...Continued
On Sunday morning, the citizens of Stockton were treated to a glorious sunrise. The sky was streaming with brilliant rays of color as it peeked over the horizon and warmed everything it touched.
Suzanne Weston stood on the hotel balcony with her face uplifted to the rays of the sun soaking in the warmth it offered. “What a beautiful way to start a day!” she thought. “I hope the rest of the day holds such warmth and promise.”
A knock at the door and Jack’s voice interrupted her morning ritual. “Boss, are you ready for breakfast?”
“Come on in Jack, it’s open” called Sue from the balcony.
“You really should lock your door. This is a new place and we don’t know what type of people this town holds yet or who may be lurking around.” Jack said with a concerned look on his face.
“It was locked, Jack. I knew you would be knocking shortly, so I unlocked it.” said Sue smiling. “I needed to see the sun greeting the first day of our new start.”
“Yeah, it sure is a beautiful morning.” whispered Jack as he gazed at the sunrise with her.
“Did you speak with Jose last night after dinner?” asked Sue as she glanced at her friend.
“Yes, he delivered the note to Charity at the mission as you requested. I also asked him to bring our horses around front at 10:00 this morning.” said Jack smiling as he remembered how excited Jose was to be in charge of their horses again.
“Good thinking! Let’s go have some breakfast. I sure hope Maria is cooking this morning. That dinner last night was incredible!” exclaimed Sue.
“I agree! That was the best meal I have ever had.” Jack said as he rubbed his stomach and followed Sue out the door.
“Good morning, Miss Weston and Mr. Franklin. I trust you had a restful night’s sleep.” called Harvey as they walked down the stairs towards the lobby.
“Good morning Harvey. I didn’t hear anything til this morning. Thanks for asking. We are off to breakfast.” said Sue as she continued walking towards the dining room.
After they were seated at the table and ordered their breakfast, Sue glanced at Jack.
“If we purchase the ranch, maybe Maria and Jose will agree to come work with us. Harvey says the boy doesn’t attend school on a regular basis since his father died. He had to take jobs to help his mother make ends meet. Jose appears to be smart as a whip and I think he could make something of himself if he got a good education. If I offer her more money than they make here, he wouldn’t have to work as hard and he could attend school and we would get to enjoy Maria’s cooking everyday. It would benefit all of us!”
“And some people say you don’t have a heart!” chided Jack.
“Oh, Mr. Franklin, whoever would say such dreadful things about me!” joked Sue in a southern accent. “My heart is as big as the fine state of Texas.”
As they enjoyed their breakfast and morning coffee, Sue and Jack spoke about the telegrams they would need to send if they liked what they saw at the ranch later that morning. If Sue didn’t purchase this ranch, she would have to find another place to make a new start.
“Oh, I forgot to mention I saw your husband to be in the saloon last night.” teased Jack.
Sue choked on her coffee and sputtered, “What!”
“I was over to the saloon having a nightcap and I saw Mr. Travis, the bank manager in there sharing a bottle with some cowboy.” said Jack as his brown eyes twinkled with laughter.
“I would rather marry a skunk than that snake. I can’t put my finger on it, but I don’t trust him. Something is not right with him, I can feel it.” scowled Sue as her thoughts and face darkened. “You know, I had the same feeling about her too. I hit the nail right on the head with that one.”
Jack covered her hand with his. “I’m sorry, Sue. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. I was only teasing.” said Jack with a guilty look on his face.
“I know that Jack! Sometimes my mind takes me where I don’t want to go. It’s okay.” she assured him as she patted his hand and smiled.
Sue and Jack’s morning was brighten considerably when Charity Jones walked into the dining room.
“Charity! How wonderful to see you again, my dear. We have missed you so.” said Sue as she stood and gave her old friend a big Texas hug.
“Suzanne and Jack! Two of my dearest friends. I was so looking forward to being able to spend your first night in town with you. I am sorry I was unavailable. We have a festival in two weeks to help raise funds for the orphanage and I am on the planning committee.” explained Charity as she smiled at her friends.
“We don’t mind, Charity” said Jack as he gave her a hug. “We know the work you do is important and we wouldn’t want to stand in the way of that.”
“Why thank you for being so understanding, Jack. I know I can always count on you!” said Charity as she gazed into his eyes.
Rolling her eyes at Jack’s comments, Sue smiled as she watched the pair of them together. “They sure do make a cute couple,” she thought. “Both of them are tall and willowy. It’s like they were made to stand by each other.”
“Yep, one of these days I am going to have to either build a house for those two on my new ranch or find a new foreman. It won’t be long before she snags him, whether he says he’s the marrying kind or not!” she thought with a warm feeling in her heart.
“Let me look at you! Still wearing those long uncomfortable dresses, I see.” teased Sue.
“Well, I was hoping that this time I would see you in a dress and without a gun, Suzanne.” shot Charity right back at her.
Sue laughed heartedly “I would rather be comfortable and protected! I can wear a dress when the occasion calls for it. I just haven’t been invited to that occasion yet.”
“I would like to see that myself, Boss.” joked Jack. “Do you think it will be in my lifetime?”
“Watch it, Jack” threatened Sue with a smile on her face.
“Did you wear a dress when you met with Mr. Travis and Mr. Baldwin yesterday?” asked Charity with a knowing look in her eyes.
Sue shifted slightly in her seat, “No, we were just off the trail. I can’t pack a dress in my saddlebags, Charity.”
“You could have waited and met with them on Monday. I think meeting with a bank manager and attorney would be an occasion that would call for wearing a dress, especially since you may be purchasing a ranch from them.” stated Charity with a smug look on her face.
“She’s got you there, Sue!” howled Jack with laughter.
“Okay, you two. No ganging up on me!” laughed Sue as she poured Charity a cup of coffee. “Mr. Baldwin is taking us out to the ranch this morning, why don’t you come along Charity?”
“I would love to! It will be great to be out in the sunshine. Thanks for the offer. Would you like me to tell you anything else about the ranch before we go?” asked Charity.
“No, I got a good view of it in my head from your letter. It sounds perfect! The only thing I don’t understand is why Mr. Henderson stipulated the buyer must be from Texas with no family connection to Stockton?” puzzled Sue as she sipped her coffee.
“Oh, that’s because he was originally from Texas, around Houston, if I remember correctly. He also did not want any family member of Tom Barkley to be able to purchase the ranch. There was some bad feelings between them. That’s why he had also stipulated the buyer could not have any family connection to Stockton. The Barkleys are the most prominent family here in Stockton.” explained Charity.
“Hey, we met two of the Barkleys yesterday outside the bank. Nick and Jarrod were their names. They sort of ran into Sue as they were coming out and we were going in.” chuckled Jack as he saw the look on his boss’ face.
“You better get used to seeing them as they will be your new neighbors!” explained Charity.
Sue choked and sputtered for the second time that morning. Charity slapped her friend on the back, “Are you okay, Suzanne?”
“Fine. I am just fine!” stammered Sue with a strange look on her face.
“What did you do?” demanded Charity.
“Nothing.” said Sue as Jack howled with laughter.
“You didn’t try to shoot them or something else, did you?” asked Charity confused at their reactions to meeting the Barkley brothers. This question only caused Jack to laugh harder until tears were running down his face. Sue blushed with embarrassment and quietly told Charity of her “run-in” with the Barkleys brothers.
Charity shook her finger at Sue, “See what happens when you talk before you think. Those men are two of the most eligible bachelors around here.”
“I am purchasing a ranch, not looking for a husband!” exclaimed Sue as she glared at her friends.
Jack and Charity looked at each other and burst out laughing while their friend was trying very hard to ignore them.
“I am not the one who ran into them. I can be neighborly, they just caught me at a bad moment.” said Sue sweetly.
“I know you can, Sue. I don’t think this was a very good way to start though.”
said Charity as she smiled at her friend.
“We’ll be leaving at 10:00 to ride out to the ranch. Perhaps you should change into your riding clothes, Charity?” suggested Sue.
“I’ll be happy to accompany you to the mission Charity.” offered Jack as he put on his hat.
“Thank you Jack. We will be back in a little bit.” said Charity as she hugged her friend.
Sue watched her friends walk to the lobby of the hotel. As she drank the last of her coffee, she requested a pencil and paper to write out some telegrams to her ranch crew back in Texas. As she tried to concentrate on her writing, her thoughts keep shifting to the Barkley brothers.
“Great way to start with your potential neighbors. I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come in the future. I can’t believe Charity actually thought I might have tried to shoot them or something.” chuckled Sue with a shake of her head and a thoughtful look on her face as she thought her brief meeting with Jarrod and Nick.
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As Heath watched out the window, his soul was revived at the pallet of colors the sunrise brought when it peeked over the horizon to greet him Sunday morning. Buttoning his blue chambray shirt as he watch the new day take shape before his eyes, his thoughts were not of his future on the Barkley ranch that he had come to love, but on where he and his horse, Charger, would be off to next.
“It’s not as if I am admitting to Nick that I am unworthy of being a Barkley by leaving” he thought.
“I am saving the family from the heartache and disappointment in the future that my arrival has brought. Nick will never accept me no matter how I work to prove to him that I am his brother. In his eyes, I will always be an outsider and not worthy of the Barkley name. “ reasoned Heath in his mind. “There’s nothing wrong with the name Heath Thomson! It’s a good name from a good woman, my mama.”
Heath’s heart ached at the thought of leaving the new family he had come to love in the short time he was here. As he thought of each of them, his eyes filled with tears.
“Silas, my dear friend, is generous to allow me to share his hopes, dreams, fears and his faith. My first friend in this house, he will always be near to my heart.”
“Audra, my little sister, is a ray of sunshine in this life. Her spirit, passion and caring for others can be seen by everyone by the things that she does for her family, her friends and with the children at the orphanage.”
“Eugene, my little brother, is a man who will make big tracks in the future in the field of veterinary medicine. His keen mind and research skills will be of benefit to the world and his field.”
“Jarrod, my eldest brother, has filled the role of father and brother simultaneously for me. He is always ready to listen, offer encouragement, be a referee or confidant. His knowledge of the law is only second to his knowledge of people and the world in which we live.”
“Victoria, my stepmother, who fills the world around her with dignity, sophistication, caring and love. Her grace has helped me through many a hard day when I was ready to throw in the towel. She is always there for me with advise or just a comforting hand on my shoulder. She is so much more than a stepmother to me.”
“I will even miss Nick, my older brother. Nick and I are the same breed of person, even though he is a mite louder than me, we are the same. We have the same thoughts, same feelings and same goals in life. We share the same compassion for the ranch and I think, I will miss Nick the most.” thought Heath as he wiped his eyes. “Will he even notice if I am gone? Will he just be glad I am not here to cast a slur upon his father’s good name? Will he be relieved?”
As Heath sat on the bed and pulled on his boots, his stomach was in knots at the prospect of having Sunday breakfast with the family. During the week, Heath usually had breakfast with Silas and was out on the range working before the rest of the crew was stirring out of their bunks.
“I wouldn’t mind just having breakfast with Silas this morning too. Lord only knows what Nick is going to say or do to me today. I don’t know how much more I can take without coming to serious blows again with that stubborn brother.”
“Patience is a virtue, mama used to say. Wonder if whoever made up that line had given any thought to Nick Barkley. “ mumbled Heath with a slight smile on his face as he walked out the door of his bedroom.
“Good morning, Heath” said Jarrod as he was coming out of his room dressed in a shirt and jeans. “Do you have any plans for the day?”
“Morning Jarrod. No, there are a couple of horses that are ready to foal, so I thought I would stay around here.” answered Heath as they walked towards the stairs.
When they passed Nick’s room, Jarrod knocked on the door. “Nick, are you coming to breakfast?”
“I’LL BE THERE SHORTLY” yelled Nick from behind the door.
Jarrod looked at Heath and rolled his eyes. “Guess who got up on the wrong side of the bed, brother Heath?”
“Everyday since I been here” said Heath under his breath.
Jarrod, having heard what Heath said looked sharply at him as he started down the stairs to the foyer. “What does that mean?” thought Jarrod. “Surely Heath doesn’t think it is his fault that Nick couldn’t get up on the right side of the bed. He will come around. I’ll have to talk to Heath to make sure he doesn’t do anything rash while he and the rest of us are waiting for Nick to come to his senses.”
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No amount of sunshine or light could work its way through the darkness in Nick Barkley’s soul. His whole being had been shattered to its very core. His perception of right and wrong had been taxed to its limit. His heart burned with a rage that threatened to burst his heart from his chest. His hands clenched and unclenched steadily.
All night he had been lost in a sea of emotion that threatened to wash over and drown him. His sleep was disconjointed pictures and fragments of days past with his Father and mother only to have another woman’s face appear over his mothers in the nightmares. His Father had appeared before him surrounded by other children while his family looked on with longing and unhappiness. He had woken up numerous times throughout the night startled out of the nightmares by images his mind had conjured up. His restless sleep was evident by the state of the bed and its covers.
He was angry! He was frightened! He was ashamed!
Angry at the man that betrayed his memory of him. Angry at the man that showed up and destroyed that memory. Angry that Heath’s mother didn’t tell his Father about Heath. Angry that his mother and his father didn’t take the time to find out if Leah had been carrying a child.
Frightened that he had no control over the thoughts in his mind. Frightened of closing his eyes and seeing those images. Frightened that his world was spiraling out of control.
Ashamed that Heath had grown up in that miserable town of Strawberry without a father. Ashamed that he was forced to be a charge boy in the mines at such a young age and working odd jobs just to help his mother by bringing home some pennies. Ashamed that Heath had to fight his way into the family that he should have been in from the day he was born. Ashamed that he had a brother from his father by another woman.
“Oh God, how ashamed I am that he had such a hard life while we were here in Stockton with our bellies full and going to school.” thought Nick as he held his head in his hands as he sat in the chair.
“How am I going to find the strength to go on when I feel so hollow and empty. How can I accept him when I don’t want to accept what my father has done?”
As Nick sat and contemplated it in his tortured mind, he was no closer to an answer this morning than he was when he was drinking himself to a stupor in his room last night. The brandy had helped dull his senses and lulled him into a false security of numbing his mind and thoughts. Then the nightmares had robbed him of the sleep that he needed to help revive his soul. The haggardness of his handsome face was evident, his eyes hollow and his color pale.
He had a knot in his stomach from the thought of having breakfast with the family. As he changed yesterday’s clothes for new ones, he didn’t know if he had the resolve to make it through the meal.
“What’s wrong with me? I am a man! Not a child! I have dealt with other tough things in my life, I can deal with this!” said Nick angrily at his thoughts.
As he heard a knock on his door and Jarrod’s voice, the anger caused him to shout out his answer to the question. “I’LL BE THERE SHORTLY!”
“Man can’t even get dressed without someone bothering him” he mumbled as he put on his boots and walked to the door.
Opening the door, he stepped out into the hallway and down the stairs to the dining room for breakfast.
As Nick walked down the stairs, the first person to see his appearance was his mother, Victoria. She knew his look was one of the consequences of their talk last night.
“Nick, are you okay son?” asked Victoria with a concerned look on her face.
“I am just fine Mother” said Nick gruffly as he walked past his mother “Are we having breakfast here in the foyer or should we go into the dining room?”
Victoria stopped Nick with a hand on his arm, “Nick, have you considered what you are going to do with what you learned last night?”
“I am hungry Mother, can’t we discuss this later?. I do have things that I need to do today, this is a working ranch that won’t stay still because the owners father’s pedestal has a crack in it the size of the Grand Canyon.”
“Of course, dear” smiled Victoria as she took his arm. “Let’s have some breakfast.”
Nick escorted his mother into the dining room where the remainder of the family was gathered around the table. Good mornings were shared as Victoria and Nick took their respective places at the table.
“Nick, you look terrible! Are you feeling alright?” asked Audra with a shocked look at her brother’s face.
As Nick looked around the table, he saw that Jarrod and Heath also wore similar expressions of shock and concern.
“I’m fine, little sister. Nothing to worry about” replied Nick as he sipped his coffee.
“Perhaps brother Nick was out late with his prospective date for the upcoming festival.” joked Jarrod while filling his plate.
“I wasn’t out last night!” said Nick. “I just didn’t sleep that well is all.”
“Did you have insomnia or something like that Nick?” inquired Audra.
“I JUST HAVE SOME THINGS ON MY MIND! CAN’T A GUY JUST HAVE A BAD NIGHT WITHOUT GETTING THE THIRD DEGREE FROM HIS FAMILY!” growled Nick as he pushed his chair back and stormed from the dining room.
As Jarrod started to rise, Victoria spoke “Leave him be, Jarrod. Eat your breakfast.”
“Mother, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just concerned because of the way he looks.” said Audra sadly.
“I know dear, but we are all entitled to a bad night. If your brother wants to share with us, he will. Otherwise, I think it is best if we give him some space.” stated Victoria as she patted Audra’s hand.
Victoria glanced at Heath and saw that he was not saying anything, he was just looking at his plate. Her eyes went to Jarrod who shrugged a shoulder as if to say ‘I am not sure, Mother’.
“Heath, is there something wrong with your breakfast? You haven’t eaten hardly a thing.” asked Victoria.
“No ma’am. It’s fine. Guess I am just not very hungry this morning.” said Heath softly.
“Did you sleep okay, Heath?” asked Audra.
“I slept fine, sis. Thanks for asking. I think I had better go out to the barn and check on those mares. Excuse me.” said Heath as he got up and walked out of the dining room.
“What is going on, Mother?” asked Jarrod. “Nick looks like death warmed over and Heath just seems, well for lack of a better word, defeated.”
“I had a talk with Nick last night to tell him how I knew Heath was his brother. I think he’s in shock to say the least. We need to be patient and give him a few days to sort everything out.”
“What did you tell him?” inquired Audra with a puzzled look on her face. “It must have been something horrible for Nick to look like he does.”
“That young lady, is none of your business.” said Victoria firmly. “It was something that only Nick needed to hear and does not concern you.”
“Sorry, Mother” apologized Audra while feeling like a little girl who was caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
“As for Heath, I am not sure what is going through his mind.” sighed Victoria. “I wish he felt comfortable enough to tell me anything he wanted to.”
“I think Heath is feeling responsible for being the cause of Nick’s pain, Mother. I saw it in his eyes when you and Nick walked into the room. His eyes are so expressive, you can see to the depths of his soul when he doesn’t know you are watching and leaves them unguarded. I fear that Heath will feel the only way to take away Nick’s pain is to leave us.” admitted Jarrod with a shake of his head.
“He can’t leave us!” exclaimed Audra. “He belongs here in this family! I won’t let him leave!”
“You may be powerless to stop him, Audra. Heath is a proud man who would never want to be the cause of anyone’s pain. He’s had enough pain in his life and knows what it feels like. “ explained Jarrod calmly. “We can only let him know that he would be missed terribly if he were to go and that we love him as a brother. I hope he doesn’t leave. I hope Nick comes around before that happens, but only time will tell.”
“I think you are correct, Jarrod. I just hope for our sakes and Heath’s that he doesn’t leave. We will have to see what we can do about keeping here where he belongs, whether he sees it or not.” said Victoria as she pounded her fist on the table.
“You love him too, don’t you Mother?” asked Audra shyly.
As Victoria looked at Jarrod and Audra with tears in her eyes, she said “Yes, as if I had born and raised him myself and I will not let anything come in the way of Heath being my son.”
“We all feel the same way, Mother. Even Nick, even though he doesn’t know it yet.” said Jarrod with a smile.
“Yes, we will all help Heath so he doesn’t feel as if he has to leave and we will help Nick come to his senses.” said Audra as she hugged her mother.
“Let’s finish breakfast and see what we can do.” said Victoria feeling as though a united front was the one thing that would help Nick and Heath through this difficult time.
....Continued
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