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.
Victoria stopped the
surrey in front of the mansion, Heath climbed down and reached up intending to
lift his pregnant wife from the carriage.
Mackenzie stood up and moved to the side of the carriage, her eyes widening
when her husband was hit by a familiar coughing siege. Concern flew into her violet eyes and she
held onto the arm he draped on the side of the surrey, his jaw clenching from
the pain in his chest.
Nick lifted his mother
from the surrey and hurried around to the other side, placing his hand on his
brother’s back until the coughing subsided.
Taking a shallow breath, Heath nodded his thanks and reached up for his
wife. Holding her hands in his, he
steadied her as she stepped down and cupped his cheek in her hand.
“Heath, your coughing
sounds worse.”
Holding her hand to his
face, he smiled “I’m fine, Zie. Please
don’t worry, honey.”
Victoria moved forward and
took an arm of each of the young people, gently leading them through the oak
door. Audra entered the foyer at the
sound of voices, her youthful face smiling radiantly.
“Heath! Mac!” exclaimed Audra wrapping her arms
around the two visitors, placing a kiss on their cheeks. Speaking with Silas for a moment after
handing him the willowbark powder, Victoria turned and smiled at the greeting
before placing a hand on Audra’s arm.
“Audra, please help Silas
ready the guest room closest to the watercloset for Heath and Mackenzie. I’ll explain later.” said Victoria, watching
her daughter hesitant for a mere breath of time before heading up the
staircase.
Heath turned at the sound
of Nick’s footsteps, grinning at the man weighted down with luggage. His older brother had effectively stopped
his bid to help with the suitcases at his ranch with a smack of his hand.
Winking, Heath drawled,
“Nick, ya’ make a good bellman. When
ya’ go to Frisco next time, maybe ya’ should check it out.”
Rolling his eyes, Nick
mumbled under his breath at the sound of giggling from the two women flanking
the grinning blonde as he made his way past and up the grand staircase. The sapphire eyes lost their amusement
watching the larger, healthier man traverse the stairs with ease, the great
weight no burden to him.
Mackenzie sensed the
change from laughter in her husband and found his hand, squeezing it, she
smiled into his eyes. Her understanding
of how difficult the treatment was to be reflected in her gaze and he nodded
slightly, agreeing to her unspoken wish.
“Let’s get you all settled
in.” said Victoria leading the couple up the staircase and into the room. Audra and Nick left the room at their
arrival. Silas entered the room
carrying a tray with a pitcher of water, two glasses and a bottle of
powder. Setting it on the bedside
table, he smiled at the thanks directed to him by the three occupants before
leaving.
Heath glanced around the
room, his face falling for a brief moment at the realization this room was to
be his home for thirty days. While the
room was sufficient in size and comfort, he could already feel the restlessness
building inside him.
Stating she had to check
on dinner, Victoria handed a glass of mixed medicine to Mackenzie who smiled
and thanked the grand lady of the house.
Closing the door behind her, Victoria sighed deeply and descended the
staircase, heading to the parlor where Nick was informing Jarrod and Audra of
the circumstances which brought the young couple under their roof.
Opening a case, Mackenzie
took out a shirt and sleeping pants, handing them to her scowling husband who
was standing by the window.
“Change.” said Mackenzie
firmly. “Then into bed.”
Staring at the clothing as
if he’d never seen it before, Heath mumbled to himself while he followed his
wife’s decree. Mackenzie pulled back
the covers and puffed up the pillows, raising an eyebrow at the slowness in the
man she loved. He was folding his
clothes and setting them on a chair.
Smiling slightly, he sat on the bed and took the glass she held
out. Drinking it down, he shivered at
the raw taste and gasped.
“Zie, that tastes like,
sh.., uh, it’s awful!” complained Heath sitting back against the
headboard.
“You’ll get used to it,
Heath.” replied Mackenzie putting the glass down and pulling the covers up to
his waist. Sitting on the bed, Mackenzie
leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on his lips, caressing his cheek,
the low fever could be felt under her hand.
“Is there something else
wrong, Heath?” questioned Zie, her voice low and soothing.
Taking her hand from his
cheek, Heath kissed it’s soft palm and shook his head, “It’s nothing,
darlin’. Don’t worry.”
“I’m right here with you.”
said Mackenzie. “I know it’ll be
difficult for you to be laid up for a month.”
Reaching up, he ran his fingers
softly down the line of her jaw before tracing the outline of her full
lips. His sapphire eyes burned with
tenderness and love while he pulled her to him, his mouth parting hers. Breaking off the kiss, he held her face in
his hands, their foreheads touching.
“I want to apologize now,
honey, for when I get grouchy later on.” sighed Heath, his words causing her to
laugh and sit up. Reaching over, she
put his hand on her stomach, his mouth opened at the little kick he received,
his eyes filled with wonder and tears at the magical moment. Her eyes sparkled and she brushed a hand
through his hair.
“When it gets tough, you
think of this little one who needs his daddy around to teach him how to ride,
to gentle horses. You keep that in
mind, Heath Thomson.” commanded Mackenzie.
“Now, you need to rest, Heath.”
Nodding, Heath laid back,
his eyes closing, smiling at the movement beneath his hand. “It could be a girl, Zie. A beautiful girl with violet eyes and auburn
hair.”
Several minutes passed
before she felt the tension in his body leave, his hand slid from her belly and
his chest was rising in a familiar pattern of sleep. What they thought was a winter cold could actually be a hidden
death. She was thankful Dr. Merar
recognized the signs of the inflammation.
She was thankful for Victoria’s strength and his family’s support.
Brushing back the tears
which suddenly sprang into her eyes, she prayed she’d have her healthy cowboy
back soon, making her laugh, making her smile and making her weak in the knees
from his touch.
Taking a deep breath,
Mackenzie studied her mate’s relaxed face, his slumber broken by an occasional
cough and a flash of pain across his face from his chest. She knew he was exhausted, his strength had
been steadily fading for the past week from the inflammation ravaging his body
and not it turned out from a winter cold.
If Heath hadn’t kept the appointment to have his stitches taken out, she
wondered if they’d have caught the inflammation in time before it would have
stolen him away from her and his family.
The thought left her trembling from the terror which gripped her.
Closing her eyes and
pushing the dark fright to the background, she wiped the moisture from her
eyes. Pushing herself off the bed, she
quietly unpacked their clothes, running her hand over the deep darkened wood on
the top of the dresser. The wood
polished to a shine matched the wardrobe and the bed. The room was not lavishly decorated but all the items
complimented each other and fit together.
The warmth of the room spoke respectively of the careful hands which
created the atmosphere in a room where only guests would be entertained. Mackenzie knew those hands were Victoria
Barkley’s, the tiny woman with a heart so large it shouldn’t be able to be
contained in her small body.
Finishing her chore, she
took the glass used for mixing the medicine and carefully opened the door,
stepping into the hallway. Making her
way to the staircase, she smiled at Nick appearing at the top of the stairs.
“Mac, you need anything?”
“No, I was just bringing this glass downstairs to
be washed.” said Mackenzie with a shake of her head.
“Heath settle in?” asked
Nick his hazel eyes looking past her to the beckoning closed door.
“He fell asleep pretty quickly,
Nick. He’s been so tired ever since..”
paused Mackenzie, shivering at the scene of the thrown knife entering her
husband’s chest which played so vividly in her mind when she recalled it in
broad daylight or when it snuck up on her in the night.
Placing a large hand on
her shoulder, Nick smiled softly, “He’s gonna be fine, Mac. I’ll tie him to the bed if I have to.”
Shaking off the gloomy
thoughts, she reached over and patted the large hand. “Thanks, Nick. I hope it
doesn’t come to that but perhaps you best keep some rope handy.”
Laughing, Nick nodded his
agreement and held out his arm after bowing slightly, “Allow me to have the
honor of escorting you downstairs, madam.”
Curtseying, Mackenzie put
her hand in the crook of his arm, “Why thank you, Mr. Nick.”
Chuckling, Nick slowly
walked her down the staircase, amazed at the tiny woman beside him. She fairly floated down the carpeted trail,
her belly protruding in front of her, her grace intact. Nick never realized until that moment the
truth of the saying. It was true when
they said a woman with child glowed.
He’s have sworn on a stack of bibles, he could see the outline of light
all around her.
Feeling eyes on her,
Mackenzie glanced upwards at the tall man beside her, his hazel eyes scrutinizing
her very closely. “Nick, something
wrong?”
Shaken from his pondering,
Nick blushed when he realized he’d been caught staring at her and stammered,
“No, I was just thinking about how you look.”
Mackenzie tilted her head
slightly and asked quietly, “Fat?”
“NO!” exclaimed Nick as
they stepped off the last step, his confusion spread across his face, his words
walked in a straight line in his head but when they left his mouth they
somersaulted and fell all over themselves.
“Mac, that’s not what I mean. I
just meant, well, you know you’re pregnant.”
“Big? Large?” asked Mackenzie innocently, enjoying
tormenting her helpless brother-in-law, his heart as large as his
mother’s. The man she raised would
never think to speak in that manner of any woman.
Nick ran his hand through
his hair, blustering loudly, “I didn’t say that, Mac! Stop putting words in my mouth!”
“Nicholas, stop shouting!”
admonished Victoria hearing her son’s words in the parlor and looked intently
at the amused violet eyes when she leaned in to take one of the small
hands. “How is Heath, dear?”
“He’s sleeping, Mrs.
Barkley.” smiled Mackenzie, winking, “Nick was just telling me how I look. He thinks I’m fat.”
Looking at her son, Victoria
saw the horror filled look in his eyes and quickly moved her eyes away,
fighting the urge to burst with laughter.
“I didn’t say such
anything like that, Mother. Honest I
didn’t.” assured Nick quickly, not wanting to raise the ire of his mother’s
disapproval.
“Well, then, what did you
say, Nicholas?” asked Victoria with an arched eyebrow.
Groaning, Nick stepped
back and held up his hands in defense, “Mother, I was only trying to tell Mac
that she glowed but then she thought I said she was fat! That’s all!
I’m needed in the barn!”
Escaping out the front
door, Mackenzie busted out with laughter and Victoria joined her. Both women walking to the kitchen where
Mackenzie rinsed out the glass.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t
have teased Nick like that.” smiled Mackenzie, wiping the laughter from her
eyes. “I couldn’t help myself.”
Wrapping her arms around
the other woman, Victoria chuckled, “It’s always good to keep them on their
toes. Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.”
“He’s a good person just
like his mother.”
“Thank you dear.” smiled
Victoria widely. “Now, how about some
fruit to take back upstairs with you?
It’ll be good for the baby.”
Picking out some fruit and
pouring a glass of juice, Victoria helped her carry the items back to the room,
placing it on the small round table in the corner of the room. Heath’s steady breaths filled the room and a
small slightly wrinkled hand couldn’t help but place itself lightly on his
forehead, testing the warmth.
Mackenzie watched the
mother ritual by Victoria, the love in the gray eyes reflected clearly as she
looked down on the blonde.
Straightening the blanket, Victoria smiled and left his bedside.
“Perhaps you should take a
nap too?” whispered Victoria placing a hand on her cheek. “You need your rest too.”
“I am a little tired. I’ll take one after I finish this juice.”
promised Mackenzie, receiving a peck on her cheek before the matriarch left the
room, softly closing the door behind her.
Sitting in the chair and
drinking her juice, Mackenzie studied her husband recalling the tenderness in
Victoria’s touch and the look in her eyes.
Suddenly she knew the answer to his uneasiness after they entered the
mansion.
His uneasiness was because
of the lady who raised four children, helped build an empire, who was held in
high regard in the community for all she stood for and all she had accomplished
herself.
This lady, Victoria
Barkley, loved her husband’s illegitimate child like he was her own son. This man created because of a liaison meant as
much to her as her natural children.
Sighing, Mackenzie walked
over to the large bed and carefully eased under the covers not wanting to
disturb Heath from the sleep he needed.
Laying on her side, she wondered if Heath felt the same love for
Victoria that he held for his mother.
‘I bet you do but you’re
afraid, aren’t you?’ thought Mackenzie closing her determined violet eyes, her
mind searching for ways to get her stubborn husband to speak to the mother of
his siblings.
Chapter 72
Opening his eyes, Heath
felt the warmth of his wife sleeping by his side. Her back was to him, the ponytail containing her auburn locks had
given way and her hair spread out across the pillow. Reaching over he ran his fingers through her hair gently, the
soft feel always amazing him. Her hair
was always soft to the touch no matter the style she wore and it always smelled
like roses.
Running his fingers down
her bare arm, he leaned over and watched her eyes moving beneath their lids,
his touch slowly bringing her out of her dream state. A pair of violet eyes met his after she turned her head to look
over her shoulder. Smiling, she turned
onto her back and slowly raised herself to be level with his elevated
position. Propped up in a raised
position seemed to help a little with the pain in his chest. After a bout of coughing, leaning forward
was the best relief to the blonde.
“Afternoon or early
evening.” drawled Heath pushing her hair back behind her ears. “You lost your tail, Zie.”
“Oh, I must look like a
mess.” stated Mackenzie, her hands running through her hair and pulling it
backwards.
“Honey, you’re always
beautiful.” assured Heath holding out the ribbon she’d lost in her sleep. “Are you okay?”
Tying the ribbon in place,
she smiled and nodded, “I was a little tired and Mrs. Barkley suggested I take
a nap. It must have been all the
rushing around we did back at the house before we left.”
“I’m sorry about that,
Zie.” apologized Heath leaning back against the pillows, holding her hand. “We should be home in our own house. That’s where I, uh, we belong.”
Studying his face,
Mackenzie frowned at his words, her reply not coming due to the knocking on the
door. Placing a kiss on his lips, she
straightened her dress and opened the door.
“Mac, sorry but Mother
wanted to know if you’d be eating dinner with us or with blondie.” said Nick
flashing a grin to his bedbound brother who rolled his eyes.
“Nick, I’ll keep Heath
company.” said Mackenzie with a smile.
“No, she won’t Nick.”
interrupted Heath quickly. “You can
tell Mrs. Barkley, she’ll be eating at the table.”
“Heath, I want to have
dinner with you.” protested Mackenzie walking back to the bed.
“Zie, I’m not hungry. Have dinner with the Barkleys. Though I’m warning you, honey, I’ve eaten with Nick and his table manners
are atrocious!” teased Heath with a wink.
“What’s with the ‘have
dinner with the Barkleys’ crap?” retorted Nick standing with his fists on his
hips. “I think ‘the family’ is what we
are.”
Heath chose to ignore the
question and urged his wife to partake in breaking bread downstairs. “Zie, I got some stuff I need to plan for
the ranch. Don’t worry about me. You need to make sure you’re eating
properly.”
“Heath, I’m going to bring
you a tray first. You haven’t eaten
much this past week and you’ll need to make sure you’re eating properly, too.”
explained Mackenzie, receiving a slight nod before any further words were
stopped by a coughing siege.
Holding onto his chest,
Heath leaned forward and fought his way through the flash of pain, taking
shallow breaths when the coughs stopped, sipping from the glass thrust into his
hand. Nick’s large hand was on his
little brother’s back offering support and he could feel the warmth through the
night shirt. Violet eyes looked on with
concern, each flash of pain on his chest stabbing into her heart just as it was
stabbing into the heart of the man who’d hurried to his brother’s side.
Assuring them he was okay,
Heath leaned back against the pillows, wiping his forehead free of sweat. The perspiration from the fever and the pain
the coughs brought on. Nick left the
room after Heath closed his eyes, trying to regain his center after the
episode.
Mackenzie sat on the bed,
wiping his flushed face with a cool cloth, her hand caught and brought to his
lips where he placed a kiss on it.
“Please, Zie. Go downstairs and have dinner. I’m gonna more than likely fall asleep again
and you don’t need to stay cooped up here with me the whole month.” said Heath.
“But you’ll be alone,
Heath. I don’t want you to have dinner
alone.” worried Mackenzie, feeling as if she’d be abandoning him.
“He won’t be alone, Mac!”
explained Nick carrying a large tray into the room. “I’m gonna eat with Heath.
We have some things to discuss about your ranch anyway.”
Seeing the tray loaded
down with food, Heath growled, “Why is there only one steak on that tray?”
Nick gestured to the
steaming bowl on the tray and smiled, “Chicken soup from Silas for you,
Heath. He said it’d cure anything that
was ailing you.”
“So, it’ll even make
annoying brothers disappear?” asked Heath with a glare, his question not making
a dent in the wide smile on the larger man’s face.
Turning to Mackenzie, Nick
helped her up from the bed and escorted her to the door. “Mother’s waiting for you downstairs, Mac.”
Heath nodded and waved her
to go when she looked back into the room, his smile of assurance sending her
down the hallway. Nick came back in
carrying a small bed table and set it over the blonde’s lap. Heath lifted the table and moved it to the
side.
“HEY!” exclaimed Nick
putting the bowl back on the tray, scowling at the blonde pushing back the
covers. “WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE
GOING?”
“To the watercloset.”
sighed Heath adding with a smirk, “Did you want to come hold my hand, big
brother?”
“NO!” growled Nick, pink
showing on his cheeks. “Damn you’re an
ornery patient!”
Shaking his head in
agreement as he sat on the bed, Heath sighed, “Yeah, sorry about that,
Nick. I’ll be right back.”
“It’s okay.” admitted Nick
watching Heath slowly pushing himself up and getting on his robe.
Stepping into slippers,
the blonde left the room, returning ten minutes later. Climbing back into bed, he felt like he’d
run ten miles instead of walked a few feet down a hallway. Nick worried about the amount of strength it
seemed the walk took out of his brother, his large hands helping the blonde
pull the blanket up and straighten the coverings before he put the bed tray in
position. Placing the bowl in front of
Heath with a glass of water, he sat at the table and ate, keeping his eyes on
the patient.
“Heath, I was thinking we
could send one of our boys over to help out Jim until your other men get
back. This week will be a slow week
coming up with the holiday and everything.” offered Nick tentatively.
“That’s mighty neighborly,
uh, brotherly of you, Nick. I’d
appreciate it and I’d feel better knowing Jim had some help. Course I’ll pay the man’s wages while he
helps out at our ranch.” said Heath, glancing at Nick awaiting the nod of agreement.
“Sure, if want to but you
don’t have to.” replied Nick, frowning when the spoon stopped rising to the
blonde’s mouth after five times. “I was
thinking of sending Barrett.”
“No.” said Heath firmly.
The cold tone of the one
spoken word caught Nick’s attention and he turned, his dinner forgotten. “Why not Barrett?”
Looking into the hazel
eyes, Heath shrugged, “I don’t like him.”
“He’s capable, Heath. We’ve never had any problems with Barrett.” said
Nick, wondering if his brother was only concerned with the hand’s capability.
Dropping the silver spoon
into the bowl, Heath took a deep breath, his jaw clenched. “Nick, I’m sure he’s capable but I don’t
want him on my ranch. If you have a
problem with that, let’s forget the whole idea. I’m sure Jim’ll be fine with Atilla for company.”
Hazel eyes studied the man
in the bed, the composure one of reined anger.
Several minutes passed before Nick inwardly came to the realization it
was after all Heath’s ranch and if he had a reason for disliking Barrett, it
didn’t appear the blonde was going to share it anytime soon. Standing, he frowned at the amount of soup
left in the bowl as he took the tray away.
“Okay, how about Timmons
then?” suggested Nick receiving a quick nod, the strained composure relaxing at
the compromise reached. “I’ll talk to
him tonight and he can head over there tomorrow. If you have anything you want him to tell Jim, he can deliver
it.”
“Thanks, Nick.” said Heath
with a slight smile.
“Heath, Mother’s gonna be
mighty upset you didn’t eat all your dinner.” teased Nick, catching the look of
guilt and uneasiness which suddenly rose in the sapphire pools before the
shutters were pulled. Handing the blonde
his medicine, Nick watched him drink it down and relax back into the pillows,
closing his eyes.
“Sorry, I don’t have much
of an appetite lately.” informed Heath quietly, his eyes still closed. “Please tell Mrs. Barkley I’ll try to eat
more later.”
“I’m gonna take this
downstairs and be right back.”
Catching the slight nod,
Nick put the dishes back onto the tray and left the room. He was halfway down the backstairs when he
stopped and a frown creased his brow, remembering the look in his brother’s
telling eyes at his gentle teasing over Mother’s unhappiness of his efforts.
Howard Merar, town
physician and family friend, arrived at the Barkley ranch in the late morning
two days later. Jarrod stopped on his
way to the office the day before to advise the physician of his patient’s
whereabouts. The man of medicine was
relieved for the care he knew Heath and Mackenzie would both receive under the
watchful eyes of Victoria Barkley.
Now, as he stood by the
bedside in one of the guest rooms and carefully examining the blonde, he was
unable to keep a frown from spreading across his sculptured face. Completing the examination, he put his
stethoscope away and sat on the bed.
“Heath, have you been
sleeping and getting all the rest you can?”
“Doc, what else can I do in
this bed?” replied Heath offhandedly, his eyes moving away first in the stare
down he found himself drawn into, an arched eyebrow on the other man’s face
telling the blonde he was waiting for a real answer. “Well, maybe not so good.”
“Why not?” asked Howard
softly, not receiving an answer before adding, “I know being on bed rest is
difficult for an active person such as yourself, in this case, however it’s
necessary. Heath, do you understand the
seriousness of your condition and the possible ramifications of this
inflammation?”
Pulling at the cuff on his
sleeve, Heath nodded while fighting the urge to shout at the family
friend. He wanted to shout he didn’t
want to be on this ranch, in this room, in this bed. He wanted to shout he couldn’t sleep or rest just waiting for the
inevitable backlash his siblings and Victoria Barkley were bound to receive
form his presence here. He wanted to
shout and he struggled to keep from disclosing to the concerned man the inner
demons eating away at him.
“I know, Dr. Merar.”
stated Heath firmly. “I’m not gonna
leave my wife a widow and certainly not going to have my child grow up without
a father. I’m gonna do what I can to
prevent those things.”
“Good, I knew I could
count on you to understand what’s at stake.” smiled Howard, patting his shoulder before he walked to the table
and mixed the second daily dose of medicine, adding laudanum to the
concoction. The laudanum would help
with the pain in his chest and lull the blonde into relaxation. Handing the glass to Heath, he waited til
its contents were gone and again listened to the heart under the muscular
chest, smiling to himself when the eyelids lowered over the drowsy sapphire
eyes.
Leaving the room and
encountering Silas on the grand staircase, he requested the older man sit with
the sleeping patient while he spoke with the family. Nick stopped his pacing at the reappearance of the physician
whose face was unreadable. Howard nodded
to the family members before stopping in front of Mackenzie.
“He’s sleeping.” said
Howard with a smile before sitting on the sofa beside the young woman with
questioning eyes. “How has Heath been
sleeping?”
Taking a deep breath,
Mackenzie shook her head in censure of her husband’s actions, “Other than right
after we arrived here, he’s only been catnapping. He hasn’t given into sleep completely since then.”
“Just what I was afraid
of.” mumbled Howard placing a hand on the twisting ones beside him, sending a
reassuring smile before looking around the room.
“I mixed some laudanum in
with the willow bark. He’ll more than
likely sleep now for a few hours, possibly through the afternoon. If he keeps on the way he has been, his body
will weaken further and give the inflammation a tighter grip on him. I’ll come out tomorrow to check on Heath
again. In the meantime, mix a spoonful
of this in with his medicine.”
Mackenzie took the small
dark bottle and nodded. “Thank you, Dr.
Merar.”
The remainder of the
family extended their thanks to the family physician before he left the parlor. Nick stood with his arms crossed, looking
down at the flooring while darkness covered his face. The concern of the others in the room were mirrored in their
eyes.
Audra moved over to the
spot vacated by the physician and suggested, “Mac, is the bed not comfortable
or the room? We have plenty of other
rooms if you want another one.”
Smiling at her friend’s
nurturing and sincere soul, Mackenzie shook her head, “No, the room and bed are
fine, Audra. It’s very comfortable,
quite homey.”
Gene arrived back in the
parlor after seeing the physician to the door.
He’d returned home late last night for the holidays and had yet to see
his newest brother. He had wanted to
peek in the room, however, didn’t due to the late hour and his reluctance to
awaken Heath if he were sleeping.
“Perhaps, Heath doesn’t
have enough to occupy his mind. I know
if my mind is going in all different directions, I can’t sleep. We have a large library as you know, I’m
sure we could find something to help pass the time.” suggested Gene.
Jarrod smiled at his two
youngest siblings’ concerns, proud of their suggestions and nodded, “That’s a
splendid idea, Gene.”
Nick listened
halfheartedly to his other siblings talking back and forth. Hazel eyes moved to study the other two
women in the room who were obviously lacking enthusiasm at the
suggestions. Their non-action and
non-participation spoke louder than words.
“Mackenzie? Mother?” queried Nick drawing the violet and
gray eyes to him, ceasing the talking in the room. “What do you think?”
Biting her lip, Mackenzie
glanced over to the Barkley matriarch who’d’ been quiet and in thought. She didn’t want to betray her husband’s
fears and concerns with staying at the Barkley ranch. Though he hadn’t said anything directly, he had once shared all
the less than Christian treatment received as the town bastard. The same vile treatment was received by
anyone who associated with the town bastard.
Any members of the town bastard’s family received the same
treatment. His turmoil, his pain, his
nervousness spoke volumes to his wife who knew the gentle man deep inside. The man who’d never want anyone to be
subject to what he’d been forced to endure.
Victoria took a deep
breath, looking into the hazel eyes of her second born and said calmly, “I
think it’s because of me, Nick.”
Jarrod, Gene and Audra
were surprised by the calm statement, their shock showing in the three pairs of
eyes and all protested the implications their mother spoke. Nick voiced his solid agreement to the
statement further stunning his siblings while the violet eyes confirmed what
mother and son both instinctively felt and picked up on.
Walking over and sitting
on the table in front of Mackenzie, Victoria reached over and held the two
nervous hands in hers. A smile spread
across her face and gray eyes filled only with love and concern looked at her.
“Nick and I are right,
aren’t we?” asked Victoria quietly.
The auburn haired lady was
caught between her desire to do whatever she could to give her husband the
tools he needed to come back to her wholly and the thought she’d in a sense be
betraying what they had between them as a couple in life.
Victoria saw the turmoil
in her eyes and sighed, “Mackenzie, I’m going upstairs to sit with Heath. I’d appreciate it if you’d help Audra
entertain the guests who should be arriving shortly.”
Nick smiled and nodded as
Mackenzie said, “I’d be pleased and honored to help Audra, Mrs. Barkley.”
Taking the young girl into
a hug, Victoria held her face in her hands and placed a kiss on her forehead,
smiling widely.
“Please call me, Mother.”
From the depths of his
unconsciousness, through the billowy softness of the cotton engulfing his mind,
a sound reached him. The gentle familiar
tone sparked the awakening of a tiny tingling, taking the memories of a boy he
tucked deep away in the recesses and pushing it to the forefront. Through the fog, he walked towards the
sound, his heart leading him, the tone never changing. The memories became clearer, crystallizing
while he remembered the events associated with the sound.
Her golden boy lay on the cot in the corner of the
room, the moonlight shining through the window casting a halo of light around
his blonde hair. Blonde hair soaked
with perspiration, perspiration not from fever but from the night terrors which
sunk their claws into him each night.
Her golden boy had returned back from Texas, back
from the army hospital, back from that place which stripped him of all
innocence, left the marks of brutality on him and made him into an old man
before her very eyes.
When she greeted her golden boy upon his return,
her tears could have filled one of the wooden
barrels standing on the edge of the porch. Tears of happiness, tears of joy, tears of love for the child
returned to her. These tears turned to
puzzlement and fear when she finally stopped to look in the sapphire eyes. The eyes sparkling as his father’s did were
now empty and void of emotion, of feelings, of life.
Her boy had accepted his
mama’s greeting and wrapped his tiny parent in his skinny arms but the hold on
her was casual, almost as if it were empty also. She knew somewhere inside the skeletal frame, deep inside his
bruised physical body which housed his gentle soul…her boy was still in
there. She only had to find him and
bring his soul home.
So it began.
Each day she worked to increase his physical
strength, each day she worked to rejuvenate his inner being. Each day he went through the motions without
feeling or thought. Each day the same
as the day before.
The nights were different.
The nights were spent fighting inwardly to keep his
eyes open, to keep the lids up and not let them fall. For if the coverings fell, he knew what awaited him in the
darkness. He was conditioned to be
afraid of closing his eyes, afraid of the clarity the terror reawakened in the
darkness. The night terrors were the
only time he showed emotion at all. The
night terrors sent him spiraling out of control with anger, pain, fear and
shame.
The reb prison had done what no other had been able
to since his unfortunate circumstance of birth….it had extinguished his will to
rally, to reach deep within himself and forge ahead. It had built a wall and entombed his inner strength, it had
sealed it up and wasn’t about to let anyone have the sledgehammer to smash it
apart.
Each night, he fought to keep the demons at bay and
each night, she waited with him, offering her quiet strength, offering her
presence, offering her love. Each night,
she would sit in the old rocking chair and hum. The song filled the corners of the cabin, it was a song of
eternal love, a song which offered hope to the hopeless. Her humming of Amazing Grace became the
sound he latched onto to find his way out of the night terrors and eventually
break through the wall.
It was the tone he heard
now, the same gentle humming, the same song played in his ears and he rose out
of the cottony softness, his head turned towards the sound, the residue of the
drugged sleep making his thoughts thick and awkward.
“Mama?” whispered Heath,
his eyes still closed, his mind associating the humming with his past, not
realizing it was from the present.
Victoria sat in the chair by
the bed, humming to herself, her fingers busy with a needle, thread and
material. She hadn’t left the room in
three hours, she’d stayed by his bedside and until she saw his sapphire eyes
open, she had no intentions of leaving.
The softly whispered word
barely floated to her ears and she looked up, gray eyes watching as he slowly
rose back to consciousness from his sleep.
Smiling into the blinking sapphire eyes, she saw a moment of confusion
and loss before the eyes cleared to reflect understanding.
“Mrs. Barkley?”
Nodding, she reached over
and patted his hand, putting the things to the side and freeing both
hands. Pouring a glass of water, she
handed it to the blonde, chuckling at the suspicious look springing into the
sparkling sapphire eyes.
“It’s only water.” said
Victoria with a wink.
Flashing a quick grin, he
took the glass and drank down the cool liquid, his throat parched as if he’d
been in the dessert, walking in the hot scorching sun without a hat and without
a canteen.
“Thank you, ma’am.” sighed
Heath looking at the clock on the dresser, surprised he’d slept for over three
hours. “Where’s Zie?”
Sitting on the bed,
Victoria smiled, “Mackenzie is helping Audra entertain some of our holiday
guests this afternoon.”
“Oh.” replied Heath, his
voice low and tense. “Weren’t you
supposed to have the Stockton Women’s Circle here today?”
Chuckling, Victoria
squeezed his hand and smiled, “Heath, how did you know that?”
Shrugging, Heath turned to
look out the window before lying back against the pillows, his hands needlessly
pushing the wrinkle out of the top blanket.
“Zie mentioned it. Mrs. Barkley,
I thought those women were married to some of the most influential people in
the valley? Shouldn’t you be down
there? They’d have been expecting you
and not the wife of…”
Heath paused and reddened
at the suddenly hard look appearing in the gray eyes of the woman he’d come to
respect and love. He realized she knew
exactly what he was going to say, she seemed to be in tune with his thoughts
and it was unnerving to say the least.
“Finish it, Heath.”
commanded Victoria firmly.
Negatively shaking his
head, he cleared his throat and felt her hand take hold of his chin and raise
his head. Looking into the confused
eyes, Victoria kept his gaze locked with hers.
“Wife of who or what?”
prodded Victoria.
Taking a breath, Heath’s
words were spoken so low she had to strain to hear them. He’d never have voiced such words to this great
lady if he hadn’t been still mildly jumbled from whatever the physician put in
his medicine.
“Your husband’s bastard,
ma’am.”
Tilting her head slightly,
she questioned him, “Do you think that’s how I regard you, Heath?”
Surprised at her directness,
though he really shouldn’t have been, after all this tiny lady was forthright,
strong, compassionate and shot straight from the heart. Heath shook his head, “No, ma’am.”
“Good! Because that is not how I see you.” assured
Victoria, jumping up for more water after his body shook from a coughing
bout. Waiting for it to pass, Heath
gratefully drank the liquid offered before returning the crystal container.
“Mrs. Barkley, it’d be
best for you if that’s how you did see me.” stated Heath simply. “People are not accepting of certain things,
certain people, no matter who you are, no matter what you have or done for the
goodness of the world. Even the nicest
person can turn ugly given reason.”
Victoria nodded at his
words, the truth in them plain for anyone to see. He was speaking from experience, from his past, from his own
life. He was able to speak with honesty
since he’d lived in midst of the ugliness and he was trying to protect her from
it. Lifting her hand and brushing back
his bangs, she smiled.
“Heath, your caring and
concern for everyone around you warms my heart. Your nature, your heart has endeared you to me forever. I’m sorry, I can’t turn it off. I can’t shut it down. I can’t ignore it. You grew up with a label attached to you, in a town full of
people who couldn’t recognize good unless it was jammed down their
throats. Will the same thing happen
here? Possibly. There are small narrow minded people
everywhere in this world. No matter
where you go there is ugliness if you look for it.”
Lying propped up against
the pillows, the blonde listened to every word, every inflection as she spoke,
his heart filling with the emotion behind her words. Her fingers held his hand, her eyes held his, her words held
him.
“I want to show you something.”
smiled Victoria, patting his hand before walking to the chair and bringing back
the material she’d been working on.
Holding up the tiny garment, Heath reached forward and fingered the soft
material, a smile spreading across his face.
“I’d say it’s a bit small
for Audra, ma’am.” teased Heath, eyes wide with innocence.
Laughing, Victoria enjoyed
the smile on his face and the twinkle in his eyes. Carefully folding the small dress, she set it on the table and
took his hand in hers.
“Do you know in two months
I’ll be a grandmother?” asked Victoria quietly, his eyes studying her intently,
waiting with bated breath. “I love you
as I love all my children, Heath. You
were the son of my husband and your mother.
Now, you are my son in every way.
To me, that is how I will see you now and forever.”
Placing a finger on his
lips which started to open, she shook her head and caressed his cheek, her eyes
filling with tears.
“I’d be honored to be considered
on the same level as the wonderful lady who raised you to be the man you
are. I’d gladly stand up to the world
and announce to all who’d listen, Heath Thomson is my son. I have no rose colored glasses, Heath. I know the ugliness in this world, I know
there are those who feel power by casting others aside. I know all this and I say let them try. Let them try to take away what I feel for
you. Let them try to soil the love I
have for you as a Mother. Let them try
for they shall not win. We will
overcome those types of people. We are
better than they.”
Sapphire eyes brimming
with unrealized tears gazed into gray tear filled eyes.
“I’d be honored if you’d
call me, Mother.”
Sapphire eyes flared with
longing, flared with desire, flared with the unconditional love of the child
inside the man. Tears spilled out and
fell down on the pale cheeks of the man choked with emotion, his throat
burdened with a large lump and he couldn’t speak for fear of breaking
down. The fears, the worries, the
concerns over outside reactions fading away, shoved out of the realm of his
existence by the steel behind the love filled words.
This woman tiny in stature
would take on all those who dared to oppose what was in her heart. She’d stand up in the face of adversity, in
the face of society’s norms with chin held high and eyes straight ahead. She saw more with her heart, more with her
soul than most saw with wide open eyes.
People who used only their
eyes to see, saw the picture which was completed and hung in a frame on the
wall. A person who used their heart
and soul saw the idea forming, saw the stretching of the canvas, saw the brush
taken up, saw the mixing of colors, saw the first strokes on the empty space
lead to the creation of a masterpiece.
Small fingers brushed the
tears off his cheeks, his hand reached up and grabbed onto hers, holding it to
his cheek, his eyes closed and his breathing turned shallow as he searched for
control from the spinning inside.
Victoria felt her own salty drops of emotion falling while the child
before her fought for control. After
several minutes, his quiet, forced out words surprised her.
“This is truly the season
of miracles. A season of giving. A season of love.” whispered Heath, opening
his eyes and gazing into hers. “You are
offering me more than I’d ever dream could be possible. Much more than I felt worthy of.”
Shaking her head, she
caressed his cheek and scolded gently, “Don’t ever feel you are unworthy,
Heath. You are worthy and deserving. You are Thomas Barkley’s son and entitled to
all which goes with the name. This is
your birthright just as it is his other children’s. You deserve all the goodness and happiness in the world. You give to others tenfold what you get
back. I am as proud of you as I’m sure
Leah is.”
Taking a shaky breath,
Heath leaned back against the pillows, the emotional trip exhausting him
further. Victoria sensed the ending of
the conversation, this man’s body held by inflammation could not venture another
step further, his tiredness showing in his face. Brushing her fingers through his hair again, she smiled and
kissed his forehead.
“Sleep and when you’re
stronger, we’ll talk again. We have a
whole lifetime ahead of us together as mother and son.”
Nodding, Heath held onto
her hand, not wanting to let go, holding on as if she were his lifeline in this
world. His body was demanding sleep,
his shoulders sagged from weariness and he smiled before closing his eyes, his
soft drawl bringing more tears to her gray eyes.
“A whole lifetime…Mother.”
Victoria stayed seated by
the bed, her small hand held fastly in his until he gave in completely to sleep
and his hand relaxed its hold. Studying
his face for several minutes, she moved his hand to lay on the bed, standing
and placing one more motherly peck of affection on his warm forehead.
Opening the door, she
stopped in surprise at the lineup of children in the hallway leaning against
the wall. Smiling widely, she hugged
Mackenzie, whispering in the young woman’s ear before shooing the other
children downstairs.
Mackenzie entered the
bedroom and closed the door behind her, walking to the bed and smiling with
relief at the signs of deep sleep coming from her husband. She could almost sense a change in the
atmosphere of the room and bowed her head in prayer, sending thanks for a woman
whose heart was large enough to include a child most would have excluded.
Victoria shook her head at
the questions coming her way and continued down the grand staircase, heading
into the study with her brood following.
The family automatically split and took positions around the richly
paneled wood room. Nick leaned against
the desk, arms down by his sides, hands holding onto the desk. Jarrod took a seat in the overstuffed chair,
Audra sat by her mother on the sofa and Gene sat on the bricks in front of the
fireplace. Four pairs of questioning,
concerned eyes focused on the silver haired lady who smiled before speaking.
“Heath and I had a very
fruitful conversation this afternoon. While I will not go into the exact words of our discussion, I do
want you to know I have asked Heath to call me, Mother.” explained Victoria
moving her eyes from child to child.
“If any of you have concerns or strong feelings in contradiction of my
wishes, this will be your one and only chance to voice them.”
One by one her children
added their agreement, their brother was held in their hearts as he was in
hers. No discussion was needed, no
dissension was felt among the ranks.
Heath was their brother and Victoria, his mother, almost as if she had
carried him nine months in her womb.
Nick looked over and
inquired, “Mother, do you know why Heath hasn’t been sleeping like he
should? I’m really worried about him.”
Sighing, Victoria nodded,
“He was very concerned we would be somehow ostracized and ill-treated because
of his birth. You must remember Heath
grew up in a place where he and his mother were treated horribly by the
town. Even Rachel Caulfield received
the same treatment because she was a friend to them. Heath’s afraid we’ll be recipients of the same cruelties.”
“We may well be, Mother.”
agreed Jarrod, shrugging and adding with a smile, “I, for one, wouldn’t trade
Heath for any of them. Those type of
people could never understand the full and complete meaning of compassion,
pride and love. For a man to have
experienced so much in his young life, Heath is certainly someone I’m proud to
call brother.”
Victoria smiled at her
children, their thoughts were one, their souls were one at this very moment in
time. All these children cared about
was making sure their newest sibling understood how much he was loved and
wanted in the family. She sat back on
the sofa and listened to the conversation flowing, the love and concern filled
the study. Her eyes drifted upwards to
the portrait hanging over the mantle which looked down on all of them.
She could have sworn his
eyes now glimmered with love and pride as their children discussed how to
ensure their blonde brother would recover and stay by their sides for years to
come.
Victoria shuddered
slightly thinking of how different, how much they would have missed if a blonde
bounty hunter hadn't come to Stockton because of the lure of a bounty.
Knocking softly on the door,
Victoria smiled at Mackenzie after she was allowed entry into the room several
hours later. The sound of sleep went
undisturbed from the sounds of another dress rustling in the room and feminine
voices conversing. Walking to the bed,
Mackenzie sat down and placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder.
“Heath? Wake up, honey.”
A few minutes later and
with the added urging of a second female voice, the blonde slowly opened his
eyes, mumbling with exhaustion,
“Zie? What’s wrong? You okay?”
“Nothing’s wrong,
Heath. You need to take your medicine.”
smiled Mackenzie.
Blinking his eyes and
glancing between the two smiling ladies, Heath groaned loudly, “You woke me up
for that!”
Chuckling, Victoria handed
the patient a glass of mixed powder.
Heath took the container, stared at it and frowned, “Did doc mix this,
Mother?”
“No, I did.” smiled
Victoria, her eyes glistening with moisture at the endearment. “We’ll try it without the laudanum,
Heath. As long as you continue to rest
sweetheart, we won’t need any other medicine but the willowbark.”
Nodding, Heath drank down
the glass and grimaced. Mackenzie
rubbed her fingers over Heath’s arm and questioned, “It’s time for dinner, do
you feel like eating?”
“Have you eaten, Zie?”
asked Heath.
“Not yet. Do you want to dine with me?”
“Boy howdy, second best
offer I’ve had today from a beautiful woman.” drawled Heath, winking at both
ladies.
Victoria squeezed the hand
which had taken hold of hers and scolded, unable to keep the laughter out of
her voice, “Flattery will not get you anywhere, Heath.”
“Yes, ma’am.” sighed
Heath, flashing a lop-sided grin and fighting a yawn.
“I’ll have Silas bring up
a tray with dinner.” said Victoria placing a kiss on his forehead and another
on Mackenzie’s cheek.
Waiting til Victoria left
the room, Heath pushed the blankets back and slowly sat up, scowling at his
shakiness and rush of vertigo. “Zie, I
need to visit the watercloset.”
Helping her husband into
his robe, Mackenzie straightened his collar and said, “Let me help you,
honey. You look a little shaky.”
Shaking his head, Heath
sighed, “I feel more than a little shaky, darlin’. But we can’t take the chance of me falling on you and the
baby. Maybe you’d best get Nick or
Jarrod in case I need them.”
Knowing how difficult the
admission of weakness was for her strong husband, Mackenzie bent over and
placed a lingering kiss on his lips, his response instantaneous to her
sweetness. His hands held onto her arms
before directing her to sit on the bed beside him, their tenderness and
gentleness gave way to a burst of need.
Running his hand up her arm and behind her neck, their lips parted
inviting each other to search with their tongues. Breaking the kiss, Heath ran his fingers over her full lips
before lowering his hand to her stomach, his love filling the exhausted
sapphire circles before he laid his head on her shoulder.
“I love you and our baby,
Zie.” whispered Heath.
Caressing the blonde head
on her shoulder, Mackenzie closed her eyes at the hand moving tenderly in a
circle on her stomach, his touch still able to sear her through the dress she
wore. “We love you too, daddy.”
Sighing, Heath raised his
head and smiled, “I love the sound of the word, daddy. Mommy.”
Smiling, she nodded before
standing, “Me, too. I’ll go get one of
your brothers. Don’t move.”
Heath watched her walk to
the door, his eyes closing at the weakness he felt and rested, unaware at the
arrival of his brother. Nick knelt down
beside his little brother, his voice startling him.
“Heath, you need some
help?”
Jumping slightly, Heath
growled, “Boy howdy, no need to shout Nick!”
Rolling his eyes, Nick
snorted, “I’m not shouting but if I do, you’ll know it, boy.”
Taking a breath, Heath met
the hazel eyes and grinned, “How would I know?
Ya’ only got one volume..loud!”
Smirking, Nick stood up
and helped the blonde to his feet, his smirk changing at the shaky man beside
him as they walked to the other room.
Entering, Nick left to give the younger man privacy, waiting for the
call to be answered. After helping his
brother back into bed, Nick sat forward in the chair and stated, “Heath,
Timmons says everything’s fine at the ranch.
He and Jim are working good together.”
Heath sighed, “That’s
good, Nick. Timmons is a good man.”
“Yeah, he is.” agreed
Nick. “Can you tell me why don’t you
like Barrett, little brother?”
“I don’t like the way he
handles horses. He’s got a mean streak
in him.” stated Heath in a matter-of-fact tone. “A man abusive to animals is someone I can do without. Besides, he’s a sore poker loser and a
blowhard.”
Raising his eyebrows, Nick
was surprised and couldn’t keep his emotion off his face. Heath grinned and shrugged, “I was
unfortunate enough to run into him once at the saloon and once at the livery. He may be a good worker for you and that’s
fine, but personally I don’t like him.”
Nick studied the blonde
before him and frowned, “Lucky for Barrett he is a good worker or I might fire
him.”
“NICK! Ya’ can’t do that!” protested Heath loudly.
“Ya’ can’t fire him just cause I don’t like him!”
“Hey! Who’s shouting now?” teased Nick with a wink
and a wide smile at the scowling blonde on the bed.
“Get the hell outta my
room, Barkley.” retorted Heath lying back on the pillows.
Nick stood up and tousled
the blonde hair, receiving a hand slap, “Anything for you, Thomson!”
Silas and Mackenzie
entered the room, Nick placed a kiss on her cheek before leaving the room,
laughing at the blonde’s command to his wife.
“Zie, next time get Jarrod
instead!”
After his walk down the
hallway with Nick and dinner, Heath drifted off into sleep while Mackenzie was
showing him the blanket she was knitting for the upcoming addition to their
family, his lack of attention earning him a gentle kiss on his forehead. She stayed in the room all night, working on
the blanket and smiling with relief at the change he’d seemed to have gone
through since the dawning of the day.
The days passed quickly and a quiet Christmas had come and gone,
presents exchanged with the family.
Heath spent most of the day sleeping, trying to gain an upper hand on
the inflammation. New Years and the start of a brand new year were two weeks
gone, the couple hoped the future was filled with quiet and many
blessings.
The town physician proclaimed
a full recovery and the couple left the Barkley ranch two days later, tears and
high emotions were flowing abundantly.
Even though they were only a short distance away, they felt as if they’d
entered a different world when they returned home where they were warmly
greeted by the men who’d been running the Thomson ranch. The house was quiet and felt huge with only
the two of them walking it’s hallway and rooms.
Opening her eyes, Mackenzie
yawned and sighed at the arm holding her in place, its hand laying against the
current home of the life growing inside her.
She could feel Heath’s warm breath against her hair, his body relaxed in
deep sleep. Gently moving her arm she
entwined her fingers in his hand, needing to feel connected with the small
gesture.
Mackenzie was thankful for
her husband’s recovery. While the
treatment period had been difficult on him, the time spent in the mansion with
the family further cemented their understanding of each other, their
relationships, their love. It also
erased some inner demons for Victoria and Heath, mother and son.
Thinking of how different
things could have been had the inflammation not let loose its hold on him, gave
her a chill and she snuggled closer to his warmth, her hand holding his a
little tighter. Allowing her eyes to
close, she basked in the sound of his breathing and fell back to sleep. Dreams of togetherness, sapphire hungered
eyes and cooing babies kept a smile on her face until she woke again.
Not wanting to rise out of
bed delayed her but reality forced its way in and made her move. Holding Heath’s wrist, she lifted his arm
and tried to scoot over while holding his limb off her body. Time and a growing abdomen were the culprits
which took her agility away. Heath
stirred slightly, mumbling incoherently, stilling the woman laying beside
him. Mackenzie waited til he settled
down before trying again, not wanting to disturb the sleep he was in.
Trying to roll onto her side,
she bit back the giggles which threatened to escape, her shoulders shaking when
her body wouldn’t move like she wanted.
The lil one inside was making his mom clumsy and awkward this morning.
“Zie? What’s wrong?” puzzled Heath wiping the
sleep from his eyes, seeing her shaking shoulders. “You crying?”
“No.” gasped Mackenzie
allowing the giggle to escape. “I was
trying to get up without waking you.
But I’m too big!”
Pushing himself up on his
elbow, Heath shook his head, whispering softly, “You’re not too big, you’re beautiful.”
Blushing, Mackenzie
caressed his cheek and sighed, “I think you’re still dreaming, Heath. I’m as big as a horse!”
Helping her onto her side,
facing him, Heath brushed his lips across hers, “I hope I never wake from this
dream.”
“Oh, Heath.” whispered
Mackenzie, his sincerity and love bringing tears to her eyes.
Moving him onto his back,
she leaned over and parted his lips, searching his mouth with her tongue. His hand entwined in her long hair, while
her delicate mouth moved across his lips, his face and up to nibble on his
earlobe, his moan of pleasure sending a surge of desire through both of
them. His fingers moved from her hair
and down her back, running up and down her spine before moving across her
growing breasts, his hand brushing gently across the middle of them, her gasp
from the sensation loud in the room.
Her hand ran over his
chest and down his flat stomach, pushing aside the material and his groans
filled the room. His fingers ran up her
leg and she quivered from anticipation, his lips burned a trail on her skin,
her own moans joining his. Anticipation
of their bodily reunion turned to a feverish desire, gasps and cries of
fulfillment left their lips as they both shook from the freeing of passions and
need which lay dormant during his recovery.
Holding her in his arms,
Heath kissed the tears of happiness from her cheeks, his kiss consuming her
mouth, her response matching his in intensity and want.
“Welcome home, honey.”
smiled Mackenzie, running her fingers across his chest.
Taking a deep breath,
Heath smiled, “Boy howdy, maybe we should stay in bed all day.”
“I thought you’d had
enough of that already.” teased Mackenzie gazing into the handsome face, her fingers
running lightly over his jaw line.
“Well, now that staying in
bed and this staying in bed are two very different things, darlin’!” exclaimed
Heath pushing her onto her back and nuzzling her neck before claiming her lips
again. “Too bad, Nick’s on his way over
here otherwise, I’d never leave your arms today.”
Pulling his head back to
her, she tenderly returned his kiss and sighed, “Well, there’s always tonight,
honey.”
Sighing loudly, Heath
complained, “There’s an awful lot of hours in between, Zie. I’m not sure I can make it!”
Chuckling, she nodded and
whispered, “Keep this as a reminder today while you’re out working.”
Outlining his lips with
her tongue, she caressed his upper lip and then his lower lip with her full red
lips before capturing his whole mouth, the tips of their tongues meeting. Their arms wrapping around each other, the
simple pleasure of kissing, an act they’d never take for granted again.
The day was dawning and
forced the couple out of the haven of their warm bed, breakfast made and eaten
before Nick arrived to ride with his little brother to a ranch on the other
side of Stockton, both men going to look over the livestock for sale. The old friend of Victoria’s giving their
family first look before the public would be given a chance.
After greeting his
sister-in-law with a peck on the cheek and being shown the crib where the
colorful mobile of horses Uncle Nick’d given his unborn niece or nephew was
attached, the two brothers mounted and left the ranch, leaving Jim Fargas and
Atilla behind. Three weeks to go before
a small one would be sleeping in the wooden crib.
“Heath, what’s this about
Jim and Matt leaving?” asked Nick as the two rode leisurely towards their
destination. Heath was happy to go at
the slow pace, his body feeling alive from the fresh air and the powerful horse
beneath him.
“Well, Jim’s arthritis is
getting real bad and the doc says maybe a drier climate would help. The cold wet days seep into his bones and
it’s real painful. He’s thinking of New
Mexico or Nevada. Matt got engaged
while he was home to a girl he’s written to since he left there.” sighed
Heath. “Her dad has a cattle ranch and
asked him to be his foreman.”
“Kinda sudden for Matt,
ain’t it? He was only gone two weeks!”
informed Nick, frowning at the laughter coming from his little brother. “What’s so funny?”
Heath shook his head,
“Don’t ask me for my opinion, brother!
I can’t say one thing about it being too quick! I’m the last person to ask about that!”
Chuckling, Nick grinned,
“Yeah, guess you’re right there, speedy.”
After visiting the ranch
and passing on the livestock, the two brothers joined Jarrod for lunch before
heading back. Climbing the stairs of
the porch, Heath and Nick entered, mouths gaping at the sight of Mackenzie holding
onto Jim with a death grip.
“Heath!” exclaimed
Mackenzie seeing her returning husband, grabbing onto her stomach and moaning
when the contraction surged through her.
In all his years, Jim
Fargas had never seen two men turn frantic and nervous as quick as a lightning
strike like the two brothers before him.
Jim stared as the two men started forward in a rush, their feet
entangling and both losing their footing.
Heath and Nick, both set
on reaching the woman in pain before them, became snarled together, tripping
each other in the process within the doorway.
Hitting the hard floor, Heath pushed Nick off his lower legs and lunged
to his feet, “NICK! GET OUTTA THE WAY!”
“WATCH IT YOURSELF!”
bellowed Nick, climbing to his feet and rushing behind his brother.
Jim stated he’d get the
doctor and broke for the door, leaving the gasping woman in their hands. Nick yelled at the fleeing man to get their
mother too before helping Heath take Mackenzie upstairs. Heath settled his wife into bed, nervously
urging her to breathe, reassuring her everything would be fine, running his
hand quickly over her hair.
“OUCH!” exclaimed
Mackenzie batting his away from her head when he pulled her hair
accidentally. “You’re pulling my hair!”
“Gees, I’m sorry Zie.”
apologized Heath holding onto her hand, his eyes wide in his now pale face.
Nick stood at the edge of
the bed, his hands clutching onto the iron rail of the bed, asking in a voice
which squeaked from nervousness.
“Shouldn’t we boil some water or something?”
Heath stopped and stared
at Nick, as if just realizing he was in the room. Gulping at the groan from his wife and wincing from the painful
grip on his hand, he stammered, “Water for what? Nick? What’d we need
water for?”
“I don’t know! Won’t we have to clean the kid after it’s,
you know, comes out! Don’t you know?”
blustered Nick running his hands through his hair causing it to stand up in all
directions.
“HOW SHOULD I KNOW, NICK!”
yelled Heath, fear spreading across his face.
“YOU’RE THE FATHER!”
retorted Nick back angrily.
Gaping at his brother,
Heath shouted, “I AIN’T HAD A BABY BEFORE, HOW THE HELL WOULD I KNOW!”
“DON’T LOOK AT ME!”
snapped Nick gesturing widely. “I DON’T
HAVE ANY EITHER!”
“STOP IT!” screamed Mackenzie
loudly, startling both men before grabbing her husband by the collar and
yanking him to her. “HEATH!”
Arching from the strong
burst of pain, Mackenzie twisted the collar in her hands, tightening it around
Heath’s neck, his eyes wide at the sudden loss of oxygen. Nick stared in disbelief as Heath
frantically tried to pry her fingers loose before hurrying on the other side of
the bed and pulling on her arm.
“MAC, LET GO!” shouted
Nick, watching her hold loosen and Heath falling backwards from the bed,
gasping for air.
“Zie!” croaked Heath
rubbing his neck. “Don’t grab my shirt
again. Ya’ almost killed me!”
Pulling on his sleeve, she
took hold and screamed, “I’LL GRAB WHATEVER I WANT TIL THIS IS OVER, YOU HEAR
ME!”
Nick jumped back and fell
against the wall, his eyes bulging at the frightening look in the normally
loving violet eyes, meeting the scared sapphire eyes across the room and
stammered. “You’re on your own, little
brother.”
Starting for the door,
Nick felt his arm latched onto and Heath pleaded, “Nick, please stay. Don’t leave me alone with her.”
The two pairs of eyes
turned back to the bed, the woman they both loved in different ways was in an
obvious amount of pain and another woman had taken her place.
Nick shook his head and
swallowed, “No way!”
“Please Nick, I don’t know
who that is but I don’t think it’s Zie!” begged Heath, holding onto the black
vest with both hands, shaking his brother.
“PLEASE, HELP ME, NICK!”
“Dammit!” growled Nick,
his face as white as his brother’s and he grabbed onto the other set of
shoulders. “Okay, let’s think now. We’ve delivered foals, right?”
Nodding several times,
Heath stared into the hazel eyes, his throat swallowing nervously. “Yeah, yeah I have.”
“Well, how different can it
be?” reasoned Nick with a hopeful voice.
“The mare does most of the work and we just help it along.”
Nodding nervously, Heath
clenched and unclenched his hands, “Right, right. Yeah, I see what you mean.
Zie’ll do the work and we’ll just help pull it out.”
Clapping his brother on
the back, Nick smiled slightly and they turned their faces to the woman on the
bed. “We’ll need something to wrap the
foal, uh, baby in when it comes out.”
“There’s some bedding in
the hallway closet, Nick.” Said Heath quickly, standing by the bed and wiping
the perspiration from Mackenzie’s face.
“Nick and I are here, Zie.
Everything’ll be fine.”
Rolling her eyes, her hand
clenched onto the bedsheet and Heath found his breaths matching hers until she
relaxed again. Nick stood mesmerized at
the end of the bed, his breathing unconsciously following along with the
couple’s.
Putting the soft towels
and sheets on the edge of the bed, Nick motioned Heath over, whispering in his
ear. “You gotta check, the, well…you
know.”
Puzzled, Heath whispered
back, “Check what?”
Nick whispered louder,
“HEATH! We need to know how it’s doing,
uh, is it coming out yet?”
“Nick! You mean, uh, no, you do it, you look.” said
Heath shaking his head negatively.
“NO WAY! I’M NOT LOOKING AT THAT PART OF YOUR
WIFE! YOU GOT HER INTO THIS, YOU DO
IT!” shouted Nick, pushing Heath towards the bed, the bedding falling onto the
floor.
Both men leaned over to
pick up the items, their heads colliding and connecting, the pain flaring
across both their foreheads and hands reached up to hold on as they stumbled
backwards.
“NICK!”
“HEATH!”
‘IT’S COMING!” screamed
Mackenzie, fear freezing both men for a flicker of time. Nick rushed over and held onto her hand,
Heath knelt on the edge of the bed, eyes wide at the pink head crowning, his
stomach turning and churning.
A hand clasped down on his
shoulder and Heath screamed, falling sideways from the unexpected touch and
onto the floor. Nick and Mackenzie
screamed when Heath screamed, their eyes wide with fear, relaxed at the smiling
faces of Dr. Merar and their mother.
Victoria shook her head
and took Nick’s place at Mackenzie’s side.
Heath sat stunned on the floor, his body shaking from fright and
nervousness. Nick grabbed his arm and they
escaped through the door. Audra walked
up the stairs carrying a basin of water, both men staring at the water passing
by them before it disappeared behind the door which closed cutting off the
sounds in the room.
Jarrod studied the two
brothers before him, both had bruises on their foreheads, both shaking and
trembling as he lead them down the hallway to the bottom floor. Pouring two large drinks, he thrust them in
their hands and ordered them to drink.
Staring at Heath’s neck, Jarrod pulled back his collar and saw the red
line.
“Heath, what happened to
your neck?”
Reaching up, Heath shook
his head, eyes wide with shock stared into the cool blue ones, his voice
quivering, “Zie tried to choke me! It
was Mackenzie but it wasn’t!”
Jarrod looked to Nick who
was nodding furiously, his agreement to Heath’s statement leaving more
confusion than anything. “I don’t know
who that is up stairs but I sure as hell hope she leaves soon.”
Taking a deep breath,
Jarrod poured himself a drink and sat down to wait with his brothers. All three men jumping to their feet at the
sound of a loud slap and then a cry, their eyes trying to see through the
ceiling above them, their hearts stopped their beating and time stood still.
Taking a deep breath, Heath
glanced nervously at his smiling brothers and walked towards the stairs. Following behind, Nick and Jarrod stopped
when Heath halted at the base of the stairs and turned around.
Clearing his throat, Heath
smiled slightly, his voice low from emotion. “I just wanna say I’m glad you’re both here. It feels like we’ve been brothers forever
and my child’s lucky to have you for uncles.”
“We’re honored brother
Heath to be here.” smiled Jarrod placing a hand on his young brother’s
shoulder. “I wouldn’t want to be
anywhere else at this moment.”
Grabbing the back of
Heath’s neck, Nick grinned, “Boy, just so you know, we been brothers
forever. We just finally caught up with
each other this past year.”
Chuckling, Heath nodded,
sapphire eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“Let’s go meet my new little one!”
Three pairs of boots
sounded on the stairs and stopped outside the room. Knocking on the door, three pairs of eyes watched the wood wall
move and open, their mother peeking her head out.
“You boys want something?”
asked Victoria, gray eyes twinkling.
“Mother!” exclaimed Heath
with Jarrod and Nick laughing. “That’s
not funny!”
Victoria smiled and opened
the door wider, stepping back to allow the men entry into the bedroom. Heath stared at the picture before him, his
wife holding a bundle against her chest as she sat up in the middle of their
bed. Nick leaned forward and placed a
hand in the middle of his brother’s back, giving him a little push to start his
feet forward after whispering in his ear.
“Breathe, Heath. Breathe.”
Legs stiff and wooden made
their way to the side of the bed.
Mackenzie smiled widely, violet eyes full of love as Heath sat on the
bed, finding his arms suddenly full of the bundle. Pushing back the covering, he smiled and his trembling finger
caressed the tiny cheek of the sleeping babe.
“She’s so small.”
whispered Heath, looking suddenly to Dr. Merar with worry in his eyes.
Reaching over, Mackenzie
pushed the blanket down further revealing a tiny crescent moon birthmark. “He, honey.
He.”
“He may be small but it’s
expected since he arrived a few weeks early, Heath. Other than that, everything’s fine with your son and your wife.”
informed Howard quietly.
“He?” repeated Heath a
couple of times, suddenly realization hit.
“A SON! I HAVE A SON!”
Laughter filled the room
at the excited proclamation from the shocked blonde. Heath leaned forward and placed a kiss on his wife’s lips, her
tears falling, matching his. Heath
mouthed a word and Mackenzie shook her head, motioning with her head.
Standing, Heath walked
over to Victoria. “Mother, if I hadn’t
heard your voice a few months ago, I wouldn’t be here today. It was your voice demanding I place your
first grandchild in your arms that brought me back.”
Crying softly, Victoria’s
arms and soul filled as the small baby was given to her. Heath’s soft voice
filled the room.
“Mother, I’d like to
introduce your grandson, Macken Victor Thomson.”