Chapter Ten

The flower decorations that decorated the tables in the Stockton's community center were gorgeous. Music was also ringing from one end of the building to the other, and people were either dancing or visiting, as Jarrod led Marissa into the building with his family right behind them. One memory after another flashed in front of Marissa's eyes as she looked around the room they'd just entered and listened to the music. The last of her memories played the longest.

"Oh, mother!" Marissa looked around the inside of their small hometown's "community center", a huge one room building that her hometown had built for the their spring and fall socials, along with other events that might come up. It was time for the fall social and her mother and she had been in charge of arranging the flowers and other items that decorated the place. "You did a wonderful job! Everyone's going' to love it! Tomorrow night can't come fast enough!"

Mrs. Adams had smiled and chuckled, as she wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "We did a great job." Then mother and daughter and, on the spur of the moment, danced around the open room to music only they could hear. As they did so they laughed and talked, enjoying the fact that, for a small moment, nothing in life was disturbing them.

However, like all good things, it came to end as Mrs. Adams stopped dancing and remembered the responsibilities she had at home. Smiling, she looked at her daughter, no longer a child but a young woman who in the eyes of the world was also an adult. "Come on, we told your father and brother we'd be home be home around three. We best get going or we'll be later than that."

"You okay Marissa?" Heath, who had looked over at their guest as Jarrod scanned the room to see if he could find an empty table, asked. Heath had seen the look of longing and sadness in her dark brown eyes, even if it had fled as quickly as it had appeared.

Hearing his brother's question, Jarrod turned his head and looked at Marissa. Naturally, he did not see the look Heath had seen; still, he knew his brother had to have had a reason for asking it. "Marissa?"

Marissa glanced over at Heath when he'd addressed her, then looked at Jarrod and smiled. "I'm fine. Shall we find a place to sit before we join the festivities?" Since her smile went from one ear to the other, Jarrod decided whatever caused Heath to speak up in concern was something they didn't need to worry about.

"I'll second that." Jarrod smiled and led her through the crowd and to an empty table. It took a few minutes, but soon most of the Barkleys were seated at a table and visiting with their friends who happened to either be sitting at the next table or ones that stopped to say hello. Everyone but Nick was at the table. He'd made his way over to a young woman he had met just that morning, one Doris Jensen and was dancing with her.

Marissa, who had not fully understood just how well known the Barkley family was, began to as people continued coming and going around the table at which they sat. By the time Jarrod asked her if she'd like to dance, Marissa was more than ready to do so, even if for no other reason than to get away from the small crowd that mingled close by.

As Heath watched Jarrod and Marissa walk onto the dance floor, he found himself at war with himself. He could see that Jarrod really liked Miss Adams. He couldn't say he blamed his oldest brother. However, he couldn't shake the feeling the young woman was hiding something, something that was hurting her inside. Mentally, he let out a sigh, as he thought on the matter more. Their guest was a good, honest, caring person. He'd see it; he'd felt it. That being the case, he knew if he said anything against Jarrod being with her, due to her not telling the family everything, it would not be appreciated. And, somehow, Heath knew that whatever she wasn't saying wouldn't hurt the family.

"Heath?" His mother's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Is everything okay?" Victoria only asked because of the faraway look that had come into her son's eyes. She hoped he was not becoming sick or hiding a problem that he should be talking about.

"Sorry," Heath gave her one of his crooked smiles. He didn't want to worry her, or anyone else for that matter. "Don't worry. I'm fine, really." The rest of the evening he forced himself to visit people and dance with a few girls. By the time the family walked out the door, everyone but Nick was pleased with how the night had gone. In spite of his best efforts, Doris had turned Nick's request for a date down.

"Don't look too disappointed Nick." Heath smiled as they all headed down the stairs of the social hall. "There's other women for you to court; Stockton's full of nice looking gals, not too bright, but good looking."

"Hey, they're just as smart as you are!" Audra, who wasn't taking time to look into her brother's eyes, as her eyes had been elsewhere, took offense at her blond haired brother's remark.

Everyone laughed, not at Nick or the fact that Doris had turned him down, but at the twinkle in Heath's eyes, the tone in his voice and Audra's reaction. They had been paying attention and could see the blond haired cowboy was simply teasing Nick.

Nick knew what Heath was trying to do, and he appreciated it, only he didn't feel like looking elsewhere at the moment. However, before Nick could say anything, a shot rang out in the dark.