Chapter Two

A/N After starting the chapter I'm working on now (there's a few chapters between this one and the one I'm working on) the chances of any Barkley dying has dropped to 15 percent. I know where the death I was feeling is coming from. I should say, if there's only one death, I know where it's at. So, let's all hope it's the only reason for the feeling of death.

When the front door opened, Victoria stepped out of the dining hall expecting to see Nick arriving back home. Instead, Jarrod was letting in Duke McColl. Victoria was surprised, but the surprise turned to concern as she saw the large amount of apprehension in their foreman's eyes. McColl's feelings were seen by Jarrod, Audra and Heath as well; the two blonde haired Barkleys were in the living room. Audra and Heath were playing chess. The family felt a degree of fear grip their hearts, as Duke McColl had left town a number of days ago and wasn't expected back quite yet. They couldn't help but wonder if Nick had met up with some sort of accident on his way into town-or on the way back.

"We knew you and your family were due back soon, but we thought you'd be gone for another day at least." Jarrod spoke as he shut the door behind McColl.

"We might have been." McColl replied as he followed Jarrod and Victoria into the living room, where Jarrod offered the foreman a drink. "Only," he hesitated-wondering if he was just jumping to conclusions.

"Only what?" Victoria, who was standing near the chair closest to the living room entrance, looked at McColl with a 'out with it' look in her eyes. The foreman could see the same look in Jarrod and Heath's eyes.

"Where is Nick?" Their foreman looked around, halfway expecting to have the hot tempered rancher walk into the room.

"He had to run into town." Victoria answered while her eyes demanded that McColl continue.

"Hansen and Mitchell Circus rolled into Modesto while we were there. From what I hear, they're supposed to be there a week and then…" he looked at the family as if to ask if he will needed to say more.

Victoria stiffened slightly, Jarrod silently groaned while Heath and Audra exchanged worried glances of their own. "They're coming to Stockton next?" Jarrod was the first to speak.

"It's what I heard. But that's not what brought me here." McColl took a deep breath and then continued. "Magdalena Mitchell has up and disappeared. I heard Adam Hansen talking with some of the other performers. He's not happy because he was expected to leave and go find her."

Victoria remembered the many times the circus had come Stockton before-the young horsewoman, also part time acrobat, and Nick had made each other's acquaintance. True to style, Nick had noticed the young woman's beauty. He'd begun courting her, going so far as traveling to nearby towns when the circus was in them. However, the relationship between the two had proved rocky—as she was just as stubborn and hot tempered as he. 'I don't dislike the young woman. In fact, I rather admire her ability to stand her ground and, from what I can see, she's honest and a hard worker. I just don't see how a union between her and your brother would ever work' had been Victoria's exact words to Jarrod shortly after Magdalena and Nick had gone the round yet again. Later, Magdalena had left when the Circus rolled out of town instead of staying in Stockton-as Nick had asked her to. "Thanks for telling us; you can go home to your family." She smiled at McColl, who knew better than to stick around, turned and left-saying he could open his own door.

"He still likes her." Jarrod, who was now standing next to the fireplace, looked at Victoria.

"Yeah, he still talks about her." Audra spoke up. "Do you think she'll come here? I mean to Stockton?"

Victoria shrugged her shoulders and turned to leave the room. "I have no clue." She then left the room wondering what Nick would say or do if he ever learned of the young woman's disappearance.

While Victoria and the rest of the Barkleys were thinking on Nick and the rocky relationship he'd had with Magdalena Mitchell, the hot tempered rancher stood at the foot of the bed Dr. Merar had in the room in his office. His fists were on his hips and he was looking at the very woman everyone was wondering about. She had a cast around her left leg, one the Dr. had put on after telling her it was broken. "What were you doing trying to ride that animal anyway?!"

"That animal has a name!" Magdalena, who was propped up against a few pillows, snapped back and then grinned from ear to ear. "And don't tell me I didn't have the right to try. The horse was running loose and, unless you show me a brand, belongs to no one."

"Wildfire's name fits her, and she is going to wear a brand… someday." Nick again barked sharply. He then shook his head and lowered his volume, "You could have been killed."

Magdalena would've had to be deaf and blind if she hadn't been able to hear the worry in Nick's voice and seen the concern for her safety in his eyes. It made her wish the two of them could get along better. "I had to have transportation; I couldn't keep getting rides in the back of freight wagons."

"Getting rides…you mean sneaking in when the drivers weren't looking?" Nick frowned as he asked the question in a disapproving tone.

"Oh, don't look at me like that! I left a few coins behind in the wagon. It's not that I wasn't looking to pay my way!" Magdalena shot back and then shrugged her shoulders. "I tried asking for a ride up front the first time, offered to pay. All it got me was a very crude offer from a supposed 'gentleman'. So, after that, I took the rides where I could and left payment behind when I left."

'Wish I could have a few choice words with that first 'gentleman'' Nick thought as he tried to reason with Magdalena. "Doctor's right. You can't travel with your leg like that. You'll only make it worse."

"And what do I do when 'they' see me? I told you the circus is due in Stockton sometime next week. They'll hound me to go back, or at least my cousin, Adam, will. He wants me to give up my horseback riding and concentrate on the acrobats and high wire." She didn't even try to hide the disgust in her voice.

Nick had seen her on the horses and the high wire. To say she was good at both of them would be an understatement. Only, the idea her aunt, uncle and cousins wanted her to totally turn her back on riding the horses boggled his mind. It also bothered him that he saw fear in her eyes; he'd never seen that before. There was something she wasn't telling him. "Let me talk to the doctor about taking you out of here earlier than he wanted. I'll take you out to the ranch. You can stay there and never set a foot in town while the circus is here."

Magdalena stared at him in disbelief. Was he serious? If he was, he was out of his mind. "Your mother doesn't approve of me. Why would she tolerate me being under the same roof as her?"

Nick rolled his eyes and leaned slightly forward, speaking in a firm voice. "I told you before. My mother has nothing against you. It's us, as a couple, she had a problem with." He chuckled and his eyes lit up as he added, softening the tone in his voice. "Guess she didn't care for our slight disagreements." That statement earned him a raised eye brow from the young woman.

"Slight? More like hand out tickets to the fireworks show!" Magdalena barked slightly, even as she chuckled slightly and shook her head. "Your mother's a fine lady. I won't put her in a position where she feels like she's walking on eggshells waiting for the next explosion. Besides," she scowled, "Someone from the circus is bound to show up at your house sooner or later…even if it is just to ask questions." She was sure of that.

Nick wanted to argue with her, but he knew she had a point. Still, he couldn't just walk away. He had to know the reason for the fear he'd seen. Only, he would have to get answers to that matter later. First, he had to deal with the problem they had at the moment. "Fine, let me hide you out at one of our line shacks then. With the reputation you and I have here in town, I can't see anyone searching the whole ranch." He went on to say he'd leave her a small firearm…just in case.

Magdalena still didn't like it; still, she had to grudgingly admit he was right. She was in no shape to travel. "Fine, but not a word…to anyone! Well, unless it's your family. Only, if you do that, please get a promise from them not to say anything? I don't want to chance anyone from, or connected to, the circus to find me. I'm not giving up horses for anyone or anything."

That brought a smile to Nick's face. For everything they'd disagreed on, fine horses and the joy of riding one was not even close to being put on the list. Though the smile quickly fled as he thought on the fear he'd seen. The sooner he talked to the doctor and got her moved, the sooner he could start trying to get some answers. "Fine, I'll go talk to the doctor, and then I'll find a reason to come into town tomorrow. However, where you're going to spend the night is something I don't want to know right now. Just tell Dr. Merar, and he can tell me tomorrow." Nick turned and walked out of the room, knowing there was no need to tell her that if she didn't want the good doctor to say anything about her whereabouts she'd have to tell him that. Magdalena was a lot of things, but down right stupid wasn't one of them.