Thicker Than Water

Chapter Two

There was more noise around the corral where the auction was going to be held than Heath really cared for, but business was business. He had to keep an eye on the horses Mr. Stokes had for sale until someone actually bought them and then head over to the building that served as a city office and occasional meeting place for those with legal business. Then, as Mr. Stokes foreman, he'd have to deal with giving all the information his boss would need when it came to the land the man was considering selling.

"Good morning, Mr. Thomson!"

Heath turned and threw ten year old Samuel Jackson a crooked smile. As much as he liked the lad, Heath was glad he wasn't his. The black haired lad had more energy than Heath's twins put together! He felt sorry for Mrs. Jackson. He couldn't help but wonder how she kept up with the lad. His mind was taken off the young boy and into his own childhood memories when he stepped inside the stable that housed the horses that would be up for auction that day.

Twenty-five year old Heath loved stables and anything else connected to horses. He'd spent as much time as he could around horses growing up, which in all honesty hadn't been much time. In an effort to help his mother bring an income into the house, he'd worked in the mines at an extremely young age, and then, due to money again, he'd lied about his age and joined the Union Army. Things had went well enough…until he'd been captured.

Heath began brushing one of the horses and frowned slightly. The mines and the war both had been events that might have been avoided had he had his father in his life. But he was a bastard and no one but his mother, "Aunt" Rachel and Hannah had cared; really cared about him. Of course, his frown turned to a crooked grin as he thought on 'how his luck had changed' the day Elizabeth Miller had moved with her family from Wisconsin to Strawberry.

The petite brunette haired girl with the impish grin and dimples had looked past the label put upon him and loved him for who he was, even if her parents had thrown a fit at first. Over time, his in-laws got to know him and his mother better and had enough of a change of heart to make it so he and Elizabeth did not have to elope the day they decided to get married. He'd provided for her, and then the children when they came, by continuing to work in the mines but jumped at the first chance he got to work on a small ranch near Strawberry.

Heath might still be in Strawberry, but he'd met Mr. Stokes the year before and accepted a job on his ranch because with both his mother and wife passing away there was nothing to tie him to Strawberry… and the change meant pay that would enable him to care for his children better.

"Whoa boy," Heath was brought out of his thoughts, as the horse startled. Cole Hilman, a local stable hand, was barking at someone just outside the building. If it was anyone but Cole, Heath would have ignored the situation. As it was, he made sure the horse was fine and then hurried out of the stable to see what was going on.

Cole, who had stopped Jarrod and Nick as they headed for the stable, turned when he heard the door open behind him. One look at the blond haired cowboy and the steel like look in his eyes had the young man looking as if he wanted to find a cave to hide in. As far as Heath went, he wasn't surprised to see Cole harassing strangers; he'd done that since the day Hilman had moved to Modesto two months ago.

"What's goin' on? You're spookin' the horses." Heath rested one hand on his hip while the other one hung loosely by his side, the side with his gun on it. He didn't want a fight, but he'd also learned a lot about this young man in the short time he'd been around; the lad's temper was high and his brains low. A combination like that always wound up spelling trouble sooner or later. With two children who needed their father, Heath wasn't about to be caught off guard by anyone if he could help it.

Before Cole had a chance to excuse his behavior Nick spoke up. "Since we got here a bit earlier than we expected, my brother and I just thought we'd take a quick look at the horses. We weren't," Nick glared at Cole before looking back towards the man who had interrupted 'the kid's' tirade, "going to do anything to them, or steal them!"

It was all Heath could do not to slap Cole upside his head. Did the lad really think anyone who meant to steal horses would do it in a place like this? Especially with all the men that had started to show up? "Come on inside," Heath turned and opened the door to the stable once more, "Auction don't start for another thirty minutes."

Nick and Jarrod followed Heath inside the stable while Cole was left to go bother someone else. Once inside, Nick began looking over the horses. On the other hand, Jarrod couldn't help but keep his eyes on Heath, who walked away from the brothers as he did other things. Jarrod couldn't help it; there seemed to be an invisible force telling him there was something familiar about the gentleman. Because Jarrod couldn't place Heath from anywhere, his curiosity was piqued.

"What do you think?"

Jarrod snapped out of his thoughts when he realized Nick was looking at him waiting for an answer. Only problem was, Jarrod didn't know the question. The embarrassment he felt at being caught not listening could be seen in the 'oops I've been caught' look that came onto his face, as Nick shook his head.

"Where have you been?" Nick asked as he tapped the side of his own head as he looked at Jarrod and asked the question.

"Sorry, Nick. What were you saying?" Jarrod asked, and then forced himself to listen as his brother talked about which horses they should bid on, though in the end it was Nick who made the final decision. After all, like Jarrod pointed out, his main purpose in coming to Modesto was to be the main negotiator on the land they wanted to buy. The two brothers then walked out the stable doors.

Heath, who had been in another part of the stable while the two brothers talked, watched from the far side of the stable as the men left and wondered at the feeling of familiarity he himself had come over him. Only then did he realize neither the men nor he had introduced themselves to each other. How on earth had that happened? While he wondered about it, Heath didn't dwell on it either; he had to things to get done himself.