Chapter Thirty Seven

A/N Any character's name with a * by it is taken directly from an episode of The Big Valley.

Previously:

"Someone has got to have seen whoever threw this rock." Jarrod said before quickly apologizing to Julie and asking if she minded cleaning up. "Nick and I need to go talk to the sheriff and start asking questions."

"Don't worry about it; just get the guilty party." Julie replied as Jarrod and Nick hurried out of the law building and heading for Fred's office.

~oOo~

"What is going on?" Victoria had entered the Billiard room intending to look in the desk for some papers Father Thomas needed her to take to the orphanage, but was shocked to see Jarrod, Nick and Heath loading their rifles and double checking their pistols. Their eyes were filled with a simmering fury. What on earth had she missed?

Heath and Nick might have answered, only Jarrod beat them to it. He explained what had happened at his office, and then explained how he and Nick had gone to talk to Fred. "We hadn't got halfway down the block when Fred had met us. *Mr. Mead saw the rock fly through Jarrod's window. While he didn't see who threw it, he figured the sheriff should know about the incident."

"That doesn't explain this." Victoria said with a stern look in her eyes as she pointed her finger at her sons and their firearms.

"I wasn't through." Jarrod said as he closed the chamber on his rifle and then, picking up his pistol that lay on the pool table, slid his pistol into his holster and did just that. "While we were talking with George Tolson, the new bank teller, we had a couple of the new residents in town stop and verify what Mr. Mead said only," he shook his head in disgust, "They actually saw the man throwing it and the direction he went in." He raised one eyebrow and asked his mother is she really wanted him to name the culprit.

"Kyle Jensen." Victoria's eyes turned to ice even as she felt fear rise up in her heart. She remembered back to when Jarrod and Nick first came back from Nevada, and how Jarrod had-after she'd overheard a comment meant only for Nick-confessed everything. She'd been extremely upset, but had also been very grateful that Jarrod had not been killed. Only now, hearing that the man had been seen in town and what he'd done, she was terrified that instead of having a Merry Christmas the family could be attending one or more funerals.

None of her sons were blind. Victoria was standing as straight and as tall as she could. Still, they could see the struggle their mother was having in her eyes. Before any of them could say anything else, Victoria asked, "I still don't understand. If he's in town, why go through all this?" While she was asking the question to all of her sons, she found herself looking at Nick a split second longer than her other sons. Jarrod and Heath more than understood; she feared losing Nick just as much as they did-probably more.

"He's not in town anymore. We, Fred, along with some other men started scouring the town only to have a couple of children tell Nick and Heath that they saw Kyle riding out of town." Nick shook his head. "But you're right, there's more." He looked towards Jarrod.

When he didn't continue, and Jarrod hesitated, a look of utter disbelief appeared on Victoria's face. Did her sons really think they could get out of telling her everything? "Jarrod," She turned to her oldest, her eyes turning to steel and her voice took on the tone it always did when Jarrod knew there was no side stepping an issue.

"Kyle was riding a stolen horse; it belonged to…" Jarrod struggled to continue the sick feeling that was once again began churning in his stomach.

Victoria felt braced herself as she had the strongest feeling she knew something bad was coming. She wasn't to be proven wrong.

"It belonged to *Carl Wheeler." Heath spoke up when Jarrod could not. "We found him in the livery stable with multiple bruises and knife wounds."

"He woke up long enough to do a little bit of talking." Jarrod, who had been good friends with Carl for a good ten years, finally found his voice. "Carl said he'd walked into the stable and surprised Kyle, said the man looked agitated and was looking around as if he was trying to decide what to do. Unfortunately, Carl noticed a cut, and a bit of blood, on Kyle's hand and asked about it. Karl attacked him before Carl knew what hit him. We have no idea what happened to him-as it couldn't have been any glass from my window that hurt him. Doctor doesn't know if Carl will pull through or not."

Victoria, her face paling slightly, said before she had time to think. "Surely Fred already has enough help." The moment the words were out of her mouth; Victoria was chastising herself. In matters such as Carl Wheeler being attacked and stabbed, she had always supported any legal process of apprehending the guilty party.

It didn't pass her sons that the fear and concern in their mother's eyes had raised tenfold as she spoke. For the first time since re-joining the family, Nick felt as if someone was literally pulling on his heart strings. He knew what chances he and his brothers were taking joining the posse, but it would be worse if they simply stayed on the ranch wondering when Kyle was going to strike again…and he would strike again given the chance. Nick also realized he could not leave and take a chance of something actually happening to him without doing one thing first. "I won't tell you not to worry about us; that impossible." Nick said as he stepped away from the gun cabinet, walked around the pool table, and laid his hands on Victoria's shoulders. "Only, I promise you this much, I am not going back to Nevada. This is my family, and I'll do everything I can to ensure I'll be staying." He looked at her with gentleness and kindness, hoping she would be able to see how sincere he was. He then added with a slight catch to his voice as he drew her close, "That is a promise, Mother."

At the sound of Nick at last calling her Mother, Victoria lost the battle she'd been fighting. A single tear managed to escape and then slide off her check, and she returned his embrace. "You've got to find the man; deal with him, and then come home. All of you." She managed to say as she held tightly to Nick while looking at Jarrod and Heath, praying they would be able to tell that her love and concern was the same for all of them. She needn't have worried; they understand that fact very well.

The silence that fell in the room after she'd spoken felt as if it went on forever. In all reality, it was probably more like ten of fifteen seconds before Jarrod, who was standing near the Billiard room door, cleared his throat. "The sooner we start to help track Kyle Jensen, the sooner we can get him and do just that Mother."

Victoria reluctantly let go of Nick and stepped back. Then, feeling more than helpless, she watched as he turned, walked out of the room with Jarrod and Heath and then exited the house.

Audra, who had been looking for her mother, saw her brothers exit the Billiard room and then head out the door. Hoping to find her mother she hurried into the room. Her mother was standing next to the pool table. "Where are Jarrod, Nick and Heath going?"

Victoria sighed as she turned to look at her only daughter. While as far as she knew any courtship between Carl and Audra was over, the news was still sure to upset the young woman. "We have some chores to do." She nodded towards the front door. "I'll explain as we do them."

Audra wanted her mother to explain right then. However, she knew better than to argue when her mother had 'that' look on her face. That being the case, she simply followed her mother as the Barkley Matriarch walked through the open door.