Thank you all for going on this adventure with me. Jarrod is my first love but I enjoyed writing about Heath and getting to know the fair-haired Barkley brother a bit more.

Chapter 35

It was becoming a familiar pattern for Drew to be in a foul mood when he returned from spending time with Heath. Ella couldn't understand why he acted so oddly and decided she'd confront Drew. His behavior was becoming unacceptable. She knew him well enough to know something was wrong. Heath had been gone for an hour, and Drew was up in his room. Ella thought that now was as good a time as any.

"Drew? May I come in?"

Drew was sitting on the edge of his bed, the slingshot that Heath had made him in his hands. He'd had so much fun that afternoon. Heath had taken him to one of the pastures that wasn't being used for cattle at the moment and had set up a series of targets. He'd shown Drew the correct way to hold his slingshot and how to aim. It took several tries before the young boy even came close to hitting the homemade targets. He knew with a little practice, he'd be able to hit the target square on.

"Yes ma'am," Drew replied.

"Did you have fun with Heath?" Ella asked, watching her son's expression carefully. When she had seen Heath drop Drew off, her son had seemed happy. Now, his face told her he was anything but.

"Yeah, it was fun," Drew answered, sighing.

Ella sat next to him on the bed, her gaze falling on the slingshot in Drew's lap.

"Did Heath make that for you?"

Drew nodded then answered, "He even showed me how to aim it. I'm not real good at it yet, not like he is, but he said with practice I will be."

"So you'll be practicing quite a bit, won't you?"

Drew nodded again, this time opting to stay quiet. Ella watched him, praying for wisdom in what to say.

"Does spending time with Heath bother you? Would you rather not see him anymore?"

Drew turned toward his mother, his face showing surprise.

"Oh, no, ma'am! I love spending time with Heath."

"Then why are you so churlish when you get back? You seem so happy until he leaves."

"It's just..." Drew hesitated, not sure if he should tell his mother what he was thinking, feeling.

"What Drew? It's just what?"

Drew took a deep breath, then stood in front of his mother so that he was able to look her straight in the eye. One thing his father had always told him was to maintain eye contact with those you spoke with. It showed respect.

"I have such a great time with Heath, and then when I get home I think about Papa. And how he is probably watching me, and I don't want to make him sad."

"Why would your Papa be sad?"

"If he can see me from Heaven, then he has to know how much fun I have. Heath is able to do things with me Papa never could. I love my Papa. I miss him, but I love being with Heath too. I just don't want Papa to think I'm letting Heath take his place."

Ella blinked back tears and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She had no idea Drew carried this burden. She held out her arms and was thankful he went right to her. He was growing up so quickly, and she knew it wouldn't be much longer before he felt he was too old to be held by his mother.

"Drew, I don't know if Papa can see you from Heaven. But I do know this: If he can see you, then he would be happy that you and Heath get along so well. He wants you to be happy and to enjoy your life. He would hate it if you were sad because of him."

Drew listened to his mother's words, hoping with all of his heart she was right. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was hurt his father.

"You're sure?" Drew asked, sitting up a little so he could see his mother's face.

She smiled and said, "I'm positive."

Drew sighed with relief. He felt as though a burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. He stayed in his mother's arms for a few more minutes, loving how protected he felt. He knew if his friends ever found out he still sat in his mother's lap sometimes, he'd never live down the embarrassment. But those friends weren't here to witness it, and Drew relished every moment. He sat up and kissed his mother on the cheek.

"Thank you, Mama."

"You're welcome, baby."

Drew made a face at the nickname, and Ella laughed.

"How about some dinner? I made your favorite," Ella said.

"Chicken pot pie?" Drew asked. His eyes widened and he licked his lips in anticipation. He followed his mother down the stairs and into the kitchen. The two ate mostly in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable. They were almost finished when Drew asked his mother a question that would thoroughly shock her.

"Mama, does Heath make you happy?"

Ella had a fork full of food almost to her mouth, but immediately set the fork back on her plate.

"Why do you ask?"

"It's just, well, you said that Papa wants us to be happy. And if Heath makes you happy, then shouldn't you two live together? Like other married people do?"

Ella took a deep breath before answering.

"Drew, if Heath and I lived together we wouldn't be able to live here anymore. Heath and I would...we'd share a room, like Papa and I did."

"Would that make you happy?" Drew asked again, his expression serious.

"I...think it would. How would you feel about it if Heath and I lived together?" she asked, her eyes watching Drew carefully for any sign of hurt or anger. Instead she watched him shrug.

"I'd like to live at the Barkley place. Mrs. Barkley is really nice. And the rooms are really big. And I'd be close to Heath," Drew stated, matter-of-factly taking another bite of his food.

Ella didn't reply, but chewed on her lower lip as she thought about the conversation she was having with her eleven year old son. It had been almost a year since Jonathon had died. Tradition stated Ella should stay in mourning for at least a year. Yet, Ella and Heath were already married, so did she still need to follow tradition? And what of Heath? Would he be ready to make that change in their relationship? As of now, he was free to come and go as he pleased. Ella was his wife, but in name only.

"May I be excused?"

Drew's question interrupted Ella's thoughts. She smiled at him.

"Of course. Why don't you go ahead and get your bath so that it's all done. We have church tomorrow."

Drew made a face but didn't comment. He hated baths, but he wasn't allowed to skip them. He knew better than to argue. The only bright spot was he'd get to see Heath the next day. They always had dinner together on Sundays.

Ella thought about her conversation with Drew for the next several weeks. She examined her heart carefully, trying to figure out what it was she felt toward her husband. Love? No, she didn't feel love toward him. Not the same kind of love she'd had for Jonathon. But she did care for Heath, that was a fact. And, she admitted, she was attracted to him. She would catch herself watching him from her window whenever he would visit them, loving how he walked with purpose. He held her hand on occasion, usually when he was helping her down from the buggy or when they were eating together, and the blessing was being said. Heath's hands were calloused and rough. Ella, for a fleeting moment, wondered what it would be like to feel those hands on her body.

"Mama?"

Drew's voice caused Ella to snap out of her daydream.

"Yes?" she asked, knowing her voice sounded breathless. She hoped he didn't notice.

"Heath's here. He said he's ready when you are."

Ella called that she'd be down in a few minutes. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, then descended the stairs. Heath and Drew were standing at the bottom of the stairs. Ella smiled at her son, but couldn't make herself look Heath in the eye. She was afraid he'd be able to read her thoughts. Heath didn't seem to notice if Ella was behaving oddly. He made a comment about how nice she looked, then the three walked out the door. Heath had ridden Charger over, then stabled him in the barn until he returned that evening. He would drive the surrey to Nick and Abby's for their daughter, Jennifer's birthday. It was supposed to be a pitch-in dinner, with games for the children and of course cake for the birthday girl.

Ella spent most of her time with her sisters-in-law and Victoria. They all laughed at the men as they played tag or blind man's bluff with the children. Ella found she watched Heath most of the time. Soon, it was time to go home. Drew ran up to his mother as she and Heath walked toward the wagon.

"Mama!" he called out breathlessly. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"What?" Ella asked.

"Mark asked me to stay. Aunt Abby said it was fine."

Ella looked up to see Abby coming toward them, a smile on her face.

"Abby, it'll be too much. You must be tired from the party."

"Oh, it's fine! The children will be going to bed in a few hours anyway. Drew and Mark get along so well. We really don't mind if he stays overnight."

Ella was still hesitant. She didn't mind Drew staying, she just hated inconveniencing anyone.

"He doesn't have a change of clothes," Ella pointed out.

"Mark and Drew are about the same height. I'm sure we can find something."

"Please, Mama?" Drew asked. Ella chanced a look at Heath who watched the conversation silently.

"Alright. But I expect to hear you were on your best behavior," Ella said.

"I will be! Hey, Mark! I can stay!" Drew called, not even bothering to give his mother a good-bye kiss. Ella almost called him back, but decided against it. She smiled at Abby and thanked her.

"No, thank you for letting him stay. Mark has been wanting him to come over for a while. We'll see you both at church!" Abby said, walking away.

Ella looked again at Heath who was watching Drew as he played with Mark.

"Guess I'd better get you home," Heath said helping Ella into the surrey. All the way home Ella thought about their marriage. It was an unusual one to be sure. She knew now would be the perfect time to take the next step in their relationship. With Drew at Nick and Abby's for the night, they'd have plenty of time -

Ella's thoughts were interrupted by Heath's "Whoa" to the horses. She knew her face had to be turning every shade of red. She brought her hands up to her face and took a deep breath.

"Ella, are you ok?" Heath asked as he helped her down from the surrey.

"Yes, I'm fine. Heath, would you mind coming inside when you finish stabling the horses? I wanted to talk about...Drew." Ella knew that wasn't the truth...well, not the entire truth.

Heath nodded, and Ella went inside. She went straight to the kitchen to wash her hands, the cool water coming from the pump helping her to calm down. Heath was inside in record time and found Ella in the kitchen.

"Is Drew in trouble?" Heath asked.

"What?" Ella then shook her head. "No, he's not in trouble. We talked about why he was so angry after you and he spent time together. He said he was afraid Jonathon could see him from heaven and that his feelings would be hurt because you two were doing all the things he and his father couldn't do."

"Understandable," Heath replied. He thought Ella was acting odd, but he couldn't put his finger on what exactly was wrong. She seemed nervous around him. He decided to wait and see if she'd explain what she was thinking.

"He asked me an interesting question."

"Oh?"

"You see, I told him that his father wanted us to be happy. Then Drew asked me if you made me happy. I told him you did."

Heath smiled slightly. Ella had been standing several feet away from him, but she slowly walked toward him now.

"Drew asked if you made me happy, then why didn't we live together like other married people."

Heath raised his eyebrows at this, but still said nothing. Ella moved closer.

"Heath, I know that when we married, it was to protect Drew and me from Charles. I can't thank you enough for doing that. I think," Ella's voice faltered and she closed her eyes.

"What, Ella?" Heath asked closing the gap between them. She looked as though she were going to faint.

Ella opened her eyes as soon as she felt Heath's hands on her arms. She looked up at him, wishing he could read her mind so that she wouldn't have to say the words.

"I think I'm ready to let you make me happy. I think I'm ready to take the next step," she said softly. Heath stared at her, not certain if he'd heard her correctly. He swallowed then dropped his hands.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Ella nodded.

"Ella, if we do this...take this next step, there's no turning back. I won't have you living in one house while I live in another. I'll want all of us together. If we do this now, then tomorrow night when I go to bed, I want you by my side."

Ella bit her lip, her pulse quickening.

"I want that too," she replied breathlessly.

Heath still stood in indecision.

"I'm not him, Ella," Heath whispered. "I'm not Jonathon."

Ella smiled a slow seductive smile. She took a step forward and put her hands on Heath's chest.

"I know who I'm asking to make love to me. And I know who I want to touch me."

Heath still hesitated so Ella leaned up and kissed him. A second later she felt Heath's arms come around her, holding her close. When she could come up for air, Ella took Heath's hand and led him up the stairs.

The next morning, Ella watched as the sunlight fell across Heath's face. She smiled as she remembered their night. It was strange, in a way, that she didn't even think of Jonathon during their time together. She had been completely consumed with Heath. She couldn't help but smile at the memory.

Ella quietly got up from the bed and put on her robe. It was still early. They wouldn't need to be at church for a few more hours. She walked toward the window and smiled slightly as she watched the sun's golden rays light up the Valley. She wasn't sure how long she stood there but sighed with contentment when she felt strong arms come around her waist.

"Mornin'," Heath said. He'd been worried when he awakened and she wasn't next to him. He had watched her for a minute or two as she looked out the window. He wondered if she regretted their night together. He hadn't. Not in the least. It was everything he had imagined and more.

"Good morning," Ella replied, leaning into him. Heath knew by her reaction she wasn't regretting anything, and he knew no end of relief.

"What are doing up?" he asked, placing tiny kisses on her neck. Ella was finding it difficult to concentrate.

"Thinking about how I am going to hate selling this place."

"Why do we have to sell it?"

"We can't live here. I...wouldn't want to live here actually. And it doesn't make any sense to keep both ranches."

Heath thought about Ella's words.

"This ranch is Drew's, Ella. Oh, legally it's mine, I guess. But I think Jonathon wanted Drew to have this place. We can move your things over to the big house and rent this place out, much like it was done before. When Drew is old enough, he'll have full run of this ranch."

Ella smiled, loving the idea. She decided to not worry about the details and instead concentrate on the newfound activity she and Heath now shared.

One year later...

"GET OUT NOW!"

Heath ducked to dodge the hairbrush Ella threw at him. He had been exasperated with her before, now he was becoming angry.

"Ella, don't throw things!" he ordered.

"I wouldn't have to throw things if you would just LEAVE!"

"I don't want to leave! Why can't I stay in here with you?"

"Because I don't want you here-"

Ella's words were cut off by another contraction. She grabbed a hold of the bedpost and grimaced with the pain. They contractions were getting closer together and much harder as well.

"Heath, maybe you should leave," Victoria suggested.

"But, Mother, I think I should be here."

"Fine," Ella said, straightening up. "Then I'll leave."

"No, you won't, young lady!"

Dr. Merar's voice was firm and commanding. He well remembered Ella acting the same way when she was giving birth to Drew.

"Heath, go downstairs and sit with Drew. Victoria, help me get Ella into bed."

"But, doc," Heath began then stopped. He'd never seen Dr. Merar look so stern before. Heath reluctantly went down to the parlor and poured himself a drink. Drew sat in one of the chairs, looking worried. Neither one talked for several minutes. Heath had finished off his drink and was pouring another when Drew spoke.

"It hurts to have a baby, doesn't it?"

Heath nodded and took a sip of the whiskey he'd poured.

What Drew said next almost caused him to spit it out.

"Does it hurt to make them?"

Heath coughed and sputtered.

"Um...not usually."

He was saved from any further explanation by the cry of a baby. Setting his glass down, Heath and Drew ran up the stairs and waited outside the bedroom door for word. It seemed to take forever, but Victoria finally stepped out, a small bundle in her hands.

"Heath and Drew...meet your son and brother."

Heath stared in awe at the squalling infant. He was so tiny looking and fragile. Victoria placed the baby in his arms, and Heath felt as though he'd been handed the entire world.

"How's Ella?" he asked.

"She's fine. Dr. Merar is finishing up with her, but Ella wanted you to see this little one."

Heath smiled and looked over at Drew. The twelve year old was staring at his little brother, a smile on his face.

"Want to hold him?" Heath asked.

"Yeah," Drew said. Heath passed the baby off to his big brother just as Dr. Merar opened the door to the bedroom.

"You can come in, Heath. Ella wants to see you."

Heath walked into the bedroom and saw Ella sitting up in bed. He sat next to her and kissed her softly.

"He's perfect, Ella."

"He is, isn't he? I'm glad he was a boy since we couldn't decide on a girl's name," she chuckled.

Heath laughed with her.

"I'm sorry I threw the hairbrush at you."

"It's ok. I should have listened to you and left when you asked."

Heath had just planted another kiss on her lips when the door opened, Victoria bringing the baby in to his mother. Drew came in as well and gave his mother a hug.

"What do you think of your brother, Drew?" she asked.

"He's great! What's his name?"

"Edward Jonathon. We're going to call him Ned for short," Heath replied, taking the baby from his mother.

"Ned Barkley. I like it," Drew replied.

Ned decided he was tired of the attention and wanted to eat. Victoria ushered Drew out of the room with the promise of something to eat. Then she said he could ride over and tell the rest of the family the good news.

Heath watched as Ella fed their son. He may be tiny, but he had a good appetite.

"You've made me so happy, Ella," Heath said softly.

"I'm happy too, Heath," Ella replied, staring up into his blue eyes. She took a deep breath then said, "I love you."

Heath smiled. He'd been wanting to hear those words from her for a long time. He leaned in and kissed her gently.

"I love you, too."

Epilogue

Two years later, Heath and Ella welcomed another child into their family: Nathaniel Thomson. They grew closer as husband and wife, living out their years on the Barkley Ranch together.

Once Drew finished at the local school, he worked with Heath and Nick on the ranch along side Nick's son, Mark. He eventually went off to college for a few years, focusing on business classes. He then returned to Stockton, where he took over the ranch that had once been owned by his father. Joined with the Barkley spread, their ranches became one of the largest in the beef industry, supplying almost all the beef in the state of California.

THE END