Chapter 18

Nick wanted to talk to Heath about the night before. He wasn't going to apologize, but he did want to make sure there were no hard feelings. He knew Heath was an early riser, but he checked his room anyway before making his way downstairs. Silas told Nick Heath had left the house early and hadn't been seen since. Walking to the barn and found Heath brushing Charger. He knew it was something his younger brother liked to do when he was troubled about something. Nick took a deep breath, then decided to make his presence known.

"You're up early."

Nick sighed. "I hate it when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Know I'm here before I want you to know I'm here. Just once I'd like to sneak up on you."

Nick knew some relief when he heard Heath chuckle.

"Listen, Heath. About last night-"

"You were right, Nick. I didn't need to interfere. Thanks for stoppin' me."

Nick should have been pleased at Heath's response, but something in Heath's voice bothered him.

"Just wanted to make sure we're ok."

Heath turned around and faced Nick. As tough as his dark haired brother was, Nick had a heart as big as the state of California. He hadn't come to apologize. Heath knew that. He did want to make sure their relationship was on steady ground.

"We're fine, Nick."

Nick nodded, hating the sad look in Heath's eyes. He hadn't realized until the past few days how much Heath had cared for Ella.

"You really love her...don't you?" Nick asked, his voice holding no censure.

Heath didn't want to answer, but felt he should be honest.

"Yeah."

Nick sighed. Sometimes your heart didn't let you choose who you loved. As far as Nick was concerned, Heath was living proof of that. Nick hadn't intended to accept Heath, to love him as his brother, but he did.

"We should head in for breakfast," Heath suggested, putting the brush back on the shelf. "By the way, I'm taking Ellen out for a ride today. Probably be gone most of the day."

"Alright," was all Nick said. Although it should have made him happy that Heath was at least trying to move on, he was bothered. Ellen was a nice girl and Nick didn't want her to get hurt. Heath was one of the most honorable men he'd ever met, but he was on the rebound. Nick wisely kept quiet and kicked around for change in subject. He smiled when he thought of something.

"You know, I love it when you tell me that."

"What?" Heath asked, genuinely confused.

"That I'm right. Don't often hear that from you."

"I never told you you were right," Heath argued, knowing what Nick was doing.

"Don't try to back out now! I heard you with my own two ears!"

"Then you best get into town and see Doc Merar cuz your hearing is going!"

Nick laughed and clapped Heath on the back as they walked in the house.

Heath rode Charger toward town, leading a gentle mare named Sassy behind him. This had been the horse that Ellen had been using for her riding lessons. He thought about hitching the buggy up for their ride, but decided against it. He hoped Ellen didn't mind. She was watering some flowers on the front porch when he arrived. He was relieved when he saw she was wearing riding clothes. He dismounted and tied the horses to the hitching rail in front of the house.

"Hi," she said, putting her water pot down. Heath forced a smile as he walked toward her. Did she expect him to kiss her? He wasn't sure. He'd felt guilty for what he'd done the night before. He knew in his mind, he'd been kissing Ella, not Ellen. Ellen watched Heath hesitate, wondering if he felt uncomfortable because of their shared kiss or because of his admission of love. She decided to keep things as friendly as possible and not to expect anything.

"I just need to get my hat and we can go. I'm so glad you brought Sassy. It's been a while since I've ridden, and I could use the practice."

Heath inwardly sighed with relief. She smiled up at him then turned around to go inside. She was back out in just a second, and Heath helped her mount. They rode slowly out of town, Heath taking them in the opposite direction of the Barkley Ranch. Each was content with their own thoughts. When they reached an open field, Heath instructed Charger to pick up the pace. Sassy followed the other horse's lead. Ellen took a deep breath, refusing to let herself be afraid. She was still uncomfortable with going too fast. She talked herself into enjoying the ride and eventually relaxed.

Heath's mind was again on Ella. She was an expert horsewoman and would have enjoyed the challenging ride. Heath wasn't paying attention, or he wouldn't have pushed the horses so hard. He kept thinking about his admission to Nick that morning. He did love Ella. It amazed him how quickly it happened. He couldn't pinpoint the exact time it started. Was it the first time he'd seen her? He remembered Jonathon's admission that he'd fallen in love with Ella the first time he laid eyes on her. Heath had been intrigued by her that first day, but he wasn't in love with her. It was the day they raced their horses. Heath smiled slightly. That was it. Listening to her laugh and the look he saw in her eyes when she challenged him to a race. He'd fallen hard and never recovered. When he found out she was married, he should have just pushed his feelings aside, but he couldn't. He dreamt about Ella. Heath closed his eyes. It was wrong! He was desperate to get Ella from his mind. He needed to keep her from invading his thoughts. She was in no way to blame for his feelings for her. She'd never done anything to encourage him. Heath was in love alone, and it was painful.

All of a sudden, Heath remembered Ellen. He chastised himself for pushing the horses. She was an inexperienced rider and could have been killed! He turned to see her riding behind him, her face smiling, her eyes taking in the scenery. She wasn't the least bit bothered by the pace. Heath slowed the horses down then dismounted. He helped Ellen down and held her close.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"For what?" Ellen asked, leaning back to look at him. Heath was the most handsome man she'd ever met. She knew she loved him, but wasn't sure if he felt the same way until the night before when he'd said the words.

"I wasn't thinking, and I made you ride harder than I should have. I'm sorry." Heath buried his face in her hair which smelled of lilacs. He had to get control of his emotions.

"It's alright! I'm fine! I'll admit I was a little frightened at first but I knew you would take care of me. You wouldn't let anything happen. See?" Ellen said, pulling away from him and twirling around. She laughed, and Heath couldn't help but smile.

"I'm fine. No broken bones...not even a scratch!" Ellen said. Heath watched her dance around and felt an overwhelming need to be close to her. He grabbed her by the waist and drew her closer to himself. He was trying to force himself to feel the same kind of love for her as he had for Ella. He looked into her smiling blue eyes, leaned his head in and kissed her. Ellen responded to him by wrapping her arms around his neck. They stayed in their embrace, unaware of the way Sassy decided to run off on her own. Charger was trained well enough to stay where Heath stopped him, but Sassy had a mind of her own.

When they realized what had happened it was almost lunch time. Heath and Ellen rode double, looking for Sassy and didn't find her until they reached the next town. It would be dinner time before they returned to the Barkley ranch.

Nick took Abby riding, something they had not done in quite a while. They couldn't be gone long, but Nick was eager to talk to Abby about something that had been on his mind. They were about a mile from the main house when Nick stopped their horses and dismounted. He and Abby stood together, taking in the view for several minutes before Nick spoke.

"Do you like this spot?" Nick asked. Abby looked around. It was very picturesque. There was a grove a trees to the south and the mountain range was to the far north. The main house was to the east, but it could barely be seen. To the west was open field.

"It's beautiful!" Abby replied, putting her arm in Nick's.

"I want to build our house here."

Abby looked at her husband, clearly surprised by his comment.

"You don't want to live at the main house?"

"When my father brought my mother here, they had nothing. One goal he had was to build a grand house, just for my mother. I want to do the same for you. I want our children to be born in our house. I want us to grow old together in the house that I built with my own two hands. I want us to have something that is ours. I guess I'm not making any sense."

Abby smiled and placed her hand on Nick's cheek.

"I understand. I love living in the main house, but it would be nice to be on our own. I think this is the perfect spot. When can we start?"

Nick smiled. He'd already been thinking of designs, and he described in detail the plans. Abby offered suggestions and Nick felt they complimented his work. If things went well, the house could be finished within a year.

Carl had been invited over for dinner, and Audra was ecstatic. They'd talked for a long time after the party, working things out between them. She was eager to see him again and as soon as it would be appropriate, she hoped they could go for a walk.

The family was gathered in the parlor, waiting for dinner. Nick absently poked the fire, thinking about the house plans. Abby watched him from her chair nearby, thinking about his wanting his children born in a house he built with his own two hands. Jarrod clasped Melissa's hand as they sat on the sofa, twisting her engagement ring around and around on her finger. Pouring a glass of cider, Audra took it to Carl as he leaned against the piano.

"I wonder where Heath is?" Victoria asked as she walked into the room.

"He told me he was going to take Ellen riding today," Nick replied. He had an uneasy feeling that he couldn't get to go away.

"Well, we'll wait a few more minutes for him," Victoria said, sitting in a chair. About ten minutes later, Victoria decided they couldn't wait any longer. The front door opened and in walked Heath and Ellen, hand in hand.

"Heath! I'm glad you made it. Ellen, I hope you can stay for dinner," Victoria said.

"Actually, she's going to be staying longer than that," Heath replied before Ellen could answer Victoria. The bad feeling Nick had was coming full force now.

"Oh?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah, ya see. Um...well there's no other way to say this than to just say it," Heath replied. He looked to Ellen who was smiling at him. He took a deep breath and said, "We were married this afternoon."