I wish to thanks my beta schoolmarm again
It was near Thanksgiving that Heath received a surprise visitor; he was playing in the corral with the Nick and some puppies when a lone rider arrived. Heath looked at him and as soon as he dismounting from the horse he jumped in his arms.
" Uncle Matt you arrived! I'm so happy, did you bring me some candies? Do you know that I have another uncle, an aunt and a grandpa!"
" Hold your horses, Squirt! Let me catch my breath and, yes, I have something for you and for your brothers as well. My, my, Heath, you have grown up a great deal since the last time I saw you; next time I see you I think you will be shaving," he replied with a wink.
" Nick, Nick! He's MY uncle Matt...the bestest uncle in the whole world."
" Nice to meet you, sir," said politely Nick while he extended his hand.
" No need to call me sir; after all we are in some way relatives. You can call me uncle if you want."
" I'm happy you came here. Heath told me a bunch of thing about you and I was looking forward to meeting you."
" Heath, where is your pa?"
"On the range. He's checking the fences with Uncle Nick; he's his brother. I reckon he will arrive near lunchtime; Uncle Nick keeps on saying that this is a working ranch and papa is away everyday, but I have Nick, Jarrod and mama. I mean papa's wife...I asked her if it was all right to call her that and she said yes. You know I don't remembered my first mama well and I always wanted a new mama like all other children..."
" Heath don't worry; it's fine with me; your papa was really sad after she died and I always hoped that he could find someone who could him make him happy again. I'm sure that my sister would have wished the same; her first priorities were always you and your papa and your happiness."
" Sir...I mean Uncle Matt if you come with us I will introduce my mother. I'm sure she will be very happy to finally meet you; after all you saved my father's life."
" That was my sister's doing, I merely helped her only after he pleaded to me."
" Boy howdy, for sure this is a big house," he said aloud when the trio entered the foyer.
" Mother!" Nick yelled when he was near the staircase.
" Does he always yell so aloud?"
" No, usually he's louder"
" Nick, how many times do I have to tell you to not shout inside? Especially when we have guests."
" Mama he's my Uncle Matt!" said an excited Heath.
" I'm very pleased to meet you at last. Tom and Heath keep on talking about you and I personally must thank you for all you did for my husband."
" Mrs. Barkley I'm not the one who saved Tom's life..."
" Mr. Simmons, sorry if I interrupt you, but Tom told me everything, I'm talking about what you did after Tom's...your sister death, you saved him from something more terrible than death."
" Mrs. Barkley, I did what I did for my love for my sister and nephew. Heath had lost his mother and I didn't want him to lose his father too. He was lost when Leah died and the only thing I gave him was a reason to go on."
Victoria and Matt Simmons went to the dinning room for a cup of tea while the boys drank hot chocolate; they chatted about how Tom was found and how Matt was able to save him from the depression he had following Leah's death. Victoria was amazed at Matt's personality; one moment he was strong and sure of himself the next one he was like a lost puppy looking for someone. He had been at the same time the anchor for Tom and Tom was the anchor for himself.
They were interrupted by Tom's arrival.
" Nick, you look far better than the last time I saw you," said Matt while engulfing Tom in a bear's hug.
" Yes, things changed for the good finally; one minute I was dirt poor, scrambling for the next meal, despairing that I couldn't provide Heath with the basic needs and the next moment I find out that I'm one of the richest man of the valley."
" For sure fate can play strange games; how's the memory by the way?"
" Still don't remember a thing, I have still got to get used to being called Tom; you know my brother's name is Nick and each time someone calls him I turn around too."
" Since I've known you I've always called you Nick and it will take lots of time to call you Tom."
" Matt you know I'm so happy that you are finally here; I hope I didn't ruin your plans with my telegram."
" Not at all Nick...I mean Tom. I must admit you saved me. As you know I was back in Strawberry; sometimes I have the stupidest ideas, and guess who I met there? Dear old Martha...she was still hitting on me; even after all these years she is still in love with me and she's loonier than the last time I saw her. I was out of excuses. Would you believe that she proposed to me? She still has the old hotel she inherited from her husband, but of course it has nearly no clients at all, as soon as I received your telegram I ran away from that forsaken town and I hope never to set foot there again in my life."
" For the time being you will stay here; there's plenty of room and Heath will be so happy to have you around, and I reckon you have gained two more nephews: Nick and Jarrod."
" I've already met Nick and I'm already his 'uncle'."
" Come with me I'll show your room...Did I said something funny?" asked Tom.
" No Nick, I mean I've would never have imagined that you would have so much money that you would have to show my room...do you remember the ranch? A bedroom and a kitchen and it was enough and here how many rooms?"
" I must admit I don't know, I've never asked Victoria," replied an embarrassed Tom.
Time flew with Matt around. Tom had someone he knew around with whom he didn't have to play the act of the mighty Tom Barkley; he could be Nick Winter. So far he hadn't told a soul, but it was becoming tiresome to be Tom Barkley, the man he was before the amnesia, but whose life he didn't remember. Victoria was another matter; he was deeply in love with her, but so far he remained in the guest room with Heath. Yes, he was legally married to her, but since he didn't remembered it he felt that it was inappropriate to share the master room with her, even though she hinted a couple of times.
" Tom, I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I need to do something. So far I have been your guest, but it can't continue. I want to work; you know that ranching isn't my cup of tea, I was thinking of looking for work in Stockton."
" Matt you are right; if you don't mind my brother can help you. The Barkley name can open a lot of doors in the valley; you were born to run a hotel or something similar."
" Thanks you so muck Nick...Gosh I keep on calling you Nick. I don't think I will ever get accustomed to calling you Tom."
" It doesn't matter, in my mind I'm still Nick Winter...you know I'm afraid I won't ever get my memory back; when I see Nick and Jarrod I know that they are my own, but in my heart I still feel that Heath is my son. I'm developing affection for them, but so far not a real father's love. With Victoria it's a totally different thing, I'm deeply in love with her, but I don't know if the feeling I have for her is because she's so similar to Leah or because deep inside my soul I remember her."
" Maybe you fell in love with Leah because she was so similar to Victoria," Matt somberly added.
One week later Matt Simmons was the new assistant manager of the new Cattlemen Club; the owner was hoping for a great success and having someone related to the Barkleys working for the club wouldn't hurt the business.
Heath was still the target of some bullies in school; they treated him verbally. They were too afraid of Nick's reaction; he ignored them, but deep inside him something remained of those taunting words.
Tom so far didn't make any decision regarding the ranch or any of the businesses related to the growing Barkley empire; he left all of them on the capable shoulders of his brother Nick; after all he had been running the ranch for the last seven years and he didn't have a clue about how to operate it. Nick had started to show his brother how thing were done and Tom had started to help him with the books, but nothing more.
The turning point was a simply accident. Tom was good with horses; he had some gift that permitted him to break in even the most wild horse. This hadn't changed with the amnesia. He was breaking in the last stallion when the horse bucked suddenly and he literally flew in the air and landed hard, breaking the wooden fence. The men who surrounded the corral watching him break the horse went immediately to his aid; one of them jumped on the nearest horse and raced to Stockton to fetch the doctor. Tom was taken to his room and Victoria was at his side when the doctor arrived.
" Did he regain consciousness?" he asked.
" He hasn't moved a muscle. I already checked for broken bones, but I wasn't able to find any...I think he hit his head...what do you think? "
The doctor spent several minutes checking Tom for any internal bleeding or any broken bones.
" You are right, Victoria, no broken bones and I don't think he's bleeding inside; the only visible wound is the head injury. They are tricky; you never know what can happen with them. The only cure I know is prayer; you can fix a broken arm, but so far medicine hasn't found a way to repair the brain. I'll stay for a couple of hours, but then I need to return to Stockton; if anything changes send someone. I will be back as soon as possible "
" Thanks; can you send a telegram to Nick? He's in San Francisco for business and I want him back."
" Sure, Victoria, I will do it as soon I'm back."
The children, when they were back from school, were informed of the situation. Heath was the most worried, even though he thought of Victoria as his mama, Tom was the constant presence during his brief life and he was distressed that he could lose him. All the taunting he had heard during the last few weeks popped into his mind. They would send him to an orphanage if his papa died. What if he regained his memory, would he forgot about him?
The whole family stayed at Tom's bedside for several hours; at one point Victoria tried to convince the children to take a break, but with no avail. After all they had inherited the Barkley's stubbornness. It was dark when Tom started to stir.
" What happened? It seems that a house fell on my head..."
" You fell from a horse you were breaking."
" Victoria, what happened to you...you seem older than...oh my God my memory, I remember everything, you the children..."
At these words Heath ran off; so now his papa was remembering and he had forgotten everything about him. No one in the room noticed his disappearance since they were making a ruckus about Tom's sudden return of memory. Heath didn't have a plan; when he stopped to regain his breath he decided to go to his uncle. After all he was all the family he had so he started to walk toward Stockton.
" Papa do you remember me now?" asked an excited Nick.
" Yes, one of my last memories was you throwing a temper tantrum because you lost your wooden horses. Your yells haven't changed at all; and you, Jarrod, all grown up. Now I remember my promise about your birthday. I'm sorry; you know that I bought some books for a surprise present."
" Father it doesn't matter, it wasn't your fault"
" My beloved Victoria now I remember everything, the love I have for you..."
" Mother where is Heath, he was here few minutes ago?" interrupted Jarrod.
" Maybe he had to go," piped in Nick. (right expressions to sat going to the bathroom?)
" Nick go and check; I have a feeling he isn't there," said Victoria.
After few minutes Nick returned.
" I looked around, but he's nowhere. I couldn't find him anywhere."
" Vic, please help me I have to find him; he's my son," said Tom trying to get up from the bed.
" No you stay put. Heath is my son as well; first, before panicking the children, I will look through the house. Jarrod, please go to the bunk house and ask one of the hands to go and fetch the doctor; after you should look for Heath in the corral and in the stables. I know it's one of his favorite spots here."
After thirty minutes they were back in Tom's room.
" Did you find him?" asked a panicked Tom.
" No, we looked everywhere; he simply disappeared in thin air."
" What did he have in mind, why did he run away?"
" Father, maybe I have an idea. Heath is still a small child and maybe he thought that when you regained your memory you would forgot about him."
" Maybe you are right, Jarrod, but how could he have imagined that?"
" Papa during recess some boys told him so several times," added Nick
" It's freezing outside and starting to rain. Tom, I arrived as soon as possible, and I see you are pretty fine, Josh told me that you remember..."
" Howard, there are more pressing matters right now. We can't find Heath, we think he run away; did you see anybody while coming here?"
" Sorry Tom, but it's pitch black outside and I was in a hurry; I didn't see anyone."
" Tom, I will send the hands to look for him; don't worry they will find him."
" Victoria, he's so small and he's afraid of the dark. I wish I could do something more."
" Tom your job now is getting well; you can't look for him in your condition."
Heath was having second thoughts about getting to his uncle; it was getting colder and he was drenched to the bone and he was scared. It was a moonless night and it was pitch black around him; he could barely recognize the road ahead of him. He had lost his sense of time and he was about to give up and return to the ranch when he recognized Stockton's outskirts. He sped up his pace; his uncle was living in the back room of the Cattlemen's Club. It wasn't the ideal situation, but it was enough for him.
" For God's sake it's the middle of the night what do you..." was Matt's response at Heath's pounding on the door.
" It's me, Uncle Matt."
" Heath, what are you doing all alone? It's pouring out; come inside quickly; you are freezing. Why are you all alone here, does you papa know that you are here?"
" He doesn't remember me anymore," said Heath while he ran toward his uncle, who, a few seconds later, engulfed him in a bear's hug.
" What do you mean with that, it's impossible?"
" Today he fell from a horse and when he woke up he remembered everything. Some boys at school told me that when someone regains their memory forgot the new memories."
" Heath they were only joking," said Matt, trying to maintain a straight face. He wished that Heath could maintain this innocence as long as possible. "Let me dry you off; for sure you don't want to get a cold. Your parents will be sick with worry; you stay put here and I will go to the livery to get a buggy so I can get you back home safe and sound."
One hour later they were on the way to the ranch. Matt bundled Heath in one of his shirts and coats since his clothes were too wet to wear. After few miles they met with some of the hands who were looking for Heath. They were happy that the little boy was safe and turned their horses toward the ranch where they were able to tell the great news and get warm. When half an hour later Heath and his uncle arrived at the ranch the whole family, minus Tom, was at the doorstep waiting for them.
" Heath I don't know if I have to spank or hug you; everyone was worried, why did you run away?"
" I'm sorry, mama, but I was scared..." he said while he sobbed on his mother's bosom.
Victoria looked at Matt puzzled; in a few sentences Matt confirmed her worst fears.
" Now, young man, your papa is upstairs waiting for you..."
" Does he know I am?" he asked, still unsure that his uncle had told him the truth.
" Of course, Squirt, don't be so..." Nick wasn't able to finish his sentence because Heath was halfway to Tom's room.
Tom was trying to get up from bed when Heath entered breathless. He saw his son jump on the bed and bury his head in his shoulder; after few seconds he could heard Heath softly sobbing.
" Heath, I'm here, don't worry I still remember you.." Tom said trying to sooth his son.
" I was afraid; the boys at school told me that you would forget about me if you remembered, they told me..."
" Shh they aren't doctors; they are only bullies who enjoy picking on a younger child. Now I remember everything, but you are still part of my heart."
" Do you still love me, or do you love more Nick and Jarrod? After all they are you real sons"
" Heath I don't know who put in your head those ideas, this nonsense about real sons, but I love you as the others."
" At school some boys told me that I'm a bastard, that I'm not your real son because you weren't really married with mama..."
" Why didn't you tell me anything?"
" I spoke with Jarrod and he explained to me, but I still wasn't sure; he told me that bastard was a bad word and I was afraid that you would use a bar of soap like last time I said a bad word..."
" Honey you did the right thing talking with Jarrod, but you should have talked with me; it's a father's job to protect his children, all his children," he remarked to make his point.
By this time all the family was in Tom's room and Heath was gently scolded by everyone; Victoria reassured him that his place was with the family. Heath was so tired that he fell asleep during Nick's tirade about his foolishness and how dumb kid brothers can be sometimes.
The following days were days of celebration; the Barkley mansion was filled with guests. Tom's father and sister came from San Francisco and Tom was able to speak as a son to his father; (did I make sense at all) he was amazed on how aged his father was. He noticed that his father had changed since the last time he remembered. Now that he remembered everything he realized how full of himself he was before his memory loss. He knew that even though he had regained his memory he wasn't the man who left for Strawberry several years ago.
Several months later...
Tom was like a caged tiger; he kept on walking back and forth in front of the door, every few minutes he looked in the direction, hoping for any news.
" Nick, I have to go in, it's taking too much time..."
" Tom, you heard Victoria; she doesn't want you inside. There's the doctor and the midwife with her and I think they are more than enough, you would only be a bother."
" Yes, Tom, stay put. It's better that way; do you remember what happened when Heath was born?" Matt started to explain to Nick. " This fool wanted to stay with Leah, thinking that he could take everything and guess what? He fainted, so the doctor had two patienta, thank God everything went smoothly with Heath..."
A loud cry interrupted him; the children who so far had been quiet started to get anxious.
" Is mama all right? Is she in pain?"
" Yes, Heath, mama is all right; don't worry. Everything will be all right and pretty soon you will have a little brother or sister."
" But I don't know how to be a big brother, I don't want to be bossy like Nick."
" I'm not bossy..."
" Yes you are..."
" Boys keep it quiet..."
Tom didn't have to finish the sentence because Doctor Merar exited from the master room; he was exhausted and Tom wasn't able to read his expression.
" Howard, how is Victoria and the child?"
" Tom, it is better if you come inside."
" Oh my God, something happened..."
" No, Tom, everything went smoothly, but it's better if you come with me."
Tom looked back and he took a deep breath and entered, leaving the others questioning themselves about the doctor's words.
Several minutes later Howard was back with Tom; the latter was paler than a ghost, but he was grinning like a maniac.
" Howard, I didn't faint; I was simply overwhelmed by the news..."
" Tom, according to my medical books you lost consciousness and that means you fainted ..."
The rest of the family who were waiting for news looked at the couple eager for news...
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
" There is a tiny complication; something that I would never imagined...I want to announce the birth of Matt, Gene and Leah Barkley," said Tom.