PART II – Scotty
May 1882

Chapter 6
Making Friends

Leah literally ran between tables as she hurried to get one man's order and refill the glass of a woman. Anna Davis, the wife of the man who ran the restaurant scolded her when she ran into the kitchen breathless. "But I have to Mrs. Davis. There are too many people for lunch. Why isn't May here?"

"She was sick," Anna snorted and Leah twisted her lips. It seemed like May was ill often. Leah didn't really like May and neither did Anna, but Anna also did not like Leah either. It had been her decision from the beginning not to hide the fact that she was born illegitimately, even though the Barkleys, especially Heath had assured her that she did not have to and that they would never let it be known. But she had felt that it would be easier and she would get hurt less in the long run if every one knew the truth from the beginning.

Anna and Jake Davis hadn't been too sure about hiring her at first, but after some gentle Barkley persuasion they had agreed. Leah was just thankful for the job and she didn't want to do anything to lose it. Though on occasion Nick and Heath's temper brought her close to it. They didn't think she should be treated the way she sometimes was by the Davises.

On this particular afternoon though, she was about to be stretched to her limits. May was off with her feet up and that left the task of serving tables to Leah until Violet came in around 2 or 3. And all the tables were filled with people, one of them with Nick Barkley who had come in not long before, quite sullen and in an obviously bad mood.

"Where's Heath?" she asked when she returned with a glass of water for him.

"I don't know," he grumbled.

"Well, Jarrod did what he felt was best," she tried to cheer him, but figured she only was making it worse. Nick had given her a brief account upon his entrance of what had transpired at Jarrod's office.

She hurried off as one of the patrons called to her. In the flurry of activity she noticed a woman step inside. The woman was short, shorter than she and wearing baggy men's pants. "Can I help you?" Leah came over to the woman.

"Just thought ah might get something to eat, but it's busy so I'll come back some other time."

"Well, wait a moment. If you want a table maybe a friend of mine won't mind if you sit with him. He's alone, unless his brother comes in, but you won't be intruding." The woman gave her a sizing up glance and nodded.

"All right then," and Leah turned back towards Nick's table. When she arrived he stood up, a furious expression on his face.

"What's wrong Nick?" she asked exasperated and surprised.

"What are you bringing her here for?"

"Nick Barkley," Leah shook her head and her finger at him. "I haven't known you to be impolite. This lady wants something to eat and all the other tables are filled up. The least you can do is offer…"

"That's the woman…"

"What he's trying to tell ya is that I'm the woman that 'riled his ire' as his brother Jarrod put it," the woman replied calmly. Leah covered her mouth to trap a giggle, but it escaped anyway. "Ah see ya've heard of me." She smiled.

"She's the woman you were complaining about yesterday?" Leah asked incredulously.

Nick glared at her.

"LEAH!" Anna's voice made her jump out of her skin.

"I've got to go. You two can figure out your arrangements."

Scotty watched as the girl took off for the kitchen. She was a pretty girl and sweet. But she'd only just met her. "Ah won't make you sit with me. Ah can go," Scotty said, half turning to leave.

"Sit," there was more command in his voice than invitation. He didn't look at her as she slid into the seat one away from him. He had his hands folded in front of him and he was staring straight ahead. She had the distinct feeling that he was boiling over something. Her, actually.

"Ah'm sorry about today, Nick," she began. "Ah didn't go in there fer your brother to give me a water rights document, just to confirm my papers."

"It's all right," Nick's words were clipped. Scotty sighed.

She had begun to focus on the room, taking in the different people sitting at the tables when a tall, blonde young man in a blue shirt sauntered over to the table and pulled out a chair next to Nick. "Afternoon ma'am," he tipped his hat politely. She nodded in acknowledgement of his gesture and glanced back at Nick with a raised eyebrow.

"Aren't ya going to introduce me to your friend, Nick?" he drawled slightly.

"Scotty, my brother Heath; Heath, Scotty," the words were spoke quickly and clipped.

"Nice to meet ya," Scotty nodded extending her hand across the table.

"You wouldn't happen to be the lady who bought the Buckheimer place would ya?" Heath inquired.

"Ah would," he nodded slightly as if that explained things. There was silence around the table for several minutes, but Scotty had the feeling that this young man was more amiable than his brother, that perhaps he would be more open to conversation as Jarrod had. "So you and Nick run the ranch and your brother Jarrod is the professional?" she asked casually. Nick was ignoring her still.

"Yeah, but we do have one other brother who's a professional as well."

"Really? So y'all are four brothers and one sister?"

"Yeah," Heath nodded.

"So where's the other brother?"

"Eugene's still in Europe last we heard. He's a doctor."

"That's a good thing to have in the family. A doctor and a lawyer."

"Sure is," the blue-eyed, blonde-haired cowboy grinned.

He looked passed her though and it made Scotty glance over her shoulder. In the doorway was a young black man. She immediately recognized her son Ben. "Excuse me, it was nice to meet ya and talk with you Heath," she nodded. "But I got to go. Goodbye Nick," she said the last half maliciously.

Ben was jumping from one foot to the other. "Ma, it's Bob Tylin again," he said shaking his head.

"Again? Is he drunk?" she followed the young man out into the street.

"Yes'm. Joel found him. He's about ready to start shooting up the saloon somebody said."

Scotty growled under her breath and took longer strides towards the saloon, Ben having to jog to keep up with her. She was furious. She had taken all she was going to from Tylin. She'd taken more than she should have.

When she arrived in front of the saloon she didn't stop to hesitate and strode right in, Ben on her heels as was Joel who'd been standing just outside. "He's worse than usual," his expression was grim as he told her.

She nodded. She would have to use caution with him. She saw him in the back corner of the saloon, hugging a bottle of whiskey. The bartender, a portly fellow with a mostly bald head, and what little hair he did have a silver grey, interceded her. "He your man, ma'am?"

"He worked for me," Scotty responded evenly. The bartender looked her over carefully before proceeding.

"He broke two good bottles of whiskey and the mirror."

"How much?" the bartender quoted her the price and she paid him the money. Now she strode right in front of Bob. His pinched little face was glaring up at her. "You've done it again, Bob." She said simply.

"I diddddn't do nothing," he head wobbled as his words slurred together.

"That's right," she nodded. "And you're fired."

His head shot up and amazingly didn't wobble so much. "You can't do that! You owe me!"

"Yeah, ah owed ya something once, Tylin," she said harshly. "But whatever ah owe ya I've paid ya back ten fold since you been working for me."

"You at least owe me my pay."

"All right. Joel, how much do ah owe this man?" Joel dug into his shirt pocket and produced a note book. He quickly added up the numbers and told her the balance. "Ah have five dollars on me. How much do you have?" Joel gave her a few more and some change and she got the rest from Ben. "There's your pay that ah owed ya. But don't come beggin' from me when it runs out, Bob. Ah ain't hiring ya back this time."

And with that she whirled around, right back out of the saloon, her boys on her heels. "Where's Capri?" she asked them as she strode back towards the Davis's Restaurant where her horse was tied up.

"At the livery." Ben informed her.

"All righty, let's go get him and get home. I'm tired and we still got to get them cattle up to the watering hole. We've got a ranch to run."

The warmth of the sun beat on her back as she cantered into the yard and took a good long look at the front of the Barkley mansion. She'd heard about it, but this was the first time she'd ever had the pleasure of seeing it.

"Can I help you Senora?" a medium built Mexican asked her.

"Si, but it is Senorita. This is the Barkley ranch is it not?"

"Si, Senorita, perdon," he replied. "Can I take your horse?"

"Si," she swung down. "Is Jarrod Barkley at home?"

"Si, he is," he bobbed his head.

"Gracias," she acknowledged him and began peeling off her leather gloves. Business, she told herself, was what brought her here today. It was good for her to get to know the Barkleys better and establish a working relationship with them. It would benefit her ranch and hopefully Ben when one day he took it over. It was his ranch in essence. He had the head of a rancher on his shoulders and it would be his stake in life, a chance at doing something decent and worthwhile. Though, she had mused on her way over, she figured that this would be the last time she would build up a ranch herself. She would have to give Luke some other kind of stake.

But that was not her goal today. It was Joel who was on her mind. It had been three weeks since she'd met Jarrod at his office and asked for his assistance, and she had decided that very morning that it was time for her to take him up on his invitation to visit the Barkley ranch.

She stepped onto the veranda and knocked on the door. It was answered by an elderly black gentleman. "Yes'm?"

"Is Jarrod Barkley at home?"

"Yes'm. Right dis way," he motioned for her to step inside and she followed him into the parlor where several people where gathered. Scotty recognized Nick, Jarrod and Heath immediately, as well as the young woman sitting in one of the seats talking to Jarrod, Leah. The other two occupants, an older, grey haired woman and a young blonde woman, she did not know.

"Well," Jarrod spoke when he saw her. "I see you finally decided to take me up on my invitation."

"Yep, sure did," she grinned back at him.

"I would like you to meet this lovely lady, my mother, Victoria Barkley."

"Nice ta meet ya," Scotty nodded.

"And my sister Audra." Scotty nodded to her as well.

"I'm pleased to meet ya both."

"And have you met Leah?"

"Yeah we met in town a few times."

"How are you Scotty?" Leah had leaned forward to peer around Nick.

"I'm doing fine."

"It is very nice to finally meet you, Miss Scott," Victoria Barkley had stood and took her hand. "Jarrod's told us quite a bit about you, and I've been meaning to drop by your ranch and welcome you to the Valley."

"Thank ya, Mrs. Barkley," she turned her attention back to Jarrod. "Ah was wondering if you'd gotten anything on that matter we tawked about?"

"I have," Jarrod motioned her to follow him. "We can talk privately in here."

She gave a small wave to the rest of the group and followed Jarrod into the room that was furnished with a desk and chairs.

"I like her," Leah told Audra. "I've only met her a couple of times, but she seems nice. Maybe a little eccentric, but I don't see where that matters."

"I think the whole town is gossiping about her, but who's ever seen a lady rancher like that anyway?" Audra replied. Leah shrugged.

"It's because it's something different," she told her. She glanced to where Nick and Heath were playing checkers with a pensive sigh. Three weeks and she still hadn't been able to get the chance to talk to Heath. She'd asked him to take her riding, but he kept putting her off.

She had grown puzzled by his consistent avoidance of her. He was polite, as always, but something was different. He did not laugh, or talk to, or tease her as he once had, or as Nick and Jarrod did. It made her feel sad and alone. She had always considered him to be a dear friend. Possibly at times, she thought of him as more than a friend.

Sighing again, she realized that Audra was staring at her. "What?" she asked, afraid she'd missed an important question.

"Are you all right?" Audra asked. "You seem…quiet sometimes lately."

Leah glanced back at Heath and Nick before leaning forward. "Have I done something to anger Heath?"

Audra looked puzzled. "Not that I know of." She shook her head. "Why?"

"He doesn't talk to me, or seem to want to spend time with me very much anymore. I know he's busy, but that didn't used to be a problem."

Audra glanced at her friend and then back to her brother a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "I'll talk to him sometime about it, without letting him know it's for your benefit that I'm asking," she hastened to add.

Leah smiled back at her warmly. "You know something, Audra, I'm glad I know the Barkleys!"

(To Be continued…)