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.

Raging River

Chapter Twenty

The two bedroom white, wooden house cried out again and again for a new coat of fresh paint, but it never got it. If the window shutters could, they would have pulled themselves off the side of the house where they hung useless and volunteered to be the first ones in the woodstove; it would have been less painful. The steps leading up to the front door had more splinters to offer their guests than an angry porcupine had to throw at its enemies. As it was, the one redeeming quality of the place was the birds didn't have to look far for a place to live; the back of the roof had plenty of holes in which to build their nests. It wasn't likely to change any time soon either, Franklin Burner cared as much for the house as he did for the women he found to do his cooking and cleaning.

"Hey, you awake in there?" Sam, an old time gambler and friend of Franklin's, slapped the man upside the head as they sat at a table playing another game of poker.

"No!" Mr. Burner growled, "I slept lousy last night. I think that wench I hired to do my cooking for me is trying to poison me. She can't cook worth a dime! I was up half the night sicker than a dog!" Lynn was the third cook he'd had since losing Mary to 'that cowboy'.

Sam shook his head and he laid down his cards, "Why did you put the mutt and Miss Mary up anyway? I may have tasted better cooking in my days, but her food is still very much edible and you don't have to worry about getting food poisoning!"

Again, Franklin growled, "I was that sure I had a winning hand is why and I didn't have enough money left!" He'd regretted not just walking away from the table from day one.

Sam said nothing as he picked up the cards and shuffled them. As he passed the cards out once more he asked, without taking his eyes off the cards, "Why don't you just go get her back? It's not like the man wanted her; I saw the shocked looked on his face. She's probably just cooking and cleaning for him like she did for you. He'd probably grateful if she just up and disappeared."

Mr. Burner had thought on that possibility more than once; that is, the idea of trying to get her back had crossed his mind. He'd never thought to just up and take her back. After all, a man didn't take kindly to his property being taken from him. But, he started chuckling, it was like his friend said it's not like the man had really wanted her, "Maybe, I'll do just that." The laughter that came out of the man's mouth was filled with a wicked and eerie sound.

While Mr. Burner and Sam talked about the need for him to get his decent cook and maid back, Mary was helping Audra gather various items for the orphanage.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along?" Audra looked at Mary; it hadn't taken long for Audra to take to the young woman. After all, Mary might be on the quiet side, but she was friendly, hardworking, honest, and best of all, she'd stuck by Heath when he was hurt, instead of running off.

"No," Mary smiled and shook her head, "I'm not much for crowds and you're going around more than just the orphans and the sisters. I'd rather stay here and work around the house and outside than deal with all the people you will be dealing with." "All those people", Audra had to chuckle as she thought on the charity committee that would be there. Ten extra people that was it, and Mary was acting as if that was a big deal.

"Well," Audra said as they gathered up the boxes and began taking them out to the wagon Audra and Victoria would be driving down to the orphanage, "If you change your mind within the next two hours, you could still come with us."

"Looks like you're getting ready for Christmas," Heath walked up and, taking off his work gloves, slid his arm around his wife, "The orphans should be thrilled to get their presents months early."

Audra laughed she turned to go back to the house, "I'm sure they will be."

As Audra walked back to the house, Heath looked on his wife, still amazed he'd been so lucky to win and fall in love with her, "You should go with them."

"Uh-uh," Mary wrapped her arms around his waist and purposely moved in closer, "I can't sleep without my handsome cowboy."

Heath stiffened slightly as he fought the desire to lead her to the privacy of the barn, as Nick and the others were out fixing fence lines and he needed to join them. "Best have supper ready at a decent time, 'cause I'll be needing desert afterwards." He kissed her gently on the lips, and then hurried away before he lost the battle.

Mary chuckled as he let go and walked away. With Jarrod and Deborah off in San Francisco and Audra going with her mother to the orphanage, Mary was looking forward to having the house to themselves. Actually, she'd be even gladder when they moved into their own house, which from what the men said, would be sometime the following week. She turned around and went back into the house.