I do NOT own The Big Valley or any of the original Barkley characters. Thanks to my Beta Reader, though all mistakes are my own.

Blindsided

Chapter Thirteen

Brigham and Audra walked hand in hand down the streets of Strawberry, as they'd just left the telegraph office and were heading back towards the livery stable. They might not have had to hold hands, but Mr. McCallister had seen the way some of the men in town had been looking at Audra. "Looks like they need to be convinced the same way the other men had to be," had been his exact words. She'd smiled back and replied, "Guess we both get continuing acting lessons and good thing I thought about this." She held up her hand and displayed the simple band on her hand. He had smiled from ear to ear and said nothing. Audra actually didn't mind a bit. The more she got to know Brigham the more she admired him. She found herself enjoying his company very much.

"MEN!" Audra muttered as one gentleman looked her way only to have a look of disappointment came upon his face when he saw the simple band upon Audra's hand.

"I tell you it's not necessary." Brigham had stood in disbelief as Audra found the small band in the kitchen of the home they were renting and placed it on her finger.

"Look, Brigham." Audra had planted her feet and fought with him. "You're not the only one who can come up with ideas on how to protect me. This," and she held up her hand, "should convince any man we ever come across I'm not available."

"Yes, it should." Brigham grinned and had to give in; after all, she had a point. He found himself admiring the way she conducted herself, stood up for herself and was proving she to be one very capable woman.

When they came to the churchyard, they saw children playing outside, a priest and a couple of nuns standing near the front door. One of the children was even playing an accordion. She couldn't help but stop walking and listen. Of course, when she stopped it made Brigham stop. A part of him said they didn't have time for this; the other part stayed and listened. It had been too long since he just stood and enjoyed a good song. Only when one of the children yelled at one of his friends did Brigham snap out of it, for the boy had called his friend Jack.

"Why don't you go over and enjoy the music?" Brigham said as he reluctantly let of Audra's arm. "I need to go talk to the good father." He talked to Audra but kept his eyes moving.

Audra felt bad for him. The life of men who involved themselves with a part of the law that kept them moving all the time, made it so they had to constantly be on the alert, had to be very lonely. After all, they could not afford attachments; at least, not the ones who had spent enough time to become an expert in the field.

"I'll do just that." She smiled as she headed for the children and Brigham headed for the priest.

Father Robert stood five feet six inches, had thick black hair that touched his ears and barely touched his neck. He smiled at the couple heading towards them, especially when the young woman asked if she could join the games the children were playing and the gentleman walked up to him.

"I hope we're not intrudin'." Brigham gave the father a small smile as he nodded towards the children. "Miss Audra loves bein' around young children."

Father Robert started beaming. "Don't worry, you're not intruding. The children love it when they get visitors." The man of the cloth looked at the stranger before him and, having a knack of seeing into people, saw a very troubled man. "May I help you?" he asked with genuine concern in his voice.

Brigham hesitated, and then nodded. "Is there someplace we can talk privately?" He looked around. He didn't want anyone but the priest to hear the things he had to say.

"Of course, my son." Father Robert turned around and headed into the church. After hollering over at Audra to let her know what was going on, Brigham followed the priest inside.

The church wasn't very large but there were still pews to sit on and a confessional in the corner. "How much privacy do you need, my son?" Father Robert looked towards the confessional.

"Not that much," Brigham answered as he walked up towards the crucifix that hung on the wall behind the pulpit and sat down on one of the pews. The good father was right behind him.

Brigham's mind wandered back to the day he'd first seen Audra and he sighed as he hung his hands over the pew in front of him. "Awhile back I made a snap decision, one I thought at the time was absolutely necessary." He hung his head slightly as he felt as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Father Robert just sat in silence, patiently. He'd learned long time ago that a troubled man wanting to talk didn't need someone pushing him to do it. After a few moments, Brigham's head came up and he sighed. "I was wrong, but I can't undo what I did and she suffers because of it." He was thinking on the nights he'd lain awake in his bed listening to Audra cry out for her mother or one of her brothers in her sleep. She never said anything about it in the morning. He didn't know if it was because she didn't remember or if she just wasn't saying anything. "I don't know what to do; Audra probably hates me deep down inside. Heaven knows she has the right too."

Father Robert felt his heart go out to the gentleman. "May I safely assume Audra is the young woman outside?" He couldn't figure out whom else the man could be talking about.

Brigham nodded. "That she is. Like I just said, she suffers because of my snap decision, and I don't know what to do about it."

Before the good man could say a thing, they were both startled to hear footsteps in the church and they whirled around. It was Audra. She wore a smile a mile wide upon her face as she looked upon Brigham. Father Robert held back a chuckle and merely grinned. "I think I best check on the children." He knew when to stick around and when to leave!

"Prin… I mean, Miss Audra, you heard?" Brigham stood up and pulled himself to his full height once the priest had shut the front door. He felt as if every nerve in his body was on edge.

Audra nodded and shocked him by resting her hands on the sides of his arms. "I changed my mind; it's princess to you and, no, I don't hate you. I did at first; I admit that, but not now." She looked up into his eyes, surprised to find how upset she was to see the pain there. "You had, still have, a job to do, a very important one. You took the only steps you knew how to protect me from those men following me and still do your job. Like you said, you didn't know if you could trust me and panicked, only proves you're very much human. Your men were, and still are, depending on you. No, I guess they're depending on us now." She told herself she was crazy, what with Brigham involved in such dangerous work, but he needed to know she didn't hate him.

Brigham shook his head, as he realized he did have an option, and replied, "No, it's me they're dependin' on. I'll check about puttin' you on a stagecoach and getting' you back to Stockton. I suppose, if one of them should cross my path before the job is through, I can always say you went home to visit yer family. I trust you to keep yer mouth shut and, if you say the family that's on the ranch be trusted, then I trust them too. Folks around here can go around thinkin' what they want to about my 'marriage'. We could send yer family a telegram, but we'd have no choice but put the name McCallister on it, people do talk and the telegram operator is no different." He'd rather put up with the gossip than to know he was causing Audra any more heartache than he already had.

If he was shocked before, Brigham found out different when Audra shook her head. "You do what you want, but I'm praying that something happens to stop the stagecoach from coming here for awhile. I want to stay and help you keep an ear and eye open for any useful information and," she said as she took her hands off his arms and folded them, giving him a 'try to change my mind' look, "don't tell me I don't know what I'm saying! You told me more than once not to lose my spunk. I'm not! If I can, I'm staying right here with you and doing what I can here!" She chuckled. "Besides, if my prayers are answered about the stagecoach, my brothers will probably burn dirt to get to Strawberry and take me home, once they get a telegram from us, which would get you some extra help, if you need it." She knew they would, her brothers were like that.

Brigham was astonished to find himself excited she'd refused just to turn her back and leave, though the idea of meeting her brothers was more nerve wracking than anything. "Do me a favor." Brigham laid his arms upon Audra's shoulders. "Make sure your brothers, especially that loud one you talk about, don't beat me to a pulp when this is over. A good old fashioned whipping I deserve; still, I'd like to be able to stumble away on my own feet." That only got Audra to laughing as she reached up and took a hold of his wrists. From outside the window, Father Robert saw the couple talking and laughing; he chuckled.