To Define a Son- by Nutterone
One
The knock
on the door was unexpected. The weather
was dreadful and no one would be out unless it was dire.
“Can I
help you?”
The
oilskin covered stranger tipped his hat and rainwater ran off the brim,
splashing at the grand lady’s feet. She
instinctively stepped backwards. The man
mumbled an apology.
“Please,
come in.” She stepped further backward,
inviting the man in.
“Thank
you, Ma’am. Sorry about the mess.” He shook his coat a bit, took a deep breath
and looked at her again. “Let me start
over. Good Evening, Mrs. Barkley, I
presume?”
“Tom, Tom
Evanston.”
She gave
no indication that she knew who he was but invited him further in. “Mr. Evanston, it is not a fit night to be
venturing about. Please come in. Can I get you a cup of coffee to warm your
soul?”
“Your
most kind and generous welcome is enough to warm my soul but a coffee would do
wonders for these old, tired bones. You
are correct. It’s not a fit night out.”
“Please
have a seat in the parlor and I will get the coffee. As it is, there is a warm pot on the stove.”
Tom
Evanston lay his wet belongings across the foyer table and drifted to the warm
glow from the hearth. He studied the
room. It was large and elegantly
appointed but still warm and welcoming.
He rubbed his hands over the hearth and flexed his fingers to encourage
warmth to spread. He took a moment to
marvel at the confidence of the woman of the house. She had welcomed him in despite the
circumstances. Not many women would have
been so hospitable.
He turned
from the flames. “Black, please. Cream and sugar are such a rarity at sea,
that I lost the stomach for them.”
“Are you
a captain?”
He
laughed. “No. Never made it that far. Just a hard working seaman out to see the
world.”
“And did
you?”
“Somewhat.” He moved from the flames and sat on the
settee opposite her. As she reached to
hand him a cup, she finally saw him. Her
words fled and she could do nothing but stare at the man before her.
He noted
her distress. “Are you alright, Mrs.
Barkley?”
She
stammered. “Yes… It’s just…”
“Just?”
“Really? I get that a lot. People are always mistaking me for one person
or another.” He chuckled. “I do appreciate your seeing me.”
“To what
do I owe your visit?” She was quickly
recovering. Like her son, this man exuded
an aura of comfort. It was easy to
believe him.
“It’s
rather a long story. I am an old
acquaintance of your husband.”
“I’m
sorry, Mr. Evanston. Tom died.” There was also a tinge of sorrow in her voice
when she spoke of her late husband.
“So I heard. I’m afraid I have been out of the country for
some time, longer then I intended. I
only just returned and in trying to make connections with my former life, I
only just discovered his death. I’m not
really sure why I am here. It’s just…”
She smiled. “Now, it’s my turn. Just?”
“Tom
always spoke so highly of you, that I just had to come and meet you for
myself. Perhaps share a few memories of
the good, old days. He was proud of his
wife and family.”
“Yes, he
was. Thank you.” She paused, again searching for the right
words. “I’m not sure how to say this but
I don’t recall Tom mentioning you.”
Tom
laughed. “Not surprising. Tom really wanted to put that time away from
you and the boys behind him. He hated
all those months in Strawberry. It seemed
like nothing went right.”
Sensing
her unease, he progressed carefully.
“Yes. I was working my way across
country and had stopped to try my hand at mining. We met playing poker one night and the rest,
as it was, was history. I’d like to
think we became good friends.” As if
reading her mind, he continued. “We
ended things on a bit of a disappointment and so it doesn’t surprise me that he
never mentioned me.”
She
smiled faintly. “You said you were at
sea?”
“Yes,
another long, rather unbelievable story.
But please, tell me, your two sons?”
It was a
mother’s natural response to smile when the subject of her children was
raised. “Actually, the family grew. We have four sons and one daughter.”
“Excellent! I’m sure Tom had a lot to brag about.”
“I’m
biased of course, but I think we have been many times blessed.”
“Let’s
see, the oldest boys were Jarrod and Nick?”
“Yes,
followed by Heath, Eugene and Audra.”
At the
mention of the other names, Tom’s face fell.
“Heath?”
Maternal
instinct rose up from within and suddenly she grew very nervous. “Yes.”
Tom
stumbled over his words just a bit.
“That’s a rather unusual name.”
Tom
attempted to recover. “Certainly. So where is your family?”
“It’s a
large house to ramble about in alone.”
“It
always feel so without their voices.”
Tom
finished his coffee and stood. “I thank
you for your hospitality. Please accept
my very belated condolences on Tommy’s death.
I’ll be going now.”
“Tommy?”
He
laughed again. “Well, since we were both
Tom’s, I was Tom and he was Tommy.”
“Yes.” He offered her a large, lopsided grin. Again the chill went through her heart.
Her whole
brain screamed ‘no’ but she asked anyway.
“Please, stay the night. We have
plenty of space and it is useless to ride back to town tonight.”
“Ma’am,
that is a very generous offer. I am
tempted to accept.”
“First of
all, it’s
He looked
at his boots a moment and then replied.
“Thank you. I’d be honored to stay
the night but honestly, as for stories, I’m afraid I am too tired to start that
saga.”
“Then you
must stay a few days.”
“What?”
“I’m sure
I’m not the only member of my family who would enjoy hearing stories of
Tom. Unless you’re in a hurry?”
Tom laughed
again and a sparkle entered his eyes.
“No. No hurry. My life is now mine to do with as I please.”
“That’s
certainly an interesting way to describe life.
I look forward to hearing more.
Follow me and I’ll show you to your room.”
He
paused. “Thank you. It is really an honor to meet you. Tom certainly didn’t underestimate you at
all.”
“My turn
again, thank you.”
After
settling Tom Evanston in his room,
* ~ * ~ *
“Mr.
Evanston? Did you need something?”
Tom
Evanston hadn’t yet been able to sleep.
He was loath to admit it to his generous hostess but he was hungry. He had hoped to steal into the kitchen and
find a snack. “I… uh…”
“You’re
hungry?”
“How did
you know?” He returned a mortified
smile.
“I have
four sons.”
He noted
that she hadn’t changed into nightclothes, so she must still be waiting. “They still haven’t returned?”
She stole
a glance at the door, her feelings mixed.
On one hand, she longed for their safe return. On the other, she hoped Tom Evanston would
move on and no one else would be the wiser.
This was one secret she knew she must keep. “No.
The rains are bad. They might be
out all night. I could use a snack as
well. Will you join me?”
“Thank
you, I will.” He gestured toward the
door. “After you?”
After
settling in at the table with beef sandwiches, apple pie and tall glasses of
milk,
“What do
you want to know?”
She raised
an eyebrow. “Pardon?”
“Tom was
gone for three months. How much did he
tell you about his trip? Did he mention
Leah?”
“He kept
a journal?”
“No… I…”
“Leah
came to the funeral?”
“No. I never met Leah.” She suddenly wanted to know everything she
could. “Tell me about her.”
Calmness
came over Tom’s face as he allowed his mind to drift back in time. “She was the greatest woman I ever met. Present company excepted.” He added with a cheeky grin and
continued. “She was beautiful, long
brown hair and big brown eyes. No matter
how hard that monster of a brother made her work, she was always quick with a
smile and laugh. Tommy and I were both
staying at the hotel. One night I left
the poker game early. I didn’t find
Tommy in the morning. It wasn’t until
late that afternoon that I ran into Leah.
It seems Tommy had won big and someone robbed him. She had found him in the alley, beaten and
took him home. From that day on we all
became fast friends. Folks sometimes
called us the three musketeers. We
laughed away many an evening. Those were
good times.”
From
nowhere, her long buried insecurities reared their ugly head. “Did he love her?”
“Love
who?”
“Tom. Did he love Leah?”
He
thought for a moment. “I suppose in a
way he did.” He witnessed the
disappointment settle on her face.
“Perhaps love is a strong word.
He cared for her certainly. We
were friends.” He saw that his words
weren’t helping and tried a different course.
“He certainly pushed for me to stop being an idiot.” He paused, the regret evident in his face and
voice. “I agree with him. My leaving was stupid.”
She
struggled to gather her thoughts. “You
had plans to go to sea.”
“Yes, but
it was stupid. It is my greatest
regret. I should have married her and
settled down.”
“I love
Leah.”
“Loved.”
“Leah’s
dead?”
“Yes.”
“Damn!” His head hung low. He didn’t even bother to apologize for his
language.
“What?”
“Did you
think Tommy and Leah?”
She felt
suddenly foolish and stumbled over her words.
“I… He wouldn’t talk about
Strawberry. I assumed…”
“Oh, no,
Her
woman’s heart soared with relief and renewed love for her husband but in that
one instant, her greatest fear was confirmed.
She paled visibly and Tom grew worried.
“I’m sorry,
“Not at
all. If I might further indulge in your
hospitality, might I pour myself a nightcap before I retire myself?”
She
smiled. “Certainly.”
They
placed their dishes in the sink and walked to the foyer. She started to go toward the liquor trolley
when his arm stopped her. “No, please,
allow me to help myself. You have done
so much already.”
“Fine. Good night.”
“Good
night, Madam. And, thank you again!”
He moved
quickly forward. He poured himself a
drink and casually wandered about the room.
Spying a photograph on a table he picked it up. His smiled as he examined the merry faces
until his world abruptly crashed. He was
staring at himself.
* 2 *
Glass
upon glass had not taken away the shock to his system. He clearly understood
“He’s my
son.” It was quiet but the power of his
words thundered straight into her heart.
He went on, almost rambling. “I
should have known from the name.” He
looked at her and the pain was evident on his face. “It was my father’s name.”
“How did
he come to be in your family?”
“He’s my
son!”
Tom’s
attempt to intimidate
“He knows
nothing about you. He believes his
father is Tom Barkley and is a loved member of this family. I WON’T let you change that.”
“But he’s
MY son! You know it. You knew it from the moment you saw me. You can’t deny me my son. My god!
You would rather sully your husband’s good name then tell him the
truth? How can you claim to love
him?” He lost his focus on
He looked
at her with so many emotions in his eyes that she knew the depths of his sorrow
and regret, no matter what had happened.
“Please, try.”
“Heath
only came to us a few years ago. Leah
never told him who his father was. When
she died, he found an article about Tom’s funeral. He assumed it was his father. It all fit.
It all made sense then. We saw
something special in him. He reminded us
of Tom. It just…”
“You just
accepted him?”
“He’s a
special man. It’s easy to love him.”
“Go on. It just, what?”
“He
filled such a void in our lives. We
needed him as much as he needed us.”
“I want
to know my son.”
“You
can’t tell him.”
“How dare
you tell me what to do! You would deny
him his heritage? A real father?”
“He has a
heritage with us and don’t think you can just walk in and be his father. He hasn’t had an easy life. He doesn’t care for the idea of Tom at all.”
“What do
you mean?” There was open anger in his
words.
“Heath
was born out of wedlock. I’m sure you
can imagine what life was like for him.
They had nothing. He went to work
as a child in the mines. He was thrown
out of school and did everything he could to help his mother.”
“I know
life couldn’t be easy for him.”
“He was
six.”
“Six?”
“When he
went to work in the mines. Six years
old.”
Tom
laughed. “No wonder he hated Tom
Barkley. Your family filled with wealth
and power while his mother rotted in Strawberry.”
“That was
part of it. He ran away when he was a
boy and joined the war. He ended up in
Carterson.”
“Carterson?”
She
realized he had no idea what that was.
“It was a horrible prisoner of war camp.
He was beaten and abused there.
Most men died. He survived. He’s a survivor.”
“Then he
will survive this.”
“No, he
won’t.”
“WHY
NOT! I lost everything. Why can’t I have my son?”
“He
fought so hard to join this family, you can’t tear us apart.”
“How can
you say this to me? If it were your son,
wouldn’t you want him to know?”
“As a
mother, I know I have to do what is best for my child.”
“Lie to
them?”
“It’s not
a lie if you leave before he ever returns.”
“It’s not
enough. I deserve to know my son.”
It was
“Selfish? How is it selfish to want to know my son?”
“YOU left
Leah! You wanted to go to sea. You said it yourself. You say you loved her and yet you left. Surely, you knew you could have left her with
child. You left. Tom picked up your pieces.”
“Tom? Doesn’t sound like he helped them.”
Tom was
calmer now. “I just don’t see how you
could have just accepted him.”
“A
letter.”
“A
letter?”
“Tom sent
Leah a letter. I assumed he was saying
good bye to her.”
“What did
it say?”
The words
of Tom’s letter were burned into her memory.
“He told her she was a wonderful woman.
He called her the only woman in the world he could have loved as much as
me.”
“I can
see why you assumed he had an affair with her.
He used to tease us. He used to
say that she wasn’t good enough for me and if he wasn’t married, he’d have
already swept her off her feet.”
“He
wanted the best for her. He said she
deserved to be loved.”
Tom
interrupted her. “She did.”
“He
didn’t know about Heath, either.”
“Why
didn’t she ask him for help?”
“Stubborn.” He said quietly.
“What?”
“She was
stubborn. I’m sure that damn brother of
hers didn’t help them at all.”
“They
lied.”
“What?”
“I went
to Strawberry after Heath came to us. I
spoke with Martha and Matt and Hannah.
Martha and Matt told me Heath was Tom’s son.”
“They’d
sell their own sister for a dollar. It’s
one reason we liked to be around Leah, to protect her from them.” He was confused. “What did Hannah say?”
“The
whole thing? Amazing is not the word I
would use.”
“You
can’t tell him. You have to go before
Heath comes home.”
“I can’t
walk out on my son again.”
“You have
to, for his sake.”
“For his
sake, or yours?”
The
comment stung but
“You
don’t believe there’s room in his life for all of us?”
“If you
tell him, he will leave us.”
“Why? If what you say is true, he loves you as
much.”
“He’s a
proud man. He fought his way into this
family. He won’t handle living here
under a lie. He just won’t. The guilt will eat him up inside.”
Tom
pondered her words. “I lost so
much. I know it’s selfish of me but I
want to know my son.”
“I
understand that. I really do but I know
in my heart that it will destroy him.”
“What
will destroy, who?”
Tom and
Victoria were stunned into silence.
* 3 *
“Nick!”
Nick
ignored his mother’s question, staring at the man before him. “Who the hell are you?” He couldn’t explain it, but the man’s
shocking resemblance to his brother sent chills of fright down his spine.
Nick
stepped closer to the man with his mother.
“I asked who you were, Mister or didn’t you hear me?”
“I heard
you.”
“So
answer my question.”
“The
name’s Tom Evanston.”
“What are
you doing here?”
“Paying
my respects.”
Both men
stood toe to toe, neither backing down.
It had an all too familiar feel for
“Why?”
“I knew
your father.”
“He’s
been dead a long time.”
“I’ve
been away.”
“What do
you want with my brother?”
Tom said
nothing to Nick and turned to
She shook
her head. Nick reached out and pulled
the man back to face him. “Talk to
me! What do you want with Heath?”
Tom
laughed slightly. “How do you know it
has anything to do with Heath?”
Nick
stammered. He knew he’d fallen into the
trap. He was about to admit the man’s
startling similarities to Heath. He
tried ignoring it once more. “It’s
obvious you’re upsetting my mother and I want to know why.”
Before
Tom could respond,
Nick
paled. “Heath’s father is dead and
buried in the oak grove.”
Nick’s
emotional pain was physically felt in each inch of his body. “No…”
“It’s
true.”
“Where’s
his proof?”
“He was
in Strawberry with your father. He can
tell us everything.”
“NO! Heath is ours! If… If he…
Where the HELL has he been all these years?”
“Nick,
please.”
“Please,
what, Mother? I ain’t letting some
stranger who kinda looks like Heath waltz in here and hurt my brother.” He turned back on Tom, venom in his
words. “How much do you want before
you’ll get out of here and leave us alone?”
“I want
to know my son.” Tom’s words were
sincere.
“You
can’t do this to him.”
“So your
mother has tried to tell me. Don’t you
think he’d rather know the truth?”
Nick’s
head slunk low. “He fought his way
in…” Nick couldn’t continue.
“She told
me that as well. Now, he’ll have to
fight to leave.”
“You
don’t understand. He won’t. The guilt
will tear him up inside.” Nick allowed a
sardonic laugh to escape his lips.
“He’ll try and give back everything we’ve ever given him.”
“He’s
going to give back your love?” Tom hoped
to emphasize his optimism.
“He’ll
try. I don’t know if he can survive the
humiliation he’ll feel he caused.” Nick
looked at Tom with pained eyes. “You
have to go. You have to give him
up.”
Tom shook
his head and stared at his feet. “I know
what you’re saying makes sense… but you don’t get it… as devoted as you are to him… it… it only
makes me want to know him more… to meet him… get to know him…”
“He’ll
take one look at you and know.” Nick’s
head understood the man’s dilemma but his heart refused to give his brother
up.
“Couldn’t
we pretend I’m a distant relative?” Tom
was grasping at straw.
“Heath’s
not dumb. He’ll see through any
ruse.”
Tom was
stunned at
“Yes,
Nicholas. Your father would have wanted
it this way.”
“What? Father would have loved Heath. We’ve all said it time and time again. He’d a burst with pride.”
Tears
shimmered in
“Fine! Let him feel it.” Nick glared at Tom. “See.
You should be proud. He’s a fine
man. YOU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! His mother raised him. Just where were YOU while he suffered?”
“I’ve
already heard this and I don’t need you reminding me that I wasn’t there for
him.” Tom drew himself up in a strong
stance.
Nick took
a deep breath. “Sheriff asked him to
check out Salt Springs. They had to
evacuate the town because of possible flooding.”
“When
will he be home, Darling?”
“Not for
some time. Not until they know the dam
will hold.”
“So we
have time to think.”
“Think
about what?” Nick was confused.
“How we
tell him.”
“I think
it’s my job to tell him.” Tom was
feeling his position strengthening.
“Wait!” Nick was excited. “We can do this!”
“Do
what?”
“Well,
Tom here is a relative. That’s all Heath
needs to know. Is there any reason he
can’t be one of our relatives? A distant
cousin?”
“Nick. What about everyone else?” She didn’t hold out much hope.
”We’ll explain it to them. They’ll cover
for us.”
“We’re
deceiving him again and bringing the family down with us.”
“SO! Sometimes a lie to protect someone you love
is just fine! Look at fath…”
Nick
stopped his words. He had worshipped his
father. It had been hard to accept that
his father could betray his mother and hide it from them. Now it seems he hadn’t. He had cursed his father for no reason and
was now about to base his argument on an apparent gross misunderstanding. Never mind that it was the best
misunderstanding of his life. And now
the truth was going to rip his family apart.
Tom had
been quiet during the entire conversation.
“No. There’s only one thing I can
do.”
Nick
frowned at him, challenging him with his tone.
“What’s that?”
“I’ll
leave.”
“What?”
Tom
stared at the wall beyond her head, gathering his thoughts. “When I left for sea, I only meant to sail to
the Orient and back. I had always wanted
to go. It seemed so thrilling, so full
of adventure. It was the trip I had
always dreamed of. Leah… I loved her, but she understood. She didn’t want me to go, but she encouraged
me to. She understood that a man with
unfulfilled dreams wouldn’t do any woman, any good.” Tom walked to the liquor trolley and poured
himself a new drink to steady his nerves and quell the panic rising within him
as he relived his life. “So I left. I never made her promise, but I believe Leah
intended to wait for me. I hoped she
would anyway.” He smiled slightly. “It seems she might have.”
Nick
interrupted. “It takes a big man to be
interested in a woman with a bastard son.”
“Nicholas! Stop it!
Let him finish.”
Tom went
on. “The weather on the trip over was
harsh. I had no idea that storms were
like that. I can’t even describe
them.” He chuckled again at the
memories. “I’ve never prayed so much in
my life.”
“Enough
of the memories. Is there a point to
this?” Nick’s fuse was already lit and
the apparent ramblings of the old man gave him no peace.
Tom
ignored Nick, knowing
“And?”
“We lost
our main mast and a few days later, our rudder.
We drifted aimlessly for weeks.
All it took was one final storm.
We had no way to control the ship and we crashed on a reef.” He paused long enough to let his experience
sink in. “Ten of us made it to
shore. We managed the best we could.”
“How long
were you there?”
His
answer was simple and it made it all the more powerful. “Twenty years.”
“WHAT? You expect us to believe that cockamamie
story?” Nick was dangerously close to
unleashing his full anger.
“A ship
finally came along. We were living like
savages. Six of us remained when the
crew arrived. They took us further west. At that time, I could care less. I’d seen that damn island so long anything
else was bliss. So, I toured the world. Enjoyed it too. Six months ago, I was in a place called
Nick was
bitter. “You think Heath is that rebuilt
life?”
Tom grew
equally angry. “I didn’t know he existed
until a few hours ago. I didn’t come
back to hurt anyone. So, I’ll leave.”
“Just
like that?” Nick was incredulous.
“Yes.”
“Good! The sooner the better.”
“I
understand.” Tom began to straighten his
stance.
“Tom?”
“It’s the
best thing,
“But?”
He said
nothing else. He walked past both
Barkleys and climbed the stairs. Nick
turned to his mother sensing her unease.
“It’s for the best, Mother. You
know that.”
Her reply
was quiet. “Are you sure?”
“Mother! You have to believe this is best. Heath is my brother and no one will ever tell
me any different.”
She
offered her fiery son a smile. She knew
he meant every word. A small part of her
wanted to remind him that Heath really wasn’t and it was selfish of them to
keep this secret, but having seen the fear in his eyes at the thought of losing
his brother, she held her tongue. After
all, she would be losing a son as well and she couldn’t bear the thought any
better than Nick. “He’s my son and your
brother, forever.”
Nick
nodded. “I’m gonna go saddle his
horse. The sooner Tom Evanston is gone,
the better.”
As he
turned the handle,
“I don’t
know. I suppose I need to stop in
Strawberry, bury my demons so to speak.”
“You mean
bury your past?”
“I
guess.”
“It’s not
easy.”
He
disregarded her comment. “Thank you for
understanding. I know this isn’t easy
for you.”
“I don’t
know that this is the right thing.”
“You
seemed pretty confident earlier.”
“I don’t
know what to do. It seems no matter what
we do, someone will be hurt.”
Tom
smiled. “That’s why I’m going. You’ve chosen the option harder for you, not
Heath. You’re willing to suffer yourself
to protect him.” He bowed deeply from
the waist. “In
She
whispered. “No matter what happens.”
* 4
*
Later
that afternoon, Heath arrived back at the house. He was not alone. A singer named Fay Kelly and her young Indian
companion helped him into the house. A
bullet wound to his abdomen created enough disruption and worry that Tom
Evanston was soon forgotten. The doctor
hadn’t needed to remove the bullet, the young girl already had, but Heath had
lost a lot of blood and the wound needed sutures. By evening, Heath, although feverish from
infection, was resting peacefully and Fay was entertaining the family. Jarrod and Audra returned the following day
and the house was alive with activity.
One might have forgotten Tom Evanston even existed.
Nick paid
extra close attention to Heath in the weeks following the fateful storms. Heath chalked it up to his recent
injury. Nick was known to hover when
Heath wasn’t at full strength. Heath was
cleaning out the tack room when Nick bumped into him, again. “NICK!”
He quickly controlled his anger, seeing the hangdog expression on Nick’s
face. “Can ya step back a bit? I think I’m supposed to breathe on my own.”
“I…” Nick was flustered. He hadn’t been sleeping well. He had dreams of Heath leaving, but not
pleasantly. He was ripped from Nick’s
arms and he could do nothing to stop it.
He woke with feelings of helplessness each morning.
Heath
noted his brother’s distress. He threw
out one of his famous lopsided grins and offered a solution. “I’m thinking we could use an evening
off. Whatcha think?”
Nick
relaxed a bit. “What did you have in
mind?”
“I hear
Georgie’s has had some good hands of poker lately.”
Nick
pursed his lips and nodded his head. “I
think you may just be right, Little Brother.”
Heath
smiled and slapped Nick on the back.
“Suppose we should see if Brother Jarrod wants to join us?”
“Sounds
good. He can buy dinner.”
“We’re
goin’ to dinner, too?” Heath asked,
confused but with a twinkle in his vivid blue eyes.
“Heck
yes… Big Brother needs to part with some
of his money.”
“I
thought that’s why we was askin’ him to play poker?”
“That
too! He does have two incomes after
all.”
The
Barkley brothers were having a fabulous time.
The competition was challenging, the drinks were flowing and the banter
entertaining. The ladies hovering nearby
hoping to go upstairs with a Barkley kept the brothers in flirting mode.
Erik
VanHaag was new to
Jarrod
smiled and responded on their behalf.
Heath was too busy protecting Nick’s beer. “Why do you say that?”
“Look at
you.” He received everyone’s full
attention as Nick finally shed Mathilda.
“You’re nothing alike.”
Nick
instantly panicked. “Whatcha mean by
that? We’re brothers, all three of
us! Ain’t no one gonna say any
different.”
Erik was
leery of the venom in Nick’s words. He
held up his hands in defense.
“Whoa! I didn’t mean
nothing. It’s just that you and Jarrod
look alike.”
Jarrod
was attempting to be diplomatic, knowing Erik most likely didn’t know Heath’s
history. “Nick and I favor our mother.”
The liquor
and high spirits had loosened Nick’s tongue.
He wrapped his arm around a drunkenly dazed Heath. “Heath favors our father.”
Jarrod
clarified. “He and our sister look like
our father.”
Nick
slurred. “Damn right. He’s the spitting image of his father.”
The words
stuck in Heath’s ear. “Our?”
“Huh?” Nick swung his head wildly to face his
brother.
Heath was
instantly serious. “You said I am the
spitting image of “his” father, not “ours”.”
“What? I did not.
You’re drunk.”
Heath
left it at that.
The next
morning, the boys were slower then normal about getting to breakfast. They all endured Audra’s teasing and teased
her in return about Erik. She had met
him and was interested. Heath was
quieter than normal.
“Heath?”
Her voice
flittered through his brain and he faced her.
“Yes?”
“You
seemed lost.”
“No. Just thinking.”
“Anything
you care to share?”
He
smiled. “I was actually thinking about
Father.”
Nick
stopped eating and
“Just
something Erik said last night.”
Nick
interrupted. “What was that?”
“I was
just thinking. You all say I look like
him, but when I look at pictures of him, I don’t see it.”
Nick and
Victoria exchanged quick glances, which didn’t go unnoticed by Jarrod. He could feel their unease. He didn’t know why he was, but he
answered. “We seldom see our resemblance
to people. I suspect it is even harder
for you since you never met him.”
“I
suspect you’re right. Still…” Heath gave up mid-statement.
Heath
couldn’t shake the feeling all day and was distracted.
“HEATH!” Nick shouted above the din. Heath was supposed to open the corral gate
and he wasn’t anywhere near it as a storm of horses aimed at the gate.
Heath
came to his senses and moved quickly to release the gate. He achieved success in the nick of time, but
couldn’t avoid his brother’s wrath.
“WHAT is
your problem? What were you
thinking? I’ve never seen you like
this!” Nick was in Heath’s face and he
couldn’t avoid him.
“I
dunno.” He stammered. “I just can’t get it out of my head.”
“WHAT?” Nick was removing his gloves and slapped them
against his thigh. “You better tell me
what this is all about, before you get yourself killed!”
“It’s
stupid. Never mind… I promise… I’m over
it.”
“It would
be great if you said that with some conviction.”
“I mean
it. I’m fine, Nick.”
“Out with
it. NOW!”
Heath
removed his hat and ran his hand through his hair, buying time. “I just can’t forget what ya said last night.”
“What did
I say? I don’t remember half of what
happened. Why are you letting something
from last night bother you?”
“You said
I look like my father.”
Nick grew
tense. “We say it all the time.”
“But this
was different. You were so serious.”
“Why
shouldn’t I be?”
“See? I can’t explain it. I just got a bad feeling.”
Nick
wrapped his hand behind Heath’s neck and pulled him close. Heath relaxed and expected a moment of
brotherly tenderness. Instead, Nick
rapped him on the shoulder with his free hand.
“Knock it off!”
That
evening, the family gathered in the study.
Nick and Heath had just finished a game of billiards. Nick was pouring them both a drink. Heath accepted it and looked toward the
picture of the Barkley patriarch. After
a few minutes, he shook his head. “No.”
“What,
Darling?” Victoria had been watching
Heath closely. Nick had told her about
his conversation from that afternoon.
“I don’t
see it at all. There is nothing specific
that we share.” Heath was feeling
confident in his position.
Victoria
took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
“You’re right. Perhaps, we see
what we want to see. It happens all the
time. It doesn’t matter. What matters is how we feel about each
other. We love you and you are Tom
Barkley’s son.” She choked on the last
words and Heath noted it.
Heath
looked at her. She felt suddenly
guilty. She felt his eyes penetrate
straight to the center of her soul, revealing the truth. “I’m not Tom Barkley’s son.”
“What? Heath, don’t say such a thing.” Audra rushed to Heath’s side. She hadn’t been paying much attention to the
conversation. She and Jarrod were
playing checkers.
He gently
nudged her aside without a glance. “It’s
true. I see it in your eyes.”
Nick
jumped in. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t know why you have these crazy ideas
all of a sudden, but you gotta stop it.
You’re a Barkley and no one can say any different.”
Heath
looked at Nick. “Who has said any
different, Nick?”
“What? No one… Stop this!”
Heath
turned back to Victoria. “Mother?”
“Heath. I don’t know why you are doubting this all of
a sudden.”
“I can’t
explain it either, but I do. What can
you say?”
“It’s
true.” Her voice was barely above a
whisper.
“MOTHER! NO!”
Nick jumped between them. He
looked at his mother, pleading with his eyes.
“Don’t feed these crazy thoughts of his!”
Victoria
shook her head, speaking softly. Jarrod
and Audra watched in utter confusion and despair. “We can’t do this any longer.”
Nick
dropped his voice to match his mothers. “No.
Please, don’t.”
“Don’t
what, Nick? What don’t you want Mother
to tell me?” Heath laid a hand on Nick’s
shoulder, pulling him away from Victoria.
“He came
a few weeks ago.” Victoria was surprised
at how easily the words spilled from her lips. Carrying the weight of the truth had been hard
on her.
“Who?”
“His name
is Tom Evanston. He was in Strawberry
with your fath… Tom. He is your father.”
Heath
looked stunned. His head swam. He knew something was wrong, but he didn’t
really expect to be right.
“He’s
lying, Heath. We ran him off.” Nick hoped to spare the family further
pain. He scanned the room and saw only
stunned faces.
Victoria
glared at Nick. “Stop it, Nick.”
“How? I take it you believe him.” Heath was numb.
“You look
identical to him, Heath. I couldn’t help
but stare at him when he arrived. Then…”
“Then
what?” Heath asked.
“He told
us the whole story. He had been
Leah’s… He was your father. Tom was never unfaithful to me.”
Heath
paled. He mumbled. “It’s all been a lie. I have no right to this, to any of you.”
He looked
back and forth between Victoria and Nick.
Now he spoke clearly. “You both
knew? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Nick
raged. “Well isn’t that OBVIOUS? We didn’t want you to go.” He softened his words. “I don’t care what Tom Evanston says, YOU ARE
MY BROTHER!” Both Audra and Jarrod added
their agreement. For the first time in
his life, Jarrod was speechless. He had no knowledge of the situation and could
do nothing but sit back and let events unfold.
“And you
are my son as well. Nothing will change
that.”
Heath
shook his head. “You’re wrong. This changes everything.” He lowered his head and stared at his feet.
Victoria
took Heath’s hand. “Why? Does it change your feelings for us? Heath Barkley you are a member of this family
and as you can see, nothing will change that for us.”
He looked
at her with hurt eyes. “But you didn’t
trust me to decide that for myself, so you kept it from me? You denied me a chance to talk to my real father,
to protect yourselves?”
“I can
see why you might think so, but please don’t.
We’ve been through too much together.”
“Is that
what the problem is? It’s easier to
accept the pity of others for having taken in the bastard child then to admit
you were deceived and suffer the shame?”
The words
stung the whole family. Victoria
couldn’t respond. Nick responded with
his fist, planted squarely on Heath’s jaw.
“DON’T YOU DARE TWIST OUR LOVE LIKE THAT!”
Audra
moved to her mother’s side and hugged her.
Heath rubbed his jaw sprawled on the floor and Jarrod stepped in. “Heath, we have signed all the legal
documents. There is no changing
anything. You can’t just stop being a
member of this family.”
“I don’t
deserve to be a member of this family. I
brought undeserved shame to this family.”
Nick
lunged forward and pulled back his arm to strike again. Jarrod reached up and stopped the fist before
contact was made. Nick used words
instead. “Do I need to beat it into that
thick skull of yours? IT DOESN’T matter
what blood runs through your veins. You
joined this family and we don’t let go.
You know that. Hell, you helped
teach us that!”
Victoria
released Audra and stood before Heath.
She offered Heath her hand. He
stared at her. “I don’t know what the
dictionary says the definition of a son is, but I know what mine is. A son is someone I love, who is dedicated to
his family, a fine man and someone that I am proud of. You are one of my four sons. I know no difference between my sons, whether
I bore them or not.”
Heath
turned from the unexpected comments. The
power of her words stung his resentment.
“I need to find him, meet him.”
“We’ll
leave in the morning.” Nick offered his
hand.
Heath
rejected the offer. “No. I’ll go alone.”
“Heath…” The name came from all corners of the room.
Heath
stood and walked out, leaving his stunned family behind.
“He’ll
come back as soon as he finds his father.”
Audra said it out loud in an attempt to ease the tension. “Right?”
No one
could answer her. They were filled with
too much doubt and uncertainty. The
whole story would need retelling many times that night.
* 5 *
The
family gathered at breakfast after a sleepless night. Nick picked at the eggs on his plate. Audra didn’t even try. She looked from face to face through red
swollen eyes.
“He’s
gone. I checked his room this morning.”
“I
know.” Victoria sipped at her cup of
tea.
Jarrod
cleared his throat. He’d been trying to
read his paper, but the words wouldn’t stay focused. “Perhaps we should talk about this?”
Nick
grumbled. “What’s to talk about? He’s gone!”
He pushed back his chair and left the room. Audra followed him out.
Victoria
looked at her eldest son. “What did you
want to know?”
Jarrod
was perplexed. “I have no idea. For the first time in my life, I am lost for
direction in this, Mother. Why?”
“Why
what? Did I deceive Heath or believe Tom
Evanston?”
“Both?”
“You’d
have to see Tom Evanston. He is… He is Heath in twenty years. The same lopsided grin, the same blue eyes,
even the same temperament.”
“We saw
those things in Heath from Father.” He
tentatively made his next comments. “How
do you feel about this?”
“The
truth? The fact that my husband did not
betray me?” She wasn’t going to have
this discussion with her son. She had
spent a great deal of time in the past few weeks begging her husband’s
forgiveness for thinking he had sinned against his vows. She knew deep in her heart, that Tom
understood. He would have loved Heath
just as much and been just as proud. She
was sure of it. She wondered how much he
was bothered by the smirch on his name.
She wondered if she was right in her assumptions. It was possible, that were he alive, Tom
would have claimed the boy anyway, or maybe not. She wondered if it had increased his
frustration all these years. Watching
them claim a son who was not theirs to claim.
Of course, had he been alive, he could have told them the truth and Heath
wouldn’t have become part of their lives.
She knew one day, she and Tom would have a long talk about this. “That’s not for you to know, Jarrod.”
“I guess
the laugh is on us.” Jarrod mused.
“Why?”
“If I
turn a legal eye on the situation, we accepted Heath into this family on highly
subjective evidence. An article. A simple article.”
“They
were friends.”
”Who?”
“Leah and
your Father. He was attacked and she
nursed him. They became friends and Tom
came with the deal. Tom said they were
called the “Three Musketeers.” She
paused, imagining the scene. “It was Tom
Evanston who captured Leah’s heart.”
“You’re
sure? What about the letter? What about our reaction to Heath?”
“I
know. It all makes more sense now,
though. I believe Leah and your Father
were friends. I think he saw a kindred
spirit in her. Maybe that’s why we saw
it in Heath? And as for the letter,
reading it now? He never implies
anything. He said she was the only woman
he could have loved as much as me.
Certainly it’s bold, but that was your father. That’s why he earned people’s loyalty. He gave you his.” She shook her head. “I should have never forgotten that.”
“Do you
want Heath to return, Mother?”
Victoria’s
eyes flashed with anger. “JARROD THOMAS
BARKLEY! I think I made myself perfectly
clear last night! He never was mine by
blood and yet I love him as one. Nothing
has changed. He is my son and always
will be.” She reset her shoulders. “Do you feel differently?”
Jarrod
laughed. “No, Ma’am. I apologize.
That was that legal education you paid for rearing its ugly head.” He smiled. “He’s no less my brother than Nick or
Eugene.” His face fell and sadness
overwhelmed him. “I don’t think the void
could ever be filled if he didn’t return.”
“For all
of us, Darling. For all of us.”
Nick was
saddling Coco using no care or concern, when Audra caught up to him.
“Nick?”
“What?” It was sharper than he intended and he winced
inside.
Audra
wasn’t put off by her brother’s pain.
“Please, don’t rush off. I need
to understand.”
Nick’s
head fell and he stopped his work. “I
don’t think I understand, Honey. I don’t
know that I can help ya.”
“Please,
Nick.” She placed her hand on his still
arm. “It had to be hard to know and not
say anything.”
Nick
turned to face her, impressed with her understanding. “I thought you didn’t understand.”
“Oh
Nick!” She collapsed into his chest and
his arms instinctively wrapped around her.
“There was no answer. Either way.
“You got
that.”
“Can we
bring him home?”
“I don’t
know. Do we have the right to? He has a father now.” It was the first time Nick had said it aloud,
although it had lurked in his heart for weeks now.
“Of
course we do! He’s our brother. It’ll be…
It’s just not right without him.”
She pulled back and Nick wiped at the tear that slid down her
cheek. “You’re going after him, aren’t
you?”
Nick was
silent.
“Nick? You can’t just let him go! We have to bring him back.”
“Honey.”
“NICK!” The anguish in her voice pierced Nick’s soul.
He
grabbed her gently by the upper arms, forcing her to look at him calmly. “Don’t you think I want to? We can’t.
We can’t force him to be a Barkley if he don’t want to be.”
“But why
wouldn’t he want to be a Barkley? We
love him.”
Nick
released her. He wanted so desperately
to go after Heath, to bring him back and make him stay. That was the old Nick. That Nick disappeared when the blond fought
his way into the family. Heath taught
him patience and to listen. He taught
him the value of more then brotherhood, he taught him friendship and
sacrifice. He loved and respected his
brother too much to force him to do anything.
He laughed. “He’s got that
stubborn Barkley streak. We’ve gotta
wait for him to come back to us.”
“Do you
really think he will?”
Nick’s
voice was distant. “I’ve never prayed
harder for something in all my life, Honey.”
Heath
hadn’t even thought of sleeping that night.
He had paced his room for a long time before slipping into the hallway
with a few belongings. He stopped
outside his mother’s door seeing the light underneath. For a moment he considered the woman he
called “mother.” He loved her as a
mother. There was no doubt of that. He knew he was going to hurt her but couldn’t
shake the feeling that he didn’t deserve her heart. He knocked and heard her voice call out to
him. Taking a deep breath he had entered.
6
As Heath
rode Charger, warmed by the sun’s early morning rays, he thought about the
information his mother had given him in the wee hours of the morning. She
encouraged him to stay and let the Pinkerton’s find out more about Tom
Evanston. He couldn’t. He couldn’t stay living as a Barkley, knowing
he had no claim to that heritage. On
that first night, he told his brothers he wanted a name and a heritage. They had generously given him both but now
neither belonged to him. In a way, he
was back to the beginning and yet the burning desire was nowhere within
him. It shocked him. He had no desire to be on this path. He wanted more then anything to be home at
the breakfast table with his family, no the family. They weren’t his. He knew it in his mind. The only reason he was on this rugged road
was his own expectation. He knew it was
natural that he go and find Tom Evanston.
It was expected that he secure his true name and heritage, if there was
one to claim. Who was placing these
expectations on him? That’s what he
couldn’t answer.
He knew
there was little chance of Evanston still being in Strawberry, yet it was his
best chance. He rode through the
deserted town and was filled with memories.
He’d spent his formative years being beaten by this town. There were so few people who had been his
ally here. He did remember them warmly,
but others still managed to rankle him.
He rode
straight to Hannah’s, pausing in front of his uncle’s hotel only long enough to
curse the man and his wife. They had
long since moved off. He had no idea
where they were and didn’t care. He
found Hannah already at work in her small garden. He smiled as he watched her. To most people, she seemed a simpleton. She had escaped slavery to find a life
here. Often, she escaped into the
confines of her own mind. Others saw it
as crazy. Heath saw it as a survival
skill and admired her for it. He did the
same thing, except people saw him as quiet.
“Hannah?” He moved slowly toward her, waiting for
recognition.
“Heath? My Boy, Heath? Is dat you?”
A huge smile lit her face.
“Yes,
Ma’am. It’s me.” She came to him and he enveloped her in a
warm hug. He was gentle. He noted her slight frame and felt her age.
“Yous
home. Dat so nice. Have you been by to see ya Mama?”
“Not
yet. I’ll go soon. I wanted to see you first.”
“Yous
always wuz such a good boy, takin’ care of your ol’ Hannah.”
“It sure
would be easier if you moved to Stockton.”
Outside, he raised an eyebrow and grinned broadly. Inside, he cringed. He hoped she didn’t finally decide to accept
his offer. He wasn’t necessarily going
to be there to care for her. He
suspected the Barkleys would though.
“Yous a
good boy. I jes biding my time till
sweet Jesus brings me home. You knows
dat.”
“I know.” He glanced around the small cabin. “Looks like I can fix some things for ya.”
“Ya don’t
have to.”
“I know,
but I will.”
He set to
work fixing, clearing and moving the necessary items. Hannah fixed them lunch and they sat outside
on the porch munching sandwiches.
“Hannah? Has anyone been by lately?”
Hannah
cocked her head. “Dat sheriff come by and check on me from time to time.”
“Anyone
else?” Heath knew Evanston would have
known Hannah. Heath assumed he would try
and find some connection to his former life.
“Ya wuz
jes here. Why ya back so soon?”
“What? I was here recently?”
Hannah
was instantly confused. She realized she
had made a mistake. “No. It wuz him.”
“Him,
who?”
“Dat
man. He bad. He go way leave Miss Leah with child. He come back.
I tell him Miss Leah dead. He bad
man.”
“But he’s
gone now?”
“He
gone.”
“Hannah,
do you know where he went?”
She shook
her head. “He…”
“He
what?”
“Never
you mind. You go see your Mama now.”
He kissed
her cheek. “Alright, I will.”
He walked
to the grave and found it well tended.
He knew Hannah took good care of it, but this was new. Wilted flowers rested against the headstone. As he moved them, he saw a letter. His heart raced as he unfolded it.
“My
Dearest Leah,
I am so sorry. I never meant for this to happen.
I can
imagine how you suffered and pray that you have at long last found peace.
I have to
believe that someday we will see each other again and I might get the chance to
explain. I love you and I always will.
Tom”
“Yeah,
right!” Heath tried to imagine loving a
woman so much, that he would leave her.
It made no sense to him. He
crumpled the paper in his hand and threw it aside. It didn’t deserve to rest on her grave. As he walked back to Hannah’s, he thought about
going home and forgetting Tom Evanston.
He knew the rest of the family would allow it. He knew he would be welcomed home. He spent the rest of the afternoon chopping
wood. He left her well supplied.
At
dinner, he inquired about the man again.
“Hannah? Did the man who looked
like me, leave anything?”
Hannah
grew tense and Heath immediately knew he had hit a nerve. “He did, didn’t he?”
“You got
no need of anythin’ from dat man.”
“Hannah,
please. What did he leave?”
She shook
her head and ignored Heath for several minutes.
“Hannah?” His voice was soft and cajoling. “What did he leave? Is it for me?”
Hannah
took his face in her hands. “He a bad
man. He loved Miss Leah and den lef her
with child. I won’t let him hurt you,
too.”
Heath
rested his hands on hers. “I promise, he
won’t. What did he leave?”
Hannah
stood and retrieved a letter from her chest.
“He tol’ me only give this to ya if ya asked about him.”
“Thank
you, Hannah.” He kissed the top of her
head.
Heath
waited to open the letter. It obviously
disturbed her and he had no wish to worry her further. He spent the night and rode out in the
morning. He stopped just outside of town
and sat by a creek to read the letter from his father, his true father. His hand trembled. He set the letter on the rock in front of him
and clenched and unclenched his fingers.
He found himself wishing Nick were here to calm him. Just thinking of his family helped and he
slid a finger under the fold and released the paper.
Dearest
Heath,
I assume since you are reading this, your
family has told you of my existence. I
am quite sure you are angry with them for keeping me from you, but understand
they did it out of love. It was that
love that convinced me to go. You’ve
found yourself a fine family and bear a proud name. I know Tom would have been proud to call you
son.
I grew up on a horse farm in
Virginia. I was young and
impetuous. Although I loved the life, I
longed to see the world. So I left
home. I wanted to experience all life
had to offer, so I worked my way across the country. My final goal was China. I longed to see it for myself.
I had run out of money in Strawberry. I won’t go in to detail, but I met Tom
Barkley and Leah Thomson. In Tom, I
found a good friend. In Leah, I found my
life, my love and my soul. I loved her
and she loved me. If you accept one
thing from me, please accept that you were a child conceived in love.
Now, I am quite sure you are cursing my
name. I have just professed my love for
your mother and yet I left. Your mother
and I talked long and hard about whether I would go or not. I wanted your mother to come with me, but she
wasn’t interested in my dream. She
encouraged me to pursue my dream. She
told me she would wait. She said true
love always did. So I left. I planned to be gone no more then two
years. Obviously, that went wrong.
I knew I couldn’t expect to return and
find Leah still waiting for me. I hoped
she had gone on to find someone to love her.
Imagine my horror to discover she had given birth and raised my son
alone. I was at once proud and
devastated.
Your mother was an amazing woman. I wish I could have changed her life. I wish I could have changed yours. I can understand if you hate me. I hate myself. I am returning to my home. I am not sure what I will find there. If you ever decide you want to meet me,
please come to Chatham, Virginia.
Yours,
Thomas M.
Evanston
Heath
entered the yard, just one day after leaving.
Audra was the first to see him and shouted the alert to her family. They rushed out to meet him.
“Heath! You’re home!”
She kissed his cheek and he blushed at all the fuss.
Nick,
Jarrod and Victoria soon gathered round, obviously thrilled with Heath’s
arrival.
Jarrod
clapped him on the back. “Glad you’re
home, Little Brother.”
Heath
nodded. “I can’t stay.”
Nick
started to erupt, but was silenced by a simple look from Heath.
“I need
your help. I need to go to Virginia.”
“Is Tom
there?” Victoria asked.
Heath
nodded. “I need to see him.”
“I
understand.”
Nick
couldn’t speak. Jarrod asked. “What can we do to help?”
“I need
you to come with me.”
Huge
grins spread across everyone’s face.
“Not
everyone, just Nick and Jarrod should be fine.”
“You’ve
got it.” Nick found his tongue and his
joy.
“It’s not
gonna be easy. You’ve got a hard
job.” Heath was serious.
“What’s
that?” Jarrod asked.
“Keep me
from killing my father.”
*7 *
“I can do
it for ya, if you want.” Everyone knew
Nick was serious.
Heath
laughed. “That’s why Jarrod has to go.”
Heath’s
reaction at once both stunned and warmed the family. They all knew it wasn’t easy for him to stay
and accept their love but it reinforced for all exactly how far that love had
come. All found themselves wondering
what the future held. Heath’s father was
a horse breeder. There was no doubt in
the family’s minds that this was a huge bond for Heath. Guilt weighed heavy on their hearts as they
silently prayed for Heath not to be welcomed in Virginia. It became clear to them all that if Heath
somehow grew to care about his new family, they might lose him. He would have to choose between coasts. Would the newness, excitement and lack of
stigma be too much attraction for the young man?
The
entire family, including Eugene gathered at the station to see the brothers
off.
“I still
wish you’d let me go.” Eugene whined to
his eldest brother.
“Gene, I
know Heath would love to have you come, but we have no idea how long we’ll be
gone. Someone needs to stay here and see
after mother and Audra.” From Nick it
would have sounded condescending but Eugene knew Jarrod was sincere.
“I know,
but…”
Jarrod
clapped a hand on his youngest brother’s shoulder. “Gene.
He knows you love him. He knows
you’ll be there for him and that you want him to come home.”
Eugene
smiled at the reassurance.
The
whistle blew announcing the train’s departure.
Hugs flew between everyone until only Heath, Victoria, Audra and Gene
remained on the platform. Audra and Gene
saw the looks being exchanged between mother and son and they thoughtfully
stepped away.
Victoria’s
tiny, gloved hands clutched Heath’s.
“Take care of your brothers.”
He
smiled. “I will.”
Victoria
Barkley was a strong woman and rarely showed her weaker emotions but she
couldn’t stop the tears from forming in her eyes. “He’s a good man.” She choked out the words. “I can’t help but feel you’ll learn to like
him. He’s so like you.”
“Mother,
please stop.”
She
smiled. “I’m sorry. I…”
“I’m
coming back.” She smiled and he
continued. “I got lots of feelings mixed
up inside right now, but I know one thing is true.” He took a deep breath. “A few years ago, an amazing woman opened up
her home, family and heart to a stranger who threatened to bring nothing but
pain to her life. Even now, she’s
standin’ before me scared she’ll lose me.”
The whistle blew again, interrupting his speech. “Don’t you think for one minute I could
forget how that feels.” The train moved
off and Heath jumped on the bottom step to wave good-bye.
Despite
his brothers’ best attempts to entertain him en route, Heath was becoming more
quiet and pensive. He struggled with his
future. He knew the Barkleys loved him
and would continue to welcome him as one of their own but no matter what he
told his mother, he was not sure he had the right to be there. He had no plans to stay with his father
either. He knew he had to see the man
who had scarred not only his, but his mother’s life. He wanted to look into, from what he was
told, were his own eyes. He felt a
physical response in his body as he considered that first meeting. He longed to beat the man until he physically
felt all the hurt and discomfort Heath and his mother had endured over the long
years of his selfish journey.
The rocking
of the train lulled Heath into an uneasy sleep.
He dreamed of what his life could have been. He saw a home, with his mother on the front
porch. She was strong and healthy,
living the life of a contented wife and mother.
There was no daily struggle for survival. It was a small, quaint house, well maintained
by his parents. She woke him each
morning and his father tucked him into bed each night. She greeted him with fresh cookies when he
returned from school and warned him to be on time when he left to play with his
friends. His father taught him to ride
and shoot. They spent Saturday
afternoon’s fishing and Sunday mornings giggling through church services, under
the reproachful eyes of his mother. When
he abruptly woke, the vivid images of his dream quickly faded. He was left feeling empty. He knew in his dream he had grown up happy,
healthy, and loved by both a mother and a father. There was no place for the Barkleys in that
world. No matter what, they couldn’t
prove it.
He was
brought to the present by a nudge to his knee.
He looked across to see Jarrod leaning toward him, flask in hand. “It must have been some dream. Looks like you could use a shot of this.”
Heath
accepted the flask and drew a large swig.
He enjoyed the burn of the liquid as it slid down his throat. “Thanks.
He glanced around the well-appointed private car searching for
Nick. “Where’s Nick?”
“He went
for a walk.” He didn’t pause. “Want to talk about it?”
Heath
played dumb. “About what?”
“Listen,
Heath. I know you usually talk to Nick
about these kinds of things, but I’m here.
I want to help.”
Heath
smiled bogusly. “You’re wrong. I don’t talk to Nick exclusively.” He was sensitive to Jarrod’s feelings. By simple fact, Nick knew more about Heath’s
life. They spent more time
together. “Nick’ll tell ya, I don’t talk
to him either.”
Jarrod
chuckled. “Touché, Brother Heath.” He grew more serious and jumped right to his
point. “It’s no different. You know that.”
“What?”
“You. Us.
It’s an adoption. If it makes you
feel better, Mother can simply adopt you.”
The
lengths the family was willing to offer, to show their love for him, should
have comforted Heath. He was instead,
angered. “I ain’t no orphan or a baby
for that fact. You don’t adopt grown
men.” There was a distinct edge to his
voice.
“If it
helps convince you to stay, we will.”
Heath’s
voice was low. “It ain’t worth it.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” He stared out the window at the passing
scenery. In that moment, he had made his
decision. He remembered a saying his
mother used to tell him. ‘If God brings
you to it, he’ll see you through it.’
God didn’t intend for Heath to have people in his life. God must mean for him to make his way through
life alone. That had to be it, else wise
why would he always throw up these blocks to feeling loved and secure. Each time he tried to find happiness in the
company of others, it was ripped from him.
He knew it was God’s way of showing him his true course. “I get it.
It won’t happen again.” He didn’t
realize he said it out loud. Heath’s
heart hardened.
Jarrod
panicked. He didn’t like the tone of
Heath’s statement. He wasn’t sure what
to do, when Heath looked at him with a big grin on his face. “Let’s have us some fun on this trip.”
Jarrod
assumed his worries were for naught.
“What did you have in mind?”
“Let’s
invite some other gentlemen in, order up some food and play us one mean game of
poker.”
“Well, I
don’t think there are any ladies available, but I bet we could scare up a good
supply of liquor, too.”
“Boy
howdy, now you’re thinkin’, Jarrod.”
“What’s
Jarrod thinking about?” Nick entered the
car having heard only the tail end of the conversation.
“Brother
Heath, here, would like to turn our car into a gentlemen’s club for the evening. You game?”
“Hmm. Cards, conversation and alcohol? I’m not so sure about this. What would mother say, after all?” Both Jarrod and Nick were making a
concentrated effort to remind Heath of his connection to the family whenever
possible.
“She’d
say, have fun and you know it!” Heath
grinned wickedly.
Many
hours later, the chaos had ended. Nick
and Jarrod slept soundly as the train pulled into Saint Louis. Heath caught the conductor and provided new
instructions along with a ten dollar gold piece. Heath grabbed his gear and retrieved Charger
from the stable car. He set off on
horseback and within minutes was absorbed by the large city. When the train pulled out heading east, the
Barkley car was not.
Nick
pulled the door open and was stunned to find their car detached from the
train. “JARROD!”
Jarrod
was instantly at Nick’s side. “What the
hell?” Confusion lived in Jarrod’s
eyes. “Where’s Heath?”
“No
idea.”
“Let’s go
find someone to explain this.”
“Damn
him!” Nick was livid. “This whole evening was a sham. He conned us.”
Sadness
tinged Jarrod’s reply. “He was saying
good-bye. I should have seen it.”
“Me,
too.”
**
“I can’t
help you. The man said the car was to be
disconnected and routed back to Stockton.”
The frazzled station manager was doing his best to calm the agitated
brothers.
“So he
went on with the train?” Jarrod queried.
“The
blond? No. He took his horse and rode off.”
“What?” Nick turned abruptly and strode off.
Jarrod
hurried to catch up. “Where are you going?”
“To find
the damn fool.”
Jarrod
pulled hard on Nick’s arm. “Nick!”
“Let me
go.”
“NICK. Look!”
Jarrod gestured to the city before them.
“Where
are you going to start?”
“Where
ever it takes.”
For five
days, the brothers combed the city. They
hired men to scour every inch of the town.
They, themselves, checked every stable, hoping to find Charger. Each day left them with fewer and fewer
options. Finally, a wire arrived. There was no tracing its origin. It was simple, to the point and wasn’t even
signed.
“Thank
you for everything.
Time to
move on.
Go home.”
Nick
crumpled the paper in his hand.
“Fine. If this is the way he
wants to play it, so be it.”
“Nick?”
“Let’s
go.”
The train
was hooked up and the two men bid Saint Louis and their brother, good-bye.
Heath
rode for days. Sometimes he went north,
sometimes east. He thought about
Chicago. He’d read some interesting
articles about the town and thought about checking it out for himself. Halfway there, he lost interest. He was losing interest in just about
everything. He tried drinking but
couldn’t raise the glass excessively.
Food gave him no pleasure or satisfaction either. He tried women, but deep down in his soul he
didn’t like using them. Images of his
mother always seemed to flood his brain.
He wouldn’t use a woman as his father apparently had. That hadn’t changed with the change of
sire. He still was a bastard with no
name. Knowing he had a father, who owned
up to the whole affair, still did nothing to change his past.
Riding
aimlessly for days at a time, he struggled to find the venom that had once
driven him through the iron gate of the Barkley ranch. It was gone.
He knew if he found that passion, he might be tempted to open his heart
again. He didn’t want to risk upsetting
God again. Still, the one thing he could
not shake was the desire to meet the man who had destroyed his mother’s
life. Sitting one night beside a small
fire, he decided Tom Evanston needed to see the results of his selfishness. The next morning, he directed Charger due
east.
**
The weeks
hadn’t been kind to Heath as he rode into Chatham, Virginia. He hadn’t taken a proper bath in weeks, his
clothes were dirty and ragged and he hadn’t shaved in even longer. He’d never purposefully grown a beard
before. During his incarceration at
Carterson, he had naturally grown a beard.
He was young then. The hair on
his chin had been soft and fine. Now, it
was dark, coarse and curly. He glanced
at his reflection in a store window and cringed. For the first time in quite a while, he felt
a small urge to be human. It was a
fleeting desire. He felt in his heart
that if he was meant to be alone, it didn’t matter what he looked, or smelled
like for that matter. He nodded in
appreciation at the image in the glass.
It suited his purpose. No one
would approach him. He would be
safe.
“Move
along!” A rough voice came at Heath from
behind. He turned to find the local
sheriff.
“I ain’t
doing anything but lookin’.” Heath
responded.
“Don’t
much care. We don’t need your kind
around here.” He was a large
intimidating man. Heath could tell he
ruled the town with an iron fist.
“Just
what is my kind?”
“Drifter.”
“What
makes you so sure I’m drifting? I set
out for Chatham and here I am.” Heath
was feeling a spark of passion in his gut.
“Good. You’ve seen it. Now, move on.” The lawman didn’t appreciate the vagrant’s
flippant tone.
Heath
smiled. “I got no intention or desire to
stay. Just got to see a man and then
I’ll leave your precious town be, none the worse for my visit.”
There was
something about the smile that unnerved the man. “Who do you need to see?”
“Evanston. Tom Evanston.
Know where I can find him?”
Recognition
showed in the man’s eyes. “You the
bastard he’s been waiting for?”
Heath
played dumb, but was stunned that someone expected his arrival. “No idea.
I just need to see a man about a ship.
Heard he’s the one to talk to.”
“Yeah,
right. About three miles out of town,
take the fork to the left and the road will take you to the farm.” Seeing that the directions had sunk in, he
added. “See that you conduct your
business quickly and skedaddle.”
Heath
feigned a salute. “Sir, yes, sir. Consider me skedaddled.”
He
directed Charger in the indicated direction and rode out. Just before leaving town, he considered
getting a room and cleaning up.
“Naw. Let the old man meet the
real me. It’ll give him something to be
proud of.”
He
thought about the lawman’s words. A
farm? My pa is a farmer. Well, a seaman farmer. It made no sense to him. He was expecting a small overgrown,
un-maintained cabin. As he neared his
destination, he found instead well-manicured fields and clean formal
fences. As he rounded a bend in the
road, a huge red brick mansion loomed before him. It was the picture of wealth and
perfection. He was stunned. “This is the farm?” His heart grew even more bitter, as it had
when he rode into the Barkley yard. Here
was yet another father, fabulously wealthy, who had left his mother with
nothing. His heart blackened and his
purpose was renewed.
Various
workers around the yard gawked at him as he rode in and tied his horse to the
post near the main doors. There was a
large veranda filled with white rocking chairs and small tables. He considered taking a seat, as if lord and
master of the manor and watching the others work. It’s not as if he wasn’t due it. A voice startled him from his thoughts.
“Can I
help you, Sir?”
The voice
belonged to a young woman. She appeared
to be in her late teens. She had long,
blonde hair and big blue eyes. He knew
immediately she was a relative. He was
also reminded of Audra. He pushed that
thought from his mind and spoke.
“I’m
lookin’ for Tom Evanston. Is he around?”
Her eyes
opened wide when he faced her as she spoke.
“You’re Heath, aren’t you? You
look just like him. Well, I think so
under all that grime. Uncle Tom isn’t
here right now, but you’re welcome to come in and freshen up. You can wait in your room until he gets
here. I think you’d even have time for a
bath.”
He was
stunned. It appeared he had a
cousin. A cousin filled with fire and
passion. She was blunt and to the point
and yet he hadn’t taken offense at her words.
Again, he was reminded of a certain Barkley. He found himself wondering how long it would
be before he could forget them. “Um…”
“Oh, I’m
sorry. Where are my manners?” She held
out her hand. “My name is Clarice
Wescott. I am your cousin. My mother is your Aunt.”
Heath
didn’t acknowledge her relationship.
“Thank you for your offer but I don’t mean to stay, so I’ll just wait
here until he gets back.”
“Don’t be
ridiculous. Come in out of this heat and
at least have something to drink. Mother
will have a fit if you don’t.”
“Your
mother?”
“Your
aunt, Charlotte. My mother.”
Heath
shook his head and started to sit in a chair, when he felt his arm being pulled
forward. He actually stumbled a bit at
the unexpected forward motion. She
pulled him through a vast hallway into a room at the far left.
“Here we
are. Now, catch up, while I get some
lemonade.” In a flash she was gone and
Heath wondered at her words. He didn’t
have to wonder long.
“She sure
is bossy, ain’t she?”
Heath
whirled around to find himself face to face with Nick Barkley. Behind him stood Jarrod, just rising from a
chair with a book in hand.
“She
remind you of anyone else, Brother Heath?”
Jarrod chuckled.
“Now see
here, Jarrod, I have had enough of that from you.” Nick was exceptionally defensive.
“It’s not
my fault you have taken a liking to the young lady and might I
emphasize, young.”
“I do
NOT. She’s too young.”
“I
know. It’s hard to admit you’ve met your
match in a woman. You wouldn’t be able
to handle her.”
“JARROD!”
Under any
normal circumstance, Heath would have enjoyed and joined in the brotherly
banter. He was too stunned to
speak. He simply stared at the men
before him.
“Well,
aren’t ya gonna even say hi, Little Brother?”
Nick was grinning, enjoying this moment.
He’d waited too long for it.
Heath said
nothing but shook his head slowly back and forth in disbelief. He knew they had been waiting some time. He knew they’d missed a great deal of time in
their own lives and at their own home for him.
It tugged at his heart. He denied
the pull and turned toward the door.
Nick knew
his brother was preparing to bolt. He
was prepared and quickly sidestepped the stunned man and blocked the door. When Heath stopped, he added. “You didn’t come all this way not to meet
him. No running now.”
Heath
growled. “Get outta my way, Nick.”
Nick
settled himself more firmly in his stance and prepared for impact. Jarrod then joined the scene. “He’s right, Heath. You need to meet Tom.”
Heath’s
anger and confusion were growing. He
whirled on Jarrod. “Tom? Ya on first name basis with my father, now,
Jarrod?”
Jarrod
realized this was an awkward situation.
“Well, yes. We’ve been guests in
his home for some time.”
Heath
calmed and even smiled at Jarrod. “I
see.”
Nick
didn’t trust him. “You see what?”
“Checking
out my new family? Helps you right out
don’t it… You can give me your
blessing.” He paused to emphasize his
next words. “Makes it nice and easy for
you to get rid of me. I always knew
it. Deep down, you’ve always wanted me
gone and now you have the perfect excuse.”
“WHAT?” Nick and Jarrod both shouted at once. Nick moved in and grabbed Heath by the
vest. Jarrod pushed his brothers apart. “That’s not at all what is happening here,
Heath. We came…” he lost his words. He looked into Heath’s pain filled eyes and
knew that Heath truly believed his own words.
Nothing in Jarrod’s bag of lawyer tricks was strong enough to fight that
kind of belief. “We’re just trying to
help.” The words were lacking in
conviction.
Nick
looked at Jarrod in disbelief, not used to seeing him fail. “What Jarrod means, is that we can understand
if you’re gonna have two families now.”
“I got no
family, Barkley!” Heath pushed between
his two former brothers and strode to the door.
Clarice and an older woman met him at the threshold.
“Heath? Where on earth are you going in such a
hurry? I’ve brought Mother to meet
you.” Her smile and words were genuine.
“Ma’am”
Heath nodded and then continued. “I
think there’s been some mistake. I’m
sorry to bother you. I’ll be on my way
now.”
The
elegant, blond-haired woman laid a hand on his arm. “You most certainly will not be on your
way. You came here for a reason and I
intend to be sure you carry that out.”
“No
Ma’am. There’s nothing here for me. I was wrong.”
Charlotte
Evanston Wescott was a wise, aging southern belle. She was not so naïve as to assume the arrival
of her nephew would be easy. The return
of her brother had been a glorious shock and yet had also not been easy. His admission of a son had stunned the family
further. She stared into the face of her
brother so many years ago and she saw an opportunity that she would not let
pass. “You are wrong only if you leave.”
“I don’t
think so, Ma’am.” He stepped around her
and walked through the foyer.
Charlotte
followed him. “Heath?” As he reached the door, he turned to face
her. “Many years ago my brother
stubbornly fought to leave this family.
He insisted he had dreams to follow and that we held him back.” She paused, seeing that he did indeed seem to
be listening to her words. “You are a
man twice blessed.”
Heath was
stunned and on the verge of laughter.
“What?”
“You have
two families who love you and want you as part of their lives.”
“You’re
wrong.”
“No, I am
not.”
“You
don’t even know me.”
“Young
man, I have spent a great deal of time with the two men in that study. They love you. Even knowing you aren’t theirs by blood, they
are prepared to fight for you. That says
a lot to me about the kind of man you are.
That is the kind of man I wish to know.
You are my nephew.”
Heath was
suddenly reminded of the words Victoria Barkley had used with him that first
night. He struggled to find the right
words. He was saved by the approach of
Tom Evanston from the porch.
“Heath?”
Heath turned
to face the man and found the likeness startling. Again, he had no words.
Tom
spoke. “I’m so glad you’ve finally
come. You don’t know what this means to
me. I’ve been thinking about you so much
since I found out about you.”
“That
so?”
Tom knew
this wasn’t going to be easy. Nick and
Jarrod had told him stories of the hatred Heath held deep in his heart. “It is.
I know I can’t expect anything of you, but…”
He was
cut off by Heath’s fist delivering a sharp blow to his chin. As Tom lay sprawled on the porch, Heath
glared at him. “You’re wrong. You can expect my undying hatred.” Heath held out his hands. “Take a good look
at me. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the
last you’ll ever see me. I’ve got no
desire to end your guilty conscience. You
can rot in hell for all I care. I may be
the bastard by birth but you are by selfish choice.”
Nick and
Jarrod had moved into the foyer and witnessed Heath’s attack. They followed him into the yard, rushing to
catch him.
As Heath
double-checked his cinch, Nick laid a hand on his back. Heath violently flinched and turned to
them. “Get away from me!”
“Heath! We understand. You don’t need them. You have us!”
Nick was trying to stay calm.
“He’s
right, Heath. Let’s go home. You’ve said your peace.” Jarrod was calm.
Heath
laughed. “What? I get my way?
You’d just let me go? I don’t
have to learn to love him? YOU JUST
DON”T GET IT, DO YOU?” Heath
roared. “I’ve learned something. I ain’t one of you. I don’t have to take it anymore. I don’t have to do what you ask or behave as
YOU think I should. I am finally
FREE. I don’t need or WANT you
anymore.” Heath mounted up and pushed
Nick and Jarrod away by swinging Charger wide.
“NOW JUST
WAIT JUST ONE MINUTE, BOY!” Nick grabbed
at Charger’s reins. “What is that
supposed to mean?”
“DON’T
CALL ME BOY!” Heath’s rage was
uncontrollable. He hated the
feeling. He struggled for control. “Go home, Nick.” Heath really didn’t want to fight Nick. He simply didn’t have the strength for it.
“NO one
is going anywhere until you tell me just what you meant by that speech,
BOY.” Nick stood firm.
Heath
dismounted and violently shoved Nick aside.
“You think you callin’ me ‘Boy’ is special? I been called that by better men then you,
like dear Uncle Matt and let’s not forget all the guards at Carterson and Matt
Bentell himself.” He paused just long
enough to see his words sink in. “You
never once really accepted ME. You
accepted what I was willing to be in order to get your love. Well, I know better now. I don’t need you anymore. I ain’t Tom Barkley’s son and I got no need
to pretend to be.”
“Heath!” Jarrod risked grabbing Heath’s arm. “You can’t leave it like this. I… We don’t understand. It doesn’t make sense to us.”
Heath
jerked his arm back. “That’s the
point. You never will.”
He leapt
back in the saddle and spurred his horse into motion before anyone could do any
different.
* Nine*
Heath
rode fast and hard for what seemed like forever. The terrain was unfamiliar and he truly had
no idea where he had gotten himself.
Seeing a stream ahead, he directed Charger to it and climbed off. He led his faithful horse to the stream and
they both drank greedily.
“I don’t
suppose you’d consider standing there for several hours?”
The sweet,
southern drawl caught Heath off guard.
He turned to face the voice and saw a vision of loveliness. She was tall and thin, with untamed brown
curls cascading down her back and across her shoulders. The deepest brown eyes he had ever seen met
him. He struggled to find his
voice. “I beg your pardon?”
She held
her satchel up a bit to show him. “It
made a lovely picture, I thought I would like to paint it.”
Heath
wasn’t sure if she was kidding or not.
“I don’t think so. I’m just
passing through.”
“To
where?” Her smile unnerved him.
“Um… Not sure, but I need to be going.”
“Why? It’s a lovely area. Surely, you could stay and see it?” Shelby Bryant was not used to being so
forward. She had watched the man drive
his horse forward. He rode like no other
man in the area and she knew at once that he was something different. Her guardians would be shocked at her
boldness. “Are you here on business?”
“Um,
no. It’s personal, I guess.”
She moved
forward and extended her hand. “Shelby
Bryant. How do you do?”
Heath was
transfixed by this woman and offered his hand back, but not before wiping it on
his shirt. “Heath.”
Shelby
was intrigued. She knew a Heath Barkley
was expected and this seemed to be him.
“Heath?”
Heath
thought for a moment. “Thomson. Heath Thomson.”
For a
moment, Shelby wondered if it were possible to have two Heaths on Evanston
land. “Very nice to meet you, Mr.
Thomson.”
Heath
found a smile suddenly formed on his face.
“Likewise, Miss Bryant. Do you
often wander out and about alone?”
She
laughed, knowing her family didn’t really appreciate her wandering soul. “Yes, I do to be honest. I meet the most interesting people.”
Heath
smirked. “That so? Do tell.”
She
boldly returned his smile. “For
instance, today, a young man flew by me in a hurry.”
“Really?”
She
nodded, thoroughly enjoying the game.
“Yes. I knew he wasn’t from
around here, so I followed him.”
“Very
brave. He could be a criminal.”
“I
suppose, but I don’t think so. He led
his horse to the water to drink and then drank himself. A criminal wouldn’t put his animal’s best
interest before his own.”
“You
don’t say? That’s an interesting
observation. What else did you
notice?” Heath felt his heart betraying
his mind. He knew he should just ride
out, but for some reason this woman had him frozen.
“He’s
very rugged and has amazing blue eyes.”
“You had
to get pretty close to notice his eyes.”
“I always
notice eyes first.”
“Interesting.”
She broke
the spell and indicated her satchel.
“I’m an artist. I make a point to
seek out eyes. They are so
expressive. You can often tell a man’s
whole life by looking in his eyes.”
The
honesty of the statement intimidated Heath and he looked away. He moved back to his horse and fiddled with
his saddle. “I gotta be going. I’m sure you’re a very talented artist.”
“Won’t
you stay?”
“Can’t.”
“Why
not? Where do you have to be?” She paused.
“I know this sounds strange but I really don’t want you to go. I’d really like to get to know you?” She blushed.
“I…” Heath wasn’t about to open up to her, no
matter what his heart told him. “I need
to go. I can’t stay around here.”
“Will you
be back?”
“No.”
“Then
please sit and have a snack with me?”
Heath
looked quizzically at her. “A snack?”
“I have
cookies. Will you have one? Please?”
She paused, seeing his debate.
“No offense intended, but it looks like you could use more then just a
cookie. Maybe I can convince you to stay
and have dinner with me.”
Heath
shook his head. “No.”
She
smiled. “No cookie or no dinner?”
Heath
laughed, sensing defeat. “No dinner.”
She
walked over to a large rock on the bank and patted the empty space next to
her. “Perhaps the cookie will change
your mind?”
Heath
rode back into town with a smile on his face and try as hard as he could, it
wouldn’t go away. Despite his earlier
promises to close off his heart, he was pretty sure he had just fallen head
over heels in love with Miss Shelby Bryant.
How in the span of one cookie, she had managed to convince him to stay
around and meet her for lunch tomorrow at the same spot, he would never
understand. He found a small out of the
way hotel and checked in under the name Thomson. He deliberately obscured his first name on
the register, just in case anyone came looking for him.
He
settled his meager belongings and went down to the bathhouse to wash up. The beard remained, but it was trimmed and
cleaned, thus feeling better. On his way
to the bath, he stopped and indulged in a new set of clothes. He left his soiled clothes in the care of the
desk clerk for cleaning. Feeling fresh
and clean, he ate a quick dinner in the small diner next door and turned in
early.
The
following morning, he wandered about the town, he couldn’t help but notice the
number of businesses that contained the names Evanston or Wescott. He tried hard not to dwell on either of his
‘families’ and replayed his interactions with Shelby instead.
He had
learned a lot about her in that short conversation. She was living with her guardian as her
parents had died when she was twelve.
She loved all things of the earth and her passion was anything
artistic. Her guardian had made her a
small studio in the loft above the stable.
She would sculpt items and drew sketches in her notebook, but especially
loved painting. When the weather was
nice and she could talk her guardian into it, she would camp for days in an
area to paint landscapes. He had
successfully avoided questions about himself.
He told her only that he came from a small mining town in the west and
his mother was dead.
“You
don’t seem to be a miner, now?”
Heath had
laughed when she made the statement.
“No. I do just about everything else though.”
He rode
leisurely to the same spot as yesterday, wondering what might happen today.
* * *
“Where
are you off to, Young Lady?” Everett
Wescott inquired of his ward. Shelby
wasn’t his own child but he loved her as much.
Her father had been his best friend and business partner and when an
influenza epidemic claimed him and his wife, there was no doubt he would accept
responsibility for her.
“Just off
for an afternoon of sketches.” Shelby
leaned in and kissed his cheek, then added.
“Worry wort!”
“Now, see
here, Young Lady. You have a picnic
basket filled with enough food for an army.
I’d like to know who you’ll be meeting.”
“Darling,
all that fresh air makes me ravenously hungry.”
She laughed.
Everett
grabbed her wrist gently and in a serious voice asked again. “Who are you meeting?”
Understanding
that she had no choice, she stated simply.
“Just a gentleman that I met.”
“So, I am
understand that you are meeting a man, at the river, for a picnic? Who is it?
Do I know him?”
“No, I
don’t believe you know him.”
“Then I
expect you shall invite him here before you spend time alone with him. You won’t be picnicking with him today.”
“No. Please.
That’s not fair.”
“Not
fair? When did it become acceptable for
a young lady to be in the company of a strange man?”
“He’s not
a stranger.”
Everett
raised an eyebrow in her direction.
“Then why don’t I know him?”
Shelby
let out a growl of exasperation. “He’s
not staying long. We met yesterday and I
enjoyed his company. He’ll be leaving
and I’ll not see him again.”
“Then
there is really no need to see him today.”
“What? Please.
Don’t do this. I promise nothing
is going to happen. I’d just like to see
him again. He asked to see some of my
work.”
“No.” Everett went back to his paper.
Clarice
and Charlotte had remained silent during the breakfast debate. Shelby pouted and grumbled at her seat. When Everett seemed to have calmed, Charlotte
quietly asked if a compromise might be reached.
“He won’t
come here, I’m sure of it.” Shelby
immediately ended her argument, knowing it hadn’t helped her at all.
Charlotte
eyed the girl reproachfully and continued.
“Perhaps, Clarice could accompany her on this picnic?”
Clarice
winked at her best friend. “That would
be wonderful, Father. Please?”
Everett
looked into the eyes of the women in his life.
In this instance, he knew he was beaten.
“Alright. If Clarice goes
along.” He paused and the girls smiled
with glee. “BUT don’t even think of
being late for dinner.”
Both
girls moved to either side of the man they adored and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you.”
Everett
looked at Shelby with kind eyes. “Don’t
disappoint me.”
Shelby
smiled back. “I won’t. I promise.”
Jarrod,
Nick and Tom interrupted the moment, all three carrying their saddlebags as
they entered the room.
Tom
spoke. “We’ll be off now.”
Charlotte
rushed to her brother’s side. “Don’t be
long, please?”
Tom
gathered her into a hug and as he released her he spoke. “I’m sorry, Charlie. I hate leaving like this, but I can’t let him
go. Not like this.”
“I
understand.” She held her tongue and
then opted to release it. “You’re
rushing him.”
Tom
looked to Nick and Jarrod. “I have to go
by what they say.”
She shook
her head. “I know. I know.
But, he’s hurting. He’s confused. He doesn’t know who he is and the three of
you chasing after him isn’t going to help.”
Nick tried
to alleviate her concerns. “Charlotte,
Heath is good. If he wants to be hidden,
he’ll stay that way. Our only hope is to
follow his trail before it gets too cold.”
“Nick, I
know this hurts. It hurts us all, but
you might only be driving him farther away from everyone. Can’t this wait a few more days?” Charlotte knew the three men understood
nothing of Shelby’s lunch plans.
Although she hadn’t mentioned his name, both she and Clarice were fairly
sure she had run across Heath. Inside,
Charlotte was very hopeful. It wasn’t
often that something drew Shelby’s attention away from her work, so she knew
this man was something special. She also
knew that if the man had affected Shelby in this way, she might be just the
person for Heath at this moment. Strong
feelings like that were seldom mutual.
“Please, Tom. For me?”
Tom
Evanston was also hard pressed to deny his sister anything. They had been very close as children and
throughout their teens. His recent
return had been both a blessing and struggle.
She had gone on with her life.
She’d married Everett Wescott and they had two children of their own, a
boy and a girl. Everett ran the family
businesses and controlled the vast Evanston holdings. He’d never tell Charlotte, but he didn’t
trust Everett. Tom had made every
attempt to learn as much as possible about the family’s financial
situation. He knew Everett didn’t like
him. Tom’s existence threatened
everything in Everett’s life for the Evanston estate was left solely to the
eldest surviving Evanston child and that was Tom. He looked back and forth between his sister
and the Barkley brothers searching for an answer.
“Tom.” Jarrod spoke to try and save his suffering
mind. “We can go. All three of us might overwhelm him more. Stay here and let us find him.”
Nick
joined in. “After all, we do have more
experience with him then you do.”
Tom’s
words came out before he could control them.
“Yes, I saw that yesterday.”
The sting
of Tom’s words wasn’t lost on anyone in the room. “Heath needs to know I do care.”
“He will,
Tommy. But he has to be willing to
accept your love first.”
A frantic
rider in the yard interrupted the entire scene.
Continued….