Thicker Than Water
Chapter Ten
From where he sat on Charger, Heath could see Audra and his children sitting on a blanket that the woman he now knew to be his half sister had spread out on the ground. Bryon was sitting on the blanket eating a sandwich while his daughter was sitting on Audra's lap leaning backwards into the young woman's arms. Audra herself had a book in her hands and was reading a story to the children. "I don't understand how a man as kind, as good as you are could let me think you had no wife, no children…" A portion of the words in the letter his mother had written again rang in his ears. "What will I tell this son I bore the day he gets old enough to ask questions? Will I be able to tell him I kept him from you because he's all I had?" Heath found himself again fighting the same range of emotions that had plagued him off and on throughout the past week. Anywhere from confusion because he didn't understand either to anger…how could a man deny having a family?
A part of him had screamed at him to go and confront one of his half brothers with the news he'd discovered, to demand the name that was rightfully his. However, there were two reasons he found himself torn between doing just that and simply keeping his mouth shut…Victoria Barkley and his own children. Unaware that Victoria already had her suspicions and had only been holding back out of fear of pushing him away before he had a chance to get to know them better, Heath wondered if he really had the heart to rip apart the memory the grand lady must have of her late husband. He wasn't sure. Even if he did, Heath feared the family might not want reminders that Tom Barkley had been unfaithful and want him gone. If it was just him that it might or might not bother him, but he knew he had his children to think of. They had to be provided for and the Barkley's paid as well as Mr. Stokes paid his employees. Was he really willing to risk everything when it could cost his children dearly?
Heath pushed his horse forward as he kept his eyes on his children. He couldn't help but frown slightly, his mind still on the relationship his children now had with the family. Audra had been so good to help with the children and, on more than one occasion refused to take any money from him for watching them. He couldn't help but wonder what she would think if she knew she'd been watching her own niece and nephew. Would she continue to welcome them with open arms, or would she quickly shun them as they'd be just another reminder that their father was a product of her father's unfaithfulness to her mother?
As he drew closer, he saw his daughter point to the book in front of her and exclaim, "Cowboy! That looks like my Cowboy!" Audra chuckled; however, Heath's eyebrows turned down even more. Nick. When his loud and hot tempered employer was around, Leah was practically his shadow. Though, when it came to his temper, Nick never lost it with the young child. With her, he was as patient as he could be. She was at an age she thought the man in black could do no wrong. Oh sure, time would teach her different; it would show her he was human and made mistakes just like everyone else. Still, if the bond wasn't broken, Heath was sure she'd still adore him even with the imperfections. But if Nick found out…For a moment, Heath found himself back in the war, back in the prison camp talking to another young soldier.
"He turned on you? He made you join the army?" Heath looked in disbelief at the young man next to him, a boy only a few months older than him. Why would his uncle force a thirteen year old boy to join the military? "I told ya, he didn't know I was his nephew. When pappy died, Uncle John thought he was simply taking in his best friend's son. Then he learned my pappy was his half brother, his father's bastard son. Didn't want anything to do with me then," the boy answered as he closed his eyes and fell asleep never to awake again.
Heath was brought back to the present, when Leah saw him and jumped off Audra's lap. He quickly dismounted, not wanting Leah to come running at him; she might spook the animal. Letting go of the reins, he took a few steps forward and caught his daughter who was indeed running towards him up into his arms.
"Hello, I didn't see you." Audra smiled and stood up. "Want to join us?"
"Thanks, but no. I just figured I'd stop by and see how the children were doing." Heath kept a safe distance between him and Audra though. With his unexpected discovery, he was very uncomfortable with the way Audra had begun looking at him. At one time, he would have been flattered, even considered the possibility pursuing her, but not now. He couldn't let her think there was a chance for anything between them.
Audra was puzzled by Mr. Thompson's defensive stand, a stand that had appeared over the past week anytime she was around. Heath had always been very friendly with her. Oh no, he'd never flirted with her or anything, but he'd never acted like he was on edge around her either. She might have thought he had grown on crush on her only he didn't have 'that' look about him. No, he definitely had more of 'how do I get out of this politely' look. She didn't know what she'd done wrong and she didn't like that. She made herself smile and point to Bryon, who was now running around in the field with Buster; the puppy Nick had given them had finally been given a name. "I'd say they're doing fine."
"Play with us, papa?" Leah put her small hands on her father's cheeks and asked. It made both Audra and Heath smile.
Heath knew he had work to do; still, he had most of it done. "Okay, but only for a few minutes, then I have to go back to work." He smiled again and set Leah down and, holding her hand, went to join Bryon never once looking back at Audra, who was still trying to figure out what on earth she'd done wrong.