Chapter 3

Jarrod knocked on the door of the bathroom and went in at the same time Eugene found Heath in the bunkhouse, changing his clothes. If Victoria and Audra had been able to hear them all, they'd have heard the words jumbling around and remarkably, often being the same words at the same time.

"Get out of the tub and talk to us, Nick," Jarrod said flatly to his younger brother.

"No," Nick said, just as flatly.

Eugene went into the bunkhouse when he didn't find Heath in the stable. "I'm glad you haven't ridden away," Eugene said.

"No," Heath said, and left it there.

"Nick has a hard head, but eventually, he always listens to reason," Eugene said.

"And what is reason in this?" Heath asked. "Where do you stand on it?"

"I want to hear you out before I decide, but I know what you did for us today. You fought beside us, you helped Jarrod get his arm tended to and get those restraining orders. You did a lot you didn't have to do."

"Maybe I did have to."

"Nick," Jarrod said, "you've got the hardest head in California, but even you won't deny what Heath did for us today. He fought beside us and he helped me into town to get those restraining orders. He did a lot that he didn't have to. The least you can do is talk about this situation with us all."

"You know what Mother thinks about him?"

"I heard her."

"She thinks he's a GIFT! You and I and Eugene, what are we if this – by-blow of our father is a GIFT to her?!"

"Look at it her way for a minute, Nick. Father's been gone for years, and she misses him. She wants every piece of him she can get, but she can't get anymore because he's dead. But here this boy comes along who might be that piece of him that she can still get. It doesn't have anything to do with what we are. It has to do with suddenly, unexpectedly having a piece of her husband back."

"My mother sees our father in you," Eugene said. "You don't have to prove anything more to her. She sees the man she loved in you."

Heath sighed. "I know. And it's why I'm not leaving. Your mother is a remarkable woman, and I won't leave until she sends me away."

"Then come back inside and fight with her for your place. Nick's feelings are hurt, but he'll come around. He'll understand why mother feels the way she feels."

"I'm not going anywhere, kid. I'll be back inside as soon as I change my clothes, and I'll fight for my place, believe me. But your brother Nick and I are gonna come to blows again sooner or later. Is your mother ready for that?"

Eugene began to laugh. "Oh, yeah. With Nick, Mother is always ready to deal with a fight."

Eugene's laughter made Heath laugh.

"Mother can believe what she wants," Nick said. "I still need to hear more before I believe that kid's story. I don't care how much he helped us out today."

Jarrod stood up from the stool. "All right. But do me a favor – keep it civil at least until after dinner? If you and Heath are to come to blows again, I'd rather have my stomach full of Silas's good food and my brain relaxing on good scotch so I can enjoy the show."

Jarrod left the bathroom and Eugene came back in from outside at almost exactly the same time. They met at the bottom of the stairs. In the living room, on the settee, their mother and sister looked at them.

Eugene said, "Heath will be back in before too long."

Jarrod said, "Nick may not come out of the bath until he wrinkles up like an old man, but he'll come down eventually."

Victoria sighed and nodded. "I have a feeling we're going to be up very late tonight."

XXXX

Heath came back in after about 15 minutes. Nick came down about 45 minutes later. Heath had taken a seat in the living room in the chair by the fireplace, some of Jarrod's scotch in his hand. Nick gave him a glare but poured himself a whiskey and wandered to the end of the room, where Jarrod sat at his small desk, looking over some papers.

"What's that?" Nick asked, although he really didn't want to know. He just didn't know what else to do with himself that wouldn't lead to an argument.

"Filings for the permanent injunctions," Jarrod said and rubbed his forehead with his available hand. "I gotta get them in tomorrow so the judge will have them for the hearings next week."

"We got any chance?"

"We have a good one."

"Mmm," Nick muttered and went back toward the fireplace. The seat beside Heath was available. Nick sat in it, but the two men did not look at each other.

Eugene was taking a bath now that Nick had finally gotten out of the tub. Victoria and Audra were seated at the settee, eying Nick and Heath, wondering when the explosion would occur.

"Nick?" Jarrod asked. "Do you know Mrs. Sample's first name?"

"No, I don't," Nick said.

"Nettie," Victoria said. "Annette. Do any of you know what's to become of her now?"

Nick said, "I think somebody took her and the kids to her sister's house in town. She was pretty broken up."

"I'll go see her tomorrow," Victoria said.

"I'll go with you," Audra said.

"I'd like to get back to work in the morning," Heath said. "We got a bridge needs fixing, and I spotted some mesquite that needs clearing out."

"Well, that raises a good question, doesn't it?" Nick said.

"Keep it civil, Nick," Jarrod said without looking up from his paperwork.

Nick leveled a gaze at Heath. "You helped us out quite a bit today, and I'm grateful to you. But now what?"

Heath gave the stare right back. "You tell me. Am I fired?"

"If I had my way – "

"Nick," Victoria said. "While you were shrinking in the tub, we discussed quite a bit out here."

"And you apparently decided everything." Nick got up from his seat and went back to the refreshment table for more whiskey.

"Actually, nothing's been decided," Heath said.

Nick turned around, surprised, and looked at him.

Heath went on. "We pretty much know what we want, but we don't know where you stand."

"Don't you?" Nick said.

Heath got up and took a few steps toward him. "I made myself pretty clear yesterday. I want what's due me. I've done everything I need to do to prove I am Tom Barkley's son, and I want my place."

"You gotta EARN that, kid," Nick said.

Heath's jaw tightened. "I will work this land just as hard as you do, maybe harder. I will stand with you at every Sample farm that comes along. I will carry Jarrod's papers to court next week if he asks me to and I will drive your mother wherever she wants to go if she asks me to."

"And you think that makes you a Barkley."

"I think the blood I carry in my veins makes me a Barkley. The rest is what I do because I am a Barkley."

Nick took a step toward Heath, and Heath took another step toward him. And that was enough.

Victoria said, "Step back from each other right now. This will not come to blows in my living room."

Heath was the first to back off, easing his way back to his chair. Nick turned back to the refreshment table and poured himself more whiskey.

"I want to see that paper you carry around in that bible," Nick said.

"I looked at it, Nick," Jarrod said. "It's what he says it is."

"I want to see it for myself," Nick said.

"It's with my things in the bunkhouse," Heath said and started to get up.

Victoria held up her hand. "That can wait until after dinner. For now, there's something that none of you have asked, and I assume it's because you want to spare my feelings. But I will say it now and get it out of the way. Yes, it is possible that your father met Heath's mother and fathered Heath. He was away from home at the time it would have happened and he was in Strawberry, at the mine. That issue is off the table."

Everyone knew not to ask her that, even if she hadn't said it out loud. Nick downed his whiskey. Audra looked away at the book she had in her lap.

Heath looked at Victoria's eyes, and she looked back at him. Jarrod was the only one who saw that.