This story takes place on the morning of Heath's marriage. Victoria, Royce, and KatieBee have returned to the ranch for the wedding.
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Royce knocked on Heath�s door. �Everything all right in there?�
The door swung open. �Yeah, come on in.�
�That�s not necessary�I just thought I�d check on you.�
�Come on in,� the younger man repeated.
Royce stepped inside, closing the door behind him. �Victoria�s downstairs making sure of the last-minute details. Elspeth is, as we speak, trying to pry Kate away from watching Audra dress so that she can be dressed herself.�
Heath grinned. �Well, I�ve never watched Audra put herself together, but I reckon it�s quite a sight.�
�Oh, yes, it quite fascinates Kate, although I hope. . .well, I hope she�ll be more. . .um. . .
ah. . .�
�Yeah, I know what ya mean. Waited on my little sister more than once.�
�Can I do anything for you?�
�Jarrod was coming back to work on this tie, but if you can do it. . .�
�I believe I can.� Royce proceeded to make short work of the task. �How does that look?�
�Better�n I could do, that�s for sure. Not much on fancy clothes. Haven�t worn a tie to church since Mother went to New Orleans. Never wore one �til I came here anyway. She seemed ta think I was nekkid without it.�
Royce laughed. �She has definite ideas about most things.�
Heath slipped the cufflinks into his shirt sleeves. �Figure I won�t do this again �til they lay me out.�
�Or until your own daughter gets married.�
�Nah�already told Aggie we weren�t havin� anything but boys.�
�I see.�
��Course, KatieBee�s real cute. Guess I wouldn�t send a little girl back.�
�She suits us completely.�
�Yeah�that�s pretty plain.� Heath walked to the window and pulled back the sheers. �People already comin�.�
�The house will be full before long. It�s all right to feel a little nervous.�
�Did you? I mean, were you nervous before your wedding?�
�Catherine and I ran off. I was nervous about that, but we had no choice. Her family wouldn�t accept me in the conventional way. When Victoria and I married, I was more worried about her changing her mind and not even coming to the chapel.�
�She wouldn�t a-done that.�
�No, of course not, but it crossed my mind. I couldn�t quite believe it was really happening.�
�Your first wife�s family�you said they wouldn�t accept you in the conventional way. What does that mean?�
�I came from a humble background, and her family was quite prominent.�
�But you�d just graduated from West Point, hadn�t you?�
�That was scarcely a recommendation. I had an officer�s commission to be sure, but it was understood that I�d be posted to the frontier, at least in the beginning.�
�Aggie�s family�s always known all about me.� Heath�s voice dropped. �Reckon they don�t care�or maybe they just have good manners.�
�Or perhaps they just recognize the fine qualities in the man with whom their daughter fell in love.�
Heath didn�t turn around. �Thanks, Royce.�
�It�s not that I haven�t thought of Kate�s future in that regard, you understand.�
�Me, too.�
�It will always be obvious that Victoria and I didn�t conceive her.�
�Yeah.�
�But when we look at you, we know that her future will be what she makes it�just as you did. We believe that she�ll withstand whatever unkindness comes her way and emerge from it stronger�like her brother, Heath.�
�Yeah, I reckon.�
�Heath, when I first met you, I assumed you were Victoria�s son by birth. You and Audra favored each other so strongly. Victoria told me about your background, of course, but it didn�t matter to me. It doesn�t matter to anyone of consequence. A man is a man.�
�She didn�t have to take me in.�
�She said just last night that she couldn�t imagine being without you.�
Heath turned around then and walked to the bureau where he took a small velvet-covered frame from the top drawer. �This was my Mamma.� He held it out.
Royce studied the sweet young face. �I believe you favor her, too.�
�Reckon I do. I wish. . .� He returned the picture to the drawer but didn�t finish his thought.
�That she knew you have a family that loves you deeply? That she knew about Aggie?�
Heath nodded.
�I�ve always felt that those we�ve loved never really leave us. Eventually we find a private compartment in our minds and hearts in which to keep them and cherish them while still going on with our present lives. I like to think that somehow they share our joys even while being shielded from our sorrows.�
Heath regarded the older man for a long moment. �Like your first wife�like Catherine?�
�And my mother, too. They loved me, and my happiness was theirs also. After Victoria had Jarrod find Catherine�s grave, we visited it together, you know. Afterwards she said that she felt Catherine slept more warmly because she knew that I�d found happiness again.�
�What d�you think?�
Royce smiled. �I think that Victoria is a very discerning woman who usually knows exactly what she�s talking about.�
�Well, then, maybe Mamma knows.�
�Think of her as being with you today, Heath. Share your joy with her.� He put a warm hand on the younger man�s shoulder. �Now, I�ll leave you to your thoughts and see if Elspeth has been successful with Kate.�
He was half-way out the door when Heath spoke his name. �I never had a daddy�never wanted one. Only man I knew much about was my Uncle Matt, and he sure wasn�t my idea of a father.� There was a brief pause. �And I know the others�Audra and Gene and Nick and Jarrod�have their own memories of Tom Barkley, but I gotta tell you�watchin� you with Mother and then with KatieBee�well, I kinda got to know what a husband and father should be.� Another longer pause. �I�I hope I�ll be the husband and father you are, Royce.�
Royce Wardell grasped the doorknob and concentrated on his reply. �I have no doubt that you�ll be everything you want to be, Heath. No doubt at all.� He stepped into the hall and closed the door softly behind him.