by Leona (Heathisforme)
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.
I apologize in advance for any discrepancies in this
story. I have researched extensively on
many different areas during BV time. I
tried to make it as realistic to the time as I could get, but in certain
circumstances I have used writer’s prerogative to enhance the story. No offense to anyone or anything
intended. LMC
It was late October,
round up was over and the cattle shipped by train to the auction in San
Francisco. Most of the ranch hands had
packed their things and moved south or went home to their families for the
winter. The few hands that stayed, were
ones that had been with the ranch for many years.
Heath was working
around their property, mending the chicken coop, trying to devise a way to keep
a coyote out that was stealing their chickens.
Janine brought Leah out to get some fresh air and to see if she could
lend a hand. Leah was crawling slowly
around now, so they kept an eye on a lot these days. They never knew where they were going to find her. She stood back to look at Heath’s
handiwork. “Think that will keep out
the coyote, Heath?” She asked him. He
came back to stand beside her and admired his work.
“It had better,” he
stated confidently. Janine was tired
and leaned against him. “You okay,
Janey?”
“Can you keep an eye
on Leah for a while? I need to rest for a while.” Heath put his arm around her,
and kissed her lightly.
“Sure, my
pretty. Leah’s a little busybody these
days!” He bent down to pick her up as she was crawling after one of the
chickens that had gotten loose. “Come
here, lil one.” Leah in one arm and holding onto Janine with the other, they
made their way to the house.
Janine lay on the
sofa, groaning as she was getting big with child already. She was in constant pain, unlike with
Leah. She couldn’t help comparing the
two pregnancies. This one just didn’t
feel right but she didn’t let her fears be known to Heath. He had enough to worry about with the ranch
and their property. He didn’t need to
be worrying about her. She lay on the
sofa, watching her handsome husband play with their daughter. Soon her eyes grew heavy from fatigue,
falling asleep soon after.
She woke up to the
aroma of stew that was penetrating the air in the house. “Mmmm…that smells good,” she muttered to
herself. She tried to get up but she
struggled and lay back down. She closed
her eyes, the odor making her stomach rumble.
She awoke again to soft kisses on her face. She opened an emerald eye and saw that Heath was leaning over
her, poised to give her another kiss.
“I’m awake now, honey.”
“Hungry?” he asked
her. She nodded and tried to get
up. Heath grasped her arm, helping her
off the sofa and to the table. He had cooked,
set the table and put a vase with wild flowers in the middle. He held out the chair for Janine and she sat
down. He dished up the plates for them
then commenced eating.
“Mmmmm….this is good
Heath. I may have to let ya cook more
often!” she teased him. He grinned at
her not saying anything. “Did ya make
dessert too?”
“Nope. Sorry, Janey. I’m not good at desserts.
I did see that there was some cake left in the icebox though.” She
nodded, taking a drink of milk. They
finished their meal and Janine cleared the table. “Did ya want some cake, my pretty?” Janine shook her head
no. They did the dishes and Leah woke
up, demanding her parent’s attention.
“Leah, must ya
always wake up screaming like that?” chastised Janine. Heath chuckled then turned serious when he
heard Janine gasp.
“What’s wrong?” he
asked.
Janine looked up at him with tear filled
eyes. “it’s just my back Heath. It’s been hurting a lot lately.” Heath took
Leah, feeding her and changing her while Janine relaxed. She hated leaving Heath to do a lot of her
work. He let Leah down on the floor and
she crawled over to her mother, trying to pull herself up to a standing
position.
“Hi Lil One,”
greeted Janine giving her back a rub.
Heath poured himself a drink and picked up his gun to clean it. He kept an eye on Leah, making sure she
didn’t hurt herself on anything. Leah
dropped down to all fours and made her way to where her father was sitting. Heath put the gun on the table beside him
and picked his daughter up. Janine watched
with a small smile on her face. Heath
was such a good father, all that worrying when she was carrying Leah was for
naught. Heath looked over at his wife
and winked. She smiled shyly and
blushed. After a year of marriage, she
still blushed when he winked at her.
“I was thinkin’
maybe of a trip.” He started to say a little hesitantly
“Where to?”
“Do ya want to go
see your parents, Janey?” Janine snapped her head up at the question.
“My parents? You
mean New York?” She practically yelled.
Heath chuckled at her surprise.
“Yep, if you’re
feeling up to it.” Janine dragged herself off the sofa, groaning, and waddled
over to Heath. She kissed him, thanking
him for the idea.
“That’s a
wonderful…..” she started to say then screamed in pain. Heath got up, holding Leah, and grasped
Janine’s arm. “Heath! Something is
terribly wrong!”
“Lie down here,
Janine. I’ll put Leah in the playpen
and go get Mother” He put Leah down quickly in the play pen and ran out the
door. He was at the main house in record
time, telling the family what was happening.
Nick went to get the doctor while Jarrod brought Victoria over to their
house. Audra was out with Fred, so
Victoria quickly scribbled a note telling where they were.
Heath didn’t
wait. He rushed back to his house where
Janine was writhing in pain. Heath
picked her up and took her up to their room.
He brushed the hair off her face, and held her while waiting for help to
come. He lay her back down on the bed
and held her hand while Victoria checked her over. Victoria looked at Heath, worriedly, and tried to reassure
Janine. Janine couldn’t relax. She was in tremendous pain, and she squeezed
Heath’s hand with a steel grip making him wince.
“The baby is going
to be born now. Heath, I need you to go
boil some water and I need some sheets.” Heath nodded, gave his spouse a kiss
and left to do his mother’s bidding.
“Janine, I need you
to relax.” She said reassuringly to her daughter-in-law. Janine tried hard to relax, but the pain was
too great. Heath returned a while
later, with the items that Victoria requested.
“Heath I need you to stay here till the doctor comes.” He nodded and
grasped Janine’s hand. He used his
other hand to wipe the perspiration off her forehead. He tried to calm her down while his heart was pounding so hard he
thought it was going to burst.
Victoria worked over
Janine intensely, worrying to herself.
Heath kept glancing at the diminutive person who was nursing his
spouse. “Leah, whose got Leah?” asked
Janine in between the waves of pain.
“Jarrod does. Don’t worry honey. Everythin’ will be all right.” He said quietly, “Just relax and
let Mother do what she has to.” Janine nodded and noticed that Doctor Merar had
entered the room and took Victoria’s place at the foot of the bed.
“Janine when I say
push, you push, okay?” instructed the doctor, knowingly. Janine nodded. “Push!” he instructed her when the wave of pain washed over her. Janine pushed and the baby slid into the
doctor’s hands. He tried to get the
baby to cry. He spanked the baby but no
cry came forth. Janine grasped Heath’s
hand in a viselike grip. Heath watched
in horror as Doctor Merar wiped out the baby’s nose and breathed into his
mouth. After five minutes, he turned
silently to the couple and shook his head.
There was no sound in the room.
Victoria looked at the couple who couldn’t say anything. “I’ll take Leah home with us.”
She went to take the
minute bundle that was their baby when Janine said quietly, “May I see the baby
before you take it away?” Victoria brought the tiny bundle to them and Janine
pulled the blanket away, she gasped when she saw the baby. It was so tiny. Heath observed the baby and silently kept his tears in
check. She handed the baby back and
said to Victoria, “His name was to be Heath Charles. That’s the name we will put on the marker,” she informed them
quietly. Heath nodded in
agreement. He kissed his wife and told
her he would be right back. Dr. Merar
wanted to make a thorough check of Janine before he left. It was so hard to deliver babies this way,
he thought.
The doctor descended
the stairs and saw the family gathered in the living room. “She will need rest, but I think she will be
fine. Heath, can I speak to you
privately for a few minutes?” Heath nodded and excused himself. When they were alone together, the doctor
put his surgical hand on Heath’s shoulder.
“I’m afraid, Heath, after examining your wife, she seems to be bruised
and torn. I was afraid of this
happening when she delivered your daughter.” Heath looked bewildered. “She was in the family way before Leah, was
she not?” All Heath could do was nod.
“Well losing those babies has made it difficult in carrying a child full
term and having delivered this last baby still born has made it worse. She may not be able to bear more
children. I’m sorry” Heath didn’t know
what to say, so he thanked him for his help.
“Please take her to a doctor who specializes in women’s medicine for a
second opinion if you wish. Meanwhile,
I want her to rest for a week or so.” Heath nodded again, unable to say
anything. “I’m sorry Heath.” The doctor
squeezed Heath’s shoulder then picked up his medical bag. He took one last look at the broken cowhand
and left the house, unable to hold his tears back any longer.
Heath steeled
himself and went out to talk to his family.
Victoria offered to take Leah for the night and longer if they
wanted. Heath nodded, fighting back the
tears that were threatening to fall.
“We will take care of the baby for you,”
Jarrod told his brother with tears in his eyes. Nick nodded and placed his hand on his blond haired brother’s
shoulder.
“I have to get back
to her,” was all he said as he slowly made his way up the stairs. The others gathered Leah’s things and took
her home with them for the night. It
was a long night for all of them.
He found Janine
staring off into space. She didn’t even
look at him when he took his boots off and crawled in bed with her. She didn’t say anything when he gathered her
in his powerful arms. She leaned her
head against his chest and wept. Heath
couldn’t keep his emotions under control anymore and wept with her. They stayed that way, holding each other
till the sobs relieved themselves far into the early morning hours of the next
day. Exhausted, they succumbed to the
darkness that finally befell them.
The next morning
they woke up, feeling emotionally drained.
Janine asked for Leah and Heath told her that Victoria took her home
with her for the night. Janine nodded
and lay back on the bed, exhausted. She
closed her eyes and thought about her dead baby. She knew there was something wrong, right from the
beginning. Was there something she
could have done to make the baby live? She wondered to herself. She blamed herself for the baby’s death.
Heath closed his
eyes and had similar thoughts. He felt
Janine lying on his chest, his arm around her shoulders. He fingered her hair and thought about what
he could have done to make things easier for her. He took care of Leah, did all the heavy lifting for her. He did all he could, including making meals
and letting her rest. He thought about
the last few months. Because she was
increasingly tired and groaned continuously, he knew something was wrong but
was afraid to bring it up to Janine.
Yep, he thought, maybe the trip to New York would do them both
good. He succumbed to sleep once again
enjoying the feel of her fingers running through his chest hair.
They woke up a while
later, feeling ravenous. Heath rose
from the bed, stating he would make them something to eat. Janine nodded and heard a door open
downstairs. Heath dressed quickly and
carried his boots while he descended the stairs. He looked around the corner and saw Nick carrying the eggs he had
collected. “Thank ya Nick.”
“It’s the least I
can do,” replied the dark haired Barkley.
“Anything else I can do for you? I fed the animals, milked the cow,
collected eggs.” Heath smiled at his ambitious brother.
“Nothing else, thank
ya.” Heath took a look at his brother and tears welled up in his eyes once
again. “Did you take care of little
Heath?” his voice broke when he asked this.
“Jarrod did this
morning. Buried him beside Beth and
Father.”
Heath nodded, “When Janey gets strong enough
we will have a proper funeral for him.” Nick nodded, putting his hand on his
brother’s shoulder. He squeezed gently
letting him know that he was always there when he needed to talk. Heath put his hand over Nick’s and
squeezed. “thanks Nick. I need to make something to eat now.”
“I’m goin’ to go
now, but I’ll be by later to make sure you’re all right.” Heath nodded and
thanked him again. Nick showed himself
out the door and Heath attempted to make some brunch for them. He put the food on the tray along with some
coffee, carrying it upstairs to where his bereaved wife lay.
Janine was hungry
but couldn’t eat. Her stomach was not
accepting anything into it and she felt like vomiting. Heath understood and didn’t force her to eat
a lot but instead tried to make her take just a bite or two.
“Janey, did the
doctor talk to you after….after…the baby was born?” Janine looked at her
husband but didn’t say anything. She
couldn’t, there were no words to describe how she felt. “All right, my pretty, we won’t talk about
it right now. But when you get better
we are going to take that trip to see your parents.” Janine burst into tears
and nodded.
“I love you Heath
Barkley.” Was all she said to him. He
held her tightly, his own tears rolling down his burly cheek.
A few days later,
they made their way to the family grave site.
All the Barkleys were there plus the Reverend. The married Barkleys held hands while Heath held onto Leah. The Reverend said a few words and blessed
the grave then stood back to let them say their good byes. One by one they left the grave, solemnly,
till all were dispersing to the main house except for Heath and Janine. Janine looked at the marker that was the
head of the tiny grave,
Heath Charles Barkley
Gone but not forgotten
October 15th 1883 - October 15th
1883
Janine marvelled in
the richness of the marble marker, placing her hands on it and whispering,
“your grandma Leah and grandpa Tom will take care of ya till we are together
again my son.” She placed her hand into his large callused one and walked
slowly away from their son, tears in both their eyes.
The next week was
spent in a daze. Janine gradually felt
better, but they were emotionally drained.
They devoured Leah with love and attention but it didn’t fill the gap in
their hearts. They spoke of going to New
York to see her parents and thought it would be good for all of them. They would go see a special doctor there,
one that could hopefully give them the answer they so desperately wanted.
They boarded the
train to New York two weeks later. The
whole family was there to see them off and to wish them well. Heath and Janine were excited but nervous
about the whole trip. Heath had never
been further east then New Orleans and Janine hadn’t been home since she was
sixteen. Janine was a little anxious as
she was introducing her new family to her old family, and bringing Heath to a
place he had never been. She smiled a
shy smile at her husband as she put her petite hand into his large masculine
one. She was going home.
It was to take just over
a week to get to New York. They bought
a whole berth, quite extravagant but Heath wanted his family to travel in style
and comfort. I can afford it, he
thought, for the first time I’ve got the money to do anythin’ in a big way and
I’m going to enjoy it.
The first day, they
sat in their berth, watching the scenery go by as Leah slept. Janine told Heath what it was like when her
and Gary rode horseback out west. She
remembered the thrill of the new scenery, the threat of Indian attacks and the
many Army forts they had visited. It
almost brought tears to her eyes realizing how much danger she was in. Heath put his arm around her shoulders and
pulled her closer. She smiled,
comparing him to Gary. She hadn’t done
that in a long time. There would be no
way that Gary would go by train. It
would have been done by horseback.
Leah awoke, shaking
Janine out of her reverie. Janine
lifted her up and absentmindedly fed her a bottle. Heath watched, interested and thought about what Janine had told
him about her trip out west. He
couldn’t believe that she rode out, just her and her husband. No guides, just pure luck. They went from one military fort to another,
taking their time to cross the country.
She hadn’t told him everything, but she would inform him of different
things. “Heath?” she interrupted his
thoughts.
“Yeah, my pretty?”
he answered, taking Leah from her so he could have a turn to feed her.
“This is a much
better way to travel, though I do miss the quietness of the outdoors. I can’t believe it took a year to come out
here, and now we are going back in just over a week! What progress!” Heath had
to agree with that. She looked out the
window again, picturing herself as a 16 year old girl, leaving home for the
first time, with her husband. When she
looked at her husband again, her eyes were tear filled.
“It’s been so long
since I been home. I want to show you
everything!” Her enthusiasm boiled over.
Heath smiled. He wasn’t sure
about being in such a large city but he would grin and bear it for his
wife. He would do anything for
her. “Mama told me they made a new
bridge called the Brooklyn Bridge. We
have to go check that out. I want to
show you Central Park and Coney Island! I want to take you to the malt shop and
…..and…..and….” she looked at Heath who had a big grin pasted on his face.
“Boy howdy Janine!
We are going to need a year to visit all the places you want me to see!” They
chuckled over that. “Let’s go see if
the dining car is open. I’m hungry!”
Heath picked up his daughter, who wanted no part of being carried. She squirmed and wiggled trying to get out
of her father’s protective arms. He
chuckled, and led the way to the dining car.
They sat down, and
ordered their meal, enjoying their companionable silence. Heath handed Leah to Janine when their meal
came. He wasn’t quite adept yet at
combining eating with one hand and holding Leah with the other. He had to let Janine help once in awhile. The meal consisted of steak, mashed potatoes
with gravy and steamed carrots with fresh rolls. Janine fed Leah a few bites of potatoes, which Leah loved. She slapped her hands against the table
wanting more. Janine chuckled, “slow
down, lil one. Mama’s gotta eat too, ya
know.” Heath gave her a lop sided grin as he listened to mother and daughter
enjoy the delectable food. The cook
came out when he saw that there was a baby on board and gave her a hard
cookie. “Thanks, Sir!” Janine said as
she took the cookie and handed it to her daughter. The chubby little oriental cook bowed to them and hurried back
into the galley, muttering, “a cute baby…..yes? Yes!”
They couldn’t wait
till they changed trains in Omaha. They
got out every few stops and got some fresh air. Heath wired the family at these times to let them know where they
were. In Omaha, there was an overnight
stay to transfer trains and finish their journey two days later. It was another three days till they arrived
in the city. Meanwhile, they stayed in
their berth, played cards, read and talked.
Janine talked of her early days while Heath listened with rapt
attention. He probably wouldn’t hear
these stories again so he was listening with interest.
They were going
through the prairies when Janine mentioned casually that she and Gary were
attacked by a senile trapper. Heath was
laying on the hinged berth, playing with Leah when he looked up at her in
surprise. “A mad trapper? Here on the
prairies?”
Janine nodded,
continuing on with her story, “We were ridin’ through Kansas, mindin’ our own
business, when out of nowhere, this old trapper came ridin’ up beside us. He was very upset about somethin’ we just
couldn’t figure out what. He was
blabberin’ about beavers and bears and people stealin’ his traps. I guess he figured we were the ones. He knocked Gary off his horse, intent on
killin’ him.” Janine shivered inwardly, and continued, “This trapper was
beatin’ Gary senseless and I had to do somethin’! So I picked up a rock and
struck him with it, over and over again till he let go of Gary. I tell ya Heath, I had never been so scared
in all my life. I thought he was gonna
beat Gary to death. So I hit him. I’m unsure to this day if he died or not,
but I wasn’t takin’ any chances. I
somehow managed to get Gary atop his horse and rode off looking for a place to
camp. When we finally did camp, Gary
came to and I checked him over. He had
bruises and a big lump but other than that he was fine. I knew he was fine when he demanded his
flask.”
Heath looked over at
her seriously, “You really had a hard time with him, didn’t ya?”
Janine nodded. “It was tough but now that I think about it,
I’m glad I came west. It made me a
better person and I’d never have met you if I stayed in New York.” She smiled serenely
at him and their daughter. “I’ve been
thinkin’ lots lately. Bout how much my
life has changed.” She wanted to talk to him about their lost baby. It had been bothering her that they hadn’t
talked about it. “Heath?”
“What is it, Janey?”
“I miss our baby so
much.” She stated simply. Heath nodded,
wanting to bring up the delicate subject but didn’t know how to broach it. Leah had fallen asleep so Heath lay her down
in the bassinet and drew Janine into his arms.
They held each other for a while till Janine looked at him, with tears
in her eyes, “Why did we lose him? I feel so guilty, like I did something
wrong.” Heath tightened his hold on her, slightly, thinking about the question.
“Dr. Merar said it
was because of all the other miscarriages you had. Having a broken back didn’t help matters any either.” He stated. “I know its hard, Janey. I feel so bad, like I didn’t do enough to
help you.” Janine gaped at her husband, realizing how much he really loved her. How much they meant to each other. She drew him closer to her and held him
while the sobs racked his body. They
sat like that as the gentle rocking of the train drew them closer to Janine’s
family. He looked up at her after a
while and posed the question he had asked once before. “did the doctor say anything to you about
having more babies?” His drawl broke when he asked this question.
“Not really. Just told me to take it easy. Why is there somethin’ wrong?” She looked
into his blue eyes and saw pain in them.
“Heath? What is it?” The torment was too much for her to bear, she
looked away from his pained expression and knew what it was he had to tell
her. “I-I-I can’t have any more, can
I?” Heath nodded slowly not looking at her.
“He said you may not
Janey. There is a possibility you still
can.” He tried to reassure her and himself.
She sighed, “It’s because of Gary hitting me
while I was pregnant those times, causin’ the miscarriages. DAMN HIM ALL TO HELL!” Heath held her
tightly, letting her scream her anger at her dead, unforgiving, husband. He would always be apart of their lives and
they couldn’t get away from that.
Anger spent, they
lay on the narrow berth, facing each other, and quietly talking. “We have Leah, she is our blessing.” Heath
nodded in agreement. “We can adopt
others so that she won’t grow up alone.”
He smiled and nodded. “There are always babies at the
orphanage. When we get back we’ll look
into it.” Janine caressed his cheek, and listened to the clacking of the train
wheels. He drew her closer and placed a
kiss on the top of her head. “I love ya
Janine Marie Barkley.”
“I love ya too Heath
Morgan Thomson Barkley.” With that they closed their eyes and fell asleep.
Finally after five
days of being on the train, they made it to Omaha, Nebraska. It was a small bustling city, on the
Missouri River. As they departed the
train, they were told the train left early the next morning, and to be on
time. Their luggage would be
transferred for them. Heath thanked the
conductor, grabbing their valises and started towards the hotel across the
tracks.
“Boy howdy, it will
be nice to sleep in a nice soft bed,” commented Heath. Janine followed along behind him, carrying
Leah, the diaper bag and the bassinet.
Janine looked around at the bustling city. There were wagons, and carriages hurrying through the
street. They walked to the double doors
of the Omaha Hotel and entered. It was
the most luxurious hotel they had ever seen.
Heath took a deep breath and looked around. There were three green velvet covered chairs in the sitting room
with glass tables holding newspapers.
There was even a green velvet covered settee adorning the room as
well. They headed off towards the desk
where the clerk was registering another couple off the train. They waited their turn, Leah getting heavy
in Janine’s arms.
They gave their bags
to the bellhop and followed him up the staircase to their room. The towheaded bellhop opened the door for
them and deposited their bags into their room.
Heath gave him a tip while the young man gave him the key. After the door closed, Janine placed Leah on
the bed and sighed in relief. “That
girl is getting heavy!” exclaimed Janine rubbing her arms as if they were going
to fall off.
Their room was
beautiful. There were heavy emerald
green curtains adorning the big bay window that overlooked the street. There was a large, mahogany chest of drawers
in the corner, and a dressing table.
The double bed was made up with a heavy patchwork quilt.
There was another door leading somewhere and
Janine opened it to see what was behind it.
“Boy howdy Heath!” Heath came and stood behind her, whistling at what he
saw. “I never saw anything like it!”
They stood gaping at the room, marvelling in the richness of the bathroom. There was a ceramic tub with gold
fixtures. There was a dressing table
with a large mahogany mirror. On the
dressing table was a beautiful pitcher and bowl for a quick wash. The walls were adorned with red and gold
paper, making it all seem luxurious.
They sat down on the
chairs that were also in the room, relaxing.
It had been a long five days and they were going to enjoy the richness
of this room.
“I think I’m going
to have a bath. I need to wash some of
this train soot off of me.” Heath nodded, he was thinking along the same lines
but someone had to watch Leah so she didn’t roll off the bed.
Janine got out just
as Heath opened the door. She stood
with her back to him, drying herself.
He closed the door quietly so as not to disturb her. She turned around to reach her clothes,
smiling when she saw Heath staring at her.
“Boy howdy you’re beautiful Janey!”
She took a step
closer to him and kissed him passionately.
“Is Leah still sleepin’?” Heath nodded.
His hands wandered up and down her smooth back, her moans showed her
appreciation. “You better have your
bath Cowboy.” Heath nodded while Janine helped him undress. She kissed him seductively and pressed
herself against him. “I’m going to
leave you have your bath.” Janine gave him a lusty look, grabbing her robe, “oh
by the way, I’m wanting something to eat soon!” She put the robe on, leaving
Heath desiring more of her. She walked
out of the bathroom, blowing him a kiss before she closed the door.
She checked on Leah
making sure she was still sleeping. She
lay on the bed, listening to her cowboy husband splash around in the tub. She smiled to herself as she closed her
eyes. The next thing she knew, her robe
was slowly being pulled open and seductive kisses were placed strategically
over her body. She opened an eye and
saw her husband gazing intently at her.
She opened up her arms and drew him closer, letting him caress and kiss
her. Their passions were getting the
best of them when Leah woke up. Heath
chuckled and Janine groaned. “I don’t
want to….”
Heath trailed kisses
across her throat. “let’s wait a minute. Maybe she will go back to sleep.” He nibbled
on her ear. Leah cried an impatient
cry, and Heath got up, speaking to his daughter. “Now, lil one. You know
better then to interrupt Mama and Papa.” Janine giggled.
“Well I guess we
should go get somethin’ to eat anyway.” Janine put her robe back on and found
the clothes she wanted to wear. Heath
changed Leah’s diaper and located her bottle, and fed her while Janine got
dressed. Heath watched her as she
dressed, passion stirring in him once more.
Janine smiled at him in the mirror, “Later, honey.” He nodded, the mood
broken. She finished dressing and was
brushing her hair when Heath reached around her to get his clothes. She leaned against him, loving the feel of
his manly body. He kissed her neck and
she turned in his arms. Janine pushed
her tongue through his lips searching for his.
He groaned, muttering that she was a wicked woman. She giggled, and pulled away, letting him
get dressed.
She picked up Leah
and dressed her so they could go get a bite to eat then go to bed. They had to be in bed early so they could
catch the train in the morning. They
walked hand in hand to a restaurant when she heard a familiar masculine
voice. “Janine? Janine MacGraw?” She
turned to see who was calling her. She
couldn’t believe her eyes. It was the
army officer she had an affair with when she was with Gary.
“Henry? Henry
Dubois?” The man nodded. “Wow! I can’t
believe it!” She handed Leah over to Heath, hugging the man while Heath stood
back and watched the reunion. “I want
you to meet someone. This is my husband
Heath Barkley. Heath this is an…..old
friend of mine from Fort Sumner.
Sergeant Henry Dubois.” Heath shook his hand warmly. “We are going to have a bite to eat. Wanna join us?”
“I already ate,
Janine, but I will join you for a coffee and catch up while you eat. Oh who is this little bundle of joy?”
Janine took Leah
from Heath and introduced her, “This is our daughter, Leah Victoria Barkley.”
There was something about this man that Heath didn’t like but he didn’t say
anything. They ordered their meal and
watched as Janine engaged in conversation with this army man. Sergeant Dubois kept up a running commentary
about what had happened to him since they last met and Janine filled in the
missing details of her life. The man
did not look at Heath once and more than once Heath found the man’s eyes
straying to her bosom. He ate quietly
and watched as his wife ate her meal.
She fed Leah some potatoes and soft peas as well. Finally it was time for them to leave. “We have to catch the morning train
tomorrow. We are goin’ to New York to
see Mama and Papa.”
“Well I’m glad we
ran into each other then. I hope you
have a grand trip, maybe we will see you again.” They hugged and said their
good byes. Heath thought that he had
left his arm around her a little too long.
With that, Sergeant Henry Dubois walked from the restaurant and out of
their lives.
Back in the hotel
room, they changed Leah’s diaper and lay her in the bassinet. Her blue eyes closed almost
immediately. Janine sang her a lullaby
while Heath lay on the bed watching the tender moment between mother and
daughter. He closed his eyes, deep in
thought, when Janine climbed into bed.
She reclaimed her position on him, unbuttoning his shirt and teasing him
with lingering kisses. He groaned and
returned the passion she was sharing. A
while later, they fell asleep, hands clasped and happy.
They boarded the
train the next morning, found their berth and settled in for another couple
days journey. They were almost at their
destination. They stopped in Chicago
Illinois, then Buffalo, New York.
Finally they were in New York City.
Heath marvelled at the size of the city as
they rode the train into the station.
There were buildings as high as the sky, he thought. The disembarked, walked into the waiting
room of the huge train station. They
searched around and found Janine’s parents searching the room for them. There was a tearful reunion and an
introduction of their grand daughter who they thought looked like a lot like
Janine.
As they drove
through the city to Manhattan where the Greenes lived. They exchanged stories of their trip out and
Marjorie informed Janine of all the changes around. Janine was overwhelmed at the differences in the city since she
was last at home, ten years ago.
They pulled up to
Janine’s family home. She gaped at it
in wonder. Some things never change,
she thought. Heath gave Leah to Janine
then went to gather the luggage they brought with them. When they entered the house, Heath and
Charles took the luggage up to Janine’s old room. Janine sat down on the worn settee that she remembered from her
childhood. Marjorie took the baby from
her and marvelled in the beautiful child who was her descendent. “Some things never change, Mama.” She
remarked, reminiscent of the last time she was in this very room. A heated argument between parents and child
filled her mind, bringing tears to her tired eyes.
“You hungry
Daughter?” Janine shook her head no. “Do
you want some coffee?”
Yes please Mama.”
Marjorie rose from the well worn chair, taking Leah with her. She brought back a tray with delectable
sweets and four cups of coffee. Heath
had joined his wife on the couch and Charles took a seat across from his wife,
taking the baby from her arms. Charles
loved this little girl, she had the cutest little button nose, blonde curly
hair and the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen.
“How old is she
now?” Charles was looking lovingly at the baby gurgling and smiling in his
arms. He pulled back the blanket and
brought her up to his lips, so he could give her a grandfatherly kiss. Heath and Janine smiled at each other,
clasping their hands, drinking the coffee that was offered to them.
“She is almost seven
months old.” The elder couple smiled and couldn’t keep their eyes off the
baby. “She may need to be changed if
you give her to me, I’ll change her.”
“I’ll do it,
Daughter.” Said Marjorie. Taking the
baby from her husband’s protective custody, she went upstairs to change the
baby.
“Well, Daughter,
you’re looking good! Motherhood agrees with you.” Janine thanked her father for
the compliment. Janine rose from the
settee and went over to the pictures sitting on the mantel of the fireplace. She picked up one of them, studying it for a
while and brought it over to Heath to show him.
“This is me when I
was about six years old, Heath.” He took the picture, studying the little girl
with a mass of blonde curls, giving his wife the lop sided smile. The little girl’s face told of being
spoiled, the clothes affirming that thought.
“Remember when this picture was taken, Papa?” Her father nodded,
smiling. “That morning, I was havin’ a
temper tantrum because I didn’t want to go shoppin’. Papa promised me if I behaved myself, I could buy one thing
myself. He would give me the money and
I could even pay for it. Well that did
it, I was good all day. Till this
picture was taken. Mama decided she
wanted my picture taken to show my relatives.
Well I cried, threw myself on the floor, had a good ole temper tantrum.”
She looked at her father with a faint smile, and continued, “ Papa gave me a
spankin’ right there in front of everyone.” Heath looked at the picture and
could somehow see her doing that. He
grinned at the thought of a young Janine, throwing herself on the ground,
stomping her feet and yelling. Janine
blushed at her husband. “I glared at
him, got up on that chair and smiled pretty for the camera. After, I stomped out of the store, and went
outside and stood in front of the store.”
Janine looked at her
father and said, “I sure was a spoiled brat, Papa. I can’t believe I ever acted that way. I’m surprised I got away with half the stuff I did.”
“That was our fault
Janine. After losing your brother to the
war, you became the centre of our lives.
So we spoiled you terribly.” Heath listened to the exchange between
father and daughter with interest. He
had some questions to ask her later on.
“You must be tired,
why don’t you go up to your old room and lie down before supper? I’m sure your
mama would love to be alone with her grandchild!” He looked at Marjorie who had
just walked in the room with Leah.
“Yes Papa, I think I
will. It was a long trip here.” Heath
got up to follow his wife. She hugged
her parents and went upstairs. She
looked at all the rooms, noting that nothing much had changed. She went to the end room and opened the
door. She walked in the room,
astonished that it almost looked the same as when she lived in it.
She stopped dead in
the middle of the room, making Heath walk into her. “Sorry Heath” she said and walked to the dressing table. She caressed the table lovingly, thinking of
all the hours she sat in front of it, staring in front of that mirror,
wondering about her future. Little did
she know that her future included a hard-working, loving cowboy and a tow
headed daughter.
Heath lay on the
bed, watching his wife as she explored her old room, opening drawers and
smiling. She opened the closet, fully
expecting her old clothes to be hanging there, slightly disappointed when they
weren’t. She yawned, and sat on the
bed. She took her shoes off and lay
beside her husband, who was watching her intently. She hadn’t said much to him.
She seemed lost in a sea of memories.
She lay her head on his chest, while he put his arm around her, holding
her close. She snuggled closer, closing
her eyes, unable to believe she was actually home. “Later on, I’ll take ya for a walk. Around the block. Show ya
the neighbourhood.”
Heath nodded, sleepily, “K, my pretty. I want to see what New York has to
offer. I’ve heard lots of things, and I
want to see what I can while we are here.
We have a month or so before we go home.” Janine nodded, a month. Could they stand the city that long?
They got up after a
while, and went downstairs to find Marjorie bustling around the kitchen,
humming a tune that Janine recognized from her childhood. Heath sat down in the chair nearest the
door, while she went to help her mother.
“Where’s Leah?” Janine asked her mother.
“She’s sleeping in
Michael’s old room, Daughter.” Janine nodded.
She looked at Heath bringing him a coffee, then going to the mantel,
grabbing a picture off of it. Marjorie
watched the couple with interest.
Janine handed the picture
to Heath, “this was my older brother, Heath.
Michael Armstrong Greene. He was
just a young man but quite a lot older then me. He was just fifteen when he joined. I don’t remember him much, I remember him being happy and always
playing with me. He took me places like
the malt shop and the park. I remember
the day that my parents were told about his death. I was only about five years old.” Heath looked at the faded
picture he held in his hands. Her
brother looked very distinguished dressed in his Union uniform, a determined
look on his face. He looked up at her,
waiting for her to go on. “He had a
full Army funeral, I remember the uniforms, the buglers, the folding of the
flag. He was only sixteen when he died
Heath. It broke my parents’ hearts and
in that regard, they spoiled me rotten, letting me get away with just about
anything because they were afraid of losing me too.”
Janine glanced at
her mother who was coming over to hug her daughter. She had no idea that Janine knew the reason behind their lack of
discipline. She was proud of this
daughter of hers and told her so in a whisper.
“Supper will be in about an hour if you want to take Heath for a walk. I will look after Leah for you.”
“Sure Mama. That sounds like a good idea. How bout it Heath? Care to join me in a
walk?” She extended her hand to him which he took willingly. “We’re just going around the block
Mama. There are bottles in here as well
as some milk in case she wakes up.” She handed Marjorie the diaper bag. “Be back shortly”
They walked out the
door and down the walk to the street.
The street was busy, horses and buggies driving at break neck speeds
amazing Heath at their intensity of getting to where they were going quickly. He automatically put his hand in his wife’s,
subconsciously wanting to protect her.
Janine was a little nervous, having forgotten about the harried pace
that people lived in the city.
“Boy howdy Janey!
People sure are in a hurry around here, aren’t they?” She nodded, grasping his
large hand tightly. Heath looked around
at all the buildings around. They came
to small general store, typical of other buildings surrounding it. They passed the store and came to an
intersection, and made a right. They
passed more buildings, stores, and a library.
Heath looked around in wonder but as was his custom, he didn’t remark on
anything, just took it all in. “People
live and work in these buildings?” he asked her quietly.
“Yes Heath. Funny isn’t it? Now you know why I like
California. This is too crowded. But it was home for fifteen years. I’ll take you out to the country sometime
while we are here. But for now I’ll
take you explorin’ around this huge city.
Lots of things to see and do.” Heath tried to follow her chatter, but
truth be known, she was talking too fast for him to understand. He smiled and nodded at her obvious
enthusiasm and excitement of being home.
They came to another
intersection and kept right. Heath just
couldn’t believe the difference between the streets. This street they were on, even though it was just above her
parents’ street, was quieter and more residential. There wasn’t nearly the people rushing to and fro. They saw people out on in their yards,
talking to their families or neighbours, or sitting on their porches, enjoying
the early evening.
They came to another intersection, turned
right, and found more businesses.
Janine stopped and looked at a carriage shop. Heath gaped at all the different carriages, buckboards and
surreys that were for sale. All different
sizes and shapes. He had never seen
anything like it. “Come on Heath!” she
called to him as she wandered onto the lot.
Heath hesitated at first, but followed her, admiring all the
carriages. They wandered around
looking, touching, almost tempting to get in but Heath said that it probably
wasn’t a good idea. This was something
he would have to tell Nick when they got home.
They wandered back
to the house, laughing and teasing each other.
They heard Leah fussing and walked in quickly. “I’ll take her now Mama” said Janine. Marjorie willingly gave up her grand daughter, she was not used
to having little ones around. “She
doesn’t like to be held much anymore, she is more into crawlin’ and makin’ us
chase her now.”
Janine put her on
the floor and she started crawling towards her father. She grabbed Heath’s pant legs pulled her
self up. Heath chuckled and picked her
up. “Well now, lil one. What say you?” His soft drawl was filled
with love for his daughter and Janine couldn’t help but smile. He sat with her on the couch, and Janine
gave him a bottle. She gave them both a
chaste kiss and went back to help Marjorie with supper.
Everyone sat at the
table where the meal was a lively one.
Marjorie filling Janine in with details of people around the
neighbourhood and Charles was asking Heath all kinds of questions about the
ranch and their property. Heath looked
over at his wife and winked at her. She
blushed, giving Heath a cause to give her a faint smile. She fed Leah some of the potatoes and vegetables
she was eating all the while talking to her mother about this person and that.
After supper,
Marjorie and Janine did the dishes while the men had a game of checkers. They got along well, considering the heated
argument about Heath’s heritage they had when they were in California for their
wedding. “You’re looking good
Janine. I’m so glad you came to visit.”
Her mother put another dish in the rack.
“Thanks Mama, we had
planned for this trip in the spring.
Well, we had Leah and things got busy on the ranch.” Marjorie noticed
that her daughter sounded wistful.
“Is there something
wrong, Daughter?” Janine stiffened and shook her head. She wasn’t ready to talk about little Heath
yet. The pain was still too great, too
raw to mention. “Okay Janine, but I
want you to know, that you can talk to me about anything.” Janine nodded and
dried the dishes.
They finished the
dishes and went to their spouses, watching the game. Leah was sitting on her Grandpa’s lap, trying to play with his
beard. Charles laughed and handed the
baby to Janine who was insistent on getting down. She was tired of being held by everyone. As Heath and Charles finished their game,
the women brought them coffee and cake.
Janine put Leah down on the floor, and let her crawl around a little
before putting her to bed for the night.
“I think she’s a little rambunctious from being on the train and being
held all the time” mentioned Janine to no one in particular.
Heath and Janine
went outside after Marjorie and Charles went to bed. They sat on the porch stoop, reminiscing about the trip. It was interesting so far, the scenery and
the things that Heath was learning about his wife was overwhelming. As well, being in a city that he had only
heard about, was his undoing.
At breakfast the
next morning, Marjorie told them that she was planning a family reunion of all
the New York relatives. Janine groaned
inwardly, then replied, “Yes Mama, it would be nice to see everyone again.”
“I want to introduce
my grand daughter to everyone,” she told them.
Heath and Janine glanced at each other but didn’t say anything. It wasn’t their place to say anything. She went on to describe her plans, saying
she was planning this since the couple told them they were going to come for a visit. It would be next Saturday so they would have
time to do some visiting on their own and sightseeing. “What are your plans for today, Daughter?”
“Well Mama, I think
that I’m goin’ to take Heath downtown and explore a little. Maybe do a little Christmas shoppin’.” They
had already decided that they were going to check out a doctor that Dr. Merar
suggested while they were there. They
needed a second opinion and since they were in New York, it seemed like the
right time. “Do the cabbies still run past
here?” queried Janine.
Charles nodded,
thinking, my daughter certainly is sure of herself. She is so confident, so…so….serene. He liked this new daughter of his and her husband. Even if he was a bastard, he was a pretty
good man. He still couldn’t believe she
married someone like him, but they are very happy together and very much in
love. Heath’s heritage was becoming
further and further back in his mind.
He didn’t think about it much anymore.
They finished up
breakfast, Heath took Leah while Janine helped with the dishes. “Heath, can you make up a couple of bottles,
and put diapers in the bag?”
He nodded but
Marjorie interjected, “May I look after her for the day? I miss having babies
around.” Heath and Janine stared at her.
A whole day to themselves?
“Are ya sure Mama? I
mean we appreciate the offer and everythin’ but….”
“I won’t hear
anything more, you two! You go, spend the day by yourselves, and have fun. Don’t worry about Leah. She will be in good hands.” Janine gaped at
her in appreciation at what she was offering.
The couple expressed their gratitude to her but Marjorie waved them off,
saying, “that’s what grandmothers do.
Now go you two before I change my mind!”
“Okay Mama. If you’re sure. Here are the bottles and the diapers are upstairs. Come on Heath before she changes her mind.”
They kissed Leah and left the house missing their daughter all ready.
They hailed a
carriage, got in and went downtown.
Heath was nervous but he tried not to let Janine know. Being in such a big city was
overwhelming. Janine grasped his hand
and squeezed it reassuringly to let him know it was all right. She would try not to get them lost, she told
him with a wink.
There was a lot to
see downtown. Heath strained his head,
looking this way and that, Janine observed him, smiling. He’s like a child, she thought, it’s so nice
to see him relaxed and happy.
She had given the
driver an address and he stopped in front of it a while later. Heath helped Janine out of the carriage,
paid the driver and strolled to the address she had requested. She grasped her husband’s hand and he took
hers gratefully.
She walked into the
building after reading on the door and making sure it was the right place. Heath opened the door, and let Janine in before
him. There were a lot of people waiting
in the office, hardly any room for them to sit. She went up to the desk and told the secretary who she was. The hefty woman asked her a few questions
and told them that the doctor would see them in a few minutes.
Just as they were
sitting down, they were called to another waiting room. They were very nervous inside but appeared
calm on the outside. Finally the doctor
showed up. They were shocked to see
that their Dr. Burns was a woman. Dr.
Burns was mildly shocked at the striking couple. They were not what she pictured as westerners. Westerners were an uncouth, ugly from the
land, bunch of people. Not this couple,
the doctor thought as she asked them routine questions. He was a handsome man, with that sandy blond
hair and expressive blue eyes. His wife
was just as striking, having an air of authority around her, with curly
strawberry blonde hair and emerald eyes.
“Dr. Merar from Stockton, California sent you
here, is that right?” Janine nodded, tightly grasping Heath’s hand. “he sent you here for a second opinion?”
Again she nodded. “Long ways to go for
a second opinion.” Janine glared at her but didn’t say anything. “Anyway, Mrs. Barkley, if you follow me, I
will examine you and see what we can do for you. I will call for you when we are done Mr. Barkley.” Heath nodded,
reluctant to let his wife’s hand go.
She released his hand and followed the uppity, lanky doctor out the door
and into another room.
A little while later
the doctor came back with Janine following behind her. Heath stood up, hat in hand, and waited till
the ladies sat down before he sat down himself. He grasped Janine’s petite hand and caressed it lovingly, giving
her a gentle squeeze. She smiled
slightly at him, then turned to face the doctor. “Well doctor, we came for an opinion, may we ask you what it is?”
she inquired, tired of the woman’s studying the charts.
The doctor looked up
from the charts and gazed at the couple.
“I’m afraid your family doctor is right, Mr. and Mrs. Barkley. You may never be able to carry a baby full
term. The internal damage from repeated
beatings and miscarriages have taken care of that. I’m sorry.” The doctor was sincerely sorry. She hated delivering news of this kind to
couples, so hopeful in miracle cures.
In this case, there was no cure, no hope at all.
“If I was to become
in a family way, is there a chance that the baby would be born alive?” asked
Janine hopefully, tightening her grip on Heath’s hand.
“Medicine is not an
exact science, Mrs. Barkley. If you
were to become pregnant, you may not carry it full term, or you may die from
giving birth. Then again you may carry
the baby full term if you are very careful and rest for the duration.” Janine
stiffened at this news. She held back
the tears that were threatening to fall.
She dared not look at Heath, knowing if she did, she would break
down.
“Thank you Dr. Burns
for tellin’ us the truth. Is that all?”
“I am very sorry to
break it to you this way, but I feel that the truth is the best way.”
“Yes Doctor, we feel
the same way. Good bye and thanks
again.” Heath followed Janine out of the office, stopping by to pay the
bill. They strolled slowly out to the
street, not knowing what to do next.
They decided to go home and see their daughter. They would do Christmas shopping tomorrow.
They reached the
Greene’s brownstone a little while later.
Heath paid the driver, and helped Janine out. They walked into the house solemnly, finding it very quiet. Janine found the coffee still hot, so she
poured them each a cup. She handed
Heath a cup and sat beside him. “Heath,
I’m scared,” she told him silently.
“Me too, Janey. What do we do now?” They gazed into each
other’s eyes, putting their cups down on the coffee table. Janine put her arms around him and drew him
closer. They sat there, holding each
other, letting the tears run down their faces.
Marjorie came in a
while later, finding them still on the couch, holding each other. “Grandma and baby in the house!” she called. Janine jumped as she didn’t hear the door
open or close.
“Mama! You scared
me!” exclaimed Janine, wiping her eyes.
Heath wiped his eyes and took Leah from his mother-in-law. Leah smiled at her father, gurgling and
trying to pull his buttons. Heath
placed a kiss on Leah’s cheek and held her close.
“Okay you two. Now I know there is something wrong. I can feel it. Please tell me Daughter.” Janine looked forlornly at her mother
then at Heath. Heath nodded, telling her
it was okay, she should tell Marjorie everything.
“Where is Papa? I
want him here too.” Marjorie said that he was at work and wouldn’t be home for
another hour yet. Janine sighed. She gave Heath and Leah one last look taking
a deep breath. She told her mother
everything, about Little Heath, about what the doctors told her, how she
felt. Heath added how he felt too. It felt good to talk to someone about it. Marjorie held both of them in her little
arms, knowing a little how they felt.
It was hard, knowing that there was nothing no one could do for
them.
“Janine, Heath, I
can’t say I know how you feel. Its hard
to lose someone so little, one that means so much. All I can say is hold your head up high. Just take it one day at a time. You have a beautiful daughter in Leah. Be proud of her. She is someone special. A
real blessing. The doctor also said you
may not be able to have babies. That
means there is still a chance if you are very careful. There are babies in the orphanage, you can
always adopt”
They nodded, Janine
taking Leah from Heath and holding her close.
“Yes Mama, we thought of that.
We just weren’t expectin’ to lose little Heath like that.”
“No one ever expects
to lose a baby. We don’t know what God
has planned for us and we just have to accept what comes.” They took stock in
the older lady’s words, knowing that she was right, but were having a hard time
accepting it.
“Thanks Mama. We are havin’ a hard time adjustin’ to the
fact that we lost a baby and we do a lot of blamin’ ourselves. We enjoy havin’ Leah around, she is real
special to us. We don’t want her to
grow up by herself, so we will just see what happens.”
Marjorie hugged her
daughter then hugged her son-in-law who had become pretty special to this
family. She remembered the heated
argument back in Stockton they had about his heritage and hugged him
tighter. He was shocked at the show of
emotion that Marjorie was showing him but he returned the hug.
A while later,
Charles walked in to the three of them playing with Leah, laughing and
talking. “Well, well, well. What have we here? Is this a private party
or can anyone join?” They invited him to join them. Janine and Marjorie got up after awhile to put supper on the
table.
After supper, Heath
and Janine decided to take Leah for a walk in the carriage that Charles
purchased for her. They went to the
park just up the street away, wandering through the trails made by other
people. The weather was getting a
little cooler at this time of year, Janine pulled the blankets up further
around Leah, making sure that she was warm.
Heath zipped up his coat while Janine decided to zip hers up too. “Brrrr! I forgot how cold the wind can be.”
Remarked Janine. Heath nodded and they
headed towards home. They talked of unimportant
things, about the weather, what the family was doing back home, how fast Leah
was growing. She was learning things at
an alarming speed.
When they arrived
back at the brownstone, Charles gave his daughter a loving embrace. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into her ear. Janine nodded and pulled away.
“Thank ya Papa.” She
stated simply, tears forming in her eyes.
Janine fed Leah, and let her play for a while before putting her to
bed. Leah loved the freedom and made
her way slowly to her grandfather. “I
think she likes you Papa.” He nodded, then they all chuckled at her
antics.
One by the one the
sleepy family decided to call it a night.
Tomorrow was another day and Janine had a few things planned that she
wanted to do. They were going to spend
the day in Central Park, it was a nice day, sun was shining but typical New
York fall. It would be pretty this time
of year with the leaves falling on the ground.
Janine and Heath lay
in bed each lost in a turmoil of thoughts.
It had been a pretty emotional day and they had a hard time getting to
sleep. Heath rolled over on to his
side, laying his head on her chest. She
wrapped an arm around him and squeezed.
He responded by caressing her cheek and snuggling closer. They lay like that, cuddling, reliving the
events of the day in their minds.
Eventually sleep claimed its rightful place over the sleeping couple
leaving them in the darkness.
Janine woke up the
next morning, feeling refreshed and happy.
Heath was still sleeping, so she crawled quietly out of the bed to check
on Leah. Leah was still sleeping, so
Janine padded quietly back to her old room and slid back into bed. Heath rolled over on to his back, drawing
Janine into his arms, and held her there.
Janine placed her head on his chest, enjoying the feel of the soft hair
that covered it. “Let’s get up and
catch the sunrise, Heath.” He opened one eye and stared at her. “Okay, my pretty.” They both rose from the
bed and quickly dressed. They walked
quietly down the stairs and out the front door. They walked to the park where they had gone before and sat down
on one of the benches there. The
sunrise was beautiful, but they both missed the Western sunrise. They walked back quickly towards the
brownstone, entering quietly, checking their daughter who was awake and wanting
up.
After everyone was
up and had breakfast, Janine dressed Leah in warm clothes, taking the diaper
bag and filling it with what they needed for the day. They left, catching the train into the city, and walking to
Central Park. It was pretty with all
the trees leaves falling to the ground, almost gone from the trees. The breeze was nippy, but tolerable. They wandered around the massive park, Heath
taking in the beauty and wonder of it.
A park in the middle of a large city, full of trees and ponds. Still its not quite the same as the beauty
from home. They spent the day looking
at different things, admiring the statues and fountains that adorned the
park.
The day over, they caught
the train back home and entered the brownstone, very tired but happy. Marjorie took Leah from them and brought
them coffee when they settled themselves on the sofa. “Supper will be ready in an hour, if you want to freshen up.”
The next few days passed
in a blur. They were always doing
something, going somewhere, checking this and that out that Janine found
interesting. They found a library, a
museum, another carriage lot. When they
returned home at the end of the day, they were exhausted from all the running
around. “Boy howdy, Janey! I’m never
this exhausted when I’m out on the range all day!” Heath mentioned as they were
getting ready for bed one night.
“I know. I’ll take our ranch life over city life any
day!” laughed Janine, pulling the covers down on the bed. “Tomorrow’s the reunion. They’re combining the Christmas party and
our being here into one.” Heath groaned inwardly, getting under the blankets. Janine welcomed Heath into her arms and they
held each other, talking quietly. “you’ll
meet… oh gee whiz! Uncle Mike and Aunt Gertrude, Grandpa and Grandma Macdonald,
Granddad and Grandmom Greene, Aunt Hazel, Uncle Leroy and Aunt Sally. More cousins then you can shake a finger at. I forgot Uncle Jack and Aunt Trudy, Uncle
Jim, and….and…..and…” Heath shushed her up with a deep kiss.
“Heath! What did you do that for? I was
telling ya…” He chuckled at her.
“Yes, my pretty, I
know what you were tellin’ me. Ya
makin’ my head spin. I’ll meet a lot of
relatives, I’ll feel like I’m on display and feel real uncomfortable…..” This
time she shushed him up with a deep kiss.
“It’ll be fine,
cowboy. Trust me. I love ya!” They wrestled on the bed ,
“Heath!” she hissed at him, “Gimme my pillow!”
“I don’t have it!”
he whispered back. She felt under his
head and found that he indeed had her pillow.
She sat on top of him tickling him so he would loosen his grip on the
pillow. All that got her was a tickling
back of her own. They giggled quietly,
if that was possible, then Heath relented, giving her the pillow. She smacked him with it and lay down on
it. She turned her back on him in
indignation. Heath wouldn’t leave her alone
and was placing kisses seductively on her neck. Try as she might, she couldn’t ignore that. After a while, she relented to Heath’s
kisses. They settled down after a while
and succumbed to sleep, knowing that tomorrow was going to be another busy day.
When the morning
arrived, Heath woke up and started harassing Janine first thing. “Gee whiz Heath!” complained a very tired
Janine.
He pulled the blankets off telling her, “Rise
and shine, my pretty, the days a-wastin’!” Janine groaned and got up. She mumbled something about cheery people
and early mornings. He handed her a
dress, and helped her to put it on. “you
sure are miserable some mornings, Janey.” His lopsided smiled warmed her heart
but she wasn’t really angry as she enjoyed his playfulness.
After checking on
Leah and finding that she was all ready up and about with her grandparents,
they went downstairs. Janine gave Leah
a kiss grabbing a coffee for herself and Heath. Marjorie smiled at the couple, handing Leah over to Janine. Janine gave Leah her bottle, and drank her
coffee. “What time is everyone comin’
Mama?”
“Pretty soon,
Daughter.” Marjorie was busy mixing pancake batter. “Will you help me prepare some food after breakfast? I asked
everyone to bring something, but we still need to provide a little ourselves.”
Charles came down, saw his wife busy in the kitchen and turned to Heath
motioning to him to follow.
Heath obediently
followed his father in law outside and out to the carriage. “I have a list of things to do, but I wanted
to get you out before she has a list of things for you to do. If she asks, you’re busy with me and my
errands.”
Heath just
nodded. “We do get to eat breakfast,
though, right?” he asked seriously.
“Yes Son, but after
breakfast come with me. I don’t want
you swallowed up by the family that is.”
Heath chuckled, “Yes
sir!”
After breakfast, Janine
put Leah into the playpen and helped Marjorie in the kitchen. Heath and Charles went on a few errands and
a couple of mysterious ones and wouldn’t be back till a little later. The women nodded, hands flying with the
making of the supper meals that would take most of the day to prepare.
Heath and Charles
climbed into the buckboard, as they need to go grab some chairs at the local
church. “We’ll grab the chairs then go
for a drink”
“Sounds mighty fine,
Charles.” Answered Heath, a little nervous about all the relatives he was about
to meet in a few hours.
“Its okay
Heath. I was a little nervous when I
first met the family too. They are a
loud bunch. Much like your brother
Nick.” Heath groaned at the comparison.
Charles chuckled, telling him, “it will be noisy and they are all good
people. Just watch out for Hazel, she’s
unmarried and latches herself on any good looking man, married or unmarried.”
Heath gave him a sideways glance to see if he was joking, but Charles looked
serious.
They stopped in
front of the church and went inside.
They walked to the pastor’s office and loaded up on some chairs. “I think we will need about two dozen.”
Heath nodded, grabbed a stack of chairs and loaded them up on the wagon. When they were done, they headed towards the
saloon.
It was typical of
saloons, only more people. They ordered
a beer each and sat down to drink. They
sat, talking about unimportant things, about life in California, the ranch, the
trip out. Heath answered all of
Charles’ questions and asked a few of his own.
They finished their drinks and headed back to the brownstone, where the
family was sure to be arriving anytime.
Sure enough when
they reached the brownstone, there were carriages starting to line the
street. Heath sighed and braced himself
for the meeting of the relatives. He
did not like large groups and hoped he could fade into the woodwork. He took a stack of chairs, following Charles
into the house. He put the chairs down
and looked for his wife. She was busy
in the kitchen cooking. He went over to
her and gave her a hug. “Hi honey, I’m
home.” He whispered. “Boy howdy, there
are a lot of people here!” he told her quietly.
She nodded, “I’m almost done here. I’ll introduce you in a few minutes. Wanna give me a hand?” Relieved that he
could do something, he took the tray of snacks and set them on the table. She had another plate and set them down as
well. She took Heath’s hand, gripping
the large hand firmly, she gave him a reassuring squeeze. “Leah is with Mama. She is playing the part of a proud
grandmother.” She told him. He smiled
at her and followed her out to the crowd.
Heath met so many
relatives, he couldn’t keep them all straight.
He watched as Janine spoke to this person and that, loving the fact that
she was so outgoing this way. She
didn’t like big gatherings but she was the perfect hostess with all of these
people. He realized that his
father-in-law was right about Aunt Hazel.
She kept following him around, asking questions about his life out
west. He answered all her questions
politely as he could.
Janine came to him after a bit, giving him a
hug. “How ya doin’ cowboy?” She was
concerned that he wasn’t having a good time.
“I’m fine,
Janey. You do have some interesting
relatives.” She took his hand and led him to an elderly couple who were holding
Leah.
“Heath, these are my
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Macdonald.
Grandma, Grandpa meet my husband Heath.” Mr. Macdonald held out his
hand, shaking it firmly.
“Pleased to meet ya
sir.” Greeted Heath warmly. He shook
Mrs. Macdonald’s hand as well.
“You have a fine
baby,” stated the slender lady. Heath
thanked her and they talked awhile about the weather, how he was finding New
York. While they were talking, one of
Janine’s uncles was getting a little belligerent. He had too much of the spirits which was handed out freely,
showing his true colours against his wife.
Heath clenched his mouth watching the scene unfold. Janine stood beside him, putting her hand on
his shoulder. He patted her hand and
stood to his full height.
“Excuse me Mr. and
Mrs. Macdonald.” Heath sauntered over to where Uncle Jack was berating his
wife, Aunt Trudy. Heath’s very presence
was intimidating and Uncle Jack stopped for a minute and looked at him solemnly. “Don’t do that again.” he said simply. Uncle Jack observed the six foot two man,
ignoring him. The others watched with
interest as the shorter man took another drink and turn back to his wife. Janine stood away, watching as her husband
stood there, knowing that when he spoke quietly and calmly that he was
upset. She wanted to go to him and draw
him away, but Uncle Jack always was belligerent when it came to his family,
drunk or sober. He needed to be taught
a lesson.
“What are you
staring at?” The drunken uncle slurred his words, weaving slightly.
“I just wanted to
let ya know that I don’t like the way you’re talkin’ to your wife.”
“She’s my wife and
I’ll talk to her anyway I want!” Heath didn’t say anything as he turned away
from the drunken man, walking back towards Janine. He didn’t see the glass that was thrown at him. “This isn’t the west Boy!” The glass hit
Heath in the middle of his back. He
turned around, slowly, and glared at the man who stepped back.
“No if this was the
west, I woulda shot you by now. But
since this is the East and more civilized, I will give ya a warning. Don’t do it again.” Heath was more apt to
talk his way out of situations then actually shoot them unless provoked, but
Uncle Jack didn’t know this. “We are
amongst family so behave like one!” there was an audible gasp among the group
but Heath ignored it. Janine gathered
her wits and went to her husband putting her arm around him. “let’s go get some punch, Honey.” She said
to him quietly. He nodded and let
Janine lead the way to the table.
She gave him a hug,
then handed him a glass of the delectable punch. “Thank ya Heath. Someone
had to put him in his place.” They watched as Uncle Jack sat down by himself
and drank some more of the spirits that was passed to him.
The evening passed
quickly, there was dancing, singing, the talents of everyone coming out. Heath and Janine enjoyed themselves. Leah was sleeping in Marjorie’s arms, so
Janine took her and put her to bed.
Charles took Heath aside more then once to talk with him and introduced
him to the other male members of the family, indulging in some of the spirits
himself.
One by one people
started leaving as the hour grew late.
Janine was hugged more then once, people congratulating them on their
marriage and beautiful baby. The couple
were exhausted by the time the last one left.
Marjorie started cleaning up, but Charles took her hand and told her to
leave it till tomorrow. He put his arm
around his wife, told Janine to make sure the house was secure when they went
to bed. Janine bid them good
night. They went to sit out on the
stoop before going upstairs to bed.
“That was fun, but I
sure couldn’t do that all the time” Janine put her arms around Heath and leaned
her head on his shoulder. Heath
automatically put his arm around her and drew her closer.
“It was fun.” Agreed
Heath.
“But?”
“But your Uncle Jack
leaves a lot to be desired.” Heath stared out to the street while Janine
removed her arms and took his hand.
Janine sighed, caressed
his hand, telling him, “I know. He is
the pain of the family. I’m glad you
stood up to him. No one else in this
family has. Aunt Trudy just puts up
with his meanness. Uncle Jack is Papa’s
older brother and I think sometimes he would like to smack him upside the
head. But Papa is so passive, he would
never do it. Mind you, if he tried the
same thing to anyone in his family, I’m sure he would have something to say!”
Heath smiled at her
and stood up. “Let’s go to bed, my
pretty! It’s getting late.” He helped her up, entering the house quietly. Securing the door, they ascended up the
stairs and into their room. They
dressed quickly for bed and fell asleep almost immediately, not waking up till
Leah wanted attention the next morning.
The next week passed
by quickly, they explored New York as much as they could, saw the new Brooklyn
Bridge, went to Coney Island and one day went for a drive out to the
country. The country was beautiful. The snow covered hills rolled out to more
hills. They stopped at a lake and saw
the winter birds walking on the icy water.
They bundled up warmer and decided to drive just a little further into
the country before turning around. They
drove through farmyards, seeing the cattle, horses and other livestock the country
offered.
It started to snow
lightly so they decided to hurry home before it got any worse. Leah slept most of the way and woke up when
she started feeling cold. Janine held
her closer, bundling her up with another quilt. Heath glanced at mother and daughter, flicking the horses’ rein
to make them go a little faster towards the city.
They drove through
the city just as the snow fell harder.
Heath pulled up in front of the brownstone, Janine and Leah got out,
rushing into the house. Heath drove to
the garage, looking after the horses and carriage. He came in shortly after and accepted the steaming hot mug of
coffee while warming up in front of the roaring fire.
The time had come to
catch the train to go home. The night before
they were to leave, there was a small get together with both sets of Janine’s
grandparents. They came early in the
day to say their good byes and to regale Heath of Janine’s childhood escapades. Heath chuckled, thinking about Janine as a
child, getting into as much trouble as her grandparents and parents were
telling. Janine told them to stop, but
as parents so often do, they wouldn’t.
Heath captured Janine’s eyes and knew that she was enjoying the stories
as much as they were telling them.
They told stories of
her climbing trees on the farm that the Macdonalds’ owned. They told of stories of her famous temper
tantrums, her friendships with people of all ages, races and how thoughtful she
was towards her family. They told of
her rebellion when she ran off to be married and how hurt they were. Janine had tears in her eyes when they spoke
of this. She never realized how much
she hurt her family when she decided to act up in the schools causing her to be
expelled. She only thought of herself at
the time, and apologized profusely for the pain she caused them.
“It’s all ancient
history now, Janine.” Replied Grandmom Greene.
“You have a beautiful life now with this new husband, and your baby
daughter. Cherish them while you can,
time goes by way too fast.” Janine hugged each of her grandparents, telling
them that she was going to miss them very much.
Grandma Macdonald
reached behind her chair bringing out a large package and handing it to her
grand daughter. “What’s this? asked
Janine quizzically.
“Open it,
Sweetheart.” Janine glanced at her husband then opened the large package. She gasped when she saw what was
inside. Heath leaned forward to see
what was in it.
“Grandma! The
Macdonald quilt! You shouldn’t have!” Janine held it up for Heath to see.
“Sweetheart, I meant
to give this to you on your wedding day.
Your first wedding was a hurried affair and I felt you didn’t deserve
it. I didn’t know what I was going to
do. Then when Marjorie told me your
husband died and you married this wonderful man, I was so happy. So this is my gift to you. Handed down from Grandmother to
granddaughter for four generations.
This is my legacy to you Janine.
I want you to give it your granddaughter.” Janine’s eyes were filling up
with tears when she gave her grandmother a hug. She knew then she was forgiven for her past transgressions. Heath, who was overwhelmed at such a
generous gift, gave Janine’s grandmother a peck on the cheek and hugged her
lightly.
Grandmom Greene, not
to be outdone, had a gift for the couple as well. She handed Janine two gifts a small one just for her and a larger
one, for the both of them. Janine
opened the small gift first, her eyes misting over again. She took out a dainty gold chain with a
heart shaped pendent. “Oh
Grandmom. It’s beautiful!” she held it
up for everyone to see.
“Mother!” said
Charles, “Is that the pendant that Father gave you when you got married?” The
elderly lady nodded.
“I can’t take this
Grandmom.” Janine put it back in the box and gave it back to her. “Its much too special for you.”
“Nonsense, child! I
want you to have it because Granddad gave it to me. He said that it was meant for a happy and fruitful marriage. I was blessed many times with happiness. I hope you will be too. Now don’t worry, Marie. You two seem very happy together. I had decided when you came back for a visit
I wanted to give you this gift.”
“Thank you
Grandmother. I will cherish this
always.” She hugged her grandmother lovingly.
“Now Marie, open the
other one.” Janine opened the second gift and gushed over the lovely lace
tablecloth. “Do you remember this?”
Janine nodded. “It’s the tablecloth you always used whenever you had special
company. The one you told me would be
mine one day. The one your mother made
for your wedding.”
The grandmother
nodded, “The day has come my child, it is yours.”
“Thank you Grandmom,
Grandma for the wonderful gifts.” Heath watched all of this in rapt
silence. He had never been involved in
any family situations like this and was at a loss as to what to do. So he kept quiet, realizing that he had
married a very special woman.
The elderly couples
took their leave after awhile, refusing the offers of rides from Heath and
Charles. The grandfathers shook Heath’s
hand and told him to take good care of their grandchild. “We’ll come after you if we hear you have
mistreated her, boy.”
They sounded serious
but when Heath looked into their blue and gray eyes, he saw a twinkle in
them. He hoped he sounded contrite when
he answered them, “yes sir”.
The grandmothers
hugged Janine and gave Leah a kiss. She
was given some gifts of clothes and toys as well from them. Janine hugged her grandfathers as well, who
in turn had given her some money to help out on their journey back home. “We really don’t need this” she told them
both sincerely. They shook their heads
and said it was the least they could do for them. Janine nodded and thanked them for the gifts. “I’ll keep in touch” she said honestly. The grandparents were secure in the
knowledge that their granddaughter was indeed very happy. They were pleased in her choice of a second
husband.
The Barkleys went to
bed that night with mixed emotions.
Janine put the gifts away in their trunk and sat on the bed. She went around the room, memorizing every
nook and cranny. Heath watched her as
she caressed the chest of drawers and the dressing table. He went to her, placed his arms round her waist,
kissing the back of her neck softly.
“I’ll be glad to go home, but I will miss it here too.” She leaned into
him, enjoying the feel of his loving embrace.
“Yeah, I can’t wait
till we get home. We have a lot to tell
the family.” Janine nodded and turned around to face him. “I love ya Heath.” She kissed him
passionately then led him to the bed.
“I love ya too
Janine.” They held each other close as they waited for sleep to overtake them
to morning.
They rose early, and
got Leah out of bed. They went
downstairs, Heath made coffee while Janine gave Leah her bottle. Charles and Marjorie came down when the
aroma of coffee floated up stairs.
Heath went upstairs, grabbed their trunk, valises and diaper bag,
setting them by the door. Charles went
out, bringing the carriage to the front of the brownstone. He helped Heath put the luggage away, while
Janine and Marjorie looked after breakfast and Leah.
They were at the
train depot, standing on the boardwalk.
Marjorie had tears in her eyes, as did Janine. Heath and Charles spoke about a spring trip to the ranch. They heard a sorrowful whistle in the
distance. The train was about to
arrive, and the Barkleys were anxious to begin the long journey back home.
The train pulled up
to a stop in front of the depot. The
steam from the engine nearly covered them all, making it difficult to see one
another. Heath shook Charles’ hand,
thanking him for the visit and hoped to see him in the spring at their
place. Charles hugged Janine long and
hard. He was going to miss his
daughter, they were closer then ever before.
Marjorie hugged her daughter, while Janine thanked her for the great
time they had. Both parents held on to
Leah, giving her hugs and loving kisses.
Yes, they thought, we will be out in the spring.
They had their
luggage loaded and made their way to their berth. They looked out the window and waved to the Greenes. They were missed all ready. But it wouldn’t be so long in between
visits. The train left the station,
slowly at first, gaining speed when it got through the city.
The train ride
seemed a little faster going home.
Heath and Janine found ways to make the trip go faster. They played cards, read, played with Leah,
and talked. They relived the things
they saw, the people they met, the things they were going to do when they
arrived back at their home.
When they arrived in
Omaha, they spent the night at the same hotel and had supper at the same
restaurant. They ran into no one, which
suited Heath just fine. He didn’t want
to see that Army friend of Janine’s again.
They left again in the morning, excited that they would be home in five
days.
They passed through
the prairies, the mountains of Colorado, the heat of Arizona then finally
California. They arrived in San
Francisco, where they decided to stay the night before returning home on the
morning train. They took a hotel room
near the train depot. After they
settled in for the night, they wired home to tell the family to expect them in
the early afternoon. Janine breathed in
the salty air and held her husbands hand while he carried Leah. They enjoyed the feel of being close to
their beloved home.
The next morning
they caught the train and arrived in Stockton four hours later. When they departed from the train, they saw
that Jarrod was waiting for them.
Janine hugged him tightly, saying how much they missed being at
home. Heath was excited seeing his
elder brother, pumping his hand and patting his shoulder at the same time. “Welcome home Heath, Janine. Mother says for you to come to supper
tonight.” Janine nodded, while Heath went to gather their baggage. Jarrod helped him put it into the boot of
the wagon and off they went home. Heath
felt re-energized knowing that they were home.
Back on familiar ground, and a familiar setting.
They dropped their
luggage at home, cleaned up while Jarrod went home to tell Victoria they would
be over in a while. Janine was so
happy, she wandered all around her house, seeing if everything was all right
and to memorize it. Heath came
downstairs, refreshed. He placed a kiss
on Janine’s ready lips. She put Leah in
the play pen and went upstairs to clean up.
They arrived at the
Barkley mansion an hour later. They
were greeted at the door by Victoria and Audra who gave them excited hugs. “You just have to tell me about New York! Tell
me about the things you saw, the people, the clothes. Tell me everything!” gushed Audra excitedly.
“Yes Audra. I will tell you everything and more!”
promised Janine who missed her sister-in-law’s enthusiasm more then
anything. They were good friends and
missed each other.
Nick came in,
“Mother!” Victoria scolded him good-naturedly, knowing whatever she said he
wouldn’t listen anyway. He spotted
Heath and Janine standing by the fireplace, “Heath!” He shook Heath’s hand
vigorously, “Bout time you came back, ole boy! The dams need fixin’, the fences
need mendin’, there are some broncs that need bustin’!”
Heath laughed,
“Janey, I reckon we need another holiday.
Nick’s been savin’ all the work for me!” They all laughed at the look on
Nick’s face.
Supper was a happy
affair. Heath told Nick about the
carriage shops they went to. Janine
told Audra about the stores they visited.
They told about Central Park, about the drive out to the country. Victoria looked around the table at the
happy family. Her family was
complete. Heath and Janine would go
home, but they would be back to visit many times during the week. She missed them while they were gone.
That night Heath and
Janine lay in their own bed. They had a
hard time going to sleep, being so wound up from their trip, they talked far
into the night. They had decided they
wouldn’t tell anyone about their visit to the doctor in New York. Whatever happened, happened, they decided
and not to borrow trouble. As they
waited for sleep, they thought about the memories that drove them to New York
and felt no misery in their hearts.
They would always miss Little Heath and what might have been but they
wouldn’t dwell on it. It was a
bittersweet trip, but they had learned more about each other and the love that
bound them together was stronger then ever before.
THE END