Welcome readers!
I am excited to bring you my second story in The Barkley-Steele Saga Series- Steele Independence. My timeline for this story is following Steele Pride which takes place just after season 4. If you haven't read the first story, I highly recommend doing so before reading this one. It is Nick and Leonor Steele's story and I thoroughly enjoyed writing it.
This one is Heath and Gabrielle Steele's story and I hope you love it. I appreciate every comment and review, so thank you in advance.
Smk:)
Steel Independence-Chapter 1
"Heath!"
Stopping his forward progress to the house, Heath spun on his heels and headed in Nick's direction. The voice came from the barn's interior, so Heath walked inside to find his brother standing there with his hands on his hips.
"What's the problem, big brother?" Heath asked, receiving a glare in return.
"Do you see this?" he asked angrily, throwing his hand out to indicate his displeasure. "Why are the stalls so filthy? Wasn't it Jameson's job today to clean them?"
Mucking the stalls in the barn was no one's favorite chore around the ranch, so they rotated the task.
"Jameson had a good rea..."
"Everyone works hard on this ranch," Nick interrupted. "No one can just decide not to do their appointed chore for the day."
"I'm trying to tell you..."
"Where's Jameson? I'll have a talk with him," Nick butted in again, his nostrils flaring as he looked around. At Heath's silence, he turned back and made eye contact with his younger brother. "Well?"
"Are you finished?" Heath didn't have the temper Nick did, but his ire was rising.
"Please," Nick said sarcastically, gesturing with his hand for Heath to continue.
"Molly went into labor early this morning. We thought she had another week, but she fooled us."
Molly was one of their best producers. She had birthed some of their bulls that sold for top dollar at auction. At nine, this was probably her last calf. The plan had been to confine her tomorrow for when her time came since her previous calf had been quite large and difficult to deliver. Unfortunately, guessing when they would calve wasn't an exact science, thus the situation they now found themselves in.
"Where is she?" Nick asked, his temper now vanished.
"In the north pasture. Jameson was the one who found her and came back for help when he saw her struggling. He has experience in calf-pulling, and we were able to tug the calf out with a chain. Good-looking bull. Her largest yet. Both are fine."
Looking at the ground, Nick nodded.
"You know, Nick, this ranch takes every hand to keep it running. I don't want to step on your toes, big brother, but the last two months, you haven't been pulling your weight around here. Now, I understand you have a new wife, but if you plan to start work two hours after everyone else, you need to cut us some slack."
Nick wanted to be angry at the words but found he couldn't. Heath was right- mornings came way too early for Nick since his marriage to Nora and he resisted leaving her to go to work. When he would awaken and see her lying there with her hair all a mess, he was drawn to pulling her into his arms. Sometimes he simply held her close, and other times he didn't stop with that. She was the air that he breathed, and he didn't know how he had lived before they met. But the Barkley ranch couldn't run itself and it was time he got back to managing it.
"You're right," he sighed. "I need to learn how to leave my wife in the mornings. But one day, you will be the one with a new wife. We will revisit this then." His smile and a pat on the shoulder took any sting out of the words, as Heath watched Nick head for a pitchfork before turning to leave.
Those stalls would be nice and clean with fresh hay very soon.
###
"Your ticket please."
Gabby searched through her bag and produced the wanted item, handing it to the conductor as she boarded the train. It had been a long wait this morning at the station since she had arrived early in her excitement to get to Stockton.
She was ready for a bit of rest.
As Gabby took her seat, she thought over the last fourteen months of her life- it had been anything but boring. A frown crossed her face as she recalled how it all began.
Mama had been sick and finally passed.
They had held out hope that her health would turn around, but in those last few days of Mama's life, Gabby had started making plans. While she hated leaving Nora behind, she knew things had to change for herself. A few trips to town had secured herself a manager and she believed it was fate that it happened as it did, and so quickly.
From the time Gabby was a young girl, she had loved music, so much so that Mama used to joke that she had come out singing when she was born. Every time they moved, Gabby would search out the local church where she would sneak in and play the piano. They never had the money for lessons, so she taught herself how to play when she was young- with a little help from a pastor's wife. Smiling, she remembered the time that she was practicing, and an older woman walked in and stood, watching her. When Gabby saw her, she was scared and jumped up from the bench, standing there with her hands folded in front of her.
"I heard you playing. Would you like some help with the chords?" the woman said sweetly as she came near and sat, signaling for Gabby to sit next to her.
Gabby was grateful that this was one of the places they stayed for almost a year, as Mrs. Lark became a close friend to her, teaching her all about the piano and even how to read music. The woman was astonished at how quickly Gabby learned things, and soon Gabby was playing as if she had had years of practice. She was sad when it was time to move again and needed to say goodbye. But Gabby continued to excel on the instrument and found new places to play one wherever they traveled.
When Mama became ill, Gabby saw the inevitable happening, even though Nora held out hope until the end. Her plan was to have Nora join her when she began making money, but her younger sister had rejected that offer to stay with their father, who soon moved them away.
Father. Gabby snorted as she thought of how Judas Steele was no father to his girls and had even abandoned Nora in the end.
Gabby's talent had taken her many places over the last year, starting and ending in San Francisco. She no longer wore shabby clothes or worried about not having enough food. Hotel rooms and train rides had become a way of life in between appearances. Marriage proposals were common, and Gabby refused every single one.
It was in San Francisco that her manager had been the one to pop the question.
Gabby bit her lip as she remembered that night. Gilbert was a nice enough man and had never been forward, but she simply didn't think of him that way. It was the night of her sneak peek performance before she went on that he proposed. While she didn't feel obligated to marry the man that made her somewhat famous, she told him she had to ponder on it. Then, to her surprise, Nora had shown up at her dressing room door, and not alone.
She had brought her handsome husband with her.
To say Gabby was stunned when she saw her youngest sibling standing there in fine apparel and married was an understatement. Meeting Nick, Gabby could understand how Nora had fallen for the man, and she was thrilled for her. The Barkleys were a well-respected family and Nora would no longer lack anything. Nick obviously adored his wife and wanted to make her happy, Gabby could see that in the short time they had together.
The next day was spent with the newlyweds before her opening performance that night. Her sister had wanted Gabby to come back to Stockton with them, but Gabby had an eight-week contract she needed to fulfill and refused to break it. When she told Gilbert she would be leaving afterward, he was sad, but completely understood her desire to be with family. Their parting was amiable, and Gabby was delighted to start over in a new town, close to her sister.
A family sitting nearby got her attention as she sat quietly.
"Jerry, you need to sit still, like your brother," the mother begged her son of around 10.
"Sitting still ain't any fun," the youngster replied. "I'd rather be running around outside and hunting rabbits."
"Isn't. Isn't any fun. And you can run around all you want when we get back home to Stockton," the mother gently corrected, pulling out a bag.
"Grammar ain't any fun neither," he quickly replied, bringing a veiled smile to Gabby's face.
The mother brought out some snacks and soon Jerry was eating, and all was quiet again. Gabby smiled as she watched the threesome remembering when she wanted a family of her own, but then turned to the window and watched the scenery go by.
###
Taking it upon himself to repair the railings around the corral, Jarrod gathered his tools and began working. He had noticed for some time that they were in poor condition and no one else jumped in to do the job, so he decided it was his responsibility.
Nora's sister was coming today, and Gene tomorrow, so things would be very busy around the ranch for a while. Jarrod had hoped that Eugene would follow in his footsteps when he went away to college, but he was glad that the boy finally decided on being a doctor. It seemed to be something he loved and threw himself into, even though his first year he was uncertain if that was his calling. Hopefully, he would never find himself in a situation such as Jarrod was in now.
As he worked, he suddenly felt the breath of a horse on his shoulder. Smiling as he stood, he turned to find Demarco nodding his head at him.
"Well, hello there, Marco. I was wondering if you would come to say hello."
The stallion had become quite fond of Jarrod since Nora had come to live at the ranch, him being the one to exercise the horse when she was away on her honeymoon. And Jarrod liked Marco as well.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out some sugar cubes, holding out his palm as Demarco grabbed them with his upper lip and quickly devoured them. Jarrod laughed and petted his muzzle. "I think you have a bit of a sweet tooth. I hope that isn't my fault."
Demarco then shook his head, opening his mouth to show his teeth bringing more laughter.
"I really think you are trying to tell me something important as you seem to understand everything I say. Perhaps one day I will be able to comprehend what it is. But today, I need to get to work."
Patting the side of the horse's neck, Jarrod went back to his chore and his thoughts as Demarco ran around the corral which he considered his domain.
It had been many months since Seth had died. Looking at his hands, Jarrod now saw callouses where there used to be none. Ranch work had toughed the outside, and time had helped him overcome his grief on the inside. The truth was, he missed being a lawyer. Stockton was growing and really had very few reputable attorneys, and he knew he was needed.
He simply wasn't sure he was ready for the courtroom again. At least not yet.
Shaking himself out of his reverie, Jarrod realized he was still staring at his hands. "Better get to it. I don't think Demarco plans to repair this corral," he said as he grabbed a hammer.
###
"That may be Molly's biggest calf yet," Victoria said to Heath as she pet the young bull.
"I'm thinking she has earned her rest," Heath replied. "By the way, isn't Gene due in tomorrow?"
"He is!" she answered excitedly. "It was good to see him at the wedding, but I'm glad he is finally finished with school and coming home. Dr. Jones will be a great teacher for him here in town. He's getting up in age and Eugene can take over for him when he retires."
"I know you will be glad to have him home for good," Heath responded.
"I certainly will. Oh, before I forget. Nora's sister is due on the train this afternoon. Make sure you clean up before dinner."
"I'll try not to take that personally," Heath said with a snicker.
"I'm so glad that she was able to find her. Hopefully, Gabby will be happy here in Stockton and decide to set down roots. I was wondering, have you noticed how emotional Nora has been the last week?"
"I have. I'm sure she is excited to have one of her siblings coming. She seems to have adjusted well to life on a ranch," Heath replied.
"Nora is a remarkable woman, and very intelligent."
"She sure keeps Nick in line."
Victoria contemplated Heath's statement. "Maybe it's time we find someone to keep you in line." His crooked smile was exactly the response she was looking for.
"I can't say I'm opposed to the idea, especially with that extra sleep Nick is getting."
Victoria ignored his implication. "You spend too much time at the ranch. Not many single ladies around here- other than Audra, of course. You should go to town more often. I doubt fate will drop someone in your lap at home."
"Perhaps you're correct. But right now, I need to get back to work." With a tip of his hat, he mounted up and rode off, his mother watching as he left.
###
At the first train stop, Gabby was joined by an older woman.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked, Gabby smiling at her.
"Please do. It will make the rest of my trip to Stockton more pleasant. I'm Gabrielle Steele, but everyone calls me Gabby."
"Myra Stanley. Nice to meet you." Myra gently shook Gabby's hand before settling down next to her. She was probably in her 60s with light hair and eyes, and quite attractive.
"What takes you to Stockton, Miss Gabby?"
"Oh please, just Gabby will do fine," she replied. "I found my sister again after a year apart. She lives there."
"That's wonderful. I'm happy for you- and her."
"And you?"
"I recently lost my husband and I'm looking to make a fresh start. Hoping to get a job in town," Myra answered.
"I'm sorry about your husband and I hope everything works out for you in Stockton."
"Thank you, dear. Now tell me all about yourself."
###
The hours away from his wife had crawled by as Nick climbed the stairs quickly. It was early afternoon and almost time to go to the train station to pick up Nora's sister. When he opened the bedroom door, thinking he would find her primping in the mirror, Nick was surprised to see her looking around the room. His face brightened as he took in her appearance, as it seemed to always do when he looked at her.
She was simply the most beautiful woman in the world to him.
"Are you almost ready to go?" he asked, as he moved close and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Leaning in, he kissed her cheek.
"Almost..." she answered distractedly, her focus seemingly on other things as she removed his arms and paced around the room. "Nick, perhaps we could move this desk to that other wall," she said, motioning with her hand.
"I like that desk where it is, no need to move it," he replied matter-of-factly, his smile fading.
"And that chest should go over there."
"It looks fine where it is." Nick loved his wife but he was a creature of habit and not crazy about changing things around.
"And must we really have that saddle in here?"
"You're not touching my saddle!"
Nora turned toward her husband in silence as she heard him raise his voice. Tears began filling her eyes and her lip began to quiver. It wasn't like her to cry so easily, normally she would shout right back, but she had been a lot more emotional recently. Nick hurried to her to apologize. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled, but I'm quite attached to the saddle my father gave me."
"But where will we put the baby?"
"Nora we will have to find someplace else to...what did you say?"
"This wasn't how I planned to tell you." The tears began rolling down her cheeks.
"Baby? We are going to have a baby?" Nick was incredulous as he tried to comprehend what she had said. When Nora only nodded, he spoke again. "I'm going to be a father?"
"Yes, Nick Barkley. You are going to be a father in about 7 and a half months. Are you happy?"
Nick whooped loudly as he swept her up in his arms, spinning them both around, causing Nora to finally laugh. "Am I happy? Of course, I'm happy! We are going to be parents!" Quickly putting her back down, Nick looked worried. "I hope I didn't hurt you."
"No...I'm fine. Oh, I'm so glad, Nick! I was concerned you would think it too soon. I thought we could tell everyone at dinner tonight since Gabby will be here."
"That's a wonderful Idea. I'm going to be a father!" Nora was happy to see his wide smile. She had thought they might wait for a while before having children, but the decision was made now.
"Now, where did you want to put the desk?"
###
Heath rode back to Paradise. He had been checking the fence line in the area to make sure there weren't any breaks; for some reason, many of their repairs happened here, so they inspected it frequently. Seeing no issues, he rode to the crop of trees that surrounded the peaceful lake.
As he dismounted and walked into the secluded area, he was aware of the tranquility that this place brought to his soul. Nick was able to share it with Nora, and Heath wanted nothing more than to share it with someone special too. He smiled as he remembered his mother's words that a woman wouldn't fall into his lap here on the ranch. Perhaps he did need to get out more. If he ever intended to get married, that is.
Walking back to Charger, he mounted up and headed back to the house, thinking about it as he rode.
There have been questions over the years of whether Eugene is older or younger than Audra, I have him younger. For my trilogy, here are the ages I am going with: Jarrod 36, Nick 32, Heath 28, Audra 22, Eugene 21
I have Eugene going off to medical school at an early age as the requirements were different in the 1800s. He will now be interning under a doctor in Stockton to finish his degree.