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

Blindsided

Chapter Fourteen

Audra stood in the loft of the barn the owner of the land had, with Brigham's help, finally finished building. She looked from the hay to Mr. McCallister. The man had made good on his word and checked into sending her home on the stagecoach, only to find out the stage had temporally found it necessary to stop making stops in Strawberry and outlying areas. Neither one of them was surprised to find out it was because of the trouble brewing in Nevada; after all Strawberry was just a back road leading into Nevada and there was fear that some of those men might be using it. The stage line didn't want to risk an attack. When they'd gone to the telegraph office they'd been stopped there too. The telegraph operator said that they didn't know why, but wires weren't going through to like they should be. Brigham suspected he knew why, but didn't say a word.

Audra had been elated to have all the doors shutting like they were. What with Brigham's partner and men either in Nevada or almost there, she figured, until they actually heard something, the problem she had was how to get Brigham to see her as more than a young woman that needed protecting. After all, she was definitely interested in him, not because of the protection he'd given her, but for him, himself.

What with the fact they had either been working, keeping their eyes and ears open every time they went to town, even heard a few things and made a note of them hoping the telegraph office would soon tell them wires were going through, Audra wanted a break. After all, the sun had been up for hours and she had been working non-stop since rising with it. Since Brigham had started to become a bit more than uptight, she figured he needed loosening up. Some people were bound to say, if they knew about it, that she was flirting with him. If that was the case, so be it.

"Hey!" Brigham let out a yelp as a pitchfork full of hay fell through the air and landed right on top of him. He looked up, broke out in a grin and shook his finger at Audra, who was roaring with laughter. Shaking his finger at her only got him another pitchfork full of hay. He whirled around and went running into the barn. He figured why not? Two could play at that game!

Audra couldn't help but bust up laughing as Brigham jumped as the hay hit him; he looked so funny and, when he'd shook his finger at her, she didn't resist the urge to hit him again. Once he'd headed for the door though, Audra threw down the pitchfork and practically flew down the ladder. She was already at the bottom when Brigham came through the door, hay still clinging to his hair and the beard that had begun to creep upon his face.

Audra took one look at him, laughed and then ran, even though she knew full well he'd catch her.

"Oh no, you don't," Brigham's laughter rang through the barn as he took a few long strides, caught her by the waist and whirled her around. Audra let out a squeal of laughter and fought to get away. He simply tossed her into a huge pile of straw that had been gathered up and put into a pile.

Audra turned quickly and grabbed some straw in her hands; she threw it at Brigham. He let out a roar of laughter and went after her again, only she managed to avoid his grasp as she ran for the open doors. She made it halfway to the house before he caught up with her. Again, the air filled with her squeals of delight until she and Brigham found themselves, unintentionally, facing each other, their faces not inches from each other. For a moment, time froze as they gazed into each other's eyes.

Brigham couldn't believe the pull he felt towards the woman in his arms, for a moment he allowed himself the luxury of imagining what it would be like to kiss her again. After all, her lips had tasted so fine before, but no, he let go and pulled back. With no one around to convince, any control he had, the control that made him pull back, was gone. If he felt those lips again, he wouldn't be able to do that, pull back that was. Besides, she was a true lady, a lady with four brothers to boot. "We best get back to work," he said as he forced himself to walk away.

Audra's eyes followed him as he walked away. She couldn't believe how much fun they'd had for just a few minutes and found herself admiring a man who knew when to walk away to keep her reputation intact. She knew that was the reason he'd walked away when he did. She fought the desire to chase after him, but he was right, they had to get back to work. "At least you don't look so tense any more, and we had a bit of fun," she thought as she headed back for the barn.

Unbeknownst to her, Brigham had stopped and turned around. He watched as Audra disappeared into the barn. He'd stepped in to stop two men he figured were, most likely, headed to Nevada from having their way with her. He was only supposed to keep an eye on her, not fall in love with her. As one scene after another played out in his mind, every scene had Audra in them and Brigham chastised himself. "She's too young for you! Besides, once you face her brothers, and they beat you within an inch of your life, if you're lucky, they'll let you crawl away!" The sooner he accepted that the better. He told himself that more than once throughout the rest of the day.