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. No infringement is intended in any part by the author, however, the ideas expressed within this story are copyrighted to the author.

What a full week it had been. Nick had returned home to his family, after a five day trip to San Francisco, not only announcing his sudden engagement, but bringing Hester along as living proof. The family was definately taken aback with the news, but supported Nick in his decision. The following morning the newly engaged couple, along with Victoria, Heath, Audra and Eugene, headed out for what was to be a two week stint up in the back country. Jarrod, who had some legal business to attend to, wouldn't be able to join them. It would be a great chance for the family to get aquainted with the future Mrs. Nick Barkley, and vice versa. However, it didn't take long for everybody to realize that Hester would never really be able to commit herself to one man. She had had her sparkling brown eyes pointed straight at Heath from the get go, which had caused some confrontation between the two brothers. Now Nick lay inside the tent, strapped down to a stretcher as a result of injuries he acquired while quarreling with Heath over this wanton woman.

The quarrel had actually been nothing more than a tragic misunderstanding with some harsh outcomes. After talking things over with Hester, Nick had resolved things in his own mind, but hadn't yet made his reconsiliation with Heath.

>From the moment he first set eyes on the lovely young woman, Heath Barkley had felt an attraction towards her. Why wouldn't he? She was exceptionally beautiful and had a charismatic aura surrounding her. It was obvious upon their first introduction in the Barkley parlor, that she, in turn, was passionately drawn to this ruggedly handsome cowboy. His quiet, but manly traits were enough to make any girl swoon. Heath was definately not the romantic type, but had an unusual attractiveness about him. Nick on the other hand, was more of the romantic. The older Barkley was every bit as handsome as his younger brother, but in a more polished sort of way. Hester had been smitten with Nick when they had met in San Francisco, but now they were on the Barkly Ranch, and when she first gazed upon Heath, her feelings for Nick were immediately shoved back to the darker regions of her heart. Heath could sense her affections for him and was very uncomfortable with her flirtateous advances. His way of reacting to uneasiness, was to pull away and make himself distant, which is exactly what he did with Hester, but yet he couldn't help admiring this woman for all her physical beauty.

Hester, however, viewed his hesitations as a mountain to be climbed or a city to be conquered. She would put on her charm and win over this reclusive young man, or at least she would present herself as a desirable package that would cause him to notice and want her. They had only been on the trip for a couple of days, and all Hester's energies had gone into this "make herself appealing to Heath" game. That Friday evening when the family rode over to the logging camp for a dance, he momentarily had given in to her seductions after she had asked him for a waltz, but then regained his footing and excused himself.

Since that tactic hadn't worked, Hester would try another one. This time she would appeal to his kind, sensative nature. She arranged to catch Heath alone and pretended to be distrought so that he would comfort her. He fell for the bait and this caused a round of events that would bring her engagement with Nick to a demise.

The family at first was suspicious of ill intentions on the part of Heath. Victoria had been aware of Hester's advances all along, but naive Audra had never picked up on the obvious. Gene, too, was in his own little world and had not observed her interactions with Heath. Audra and Gene both railed on Heath a bit, but then came to the conclusion that it was all a misunderstanding. The family's main concern at that point was to get Nick the medical care that he needed. Gene had ridden into town to fetch the doctor, and when the doctor was ready to depart, Hester had asked to ride along with him. Now Nick lay in the tent alone, grieving over a lost love. It would take more than a few comforting words to get him through this one.

Outside the tent, Heath poked the fire with a long stick and placed another log on the burning embers. Victoria busied herself with the preparations of another one of her hearty, western breakfasts. There would be flapjacks with wild blackberries that had been picked the day before, hot coffee and some fresh trout, if the fish were biting well that morning. Heath, waiting for the fire to get going again, sat nearby on a piece of tree stump, drinking his coffee in silence. Audra and Eugene were still wrapped up in there bedrolls, ignoring the sounds of stirring in the campsite. The mountain air was still a little brisk, and the warmth of the fire was comforting to the scantily dressed Heath, who was clad only in his jeans and thermal undershirt. Victoria broke the stillness with her chipper voice.

"Heath, honey, why don't you finish getting dressed and catch us something to go along with these flapjacks!"

"Yeah - I was kinda thinkin' that myself", her son replied without putting his statement into motion. Then added, "maybe I'll go in and check up on Nick first."

"I glanced in on him just a few minutes ago, and he seemed to be finally getting some sleep", his mother answered with a tone of concern in her voice. "How long are you planning on keeping his restraints on?"

"I guess that will depend on his reaction when he sees me", Heath said, trying to muster up half a smile.

"Seriously, though, since his fever broke and if he shows no further signs of delirium, don't you think he would be more comfortable if we could at least relieve him of that imcuberance?" mused Victoria.

"Yeah - after he wakes up, we'll see how he's taking things and go from there. Doc Merrar seemed to think the restraints have helped him considerably." Heath eased himself up, using his stick for a support.

Victoria brushed a wisp of silver hair off her forehead with a floured hand, leaving a powdered patch on her brow. "Well, the flapjack batter is ready to go - I'll wait to start cooking until everybody is up and about. How about some help catching that trout?"

She brushed her hands off on her pants and reached for a couple of fishing poles that were leaning against a tree. Heath smiled at her, as he grabbed his jacket from a nearby tree limb in one hand, and the tackle bag with the other. The two made their way down to the river. There was a nice little spot, where rocks somewhat blocked the water's main current, and Heath was just betting that there would be some hungry trout lurking beneath the surface. He reached for Victoria's pole and pulled a container of live grasshoppers out of the tackle bag.

"Can't let a lady bait her own hook now, can I?", he joshed as he speared a wiggling hopper. It slowed it's kicks and spit tobacco juice on his right thumb and index finger.

"Oh, I've had to bait plenty of hooks in my day!", was Victoria's reply. "Back when your father and I were just starting out, fishing was more of a daily chore than a form of relaxation."

"I guess that's one thing that I've always admired about you."

"What's that? That I can bait my own hooks?"

"Well, that too, but the fact that there's not much that you can't do. I mean I enjoy being able to take care of a woman and all, but you gotta respect the ones that are capable of looking out for themselves."

"I guess Hester wasn't one of those capable types, was she?"

"No", replied Heath flatly, and then after a pause, "What exactly are you gettin' at?"

"Well, as interested as she was in you, I just couldn't picture the two of you together as a couple. Nick tends to like the frilly, feminine types, but you on the other hand, seem more suited for a woman with a backbone."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I could sense that she was comin' on to me right from the first, and I guess I was truly flattered that such a distinguished young lady would find me desirable. When I was out tramping around on my own, I felt shabby and scroungy much of the time, and was always somewhat hesitant to even start up a conversation with any high bred young fillies."

"How did Hester make you feel?"

"Well, I definately felt like I needed to keep my distance. I mean after all, she was Nick's bride to be. But at the same time, it truly made me feel like a Barkley. Like I had the respect given a gentleman. Before, I never considered myself good enough for a woman such as that. Now the only thing that matters to me, is that Nick can find it in his heart to understand and not hold anything against me."

"Oh, I think he'll understand. He's had plenty of time to think about it, anyway".

Suddenly Victoria's line gave a jerk, catching her off guard and just about toppling her into the stream. Her reflexes kicked in and after giving her line a quick set, she steadily started reeling in her prize. A fourteen inch trout flopped into the shallows. Putting one foot in the chilly water, Heath scooped the fish into a small net and removed the hook from its mouth.

"Boy howdy, ain't he a beauty!", he complimented his mother.

As he was still admiring her catch, his pole, which was wedged in a crevice of the rock he had been sitting on, started to bend with it's tip touching down into the water. He swiftly grabbed the pole and reeled in another rainbow beauty.

"That should do it for now", he stated, "let's head back to camp and check in with the others".

Everybody was up when they arrived back. Gene was getting ready to shave his sparsely stubbled face, and Audra was inside the tent sitting with Nick. While Victoria sat down to clean and cook the trout, Heath parted the flaps of the tent to get a progress report on his older brother. Nick turned and made eye contact with Heath. A slight smile flitted across his face, showing Heath that he held no hard feelings. Audra, sensing that the brothers needed some time to be alone, excused herself to "go help Mother with breakfast".

"Hey!" greeted Heath. "How ya feelin?"

"I've felt better", answered Nick. Heath sat down next to his brother's cot and gently placed his hand on his brothers arm.

"Nick - I'm really sorry about how everything turned out. If only I had stayed back at the ranch, maybe none of this would've happened."

"No Heath. It was better that I found out now how things were, rather than waiting and finding out later."

"Then you weren't aware of Hester's follies?"

"No. Like they say, 'love is blind', and I was so madly in love with that girl, at least I thought I was, that nothin' would have swayed me. No Heath, I'd say you actually did me a favor. You helped me come to my senses, and I can see now what a foolish mistake it would have been to have ended up marrying that gal. Of coarse, for awhile there, I was wanting to bust you in two."

"And you just about did!"

"Well brother, 'just about' only counts in horseshoes. Now how 'bout you untying me from this contraption so I can feed myself some of Mother's breakfast!?"

"Well, okay Nick. But if you don't take it quiet and easy, I'm going to have to tie you right back down again!"

"We'll just see about that!" Nick teased as he tried to ease himself up onto his elbows. He grimaced a little and lay back down. "Well, like you said, slow and easy. Now how 'bout fetching me a cup of coffee?"

"Sure Big Brother - be glad to!"

Heath patted Nick on the arm and walked out to where the coffee pot perked over the open fire. The aroma of trout and flapjacks hung over the campsite and the sun had popped out into full view. Yes, it was going to be a beautiful day. Nick was going to be all right and the trial that they had all gone through seemed to do nothing more than strengthen their bonds as a family. Gene, who was now sporting a couple of good sized nicks on his chin, gave Heath a broad smile as Audra came up and lovingly slipped her arm around his waist. Heath gave her a little hug in return and bent down to grab the coffee pot. He poured a cup for Nick and headed back to the tent. He would spend today just 'being there' for his broken hearted brother. Well, at least Nick's back wasn't broken too. Heath sent up a prayer of thanks as he ducked through the cloth doors of the tent. Yes, it was going to be a beautiful day.