Chapter Eight

Thesun had long since set when Cassiel Thomas; a brown eyed, brown haired young man, who stood five feet four inches, entered the livery stable. His cousin who worked in the stables had been sick and he'd promised to check in on the animals. He sighed when he saw Coco standing in one of the stalls. Only half thinking, he picked up a brush and entered the stall and began brushing Coco's hair and talking to the mare. As the brush moved up and down, Cassiel couldn't help but think on Nick, who he was pretty sure was either drinking and involved in a card game, or spending some time with one of the saloon girls willing to help entertain him for the evening. Like everyone else in Stockton, he'd heard about the land the Barkleys had inherited and about the upcoming court hearing started by Paul and Tyrell. Unlike many people, he wasn't sitting around gossiping over the situation. If anything, he'd been trying to think of a way to help prove 'Old Man Hamilton' knew what he was doing. It was these thoughts, the land and how to be of help, that caused Cassiel to miss the fact that the door had opened and Nick had stepped inside the livery stable.

Nick, who had intended to take Coco and go home, stood and watched Cassiel care for his horse. He couldn't help but watch Cassiel for a few minutes. Nick knew him and some of his family from the saloon, knew that one his two sisters refused to do anything but give the men in the establishment their drinks. However, he hadn't known the young man ever helped around the livery stable. It made him wonder why the family was in the saloon at all. That is, why work in a saloon if you were willing to do something else?

Only when Nick sneezed did Cassiel whirl around. "I'm sorry, Mr. Barkley," Cassiel stopped brushing Coco and stepped out of the stall, hoping he hadn't been out of line in being near his horse. "I didn't realize you were in here. I thought you were still over at the saloon. I was just takin' care of your horse. I hope it was all right." He hurried and added on an apology just in case she had made a wrong assumption. "It won't happen again if you don't want it to."

Nick had to chuckle just a little. "Don't worry. I don't mind and I know Coco likes the attention just as much." He said as he let his mind wander for a few minutes.

"Here ya go, Coco." Iris put a sugar cube in her hand and held it up for the horse to eat. "How are ya doin' today?"

"I'd say he's doing fine, but his master might need the same kind of attention." Nick said as came up behind her, and then laughed as Iris jumped two feet in the air. Iris hadn't heard him come out of the Hamilton home. He laughed even more as she began giving him the lecture of his lifetime, one that could have given any of his mother's speeches a run for their money. By the time she was finished, Nick had her in his arms.

"I bet ya, if I asked Coco what he thought, and he could talk, he'd say ye were impossible!" Iris wrapped her arms around Nick's waist and interlocked her fingers. She then grew quiet and a serious look appeared on her face. It made Nick wonder what she was thinking.

Hey," Nick pulled her to him with one arm while running his fingers through her hair, which was actually hanging loose for a change. "What's wrong?"

Iris sighed, as she rested the side of her face against his chest. "My father and mother, they're talkin' 'bout goin' back ta Ireland."

Nick felt his heart skip a beat as he tightened his hold on her, but not so hard it would hurt her. He didn't want her to leave. "Stay here," he said, as he tilted her head backwards, "Stay here with me."

Iris' eyes filled with concern. "Your mother, Nick, she's doesn't like or trust me."

Nick let out a low, angry snarl. "Forget about my mother. We went the rounds this morning when it comes to your brother, you and this mess your brother created. I told her exactly how I felt about you and how things are. She can just get over it. If she doesn't, she'll find the door to our home closed."

Iris couldn't help but smile wide; she'd caught the words 'our home'. "Are ya askin' me ta marry you?" The excitement in her eyes and in her voice didn't exactly hide her feelings from Nick.

Nick lowered his head and, before covering her mouth with his, he whispered, his voice rather gruff, "Of course, I am!"

Cassiel, who was finished tending to the animals, interrupted Nick's thoughts when he spoke up and shocked him by informing him Tyrell Hamilton was back in town. "Maybe I should just stay out of things, Mr. Barkley, but I heard you and your brother, Heath, asking about him and his brother the other day. I don't trust that man. He cheats when he plays cards and he's rough with the waitresses. His brother is just as bad as he is. I wouldn't put it past them to try something in court or…" he paused and then added softly, "out of it." He then walked over to the stall with the only other horse in the livery stable and started brushing the animal; more to calm his nerves as he thought on the trouble the two Hamilton brothers could give anyone, not just the Barkleys.

Nick couldn't help but smile, even if he was wishing things could be different when it came to "those men". "Thanks for letting me know. Fred will be glad you told me; I've been bothering him on and off for the past month. We don't trust Tyrell either." He walked over to the stall where Coco was standing and, leading him out of the stall, began saddling the animal. Before going home, he was going to go for a ride.