Angel on Earth

Part 1

by Kenda

Prologue

The two women sat atop their horses on a distant hill that rose high above the surrounding ground.  Using the tip of one finger Monica nudged the brim of her cowboy hat further back on her forehead.  Even here, on California’s range, her Irish brogue came through loud and clear.

          “I feel just like John Wayne, Tess.”

          The plump black woman eyed her friend.  “John Wayne?”

          “Oh yes.”  The young angel swung her right arm in a circle high above her head as though she was getting ready to toss a rope.  “I can see the doggies right in front of me.”

          “Doggies?”

          “Calves, Tess.  Little cows.  Wee ones that need to be returned to the herd.”

          “I know what doggies are, Angel Girl.  And would you put your arm down.  You look like Phil Jackson signaling Michael Jordan to make a basket.”

          “Now that was a fun assignment.”

          “By virtue of the fact that it didn’t involve me sittin’ my big old butt on a horse, I’d have to agree.”

          “Aw, Tess, what’s wrong?  Don’t you like Noah?”

          “I like Noah just fine.  It’s this horse I’m not too fond of.”

          “Tess, that’s your horse’s name.  Noah.”

          “Oh.  Well,...I suppose that makes sense since the Noah I’m acquainted with does have a soft spot for animals.  But I’d sure like to get a hold of the man who first decided these creatures made for good transportation, ‘cause to tell you the truth, Angel Girl, this here horse ain’t near as comfortable as those plush leather seats in my red convertible.” 

          “Then why aren’t we using it?”

          “Because we’ve gone back in time, child.  Mr. Ford hasn’t invented the automobile yet, which explains our current means of travel.”

          “How exciting.  Am I going to ride the range?  Be a rootin’ tootin’ cowgirl?  Maybe tour with a Wild West show?”

          “None of the above.   Your role is to guide another angel through his first assignment.”

          “Really?  Who?”

          “I don’t know.  I haven’t been told all the details yet.  But there,”  Tess pointed to a flat piece of ground far below them,  “there goes the young man who will become the focus of our work.”

          “He’s a cowboy.”

          “He surely is.”

          “And a handsome one at that; riding a fine horse and wearing a beautiful coat.  The sign of a man who spares no expense.”

          “Don’t let looks deceive you, Angel Girl.  This one had a humble beginning and he’s never forgotten where he came from.  He has no doubts that if all he now possesses was taken from him tomorrow, he wouldn’t suffer for a moment provided he still has his family by his side.”

          “He sounds like a man who knows what really matters in this world.  Why does he need us?”
          “Although Heath Barkley,....”

          “Is that his name?”

          “Yes.”

          “Heath Barkley.  Ah, a strong name of the Scottish highlands it is.  And because of that I’d venture to say he’s a strong man.”

          “If by a strong man you mean Mr. Barkley has lived through his fair share of trials and come out a victor, you’re correct, Angel Girl.  But this time,...well this time,..”

          Seemingly from nowhere another rider joined the pair.  Monica turned in the saddle to greet her blond colleague.

          “Andrew, what are you doing here?” 

          The Angel Of Death shrugged his shoulders.  “God will reveal that to all of us in due time, Monica, including me.  However; I’ve been told I’ll be assisting many people in making the final journey into their Father’s loving arms.”

          “Including Heath Barkley?”
          The handsome angel nodded as he looked at the lone rider below.  “Yes.  Including Heath Barkley.”

Chapter 1

          Heath’s horse trotted underneath him.  According to the calendar it was early spring, but patches of snow still clung to the ground.  The cowboy used the reins to guide the animal around the slick spots that remained from the icy rain that had fallen a week ago.  The slate gray sky was flat and lifeless, belaying any signs of green grass and tree buds.  A chilly wind blew across the desolate hillside making it feel more like January than April.

          Heath used one gloved hand to pull his fur-lined collar closer around his neck.  The expensive sheepskin coat had been a Christmas present from the woman he now called mother.  Three years had passed since he'd first come to live with his father's family.  He thought back to the bitter, angry man he'd been when he'd arrived. and how a tiny, regal lady had changed him.

          Victoria Barkley didn't have to accept him.  After all, Heath was the product of her husband's extramarital affair.  Granted, by virtue of that Victoria's sons and daughter were Heath's half-siblings, but when he'd come to the Barkley ranch that day in January of 1876 it hadn't been with the intention of forming a bond with this family he didn't know.  Heath was ashamed now, to acknowledge he'd come to claim what was his.  He'd grown up poor, the illegitimate child of a young woman who had worked hard all her short life to provide for him and raise him right.  His mother, Leah Thomson, had been beautiful woman.  A woman who could have gone far in this world had she not given birth out of wedlock and then been forced to make a living for herself and her child in a small town that offered few prospects to a person of her position.  Ironically enough, Leah and Victoria shared an identical build and similar features. 

          It was Victoria who stopped Heath from leaving three years earlier.  After all the uproar with the railroad was over Nick handed him a bank draft for more money than he'd ever seen in his life.  Heath would have ridden away that day with that draft in his pocket and never seen his siblings again had it not been for Victoria's challenge. He was headed for the door when she appeared seemingly out of nowhere and spoke in a quiet tone of steel.

          "You're angry with your father, young man, and I don't blame you.  I'm angry with him, too.  But it will do neither of us any good to harbor ill-will against a man who is incapable of defending himself.  If Tom were alive, perhaps he'd have an explanation for us, but he's dead and it's quite possible we'll never have any answers.  We both have to learn to live with that fact, Heath."

          Heath turned around and stared at the woman across the wide foyer. 

When he'd arrived at the ranch five days earlier he'd never given Tom Barkley's widow a thought.  Never considered what his appearance would do to a woman who had assumed her husband had been faithful to her throughout twenty-eight years of marriage.  Ever since Heath had come to discover who his father was he'd felt only hate for the wealthy rancher.  He'd never thought further as to what the news of his existence would do to the wife and children Tom Barkley had left behind. 

          The blond man saw the hurt in Victoria's eyes that day.  But he also saw an inner strength not unlike the strength he'd seen in his own mother's eyes when he was a child. 

          "The only way you can really get to know your father now is by getting to know Jarrod, Nick, Audra, and Eugene.  By getting to know your brothers and sister."

          Heath didn't reply, not certain what it was the woman was proposing.

          She saw his confusion and gave him a soft smile.  "You can stay here, Heath.  For as long as you'd like.  Whether it be a day, a week, a year,.. or for much longer than that, you owe this to yourself.  I sense the hatred that's inside you slices deep into your heart.  Let the boys and Audra help you see another side of the man who is father to all of you."

          Heath stood in that foyer unable to move.  Staying at the Barkley ranch had been the last thing on his mind.  He hadn't been in residence a week, yet he and Nick already had a strong dislike for one another.  Nick  made it no secret he was anxious to see Heath go.  The blond man wasn't sure how the rest of his siblings felt, but if nothing else Heath knew they were shocked and hurt, and blamed him for the desecration of their father's memory no matter how true his story might be.

          Victoria seemed able to read his thoughts.  Or maybe he was more like his half-brothers than he knew, meaning she could discern the fleeting emotions on his face.

          "It won't be easy, I can promise you that.  Tom was a well-respected man in this valley.  There will be many people who doubt your word.  Doubt that you are who you say you are.  But myself, I've never worried about what other people say, and after the hard life you've been forced to live I'm willing to bet you don't put much stock in the gossip of others either.  As far as your brothers and sister go,"  Victoria shrugged her shoulders, "it will take time for them to accept you.  Maybe they never will.  Or maybe you'll never come to accept them."

          After a long pause Heath spoke for the first time.  "Jarrod, Audra, and Eugene,...I guess I could give it a try with them.  But Nick,...well Nick and I haven't exactly hit it off."

          Heath thought he saw a twinkle in Victoria's eyes as a slight smile danced around her lips. "You hate each other."

          Heath nodded, hiding his own smile.  "That's pretty much the size of it."

          Victoria raised an eyebrow.  "Perhaps the two of you are more alike than you know."
          "Ma'am?"

          "You both have the Barkley temper."

          Heath had no answer for the woman, but then he got the impression she didn't expect one. 

          "So what will it be?"
          Heath thought a long moment before replying.  He hadn't admitted fear to anyone, not even himself, since he was a child.  Not when he was eight and worked far beneath the earth in Strawberry’s mines, not when he was sixteen and left home for places unknown, not when he was seventeen and fighting Reb soldiers, nor when he spent eight months in atrocious conditions in a POW camp, nor when he was scouting Apaches for a wagon train, or was the deputy sheriff in the town of Jubilee.  But in truth what Victoria Barkley was proposing to him was scarier than all those other things combined.  He already felt so out of place.  How would he ever fit in with the brothers and sister who had grown up with everything he'd grown up without?  Would they go on resenting him for hurting their mother and soiling their father's name, or would they slowly get to know him?  And even if they did get to know each other, would they come to like him, and him them?  Maybe it would be easier to just leave.  After all, he did get what he came for, the portion of Tom Barkley's wealth that was his birth right.

          And that's when his mother's face came to mind.  Leah Thomson had always been so brave and strong no matter how difficult things became.  She'd never run from anything.  Not even the narrow minded attitudes of a small town, nor the malicious gossip she was the focal point of because she'd birthed an illegitimate child and then kept him, as opposed to sending him off to an orphanage when he was no more than hours old.  Heath knew his mother would be ashamed of him if she saw how he'd conducted himself the last five days.  She'd remind him that she'd raised him better than that.  That she hadn't raised him to hurt good people.  To hurt people who had nothing to do with his pain.  And she'd remind him that above all else, she'd always taught him to be an honorable man and to never feel sorry for himself.  Because his mother taught him all those lessons, Heath was well aware of what she’d want him to do now.

          "I,...I guess I'll stay on a while.  If that's okay with you."
          "I wouldn't have asked you to if it wasn't."

          Heath nodded and turned toward the door.  He was exhausted, both physically and emotionally.  All he wanted to do was lie down on his bunk in the ten-man bunk house where he'd been put up the first day he'd ridden onto the property under the guise of ranch hand.

          "Where are you going?"  Victoria asked.

          "To the bunkhouse."
          "Good idea.  Get your things together, then come back here.  I'll be waiting."

          "Ma'am?"

          "And please quit calling me ma'am.  It makes me feel like an old woman.  You may call me Victoria if you'd like."

          "Ummm,...thank you.  But why do you want me to come back in here with my stuff?"
          "Because I need to show you to your room.  And you look tired.  Nicholas has been working you like a dog ever since you arrived.  Perhaps you'd like to take a nap before dinner."

          If Heath was understanding the woman correctly she was proposing that he sleep in her home and share dinner with her family.  The thought of it unnerved him.

          "No,...I'll,...I'll just stay with the other men.  I,..."
          Victoria's voice held no room for argument.    "Heath, your Tom's son just like Jarrod, Nick, and Eugene are his sons.  For as long as you choose to stay on the ranch then this house is just as much yours as it is theirs.  Now please get your things so you have a chance to rest before dinner."

          Heath hesitated, then finally nodded his consent.  If he was going to become a part of his new family perhaps plunging right in was the only way.  He didn't say a word when he took the bank draft out of his pocket and handed it to Victoria, nor did he see the smile on her face when he walked away from her that afternoon, but he felt it.

          That same smile had been bestowed on Heath many times during the intervening years.  It held the same amount of warmth and love when given to him as it did when it was given to his half siblings.  Heath still found it remarkable that this woman, who had every reason to hate him, had grown to love him as much as she did her own children and never hesitated to call him son.

          Heath coaxed his horse up  the steep hill.  At the top he would come to a road.  From there the forty additional miles he needed to travel to reach home could be covered at a faster pace.  The tools in his saddle bags clanged together.  He'd been gone from the ranch house for three weeks.  With spring came the opportunity to pasture the cattle farther from the main buildings.  They needed new grass and alfalfa to grow fat for the fall market.  Since November they'd been kept in the pastures close to home so they could seek shelter from the snows and rains of winter in the many lean-to buildings the Barkleys had scattered about.  Plus the closer the animals were to the ranch the easier it was to feed and water them should the winter be so harsh that the ground was covered with snow and the running streams covered with ice. 

          Each spring, before the cattle were turned out to roam as far from the main ranch as they desired, someone had to check the fence lines on all the boundaries to make certain they were in good condition.  It was a lonely job, and often a cold one if the warm winds of March were slow in coming as they were this year.  Nick and Heath had drawn straws for the job, and for the second year in a row Heath lost.  He wasn't so certain Nick hadn't rigged the game somehow, but after some good natured teasing thrown his older brother's way Heath packed his bedroll, accepted the food Silas readied for him, and loaded his saddle bags with the necessary equipment.  Heath Barkley had never been afraid of work, and while sleeping outside for three weeks during the fussy month of April might be considered a hardship by some, Heath considered it a Sunday picnic when compared to the time he'd spent in Carterson Prison during the war.

          Heath thought of his family and how much he missed them as he softly plunked the heels of his boots into his horse's sides.  It was amusing, in an ironic sort of way, that he was lonely for the very people he had been so belligerent to when he first arrived.  But Jarrod had grown to be a trusted advisor and respected friend.  At eight years older than Heath, Jarrod was the kind of big brother Heath had dreamed of having as a little boy.

          Audra, well once Audra had forgiven Heath for the upset he'd caused they'd quickly formed a bond that wasn't easily penetrated.  Heath wasn't really sure why that was so.  In large part he attributed it to Audra's kind heart.  The young woman couldn't stand to see another person treated like an outcast, and  Lord knows Heath had spent much of his life playing that role.  With five years separating them he and Audra were closer in age than she was to either Jarrod or Nick, who were thirteen and nine years her senior, so maybe that had something to do with their bond as well.  All Heath knew for certain was that somewhere along the line he and Audra had become companions who enjoyed a nightly game of cards or checkers, or a long horseback ride on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

          Eugene he wasn't as close to as he was the rest of his siblings, but not because of any discord that existed between them.  Gene had been a college student back when Heath first arrived, so other than summer break and two weeks at Christmas time Heath rarely saw him.  After Gene  graduated from Berkeley with a degree in animal husbandry, he'd accepted a position at a university in England where he'd brought his knowledge of veterinary medicine and American ranching techniques to the British.  He had a great love for the British Isles and last August he'd married the daughter of one of his English colleagues.  In truth the family doubted the young man would ever live in the States again, which was why Victoria and Audra were making plans for an annual voyage abroad.    

          Heath had to shake his head and smile when he thought of Nick.  Victoria Barkley had been right about the temper the two men shared, though Nick was quicker to anger than Heath, and was the one who more often than not went off 'half-cocked' as Jarrod liked to say.  God knows the two of them, Nick and Heath, had butted heads like a couple of stubborn rams throughout the first year Heath was with the family.  But on the other hand, within a few days of Victoria having extended her invitation to Heath, it became apparent Nick was not going to allow anyone to speak ill of him.  How many fist fights Nick got into on his behalf Heath didn't know, but by the end of that first year they'd grown to be best friends.  They still butted heads occasionally, and every so often got into a good old-fashioned shouting match, but despite all that they worked side by side each day to run the ranch.  Because of that work, and through it their constant contact, their friendship had come to be so strong that an outsider would have assumed they'd grown up together just like most brothers do.  If Heath had ever told any of those outside observers how young his relationship with Nick really was, or told about its rocky start, they never would have believed him.

          Heath felt the ground level out beneath him as Charger crested the hill.  The dirt road now lay before them.  He looked up at the sky, but without the sun it was hard to tell what time it was.  He pulled his watch out of his coat pocket and flicked the button that would allow the cover to pop up. Three-thirty.  With the cloud cover as it was he would roughly have two more hours of light by which to travel by.  He'd go a little farther, then rest his horse for a few minutes.  Now that he was on the final leg of his journey he was anxious to make it home.  If the weather held and he wasn't pelted by any rain or snow he should arrive at the ranch within forty-eight hours.

          The blond man looked up the road.  A wagon was pulled over to the side, a man crouched beside its back wheel.

          "So much for gettin' home within the next couple of days,"  Heath muttered.   He urged Charger forward causing the animal to break into a cross between a trot and a run.  When they came along side the wagon Heath pulled back on the reins.

          "Howdy.  Need some help?"
          The man looked up, the brim of his hat shading a weathered face.

          "Only if you got a miracle in them saddle bags, mister."

          Heath swung off his horse and looped the reins around one of the wagon's wooden slats.  He smiled at the little girl sitting in the back of the wagon amidst boxes of groceries and supplies, then tipped his hat to the woman perched on the wagon's seat cradling a well-wrapped infant in her arms.

          "A miracle?"  Heath questioned, crouching beside the man.

          "The axle broke.  Slipped right outta the wheel there, see.  I got some wood amongst the supplies I bought in town today, but my tools are at home and that's four miles away.  I can't hardly leave my wife and children here by themselves, it'll be dark fore I get back.  But my Caroline’s sick with a bad cold.  I hate to make her walk that far."

          The little girl with the blond braids, whom Heath estimated to be seven years old, coughed into her hands.  "I'm okay, Papa.  Really I am.  I can walk if I have to."

          Heath smiled at the child with the bright blue eyes.  He reached out a hand and tweaked her nose.  "Well, Miss Caroline, I don't think that'll be necessary.  I do believe this is your lucky day."
          "Really?"

          "Really."
          Heath undid the leather strap on one of his saddle bags while talking to Caroline’s father.  "I've been riding the range fixing fence line.  I've got about every tool in these two saddle bags a man can think of.  If you'll grab the wood you said you have we can get to work."

          "Well, thank you, Sir,"  the man said.  "That's mighty kind of you."

          "No need to thank me.  Nor to call me sir.  The name's Heath Barkley."

          The man held out a hand to Heath.  "Will.  Will Atkins."

          While Mr. Atkins got the wood he needed Heath pulled his gloves off and tucked them underneath his saddle.  He reached in the saddle bags and pulled out a hammer, chisel, and nails.  He then dipped deep in a coat pocket and came up with two squares of chocolate wrapped in gold paper.  He held the candy out to Caroline.

          "Here, Miss Caroline.  I told you it was your lucky day."
          "For me?"  The little girl scooted across the wagon floor on her knees. 

          "Yep, for you.  My little sister, who's almost as pretty as you, slipped those in my pocket when I left home three weeks ago.  She knows how much I love chocolate."

          "It's chocolate?"  The youngster marveled.  "Real chocolate?"
          Heath knew just how the child felt.  When he was a boy real chocolate was a treat he rarely experienced.  His mother couldn't afford such luxuries.  The penny candies he occasionally received were of the hard variety like peppermints or butter rums.  When Audra had found that out, and found out what a passion he had for chocolate, she never ceased to take the opportunity to surprise him with a pocketful of Godiva's imported all the way from New York City.

          "Oh, Mr. Barkley, please take those back,"  Mrs. Atkins said.    "Caroline doesn't need them.  Chocolate is so expensive.  They're yours."

          "No, no.  I've had my fill.  If I eat anymore of it my sister will have to sew me a new pair of pants."  Heath winked at Caroline.  "And if you've ever seen the result of Audra's sewing you'd know I'd end up with a pair of pants that has three legs."

          The child giggled, then coughed until she was red in the face.  When the tight, unproductive spasm passed she turned to her mother.  "Please, Ma, can I eat one piece now?"

          "Well, if Mr. Barkley insists that you have it then yes, you may eat one piece now.  But give me the other one and we'll save it for your after supper treat."                  The child handed her mother one piece of candy then carefully unwrapped the other.  She folded the gold paper and tucked it in her coat pocket.  It was so pretty.  Maybe she'd find something to wrap with it someday.  A present of some sort for her baby brother, Clint William.  Caroline took small licks of the solid square of milk chocolate, making it last as long as she could.

          Within thirty minutes Heath and Will had the wagon fixed.  Heath turned to put his tools away.

          "That should do you, Mr. Atkins.  I wouldn't take this wagon too far from home until you've had a chance to put a new axle in there, but I think it'll hold for now."

          "Thank you, Mr. Barkley.  I appreciate your help.  And I'm sorry about delaying you."

          "No problem there.  My horse needed the rest anyway.  I'll ride along with you until you turn off for home."

          "Would you come for supper, Mr. Barkley?"  Mrs. Atkins called down from her perch.  "It won't be anything fancy, but I left some stew simmering over the coals before we set out for Laton this morning."

          Heath knew Laton was a town of about four hundred people three miles behind them and over the next ridge.  It had been years since he'd been there, and though he could have rented a room at the Laton Hotel and ridden out each morning to do the necessary work on the fences, he'd chosen not to simply because it added extra miles to each day's journey. 

          "No, thank you, Ma'am.  I'd like to press on.  I'm hoping to be home within the next couple days."

          "I understand."  The woman turned, careful not to jostle the sleeping baby boy she was still holding.  "Caroline, thank Mr. Barkley for his help and for the chocolate."

          The little girl got on her knees and scooted to the wagon's side once again.  She wrapped her arms around Heath's neck and gave him a cold kiss on the cheek.  "Thank you, Mr. Barkley."  She turned her head away and coughed into her bare hands.  When she could speak again she added,  "The candy was the most wonderful thing I've ever tasted."

          "I'm glad to hear that, Miss Caroline."
          The child ran her hands over the warm fur of Heath's coat collar and then down the soft tan hide of the sleeves.  "Oooh, it's so beautiful and soft.  Where'd you get it?"
          "My mother gave it to me for Christmas."

          "Wow!  Both the chocolates and this pretty coat.  Your family must love you a lot, Mr. Barkley."

          Heath laughed.  "Well now, Miss Caroline, I guess they do at that."

          Heath gently tugged on one braid, then untied Charger from the wagon.  He swung himself up in the saddle and rode along side the family until they parted ways with him two and a half miles down the road.

          "We'll be fine from here, Mr. Barkley,"  Will assured.  "Even if I do have trouble now we're within a quarter mile of home.  Caroline can ride on my back if need be."

          Heath nodded and said a final goodbye.  With a wave and wink to Caroline he kicked his horse in the sides and headed off at a trot.

          The little girl watched until Heath was out of sight.  She curled up in the straw her papa had put in the wagon's bed that morning for her comfort, and wrapped her coat closer to her body.

          "Ma, I don't feel good."

          Mrs. Atkins glanced over her shoulder.  "The chocolate Mr. Barkley gave you must be churning in your tummy."

          "No, my tummy's fine.  I'm hot and cold both at the same time and my chest hurts."

          Ellen Atkins twisted in her seat and laid a hand on her daughter's forehead.  She turned to her husband.  "Will, she's hot.  Really hot."
          Will swatted the horses with the reins.  "I'll hurry us on home so you can get some stew in her and get her to bed."  He glanced at his wife's pinched features.  "Now don't be frettin' so.  She just has a cold."

          Ellen smiled down at her little girl.  The child's face was suddenly flushed and her eyes overly bright.  She hoped to God her husband was right.  She hoped all Caroline had was a cold.  Just a good old fashioned cold.

_________________________________________

          No one was around when Heath stalled his horse at ten o'clock on Monday night.  That didn't surprise him, by this time most of the ranch hands were done for the day.  About the only people you found in the big barn this late was either him or Nick.

          The blond man stretched, putting a hand to the small of his back.  It had been a long time since he'd spent three weeks in the saddle.  He relieved his horse of the burdens of saddle, blanket, saddle bags, and rifle sheath, then led the gelding to his stall.  He brushed the animal down before filling his feed pan and water trough.

          "There you go, Charger,"  Heath rubbed the bay's nose. "You look like you're comfortable for the night meaning I can now get comfortable for the night."

          The house was dark when Heath approached with his rifle clutched loosely in his right hand, and his saddle bags slung over his left shoulder.  He swore he'd seen lights on when he'd ridden up the lane a half hour earlier, but maybe everyone had gone to bed since then.  They knew to expect him home sometime this week, but of course they wouldn't have been able to predict the exact day and time of his return.

          Heath shut the big front door as quietly as he could.  He knew the house well enough to make his way to the round table that sat to his left.  He laid his rifle and saddle bags down, being careful not to knock over the vase of flowers residing in the center of the table. 

          The man wondered if there was any leftovers from dinner hiding somewhere in the kitchen.  Hot food, a hot bath, and a warm bed all sounded so appealing he didn't know which he wanted to seek out first. 

          Heath fished around in his coat pocket for a match stick.  Oil lamps were mounted on various spots of the walls, all he had to do was find one and then he'd have some light.  He glanced toward the stairs that led to the bedrooms, but no lights came from above. Everyone must be asleep like he'd suspected.     

          The blond man was just about to strike his match when he felt two soft hands cover his eyes.

          "Welcome home, sweetheart!"

          Before Heath could turn around lamps were lit all around him.  Jarrod stood in one corner of the parlor, Nick in another.  Silas was in the foyer, having lit that lamp for the family.

          The black man bustled off toward the kitchen. "I'll get Mr. Heath's dinner, Mrs. Barkley.  And cake and coffee for everyone."

          Heath felt his brothers clap him on the back as his mother hugged him.

          "Welcome home, Heath,"  came Jarrod's quiet voice from his left shoulder.

          "Welcome home, little brother!"  Nick boomed from his right.  "And I'd better not find out you hightailed it to San Francisco instead of riding the range like you were supposed to be doing."

          Heath half turned from within the confines of Victoria's arms. "Don't you worry none along those lines. I was riding the range even though I've got a sneakin’' suspicion it was you who was supposed to be doin' that job."

          "Me?  Hey now, you lost fair and square."

          "Oh yeah,"  Heath nodded.  "I know first hand just how fair and square Nick Barkley can be."

          The teasing went on as Heath tried to disengage himself from Victoria's grasp.  "Mother, you don't wanna do that.  I'm in bad need of a bath.  Your clothes are gonna smell like three weeks worth of trail dust."

          Heath felt the petite woman's lips brush his cheek.  "Oh, I don't care what my clothes end up smelling like.  I'm just so happy to see you.  We've missed you so."

          Heath returned the kiss with one of his own.  "I've missed all of you, too."

          From the dining room Silas called,  "Mr. Heath's supper is on the table!"

          Nick looked at Jarrod and winked.  "Come on, Jarrod.  If we beat Heath there we can eat again."

          "Sounds good to me."

          "Oh, you two, stop teasing your brother,"  Victoria scolded the departing men.  "Besides, after Heath's eaten we'll all have a slice of celebration cake."
          "Celebration cake?"  Heath questioned.  "What are we celebratin'?"

          Audra slipped up behind Heath to give him a backwards hug. "Your return.  And it's chocolate cake with chocolate icing.  Your favorite.  As a big welcome home from all of us."

          Heath moved so he could wrap his arms around both women.  "Well I sure wasn't expectin' this.  As a matter of fact I thought all of you had gone to bed."

          "That's what we wanted you to think,"  Audra smiled.  "We've been watching for you since Sunday night.  When Nick saw you ride up we waited until you went in the barn then blew out all the lamps."  The young woman put a hand in Heath's coat pocket.  "And speaking of chocolate did you find the surprises I sent along with you?"

          "Every single one of them."  Heath kissed his sister's temple in appreciation.  "And I ate 'em all but the last two.  Those I gave to a pretty little gal I ran across on the trail."
          Audra raised an eyebrow and looked across Heath's body at her mother.  "A pretty little gal, huh?  And you had to give her my chocolates to convince her of your charm?"
          Heath laughed.  "No, not exactly.  Miss Caroline Atkins was a little young for courtin', Sis.  She couldn't have been more than six years old.  Seven tops.  Her family's wagon had broken down.  I stopped and helped her father repair it.  Your chocolates made her day."

          "Then I'll have to surprise you with more some time soon.  But for now we'd better get you in the dining room before Nick eats your supper, and polishes off that cake to boot."

          "Yes,"  Victoria agreed.  "We'd better do that.  And while we're eating I'll have Silas draw you a hot bath and turn down your bed."

          Heath kissed the woman's cheek.  "You spoil me too much."

          Victoria squeezed the man's arm.  "None of my children can ever possibly be too spoiled by their mother."

          A warm feeling coursed through Heath's insides at Victoria's words and at the thought of this little party that had been put together in  honor of his homecoming.

          Caroline had been right.  His family loved him a lot.

Chapter 2

          The weekend following Heath’s return spring was finally toying with the valley.  The sun shone brightly and the temperatures warmed to a comfortable seventy degrees.  The Barkley family attended services at the Congregational Church in Stockton just like they did every Sunday.  Their Sunday family meal would be in the evening, a habit that had started long ago when the Jarrod and Nick had reached courting age and didn't always want to return to the ranch with their parents after the service let out at noon.  

          Victoria said goodbye to her offspring on the church steps.  Jarrod was going to put in a few hours at his office that afternoon while Audra was being squired to lunch by a handsome suitor.  Exactly what Nick and Heath were doing Victoria didn't know, but she imagined it involved the two young women with the big picnic basket she'd seen them walk off the church grounds with.

       Garland Manner and his wife Opal stopped to talk to Victoria as the three of them awaited their turn to shake hands with the minister.

          "I see you're alone today, Victoria,"  Garland said.  "Perhaps you'd like to join Opal and me for dinner at our place."
          "Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll go home and read a book I started the other day.  It's not often I have the house to myself.  Besides, the children will start reappearing about five this afternoon.  They know I expect all of them to be gathered around the table for Sunday supper promptly at six-thirty."

          The Manners' nodded their understanding.  They'd been among the group of young couples who'd come west from Philadelphia with Tom and Victoria.  None of them had been over twenty-two back then, and none of them had children though several, like Victoria and Opal, had been in the early stages of pregnancy.  Now those that were still alive were all pushing sixty or beyond, and as hard as it was for Victoria to believe all the offspring they'd beget were grown and many had offspring of their own.

          "Did you hear about the outbreak of diphtheria over at Laton?"  Opal asked. 

          "My goodness no.  Diphtheria?  Are you certain?"
          "That's what Doctor Sheridan was wired yesterday from the health department in San Francisco.  The whole town's been quarantined.  No one's allowed to enter or leave."

          Victoria moved ahead as the line progressed.  "When did all this take place?"
          "Just in the last few days I'm told."
          "Oh those poor people,"  Victoria sympathized.  She couldn't help but say a silent prayer of thanks for the health of her own children.  The last time a diphtheria epidemic went through Stockton the older boys were teenagers, Audra a little girl of four years old, and Eugene a toddler.  She and Tom knew how fortunate they'd been.  Their teenagers had been old enough and strong enough to withstand the hardships of the disease.  It was only by the grace of God, and a plentiful supply of quinine, that Audra and Eugene survived.  Others hadn't been so lucky, many children had died that spring.

          Victoria thought of Tommy, the son who had been her first born.  He was so happy and healthy one day, then a cold and runny nose turned into the measles.  He'd passed away just a year after they'd arrived in the valley, at the tender age of eight months.  Victoria, a young mother of only nineteen years old and so far from her family, had never thought she'd get over the heartache.  But ten months later Jarrod arrived and slowly but surely the pain of Tommy's death receded, only to return at times like this when she was told of an epidemic that claimed the young or feeble.

          Opal clutched her Bible to her chest and fiddled with the black lace gloves on her hands.  "The information Doctor Sheridan received said this is a particularly strong strain.  Brought on by all these cold rains we've been having some say.  Anyway, even adults are being hit hard.  Grown men are dying from it if you can believe that.  They say no one is safe except for those who have had it before."

          Victoria nodded, thankful that she and her children would fall into the category of those who were immune to the disease.  She'd had it as a child, as had most people she knew of.

          "Well Laton's fifty miles away,"  Garland stated.  "And if they've got the town under quarantine already then spread of the disease is unlikely.  Now, ladies, let's not mar our day of rest any further with unpleasant talk."

          Victoria didn't bother to remind Garland that all it took was one traveler coming into contact with an infected person for the disease to spread far beyond Laton's borders before anyone knew what was happening.  Because of that knowledge she offered up a prayer for the people of Stockton.  As she watched children frolic in the church yard she hoped with all her heart the deadly disease didn't work its way here.

_________________________________________

          Two weeks later May was in full swing and so was the Barkley ranch.   Heath and Nick worked fourteen hour days moving cattle to greener pastures.  Victoria and Audra looked after the mares that were foaling while taking over chores such as cleaning stalls and keeping the tack room in order.  Victoria Barkley might be a wealthy woman, but that wealth was born from years of sweat and toil.  Even at this stage in her life it wasn't beneath her to roll up her sleeves and pitch in when all the men were busy elsewhere.

          The family didn't see much of Jarrod during those weeks either.  He was involved in a case that had him working long hours in his Stockton office. When the weekends came he shed his suit in favor of ranching attire and joined his younger brothers on the range.

          Victoria feigned shock when she entered the dining room on a Friday morning.

          "My goodness, are all these children mine?"  She teased as she took in the two dark heads of Jarrod and Nick, and the two blond heads of Heath and Audra.  "It's been so long since I've seen all of you in one place at the same time that I'd forgotten how many of you there are."

          Jarrod smiled as he took a drink of hot coffee.  His mother was right.  They'd been coming and going at such odd hours lately that a meal together, regardless of what time of the day it was, had become a thing of the past.  But this time of year that phenomenon wasn't unusual.  It would last well into the June branding season, then things would slow down a bit until roundup came in mid-August.

          As soon as Victoria took her seat Silas appeared carrying a plate heaped high with scrambled eggs.  He handed it to the family matriarch.

          "Be careful with that, Mrs. Barkley.  It's hot.  I'll be back with the bacon and toast in a minute."
          "Thank you, Silas."

          Victoria scooped some eggs on her plate, then passed it to Audra who sat on her right.  She looked to her left at Heath and Nick.

          "What gives us the pleasure of having you two at the breakfast table this morning?  The last few weeks you've both been up and gone before the rooster's had a chance to crow."

          Nick answered his mother while Heath turned away to sneeze.

          "We drove the last of the cattle out of the upper pastures yesterday afternoon.  We're ahead of schedule so we’ll start doing some branding today, but I figured the men needed to rest a bit considering the hours we've been keeping.  I told everyone we'd meet at the east gate at eight-thirty."

          Nick took the platter of eggs Jarrod passed him and filled his plate.  He held it out to his blond brother, but had to wait while Heath turned, covered his mouth and nose, and sneezed two more times.

          "Heath,"  Victoria questioned,  "are you catching a cold?"

          "No,"  the man shook his head.  He took the eggs from his brother and put some on his plate before setting the platter down in the middle of the table.  "I think those wild flowers that are bloomin' right now are botherin' me.  I must be allergic to them."

          Nick reached over, clapping his brother on the back.  "That's right, it's just an allergy.  No one gets to be sick this time of year.  Not even the boss's assistant."

          Heath’s tone was layered in heavy sarcasm.  "Boss's assistant, huh?"  He covered his mouth and gave a harsh cough before he could continue.  "I'll keep that comment in mind the next time you try to sweet talk me into brushing Coco down so you can come in and eat supper while it's still hot."

          "Nick,"  Audra scolded,  "you shouldn't do that to Heath after you've both put in a long day."

          "Why do you always stick up for him?  Why don't you stick up for me

every so often?"

          "Because you pull the same mean tricks on Heath that you used to pull on me when I was a little girl."

          Heath started to chuckle, but the sound ended in a coughing spasm.  When he could talk again he said,  "Don't worry, Sis.  I think I can handle mean old Nick here."

          "Why does everyone think I'm mean?  People are always accusing me of that and I just don't get it."
          "Well now, from a lawyer's point of view let me explain a few things to you, Nicholas, old buddy.  Perhaps if you didn't rig games of chance, like drawing for straws for instance, you wouldn't find yourself with fore said reputation.
          "See,"          Heath used his fork as a pointer, "I knew it.  I knew it all along."

          "You knew what all along, smart guy?  You didn't know anything.  If Mr. Big Mouth Lawyer at the end of the table there would have kept his trap shut you'd have never been the wiser." 

          Silas came back with the toast and bacon while Victoria's children were still engaged in their playful teasing.  She didn't attempt to put an end to their fun, as a matter of fact it had been so long since they'd eaten a meal together she actually enjoyed listening to their bickering.   


 

_________________________________________

          When Saturday night came so did the weekly dance in Stockton.  Jarrod and Nick stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Audra and Heath.  Victoria looked on from the parlor.

          "Well, well, well, but don't my sons look handsome."

          Nick fiddled with the string tie at his neck.  "We might look handsome, Mother,"  he turned and yelled up the stairs, "but if Audra doesn't get a move on no one else is likely to notice!"

          "I'm coming!  I'm coming!" 

          The young woman swept down the stairs in a sea of billowing pink taffeta.  Her golden hair was off her shoulders, held against the back of her head by a large pearl clasp.

          Jarrod kissed his sister's cheek.  "And you were worth the wait, sweetheart.  No doubt Nick and I will have to police your every move tonight for fear of unwanted suitors throwing themselves at your feet."  

          "You say that as if you don't already police my every move each time we go to one of these dances."

          Nick gave his sister a kiss as well.  "That's the prerogative of being a big brother.  And speaking of brothers, where's Heath?"  Nick looked up the stairway again and thundered,   Heath!  Heath, come on!  We're ready to go!"

          "Nick, shush,"  Audra placed a silencing hand against Nick's mouth.  "Heath's asleep."

          "Asleep?" Nick glanced at the foyer's Grandfather clock.  "It's only quarter after seven."

          "I know it, but he must be tired.  I knocked on his door and when he didn't answer I peeked my head in.  He's sprawled out on his bed sound asleep still wearing his boots and gun belt."

          Nick's brows scrunched together in what his family recognized as a sign of concern.  "Those allergies of his are really giving him a hard time.  All he did today was sneeze and cough."

          Victoria looked up from her open book.  "Has he complained about not feeling well?"

          "No.  Not to me he hasn't."

          "No,"  Jarrod echoed,  "he hasn't said a word to me either."

          Audra shook her head in reply to her mother's question, then added,  "But you know Heath, he never complains."

          Victoria silently acknowledged her daughter's words.  Even now, three years into Heath's stay with them, Victoria wasn't sure if Heath simply wasn't a complainer by nature, or if he still felt the need not to inconvenience any of them.  If he still felt he was indebted to Victoria and her children for taking him in.  That thought often bothered the woman, but the few times she'd tried to discuss it with Heath he'd assured her it wasn't so. 

          "Yes,"  Victoria muttered,  "you're right, dear.  Heath never complains, does he?"  She shook herself out of her revere and smiled.  "Well, you three go on without him.  If he's so tired he's already sleeping then he has no business being at a dance tonight anyway."

          "Don't wait up,"  Nick called as he gathered his sister under one arm. "We'll probably stop for supper afterwards."

          "I won't wait up,"  Victoria assured with a smile, knowing it would be one in the morning or after before her three party goers returned.

          The door shut behind the trio and Victoria heard the carriage pull away from the house.  She read another ten minutes, then marked her page and set her book on a table top.  She stood and made her way to the kitchen.  Saturday evening was Silas and Jessybell’s night off unless the Barkleys were hosting a party.  Victoria enjoyed cooking for her family this one evening of the week, or like tonight when her children had other plans, simply making a small meal for herself.

          Victoria stirred the potato chowder she had simmering on the cast iron stove.  She added squares of cheese she'd sliced earlier to the hot soup.  While she waited for the cheese to melt she headed for the back stairs that led from the kitchen to the bedrooms above.

          The white headed woman softly walked down the long hallway, her skirts swishing around her legs.  Like Audra had done, she lightly knocked on Heath's closed bedroom door.  When he didn't answer she knocked again and called softly,  "Heath?  Heath, are you awake?", to no avail.

          Feeling confident she wasn't going to walk in on Heath undressing, Victoria entered the room. He was still lying fully clothed on his bed, and like Audra had described, his leather gun belt was hooked around his waist minus its Colt .45 which sat on the dresser.

          Victoria kept her steps light as she walked around her son's bed.  The window was open, the evening breeze raising goose bumps on her flesh.  She reached through the billowing curtains and slid the window shut, then moved to the closet to pull an extra blanket off the shelf.  When she turned around Heath was propped up on his elbows, looking at her through heavily lidded eyes.

          "I hope I didn't wake you,"  the woman apologized.  "I was trying to be quiet, but the window was open and I didn't think you should have the breeze blowing on you."

          "No, you didn't wake me,"  Heath rasped around a raw, inflamed throat.  "I need to get up anyway.  I have to get ready for the dance."

          "I hate to break the news to you, but your ride left without you."

          "What time is it?"
          "Quarter to eight."

          "Quarter to eight?  And here I was only gonna lie down for a couple minutes."
          "Well, I'd say you've been lying down for closer to a couple hours.  But that's all right, you evidently needed the rest."  Victoria put the blanket back where she'd found it, then turned to face her son.  "How are you feeling?"

          "I'm fine."
          "Are you sure?  You sound like you have a sore throat."

          Heath lifted one shoulder in a shrug.  "It doesn't really bother me."

          The woman walked over and perched on the edge of Heath's bed.  She reached a hand out and laid it on his forehead.  "You feel a little warm.  I think those allergies you've been claiming you have are actually a cold."

          "Could be."

          "We'd better get some food into you, then you can come back up here and get a good night's sleep.  How's that sound?"
          Heath smiled.  "You sure you want to spend your Saturday night with me?  No doubt you've had better offers."

          "I can't think of a one.  And yes, kind sir, I'd love to spend my Saturday night with you."  Victoria patted Heath's knee.  "Go wash up then come down to the kitchen.  I made a pot of potato chowder and Silas left a warm loaf of bread in the oven.  We can slice it and spread it with the butter Jessybell churned this morning."
          "That sounds like an offer I can't refuse."

          Victoria stood and placed a kiss on the top of Heath's head.   If he noticed her hand lingered on his cheek as though she was trying to gauge his temperature he didn't comment on it.

          "Good,"  the tiny woman said as she moved to exit the room.   "Because I don't invite just any man to grace my table on a Saturday night."

          Heath heard Victoria descending the back stairs.  He stood to remove his gun belt, grabbing onto the edge of the bedpost when he found himself swaying back and forth.  He waited until the room stopped spinning, then completed the task at hand and headed for the bathroom down the hall.  He put the plug in the sink’s drain then turned on the cold water faucet.  When the deep basin was three quarters full  the blond man dunked his hot face all the way in.  He hadn't told Victoria how rotten he was really feeling.  His throat burned liked he’d gulped a gallon of whiskey in one swallow, and every time he coughed it felt like he was breaking a rib.  In addition to that his head was so congested he was forced to breathe through his mouth, and every joint in his body ached.  But what was the point in voicing his misery?  He'd lived through worse in his life.

          Heath released the drain then reached for his towel.  He dried his face and hands before hanging the damp towel back on the rack.  A coughing spasm caused him to clutch his chest, but when it passed he stood up straight and walked out of the room. 

          After all, there was nothing wrong with him a bowl of potato chowder, a quiet conversation with Victoria, and a night's sleep wouldn't cure. 

Chapter 3

          Victoria could hear conversation coming from the dining room as she descended the stairs the next morning.  She laid her Bible and hat on the foyer table as she passed through.

          Jarrod and Audra were dressed for church as well.  They sat at the table talking and laughing about their evening out while waiting for the rest of the family to join them for breakfast. 

          Audra looked up when a kiss brushed her cheek.

          "Good morning, Mother."

          "Good morning, dear."

          The woman moved to the end of the table and repeated her actions with Jarrod.

          "Morning, Mother."

          "Good morning, son."

          As Victoria rounded the table Nick entered from the kitchen.  His dusty work clothes indicated he'd been in the barn preparing the buggy and horses for the trip to church.  He gave his mother a quick peck on the cheek while making a bee-line for his chair.

          "Morning."
          "Good morning, Nick.  And put that piece of toast down.  Silas is still carrying food to the table and we haven't said grace yet."

          Nick dropped the toast to his plate.  "Yes, Ma'am."

          Victoria unfolded the linen napkin that lay on her plate and spread it over her lap.  "The three of you must have been dancing till dawn.  I didn't hear you come in."

          "Not until dawn,"  Audra said, while Silas carried in a platter of pancakes and another of sausage links.  "Though we were out later than we planned to be thanks to Nick."

          Victoria raised an eyebrow.  "Nick?"
          Jarrod's eyes twinkled.  "Yes, Brother Nick was bent on getting a date with Rebekah Warner.  Said he wasn't going to leave the dance until he accomplished that feat."

          "Well bravo for you, Nick,"  Victoria smiled.  "You always have possessed your father's perseverance."
          "For all the good it did me."

          Victoria caught sight of the smiles dancing on Jarrod's and Audra's faces.  She looked at her middle son.   "What do you mean?"

          "As it turns out the only member of the Barkley family Rebekah is interested in is Heath,"  Nick grumbled.  "She kept wanting to know where he was and if I thought he'd be at next Saturday's dance."

          Victoria was forced to hide her own smile.  There was no doubt Heath was a handsome man and quite popular with the local ladies.  His soft-spoken nature and that shy, vulnerable demeanor he often displayed made him even more endearing to the female sex.  Something Victoria knew Nick, by virtue of being a man, would never understand.   

          Nick's unsuccessful bid for Rebekah Warner's attention was forgotten in the face of breakfast.  "Speaking of Heath, where is he?  I'm not going to wait all morning for him.  I'm starving."

          "You don't have to wait.  He's sleeping yet."

          "Sleeping?  For chriss...."

          "Nicholas!"

          "Sorry, Mother.  As I was about to say, for goodness sake he was sleeping when we left last night."

          "Yes, he was.  But he woke up shortly before eight and joined me for supper.  Nonetheless he seems to have a bad cold.  He's running a fever so I told him I wanted him to rest today."

          "Do you think we should have Doc Sheridan come out and take a look at him?"
          Victoria couldn't help but smile.  Not a minute earlier Nick was grumbling about Rebekah Warner choosing Heath over him, but now that he knew his brother was sick the concern in his voice was plain to hear.  In so many ways she regretted that the two men hadn't grown up together.  She had no doubt they would have been inseparable had they known one another as children.  But the past was the past, and not something she had the power to change.  Not even for the one who would have benefited most from those changes, - Heath.

          "No, I don't think Jake needs to pay Heath a visit.  It's just a spring cold.  I'm sure he'll be better in a day or two."  Victoria held out her right hand to Audra and her left to Nick.  "Now let's say grace so we can eat our breakfast while it's still warm."

_________________________________________

          At one o'clock that afternoon the buggy traveled down the long lane that led to the main house.  Nick's horse was tied behind the buggy, content to trot along at a leisurely pace befitting a Sunday when the apple blossoms were just beginning to bud.  Jarrod had been invited to dine at the home of a local judge while Audra had gone to lunch with a group of friends. 

          Nick sat beside his mother in the buggy.  He steered the horse through the big front gates and toward the barn.  Just as he pulled back on the reins Heath stepped out into the sunshine with a curry brush in his right hand.

          "Well, now,"  Nick boomed,  "there he is!  Finally decided to get your lazy carcass out of bed, huh?"
          Heath was used to Nick's teasing and in a nasally tone drawled,  "Yep, somethin’ like that."

          The blond man held out his left hand to Victoria.  She grasped it and allowed Heath to guide her out of the unsteady buggy.

          Victoria studied this man whom she thought of as a son.  As far as she was concerned he still looked tired and feverish.  When he turned away to cough she could hear the congestion in his lungs. 

          "Are you sure you should be out here?  I told you to rest today."
          "I'm fine.  Besides, I'm not workin' too hard.  I'd hate to take that pleasure away from Nick."
          Nick jammed Heath's hat down on his head.   "I'm sure you would."

          Heath walked around and untied Coco from the back of the buggy.  When the animal was free Nick led the horse pulling the buggy toward the carriage house. 

          "Where's everyone else?"

          Victoria worked her white gloves off her hands.  "Jarrod was invited to Judge Faber’s home, and Audra went to The Stockton House for lunch.  Nick tried his best to get Rebekah Warner to go on a picnic with him, but she wouldn't take him up on the offer."
          "Oh, she wouldn't, would she?"

          "No, she wouldn't!"  Nick shouted from the nearby building.  "As a matter of fact she was more concerned with you than me!  Wanted to know if she could bring you some of her chicken noodle soup!  She thought that might make you feel better!"  Nick walked out of the carriage house leading the untethered horse toward the barn.  "I told her you were fine.  That you have the constitution of an ox."

          "That's true."
          "See.  So what do you need her chicken soup for?"
          "I don't,"  Heath shrugged, while tugging on Coco’s reins and falling into step beside his brohter.  "But maybe if you'd been smart enough to tell her I do need her soup, then Miss Rebekah Warner would have been payin' the Barkley ranch a visit this afternoon.  You know, Nick, for your sake I woulda' pretended I was too sick to see Miss Warner.  Then you coulda' had her all to yourself on this lovely spring Sunday."
          Victoria heard Heath's laugh drift out of the barn.  She laughed with him when Nick stopped and turned.  The indignation on his face was plain to see.

          "Mother!  How come he always does that to me?"

          "Does what, dear?"
          "Bests me like that?"
          "Perhaps if you didn't tease him so much, and set him up to lose when the two of you draw straws, he wouldn't have reason to."
          Nick smiled and gave his mother a kiss.  "You know all my secrets don't you?"

          "Most of them, Nicholas.  Most of them."

          Victoria turned toward the house while Nick followed Heath into the barn.  When Heath was stricken by a coughing spasm so fierce it took his breath away the woman heard Nick order,  "Get yourself into that house and climb back in bed.  You've got no business being out here."

          If someone didn't know Nick as well as Victoria did they would have thought he was angry with his sibling.  But Victoria could hear right through the gruffness in his tone. 

          Nick wasn't angry.  Far from it.  He was worried.

          There's no need to be so upset, Nick,  the woman thought as she entered the house.  We're just not used to Heath being sick, that's all.  In the three years he's been with us he's never been ill before.  Like you said, he's got the constitution of an ox.  Just like Tom did.  The children and I could be flat on our backs with colds or the flu and Tom never got sick.  Heath's exactly like his father in that respect.  Given another day or two of rest and pampering he'll be fine.      

_________________________________________

          The family gathered around the supper table at six-thirty that evening.  By seven-thirty the meal was over and everyone had scattered.  Jarrod was in the study doing paperwork, Heath and Audra were playing checkers in the parlor, and Nick was in the tack room mending a saddle.

          While Jessybell wiped off the table and straightened the chairs Victoria carried the last of the dishes to the kitchen.

          "Mrs. Barkley, you shouldn't be doing that,"  Silas scolded.  "It's my job.  You go on and relax now.  Go to the parlor and play the winner of that checker game."

          "Oh, Silas, I've been relaxing all afternoon.  I can certainly carry the last of the dishes in for you."

          Victoria looked around the black man's shoulder.  "Whose plate is that?  The one that looks like it hasn't been touched."

          Silas didn't have to turn to know which dinner plate Victoria was talking about.

          "That's Mr. Heath's plate, Ma'am.  He's hardly touched a morsel of food all day.  I couldn't get him to eat any breakfast even though I kept pancakes and sausages warming on the stove for him like you asked me to. And he didn't eat any lunch neither.  I offered to heat him up some of your  soup but he said he wasn't hungry.  It's not like Mr. Heath not to eat, Ma'am.  He and Mr. Nick work hard.  They always have big appetites."

          "Yes, Silas, they do." The woman stared at the full plate a moment longer.  "Please keep me informed of Heath's eating habits over the next couple of days."

          "Is Mr. Heath sick?"
          "He has a bad cold."  Victoria smiled at the black man who'd been a runaway slave.  He'd come to the Barkley ranch begging for work when Nick was five years old.  He'd been a loyal and beloved employee ever since that time.  "It's nothing to worry about.  He'll be fine in a few days.  I just want to make sure he's eating properly, that's all."
          Silas smiled back at the woman.  Nothing occurred in this household  

he didn't know about.  "You love that boy a lot, don't you, Mrs. Barkley?  Just like he was one of your own.  I respect you for that, Ma'am.  If you don't mind me saying so, there's not many women who would have done for Mr. Heath what you have. Probably nary a one."

          "The circumstances surrounding Heath's birth aren't his fault, Silas.  They never have been.   Maybe you're right.  Maybe a lot of women in my same position wouldn't have done for Heath what I have.  But the love I give him is returned to me tenfold, don't you think?"

          "Oh yes, Mrs. Barkley.  It's apparent to anyone who watches like I do.  Mr. Heath loves you, Ma'am.  He loves you with all his heart he does.  Just like you were his own mother."

          "Then it only makes sense that I love him like he was one of my own children."

          "Mr. Barkley would be proud of you, Ma'am.  He always said you were his strength and inspiration.  I know he looks down from heaven and smiles 'cause of all you've done for Mr. Heath."

          Victoria didn't know why she felt a sudden urge to cry.   "I just wish he could have known his son, Silas.  Tom missed out on so much by not knowing Heath, and Heath missed out on so much by not knowing Tom."

          "That's for sure, Ma'am.  Mr. Barkley, he was an angel on earth."