Chapter One

A/N This is a "what if" story only it took a bit to get it going just because I wanted to make sure I was making it Heath's story, not simply putting him in his brother's place. No, I'm not saying which brother or which episode I'm talking about because it's very obvious in the next chapter….and flat out spelled out in the 3rd chapter. There are a few facts that don't change just because of the premise. However, there is nothing else I can see that is the same. I hope I do this story justice. And, no, I'm not writing two stories at once. The other one was finished a couple of weeks ago.

~oOo~

McColl was hammering a nail into the corral fence; one of the boards had been busted the day before, when Nick walked up to him. The foreman could see the look of concern in the dark haired rancher's eyes. Seeing how Heath was due back from Lodi that very day; he'd left to do some ranch business, the long time foreman figured he knew was what wrong. However, he said nothing as Nick rested his arms on top of the fence. Only when his boss started talking did McColl quit hammering.

"He should be back by now." Nick said out loud, though he had his eyes on the road that led up to the house and corrals. Okay, so he wasn't technically late yet, but Nick was impatient to see the contracts that his brother was suppose to have on him.

"He'll be here. Don't you worry 'bout that," McColl assured him. If he'd learned anything about the blonde haired cowboy was that he was reliable and honest, and he loved the ranch as much as Nick did.

"He'd better be," Nick growled as he turned away from the fence. "There's work to be done." He headed back towards the house as he'd forgotten he needed to sit down with Jarrod and go over some contracts they'd made the week before.

McColl watched Nick disappear into the house and then turned his attention to the horizon. Where was Heath? In all honesty, it was a question that was bothering McColl as well; he just hadn't wanted to admit that to Nick. No, his boss was on edge as it was. The last thing McColl wanted to do was be the one to push the rancher over that edge. Sighing, McColl went back to work. He wasn't going to get anything done if he didn't get back to work.

~oOo~

Jarrod, who had watched Nick walk over to the window more than once, sat back in his chair as the hot tempered for the window once more. "Making friends with that window isn't going to get Heath here any faster." Jarrod wasn't surprised when Nick turned back towards him and scowled.

"I'm sorry, Jarrod. I know the contracts are important only I've been feeling uneasy all morning. It wouldn't be so bad only the feeling only grows worse every time I start thinking about Heath. Call me crazy, call me whatever only I can't help but think something's wrong."

Jarrod sighed as he recalled the previous night and how lousy he'd slept himself or the dream he'd had. It was a dream that he'd had the past two nights. Now listening to Nick, he found the dream on his mind once more.

Jarrod could see himself standing in the center of some place, but where that place was he could not tell. He could see Heath and another fellow, an older man with white hair, but whose face was blurred in the dream, sitting within a few feet of each other laughing and talking while a young woman sat nearby reading a book. Once again, the young woman's appearance was blurred and Jarrod could not tell what the girl looked like. Only the talk stopped abruptly and pure unadulterated shock and terror filled the dream as both men jumped up and yelled. The next thing Jarrod knew he was yelling for Heath only the blonde haired cowboy was nowhere in sight, nor was anyone, or anything, else.

"I know." Jarrod stood up and walked around the front of his desk, then leaned backwards, the palms of his hands resting on the furniture. "Truth be told I've been feeling rather uneasy myself only what do we do? It's not like Heath was due in this morning. He's simply due in sometime today."

Nick wanted to tell his brother that shouldn't matter. If they both felt the same way, something had to be dreadfully wrong. Only problem was, if they took off too look for Heath, their mother and sister would surely want Jarrod and himself to justify their actions when Heath wasn't overdue. Just as Nick started to open his mouth Audra came barreling into the room looking more than a bit unsettled. It made both men jump.

"What is it, Audra? What's wrong?" Nick asked as he threw a glance towards Jarrod, one that said 'this is about Heath. Just you watch and see'.

Audra fought to control the fear inside her as she replied. "A white haired gentleman and a young woman are riding towards the house."

Nick's first reaction would have been to throw up his hands and ask why that was a problem only there had to be more to it than that for his sister to look as troubled as she was. On the other hand, the first thing Jarrod felt when he heard his sister's words was fear, and it reached and gripped his heart so hard it hurt. "And this unsettles you why?" He forced himself to ask the question even if his voice sounded as if it was a hundred miles away.

"Because, the older gentleman is leading Charger; Heath isn't with him!" Audra explained, and then watched as Nick and Jarrod bolted out of the study, down the hall and out the front door. Sure enough, a man who looked to be in his late forties, early fifties, with pure white hair and a young woman who looked to be about seventeen were almost to the house. It was all the brothers could do not to run to the man and start demanding an explanation only he was so close that such an action made no sense.

The gentleman, one Jeremiah Thornton, saw the brothers bolt out the door. Since he's seen a young woman look his way, turn and then run into the house, he figured he had the right place. Then again, he couldn't imagine finding two places like this within ten miles of each other. As he stopped in front of the two gentlemen Jeremiah knew he was right when the tall gentleman dressed all in black put his hands on his hip. More than a bit anxious to know what was going on, Nick asked the older gentleman rather abruptly, and in a not so friendly tone of voice, "What are you doing with that horse, and where's our brother!"