A Greater Purpose

Part 1

By Queena Foster

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.

Victoria clasped her hands in her lap as the wagon gently rocked beneath her. “Oh, Jarrod, I’m just so glad you could come with me. I’ve wanted to visit Abigail and Eli for such a long time, but since you could come with me, it just makes the trip so much more special. Abigail’s like a sister to me, and we’ve been friends for so long. A nice long visit with them is going to be such fun.

She continued, “But since you’ve been off to college, I don’t get to spend enough time with you, young man. Here we are on this nice long journey, and I get you all to myself the entire trip to Dandridge and back.”

Jarrod’s answer came back with a somewhat exasperated tone. “Mother, I’ve been home to visit every few weeks. It isn’t like you never get to see me.”

“But you’re not under our roof every night anymore, Jarrod. I know it’s ridiculous, but you’re my little boy. You’ll always be my little boy no matter how big you think you are, and you’re supposed to be with me every minute of every day.” Tilting her head reflectively with a teasing note to her voice, Victoria went on. “Now that I think about it, it’s not so ridiculous after all. It makes perfect sense to me. Now all I need to do is convince your father to lock you in your room for the rest of your life. ‘Cause I just don’t see you conceding that I’m correct on this point.”

Jarrod’s lips twitched, “Well, I’m afraid you’re right.”

“Of course, I’m right. I’m your mother. I’m always right.”

He laughed at her quick and resolute response. “No, you’re right that I will not concede the point.” A smile lingered on his lips as the wagon started up the slight incline and bounced gently over a few small rocks.

Victoria sent back that same smile with a chuckle under her breath. “I knew you wouldn’t cooperate. Sometimes you can be as stubborn as Nick.”

“Yes, I can be stubborn. But unlike my brother, I don’t feel the need to exhibit that personality trait every waking moment…as loudly as possible.”

The two shared a laugh and a glance as each thought of Nick and Tom and Audra at home on the ranch. Victoria looked fondly at her son, proud of the man he was becoming, knowing that his future would take him beyond the confines of the San Joaquin Valley, but subconsciously clutching him protectively all the same.

She turned serious. “You’re almost all grown up, Jarrod. Pretty soon you won’t need your old mother. It’s because I know I can’t keep you home with me that I’m grateful for this uninterrupted time I have with you now.”

He reached for her hand and said affectionately, “I’m grateful for it, too.” They shared a moment of contented silence, just happy to share the other’s company.

The road was becoming a little more rock strewn as the grade again increased, so Jarrod disengaged from his mother’s grasp and took the reins in both hands again. Changing the subject, he said, “How long has it been since you’ve seen the Lawsons?”

“Too long. Since their boy was born; and that’s been more than six years.” Victoria replied, shaking her head regretfully. “You know, we came out to California together. They settled near Dandridge, and your father and I kept on going till we came into the valley. We stayed in touch over the years, and I came to stay with them so Abigail wouldn’t be alone when little Nathan was born. Eli was worried he wouldn’t have time to go for the doctor. That’s what happened when they lost Baby Rose. So they asked me then to come stay for awhile.” She paused and sighed. “Even though I missed you children at home while I was with them, Tom and I knew what it was like to lose a baby and if there was anything I could do to prevent that from happening to someone else…” Her voice drifted off for a moment and then resumed just as strong. “Of course, Little Nate came with no problem at all. And we all got to have a wonderful visit. And now the boy’s six years old.” She smiled, “So it’s been too long, and I’m glad to be going to see them again.”

Victoria became quiet, reflecting on the time when she and Tom had lost baby Lucas. Such a range of emotions had flown through the house. First, joy that he arrived, followed by tears at his loss, and then silence. Silence that seemed endless. In a home like Tom and Victoria’s, silence did not exist. She remembered the emptiness she and Tom both felt, and poor little Jarrod who seemed not to know what to say or do or how to act. His long awaited new baby brother had come and gone so quickly, and the house went from light and laughter to dark and quiet just that fast. Conversations were strained, and words were few except from three-year-old Nick. Victoria knew that Jarrod could see that something was wrong between his parents, but he didn’t know what it was or how to help fix it. He did his best to distract Little Nick and keep him from being bothersome to his parents—not an easy task.

Nick had been anxiously awaiting the sibling he knew would be HIS baby brother. He was overjoyed at the arrival of Baby Lucas and couldn’t understand why he was so suddenly gone. Nick was extremely vocal in his displeasure and misunderstanding of HIS little brother’s disappearance, and though he wasn’t able to conceive the problem, it was also clear that Nick had some inkling that his parents suddenly seemed to be complete strangers. As Victoria watched, Jarrod tried to occupy his little brother those long silent weeks, but her grief seemed to consume her, and she was unable to help either one of them understand what was happening.

Victoria also remembered how her heart was ready to burst with happiness at Luke’s birth and how it broke with grief at his loss. Before this event, she had always assumed there wasn’t anything that could seriously strain the bonds of her marriage. Now, she was wiser. Guilt was the wedge. Perhaps if only one of them had felt the self-reproach, it might have been different. Victoria now had almost twelve years of hindsight to clear away the muddled emotions of this sad time, and now she could look at it more objectively. Plus, after his return from Strawberry, she and Tom had eventually talked about these sad days.

She had felt that Lucas’ poor health was the result of something she did or did not do during her pregnancy. Tom felt guilty that they had built their ranch so far away from a town that had a hospital. Blame was eating away at their hearts and their relationship. Each felt the other would ultimately lay fault at their spouse’s feet, and neither could bear to see that from their partner. Perhaps if one of them had not felt so guilty, they would have tried to comfort the other and soothe those raw feelings. Instead, consumed with guilt, they had pushed each other away.

After a couple of months, Tom had gone away on a business trip to check the status of some of their more distant interests. Victoria had wanted him to go the moment he suggested it. She needed time alone to heal and gain some perspective.

After a while, she began to see that Luke had not been healthy from the moment he was born. The pregnancy had been no different than with her first two healthy children. She had even talked to the doctor that delivered him because she just couldn’t absolve herself of the guilt. She needed confirmation, and he gave it to her. The pregnancy had progressed without problem. Little Lucas just didn’t take nourishment well. Not her milk, not goat’s milk, not anything they tried. He cried so much more than usual, and then he got a sudden raging fever. So sudden and quick, he was gone barely a week after his arrival. And Nick had been so upset, demanding they bring his brother back RIGHT NOW. Unknowingly, he had made the difficult situation worse.

After Tom’s return from his trip, she realized he had battled his own guilty feelings. ‘If we had settled near a larger town, we could have taken him to a hospital right away, and they could have saved him.’ During his time away, he too had realized that Lucas was not healthy from his birth, and it was likely that no one could have saved him. He had come to this conclusion slowly over the extended trip, and another woman, Leah Thomson, had helped him tremendously.

Victoria closed her eyes briefly as she thought on the duality of her feelings towards this ‘Other Woman.’ Tom had confessed the entire affair on the night of his return. He explained that in the beginning of his trip, he had just felt relief to be away from Victoria’s silence and what he assumed were mute accusations against him. After some time on the trail and checking on some of their business interests, he began to gain a different perspective. However, like Victoria at home, on his own he could not completely absolve himself.

Soon after his realization, he reached Strawberry. Shortly after he arrived, he was attacked, beaten, robbed, and left for dead. He awoke, not knowing his name or past, in an unknown town. Behind the first door he came to was a lovely young woman named Leah Thomson, and she took him in and nursed him back to health. He grew to care about the gentle and beautiful young woman who obviously shared his feelings of affection. Not remembering his past, he could only focus on the future. He and Leah decided to marry after his recovery and gave into the passions they both felt.

When Tom awoke the next day, he remembered everything. Deep feelings of remorse plagued him. He told Leah his real name and the truth about his wife and family and the recent death of a son that had driven him from home. To Tom’s amazement, Leah took in all he said in silent understanding and asked only pertinent questions. She did not point a finger at him and say, ‘You misled me! You made me think we had a future. I gave myself to you, and now you tell me you’re married!!’ Tom had fully expected this when he remembered who he was and realized his mistake.

But, instead of accusations, hurt feelings, and blame, he received understanding, support, and comfort. Victoria remembered his account of the conversation between him and Leah.

* * * * * * * *

As he looked at the beautiful young woman who had given her heart to him, she visibly pulled herself together and quietly resolved, “You should go home, Tom. You love them, and they love you. I can hear it in your voice. That’s where you belong. That baby probably would have died no matter what. Your doctor already told you that, so you just need to start listening. And start listening to your heart, too. It’s telling you to go home.”

“What about the part of my heart that’s telling me that I care about you, too?”

“Do you love your wife?”

“Forgive me, Leah. I love her more than life itself. My first thoughts, when I woke up and remembered everything, were that I would do anything to get back what we had before Lucas died.”

“Then go to her,” she replied.

“But I care about you too, Leah, and after last night, I have responsibilities toward you.”

“I’ll be fine, Tom. You have your memory back and, with that, your life. That is a cause for celebration. Your first responsibility is to your wife and family. Your baby’s death was not your fault. Forgive yourself and go home. I’ll be fine.” Leah’s quiet resolve and absolution had given him hope that Victoria could also forgive him.

* * * * * * * *

So Tom had come home. Victoria had been glad to see him. She had been yearning for him for some time in the intervening months since his departure and had become very worried in the long interlude without any communication. She noted the change in his demeanor and prayed that he did not really blame her for their baby’s death. The boys had been thrilled with their father’s return, and so the heart-to-heart talk was put off till late the evening of his return.

Finally she was able to tell him of her self-blame and the realization that it had not been her fault. After coming clean, she looked up at him hopefully, never expecting his reply to be that he also had felt guilt over their child’s passing. Sensing her understanding, he had plunged on—telling her of his accident, injury, and unwitting adultery. Listening to his tale, she had gone through a whole range of emotions; from concern over his wounds, to horror over his amnesia; gratitude to the young woman who helped him, to confusion and anger over his betrayal of their vows. He had apologized profusely and begged forgiveness, and Victoria did not doubt his sincerity. They talked long into the night and many nights after. They came through the period bonded more strongly than before, and Victoria was able to gain another view of her child’s passing. Though perhaps more painful than any other time in her life, it had given her a stronger marriage and had made her a stronger person. Not that she wouldn’t trade the newly gained strength to have her lost son back, but she did have an understanding that maybe God had a greater purpose in mind when he took her child to heaven.

A shift in the balance of the wagon as it bounced over a few rocks brought Victoria back to reality. She looked over at Jarrod and saw he was concentrating hard on the rocky uphill grade ahead. Another lurch brought a loud crack, and the wagon shuddered to a halt.

“Uh oh.” Jarrod sat quietly a moment and appeared to consider the possibilities. One apparently stood out. “I hope that wasn’t an axel, but I think it was.”

Victoria had been hoping this wasn’t the case as well, but she had also come to this conclusion. “Well, we should get out and see if you’re right. But I’m almost positive you are.”

Jarrod got out first then helped his mother down. He carefully checked under the wagon and said regretfully, “Sometimes, I hate it when I’m right.”

“Well, no sense dwelling on it. Should we try to make camp here tonight or make for the nearest town?”

“I guess it depends on how much you want to be delayed in getting to the Lawsons’.” Jarrod thought for a moment. “Strawberry is the closest town. If we head out now, I figure it’ll take us a couple of hours to get to there or three or four hours if we try for Buckeystown. I could hire a wagon to come out and get our baggage in the morning from either place. Then we could take the hired wagon to the Lawsons’ while ours is being repaired. We can trade the wagons out on our way back home.” He paused for a moment as if considering the original questions. “We can start now and make Strawberry around four this afternoon or Buckeystown by suppertime, or we can camp out and start in the morning. Whichever you prefer is fine by me.”

Victoria stood quietly as if considering. She suddenly looked at Jarrod and said, “That’s a well thought out plan, son. I’m glad I have such an intelligent son to take charge.”

Jarrod smiled at her compliment, clearly pleased and surprised with himself at the completeness of his quickly devised plan. “So what is your pleasure, Lovely Lady? I await your command.”

Victoria again appeared to consider, but inside, her mind and heart were racing. ‘Strawberry… Leah Thomson’s hometown.’ Victoria could not get over the coincidence. She had just been thinking of Tom’s relationship with this woman, and suddenly, she was presented with an opportunity to visit the town where it all happened. Did she dare? What did she hope to accomplish with a visit? So many confusing thoughts and ideas. She realized Jarrod was waiting and answered quickly before she could think about it and change her mind. “Let’s gather some things, unhitch these horses, and get on the road to Strawberry.”

As they rode toward the little town, she knew Jarrod had no idea of the tumble of confusing thoughts his mother was having. Occasionally, she pulled herself out of her reverie long enough to be thankful she was a good horsewoman because she knew she wasn’t paying any attention to her horse or the trail. One word kept bouncing through her mind. ‘Strawberry…’

* * * * * * * *

A couple of hours later as Victoria and Jarrod rode into Strawberry, her first thought was, ‘I don’t know what I was expecting, but this isn’t it.’ She had known that Strawberry was a small town and struggling because of the decreasing returns of the mine. Tom had sold their interest in the mine one or two years after his relationship with Leah Thomson because of the decreasing ore quality. At the time, they had still been making a profit on their investment, but yields were lower. Tom decided the mine was starting to die out, and they would receive a better price if it was still producing a good return. Also, it had been almost symbolic of breaking the ties with Leah. Tom had sent her a letter but never heard anything back, and they assumed she had moved on. Still, Victoria received a measure of peace when she realized Tom had no reason to ever return to Strawberry. He had sensed her pleasure and also gained a bit of satisfaction in Victoria’s happiness.

Still, all in all, she had expected the town to be… well, she didn’t know what. The mine was indeed dying, and the town’s existence depended on the mine. So therefore, the town was dying as well. Still, she was surprised by the degree of deterioration, and it showed on her face as she stared around the town. As this reality sunk in, her next thought was, ‘I wonder if she still lives here.’

Over the last couple of hours travel, she had sorted through some of her emotions. Truth be told, she was curious to see what the woman looked like. She hated to admit this to herself, but Victoria insisted upon truth in her dealings—even with herself. Admittedly, it was a little shallow, but she wanted to know if the woman was pretty. She tried to scold herself out of the notion, but the truth was staring her in the face. She knew she had forgiven Tom years before. They were happier and more solid than ever, and she had no reason to doubt his devotion to her. But the fact remained that she was just plain curious about the ‘Other Woman’ and was now in a position to find out a little of what she wanted to know. She had the chance to get many of her silly little, petty questions answered. Her natural curiosity about the woman would finally be put to rest. But, looking around at the remains of this town, Victoria almost hoped that Leah had married and moved away to a better place than this; because, as sad as this town was already, she knew it would only get worse as the mine continued to dwindle.

She and Jarrod dismounted at the only hotel in town. Walking through the parlor, they saw a woman come out from a room in the back to greet them. As they approached the desk, Victoria could feel the woman’s attempt to size them up. Briefly, she wondered what the lady’s conclusions were.

“How may I help you?” The lady spoke with a sugary, ingratiating voice that put Victoria on edge.

“We’d like two adjoining rooms please if you have them available.” Jarrod replied.

“And how long will you be staying with us, Mr….?”

“Uh, Barkley, Jarrod Barkley. And this is my mother, Mrs. Barkley. As for our length of stay, I’m not certain. Our wagon broke an axel about two hours southeast of here, and we’ll need to see about getting it repaired, Mrs…?”

The woman had become quiet and still at the mention of their name, but her eyes jumped speculatively as if trying to remember or decide on something. At Jarrod’s question, she startled back to the singsong, syrupy voice that sounded phony to Victoria’s ears. “Simmons, Mrs. Simmons. And you can stay as long as you wish. We love having visitors at our quaint little abode here.”

Victoria was able to stifle the urge to roll her eyes, but she wondered if the woman remembered Tom’s visit here twelve years ago. Mrs. Simmons was clearly sizing them up; the only question was, ‘Why?’

“Can you direct us to the livery?” Victoria decided not to mince words with the woman.

“Certainly. Turn right as you leave, and it’s at the end of the street. Perhaps my husband could take your horses down if you’d like to freshen up. A fine lady like yourself…”

“No, no. We’ll manage, thank you. We’ll just take our bags up to our rooms and then head over ourselves.”

“Oh, no. My husband will see to your bags.”

“Alright. Thank you. We’ll be back later.”

They silently walked their horses down the street toward the livery. Victoria knew her son was speculating on her rude behavior towards the woman, but she was disinclined to explain to him her unsettled feelings. She just knew she wanted to be away from that woman. They reached the stable and walked in. From the back came the sound of hammering.

“Hello?” Jarrod called.

“Coming.”

Much to their surprise, a boy around ten years old came in carrying a hammer. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Can I help you?”

Victoria and Jarrod both covered quickly as Jarrod explained. “I’m Jarrod Barkley, and this is my mother, Mrs. Barkley. We’re staying at the hotel and need to stable our horses.” They both looked around for the proprietor as the boy came forward to take their mounts. He took the horses to empty stalls and expertly began removing the harnesses. When no other adult came forward, Victoria began to closely observe the boy.

“I guess you got a busted wagon out on the trail somewhere?” The young man asked quietly.

“That’s right.” Jarrod sounded slightly amused and pleased that the boy had noted the wagon harnesses and quickly assessed the situation. “Is the owner around? We’d like to see if we could get our wagon fixed and rent a replacement for the remainder of our journey.”

The boy shook his head briefly as he continued to work. “Mr. Hutchins ain’t here, but he’s got two or three wagons you can pick from. And I know someone who could fix your wagon. Do you want me to fetch him now or finish seeing to your horses first?”

Victoria smiled approvingly at his manner and business sense. “We’ll wait.” She had been examining the boy’s performance and appearance the entire time, but her conclusions were a bit puzzling.

She saw a boy around ten or eleven years of age apparently responsible enough to run the livery stable without supervision and clearly capable of taking care of the horses with ease. He went about his business quickly and without pretension. He was quiet but well mannered in dealing with his customers and their needs. She was pleased he had correctly deduced the problem with their wagon. That showed an intelligence and capability of logical thinking that was beyond many boys his age.

On the other hand, his physical appearance was the complete opposite. His clothes were a size too small, threadbare, and the hems were torn out. There were holes in several places, and he wore no shoes. To top it off, he was covered in grime from top to bottom including the clothes. The horses were cleaner than he was.

What kind of parents would let their child go about in this state? Certainly not the kind that would teach courtesy and responsibility. The picture didn’t fit. Something was missing. Also, there was a nagging feeling that she had seen this boy before.

Very quickly, the boy was done with the necessary tasks. “We’d best get on over to see Mr. Nelson about fixing your wagon. I’ll come back later to give your horses a good rubdown.”

They followed the boy through town to a small, neat, frame house. He knocked on the door. A woman answered with a questioning smile that was immediately replaced by a look of distaste when she saw the young man who knocked on her door.

“Yes?” She asked, not even trying to disguise the look of contempt. The boy seemed to find great interest in the bushes beside of the porch. He mumbled, “This is Mrs. Barkley and her son. Is Mr. Nelson home? They need their wagon fixed.” Then he stepped back out of the way.

The woman looked past the boy to Victoria and Jarrod, and the smile came back. “Won’t you come in? Would you like some coffee?” As she stepped back and aside to allow them entrance, she turned to her children and spoke to the girl, “Molly, run fetch your pa from the shed.”

Victoria and Jarrod walked in to await Mr. Nelson. Mrs. Nelson shut the door, got their coffee, and made small talk. They both noted the young man had not followed them in. ‘He probably needed to get back to his job at the livery,’ Victoria thought to herself.

Very quickly, Mr. Nelson arrived and seemed eager to fix their wagon. The plan was set that he would ride out with two horses, do a quick, temporary fix to the axel, bring the wagon back to town and do a more thorough job when he got back to his tools. Victoria surmised that Mr. Nelson needed the cash money this endeavor would produce. She expected they would be in Strawberry till late tomorrow before everything could be unloaded and reloaded in the new wagon. Her mind returned to the questions she was pondering on her arrival in the town. Perhaps that would be time enough to find Leah Thomson.

Jarrod finalized the arrangements to pick up their repaired wagon in two weeks after their visit with the Lawsons, and the Barkleys left.

As the door shut behind them, the boy from the livery stable stood up from where he’d been sitting on the porch steps. Victoria and Jarrod looked at each other in surprise. “I didn’t realize you were waiting on us, young man,” she said.

“I wanted to make sure everything worked out with Mr. Nelson. I know someone else who can fix your wagon if he can’t.”

“It worked out just fine. You should have come in with us and then you wouldn’t have had to wait till we were done.” As Victoria finished speaking, she noticed the boy’s face turn red, and he looked at the ground.

He began to mumble. “No, ma’am. Mrs. Nelson, well…she…she don’t like me around none.”

“A hard working young man like yourself? I find that hard to believe. What could you have done that was so bad?”

The pebbles in the dirt seemed to hold a wealth of information as the boy continued to stare at it. He was quiet for a long moment as if searching for an acceptable answer. Apparently coming to the conclusion that he didn’t have one, he shrugged minutely. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “Well, uh…um…I don’t…I don’t have a pa.”

“Oh.” Victoria paused and looked at Jarrod. His face reflected dismay at this revelation. She took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. The boy continued to be engrossed in the dusty sand at his feet. He was breathing slightly harder and appeared to be steeling himself for the expected insults that were about to be issued. It made Victoria’s heart hurt to realize what this boy must have to go through on a daily basis. Well, he wouldn’t hear condemnation from her. “How is it your fault that your father isn’t here?”

The boy seemed to hold his breath a moment, then looked up at her hesitantly. “Ma’am, begging your pardon, but…I’m a bastard.”

“I don’t like that word. Everyone has a father—somewhere. Regardless, I still don’t understand that it’s your fault that your parents weren’t married.”

He looked at her like she didn’t have good sense, then spoke quietly. “Don’t reckon it were my fault. Still gotta live with it though.” He turned and began walking away, signaling that the conversation was closed. Victoria shook her head and felt sorrow for the life the boy had to lead and then fell in step with Jarrod and followed the boy.

As they returned to the main street, he pointed out the restaurant and bid them goodnight. As he turned to go back to the livery, Victoria stopped him. “Young man, we’ve spent the better part of an hour together. You’ve been very kind and have gone out of your way to take care of us, and we don’t even know your name. To whom are we beholden?”

The boy gave her a shy, lop-sided grin. “I’m Heath, ma’am.” He nodded goodnight and then turned and walked towards the livery.

* * * * * * * *

Victoria and Jarrod had a pretty good meal at the restaurant despite the size of the town. Though they shared conversation about plans for the rest of the trip, Victoria’s mind kept wandering to two people—Leah Thomson and young Heath, the boy who seemed so familiar. Finally, Jarrod brought up the young man on his own accord.

“It made me angry how that Mrs. Nelson treated Heath.”

Victoria sat there a moment and nodded. “I was thinking the very same thing.”

“Mother, he’s just a kid. How could she be that way to someone his age? Do you think the whole town treats him like that?”

Victoria let her eyes drift around the room as she thought about her answer. “Probably. I would imagine they treat both him and his mother that way. It’s a small town.”

“There should be some kind of law against that.” Jarrod’s sense of injustice was turning instinctively toward his chosen profession. “He didn’t do anything wrong; his parents, maybe, but not that boy.” He paused and thought hard a moment, and Victoria could see the moment he realized that no one could mandate another person’s beliefs. “He’s a hard worker. Seems like a nice kid.”

“I think so too, son.”

As Jarrod picked up the conversation again and continued to expound on the unfairness of life, Victoria let her mind wander. She was half listening to her son and considering the nature of prejudice and her own potential to harbor intolerance. She shook herself from her reverie though when Jarrod said, “Funny thing; he seemed kind of familiar to me.”

This surprised her. When she herself was unable to place of whom the boy reminded her, she assumed it must be someone from years back. But if Jarrod had also noticed it, that could not be the case. It must be someone much more recent. Jarrod noticed her change in expression, and she admitted to him that she too had thought the boy seemed familiar and explained her present puzzlement. At length, they could not figure out the connection.

After dinner, they began to walk around the town. It was just past twilight, and though tired, neither was yet ready to call it a night. Soon, they found themselves at the still open doors of the livery, hammering coming from inside once again. Heath was working on a stall divider when they went in, and they called out to let him know of their presence.

He stopped work and turned to them. “Did you come to check your horses? Or can I do something else for you?” Right to business.

“No, we’re just taking a walk before we turn in for the night. We heard you working in here.” Victoria smiled at the busy young man.

Heath nodded and went back to work. Victoria and Jarrod watched as he finished the repair and began looking at the bins. He paused as if a thought just occurred to him and then turned to face them, clearly trying to think of something to say. Finally, he came up with an idea and politely asked, “How was your supper?”

Victoria and Jarrod both nodded, and Victoria answered. “Oh, it was very good. Thank you for the recommendation. I had the chicken, and Jarrod had the stew. Did you have a good dinner as well?”

He looked at her and blinked. Apparently, his intention was to start the conversation and then withdraw from it. It would have been impolite to just leave his customers sitting there without entertainment, but he had work to do. Victoria’s lips twitched in amusement as she watched him cast around for a respectful way out of this. Not finding one, he shrugged slightly, “I ain’t been home yet.” He turned to look at the hinges on the stall gate.

Victoria and Jarrod looked at each other in consternation. Jarrod pulled out his pocket watch and said, “Well, Heath, it’s past seven o’clock. Won’t your mother be looking for you and be worried?” The question was meant to gently prod the boy in the direction of home, but it did not accomplish its task.

Heath went still for a bare moment, then shook himself and resumed his examination of the hinges. “Naw. She died, nigh on two year ago.”

Victoria and Jarrod shared another look of compassion. Heath was oblivious to their concern as he continued to work at the hinges. Jarrod started again gently, “Well, who do you live with? Won’t they be concerned?”

Heath continued without looking up, concentrating on the swing of the gate. He shook his head no. “I live with my aunt and uncle. They know where I am.”

“Do they know you haven’t eaten yet?” Victoria’s mothering instinct had started working overtime. She did not mean to sound abrupt, but that’s how it came out.

The boy went momentarily still again, then resumed work on the gate. “It’ll be waiting on me.”

Victoria shook her head. “How can they let you go this long without dinner, allow you to work this late, and expect you to get enough rest for school or whatever?”

The task proceeded. “Don’t go to school.”

Heath’s less than detailed responses were only adding to Victoria’s frustration, and it was becoming evident in her tone of voice. “Why don’t you go to school?” She knew she was beginning to sound like she did when she was trying to get through to Nick.

“Gotta work.”

‘Oh for heaven’s sake,’ she thought. ‘It’s like pulling teeth to get anything out of this boy.’ Out loud, she continued, “There can’t be enough work here at this stable for you to be needed here all the time.”

“No, but there is at the mine.”

The statement seemed to just hang in the air. Heath continued working with his back to them, unaware that he had said anything extraordinary. Jarrod looked at his mother, but Victoria felt like she had been slapped in the face by the boy’s simple statement. They both knew that many children all over the country went to work in the mines, but as there were no large mines presently in Stockton, they had never known anyone personally who had done this. That this young man, that both she and Jarrod had come to like, was one of the unfortunate ones who had to do this was difficult to hear.

“You work in the mine?” She said it hesitantly, hoping he would deny it. She watched as the boy nodded without even breaking his concentration on the chore at hand. Jarrod shook his head in disbelief. Victoria collected herself. “How long have you been working there?” She was surprised at how calm she sounded.

“Since I was six.”

Victoria turned her head away and shut her eyes, attempting to will away the boys calm statement. The more she heard about his situation, the worse it got. Trying to keep her voice conversational so as not to alienate the boy, she turned back and said, “Six seems a little young for working in the mine. I’m surprised your mother allowed it.”

That statement finally made him pause in his labors. “Mama was sick. We needed the money.” Victoria could see that statement hurt his pride. He was now standing still as redness began to creep up his neck, and he refused to look at either of them.

Turning the conversation in another direction, she asked, “Starting work so young, did you ever go to school?”

“A little while, but seems like I got into a fight most every day. Finally, Mama said Aunt Rachel could do my schooling. Mama was starting to get sick anyhow, and I started working in the mine right after that.”

“Does your aunt still help you with your lessons? Is that who you live with?”

“Naw. Aunt Rachel ain’t really my kin, just a friend of my mama’s. Don’t have much time for book learning now.”

“Heath, I can see how smart you are. You need an education to develop your intelligence. It’s important for your future. Surely your aunt and uncle understand this.”

Heath did not respond immediately or directly. Finally, he spoke, “Like I said, don’t really have time no more.”

“Then you must make time,” Victoria responded resolutely. When he did not answer, she continued. “Fine. You work here and at the mine. What else do you have to do?”

“Well, if I get a day off from the mine or Mr. Hutchins don’t need me here, I work on Mr. Gibson’s ranch doing whatever needs done. Also, seems like there’s always something needs fixing at Hannah’s or Aunt Rachel’s. Never at a loss there for something needs doing. And my chores at home.” He spoke as if he found nothing wrong with his situation.

Victoria was stunned, and she saw the same bewilderment on Jarrod’s face. She bowed her head and closed her eyes trying once more to maintain the façade of composure while her emotions were in turmoil. Quietly, she said, “Heath, that’s too much for a boy your age. You need to have some fun, too. That workload will kill you.”

Heath stared at the floor and picked at the handle of the wrench he held. “I gotta earn my keep. I won’t take charity.”

“It’s too much.” Victoria was insistent. She continued, “Surely, your aunt and uncle can see this. Do they know how much you’re working?”

Heath was completely flushed by now, and he flinched slightly at the mention of his guardians. “I won’t take charity,” he replied stubbornly, still staring at the floor.

Victoria could see she was back to a touchy subject. She needed to back out of this carefully. She got up and touched his shoulder and then leaned down to catch his downcast eye. “I’m sure your mother would be very happy to hear you say that. I know she would be so proud of you.”

Heath cautiously let himself meet her eyes for a brief second, then nodded and turned to go back to work.

* * * * * * * *

Shortly, Victoria and Jarrod left the stable and headed back to the hotel. Each was lost in thought considering the boy they had encountered that day. What was it about him? They had known him just a few hours, but he had already touched both their hearts. The severity of his existence—day in, day out—was difficult to accept. Maybe it was because he seemed so familiar to them both, or maybe it was because he seemingly had little that was positive in his life. Hard work and insults. That wasn’t much to look forward to everyday. He had mentioned an aunt, his mother’s friend, who gave him lessons, and that he helped keep up her place. And his real aunt and uncle. Hopefully, they provided a loving home, at least. Their situation must be dire if the boy had to work so hard. Victoria supposed that could easily be the case in a dying town.

Reaching the hotel, Victoria and Jarrod said their good nights and went to bed. Victoria again found her thoughts briefly on Leah Thomson. Tomorrow, she would discreetly ask around about her.

As her thoughts again turned to young Heath, she began to hear yelling that became louder as the man causing the disturbance came up the stairs. Loud shouts followed by muttering, followed by shouting again. It became clear that he was drunk.

“DAMN it boy, where are you? I SWEAR when I get my HANDS on you, I’m gonna KNOCK you into next WEEK! You little BASTARD! You think you can HIDE from ME?!! You little WHELP! You’re no better than your MOTHER was! Nothing but a WHORE! Brought SHAME on this FAMILY! Then she DIED and left me her NO-ACCOUNT, LAZY, BASTARD SON!! Good-for-nothing little WHELP! When I get my hands on you…”

At some point in the tirade, Victoria heard Mrs. Simmons come and try to persuade her husband to quiet down, come downstairs, they had guests, and so forth. Apparently, she was finally able to convince him to go back downstairs.

Victoria lay in bed horrified. The Simmonses were Heath’s aunt and uncle. Now the comment he made in the barn about charity made sense. If this was how he was treated at home, no wonder he spent every waking moment at work—anything to be away from these people. And personally, she wouldn’t want to owe anything to these people either. It would be much easier to leave if there were no obligations.

Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming need to see Jarrod. She got up and entered his room through the adjoining door. He looked at her as if he had been expecting her, his eyes bright with sorrow at the overheard rant. She sat on the edge of his bed, holding one hand and playing with the hair on his forehead with the other. “I love you, son,” she whispered, thankful for her large, loving family.

“I love you too, Mother.”

* * * * * * * *

They arose the next morning and went to the restaurant for breakfast. After eating, they headed toward the livery to see if Heath knew anything about Mr. Nelson going after their wagon. Victoria hoped Jarrod would go with Mr. Nelson. That would give her some time alone to ask around about Leah Thomson. They met an older man coming out of the stables.

“You must be the Barkleys,” he said in a pleasant voice.

“That’s right. I’m Jarrod Barkley, and this is my mother, Mrs. Barkley.” He reached and shook hands with the man.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance. I’m Henry Hutchins. I own this place,” he said as he pumped Jarrod’s hand and tipped his hat to Victoria. “Heath told me about you. Said you had two fine horses pulling your wagon. I see he was right. That’s good stock you got in there.”

“Well, thank you. My father’s pretty particular about the horses he owns. He’d be pleased you agree with him.”

“Well, I surely do that. If you’ll just give me a minute, I’ll have them hitched to the wagon, and you’ll be ready to go.”

“Oh, no. We’ll be waiting on our luggage from our wagon that’s out on the Hollister Road. We’ll need that before we’re ready to go.”

“Well, sir, it’s here and waiting on you.” He smiled.

“What? That can’t be. There hasn’t been time.” Victoria looked at Jarrod’s face that also registered disbelief and skepticism.

Mr. Hutchins just nodded his head confidently. “It’s here and waiting. Mr. Nelson went out yesterday evening and brought the wagon back. Got in about ten or ten-thirty last night.”

Victoria shook her head with regret. “We didn’t expect him to go out last night for it. Today or this afternoon would have been fine.”

Mr. Hutchins looked around carefully. “Between you, me, and the fencepost, I think maybe the Nelsons got a payment due at the mercantile. I think he’s hoping if the job’s done better than you expected, he might get a little bonus. Every little bit helps, you know. Times have been mighty lean around here lately. ‘Sides, he had to be up to the mine this morning.”

She and Jarrod nodded in understanding of the Nelsons’ situation. They had been on the short side of a payment once or twice since their arrival in California.

Mr. Hutchins went on, seeing their understanding. “Anyway, Heath got all your goods moved over to the other wagon and then came by and told me everything this morning on his way up to the mine.”

“If the wagon didn’t get in until late last night, when would that young man have moved all our luggage over to the new wagon?” She asked incredulously.

“Well, Heath’s an early riser—always has been. He usually takes care of the horses early in the morning for me, before he heads up to the mine. Been doing that for years. He’s a good kid and a hard worker.” Mr. Hutchins explained matter-of-factly.

“I can’t imagine anyone working harder and that includes grown men.” Victoria’s voice had a hint of reproach in the tone.

Mr. Hutchins did not take offense though. He nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. “True enough.” He paused and eyed Victoria and Jarrod as if trying to make a decision. Finally, he began again. “You know, that boy’s had a tough row to hoe. There are reasons he works so hard. What’s always surprised me, though, is how he don’t complain about it. Goes to work like a fish to water. And he never says a word about it,” he reflected quietly. “He’s a good boy. Don’t know what I’d done without him this last year or so. My missus, she’s been sick awhile. I couldn’t take care of her and these horses, too. With Heath around, I haven’t had to worry about this place. He knows more about horses than most anyone I ever seen, grown men included. And he’s dependable and trustworthy. After the first couple days, I knew I wasn’t gonna have to worry about whether this place would still be here when Janie got better. The boy’s been a godsend.”

He paused for a moment and then went on. “Too bad others in this town won’t ease off their high horse and give the boy a chance. And his aunt and uncle—no better than dirt, in my opinion. They don’t care about him. They treat him awful—just have him around to bring in extra money. I’d take him in myself, but with my wife sick and my daughter’s husband dead last year leaving her with three young ‘uns…I just can’t. ‘Sides, the Simmonses are blood kin. It’s their right to take him, I reckon. Sad though,” he concluded with regret.

Victoria and Jarrod were quiet, taking in all the man said. Shortly, he shook himself from his musing and headed back in the barn. They followed and, sure enough, the wagon was sitting there carefully packed so that nothing would shift. Victoria decided she didn’t want to think about how the boy had managed it. Mr. Hutchins hitched up their team, and Jarrod paid the man the rent for the borrowed wagon and went over their plans for switching them back just to make sure Heath hadn’t missed anything. Mr. Hutchins just nodded and smiled and said, “That’ll be fine. Heath told me all about it.”

She had Jarrod go and pay Mrs. Nelson for her husband’s hard work and include a generous tip for his efficiency. She went back to the hotel to get their things together and check out. Mrs. Simmons was, as always, extremely obliging and oozing charm. Victoria, knowing how the Simmonses treated Heath, could barely meet the woman’s eyes, much less be polite.

As Victoria was settling the bill, Mrs. Simmons was talking and asking unimportant little, nosy questions. Victoria, wanting to get away as quickly as possible from the woman, responded absently with yes and no as appropriate, not really listening until the woman said something that caught her ear.

“I’m sorry, what was that again?” She smiled to induce the woman to repeat herself.

“I said, I understand you met my nephew at the livery yesterday, and he helped you and your son out? My nephew, Heath?”

As much as talking to this woman turned Victoria’s stomach, she wondered what game she was playing. She decided to stall with a question. “Heath is your nephew?”

“Yes! All he talked about last night was Mrs. Barkley this and young Mr. Barkley that. Did he not mention that my husband and I are his guardians?”

Victoria could just imagine how much Heath talked about her and Jarrod. The boy hardly put three words together at a time. She shook her head no.

Mrs. Simmons shook her head with apparent fond regret. “Boys. They always leave out the most important details, don’t they?” Another sigh of obvious contentment with her role of motherhood. “We took him in after his poor mother passed on two years ago. He’s such a dear sweet child; he’s become the joy of our lives. We never had any children of our own, and my husband Matt always wanted a son. It’s really worked out so well for all of us. We now have a child, and he has the family he’s always needed.”

Victoria nodded politely, encouraging the woman to continue. “Of course, times are tough. The mine has had a couple of disappointing years. Traffic through town isn’t what it used to be. And with an extra mouth to feed, well, it’s been hard. I’m sure a fine lady like yourself wouldn’t know about things like that, but with the bad times and all…

I wouldn’t be asking for no other reason, but if he did a good job, I was thinking, wouldn’t you want to reward him?”

Victoria nodded and thought to herself, ‘Of course, she wants money. Figures.’ Silently, she thanked Mr. Hutchins for the information. Out loud, she said, “If he’s the joy of your lives, you and your husband certainly have a funny way of showing it. Or was that some one other than your husband in a drunken rage last night, calling that child everything but a human and threatening to beat him?”

Mrs. Simmons began to squirm and opened her mouth as if to explain. Victoria cut her off. “Good day, Mrs. Simmons.” Then she turned on her heel and left the hotel. She was so angry she could imagine herself slapping the woman. ‘Oh, the gall of that woman, to ask for money for work Heath did.’ She was thankful again for the information Mr. Hutchins had given her about the boy and his home life. She knew instinctively that Heath never saw a penny of the money he earned. But she agreed that he did deserve a tip. Unfortunately, he was working at the mine right now. Perhaps when they came back through Strawberry, she could give young Mr. Heath Simmons his reward in person.

* * * * * * * *

Victoria and Jarrod left shortly and journeyed on to the Lawson’s without any further difficulties. They had a wonderful time visiting and reminiscing over the next couple of weeks, and it passed too quickly for Victoria. Occasionally though, she found her thoughts on the impressive young man with the difficult life in Strawberry. And a couple of times, she glanced at Jarrod and found him pensive and knew that he was thinking of the lad as well.

All too soon, it was time to head back to the ranch, and she and Jarrod said their goodbyes. After exchanging promises to visit more often, they climbed into their rented wagon and set out for Strawberry. The trip would take about six hours or so, but their conversation was sporadic.

Victoria’s thoughts again followed two people: Leah and Heath—how to locate the one and possibly help the other. More and more, she found herself thinking on the boy. Leah was someone she had wondered about occasionally over the last decade, but Victoria realized it was purely selfish of her to want to find her. To see what she looked like. It was ridiculous. However, if she had not had the curiosity to see ‘The Other Woman’, they never would have met Heath. Such a gentle young soul in a seemingly hopeless situation—a situation he did not engineer and had no control over. Children at the orphanage in Stockton had better lives than this boy did. She needed to think of some way to help him, but everything she came up with was either impractical or probably illegal. There must be something…

* * * * * * * *

Finally after a long day of travel, they arrived back in Strawberry around five in the evening. They drove straight to the livery and climbed down. They went in the stable calling for Heath and Mr. Hutchins. Presently, Heath came in from out back, walking stiffly and trying to hide that he favored his right side. His face was badly bruised.

“Sorry I kept you waiting. Evening, Mrs. Barkley, Mr. Barkley.” He nodded a greeting to them then began to move to open the big doors to the barn so as to bring in the horses and wagon. However, since he was being careful of his right side, he was having an awkward time at the job trying to use only his left hand and arm.

Victoria shared a look of dismay with Jarrod. “Heath, are you alright?”

He took an apparently painful deep breath and replied quietly, “I’m fine, ma’am. How was your trip?”

Remembering a drunken midnight tirade full of threats made by his uncle, Victoria could easily imagine what happened. A glance at Jarrod confirmed that he had similar suspicions. Her breathing began to increase as her anger grew. “The trip was pleasant, our visit was wonderful, you are clearly not ‘fine’—what happened to you!?”

By now, Heath had the team and wagon in the barn and was starting to unhitch them. His shoulders went still for a moment before he said, “I fell down the stairs. Just a bit sore, ma’am.”

“Did you see the doctor?”

“Ain’t got one in town no more. I’m fine.”

“Then why are you having so much trouble with your right side? Why is your face bruised? You shouldn’t be working if you’re hurt, Heath.”

“Got to. I won’t take—“

“—Charity. Yes, I know. You’ve made that abundantly clear to me.” Victoria took a deep breath to calm herself. “Heath, what would your mother say if she knew you were working when you were hurt?”

The boy went still at the question and took several deep breaths. “She’d understand. She went to work lots of times when she was sick.”

Victoria glanced at Jarrod and saw sorrow, pity, and resignation. She felt all these emotions too, but also anger. There must be something they could do, but what? She looked back at Heath and spoke, anger tinting her voice. “Did you really fall down the stairs, or did your uncle do this to you?”

Heath went motionless. He was turned away from them, but the back of his neck was flushed. His deep breathing intensified as his knuckles went white from the tight grip he had on the harness. The tension in the room eased a bit when he loosened his grip, took a deep breath, and continued untacking the horses. Clearly, he was not going to answer her.

Victoria decided she wouldn’t let it go that easily. She hurried to the boy, turned him around, and gripped his shoulders. “It matters to me what happened, Heath. Tell me!”

He had very expressive light blue eyes. Looking at them closely for the first time, it struck Victoria that a person might get lost in them and never find a way out. Eyes that were too old for someone his age. She noticed that he was looking at her just as carefully, searching for something. And she knew he was trying to find where her heart really was. Someone his age should have no reason to be so suspicious of anyone, but she knew that he had cause to suspect a person’s motivations.

He spoke quietly, “Why? Why does it matter to you?” Her hands on his shoulders rose minutely as he shrugged and shook his head slightly. “I’m nobody to you. Why does it matter?”

It was breaking Victoria’s heart. So few people loved this boy that he questioned why anyone could care about him. She smiled at him. “Did you ever ask your mother one question too many, and the look she gave you said, ‘NO MORE QUESTIONS.’ And her answer was, ‘Just because, Heath. Just because.’”

He broke from her gaze as he looked away and nodded slightly. She continued gently, “That’s why it matters, Heath. Just because it does.”

He looked back at her and seemed to reflect on her answer, then he gave her a shy, lop-sided grin. This was the second time she had received one of his smiles, and it gave her a warm feeling.

He nodded and took a deep breath and then turned to continue with the horses. “Mr. Nelson finished your wagon. It’s as good as new. I checked it myself, and so did Mr. Hutchins. It’s waiting on you out back whenever you folks are ready to head home.”

Victoria shook her head with resignation. He had avoided the issue again by changing the subject. Stubborn, just like Nick. That thought gave her pause for a moment. ‘Just like Nick…’ It was as if a piece of the puzzle that, at first glance, did not seem to fit, suddenly fell perfectly into place. But she still could not see the whole picture. ‘Just like Nick…Just like Nick…’ kept echoing in her mind.

Jarrod had been watching the interaction between his mother and Heath closely. As if sensing a stalemate, he suggested that he should go pay Mr. Nelson the remainder of the agreed upon fee. Victoria was distracted as she agreed with him. He kissed her lightly and added that he would meet her at the hotel later. He turned to go but stopped himself and leaned close to his mother’s ear. He whispered, “You were right. It matters just because it does.”

That broke her reverie momentarily as she gave him a warm smile. He left, and Victoria turned back to see Heath watching them. He attempted to disguise a look of longing, but he couldn’t hide the grief. For that brief second, Victoria saw in his eyes, the pain of loss she had felt when her baby died—like a part of herself was gone. As he turned to lead the horses to their stalls, Victoria’s heart ached for the motherless boy.

“I know you miss your mother terribly. I can see she was a good woman judging by the young man she raised all by herself. She would be so proud of you.”

Heath continued working on the horses, but he gave a small nod and said softly, “She was proud of me…she called me, ‘her golden boy.’ People around here, the way they treated her…all ‘cause of me. She was beautiful, you know. She could have gotten married and had a good life if it hadn’t been for me. But she loved me anyway.” As he continued to speak of his mother, he slowly quit working on the horse and quietly reflected. “We never had much, but as long as we were together, it didn’t matter. ‘Cause she loved me. She said I was her blessing.” His eyes had become bright with unshed tears.

Victoria hurt for him as he talked about his mother. She understood the pain of loss, but she had her family around her when Baby Lucas had died. This boy had lost practically his whole world. It was hard to compare.

His last speech was the longest she had heard him say at one time, and she was grateful he had allowed his guard down to confide in her. She realized it was probably a gift few received. With all the taunts and insults, he must have built a strong barrier to protect his heart. But he shared these precious memories with her. She didn’t want him to stop, so she went on in the same vein. “She was pretty? What did she look like?”

He blinked a few of his tears away and smiled to himself. “Yeah, she was pretty.” Victoria could hear the pride in his voice as he went on. “She was kind of small and tiny around the middle. Her hair was dark and sort of wavy when she had it down. She laughed a lot when it was just us and Hannah and Aunt Rachel.” The smile faded as he continued. “Course, when she was alone, she cried a lot ‘cause we didn’t have money for something or ‘cause someone said something mean about us. She ought not to have had to go through that. If she had just given me away to an orphanage or something, she could have got married and been happy. If it hadn’t been for me.”

Victoria’s eyes were extra bright too as she crossed to the stall and gently turned the boy to face her. His eyes held such guilt and self-reproach. Keeping her hands on his shoulders, she shook her head no and stated firmly, “Heath, she loved you. You just told me how much. She would have done anything for you. Do you really think she could have been happy without you in her life? Knowing that somewhere you needed her and she couldn’t comfort you or tickle you or spank your backside when you misbehaved? You made her happy. You made all the pain and sorrow she bore worth it. And she raised such a fine young man. You do her proud everyday. Don’t you ever think any different. Don’t you begrudge her choices. She made them because she needed you, she loved you, she wanted you. You made her happy. No matter what anyone says. You were a gift, and she was wise enough to hang on to you with both hands. Nothing anyone said or did would have been worth not having you. When I see the fine young man before me now, I know she would have been so proud. Don’t dishonor her now with self pity.”

By this time, tears were silently trickling down the boy’s face. Victoria saw torment in his eyes as he absorbed everything she said. When she finished, he stood there, mutely weeping, thinking about her words. Slowly, the pain left his eyes. Finally, he nodded and swiped his eyes with his ragged shirtsleeve. He nodded again as if reassuring himself that he had made the right choice. “Aunt Rachel says you don’t never get nothing good without dealing with the bad that comes with it.”

Victoria raised a skeptical eyebrow and ventured a mystified smile. “I think you’re going to have to explain that to me.”

Heath gave her another charmingly shy grin and moved back to start brushing the horse. “Well, iffen everything was good all the time, we wouldn’t be thankful no more. We’d just take it for granted. So God made it so a little bad comes with everything good so we appreciate it more. Works like that with about everything. Iffen everything was sweet, it wouldn’t really be sweet no more; it’s just how it would be. But since we have bitter, we know when something’s sweet and appreciate it more. And it’s like that with everything—dark and light, wet and dry, clean and dirty, dead and alive.” He paused and considered for a moment. “Bad things happen. Can’t be helped. But it makes you grateful for your blessings when times are good.” He took a deep breath and finished with, “That’s what Aunt Rachel says.”

Victoria smiled as she nodded her understanding. “Your Aunt Rachel sounds like a very wise woman. Someone I would very much like to meet. Would you introduce me to her?”

The boy seemed to light up from within as a look of pleasure swept across his face. He nodded and said softly, “I’ll be finished with the horses here in a minute, and I’ll take you on over.”

* * * * * * * *

Shortly, Victoria was following Heath through the streets of Strawberry. Despite the stiffness from his recent ‘fall,’ Heath was practically bouncing with excitement as he ran ahead then quickly hurried back. Heath’s smile could have lit the darkest night as they came to a small clapboard house. It needed painting, but otherwise, it was neat as a pin. Seeing how animated Heath had become, Victoria couldn’t wait to meet “Aunt Rachel.”

He bounded up the steps and flung open the door. Once again, unbidden, came to her mind, ‘Just like Nick…’ She quickly dismissed the thought as she followed Heath to the front door. She peeked in and saw Heath being enveloped in an embrace by a woman very close to her own age. The woman’s hands were covered in flour, but it didn’t seem to matter to her or the boy. Shortly, they both had white dustings of the stuff all over them, but neither seemed to notice. A tiny dark-skinned woman came up and was able to pry Heath away from his “Aunt Rachel” and got some hugging done herself.

When the embrace finally broke, the white lady reached down and ruffled Heath’s hair, getting flour there too. “Heath, we weren’t expecting you today. What are you doing here?”

The three were so happy to see each other that they did not seem to even notice Victoria. The question startled Heath into remembering his purpose. He quickly turned to the door and ran back to Victoria. He grabbed her hand and gently pulled her in. “This is Mrs. Barkley that I been telling you about. She wanted to meet you. Mrs. Barkley, this is my aunt, Rachel Caulfield, and this is Hannah.” Victoria could hear the pride in his voice as he made the introductions.

Mrs. Caulfield’s demeanor changed slightly from pure pleasure to one of wariness. She continued to smile, but Victoria could not help but think, ‘She’s on her guard. I wonder why she’s so suspicious.’ She reached to shake hands and said warmly, “Please, call me Victoria.”

Mrs. Caulfield wiped her hands on her apron to remove some of the flour and took Victoria’s hand. “I’m Rachel. It’s very nice to meet you. Won’t you sit down? Would you like some tea?”

“That would be lovely,” she replied as she sat down on the worn sofa.

“I gets it,” Hannah stated and moved back to the kitchen.

Heath regretfully disengaged from the bear hug he had on Rachel as she sat in the chair nearest Victoria, but he stayed close and kept his arm around her shoulders. He seemed like a different boy around these women—light-hearted, carefree, happy…like a boy his age should be. Rachel touched the bruises on his face and looked at him with a question in her eyes. Heath reached up and grasped her hand as it caressed his cheek. He shook his head slightly and smiled lovingly. Victoria was touched by the tenderness of their unspoken communication.

Rachel took a deep breath and turned to Victoria. “I’m sorry Mrs.—Victoria. Heath and I don’t get to see each other much anymore. Please forgive me for ignoring you. I just…well…I just miss him so much. You have children…”

Victoria interrupted, “You don’t need to apologize, Rachel. I understand completely. A child leaves a large hole in your heart when he’s absent. I can easily see that one as precious as this boy could just steal your heart.”

Rachel looked at her bemusedly for a moment before turning to gaze fondly at the blond headed boy standing beside her. “Well, you’ve certainly done that, haven’t you?”

Heath looked down bashfully and gave a shy, twisted grin. “Not on purpose,” came the singsong, too innocent reply.

Victoria chuckled, and Rachel gave a mock scowl as she lightly smacked his behind. “Why you little scamp! Get out of here and quit bothering me.” Heath laughed and carefully moved away. “Go out through the kitchen. Hannah has something for you. Wait a second. Get back here and give me a kiss!”

He hurried back and leaned down and kissed her on the cheek then headed into the kitchen. Victoria was laughing at their exchange as she heard Hannah in the kitchen mentioning something about Heath being too thin and needing to eat more. She couldn’t hear Heath’s reply as she turned back to Rachel who was also listening carefully. Shortly, they both heard the back door slam as Heath headed back to the livery. Hannah came in carrying a tray with the teapot and cups.

“I’ll finish up the bread while you’s visiting, Rachel.” She bowed slightly to Victoria and said, “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Barkley. Y’all have a nice visit.”

“Thank you, Hannah. It’s nice to meet you, too.

Hannah nodded. “I be in the kitchen iffen you need anything.” She turned and left as Rachel poured the tea and handed a cup to Victoria. Rachel seemed to be studying her visitor as she sipped her tea.

Victoria was looking for a polite opening to the conversation, so she started with some small talk. “You have a nice home here, Rachel.”

Her hostess’ laugh was touched with irony. “It’s not like it was when my husband was alive. When this town was alive. But it’s home and a roof over my head, and it has a lot of memories that go with it. And it’s fine for me.”

“But it would be better if Heath were here, too.”

Rachel’s eyes snapped to Victoria and then she nodded. “Yes, it would,” she remarked quietly.

Victoria continued, “I understand you’re not related by blood.”

Rachel heaved a sigh of resignation. “No, I’m not.” She sat quietly for a moment then resolutely challenged Victoria. “What can I do for you, Mrs. Barkley?”

Victoria was taken aback by the bluntness of the question, but she recovered quickly and replied, “I really don’t know, Rachel. Heath just seems like such a special boy. He’s too young to have to work like he does, and those…people…that supposedly take care of him. My son, Jarrod, and I have spent just a few hours with Heath, but neither of us could stop thinking about him while we were away. You, Hannah, and Mr. Hutchins seem to be the only ones who really care about him, so I thought, maybe, if I spoke with you, we could come up with some idea to help him.”

Rachel took all of this in and seemed to be weighing the possibilities. After a length of time Victoria interrupted her thoughts. “Rachel, are you alright?”

Rachel shook herself from her reverie and said, “I’m sorry. I don’t get many people asking to help Heath.” She took a deep breath and started again, “Mrs. Barkley, are you happily married?”

Victoria’s eyebrows rose involuntarily as she was startled by the question. “Please, call me Victoria. And yes, we’re happy. More so now than ever before. What does that have to do with Heath?”

“Well, his mother never married. And she never revealed to Heath or the town who his father was. He was already married, and she didn’t want to make trouble for them. She raised Heath on her own in a town where everyone knew he was illegitimate.”

Victoria picked up the conversation, “But the man had a responsibility to Heath and his mother. He owed them some kind of support. Was he not the kind of man who would help them move to another place where she could claim to be a widow?”

“She never told him she was expecting.”

Victoria sat a moment taking all this in. “She must have really loved this man to sacrifice so much for his marriage. But surely now…she’s gone. She wouldn’t have wanted those awful people to raise Heath. His father still has a responsibility to him. Surely now, for Heath’s sake, his father must be told. You do know who he is, don’t you?”

Rachel took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, but Leah made me swear on her death bed that I would not reveal who Heath’s father was. I had always encouraged her to contact him, but she absolutely refused. She was the best friend I ever had, but she could be so stubborn. And she made me swear…” Rachel’s voice faded as Victoria’s world swirled around her.

The cup and saucer were trembling as Victoria gripped them with white knuckles. Her breathing was ragged, and her face had drained of all color. Seemingly from far away, she could hear someone calling, “Mrs. Barkley? Are you alright? Victoria?! Hannah, bring me a cool cloth!”

Victoria barely noticed the china being taken from her hands as a clean, cool dish rag was mopped gently along her forehead. Her thoughts were absorbed in the revelation that her brain had just put together. Rachel had called Heath’s mother ‘Leah.’ And all the pieces fit together in just that moment. Heath’s mother was Leah…Thomson, and that meant his father was Thomas Barkley. He had to be.

This was just too much. She had long ago accepted that Tom had a dalliance with another woman, but accepting it and having the living, breathing proof stand and speak with her was another thing altogether. She had not considered this possibility since the first year or so after he returned to her. She just assumed that Leah would have contacted Tom if there had been any reason to, and she knew that Tom had written to her at least once to encourage her to get on with her life. She knew he had because he had shown her the letter before he sent it. He hadn’t wanted any further secrets between them that might jeopardize their relationship.

Victoria buried her face in her hands and shook her head to try and refuse the truth that now stared her in the face. Tom had a son by another woman. It hurt almost as much now as when he came home and told her of the affair.

Gradually, she took note of both Rachel and Hannah standing and hovering over her as she rocked herself back and forth gently, trying to rid herself of this new pain. But she knew in her heart that this was going to have to be dealt with. Immediately. Not wanting to believe something didn’t make it any less true. She took a deep breath and began grabbing hold of her emotions.

She looked up at Rachel through watery eyes and requested confirmation—just to make sure. “Heath is Leah Thomson’s son?”

Rachel had the look of an animal that just realized it was trapped. She nodded briefly.

“And my husband, Tom, is his father?”

Rachel’s eyes changed from trapped to regretful. She nodded again.

“Is there any chance it was someone else?”

Rachel sat down across from Victoria and reached for her hand in sympathy. “No. Leah had been married before to a man who was no good, but they had been apart for more than a year when she met Tom. She didn’t want another no account for a husband, so she stayed away from disreputable places. And even though she didn’t know who he was, she knew almost immediately that your husband wasn’t like most men. She felt she could trust him, and she fell in love with him. Surely you can understand that?”

Victoria nodded ruefully. “I just never expected that she wouldn’t inform Tom that she had his child.”

“She felt she had already committed adultery. She wasn’t going to compound the error and cause more problems between the man and his wife.”

Victoria bowed her head and closed her eyes in acceptance of the woman’s sacrifice on her behalf. She shook her head again as she thought of the questions about Leah Thomson she had always had in the back of her mind. Getting the answers to those questions had yielded some unexpected results—the chief one being a young, blond headed boy named Heath who she now recognized as the image of her husband’s younger brother.

Heath. Victoria was not a person who dwelled on a past that couldn’t be changed, and she resolved to turn her attentions to the boy. She had come to see Rachel to try and help Heath, and Rachel had answered all her questions and brought up many, many more. Tom did have a responsibility to Heath and Leah, so some decisions would have to be made.

Victoria blinked the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking. “Heath Thomson…Barkley.” Hearing herself speak his name made the whole situation more final, and she began sorting through the possible solutions.

Rachel sat quietly with resignation in her posture. “Now you know. Leah never wanted this to come out, but now it has, and we’re left to deal with the consequences. What are you going to do, Victoria?”

“I honestly don’t know.” She slowly shook her head as choices flitted through her mind. Images of Heath pushed their way to the front, and she began to get angry at his mistreatment. “But that young man has been through enough, and he’ll be out of that house and that mine and this town before the end of the week, I’ll guarantee you that.” No, he wasn’t her son, but he shared the same blood as her children. That counted for something. And she had wanted to help him before she even realized this fact. She realized that she now had some leverage to be able to make some changes. His father would see to that.

She stood up and began to move about the room while sorting through her options. She needed to be doing something with her hands, but she was in another woman’s house and that opportunity was unavailable. Vaguely, she noticed Hannah leaving the room again and that Rachel was content to sit and watch her pacing. ‘Of course, she’s watching. She is in no position to help Heath, but she knows that maybe I can.’

Long ranging consequences of Heath’s existence were boggling her mind, and she resolved not to think about them for the present. She just needed to come to a decision about what to do right now to get this young man away from his present guardians. To make her decision that much more difficult, she had no idea about the laws regarding illegitimacy. And even though she was the key right now, she doubted that she could do anything on her own to take care of this situation. Tom needed to know and come to Strawberry as soon as possible.

Decision made, she turned quickly to face Rachel, and she saw Hannah’s concerned face peeking out from the kitchen doorway. “I’ll write to Tom. I’ll send Jarrod on horseback with the letter to Stockton, and Tom will come here.”

“Are you sure he’ll want Heath?”

“I’m sure. If there’s anything that I know about my husband, it’s that he loves his children. He’ll come.” She bowed her head in resignation now that the decision was made, and after a brief moment, she picked up her purse and moved toward the door.

Rachel hurried after her and touched her shoulder as she reached for the door latch. “Victoria. Leah never wanted to hurt you. As far as she knew, you weren’t even aware of the time Tom spent with her. She never would have wanted this to come between you.”

“Tom told me the night he came home. I’ve always known about Leah. I read the letter he sent her after he came home. I knew it was a possibility, but when we never heard from her, I just never dreamed that a child had resulted from their…union.” Victoria’s voice quavered as she fought to control it on that last word. Rachel’s eyes held only compassion as she put a hand on Victoria’s shoulder in silent support. Victoria nodded her thanks and turned to go. “I’ve got a letter to write.”

* * * * * * * *

Shortly after coming back to the hotel and finding Jarrod, the two of them went to the restaurant and ate. Well, at least Jarrod ate. Victoria had some soup, but for the most part, she just picked at it. She could tell that Jarrod knew something was bothering her, but she waved off his questions with vague answers that she knew didn’t satisfy him. He was perceptive, her oldest child. He would make an excellent lawyer someday, but right now, he knew better than to push his mother into answering questions about her abrupt change in mood. Smart boy.

After dinner, they headed back to the hotel, and she ignored Martha Simmons’ false cordiality. Jarrod was left to fumble around for polite conversation as Victoria headed upstairs to her room.

She dug through one of her bags for her stationary. She had written several letters on her vacation and was glad she had packed the box in the bag she had brought to the room. She pulled out a piece of paper and then the ink bottle and pen. She sat down at the small desk and considered what to write.

Tom,

This is difficult for me to write, but necessary because we must take some action in what I’ve discovered. Through several twists of fate, Jarrod and I found ourselves in Strawberry. Here we met an extraordinary young man. He is eleven years old, and his mother is dead. He is polite and intelligent and stubborn and proud. He is Leah Thomson’s son.

He is your son.

His name is Heath, and he is the image of your brother Will when he was a boy. He lives with an aunt and uncle that treat him cruelly. He works three jobs, and his guardians take the money and keep it for themselves. He doesn’t go to school. His uncle seems to be a hard drinker, and he beats the boy.

I’ve spoken to Rachel Caulfield who was a good friend to Leah, and she states that Leah never wanted you to find out about the boy because of the problems it might cause in our marriage. We can work through this, but we cannot allow this young man to remain in this situation. He is innocent in all of this.

I’ve not told Jarrod what I’ve learned. He knows that something is wrong, but I’ve not discussed it with him. Do as you please in the matter.

I don’t know the laws pertaining to illegitimate children in California, but we have to do something. Even before I knew he was your son, I wanted to help him. Now even more so. Please come and let’s bring this boy home.

When you get to town, find me at the livery.

Love,

Victoria

She read and reread the letter carefully. Short, to the point, and it let him know what her reaction to the whole situation was. There would be time enough later for hindsight and recriminations. For the moment, the letter would get her husband on the road to Strawberry and that was what she needed more than anything.

* * * * * * * *

The next morning, Martha Simmons looked up from her half-hearted efforts at dusting as Victoria and Jarrod reached the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes rested on Victoria as if she were trying to decide something. Noting the silence, she finally began speaking.

“Good morning, Mrs. Barkley, Mr. Barkley. I suppose you’ll be heading home for Stockton today. Just like when your husband was here a few years ago. You came and got what you wanted from this town, and now you’re going to leave since you’re finished using us.”

Victoria felt Jarrod stiffen as he prepared to respond to Martha’s slur against his family. Victoria recognized her bait for what it was. She knew Martha couldn’t decide if she should tell Victoria about Heath’s parentage, but she just couldn’t let the two Barkleys get away without a few insults. However, it wouldn’t serve Victoria’s, or Heath’s, interests to rise to the challenge that Martha was presenting, so she put a calming hand on Jarrod’s forearm to forestall the angry response.

She looked him in the eye with a tender glare that he immediately understood, and she saw the fire in his eyes bank back to slight embers. She gave him a small, proud smile that told him she was grateful for his restraint.

“Well, actually, Mrs. Simmons, I’ve made a terrible mistake that will require us to stay a couple more days. And unfortunately, Jarrod is the one who will be paying for my forgetfulness.” She turned to Jarrod and put a hand to his shoulder in apology. “You remember the beautiful shawl that Abigail made for me? I’ve left it behind. We could go on home and have them send it to us, but then it might be lost in the mail. Jarrod, would you mind terribly if I asked you to ride back to Dandridge and get it? You’d make better time if I stayed here while you went on horseback.”

Jarrod’s face reflected masked confusion, as he appeared to be thinking it through. Clearly, the whole situation, from last night through this morning, had him baffled, but he didn’t let any of that show to Martha Simmons. He cleared his throat and nodded. “Of course, Mother. But can I get some breakfast before you send me out on this quest?” His tone seemed to indicate humor, but Victoria knew he was just playing along with the scenario she was setting up. She smiled up at him in pride and relief at his understanding.

She nodded goodbye to Martha Simmons, and they headed out to the sidewalk to go for some breakfast. Their stride was casual and relaxed, but she could feel the tension in Jarrod’s hand on her arm. As they crossed the street, she could feel Mrs. Simmons’ eyes on their backs from the doorway.

When they reached the opposite side of the road, Jarrod smiled pleasantly and murmured quietly, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on? You didn’t leave that shawl at the Lawson’s; it’s in your bag. Where am I going and why?”

Victoria gently rubbed his hand where he held her arm. “Thank you for playing along. I think that woman’s a viper, and she doesn’t need to know any of our business until later.”

“And what is our business?”

“Son, bear with me. I can’t tell you just now. But you’ll find out soon, I promise.”

Jarrod gave a deep dissatisfied sigh in resignation. “Will you tell me where I’m going?”

“Do you want to know now or after our breakfast?”

“Now. Please.”

“Home. I have a letter for your father that he needs to read immediately. And I can’t leave Strawberry until he reads it and comes here himself.”

Jarrod turned to her in concern. “What do you mean you can’t leave here?”

“Jarrod, I can’t explain that right now. Everything is fine, but I can’t leave here until your father comes. And I need him here as soon as possible.”

“Mother, I don’t like the sound of this. I’m not leaving you here alone.”

“Jarrod, I’m your mother, and I need you to bring your father back here. Nothing is wrong with me, and I’m not in any danger. I just need your father here. Now.” Victoria’s eyes flashed as she stared down her oldest son.

“Mother, you know he’s working on the new house, trying to get as much done as he can while things are a little slower on the ranch. He’s not going to want to come with me without a good reason.”

“I’ve got a good reason, and I explained it in the letter. And you’re not going to get me to reveal what it is by coming up with lawyer redirection of the conversation. You can’t play your interrogation tricks on your dear old mother.”

Jarrod grinned, caught in his own game, and tried to hold his own but finally gave up, realizing the futility of arguing with his mother. He gave a discontented sigh of frustration and looked away. Victoria offered a small smile that he had even tried, but allowed him to absorb the small defeat before tugging his arm to get him moving again.

“Come on, Jarrod. You’ve got a long ride ahead of you, and I want you to eat hearty before you hit the trail.” She gave him a brilliant smile when he finally conceded the argument, and, in return, she received a quick grin and gentle laugh.

He looked at her with affectionate annoyance. “How do you do that?”

“What’s that, son?”

“Make me do something I don’t want to do, but then make me laugh about it.”

“Because I’m the mother.”

“Oooohhh. That explains it.”

“Yes, it does.” She heard him laugh as they went in the restaurant to finally sit down and eat.

* * * * * * * *

Walking back into the hotel, she prayed for Jarrod’s safe journey and speedy return with Tom. She had warned him to initially head in the direction of Dandridge when he got to the main road, but then to circle around and head back toward Stockton. Jarrod had started to argue again at that unusual instruction, but she silenced him quickly with the Do-it-because-I’m-your-mother-and-I-say-so look. He had quickly bitten his tongue and nodded understanding. He fingered her letter in his pocket and headed out with a tip of his hat.

Now she was faced with the quandary of what to do till Tom could come. Suddenly, she was hit with an idea and hurried through to the other side of town to run it by Rachel and Hannah. Soon, after stopping by Rachel’s house and coming up with a plan, she strolled back through town, looking completely unconcerned and at ease.

She pushed open the door of the hotel and, noting Martha’s presence once again, gave a loud sigh.

“Did your son get off alright?” came Mrs. Simmons’ grating voice.

“Yes. But I didn’t think about the fact that when he left that I would be here with nothing to do for a day or so. Do you have any suggestions on how I could occupy a few hours time?”

Once again, she was treated to the bemused expression on her hostess’ face as she contemplated her options. To appear completely at loose ends, Victoria turned and headed for the horsehair sofa and table in the lobby and picked up an old copy of Godey’s Lady and began flipping through the pages.

Then, as if suddenly struck by a plan, she flipped the magazine closed and turned around quickly to face Martha Simmons. “Isn’t there an apple orchard about five or ten miles out of town?”

She responded quickly, “Yes. Why?”

Victoria gushed, “I would just love to take home some fresh apples. We have some peaches and oranges down near Stockton, but precious few good apple orchards. Why, I could go and get a few bushels, and then when I get home, I’m ready to make apple butter and pie, and I could dry some for winter and…”

At this point, Mrs. Simmons interrupted, “I don’t think that the Conrads would give you a few bushels of their apples for nothing. That’s their livelihood, you know.”

“Well, of course, I’d pay for them. And I’d pick them too. But I will need someone to help me with those heavy baskets. That Mr. Nelson that fixed our wagon, I suppose he’s working. And Mr. Hutchins will be taking care of the livery. Oh, what about your nephew? What’s his name? Cliff? Anyway, what’s he doing today?”

Victoria almost laughed when Mrs. Simmons looked like she’d been forced to swallow a bug. However, she pulled her face into some semblance of its former forced respect for a paying guest and replied sweetly, “Heath. His name is Heath. And he’s working today, too. Not all of us are able to take vacations whenever we feel like it.”

Victoria pretended not to notice the implied insult. “Well, I’d be willing to pay him, of course. I couldn’t expect him to do it for nothing.”

Martha Simmons perked up considerably with greed flaming her eyes alive. “Well, I suppose that would depend on how much you would pay him.”

Victoria continued with her charade. “Well, you’re his guardian. What do you think his time is worth?”

It didn’t appear that Mrs. Simmons even tried to hide the avarice flashing in her eyes, but her face did try to remain calm. “Well, he is at work now. I’d have to call him away from that. His boss won’t be happy about that, and he’ll lose today’s pay, I’m sure.”

Victoria nodded understanding, but she waited, her silence prompting Mrs. Simmons to continue.

“I suppose that he might could help you if you paid him, say, a dollar for the day?”

Victoria bit her bottom lip in thought. It wouldn’t do to appear to be too eager. Truthfully, she’d pay anything to get Heath out of the mine today and tomorrow, but letting that be known might not be a good idea. “Well, I will have to pay for the apples, and I’ll need lunch and dinner tonight. I suppose a dollar is fair.”

“In gold?”

“Well, alright. If you insist, I can do that, I suppose.”

“Done. I’ll send for Heath shortly, and you can leave as soon as he gets here. Will that be alright?” Mrs. Simmons looked immensely pleased with herself at the deal she had struck.

“That will be fine. I’ll just head up and get the money and change into more appropriate clothes.” Victoria didn’t have to work to look happy with the results of the conversation, and she turned for the stairs.

* * * * * * * *

Within half an hour, she was coming out the door of the restaurant carrying a basket with lunch for two and heading for the livery where she was to meet Heath. Passing an alley, she briefly nodded at Hannah who was hidden in the shadows of several boxes. Shortly, she met her young escort in front of the livery as he hitched up a buckboard that held several empty bushel basket and crates.

“Well, young man. I can see you’re ready for me. Shall we?”

He looked at her speculatively for a moment and then shrugged and scrambled up into the seat beside her. “You want me to drive?”

“That is the gentleman’s job.”

“Alright.” And with that he chucked at the horses and off they went to the apple orchard.

* * * * * * * *

As they rounded the last bend in the road before arriving at the orchard, Victoria gave a sigh of relief. She had occasionally checked over her shoulder for anyone following them, and after the first mile, decided they were on their own. She gave another big sigh of relief and glanced cautiously at her companion. He had definitely noticed her casual glances around but had not questioned her behavior. Finally, she had to ask him about his.

“Well, aren’t you going to ask me?”

“Figured you had your reasons. Just ‘cause I don’t know them, don’t mean they ain’t real.”

Victoria speculated on his answer. “Heath, you understand far too much for a boy your age.”

He shrugged, “Don’t take much to know when to keep your mouth shut.”

Victoria bit her lips shut to keep from laughing. This young man was the complete opposite of her Nick at times. And at other moments, it seemed they had much in common. Despite the pain this boy’s existence presently brought to her, she did enjoy the young man. And even she could see the irony that her husband had sired one boy who barely spoke and another who didn’t understand the concept of silence. The reconstructed Barkley family was in for some interesting times ahead.

“Well, I’ve got a surprise for you, and I didn’t want it to be spoiled by anything. So, I’ve been keeping an eye out for any troublemakers.”

He didn’t look at her, but she noticed that his shoulders tensed up and his eyes darted around in suspicion. When no threat immediately appeared, he asked, “What kind of surprise?”

She smiled sadly at the boy’s apprehension and the life that had made him that way. “One you’ll like. I promise.”

By this time, they were driving up the lane to the orchard owner’s house and sitting on the front porch waiting for them were Rachel Caulfield and Hannah James. Heath’s eyes lit up in surprise when he saw them stand to greet them, and he quickly pulled the horses to a stop and jumped out of the wagon before it completely stopped moving. He moved quickly to hug the two women who were just as eager as he was to close the distance between them. Victoria climbed out of the buckboard and watched fondly as the three of them were reunited. When they broke their embrace, he turned to her with grateful eyes.

She answered his unstated appreciation. “I promised that you would like the surprise.”

He blushed at the remembrance and nodded shyly, the grin on his face never fading.

Rachel and Hannah looked at Victoria expectantly. She responded to their unspoken question, “I didn’t see anyone following us after the first mile out of town.

Heath looked at all three ladies with concern. Rachel answered him, “You know as well as we do that your aunt and uncle wouldn’t want you to be meeting us out here. We managed to get you out of work today without them knowing that we were part of the plan. Hannah and I hatched it this morning with Mrs. Barkley. Now, we’ve talked to the Conrads about us picking four or five bushels of apples, and we’ve packed a picnic lunch, so let’s get to it, boy.”

Heath looked at all three women carefully, and then the smile slowly made it’s way across his face and stayed there—even when he looked at Victoria. “Aww, don’t call me ‘boy’. I ain’t no kid.” But he grinned even bigger when Rachel reached across and tousled his hair playfully.

They all piled into the buckboard and headed out for the area of the orchard that Mr. Conrad had indicated to Rachel would have the best apples.

* * * * * * * *

After a wonderful day with a picnic lunch and dinner, Victoria and Heath loaded up the wagon with their apples and picnic supplies. Hannah and Rachel had left about thirty minutes previously to get back around to the other side of town to throw off the Simmonses if they were seen. As they climbed in the wagon and Heath chucked the horses to begin their journey back to Strawberry, Victoria wondered for the umpteenth time if Tom would be there by tonight. He and Jarrod would have to ride like the wind to make that kind of time, but she had been wracking her brains trying to come up with another reason why Heath could not return to work tomorrow and did not have a suitable excuse yet. She and Tom would both be devastated if something were to happen to the boy when they were so close to taking him home. And Victoria realized she wanted him to be in their home very much.

Heath interrupted her thoughts. “Thanks for the good day, ma’am.”

She looked over at him fondly. “Did you have a good time?”

“Yes’m. It was about the nicest day I can remember in a real long time.”

“I hope that you will have many more nice days. A young gentleman like you deserves to have nice days like this.”

A shadow flicked across his face as he nodded, but he said nothing and turned back to the road. After a bit, he said quietly, “Thanks again for the good day and the visit with Aunt Rachel and Hannah.”

“You’re welcome.”

They continued on toward town for a while as Victoria began to consider again when Tom and Jarrod might return. Presently, she heard her companion clear his throat, and she turned her attention back to him.

“Reckon you’ll be heading back home tomorrow or the day after.”

“Yes. Jarrod will probably return some time tomorrow or the next day, and we’ll head home after that.”

“It’s been real fine having you here.”

“Well, thank you for saying so.”

“You come back anytime.”

“Perhaps I will someday.”

He winced at her answer. “Don’t know why you would, though. The only reason you’re here now is because your wagon got busted. That ain’t likely to happen again.”

“Well, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll come to visit your Aunt Rachel. We’re friends now.”

His face remained motionless, but she thought his eyes took on a thoughtful tint. After a moment, he nodded briefly to himself and smiled. “Yeah. You might could come see her. You think you will?”

Victoria felt that familiar pain in her heart as she watched this shy young man bashfully reach out to her in the guise of securing a friend for his Aunt Rachel. She gave him a brilliant smile and reached over to squeeze his shoulder. “If you’re around, I definitely will be back to see her.”

And with that answer, he blushed and averted his gaze in embarrassment. Another nod accompanied the glow. “That’d be nice. For her, I mean.”

She bit her lips to keep from smiling and looked away so he could return his attention to the road without her watching him. “Of course.”

* * * * * * * *

Shortly, they came to the edge of town. Victoria glanced around quickly trying to detect some clue to the return of her husband and son, but nothing presented itself. Except for Martha Simmons supposedly hard at work sweeping the boardwalk in front of the hotel. ‘Waiting for us to get back,’ Victoria thought to herself.

Heath guided the wagon back to the livery, and Victoria looked in vain for some sign of her family’s arrival. She gave a sigh in resignation, and Heath looked up in question.

“Oh, I just didn’t want this day to end. That’s all, Heath.”

“I understand. Had such a good time today, I kind of didn’t want it to, either.”

But, practical lad that he was, he didn’t delay the work that waited on him now that they were back in the livery. Horses to untack and turn out, a wagon to be unloaded, other horses to care for…the list never seemed to end for this young man to Victoria’s way of thinking. She hoped to change that very, very soon.

She sat down to watch him as he worked and was pleased to note that he now did not seem disturbed by her presence and observation. He went about his business as if she weren’t there.

After a while, she heard two horses arrive at a fast clip outside. Suddenly unsure of her actions, she stayed where she was. Heath looked up from where he was checking the hooves of one of the horses as the newcomers entered.

Tom entered the barn in a rush with Jarrod behind him looking on anxiously. Victoria rose from her perch on a hay bale along one wall. Tom’s eyes quickly scanned the room and fell on his son. She could see his breath leave him in a rush as he saw the resemblance in a heartbeat. She stepped closer to him so he would be aware of her presence, as he did not see anything else in the building at that moment. She touched his shoulder, and he turned to her with eyes full of remorse and pain.

“Victo…” His voice disappeared as he if he had no air. He shook his head slightly in regret.

“I know.”

His eyes closed in relief as he swept her into his arms, and for a moment, all she knew was the feel of his body covering hers. After a bit, he set her back down and turned again to look at his newfound son who was regarding the whole scene with suspicious curiosity.

Victoria looked back at Jarrod who had followed his father into the barn and was watching the scene with undisguised confusion. She thought briefly about the similar feelings these two boys probably shared at this moment. She also thought about how quickly their whole world was going to change.

She turned back to Tom who was trying to hide his complete fascination with the young man in front of him and decided it was time to get things underway.

“Tom, this is Heath. Heath, this is my husband, Tom Barkley.”

Heath stood silently for a moment trying to make the puzzle pieces fit together correctly. Victoria knew they wouldn’t, but she wondered how long he would try before he remembered his manners. It wasn’t very long before he shuttered his confusion and stepped forward to shake Mr. Barkley’s hand.

Tom stood quietly as if afraid to scare him off. He also kept a tight rein on his emotions as he touched his son for the first time.

Victoria took control again as she stepped toward Heath and spoke to him. “I know you don’t understand. Jarrod was supposed to be heading in the other direction from our home, and yet he has returned with his father. That doesn’t make any sense, but we’ll explain everything. I promise. Heath, we need to go see your Aunt Rachel. All of us, you included. Alright?”

He looked at the three of them, and she could see his struggle. Finally his eyes came back to rest on her, and she held his gaze while he probed her visually. After a moment, he nodded, and she was glad for the good day they had shared and the trust it had engendered.

She nodded in return and smiled her reassurance.

* * * * * * * *

In short minutes, they were all standing on Rachel Caulfield’s porch. She answered the door and just stood looking at them for a moment before asking them in. In her small parlor, Victoria and Tom sat on her sofa, Jarrod sat in the chair nearest the front door, Hannah stood in the kitchen doorway, and Rachel sat in the remaining chair with Heath standing next to her. But Victoria wasn’t sure whether his action was to protect her or be protected by her. They all just stared at each other momentarily before Victoria began.

“Heath. I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll just start from the beginning. You work in the Strawberry Mine, don’t you?”

“Yes’m.”

“I bet you didn’t know that we used to own part of that mine.”

“No, ma’am.”

“Well, we did. Not anymore, but a few years ago, Tom invested quite a bit of money in this mine, and then a few years later, he sold it to someone else. When someone has money invested somewhere, they want to check on it and see how it’s doing. Personally, you understand?”

“Yes’m.”

“Well, Tom left our home and went on a trip to check on some of the ventures we had put money in. He came here to Strawberry twelve years ago to check on the mine. While he was here, someone robbed him. They jumped him and beat him up and took his money.”

Heath’s eyes had been flicking around the room to look at all the people there, but this statement caused him to rest his eyes on Tom who still couldn’t take his eyes off the boy. Jarrod was watching the whole scene with interest, carefully taking in all the details. Rachel looked subdued, and Hannah anxiously watched the whole spectacle. Victoria only wanted to make the whole situation easier for Heath.

At this point, Tom took up the tale. “Heath, when I woke up after the beating, I couldn’t remember anything. Nothing. Not my home, not my family, not my wife, not even my name. That’s pretty scary—waking up and not knowing who you are. My head was bleeding, and I was dizzy and sick. I couldn’t walk straight; truthfully, I could hardly stand up. It was barely light outside, and I was staggering through the alleys of this town totally lost. The first door of a decent house I came to, I knocked. And an angel answered.

“That angel was your mother, Heath. Leah Thomson. She took me in and took care of me. There wasn’t a doctor here then either, so she just did it herself. I don’t know why she wasn’t scared of me, but I don’t think she even thought twice about taking a stranger into her home simply because he needed help.

“Soon, I started feeling better, but I still didn’t know who I was. We checked with the Sheriff over in Tillysville, and he had no reports of a missing person. And fortunately, I didn’t fit the description of any wanted men he had reports on either.”

Victoria interrupted at this point, “Heath, I didn’t file a missing person report on him because neither of us knew when he left exactly when he would be back. He had some long distances to travel and several places to visit. And the mail service then was very unpredictable. So I didn’t know anything was wrong. Understand?”

“Yes’m.”

Tom took up the threads of the story again. “So, there I was, with no idea of whom I was or where I belonged. I didn’t know what to do. After talking with Leah about the whole situation, she said I could stay with her. And that was just fine with me because I was coming to care for her a great deal. She was beautiful and funny and light and sweet. And she took me in when I had nowhere else to turn. She gave me a place to belong.

“So, I agreed to stay on with her. And a few weeks went by, and I made myself useful around the house. I also began to fall in love with her. We decided to get married. It was quite a turn around for me. I had woken up one morning with no past and a few weeks later, I was in love and getting married.

“One morning, I woke up and remembered everything. That I had a wife and two sons and a ranch and that I’d been gone for a long time. And that I now had another woman that I cared about deeply who was planning on becoming my wife.”

“What did you do?” Heath was following the story closely.

“I didn’t know what to do. Your mother knew almost immediately after I woke up that I had regained my memory. I suppose she could see it on my face. She asked me, and I told her about my life. I watched as a little of that light went out of her, and I still regret every day that I was the cause of that.

“Anyhow, we tried to decide what to do and spent the day thinking about it. The next day when I woke up, she had my clothes packed and told me I needed to go home to my family. As much as I didn’t want to leave her, I knew this was the best solution. I gave her my thanks and told her I would never forget her, and I left.

“You were born the following spring. I’m your father, Heath.”

Silence filled the room as Heath stared at Tom. Then his eyes moved to Victoria for a moment before he turned to Rachel Caulfield in voiceless question.

She held his gaze to confirm Tom’s statement, then softly spoke. “He’s telling you the truth, Heath. He is your father. I knew him when he was staying with your mother. And after he left and we knew you were coming, I asked her if Mr. Barkley was your father. She told me he was.”

Heath looked at the floorboards and took several deep breaths as his hands fidgeted relentlessly with various parts of clothing. Victoria glanced at Jarrod who sat with his mouth slightly open. He honestly looked dumbfounded, and Victoria knew he was. This was as earth shattering for him as it was for Heath. Her attention went back to Tom’s new son.

“Why tell me now?” Heath looked so bewildered and vulnerable, yet so strong at the same time. Just like his father.

“I didn’t know about you. Not long after I returned home, I wrote your mother to let her know I was back home. I knew she would worry. But I also wanted her to get on with her life, forget about me. I knew she had loved me, and I wanted her to find someone else, someone who could bring that light back to her eyes.

“I assumed she would contact me if she became pregnant. But I never heard another word from her or about her. A year or two after my accident, I sold our interest in the mine, and I never had any reason to come back. I believed that your mother had found someone else and had moved on with her life.”

“But you’re here now. How come?”

Victoria picked it up. “Heath, the whole time that Jarrod and I have been on our trip, I’ve thought about you. Jarrod did too. We both thought we saw something in you that reminded us of someone, but we couldn’t figure out whom. When I met your Aunt Rachel, I asked about your mother. When she told me your mother was Leah, I knew immediately that you were Tom’s son, and I was seeing the family resemblance.

“Tom had told me about your mother when he returned home. I’ve always known about her and what happened when Tom was away. When Rachel mentioned Leah’s name, it all fell into place, and I knew you were Tom’s boy. You look like his younger brother when he was your age.”

Heath’s face took on a look of bewilderment as if the thought of resembling someone was a concept he had never considered. Jarrod looked enlightened as all the pieces now fell into place for him as well.

Tom pulled their attention back to himself once more. “Heath, there’s one more reason I know you’re my son. Victoria doesn’t even know this, but both Rachel and Hannah can confirm it. When I was here and didn’t know who I was, your mother called me Heath. While I was here, that was my name. Your mother had read a book a year or two before I came, and that name, or something like it, was the name of one of the characters.”

Victoria gasped as she looked first at Tom and then Rachel for confirmation. Rachel only had eyes for Heath though as he silently questioned her again, and she nodded in answer to both him and Victoria. “I’ve still got her book, Heath, if you’d like to see it.” **

Heath looked at Rachel briefly, and then he returned his attention to the floor in front of his boots. From her position, she could see the warring emotions on his face, and finally the anger won out. He returned his glare to Tom.

“You could have helped her! You could have saved her! We didn’t have money for a doctor or medicine or food or nothing! You’re off having a fine old time, and she was here sick and needing help. And you didn’t do nothing!”

Tom’s eyes clouded as he agreed. “You’re right. I could have helped. I could have sent money for all those things you mentioned, but I didn’t know. Heath, I didn’t know about you or that she was still here or that she needed help. I swear to you, son; I didn’t know.”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Calling you that or not isn’t going to change the truth of it.”

That silenced the boy for a bit. He was still breathing hard after his outburst, but that statement gave him pause. He turned to Rachel again for confirmation.

“Heath, he didn’t know about you and your mother. I urged her to contact him when she found out you were coming. But she refused. She felt she had already sinned, not once but twice, and didn’t want to make it worse by causing a third. She had been with a man before she married him, and then later she found out he was married which was the separate sin of adultery. She didn’t want to cause any trouble between Tom and his wife by showing up with a child born out of wedlock. She didn’t want to cause them to divorce.

“She absolutely refused to notify him about you despite my frequent urging. Even when she became ill. And when it became evident that she was going to die, she made me swear not to tell him.

“I’m telling you the truth, Heath. He didn’t know about you.”

This admission made it even harder for him to direct his anger toward the person he felt

deserved it most of all. He continued to stare at the floor and take deep breaths to bring his temper under control. When he finally seemed to have a handle on it, he showed himself to be the practical young man Victoria had come to know. But there was still a challenge to his voice even so.

“So, now you know about me. What do you aim to do now?”

Victoria looked at Tom as he met her eyes in a final, brief question. Then he turned back to Heath. “We’re gonna take you home with us.”

Heath blinked in silent shock and needed a moment to take that in. “What?”

“We’re going to take you home with us.”

“Why?”

Then it was Tom’s turn to blink in surprise. “‘Why?’ Because you’re my son, that’s why.”

“Yeah, maybe. But I ain’t your real son. He is.” And with that, he nodded over to Jarrod who was watching all the events carefully. This statement brought their oldest up straight in surprise.

Tom shook his head slowly and regretfully. “Heath. Jarrod’s blood is half mine, just like yours. You are just as much a son of mine as he is. We’re going to take you home with us because you are my son. Because you have a family and a home and a heritage that belongs to you, and I want you to have it. Just as I want my other children to have it.”

Heath’s breathing had settled down considerably as he listened to Tom, and now his eyes were starting to shine with unshed tears even as he continued to disagree. “What about Mrs. Barkley?”

Victoria sat back in surprise, wondering what he could possibly mean. Tom glanced at her in question and saw quickly that she didn’t know what Heath was talking about either.

So he asked, “Heath, what do you mean? What about Victoria?”

Poor Heath blushed full up to his ears and looked as if he wished the earth would swallow him to get him out the room. He looked at Rachel who seemed to understand whatever he was saying for she looked like she just wanted to kiss away his pain. Her face of regretful pity was hard to look at.

Heath continued to hesitate even as he tried to express his meaning in words. “I mean, maybe I’m your son, but I ain’t her boy. She don’t like that word that says what I am, so I won’t say it, but that’s what I am. I’m used to it; I know what it feels like when people point and stare and say mean things. She’s a nice lady, and I don’t want her to have to know how that feels. Or anyone else for that matter. And that’s what’ll happen if I come live with you.”

Now Victoria, Tom, and Jarrod all shared the look as if their legs were cut off at the knees. After what this boy had lived with, he thought enough of the rest of them that he didn’t want to see them hurt by what his parentage meant. And to see him stand there in shame was about more than Victoria could bear. She got up and stood in front of him and took him by the shoulders.

“Heath? Heath, look at me.” She waited till he lifted his eyes to meet her gaze. “I’m not weak or easily upset. Neither are you, nor is any of this family. I know what this will mean when you are introduced to other people. But none of that is important. What is important is that from now on, you’re going to have people around who care about you and are willing to share your burdens. People who will help fight your battles. I know that you have Rachel and Hannah here, but when we get you home, you won’t have to live with people that…well, people like the Simmons.

At this, he averted his eyes. Victoria was sure he was close to tears. “And as for me, well, I had two sons when I came to this town. I wouldn’t mind having a third.” She gazed at him expectantly. He raised his eyes quickly to judge her intent. “Really, Heath.” This seemed to reassure him, and he averted his eyes again and nodded quickly to let her know he understood.

Satisfied that he comprehended her motives, she turned to her husband. “What about the Simmonses?”

Tom’s eyes darkened precipitously and his voice was hard. “They better stay out of my way. If they know what’s good for them, they will; I’m not in the mood to be trifled with.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he tried to master the temper that arose with the mention of Heath’s aunt and uncle.

Heath watched his father closely, but Victoria was unable to tell what kind of reaction he had to this display of parental protectiveness.

Tom spoke up again after taming his anger, but this time it was to Rachel. “Rachel, I know you don’t care for me personally, but could we impose on you tonight? Jarrod and myself? Victoria could go back to the hotel, and Heath… Victoria? I don’t know what to do. I don’t want him going back to them tonight. But it’s too late to get the sheriff over here tonight to serve the paperwork on them.”

Heath interrupted, “What paperwork?”

“Well, when I got Victoria’s letter telling me about you, I knew immediately that you were my son. I didn’t even question it. So I went to a judge in town and showed him Victoria’s letter and told him the whole story. He made me your official guardian till we could bring you and myself and Rachel in front of him to make you my son legally.”

Heath had that bewildered look to him again as he considered that, but he shook it off and spoke up. “I don’t have to go home to sleep. They don’t much care where I’m at as long as my work’s done and I’m not here. They’re afraid Aunt Rachel will take a notion to keep me or that I’ll take a notion to stay.” Rachel shrugged in agreement with that statement. “I’ll go do my work and tell them that there’s a lame horse in the livery that needs tending. And I’ll stay there tonight.”

Tom didn’t look too thrilled with that possibility, but resigned himself that this might be the best option. He nodded, “Alright. Heath will go do his chores at the hotel and then head back to the livery stable and stay the night there. Victoria will stay in her room at the hotel. And if you’re agreeable, Rachel, Jarrod and I’ll stay here with you. If that’s not feasible, we’ll head back out of town and camp out.”

Rachel didn’t look excited at that possibility, but she replied, “Hannah can stay with me tonight, and you and Jarrod can stay at her place. It’s Leah’s house.” Tom did not look enthused either when he heard that, but he quickly agreed.

And then, since they were all hungry again, they threw together some supper. Victoria had the lunch leftovers, and Tom and Jarrod threw in the rest of what they had brought from Stockton, and Rachel raided her pantry so that everyone had a filling meal. Victoria observed the various people crowded around the table. Rachel and Hannah appeared to be bittersweet, knowing this was some of the last time they would spend with their favorite boy for a while, but happy that he would be getting a real family who cared about him. Jarrod was carefully scrutinizing his new brother and occasionally trying unsuccessfully to draw him into a conversation. Heath seemed even more withdrawn than usual except with Rachel and Hannah. His eyes roamed the room, settling on different people at different times, but he mostly kept his own counsel. Tom’s eyes performed the same actions as Heath’s, but his seemed to rest more frequently on Victoria and Heath. And for Victoria herself, well, she was just hoping that everything would work out for them all. They were certainly taking off a big bite in taking in this boy. She hoped they didn’t choke on it.

Continued…