I do NOT own the Big Valley nor any of the original Barkley characters. Thanks to my Beta Reader, though all mistakes are my own. ON THE OTHER SITE I POST ON I WOUND UP COMBING CHAPTERS 5 AND 6, SO-IF BY CHANCE-YOU READ BOTH PLACES...CHAPTER NUMBERS WILL BE ONE OFF.

Raging River

Chapter Seven

The current was strong and Heath struggled to get to Mary. He was finally able to reach her, wrap his one arm around her upper chest and get her to the shore. He turned her on her side, and she began coughing. He was relieved when she sat up, let out a few more coughs and quit. "Sorry," she was embarrassed, "I must have stepped on a loose rock or something. How far down river are we?"

Heath shrugged his shoulders, "I dare say we're almost to Livingston," he answered as he stepped back. He caught his breath as the sunlight hit her wet hair making it sparkle; the angle of the sun's rays also lit up her other features. She had to be the prettiest thing he'd ever laid his eyes on.

Livingston! Mary inwardly groaned. She knew that meant they'd just added more than a couple of miles to their journey. "Well," she stood up, "sitting here complaining isn't going to do me, or you, any good. We best figure out what to do." She was beginning to shiver a bit.

Heath knew the first thing they needed to do was to get their clothes dry only that left them with a dilemma. How to get them dry was easy enough, what to do about other covering while they dried was another. He looked around. He was relieved to see a clump of trees, and bushes, nearby. It would have to do. He began taking off his shirt and nodded towards the clump of trees and bushes, "If you'll hide yourself in there and take off your clothes, I'll start a fire. I promise; I won't look."

Mary headed for the trees while unbuttoning the front of her dress. What a situation to find themselves in! But, Heath was right, their clothes needed to be dried. Once she had herself hidden she threw her clothes out. She had to fight the image she got in her mind as she thought about Heath and his clothes drying. 'He may legally be your husband, girl, but he's practically a stranger to you'. The thought kept her from looking, but nothing could stop her from dwelling on the fact that Heath was the best looking guy she'd ever laid her eyes on.

Heath had stripped down to almost nothing as he hung the clothes over the fire he'd built, praying like mad no one would come along until they were dried. As he laid Mary's dress as close to the fire as he dare, he too couldn't help but think on the woman he'd wound up with. 'I went along with 'it' because I was only sixteen and my father still had legal rights over me!' her words had been bit off and thrown at him when he'd 'had the nerve to ask why she hadn't fought her situation'. He'd been more than a little flattered too when he'd overheard her telling 'Mister Paul' 'I've met nice enough men in the past three years, but nothing like him. I've got a feeling I've been more than a bit lucky this time around.'

The moment the clothes were dry enough to wear, Heath slid his pants back on, threw Mary her things and went to putting his shirt back on. When Mary stepped out from the trees, she was doing her best to do what she could to get her hair to look presentable. Heath gave her another lopsided grin, removed his bandana, and then handed it to her, "See if you can use this."

For a few seconds it was like time froze. Mary still found it hard to believe she'd been blessed enough to be given to a man who knew how to be a gentleman; for the first time she began wondering if the two of them could really make this something into more than a marriage she was sure he saw as an obligation.

"Thank you," she took the offered item, folded it just right, and made it work as a hair scarf. Heath smiled, she sure had a way of making a plain bandana look pretty.

"We best get to walking." Heath forced his eyes off her and started walking towards Livingston. Once he got there he'd wire his family and tell what had happened.

While Heath and Mary were heading to Livingston, Nick, in a hurry to get home, had been pushing Coco quite hard. It was almost daylight when he arrived at the ranch, having ridden through the night. A grin a mile wide spread over his face as Richard flew down the steps yelling, "Papa Nick!" Barbara was not far behind him.

"Where are Heath and his bride?" Jarrod came out of his den, walked over to where Nick was now pinned to the floor by his children and asked.

"Heath sent me on ahead," Nick laughed as he sat up with Barbara on his lap and Richard by his side, "I think I was driving him crazy worrying about Abigail." He then set Barbara on the floor and stood up, "Where is she anyway?" he looked around for his wife.

Jarrod pointed up the stairs and grinned, "In the process of giving you another mouth to feed."

Nick started beaming and let out a holler. That brought his sister hurrying out of the room where Abigail lay, she was smiling from ear to ear, "Glad you're home, but keep it down. Where are Heath and his wife?"

Nick repeated what he'd told Jarrod, and then said, "They'll be here within the next twenty-four hours." He headed into the front room to get a much needed drink and to make sure Richard and Barbara didn't get try to play any outdoor games, inside.