Chapter Seven
A/N According to my research, the town Minersville is a ghost town in California. I have taken the name and put it on a fictitious mining town in this story.
~oOo~
Loretta, who had finished eating lunch with Audra and Nick-who had joined them shortly after the waitress had seated Loretta and Audra, again stood inside her office. She had hurriedly packed her suitcase and was now standing inside her office and packing her medical bag as fast as she could. As she did so, her mind on the unexpected turn of events. One minute she'd been eating a good meal with Audra and waiting for Nick. The next moment Nick had joined them only they'd never finished their lunch.
"If it is okay with you, Heath wants to talk with you after we're done eating." Nick, who had joined his two sisters in the café, glanced at Audra. The young woman sat on his right side. He then looked at Loretta-who sat across from him- his eyes sending a message that asked his half-sister not to say too much in front of Audra.
"I..." Loretta went to reply only to have Heath rush in.
"I'm sorry," Heath looked apologetically at his three siblings. "But a couple of men rode into town with two other men who appear to be their prisoners. At least, with the way their arms are secured behind them, I assume that's what they are. Jarrod recognized them and is heading to the sheriff's office because that's where he saw the two men taking their prisoners. Jarrod told me to hightail it over here and to tell Loretta and yourself to get over to the law office. I'll take Audra back to the boarding house."
"I want to go with Nick and Loretta. I…" Audra started to object only to have her hot tempered brother give her a stern glare.
"Go with Heath, and no complaints." Nick snapped ever so slightly-though it was nowhere near as hard of snap as he could have made it.
When the door to the medical office opened, Loretta looked up from her bag and looked out the office and into the small waiting area that could be seen from the office doorway. She wasn't surprised to see Jarrod. However, the fact that Heath was with him and not Nick did. "Thought Nick was going with me." She spoke with a bit of an edge in her voice as picked up her medical bag and her suitcase, which was sitting on the floor next to her desk.
"He, Mother and I talked it over." Jarrod explained. "As you already know, Nick's heart has always been owned by the ranch a hundred percent. While Heath here is mostly a cowboy, he has had occasions to work in a few of our mines-which includes the mine in *Minersville. He knows the place inside out. Besides, Audra's going through one of her phases, and is now clinging onto Nick something fierce." It made him smile just a little as he thought how their baby sister would take turns clinging onto various members of the family, including Silas, who Audra taken upon herself to adopt as 'Uncle' Silas…something that didn't exactly hurt Silas' feelings any.
Loretta wasn't happy when she heard Jarrod explain the situation. Still, she had not time to argue. There were patients waiting for her. "Fine, let's go." She started for the door only to have Heath reach out for her suitcase.
"I'll carry your luggage for you."
If it wasn't for the fact that Jarrod was asking her silently to let Heath do just that, she would have told her blonde haired brother she could do it herself. As it was, she relinquished her suitcase to Heath and then followed him and Jarrod out the door. All three were walking as fast as they could towards the livery stable. Loretta could see two men who had ridden into town waiting for them, and the scene in the sheriff's office replayed itself in her mind.
"The cave in was intentionally caused by these two men." The taller of the two men, a dark haired gentleman by the name of Bryan Jackson, who was in his mid-forties and stood five feet nine inches, nodded towards the men now sitting behind bars. "We want to press charges." Mr. Jackson then looked at Jarrod, Nick and Loretta-who he had been shocked to learn was the doctor in Rockville, and said, "We need someone who knows their way around mines and what to look for when it comes what needs to be repaired and such; we also need a doctor to go and treat some of the wounded men. We've done what we can for them, but our regular doctor is not in the area at the moment. He had some family emergency pull him away."
"I'll need to put some medicine bottles in a box. We'll have to find a way to take it with us." Loretta told them, knowing she'd need more than what she could fit in her medical bag.
"I understand Heath going to *Minersville to look at this mine and my going. However," Loretta glanced towards Jarrod. "It appears you are going as well? Why?"
"I'm not." Jarrod told her as they drew close to the men. "I just need to talk to Mr. Jackson and Mr. Pickett before the four of you leave." Jarrod replied, not caring to tell her that their mother had, in essence, said 'Those two need to be alone, in the same place, if they are to work anything out'. He figured if he did that, he might start a war between Heath, his half-sister and Victoria.
Heath threw the luggage he was carrying into the back of the wagon that was waiting for him and Loretta. "Horses would be faster, but the men had to pick up a number of supplies and, as the doctor said, she needs her medicine bottles. Someone needs to take them out as well." Mr. Jackson's words rang in his ears as he went to help Loretta up into the wagon only to find his half sister already seating herself on the buckboard. He said nothing as he walked around to the other side and climbed up.
"Thanks for not wasting any time." Bryan Jackson leaned forward in his saddle as Heath sat down and picked up the reins. He then looked at Jarrod. Since he'd already been told by the sheriff what the two prisoners were claiming, he did his best to cut any talk with the Stockton attorney short. "If you look at the file I handed to the sheriff the moment I stepped foot into his office, all the evidence is there-including statements from four eyewitnesses."
Jarrod's eyes widened. Since the two men had already been in the office a few minutes before he entered the building, and the talk afterwards had been mostly been centered on the mine problems and the need for a doctor, Jarrod had not been aware of any such file. Though, somehow he was not surprised. Any questions he had would have to wait until he had a chance to look through the papers. "Be careful and let us know what we need when it comes to that mine." He looked at Heath, who simply nodded. The fact that he was not happy about being put in a position where he had to be the only other Barkley around their half-sister was as clear as could be. Though, all Jarrod did was turn his attention to Loretta. However, before he could say anything, Loretta was smiling at him and telling him not to worry. "I've been around enough to know I need to watch myself."
"I believe you." Jarrod said as he stepped away from the surrey and then watched as his two siblings and the men from Minersville rode away from Rockville. He shook his head and walked back towards the boarding house thinking 'those two are acting like a couple of birds caught in some kind of hurricane, just hope they bond with each other before the storm's over.'
