived and helped Howard periodically check the fever on each patient as Jack
and Nick waited beside the beds.
Dr. Merar had been blunt in his honesty of the diagnosis
of the two. Heath was a little better
than Sue, who was knocking on death’s door.
No longer shivering from the fever raging in her was a sign all doctors
were afraid of. Her body, already weak,
was having a hard time fighting the infection that had taken hold.
Nick’s face paled when Howard had told them that he felt
Sue had lost about 15 pounds since he had seen her last. The dark circles under her eyes, a testament
to the sleep she had been missing. Both
had bruises over their bodies from something, most likely from falls he had
surmised.
The waiting room was filled with the crew of Sue’s ranch
and the other members of the Barkley family waiting for news on the two people
they all held firmly in their hearts.
Silent questions in their minds went unanswered as to how the two
friends had come to be in this condition.
Knowing the answers they sought would not be heard until one of them
woke up and provided them, if they were able to wake up.
“Howard.” said Victoria quietly as she checked Heath’s
fever again.
Rushing over, Howard smiled widely and stated, “Fever’s
broken.” Nick and Jack
sent a prayer upwards for the good news. Victoria went to the waiting room to update
the others.
Heath panicked as the cold caused his body to tremble and
shake. ‘Where was Nick?’ I thought he was here. Moving his head and thinking he was covered
in snow, called out weakly, “Tthhee ssnnooww.
ttoooo ddeeeepp.”
Sonja gasped and Nick grabbed Heath’s hand under the ice
and squeezed it, “Heath! You’re safe,
Heath!”
Heath heard the words called to him and slowly opened his
eyes. Confusion reflected as he saw the
ceiling above him and his teeth chattered, “NNiiccckkk?”
“I’m right here, little brother.” said Nick as he moved
into his line of sight.
“Ssnnooww. Mmoouunttaaiinnss. Sssuuee?”
“She’s here. Don’t
try to talk now.” said Howard softly as he and Jack began removing the ice from
the shivering man. “Rest, Heath.”
Heath squeezed Nick’s hand weakly and stared at him
through pain filled eyes, “Ssoorryy, Nniicck.”
“For what, Heath?” smiled Nick tenderly as Heath fought to
keep his eyes open.
“Ssuuee lleeaavviinngg. TTeexxaass.” whispered Heath
before falling into a deep sleep.
Jack and Nick flinched at Heath’s words. Gently brushing back Heath’s hair from his
forehead, Nick whispered, “We’ll see about that, little brother.”
Jack left the room and came back in with Horace. The two men carried Heath to another room
and helped Howard and Victoria settle him into a dry bed. Sonja held his hand while Victoria sat on
the other side of her son’s bed gently running her fingers through this hair,
thankful the fever had broken and praying for it to relinquish it’s hold on the
woman in the other room.
Nick sat by the bed, talking softly to the woman still
battling the fever that was raging.
“You have to believe me when I tell you, I didn’t kiss that witch. She kissed me! Why didn’t you give me a chance to explain?”
Running his hand through her sweat soaked hair, Nick
whispered, “Remember our first date?
What a special night. Every time
I ride to the lake, I think of us that night.
God, how I missed you these past weeks.”
His throat choked with emotion as she lay unresponsive
under the mound of ice. Laying his head
on his folded arms, he fought back the tears that wanted to burst forth. Closing his eyes, he could hear her
laughter, the sweet music of her voice, the taste of her lips and the feel of
her body against his. Allowing the
memories to overwhelm him, he couldn’t stop the tears flowing and the despair
from gripping his soul at the thought of losing her to the cold hand of death.
Victoria sighed at the sight of Nick, asleep with his head
on his arms, beside the bed. Throughout
the afternoon, ice had been continually put on the unconscious woman. Night had fallen hours ago and the morning
was fast approaching. Still no response
from Sue was heard. Victoria motioned Howard
over and whispered, “She doesn’t feel as hot to me.”
Reaching over, he nodded.
“Yes! It’s lower. I’m gonna check
on Heath and let the others know.”
Victoria gently shook Nick’s arm to wake him. He raised his head and looked at his mother
sleepily. Jumping up, he looked at the
woman in the bed, “Mother, she’s not..”
“No, Nick. Her
fever’s gone down. I thought you’d want
to know.” smiled Victoria at the relief in his eyes. “I’ll be back.”
Nodding, he kissed her on the cheek, “Thanks, Mother.”
Sitting back in the chair, Nick took her left hand out
from under the ice and held it between his.
Holding it to his cheek, he closed his eyes and spoke to her.
The fires that were burning her retreated slowly and the
haze surrounding her ebbed away a little at a time. A gentle murmur filled her ears and she gravitated towards the
sound.
As she neared the gentle voice, the mist dissipated around
her and the cold bit into her skin.
Feeling weights holding her limbs and body in place, she moved her head
slightly, coughing and moaning from the pain it created.
“Open your eyes for me, darling.” spoke the gentle voice.
The voice kept up its urgent plea and mustering what
strength she could from the weakened state of her body, she slowly opened her
eyes. Sluggish green eyes met hazel
eyes. Tears fell from Nick’s eyes while
watching the lids lift, revealing the emerald eyes he was afraid he would never
see again.
Her awareness increased and so did the shaking of her body
as it fought the coldness of the ice that was surrounding it. Holding tightly onto her hand, Nick leaned
over and gently kissed her lips, “I love you, Suzanne Weston.”
Teeth chattering from the shock of the ice and her
thoughts muddled and foggy, Sue stammered weakly, “Ii kkiilleedd Hheeaatthh”
“No, Heath’s fine.
He’s sleeping in the next room.” said Nick quickly as the tears fell
from the corners of the guilt wracked emerald eyes.
“Mmyy ffaauulltt.” Sue weakly whispered as her eyes closed
and she fell back into the darkness.
Bending over, Nick spoke firmly in her ear. “Heath’s alive. Sue, he’s fine.”
Four days had passed since the ice had broken the fever’s
hold . Sue and Heath had drifted in and
out of consciousness unaware of their surroundings. The two slept deeply from
the exhaustion of their trip, the toll their bodies had taken during the ordeal
through the snow filled mountain, and the weakness created by their bouts with
pneumonia.
Their caretakers worked diligently to get the two to expel
the build up of phlegm and drink much needed fluids. The effort to do what their caretakers demanded, further
exhausted the two lethargic patients.
Howard, Victoria and Jack smiled at each other as they
checked the rooms of the two patients.
Sonja was asleep with her head on Heath’s arm and Nick was asleep
holding Sue’s hand.
Neither of the two had left the side of their loved one
for longer than a few minutes and that was to take care of their basic needs
only. They had remained constant and
committed in their care. Helping to
win the battle Sue and Heath were waging on their way back from the sickness
that had threatened to claim them for eternity.
Sonja felt the movement beneath her head and opened her
eyes. Looking up, she was relieved by
the clear blue eyes looking around the room.
Smiling, she sat up and held a glass up to Heath’s mouth. After taking a small sip, she put his head
back down.
“Hi, cowboy.”
“Where are we?” whispered Heath surprised at the weakness
in his voice.
“Dr. Merar’s office.
You’ve been very sick, Heath.” explained Sonja as she caressed his
cheek.
Heath closed his eyes and tried to sit up as he
remembered, “Sue, is she alright?”
Holding him by his shoulders, Sonja pushed him back onto
the bed. “She’s fine Heath. She’s in the next room with Nick.”
Sighing with relief, Heath closed his eyes briefly, “I
feel weak as a kitten.”
“You’ll feel better after you get your strength back.”
replied Sonja. “Heath?”
As he slowly opened his eyes, she leaned down and
whispered. “Cowboy, when you’re
stronger, we’re gonna talk about that little trip you took on the spur of the
moment.”
Heath’s eyelids drooped and he whispered back, “Missed me,
huh?”
Chuckling, Sonja kissed him softly. “Just a little, cowboy.”
The next day, Nick raised his head when he felt the hand
squeeze his shoulder. “Go get some breakfast,
Nick. I’ll sit with her.” stated Jack.
Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Nick stood and stretched
his back. “I’ll be right back, Jack.”
Jack threw his hat on the stand by the bed and sat in the
chair. Sending his thanks upwards again
for the two lives that had been spared.
Leaning forward, he watched as her eyes moved beneath their lids.
Seeing the lids lift slowly, he smiled and drawled, “Hell
of a way to get out of work, boss.”
Sue looked around the room in confusion. Her eyes rested on the face of her foreman
and friend. “Jack.”
“Nick’ll be right back.”
Grinning, he squeezed her hand.
The grin turning to a frown as her eyes took on a haunted look.
“I can’t see him.” she whispered turning her head away.
Sitting on the bed beside her, Jack pulled her face
towards him. “Nick loves ya. He didn’t kiss Jamie Foster. She kissed him and his hands were full. There wasn’t anything he could do. You ran away before he could tell you. Mr. Foster was so mad, he sent Jamie away.”
“I don’t care.” was the weak reply.
Nick’s heart was in anguish as he overheard the
conversation between the two friends.
Walking to the bed, he saw the emerald eyes watching him. Jack got up and whispered, “Maybe you can
talk some sense into her.” Closing the
door, he left the two alone.
Sue looked away from the man standing by the bed and tears
started to fall unchecked. She felt the
extra weight cause the mattress to dip and weakly ordered, “Go away.”
Leaning against the headboard, Nick gently picked her up,
held her tight against him and stroked the auburn hair.
“You can scream, cuss me out and shoot at me. No matter what you do, I’m staying, because
I love you.” stated Nick gently.
“I killed him. Just
leave, Nick.”
Nick closed his eyes and angrily scolded himself. ‘Dammit, you should have realized she didn’t
know Heath was alive’.
Tilting her face up, he looked at the tear filled eyes and
smiled, “Heath’s alive and sleeping in the next room. You didn’t kill him, Sue.”
His words worked their way through her confused state of
mind and tears of relief fell until sleep beckoned again. Nick kissed Sue’s forehead gently, thankful
to be able to listen to her breathe and fell asleep with her in his arms.
“Damn.” Sue
whispered weakly as the coughing started and the pain in her chest made itself
known again. Strong arms held her and
urged her to expel the phlegm again.
Exhausted from the exercise, he laid her back against the pillows.
“Torturer. Don’t
you have a ranch to run?” she muttered as Nick chuckled and wiped her face
gently.
“I already told ya’ Duke’s running the ranch and you can
scream, cuss me out and shoot at me. No
matter what you do, I’m staying.” smiled Nick at the tired emerald eyes looking
at him.
“So you told me. I
think I’ll put that on your tombstone after I scream, cuss and shoot you’,”
teased Sue as she stifled a yawn.
He leaned forward and kissed her gently, “Plenty of time
for all three while we’re getting reacquainted.”
Guilt flashed in the green eyes as she shook her head,
“God, I was so stupid!”
“Honey, stop
beating yourself up.” chided Nick gently.
“You get your strength back and then I’ll show you how much I care.”
Smiling tiredly, she sighed, “Promises. Promises.”
Each time she had awoken from the fog, Nick was there
speaking of his love for her and how Jamie Foster had kissed him. He had not kissed her and it had been very
diabolical on Jamie’s part. He loved her
and he wasn’t going anywhere, were words that rang through the fog in her
mind. The words while warming her soul,
caused deep feelings of guilt. Her own
love for him had caused her to lose control of herself and she had almost
killed his brother, her friend, because of that loss of control. The depths of
human emotion was a frightening thing.
Nick caressed her cheek as he watched the her eyelids
droop and fall over the green gems.
Holding her hand, he thought back to their conversation two days ago when
she had awoken and her eyes were finally clear of the fog she had been in.
“Hi, honey.” smiled Nick from the chair by the bed.
Turning her head, “Not now, Nick.”
Sitting on the bed, he turned her face towards him and
growled. “I already told you that I DID
NOT KISS THAT WOMAN. SHE KISSED ME!”
Wincing from the pain in her head, she groaned, “I already
have a headache.”
“Sorry.” said Nick quietly,
“It’s all my fault.”
“What..” asked Nick, stopping as she put her fingers on
his lips.
“I believe you.
You’ve never given me a reason to doubt you.”
Nick watched the tears well up and asked gently, “What is
it then?”
Wiping her cheeks, Sue stated, “I should have trusted you
enough to know you’d never do something like that. I should have trusted in us.
I could have killed both me and Heath because of it.”
Smiling, Nick sighed, “At least you didn’t shoot me.”
“Nick, I’m serious.”
Holding her hand, he smiled tenderly, “If you’d have shot me, I’d have found you
when I healed. If you landed in jail
because of shooting me, I’d have gotten Jarrod to defend you.”
“But, Nick..” her tired words silenced by a gentle kiss.
Looking deeply in her exhausted eyes, he whispered, “I
love you and that’s all that matters.”
Her eyelids drooping, he heard the weakly whispered, “I love you too and it scares the hell out
of me.”