Heath had a sly grin on his face when he came back over to me. He dismounted, sweeping his hat off his head and gave me the sweetest smile.
"How ya been Mrs. Roberts?" he had asked the question out of politeness. He could see how I was doing, but I smiled at him and gave him a quick hug.
"You always were a polite one, Heath Thomson." I said as I slapped him playfully on the shoulder.
"I'm glad to see that you made it through the war in one piece." I said noticing that his smiled faded a bit and I could see in his blue eyes that he hadn't escaped from hurt. I changed the subject. "What are you boys doing here?"
"Headed for home," he said glad for the change in the conversation, "There was a horse auction in Oregon."
I looked at his other riders, "You're doing well then, Heath?"
The smile was quick. "Yes ma'am." He hesitated again, "Seems that I had a family I didn't know about, til mama passed away."
I looked at the riders that had gathered near where we stood talking. "The Barkleys?" I asked.
Heath nodded, "Tom Barkley turns out is my father."
I didn't push for more information and waited for introductions. When he hadn't offered any, I pointed to the other men and asked, "You going to introduce them?"
"Yes, ma'am." He walked over to the two riders, who had by now dismounted.
"This is my oldest brother Jarrod. The fellow next to him is my other brother, Nick." They each shook my hand and nodded a hello.
"I don't have much to offer you boys, in way of a meal or a place to sleep." I started to offer them some coffee, when Heath interrupted.
"Mrs. Roberts, we wanted to hold over for a few days to let the horses rest. We're willing to pay for the use of your pasture and the bunkhouse." I looked over at the old bunkhouse. The last time it was used it held the six express riders and hadn't been used much since. I looked at them all as they waited for my answer.
"I'll take five dollars a day, which includes the use of the bunkhouse and meals." It had been a direct question and I gave them a direct answer.
Jarrod nodded his head "Sounds fair." He stepped forward and gave me fifteen dollars. "We will be staying three days for sure, after that we'll let you know." I nodded looking at the money that he placed into my hands. My hands trembled with the feel of it. It was going to be nice cooking for someone other than myself.
I smiled and headed toward the cabin. "I'll have supper ready in an hour. You boys get settled in the bunkhouse."
From the kitchen window I watched as Heath, Jarrod and Nick talked. They had a way about them. I noticed that when Heath spoke, his brothers would listen and Heath in turn would listen to them. They acted like a team; each knowing what was expected of the other. I thought sadly that it was too bad that Heath hadn't grown up with them; maybe things would have been different. I put some water on the stove to boil so we all could have coffee with our supper. I looked into the bare pantry and sighed.
It wasn't much as meals go. All I had to offer was boiled potatoes and beans. Those boys didn't complain about it at all. Heath looked around and gave a nod to Jarrod, but no words were spoken, other than a comment in reference to Heath's trail cooking.
"Beats bullfrog stew any day!" exclaimed Nick getting a chuckle from Jarrod as Heath mocked hurt, then smiled.
Later that evening, after I had gotten the dishes done and the floor swept, I stepped out into the coolness of the evening. Heath was sitting on the steps with his back against the post. I sat down in the old rocking chair and waited. A woman can always tell when a man wants to talk.
Heath took a drag off his cigarette then asked, "Do you have any horses left, Mrs. Roberts?"
"There are a few," I said, wondering why he was interested. But he changed the subject.
"Henry never made it home?" he asked softly, even though I was certain that he already knew the answer.
"No he didn't. He was killed in Georgia." I paused for a moment to push the feelings of his loss aside. "He had written, said that he seen ya in Tennessee." He nodded and took another drag.
I knew that as a courtesy you weren't to ask a body from where they had come or anything about the person unless it was offered freely. I had known little of Heath before the war and knew even less now, but I went ahead and asked the questions feeling that he wouldn't be offended.
"You seemed to have made it through the war with out a scratch." He took a moment before he answered.
"No ma'am, I got my scratches. They have caused me more trouble than I'd care to tell you right now."
I looked closely at Heath. The young rider that had ridden for us so many years before was gone. I recalled the words Henry had wrote, "He is a shadow of the boy who rode for us." This leaner quieter version was a man to be reckoned with if pushed. His quiet manner and the tied down gun spoke of that.
"Maybe one day you'll tell me about it." I said, he nodded his head taking another drag from his cigarette, I decided to change the subject.
"Yeah, one day maybe." He said quietly as he watched Nick approach the porch.
"How long you been with the Barkleys?" It was my turn to change the subject. I knew from experience that pondering on the past for to long would bring you down.
"Almost a year, but seems like I've always been there," He smiled. "My introduction to the family wasn't one of my best thought out plans." He dropped his head in thought for a moment. Nick stopped next to us, one foot on the porch. He leaned his tall frame forward and crossing his arms across the raised leg.
"Heath hasn't been trying get you to let him use your kitchen so he can make his famous bullfrog stew, has he?" he looked at Heath and smiled, then looked back to me, "Might be safer if we just left the cook'in up to you Mrs. Roberts."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, Nick Barkley!"
"Oh don't you worry any, big brother; there are plenty of opportunities for me to fix bullfrog stew. Why, I think we have to get these ponies home, and then later we have round up. Then a herd to trail up to the railhead… yep, I 'd say there are plenty of opportunities." Heath smiled, his voice was light, as his brother grimaced. Nick took advantage of the quiet to change the subject.
"Mrs. Roberts, we were wondering if you would be interested in adding your horses to our herd." Nick paused looking at the barn. "The money from selling them would help you get another herd started and fix the place." So it had finally come out. I thought for a moment. It would make sense to sell all the horses save some of the good mares, and purchase another stallion. Henry would have done it. Yet I felt that I had no right asking these boys to round up my herd. Still, on the other hand they were offering and the money I got from selling the herd would get me started again.
"Sound good. You'll have to round them up. They have been running the valley north of here for the last couple of months. "
"We'll get started in the morning," said Heath as he stood to leave, and then stopped.
"Thanks for not pushing." he said, then followed his brother to the bunkhouse. Nick looked from Heath back to me and gave me a small smile. By that small gesture I knew that the brothers were still learning about Heath, and for whatever it was worth my talking to him may help open the door for Nick and Jarrod.