Texas Trouble

Chapters 39-51, Epilogue

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.

Chapter 39

Pulling up in front of the office of Dr. Merar, Heath dismounted and tied Charger’s reins to a hitching post, glancing over at his brother who was still mounted.

“I’m just gonna check and see if that seed we ordered is in.” smiled Nick, nudging Coco into moving into a lope down the street.

“Hey, wait a minute! You’re the one who broke the wall!” shouted Heath at his brother’s retreating back while he stood in disbelief before shaking his head and taking off his saddlebags. Climbing the steps, the door was opened before he had a chance to knock and Helen Merar smiled widely.

“Heath, how wonderful to see you!”

Taking off his hat, Heath drawled, “Morning, Mrs. Merar. I came to fix the wall.”

Puzzled, Helen stood back and allowed the blonde entry leading him to the back room, “Howard, dear, Heath’s here to fix a wall.”

“Oh, good. Come in, son. Come in.” smiled Howard waving the man studying them both into the room before he smiled and ushered his wife out of the room.

Heath’s eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms as he studied the walls in the room. “Which room is it, doc?”

“Huh?” asked Howard before pointing to a chair. “Nick fixed it a couple days ago.”

“WHAT?” roared Heath, heading to the door. “Why that lousy, no good…”

“Now, Heath, calm down.” said Howard grabbing onto his arm as he passed. “Please, it’s important we talk.”

“Doc, I already told ya’ no more doctors!” gruffed Heath pulling away and moving to lean against the wall, blonde face scowling darkly. “My eyes are getting better, things are clear and not fuzzy. The only thing bothers me is the sun when it’s at its highest and brightest.”

Nodding, Howard sat on the edge of his desk and replied, “That is wonderful news, Heath, probably the best I’ve heard all month. I wouldn’t be doing my job as your physician if we didn’t talk again about seeing a specialist. Your family only wants what’s best for you.”

Looking up at the ceiling, Heath let out a loud sigh and grumbled, “Boy howdy, those Barkleys are sneaky.”

Chuckling, Howard smiled, “Only when it comes to the welfare of a stubborn son and brother, Heath. Believe me when I say you give your brothers a run for their money in that department.”

Flashing a grin despite himself, Heath walked over to sit in the chair by the physician’s desk, putting his hat on his bent knee and sighed, “Alright, doc. You got five minutes.”

As if on cue, a knock sounded on the door and Hiriam entered, his brown eyes laughing at the loud groan from his grandson. “Not fair calling in the big guns, doc!”

Nick sat in the room, anxious and waiting for the men to leave the office of the physician. Nervous about Heath’s reaction for the hidden agenda of the family on this morning trip. Twirling his hat in his gloved hands, the rancher took several breaths to fight the urge to pace the room, losing the battle against his pent-up energy and jumping up to his feet. Spurs jiggled while his long steps quickly made short work of the room’s length before turning around and heading back.

“Bye, doc. Grandfather, I’ll see you tomorrow.” stated Heath’s voice from the hallway before Nick saw him.

Walking into the waiting room, Heath growled at his dark haired brother, striding past and out the door. Nick followed in a rush and mounted Coco, turning to chase after the blonde.

“HEATH!” called Nick quickly catching up to the cantering stallion. “It wasn’t my idea, little brother! So, what’d you decide?”

Glancing sideways, Heath speared his brother with angry eyes before turning his attention back to look over Charger’s head. Nick sank down into the saddle and sighed, wondering if the rest of the day was to be as chilly as the last few minutes were. Heath bit the inside of his cheek to keep the smile off his face at the pitiful look on Nick. He enjoyed torturing Nick whenever he could, the man was firmly in his heart and Heath knew he could never stay mad at his older brother, his heart wouldn’t allow it.

Pulling up suddenly after Heath’d chosen to leave the road and cut cross the lower section of Barkley land to get home, Nick stood in his stirrups and stared. Heath stopped and followed Nick’s stare to a thin wisp of smoke climbing in the air, the sound of cattle reaching them while the brothers snuck up and spied down into the small glen.

“What the?” muttered Nick. “Nobody’s working this area today. Let’s go see what those men think they’re doing.”

Heading back to their horses, Heath unlooped the thong from his pistol and said, “Nick, give me five minutes and I’ll circle round to the rocks on the other side. Give me your rifle.”

Pulling out the Winchester, Nick handed it to his little brother, the rifle still in his grip when the blonde pulled on it. “Square?”

“Yeah, you are.” grinned Heath with a wink, before turning Charger and following a gully around to the left. Tying the stallion to a tree, the ex-lawman climbed between the rocks closest to the three men helping themselves to a small herd of Barkley beef, rebranding the cattle with a cinchring.

Nick took a deep breath and climbed the small hill, Heath smiled when his brother put the rising sun behind his back, giving the rancher an edge over the men on the ground who would have to squint to keep their focus on him.

“I don’t remember selling those cattle to you!” stated Nick loudly, the men reaching for their guns, stopping at the sound of the cocking of a gun behind them.

“Not a good idea.” called Heath holding the Winchester on the three, keeping them away from their guns. “Put your hands on your head. NOW!”

The three rustlers moved their hands up to back of their heads, standing feet apart and Nick started walking down the hill. Running his sapphire eyes around the campsite quickly, Heath suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine and yelled out, “NICK, WHERE’S THE FOURTH ONE?”

A movement out of the corner of his eye to the left caused Heath to turn away from the men on the ground, the bullet whizzed by him and the sounds of shooting on the ground filled the air. A man lunged towards him and Heath fired, the rushing man twitched with the impact of the bullet and propelled the blonde backwards. The two rolling down the hill together. Heath’s head glanced off a rock and he lay still, dust stirred up in the air around them.

Chapter 40

“NICK, WHERE’S THE FOURTH ONE?”

The shout startled Nick and his eyes wavered for a second, his gut lurched when he realized his mistake and dove to the left, reaching for his gun at the same time. For a brief flicker of time, Nick felt a sense of pride at his quick movement. He was almost as quick as his blonde brother and his gun bucked in his hand, two men taken down and then his body burned with agony and turned from the red hot poker thrust into it, his eyes finding the third man, his finger squeezing the trigger sending the third rustler to his fate.

Holding his hand against his side, Nick fell forward onto his knees, the sound of rolling rocks turned his eyes upwards and he watched Heath and another man falling down the hill. He could feel the stickiness in between his fingers and he couldn’t stop the moan from leaving his mouth from the radiating pain.

“Heath” called Nick, when his brother lay still on the bottom of the hill, the effort of raising his voice stealing some of his strength which was rapidly dwindling. Struggling to his feet, the physically strong man took three steps, walking like a drunkard and fell forward onto his knees once again. Opening his mouth to call for his brother, Nick didn’t realize his eyes rolled to the back of his head and the ground met him with a hard impact.

Only the bawling of cattle and the whinny of a horse sounded in the small hidden glen on the lower section of Barkley land. Uncaring of the land it was about to scorch and sear with it’s ray, the sun rose higher and the warmth on the back of his shirt stirred one of the men into moving slightly. Long fingers reached and held onto the blonde head, bleeding from a cut. Groaning and shakily pushing himself upwards, Heath fought for a moment to realize what’d happened. Sapphire eyes flew open and he turned on his knees, his eyes finding the still body of his brother and he stumbled forward in a half walk, half crawl to the larger man’s side.

“NICK!” called Heath, his stomach turning at the blood soaking the ground beneath the nonmoving body, his hands turning Nick onto his back, feeling for breath. Tearing off his bandanna, Heath opened the dark shirt and cursed at the round bullet hole, turning and sighing at the exit wound on the back. Putting Nick back onto the ground, he saw a canteen and stumbled over towards it bringing it back along with a half empty bottle of whiskey.

Pouring the water onto the wound, Heath cleaned the area as much as possible before dousing it with the dark colored alcohol. Blood was slowly seeping out of the wound and the blonde’s hand trembled while he balled up the blue cloth, soaked it with the whiskey and pushed into the opening. His fear rose higher when his brother didn’t make a sound when the cloth was forced into the wound, the blonde knew the burning the liquid caused when it met an open wound. Taking the bandanna off Nick, he wet the black cloth and forced it into the larger exit wound, his stomach repulsing at the damage.

Running his hand over the once healthy looking face, Heath shook the remaining cobwebs out of his head and yanked his shirt from his pants. Taking the knife from his boot, he cut the lower section of his shirt and used it to tie the plugs in place.

“Sorry, Nick. It’s all my fault.” whispered Heath as he desperately worked, not liking the amount of precious liquid which already escaped from the wounds. “I shoulda seen the other horse. Dammit!”

Leaning over the pale face, Heath blinked back his tears and choked out, “You’re gonna be okay, Nick. I’ll be right back, big brother.”

Climbing the hill, Heath ran his arm over his eyes, his heart pounding when he reached Charger, mounting and riding back to the makeshift campsite. Jumping down, leaving reins hanging, he knelt beside Nick again, checking his pulse and frowning at its quickness. Sweat was beading up on his forehead beneath the dark hair and Heath wiped it away with his hand, he could feel the fever building in his brother as he grabbed him under the arms and dragged him over to Charger.

The red stallion snorted and shied away from the smell of blood, stopping at the soft murmurs from his master who slowly calmed the large animal down.

“Steady. That’s it, boy. Steady now.”

The sound of a hammer being pulled back stopped Heath and he turned, pulling his gun at the same time, his bullet finding it’s mark but not before the other got off a shot. Charger bolted and his long stride ate up the ground, the heart of the large animal thundering from the bolt of pain which creased his hind quarters and sent fear into him, sending the horse in a panic away from his master.

Heath held the gun in his hand walking towards the fourth man who lay with a bullet between his eyes. Turning the blonde groaned at the sight of the fleeing horse and then cursed himself before making sure the other three men weren’t alive. Glancing at his pocketwatch, Heath swallowed the lump in his throat. At least an hour to the ranch, two back to town and the shining sun was starting to wake the pain in his head. Cursing himself again when he realized his eye protection was in his saddlebags on the back of his running horse. Two mistakes in one day may have just caused his brother’s death.

Checking Nick once more, Heath turned and climbed the hill finding Coco and riding the mount back to his brother. Tying the brown horse to a nearby tree, Heath grabbed the canteen and a cloth from the saddlebags, knelt by Nick and held the metal container up to his brother’s lips.

“Nick! NICK!” shouted Heath hoping to rouse the unconscious man, knowing Nick needed liquid to replace what he’d lost. The larger man didn’t stir from the shouts in his ear and Heath lay his head down gently, squinting against the pain in his head and wetting the cloth, squeezing it to put some drops of water in his brother’s mouth, caressing his throat to induce swallowing. He repeated the treatment for five minutes satisfied when he’d been able to get some moisture into the man now sweating bullets and shivering.

Replacing the cap on the canteen, Heath pulled Nick to a sitting position and put him over his shoulder, using strong legs to push himself upwards and struggled under Nick’s dead weight to Coco.

Laying Nick beside Coco, Heath grabbed the bridle and clucked while tugging downwards, “Down.” The brown horse remembered the command taught to him and he knelt in response. Heath let out a shaky breath for the small victory, picking up Nick and holding him in place on the saddle with one hand and tugging upwards on the bridle. “Up.”

Waiting til Coco was back on his feet, Heath held the reins, mounted and pulled his brother back against his chest, arms holding Nick in place, his head resting on the top of his shoulder. Nick’s breath brushed his neck and Heath nudged the horse forward, pulling his hat lower and gritting his teeth against the now full blown headache.

His stomach was revolting from the pain in his head and his boisterous brother who lay silent against him, trembling in the grips of infected fever, colorless from blood loss.

Chapter 41

“Mother, did Nick say he and Heath were going to spend the noon hour in town?” asked Jarrod, concerned at the brightness outside and the two siblings who’d left hours ago.

Shaking her head, Victoria suggested, “No, but perhaps they decided to have lunch with Hiriam after the appointment with Howard.”

Sitting behind the desk in the study, the eldest son couldn’t shake off the feeling of urgency, the little voice which whispered in his ear. He found he lacked the concentration to examine the reports before him, his orderly legal mind was jumbled and messy. Closing the file, he smiled at his mother as she left the room, her own apprehension shown in the way she kept checking the windows, waiting for two sons to arrive home.

Looking across the desk and staring at nothing, Jarrod shivered remembering the great depth of pain a bright light caused Heath. Ever since he and Nick held the blonde down for the torturous examination with a mere candle, Jarrod found he’d become almost fanatical with ensuring his younger brother was in from the light which caused him great pain.

Sighing to himself, Jarrod shook his head. Nick would make sure Heath wasn’t subjected to any overly bright lights. His strong brother had a mother hen compulsion as great as his own when it came to their younger siblings and with Heath, Nick was atop the pecking order in his desire to protect the man who came to them later in life and was his partner on the ranch.

Checking his pocket watch, Jarrod pushed back the chair and left the study, seeking the dining room where lunch would be served in a few minutes. A knock on the oak door of the mansion diverted him and he greeted Scotty who stood on the other side.

“Mr. Barkley, Charger just came in riderless.” stated the hand, his anxiety showing on his face.

Jarrod hurried out where Duke was examining the red stallion motioning to Jake. “Duke, what is it?”

“A crease on his backside. No blood anywhere else.” said Duke pointing the angry red mark out to the attorney who barked out orders before he ran back into the house.

“Get my horse and let’s see if we can backtrail him. Someone get Dr. Merar just in case and the sheriff!”

Victoria and Audra stood in the doorway after hearing of the riderless horse, holding onto one another as the quiet ranch yard turned into a mass of horses and riders. Jarrod came out of the mansion buckling his gunbelt and stood on the porch, turning as he wrapped the rawhide string around his thigh.

“I’m sure they’re fine, Mother. Don’t worry.” stated Jarrod, his eyes belaying his true feelings of worry.

“I’ll have everything ready just in case.” replied Victoria with a nod, before adding. “Bring them home, Jarrod.”

“Yes, Mother.” assured the eldest, grabbing his reins and mounting.

The riders split into several groups and Jarrod rode beside their trusted foreman. The women watched the riders leave before closing the door and hurried to ready the medical supplies, not sure of what to expect but prepared for any eventuality, praying the bandages, needle and thread would not be necessary.

The Greeks called it Helios and the Romans called it Sol.

Heath Thomson was calling it everything but the Sun as it beat down from it’s place high in the blue sky. As the light sent skewers of pain throughout his head, the man who relished being outdoors more than anything else found he was praying for an eclipse, a long shot, any haven from its rays.

The rays reached down baking the ground underneath Coco’s hooves. The rays had the ability to bring a plant up from seed when it was combined with water and the rays had the ability to turn an area lush with green into a barren land of brown. The round object in the sky was powerful. It was an object with no feelings, no realization of what impact it had on the two riders slowly making their way west.

Heath struggled to hold his injured brother with his strong arms and he struggled to keep his eyes shadowed by his hat brim. The blonde had started out at a cantor but the gait of the horse increased the explosion in his head and he’d been forced to reduce Coco’s pace to a fast walk.

The younger man was consumed by fear, afraid he’d lose hold of his brother, the man whose life he’d jeopardized with carelessness and now must save. The brutal insurgence of pain was decreasing his ability to function with cohesive thoughts. He spoke to the man in his arms, hoping he’d wake from where he was, hoping Nick would use his voice as a beacon in his darkness.

Stopping again when he could no longer shove down the nausea, the two men were almost toppled from the saddle when the blonde was shaken severely by the expulsion of his stomach contents and the dry heaves which followed while he leaned over to the side.

Grabbing onto the black shirt, Heath pulled and stopped the sideways slide of his unaware brother, pulling Nick back upwards into the saddle. The smell of sickness coupled with the smell of blood was working against the blonde and he wiped a sleeve across his face, holding it over his eyes trying to cut as much of the light as he could, seeking to find a small measure of relief.

Lowering his arm, he cupped the cheek of his pale brother, grateful for the feel of his breaths on his neck but horrified by the hot skin he felt beneath his fingers and he pleaded, “Hold on. Please, Nick.”

His hand shook as he took up the reins, his desire to get his brother help the thing he tired to focus on, the stark pain in his head weakening him from the blinding bursts. Lowering his head, he nudged Coco into moving, the seconds seemed to crawl as if they were hours.

Heath kept his left arm firmly locked around Nick’s waist, the fingers jutting out from his cast were tucked into the wide belt on the black jeans. The silver belt buckle seared the skin on the inside of his arm, the metal becoming hot to the touch from the sun. The muscles in his arm protested from the tight hold but Heath knew it would be nothing compared to the insurmountable pain all would suffer if he didn’t get his brother to help in time.

His sapphire eyes squinted into mere slits was the only way he had to decrease the amount of incoming light into the pupils which were not responding in the manner they should. Dr. Merar had said his eyes allowed an abundance of light in and caused the blinding torture.

Heath could feel his eyelids droop, the pain becoming too great to bear and he shook his head, the movement not lessening the stabs of needles, only clearing a small amount of cobwebs. Clenching his jaw, the blonde shook his head against the horizon wavering and showing him a repeat mirage of riders. The heat sizzling on the earth liked to create a picture of false hope and he nudged Coco forward.

Like the whirlwind of the tornado in Texas which caused the problem to his eyes, the world spun out of control and the blonde fought to stop the dizziness, fought to stop the rushing sounds in his ears. The ranch was no more than a mile away as the crow flies and to pass out would mean death to the man held in his arms.

Holding his hand over his eyes, Heath struggled against the darkness moving in from the fringes of his vision, creeping up slowly like a prickly vine in the forest, Coco had stopped at the falling leather reins and his ears twitched, the equine the only one who heard the whispered begging.

“No…no…almost…home…Nick...forgive…mmm.”

Chapter 42

The men may have missed what they sought, they may have missed the two they searched for if not for the bright rays of the sun shining down and glistening off a metal object. It glistened off metal where no metal should be, where only grass covered the ground. The flash of light captured by one’s peripheral vision.

Scotty alerted his bosses and as one the three men turned their eyes towards the opening between two small hills. The men stared at the horse standing still as its two riders swayed and landed in a heap on the ground. Jarrod, Duke and Scotty galloped towards the horse previously riding double.

Jarrod flew off Jingo, his feet running and he slid to a stop on his knees beside his brothers with Duke and Scotty following slightly behind. Heath’s arms held onto Nick whose shirt was stained with blood, his body trembling and covered with a sheen of sweat. Nick lay on top of his smaller brother, the blonde’s body cushioning their fall from the horse. Unhooking the long fingers from Nick’s belt, Jarrod pulled Heath’s arm away, noticing the burned pattern in his arm from the large silver buckle he’d given Nick on his last birthday.

Duke and Scotty moved Nick, the blonde not stirring when the weight was lifted, his face stained with red from the cut over his eye, his left arm stained with blood, his face was pale and the smell of sickness wafted up to the men.

“Nick’s bad, Duke.” sighed Jarrod looking up into the concerned eyes of the men as they examined Heath. “He’s got a wound in his side. What about Heath?”

“There’s a crease on his left arm which bled some and a cut on his head.” stated Duke, patting the blonde’s cheek while calling his name as Scotty helped Jarrod put Nick on Jingo before the lawyer climbed up behind and held onto the injured man. “I can’t get him to wake up, Jarrod.”

“Cover his eyes, Duke. It’s the brightness of the sun.” informed Jarrod his voice filled with tension and worry. “We have to hurry and get them both home.”

Scotty took off his bandanna and wrapped it around Heath’s head, the two men lifting Heath between them, putting the blonde on Scotty’s horse. Climbing up behind his boss, Scotty held firmly onto him and nodded he was ready. Duke grabbed Coco’s reins and rode behind the men as they turned and pointed the horses home.

The ride in reality took no more than five minutes, however, to the brother whose mistress was the law it seemed to take a lifetime. It seemed in the last five minutes, Nick’s temperature climbed even higher if that was at all possible and along with each greater notch of heat, Jarrod’s fear rose in tune.

Glancing sideways at his blonde brother, Jarrod’s stomach turned queasy when he thought of the pain Heath’d endured to bring Nick to the ranch in the brightness of the day. The pain from a candle would be no match for the light sent into the sapphire eyes from the ball of orange in the sky. Shaking his head, Jarrod placed a kiss on the sizzling forehead of his brother and frowned with anger at the condition of his two brothers.

How had a day where the beginning was loaded with laughter and love, turned into a day filled with fear? What could have happened to cause such a dramatic turn in their lives? Where had the Barkley luck been this morning? What would the end of the day or the next morning bring? Life for both or death for one?

Entering the yard, the men stopped in front of the mansion where Victoria and Audra stood in the open door. Jarrod lowered Nick into Duke’s arms and dismounted, the two men quickly carrying the fever ridden man upstairs at the Barkley matriarch’s command, directly into the tub of the water closet, carefully relieving the large man of his garments, placing him in the cool water, seeking to lower the scalding temperature.

Audra waited while Scotty lowered Heath into Ciego’s arms, the blonde limp and boneless. Leading them into his bedroom, they carefully laid the marshal boss on his bed, propped up with pillows. Ciego departed leaving Scotty behind to assist the daughter.

“Scotty, help me get his shirt off.” said Audra working the knot on the bandanna and freeing Heath’s face of the cloth. Swallowing the lump in her throat, her hands trembled as they wet a cloth in the basin and together the two washed the blood from Heath’s face and arm.

“Don’t look too bad, Miss Audra.” assured Scotty as he examined the cut and bruise on the forehead. “Probably just need a couple stitches is all.”

Looking up, Audra’s blue eyes were filled with fear, her fingers brushed over her brother’s cheek and admitted quietly, “That’s good but It’s not his forehead and arm I’m worried about.”

Scotty offered a slight smile of reassurance before handing a container of salve to the concerned girl who liberally applied it to the sight on Heath’s inner arm where the buckle left a red blistered wound. The ranch crew were aware of the effect of light on their light haired boss’ eyes since he’d regained his sight after returning from Texas. The marshal boss would poke fun at himself and the men looked on with amusement each time Nick called him, ‘The Count’. The brotherly teasing accepted by the blonde with a smirk and a wink, refusing to rise to the obvious baiting.

Even though their boss was forced to spend part of the day out of the bright sun’s rays, the crew was glad to have the blonde back working with them on a daily basis. His work hours reduced but not the amount of work their boss completed in the time he was allowed outside. The crew was hard put to keep up with the energetic and hard-working blonde, the men relishing the return of the day when both bosses toiled with them all day long.

“Miss Audra, do you need me for anything else?” questioned Scotty quietly watching the blonde lost in her thoughts as she held the hand of her brother.

Looking up, Audra smiled and shook her head, “Thank you, Scotty. I think I have it under control for now.”

Nodding, Scotty left the room stopping in the doorway as Jarrod and Duke carried a water logged Nick past to the room next to Heath’s. Stepping into the doorway, the hand quietly updated the other two family members on Heath. Victoria and Jarrod voiced their appreciation before the two men left the mansion, silent and concerned deeply for their two bosses.

“Jarrod, cover Nick with that sheet.” said Victoria pointing to the bedside table, studying the red angry wound on her son’s left side. The heat was still pouring of his large body, the feel of his forehead seemed a tad bit cooler than before. Covering his brother up to the waist with the sheet, Jarrod leaned over the bed with his hands beside Nick.

“Mother, what can we do?” inquired Jarrod anxiously.

Standing, Victoria sighed and looked over into her first born’s sons worry filled eyes, “All we can do is try to keep his fever from rising, Jarrod. Howard will have to confirm it, but I think Nick is bleeding internally.”

“Oh my god.” whispered Jarrod his tearing eyes seeing the bruising his mother pointed out on the lean frame, his hands trembled uncontrollably as he wrang out the cloth before handing it to his mother.

Taking hold of her son’s trembling hands, Mother and son shared a moment of strength before turning to the matter at hand, keeping Nick from the hands of death.

Chapter 43

“Jarrod, will you check on Audra and see if she needs any help with Heath?” asked Victoria, wringing out wet cloths and placing them in strategic spots on her son’s body.

“Yes, Mother.” acknowledged Jarrod, reluctant and fearful of leaving the room but knowing his Mother would not leave Nick’s side until the physician arrived.

Walking to the next room, Jarrod entered through the open door, the interior of the room in shadows from the drawn heavy curtains and a lamp in the corner which barely gave off any light. Audra was sitting beside the bed holding Heath’s hand and glanced up at the soft footfalls.

“He hasn’t woken yet, Jarrod.” whispered Audra, her eyes unnaturally wide in her face. “How’s Nick? Is he alright?”

Kneeling next to her chair, Jarrod brushed back a loose lock of hair and sighed, “He has a high fever from a bullet wound in his side. Mother’s using wet cloths try to bring it down.”

Closing her eyes briefly in prayer, a tear sneaked out from her thick lashes and Jarrod wiped it away, his touch soft on her cheek. “Don’t cry, honey.”

“I’m sorry.” whispered Audra, her eyes brimming with tears. “In just a few hours, everything’s changed. It’s just seems like a nightmare.”

Wrapping his arms around her, Jarrod stroked the blonde mane and held his sister while sobs shook her small frame. Several minutes passed before the blonde could gain control of her fears and cries. Wiping her eyes, she shook her head and smiled into the concerned blue eyes of her oldest brother.

“I’m okay, Jarrod.” assured Audra softly. “You’d better see if Mother needs your help.”

Proud of the young woman grown out of the spoiled child, Jarrod placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and cupped her cheek in his palm. “You’ve grown up so fast, Audra. It’s hard to imagine you are the same little girl who used to trip over her feet chasing us when we ruined the tea party with her dolls. I’m proud of you.”

Laughing slightly, Audra placed a kiss on his cheek before sighing, “Thanks, Jarrod. Sometimes its hard to be grown up though. I’ll admit right now I wish I was that little girl and didn’t know what was happening.”

Nodding, Jarrod caressed her cheek once more before standing and admitting, “Me too, honey.”

Audra watched her older brother leave before turning back to take up the strong hand of Heath, her face darkening with a frown at the deep worry she’d seen in Jarrod’s eyes. Hearing Dr. Merar in the hallway, Audra jumped to her feet, not seeing the blonde’s eyes move under their lids as she made her way to the room next door.

Howard calmly listened to Victoria and quickly examined Nick, his head snapping up and looking at Jarrod. “Nick needs blood right away. Jarrod, sit over there.”

Taking a seat in the chair, Jarrod rolled up his sleeve watching the physician remove the tubing and needles, speaking as he hooked up the devise. Audra wrapped an arm around her mother’s waist, frightened at the rapid movements of the healer.

“Your assumption was correct, Victoria. It’s his spleen. The bullet must have hit it on its way through and he’s losing blood inside. If we don’t get it out, we’ll lose him for sure.” explained Howard. “I’ll need hot water and more light.”

The women rushed to get the items needed. Jarrod watched the flow of red through the tubing and looked up in confusion when the physician clamped off the flow.

“I may need you to give Nick some more later.” said Howard quietly, turning as Victoria, Audra and Silas entered the room carrying the items needed. Silas turned and left the room, making his way downstairs to ensure there was plenty of water on the stove.

“Howard, what are Nick’s chances?” asked Victoria holding firmly onto the wooden foot board of the bed.

Shaking his head, Howard let out a deep breath, “If I was a betting man, I’d say eighty- twenty.”

“Eighty? That’s better than fifty-fifty.” sighed Audra in relief causing Howard to clear his throat and shake his head negatively.

“I’m sorry Audra. It’s a eighty percent Nick won’t last through the surgery.” replied Howard, his words and the bright lights causing the blonde male entering the doorway to gasp in pain, stagger back and fall to his knees, his hands over his eyes.

“HEATH!” called Jarrod unable to move from the tubing connected to his arm, his mother and sister rushing to the blonde’s side.

“Victoria, we have to do the surgery NOW!” insisted Howard firmly, causing the petite woman to look between her two sons in need. “I need your help, Victoria!”

“Heath, go back to your room with Audra. Please, sweetheart.” urged Victoria placing a kiss on his blonde hair before entering the room and closing the door.

The closed door cut off the bright light and still Heath didn’t move from his knees in the hallway, his hand over his eyes, his head bursting with blinding pain. Audra pulled on his arm unsuccessful in her attempt to get him to rise to his feet and move.

“Don’t!” whispered Heath through clenched teeth, moving away to sit indian style against the wall opposite the dark door, elbows on his knees holding his head.

Moving to kneel in front of him, Audra said calmly, “Heath, you need to be in bed. Let me help you. Please, Heath.”

Shaking his head, he bit back the moan which rose in his throat, the movement sending severe pain through him. Audra tentatively reached out and then stopped her hand, unsure if it would only upset him more.

Heath felt the bile rising in his throat, unsure if it was from the pain in his head or the pain in his heart. The understanding of the odds from the physician’s words, the knowledge of the dire condition of his brother sent the blonde struggling to his feet and staggering to the water closet.

Audra followed and stopped at the closed door, placing her forehead against the coolness of the wood, hearing the sounds of heaving inside. Moving away from the door, she leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her body seeking comfort and sending her prayers upwards.

Heath pulled the cord and the water swept away the foul contents. Stumbling to the sink, the blonde filled his hands with water and splashed his face several times, not daring to look in the mirror, not wanting to see his face. Reaching for a towel, his hand stopped and shook at the sight of the bloody shirt and pants thrown in the corner of the room. Lowering himself beside the discarded garments, the blonde held the black shirt in his clenched fist, his body shaking with the sobs he fought to stifle.

“God, I’m sorry, Nick. So sorry.” mumbled the former lawman over and over, his tears falling onto the garment. “Please don’t take him. Please.”

Chapter 44

Audra was unsure of how much time passed since Heath entered the water closet, her knocks on the door went unanswered and when she tried the brass knob, it wouldn’t turn. Her pleas through the door didn’t work and the girl sagged against the wall in frustration and fear.

The door to Nick’s room opened and Victoria peeked her head out, motioning to Audra. Rushing over, Audra took the basin filled with red water at her mother’s request.

“Howard’s finished with the surgery, Audra. Jarrod is giving Nick some more of his blood. Can you empty this for me?”

Nodding, Audra whispered, “Mother, Heath won’t come out of the water closet. He’s been in there the whole time. He locked the door and won’t answer. I’m really worried!”

Gray eyes moved to the closed door down the hallway and she nodded, “Thank you for keeping an eye on him. I’ll take care of it. When you come back up, I need you to sit with Nick, okay?”

Smiling slightly, Audra nodded and walked down the hallway carrying the basin to the kitchen. Victoria entered the room and studied the face of her dark haired son as he lay against the white pillows.

“He’s regaining color, Victoria. I’ll be staying the night. If we can get his fever under control, I’d feel a whole lot better.” stated Howard with a frown as he completed bandaging the surgery area before disconnecting the tubing from Jarrod’s arm.

“I’ll have one of the men send word to Helen.” stated the silver haired lady, then adding. “Howard, I need you to examine Heath also.”

Nodding, Howard offered, “I’ll be in his room shortly.”

Jarrod saw the frown on his mother’s face as he rolled down his sleeve, the transfusion complete and now it was up to Nick and the almighty above. “Mother, what’s wrong?”

“Audra says your brother has locked himself in the water closet.” informed Victoria with a sigh.

“He’s upset, Mother and I’m sure he must be hurting very badly from the sun in his eyes.”

“I may need your help, Jarrod.” stated Victoria. “I’m going to see if I can get him to open the door.”

Watching the small formidable lady leave the room, Howard shook his head and glanced over at Jarrod with a small smile, “I can’t make up my mind which one of you boys is more stubborn.”

Jarrod’s blue eyes sparkled and he nodded, “I think Heath may be but today I’d like it to be Nick who takes first place.”

Chuckling softly, Howard straightened and put his instruments on the silver tray to be cleaned. “Jarrod, if Nick’s wounds hadn’t been taken care of right away, he’d have bled to death long before he got to the ranch. If Heath hadn’t stayed out in the sun at the cost of his own torture and brought him home, well, Nick wouldn’t be here. He wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jarrod nodded before patting Howard on the shoulder and left the room, kneeling beside his mother who was talking through the door, first pleading and then demanding to be allowed entry.

Not getting anywhere with the man inside the room, Jarrod went down to the kitchen and returned with a hammer, reaching up and popping the hinges off the door. Victoria smiled remembering Tom doing the same thing when Audra locked herself in the room after she received a baby brother instead of a sister to play with. The disappointment had left the girl crying for days.

Moving the door aside, Jarrod and Victoria entered, kneeling beside the blonde who was propped up in the corner, eyes closed with his head resting against the cabinet and Nick’s shirt clenched in his hand. Jarrod shook Heath’s shoulder and his head lolled to the side, the evidence of shed tears clear for them to see on his pale face. Victoria caressed his cheek and looked into Jarrod’s eyes, the pain in his blue orbs matched the pain in her heart.

“I think he passed out again.” whispered Jarrod, turning his eyes back to the blonde. “I’ll carry him back to his room.”

Victoria helped Jarrod bring Heath to his feet, the eldest son closed his eyes for a moment to fight the dizziness from his contribution of blood. Victoria placed a hand on his arm and whispered, “We can get some of the men to carry Heath.”

“No, I want to do it, Mother.” stated Jarrod firmly taking a breath before picking up his younger brother and carrying him to his bedroom. Laying him on the bed, Jarrod took off his boots and sat in the chair while his mother covered Heath with a blanket, unclenching Nick’s shirt from his fist and placing a kiss on his hair.

“I’ll get Howard. You stay right in that chair, Jarrod.” ordered Victoria before leaving the room and returning with the physician.

He’d heard the roaring in his ears before, the sound of the ocean waves beating against the rocks, the white spray dancing up in the air from the collision of liquid against rock. The roaring was loud but it didn’t overcome the pain in his head. He heard a moan from somewhere and realized it must have come from his own body. The quiet moan from the bedside and the slow hand rising to the blonde head was stopped and held firmly between two larger ones.

“Heath.” called Jarrod squeezing his hand and waiting for the blonde to rouse closer to full awareness. Swallowing the lump in his throat, the attorney waited taking shaky breaths, knowing the exact moment when his younger brother became fully aware.

“I CAN’T SEE! NO! GOD, IT’S DARK AGAIN!” screamed Heath, his gasp for breaths rushing forth and the panic shooting up from deep inside him. His hands pulled against the strong ones holding him in a firm grip, his panic becoming full blown.

Releasing the hands at the terror filled shouts, Jarrod grabbed Heath’s shoulders and shook him. “HEATH, STOP IT! YOUR EYES ARE ONLY BANDAGED! HEATH!”

Victoria rushed into the room from Nick’s bedside where she’d been working with Audra and Howard on fighting his temperature from the poison the destroyed body part leaked into his body. Taking hold of the moving head on the bed in her firm hands, she ordered loudly, overriding his terror filled mind.

“HEATH, LISTEN TO MOTHER! CALM DOWN! HEATH! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!”

Trying to focus on the firm female voice calling to him, his body shook with the shock upon waking and he tried to obey her wishes, finding himself trapped in the black void, the place of his nightmares seemingly coming to life.

“Heath, that’s it, son.” soothed Victoria, caressing his cheek as he fought to shove down the panic. “Take some deep breaths. That’s it.”

Several minutes passed before the blonde was able to choke out his words, his fear stealing the strength in his words, “I deserve it…penance for what I’ve done.”

Confusion spread on Victoria’s face and she glanced at Jarrod who wasn’t able to offer any idea as to the meaning. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Victoria questioned him in a quiet voice, “Heath, what are you talking about?”

“I did it, ma’am. It’s all my fault.” whispered Heath pulling his cheek away from her touch.

Victoria frowned at the term ma’am and her mouth thinned into a hard line. Over the past few years, the only time her blonde son reverted back to ma’am was when he was in a vast turmoil of emotional torment, a torment so great it caused his gentle soul to wither. An emotional upheaval which always seemed to the blonde would cause the family to turn their backs on him, even though he knew they never would, his mind often would waylay him with unreal thoughts. Suddenly, she looked up at Jarrod and mouthed ‘Nick’.

Nodding his head, Jarrod sat on the edge of the bed and took hold of Heath’s right hand, not letting go when his younger brother pulled on it.

“Heath, what do you think is all your fault? Nick’s condition?” inquired Victoria, hearing a gasp of disbelief mixed with a sorrowful sound.

“Condition?” cried Heath suddenly, his head turning away, the picture in his mind not leaving, the picture of his future in darkness, in more ways than one. “How can you be so calm! He’s dead and I killed him!”

Jarrod shook his head and retorted loudly, “And you have the audacity to call Nick a twit brain, Brother Heath, wait til I tell him!”

“Nick’s alive, Heath. He’s not dead!” assured Victoria, her words turning his head back to her, the bandages around his eyes preventing him from searching her gray ones.

“Mother?” whispered Heath, his voice tentative and faltering. “I saw it. I’m sure I did.”

Caressing his cheek, Victoria reassured the shaken blonde who thought he’d lost his partner and best friend, “You must have been dreaming, Heath. Nick made it through surgery. Audra and Howard are with him in his room.”

Reaching up with the hand freed by Jarrod’s release of his grip, Heath squeezed his temples, the pain assaulting him as well as his stampeding thoughts. Running her fingers through his hair, Victoria sighed.

“Howard thought it best to keep your eyes covered because of how much light they were subjected to. He’s not sure what effect the additional trauma will have on them.”

“I wanna see him. I have to tell him.” whispered Heath pushing himself up onto one arm and swaying when dizziness forced his head to feel as if it were spinning. Jarrod grabbed onto his brother and gently lowered him back to the pillows.

“Heath, you’re in no condition right now.” stated Victoria firmly, before holding his face in her hands, adding softly. “Please rest for now, Heath. Nick’s feverish right now and he won’t hear you.”

“Please, I need to see him.” pleaded Heath, his words quivering as he reached up and squeezed one of the petite hands holding his face. “Please, Mother.”

Chapter 45

Moving her hand to cover the one clutching onto her, Victoria reassured her golden son, “Okay, Heath. Just for a few minutes then you need to rest. Promise?”

Letting out a shaky breath, Heath nodded and winced at the pain of the movement, then elected to voice his agreement instead. “Yes, Mother.”

“Jarrod will help you, Heath.” instructed Victoria placing a kiss on his head. “I’ll meet you in Nick’s room.”

Jarrod watched as his Mother left the room before helping his weak little brother to a sitting position, holding on to the swaying man when the vertigo struck. Waiting a few minutes, he helped Heath into a shirt and asked, “Heath, what happened today?”

“Rustlers. Down at Baker’s Glen.” sighed Heath, his fingers running through his hair. “We thought there was only three but there was a fourth man. I didn’t see his horse.”

Buttoning the blue shirt, the guilted tone of his brother’s voice cast a picture in the legal mind, a picture of an unknown factor which lead to his two brother’s condition. “I’ll have one of the men ride into town and let Fred know.”

“Yeah, he’ll need a statement from me and…” paused Heath, his hand trembling slightly. “and…from Nick as soon as he can give it.”

“Nick will give a statement, Heath.” said Jarrod firmly placing a strong hand on Heath’s shoulder. “Why were you two down there? I didn’t know you were planning on working that area this year.”

“It was my idea.” admitted Heath quietly. “I’m ready, Jarrod.”

Shaking his head at the obvious move from the conversation, Jarrod helped Heath to his feet, walking him to the room next door. Opening the door, he smiled slightly at his mother and sister when Heath stopped at the end of the bed, his hands feeling the top of the bed and he walked the distance he’d previously memorized to the head of the bed.

Moving his hand, Heath stopped and frowned at the heat soaring from his brother, the warmth brushing against his palm. His ears picked up the sounds of almost non-existent breaths, struggling from the throes of the fever and the weakness in the larger man’s body.

The others in the room watched as Heath saw with his hands instead of his wrapped eyes, his hands tenderly running over the dark hair drenched with sweat, down the once tanned cheeks, now pale and waxen. Leaning forward, Heath whispered into Nick’s ear, his shoulders shaking from the emotion running through him.

“Nick, you’d best fight. You hear me? Fight, Nick. Fight with everything you got. I need ya’ Nick. I’m sorry, big brother.”

Victoria held onto Jarrod’s arm and leaned into her first born for strength. The two men lost in their own darkness, were not complete without the other, lost without the other by their side, their bond though only three years old seemed as strong as the hardest metal, almost as if they’d been together since birth. The briefest flash of wondering how one would survive without the other brushed her thoughts and she angrily dismissed them.

She would not lose a son today!

Heath brushed the dark hair with his lips before feeling down the long arm and taking a scalding hand in his, squeezing it in his for a moment, his head bowed for several minutes. Exhaling a shaky sigh, the blonde suddenly felt as if he’d run a gauntlet, run a ten-mile race barefooted and he felt his body sway slightly.

Jarrod reached his younger brother’s side, putting Heath’s left arm over his shoulders and practically dragging him out of the room. Howard shook his head and followed the two men, entering the bedroom where Jarrod lay the blonde on his bed. Pouring a dose of laudanum, Howard administered the medication after having to threaten to send for the grown man’s mother.

Heath growled and took the foul tasting liquid, not wanting to be in a drugged sleep but not sure if he’d be able to stand up to his Mother’s wrath at the moment. The events of the day, the worry, the fear stealing his precious strength and he drifted off, his mind replaying the moment he’d seen his bloody brother on the ground, his mind torturing him by having sapphire eyes stare into non-seeing hazel eyes when he turned Nick onto his back.

Even in his drugged sleep, seeing dead eyes on his brother’s face sent great loss through him, his mumbling, his rants giving his caretakers a glimpse into the hellish world his mind could create.

Jarrod changed places with his Mother, the hour just past midnight and the family physician was catching some much needed sleep in the room across from Nick’s. Audra had retired to her room, her blue eyes full of concern as she placed a kiss on Nick’s sweaty cheek before leaving the room.

Weakness prevented him from opening his eyelids, his ears hearing the sound of his brother’s voice over the crackling of the flames all around him, engulfing his every being. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been overwhelmed by heat, seared by its tentacles licking at his skin. The low voice beckoned him to move towards it, the emotion quivering his brother’s words sending a wave of panic through him but the flames stopped his progress, they kept him prisoner, kept him surrounded.

The wall of flame was daunting in its viciousness but he could see the flames had stopped growing in height, a small bit of brightness in the area surrounded by darkness. Searching the ring of fire for an opening, he fell to his knees when more of his strength seeped from him. He grabbed at the air trying to hold onto it, he wouldn’t give up, he couldn’t. They needed him, he needed him.

He’d never quit anything in his life and he wasn’t about to start now. Pushing himself upwards, he took a deep breath and jumped through a small opening in the wall of flames.

Several hours passed and the first son kept up the diligent routine of placing wet rags around the fever ridden brother, his blue eyes blinking several times after he rechecked the forehead below the wild black hair. Blue eyes filled with grateful tears and Jarrod leaned over, his palm against the cool cheek.

“Welcome back, brother Nick.”

Chapter 46

Resting his eyes while he laid his head backwards, Jarrod startled at the sound coming from the bed. Rising to his feet, he carefully positioned himself beside his wakening brother, the man whose voice could be heard over three counties when riled was letting out small barely audible moans as the trauma to his body made itself known.

Brushing his fingers through the messy black hair, Jarrod waited, smiling at the shutters which slowly raised revealing the hazel eyes beneath them. Hazel eyes glassy with pain, filled with confusion.

“Hi, Nick.” greeted Jarrod softly, picking up one of the large hands and holding it tightly. “You scared ten years off me, Nick.”

Hazel eyes moved sluggishly in their sockets, his lips thinned out in a line against the pain and his mouth was as dry as the California desert. Jarrod reached over and grabbed the water glass from the bedside, placing it up to his brother’s mouth.

“Little sips.” ordered Jarrod, his voice barely above a low whisper. Hazel eyes closed in gratitude at the refreshing liquid running down his parched throat, his body tissues readily soaking in the moisture, begging for more of the life giving sustenance.

“Pap…what?” groaned Nick, worried at the lack of strength in his body, the power seemingly dissipated and left him without muscles. His side and stomach burned, the throbbing almost unbearable.

“You were shot by rustlers, Nick. Dr. Merar had to perform surgery.” explained Jarrod watching the hazel eyes slowly regain memory of the events. “He took out your spleen.”

The scene played before his eyes and he weakly squeezed the hand holding his, hazel eyes meeting light blue with a question and Jarrod smiled. “He’s resting. Heath brought you home.”

“Too…light.” choked Nick, agitated suddenly at the though, trying to push himself upwards.

Holding onto Nick’s shoulders, Jarrod applied minimal strength to push his brother’s upper body back onto the pillows, the rancher’s frustration grew at his lack of mobility.

“Nick, don’t move.” warned Jarrod with a firm shake of his head. “You’ll tear out doc’s handiwork and Mother’ll be upset.”

Taking a shaky breath, Nick eyes drooped at the energy expelled in his agitation, his concerns. Realizing, his body wasn’t up to reacting how he needed it, the hazel eyes filled with agony. “His…eyes?”

Jarrod hesitated before answering, a quick thought of not divulging the full truth flew through his head. It was only a fleeting thought, one he would never follow through on. Nick would expect no less than the truth and the attorney took a deep breath.

“Charger bolted when he was creased with a bullet with Heath’s dark eye glasses in the saddlebags. I’m not sure exactly what happened out there. Little brother isn’t elaborating much.” sighed Jarrod before adding, “Dr. Merar rebandaged his eyes again. He’s not sure if the light has done more damage to Heath’s eyes or not. He thought it best to keep his eyes covered and out of the light.”

“Should…wait..til…dark.” growled Nick weakly, his guilt showing in the depths of his hazel eyes. Heath brought him home in the brightness of the day and now his younger brother could lose his eyesight forever.

“Heath can see, Nick. We’ll take him to San Francisco to see the specialist.” stated Jarrod firmly. “You’d have done the same for him, Nick. If Heath had waited til the sun was down, you’d be dead. You’d have bled to death long before we found you two. If that happened, I don’t know if Heath would have ever survived the pain.”

The shutters closed over the hazel eyes, his mind racing quickly with what if’s. A single tear escaped from the corner of the closed eyes and Jarrod reached up, squeezing the broad shoulder and offering solace in his younger brother’s tormented awareness.

“I…thought…dead.” admitted Nick weakly, his fevered nightmares were filled with cold, dead sapphire eyes.

Chuckling softly, Jarrod smiled at the confusion in the hazel eyes. “How you two ever run the ranch together is beyond me? It always amazes me how you two think alike sometimes and other times, you’re on opposite sides of the globe. Heath thought he’d killed you, Nick.”

“My…fault.”

“Heath said it was his fault.” offered Jarrod, holding the glass of water to Nick’s mouth, thankful to the heavens above for the sips his brother was able to take. “You two are something else. You’re both twit brained.”

Hazel eyes narrowed and a spark of flame shot up in their depths, the flare-up not missed by the eldest brother and he laughed with pure delight, the anger in them a sight for his sore, tired blue eyes and it warmed his heart fully.

“Get some sleep, Nick. You can’t kick my butt now anyhow.” commanded Jarrod, his words bringing a small smile to the pale face. “You can see Heath later, little brother.”

“Love…ya…Pappy.” whispered Nick, his eyes closing and the sound of his breaths quickly filling the room. Jarrod ran his eyes over the face of his brother and placed the large hand back on the bed, bending over and placing a kiss on the cool forehead.

“I love you, brother Nick.” smiled Jarrod, wiping his hand over his face, discarding the tears of relief and happiness before pulling the blanket higher on Nick’s chest, past the white bandage covering his stomach.

Sitting back in the chair, he leaned his head back and stretched out his legs, his eyes studying the knotted wood of the beam across the ceiling relishing in the sounds of healing sleep instead of fevered delirium.

Chapter 47

Laying awake for several minutes, the blonde was relieved when his room was absent of the sounds of another’s presence. Unsure of what time it was, he pushed himself to a sitting position and carefully searched the bedside table for the clock there.

His long fingers ran over the wood casing and found the crystal covering. Tilting his head, he ran his fingers over the circular glass and opened the clear door. Feeling the position of the two metal hands, he found it to be almost five o’clock.

Listening carefully to his darkened world, he surmised it was morning from the lack of sounds in the ranch yard and mansion. Carefully placing the clock back, he took a breath and stood up, retaking tentative steps around his room, the measured diagram stored previously in his mind quickly coming back.

Taking shirt and pants from his dresser, he changed before pulling back his blonde hair and securing it with a band, the lop sided grin which spread across his face remembering Nick’s bone of contention with the hair length faded when he felt a knot twist his stomach. He’d come closer to losing a brother than he’d ever in his life. Nick had been closer to death’s door than Jarrod was after they found him when the Ling Tong kidnapped the esteemed attorney.

The thought of losing any member of the family who enveloped and surrounded him left his knees weak and shaky, his hands grabbed hold of the dresser and the blonde took several deep breaths to calm himself. His throat was constricted with emotion but he straightened and made his way to the door, opening it and stepping into the hallway. Turning to his left, Heath stopped at the door next to his, his ears not picking up any voices as he knocked softly before turning the knob and entering.

“Mr. Heath.” whispered Silas from his place by Nick’s bedside. “Yas can sit here.”

The sound of the floor creaking as the old man stood reached the blonde’s ears and he walked closer, a small ebony hand guiding the unseeing son to sit in the chair. “How is he, Mr. Silas?”

“He be fine, Mr. Heath.” smiled Silas. “Mr. Nick strong like da ox.”

Heath patted the hand on his arm and agreed, “He sure is, Mr. Silas. How are you?”

“Whys I’s fine, Mr. Heath. I’s jus takin’ peek at one of m’boys.” stated Silas. “I’s got ta get ta fixin’ vittl’s. Ya’s need ta rest too.”

Nodding, Heath heard the closing of the door and sat forward in the chair, his hand not quite reaching the bedside. Pulling the chair forward, he felt the covering on the bed and searched the area in front of him, fumbling and growing frustrated when he couldn’t find what he searched for.

Moving to sit carefully on the bed, Heath leaned forward unaware of the hazel eyes watching him, generating tears which glistened in the low lamp light as his brother searched for the hand which was raised over his head.

Heath slowly moved his right hand and felt his brother’s hair lightly, his fingers barely grazing the strong cheek before moving to his shoulder and down one of the muscular arms. Sighing with relief at the hand which he grasped in his, the shoulders of the blonde sagged with concern.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Nick reached over and placed his other hand over the blonde’s, teasing softly, “Boy…where...ya’…been.”

“Nick?” whispered Heath surprised at the voice greeting him, his ears picking up the pained tone, the weakness in the virile man.

“Who…else…it…be?” asked Nick, weakly squeezing the other’s hand. “I’m…sorry...Heath.”

Moving his hand up to the strong face, Heath frowned, “You got nothing to be sorry for, Nick.”

“Your…eyes.” stated Nick coughing slightly and moaning. Heath found the pitcher of water next to the bed and poured some, holding the glass in front of Nick and raising his head with the other hand.

Taking some sips of the water, Nick sighed in relief at the coolness, closing his eyes for a moment and letting the liquid take away his thirst, before smiling. “Thanks.”

“The eyes are my fault. I’m the one who should be apologizing. Not you.” said Heath, turning his head away and casting his bandaged eyes away from his older brother. “I didn’t see the fourth horse and I didn’t check to see if any of those rustlers were alive before I went and got the horses. Two mistakes in one day almost killed ya’, Nick. You did nothing wrong.”

Nick clenched his jaw against the flare-up of pain from the incision and wound, angry at the weakness in his body, angry at the blonde before him yet grateful for another chance in this life.

“Must…be…hard.” hissed Nick, his words moving the blonde’s face back towards him.

“What?” puzzled Heath, not sure of what the bear of the family was talking about. “What must be hard?”

“Being…perfect.” growled the bear weakly. “Must…be…hard...on...you.”

Turning crimson, Heath sat up straight on the bed and snorted, “Nobody’s perfect, Nick.”

Afraid the blonde would bolt from the room, Nick hold on and pulled weakly on the sleeve of the blue shirt, his words barely coming out, his body tired and exhausted, “That’s…right…just…a…man…like…me…like….Jarrod.”

Several minutes passed before Heath reached over and squeezed the large hand, holding it and moving to sit on the chair, ordering quietly. “Go to sleep, big brother. I know you’re hurting something fierce.”

Taking a shaky breath, Nick moved his hand to brush against the blonde hair and muttered before closing his eyes, “Boy…see…barber.”

Shaking his head, Heath smiled and leaned forward, his cheek against the hand he held, the sounds of deep breathing filling the room, filling his heart. The blonde was grateful for the sounds, grateful for this man and the others around him.

Aware of the fragility of life, the blonde sent a prayer upwards in thanks and he lay his head on his arm, holding on tightly, not wanting to let go of the hand of his brother, grateful for the future by his side.

Chapter 48

Laying his leather briefcase on the entry table, Jarrod placed his brown stetson beside his gunbelt and climbed the staircase, smiling at the two voices coming from within the room. Stopping in the doorway, he smirked when his presence startled Nick and the bedridden man jumped slightly, hitting the glass of water held in Heath’s hand, the water splashing out of the crystal.

“You trying to drown me?” growled Nick wiping a hand across his nightshirt. “Watch what you’re doing!”

Putting the crystal container on the table, Heath snapped before turning to leave, “I don’t like playing nursemaid so get your own damn water next time!”

Hazel eyes filled with apology as he grabbed onto the blue shirt, “Heath, I didn’t mean it. Please stay.”

Clenching his hands into fists, the hurt from the blurted out statement still stung the blonde and Nick stated sincerely, “You know I get grouchy when I’m laid up, little brother. Being stuck in this bed is just getting to me. Com’n, Heath.”

“I think it’s called foot in mouth disease, brother Heath.” offered Jarrod from the doorway, moving into the room, smiling at Nick’s glare. “I’m afraid we’ve never been able to find a cure for it. Lord knows, Mother has tried!”

Smiling slightly, Heath sat back in the chair, stating firmly, “If you ain’t careful, Nick, I’ll put my foot where you won’t like it!”

Jarrod burst out loudly, his laughter rang out through the upper floor while his eyes watched the changing face of his younger brother, disbelief to anger to humor. Hazel eyes filled with respect studied the blonde for several minutes, the tension in the non-seeing blonde palpable and Nick chuckled.

“Just wait til I’m outta this bed, boy!” warned Nick with a smile, the warmth in his voice taking away the threaten in the spoken words.

Heath shifted in the chair, waving his hands in front of him slightly and shrieking in a high voice, “Ohhh, I’m scared. Jarrod, ya’ gotta protect me from the big bad rancher! Ohhh!”

Laughing at the unexpected silliness from their younger brother, Jarrod wiped the tears from his crying eyes and Nick moaned, holding onto his stomach, the sutured area still tender after a week. “Ouch, stop making me laugh! That hurts!”

Smirking, Heath drawled, “Sorry.”

Taking several deep breaths, Nick groaned, “Ah, that’s okay. What I wouldn’t give to get out of this bed!”

Reaching over, Heath patted the blanketed leg in sympathy, fully understanding the restlessness in his brother, the desire to be working, to be moving outside his room. “Couple more days, Nick.”

Jarrod smiled and nodded, “Though to the rest of us in the house, two more days with you in bed, Nick will seem like a year.”

Chuckling, Heath smiled before adding his agreement to their older and wiser brother’s statement.

“I’m surrounded by funny men!” growled Nick, his mouth lifting into a smile.

“Jarrod, did you see get the arrangements taken care of?” asked Heath suddenly, his question dousing the lightness in the room.

“The private car will be hooked up tomorrow and you’ll leave at nine.” informed Jarrod. “Heath, I can get a continuance and go with you.”

“Nah, no need for that, Jarrod. Grandfather and Mother are going.” replied the blonde with a wave of his hand and a lop-sided grin, “They’ll make sure I have no fun while I’m in San Francisco. It’ll be like traveling with a minister and a nun!”

Chuckling, Nick squeezed the hand laying on the bed. “When I’m back on my feet, we’ll take in the town. All three of us!”

“Brother Heath, I do believe Brother Nick’s finally offering to buy!” exclaimed Jarrod loudly and the blonde heartily joined in the fun.

“Hey! Let’s not get carried away now!” snorted Nick. “If I remember correctly, it’s your turn to buy, Pappy!”

“Mine?” repeated Jarrod with a shake of his head, “No, I bought before Heath left for Texas, remember?”

“That’s right, Nick.” agreed Heath tilting his head. “That’s the same night you lost your pants in the game or was that when you left your pants upstairs in Lola’s room!”

Turning crimson, Nick retorted, “Look whose talking, Mr. Gaylord Fleshton!”

Both older men watched as the blonde’s jaw dropped open in astonishment, the red crept up his neck and covered his face and he jumped to his feet, demanding.

“WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT!”

Chuckling, the discomfort and embarrassment in the blonde was clear to the two men and Nick shrugged, “I heard it was just one of your many cushy assignments, little brother.”

“And here you had us thinking the marshal service was just dreary work.” suggested Jarrod with a slick tone.

“I’m gonna squish Nate like he’s a little cockroach when he gets here next week!” growled Heath, shaking a finger at the two men in the room. “NOT ONE MORE WORD! NOT ONE! I MEAN IT!”

“Heath, how bad could it have been?” teased Nick. “All those women and just little ole you!”

“I bet they just loved your long hair and blue eyes.” teased Jarrod, watching their brother turn redder than he ever imagined possible for a human being, the blonde really did look like he had a beet on his shoulders.

Shaking his head, the blonde groaned loudly, “Of all the stories, he had to pick that one!”

Nick smirked and winked at Jarrod, having to get one more barb into the blonde, “Did you pick up any, uh, tricks of the trade you’d like to share with your brothers?”

“TRICKS OF THE TRADE?” shouted Heath, his mouth again left hanging open, before he snapped it closed and snarled. “SMART ASSES! I’M GOING OUT TO THE BARN WHERE THERE’S CLASSIER COMPANY!”

Turning on his heel, the blonde walked into the door frame from the booming laughter which followed him and he gestured backwards with his hand before leaving the room. The silent communication to his older brothers making them laugh harder, Nick’s moans intermingled with the laughter as he made his way down the staircase, out into the freedom of the ranch yard.

Chapter 49

Hiriam handed a cup of coffee to his waiting room companion, her small smile of appreciation was tempered with worry and apprehension from her gray eyes. It’d been three hours of waiting, three hours of striving to maintain an air of calm and hope. As the hands on the clock slowly inched by, the older people’s attempts at conversation slowly drifted off into silence. It’d been three hours since the two elderly people said good-bye to Heath before leaving him in the care of the health care professionals and the youngest son of Thomas Barkley, who’d been waiting at the hospital to meet them.

Eugene received the wire about the appointment from the eldest son of the family and requested leave from his medical studies to be with his brother during the medical examination at the prestigious hospital.

Medical advancements, medical research were ongoing on all fronts. In the old countries of Europe and the newer county of the United States, men and women of all ages were spending their lives, using their curiosity to know the why’s, seeking to satisfy their insatiable need for knowledge to strive to improve the health of society as a whole. Research was the key to the small steps which would eventually lead into leaps and bounds. Dedication by a select few individuals in their unselfish work would benefit the rest of the world.

The youngest son stayed with his older brother, not leaving his side, holding his hands in a firm grip and whispering encouragement into the blonde’s ear. The blue eyes of Gene watered with love, the depth of the pain from the examination, necessary to gain full advantage of the medical research and the medical knowledge of the specialist, shaking the younger man to his very core.

The grueling testing ended and Gene assisted his older brother from the chair over to the leather sofa, the trembling in his brother’s body was the after effects of the trauma of pain. Holding his head in his hands, Heath took several deep breaths seeking to control the quivering and nausea in his stomach.

Ten minutes passed before the former lawman raised his head from his hands, tortured sapphire eyes met light blue eyes and a warm smile spread across his face. “Nice to see ya’ college boy.”

Wrapping the blonde in a hug, Gene patted the broad back and whispered, “You too, Brother Heath. You too.”

A clearing of the specialist’s throat turned the heads of both brothers in the dimly lit room. Dr. Markson carried a file and glass with him, handing the medicine to Heath.

“Headache powder.” stated the physician as he took a seat in the chair across from the brothers waiting as the blonde drank the medicine and put the glass on the table. “I’ll have the nurse make sure you have some powders when you leave here.”

Heath grimaced and closed his eyes, his hand reaching up to squeeze his temples and drawled, “Thanks, doc.”

Squeezing the broad shoulder, Gene offered his strength and studied the specialist before inquiring, “What is your diagnosis, Dr. Markson?”

Sitting forward in the chair, the man who’d spent most of his adult life studying the human eyes leaned his elbows on his knees and captured the two sets of apprehensive blue eyes with his.

“Mr. Thomson, you are very fortunate and lucky to have survived a tornado. From my examination, the particles of glass which you received in your eyes have left no lasting residual effects. Dr. Merar is correct in his assumptions as to the cause of your temporary blindness. It does appear to be from the concussion you suffered. The brain is an organ of the body which holds many mysteries. What may cause a certain side effect in one person may not in another. The medical profession is not sure of all the reasons and in fact, may never know in our lifetime.”

The shoulders of the blonde slumped in defeat and he sighed, “So, you don’t know, either.”

“On the contrary, Mr. Thomson.” stated the specialist, widening the two sets of eyes across from him. “You have what could easily be related in layman’s terms as snow blindness.”

“I haven’t been in any snow!” retorted Heath with a growl.

Nodding, the physician smiled, “The medical term is solar/ultra keratitis caused by anisocoria. Your family physician is correct, your pupils are uneven, specifically the right one. The right pupil is not functioning properly. When normal pupils are subjected to extreme light, they contract to filter out the brightness. In darkness, pupils dilate to allow more light in.”

Looking sideways at Gene, Heath frowned and nodded, “Yeah, I understand the reason Dr. Markson. That’s why the sun and brightly lit rooms are painful.”

Gene searched the medical information housed in his mind and his eyes glowed, “It’s treatable!”

“It is?” questioned Heath, looking at the specialist almost afraid to let hope form within him and asked when the physician nodded, “Are you sure?”

Smiling, Dr. Markson nodded again, “Yes, with a regiment of eye drops and retraining your right eye to get it back to responding how it should.”

“They already tried eye drops.” stated Heath, then puzzling out loud. “How do you retrain an eye?”

“These drops are not the same as the ones previously used, Mr. Thomson. They have a high concentration of hydroxyamphetamine. This will dilate your pupil and then we will put a patch over your left eye forcing your right eye to adjust itself. It will be painful at first but within three weeks, the retraining should be complete and your pupil back to normal. Headache powders will minimize the pain but not diminish it completely. Your eye will take care of that as it heals.” explained the physician, sitting back and waiting as the treatment sunk in.

Heath groaned as he ran a hand over his face. Gene reached over and put his arm across the broad shoulders. “Heath, only three weeks! You can do it. We’ll help you!”

Shaking his head, Heath looked into his little brother’s eyes and smirked, “Boy howdy, Nick already calls me Count Dracula, Gene! I’m not sure I’m gonna like the new name he comes up with.”

Gene laughed and nodded, his arm squeezing the blonde into his side as he teased quietly, “Guess you’d best get used to answering to Blackbeard, Long John Silver or Captain Kidd, big brother.”

Rolling his eyes upwards, Heath smiled widely and nodded, “Yeah, I can live with that!”

Chapter 50

The train slowed as it entered the station, the private car attached to the end of the long black snake was visible from the depot and Jarrod gestured to Nick and Audra who were speaking with Fred. The three walked over and looked expectantly at the steps of the car, leaving the depot when no one emerged, their steps taking them closer.

Victoria stepped out onto the platform, waving to the approaching group before heading back inside. Hiriam sat beside his pained grandson, the headache powders barely making a dent in the explosion within his head. The black leather patch stood out among the pale face, his right eye closed, the blonde slowly waking from the slumber he’d been in, the sleep a respite from the pounding inside.

“Heath, are you ready?” asked Hiriam, receiving a slight nod before the blonde took a deep breath and opened his eye, his face blanching at the instant pain. Brushing a hand over his hair, Heath smiled slightly at his grandfather and mother trying to calm the worry in their eyes.

“Only two weeks and three days to go.” mumbled Heath, pushing himself to his feet and placing a kiss on his mother’s cheek. “Guess I wasn’t too good of company, Mother and Grandfather. Sorry about that.”

Caressing the pale cheek, Victoria smiled, “No need to apologize, sweetheart. Let’s go home.”

Hiriam patted the strong back and winked at the loud voice coming into the train, the boots ringing out on the steps, “Mother, everything okay?”

Nick bounded up the stairs, his voice loaded with fear and he opened the door, smiling with relief at the sight of the returning three. He grinned and then squinted as he caught sight of the patch on his brother’s face.

“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOUR LEFT EYE?” hollered Nick, stepping over and taking his brother’s face in his hands.

The shout echoed in his head and Heath reached up to squeeze his temples with one hand and pushing the large hands down with the other, pleading softly before his mother could admonish his brother, “Please, Nick. No shouting. I’ve got a killer headache.”

“Sorry.” whispered Nick, looking at his mother and Hiriam, the hazel eyes filled with questions.

“Nicholas, let’s go home and we’ll discuss everything then.” stated Victoria, her suggestion heard by Jarrod as he entered the car.

Nodding, Nick and Jarrod grabbed the bags, following the trio out of the private car where they were greeted by Audra and Fred. Heath smiled slightly, the pain in his head rising with the increase of brightness. Nick jogged over and threw the bags into the back of the surrey, ignoring his older brother’s glare at the rough treatment of the leather satchels before he hurried to his younger brother’s side.

“Did you get in a fight?” whispered Nick, his curiosity over flowing. “That what happened to your eye, my first mate?”

Groaning out loud, Heath growled, “Oh shut up, Nick!”

Victoria shook her head at the snickering coming from her rancher son. Jarrod and Audra’s eyes held sympathy for their injured sibling, knowing full well the ribbing he would receive from Nick. Nick helped his mother into the surrey before jumping up on the seat with Heath, looking back to make sure Hiriam and Audra were in before he snapped the reins.

“Sorry, this is only a surrey and not a big steam ship.” smirked Nick, unable to stop himself.

“Nick.” warned Heath quietly.

“If you want, we can rig up a crow’s nest on the top of the barn. Won’t be the same as having it on a mast but unfortunately we are landlocked, Captain.”

Leaning his elbow on the arm of the bench seat to hold his head, Heath bit back the scathing reply when his mother’s hand smacked the back of the head in front of her.

“OUCH!” declared Nick grabbing his hat as it fell forward.

“That will be quite enough, Nicholas. You don’t need to talk to drive!” commanded Victoria firmly, while Hiriam and Audra snickered.

“Yes, Mother.” acquiesced Nick, glancing over and smiling slightly at his blonde brother, his hand reaching over and squeezing the back of his neck. Heath reached up and took hold of the hand, twisting it and Nick yelped in pain. “HEY!”

“No one touches the captain.” announced Heath quietly. “Especially, a simple cabin boy like yourself.”

Jarrod laughed loudly from his place on top of Jingo, the surprised look on Nick’s face priceless. Victoria threw her hands up in the air at the two men on the front seat, her head shaking in disbelief while Hiriam and Audra smiled. Heath took a deep breath and smiled at the astonishment on Nick’s face, hoping to have quiet the rest of the way back home.

Nick grumbled to himself, shaking his hand and working the burst of pain out. “A cabin boy? I’d be the captain not a cabin boy!”

The trip home made longer by the three sudden stops when the blonde couldn’t control the nausea in his stomach. The heaving tearing through his body and through the hearts of his family. Reaching the ranch, the blonde sighed with relief and climbed down from the surrey, hanging onto the side for a moment before moving to offer his hand to Audra. Smiling at her gallant brother, Audra placed a kiss on his cheek and squeezed his hand before she led him into the house.

Nick helped his mother down and then rushed over to Heath’s side while Hiriam offered his arm to Victoria. Handing the reins of Jingo to Ciego, Jarrod rolled his eyes and grabbed the bags from the back of the surrey, carrying them into the foyer.

Nick placed one of Heath’s arms over his shoulders and walked the shaky blonde up the stairs, their progress watched from the foyer. Silas took the medicine from the Barkley matriarch and headed to the kitchen, returning quickly with a glass in hand and followed the brothers’ path up the stairs.

“Heath, you okay?” inquired Nick after the blonde exited the watercloset and walked to his room.

“I will be, Nick.” sighed Heath sitting on the bed, pointing to the patch. “Dr. Markson said this and some drops will help retrain my right eye. In about three weeks, it should be back to normal.”

“That’s great, little brother.” smiled Nick widely, watching as Silas put a glass of medicine in Heath’s hand and instructed him to drink up. Heath gratefully obliged, the contents gone within mere seconds. Silas left and the blonde kicked off his boots.

“Gene was there.” whispered Heath as he laid back against the bed, his arm over his eye. “He’s gonna make a great doctor, Nick.”

Sitting beside the bed, Nick patted the tan leg in front of him and agreed, “I think so too, but don’t ever tell him I said that. Can’t have college boy thinking I’ve gone soft.”

Snorting, Heath sighed, “Like that’d ever happen.”

Chuckling, Nick unwrapped the blanket from the end of the bed and placed it over the younger man, his hand resting for a moment against the other’s cheek. Hazel eyes met sapphire eye and he whispered, “Good to have you home, little brother.”

“Thanks, big brother.” whispered Heath, his eye drooping while he offered a lop-sided grin to the man standing over him. “You…feel…better?”

While the incision was still healing and he couldn’t yet sit a horse or work the ranch they loved, the rancher smiled and offered reassuringly, “Lots. Get some sleep, you look like crap.”

Smiling slightly, the sapphire eye closed and Heath sought the darkness of sleep to escape the most brutal of the pain. Nick smiled tenderly and ran his hand over the blonde hair before leaving and quietly shutting the door, making his way to the parlor.

Victoria stood with her tiny hands on her hips and Nick smiled sheepishly, “He’s sleeping, Mother.”

“Nicholas, must you torment your brother in that manner?” questioned Victoria with a raised eyebrow.

Waving off her questions, Nick smirked, “If I didn’t, Heath’d think something was wrong, Mother.”

Jarrod retorted, “That’s true, Mother. If Nick acted differently, Heath might think he was sick or something. Maybe hit his hard head!”

Turning red at the laughter from the others, Nick growled, “Don’t you have work to do in town or something, smart a…eh…Pappy?”

Winking at his scowling brother, Jarrod’s blue eyes twinkled and he stated at the sound of knocking on the oak door, “Can you get that cabin boy?”

“When Heath’s better, we’ll give you the chore of swabbing the decks!” declared Nick loudly, emphasizing his point with a jab to the broad chest. “Be good for you to do some honest work for once.”

Smirking, Jarrod sipped his drink and winked at the other family members, his amusement brightening the blue in his eyes. The happiness reflected in the hazel eyes matched the looks in the eyes of the rest of the family.

Chapter 51

The aroma permeated through the thickness of sleep before he was fully awake, the smell of perfume, the smell of her. His brain quickly categorized the familiar scent, his eye opened and blinked away the sleep lingering in it.

A tender smile spread across his face and he whispered quietly. “Hi there.”

The quiet greeting raised her head from the book she’d been reading and sienna eyes sparkled, her hand put the book to the side and she sat on the bed. “Hi, yourself.”

Pushing himself to a sitting position, he reached over to brush back a lock of the blonde hair, his thumb grazing her cheek and his eye caught the tip of her tongue wetting her bottom lip, her breath quickening at his touch.

“I missed you, honey.” whispered Heath huskily, the thundering of his heart at the mere sight of her was overwhelming him.

“I missed you.” whispered Cassidy, mesmerized by his nearness and she felt weightless as he pulled her closer.

Their lips brushing against each others, testing the waters and alarmed at the instant lightning storm inside created from the brief touch. Running her hands up his arm, she wrapped them around his neck, eyes meeting and mouths smiling. Holding her to his chest, he placed a gentle kiss on each closed eyelid before moving his lips down her cheek, his breath hot and moist on her skin. Her fingers entwined in his hair and she gasped as his tongue followed the outline of her jaw before his lips moved back to kiss the wetness he’d left.

Her breasts heaved in her chest from the shuddering breaths she was expelling, his lips moved and captured her mouth, parting her lips, he moved his hand to her hair and his tongue moved past her teeth, seeking the moistness in her mouth, meeting hers and caressing it. Moans of pleasure rose from each of them, her desire as great as his, her need to be against his hard body and taste him left them both shaking with want.

Breaking off the kiss, Heath moved his lips and kissed her forehead, their arms wrapping around each other, holding on tightly and breathing heavily.

“Cassidy, will you marry me?”

Sienna eyes filled with tears when she pulled back after the initial shock faded from the unexpected proposal. Here was the man she’d loved her entire life and her response left him with no questions, only a hungering for the night they’d become one.

Weeks later, Heath took a deep breath and turned, “Everything look okay? My tie? Is it straight?”

The three sets of eyes watching him glittered before they nodded. Nick fought the urge to tease but shoved it aside, not wanting to push the nervous brother over the edge on this day.

“Looks perfect.” assured Nick with a wide smile and a clap on the back of the black tuxedo. Two sapphire eyes sparkled and a lop-sided grin flashed.

Nate stepped over to stand in front of the blonde, his arms across his chest and shook his head, before winking, “I still say I don’t know what she sees in you.”

“Probably everything you’re not!” replied Heath with a smile, then adding, “Oh, Nate stay away from our sister!”

Chuckling, the former marshal recently turned ranchowner tapped the cheek of his blonde friend, smirking. “Too late, my friend. Too late! Your mother already said I could court her!”

Jarrod and Nick laughed at the eye rolling of their little brother, the men happy to see two functioning eyes, two sapphire eyes brimming with emotion. Five weeks since the proposal and tonight, the younger man would join with the girl who used to tag after him, dogging his heels. Now they’d stand hand in hand, stepping forward into the light of life.

“Well, I’d best get back to the lovely lady I’m escorting tonight.” boasted Nate wrapping the blonde in a quick hug. “Welcome to the family!”

Patting the muscular back of his friend, Heath smiled and nodded, his knees suddenly shaking after Nate left the room. His face turned to his older brothers and he sat down, putting his head between his knees.

Kneeling beside the blonde, Nick ran his hand over his back while Jarrod came back with Eugene.

“Heath, you okay?” asked Gene taking his brother’s pulse. “Man, you gotta calm down. Your hearts racing!”

“I know college boy!” growled Heath taking several deep breaths. “All of a sudden it hit me!”

“Heath, you’ve known for five weeks this day was coming.” retorted Nick. “Too late to back out now!”

Shaking his head, Heath sat up in the chair and groaned, “No, now I’ll be forever related to Nate! Dammit, that’s scary!”

Laughing at the blonde, Gene shook his head and all the brothers turned at the knock at the door. Nate popped his head in and smiled, “It’s time.”

The church was illuminated only by candles, the wax creations shined at the midnight hour wedding. The time of the wedding special to Cassidy as it was in the midnight hour, her young sienna eyes had spied the blonde who hadn’t been aware he’d stolen her heart that day.

The brightness in the church, highlighted the wedding party, bathing them in a backdrop of light, the flickering candles causing even the hardest of hearts to soften with romance. The ceremony over within twenty minutes, the bride and groom left the church after the well wishes were passed out, hugs and kisses plentiful. The family stood on the depot as the engine pulled the one car out of the station, the wedding party watching til it was swallowed up in the darkness of the night.

Epilogue

Arriving in San Francisco, the couple still dressed in their wedding attire were escorted to the Grand Plaza hotel. The groom carried his bride over the threshold, handing the bellboy a handsome tip before hanging the do not disturb sign on the door, closing and locking it behind him.

“Look at this view, Heath.” whispered Cassidy, standing and looking out at the falling moon streaming across the ocean.

Heath smiled and walked over, pulling her back to lean against him and he wrapped his arms around her, brushing his lips against her hair. Closing his eyes at the pounding of his heart, the sudden nervousness filling him.

“Heath, I have to tell you something.” said Cassidy, wringing her hands.

Looking sideways into her face, Heath turned his bride and tilted her chin up with his finger, “What’s the matter, honey? It’s okay to be nervous. I’m nervous.”

“It’s just that…” paused Cassidy, finding herself lead over to a chair and pulled onto his lap, his fingers entwining in hers.

“Cass, you’re scaring me. You can tell me anything.” urged Heath, eyes staring into hers. “Just say it.”

Taking a deep breath, Cassidy stammered, “I’m afraid tonight won’t be the same as in my dreams. What if it’s not as good or you don’t like me?”

Holding her face in his hands, Heath smiled, “So, you dreamed about me, huh? Wanna tell me what it was about?”

Smacking his arm lightly, her cheeks turned red under his hands and she said, “HEATH! I can’t talk about that!”

Chuckling, he pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, “Imagination is a powerful thing, honey. Just relax and we’ll do what comes naturally. I love you and we’ll build our own expectations. We have our whole lives to do that.”

Sighing, Cassidy smiled, “I love you, Mr. Thomson.”

“I love you, Mrs. Thomson.” assured Heath, capturing her mouth as he stood up and carried her into the watercloset, setting her feet on the tile floor. Looking into her eyes which widened with surprise at the massive bathtub, Heath winked and bent, putting in the plug and turning the knobs, testing the water before opening a bottle and dumping in the contents.

“Heath..”

Putting a finger over her moving lips, he whispered, “Shhhh. Don’t move a muscle. Trust me, darlin’.”

Moving behind her, his lips brushed the back of her neck bare from the upswept hairstyle, his fingers slowly unbuttoning her wedding her dress before moving back to the front and pulling the gown slowly off her arms, her breaths shuddering and her body trembling.

The dress lay around her ankles and he knelt, turned the water off before returning to the business at hand. His large hand wrapped itself around her ankle, first one then the other, lifting her leg and freeing her of the silk white gown. Moving, he carefully hung the dress over the back of a chair before standing in front of her, his eyes moving up and down her body, the undergarments hiding the treasure beneath. Her fingers reached for his buttons and he caught her hands, his mouth sucking on their tips before he put them back to her sides.

Reaching up, he untied the lace strings of the chemise, his simple movement revealing more white soft skin, his hands moved slowly and the undergarments were freed from her. Moving behind, he reached up and pulled out her hair pins, the golden locks cascading down falling onto her shoulders and he picked her up, placing her in the warm rose scented bubble bath, her body trembling with desire.

The warm water only enhanced her desire, her mouth was captured by his. Kneeling beside the tub, he wet a cloth and painstakingly washed every bit of soft skin, the cloth running over her breasts, causing a gasp and moan to escape from her parted lips with the attention he gave each one, first with the cloth then his lips and mouth. His hand moved slowly over her stomach, his eyes held hers, his desire heightening from the wildness in the sienna depths.

Holding her hand and helping her out of the bath, he wrapped a towel around her, using another to dry the end of her hair his mouth placing kisses on her bare shoulders before he moved to dry her legs. Lowering his mouth again, he parted her lips and carried her to the king-size bed, placing her gently onto the sheets. Her fingers reached for his buttons and this time he did not pull her fingers away, but let them free him of the constricted clothing.

Her eyes widened at the muscles hidden beneath the clothing, his lean flat stomach, his broad chest, the beauty of the tanned skin matched the beauty inside him. Her hand trembled when she ran her fingers over his chest, across his stomach where the abs quivered and a groan escaped from her touch. Pulling him onto the bed with her, they explored each other with lips and fingers, teasing and building each other into a frenzy.

Unable to wait any longer, he slowly opened her legs, his mouth moved to her ear, his tongue flicking inside, the wetness sending a shiver through her, his teeth nibbled on her ear lobe before he entered, her gasp of pain stifled by the pressure of his mouth on hers, her tongue sought his, the hunger of each moving them passed her pain.

Her body moved on its own shifting to welcome him fully and the merging left her nails digging into his back, he filled her completely. Their cries of each other’s names filled the room, his thrusts became faster at her urgings, his hands pulled her against him, seeking to merge into her deeper, her cries of pleasure moving him over the edge taking her with him.

Her arms and legs wrapped around his sweat drenched body, holding him in place not wanting to lose the feeling, the closeness of this special moment, the day they became one.

Heath moved over onto his side, placing a lingering kiss on the lips of his wife, their lungs were still trying to catch up with the rest of their bodies, both of them taking deep breaths to calm themselves.

Brushing her hair away from her face, he smiled at the closed eyes and relaxed features, her lips curled into a smile.

“You okay, honey?” whispered Heath quietly, his words opening her eyes.

“It was so..so beautiful.” whispered Cassidy brushing her fingers over his sweaty cheek. “It was perfect.”

Placing another kiss on her lips, Heath smiled, “It was perfect because of you. I love you.”

“I love you.” whispered Cassidy placing a kiss on his lips.

Snuggling closer to him, Cassidy stifled a yawn, Heath sighed and held her close to him, chuckling as she murmured, the long day catching up with her. “I should have taken your clothes off at the hotel in Garwood. Reality is much better than a dream.”

THE END