Chapter Seven
Strawberry, California
1866

Libby watched from the doorway as Heath and Johnna searched through the old trunks belonging to the three women that once lived there. She noticed their laughter at such simple things. She could never find treasures in the things piled to keep verses things to be discarded. For instance, the hat Johhna threw away was a fancy hat if cleaned up and mended. A girl could look like she was going places in a hat like that. It was orange and feathery as well as sophisticated looking. Libby decided the two teens had no clue what was good to keep. She went back towards the general store to talk to Ward and Hank. She'd speak to Heath later when she could catch him without Johnna.

Heath held up a doll in front of him. It was worn and tattered. The sight of the doll caused his heart to ache for a few moments. He had been trained in the army not to cry. Emotions were allowed as long as they were hidden away so the enemy didn't see weakness. Heath had killed a lot of men with his ability with a rifle. His commanding officer had told Heath to feel as he had to but not to show it. War wasn't a time to dwell on emotions. It wasn't so difficult to hide away tears. Afterall, when he was a child, he had hid his tears when someone called him a name or beat him up. He would always cry on his mama's lap later. But he hid them well until he got to his mama. Now his emotions were hid for so long that he wasn't sure how to show them.

He started to toss the doll in the discard pile before he glanced over at Johnna. He wondered if she had ever held a doll. He doubted she ever owned one. "This was my mama's then mine when we were both babies. You want it?"

Johnna's eyes blinked as she glanced at the raggedy doll. "What would a grown woman want with a doll like that?"

Johnna craved to make the dolly her own. She never had a toy especially not a doll. She wanted to reach and touch it but was afraid she'd look childish. She bit her plump lips trying not to show anticipation for the silly item.

Heath shrugged slightly. "I sure can't keep it. Be a shame to throw it away though. Thought you may want it. But if you don't.."

Johnna snatched the doll from Heath's hands. She could see the sly grin on his face but she didn't care. She had her own doll now. "No use tossin' it out. I can put it on my bed in case some little girl, who happens into the hotel, needs one."

"That's what I figured." Heath continued to grin as he continued to search through the items in the trunk.

"Heath, I know your mama's gone to heaven. But what did you plan on doing when you saw her? I bet you had a lot of plans for your homecoming." Johnna continued to search through the trunk as she spoke.

"I was going to hug her real tight first thing." Heath admitted before he whispered. He knew Johnna could hear him. He also knew she'd understand. "Then I was going to cry like a baby while she held me tight. I wanted to just let her hold me while I cried."

Johnna did understand so she nodded. She wished the boy could cry with her. She supposed that was something Heath only reserved for his mama. No use dwelling on things as such. Johnna had learned that long ago. The teens continued their tasks of sifting through the trunks in silence.

Johnna pulled a leather pouch out of the trunk. "What's this letter, Heath? Think it may be important?"

"It was to Mama even if she couldn't read it." Heath stated as he took the letter from Johnna. He fingered the letter as he spoke."Mama told me it was from the man who sired me. She never used those words. She said it was from my daddy. Heck, he wasn't no daddy to me. But I never hurt her by saying so."

"You know who your daddy is?" Johnna asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Mama told me when I was ten. She never lied to me." Heath sat back while spreading out his long legs. "He is some rich rancher outside of Stockton. Name is Tom Barkley. He owned a mine here when he met my mama. She saved his life the way I understand it. The letter says something about him being married and having his own family. It sounded real sweet to mama. To me, it sounded like he was making it plain he had his family and she wasn't part of it."

"Did he know of you?" Johnna slid over to pull another item from the trunk.

"Mama said she told him when she was carrying me. Tom Barkley came back to sell his mine but not to deal with her. Mama said she felt it only right he should know. He gave her a choice. Give him the baby for his wife to claim as hers or leave his name out of it. He said he was building himself a future and no illegitimate child would damage that or damage the family he already had. He said he'd give her plenty to live on but he'd not have her blackmailing him for any in the future. Of course, mama never took a dime from him. She didn't want charity. She claimed I died at birth when he came back to check out if she made up her mind if he was taking me or not." Heath didn't seem to let that bother him. "Mama never told me that. I heard her and Rachel talking about it once. Don't mean anything anyway. There are a lot of children out there born like I was. Most men don't claim them and women have no choice but to raise them or give them up as abandons. Or kill them. I've heard tell some kill their own. Not really mad about it. That's just life. Besides, Mama said I was the best gift she ever got."

Heath threw the letter in the discard pile. Johnna pulled out an old locket from the trunk. She opened it to see a photo of Heath as a young toddler on Leah's lap. Johnna knew that Leah must have sold a lot of her baked goods and washed a lot of laundry to get the photo made. It must have been about the only thing Miss Leah had splurged on for herself. She handed it to Heath, who clasped it and put in his pocket. He knew the locket once belonged to his Mama's mother. It was one of his mama's prized possessions. Leah didn't wear it in fear of it being stolen or lost. The photo inside was even more of a treasure to his mama.

"Your mama was always honest. Reckon she meant every word of that, Heath. I sometimes dream about my daddy. I know he was no white man. That much is obvious. But I always imagine him being a house slave that ran away to freedom here in California. I think house slave because I am good at doing things like keeping a house and cooking. I figure I might get that from my daddy. Lord knows Ma Red isn't good at anything like that."

"I know one thing for sure." Heath pulled Johnna by the hand towards him. He kissed her deeply before releasing the breathless girl. "He had to give you your looks because I've seen Ma Red. No way did you get them from her. She's so ugly she could back a buzzard off of a gut wagon."

Johnna and Heath burst out laughing. Heath needed the reprieve from the reality of where life was going to take him. In a few days, he'd be heading after Roy Hutchins. He was going to make this Hutchins guy tell him every last name of the men who helped hurt and kill his mama and Hannah. Then he was going to kill each and every one of them. He didn't care if it was cold blood or by gunfight. They'd all be dead or he would be one.

After Heath helped Johnna carry the items kept to the hotel for Rachel to look through, he stood in the diner watching the activity going on. The cowboys were enjoying an early lunch before heading out. The cowboys enjoyed the food as well as the beauty of the waitress serving it. Johnna's smile lit up the room as Heath told her it would. The cowboys didn't know Johnna as a saloon girl. She had been with Heath since they arrived. The man that was sleeping on her bed that night was a local miner.

Since the cowboys knew of Heath's quickness and deadliness with a rifle, they chose to enjoy the girl's beauty but not make a play for her. After all, the blonde cowboy stood at the corner of the room cleaning his rifle. They all figured she belonged to Heath Thomson. The cowboys thought if the boy could kill his kin, he'd have no problem killing them if they stepped out of line.

The miner, who had fallen drunk in Johnna's bed, had other ideas. He knew her as the prostitute from the saloon. He and a friend were eating the hearty lunch when Johnna passed by with more drinks for some patrons. Clyde Becker wasn't itching for trouble but he figured the girl owed him a good time. Therefore, as Johnna went by his table, Clyde reached out and grabbed Johnna's backside.

Johnna yelped but before she could pull away, blood was squirting all over her apron. Clyde's eyes were wide as he looked down at his other hand pressed against the table. He stared up at Heath Thomson in shock.

"You cut off my finger. YOU plum took it off."

"If you touch her again, that won't be all I cut off." Heath said as he wiped his bloody knife on the table cloth. Then Heath went back to standing in the corner.

Those witnessing the incident noted that Heath was without a knife one minute and was with one the next. Not one of them could say where the blonde got it from. It wasn't a kitchen or dining knife but a hunting knife. They all knew the blonde was dangerous and quick even without a gun. They had seen him produce a knife out of nowhere before out on the range. They figured he had it hidden in a boot but they never could see Heath get it due to his quickness. The cowboys had even teased the teen for not being the same with a pistol. The boy had never used one and was slow at pulling it from a borrowed gun belt. Thus, Mr. Henry, let him keep a rifle on him rather than a pistol.

"Now, look what you done, Clyde." Johnna shook her head. "This was a clean apron. Now it isn't any good."

There was stifled laughing from those in the diner. Everyone went on eating after Johnna went to get another apron as Rachel changed the table cloth and offered the miners their meal for free. Clyde's friend laughed as he helped the tall lanky man wrap up his finger.

"It's only the tip, Clyde. You can still work. I guess ya won't be grabbin' at a female again around Leah's boy."

The afternoon went on without further event. Heath left the ladies to clean up while he headed to the livery to check on his Modoc. He had purchased her with his first paycheck. She wasn't a big horse but that was all he had. The horse of his dreams was the big bay that Mr. Henry had been letting Heath ride during the drive. Heath had even got to name the horse. He chose Charger because the horse didn't much like people and would charge at them when they neared him. The horse and Heath had an understanding though. Therefore, Heath was allowed on the bay's back.

Mr. Henry and his men were readying things to head out to the next town. Strawberry wasn't a place they wanted to be now or ever. He spotted Heath nearing the livery. They had placed their horses in the livery and corral for free. No one owned the place now. Heath seemed to know where all their needs were in the place. He told Mr. Henry that he worked there as a boy. Mr. Henry wondered if the kid realized he was still a boy.

"Heath, I need to talk to you." Mr. Henry called the boy over to him. "I usually give a good bonus to the men. Well, I suppose that you could use the bonus but I wanted to make you a deal. I want you to take Charger instead."

Heath held up his hands. "That's too much, Mr. Henry. I love the horse but he's way too much to give me."

"Heath, you saved my boy's life in that place." Heath knew Mr. Henry was talking about Carterson Prison. Mr. Henry never mentioned it by name. "Mike told me how you kept him from being flogged at times by claiming you did something he did. He said you helped him eat some things he never would have guessed could be used for food. Mike also told me how you help keep him alive after he hurt his leg. Doctors said he'd have died without your herbs and salves."

"Mr. Henry, I don't know why you're so grateful. He still lost his leg after all in the army hospital." Heath kicked a rock on the ground as he looked away from Mr. Henry.

"But he has his life. Mike doesn't even feel sorry for himself because of you. He's found his own way of helping on the ranch with encouragement from you. I always thought you'd be around awhile to thank properly. This is all I got, boy. Let this old man feel like he's gave back to someone that gave me so much." Mr. Henry held out his hand for Heath to shake. "If you ever figure out what needs to be done about your mama and all, look me up if you can. I'll have you a job waiting."

Heath shook Mr. Henry's hand and thanked him. "I know what needs to be done, Mr. Henry. Thanks for the offer though."

Mr. Henry nodded his understanding before turning to leave. Heath watched the man ride away with his crew following. Heath headed back towards the hotel. Johnna had promised him a good dinner of roast rabbit. He was sure looking forward to that meal.

Before he got to the hotel, Libby came running towards him. Ward and Hank were trailing behind her.

"Heath! Heath!" Libby yelled as she barrelled her way to him.

"Calm down." Heath took Libby by the shoulders. He shook her as she tried to catch her breath. "What's wrong? Is something wrong with Aunt Rachel or Cotton?"

Libby shook her head as tears poured down her cheeks. She was trying to speak but the crying was causing her to hiccup. Ward spoke up for her.

"Cotton is going into fits and Miss Rachel can't calm him." Ward stated as he fidgeted with his belt loops.

Heath nodded as he hurried towards the hotel. Hank grabbed Heath's arm. Heath turned around and scowled at Hank. Hank took his hand away from the blonde.

"There's more. That's all I am tryin' to say." Hank spoke quickly so he didn't have to face the ire of the teen boy.

"What?" Heath gritted his teeth.

"The reason Cotton is so upset is because Red came and got John. She was beating her pretty bad and pulled her out by the hair of her head. Red was airin' her lungs at Johnna the whole time." Hank swallowed as he continued. "I saw Pa over at the saloon. Red said Pa was going to help teach John a lesson about not obeying her parent."

Libby finally caught her breath. "Johnna was fighting her ma like mad, Heath. She didn't want to go there. Her ma was saying how Johnna was no good and didn't need to be so uppity because of some bastard took a liking to her."

Heath could tell Libby hated to say that word about him but he understood it was to make sure he knew what Red was doing to Johnna.

"Heath, Pa can be real mean to women." Hank admitted. "I've seen him about kill Ma and my sister before. I admit I'm afeared for her. I'm not sure Johnna will be alive by the time Pa gets through with her."

"She'll live or your Pa is a dead man." Heath warned as he pulled his pistol from the back of his pants.