Chapter Thirteen

Victoria stood in the living room hugging Heath with all her worth, while Audra stood nearby with tears of happiness running down her cheeks. After dropping their prisoners off with Sheriff Madden, the Barkley brothers and Tamar had hurried home. Now Heath had just given Victoria and Audra the condensed version of what had taken place, why it had taken him so long to head back home. "Oh, Heath, I wish we had known you were at the Ballard's home." Victoria was speaking to Heath only, every now and then, she glanced at Tamar with a look that screamed she had something else on her mind. It was a fact the young woman did not miss, and it made her uncomfortable. "We would have taken the long way around to get to you." They would have too; Victoria would have made sure of it.

"I know that mother." Heath assured her, as he gave her one of his rare smiles.

"What I don't understand is why Fay Kelley didn't at least send us a telegram after she left." Victoria again looked at Tamar with suspicion in her eyes.

Being too caught up in being reunited with his whole family, Heath missed the looks Victoria was giving to Tamar. "Boy howdy, I don't know. I can't read minds. If I could, I would know why she didn't call me Mr. Barkley around the Ballards."

"Well, you're home now!" Audra spoke up as she moved across the floor to embrace her brother who she adored with all her heart. "We'll have a party and celebrate your homecoming!" With that one both laughter and slight groans could be heard, though no one told Audra no. They figured putting up with a party was a small price to pay for having Heath home and alive.

~oOo~

Tamar, who was rather uncomfortable in the huge home of the Barkleys and even more uncomfortable with how many visitors they'd had most of the afternoon, leaned against the empty corral. She was soaking in the cool evening breeze that was blowing while looking at nothing in particular when she heard footsteps coming up behind her. Having heard 'that walk' time and time again, she couldn't help but smile. Somehow, she'd known that Heath would not be far behind her when she left the house.

Heath once again looked the young woman over. The brown haired, brown eyed girl, in her in her simple blue gingham dress, was indeed quite attractive. She'd been polite and cordial to all the visitors they'd had that day, even to the ones who had so rudely "whispered" behind her back when it came to her very obvious Jewish traits inherited from her mother. Inwardly, he sighed. Having spent his life having to deal with the judgment and the ignorance of others, Heath knew all too well how it could be. He laid his hand on her shoulder and gave her a small crooked smile, when she turned her head to glance at his hand and then look up into his face. "So this is where you ran off too." He gave her an understanding, lop sided grin.

Looking rather apologetically, Tamar said, "I'm sorry, I was feeling closed in, and the air is a bit too thick for my taste." She looked back at the empty corral.

Heath rested both of his arms on the top of the fence and turned his eyes forward, letting his mind go back through time. He remembered how many times he'd left places due to those exact same things. If fact, he'd too had felt rather uneasy with the attention he'd be getting upon his arrival back to Stockton. The shocked looks and whispers that he'd gotten as he rode into town with his brothers, Tamar and their prisoners had more than one tongue wagging; he was sure of that. Now, with all the company they'd had, Heath was more than happy that it was just his mother, brothers and Silas, along with Tamar, at the house. "Well, at least it's back to being quiet and, if you'll come back in, you'll see the 'air' is back to normal." He looked up at the stars as he spoke.

Tamar didn't answer at first, as she thought back to when they'd first arrived on the ranch, back to the moment she'd first stepped inside the house. When she did speak, Heath was shocked beyond measure when she asked, "Are you sure about that? I mean about the air being back to normal?"

Heath turned to face Tamar. His eyebrows turned down slightly. He thought back on the past twenty four hours. His brothers had been more than polite to her and, when they'd came home, Victoria and the servants had all greeted them with their arms wide open. Or had they? "What are you talkin' about? What happened?" His voice took on a protective tone thinking that he had been wrong about his family not holding her Jewish heritage against her.

Tamar turned around and, leaning against the fence, looked at the house. A small portion of her chastised herself for asking the question only, having asked it, she knew she had to answer. "You're mother might not hold my Jewish heritage against me; however, she doesn't believe Miss Kelley didn't tell us your last name. She also thinks we told Fay not to worry about contacting your family."

Heath's eyes widened. How could that be the case? He had made it plain to his family that Tamar, her grandfather and her late uncle were as honest as they came. His exact words had been 'if they say Fay did not call me anything but Angel, then she didn't.' "What makes you think that?"

Tamar continued looking at the house and, for a moment, did not speak; she was replaying Heath's homecoming in her mind. She turned to face Heath and repeated what taken place while he was telling the story. "You didn't notice the looks your mother kept giving me. I tell you, she doesn't believe I, my father or Uncle Henry had any idea who you were until you woke up and told us." She turned back to face the corral and then, hesitantly explained how Victoria had also continued to look at her with suspicion in her eyes throughout the day. "But Heath, please, don't say anything. I don't want to be the cause of any trouble between you or your family. In fact, I think it's best if I talk to the good priest in town. I might not be Catholic, but he still might know a place I can stay." It was the only thing she could think of to do. With the things that had already been said behind her back, Tamar was sure the priest, a man by the name of Father Robert if she'd heard correctly, was her best bet. After all, the kindly priest had stopped by and had been rather friendly to her. On the other hand, the "good" Reverend Stacy had also been at the party…and she'd felt his judgmental stares. That being the case, she was sure he would have no inclination to help her.

Heath was appalled at what he'd just heard and might have tried to come up with another reason for his mother's actions only, as he thought on it, he realized he had seen something unsettling in Victoria's eyes as he told of all that had happened. "No, please," he took a hold of Tamar's shoulders and turned her to face him. "Stay, and don't argue with me talkin' to her about it. I," he paused and then said quietly, "I don't want you to leave." He lowered his head and pulled her close.

Tamar feared what Victoria would say or do if Heath confronted her; still, she slid her arms up Heath's back and held on. If he wanted her to stay, she wasn't going anywhere unless something happened to warrant it.