Play It With Finesse, Part 1

by Stacey

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

Chapter 1

Later, Jarrod Barkley would try to remember what had made him deviate from his usual mode of transportation back to Stockton, the railroad, and take the riverboat instead. Part of it, he knew, was because he had finished his case in San Francisco earlier than expected and he had no appointments scheduled in Stockton. However, this had happened before, and he had always just gone home early and spent the time working at the ranch. For some reason, this time, he’d chosen to take the slower way home. Although he had a stateroom, he spent most of his time out on the deck, enjoying the cooling breeze off the water as it battled the hot June sun. Vaguely he had heard the deck conversations about the high-stakes poker game that had developed in the salon. Had gone on for nearly 24 hours, so he heard. Was still going this late afternoon as the boat was nearing the dock at Stockton, but word was that there were really only two players left and they were going to soon be at the “winner take all” point. Jarrod decided to buy himself a drink and at least watch the spectacle until they arrived in Stockton. He could treat his brother Heath, the family’s recognized card shark, to the story when he got back to the ranch.

The salon was fairly crowded for an afternoon. It took a minute to catch the eye of the bartender, who was engrossed in the contest. Must be a good one, Jarrod thought, for a bartender to be so interested. He shifted around so that he could catch a look at the participants. From his vantage point he could only really see two of the three, a dark-haired man scowling at the stack of money in the middle of the table and tapping his cards against one hand. Another man had already folded his cards and now sat slightly pushed back from the table and eyeing the only other player. Jarrod could only see the back of his head and his hands, blond hair cut short and broad powerful looking hands that were surprisingly well manicured. One of the salon “hostesses” was sitting on the arm of his chair toying with his hair with one hand.

“Cards?” the non-player asked as he picked up the deck.

The man facing Jarrod continued to scowl and then murmured, “Two.”

Everyone seemed to be holding their breaths, waiting on the blond man’s response. “None,” the answer stirred the crowd. Something about the voice stirred Jarrod’s heart, something about it was familiar.

The dark-haired man shifted in his seat as he studied his hand again. He was a good poker player; his face revealed nothing. Finally, he picked up half of the money he had left in front of him and tossed it into the middle, his voice betraying nothing as he said, “$200.”

Again the crowd fidgeted, waiting on the blond’s bid. It was done with just a flicker of a tease in his voice, “I see your $200,” the strong hands tossed the answering bid into the pot and then shoved the rest of everything he had in front of him to the middle of the table, “and I raise you something like $400.”

His opponent didn’t move for a moment then he murmured, “I don’t have enough to cover that.”

“I consider whatever you have in front of you sufficient to cover my bet,” the answer was calm but challenging.

Winner take all, Jarrod thought, he had gotten here just in time. The dark-haired man studied his cards again and then the small stack of money in front of him and then the pot in the middle of the table and finally his opponent’s face. His eyes made this journey three times and then a small half-smile pulled at his lips. “Not today,” he said as he tossed his cards on the table and stood up, reaching down to pocket his stack of money. “I’d like to walk away with something today.”

“As you wish,” the blond said smoothly and he reached to pull the pot toward him and began stacking the bills into a neat pile.

“One question,” the loser turned back to the table, “what was your hand?”

The winner calmly flipped his hand over and the other man left at the table barked, “Nothing. He had nothing. He won it on a bluff.”

“Damn,” the loser swore. “And I had two pair. If you hadn’t bet your whole stake, I would have thought you were bluffing, but when you pushed everything in, when you risked it all, I thought for sure you had something.”

The blond had continued to stack his money up, “Well, gentlemen, my old man used to say, ‘Boys, you have to play the hand you’re dealt, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play it with finesse.’”

The rest of the salon rocked with laughter, but, for a moment, Jarrod was transported back in time. He was sitting at the dining table and playing poker with his father and brothers. Those words were Tom Barkley’s words. Even before the man stood and carefully placed his wallet back in his coat pocket, even before he turned and gave a large tip to the girl who still clung to him for being “his good luck charm,” Jarrod knew who the man was.

As the man continued to accept the handshakes and words of congratulations, Jarrod held back, just watching. He had changed a lot; of course, the last time he had seen him he had been a slender 14-year-old boy, seven inches shy of his full height and probably close to 70 pounds lighter. He had grown into a big man, Nick’s size, maybe a little broader across the shoulders. They all thought that Heath favored Father, but in truth Heath looked more like their Uncle Jim – and he had a softness around his mouth, that crooked smile that he had probably inherited from his mother. No, this man was cut exactly in Tom Barkley’s pattern -- the blond hair; the piercing blue eyes so like Jarrod’s own; the shape of his face with the aquiline nose, the firm mouth, and the strong jaw; and his physical shape with the broad shoulders and the slender waist. And his voice, the voice that had stirred Jarrod, that was their father’s voice.

He listened as the man politely turned down the hostess’s invitation to go upstairs, saying he really wanted some fresh air and a little to eat first. It had been a long night, he said, but a very profitable one and he patted his coat pocket. He turned to take the drink of whiskey that some well-wisher had bought him. It was only then that the blond saw Jarrod. For a moment their identical blue eyes locked. Finally, Jarrod, the big brother, murmured, “Hello, Peter.”

The younger man was a highly skilled poker player, his face, his eyes betrayed nothing. After a few moments, he nodded his head and replied, “Hello, brother Jarrod.”

Chapter 2

The family had just gathered around the dinner table, the bowls not yet passed, when the sound of the front door interrupted their opening conversation. “Set a place for me,” the voice called out.

“Jarrod,” Victoria was delighted. He was back a day early; it would be nice to have the whole family around the table again. She’d just gotten Gene home from college when Nick had headed off on a cattle buying trip; and then when Nick got home, Jarrod had gone to San Francisco. In a week or so, Heath would be going to a horse auction, but in the meantime, maybe she could keep all her sons close. It was a good feeling.

“And, Silas, please set another place,” Jarrod’s voice continued as he walked toward the dining room. “I’ve brought a guest with me.”

Victoria turned toward the entryway. Whatever she expected, the young man who followed Jarrod into the dining room wasn’t it. For a moment, she simply couldn’t breath. For a moment it was her late husband standing before her, as he had looked when the older boys were just babies. But then, in a heartbeat, she knew and she whispered his name, “Peter.”

The smile that he gave her as he walked to her end of the table and bent to place a gentle kiss on her cheek was Tom’s, the one he had used when he knew that he had done something that would anger her and that he had better make amends fast. But the young man, her son, only said “Mother” as he straightened back up.

Audra, however, ended the moment of stunned silence as she fairly leapt from her chair and threw her arms around the man’s neck, “Peter, I can’t believe it’s you, it’s really you.”

The man accepted the hug and then chuckled, “Well, I never turn down a hug from a pretty young lady, but would someone mind telling me who this is.”

“Peter,” Audra pulled back from him and playfully slapped his shoulder. “It’s me, Audra.”

He pretended to be shocked and shook his head, “Nope, Audra is this little skinny thing with a smattering of freckles on her nose and long braids that I used to pull.”

“Well,” now she pretended to be indignant, “I grew up, you fool.”

“I guess you have,” he allowed. His eyes then moved from his little sister to his little brother.

Gene had risen to his feet and stood awkwardly, not sure what to do. Finally, he extended his hand to someone he had very few memories of . . . but almost all of them good. “Hello, Peter,” the youngest Barkley said.

“Hey, Gene,” Peter shook the hand warmly. “You got your teeth back.”

Gene flushed and then grinned, “Yep, just took a year or so.”

“Here you go, Mr. Peter,” Silas came up with the place setting. “You sit here between Miss Audra and Mr. Eugene.”

“Hello, Silas,” the young man smiled and shook the old man’s hand. Peter had no idea the real reason for the tear in Silas’ eye as the old man remembered a young Tom Barkley looking him in the eye and shaking his hand just this way.

Peter now turned back toward the table to face the two men on the other side, one he had shared virtually every day of his first 14 years with, the other someone he had never seen. Interestingly, it was the stranger who stood and offered his hand, “Hello, Peter, I’m Heath. I’ve heard some good stories about you.”

“Hello, Heath,” Peter leaned across the table to shake the offered hand and added, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

It was only then that Nick stood and extended his hand. “Pete,” he said tersely.

“Nick,” Peter could be just as terse. They gripped hands for a moment; there was no shake, just a grip and then each dropped his hand.

Jarrod watched as his two closest brothers eyed each other warily. “Well,” as always he sought to defuse a tense situation, “let’s all enjoy this wonderful dinner.”

Peter turned to hold Audra’s chair and then sat in his own as the other brothers also settled in. Victoria had been fighting the tears back, so many thoughts rushing through her mind. Two kept surfacing, “all my children are around this table” and “oh, God, I so wish Tom could be here to see this.” There were so many questions to ask Peter, but where to start, and how much to ask without seeming that she wasn’t just happy to see him no matter where he came from or why. She didn’t realize that there was a question in her eyes as she looked down the table at her firstborn. Jarrod, however, was ready with the answer.

“Well, Nick, you’ll never guess where I happened upon our little brother,” he started. Nick didn’t respond; he just continued to scowl at Peter. “Playing poker in the salon on the River Belle.”

Nick’s eyes flickered over to Jarrod, “You took the riverboat back from San Francisco?”

“Yep, just thought I would do it for a change,” Jarrod shrugged, although he was already wondering what had caused him to change his routine. He was a man of routine.

“I beg to differ, brother Jarrod,” Peter took the bowl of creamed corn from Audra, spooned some on his plate, and passed the bowl to Eugene. “I was winning at poker.”

Jarrod laughed, “That you were. I had heard there was a high-stakes poker game going on. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was my long-lost little brother who walked away with the pot.”

“As I said before, Jarrod, it was a profitable night’s work for me,” Peter smiled as he accepted the basket of soft rolls from Audra and passed it along to Eugene.

“So you’re a professional gambler,” Nick said shortly.

“That among other things,” Peter replied easily.

“Figured; you’ve got the look about you.”

“The look?”

“Yeah, soft hands, fancy clothes, shiny vest, the look.”

Peter regarded his older brother for a moment and then shrugged, “Well, I’m glad I’ve got ‘the look’ since that’s what I do.”

“I thought you went to sea,” Eugene asked innocently. One of his strongest early memories was of his father reading the note from Peter out loud, the note that said not to bother to try to find him, that he was going to sea.

“I did,” Peter gave a slow nod of his head.

“Where did you go? What did you see?” Eugene had always been the protected little brother. He could hardly wait until he was old enough to go off on his own without his big brothers monitoring his every move. He wanted some adventure in his life. He had often wondered about Peter’s adventures . . . going to sea.

“Oh, here and there,” Peter said vaguely.

“Where?” Eugene almost pleaded.

“Ah, pretty much went around the world.”

“Around the world?” it was Nick who challenged the statement.

“Pretty much,” Peter ignored the challenge. “I signed on for a three-year voyage.”

“Three years?” it was Victoria who spoke and she added as a weak explanation for her faltering tone, “Your father and I had hoped that perhaps it was just a year. We had so hoped to see you that next fall or perhaps the next.”

Peter’s eyes were strangely calm as he turned them toward his mother, apparently he felt none of her pain, “Oh, you know me, never could do anything part way.”

Silas was returning with refilled bowls, and it was all he could do to keep from laughing out loud. No, that was not Peter’s way. Just like his father, he could never do anything part way.

“So,” Eugene prompted again. “Where did you go?”

“Umm,” Peter seemed to be pondering the question. “Sandwich Islands, Malaysia, Siam, Australia, India, Madagascar, south Africa. That’s where we lost our ship, going around the cape.”

“Oh, Peter,” Audra reached over to touch his hand.

He glanced over at her in surprise. What was she concerned about? “Well, I obviously survived the shipwreck, Audra,” he shook his head at her.

“I know, but that must have been so frightening,” her blue eyes, so much like his own, were wide and, unlike his, so innocent.

Strangely, he found himself wanting to comfort her, “Let’s just say it was one of the more interesting times in my life.”

“What then?” Gene wanted to ask for details on the shipwreck and all the other places that Peter had listed, but first he wanted to get a feel for his brother’s whole life.

“Umm, managed to work my way up the coast of western Africa doing short hops. Spent some time in the Mediterranean, saw Egypt, Greece, Crete, Italy, Sicily. Went through the straits and did some crewing around Spain and Portugal. Ran a ferry across the channel between France and England for a while. Finally, caught a good run back to the states. Landed in New York about five years after I left.”

The family sat quietly digesting the short description of the years that Peter had spent going from a boy to a man. “That was nine years ago,” Nick finally barked. “What the hell have you been doing since then?”

“Nicholas, language,” Victoria scolded.

“You know, I didn’t realize that it had been nine years until Jarrod pointed out that I had been gone 14 years,” Peter smiled easily.

“Of course, it’s been 14 years,” Nick was thoroughly irritated at his younger brother. How could he so casually brush off his long absence? “You were 14 when you ran off and you’re 28 now, so it’s 14 years.”

Peter laughed softly, “Well, to tell you the truth, Nick, I sorta forget how old I am. One year sorta runs into the next.”

“How the hell can you forget how old you are?” Nick snorted. “Your birthday rolls around each year and you add one more to your age.”

“Birthdays don’t really mean that much to me, Nick,” Peter shrugged. “Pretty much like any other day.”

Jarrod’s eyes flicked from Peter’s face to their mother’s. She looked as if she was going to start crying. Jarrod was glad that Nick had not looked down at Mother, but he also knew that his brother was thinking the same thing that he was. Peter might not have noted his own birthday, but the rest of the family certainly had. It was always a melancholy day for their mother. The years that their father was still alive, Tom had been the one to try to lift her spirits but, Jarrod remembered, the man had usually ended up apologizing once again for having failed as a father to Peter, for causing the boy to run away. Victoria always denied that she blamed Tom for what had happened, but there was no doubt that Tom blamed himself totally. And since his father’s death, Jarrod had always dreaded the 7^th of March, knowing he needed to find something to ease his mother’s depression. He had never been successful, and now he was angry at Peter for not even thinking about how hard his birthday had been on their mother.

Not surprisingly, Jarrod’s anger was reflected in Nick’s tone, “So what the hell have you been doing for the past nine years.”

“Umm, this, that and the other,” Peter shrugged. “Generally following the easy money.”

“Never had the time to send a telegraph, pick up a pen and write a letter, just to let your family know that you were still alive,” Nick’s voice rose a notch.

Peter shrugged once again, “It just didn’t seem important, Nick. I mean I figured that I had been gone so long, no one really cared.”

The casual words stunned the whole table. Nick sat staring at Peter who was calmly eating the food on his plate. He wanted to shout at his brother; he wanted to reach across the table and shake some sense into him. Instead, he shoved himself back and muttered, “I’m finished. I need to go check on that mare. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Mare?” Audra asked.

Heath lied quickly, “Yeah, brought a mare in off the range with a bad cut. Nick’s worried it might get infected.”

“Oh,” she always knew when Heath lied. He did it so poorly. She now turned toward Peter, the brother who she just barely remembered, so different from the boy in the old family picture on the piano. “So, you finally were coming back to see us and you ran into Jarrod on the boat?”

Peter glanced up at her and shook his head, “Actually, I didn’t really realize where I was. I was just following a good mark from San Francisco and ended up on a riverboat going somewhere. I didn’t know we were coming into Stockton until Jarrod mentioned it.”

“But you were in San Francisco, so you were eventually going to come see us,” she tried again.

But Peter’s words disappointed her, “Actually, if I hadn’t spotted the high roller in San Francisco and followed him onto the riverboat, I would have probably caught one of the ships going up the coast to Oregon and Washington. Usually, you can luck onto some good, long-running games on one of those ships.”

For once Audra’s over-enthusiastic optimism was hauled up short. She could think of nothing to say. Thankfully, Jarrod had gained some control over his anger, “Yes, but I used my persuasive powers to convince our brother that he needed to come home and at least enjoy a meal and a night’s rest here.”

Victoria shot a pained look down the table. Did this mean that Peter would only be here overnight? Peter had picked up the conversation, “Ah, yes, the opportunity for a good meal and a comfortable bed are two things every drifter learns not to pass up.”

“So that’s the only reason you’re here,” Audra challenged, a little afraid at how his response might hurt them all.

He turned to look at her and broke into a wide smile, her father’s smile, and said, “Mais oui, but of course, little sister. The only reason.”

She answered the wide smile with her own and a soft laugh as she once again slapped his shoulder, “Yes, the only reason, I should have known.”

The rest of the dinner was spent with Peter responding mostly to Gene’s questions about the places he had been and the things he had seen. Afterwards, Gene had towed his brother off to the billiard room where there was a globe of the world and demanded to see the exact route of Peter’s voyages. The rest of the family, sans Nick, drifted in with them. After a bit, Heath excused himself, saying he needed to also check on the mare. The non-existent mare, Jarrod knew. Heath was going out to try to sooth Nick. Heath was the only one who might accomplish that.

Chapter 3

Heath found Nick in the barn, absently shredding straw and tossing the curls into the air. There was quite a pile around his feet; Nick had been at this for some time.

“Howdy, brother,” Heath leaned against the door opening. “Missing a good time inside. Peter’s telling some mighty fine tales about his travels.”

“Wonderful,” Nick growled and continued his shredding.

“You might want to go in and spend some time with him. He might not be here long,” Heath said gently.

“What?” Nick’s head shot up.

“Jarrod said he was able to persuade Peter to have dinner and spend the night. Don’t know if he’ll be staying beyond breakfast tomorrow.”

Nick jumped to his feet and began to pace, “Damn, how can he do that? Doesn’t he know what that’ll do to Mother?”

Heath hesitated for a moment, not sure why he would be taking up for someone he didn’t even know, “Well, he might figure that the longer he stays the harder it’ll be on her when he leaves.”

Nick stopped and turned to face Heath, “You think that’s it. Or do you think he doesn’t even care.”

“I think he cares, Nick,” Heath said quickly. “I think maybe it’s been so long since he’s had a family he might have forgotten just how to show it. You know, being part of a family can be sort of a hard thing.”

Nick smiled at his little brother, his partner, “Yeah, so you’ve told me on occasion.” Nick hesitated before adding cautiously, “He seems to be handling you all right.”

“I expect that Jarrod explained things to him,” Heath replied quietly. “Jarrod probably told him he’d catch all sorts of trouble from the rest of the family if he said much about me being here.”

“Yeah, that he would. You’ve got more right than he has to sit at the dinner table. You’ve been working this ranch for the past two years. He hasn’t been here in 14.”

“Nick,” Heath gently chided, “he’s got every right to sit at that table, no matter how long he’s been gone, or why he’s been gone. He’s your mother and father’s son, just like you and Jarrod and Gene.”

Nick hung his head for a few moments, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just, it’s just he’s such a stranger. He says he’s Peter Barkley and he looks the way I would have expected him to look, just like Father, but the way he acts, it’s just not the way I expected my brother to act. So cold. Hell, he’s a damn professional gambler, Heath, what kind of way is that for a man to make his living.”

Heath shrugged, “It’s his way, Nick. He seems like the decent sort, though. He’s being good to Eugene, not giving him a hard time for all his questions. And he’s been teasing back and forth with Audra like you and I would. I’m sure he didn’t realize what he said about his birthday would be so upsetting to you all.”

“It’s, it’s just, it’s just, damn it, my earliest memories are of him. My very first memory is of him kicking me in the ankle for calling him my ‘baby’ brother and both of us getting scolded by Father for misbehaving. We were always wrestling with each other. I remember Mother telling Aunt Martha that she and Father had really hoped for a girl when Peter was born but guessed that God just needed to give Nick somebody to fight with. But it was just ‘brother fighting’ not real fighting. Him being two years younger I could always best him but he put up a whale of a fight. We both would come out with all sorts of bruises. Damn, for 14 years I spent almost every day of my life with him. And for him to come back and say that he didn’t think we’d care whether he was alive or dead. That hurts, Heath.”

“Again, Nick, I don’t think he meant to hurt you. Like I said, I think he’s just forgotten what being part of a family means. Fourteen years is a long time.”

“Half his life,” Nick murmured. “Half his life he’s been away from us and now he’s only going to spend one night here?”

Heath heard the pain in Nick’s voice. The best that he could offer was “Well, at least you know he’s alive and well. He seems to be doing a good job taking care of himself.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Nick looked down to where his boot was scuffing the hard floor of the barn.

“What happened, Nick? What caused him to leave? I mean I know you told me that Peter and your father argued a lot, but I’m sure you argued a lot with your father.”

“Our father,” Nick quickly corrected.

Heath smiled softly, “Our father.”

“Yeah, they argued, the way stubborn, bull-headed half grown sons will argue with their stubborn bull-headed fathers. Pete was so much like Father that they both seemed to know what would irritate the other one the most. Pete got his share of lickings. Mostly for having a smart mouth. We used to laugh that Jarrod got a few lickings, I got twice as many as Jarrod and Pete got twice as many as me. We always felt a little sorry for little Eugene, figuring he was going to spend a good part of his growing up years standing up to eat his supper. Of course, didn’t turn out that way at all.”

“So what made him leave?”

“I really don’t know. Ah, he and Father had had a blow out, over Pete staying out way too late following a social. Mother thought Pete was growing up a little too fast, spending too much time with some girls. I think she was a little afraid he might start doing things that he didn’t really understand he shouldn’t be doing. Father had already had one talk with him, trying to slow him down. Pete didn’t take it well, thought Father was treating him like a baby. I was two years older and I hadn’t had my first real kiss, and here was my little brother Pete wanting to do it all. I’m pretty sure that Jarrod had already had a woman but he sure wasn’t talking about it. When Pete came riding in late from the social, his shirt mis-buttoned, Father really laid into him. Ended up giving him a whipping and taking his horse away from him for a week. Pete glowered at him the whole week and Father just ignored it. Father had to go out of town the next week. Partway through the week, Pete told Mother that Jake Patterson had asked him to go hunting with him and his father, that they’d only be gone four days. I think Mother was trying to make up for him being punished by Father the previous week, so she let him go.

“Father came back three days after Pete had left. The first thing he asked was where was Pete. Mother told him and you could just see the anger rise into Father’s face. He had seen Bob Patterson in town. There was no hunting trip. I figured that Pete was going to catch all sorts of hell when he came back in the next day and was sure glad I wasn’t in his boots. But he didn’t show up. The whole next day we all watched the horizon for him and he never showed up. I can remember eavesdropping as Mother and Father talked in his office, late that evening, discussing where Pete might have gone. Father even asked, ‘There’s not any young girls missing, are there?’ Mother was not amused but did point out that they would probably already have had an angry father at their doorstep if that was the case. Mother, however, was starting to worry that maybe Pete had gotten hurt, that maybe he was lying somewhere hurt.

“Father called me in then and started asking me if I had any idea where Pete might be. I really didn’t. I’m not sure Father believed me, he kept saying ‘You two are best friends, as close as two brothers can be, what do you mean you don’t know?’ I finally told him that Pete might have gone up to one of the camping spots we used. They sent me out the next day to look for him and Father had a crew of men just circle the ranch, in case he had gotten hurt riding back in. Later I found out that Father rode to every whorehouse that he knew of, checking to be sure Pete wasn’t holed up there. He even went to the bank and checked Pete’s little account, but all the money seemed to be there. I got back in that afternoon and Father started interrogating me again, trying to get me to say where Pete was, but I really didn’t know. That’s when Jarrod came riding in. He had Pete’s horse. And he had a letter from Pete.”

Nick stopped, his eyes staring ahead into the blackness of the barn, but what he really saw was the scene in the sitting room 14 years before. Jarrod looking grim as he handed his father the letter. His father taking the letter and ripping it open. And the color draining out of his father’s face.

“Do you know what the letter said, Nick?” Heath asked gently.

“Oh, I remember what it said. Three sentences. ‘Sir, Don’t bother looking for me because I’ve gone to sea. I left the horse at the college stable with Jarrod’s so that he could return it to you and you couldn’t call me a horse thief. Figure I owe you for 14 years of room and board so take what’s left in my account at the bank. Peter.’ That was it. No explanation. Just that he had gone to sea. Mother came in from town right after that; she had gone to see if any of the girls that Pete had been chasing after knew where he had gone. She saw Pete’s horse in the yard with Jarrod’s and thought he had gone to San Francisco to be with his big brother and that Jarrod had brought him home. When she stepped into the house and saw Father’s face and no Pete, she assumed the worse. She almost fainted and Father grabbed her to keep her from collapsing. Father told her that it was all right, that Pete wasn’t dead but that he had run off to sea. She just couldn’t seem to comprehend what Father was telling her. When she read the letter, she started crying that he hadn’t even said good-bye to her. Father was holding her, telling her that it was all his fault, that he had been too rough on Pete. He sorta waved me and Jarrod out of the room. We went out to the barn and Jarrod told me that Pete had left him a note with the horse but that it just said to take the horse and the envelope back to Father. That was it.”

“Damn,” Heath rarely cursed but this seemed like the only appropriate response to something that must have torn the family apart.

“It was bad. Father read all of us the letter that night at dinner. I don’t think Audra or Gene either one understood what ‘gone to sea’ meant. How many men died at sea. What kind of life it would be for a young boy. Father knew, Mother suspected, and both Jarrod and I had some understanding. Father told us that he hoped that Pete had only signed up for a year voyage. That with any luck we’d see him the following fall. Of course, that’s not what happened. All I could think was that we were supposed to be the best of friends and I had no idea what he had planned. It was like he had been a stranger to me all along.”

The two brothers stood side by side, silently staring up at the big house. Finally, Heath murmured, “Well he’s back now, Nick. You might want to spend a little time with him before he heads out again.”

Nick sighed deeply, “Yeah, I guess.”

Chapter 4

They made their way back up to the house and found the family still in the billiard room. Peter was entertaining them with a variety of card tricks. Audra and Gene were laughing as Peter for the fifth time correctly identified the card that Audra had selected and then replaced in the deck. Even Mother and Jarrod were smiling at the scene.

“Mare all right?” Peter’s eyes sparkled mischievously.

“Um, just fine,” Nick avoided his mother’s eyes. She always knew when he was lying.

Peter skillfully fanned the cards into a perfect rosette and offered them to Audra again, “Any card, little sister, any card.”

“Oh, dear,” she reached for one and then quickly switched to a different one. She shared its identify with Gene and then slid it back into the rosette.

“You’re sure that’s the one you want?” Peter teased.

“I’m sure.”

“Don’t want to change your mind?”

“No, that’s the one I want.”

“All right,” Peter shrugged. He then went into an elaborate sequence of shuffles and cuts of the deck. Finally he cut the cards into three stacks. For a few seconds he let his hand linger over each stack. “Hmm, could be this one, or maybe this one. No, no I believe it’s the one in the middle. Go ahead, Audra, turn the top card over.”

“It’s the four of diamonds,” she gasped as she flipped it over. “How do you do it, Peter?”

“Great skill,” he smiled at her easily. “Want me to do it again?”

“No, I already owe you six dollars,” she laughed at him.

Nick stiffened, “You bet her?”

“Sure,” Peter grinned up at his older brother, “that’s the way I make my living, relieving people of their excess funds.”

“But betting a girl, your little sister,” Nick crossed his arms and eyed his brother in disgust. Who was this man, taking advantage of innocents?

“Oh, don’t be an old fuddy-duddy,” Audra smirked at Nick. “He gave me every chance to hold onto my money. I’m the one who kept betting and now I’m the one who can’t get that new hat that I wanted at Mrs. Palmer’s.”

Jarrod shook a fatherly finger at her, “Let that be a lesson to you, young lady. Another one of our father’s very good admonishments was ‘only bet what you can stand to lose.’ You’d do well to remember that one in the future.”

It was Peter, however, who answered, “Ah, Jarrod. Listen to me, Audra, bet it all, bet every bit of it. That’s the only thing that makes the game the least bit interesting. That’s when the thrill comes. When you know your back is against the wall and you could lose it all.”

“Is that how you play, Peter?” her eyes were dancing.

“Every day, little sister, every day,” he grinned at her, her father’s grin.

Jarrod and Nick exchanged a concerned look as they watched both Audra and Eugene continue to hang on Peter’s every word. It was their mother, however, who called an end to the evening’s discussion, “It’s getting late, children. I’m surprised that Nick hasn’t already pointed out that this is a working ranch and everybody will need to be up early tomorrow morning. Goodnight, my dears.”

Audra and the boys each placed a kiss on her cheek. Peter was the last, and he half rose from his seat and hesitantly leaned over to brush her temple with the softest of kisses. She looked up into the eyes that were so much like Tom’s, so much like Jarrod’s and Audra’s. But while they were the same intense blue there was a veil that made Peter’s so cool. But when she stroked his cheek, he smiled softly and winked at her—Tom’s smile and wink. She swept from the room and left her six children in awkward silence.

“Well, Mother’s right,” Nick broke the silence. “This IS a working ranch. I know you’re going to have a busy day tomorrow, runt. Head off to bed.”

“Ah, Nick, Pete hasn’t told me about half the places he’s been,” Gene protested.

“You can talk at breakfast tomorrow,” Jarrod said sternly. “Now go on to bed. You, too, Audra. You need to go get your beauty sleep.”

“Oh, honestly, Jarrod, you and Nick treat us like children. How often does our big brother come home? Surely we can be ‘allowed’ to stay up a little later to visit with him,” Audra argued.

“Go to bed, Audra,” Nick ordered. “You, too, Gene.”

Peter saw the flash of anger in Audra’s eyes. Gene had already given up; he’d long ago learned it did no good to argue with both his big brothers. Peter decided to make things easier on them, “To tell you the truth, Audra, I’m starting to get a little weary. I’m going on my 40^th straight hour of being awake. I could do with a little shut eye.”

“Forty straight hours?” Gene was truly impressed. “How do you do it?”

Peter stood up and rotated his shoulders. Audra took the hand he offered her and also stood. “Ah, just part of being a gambler, Gene,” he explained. “You never want to walk away from a winning streak to take a nap.”

“I guess not,” Gene replied, grinning widely. If Peter was going to bed, there was no reason to stay up. “Hey, I’ll carry your bag. I guess you’ll be sleeping in your old room.”

“Old room?” Peter seemed a little surprised. “Oh, yeah, let me see, upstairs, uh on the left, uh third door.”

“Second door,” Audra corrected gently.

“I was close,” Peter grinned down at her. “It’s been a lot of years and I’ve slept in a lot of rooms since the last time that I was here.”

“I understand,” she smiled up at him and took the arm that he offered.

The three continued to chat as they went upstairs. It was only after he heard the final goodnights and the three doors upstairs close that Jarrod turned to Nick and asked, “What do you think?”

Nick walked over and poured himself three fingers of whiskey. He tossed part of it back before he answered, “I tell you I don’t like the way he’s got Audra and Gene all in a stir with his stories. We’ll be damn lucky if Gene doesn’t get the fool notion to run off to sea himself.”

“Ah, Nick,” Heath gently interjected, “I don’t expect Gene’s going to run off to sea. He really likes college life. I think he’s going to finish his education before he goes off anywhere.”

“Well, I still don’t like it,” Nick took another gulp of the whiskey. “I also don’t like how much he’s forgotten about living here. Hell, who forgets where his boyhood bedroom was?”

“As he said, Nick, it’s been a lot of years and he’s slept in a lot of rooms since then,” Jarrod replied. He wandered over to pour himself a drink also. He held up the decanter, offering Heath one, but the youngest brother shook his head. “I did really have to persuade him to come here. He kept saying he had things he needed to do. He wanted me to just tell Mother that I’d seen him and that he was fine. I told him that wasn’t enough.”

Nick stared down at his drink for a moment before asking, “What’d he say when you told him Father was dead?”

Jarrod took a deep breath. He wished Nick hadn’t asked this question. Peter’s response had been troubling to Jarrod, but it would surely anger Nick. Finally, the oldest brother replied, “He really didn’t show any reaction, Nick, but then he’s a gambler and they’re good at not showing emotions.”

“What did he say?” Nick repeated.

Jarrod sighed softly, “He just said ‘I’m sorry, Jarrod, I know that you cared for him.’”

“That it?” Nick said through tight lips.

“That was it,” Jarrod now downed the last of his drink.

Nick swallowed the last of his own drink before growling, “Damn, he learns that his father has been killed and he doesn’t even care.”

“I didn’t say he didn’t care, Nick. He just didn’t show it.”

“I don’t think he cared, Jarrod.”

Jarrod shrugged and then set his glass down, “Goodnight, brothers.”

“’Night,” Heath was the only one who answered. After a bit, he patted Nick’s shoulder and urged him to follow Jarrod upstairs and to bed.

Chapter 5

Although she was the first to go upstairs to her bedroom, Victoria was the last to fall asleep. She had sat in the rocking chair in her room, holding the picture of Tom that she kept beside her bed, their bed. She had whispered to him about their third son’s return home, how Peter had looked, what he had said about his years away from them. It had been precious little, she realized, even though Eugene had peppered him with questions. Peter had a talent for filling in the minutes but saying very little about himself, she now realized. She wondered if he was disappointed that she, his mother, had said so little to him. But she had been so afraid, so afraid that she would say the wrong thing. Could he feel her love for him? Did he understand that no matter how long he had been away from her that she still loved him?

She had listened as her children had made their way upstairs and to their bedrooms. Nick and Heath were the last. She knew that Nick was terribly upset by Peter’s return. No, not so much his return, just his coolness toward them all. He was like a friend of the family. He knew all their names, could carry on a polite conversation with them all, but he had no emotional attachment to any of them. It had pleased her, however, how well he had reacted to Audra and Eugene. They both were obviously much taken with this dashing older brother.

She may have dozed for a bit but she knew it was still before midnight when she rose from her chair and lit the small lamp she kept on her nightstand. Quietly, she made her way down the hallway to the room that had been Peter’s. Years before, even before Tom had died, it had been turned into a guest bedroom. All the remnants of Peter’s life with them, all the keepsakes of a teenage boy had been boxed up and moved to the attic. They had kept them, just in case the boy came back, but really both she and Tom had pretty much given up hope of seeing their darling blond-haired boy again. The sob caught in her throat. He had come back and she, at least, had gotten to see him again. There was both comfort and pain in that thought.

She silently turned the doorknob, pleased to see that he had not locked the door as he had so often in those last years that he was home. The door opened smoothly and her small lamp cast just enough light so that she could make her way to his bedside. Like Nick and Heath and even Gene now, he slept shirtless. Like Nick and Jarrod he slept on his back, but he had one arm thrown above his head. She could see a dark mark on his right shoulder, a scar, most likely from a knife, she knew. Save for Eugene, all her sons had scars from where they kept putting themselves in harm’s way. She so wished she could have spared them the pain, but the lives they lived had precluded that. She had seen the fading scar on Peter’s right cheek, also a knife cut, she thought, but not nearly so deep as the one on his shoulder. She wished she could peel back the sheet that covered him and gently inspect his body as she had when he was a newborn babe. Such a miracle he was, such a miracle all their babies had been. Each of them different, but so perfect in form and shape. Knowing she couldn’t do what she wished, she settled for first placing a kiss on the scar on his cheek and then gently touching the scar on his shoulder with her lips. The sudden poignant memory of her “kissing away the hurt” of a scraped elbow almost caused her to sob. She stood back up and gently caressed his cheek and forehead with a soft hand. She caught her breath as he shifted in his sleep and murmured, “Please, mon amie, I am very tired. Demain. Tomorrow, ma chere.”

She smiled a little grimly. So he shared his bed with a woman who spoke French. She wondered how many women he had shared his bed with. Probably many more than she cared to think about. She had always blamed herself for his running away. She had been the one to force Tom to be so strict with him when it came to girls. Both Jarrod and Nick had been the typical tongue-tied adolescent boys when they were around girls. They had only managed the occasional stolen kiss when they were teenagers. Both had, of course, outgrown that, but those awkward years had given them time to learn, to truly understand that there were consequences to their actions. They were able to put enough years on themselves before they had finally acted on those urgings so that she could not feel too outraged when she learned that they had paid visits to brothels. She often wondered if her sons realized how much she had known about their experiences.

But Peter had been different. He had been fearless around girls. People had laughed and said he was a charmer from birth. She kept waiting for the awkwardness to set in, to buy them both some time so that his moral conscience could catch up with his maturing physical body, so that she could gently mold him into the gentleman that she wanted her sons to be. But the awkwardness never came and she saw him at 14 much more confidently slipping his arm around girls than his 16-year-old brother. Maybe it was that he was so much his father’s son and she could remember how she had been charmed by those blue eyes and bewitching smile. Certainly, she had been 20 and Tom 24, but Tom had come to her an experienced man and there were whispers of more than a few of his “conquests.” She had been strong and they had waited until their wedding night, but it had been very, very difficult.

Tom had initially dismissed her concerns about Peter, saying that the boy was too young to really do anything about any feelings he might be experiencing. But then Tom had started watching the boy more closely and finally admitted to Victoria that he himself had had his first girl when he was only 16 and that, had the opportunity presented itself, he would have probably done things even earlier. More so than with either of the older boys, they had struggled with how to keep Peter under control. More than once, Tom had suggested that he just take the boy to a brothel and let him get it out of his system. Victoria remembered how livid she had been at that suggestion. Peter was still a child, she had stormed at Tom. It was their job to teach him right from wrong, not to just send him to a whore and hope that he didn’t try anything with one of his classmates. After Peter had run away, she had so wished that she had let Tom do as he had wanted. At least, her son would have spent the rest of his childhood under their roof.

Sighing softly, she tried to put aside all the regrets of the past and the uncertainties of the future and focus only on the present. For the moment, her Peter had come back to her. He slept under the roof of the house that his father had built. He was surrounded by family, those who might not understand the man he had become but who, nevertheless, still loved him. She allowed herself to once more caress his face and to touch her lips to his forehead as she had when he had been her darling baby boy. This time he did not stir. Content that he was sleeping well, she slipped from his room. She never knew that as soon as she shut the bedroom door his eyes had opened and he had lain awake for several hours contemplating his next move.

Chapter 6

Nick had expected his professional gambler brother to still be asleep when the family gathered for breakfast the next morning. He was, therefore, startled to almost run into Peter in the sitting room. His brother was standing with his hands clasped behind his back, studying the family photographs displayed on the top of the piano. Nick was surprised to see that his brother had discarded his gambler’s suit of clothes and simply wore a pair of dark work pants and a dark blue shirt. The sleeves were rolled back and revealed a pair of tanned, muscled forearms. Nick pondered for a moment why a professional gambler would be so fit and tanned.

Peter turned then to regard his older brother, “Good morning, Nick.”

“Morning,” Nick grumbled. “Surprised to see you up seeings as you were going on, what, your 400^th hour of being awake when you finally turned in last night.”

“Don’t generally need much sleep,” Peter smiled back.

“You eat yet?”

“No, I was waiting for the rest of the family.”

“They’ll be down in the next few minutes,” Nick motioned toward the dining room with his head. “Silas already has the food set out on the buffet. Why don’t we go ahead and fix our plates.”

Peter nodded and followed Nick into the dining room. They were silent as they served themselves and then moved to sit across the table from one another. Nick fidgeted a little, uncomfortable with the silence, but Peter just calmly began to eat. When Jarrod came down, Peter greeted him pleasantly. Heath was next, actually coming in from outside where he had checked on his supplies for today’s work. Gene had checked Peter’s room first. He had at first been concerned when he found the room empty but was pleased to see that his brother’s valise still sat beside the wardrobe. At least his brother hadn’t left during the night. He hurried downstairs and was, as could be expected, scolded by Nick for being late. Gene shrugged off the scolding as he slid in next to Peter, so glad to see his adventuresome brother still at the table. He still had a million questions to ask him about the faraway lands he had seen. Audra and Mother were the last to come in. Audra impetuously planted a kiss on Peter’s cheek as she sat down on his other side. Peter just gave her a raised eyebrow and offered a small smile and then turned to answer Gene’s question about the palaces in Siam.

The breakfast conversation was quickly becoming a replay of the prior night’s dinner conversation, Nick thought, and he decided he needed to put a stop to it. Somebody needed to get this family back on track. “Gene,” he growled. “You best quit asking Pete questions so that you can finish your breakfast and get to town to pick up those new wagon wheels.”

“Ah, Nick,” Gene protested.

“Don’t ‘ah Nick’ me, runt. You know I expect you to have that wagon fixed by the end of the day so you best get a move on,” Nick pointed his fork at his youngest brother.

Gene knew that Nick was the boss of the ranch and that he was supposed to obey his brother’s orders but he wished that just occasionally Nick would ask him to do something rather than order him. Well, so much for wishes, he thought, as he turned his attention to eating.

“You going to take care of that fence along the ravine, Heath?” Nick asked his partner.

Heath nodded his head, “Yep, got my supplies all loaded in the wagon.” He hesitated a moment and looked across the table at Peter, “Thought I might get Pete to give me a hand.”

Nick’s head snapped around to stare at Heath. He turned back to scowl at Pete, but Pete was sitting there with his head cocked to the side, silently regarding Heath. For a moment, Nick was left speechless. It could have been their father, sitting at the head of the table, his head cocked as he listened to one of the brothers. There was actually a physical pain in Nick’s chest.

And then Pete answered Heath, “I think I’d like to do that.”

“Good,” Gene spouted, “that’ll mean you’ll be here this evening and you can tell me more about your travels.”

Peter turned to look into Gene’s shining eyes. Damn, the kid was so easy to please. He felt almost guilty about the way he was using him. Almost. “Sure,” Peter smiled at him. “I’ll be here and we’ll talk more.”

“Oh, Peter,” Audra reached over to grab his left hand. “If you’re going to work with Heath today, please come with me to the orphanage tomorrow.”

He looked down at the hand that gripped his, thoroughly puzzled, “Orphanage?”

“Yes, I go to the orphanage every other Thursday. Please some with me,” she squeezed his hand.

“Why would I want to go to an orphanage?” he asked cautiously.

“Oh, it’s so good to have a man come to the orphanage occasionally to play with the boys. You know, little boy games. Heath goes sometimes, please won’t you go tomorrow?”

“Umm, Audra, I really don’t remember much about being a little boy,” he gently removed her hand from his.

“Oh, it’ll all come back to you,” she brushed aside his protests.

Like Gene, she was so easy to please, but he wasn’t sure he’d even be here tomorrow. Oh, well, “I’ll think about it,” he said cautiously.

“Good,” she kissed his cheek again, apparently thinking she had already won the battle.

“Well, Pete, we best get going before Audra can think of something else to rope you into doing,” Heath smiled at his two siblings.

“Uh-huh,” was the best that Peter could manage.

As they started from the room, Nick called to them, “Heath, you best watch the pretty boy, there. We don’t want him to hurt those soft hands of his.”

“Don’t worry, Nick,” Peter’s voice floated back into the dining room. “I’ll find some work gloves. But it was kind of you to think of me.”

Nick grumbled a curse under his breath but Jarrod laughed loudly. “C’mon, Gene, I’ll tie my horse to the back of the wagon and ride into town with you,” he patted Gene on the shoulder.

Jarrod was still laughing as he and his youngest brother left the dining room. And Nick was fighting back a grin as he, too, left to start his workday. And Audra and Victoria shared knowing smiles. Thanks to Heath, Peter would be here at least for another day.

Chapter 7

Peter had settled his hat over his eyes and stretched his legs out as Heath drove the wagon toward their work site. Heath figured he had dozed off. When they reached the broken fence, however, Peter immediately jumped off the wagon and began to unload their materials. In his usual brief way, Heath outlined his work plan. Peter nodded and set to work. They made great progress during the first two hours. Heath was the one who suggested that they take a little break. Peter had nodded and walked over to the shade of the big oak and accepted the beef jerky that Heath offered.

“You really go over to this orphanage with Audra?” Peter finally broke the silence.

“Yep, ever so often.”

“Nick or Jarrod ever go?”

“Hmm, might have once or twice.”

“Gene?”

“Yeah, I think she’s talked him into it a few times. I think Gene actually enjoys doing it.”

“Gene’s a good kid.”

“That he is.”

“Nick is sure hard on him.”

“Nick can be a hard man. He’s just wanting to see that Gene grows up right.”

“Gene’s pretty much grown.”

“Ah, I know he’s 19 but he’s a young 19. Jarrod and Nick have been pretty much making his decisions for him.”

“Not real fair to Gene.”

“I think Gene knows that his day is coming. In the meantime, he knows it’s easier on Mother if he just goes along with what Jarrod and Nick think he needs to do.”

“You call her Mother?” Peter asked cautiously.

“She asked me to, but it took me a while to get to the point that I could do that. It wasn’t because of anything she did. In fact, she treated me good from the day I got here, pretty amazing given what I represent to her.”

“The old man’s betrayal,” Peter said flatly.

“Yep, but she was really something about that. Said none of what happened was my fault and I deserved to have a family no matter what. It’s been a couple of rocky years, but she’s stuck right there beside me.”

“Sorta the ‘love me, love my dog’ approach,” Peter waited to see how Heath would respond.

But his half-brother just grinned, “Yep, that’s about it.”

“So how’d the rest of the family do?”

“Jarrod approached it like he does everything, looked for proof and once he was satisfied he’s treated me like a brother. Audra was crushed at first but she was the first to come around. She’s my little sister, through and through. Gene wavered back and forth, not sure what he was supposed to feel. We don’t see much of each other but he’s come to accept me, like me, I think.”

“And Nick?”

Heath chuckled, “Nick was the hardest one of all. We traded a few punches along the way and he tried at first to drive me away. He really didn’t want to believe that his father could have done what he did.”

“Well, actually, Heath, I hate to say this but it kinda makes me feel good that the old man wasn’t so perfect. It was hell being his son.”

“No, he wasn’t perfect,” Heath said softly, “but he was a good man who loved his family. He never knew about me. He wrote my mama a letter, told her that he had a family he loved, a wife and sons that he adored. That he had made a mistake. He told her that she needed to find someone to marry, someone to love like he loved his wife. And that she should have children, because she would be a wonderful mother. And he told her that if she ever needed anything that all she had to do was write him.”

“And she never let him know about you?”

“Nope, never did. Not sure exactly why. Things were sure rough for us. I think maybe she was a little afraid that he might take me from her. I just don’t know,” Heath murmured. “I hated him until I found out about the letter. I wanted to hate her for keeping me away from him but I couldn’t do that. She had only been goodness and love to me. I’ve settled on that they both made mistakes but that I wasn’t one of them.”

Peter nodded his head thoughtfully, “I think that’s a good way to look at it.”

“Works for me,” Heath shrugged his shoulders.

“So, Nick eventually came around?”

Heath laughed, “Yep, he did. Now we’re pretty close.”

“Good,” Peter smiled softly.

Their jerky finished, the two men both rose to their feet and returned to their work. When the sun was at its hottest, Heath again recommended that they take another break. Heath had to admit that he was impressed with how his “soft” brother was handling the work and the heat. Just like Heath, Peter’s shirt was drenched in sweat but he had pulled his weight all morning on resetting the fence. Heath didn’t know many professional gamblers who could have done that.

As they stretched out and chewed more jerky and sipped from their canteens, Heath rummaged through his rucksack and found a couple of apples. Peter handily caught the one that Heath tossed to him and took a big bite of it.

“Good,” he said between bites.

“Barkley orchards,” Heath replied.

“I remember those orchards. Used to get into trouble for picking green apples.”

Heath smiled his crooked grin and then leaned back and pulled his hat over his eyes, “I’m gonna take a short siesta, brother. Let the worst of this sun move on.”

Peter took off his hat and laced his fingers and put them behind his head. He stared up through the leaves of the tree, his mind studying his current situation and the wrinkles that it had made in his plans. How best to turn this all to his advantage?

When Heath woke from his nap, he was a little embarrassed to find Peter lying propped up on one elbow studying him.

“Problem?” Heath mumbled, afraid that he might have been talking in his sleep.

“Nope, was just thinking that you and I favored.”

“Yep,” Heath got to his feet.

“You know, it always bothered me when I was a kid that I didn’t look more like Jarrod and Nick. They used to tease me about being Mother’s fair-haired child,” Peter said as he stood and walked with Heath to the fence line.

“I asked Jarrod once if he thought Mother was trying to replace one blond-haired son with another, replace you with me,” Heath rested a fist on the fence post and studied this new-found brother.

Peter’s blue eyes were twinkling a little, “And what did Jarrod say?”

“Well, he about fell off his horse laughing.”

“Really.”

“Yep, told me that the only person he knew who was louder than Nick was you. Oh, you’d not spout off all the time like Nick. You’d save it up and then just explode. And he said that you and Nick competed all the time, over everything. He said that Nick and I were partners, you and Nick were adversaries. He said that no, Mother wasn’t trying to replace you with me. Nick wasn’t trying to replace you with me either. There was one Peter and there was one Heath. Jarrod said that he just felt bad that we never got to meet. He said he had a feeling that we would have gotten along well.”

“So do we? Get along, that is,” Peter folded his arms across his chest.

“I think we get along pretty fair, for two fellows who really don’t know each other at all,” Heath allowed. “Course, I wouldn’t mind us getting to know each other a little better.”

Peter hesitated for a moment, “I probably won’t be here for much longer, Heath, but I’ve enjoyed working with you today.”

Heath accepted Peter’s statement easily. He knew how a man without roots was. Staying in one place could make him itchy. Heath had been that man just a few years before. Of course, Peter should have had roots, they should have been firmly planted in the soil of the Barkley Ranch. “Me, too,” was all he said.

The afternoon sun was merciless, and Heath finally gave up and took his shirt off. He waited for Peter’s comment about the scars on his back. Sure enough, when Pete walked back to pick up his canteen for another drink, he asked quietly, “Where’d you get them?”

“Carterson prison . . . during the war.”

“Damn, I’m sorry. You must have just been a kid.”

“Yep.”

Peter stood silently for several moments, his right fist on his waist, his left forearm behind his back. Then, a small smile pulled at his lips. “Don’t tell, Mother,” he said.

Heath frowned at him in confusion. Peter unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it on the wagon. The first thing Heath noticed was the gold chain with the crucifix that hung around Peter’s neck. Then there was the knife scar on his shoulder. As his brother turned to walk back to the section of fence he had been working on, Heath immediately understood. Pete’s back was marred by more scars than Heath’s.

After a moment, Heath asked, “So where’d you get yours?”

“Aboard ship, cat-o-nine tails, couple of times.”

“Damn,” it was Heath’s turn to curse. “I guess you were just a kid, too.”

“Yep, not quite 15. The whipping was bad enough but then they threw salt water on it just to make things interesting.”

“Damn,” Heath repeated.

“Well, like I said, don’t tell Mother.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

“Tell you something, though, Heath. When they were doing it, all I could think was how the old man’s whippings weren’t really all that bad.”

Heath didn’t know how to respond so he just nodded his head. Peter picked his hammer back up and went down to finish his section.

Chapter 8

Jarrod had returned to the ranch early in the afternoon. There had been only a few details to clear up at his office in Stockton, and he was anxious to get back to check on how things were going with Peter. He had been so hopeful that the family would convince his brother to stay for a time. The fourteen years could never be reclaimed, Jarrod knew, but he wanted so much, for Mother’s sake, for the family to re-establish at least a loose tie with Peter. He didn’t have to stay, but it would be a help if he would just occasionally write.

He stepped out onto the porch outside the his office and watched as Heath and Peter pulled back into the ranch yard. Jarrod couldn’t help smiling as his two blond-haired brothers jumped off the wagon and began to unload the equipment and supplies. You could tell they were brothers, he thought. They both looked as if they had put in a hard day’s work, shirttails untucked and sleeves rolled up. He watched as they walked over to where Gene was trying to finish fixing the wagon that Nick had assigned to him. No doubt they were giving the youngest Barkley some grief.

Sure enough, Jarrod heard Heath tease, “Gene, you ain’t done with that wagon yet? Nick’s gonna have your tail.”

“I’m almost done,” Gene retorted.

“Well, Gene,” Peter picked up the conversation, “you know the point is to get the axle grease on the axle and not on yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the youngest brother grumbled. “I know. It’s just that Nick always gives me the dirtiest jobs to do when I home so that I’ll remember what’s paying for my ‘fancy’ education.”

“Well, you best get finished up ‘fore Nick gets home or he’ll dock your wages for being slow,” Heath warned.

“I know, I know, I just have to put the wheels back on and I’m done,” Gene replied. “I’ll be finished before he gets here.”

“C’mon, Pete,” Heath was done harassing Gene. “Let’s get up to the house and cleaned up. Gene’s got enough grime on him that he’ll hog the washroom.”

“Sure,” Peter nodded his head and turned to fall in step with Heath.

Both of their heads jerked back around as they heard Gene curse, “Oh, damn,” as a wheel nut slipped from his grease-coated hands and rolled under the wagon.

“Gene, no,” Heath shouted as he saw his little brother crawl under the wagon. Gene’s leg brushed the crates that he had used to prop the end of the wagon on and they began to tumble over. Heath dove to pull Gene out from under the wagon, but even as he grabbed his brother’s leg he knew he would not be able to get him out before the wagon crashed down on him.

But the wagon did not crash down. As Heath pulled Gene out of harm’s way, he looked up and realized that Peter was holding up the end of the wagon.

“Wow,” Gene whispered.

“Damn,” Heath cursed.

“Umm, you know, this might be a good time for you two to put those wheels back on the wagon,” Peter said calmly.

“Sure, sure,” Gene struggled to his feet and rushed to get one of the wheels. Heath stood and quickly fetched the other wheel. In a few moments, they had both wheels back on the axle.

“You ready?” Peter asked easily.

“Yeah, go ahead and set it down,” Heath said.

Peter slowly let the wagon down and then stepped back and rotated his shoulders to loosen the muscles. Gene’s face was bright red as he put the wheel nut on. It was several moments before he could speak; and when he did, his voice was filled with solemn awe, “You saved my life, Pete.”

His older brother stood with his head down; but when he raised it, there was a playful smile on his lips, “Nah, I just didn’t want the wagon to get broken. That would have really pissed Nick off.”

Heath chuckled softly and, after a moment, Gene laughed out loud. “C’mon, Gene,” Peter reached over to put an arm around his brother’s shoulder. “Now that you’ve got this wagon fixed, let’s all go in and get cleaned up for supper.”

“Sure, Pete, sure,” hero worship shown in Gene’s face.

Jarrod stepped back into the office before any of his brothers could see him. He knew that his face was white. He had seen it all; had stood helplessly yards away as it looked as if Gene were going to be seriously injured if not killed. But, in a heartbeat, Peter had averted what seemed like certain tragedy. “My, God,” Jarrod whispered to himself, “what if I hadn’t seen Pete that day on the boat, what if I hadn’t persuaded him to come home with me, what if Heath hadn’t convinced him to stay another day.” He shook his head as he pondered the delicate fabric of life.

Chapter 9

Jarrod decided not to say anything about the incident beside the wagon during supper. The atmosphere around the dining table was light, almost jovial. Even Nick had cooled some of his anger towards Peter. When Nick had questioned Heath about the progress that he had made today, Heath happily reported, “Got it all done, Nick.”

“All done?” Nick was shocked.

“Yep, Pete’s a good hand. We finished up. I’ll be able to help you with that herd of cattle tomorrow.”

“Um, that’s good,” Nick allowed. “So Pete figured out his way around a hammer.”

It was Peter who answered, ‘Yes, Pete can hammer, Pete can dig holes, Pete can haul fence posts.”

“Well, it’s nice to know that you didn’t forget how to work.”

Peter snorted, “Well, I tried but some things just seem to stick with you.”

“Hey, Pete,” Gene interrupted. “Did you see any kangaroos when you were in Australia?”

“Yep, can hardly miss them if you’re there any time,” Peter replied.

“Do they really box each other?”

“Yep, pretty funny sight. We used to place bets on which one we thought would win.”

“Figures,” Nick grumbled.

Peter raised his eyebrows but then smiled, “Figures what?”

“Figures you’d be placing bets on it. Do you bet on everything?”

“Just about, like I said that’s the way I make my living.”

Nick started to snap back but his mother’s voice stopped him, “If you all are finished with supper, why don’t we all go into the billiard room together?”

Audra reached over to touch Peter’s hand, “Come play a game of gin rummy with me, Peter. Let’s see if you’re a better player than Heath.”

“Gin rummy?” Peter frowned as he stood and pulled back her chair for her. Heath did the same for Victoria, and she took the elbow that he offered.

“Yes, gin rummy,” Audra settled her hand in the crook of Peter’s arm and they followed Heath and Victoria from the room. “You’ve played gin rummy before, haven’t you?”

“Um, I don’t think so.”

“It’s a card game, silly.”

“There are card games other than poker?” he pretended to be surprised.

“You are so funny,” Audra rolled her eyes at him.

As Audra set Peter down at the card table and began to explain to him the rules of the game, the four other brothers started a game of billiards. Victoria sat across the room, sipping her sherry and enjoying the teasing among her children. Peter was pretending to very seriously listen to Audra’s instructions, asking earnest questions. Jarrod and Heath had teamed up against Nick and Eugene and were just holding their own. Victoria noted that Gene had picked up some skill in billiards during this past school year. Well, at least his grades hadn’t suffered.

As the boys started another game, Jarrod casually remarked, “Looked as if things got a little exciting around that wagon you were working on this afternoon, Gene.”

Gene flushed as Nick demanded in a loud voice, “What are you talking about, Jarrod? You got that wagon fixed, didn’t you, runt?”

“It’s fixed,” Gene snapped.

“So what’s Jarrod talking about?”

“Nuthin’,” Gene started.

“It really was nuthin’,” Heath defended his younger brother.

“It looked like something from my vantage point,” Jarrod said quietly.

Damn, Gene thought, why did Jarrod have to be looking? He would have gotten off if it hadn’t been for Jarrod.

“Well, Eugene?” Nick nailed his youngest brother with his hardest look.

Gene knew he couldn’t lie to Nick; after all, Jarrod had seen it all. But he needed to present it in the best light possible. As he hesitated, he knew that Nick was getting irritated. Finally he blurted out, “I just ah dropped, that is just as I was finishing up with the axle grease, I dropped one of the wheel nuts and it rolled under the wagon and I started to crawl under the wagon to get it . . . .”

“You what!” Nick interrupted, his voice rising. “You realize that you could have been hurt? How many times have you been told that you need to think before you act? You can’t just barge ahead without thinking. That’s how you can get hurt.”

“I know, I know,” Gene wished Nick would just stop. He’d heard this lecture too many times. He was supposed to be careful, he wasn’t supposed to do anything without thinking it through, he should never act impulsively.

“Obviously, you don’t know if you crawled under a propped up wagon to retrieve a wagon nut. You shudda used a rake or a hoe to pull it to you, Eugene,” Nick continued to scold. Gene’s eyes had begun to glaze over, so Nick demanded in a louder voice, “Are you listening to me?”

“Of course, I’m listening,” Gene said tiredly. God, how he hated getting lectures from Nick and Jarrod. And he could tell that Nick was just getting warmed up. Oh, Jesus, please don’t let Jarrod say anything about the wagon slipping off the crates.

Indeed, Jarrod opened his mouth to further illuminate Nick on Gene’s gaffe, but it was Peter who took up the conversation. “You know, Nick, you must be either the smartest or the luckiest man alive.”

“What?” Nick temporarily forgot Gene as he turned all his attention onto this errant little brother of his.

“Well, never to have done something without thinking, never to have suffered a lapse in judgment, never to have charged into a situation like a bull; in fact, never to have gotten hurt when you did something impulsively. Not many men can say that,” Peter observed as he studied his cards.

Heath couldn’t stop himself from chuckling. Then Audra snickered. Jarrod’s eyes were shining brightly, and a smile tugged at his lips. Gene was biting his lip to keep from laughing out loud. It was their mother’s laugh, however, that broke the silence. She was quickly joined by the others. Nick’s face turned bright red and then he, too, began to laugh. It was obvious that this was a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

“Something I said?” Peter asked innocently.

“Oh, Peter,” Audra reached across to hug her brother. “You know Nick never ever thinks before he acts.”

“Hey, that’s not true,” Nick protested loudly.

“Oh, and there’s no telling how many times he’s gotten hurt doing something foolish,” she added.

“Oh, too true, Audra,” Jarrod laughed.

“Now wait a minute,” Nick continued to protest. “Hey, I’m not the only one who’s gotten hurt doing foolish things.”

“Well, that’s true, too,” Victoria finally spoke. “It seems as if all you boys have managed to find very foolish ways to get yourselves hurt.”

“Yeah,” Nick pointed at Peter, “and I bet you’ve still got a scar across your knee from where you did something you weren’t supposed to and ended up getting hurt.”

Peter’s expression was blank, “Scar on my knee?”

“Oh, you can’t tell me you don’t remember when you split your knee open!” Nick snorted.

“Which knee?” Peter looked perplexed.

“Your left knee,” it was Jarrod who answered quietly.

“Hmm,” Peter ran a hand over his left knee. “Don’t really feel anything. Don’t remember hurting it.”

Heath watched as Nick and Jarrod exchanged another one of the hurt looks that had become almost routine since Peter’s arrival. He wondered what prompted this one.

Victoria finally spoke softly, “Well, I’m glad you don’t remember hurting your knee. That was a very serious injury.”

Peter just studied his mother for a moment and then looked back down at his card hand, “Hey, gin!”

“What?” Audra demanded. “How did you get gin so quickly? You said you didn’t even know how to play this game.”

“I’m a very quick study,” Peter smiled at her as he laid his cards on the table. “Want to play again?”

“I don’t know,” she studied him for a moment. “I think you may have played before.”

“Moi?” Peter teased back.

Gene was just thinking that he had gotten away without any more lectures when Jarrod spoke, “Gene, you do realize that you could have been seriously injured.” He didn’t add ‘or killed’ for the sake of their mother.

“But I wasn’t,” the boy protested.

“No, thank God, Peter was there,” Jarrod was still shaken by what he had seen.

Nick straightened up from his billiard shot, “What’s this about?”

“Nuthin’,” Gene tried again.

“It wasn’t ‘nuthin’, young man,” Jarrod said sternly. “That wagon would have fallen on you and you would have been seriously injured.”

“What happened?” Nick demanded.

Jarrod’s blue eyes fixed on Gene, practically ordering the youngest brother to be the one to explain. “Well,” Gene started, “when I was crawling under the wagon . . . which I know I shouldn’t have done . . . I sorta brushed the boxes I had the back of the wagon propped on and the wagon kinda sorta started to fall.”

“What!” Nick’s eyes shifted from Gene to their mother. Victoria’s face was white, and she was biting her lower lip. Damn, he thought, if anything ever happened to her baby boy, she’d never get over it. It was his and Jarrod’s job to keep Gene safe. They would just have to work harder at it.

“It’s all right, Pete caught the wagon before it could fall on me,” Gene started.

“What?” Nick repeated.

“Pete caught the wagon?” Gene repeated cautiously.

“Let me understand this correctly. You crawled under a propped up wagon, you managed to knock the boxes you were using to prop the wagon up, the wagon started to fall on you, and Pete caught the wagon,” Nick had laid his cue aside and was now standing with his hands on his hips.

“That’s about it,” Gene had the good sense to hang his head.

“Now, something isn’t quite right about this. What aren’t you telling me? There’s no way Pete could have kept a wagon from falling on you,” Nick crossed his arms over his chest.

Gene’s head came up with a snap, “Honest, Nick, that’s what happened.”

“I was there, Nick,” Heath chimed in. “That’s what happened.”

“Pete held the wagon up?” Nick looked from Heath to where Peter still sat across from Audra. “I don’t believe it.”

“I saw it, too, Nick,” Jarrod answered. “If Peter hadn’t been there,” he stopped, the scene of Heath trying to snatch Gene out from under the wagon playing in his mind.

“You’re really strong enough to hold a wagon up?” Nick squinted his eyes at Peter.

“Guess so,” Peter leaned back in his chair and smiled softly.

“Just how strong are you?” Nick asked.

“Pretty strong,” Peter shrugged.

“Let’s see how strong,” Nick started across the room, rolling up his right shirtsleeve.

“You want to arm wrestle me?” Peter blinked.

“Yep,” Nick moved Audra out of the chair across from Peter and sat down, “let’s see how strong you are.”

Peter just sat studying his older brother. After a moment, a twinkle came to his eyes, “All right. Let’s see.”

“Watch out, Pete,” Gene came over to stand beside Audra. “Nobody ever beats Nick arm wrestling.”

“Really?” Peter seemed amused. “Never?”

“Never,” Gene shook his head.

“Wanna bet on it?” Peter grinned widely.

“No,” Nick said quickly. “No bets. This is just a test of strength.”

“All right,” Peter said as he rolled his right sleeve up also and put his elbow on the table. “I’d prefer to make some money off this, but let’s just see.”

Heath came over to cup his brothers’ clenched hands in his. “You two ready?” he asked. As Peter and Nick nodded, he continued, “All right, one, two, three, go!”

For the first few moments, the arms remained perfectly vertical. Peter then teased, “Oh, are we starting?”

“Keep talking, pretty boy,” Nick said through gritted teeth. “Just go ahead and waste your energy on running your smart mouth.”

“I think I can talk and arm wrestle you at the same time,” Peter said calmly. “Just tell me when we’re really going to start.”

“Oh, smart boy,” Nick shook his head. “Let’s see how you handle this.”

Nick’s eyes narrowed as he worked to concentrate all his strength into his right arm. Slowly, ever so slowly he began to push Peter’s arm toward the tabletop. Jarrod had never seen Nick work so hard to best an opponent in an arm wrestling match. Peter was putting up an admirable fight, but Nick had the advantage of being a working cowman and Peter was just a gambler . . . albeit a pretty strong one. After several minutes, Nick had gotten Peter’s arm to where it was about an inch about the tabletop.

“Are you ready, Nick?” Peter asked softly.

“Ready for what, Pete? To win?”

“Ready for this,” Peter said calmly. The expression in his eyes never changed, but, from across the room, Victoria saw the muscle in his jaw tighten . . . just the way Tom’s would tighten when he was throwing all his strength into something or was so angry that he couldn’t speak. Without thinking, she rose to her feet and came across the room to stand between Jarrod and Audra. They all watched in awe as Peter stopped Nick’s progress and then slowly and steadily began to push Nick’s arm back to the upright position. The brothers’ clasped hands hesitated there only a moment, and then Peter began to push Nick’s arm down.

Victoria knew Nick well. He was struggling with all his might to keep Peter, his little brother, from besting him; but Peter was definitely winning. Peter’s eyes never left Nick’s face, but Nick was watching his hand slowly be pushed toward defeat. Then, just as Nick’s hand was a hair’s breath away from the table, Peter broke the grip.

“What!” Nick stared at Peter in shock.

“What’d you do that for, Pete? You had Nick beat,” Gene demanded.

Peter stood and strolled over to where Jarrod kept his humidor of cigars. He selected one and then moved to the doorway that led to the front porch. He bit off the tip of the cigar and spit it out into the night air. Then he expertly twirled a lucifer, tucked it between the second and third fingers of his cupped left hand, and lit it with a flick of his thumb.

“Look at it this way, Gene, Nick and I are both winners,” Peter grinned broadly as he lit the cigar and then snuffed the lucifer with a wave of his hand.

“But, but you broke the grip, you gave up, you lost,” Gene did not understand. How could his hero just give up? He was beating Nick, Nick, of all people. Very few folks ever got a chance to beat Nick Barkley. Why hadn’t Peter snatched at this prize?

“Ah, but you see, Nick can still say he’s never been beaten and I know that, had I wanted to, I could have beaten him today,” Peter’s eyes were shining brightly and he took a practiced draw on the cigar and savored the taste before blowing out a stream of smoke. “Sometimes just knowing you could have won is even better than winning. And I have the added pleasure of knowing that Nick has to live with the knowledge that his little brother could beat him. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to walk around the grounds for a little while and enjoy this very fine cigar.” With a laugh he turned and vaulted over the porch railing and headed across the ranch yard.

“Well,” Nick stood slowly, rubbing his cramping right arm. “I guess I believe now that Pete held that wagon up.”

“Told ya,” Gene said triumphantly.

“Watch yourself, runt,” Nick waved a finger at the boy. “You’re still not out of trouble for being so careless around that wagon.”

“Ah, shoot,” Gene grumbled, knowing he was in for further lectures.

But Victoria stopped the discussion, “Why don’t you boys go back to your billiards. Audra, run upstairs and get that baby dress that we were working on for the Hopkins baby.”

“But, Mother,” her daughter started to protest.

“Go on, Audra,” Victoria directed. “Boys, go back to your game.”

Chapter 10

Victoria forced her family into acting as if it were any other evening. After a bit, Audra murmured that the stitching was giving her a headache and slipped upstairs. Then Nick pointed out to Gene that he would have another long day tomorrow. Gene wanted to argue, but, since Peter wasn’t here to talk with he might as well go on to bed. Jarrod and Nick continued to play billiards half-heartedly, both their minds elsewhere; but Heath followed Victoria when she slipped out onto the porch.

“You want me to go find him?” he asked softly.

“No, if he isn’t back soon, I’ll go out and at least tell him goodnight.”

“I have to ask, what was that about him cutting his knee? I mean, it sure seemed to upset Nick and Jarrod that he didn’t remember.”

“I’m glad he doesn’t remember,” Victoria said quickly.

“You said that. But why would it upset Nick and Jarrod so?”

“I’m sure they both remember it so well. It was very traumatic,” she said quietly.

“What happened?” Heath pressed, not sure why.

Victoria bit her lips and looked out into the darkness. It was several moments before she spoke and her voice trembled, “Peter was just five, Nick seven, Jarrod 11. Nick was going fishing on the creek. Peter wanted to go with him, but Tom said that Nick was too young to be responsible for looking after Peter while he was fishing. We didn’t realize it, but Peter slipped away and followed Nick to the creek. In trying to sneak up on Nick, Peter slipped on some wet rocks and fell and sliced his knee open. Nick found him. He took his shirt off and wrapped it around Peter’s knee. It was bleeding heavily. Nick put Peter on his back and started carrying him to the house. Duke saw them struggling in and ran out to get Peter. He came running to the house with Peter in his arms and Nick on his heels.

“Tom met them at the front door. He took Peter and carried him to the kitchen so that we could care for him. We unwrapped his knee, the cut went to the bone and we couldn’t get it to stop bleeding. There was no time to try to get a doctor. Tom held Peter in his arms; Duke held Peter’s head and arms; and Silas held his left leg straight. I stitched the wound close.”

“Oh, my God,” Heath whispered.

“Twelve stitches,” Victoria’s voice was distant. “When we started, we poured whiskey on the cut to try to stop the infection. Peter, of course, screamed when we did it. Nick came rushing into the kitchen, begging us to stop hurting his little brother. Tom called to Jarrod to take Nick from the room, but I think they stood right outside the door. They heard every one of Peter’s cries. When we were done, we splinted Peter’s knee so that he couldn’t bend it and rip out the stitches. Your father held him all night, rocking him, comforting him. Nick and Jarrod refused to sleep in their bedrooms. They slept on the floor beside your father and Peter. That’s why they remember it. I suppose they both just expected that Peter would also remember, but I’m glad he doesn’t. It broke my heart to have to hurt him so.”

Heath put a strong arm around her shoulders, “You did what you had to. He could have bled to death.”

“I know,” she whispered and let a few tears escape. She should go to Peter now, she knew. But what should she say to him? How should she treat this son who was a stranger? A stranger who had forgotten so many of the moments that had made them a family. She let out a slow sad sigh. And Heath, the son who seemed more like hers now even though he shared none of those memories, tightened his grip around her shoulder and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Victoria leaned against Heath, drawing from his strength. They both tensed when they heard footsteps coming across the yard. Peter’s figure was just barely visible in the moonlight. He stepped lightly onto the porch and went in the front door. Victoria hurried inside so that she could at least get a goodnight kiss from her wayward son.

Chapter 11

Thursday morning, breakfast was slightly strained. Gene had not yet come to terms with his new-found hero simply throwing an arm wrestling contest, so he was hesitant about asking about Peter’s travels, about asking Peter anything. Without Gene’s usual barrage of questions to fill in the gaps in conversation, the other members of the family struggled to find things to talk about. Nick had thought about asking Peter to help he and Heath with the cattle today, but wasn’t exactly sure how to phrase the request so that it didn’t sound either like an order or like he was begging his little brother to spend time with him. Nick was surprised when, as breakfast was finally winding down, Peter turned to Audra and asked, “You still want me to go to that orphanage with you?”

Simple happiness brightened Audra’s face, “Of course I do. We need to get loaded up and headed out soon.”

Peter returned her smile, “Just tell me what I need to do.”

Another day, Victoria thought, another day to try to draw Peter back into the family.

As she went around gathering up the various baskets and tablecloths left from the picnic lunch that she and Peter had served the children, Audra reflected that it had been a wonderful day with her big brother. He had been funny and entertaining on the wagon ride over, telling her about the sites he had seen in Europe. When they reached the orphanage, he had kind and respectful to Father Francis and the two nuns. He unloaded the wagon and helped Audra set up. Then Peter had settled right into entertaining the boys. He played blind man’s bluff with them and marbles and even organized a baseball game. During the meal, he had helped the littlest ones with their plates. In the afternoon, he settled the littlest ones down with a story about the animals he had seen when he was in Africa. Audra wasn’t sure how many of them believed Peter’s story about the zebras. Black-and-white striped horses seemed a little farfetched to these children raised in western America.

It was a wonderful day, she thought again, and turned to look for her brother. He was nowhere in sight. Hmm, maybe he had gone out to the outhouse, she thought. She loaded a few of the lighter items by herself and again looked around for Peter. It would be a help if he could put the heavier things in the wagon. He was probably talking to one of the children, she decided, but they needed to get started soon. If not, they would be late for supper. Nick would complain; he always complained if she got back from the orphanage late. She’d better go find Peter.

She looked inside the church and the orphanage’s dormitory, but no luck. She checked with Father Francis but he had no idea where Peter was. As she started back to where the wagon was parked in front of the church, she noticed a horse standing beside the church’s small barn. She strolled toward the barn, and then she hastened her steps when she heard Peter’s voice. She still couldn’t get over how his voice, their father’s voice really, sent a thrill through her. When Peter talked, it was almost like having Father alive again.

As she neared the barn, she heard another voice, a man’s voice, perfect English but with something like a French accent say, “Everything still on track, ferere?”

“The exchange is still to be at Norton’s,” Peter replied. “If anything changes, I’ll get word to you.”

“You need to know,” the other man said. “Sam is in San Francisco.”

“What!” Audra had never heard Peter angry. But this was her father’s voice at its angriest; however, her father would have never said, “Sacre-Dieu!”

There was a few moments of silence and Audra decided she’d better quit eavesdropping. “Peter,” she called. “Where are you? We need to get going.”

“Um, I’m coming, Audra,” Peter answered immediately. He came from behind the barn and almost ran into her.

“Hey,” Audra laughed and caught his arm to keep from falling down. “We don’t have to rush that much. You can say good-bye to your friend. Oh,” she heard the hoof beats of the horse but the retreating figure of the rider was blocked by the barn, “I guess your friend has already left. Did you invite him to come by the ranch?”

“What?” Peter frowned at her.

“Your friend, the man you were talking with.”

“Umm, he isn’t a friend. He’s just someone I used to work with.”

“Oh,” Audra wasn’t quite convinced. “Is he a gambler, too?”

“Yeah, sorta,” Peter replied. “Look, let’s go get things loaded.”

Audra allowed her brother to guide her toward the wagon. “Who’s Sam?” she asked as he started to load the wagon.

“What?” Peter hesitated.

“I heard your friend, I mean that man say that Sam was in San Francisco,” Audra explained and then added, “You didn’t seem too happy about that.”

“What did you hear?” Peter pressed.

“That’s it,” Audra decided it would be best not to let him know how long she had eavesdropped, “just that Sam was in San Francisco and you weren’t pleased to know that. Who’s Sam?”

“Sam is just, is just a, is just an associate of mine,” Peter said with a half smile. “Well, let’s get started back to the ranch. Don’t want Nick ranting and raving that we made him late for supper.”

“No, of course not,” Audra let her brother swing her up into the wagon. The ride back to the ranch was just as entertaining as the ride over, but, in the back of her mind, Audra wondered about the exchange at Norton’s. They arrived back in plenty of time for supper. When Mother questioned her and Peter about their trip to the orphanage, both of them described the antics of the children. Neither one of them mentioned the man behind the barn.

Chapter 12

Once again Victoria guided the whole family toward the billiard room after dinner. This time, Gene convinced Peter that they needed to play poker so that the youngest brother could pick up a few tricks for the poker games at college. “I mean, what’s the use of having a brother who’s a professional poker player if I can’t at least get some good pointers to help me out,” he explained. He cajoled Heath into playing with them also. “I can just watch you two battle it out and get all sorts of good ideas.”

Victoria raised an eyebrow at her youngest son. He ducked his head to avoid her interrogating look. Billiards and poker, Victoria thought. This second year of college had been a very educational one for Gene, she surmised. He was starting to come into his own, she knew, away from the forceful guidance of his two loving, but domineering older brothers. As she watched him play poker with Heath and Peter, the sons that had grown up without any such guidance, she suddenly wondered if Gene’s school year had included any experiences with women. Probably not, she narrowed her eyes to study him more closely. She had known immediately when Jarrod had come home from college after his first time with a woman. Her firstborn had avoided looking at her for a week. Nick’s first time had come after he had left home to join the Union army. When he did come back to them, after the end of the war, she had also known immediately. No, Gene had not yet had that experience; however, it wouldn’t be much longer, she knew. Only probably some dire threats from Nick and Jarrod had kept him from it thus far. Smiling softly to herself, she suspected that when Gene did find the courage to act on the feelings that he was having, it would be much more upsetting to Nick and Jarrod than it was to her. She imagined that Nick and Jarrod really hoped that they could get Eugene married off to a sweet young girl before he had any chance for some pre-marital experience.

Audra had pulled up a chair beside Peter, trying to get him to let her see his cards. “Lord, girl, you have absolutely no poker face,” Peter shielded his cards from her eyes. “I want a halfway decent chance of winning.”

“I can so have a poker face,” she nudged him with her elbow. He reluctantly showed her and she exclaimed, “Oh, that is a good hand.”

“I’m out,” Heath said quickly.

“Me, too,” Gene tossed his cards down.

Audra and Peter started laughing. Peter showed his hand . . . he had absolutely nothing.

“What?” Gene sputtered. He glared over at Audra, “You said he had a good hand.”

“I was bluffing,” she smiled widely.

“That’s not bluffing, that’s being dishonest,” Gene challenged.

“And bluffing is being honest?” she shook her head at her younger brother.

“Well, it might be nice if we were a little more subtle in our bluffing, Audra,” Peter teased her.

Nick and Jarrod had paused in their billiard game to watch the by-play between their four younger siblings. Jarrod chuckled softly, “You know, to be doing this right, you all should be playing for buttons instead of pennies.”

Heath looked over in confusion, “Buttons?”

“Buttons?” Gene was equally as confused.

“Sure, you remember, Pete, don’t you?” Nick almost held his breath for fear that this was another precious memory that his brother had let slip away.

“Buttons?” Peter leaned back in his chair to study Nick’s face. “Oh, yeah, we used to play poker using Mother’s cache of buttons.”

“That’s right,” Nick said eagerly. “You and me and Jarrod and Father, at the dining table.”

“The old man was there?” Peter frowned slightly.

“Sure, he was,” Nick encouraged his brother to remember. “He always said that our Friday night poker games were the best games he ever had.”

“Yes, and if I remember correctly, little brother, you only learned your numbers so that you could play with us,” Jarrod shook his finger at Peter.

“Yep, Jarrod, he was, what, five or six when he started playing?” Nick chuckled.

“I think he was about a month behind you,” Jarrod nodded. “He couldn’t stand it that you were getting to do something that he couldn’t do. He informed Father that he knew his numbers and he knew the rules so why couldn’t he play. His hands were so small he could just barely hold a five-card spread.”

“Ah, I think you’re exaggerating,” Peter shook his head, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

“No, I remember it very distinctly,” Jarrod shook his head. “So short that your chin just about rested on the table. When you held your cards in front of you, I could hardly see your face. You remember, don’t you, Mother?” He sought to draw her into the cheery conversation.

She joined happily, “What I remember is catching Peter and Nick when Nick was supposed to be helping Peter with his addition tables. Instead of ‘one plus one,’ I hear Peter calmly reciting to his brother ‘three of a kind beats two pair, a straight beats three of a kind, a flush beats a straight . . . .’”

The whole family broke out into a laugh. Even Peter chuckled loudly, his smile widening, making him look so much like his father had looked during those Friday evening poker games with “his boys,” Victoria thought. She wondered if Tom was looking down at this moment, watching his three youngest boys playing poker.

“Ah, so, I can now blame Nick for my rather tawdry way of life,” Peter pointed a finger at Nick.

“Oh, no you don’t, you’re not blaming anything on me,” Nick shook his head.

“Surely there’s a way I can blame it on you. I was always able to when I was a kid,” Peter smiled widely.

“Hey, now that’s true. You did manage to get me blamed for most everything,” Nick nodded.

Peter smirked, “It was so easy. You could never think up a story fast enough to top mine.”

“See, Mother, he admits it. I told you I was always innocent,” Nick pointed his cue at Peter.

“Now, Nicholas,” Victoria admonished, “I doubt you were always innocent. As I remember, you got Peter in trouble just about as often as he got you in trouble.”

“Hmm,” Nick snorted. He looked over at Jarrod, “Are you still playing?”

“Oh, yeah, Nick, I’m enjoying beating you,” Jarrod smiled at his brother.

As Nick and Jarrod returned to their billiards game, Heath dealt another hand to his brothers. Gene immediately picked up his cards, but Peter left his on the table. They all anted up their pennies. “Cards,” Heath asked.

“Umm, one, uh no, two,” Gene said.

“Pete?” Heath prompted.

“One,” Peter said with calm certainty.

“What?” Gene’s head jerked up. “You haven’t even looked at your cards. How do you know that you need one card?”

“Just a feeling,” Peter smiled easily.

“Oh, come on,” Gene was highly skeptical.

“If you don’t like it, you can always fold, Gene,” Peter said calmly. Peter dangled his fingers over his cards and finally selected one to discard.

“You have no idea what you’re doing,” Gene groaned.

“It’s just a game of chance and skill, Gene,” Peter explained. “I’m just relying on the chance part right now.” He carefully arranged the facedown cards into a neat row. “Your bet, Gene.”

Gene nervously regarded his utterly relaxed older brother, “Umm, I bet two cents.”

“See ya,” Heath pushed his pennies into the pot and regarded Peter with a raised eyebrow. What was this rascal up to?

“See the bet and raise it five cents,” Peter said.

Gene studied his cards for a moment and then finally murmured, “See the bet but I sure don’t understand how you can be betting.”

“Faith in the cards, little brother,” Peter said easily. “They very rarely let me down.”

“I’ll see the bet,” Heath said cautiously, “but I’m like Gene, I’m not too sure on this.”

“So the bet’s back to me,” Peter smiled. “I tell you what, boys, let make it interesting. I push the bet up another 10 cents.”

Gene sat quietly for several moments, struggling with his decision. Finally, he laid his cards down, “I fold.”

Heath also studied his cards for a few moments and then said, “I’m gonna see the bet but it’s only because I want to see what you’ve got.”

“All right,” Peter grinned. “What have you got?”

“Two pair, dueces and sevens,” Heath laid his hand face up.

“Hmm, let’s see what I’ve got,” Peter expertly flipped the cards over in one fluid motion.

“Three queens!” Gene exclaimed. “Dang, how did you do that, Pete?”

“Just luck, little brother,” Peter scooped the small stack of coins toward him. “Want to play again.”

“Not if you’re going to do that again,” Gene pouted slightly.

“See, my little game worked just right,” Peter smiled. “Remember this strategy, Gene, it’ll shake up your college buddies.”

“But, how can you bet without even knowing what you have?”

“By having faith in your luck.”

“But, but, what if you had busted?”

“Then you just look them straight in the eye and say, ‘Well, you called my bluff.’ But trust me, most of the time you either have pulled a winning hand or the whole little con has so unnerved them that they just fold.”

“Huh,” Gene contemplated his brother’s advice. This might be a fun trick to pull on some of those snooty upperclassmen. “I might just try it.”

“Just be sure you do it with an utter trust in your indubitable luck.”

“All right,” Gene began to smile widely as he imagined the scene at his fraternity house.

“So, another hand?” Peter looked over at Heath and raised an eyebrow.

Heath knew that he and Peter probably could have gotten into a pretty no-holds-barred poker game, but that didn’t seem to be necessary. Unlike Nick, Heath could easily acknowledge that there were some things that Peter did better. “Nah,” he finally said, “it’s been a long day. Not all of us got the easy chore of going to the orphanage with Audra.”

“Entertaining a bunch of ankle-biters easy?” Peter snorted.

“Peter,” Audra scolded, “what an awful thing to say. And you were so sweet to the children today.”

“O-o-o-h, Peter was so sweet,” Nick teased.

“Sorry, Audra, I’m just not that much into being around children. Here, take my earnings tonight and distribute these pennies among your little charges so they can buy candy the next time they’re in town,” Peter dumped a handful of pennies into her lap.

“Oh, Peter, that’s so thoughtful,” she grabbed his shirt before he could pull away and kissed his cheek.

“O-o-o-h, Peter’s so thoughtful,” Nick parroted.

“Watch it, Nick, I’ll have to come over there and beat the crap out of you,” Peter threatened.

“Peter,” Victoria chastised. “Language.”

“Tell you what, little brother, why don’t you come over and take Jarrod’s place and you can try to beat me at billiards,” Nick challenged.

“Umm, billiards aren’t exactly my game,” Peter made a face.

“Aw, come on, it’s not that hard. You just have to hit the little balls into the pockets,” Nick prodded.

“Well,” Peter stood slowly, “maybe if you bet me, maybe then I could try. I always do better if there’s money riding on a game.”

“All right, I’ll bet you $5,” Nick sighed.

“Umm, nah, not enough.”

“All right $10.”

Now Peter sighed, “I’m sure not gonna get rich betting around this house. Penny-ante poker with Gene and Heath and $10 billiard games with Nick. All right, I’ll play.”

“Here,” Jarrod passed his cue to Peter. “You’re up.”

Peter took the cue and went to stand beside the table, silently eyeing the balls spread out across the green felt. A minute ticked by and he didn’t move. “Umm, Peter, you’re up,” Jarrod repeated.

“Hmm,” Peter mumbled. He rested his chin on the fist that cupped the top of the cue.

“Pete, you’re supposed to use the cue to hit the balls,” Nick needled his younger brother.

“Hmm,” Peter repeated. Suddenly he moved to the table and announced, “Two ball, side pocket.”

With great authority, Peter sank the shot. He immediately said, “Seven in the side followed by three in the left corner.” Again, his shot was perfect. He never hesitated as he called his next shot, and then his next, and then his next. By now Nick’s mouth had fallen open. When his brother expertly swung the cue behind his back and took his next shot, Nick groaned loudly, “Damn, I thought you said billiards wasn’t your game.”

“Eleven in the right corner. I didn’t mean I couldn’t play it, I just meant I don’t particularly care to play it. It’s a game of 100 percent skill and once I play I can never get anyone to bet me. I make a lot more money playing poker because of the element of chance. I can usually keep a mark in the game much longer,” Peter sank the next to the last ball on the table. “Rack ‘em, Gene.”

Gene eagerly emptied the pockets and filled the rack. His eyes were gleaming as he stepped away from the table so that Peter could take his shot, “Twelve in the side.” With a powerful shot, Peter sank the twelve and then completed the break. Again, he stood silently, his chin resting on the fist holding the cue. After a few moments, he began chalking the end of the cue.

“You’re planning every shot,” Gene challenged.

“Of course, that’s the only way to play billiards,” Peter said with confidence. He stepped up to the table, “Six left corner, eight right corner.”

He again proceeded to empty the table, sinking the balls just as he called them, setting up his next shot perfectly. Nick sighed loudly as Peter ran the table and again called for Gene to rack the balls. This time, however, as he got ready to break, Heath—at the silent urging of Nick—sneaked up behind and grabbed the end of the cue just as Peter started to make his shot.

“Scratch,” Nick chortled as Peter fumbled his shot and then whirled around to confront Heath and sputter, “Hey, that’s not fair.”

“Sorry, little brother,” Nick moved to take a shot, “you scratched.”

“I did not, Heath grabbed my cue!”

“I didn’t see Heath grab your cue. You must be mistaken.”

“Mother,” Peter implored, turning to face Victoria. “They’re cheating.”

“Ah, don’t be a tattletale,” Nick teased.

“But, they’re ganging up on me. That’s really not fair, Mother,” Peter tried his best pitiful look with his mother.

Victoria almost allowed herself to be swayed to take sides. Peter had that look that had always melted her heart, but she forced herself to be strong, “Well, it wasn’t very fair when you led Nick to think that you weren’t very good at playing billiards. I believe that’s called ‘hustling’.”

“But that’s what I do,” Peter shrugged.

“Not to your brothers,” she scolded gently.

“Hah, hah,” Nick jabbed at Peter with his cue. “Got you in trouble, didn’t I.”

“Watch who you’re poking with that cue,” Peter used his cue to flip Nick’s cue to the side. “And I guess since I’m supposed to be so fair to my brothers then I should warn you that I am a master swordsman.”

“Oh, sure,” Nick said sarcastically.

With amazing speed and grace, Peter backed his brother across the room in a mock sword fight.

“Boys, not in the house,” Victoria admonished them with a smile. It was so much like old times.

“I told you I was a master swordsman,” Peter jabbed once more at his older brother who just dodged the cue and grinned widely.

“Is that how you got the scar on your face?” Gene asked eagerly.

Unconsciously, Peter’s finger went up to trace the thin line on his right cheekbone, “Nope, I got that from a sore loser on a riverboat headed toward New Orleans.”

“New Orleans, finally, he mentions a place I’ve seen,” Heath said.

“Ah, you know New Orleans, Heath?” Peter smiled over at his half-brother.

“Don’t know if you could say that I know it, but I been there once.”

“Wonderful city,” Peter said, almost wistfully. “Perhaps my favorite place in all the world.”

“Really?” Gene asked, moving New Orleans up on his list of places that he wanted to visit.

“Very much so,” Peter nodded. “Awe-inspiring buildings, beautiful women, bountiful money to be won, beautiful women.”

“You already said beautiful women,” Gene interrupted.

“You can never have too many beautiful women, little brother,” Peter winked at his brothers. “New Orleans has some of the finest sporting houses in all the world.”

“Peter!” Victoria scolded. This was not at all the appropriate thing to discuss in front of she and Audra. Peter needed to learn a few proprieties.

“Just outstanding places to play cards, Mother,” her son teased.

“Hmm,” she refrained from scolding him further but decided it was time for she and Audra to retire, “Come on, Audra. Let’s leave your brothers to their games. Boys, try to keep the noise down.”

Each of her sons gave her a kiss goodnight. Audra, in a exceptionally good mood, swept around the room giving each of the brothers a soft kiss. As she went up the stairs, Victoria could hear the sweet sound of her sons’ laughter. It was a very good evening.

Chapter 13

The lightheartedness continued into breakfast on Friday morning. Apparently, all five brothers had stayed up late playing billiards and laughing and talking about the various adventures they had had through the years. There were several yawns around the table. Nick cajoled Peter into helping them move cattle that day. Peter had made a face and said he’d purposely forgotten everything he had ever known about cattle other than how to cut a steak, but he gave in easily especially after Gene and Heath also prodded him. Another day, Victoria thought happily, another day that Peter would be home.

Victoria busied herself throughout the day, wanting the hours to pass quickly so that she could again have all her children around her at suppertime. When she saw the crews riding in, she went upstairs so that she could watch her sons from a bedroom window. She hid partially behind the draperies so that they couldn’t see her. Her smile blossomed as she watched the boys, her boys, ride in and dismount. Gene and Peter were filthy. She laughed softly to herself. Nick always made Gene ride drag (“Need to make sure that the runt understands he’s no better than anyone else.”). She wondered if Peter had joined Gene voluntarily or if he, too, had gotten assigned this hot, dusty duty. In her mind’s eye she could see the times that it had been Nick and Peter who had ridden in so dirty. Tom had always insisted that they take this job. Part of it, she knew, was to do just as Nick did with Gene, to teach them that no job on the ranch was beneath them. The other reason, Tom had admitted to her once, was that he felt that they were safer at the back of the herd—they couldn’t get caught in a stampede there. She wondered if the boys ever realized that.

She could tell that Heath and Nick were teasing Peter and Gene for being so dirty. Gene was ducking his head and shuffling his feet, not doing a good job of fending off his brothers’ jibes. Peter, however, was standing calmly with his arms crossed. Nick reached over and slapped Peter on the shoulder raising a cloud of dust. Peter wearily waved his hand in front of his face to try to move the cloud away. Victoria let out a gasp and a laugh as her long-lost boy tossed his hat to the side, stepped into the water trough, and sat down. His brothers were stunned for a moment but then broke into loud guffaws. Peter slid down in the trough and came up shaking his wet hair like a dog, spraying the other three boys who all tried, unsuccessfully, to dance away. What a boy, Victoria thought. It had always been that way. You could never know what he would pull next.

As the four boys walked toward the house together, Victoria let a deeply buried wish surface. She wished that Peter would stay, but even as she wished it she knew it was not going to happen. Sighing softly, she made herself put the wish aside. She would just enjoy that days that she had him here. Lifting her shoulders with firm resolve, she went downstairs and warned the four not to be tracking up the house. Peter obligingly took off his boots and emptied the water out into the hedges in front of the house and went through in his stocking feet. There was some good natured tussling upstairs as to who got the washroom first, but, in time, the boys, one by one, joined her downstairs, Peter just as Audra got in from the Fergusons. Jarrod was late arriving home, entering the house just as the family was going into the dining room.

“Don’t think we were going to wait supper on you, Pappy,” Nick said, laughing.

“Would never have expected that, brother Nick,” Jarrod patted his brother’s shoulder. He stopped long enough to fix himself a drink and joined the rest of the family at the dining table. “So did you get all those cattle moved?”

“Yep, despite Pete’s best efforts to lose most of them, we managed to get them down to the east pasture,” Nick pretended to grumble.

“And, yes,” Peter added, “I remembered exactly why I hated working cattle. I still have grit in my teeth.”

“Got to ride drag, huh,” Jarrod grinned over at him. “Too bad you’re not his older brother. I can always veto Nick when he tries to give me that job.”

“Hell, Jarrod, I can’t remember the last time you worked cattle with us,” Nick snorted. “Can’t get those lily-white lawyer hands dirty.”

“Nicholas, language,” Victoria sighed.

“How come he can’t get his lily-white lawyer hands dirty but I can get my soft gambler hands dirty?” Peter demanded.

“Sorry, LITTLE brother, just the way it works,” Nick shrugged.

“But, look at it this way, Pete,” Heath added, “since you worked with us today, Nick’ll probably count you in for the rounds of drinks he’ll buy for the boys this evening in town.”

“Free drinks, huh,” Peter cocked his head to one side. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Hey, can I go with you?” Gene hoped that Peter’s presence might get him a special pass into the Friday night activities . . . something that he’d never been able to manage before.

But Jarrod spoiled it for him, “I believe I heard you tell Becky Hutchens last Sunday after church that you would be by to see her Friday evening.”

“Ah, Jarrod, I didn’t promise her or anything,” Gene reddened. “I just said I might stop by.”

“I think Becky is expecting you,” Jarrod shook his head. “I think that’s where you better go this evening and not with your three older brothers who all look like they’re going to be up to no good.”

“So, you’re not going with us, Jarrod?” Peter asked.

“No, I tend to stay home on Friday nights so that if there’s a need I can come bail out whoever gets thrown in jail.”

“What are you looking at me for?” Nick shouted. “You haven’t bailed me out in years, well months.”

“Uh-huh,” Jarrod scoffed.

“So, Audra, what are you doing this evening?” Peter turned toward his little sister.

“How kind of you to ask, Peter,” she smiled at him and wrinkled her nose at Nick and Heath, letting them know that Peter was on the top of her brother list. “I happen to be going over to the Pratts for a little get-together.”

“And you’re going with whom?” Jarrod raised an eyebrow.

“I’m going with Chet Morris.”

Heath frowned, “I thought you were going to the social tomorrow with Mike Pratt.”

“I am,” she nodded.

“You’re going with Chet tonight and Mike tomorrow night?” Nick frowned.

“That’s right.”

“Well, how do Chet and Mike feel about that?” Jarrod asked.

“I don’t know,” Audra said honestly.

Peter chuckled, “That’s a woman for you. Never thinks about a fellow’s feelings.”

“I do so,” Audra defended herself. “And it’s not like men ever think about women’s feelings.”

“Ah, but that’s the way it’s supposed to be,” Peter countered. “We’re supposed to be totally heartless beasts.”

Audra gave a very unladylike snort, “Oh, Peter, where do you get your ideas? OH, I just realized that you didn’t know about the social tomorrow night. You will be going, won’t you?”

“Social?” Peter winced. “Audra, I can’t remember the last time I went to a ‘social.’”

“So? Is that any reason not to go to this one? Besides, I want to dance with you. After all, you’re the person who taught me to dance.”

“What!” Peter looked at his little sister as if she were daft. “I never taught you to dance. You were, what, seven when I left.”

“You did so teach me. Right before you left. You let me stand on your boots and you waltzed me around the sitting room.”

“I never did any such thing. I think you dreamed that one up, Audra,” Peter denied.

“No, I did not,” she could be just as stubborn as any of her brothers. “Anyway, I want you to dance with me tomorrow evening and now I need to go get ready for my social engagement this evening.” And with that she swept from the dining room.

Jarrod was the first of the brothers to sigh, “Mother, she’s really getting bad about this.”

“Yeah, Mother, you really need to talk to her,” Nick echoed.

“She really doesn’t need to be stringing a bunch of guys along,” Gene agreed and added sagely, “She’s gonna get a reputation of being a tease.”

Victoria studied the faces of her sons, slightly irritated that they were judging their sister so harshly. “Well,” she looked from Heath to Peter and back, “don’t you two have an opinion on this?”

Heath shifted uncomfortably. He dearly loved his little sister and hated to criticize her at all. She was just young and headstrong, he thought, but, “Well, I’m just glad it’s Chet and Mike she’s stringing along. Not too likely either one of them will start a fight.”

“Peter?” Victoria turned to the last son.

“Hmm?” he looked up in surprise.

“Do you want to add your opinion into this?” her eyes swept around the table.

“I don’t think so,” he replied honestly. “Seems as if Audra’s got plenty of brothers ready to run her life. I don’t expect she needs any more.”

“That’s the most sensible remark that has been made on this subject this evening,” she scolded the other boys. “Audra can handle her social engagements on her own. She doesn’t need all her brothers meddling. Do I make myself understood?”

There were several mumbled “yes, ma’am”s. Even Jarrod, the acknowledged paternal figure of the family, was left feeling a little uncomfortable. They had only been thinking of Audra’s best interests, he wanted to tell his mother, but decided that this was not the time or place to voice those sentiments. They all finished up their dinner and drifted toward the sitting room just as Audra came dancing down the stairs and her escort for the evening arrived. Audra made a big production of introducing Chet to her big brother, Peter. Peter smiled kindly and shook the young man’s hand. He could just about read young Mr. Morris’ mind, “Oh, great, ANOTHER big brother to have to deal with.”

Chapter 14

After the young couple left (with Jarrod giving Chet specific instructions to have Audra home by no later than 11), Victoria excused herself, saying she was going up to her room to read. Her boys each gave her a goodnight kiss. As she went up the stairs she admonished them to please be good boys tonight and to please try to be quiet when they came home.

“You still coming with us, Pete?” Nick asked casually as they heard the door to their mother’s room close, trying to keep the whisper of hope out of his voice. An evening on the town with his little brother, something they had talked about as boys but never had a chance to do. Just one evening, Nick silently begged.

“To town?” Peter replied. “Guess so. There should be some good poker games going. Funny how cowboys like to lose all their pay on payday.”

“Shoot, I’m not gonna waste my time at a poker table,” Nick teased. “There’s a pretty young thing working the saloon that’s gonna get my attention.”

“Watch it, Nick, or you’ll be spending all your money on her,” Heath cautioned.

“Not all my money, little brother,” Nick smiled over at Heath. “Just enough to make my evening interesting.”

“Yeah, well, you spend too much time upstairs and you’ll miss buying those rounds of drinks that you owe the boys,” Heath pointed out.

“You buy the rounds, unless you want to go upstairs, too?” Nick raised an eyebrow. Heath was pretty secretive about his trips to whores. He usually slipped off sometime in the middle of the week, avoiding the Friday night rush.

“That’s all right, Nick, I’ll buy the rounds. You go have your fun.”

“So, how about you, Pete? Want me to introduce you to some of the ladies of the night?” Nick teased.

“Pay for a woman?” Peter moved in front of the mirror in the entryway and straightened his shirt collar. “That’s an interesting concept.”

“Huh, so you’re telling me that you live the life of a monk, huh, little brother,” Nick scoffed.

“Hardly, big brother,” Peter chuckled. “It’s just when you’re as good as I am, the women lift their skirts for you.”

Nick shot a look at Gene whose eyes were getting that goddamn hero-worship glaze again. He then looked over at Jarrod, who was also eyeing Gene with concern. This was not the right message to be sending an impressionable boy. He and Jarrod both had worked hard at ensuring that Gene never strayed from the proper path. He was sure glad that Mother and Audra were nowhere around.

“Pete, could I have a word with you, please,” Jarrod said softly.

Peter shrugged his shoulders and murmured, “Sure.” Gene, however, recognized the look in Jarrod’s eye. Too many times when Jarrod looked like this and summoned him into the office, it ended with Gene getting a licking. Of course, Jarrod couldn’t bend Peter over a desk and take his belt to him, but that didn’t mean Peter wasn’t going to get a lecture.

As soon as Jarrod closed the door behind them, Peter knew this was going to be very interesting. Hmm, how to play this to his advantage?

Jarrod moved to stand in front of Peter, his mouth set in a straight line.

“Jarrod?” Peter prompted calmly. “I don’t imagine Nick wants to be kept waiting long.”

“Nick’ll wait,” the oldest brother said shortly. He studied his younger brother for a moment, considering what might be the right tact to take. Finally, he just said it, “Peter, I won’t pass judgment on how you live your life; however, I’d appreciate it if you kept such comments about how you, how you garner your female entertainment to yourself. Gene’s too young to understand.”

Peter snorted, “Gene’s 19. About time he figures it all out, don’t you think.”

Jarrod rolled his eyes, “Gene knows exactly what happens between a man and a woman, but Nick and I have taken great care to ensure that he understands that he must never pressure an innocent girl, that he must never be encouraged by an inexperienced girl who perhaps is acting on feelings that she doesn’t understand, that he must avoid situations where an unfortunate incident might occur.”

“Sorta taking all the fun out of it, aren’t you, Jarrod,” Peter crossed his arms over his chest. “Half the fun is seeing what you can get away with.”

“No,” Jarrod said sharply. “That’s not the way it is for Gene. He’s been taught to treat girls with respect.”

“Respect, huh. Sounds awful boring.”

“It isn’t boring, it’s learning to act responsibly.”

“So, does he ever get to have fun?”

“Gene is not being mistreated, Peter,” Jarrod found himself on the defensive. “He has fun; the proper fun for a boy his age.”

“Dang, Jarrod, he’s hardly a boy.”

“Yes, he is and he’s my responsibility and I’d appreciate it if you would not interfere with the way he’s being raised,” it was now Jarrod’s turn to cross his arms over his chest.

“Sure, whatever, I’ll try not to let my blasphemous ways taint the young man or rather the boy. I’d hate to undo all your hard work.”

“Thank you,” Jarrod snapped.

Peter turned toward the door, “One question, though, Jarrod. How old were you when you had your first woman?”

Jarrod sighed, “That’s really not germane to the discussion but I was Gene’s age. But it wasn’t some girl that I talked into, what was it you said, lifting her skirts. No, I paid for my first woman.”

“Hmm,” Peter murmured. “Are you going to give the boy that chance?”

“I’m not going to stop him but I’m also not going to take him. Neither is Nick or Heath. If that’s something that he decides he wants to do, then it’ll be up to him to take that step by himself. He’s also been taught that there’s no shame in waiting until he’s married.”

“So, what about you, big brother?”

“What about me?”

“Well, I sincerely doubt that a respected attorney at law makes trips to the upstairs of the saloon. So what do you do for your, what did you call it, female entertainment.”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

“You’re right, it’s not,” Peter nodded. “Goodnight, Jarrod.”

“Goodnight, Peter.”

Peter stepped back in the entryway, highly amused at the expressions of the three brothers who were waiting for him. “Not to worry,” he grinned at them. “I’m still allowed to go to town.”

“Well, let’s get going then,” Nick growled.

Gene trailed his older brothers out to the barn, still disgruntled that he wasn’t going to get to go with them. He saddled his horse and prepared to ride over to the Hutchens’. Peter had led out the horse that Nick had told him to use and swung up in the saddle. He eased his mount over to where Gene was glumly checking his cinch, “Listen, Gene. I’m gonna get Nick to do some drinking with me.”

“So,” Gene grumbled.

“So, I’ll get him to drinking so it’ll be a good while before he wanders upstairs at the saloon and then he’ll be pretty drunk so it’ll take him a while to take of his business,” Peter winked at his brother. “I figured you could go over to see this girl and then leave early and come on into town. I’ll let you play my hand at the poker table for a few rounds. Nick’ll be upstairs, he’ll never know. If Jarrod asks you about going over to those folks, you won’t have to lie to him. He just won’t have to know that you left early.”

Gene’s eyes brightened at the idea. Peter certainly had seemed to cover all the bases, except, “What about Heath? He’ll be downstairs.”

“Ah, Heath won’t say anything. Trust me,” Peter smiled.

Gene made his decision quickly, “All right, I’ll see you later.”

Peter just smiled and nodded. Things were working out just the way he needed.

Chapter 15

Several hours later, Peter reflected that things were working out very well indeed. He had gotten Nick into a drinking contest. That had whiled away a good bit of time. The only bad moments had been when the well intoxicated Nick had started telling Heath and the pretty girl hanging onto Nick’s arm about his “crazy little brother.”

“Hell, Heath, I tell you, he used to do the craziest things,” Nick had been slurring just a little. “Like when we were kids racing our horses. He’d be right next to me and then the next thing I knew I’d look back and he would be standing up in his stirrups, not holding onto the reins, arms thrown out to his sides. And you know what he’d tell me, he’d tell me it had to be like flying. Used to make Father so damn mad. Kept saying the horse was going to stumble and that Pete was going to break his fool neck.”

Peter had just shrugged at Heath and the girl and pointed to Nick’s head as if to say that his brother wasn’t all there and was speaking total nonsense. Nick missed the gestures and continued to rattle on, “And, he used to walk the corral fence.”

“Walk the fence?” Heath had to ask.

“Yep, walk on the top rail, all the way around, never fall off,” Nick had waved his hands in the air. “That used to really irritate Father, too, but what was really bad was when Pete started doing handstands on the rails. Father would just get livid, told him he was a damn fool for doing such stunts, that he was just trying to get himself hurt to upset Mother. I remember one time Pete said he could walk on the banister all the way upstairs without falling. I bet him he couldn’t. He said he’d take the bet if he could take his boots and socks off. He was just past the landing when Mother and Father came in from town. Father’s shout made him lose his balance but he just jumped back down on the stairs. Father stormed up the stairs and started to drag him to his office when Pete spouted off, ‘Nick bet me.’ So, of course, I got a licking, too.”

“Now, the whipping, I remember that,” Peter had finally said.

“Seems like all you remember about Father are the whippings,” Nick had said, his voice filled with something like anger.

“Seems like that’s all I ever got from him, brother,” Peter had tipped his glass toward Nick and then downed another shot of the god-awful whiskey.

“That ain’t true, Pete,” Nick had whispered.

“That’s the way I remember it, brother,” Peter had replied and then pushed the bottle toward Nick. “You’re falling behind, Nick.”

Nick had hesitated a moment and then picked up the bottle to pour himself another drink. After a bit, the girl had teased Nick into going upstairs. Peter had moved over to the poker tables and found an opening. He had noticed that Heath had made it a point to move to a different table. They had played for about half an hour and then Peter had seen Gene come into the saloon, trying to look like he belonged here but with an anxious frown on his face.

Peter had grinned at his brother and called, “Hey, Gene, I need to take a break. Come play my cards for a bit.”

“Sure,” Gene had tried hard not to sound eager and to keep the red from creeping up his neck into his face.

Peter had turned his chair over to his little brother and clapped him on the shoulder, “I’ll get you a beer.”

Gene had looked up in surprise. A few times Nick or Heath had bought him a beer, but it was always in the middle of the afternoon, not on a rowdy Friday night. He set his face and picked up his cards, determined to do well tonight. It didn’t have to be great, just respectable. He managed to just nod distractedly when Pete set the beer next to his elbow. To make good his excuse for leaving the poker table, Peter went outside and relieved himself. He wandered back in and walked to the bar. Heath had already left his poker table and was leaning on the bar, watching Gene in the reflection of the mirror. Peter went to stand beside him.

“This ain’t a good idea, Pete,” Heath said quietly. He had no doubts that Peter was the one behind this.

“It’ll be fine,” Peter soothed. It was important that Heath go along with this. “He’s just gonna play a few hands of poker, drink a beer. I’ll get him out long before Nick ever comes downstairs. And as far as Jarrod knows, he’s over at that girl’s place playing the perfect little gentleman caller.”

Heath sighed. If either Jarrod or Nick found out, there would be hell to pay. However, there was the possibility that all that would happen would be that Gene got to be in town on a Friday night. Considering he was 19, that didn’t seem like such a big thing. Certainly there were any number of cowpokes in this saloon that age and younger right now.

“Well, for Gene’s sake, I hope this works out all right,” Heath finally said.

Peter smiled widely and ordered another drink. Like Heath, he watched Gene in the mirror’s reflection. The boy was doing well. He folded early on one hand, lost a little on the second, but then won a big pot. Peter let him play two more hands. He won the first one and then folded in the second. It was time, Peter thought, time to move onto the next step in his plan.

“Hey, Gene,” Peter called over. “I’m getting ready to head back to the ranch. Do you want to go back with me?”

Gene knew that Peter was giving him an excuse to get out before Nick came back downstairs. “Yeah, sure, Pete, I guess this is a good time,” he stood and picked up his winnings. “Hey, Heath, you want to take my place?” the boy said boldly. He would prove that he knew how to handle himself in a saloon on a Friday night.

“Sure, Gene,” Heath turned to smile at his younger brother. “Seems like that’s been a lucky place for Barkleys this evening. Guess I’ll try it, too.”

“See you and Nick at home,” Gene patted his brother’s shoulder and grinned just a bit too wide.

“Uh-huh,” Heath fought back the grin that threatened to take over his face. Little Gene was sure stepping proud tonight. Heath had to admit that Peter’s little plan had sure done a lot for the boy. Now if they could just be sure that neither Nick nor Jarrod found out.

Gene followed Peter outside and swung up on his horse. As they started down the road toward home, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the wad of money that he had won, “Here, most of this is yours.” He reached out to hand it to Peter.

“Nah,” Peter shook his head, “you keep it.”

Gene flushed, “Really, take it, Peter. I don’t need it. Nick pays me a pretty good wage when I’m home working and I get a good allowance when I’m at school.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not broke, Gene,” Peter said easily. “Actually, I’ve been on a pretty good winning streak of recent. You keep the money. There might be something that you’d like to buy that either what Nick pays you or the allowance that Jarrod gives you won’t quite cover. Besides you won part of it.”

Gene rode along quietly for several minutes, “I’m not sure that this is very fair. I mean I used your stake to bet. I didn’t even put any of my own money in.”

“Gene,” Peter snorted. “Quit worrying about it. I asked you to play my hand. Now keep the money.”

“All right,” Gene wasn’t particularly pleased but he pocketed the money.

They rode along silently for a bit and then Peter pulled up his horse, “Listen, Gene. I’m feeling pretty lucky tonight and I heard tell of a high-stakes poker game down on the wharf. Why don’t you go on home? I’ll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast.”

“Can’t I got with you?” Gene was highly disappointed that he wasn’t going to get to ride home with his hero. He’d planned on asking Pete about his travels in Europe. Gene really wanted to go to Europe but was sure that neither of his older brothers would see a need for him to do a “Grand Tour.”

“Nah, it’s one thing to risk Jarrod’s and Nick’s wrath by getting you into a poker game at a saloon that both Heath and Nick are at. It’s something else entirely taking you to a backroom on the wharf where men don’t like any spectators.”

“It sounds kinda dangerous. Maybe you shouldn’t be going, Pete,” Gene said cautiously.

Peter laughed softly, “Don’t worry about me, little brother. I’ll do just fine. Go on, now, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

With that, Peter turned his horse back toward town and Gene, glumly, head on toward the ranch. His spirits picked up, however, as he contemplated all that he’d gotten to do this evening. And he had Peter to thank for it all.

Continued…