Heath took a deep breath, held it inside and slipped on his back sinking with his upper body into the water letting it close above his head his knees out, his legs too long to keep them under the surface.
He closed his eyes, thinking about the events of the previous day, the man he didn't realize was his brother's rescue from the river, the cold waters drenching his clothes, the struggle to carry the dead weight of the unconscious man on the shore, working to keep his head above the fighting wild force of the stream.
They had arrived at the house while everyone was out except for Silas, their butler (yes, they did have a butler), and now Jarrod had introduced him to The Pleasures Of The Hot Bath. Boy howdy. That was very similar to his idea of paradise.
It was amazing how being immersed in hot water could make a man feel. Heath was once again the unborn child in his mother's womb, cuddled in a warm cocoon. All of his skin was hot and it felt good. His body and mind felt regenerated, healed from any physical or mental scratches. The ragged tramp who spent his life wandering around looking for something he didn't know was somebody else; the daily struggle and the fatigue to survive was a faraway memory. Gone along with the dirty clothes.
He reemerged, took a deep breath and sank again.
Silas had shown him the towels to be used after his bath. There was a whole pile of them. Clean, soft, white towels. Behind his formal ways it was clear Silas was a smart man. Jarrod had greeted him warmly, like an old friend or one of the family.
Jarrod…
The man he had saved was actually his brother. Brother…he kind of liked the sound of the word. He had been an only child his whole life. In his childish innocence, he had asked his mama for a little brother or sister, but his mother had always been faithful to the love of her life, the Great Tom Barkley.
He and Jarrod had talked on their way to the ranch and he had discovered that Jarrod was an affirmed lawyer. Heath had made him talk, he was pretty good at that. He was the best of the listeners. So Jarrod talked and talked and Heath learned a bit about the man he was. Jarrod's faith in the law and in man's justice was rather naive. Heath, for his misfortune, knew better. He had known corruptible judges, corrupt sheriffs and ruthless men who wore a badge and killed just to collect their bounty.
Heath owned a sense of wit and humor and could say the oddest things with the most serious face. Jarrod hadn't realized that at first and had tried to answer exhaustively this young man's questions, who seemed to be so interested in law and justice. But soon the lawyer had caught Heath's little smile. He had laughed at himself, apparently amused by his savior's shrewdness. What had followed had been more similar to a brotherly banter Heath could imagine. He had enjoyed that so much. Under the surface, Heath's lopsided smile appeared.
For the second time, he reemerged to take a breath and went down again.
Not only he had saved his brother's life, but he was now going to meet the whole family. In their own house. Well, almost the whole family, he corrected himself: Jarrod had told him that the youngest Barkley son was away at the college. Boy howdy, he didn't have just one brother, no, he had three! And a sister!
And then there was Her. Was he really going to meet her? The woman his father had been cheating on, with a little help from his mama? The very thought made his gut knot.
Out, breath, in.
He liked Jarrod. He liked him a lot to say it all, but didn't know what to expect from the rest of them. He had read the article about Tom Barkley's death and knew they were wealthy, but hadn't known to what extent until they had reached the house's iron gates, with their intricately decorated arch above, and the impressive mansion beyond. Five white majestic square pillars, with ivy climbing up on them, in front of an equally white majestic facade. And what about the inside? He could swear the foyer was larger than his uncle's hotel entrance hall, with a golden carpeted grand staircase curving gently up to the second floor.
Suddenly, he realized the water had sensibly cooled. How long had he been there daydreaming? He reemerged and blinked.
Two discrete knocks at the door brought him suddenly to reality.
"Mr. Thomson, the family is gathered in the study and would be pleased if you'd join them. Dinner will be served at six", Silas said politely from behind the door.
Heath awkwardly rose and began to empty the bathtub.
"Be there in a few minutes, thank you", he replied, trying to keep his voice steady. Now he couldn't change his mind, he couldn't run away. His unavoidable future was closer.
He collected his dirty clothes and, hopping on one foot, put them in the dirty laundry basket, then reached the pile of clean towels, quickly dried his body and hair, and finally took the clean clothes Silas had put on a stool, probably Jarrod's old clothes.
Once dressed, with his hand on the knob, he closed his eyes one more time, inhaled deeply and released his breath slowly, then opened the door, ready to face his destiny.