The sun was shining it’s rays of warmth into the room when Nick opened his eyes and smiled at the relaxed face of his wife in sleep. Climbing out of bed, he glanced out the window and realized it was close to ten. Thinking back, he couldn’t remember the last time he had slept this late in the morning. Looking down, he saw Heath, Eugene and Duke heading out of the yard.

Laying down on top of the covers, Nick watched his wife sleeping, resting his hand on her stomach and relishing in the stolen moments of time. His hand moved of its own accord from the gentle kick from his love child. Rubbing her stomach gently, tears of relief and love filled his eyes from the fluttering he felt.

Nick saw the movement of his wife’s head and watched her eyelids open slowly. Drowsy emerald eyes meet love-filled hazel eyes.

“Hi there.” whispered Nick leaning to gently kiss her lips.

Confusion spread across her face as she looked around the room, memories of the buggy ride flashed in her mind and panic filled her voice, “Audra fell out of the buggy! She’s hurt!”

“Audra’s okay, honey.” said Nick quickly cupping her cheek in his palm. “You brought her home, Sue. Doc says she has a mild concussion, but she’ll be fine.”

Her face relaxed as relief ran through her. Sue rubbed her forehead and coughed, “I remember now. I helped Audra home, Mother sent Silas for the doctor and wrapped me in a quilt. I dreamt ya’ carried me upstairs.”

“I did carry you upstairs.” replied Nick softly.

Seeing a look flare quickly in his eyes, Sue asked, “What’s wrong?”

Taking a deep breath, Nick smiled slightly, “You’ve been sick with fever for the last three days, honey.”

“A fever for three days?” repeated Sue her eyes widening with fear. “The baby!”

“The baby’s fine, honey. Strong and steady heartbeat.” assured Nick. “How do you feel?”

“I feel weak.” admitted Sue with a yawn. ”I’m kind of hungry, though.”

Chuckling, Nick kissed her mouth firmly and jumped off the bed grabbing his clothes from the chair, “I’ll see what I can rustle up for you. Doc says you have to stay in bed for at least a week.”

“Okay.”

Her quiet agreement to the doctor’s orders caused Nick to stumble as he was sliding his leg into his pants. Looking at her intently, he finished dressing, helped her up to recline against some pillows and sat on the bed, “No arguments about staying in bed?”

“No.” whispered Sue quietly tears forming in her eyes. “I don’t want to take a chance on anything happening to the baby. For the next two months, I’m going to be extra careful and not do anything reckless.”

Caressing her cheek, Nick smiled, “Sue, you didn’t do anything reckless or wrong. It’s not your fault you were caught in the rain and got a chill from it. Sometimes things just happen.”

“Nick, what if the baby had died? I don’t think I’m strong enough to go through that again.” replied Sue her eyes falling down from his.

Tilting her chin up, Nick shook his head, “Honey, you’d never intentionally hurt our child. You don’t have to shut yourself in this room for the next two months. If you did that, you’d be miserable. I don’t want you to remember the last two months of your pregnancy that way.”

Closing her eyes briefly, Sue nodded and looked into the concerned hazel eyes, “Okay, but I’m gonna stick close to the house for the next two months.”

Smiling widely, Nick wrapped her in his arms. “That’s fine with me. Now, what would you like for breakfast, uh, lunch?”

“Eggs and toast.”

“Okay.” grinned Nick walking to the door.

“No, wait! Ham sandwich.”

“Okay.”

“No, soup and a ham sandwich.”

Opening the door, Nick said, “I’ll bring it up for you, but first I’m gonna get someone to sit with you.”

“Nick!”

Poking his head back into the room, he smiled, “Yep?”

“And some cookies, too!”

“Anything else?” sighed Nick.

“Can ya’ bring me some of Audra’s pickled cucumbers?” asked Sue.

Crunching up his face in disgust, Nick winced, “Sure, honey. Be right back.”

The two pregnant women of the Barkley household were showing Charity and Jack the nursery after enjoying the Thanksgiving feast prepared by Silas. Sue sat in the rocking chair with Emily in her arms, enjoying the sleeping baby and listening to the conversation going on around her.

Kneeling by the rocker, Jack whispered, “Just think, boss. In a month and a half, you’ll be a mother.”

Smiling, Sue nodded, “It seems like it was just yesterday that we moved here from Texas. Now look at us. You have your own family and I’m starting mine.”

“It’s a wonderful thing, Sue.” grinned Jack. “Do you need any help with Christmas shopping for your in-laws? I know the boys would help if you needed it.”

“Thanks, but Gene is going to pick up the last thing on my list when he goes to Sacramento on Saturday.” stated Sue. “Do you need some help?”

Chuckling, Jack shook his head, “No. Charity already told me what I was getting her.”

Nick stood in the doorway of the nursery watching Sue rock Emily. The laughter from her and Jack brought a wide grin to this face as he asked “What are you two up to?”

“Just catching up, Nick.” replied Jack with a wink. “Since the boss can’t ride to the ranch, it’s hard to keep that crew of ours in line. I was just getting some advise on how to handle them.”

Rolling her eyes, Sue smirked, “Yeah, right!”

“I really like the nursery.” smiled Charity taking the waking Emily from her friend. “Suzanne, this looks like the same crib you put together for us.”

“Sue put a crib together for you?”

Laughing, Jack nodded, “I couldn’t figure the directions out. It only took the boss about three hours to do it.”

Pushing herself up from the rocker, Sue edged her way to the open door with Sonja quietly following. Turning, Sue was stopped short of escaping by Heath who stood in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest.

Looking at his wife and sister-in-law, Nick shook his finger at them, “You cheated! You two should be ashamed of yourselves!”

“No, we didn’t! You never asked if we put one together before.” stated Sue firmly.

“She’s right, Nick. Neither of you asked.” said Sonja with a smile. “So, we won fair and square.”

Jack and Charity looked at each other puzzled by the two couples in front of them. Sitting beside each other on the sofa in the room, they watched the battle playing out in front of them.

“Cheating on your own husbands.” chided Heath shaking his head in consternation at the two blushing women.

“Well, you don’t have to make it sound so dirty, Heath!” retorted Sue.

“It was a dirty thing to do!” snapped Nick.

Sonja looked at her friend and sighed, “Okay, we’ll repay the bet.”

“No way!” replied Sue. “You two gambled and you lost. Same thing as if you bet on a horse race. You take your chances when you place a bet.”

“She’s got you there, boys.” interjected Jack from the sidelines. “Gambling is gambling.”

Nick rolled his eyes, “Easy to see which side you’re on Jack.”

“Don’t pick on Jack, cause you know I’m right.” smirked Sue.

Nick’s words were cut off by Charity, “You all should be ashamed of betting against each other. I think we should go back downstairs. Mrs. Barkley will be wondering what happened to us.”

Agreeing, Nick took his wife’s arm and whispered in his ear, “I still say you cheated.”

“Sore loser.” whispered Sue laughter sparkling in her eyes.

Walking by with his wife, Heath growled to Nick, “Told you that bet was a bad idea.”

The youngest Barkley son was on his way back to Stockton, the gift his sister-in-law requested he pick up, tucked safely away in his valise. Riding the train, he tried reading but was unable to concentrate.

Looking out the window, his thoughts turned to his family. He was on break from his school for Christmas and headed back to his home after doing his sister-in-law this one favor. Grinning, he knew that Nick and Heath would have made the trip for her but they would not have wanted to spend the time away from the ranch or more importantly, their expectant wives.

In a month, he would be an uncle for the first time. His heart swelled with love and pride when he thought of his family. Nick and his wife, Sue, had been through the burning fires of purgatory together since their first meeting. Soon, they would hold the little baby that was already fully entwined in their hearts, in their hands. Four months later, Heath and Sonja would be holding their own bundle of joy.

He and Heath had grown closer as brothers. After helping Nick fight the fever waging in his wife, Eugene had helped Heath on the ranch. During this time, Heath and he had found time to talk and share their hopes for the future. Working alongside Heath, he could see the respect the men had for him not as a boss, but as a rancher and a man. His blond brother had worked hard at gaining their respect and it was not taken lightly.

Sue Weston had been correct that day so long ago, ‘if you give him a chance you’ll never regret having him for a big brother.’ He had never regretted letting Heath into his heart and into their family.

The quiet man’s place was so engrained in the Barkley family, it was hard to remember when he wasn’t there. Soon there would be a new generation of Barkleys to carry forth the tradition of family and run the empire that Thomas Barkley had created.

The train slowed as it arrived in Stockton, the sun setting in the west was treating the California citizens to a spectacular color show. Taking up his valise, Eugene jumped down off the train and headed to Jarrod’s office with a shadow following him. He was home a day earlier than expected and if his brother were working, he could catch a ride home with him. Arriving at the building, he tried the door but it was locked. Turning around, he headed to the livery.

“Hey Gene!”

Looking at the man on the wagon, Eugene grinned, “Davey! How you doing?”

“Doing just fine. You just get in?” asked Davey.

“Yeah. I’m on my way to rent a horse since Jarrod’s not in his office.”

“No need to do that. I’m headed out of town, I’ll run you by the ranch.” offered Davey.

“If it’s not too much trouble, that’d be great!” replied Gene climbing up onto the seat. “How’s Mary Ellen?”

Snorting, Davey shook his head and started the horses forward, “Don’t ask!”

Laughing, Gene and Davey traded stories as they made their way to the Barkley ranch unaware a lone man was behind them and galloping towards them, striving to reach the slower moving wagon before it reached it’s destination.

In life, they say there are no sure things and no pots of gold at the end of the rainbows. They are wrong, there are two sure things that will happen to everyone eventually: death and taxes. Taxes can slowly siphon the life out of you and with death, you can only hope it’s quick and painless.

It is often said that confidence is a wonderful attribute for a person to possess. A person who exudes confidence finds others drawn to them as if they were a magnet. Confidence bolsters oneself up higher than most people around them. Yes, confidence is a wonderful thing for the normal person. Confidence is a tool that can be used by most people, but to a ‘confidence man’, lying, stealing and cheating are better tools.

The confidence man uses his arrogance, his brains and the confidence in his skills to lie, steal and cheat the unsuspecting individual out of what is rightfully theirs. As if he were a magician, he uses slight of hand techniques, mirrors and smoke to get his foot in the door. Once his foot is in, the rest of his body follows. Like an eight-tentacle octopus, his hands will be moving quickly and you won't be able to see what he has done until he slithers away, his tentacles stop moving and the smoke has cleared. By then, your money, prestige and pride are gone. Sure, you could get them back, but the damage to the psyche has already been done.

Eric Fletcher thrived in the underworld of the criminals of society, a small group of people that fed on the miseries and good fortune of others. At least he did thrive there until the botched kidnapping of one, Nicholas Jonathan Barkley. Even now, he could not understand how the Barkleys found out about his ill-fated partners so quickly. To him, it was an enigma that plagued his thoughts, his schemes and weakened his confidence in the skills he relied on.

He had always prided himself on planning, planning and more planning. The groundwork he laid in the past had never failed him. He worked diligently at what he did, never flying off the handle or by the seat of his pants. Planning, he knew was the ultimate key to success in his undertakings and his escapes.

If one was planning to rob a bank, they should watch the habits of the people employed there. What time did they leave home for work? What time did they arrive in the morning? Did they leave for lunch? Did they eat in the bank or outside the bank? Were they happy in their lives or were they miserable and looking for excitement?

People are creatures of habit. Someone’s habits could be learned if one was patient enough to spend the time to secure the knowledge. A reliable and consistent bank manager was better than a man who was given to spontaneous acts. A reliable person could be counted on to act a certain way, in a certain manner. Spontaneous people would only lead down the path to disaster. Their habits were not hewn into wood, their acts more strewn about like dust in the wind. You couldn’t plan around spontaneity.

Eric Fletcher had planned thoroughly before the kidnapping of Nick Barkley. He had obtained as much information as he could on members of the Barkley family and Suzanne Weston. Learning from Ramona how the crew of the Weston ranch felt about their boss, he had obtained information on those men as well.

He had gained his information from financial records, newspapers articles and individuals who traveled in the same social circles as the Barkleys. He had traveled to Texas and gleamed information out of people about Suzanne Weston without their knowledge. He gathered all the data he could, reviewed and memorized it. He had thoroughly planned and yet, he failed.

His failure could have been blamed on the rotting post Brad Mason had tied Barkley to. Mason had not taken the time to thoroughly examine the post. If he had examined it, he would have seen the rot inside of it. He failed to do that, thus, Nick Barkley was able to escape.

His failure could have been blamed on the fact that he joined with the siblings knowing of their revenge scheme against Suzanne Weston. When emotions are involved, sometimes the actions derived from the emotions take precedence over thinking wisely. Thus, in the siblings lust for desire they had shot Nick Barkley as he was escaping. In turn, Suzanne Weston had shot and killed his sibling partners.

His failure could have been blamed on lack of focus. When one was participating in a criminal act, one should focus on one ultimate goal. He knew this and against his better judgment, he let the lure of the payoff at the end convince him to join with the siblings, knowing the revenge they sought was another goal that was added. Thus, there was not one goal but two. Henceforth, the focus of the criminal act had been split when it should have been tunneled towards one goal.

Or was his failure due to not planning properly? He had plenty of time to consider his failure, review what had occurred prior to and after the bungled job. He felt his planning could not have been better, but still he had nothing to show for his months worth of wasted efforts. Eric Fletcher was not a person given to spontaneous acts of any kind, he believed in the constant and the reliable.

‘Planning is the key to any successful plan’, thought Eric Fletcher with a wry grin, his features masked by the beard and mustache, keeping an eye on the man two rows in front of him. ‘Then, what the hell am I doing following Eugene Barkley on a whim?’

Amigo rolled eyes in response to the gentle words that were being spoken to him. The curry comb making its way across his body, creating a shine to his coat. The hands on him were strong and small. The movements quick and sure.

Sue brushed the black and spoke to him as if he could understand her. Her voice low and soothing. Her belly which had seemed to grow overnight protruded outwards. Finishing the grooming, she left the stall and sat on a bale of hay petting Nicodena. The cat purred its contentment and looked upwards at her mistress with half closed eyes.

This time spent in the barn was part of the daily ritual the woman rancher had established to occupy her day. Rising, she would have breakfast with her husband and brother-in-law. Afterwards, she would see them off and help Silas clean up the kitchen.

When the rest of the family rose, she would sit at the table and enjoy their company. Afterwards, she would spend time with Silas in the kitchen watching him go about his duties and talk about life in general.

Before lunch, she, Sonja and Audra would take a short walk to exercise her leg and get out in the sunshine of the cool December month. Audra was excited and anticipating the upcoming holiday. Her vivaciousness always enlightened the day of the other two women. Lunch would be served to the members of the family present and afterwards, the two pregnant women of the house would indulge in a nap.

Feeling refreshed after the nap, Sue would venture to the barn to groom Amigo and spend time with Nicodena. Ciego would keep a close eye on the boss’ blossoming wife. He looked forward to the little ones that would soon be running around the Barkley ranch.

Sighing, Sue put Nicodena down and put her hand behind her to push up from the bale. Her movements stymied by the large belly. Frowning, she tried again but to no avail.

“Ciego!”

Rushing into the barn, Ciego stopped in front of the red faced woman. “Si, Mrs. Barkley?”

Sue smiled slightly. “Ciego, I need some help.”

“What can I do?” inquired Ciego.

“I can’t get up.” groaned Sue embarrassment flaring across her face.

“That I can do, Mrs. Barkley.” smiled Ciego holding his hands out to the woman. Grabbing hold of the large hands, Sue felt him lift her from the bale of hay.

“See, not so hard.”

Laughing, Sue patted his arm. “Thank you, Ciego. I thought it was bad enough that I couldn’t see my feet.”

Shaking his finger at her, he replied, “No, no, is not a bad thing. It is a good thing.”

Sue nodded and smiled, “Thanks again.”

Walking slowly out of the barn, Sue headed to the house to help Audra finish wrapping the presents for the children at the orphanage.

Sitting at the table, the women were surrounded by colorful paper, ribbons and bows. Victoria smiled as Sue glanced at the clock for the fourth time. Her outgoing and active daughter-in-law would fidget this time of the day. Sonja on the other hand would knit or crochet to pass the time. Sue was unable to do these forms of needlecraft even though they had tried to teach her.

Sue had to find ways to occupy herself while keeping her promise to her husband to stay close to the house until the baby was born. Her restlessness would increase as the time drew near at the end of the day waiting for the men to return from their work. Her eyes containing wistfulness as they explained how they spent the day working. When Jarrod was home, she would help him in the study by looking up precedence or laws. Jarrod, however, was in Modesto completing his shopping for the holiday.

Putting away the wrapping supplies, they carried the gifts into the living room and placed them by the decorated tree. The house smelled of pine mixed with cinnamon and nutmeg. Silas brought in a silver platter and placed it on the table. Thanking him, Victoria poured the tea, handing each woman a cup.

Glancing again at the clock on the mantle, Sue set her cup down and walked over to stand by the window. The sun had set and darkness was covering the land, but still no sign of Nick and Heath. Feeling a gentle hand rubbing her back, Sue smiled at her mother-in-law, “Mother.”

“Have you ever heard the expression a watched pot never boils?” asked Victoria.

Chuckling, Sue nodded, “Yes, I have.”

“They’ll be here soon.” said Victoria softly. “Something must have come up.”

Sighing, Sue nodded, “I know.”

Kissing her cheek and giving her a hug, Victoria put her arm in Sue’s, “How about a game of chess to pass the time?”

Nodding, Sue let herself be lead into the study where the chessboard was set up. Sitting at the table, Sue tried to concentrate on the chess pieces before her. The concentration of both women dwindling with the progression of the clock hands.

“Sorry, Mother. I can’t seem to focus.” apologized Sue walking to the french doors and staring at the stars.

“The boys should be home soon. I think I will tell Silas to serve dinner.” replied Victoria squeezing the shoulder of her daughter-in-law.

“I’ll be out shortly.” smiled Sue before returning her gaze to the outside for a few minutes longer.

Walking to the door, Sue gasped and held onto a nearby chair.

“Mother!”

....Continued