Chapter One
A/N I really should watch what I say. The special needs child who had a hand in Broken Chains and Welded Links henpecked away for close to a month (if not a month it feels like it) at the sequel. She then approached me three "chapters" and asked, basically, "Is this enough for you to take over?" So... the first three chapters are heavily influenced by her "writing", as will be the epilogue. The rest is me hoping like mad I'm doing okay with the story with what time I make to work on it..
Most of the Barkleys were going to Rockville. As far as anyone knew they were simply going to visit the newest member of the Barkley family. However, the truth was…they were planning to throw Loretta a surprise birthday party because they found out-though letters Audra and Loretta had exchanged- she'd never had a birthday party before. On the other hand,Heath didn't want to go with the family. Yes, he'd acknowledged Loretta as Tom Barkley's daughter, but he was still struggling with truly accepting her as part of the Barkley family.
Victoria really wanted Heath to accept Loretta, as she knew the struggle he was having. She wished he would let go of his pride. If he could do that, she knew he and Loretta could be the best of friends. "Heath!" Victoria called up the stairs. "We're ready to go!"
Heath, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, wasn't feeling well. A part of him wanted to use that as an excuse to say he was staying home. However, his mother was bound to see his reluctance and think he was faking it. Slowly, Heath stood up. He'd had a bad night's sleep and told himself that; maybe, that was what his real problem was. He decided not to say thing, as he figured he'd feel well soon enough. After all, once he got to Rockville, he could simply find reasons not to be around Loretta that much. Heath might have been uptight about the trip; however, Audra was just the opposite. She was really excited as she wanted to give Loretta a very fun book for her birthday. The book was called Family. She wanted Loretta to know that she was part of a loving family, and they would be there for her no matter what happened in life.
When it came to the other Barkleys, Nick had bought Loretta a beautiful necklace and beautiful earrings. He had noticed that when his half-sister had visited the family Loretta wasn't wearing any jewelry. When Audra had asked her why not, Nick had heard Loretta explain that she didn't make that much as a small country doctor and that, what little extra money she had, she'd chosen to use for other, more important, items…items that would help her patients. Nick had admired Loretta caring so much about the people she served, but he still wanted her to have something beautiful. Jarrod had bought Loretta a really beautiful dress, for pretty much the same reason; and, Victoria planned to give her stepdaughter a picture of Tom Barkley. Victoria would have bought something else, but on Loretta's last visit the Barkley matriarch had heard Audra ask Loretta what she had missed growing up. "Having a picture of my father, always wanted to know what he looked like and to have his picture next to my mother's on my desk' had been the good doctor's reply.
"Is it time to go?" Audra, who was carrying her doll in one hand and her suitcase in the other, walking into the Barkley's living room and looked at her mother and Nick.
"Almost," Victoria smiled and told her daughter that Jarrod had just gone outside, and that she-Audra- could go join him.
"I wonder what's taking Heath…" Nick began to speak after Audra had walked out of the living room and then out of the house, only to see Heath walking down the stairs.
"We best get going if we want to catch the stagecoach." Nick grabbed his own suitcase and headed for the door.
On the other hand, Victoria; who could see something was bothering Heath and assumed it was the fact that he was going to Rockville under protest, inwardly sighed. She hoped that, if only for the sake of Audra, Heath would put on a more friendly face once they got to Rockville. Heath, who pretty much knew what his mother was thinking, made himself give her a crooked smile and told her not to worry. He would behave himself. The two then joined Jarrod, Nick and Audra, who were waiting outside for them.
~oOo~
The sun had long since set when Loretta walked down the small hallway in her office, opened a sturdy, white door and stepped into the small two-bedroom home she'd had built onto the back of the new medical building. The old one didn't really have enough room for any additions, and she liked this location better…as the churchyard wasn't all that far away. Letting out a tired sigh, she removed her jacket and hung it on the coat rack that stood in the corner of her small living room. The men who had built the
addition for her had offered to make the home bit larger, but she'd not hear of it. 'There's only one of me. What would I do with more two rooms? There is also plenty of room for what I own. Besides, it's not like I spend a lot of time here. On top of that, there's it's not like I get a ton of visitors' had been her exact reply. How could she when she was gone so much?
When it came to furniture she now owned, her couch sat against the east wall of the room. A small, brown coffee table sat a few feet from the couch and a piano she'd recently bought sat against the west wall. There were a few pictures on the wall also, and a wood stove sat in the northwest corner. Some had commented how small the room seemed to be only Loretta hadn't paid any attention. As long as there was plenty of room between the stove and the couch, what did it matter?
Loretta walked slowly across the room, through the archway that stood in the far northeast corner of the room and into the kitchen that sat on the other side. Going over to the cupboards she opened the brown cabinet door that hung over the sink and pulled down the box that held various teas. As she prepared the teas her mind turned to the letter that had arrived the week before… a letter that Audra had written to her. While she had been thrilled to get the letter, Loretta had been left with mixed feelings when it came to the visit. 'Give Heath time, he will get used to you.' Audra stood on the porch ofthe Barkley home when it came time for Loretta to leave after her visit tothe ranch. "He's a good brother, really.'
After removing a cup from her cupboards and pouring herself some tea, Loretta pulled a chair away from the table and sat down. She couldn't help but shake her head as she looked at the solid oak kitchen table one of her richer patients had down right insisted on giving her when they found out just how old her other one was. She might not have accepted it-as the man had his nose stuck up in the air far too much-only the man's granddaughter who was simply an angel had begged her to accept. As she thought on the gentleman's granddaughter, her mind turned to Audra and the rest of the Barkleys…more especially Heath Barkley. He had been polite enough when she visited, but there had still been a definite wall between them. She couldn't help but wonder what it would take to tear that wall down…or if it even could be.
