I do NOT own The Big Valley or any of the original Barkley characters.

Blindsided

Chapter Ten

Audra stood inside the foyer of the hotel once owned by Matt and Martha Simmons, disappointed to learn the Simmons' were no longer around. How would anyone looking for her have a chance of finding her? After all, the only other person she knew that had any connect to the Heath was Hannah and they received word she'd passed on to the other side.

"Yep." The bald headed clerk was talking a mile a minute as he looked upon Brigham and Audra. Actually, at five feet four, he was doing more looking up than anything else. "The old owners were drunkards and crazy, lost this place and everything else they ever owned. Last time I heard, they were up in Oregon somewhere. It cost me a pretty penny, but as you can see, this old hotel cleaned up pretty good. How may I help you?" He quit talking and waited for an answer.

Brigham felt like shouting hallelujah when the clerk quit talking; the man did know how to shut that mouth of his. "All we need is one room for awhile, until the little lady and I find a place a little further up in the mountains, but not too far."

The clerk's face looked like a child's on Christmas morning as he took the man's money and handed him the keys. Making an assumption, the clerk had the two biting their tongues hard when he said, "If you and the missus is lookin' for a place to live, there's an empty house just a couple of miles up the up into the mountains. I know the fellow that owns it. I could talk to him for you."

"You do that," Brigham answered and then waited until the clerk went into the hotel's office before he began speaking. "Come on," Brigham said as he took Audra by the hand, as he could see the talkative gentleman looking at them, "let's get settled." As always, his grip was firm, unyielding yet gentle.

"Yes, Brigham." Audra gave him a genuine smile; after all, though she was disappointed, she found comfort in knowing Brigham was by her side and was watching out for her.

Walking up the stairs and into the upstairs hallway, Brigham let go of her hand. Audra was again amazed at the work that had been done on the place. Wooden walls were now painted white and pictures hung up and down both sides. It was a most definite improvement over what she'd seen when she'd come to the hotel once with Heath; he'd came down to see Hannah and she'd asked to be allowed to travel with him. It was a most definite improvement over what it had been when she'd made her one, and only, trip to Strawberry with Heath. Too bad she'd spent the whole time sick in a hotel bed; she'd been looking forward to actually meeting some people. Maybe, seeing the situation she was in now, it was a good thing she hadn't.

She watched as Brigham opened the door to the room they'd been given and stepped inside, once he' stepped aside. The room wasn't the largest she'd ever seen, but it was spacious enough. She was pleasantly surprised to see the bed frame was made out of thick logs, instead of cheap copper or other metal. The dresser set off in the right hand corner and a credenza set just inside the room behind the door. The curtains looked brand new and there were actually a couple of pictures hanging on the wall.

Brigham watched as Audra looked around the room. For the first time in years he was kicking himself royally, actually had been since the day he'd comforted her in the field. He never should have brought her with them. He should have taken the chance, told her everything, sworn her to secrecy and sent her home. Now, it was too late.

"Lock this door when I leave." He walked over to the window and looked out. There were a few men going into, or out of, the saloon down the street and a few women and children off in the distance, over all a pretty quiet day. He pulled the blinds down. "Don't open these unless yer life depends on it." He turned and looked at her, his voice, again, left no room for argument.

Audra felt his gaze penetrating through her skin and down to her bones. She was shocked by the remorse she saw in his eyes. With the exception of the time spent in the field, he'd spoken to her with straight bluntness, with no real emotion in his voice or in his eyes. This was the first time she had any inkling he truly wished things could be different. Again, his behavior was always puzzling to her. "Wake up girl, if he's being honest with you, and he has no badge, then he's playing vigilante for some reason. Don't start trying to figure him out!" "I won't be opening the door for anyone but you," she stated flatly and without any emotion herself.

Brigham turned to leave and then stopped. If he was being honest with himself and he did indeed trust her, he needed to tell her more than what he already had. "Let me be right about her, men's lives could depend on her keeping her mouth shut." "After the men have left, I'll explain as much as I can to you." For the first time in years, Brigham failed to keep the trepidation he felt out of his voice.

Audra stared. He had had remorse in his eyes, he wasn't going to make her wait to find out what was going on and he was concerned he may not be doing the right thing? She knew that's what the trepidation was about. He was afraid he was doing wrong in telling her anything. "I'll make myself keep quiet." She shocked herself by allowing herself to make such a promise silently, but merely said, "I'll wait for you."

Brigham simply shook his head and said, as he started to leave the room, "I'm not leaving until I hear you lock the door." Once the door was shut, Audra did as he'd directed and locked it. It didn't take long for the sound of his boots to be heard disappearing down the hallway. After she could no longer hear his footsteps, Audra lay down.

As she lay on her bed Audra began analyzing the feelings she had started having for Brigham. Were they for real or were they just because he was being good enough to protect her? And now, he was going to tell her everything he could? She decided it would be best to make herself step back and wait for one, him to tell her exactly what was going on and two, to give her time to get to know him better.