"Nick, Jarrod please come with me and Uncle Nick in the study, there's something I need to tell you."
"Something wrong, are you all right? We saw doc's buggy outside, are you sick?" Jarrod asked while they were entering the study.
"No, but I've got news that will shock you. I really don't know how to start...Your father is alive!"
"Papa..." managed to say Nick.
"Where is he? And why now. Where was he during the last seven years?" asked an angry Jarrod.
"Jarrod it's not his fault."
"Was he in prison?"
"No. From what he said he was found seven years ago nearly dying with no memories of his past."
"And now he he remembers?" Asked Nick, hopefully.
"No, I'm sorry he doesn't, he arrived here at the ranch only because he heard that we were hiring."
"Are you sure that he's telling the truth?"
"Jarrod, he's your father and you must respect him, and yes he's telling the truth. He couldn't lie to save his life, worst poker player I've ever played with, and when I met him few hours ago he really didn't recognized me."
"But Uncle Nick..."
"Jarrod please stop...your mother and I will tell you everything and only when we are finished you can ask whatever you want."
When she was finished the results were as she predicted while Nick was elated about his father's sudden return Jarrod was more doubtful. He had memories of Tom and the last one was his promise to be back for Jarrod's birthday, he knew he was childish but he resented his father that he didn't keep his promise.
"Where is he?" asked an excited Nick, he didn't have memories of his father and all he knew was from the stories he had heard in the last seven years so he thought that his father was some kind of an hero, a knight on a white horse, he didn't grasp completely the fact that his father had another son from another woman but he was happy that his father was alive and he had a kid brother.
"Nick right now the doctor is with him in the kitchen..." Victoria didn't have time to finish her sentence when Nick sprang in the direction of the kitchen.
Tom had halfway eaten his slice of cake when he heard someone call him.
"Tom, I still can't believe that you are alive!"
"I reckon you know me, I think I must get used that everyone knows me and I don't remember."
"Sorry, my fault. My name is Howard Merar, your doctor and friend."
"Nice to meet you." Tom said a little bit embarrassed. The situation was awkward but he knew he must get used to it.
They chatted a bit while Howard examined Tom and Heath, he didn't find anything wrong, they both needed to gain some weight. He wanted to have a more thorough examination, but he decided that it could wait. He knew that soon the boys would here and he didn't want to delay their encounter with their father.
"Papa!" The yell preceded the owner of the voice. A black-haired boy entered the kitchen yelling at the top of his lungs. From what Victoria had told him, Tom surmised that the little yeller was Nick.
"Papa!" he said while he jumped at Tom.
"Nick?" Tom said hesitantly.
"Do you remember me?" asked a hopeful Nick.
"No, I'm sorry but your Mama told me a great deal about you."
"I don't remember you either, so I think we are even." He said. Tom awkwardly returned the hug.
Heath observed the exchange between his papa and the dark-haired boy, he knew he was his brother but he felt a pang of jealousy, his papa was his and right now he wasn't sure that he wanted to share him with anyone.
The hug between father and son was brief, Tom wasn't still at ease with the concept of a family he had forgotten.
"Nick, this is Heath, I think your Mama told you about him."
At first the two boys glared each other, Nick was the first to extend his hand and only at Tom's prompt Heath shock Nick's hand.
"Heath I'm happy I have a kid brother, I always wanted a kid brother to play with, Jarrod is too stiff and he thinks only of books and he doesn't want to play with me. Upstairs I have lots of soldiers, a fort and indians, we can play with if you want."
After hearing those words Heath started to think that maybe a big brother was a good thing, he has never had too many toys, even though he have to share his papa with him.
"Mother, Uncle now that Nick is not here I want to ask some questions."
"Jarrod as I said before I believe Tom's story..."
"Uncle Nick, Mother, that is not what that I was going to ask...I mean, do you realize what the people around will think?"
"Jarrod I thought I raised you better...you disappointed me with these words, you know that I don't care about what the people around here think. What should I do? Boot him out off the ranch? And what about your brother?"
"He's my half-brother, you said that he has an uncle around he can live with."
"Jarrod how dare only to think of this solution? You seriously think that by simply hiding him he would disappear? Do you really think that your father will abandon his child?"
"He did in the past," replied Jarrod with a small voice.
"Jarrod he never abandoned you or your brother, I know it's difficult for you but do you really think that? I know he broke his promise to you but the situation was out of his control he was seriously wounded, and then he couldn't remember a thing about his past."
"But Uncle Nick, maybe if he wasn't staying with that woman maybe his memory..."
"Jarrod if he wasn't staying with that woman he would have died."
"But Mother, how can you stand that your husband, who had married another woman and had another child with her?"
"Jarrod, maybe you can't understand right now but I will forever thankfully to Leah, she had saved Tom's life and it's no one fault what happened next, your father fell in love with another woman and from what he told me before we were quite similar. Jarrod you aren't a kid anymore so try not to hold a grudge against your father or more importantly against Heath, it's not their fault, the only culprits are the men who assaulted your father and left him for dead." Said Victoria, then she took Jarrod's hand in hers and together they entered in the kitchen.
"Tom, I want you to meet Jarrod."
"Father it's nice to meet you again; I'm happy that you are alive." He said with an even voice. Jarrod didn't hug his father but he simply extended his hand.
The tension in the air was thick and Nick decided to try to ease the situation.
"All right, I reckon Tom and Heath are bone tired, I think it's better they refresh themselves and have a change of clothes we can meet for dinner."
Victoria led Tom and Heath and showed them a guest room, for an unspoken agreement it had been decided that for the time being Tom would share the room with Heath, even though they were still married, for Tom, Victoria was a complete stranger.
"Papa! It's the biggest room I've ever seen and it has a huge bed!" Said an exited Heath.
"Tom this will be your room for the time being, I think both of you need some rest. The bathroom is at the end of the corridor. We have running water and I can send Silas to grab your saddle bags so you can both change after you get cleaned up."
"Victoria we don't have spare clothes...I had to sell them several days ago to buy some food." stated an embarrassed Tom.
"Well, I think your brother will be more than happy to give some of his, and I can find some Nick's old clothes for Heath in the attic...in a few days we will go in Stockton to buy some new ones."
The dinner was awkward, when they arrived at the table, Tom and Heath were unsure where to sit but after some strategic chairs moving Tom sat at the head of the table facing Victoria and Heath was at his right. Jarrod was sulking because he had to give up his chair next to his uncle and barely spoke a word to his father or Heath, Nick on the other hand talked all the time trying to bring Heath into the conversation. Both Heath and Tom were marveling at the huge quantities of food that laden the table, Silas had cooked all Tom's favorite foods, hoping that maybe this would help him to remember.
Soon after eating the cake, Heath fell asleep at the table and Tom took him upstairs and after a little bit, Jarrod and Nick went to bed. Tom bid them goodnight and was disappointed that only Nick replied.
"Want to join me for a smoke and maybe a game of billiards?" Asked Nick.
Tom looked around for Victoria, and he saw her heading upstairs, for a some brief moments he was tempted to follow her but he decided to go with Nick.
Nick handed Tom a fat cigar and started to pour some whiskey in two glasses.
"No, thanks but I don't drink." Said Tom, refusing the proffered glass.
"Since when you don't drink? I mean before...I mean you always had a shot of whiskey after dinner."
"Before Leah's death, I enjoyed a shot of whiskey every once and awhile, when she died the world crumbled, I was lost without her, and I've started to drink, heavily. All that mattered back then was the bottle, it was at the first place..."
"What made you change you mind?"
"I hit Heath, he was crying I reckon he was hungry, I'm not sure. Luckily that day Matt was at the ranch and saw everything, he was madder than an hornet's nest. He took me outside and dunked me in pond nearby, it was the end of winter and the water was freezing you can imagine that I sobered up immediately then he started to yell at me that he would take Heath with him if I would have continued to drink...you know what changed my mind? When we went back inside, I saw Heath staying away from me, seeking refuge in his uncle. My son was scared of me; at that moment I decided to never touch alcohol and I swore on Leah's grave."
Nick was taken aback by Tom's words, he always pictured his brother as a strong man, but it seemed that he had some weak points. He decided not to drink his whiskey as well and simply play some billiards and enjoy the cigars.
"Nick, is there someone that is called Heath that I knew before the accident?"
"Our father, a few days before leaving you came to me grinning announcing that Victoria was with child, you already decided to name him after our father."
"And the child Victoria was expecting?"
"It was a false alarm."
"Our father he's still alive, do I have other siblings?"
"Yes to both questions. Father is alive and kicking in San Francisco and he's living with our sister and her husband. I think tomorrow first thing I do is go there with the first train. I think it's better to call it a night. I reckon tomorrow will be quite tiring for both of us, I'll bet that by tomorrow afternoon half Stockton will be here at the ranch."
When Tom entered in the room he was sharing with Heath he looked at him for a long moment, and sent a prayer of thanks, this morning he was worrying that he couldn't provide a decent meal to his own son and now he was one of the richest man in California.