Young Nick

Tale One -- In My Father’s Eyes

by Lindabrit

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 One

Dundee

The ranch hand sent to find him urgently had eventually tracked him down about an hour’s ride from the house. Nevertheless, no more than thirty minutes later he was galloping full speed down the beaten road that led to his house gates, though he had nearly killed his hard-pressed horse in doing so.

He flung himself from the trembling animal’s back and burst into the house, leaving the big front door open behind him. He took the stairs, two at a time and strode down the corridor leading to his son’s bedroom. Panting slightly in his haste, he stood for a moment with his hand on the wooden door knob, suddenly unwilling to face whatever news awaited him within, then he drew in a deep breath and entered the sick room.

It was fast falling to dusk now and the interior of the room was dim, but he could see the unnaturally still figure in the bed and hear his boy’s stertorous breathing. For a second he thought the boy was alone in the room, certainly there was no sign of the doctor or other person in attendance and a wave of anger shook him, it was simply not right that his son should be alone, when clearly he was deeply unconscious and gravely ill.

Then he saw his wife, standing motionless at the window, looking out into the gathering gloom, her arms folded, hands gripping her elbows, her whole posture rigidly hostile. She had been so still that it had taken him several seconds to register her presence at all. She didn’t turn around or otherwise acknowledge his existence in any way.

Tom stared at her back for a few moments then turned back to Nick and went to stand beside the bed, looking down at his stricken child. He stooped anxiously over the unmoving boy and tenderly smoothed back Nick’s dark, tumbled hair. He caught his breath as he saw the huge lump on the boy’s forehead, a swelling that ominously had a depression at its centre. The experienced rancher could deduce what had happened easily enough, that damned horse had thrown the boy! Indeed he had thrown him many times in the last weeks as Nick tried manfully to tame his wild ways, but obviously this time he had also managed to kick his youthful master, hence the deep indented mark on Nick’s head.

Tom Barkley glanced up at his wife, still staring rigidly out of the window, “Victoria?”

She didn’t turn toward her husband or answer him and Tom’s voice sharpened, “Victoria! Why is he breathing so heavily, it...it’s not normal, what is it?”

“Laudanum.” Still she didn’t turn her head.

“What?”

“Laudanum, Doctor Merar gave him a heavy dose, it’s important that he doesn’t move around too much, at least until that dreadful swelling subsides, so Nick is heavily drugged to make sure he rests quietly.”

Tom breathed a little easier himself, he had feared some injury to his son’s ribs, lungs or worse.

He tried talking to his wife again, “any broken bones?”

This time she simply shook her head.

Tom was becoming impatient of her continued refusal to look at him and after once more gently stroking back Nick’s hair he came to stand behind Victoria and would have dropped his hands on her shoulders but that her voice stopped him cold.

“Don’t dare to touch me!”

She had spoken in a low voice so as not to disturb Nick but there was bitter menace in her tone.

“Victoria! What the devil’s the matter with you?”

Tom took her arm to turn her toward him as he spoke but she wrenched herself free and turned to face him at last, condemnation in her eyes, “look at him! Look at our son, see what that...that hell-devil has done to him, look and then tell me you’re not responsible for it!”

Tom also kept his voice down but spoke with quiet force, “come on, this is hardly the first time Nicholas has done his best to kill himself, since when did either of us blame the other for his misadventures?”

“Since you bought him that awful horse!”

“Victoria...be reasonable...”

“No,” flashed his wife, “I’m through with being reasonable, you know fine well that you are to blame for this, you know what you said to him!”

Tom searched his memory, “what I said?”

She struck out at him with clenched hands, “you do know, you do! You told him that if he tamed this horse he’d be a man! Why do you think he’s stuck at it through all the falls and injuries, why else do you think he let this happen to him?”

Her tears were falling fast now and all the fight was ebbing out of her as her over-stretched nerves found some release at last. Now too, Tom ventured to reach for her and he drew her close. She came into his arms unresisting, too glad of the comfort of his embrace to spurn him again. Soothing her and whispering words of comfort, Tom led her to the cushioned window seat and they sat together, hands entwined, her head on his broad chest.

Tom thought in silence for a while then he said, “I did tell him the horse would make a man of him, but I never intended...no, no you’re wrong about this Honey I know you are. Since when did Nick quit a job without finishing it? It isn’t in him to do that, it isn’t because of what I said, he stuck at it because he’s that kind of boy. A boy to be proud of! Besides he adores the horse you know he does.”

Victoria raised her head and drew her hand away from her husband’s.

“No, he doesn’t love Dundee, not any more, not since he realised that Dundee won’t, can’t love him.”

Tom still shook his head disbelievingly, and his wife persisted.

“Did you know he tried to shoot Dundee?”

“Shoot him! No, surely not, I tell you he loves that horse!”

Victoria was inexorable, “he tried to use a rifle but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, not to so beautiful an animal, not to the horse bought for him by the man he worships!”

Tom dropped his head into his hands, fingers writhing in his crisp fair hair, “are...are you sure about all this?”

But even as he asked the question, he knew that she was indeed sure and that he had come close to losing his fourteen year old son. Because the boy would willingly risk his safety to keep from disappointing his beloved father. Tom looked at Victoria, “I never meant for Nick to try so hard to do this, I’ll make it right with him and I hope you’ll forgive me too.”

Victoria glanced at the still figure in the bed, “after he tried to shoot the horse and couldn’t he decided to try breaking him one last time. Dundee threw him and got in a kick to his head before the hands could scare him off. You’re right of course, it is typical of Nick not to give up but he’s repeated your words to me so often, that you would think him a man if he did succeed, do you understand how I feel?”

“Yes,” came the low reply, “I’ll straighten it out with Nicholas, I promise you that Darling.”

She looked deep into his extraordinarily blue eyes, she had tried to explain and she thought he did now understand and appreciate the depth of her feelings on the matter. She nodded, “all right Tom.”

Her husband sighed with relief and slipped an arm around her shoulders, “go and get some rest Sweetheart, I’ll sit with Nick a while.”

The last thing Victoria saw as she glided soundlessly from the room was Tom sitting in the chair beside the bed, holding Nick’s limp hand gently between both his own.

Chapter Two

Soreback Meadow

In the weeks since his crashing fall from his horse, Nick Barkley’s injured head had mended and his bruises had all but disappeared too. He had had a long and enlightening talk with his father about the theory of being a man and about the sometimes intractable nature of even the most beautiful of horses. The highly strung gelding Dundee had been sold but although Tom Barkley had promised his son a new and equally splendid replacement, no further horse had as yet been forthcoming.

Nick was content to bide his time, the bruises on his body had perhaps healed faster than those on his spirit where the wild horse Dundee was concerned and he was in no hurry to begin the arduous task of mastering a new mount just yet.

Relations between Nick and his father had rarely been better, Nick had largely managed to stay out of trouble lately and had gotten away with a couple of minor breaches of his sire’s strict code of discipline. Father and son rode, hunted and fished together and aside from the constant annoyance of schoolwork, all was well in Nick’s sphere.

One Sunday morning Nick managed to avoid accompanying his mother and the two younger children to church by the simple means of exercising one of the horses, checking to see that its recent lameness had passed, at precisely the time his mother was calling for him to come indoors and change for church. When the family had gone, dutifully accompanied by Silas, Nick returned to the barn to find Tom Barkley lying in wait for him.

He watched his father, trying to judge the parental mood and soon detected a gleam in Tom’s brilliant eyes.

“I didn’t feel much like church myself this morning,” confessed Tom. “I was playing poker with Amos Carter last night and let myself in for a whole lot of hard work this coming week!”

Nick was intrigued, “you did Sir, how come?”

Tom slipped an arm around Nick’s shoulders, “come on indoors and I’ll tell you all about it Son.”

They sat in the warm kitchen drinking coffee, “Nick do you understand what is meant by the term a ‘sucker bet’,” asked Tom and Nick nodded.

“I think so Sir, doesn’t it mean letting someone trick you into an unwinnable wager...or something like that?”

“That’s exactly what it means Nick and it’s exactly what Amos Carter thinks he’s done to me!”

The boy’s expressive hazel eyes glowed, “are you gonna get the better of him Father?”

Tom smiled at Nick’s eagerness, “with a little help from you Son, I surely hope I am!”

Tom explained that he had accepted a bet from neighbouring rancher Amos Carter that he and Nick couldn’t clear, in the space of a week, a brush and rock-strewn field which Tom had just won from Carter in a poker game. Carter and his much older and stronger son Todd were going to clear a similar field and the winners stood to gain both pieces of land.

“I don’t get it though, why is it a sucker bet?”

Tom smiled, “well, Todd Carter is six or seven years older than you and a pretty powerful young man, odds are against you and I winning I guess.” “They are not!” Nick’s eyes flashed fire, “I can outwork that big streak of misery any day of the week!”

It was not to be expected that Victoria would see the situation in quite the same light that young Nicholas did, he had fervently assured his father that he would do his level best to help get one over on the obnoxious Carters and begged his father to obtain Victoria’s agreement to his spending the next week working alongside Tom.

“You actually intend to keep Nick away from school for a whole week to clear this wretched meadow?”

“Darling, I’ll have to, the boy would never forgive me if we lost the bet.”

His wife was not about to be won over by Tom’s famous charm but at length she did consent, reasoning that Nick invariably learned more from his clever and shrewd father than from any number of school books anyway.

The ensuing week was one of the most grueling of young Nick’s life, as he toiled alongside Tom from sun up to sun down every day. The weather was mercifully cool but it was still sheer torment labouring to clear the thorny scrub and pick up the thousands of rocks that littered the pasture. Yet, Nick enjoyed it all, the closeness with his adored father, the shared effort and the long, fascinating talks they had as they worked. He never flagged, working past the limits of his strength more than once, utterly determined not to let Tom down.

Tom was deeply proud of the indomitable youngster by his side, he had known, even as he took the seemingly unwinnable bet , that Nick would work like this and he had felt in his heart that they could prevail. By the mid afternoon of their last day of work, the meadow was completely cleared and father and son stood surveying their achievement, secure in the knowledge that their rivals had cleared only two thirds of their own field.

Tom gripped Nick’s shoulder hard and said simply, “I’m a very happy man today Nicholas, you’ve shown me what you’re made of and I’m proud to be your father!”

Nick’s heart swelled with pride and joy, he raised wet eyes to his adored father’s face, “Th...thank you Father.”

Tom ruffled his son’s hair, I have a gift for you back in the corral at the ranch, I think you can probably guess what it might be.”

Nick could indeed guess and he didn’t stop running until he reached home. The magnificent animal in the corral was a chocolate roan, a true quarter horse, just the cutting horse an aspiring rancher needed.

“His name is Coco,” explained Tom and he’s a young un, just like you, needs a deal of careful handling and work to make the grade, but I think he’s just the mount for you, what do you say Nick?”

His son’s fervent hug was answer enough and then Nick was in the corral talking soothingly and stretching gentling hands towards his new treasure. Coco thrust his velvet nose into Nick’s chest and a friendship that was destined to span the next three decades was begun.

Victoria complained to her husband in the coming days that it was bad enough his having kept Nick away from school for a week to work with him, without now letting him play truant for the succeeding week while he got to know his new horse! Tom promised to put his foot down but didn’t have the heart to do so, Nick had earned his brief holiday and was quickly establishing a perfect bond of trust with the horse. Tom was satisfied that any damage to the boy’s confidence caused by the unfortunate choice of the gelding Dundee was now repaired and that he could be sure Nick would continue to develop his already excellent skills on horseback.

Tom had named the scene of their hard work Soreback Meadow, in sardonic salute to the aches and pains he and Nick had suffered in clearing it and Nick stabled his new treasure there until he could handle Coco superbly. Tom thought the piece of land an excellent addition to his ranch lands, it meant he now owned all the land on this side of the Barkley road, little did he realise that in a far off time when he himself would be dead, this insignificant bit of grass would be a major bone of contention between his two elder sons. For now, Jarrod, a promising law student was unaware of the existence of this piece of land and the trouble between himself and Nick was still many years ahead.

Chapter Three

Acting like a man

Tom Barkley missed his eldest son more than he cared to admit when Jarrod proudly set off to study law at the new college of Berkeley. He had his beloved Nick for company around the ranch and the little ones to play with in the evenings but he missed his monumental chess battles with Jarrod and the companionship of his eldest son at the Cattlemens Association meetings too.

It was Victoria, sensing his sudden loneliness, who suggested that her husband take Nick to the next meeting in Jarrod’s place.

“What? He’s only just turned fourteen you know,” protested Tom.

“That’s true, but he’s also six feet tall, his voice has broken and he already knows more about running a ranch than most of the members who’ll be there tonight.”

She had spoken lightly but, thinking it over, Tom had to admit that there was much in what his perceptive wife said. He went in search of Nick and found him in the barn grooming his pride and joy.

Nick greeted his father defensively, “I already did my school work Sir.”

Tom’s lips twitched, “relax Son, I’m just here to talk to you about something, that’s all,” he seated himself on a bale of straw and watched with an appraising eye as his son lovingly brushed Coco’s coat to satin perfection.

Nick was still suspicious, “talk to me? But I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Tom laughed aloud, “poor Nick! Do I only ever talk to you when you’re in my bad books?”

Nick grinned back, “no, I guess not, sorry.”

His father smiled, “your mother just made a suggestion I agree with concerning you and I thought I’d discuss it with you.”

Nick frowned with renewed suspicion, in his experience most of his mother’s suggestions regarding him concerned increased attention to either his schoolwork or his personal hygiene. His father’s next words though, filled him with delight.

“Son, how would you like to come along with me to the Cattlemens Association meeting tonight?”

“Me? W...well I...I’d love to!”

Tom rose and clapped his boy on the shoulder, “good, that’s settled then. You might be a little bored by some of the business talk and might find yourself a touch out of your depth on one or two issues but it’ll be a good chance for you to learn a bit more about what we do here.”

“Yes of course,” agreed Nick, still absurdly pleased by the unexpected invitation. “I’ll be on my best behaviour, I won’t let you down, I promise!”

Tom’s prophecy had proved correct, some of the business talk that evening was way over Nick’s head, but he sat proudly beside his father, reveling in simply being at such a grown-up occasion, especially in the company of his hero. He was determined not to let Tom down and once or twice was able to shyly contribute a morsel or two to the discussions going on around him.

One of the ranchers present that evening complimented Tom on having such a promising son to follow in his footsteps and Nick was thrilled to see the flash of pride on Tom Barkley’s face as he graciously acknowledged the speaker’s words. Nick resolved to act like a man all the evening and not to allow his famous Barkley temper to get the better of him.

He got a chance to test his new-found maturity when Amos Carter proceeded to throw a number of tiny verbal barbs in his direction a little later in the evening. Carter, a sour and spiteful man managed to dredge up a few of Nick’s more outrageous pranks and occupied most of the leisure part of the meeting, when neighbouring ranchers sat drinking and chatting, by recalling past events when Nick had kicked over the traces.

Nick was inwardly seething but decided to take his lead from his father, who was totally ignoring Carter’s spite and talking easily with some of his friends. The boy ignored the goading until Carter said with a false smile “yesiree young Nicholas you sure do kick up quite a dust don’t you Boy? I guess your Daddy brought you here tonight cuz he can’t let you out of his sight and expect you to stay out of trouble, ain’t I right?”

Nick glanced at his father but Tom gave him nothing more than a smile of reassurance before resuming his conversation again. Nick took the hint, Tom wished him to deal with this situation unaided. Act like a man he told himself and spoke in a quiet, carefully restrained voice as he answered his tormentor.

“No Mr. Carter, my father thought I would benefit from his wisdom and that of some of the gentlemen here,” he timed his pause perfectly before adding wickedly, “ of course he may not have meant you Sir.”

There were guffaws of laughter and the odd genial shout of “got you there Amos” and “that’s told you Carter!”

Amos Carter’s face darkened with anger, unwisely, he chose to press his attack on young Nick. “Well go ahead Boy, share some of the pearls of wisdom your Daddy’s taught you!”

Nick couldn’t resist and answered unhesitatingly, “he says never come off worst from a sucker bet and if you do at least have the grace not to be a sore loser.”

There were roars of laughter from all who knew the tale of Soreback meadow and Carter grabbed for Nick across the intervening table cursing him foully, only to encounter the iron hand of Tom Barkley blocking his move. The fair-haired rancher’s bright eyes sparkled with laughter and he said, “I don’t think so Amos, I really don’t think so.”

With a snarl of rage, Carter wrenched himself free and strode from the room, the derisive laughter of his fellow ranchers ringing in his ears.

Nick looked uncertainly at his sire and muttered an apology, but Tom just smiled and shook his head. They left the meeting soon after, the ritual poker game was about to start and in deference to his having Nick with him, Tom had decided not to stay. Not that Nick would have minded but Victoria’s reaction if father and son rolled up at home in the wee small hours was something Tom preferred not to contemplate.

As they emerged from the Cattlemens Hotel and headed for the livery stable to collect their mounts, Nick spotted Amos Carter’s son Todd lounging in the shadows and a swift glance at his father confirmed that Tom had seen the waiting Todd as well. Tom murmured, “ignore him Nick,” and together father and son continued to walk toward the livery stable.

With a few quick strides, Todd Carter caught them up and planted himself firmly in front of the Barkleys, “what in hell did you say to my Pa, you little weasel.”

Again Nick glanced at Tom but as he had done earlier, Tom seemed to be indicating that Nick should handle things by himself. Nick’s strong Barkley jaw jutted out a little and he stood with ready clenched fists as he grated, “I reckon that’s between him and me!”

Todd pointed an angry finger at Nick, “he come storming out a minute ago and rode away, calling you fit to burn, so I wanna know, what did you say to him?”

“Ask him,” answered Nick tersely and was aware of an approving grunt from his father standing beside him.

“I’m asking you!” Todd Carter’s hand shoved hard against Nick’s chest, but the sturdy Nick kept his balance and angrily knocked the older youth’s hand away.

“Get out of my way Todd,” warned Nick fiercely.

“Make me,” snarled Carter and in that second all Nick’s resolve to keep cool and act like a man vanished and he launched his wiry body at Todd in a violent attack. Carter went down before him and the two figures rolled in the dust, each struggling to gain the advantage in the sudden fight.

In many ways it was an unequal battle, Todd Carter was twenty years old to Nick’s fourteen years and was powerfully built too, but he was slow in wits and movement and there was a deceptive wiry strength in Nick’s rangy body. The watching Tom was soon satisfied that his son was destined to emerge victorious from this battle and so it proved.

As both combatants gained their feet, Nick landed a blindingly fast right hook and Carter collapsed like a sack of wheat. The brief, ugly brawl was over. Tom Barkley satisfied himself that young Carter was not badly hurt and then as he saw the sheriff approaching he said to his son, “go and get the horses Nick, I’ll explain to the sheriff.”

“Yessir,” murmured Nick and turned away, sick at heart, inwardly savaging himself for letting his father down by losing his self-control with Todd Carter.

Chapter Four

Heart to Heart

Somewhat to Tom Barkley’s surprise, the ride home from Stockton was accomplished in near silence, young Nick, riding beside his father, seemed disinclined to talk and his face wore a closed, rather forbidding expression. Tom was a little puzzled by this and tried a couple of times to draw the boy out, but such answers as Nick gave him were tight-lipped and brief to the point of taciturnity. Concluding that Nick might simply be over-tired, Tom didn’t press him and the pair rode home through the chill late evening exchanging only the most commonplace of remarks.

When they reached the welcoming light of the big barn, Nick who had occupied the journey home in trying to formulate words of apology to his father for his conduct, sighed wearily, what could he say to excuse his behaviour? His father was going to be mad as hell and it seemed to Nick that he had no defence to offer. Tom had treated him like an adult in taking him to the Cattlemens Association meeting and had trusted him to act like a man. He had failed to do so and expected condemnation and possibly even punishment from his father.

Nick was tired and miserable and unshed tears pricked his eyelids, he came out of the saddle rather blindly and almost lost his footing. At once Tom Barkley’s strong arm steadied him and he heard his father’s carefree voice, “whoa there Son, seems you’re pretty well worn out, you go on indoors and leave the horses to me huh?”

Nick was puzzled, his father didn’t appear to be in the least put out, now why was that? The boy was unsure of anything and it was true to say that he was indeed exhausted. Nevertheless no-one but him was going to bed down his beloved horse.

“I’ll take care of him Father,” he said leading the horse into his stall.

Tom laughed, “well I may have made a mistake with Dundee, but you sure do have a bond with this fellow Coco, don’t you Nick?”

When their horses were satisfactorily bedded down and Nick had bidden Coco a loving goodnight, father and son walked briskly to the front door of the house, shivering in the late night chill. Inside, lights still burned in the foyer and living room and Tom led the way to the big marble fireplace, glad to see that there was still life in the bright flames. Nick followed slowly in his father’s wake and obeyed Tom’s genial order to come closer to the fire and get warm.

Nick drew a deep breath, he was no coward and didn’t see how this moment could be put off any longer. He faced his father and forced himself to meet Tom’s gaze. He expected to encounter a stern frown but was surprised to see nothing but mildly puzzled concern in Tom’s eyes.

“Father...I...well I just wanted to say I’m real sorry about this evening,” the boy’s voice trailed miserably away and he waited for the full force of Tom Barkley’s wrath to break over him.

Understanding was dawning in Tom’s perceptive eyes and he dropped a gentle hand on his son’s shoulder.

“Son, I think you and I need to have a little talk, I know you’re tired but I think we should do it now, Sit yourself down while I fetch us a hot drink.”

At that moment the smiling figure of Silas approached the pair and he set down a tray bearing two steaming glasses of hot milk on the table.

Tom grinned at him, “Silas my old friend, you’re a mind-reader, much obliged.”

The white-coated servant departed as quietly as he had arrived and with gentle pressure, Tom pressed Nick into a chair and himself sat on the edge of a low table in front of his son.

Tom laid a hand on Nick’s knee and squeezed gently, “now then Son, what is all this nonsense, why should you think you owe me any kind of an apology for what happened tonight?”

Nick’s sombre hazel eyes searched his father’s face and he answered uncertainly, “well, because you expected me to act like a man tonight and...and I let you down.”

“Did you Nick? Not from where I stood you didn’t.”

“No Father?”

“No Nicholas, not at all.”

Hope was dawning in Nick’s strained face, but he was still unsure, “I was kind of rude to Amos Carter wasn’t I?”

“Well you certainly gave as good as you got, maybe better, but ask yourself this Nick, of you and Amos, who behaved the more childishly?”

“I guess he did.”

“That’s right Son, a man who lowers himself to goading a fourteen year old boy isn’t worthy of being called a man at all.”

Nick still needed reassurance, “then...you think I did right standing up to him Father?”

“The way you did it yes, if you had lost your temper and thrown your drink over him or attacked him, then you would have disappointed me, but you didn’t, he chose to cross verbal swords with you and he came off worst. I was proud of you Nicholas, you did well.”

Nick’s heart swelled with joy, of all things in life, it mattered most to him to stand well with the father he adored and to make Tom Barkley proud was the summit of all his youthful ambitions. He gave his father a wavering smile which vanished almost as soon as it appeared as he remembered his attack on Todd Carter. He hung his head once more, “then...I guess I did wrong attacking Todd Carter like I did,” he said quietly.

Tom Barkley took his son’s dogged chin in his hand and gently made the boy look at him, “no Son, you did the only thing you could do, young Todd wasn’t about to let you get past him without a fight.”

There was doubt in Nick’s face and Tom went on, “Son, you’ve heard me say that it’s too late for a man to fight back when his hide is already hanging on the wall?”

Nick nodded, the phrase was one Tom Barkley had used more than once.

“Well Son, there are times when you have no choice but to fight, the hard part is knowing when it’s right and when it’s not, understand?”

Nick wrinkled his brow and nodded thoughtfully, “I think so, if I hadn’t gone for Todd he would have attacked me anyway and maybe got the better of me.”

“That’s right Nick,” agreed Tom blandly, he saw no reason to tell his offspring that had there been any danger of Todd Carter getting the best of the fight, then he would have intervened himself.

Nick was thinking hard, “so...sometimes to act like a man, it’s important not to fight and sometimes it is right to fight.”

Tom ruffled the boy’s hair and smiled, “that’s about the size of it Nicholas, you had to do both of those things tonight and in my eyes you acted like a young man I can be proud of.”

Nick leaned back in his chair, he was weary and sleepy but blissfully happy, his beloved father had set the world straight for him and he was content.

Tom turned to the tray and picked up the glasses of hot milk, handing one of them to Nick, “we’d better drink this or Silas is going to be upset.”

Father and son drank their milk in companionable silence and then went upstairs together. It was a long time since Tom Barkley had tucked Nick into bed but he did it tonight, stroking his son’s hair as he turned down the lamp and went softly away.

Nick lay in bed wakeful for a little while, as he thought over the events of the evening, there were times when being fourteen was a difficult thing to be but not tonight. Tonight he knew with certainty that in his father’s eyes he was a young man and for young Nick Barkley, for now, all was right in his world. With a long contented sigh he snuggled more deeply into his warm bed and fell dreamlessly asleep.

The End