Chapter Thirteen

Jim Barkley sat on a chair that was against the south wall of his den while Nick sat at the edge of the small couch Jim had recently bought, and was placed against the west wall. Heath had, after Nick had pulled him aside and repeated everything Ruth had told him, taken Timothy into town to get some things for Uncle Jim. Ruth didn't want Timothy to have to sit and listen to the discussion that would be taking place, even if he already knew some of what would be discussed, a feeling shared by Nick and Heath. That is, Heath shared the feeling once Nick told him the true relation between Ruth and Timothy-and the fact that Nick had convinced Ruth to tell Uncle Jim everything.

Ruth, who was too nervous to sit, stood next to the couch and glanced at Nick. She could still see him flying off the handle and yelling 'WHAT' once he'd heard what she had to say. It had caused her to jump backwards; she'd even turned to run away only to have Nick grab her and quickly apologize. He wasn't angry at her; he was simply shocked at the revelations she had bought to light. He then asked her not to leave. Now, he simply gave her a smile and nodded his head slightly.

"I don't know where you got your information from Uncle Jim." Ruth, who was still reeling from the fact that a man she barely remembered, and barely knew now, had gotten her to open up and confess everything, spoke quietly. "But, I'm my parents' second to oldest daughter, Anna Ruth. My older sister, Ruth Marie, died of pneumonia back in eighteen sixty-three." She wasn't surprised when Jim's eyes widened and a small gasp escaped his lips.

"You've been here for three months!" Jim exclaimed, though there was no anger in his voice. "Why haven't you said something before now? And," he paused as he quickly did his math and then added in confusion, "You aren't old enough to be Timothy's mother."

"As I told Nick, I'm not. That is, not in the manner you speak." Ruth went on to say the same thing that she'd told Nick, Timothy was her brother by blood, but a son in her heart. She then continued on. "I know that you were told my mother died giving birth to her youngest child, which she did. However, even though there's a smaller grave by her side, the baby she bore did not die within a couple of weeks after his birth. And… desperation to provide for Timothy was only one of two reasons I had for coming here." Once again she saw shock waves roll over her uncle; he was completely stunned and was speechless as the meaning of her words took root.

"While I can see why he would refer to you as mother," Jim said once he found his voice, "or mama as he says, I think he has the right to know you're his sister. And, if you're afraid I'll take him from you, don't be. There's no reason to do that. However, I'd still like to know why you let me believe you were your sister and Timothy was your child. And, why on earth, did you let everyone believe he died shortly after birth?" Jim braced himself for whatever her answer might be…and it had to be huge for his niece to live the lie she'd been living for so many years.

Ruth clasped her hands together as she fought down an overwhelming feeling of fear…fear that might have still caused her to run only Nick kept his eyes on her, sending silent messages not to be afraid to continue. "Timothy knows I'm really his sister." Ruth sighed. "He has for a number of years now." She glanced at Nick, who again gave her encouragement by simply nodding as if to say 'go on', "I told him the first time we talked that, because I wasn't his actual mother, there were people who might separate us because I was under eighteen."

"And now?" Jim asked; the confusion he felt could be loud and clear. "If you're the second to oldest daughter, you're an adult now. Why the continued secrecy? What's the second reason for being here?"

"It…it's because of…" Ruth started to answer only to find herself stammering and fear getting such a strong hold of her that she couldn't the words out. Nick quickly stood up and once again laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want me to tell him?" Nick asked, feeling more than sorry for the young woman. The only answer he received was Ruth nodding her head as she turned and walked over to the window.

"It's because of her Uncle Kyle, your brother-in-law's brother." Nick had to fight to keep the disgust towards a man he'd never met out of his voice as he looked at his Uncle Jim.

"Kyle?" Jim asked bewildered. "What on earth does a mild mannered man like him have anything to do with anything?"

"Mild mannered?" Nick raised his eyes and glanced over at Ruth, who was shaking her head ever so slightly. "Everything my father said about Uncle Jim should have been said about his own brother." Ruth's words rang in his ears. "You haven't been around Kyle Randall for years. In all reality, he has two faces as it were; he's anything but mild mannered." Nick went onto to explain to Jim that Ruth's father had had quite the fortune accumulated before the war. "He only gave the south a portion of it. The rest he put in a bank-here in Nevada due to the instability of the area most of the war was fought in- with a few conditions on it. One, if he did not survive the war the money was to be split among his surviving sons. If, by some chance, none of his sons survived the war either, Kyle was to get all the money, but," Nick took a deep breath and said, "he could not claim it until ten years after the war officially ended. Your brother-in-law said that way, if 'my sons' could not claim the money right away, they would still get their inheritance'."

Ruth, who by this time had collected herself, turned away from the window and looked at her uncle. "I had my father and three brothers before the war broke out. Father was able to come home a couple of times. The last time he visited my mother did not tell him she was carrying another child. She figured he would be far too have worried about leaving her behind. The war was close to an end, and mother believed father needed to concentrate on staying alive. My father and my oldest brother were killed in action only a month later. My other two brothers, Paul and John," she said as her eyes looked as if they were filling with daggers, "came home during the war, wounded but not dead. That is, until they had 'accidental deaths' within months of each other. Both times, my uncle was in the vicinity. My mother couldn't prove it, but I heard her tell the sheriff she just knew my uncle was behind it all. After she died, I feared my uncle-if he was guilty-would do something to my baby brother. I was right too."

Ruth clenched her fists as she related how she'd walked in on her uncle- who claimed he'd come to watch over her and the baby- fixing some soup, said he was making it to help the baby grow stronger. "I had a bad feeling about it and refused to let him give any to the baby. He grew angry and said he was our only relative who cared and if I didn't appreciate his efforts to help he would leave. I'm sure he thought I was too young to suspect anything and feel obliged to accept his care. However, before he left, he threw the soup to our chickens." She took a deep breath and shocked Jim when she told him all the chickens were dead the next morning. "When I saw those dead chickens, I grabbed Timothy and ran to my friend's house. She was fifteen and-at the time-the best friend I had; she's the one who was helping me fight to keep him alive. She had me hide with Timothy in the barn loft. Then, with the help of her boyfriend, she dug a grave next to mama's and put a cross at the head of it—with the name of Charles on it. Uncle Kyle and every adult with the exception of her parents were furious when they learned, or so they thought, that my brother had died and they had not been told. But," she sighed, "Timothy and I were blessed with the fact they didn't disturb the grave either. To this day, I have no clue to what my friend or her boyfriend said to her parents afterwards to make it so they kept their mouths shut about my brother."

"Kyle didn't ask for you? The sheriff didn't know about your brother or the soup?" Jim looked at Ruth in disbelief.

"Sheriff was led to believe my baby brother had died the same as everyone else." Ruth answered. "Mr. Lee was stone drunk when the law showed up, and Mrs. Lee was deathly sick." Ruth shrugged her shoulders. "Sheriff told my friend that my uncle said he couldn't care for a twelve year old girl and if the Lees wanted to keep me they could. My friend didn't tell him I was up in the barn loft with my baby brother who was still fighting for his life; she simply said she'd give the message to her parents. The sheriff never heard my brother crying when he walked past the barn. Timothy's always been a quiet one, a real blessing at the time. I would still have to worry the Lees might spill the beans about Timothy, but Mr. Lee had a heart attack shortly after I got married and died; Mrs. Lee too passed away within a year of my marriage-she'd gotten deathly ill again, and didn't recover. My friend was married by that time and she and her husband took her siblings in. When it comes to the soup, I was twelve years old! All I was thinking about was keeping my brother alive! Besides, I didn't figure anyone would believe me."

"So, if you're right-and Kyle finds out the truth about your 'son'," Jim shook his head, "you're afraid Timothy will also have an accident, but you had to be in Nevada so you could, hopefully, find a way to get the money that belongs to Timothy…and Abbottsville and this ranch would be the last place he'd think to look for either of you.

"I know he will!" Ruth spat out. "It's the one thing I haven't told Timothy though." She sighed. "I don't want him to know I feel strongly his life would be in danger if the truth came out."

For a moment, no one said a thing. Then Nick spoke up. "Like I told you outside, Heath and I may not be your cousins, but that doesn't matter. We'll still be here for you."

"As will I," Jim smiled, stood up, walked over to Ruth and embraced his niece.

A/N

(May I say thank heavens for good friends-past and present?) ;)