Chapter 6

Everyone sat at the table looking at Jarrod, who tried his best not to look like an insect under a magnifying glass. No one spoke as they passed the food around; the only sounds were of the silverware clinking against the china dishes as the boys dished out their servings. The scraping of my chair as I stood to get the coffee sounded like thunder in the quiet room.

"Heath you've got to understand. I was fourteen years old, when Matt Simmons rode onto the ranch. He demanded that Father pay them money for your care," Jarrod made a bold move starting first: he deserved credit for that. He pressed on hoping that his brother would understand what had happened those many years ago.

"Simmons had even brought a child along with him. Father took one look at the boy and told Simmons to get off the ranch."

"Why?" asked Nick looking at Heath, "Couldn't he see how much Heath looks like him?"

"That's just it Nick! The boy Simmons had with him had dark hair and brown eyes; he bore no resemblance to a Barkley let alone Father." Jarrod paused letting this bit of information sink in. "Heath, do you have any memory of coming to the ranch? Ever?"

Heath shook his head; "No," was his quiet reply. Jarrod looked at me.

"May, when Heath was working for you what did he look like?"

"He was a bit taller than some of the boys his age. He was on the thin side, with blue eyes and sandy blonde hair."

"If I recall, you showed Mother a picture of your mother with you. Taken when you were about six or seven, correct?" asked Jarrod. "You have always had blond hair. So the kid that Simmons brought with him was not you."

Heath nodded. He reached up to his shirt pocket and pulled out an envelope. He looked at it for a moment, and then looked at Jarrod.

"They claimed they had guardianship. They claim my mother had given it to them when I was six." He held out the envelope to Jarrod, "That's seven years of abuse and hunger and sleeping in the damp cellar I went through."

Jarrod took the extended envelope. He looked at Heath as if asking for permission to read its contents. Heath gave a nod and Jarrod scanned the paper inside.

Jarrod lifted his eyes to Heath, "It's a legal document. However, how it was obtained could have it voided. Did the Simmons say they want anything?"

"Yeah, they want $5,000.00 dollars."

"5,000.00 dollars!" Nick huffed. "What the hell for?"

"For supposedly taking care of my mother and me," replied Heath, "if that's what ya want to call it." Heath pushed back his chair, moving to stand next to the window, looking out into the darkness.

"Maybe that is why Rachel Caulfield was killed. She may have known how they got your mother to give them guardianship," I said. Looking at Heath I could feel for him. Thinking now that his mother had given him up and that the man he found to be his father refused to acknowledge him.

"Heath I will look into this for you, I promise. I will find out the truth, good or bad," said Jarrod. He had gotten up to stand next to Heath. Placing a hand on Heath's shoulder he said, "Father didn't abandon you. He most likely never knew you existed."

"If Simmons showed up at the ranch with a kid and he tried to pass the kid off as a Barkley, you would think that Father would have investigated just to make sure Simmons wasn't lying," said Nick. He gave Heath a quick glance, "If he had went looking, he would have found Heath and the boy would have grown up with us, like he should have in the first place." He looked back at Jarrod as he finished speaking. I could tell he was giving Jarrod a hard look and making him feel guilty. I guess in a way I felt he deserved to feel that way, yet on the other hand Jarrod was going to investigate the Simmons and maybe bring some peace of mind to all the Barkley boys.

"May," asked Jarrod "I need to send a wire. Where is the closest town?"

"That would be Placerville. It's a day's ride to the west."

"Then I will leave first thing in the morning." Turning to his brothers, "Think you two can get along without me for a couple of days?"

Heath and Nick looked at each other, "Does a buck have antlers?" asked Nick with his dimpled grin. Jarrod looked at me.

"Would you please see that they stay out of trouble while I am gone?"

I laughed looking at the three brothers. "I am sure I can come up with enough work to keep them occupied."

Heath gave us his lop sided grin, "That's the truth." The smile faded then he open the door and stepped out into the darkness, each of us silently swearing that we were going to get Heath through this. He deserved to be happy and he deserved his family.