I in no way own The Big Valley, the characters or situations from the show. I make no money from writing this, just the personal satisfaction of (hopefully!) entertaining those who love the show as much as I do.
.
.
Heath pushed his hat back on his forehead as he regarded the chestnut stallion shifting restlessly in the corral in front of him. He was a fine animal, a perfect addition to the Barkley bloodlines, provided he found the time to get him gentled. If he could get half a dozen wranglers, Heath knew the horse would be broke in a day or two at the most. But riding him like that could destroy the chestnut's spirit and Heath was reluctant to have that happen. And along with time, he was short wranglers at the moment too. It was branding time and, being shorthanded, he needed all the men out with the herds. Figured that Nick was gone for the week to negotiate contracts to sell their beef in San Francisco with Jarrod. Heath snickered. What was that his older brother had said when he first came here? Something about this being a working ranch? Heath set his hat more firmly on his head. He'd make sure to remind Nick of that when he got back.
Hearing the staccato of hoofbeats, Heath turned to see a roan horse coming through the gate. He reflexively assessed the rider; noted the battered Stetson, well-worn leather coat and approved of the cowboy's ease of handling his mount. A no-nonsense Henry rifle was sitting through loops on the saddle for easy access and Heath had no doubt it had seen its share of use.
"Howdy," he greeted, "can I help you?"
"Looking for a job," came the reply in a soft, decidedly unmasculine voice. The cowboy, no, cowgirl, Heath corrected himself, took off her hat to reveal a mane of dark blonde hair pulled back in a tail. Boy howdy, she's a looker, was Heath's first thought as the lady continued. "Heard in town you might be hiring."
"Heard right. Not sure what kind of work you're looking for, though." She sure looked like a ranch hand, but a lady wrangler? Heath wasn't convinced.
She gave him a little smile. "I'm a pretty fair hand with cattle," she answered, "and I've broken more than my share of horses. But I'm willing to do pretty much any job."
Heath looked her over carefully as she sat back in the saddle and waited for his response. His instincts told him he was looking at an experienced cowhand, but still… "Forgive me for being skeptical, but don't see many women in this kind of work. How do I know you can do what you claim?"
"How do you know anyone you hire can do what they claim until you give them a try?" she retorted.
Well, she had him there. "Where've you worked?"
"Worked for Jeff Miller, down past Turlock, for the last few months. For few smaller spreads and family before that."
"Why'd you leave Turlock?" Heath knew he was asking a lot of questions, but he needed more time to make up his mind. They really could use the extra manpower…
The blonde shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. "I guess you could say it was for personal reasons. But Miller's foreman gave me a letter of recommendation before I left if you'd like to see it."
Heath could guess what those personal reasons might be. He had never met the man, but knew Miller's reputation as somewhat of a lecher. He might very well view a pretty lady working for him as fair game. Heath did know Miller's foreman, Hank Adams, however and a recommendation from him carried a lot of weight. Besides, Heath always considered himself to be a fair-minded man and that made his decision.
"Come on. If you show me you can do the job, you're hired. By the way, name's Heath Barkley." Heath held out his hand. She dismounted and took it with a strong grip.
"Belle Martin. You won't regret this, Mr. Barkley."
.
.
Heath rolled his shoulders, stretching them out as he made his way down the stairs for dinner. It had been a long day, but it was amazing how one more capable set of hands could speed things up. And Belle Martin's hands were just as capable as she had claimed. He smiled to himself when he remembered the men's reactions when they realized the new hand he'd brought with him was a woman. But they'd all been with the crew awhile, at least several months, and other than the initial shock and a few snickers, they knew better than to question the boss' decision. After a couple dozen calves were rounded up, roped and branded, they were starting to treat Belle like any other new hand. Duke offered to set up the unused storeroom off the bunkhouse so Belle could have a bit of privacy and left no question in the men's minds that inappropriate advances would not be tolerated. Heath figured Belle could probably take care of herself, but having the foreman's backing wasn't going to hurt.
Heath met Victoria coming into the parlour and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, Mother," he greeted her with a smile.
Victoria was pleased to see her blond son in a good mood. Not that he'd been cranky, but the last few days he'd been quieter than normal, too tired to do more than eat dinner before heading off to bed. "It looks like you've had a good day, dear."
"I did." Heath went to the side table and poured himself a drink. He raised a questioning brow and Victoria nodded.
"A sherry, thank you, Heath." She took the offered glass and waited for Heath to have a drink. "May I ask what happened?"
Heath shrugged. "Got quite a bit of the branding done. Might even get it finished before Nick gets home." He took another sip. "The new hand I hired really helped out."
"Someone with some experience, I gather?" Victoria asked.
"Mmm hmm. She definitely seems to have that, among other things."
Audra entered the room in time to hear Heath's last statement. "She? Did I hear right? Your new hand is a girl?"
Heath nodded. "Yep. She out-roped a good half-dozen of the men today."
Audra sat beside her brother. "What's her name? Is she pretty? What made her want to work on a ranch?"
"Belle Martin, yes, and I didn't ask, sis," Heath said in response to the rapid-fire questions. "All that matters is the men accept her and she can do the job."
"Well, I can't wait to meet her," Audra declared, "can you, Mother?"
Victoria just smiled indulgently at her daughter's enthusiasm. "I'm sure we'll meet her in due time, Audra."
Then Audra thought of something. "What do you think Nick's going to say when he finds out?" she asked, a twinkle in her eyes.
Heath didn't answer. He'd been wondering the same thing himself.
"Nick appreciates hard work," Victoria observed. "If she's as capable as you say, Heath, I'm sure it won't take him long to get used to the idea."
