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.
The continuing saga of
Suzanne Weston-Barkley and the Barkley family.
The blond woman sipped her
glass of wine and ran her fingernail down the arm of the man next to her. Letting him kiss her hard, she smiled as her
hand continued its wandering, “What did
you find out, Eric?”
Opening a folder, Eric
spread the contents on the table and spoke quietly. “She lives in Stockton, California and is engaged to one of
California’s wealthiest bachelors.”
“Hmmmm.” Placing her hand on his thigh, she leaned
over and whispered in his ear, “Tell me about my stepdaughter’s soon to be new
family.”
Two months later, the sun was shining down on the lone
rider making her way across the range.
The arrival to her destination delayed by her mother-in-law’s request to
go over some fabrics to reupholster the sofa in the room she shared with her
husband.
She had elected to leave most of her furniture at the main
house on her ranch that Jack and Charity were now occupying. Pedro and Maria, had returned from town one
day a married couple, and were occupying the second smaller house on the
ranch. After the shock of the unexpected
marriage, Jack and Sue had discussed the switch of residences and both agreed
it made sense. Jose, who had respected
and liked Pedro, had readily accepted him as his stepfather and everyone could
see the love Pedro had for the teenager and his mother.
Smiling, her thoughts
turned to her husband, Nick Barkley.
The happy couple had returned from the honeymoon two weeks prior. The secluded beach house had been the
perfect location for the over loving couple to stay. The smell of the ocean enhanced by the warm gentle breezes
through the open windows had seemed to increase their desires for one
another. Relishing the secluded
location, they indulged themselves in walks down the beach and lovemaking under
the moonlight sky.
Returning to Stockton,
they settled into the Barkley mansion surrounded by the family. Each weekday morning, Sue had breakfast with
Heath and Nick. After breakfast, they
headed to the barn and saddled their horses, going their separate ways for the
day and meeting up at night.
Sue was heading to the
north fence line where Jose and the new hand, Brad Mason were scheduled to be
working. Mason had been hired on two
days after Curly had moved to Nevada to care for his father who had taken ill. His mother passed away years before and
Curly was his closest child. The other
children had moved to the east coast and were not anxious to change the
comfortable lives they had built there.
Jack understood and ensured the man he could have his job back at any
time.
Thinking of the new hand,
Sue frowned, she felt unsure of the type of person he portrayed himself to
be. Unable to explain her feelings,
she had supported Jack in his decision to hire him. In speaking discreetly to the others on the crew, they had no
complaints about him and stated he usually stayed to himself. His face flashed before her and she thought
back on the day she had met him.
“Brad Mason, this is
Suzanne Weston-Barkley. Sue owns the
ranch.” said Jack.
Holding out her hand to the
stocky man who was only an inch taller than her, Mason had hesitated before
taking it, “Mrs. Barkley.”
“Mr. Mason, Jack and I are
partners in the ranch, actually. Hope
you don’t have a problem with two bosses?” replied Sue staring into his gray
eyes.
“No problem.” said Mason,
“I gotta get to work.”
“You cold?” asked Jack
seeing her shiver.
“No. He seems familiar to me.” said Sue softly watching Mason spur his
horse and take off, “Where’s he from?”
“He didn’t say
specifically, but he did mention he grew up in Louisiana.”
Looking at Jack, she shook
her head, “How did he wind up here?”
Shrugging, Jack tightened
his cinch, “Said he followed the gold strikes, was unlucky and decided to go
back to being a ranch hand. Sue, he’s a
good worker and he hasn’t caused any problems.”
Climbing on Satan, Sue
apologized, “Sorry for the third degree.
It must be from hanging around that lawyer brother-in-law of mine.”
Laughing, Jack winked, “I
don’t mind as long as you don’t start quoting citations by chapter and verse
from the book of law.”
Hearing a horse, Jose saw
the woman riding over and groaned, dreading the conversation he knew would be
forthcoming.
Jumping off Satan, Sue
left his reins trailing and walked over to Jose. “Morning, Jose.”
“Morning, boss.” replied
Jose, his attention on the job before him.
Sue watched Jose
concentrate on the fence post with his undivided attention and asked quietly,
“Where’s Mason?”
“Uh, I’m not sure boss.” said
Jose quietly, keeping his head down and not meeting her eyes.
“He’s supposed to be
working with ya’.”
Shrugging, Jose said, “He
had to go somewhere.”
Sue lifted his face and
stared in shock at the bruise on his swollen cheek, “Who hit you?”
“I tripped over a post.”
stammered Jose frightened by the fury in her eyes.
“That’s from a hand.”
stated Sue.
“No, boss!” replied Jose
quickly. “I tripped and fell on the post!”
Holding him by his shaking
shoulders, Sue looked into the nervous dark eyes and said firmly, “You and I
have never lied to each other, Jose.
I’m not blind. You either tell
me now or you can tell Pedro and your mama when we get back to the ranch. “
Closing his eyes in
resignation, Jose said quietly, “Mr. Mason did it. I don’t want no trouble, Miss Sue.”
“Look at me.” insisted Sue
waiting for him to look at her. “Tell
me how this happened.”
“He’s always asking all
kinds of questions.”
“What kind of questions?”
inquired Sue.
“Questions about where you
lived in Texas, your family and other things.
I told him if he wanted to know anything, he should ask you or your
husband. He got mad and said no greaser
pup was gonna smart mouth him. Then he
rode off.”
“What direction?”
“Towards town. It’s no big deal, boss.” stated Jose softly.
Putting her arm over his
trembling shoulders, Sue walked him to his horse and said firmly, “It’s a big
deal to me, Jose. You don’t deserve to
be hit. A real man wouldn’t hit a
boy. I want you to head back to the house
and have your mama take care of that.”
“Miss Sue, please don’t go
after him.” pleaded Jose.
Mounting Satan, Sue
smiled, “I’ll be fine, Jose. Do as
you’re told now.”
Nodding, he galloped
towards the ranch house hoping he would see one of the other men as Sue headed
towards Stockton with fire flowing through her veins.
Jack and Pedro heading
back from Stockton watched Sue riding towards them at a full gallop. Reining the stallion to a stop, they saw the
fury on her face.
“Jack, I’m firing Mason.”
snapped Sue. “I want him off the ranch today!”
“Mind telling my why,
Sue?” asked Jack patiently.
“He hit Jose.”
“What!” shouted Pedro and
Jack.
“There’s a bruise on his
cheek. I sent him back to the house to
have Maria look at it.” explained
Sue. “Jose said he rode towards town,
did you see him?”
Pedro shook his head and
said through clenched teeth, “He’s not in town, boss. I’ll find him. Nobody
touches my son.”
“Let’s see if he’s at the
ranch.” said Jack. “If he’s not, we’ll
find him and deal with him.”
“If he’s there, he’ll know
the feel of a man hitting back, not a boy.” snarled Pedro.
Wondering about Mason’s
familiar face, Sue said, “I’ve gotta go see Jarrod. You and Pedro go to the ranch.”
Frowning, Jack said quietly,
“Sue, if you see Mason, remember you’re a married woman now.”
Pedro snickered when Sue
rolled her eyes in disgust, “Married or not Jack, that won’t stop me from
dealing with a skunk like him!”
“Come on.” said Jack
watching Sue riding into town and glanced at Pedro. “I hope that bastard’s at the ranch.”
His mouth set in a grim
line, Pedro nodded in agreement and headed towards the ranch. Reaching the ranch house, Pedro and Jack
searched for Mason in the bunkhouse.
“His gear’s gone.” stated Pedro. “Next time I see him, he’ll pay.”
Putting his hand on the
outraged hand’s shoulder, Jack nodded, “He better not see any of us. Let’s go check on Jose.”
“Come in.” called Jarrod
at the knock on his office door.
Looking up, he smiled
widely and greeted his sister-in-law with a kiss on the cheek, “Sue, what a
delightful interruption.”
“Sorry to bother ya’
Jarrod.” smiled Sue.
“It’s no bother.” grinned
Jarrod waving to a chair and sitting behind his desk. “Have a seat!”
Remaining on her feet, Sue
asked quietly, “Jarrod, do you know anyone at the Pinkerton agency?”
Surprised, Jarrod nodded,
“I have some contacts, why?”
Sighing, Sue leaned on the
desk, “I don’t know any Pinkertons.
Can you request an investigation for me? Jarrod, I want it kept a secret.”
“Okay, I’d be happy to
help with anything I can. Who is it?”
“Brad Mason.”
Puzzled, Jarrod asked,
“Isn’t that one of your hands?”
“Yeah. He’s the new one Jack hired. We’re firing him today, but I have this feeling
he’s real familiar.” replied Sue. “When
I look in his eyes..”
Sue shivered as the ghost
of a feeling tickled her spine.
“What?”
Looking into the concerned
blue eyes, she said softly, “I feel like someone’s stepping on my grave.”
Shocked at her words,
Jarrod stared into the emerald eyes, “I’m sure it’s nothing like that,
Sue. You could have met him briefly
somewhere or someone who is similar to him.”
“We’ll have attorney
client privilege, right?” said Sue quietly.
“Yes, we will. So I can assume you’re not going to tell
Nick?” inquired Jarrod.
“Are you crazy?” chuckled Sue dryly. “He’d never let me out of his sight. Besides, you’re probably right and it’s
nothing.”
Standing, Jarrod nodded,
“Do you want to walk with me to send the wire and have lunch afterwards?”
“Thanks for the offer, but
I have to get back to the ranch.” smiled Sue walking out with her
brother-in-law and described Mason to him.
Stopping on the boardwalk, she said softly, “Thanks again, Jarrod.”
“I’ll let you know as soon
as I receive word.” smiled Jarrod.
Climbing on Satan, Sue
looked down and said, “He may have grown up in Louisiana.”
Nodding, Jarrod replied,
“That’ll give them a starting point.
See you at home tonight.”
Sue rode down the street,
stopping to briefly speak with the sheriff before continuing to the ranch. Riding across the range, her thoughts
centered on the man who’d been asking questions. Frowning, she searched her memory for an occasion when she may
have ran into him in the past or anyone similar. None came to her mind.
‘Why’s he asking
questions?’ ‘What did he hope to find
out?’ Too many questions and not enough
answers. Hopefully, the Pinkertons would
be able to provide some hint as to the feelings she had every time she thought
of Mason.
Leaving the frightened boy
behind him, Mason headed towards town and then retraced his steps back to the
ranch. Gathering his gear, he stowed it
in his saddlebags. Walking into the
barn, he smiled at the chestnut standing in the stall. Two minutes later, he left and headed
towards the small town of Manteco.
Jack and Pedro were
working on the north fence when Sue rode up.
The two men reassured Jose was okay went to complete the job started
that morning. The three worked together
to replace the fence until the sun started to set in the sky. Calling it a day, they discussed Mason’s
actions and sudden departure as they rode.
Jack would inform the others tonight at supper so they could be on the
lookout for the despicable man. Sue
waved goodbye and headed to the Barkley ranch.
Unaware she was being
watched, Sue dismounted and led Satan into the barn. Unsaddling Satan, she
groomed him thoroughly while talking to him softly.
“How come you never sweet
talk me?” complained Nick with a grin.
Smiling widely, Sue put
the currycomb away and closed the stall behind her. Walking up to her husband, she frowned, “I’m sorry, darling, I
thought you liked action better than words.
Guess we can just talk from now on.”
Laughing he pulled her
into his arms and kissed her gently, “Second thought, forget I asked, honey.”
Wrapping her arms around
his neck, she whispered, “I missed ya’ today.”
Brushing her lips across his, they joined in a lingering kiss.
Heath cleared his throat
and teased, “You two are scaring the horses!”
“Very funny, little
brother.” grinned Nick kissing his smiling wife again.
Walking to the house
together, Sue told the brothers of Brad Mason hitting Jose and his departure
from the ranch. Entering, they took off
their gun belts and put them on the table with their hats.
“MOTHER!” shouted Nick
startling Sue. Heath laughed when she
jumped and ducked the hand she swung at him in response.
“Sue, hit your own husband.”
stated Sonja greeting her favorite cowboy with a hug and a long kiss.
Looking at Nick, Sue
retorted, “And they complain about us!”
Chuckling, Nick winked and
pulled his wife up the stairs to help clean the day’s dust off each other. Having drinks before dinner, Victoria smiled
at the pool game between the two couples.
Jarrod and Audra watched with amusement.
“Come on honey, you can do
it.” urged Nick softly. “Just take good
aim now. You can do it.”
Straightening up, Sue
glared at Nick, “Will you stop jabbering at me?”
“I’m just trying to
encourage you is all.” explained Nick.
Pointing at him with the
cue stick, Sue snarled, “Knock it off!
You’re disturbing my concentration.”
Heath snickered and
whispered loudly to his bride for all to hear, “They’re turning against each
other. We’re gonna be twenty dollars
richer, darlin’.”
Nick rolled his eyes while
the rest of the family enjoyed a chuckle.
Sue took aim and moved the cue stick forward hitting the white
ball. Watching the cue ball hit the
eight ball and follow it towards the pocket, Nick held his breath and let out a
loud sigh when the eight ball went into the pocket and the white ball stopped
on the very edge of the felt.
“GOOD SHOT, HONEY!” yelled
Nick as he kissed her and swung her around in a circle. “I NEVER DOUBTED YOU FOR A MOMENT!”
“Sure, Barkley.” teased
Sue. She grabbed the money from Heath’s
hand, stuck her tongue out at the other couple and handed a beaming Nick half
of the winnings with the family laughing at their antics.
Entering the room, Silas
said quietly, “Miss Sue, Mr. Jack’s here for you.”
Smiling, Sue nodded,
“Thanks Silas. I’ll be right back.”
Sue left the study and
greeted her partner as she walked towards him.
“Jack, what are you doing here?”
Fumbling with his hat,
Jack said sadly, “I’m sorry, Sue. We
found Rio in his stall. He was shot in
the head.”
Nick and the family came
running as a cry of anger and dismay was heard from the foyer.
Jack caught her as she
stumbled to her knees, the cry of despair leaving her lips. His heart in his throat, Nick fell to the
floor beside his pale wife.
“Honey, what’s wrong?”
asked Nick holding her tightly, feeling her shake and looked at Jack with
concern in his hazel eyes.
Jack said quietly,
“Someone killed Rio.”
“Honey, I’m so sorry.”
whispered Nick squeezing the trembling woman tighter.
Gasps of disbelief and
curses of anger could be heard from the rest of the family. All the family knew of Sue’s love for
animals, especially Rio and Satan. Rio
had been the last gift given to her by her father before his death.
Taking a shaky breath, Sue
pushed Nick away and climbed slowly to her feet. Putting on her hat, Nick asked, “Sue, where are you going?”
“To the ranch.” she said
quietly trying to buckle her gunbelt with fingers that shook
uncontrollably.
“I’m coming, too.” replied
Nick putting his hat and belt on.
“Dammit!” she exclaimed in
frustration at the futile efforts her shaking fingers caused, resigned herself
to carrying the belt and walked out the door to the barn.
“Sorry, Mother.” said Nick
before following his shaken wife.
Heath looked at his friend
and asked softly, “Mason?”
“I don’t know.” replied
Jack, “That would be my guess, but we can’t prove it. No one was at the ranch this afternoon. Sorry for disturbing your evening, Mrs. Barkley.”
Jack left and looking at
Heath, Victoria asked, “Isn’t Mason one of her hands?”
Heath nodded and explained
what had occurred that day. The family
members were outraged at the brutality of the man who could hit a boy and who
could perhaps be responsible for the dead horse.
Jarrod frowned,
remembering how Sue explained the feeling when she looked in Mason’s eyes. Victoria glancing at Jarrod caught the
expression and made a mental note to ask him about it later.
Walking to the barn door,
Jack listened to Nick speaking quietly to Sue as she leaned against Satan,
unable to find the strength to saddle him.
“If you wanna go, we will. But
there’s nothing we can do tonight.
Please, honey, let Jack and the men take care of Rio.”
Sniffling, Sue whispered,
“Some people would say he’s just a horse.
He wasn’t just an animal to me, Nick.
He was a friend, a companion, a..”
Her voice faltering, he
opened the stall and picked her up as she hung onto him unable to keep the
tears at bay. Jack closed the stall
behind Nick, receiving a nod of thanks.
Taking a moment to update Duke on what happened, he mounted and rode
back to the ranch.
The family watched a grim
faced Nick carry his grieving wife up the stairs and into their room. Laying her on the bed, she curled up and
sobbed uncontrollably. Taking off her
boots, he lay next to her and held her in his arms.
For three long years,
Ramona Bouvier had planned her revenge.
Her long days in confinement for the forging of a legal document,
further lengthened by the constant threat of Big Sally.
Big Sally, the woman
Suzanne Weston had written a letter to.
Sally had always thought of Zane Weston in a loving manner. He was one man who had treated her fairly
and kindly. Sally had been enraged when
she received the letter from his daughter.
When Ramona had arrived at the prison, Sally carried out the solemn vow
she had made the day the letter arrived.
Whenever an opportunity arose, she ensured Ramona was left with a new
bruise or bruises.
Fortunately for Ramona,
Sally’s heart was pumping on borrowed time and had finally given out. Free of the constant threat, she had worked
on securing an early release from the dank prison she had been sentenced
to.
Seeking out Eric Fletcher
from one of her past lives, she had him find out where her wayward stepdaughter
lived and what type of life she was living.
Her half-brother, Brad Mason, had readily agreed to helping Ramona in
her quest for revenge. He and Ramona
shared the same father, both bonded by the darkness in their soul, as his
was.
Knowing the way to hurt
Zane’s daughter was through those things she cared about and loved, they had
started the plan in motion. They
enjoyed the chance to cause someone pain, but they also realized the potential
wealth that was within their grasp compliments of the Barkley and Weston
fortunes.
Ramona sat at the table
sipping coffee and watching the deliciously handsome man in the bed sleep. His brown hair laying against the crisp
white pillowcase. His face blessed by a
strong chin and high cheekbones accented his ruggedly good looks. With that face, he could fool anyone into
thinking he was as pure as a choirboy.
His lean muscular body caused an ache of need inside her, but she knew
his heart was as dark and loathsome as hers.
She would use him just as
she used the other men in her life.
Once she had what she wanted, she would discard him and move on. Even though she only used men as a means to
an end, she selfishly took great strides to ensure her desires and needs were
met while spending time with the opposite sex.
Putting her cup down, she
jumped on him. Eric Fletcher startled
out of a sound sleep grabbed the naked body landing on him and flung it over.
“You scared the daylights
out of me!” snapped Eric at the laughing woman he had pinned to the bed.
“I thought you liked it
rough, darling.” she asked sweetly accenting her question with a bite on his
chest and digging her fingernails into his bare back.
Her hunger matching his in
the brutal sex they gave each other, taking what they wanted from each other
when the need arose in any manner they chose.
Their sweat soaked bodies lay beside each other in the aftermath of the
frenzy they created in each other. Not
touching, but both feeling satisfied from the spent energy.
Eric watched her out of
the corner of his eye. He was no
fool. She thought she controlled him
with her voluptuous body and beautiful looks.
He would take what she was willing to give and walk away a richer man
because of the association. He had no
dreams of love, only dreams of wealth.
She was good this woman, her plans wickedly evil and well thought out.
Closing his eyes, he
remembered the faces peering out from the photos he had obtained and smiled at
the arousal he knew would occur. He
would help Ramona and then he would satisfy himself with the woman she wanted
to destroy and her blond haired sister-in-law before moving on.
He grabbed two handfuls of
her hair, positioned himself between her legs and took her again with such
force her eyes welled slightly with tears from the pain of the unexpected
action. Ramona let him do what he would
with her body, believing she controlled his every whim and desire, until he
collapsed on top of her expelled of all energy.
“Hmmm, delightfully
rough.” murmured Ramona nibbling his ear with her legs still wrapped around the
muscular body. Grinning, she savored
the moans she caused by moving against him and whispered. “Sorry, but playtime’s over for now.”
Pushing him off to the
side, she wrapped a robe around her and headed to the water closet to
bath. Refreshed and wearing clean
clothes, the couple sat at the table revisiting their plan. Hearing a knock at the door, Ramona stared
in surprise at the man on the other side.
Ushering him into the
room, she exclaimed, “What are you doing here?”
Shrugging, Brad Mason
grinned, “Sis, I had to leave there was a little trouble.”
Eric watched as the half
siblings regarded each other. Ramona
taking in the grin of her brother, asked excitedly, “One or both?”
“Only one. Rio.” smirked Mason. “And she’s supposed to be bringing the
cattle down from the mountain range today.
The trip should take roughly two days if they don’t have any problems.”
Ramona beamed with
happiness, taking his arm and led him to a chair. “Now, tell me all the juicy details. Then we can discuss how bad things can happen to good people when
they’re away from home.”
Waking earlier than usual,
Sue moved Nick’s arm over and lightly kissed his lips, his face reflecting
complete relaxation in his state of sleep.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, her angry thoughts centered on the previous
night events, rose and took some clothes from the bureau. Opening the door, she went to the water
closet, bathed and dressed for the day.
Carrying her boots and
saddlebags, she walked down the back stairs to the kitchen, put some water on
for coffee and sat at the table waiting for it to boil. Hearing the sounds of someone moving around
in the kitchen, Silas dressed and entered the room.
“Miss Sue, ya’s up awful
early tis morning.” drawled Silas quietly.
Sue said, “I didn’t mean
to wake you. I’m getting an early
start, me and the boys have cattle to move.
You can go back to sleep, Silas.”
Shaking his head, he said,
”Now, Miss Sue. Ya’ knows I can’t do
it. Sit down ta the table. Ole Silas will fix ya’ some eats.”
Setting a cup of coffee on
the table, Silas smiled compassionately at the red rimmed eyes, “I’s sorry bout
Rio, Miss Sue. He been a fine horse and
friend ta ya’”
“Thanks, Silas.” replied
Sue quietly.
“Whoever did it is gonna pay.” mumbled Sue, reining in the anger
and sitting in the chair watching the kind old man working.
“Miss Sue, how’s the boy,
Jose?” asked Silas with concern.
“He’s fine, he was just
shaken and frightened.” replied Sue and
adding with a smirk, “Silas, you know
everything that goes on in this house.
If you hear what Nick is getting me for my birthday next month, maybe
you’d have a little bird tell me?”
With his back turned and
hiding his smile, Silas shook his head, “I ne’er hear ev’rything, Miss
Sue. Just some things.”
“Silas, did I ever tell
ya’ how my father caught Rio for my birthday?”
“Ya’s daddy caught him?”
asked Silas curiously fixing a quick breakfast and placing it in front of
her. “Can’t rightly say ya’ve told that
story ta me afore.”
In between sips of coffee
and bites of food, Sue spoke quietly and
relayed the story to the gentle man sitting across from her. Her eyes lighting up with laughter and pride
when she spoke of the adventure her father had trying to catch Rio.
Shaking her head, she
leaned over and whispered, “Silas, ya’ should’ve heard the cussing that day!”
Feigning shock, Silas
scolded her gently, “Miss Sue, ya’s don’t need ta tell me them words!”
Snickering, Sue squeezed
the hand on the table. Rising, she
walked over and kissed the weathered cheek, “Thanks, Silas, you’re a wonderful
listener and a good friend. Tell Mr.
Nick I went to the ranch.”
Silas frowned, “Maybes ya’
should wait ta tell ‘em. He sure ain’t
gonna be happy, Miss Sue, ya’ ridin’ by yaself.”
“That’s why I’m letting
you tell him, Silas.” chuckled Sue at the grimace on the old man’s face. “Don’t worry, his bark’s worse than his
bite, or so I’ve heard.”
Sue was crossing onto
Weston range as the sun was just contemplating rising and an anxious cowboy
missing her in his arms, made his way down to the kitchen to join his woman
like every other morning.
The remaining Barkley
family members were awoken early that morning by the howl that rang through the
still house, “FOR PETE’S SAKE, THAT
WOMAN’S STUBBORN!!”
Heath, enjoying the warmth
of his wife’s arms for a little longer than usual this morning, was heading
towards the kitchen and shook his head as the slamming of the front door
accentuated the angry words.
Reaching the ranch, Sue
tied Satan to the fence and walked into the barn. Leaning on the door, she stared into the stall where all signs of
the foul deed had been removed.
Closing her eyes, remembering Rio when she rode him last.
Hank put a giant hand on
her shoulder and squeezed gently.
“Sorry, boss.”
Sue wiped the tears from
her eyes and turned around to see the downtrodden faces of some of her
family. “Thanks boys for, uh, taking
care of him. I appreciate it.”
Nodding their
understanding of her simple words, the twins, Harold and Bill followed her out
of the barn and mounted. Riding
together, they headed out to mountains to move the herd down closer to the
ranch before the snow fell in the higher elevations. Jack, Pedro, Davey and Jose would stay behind to ensure all was
in order when the cattle arrived.
Nick arrived at the Weston
ranch and Jack was in the yard to meet him when he dismounted.
“Morning, Nick.”
“Morning. Is Sue here?” asked Nick. “She left early this morning and I didn’t
get a chance to talk to her.”
Nodding, Jack smiled, “She
left about an hour ago. She and some of
the men are moving the herd down from the mountain grazing. Sue’s gonna be gone a couple of days. Didn’t she tell you, Nick?”
“That’s right, guess I
forgot with what happened last night.” admitted Nick with a sigh remembering
the conversation while they were cleaning up.
“I just wanted to make sure she didn’t run into any trouble on the way
here.”
“No, she got here
fine. The boys will keep a close eye on
her.” reassured Jack.
Clapping Jack on the back,
Nick grinned, “I know that Jack! I’m
surprised they even let me court her and marry her.”
“Sometimes, we’re still
not sure if that was a good idea, the way you two fight.” teased Jack.
“Jack, as you know, the
best part is the making up.” winked Nick mounting Coco. “Sometimes I argue with her just so I can
give in later.”
Laughing, Jack waved at
the grinning man and walked into the house.
Charity looked at her husband and asked, “Was that Nick?”
“Yep. He’s just looking for the boss.” replied
Jack pouring a cup of coffee.
“Jack, how many times has
Suzanne told you not to call her that?”
“Bout a thousand. I do it just to bother her.” smiled Jack
wrapping his arms around her. Kissing
her gently, he whispered, “How ya’ feeling?”
“I’m fine.” smiled Charity
widely when his hand felt her stomach and the wonder reflected in his eyes.
“The boss is gonna be so
surprised!” grinned Jack as Charity swatted his arm and playfully pushed him
out the door.
The sun rose and slowly took
the chill of the fall morning with it as the riders made their way to their
destination. Laughing, Sue shook her
head at the stories the men were regaling each other with, trying to outdo the
others. She smiled grateful for their
efforts to keep her thoughts away from yesterday.
“Horace, you ain’t ever
been to New York!” exclaimed Harold “I
think you’re losing those marbles rolling around in your head!”
Ace, sporting a bewildered
look, replied “Harry, I do believe you just called me a liar!”
Rolling his eyes, Harold
snorted, “When were you ever in the state of New York visiting New York City?”
“Well, I’ve never been
there, Harry.” admitted Ace with a wink at the boss and his twin. “I’m talking about New York, Nevada.”
“Ah, for pete’s sake!” groaned
Harold realizing Ace had drawn him in hook, line and sinker again.
Sue and the others enjoyed
the laugh the two created at the expense of each other. Those two were always snipping, teasing and
griping at each other. Their deep
friendship between the two forged on the battlefields of war. Reaching the stream at the foot of the
mountains, the group dismounted to let the horses drink and rest while they
grabbed a quick lunch.
Looking over at the boss
and winking at the three men, Ace said innocently, “Boss, I’m surprised Nick
let you come with us. I didn’t think
he’d let his wife ride out with other men.”
Hank, Bill and Harry hid
their smiles and hung their head, listening for the explosion they knew would
be forthcoming each time Ace would start a ‘discussion’ with their boss. He had become a master at pushing her
buttons and getting a response.
“Ace, you can keep trying
but I’M NOT BITING!” smirked Sue.
“What do you mean, boss?”
inquired Horace with an innocent look.
“Uh huh, I’m not getting
into one of those discussions with you again.” replied Sue.
Shrugging his shoulder,
Ace looked at the others, “Guess they must’ve had a row this morning about
it. It’s just like I said, he’s trying
to clip her wings.”
Rolling her eyes, she stood
up and walked over to the giant. Poking
him in the chest with her finger and pushing him back with each poke, Sue retorted, “Pick on one of the others and
leave me out of it!”
Watching the woman pushing
the mountain around, the others burst out laughing. Hank walked to his horse and grinned at his frustrated twin,
“Looks like the boss is the winner this time, brother.”
Ace climbed up and
snorted, “Dang, I thought I could get her good. I have to think on this some.”
“Don’t hurt yourself,
Horace!” replied Sue riding by him while the others laughed at the blush on his
face and followed their boss.
Riding up the trails, the
group arrived at the meadows and sat watching the cattle grazing, two hours
later.
“Okay, boys. We might as well start moving them down off
this mountain. We can get down to the
lower plateau by nightfall.” stated Sue unlashing the rope on her saddle.
The group of riders rode
around the cattle on two different sides and started them moving forward. An old cow with trail experience decided it
was up to her to take the lead and started moving in the right direction. With a little bit of encouragement from the
horse mounted humans, others of the herd followed, rising the dust with their
hooves.
Working steadily, they
pushed the cattle down using whoops, hollers and an occasional taste of a
coiled rope. Their horses worked
endlessly chasing down the unwilling participants of the herd. Riding the back of the herd and seeing a
cow break for the trees through the dust, Sue rode after him. Satan wise in the movements of cattle, went
after him cutting off his escape attempt at every avenue.
Horace glanced over and
grinned at the dodging game occurring across the meadow between a horse and a
walking steak. Seeing an attempted
escape on his side, he went after the wayward animal and stopped as a single
shot rang out. Jumping off his horse,
he took out his gun trying to pinpoint where the shot came from. No others followed and waving to the others
who were looking around, he galloped towards the last spot he had seen the
dodging game taking place.
Satan in a full gallop
went after another escapee, stumbled and threw his rider over his head when his
steps faltered from the hot piercing lead that entered his muscular body. After the impact with the hard ground under
the soft meadow grasses, neither he nor his rider were aware as the dust
settled on them in the warm afternoon sun.
Watching from the slope of
the hill, Mason held his breath and squeezed the trigger. His shot found its mark and he looked
through the scope of the rifle watching the ranch hands stop their work when
they heard the report of the rifle.
“I told you to not shoot
until she was stopped.” whispered his sister furiously “You’d better pray you didn’t kill her.”
Looking through the scope,
Mason whispered back, “Did you see her fly through the air, sis?”
Chuckling, Ramona smiled,
“Yeah it was pretty funny. But still,
she better be alive, the best part of this will be when she knows why these
things are happening.”
The siblings sat back to
enjoy the spectacle as the other riders headed to the far side of the meadow.
Riding past Satan who lay
in a pool of draining blood, Horace jumped off his horse and stumbled over his feet
in his haste to reach the woman laying on her stomach. Leaning over his still boss, he held his
breath and let out a relieved sigh at the sounds of breathing.
“BILL, GET OVER HERE!” he
screamed at the other riders who came into view.
Kneeling down, Bill ran
his hands over her limbs feeling for any broken bones. “Nothing broken. Ace, help me turn her over.”
Handling her as they would
a small child, the two men turned her onto her back. The side of her face bruised and bloody from the friction that
occurred when it had met with the ground.
Running his fingers through her hair, he winced at the size of the lump
on her head.
“Hank, get the medical
stuff out of my saddlebags and bring a canteen. Start a fire and someone look around to see if you can find who
did this.”
Rushing to the gruella,
Hank hurried back with the requested items while Harold and Horace mounted up
to scour the area. Gathering some
wood, Hank tried to calm his shaking fingers to light a fire. Breathing deeply, he struck the match and
coaxed the flame into burning higher.
Taking out some bandages,
Bill wet them with water from the canteen and gently wiped the blood away that
ran down her face. Dirt and grass were
embedded into the scrap marks on her face, neck and hands. Working diligently, he removed as much as
the debris he could, took out a bottle of whiskey to clean the wounds, but his
hand was stopped before he could pour.
“Bill, that’s gonna hurt
her!” said Hank angrily.
“It’s the only thing I got
to clean the wounds. We don’t want to
risk an infection, Hank. She’s won’t
feel a thing, I promise.” replied Bill.
Letting loose his hand,
Hank watched Bill pour the alcohol into the scrapes and was relieved when she
never stirred. Putting a bandage on the
cut on her head, Bill wrapped it and tried to coax her into waking.
“Boss, open your
eyes. Come on now.” shouted Bill with
Hank joining him.
Her thoughts jumbled as
she tried to make her way towards the sounds of the men shouting her name. Her face felt like it was on fire and she
moaned from the burning. Remembering
what happened, she slowly opened her eyes and looked around.
“NICK!! NICK!!” the panicked scream pierced the
still mountain air and startled the men kneeling beside the hysterical woman on
the ground.
Walking out of the barn,
Heath watched Nick fall to his knees and the blood drain from his face. Kneeling in front of him, a frightened Heath
grabbed the shoulders of the man gasping for air and shouted, “What’s wrong? NICK!”
“Something…” Nick stammered in anguish from the scream
that was resonating through his mind.
“Something’s wrong with my wife.”
Duke, as a child having
witnessed his aunt’s unexplainable connection with his uncle, felt a chill that
curled the hairs on his neck. Jumping
up from his position by Nick, he ordered the men to get a wagon loaded with a
bed. Heath, hearing Duke’s barked
orders was startled out of the shock he received from Nick’s words.
“Heath, we’ll take Nick
and head out right away. The men will
meet us at the foot of the mountains with the wagon. John, get the doc.”
The women came rushing out
of the house and saw Heath help the shaken Nick to his feet. Victoria looked at her sons for an
explanation, concerned by the pale complexions she saw.
“Something’s happened to
Sue. I can’t explain it but I know it.”
whispered Nick in a pain-filled voice.
Cupping his cheek in her
hand, Victoria replied, “Take her to her ranch, it’ll be closer. We’ll meet you there.”
Mounting on fresh horses,
they headed towards the mountain grazing range. Night had fallen when the three galloped up to the fire they saw
blazing on the lower plateau.
Hearing riders
approaching, the men grabbed their guns and ran out to the fire’s edge,
prepared for further trouble. When the
three dismounted, the crew was stunned at Heath’s brief explanation of their
arrival.
“Where is she?” asked Nick
fear putting a quiver in his voice, “Where’s my wife?”
“She’s asleep by the
fire.” said Bill stopping Nick’s advance to the fire with a firm grip on his
arm.
“Let me go.” snarled Nick
angrily shrugging off the hand.
Heath grabbed Nick by the arm and said softly,
“What is it, Bill?”
Stopping at Heath’s words,
Nick looked at Bill and saw the despair reflecting on his face.
His words choked out of a
constricted throat and he asked hoarsely, “What’s wrong?”
“She can’t see,
Nick.”
Nick stared at the man as
he tried to comprehend in his mind what his ears had heard. Heath and Duke felt the shaking in Nick’s body
and held onto his arms as his legs gave out.
Nick knelt on the ground trembling and whispered, “No. No.”
Closing his eyes, Heath
held his shaking brother in his arms and asked, “What happened?”
“Sue was chasing a steer
and someone shot Satan out from under her.
She has some scrap marks and a lump on her head, no broken bones
though.” explained Bill softly.
“Dear god!” groaned Nick
holding his head in his hands. “Who’s
doing this?”
“Nick! Nick!”
Hearing the screams of
sheer panic, Nick jumped to his feet and ran over to the fire. Kneeling down, he took her hand in his and
caressed her cheek with the other, “I’m here, honey. I’m right here.”
“Nick! Nick!
I’m scared. It’s so dark.”
whispered Sue with a death grip on his hand.
“It’s gonna be okay. I’m here now, Sue.”
Her words were broken by
the sobs wracking her body, “Somebody killed Satan. Why? Why’d they have to
shoot the horses?”
“Shhhh. I don’t know, but we’ll find out. I promise, honey. Shhhh.” Tears fell upon
his cheeks as he rocked her gently until sleep came again.
“Duke, can you stay and
help the men move the herd?” asked Nick softly noting Heath’s nod of agreement.
“Sure, Nick.” replied
Duke.
Standing up, Nick walked
over and handed her to his waiting brother’s arms. Mounting, he watched Heath kiss her cheek softly before handing
her back.
Waiting for Heath to
mount, Nick looked at the men and stated with a shaky voice, “She’s gonna be
okay, boys. We’re gonna take her to
your ranch. Don’t worry, she’s as tough
as they come.”
The men watched the
brothers ride off into the darkness listening until they could no longer hear
the horses’ hooves. Heading back to the
fire, they each sat wrapped up in their own thoughts until morning came and the
work beckoned.
Howard waited until
everyone was seated before he spoke.
“She can’t see because of the concussion. The impact of the fall has probably created some swelling that is
more than likely affecting her vision.”
Looking up sharply, Nick
shouted, “Probably? More than
likely? What the hell does that mean?”
“Nicholas, please lower
your voice!” admonished Victoria concerned his outburst would wake Sue.
“Nick, I can’t give you a
guarantee that her blindness is from the concussion. All the symptoms point to it, however, we’ll have to see what
happens in the future.” explained Dr. Merar calmly.
“Howard, will her vision
return when the swelling goes down?” inquired Victoria her concerned eyes
watched Nick pacing the room like a caged tiger.
Sighing, Howard replied
softly, “I don’t know, Victoria. The
human brain is a complicated organ and we don’t know enough about it yet. I do know that her eyes are undamaged and
are not causing the blindness. I hope
it will return, but I just don’t know.”
Punching the wall with his
large fist, Nick strived to control the emotions raging through him. A sob shook his large frame and an unearthly
growl was emitted as he leaned his head against the wall.
Heath squeezed his
brother’s shoulders and spoke softly to him for several minutes. Chuckling, Nick wiped his eyes and entered
the room where his wife was sleeping, closing the door behind him.
Heath saw the raised
eyebrow and question in his mother’s eye and said, “Yes, Mother?”
“Heath, what did you say
to your brother?” inquired Victoria curiously as the rest of the room’s
occupants waited to hear the answer.
“I may have said something
like, ‘Nick, remember how stubborn your wife is. I bet ya’ she’ll be the only rancher in the world using a cane
while riding a horse.’” smirked Heath.
Jack laughed as he clapped
Heath on the back in agreement. “I’m
not taking that bet!”
Nick sat by the bed and
watched his wife sleep. Her eyes moving
restlessly beneath their lids and wondered if her dreams were darkened just as
her days had been darkened.
Rubbing his hands over his
face, he sighed deeply and again wondered, ‘Who is doing this?’ ‘Someone from her past?’ ‘Someone from my past hurting her to get to
me?’
‘Why would a man who had
only worked on the ranch a short period of time do such things?’ It didn’t make sense to him. Sue barely knew the man, how could he hold
such hatred against her. Too many
questions and not enough answers.
Sitting back in the chair,
he closed his eyes hearing her panicked scream echo in his mind again. A shiver climbed his spine remembering the
fear in her voice and the grip she had held on his hand by the fire. He didn’t know how he knew she was hurt or
how her screams made their way to him and he didn’t care. All he cared was that she was alive and
still with him on this earth, sighted or unsighted, she was with him.
Bowing his head, he sent a
silent prayer upwards asking for the strength they would both need in the
coming future.
Dr. Merar suggested having
an instructor for the blind come to the house, but Sue had adamantly
refused. Nick and Howard tried to
change her mind, but they both met a wall of resistance, outrage and
stubbornness. The men had acquiesced
when Charity offered to assist her friend in lieu of a stranger.
Charity had experience
with living with a blind person since her younger sister, Gail, had been born
without the use of her eyes.
Frightened at the lack of sight, Sue also realized that if she wanted to
lead any kind of productive life, she’d need help to know how to function in
the now alien world around her.
Charity taught Sue hints
her sister used to do the simple tasks a sighted person takes for granted. The placement of the food on her plate, her
drink on the table, how to pour without spilling, how to recognize the marks on
her clothes to determine the color and how to use the cane to make her way
around.
The lessons were grueling
to the recently unsighted woman. Her
frustration plenty in her small steps to learn the new methods for tasks that
were previously performed without
thought, when she had the use of her
eyes.
Patient and loving,
Charity listened to Sue’s anger and frustration at living in a dark world and
firmly pushed her friend when necessary to reach the goals set for each day.
When Sue was resting,
Charity taught the Barkleys so they could assist her when she returned
home. All the family members delved
into the lessons and practiced them diligently.
Charity had explained to
Nick how Gail’s other senses were more heightened due to her lack of
sight. To get his wife to increase her
sense of listening and smell, Nick created a game. If she recognized someone by their steps or the perfume they
wore, she was rewarded. No one knew
what the prize was if she got the right answer, but the grin on both their
faces could pale the sunshine.
The support of the family,
her husband, her natural stubbornness and her anger at those responsible helped
drive her to getting out of bed and tackle the darkness, trying to get back to
a somewhat normal routine.
Three weeks later,
grabbing her by the waist, Nick swung Sue off the surrey and set her on the
ground. Taking the bag from the seat, he
put her hand on his arm and slowly walked forward.
“Step coming up.”
Sue tapped the ground
ahead of her and nodded as she felt the step.
Raising her foot, she put it on the step and cocked her head listening
to the approaching steps.
“Hi Heath.” replied Sue
softly with Nick grinning widely.
“Boy howdy, how’d you know
it was me?” asked Heath kissing her cheek.
“Probably your cologne.”
smirked Nick, receiving a glare for his comment. “And stop kissing my woman, little brother!”
Sue replied with a slight
smile, “I recognize your footsteps.”
Grinning, Heath nodded in
surprise and Nick laughed out loud when Sue stated, “Heath, I can’t see you,
remember. You’re gonna have to talk
more, now.”
“Sorry, Sue.” apologized
Heath squeezing her hand.
Walking into the house,
Nick counted the paces for her to reach the foyer. Stopping in the foyer, he asked, “You want to try the stairs
first, honey?”
Sue asked, “Where is
everybody?”
“Sonja, Mother and Audra
are over to the Miller place seeing the new baby. Jarrod’s at his office in town.” explained Heath.
“Okay, let’s try the
stairs.” agreed Sue relieved the other family members were not present.
Heath watched as Nick and
Sue made their way slowly up the stairs and down several times. His heart ached when he saw his friend
trying to make her way around in the darkened world she was in. Leaving to work with a horse, he glanced
back and smiled at the love and pride on Nick’s face as he watched her cross
the foyer and walk to him in the parlor by the sound of his voice.
Having reached her
destination, Nick tenderly kissed her lips in celebration of the steps his wife
had taken. As the couple made their way
back to the stairs, Nick grinned and nodded at his wave before he left the house.
Nick walked Sue into the
bedroom they shared and put the bag on the bed. Opening it, he took out her clothes and set them on the
bureau. Looking over, he watched her
shut the door and fumble with the key until it clicked in the lock.
“Honey, why’d you lock the
door?” asked Nick walking over to stand in front of her.
She smiled, let the cane
fall to the floor and replied in a husky voice, “Because I can’t wait until
later to claim my prize.”
Sue reached out and
touched his face lightly with her fingers.
Holding his face in her hands, she gently kissed him and he deepened the
kiss in response. Starving for the feel
of each other, Nick picked her up and laid her on the bed. Leaning over, he kissed her and moved his
hands over her. Groaning with need,
she ran her hands over his back and shoulders.
Shedding their clothes, she explored him with her hands until he joined
with her to satisfy their desires together as one.
Laying beside each other,
Nick ran his hands over her soft skin and whispered, “I love you, Mrs.
Barkley. Welcome home.”
Moving closer to him, she
whispered, “And I love you, Mr. Barkley.”
Nick fell asleep with his
wife held tightly in his arms. Sue
relishing the feel of his strong arms around her, let sleep come and take the
reality of the darkness away.
In Manteco, Eric Fletcher
waited impatiently for Ramona and her brother to show up. Sitting at the table in the restaurant, he
sipped his coffee and waved when he saw them.
Standing, he pulled out the chair for her and nodded a greeting to Brad.
“What did you find out?”
asked Ramona anxiously.
Leaning forward, he
whispered to the attentive siblings, “She’s blind from that fall off the horse
and I’ve been invited to dinner at the Barkley ranch on Friday.”
Shocked, the two siblings
looked at each other and then grinned in delight.
Over the past weeks, Eric
Fletcher had been a busy man. While
Ramona and her brother were relishing in the ways they had hurt Suzanne Barkley
emotionally, he was working on their plan of reaping the Barkley family of some
of their fortune.
His art as a confidence
man had been honed from the time of his teenage years.
His parents were poor
hardworking farmers who barely eked out a living on the homestead the
government had given them. As a boy
growing up, he had always hungered for the material things others had. Eventually, he had come to realization that
wealth and power was more desirable than material items.
Ever studious of the
habits of people, he had carefully watched the wealthier members in his
community. He learned early the right
way to dress and talk to open doors that were normally closed to someone of his
low status in society. His looks had
swooned many a damsel and kept her eyes on him while his hands stole her
money.
His contacts in the
criminal world of society were many. He
knew where to go to get what he wanted, how much he would have to pay and who
could not keep their mouth shut.
Obtaining the necessary
documents had not been difficult, just costly.
He had willingly paid the price for he knew the return would definitely
be worth the investment. He had
studied the file he had compiled on the members of the Barkley family, their
substantial diversified holdings and devised his game plan.
Departing the train Eric
walked up the street, smiling slightly at the looks he was receiving from some
of the ladies of Stockton. His suit was
tailored specifically to reflect his muscular frame, his gold cuff links and
gold watch chain glistened in the sun.
His boots were polished to a shine and his tanned skin revealed straight
white teeth when he smiled.
Carrying a suitcase and
leather case, he made his way to the Cattleman’s hotel and registered. He unpacked his bag and checked his papers
again. Walking into the bank, a clerk
directed him to the manager, who rose and introduced himself to the
well-dressed young man.
“Good afternoon! John Thompson, Bank Manager.”
Eric took the offered hand
and replied, “Eric Benson, consultant for the firm of Standish and Whitten, New
York City.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr.
Benson. Please have a seat.” smiled
John Thompson, familiar with the firm’s name and excited at the possibility of
conducting business with the well-known financiers. “What may I do for you, Mr. Benson.”
Smiling widely, Eric
stated, “Mr. Thompson, I am here on behalf of Standish and Whitten to look into
the possible purchase of some timberland and a mine that are owned by a
prominent family in this area.”
“May I ask who this family
is?”
Taking out a paper from
his case, Eric read the name, “The Barkley family. Derek Sloan, in San Francisco suggested I speak with you to
arrange a meeting with the Barkley family so I may present our offer.”
Hearing the name of the
manager of the largest bank in San Francisco, John Thompson sat a bit
straighter in his chair. He had only
met Derek Sloan once and that was approximately three years ago, before he had
taken the position at this bank. His
ego was bolstered by the fact the man had remembered him from the brief
meeting.
“Mr. Benson, I’d be happy
to arrange a meeting with the Barkley family for you. However, I will need to see some identification and papers which
state you have the authority to act on behalf of Standish and Whitten.” smiled
Thompson.
Opening his case, Eric
agreed, “Of course, Mr. Thompson. I
have everything here with me, please take your time in examining the
documents.”
Sitting back in the chair,
Eric watched as John Thompson carefully read and examined the paperwork,
handing it back when he was finished.
“Thank you for your
patience, Mr. Benson. One can never be
too careful.”
“I understand, Mr.
Thompson. I will be staying at the
Cattleman’s hotel. Please feel free to
contact me there. On behalf of our
firm, I would like to thank you for your assistance in this matter.” replied
Eric as he stood and shook the man’s hand.
Walking him to the door,
Mr. Thompson smiled, “I will speak to Jarrod Barkley to arrange a time and send
word to the hotel.”
Biding him goodbye, Eric
walked down the street towards the hotel.
Spying the buggy with Barkley Ranch written on the door on the street,
he entered the general store. Walking
over he scanned the selection of books, picked one up and stood patiently
waiting for the blonde to complete her transaction at the counter.
“Thank you, Mr.
Perkins. Have a nice day.” smiled Audra
turning and gasping as she ran into the person behind her.
“Excuse me, Miss. I didn’t realize I was in your way.” smiled
Eric into the crystal blue eyes looking back at him.
Her heart in her throat,
Audra startled as she heard his deep voice speaking, “No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
Bowing slightly, Eric stepped
back allowing Audra to pass. “Have a
nice day, Miss.”
Blushing, Audra smiled
back and nodded before heading out the door.
Climbing into the buggy, she drove to the dress shop and sat on the seat
while waiting for her mother.
Spying Audra through the
window of the dress shop, Victoria went to the door, “Audra?”
“Hmmm?”
“Audra, you have to come
inside to pick out a dress.” smiled Victoria.
Audra climbed down,
“Sorry, Mother. I’m afraid I was
daydreaming.”
That afternoon, Jarrod entered
the house and put his hat on the table.
Walking to the kitchen, he paused and smiled at the conversation he
heard.
“Sonja, have you ever
eaten Heath’s trail food?”
“I haven’t been on any
trails with my husband so how could I, Sue?” asked Sonja.
Smiling, Sue teased,
“Well, you need an iron stomach, especially if he makes beans. Let me tell you, it is not for the faint of
heart!”
Laughing, Sonja squeezed
her hand, “Suzanne Barkley, you are so bad!”
Snickering, she whispered,
“Nick’s ain’t much better, either!”
Silas hid his smile as he
listened to the conversation between the two women. “Now, Miss Sue. It surely
can’t be tat bad.”
“Boy Howdy, it is Silas!”
stated Sue firmly tilting her head slightly.
Sonja seeing the familiar stance turned and looked at the approaching
man.
“Afternoon ladies. Silas.” smiled Jarrod at the greetings he
received in return. “Sonja, would you
mind if I steal my other favorite sister-in-law away for a few minutes?”
Sue rolled her eyes and
retorted, “Oh, sure! Yesterday, I was
your only favorite sister-in-law.”
Chuckling, Sonja replied,
“Please take her away and give me a few minutes of peace.”
Walking over, Jarrod took
Sue’s hand and put it on his arm, “That would be my pleasure!”
Leaving the kitchen, he led
her into the study and to the sofa.
Walking over, he closed the door and opened his case. Taking a seat in the chair across from her,
he said quietly, “Sue, I have the report you wanted from the Pinkertons on Brad
Mason.”
“Oh. Have you read it, Jarrod?” asked Sue softly.
“No, it arrived in the mail today. When I saw what it was, I put it back in the
envelope.” explained Jarrod.
Nodding, Sue smiled,
“Reckon you’ll have to do the honors, Jarrod, since I haven’t learned Braille
yet.”
“We can wait until Nick is
home, if you’d like.” suggested Jarrod.
“No, let’s read it now.”
sighed Sue.
Taking the report out,
Jarrod read out loud the background on Brad Mason. Sue listened intently as Jarrod read the information contained on
the pages. The report contained
information on Mason as a child, the school he attended.
“According to this, he is
wanted for murder, robbery and assault in the state of Louisiana.”
“Guess he’s not much of a
church goer, huh?” smirked Sue.
Jarrod grinned and continued
reading the background on Mason’s family to her.
“He has a half sister,
Mona, from his father’s second marriage to a woman named Monique
Lassister. Mona Mason also has a
criminal record and has been known to
go by the assumed name of Ramona Bouvier.”
“THAT WORTHLESS BITCH!”
screamed Sue, her face contorted with fury, green eyes blazing with anger. “I’LL KILL HER!” Jumping to her feet, she grabbed her head, pain etched on her
face and fell down to her knees.
Startled, Jarrod ran,
opened the door and shouted, “Silas, get the doctor, hurry!”
Hearing the angry screams
and Jarrod’s shout, Silas ran outside to send someone for the doctor as Sonja
ran towards the study.
“God, it hurts!” moaned
Sue before collapsing in his arms.
Rushing in, Sonja knelt
beside Jarrod and her unconscious friend.
“What happened, Jarrod?”
“She grabbed her head and
passed out. Let’s get her upstairs.”
replied Jarrod.
Picking her up, Jarrod
carried her to her room with Sonja following.
Covering her with a blanket, Sonja poured some water in the basin and
wiped her face gently with a wet towel.
“Silas and I could hear
her anger in the kitchen. Why was she
so upset, Jarrod?” asked Sonja in a quivering voice.
“I’m not exactly sure
myself, Sonja. I can’t tell you what we
were discussing because of client attorney privilege.” stated Jarrod
apologetically.
“You sure as hell are
gonna tell me!” snapped Nick walking in and kneeling by the bed. Taking off his glove, he caressed her cheek
and Heath wrapped his arms around his shaken wife.
Surprised, Jarrod looked
at his brothers and inquired, “Where’d you two come from?”
“We promised Sue we’d take
her fishing this afternoon.” explained Heath quietly. “Shorty met us on the way
to get the doc.”
Nick stood in front of
Jarrod at the end of the bed and asked through clenched teeth, “What the hell
happened? What’d you do to my wife?”
Calmly, Jarrod stared into
the furious hazel eyes, “Nick, I didn’t do anything to Sue. We were discussing something and she became
very angry.”
“What were you
discussing?” growled Nick, his voice low and menacing.
Sighing, Jarrod said
quietly, “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you, Nick.”
Grabbing Jarrod by the
lapels, Nick yanked him closer, “TELL ME!”
“Nick, didn’t your mother
ever tell you not to hit your elders.”
Stunned, Nick released his
hold on Jarrod’s jacket and walked to the side of the bed. Taking her hand, Nick asked quietly, ”Sue,
how’d you know I was thinking about hitting Jarrod?”
Sue winced from the
throbbing in her head and replied, “It’s not clear, it’s more like shadows, but
I could make out you grabbing Jarrod.”
“YOU COULD SEE THAT!”
shouted Nick jumping up, hugging Jarrod as his excitement carried him away and
swept through everyone in the room.
“Please don’t shout!”
whined Sue holding her head. “My head’s
killing me!”
Sitting on the bed, he
smiled and caressed her temples, “Sorry, honey.”
Grabbing his hand, Sue
held onto it and said quietly, “Jarrod, can you get the report? I want ya to finish reading it.”
Frowning, Jarrod said,
“Sue, maybe we should wait til Dr. Merar has a chance to examine you before we
read any more.”
“Sue, you don’t want to
get upset again.” agreed Sonja .
“What report?” asked Nick
puzzled.
“I asked Jarrod to request
a report from the Pinkertons on Brad Mason.
I could have sworn I’d met him before.
Every time I looked at him, it felt like someone was stepping on my grave.”
“WHAT!” shouted Nick in
disbelief. “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME
THAT?”
Wincing, Sue groaned,
“Nick, please lower your voice.”
Entering the room, Dr.
Merar saw the pain on Sue’s face.
“Everybody out!”
“But, Dr…” replied Nick.
“Out!” ordered Howard
firmly setting his bag on the bedside table and opening it up.
Taking Nick by the arm,
Heath pulled him from the room with Jarrod and Sonja following. Howard closed the door behind them. Running his hand through his hair, Nick
grumbled, “Doctors!”
“Nick, the report is in
the study.” said Jarrod quietly.
“Let’s wait down there.”
Nodding, Nick led the way
down the stairs and into the study.
Sonja kissed Heath gently and headed to the kitchen. Walking towards the study to join his
brothers, Heath stopped to answer the knock on the door.
“Jack! Charity!
Come in!”
“Heath! I hope it’s okay but we wanted to see the
boss.” stated Jack.
“Well, Dr. Merar’s with
her right now. You can see her when
he’s done.” grinned Heath at the concern in their eyes. “She’s seeing shadows!”
Relief and joy crossed
their faces, “That’s wonderful!”
“I hope it’s a good sign,
too. Sonja’s in the kitchen if you’d
like to wait with her, Charity.”
“That’d be lovely. Thanks, Heath.” smiled Charity squeezing
Jack’s hand before she left.
“Jack, come into the
study. Jarrod’s gonna show us a Pinkerton
report that you should know about. Sue
had Jarrod request it on Mason.” explained Heath as they walked towards the
room.
Entering they listened as
Jarrod said, “This is the section that really upset her. I’ve never seen Sue so furious, Nick.”
“What’s it say?” asked
Nick.
“He has a half sister,
Mona, from his father’s second marriage to a woman named Monique
Lassister. Mona Mason also has a
criminal record and has been known to
go by the assumed name of Ramona Bouvier.”
“Sonofabitch!” exclaimed Jack.
Shocked, the three
brothers looked at her partner.
“What is it, Jack?” asked
Nick.
“Ramona Bouvier is Sue’s
stepmother.” stated Jack. “She’s in
jail. I can’t believe it! Mason’s her
brother?”
“So, Mason shows up here on
behalf of his sister to cause problems for Sue after all this time?” said Heath
thoughtfully. “It doesn’t seem
right. Something’s missing.”
Jarrod nodded, “I agree,
Heath. Something is missing, but what?”
Looking out the window,
Nick turned slowly and suggested, “Maybe she got out of jail early. She finds out where Sue now lives. Then has Mason shot the horses that she
loves just to hurt her because she had to spend time in jail for her crime.”
Jack clenched his hands
and snarled, “That worthless bitch!”
Chuckling, Jarrod smiled,
“Nick, that was exactly how your wife described her stepmother.”
Nick shook his head at his
wife’s words and asked, “How can we
find out if she’s still in jail, Pappy?”
“By sending a telegram,
brother Nick.” replied Jarrod putting
on his hat. “I do believe, I will head
to town and do just that!”
Lighting a candle, Howard
shut the curtains in the room. Walking
over to the bed, he sat beside Sue and said quietly. “Keep you eyes open for me, okay.”
“Okay, doc.”
Staring ahead, Sue focused
to block out the pain the in her head.
Howard, finished checking her pupil’s responses, blew out the candle,
opened the curtains and watched Sue rub her temples.
“Headache?”
“Yeah, it’s the worst one
so far.” mumbled Sue.
Furious, Howard snapped,
“You mean you’ve had others! Why didn’t
you have someone get me?”
Wincing, Sue stammered,
“Doc, they’re just headaches. I’ve been
so focused on how to live in darkness, I didn’t think it was important, doc.”
Sitting back on the bed,
Howard mixed some headache powders into a glass of water, added some liquid and
sighed, “I want you to drink this.”
“Dr. Merar, what about me
seeing shadows? That’s a good sign, right?”
Howard squeezed her
hand. “I feel it’s a good sign, but I’m
sorry, I can’t give you a definite answer.”
Nodding, Sue smiled, “I
know, doc.”
Putting the glass in her
hand, he watched her swallow the horrible tasting liquid. “Now, you’ll probably sleep til morning,
since I also put some laudanum in it.
I’ll stop over tomorrow and check on you. I’ll let Nick know what we talked about.”
“Laudanum! That stuff knocks me out.” groaned Sue
pulling the blanket up and closing her eyes to fend off the pain. “Thanks for everything, Howard.”
“You’re welcome, Sue.”
smiled Howard leaving the room and heading downstairs. Meeting Sonja and Charity on the stairs, he
stated they could visit with Sue a few minutes before she fell asleep. Continuing on, he headed to the study where
the ladies had directed him.
“Hi Sue.” said Charity
quietly.
“Charity! What ya’ doing here?” asked Sue accepting
her friend’s hug and stifling a yawn.
Holding her hand, Charity
replied, “Jack and I wanted to ask you to do us a big favor.”
Squeezing her hand, Sue
scolded her with a smile, “You don’t have to ask. You know I’d do anything for you guys.”
“I know, but this is
really important.”
“Charity, I’m falling
asleep here, you better just spit it out.” yawned Sue.
“Will you be the godmother
to our child?” inquired Charity softly.
Shaking her head, Sue
stated with a puzzled look, “You don’t have any kids, Charity.”
“We will in about six
months.” said Charity quietly.
“Sorry, but laudanum makes
me so groggy.” apologized Sue yawning again.
Struggling to sit up, she suddenly shouted, “SIX MONTHS?”
Laughing, Charity said,
“Yes.”
Pulling Charity to her,
Sue hugged her tightly as the tears ran down her face, “A baby! You’re gonna have a baby!”
Nick hearing her shout,
ran up the stairs and stopped in the doorway with Heath and Jack right behind
him.
“Sue?” asked Charity
supporting the woman in her arms.
Chuckling, Nick took his
sleeping wife from her arms. “Doc must have given her laudanum. It always does that to her.”
Looking at the happy
couple, Nick grinned, “Congratulations, you two! A baby!”
Heath and Sonja extended
their congratulations and left Nick with Sue.
Smiling with happiness for Jack and Charity, Nick sat beside his
sleeping wife and ran his fingers through her hair.
Watching her sleep, he
whispered sadly, “If we didn’t have that miscarriage, in a month, we would’ve
had a baby, honey. I still wonder if
it’d have been a boy or a girl.”
Leaning over, he tenderly
kissed her lips and whispered, “You’re going to be a wonderful mother
someday. I love you.”
Chapter 18
Arriving the next morning,
Dr. Merar found Sue in the parlor sitting in a wingbacked chair. Examining her, Howard was puzzled. She was unable to see shadows as she had the
day before. Her headache was gone and
she sat quietly while he examined her.
Howard took a seat in the
chair opposite of her and spoke quietly, “No headaches this morning?”
“No, not yet.”
“I’m going to wire a
couple specialists and get their opinion.
I need you to describe to me exactly when the pains start, where in your
head you feel them and what the pain feels like.” stated Howard taking a
notebook and pencil out of his bag, he waited for his patient to start
speaking. Listening carefully, Howard
wrote as she spoke and asked several questions to reach conclusions on some of
the vague descriptions.
Squeezing her hand, he
said, “I’ll send the wires today and let you know when I have the answers.”
Nodding, Sue cleared her
throat said quietly, “Doc, that’s wonderful news about Charity and Jack, isn’t
it?”
“Yes, I’m happy for them.”
smiled Howard.
“Yeah, they’ll make great
parents.” replied Sue. “They asked me
to be the godmother.”
“Congratulations, that’s a
wonderful honor.” stated Howard, frowning as he watched the emotions run across
her face from happiness to wistfulness to despair.
Standing up, Sue walked
around the chair and stood by the patio doors feeling the warmth of the sun on
her face, inhaling the fresh air.
Gathering her thoughts, she asked quietly, “Doc, have you ever known a
blind woman who had a baby?”
Putting the pencil on the
table, Howard sat back and looked at the woman at the doors, “No, not
personally. Why?”
“If someone can’t see how
can they take care of a little baby?” asked Sue her voice quivering.
“I imagine the same way a
sighted person would, with their hands.”
Walking over, Howard stood beside her and spoke calmly, “Sue, look at the progress you’ve made in
the last few weeks without the use of your eyes. You’ve tackled a lot of difficult things and overcome a lot of
obstacles. When you become a mother,
you’ll be able to handle that sighted or not.
You’ll have the support of your husband and family.”
“Thanks for your kind
words and coming out here.” sighed Sue.
Patting her shoulder,
Howard smiled, “They’re not just kind words, they’re true. I’m off to see some other patients.”
“Okay. Bye, doc.”
Walking to the patio
doors, Sue held onto the rope Nick had strung for her and made her way to the
gazebo. Sitting on the bench, she drank
in the fragrances of the flowers all around her. Listening, she smiled at the sounds of birds chirping. Hearing footsteps approaching and a swish of
taffeta, she smelled Audra’s perfume.
“Morning, Audra.”
“Morning, Sue. Such a beautiful morning.” smiled Audra.
“Feels like it.” agreed
Sue.
Leaning forward, Audra
whispered, “Yesterday in town, I met the most handsomest man I’ve ever seen.”
“Really? What’s his name?” asked Sue her curiosity
peeked at the excitement in her sister-in-law’s voice.
Groaning, Audra said, “I
don’t know. I ran into him by accident
in the general store.”
“Well, maybe you’ll see
him again and you can find out then.” stated Sue. “How bout if we visit Nicodena and the kittens while you describe
him to me?”
Smiling, Audra replied,
“Deal.” Putting Sue’s hand on her arm,
Audra led the way to the barn and described the mystery man to her.
Entering, they walked to
the last stall and Audra sat Sue on the straw bale. Nicodena jumped up onto her lap and rubbed her face against Sue
purring loudly. Laughing, Sue rubbed
the cat’s fur and listened to the mews coming from the kittens. Putting Nicodena down after several minutes
of attention, she felt the ground and picked up a small bundle of fur. Cuddling it to her chest, she sighed at the
contented purring sounds. Audra
described each kitten as Sue picked them up and put them down.
“Sue, I almost
forgot. We’re having someone over for
dinner on Friday.” said Audra.
“Anyone I know?” asked
Sue.
“No, Jarrod says he wanted
to meet with the family to discuss the possible purchase of some of our
timberland and a mine. I think he said
his name was Eric Benson.”
“Maybe it’s your mystery
man.” teased Sue. “Did you ask Jarrod
for a description?”
Blushing, Audra retorted,
“Jarrod didn’t see him. Mr. Thompson
arranged it. He’ll probably be an old
bald guy and we’ll have to suffer through some boring dinner conversation.”
Shaking her head, Sue
smiled, “Audra, that’s why they serve before dinner drinks. Takes away the sting of boring dinner
conversation. Have enough of those and
you won’t care what the conversation is.”
Nick smiled as he looked
at his wife standing before him.
“Well?” asked Sue
impatiently.
“Hmmm. I’m checking, honey.” replied Nick running his hand lightly down
her back and pulled her to him.
“Perfect. Let’s skip the dinner
and stay up here.”
“Somehow I don’t think
Mother or Jarrod would let us.” smirked Sue.
Caressing her cheek, he
whispered, “Probably not.” Kissing her,
he groaned as she teased him with her tongue.
Ending the kiss, he
scolded, “That’s not nice, Mrs. Barkley.”
Pushing him back
playfully, Sue retorted, “I never claimed to be nice, Mr. Barkley.”
Laughing, Nick wrapped his
arms around her. “No, you never
did. You ready?”
Sighing, Sue nodded,
“We’ll have to finish this discussion later.”
Nick tenderly kissed her
again, “You can count on it, honey.”
Joining the rest of the
family in the parlor, Nick led his wife to the settee where Audra was
sitting. A knock on the door was
answered by Silas and he led the guests into the parlor. Grabbing Sue’s hand, Audra whispered, “Sue,
it’s him!”
Startled, Sue whispered
back, “Mystery man?”
“Yes. I can’t believe it!” replied Audra standing
and holding onto Sue waiting to be introduced.
John Thompson beamed as he
proudly introduced Eric Benson of the firm of Standish and Whitten to the
Barkley family. Smiling widely, Eric
bowed over each of the ladies’ hands.
Looking into the eyes of
Suzanne Barkley, he said “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such a striking pair
of jaded green eyes such as yours, Mrs. Barkley.”
Sue replied quietly, “Ah,
nice to meet you, Mr. Benson.”
Moving onto Audra, Eric
smiled, “My, what beautiful blue eyes you have, Miss Barkley. As lovely as the bluebonnets of Texas.”
Audra smiled widely and
blushed, “What a lovely thing to say, Mr. Benson.”
Eric accepted a drink from
Jarrod and stood to the side talking to the men while the ladies spoke to Mrs.
Thompson.
“Isn’t he wonderful?” said
Audra keeping her eyes on the newcomer.
Frowning, Sue whispered,
“Audra, what does Mr. Benson look like again?”
Whispering, Sue listened
as Audra described him again. Victoria
glanced over and wondered at the look on her daughter-in-law’s face. Her attention was taken back to Mrs.
Thompson and Sonja, her thoughts diverted for the time being.
Sitting at the table, Sue
half listened to the conversations around her.
Her mind on the greeting of Mr. Benson.
Eric glanced at Audra and
smiled, “Well, I do travel a lot on behalf of the firm. We are always looking for new investments
and ways to increase our profits.”
“Really? Have you ever traveled abroad?” inquired
Audra.
“Yes, I have Miss
Barkley. Last year, I traveled to Rio
de Janeiro. Let me tell you, that is
Satan’s country down there.” smiled Eric glancing at Sue’s paling face in
response to his words.
“Sue, you all right?”
asked Heath concerned at the pale face sitting beside him.
“I’m fine, Heath.” assured
Sue.
Reaching behind her, Heath
tapped Nick’s shoulder and catching his eye, Heath gestured with his head
towards Sue.
Leaning over, Nick
whispered, “Honey, what’s wrong?”
Shaking her head, Sue
stated, “I’m okay, Nick. Nothing’s
wrong.”
“Okay, let me know if you
need anything.” said Nick quietly relaying with his tone that he did not
believe her words.
Reaching over to her left,
she kicked Heath under the table, smiling at his sharp intake of breath and
whispered, “Tattletale.”
Heath whispered,
“Fibber.”
Looking up and seeing his
mother’s upraised eyebrow, Heath groaned, “Great, now you got me in trouble
with Mother.”
Snickering, Sue grinned.
“Serves you right.”
“She’s looking at you with
that look, too.” smirked Heath quietly.
Sonja shook her head as
laughter sparkled in her eyes and whispered to them both, “Stop it you two.”
Heath squeezed his wife’s
hand and returned to the dinner conversation.
Sue rubbed her forehead and wondered if it was just a coincidence this
man used almost the same words to describe her eyes that her stepmother had
used when Sue had met her for the first time.
The departure of the guests
saw the Barkley family in the parlor discussing the proposal Eric Benson had
brought to them. All listened as Jarrod
laid out the pros and cons of accepting the proposal as he saw them. Sue and Sonja sat together as the wheels of
the family’s vote process turned and churned.
Opinions wavered between acceptance and denial, the blood members of the
family expressing their thoughts on the issues.
Sue, her thoughts centered
solely on Eric Benson’s remarks during the evening, frowned as the pain in her
head worsened. ‘Rio de Janeiro and
Satan’s county? Maybe they were
innocent phrases. Jaded green eyes? Am I overreacting? If I tell Nick, will he think his wife is daft?’ Rubbing her forehead, the question by
Victoria was unheard, her concentration on the night’s events.
“Sue, if you could venture
an opinion, what would it be?” asked Victoria watching the young woman. All eyes turned to Nick’s wife at the lack
of her response.
“Honey?” inquired Nick
with a hand on her shoulder.
Jumping, Sue stammered,
“I’m sorry, did I miss something?”
“Mother, was asking your
opinion on the proposal.” said Nick gently.
“You okay?”
Sue replied quietly,
“Personally, I wouldn’t take his word he represented that firm based on a piece
of paper alone. I’d wire back east and
confirm his identification before I made a decision.”
“Are you calling him a
fraud?” asked Audra incredulously.
“I’ve never heard of the
Standish and Whitten firm doing business on the west coast. From my understanding, they like their enterprises
near them so they can keep a close eye on them and regulate profits. I’d say best to err on the side of caution
and send a wire.”
Jumping up, Audra shouted,
“You are calling him a fraud! How can
you say that? You’re basing your
opinion on just listening! Anyone can
see what a gentleman he is”
“AUDRA!” yelled Victoria
as the mouths of the other family members dropped open at Audra’s statement.
Furious, Sue stood and her
body shook with anger, “That’s right, Audra.
I’m basing my opinion on listening, because I can’t see! The only reason you’re upset is because you
could look at him! You wanted my
opinion, YOU GOT IT!”
The rest of the family sat
stunned at the outburst between the two as Sue strode out of the room and up
the stairs, the family treated to the sound of a slamming door.
Nick clenched his hands
and glared at his sister, “What the hell was that Audra? You had no call to say that to my wife.”
“Nick, watch your
language.” scolded Victoria.
Looking at her daughter, she
said firmly, “Your brother is right, Audra.
I asked Sue for her opinion based on her past experience with business
dealings. You had no right to attack
her like that.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean
it the way it sounded.” apologized Audra sadly.
Sitting beside his wife,
Heath sighed, “I’m sure you didn’t mean it, sis, but that’s how it came
across.”
Standing, Jarrod nodded,
“Audra, I’d suggest you be more careful about what you say in the future. I, for one, am going to take the sound
advise of my sister-in-law and send a wire in the morning. Good night.”
Woken from another bad
dream, Sue almost welcomed the throbbing in her head. Her sleep had been broken throughout the night by
nightmares. Nick felt as bad as his
wife looked, her tortured sleep keeping him on edge all night. Watching her wake, he read the pain in her
eyes and saw the grimace on her face.
“Headache, honey?”
whispered Nick leaning over to greet her with his good morning kiss.
Rubbing her temples, Sue
closed her eyes and nodded, “Yeah.
Sorry if I kept you awake last night.”
Taking her in his arms,
Nick kissed the top of her head, “Nothing to be sorry about. You wanna talk about it?”
“No, not really.” Holding onto him, Sue smiled, “Nick, can ya’
take me riding today?”
“How about if we sneak out
and greet the sunrise?”
“Ah, sounds perfect.”
smiled Sue.
Walking his wife to the
barn, Nick saddled Coco. Sue pulled
herself into the saddle and Nick climbed up behind her. Wrapping his arms around her, he nudged Coco
into a gallop and they rode to the Peak as the night’s darkness was slowly
fading.
Dismounting, Nick leaned
against a tree with Sue reclining against him relishing in the closeness of the
quiet morning. The stillness of the
area worked it’s peaceful magic on the two tired souls and they feel asleep
waiting for the sun to rise.
The family missed the
couple at breakfast and wondered where they could be. Heath smiled slyly and winked at Sonja who squeezed his hand
under the table. The two who were privy
to Nick and Sue’s secret place for watching the sunrise, knew exactly where
they were.
After breakfast and
handing out work assignments, Heath mounted Charger and rode to the hill and
dismounted. Smiling at the sight of
Coco grazing and the couple sleeping under the tree. Kneeling, he shook Nick gently on the shoulder.
Waking, Nick squinted his
eyes at the brightly shining sun. “Hey,
little brother. Guess we missed
breakfast, huh?”
“And almost lunch.” teased
Heath.
“Well, we didn’t get much
sleep last night.” said Nick quietly rubbing Sue’s cheek. “Time to wake up, sleepyhead.”
Swatting at the hand
rubbing her cheek, Sue growled, “Cut it out, Nick.”
Heath chuckled as Nick
moved a blade of grass lightly across her cheek and received a swat on the hand,
“Knock it off, I’m awake.”
Snorting, Nick said, “Your
eyes aren’t open and it’s almost time for lunch.”
Sighing, she opened her
eyes and promptly shut them, “Heck, it’s only bout nine. Plenty of time til lunch.”
Looking at Nick, Heath
said, “What time is it, Sue?”
Realizing the men were not
going to let her fall back to sleep and reclaim the precious hours she had lost
over night, Sue stood up and stretched, “Heath, look for yourself.”
Rubbing her face, she
stopped the movement of her hands. Turning
slowly around, green eyes filled with tears looked into teary hazel eyes. “Did I ever tell you Nick, that you have
beautiful eyes?”
Nick’s voice choked with
emotions as he held onto her tightly, “No, you never did.”
The world was shimmering
with sunshine, the birds were sporting brighter colors and the grass was
greener as Sue looked around from her place behind Nick on Coco. Her arms tightened around his waist and
asked. “Nick, how come we’re headed to
town?”
Turning slightly in the
saddle, Nick smiled, “We’re gonna see Dr. Merar.”
“I don’t wanna see
him! I want to get to the ranch and get
some work done.”
Heath chuckled and shook
his head, “Sue, I think the doc would like to see for himself, don’t you?”
Leaning her forehead
against her husband’s strong back, she sighed, “I suppose. But after that, I’m going to work!”
Lifting her hand to his
lips, Nick kissed her ring, “Honey, let’s see what Dr. Merar says first before
we decide anything. Okay?”
“All right, you can have
your way this time.” smirked Sue.
Leaning forward, she blew in his ear and then whispered, “Tonight, I get
my way, deal?”
Smiling widely, Nick
nodded, “Deal!”
“Let’s hurry, we’re
burning daylight!” teased Sue.
Sue enjoyed the laughter
of the two men dear to her heart and the feel of the wind on her face as they
trotted towards town. The news that
Heath had brought about Ramona’s early release from prison could not diminish
her happiness at this moment.
On the spur of the moment,
Eric Fletcher decided he would spend Saturday basking in the beauty of Audra
Barkley, when he met up with her on the road.
“Mr. Benson, how lovely to
see you again.” smiled Audra widely.
“Miss Barkley, today must
be my lucky day.” stated Eric bowing slightly from his place atop his rented
horse. “I certainly did not expect to
be honored by seeing you today.”
Blushing, Audra looked
downwards, “Why thank you, Mr. Benson.”
“Please call me Eric.”
Riding beside her, Eric
kept up a steady conversation mixed with compliments for his companion and
details of his supposed travels. Audra,
her heart palpitating, basked in his compliments and worldly travels.
Stopping beside the lake,
Eric helped her down from the saddle, his hands lingering on her slim
waist. Staring into her blue eyes, he
whispered, “Such beauty deserves to be shared with the world, Miss Barkley.”
Her breath caught in her
throat and she whispered, “Audra.
Please call me Audra.”
Lost in the eyes of the
handsome man, Audra’s skin tingled as he put his hands on her back and
whispered in her ear, “Audra, may I kiss you?”
Her stomach fluttered and
her tongue felt heavy with anticipation, “Yes.”
Lowering his head slowly,
she closed her eyes, missing the spark of triumph that flared in his. He gently kissed the rosy lips, opening her
mouth with his tongue. Feeling her
response, he pulled her body tighter to his and deepened the kiss.
Wrapping her arms around
his neck, Audra willingly returned the passion he was giving.
Breaking the kiss, Eric
smiled into her eyes, “So beautiful and enchanting.” Taking her hand, he lead her under a tree and helped her
down. Sitting beside him, Audra
emotions were running out of control and her thoughts wild.
“So, tell me more about
your family.” insisted Eric gently.
Smiling, Audra recalled their life growing up with both parents and how
her father had been shot down in cold blood.
She described the meetings of her sister-in-laws to her brothers.
“I assumed your brother’s
wife was blind since birth.” stated Eric.
Frowning, Audra shook her
head, “No. Someone shot her horse out
from under her and she suffered a concussion.
Dr. Merar doesn’t know if she’ll ever see again, even though the other
day she was seeing shadows. When she
woke up in the morning, everything was dark again.”
Feigning shock, Eric
asked, “Who would do such a thing to someone?”
Looking over the lake,
Audra sighed, “We think it was her stepmother and her stepmother’s half
brother. Jarrod had the sheriff send
word to the towns around here to keep an eye out for them.”
Taking out his watch, Eric
glanced at it, “My, where has the day gone.
I’m sorry Audra, but I have to catch a train. I’ll be out of town for a few days.”
Pulling her to her feet,
Audra smiled, “Perhaps I’ll see you when you return to town.”
Tenderly kissing her, he
smiled, “That would be my pleasure, Audra.”
Riding to the road, he
waved as she rode back to the ranch.
Kicking his horse to a gallop, Eric bypassed Stockton and rode the fifteen
miles to Manteco. Pulling to a stop in
the back of the hotel as the sun was setting, he climbed the stairs. Opening the door with his key, he shut it
behind him and spoke to the siblings.
“Start packing, the
Barkley’s have the law looking for you.”
The siblings made short
work of their belongings while Eric went to the livery. He saddled Brad’s horse and took another for
Ramona. Taking them to the back of the
hotel, he tied them beside his. The two
came down the steps and Eric tied her bag onto her horse. Helping Ramona into the saddle, the trio
headed around town and to the deserted farmhouse Eric had described five miles
from Stockton.
Putting the horses in the
barn, they went into the dusty farmhouse.
Sitting on the bed with Ramona, Eric sighed, “We’re gonna have to move
the time table up. I wonder how they
figured out so quickly about you and your brother.”
Shrugging, Ramona ran her
fingernail down his arm. “Doesn’t matter, darling. Once we get the money, we can go anywhere we want.”
Eric kissed her hard and
ran his hands over her body. Taking off
her clothes, he took her as he was envisioning another blond haired beauty with
blue eyes.
Sunday morning, the
Barkley and Weston ranches slowly came to life after the celebration of the
night before. Laughter, hugs and wine
were free flowing as the evening had progressed. Everyone was thankful for the return of her sight and throughout
the evening, Sue drank in the sight of the faces of her friends and
family.
Her crew had presented
their boss with an early birthday present, a new stallion, the Bardo twins had
caught. They had broken and trained the
horse, hoping for the day when she would be able to ride him. Jose proudly led the horse over to her and
tears of joy filled her eyes. Kissing
the cheek of each of the men, Sue climbed in the saddle and galloped out of the
yard with Nick yelling at her to be careful.
Nick paced until he saw
his wife coming back into the yard atop the black horse. Clapping him on the shoulder, Heath
snickered, “Big brother, your wife is back to drive you crazy.”
Looking at the grin on her
face, Nick smiled, “Yeah, I’m a lucky man.”
Jumping down, Sue tied the
horse to the fence and kissed each of their cheeks again. Their faces crimson by the words of thanks
she said to each one. Her happiness was
overflowing and contagious to everyone around.
Victoria hugged her happy
daughter-in-law and smiled, “He’s beautiful.
Have you thought of a name for him?”
Thinking about it, Sue
winked, “Mother, how about Nicodena, Jr?”
“YOU ARE NOT CALLING IT
THAT!” shouted Nick while everyone enjoyed a hearty laugh.
Throwing her arms around
his neck, Sue laughed, “I’m only teasing, Nick!”
Nick retorted, “Good! Why don’t you call it Heathcliff?”
Hank pounded on his back
when Heath choked on his beer. Grinning
Heath snorted, “Don’t think so big brother!
How about Jarry or Jacko?”
Both Jarrod and Jack
rolled their eyes at Heath’s suggestion.
Sue smiled widely and shook her head, “No, how about Amigo? For my friends’ and their thoughtfulness.”
“Bueno, Miss Sue.” agreed
Jose proudly.
“To Amigo and his lovely
rider, our boss!” stated Horace holding his glass in a salute as the rest of
the crowd followed suit.
The evening came to a
close and the guests departed with hugs and kisses from the guest of
honor. Sue stood outside leaning
against the pillar and looking up at the stars after helping Silas clean up the
kitchen, ignoring the protests from the stunned man as she worked. When they finished, Sue had hugged him and
whispered, “Good to see ya’ again, Silas.”
“Ya’ too, Miss Sue.”
replied Silas quietly shooing her out of the room, his heart filled with
happiness and love at her gestures of friendship.
The family and the crew
slowly retired to their quarters. The
fall air was warm on her skin and a gentle breeze was blowing through the
night. Closing her eyes, she listened
to the footsteps that sounded inside the open doorway and stopped beside her.
“Hi, Nick.” Sue replied
quietly opening her eyes.
“Hi yourself. What’re you doing?” asked Nick.
“Just admiring the
stars.” Smiling, she looked at him,
“I’m ready.”
Puzzled, Nick smiled,
”Ready for what?”
Putting her arms around
his neck, she whispered, “For my prize.
I recognized your footsteps.”
Pulling her closer, Nick
grinned, “Well, I can’t welch on a prize now, can I?”
Capturing her lips, he
ended the lingering kiss and swept her up in his arms. Shutting the door with his foot, she locked
it and kissed him tenderly while he carried her up to their room. Sitting her on the bed, he saw the tears in
her eyes. “What’s the matter, honey?”
Wiping her eyes, she said
softly, “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, darling. I’m just so happy to be able to see you with
my own eyes. I love you so much, Nick.”
“Ah, honey. I love you, too.” whispered Nick wiping the
tears from her cheeks with his lips.
Placing a trail of kisses over her face and neck, he slowly undressed
her and tenderly built her fires up
into a blaze. Her moans of need and
want reached a peak and he helped her come down from the high she was riding on
to the valley where they lay together, staring into each other’s eyes as the
moon shone through the window and sleep came.
Arriving back to the ranch
from church with Jarrod, Nick, Sonja and Mother, Audra hurried to her room and changed into her riding
clothes. Heath and Sue, both for their
own reasons, did not attend church with the family. Audra had seen Heath and Sue working with Amigo in the corral and
that was her destination. Bounding down
the stairs, she flew by Nick and Jarrod.
“Why the hurry, Audra?”
asked Jarrod stopping her flight to the outside short of the front door.
“I’m going to speak to
Sue.” said Audra. “I didn’t get a
chance yesterday with everyone here for the party.”
“Well, baby sister, I hope
you’re planning on handing out an apology.” stated Nick firmly.
Walking over, she kissed
both her brothers’ cheeks. “I plan on
doing just that, big brother.”
Audra headed to the corral
and climbed up to sit on the top rail.
Sitting quietly in the sunshine, she watched the two friends put the
horse through it’s paces. Sonja walked
over and stepped up to watch with her sister-in-law. Heath glanced over and waved to the two women. Dismounting, Sue followed Heath over to the
fence.
“You ready to leave for
town, darlin’?” drawled Heath kissing his wife’s cheek.
“I am cowboy. That is, if you can tear yourself away.”
smiled Sonja with a wink.
Sue teased, “I don’t know
Sonja. I think the chance of spending
some time with Amigo and I will make Heath’s decision difficult.”
Heath nodded, “Gee, my
friend and a horse or spending the afternoon with my beautiful wife? Boy howdy, I gotta think on that one.”
The women laughed at the
blond man and Sue pushed him playfully to the gate of the corral. Heath held the gate open for Sue and
Amigo. Tying him to the rail, she waved
to the departing couple. Audra walked
over and rubbed Amigo’s neck.
“Sue, I wanted to
apologize for what I said Friday night.
It was uncalled for and insensitive.”
Sue said, “Funny, I don’t
recall what you’re speaking about, Audra.”
Hugging Sue, Audra smiled,
“You’re my favorite sister-in-law!”
Returning the hug, Sue
chuckled, “Your favorite sister-in-law at the moment, you mean, is going to her
ranch. Care to join me?”
“Love to!” exclaimed Audra
heading to the barn to saddle her horse.
Nick walking towards the
corral grinned at the hugs the two exchanged.
Greeting his wife with a kiss, he smiled, ”Everything okay between you
two?”
“It’s fine, honey. Audra and I are going riding. Charity wants to show me some baby clothes
her parents sent.” replied Sue
Nick said, “Maybe I should
go with you. Ramona and her brother
are still out there somewhere.”
Sighing, Sue rubbed
Amigo’s nose, “Yeah, I know. If you
want to come you can, but I thought you were going to check out that bull the
Millers wanted to sell. If you come with us, you’ll have to backtrack quite a
ways.”
Pulling her into his arms,
he smiled, “You are more important to me than a bull.”
“Well, that’s nice to
know.” teased Sue. “How about if I see
if one of the men will ride with us, okay?”
“I’d feel better, Sue.”
agreed Nick. “I’ll ask them.”
Nick hurried to the
bunkhouse as Audra lead her pony out of the barn. The women waited and saw Duke coming out of the bunkhouse with
Nick. Walking over, Nick gestured to
the foreman who had entered the barn.
“Duke said he wanted to
see those new spreader dams Jack told him about.” smiled Nick. Kissing his wife, he whispered, “See you
later, honey.”
“You can count on it,
Barkley.” smiled Sue mounting Amigo.
Audra, Duke and Sue headed
north to the Weston ranch while Nick turned Coco south towards the Miller
ranch. The three watching the ranch
grinned at each other and headed towards their horses.
“This is gonna be so much
fun.” smiled Ramona.
Fingering the small
garment, Sue whispered in wonderment, “The clothes are so small. I can’t believe how tiny they are.”
Sue held up the pink gown
and smiled, “What if it’s a boy, Charity?”
Charity smiled, “I guess
we’d have to save it for the next baby, then.”
“Charity, do you want a
boy or a girl?” asked Audra.
“I don’t care what we have
as long as the baby’s healthy.” said Charity watching the wistfulness on her
friend’s face as she held each garment in her hands and examined them before
handing them to Audra. “Suzanne, is
something wrong?”
“No, I’m just surprised at
the size of the clothes. They could fit
a doll.”
Laughing Charity squeezed
her hand, “I know I’m going to be glad the baby’s small when it’s born.”
Blushing, Sue stammered,
“Charity!”
Audra chuckled and
repacked the last of the clothes. “I’ll
have to see if Mother has any baby clothes you can use. When we get back to the ranch, let’s check
the attic, Sue.”
“Good idea, Audra. We’d best get going if we want to get back
in time to help with lunch.” replied Sue giving Charity a hug and kiss. “I’ll see you tomorrow before I head out
with the guys.”
Walking them to the door,
Charity waved as the three riders headed back to the Barkley ranch. Duke and Sue spoke about the improvements
she and her crew had made on the ranch over the past three years. Glancing over at his boss’ wife, Duke
grabbed her arm when she paled and swayed in the saddle. Audra leaned over and grabbed Amigo’s bridle
stopping the horse.
“Sue, you okay?” asked
Duke receiving a hesitant nod to his answer.
Closing her eyes, she fought to quell the dizziness and nausea that
suddenly came over her. Feeling Duke’s
hands around her waist, she let the reins fall as he took her out of the saddle
and set her on the ground.
“I’m okay.” whispered Sue
opening her eyes.
Opening the lid on his
canteen, she took a sip of the cool water and handed it back. Audra held the reins of the horses and knelt
beside them, “Maybe we should go to town and see Dr. Merar.”
“I’m okay, really.” stated
Sue with a small smile. “I just didn’t
have enough to eat this morning. I
wasn’t all that hungry.”
Frowning, Duke snorted,
“If anything happens to you when you’re with me, Nick’ll have me mucking out
stalls for a month.”
Chuckling, Sue replied,
“Can’t have the foreman of the great Barkley ranch doing that, can we Audra?”
“No, we sure can’t.”
agreed Audra watching Duke help a shaky Sue to her feet. “Are you sure we shouldn’t just see Dr.
Merar?”
“No. I’ve had enough of doctors to last me a
lifetime.” replied Sue climbing back on Amigo.
“I’m fine, let’s go home.”
Topping the small hill
overlooking the ranch yard, Sue wondered out loud at the people gathered
around, “Let’s see what’s going on.”
Galloping the remainder of
the way, the three dismounted and Duke took the women’s horses. Walking over, they stopped by Heath and
Jarrod. Sue unable to determine the
look on their faces, teased, “What’s wrong someone steal your horses?”
Heath shook his head and
held onto her shoulders, “No, someone stole your husband.”
Continued in
Part 2