Chapter Nine

Previously:

"We just need some privacy for a little while." Nick explained. "I, we hoped we could use one of your classrooms."

"My office would be better." Father Paul smiled warmly as he pointed to a door that stood on the south of the foyer. "No one ever goes in there, but me. The door also locks."

"Thank you." Nick shook the priest's hand and then headed for the office, as did Chelsie and Heath-after thanking him as well.

"Now, tell us everything." Nick looked at Chelsie the moment Heath had closed the door.

Chelsie again walked over to the window, keeping to the side of it. "You'll forgive me, this has become habit. It's not just Mr. Lane looking for me; I'm sure of that. Though, when it comes to him, I had hoped he'd simply gone back home."

"I believe you." Nick told her, as did Heath.

Chelsie sighed and started telling them about the day she'd fled her father's house. "Father has always worried about me, especially since my mother died. He might not have only three of my brothers were killed during the war between the states; the other two both made their homes in the Midwest. I refuse to leave the west, so living with them-once my father passes away- is out. Living with my twin sister and her husband is out...I don't hate her husband, mind you. He is good to my sister and all only-I don't know- he still rubs me the wrong way. Anyway, my father, Thomas Lane and Thomas' friend were talking. I should say my father and Thomas were. I about died as I heard my father tell Thomas he wanted to arrange a marriage for me for several reasons-and he wanted the union to be between myself and Thomas." She wasn't surprised by the shocked looks that leapt onto Nick's and Heath's faces. "I had no intention of running. I mean, I know how to plant my feet and fight back. I am not a minor who needs some sort of guardian."

Nick, who was still in shock that someone living in their culture would think they could arrange a marriage for their grown child, shook his head. "I'd fight something like that too."

"But you ran," Heath spoke up. "Why?"

Chelsie rubbed her forehead and sat down on a nearby chair, leaning forward slightly.

"You have a headache?" Nick looked at her with concern in his eyes.

"A slight one, blame the stress. I'll be fine." She straightened back up. "It may seem like I'm switching subjects now; only, I promise, I'm not." She looked at both brothers, and then continued. "My step-grandfather, Hezekiah Allen-my mother's stepfather, owned a lot of land." She wasn't surprised when shock again leapt on their faces-especially Nick who had only met her maternal grandfather. "Yes, Nick, my grandfather died and my grandmother remarried afterwards."

"Hezekiah Allen-are we talking about the gentleman who owns thousands of acres that connects to our property… though, you said 'owned'. Has he passed away'?" Heath asked even as he thought on the kind-hearted gentleman the Barkleys had met more than once. Though, they hadn't talked to him for quite a spell he had to admit.

"One and the same. Though, yes, he passed away a couple of months ago." She looked at Nick and Heath with an apologetic look in her eyes. "Anyway," she sighed and continued. "He bought that place after my grandmother and mother both passed away. Don't ask me why. It's not like he lived in the state of California. Well, not full time. I think he was on that land three to six months out of the year is all." She stood back up and went back to the side of the window.

"After my father stepped out of the room, Thomas began talking to his friend. No, I don't know his full name only … " She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them back up. "Before I continue, you need to know one of the reasons my father wanted to arrange a marriage for me. A few years back, my step-grandfather put it into his will that property be deeded over to me upon his death." Again, she wasn't shocked by the surprised looks that appeared on Nick's and Heath's faces.

"They were discussing getting a hold of that land?" Nick ventured to ask while Heath's eyes were asking the same thing.

"Yes, Thomas said if he went ahead and married me that they could make it so he owned the land not me. However, that alone did not make me run. I knew my step-grandfather well. If he said he dotted his I's and cross his T's, he did. He told me that the land would always be mine-even if I eventually married. I have no doubt what he said was true; he was as honest as they come."

"So, what made you run? What made you start going by Mrs. Nick Barkley?" He asked the questions fearing he already knew the answer. He did.

"They were going to kill me after the wedding. That is, the first chance they had." She stated bluntly. "Sure, I guess I could have stayed and defended myself only-as strong as I might be, and as handy with a rifle as I am – I didn't feel like living in a place where I was afraid for my life all the time." She walked back to the chair and sat down. "Besides, that's not all they said."

"What else is there?" Nick asked-even as he wanted to get a hold of the two men and beat them to pulp-something that he could tell Heath felt the same way.

"Thomas swore that, with me out of the picture, they could approach a couple of friends of his who would buy the land… for any price. Don't ask me the men's full names- they never said them. In fact, they had both lowered their voices. I know I missed some things they said. When it comes to names of the men they wanted to do business with, the only one I heard clear enough to repeat was Crown." She then added she was pretty sure she'd also heard something about helping the man get even with a Barkley.

"Crown!" Nick leapt to his feet; fury appeared in his eyes. It was all he could do not to toss out some very colorful words. "You're coming to Stockton with us! Well," he paused, lowering his voice back to its normal volume. "I will assume you won't fight us on that. I mean, you are my 'wife'." He failed to keep a bit of laughter out of his eyes, something Heath had also failed at. That is, Heath's eyes were laughing just a little as well.

"I won't only, what are we going to do when they come? I mean, sooner or later Thomas, his uncle and whoever they pull into it, will come after me and-from the sounds of it-at least one member of your family, if not all." A look of great concern was in her eyes. "They will travel to Stockton."

"We'll be ready… and that means the three of us plus the rest of my family." Nick assured her. "Those men are not getting you, and the railroad is not getting that land, and no one can tell me they wouldn't get the land-not if Thomas and his friend are talking about Crown!"

Chelsie, who hadn't really smiled in weeks, allowed herself to relax and smile wide.