Chapter Twenty-Four

First week of November

"What do you mean it is going to be another day to get the bridge fixed?" Nick's voice boomed out, causing the workers to look over at him. "I never should have made this trip!" He added, stomping his foot, and causing the spur to jingle.

Nick had been in Hamilton Pointe, a small-town northwest of Stockton that was a day and a half away. The purpose of the trip was to look at breeding stock to add to the Hereford cattle. He would have had Heath go, since Priscilla was so close to her time, but Heath had not returned from a mine inspection. The owner of the Herefords was leaving town, and if the Barkley's wanted them someone would have to go right away.

Priscilla had reassured him that it would fine – he would only be gone several days – and she had Victoria and Granny Elspeth. She also commented that it was not her first baby, and it would be several weeks she was sure before the birth. Now though, Nick had been stuck in the town for over a week, due to heavy rains, mudslides, and a bridge collapse.

"Mr. Barkley, I know you are rich and important, but you can't control the weather. If the rains hold off for another day you will be able to leave." The foreman of the work crew had walked up to him. "Go back into town, and let my men work." The look Nick received was baleful, which gave him pause. Deciding that keeping the man from his work would not help fix the bridge Nick walked back into town.

He reassured himself that everything would be all right at home; Priscilla's words rang in his ears. Nick reminded himself that in addition to Victoria and Granny Elspeth, there was Silas and the household staff. Heath was back by now too, Nick reckoned; it made him feel better to know that his brother was holding down the home front. He walked over the saloon and decided that a beer and several rounds of poker would give him something else to think about besides the weather.

Earlier in the week at the Barkley Ranch

"Victoria you have to go! Audra needs you." Priscilla exclaimed, as she regarded the older woman. They were in the front parlor, along with the foreman from the Wheeler ranch. He had brought news that the children were sick with scarlet fever. Due to fears of how contagious it was, everyone was confined to the house, to keep it from spreading.

"You are right, and I do need to go; thank goodness I've dealt with scarlet fever before. However, I don't like leaving you without Nick being back and Elspeth in town." Victoria sighed, looking at how large Priscilla was.

"Heath is here, and town is not that far away. Plus, Nick should be back tomorrow or the next day. He would want you to go help Audra." Priscilla smiled with reassurance. Granny Elspeth had a house in town, but normally stayed at the ranch as Priscilla's time was close. However, Eugenia Lennox's grandchildren had come down with scarlet fever also. Elspeth had taken over teaching at the school, so she was staying in Stockton.

"Let me go get packed, and I will ride back with you." Victoria said to the foreman, before heading upstairs. She made a note to herself to talk to Heath, about staying close to the house until Nick returned.

"Heath, you don't have to hang around." Priscilla said to him, looking up from some sewing she was doing. It was five days since Victoria had gone over to the Wheeler ranch, and Priscilla had noticed how Heath was staying close to the house.

"Nick wouldn't be too happy with me if I left you alone. Boy howdy I bet he is bad tempered, being stuck in Hamilton Pointe." Heath replied, they had received a telegram yesterday from Nick. Before he could say anything else there was a knock on the door.

"Mrs. Flynn, how nice to see you." Silas' greeting caused Heath's stomach to knot up. It had been several weeks since he had seen Sharon and Tobias in the park together. He forced himself to smile as he walked into the front hall. Heath found himself thinking how lovely she was, before he could stop the thought.

Her hair glowed like spun copper, her dark blue eyes were large and bright, while her skin was peaches and cream smooth. Sharon's trim figure was offset with a pretty outfit of camel colored poplin, with ruffle trim of cream, gold, and brown plaid. Heath noticed that the jacket had lace on the collar, and the blouse was cream colored. The colors showcased her hair and skin, and Heath was sure she had never looked better.

"Sharon, how good of you to come visit." Priscilla came into the hall and hugged her friend. "I love that outfit! I am looking forward to having a waist again." She laughed, and Heath heard Sharon telling her she looked great.

"Heath good to see you. How have you been?" Sharon turned to face him, and Heath felt like a schoolboy, having a hard time talking.

"I'm doing well." He replied, and then asked about Sean and Tara. The next several minutes were spent chatting about the children.

"Priscilla, I brought you some cream; I just made a new batch and added the honey you sent over last week." Sharon reached into the basket she was carrying and brought out a jar which she handed to Priscilla who opened it.

"Mmm it smells wonderful. I love the lavender and lemon together. The honey should be very soothing to the skin." Priscilla commented as she passed the jar to Heath, who cautiously took a sniff. "You should try some on your hands." That commented was delivered with a giggle, as Sharon joined in.

"Well it does smell nice, but I'm not the cream type." Heath was intrigued by the cream, and that Sharon had made it. He asked her about that fact.

"I have a sideline business, making cream and skincare products from the herbs in my garden. I sell it at the General Store, where it is very popular." Sharon explained, as Priscilla added that the store sold out as soon as she made a delivery.

"If my garden were bigger, I could make more, but it is just as well. Between the café and my children, I am pretty busy." Her eyes sparkled as she made the statement. Heath was reminded of how cheerful she had always been, even as she had had to work hard. He wished he were not enjoying being around her so much.

"Thank goodness you came by Sharon" Priscilla announced, smiling at Heath. "Now that you are here, Heath can go get some stuff done outside. With Nick and Victoria not here, Heath has been keeping a close eye on me." Her laughter rang around the hall.

"It has not been an issue and has given me the chance to catch up on paperwork." Heath responded with a smile. Secretly he was glad to have an excuse to get away from Sharon; he reminded himself of his decision not to get involved in any romances. The fact that she was probably going to marry Tobias was in the forefront of his mind. Heath excused himself and headed quickly out, enjoying the feel of the fresh air on his face.

"Now tell me what happened with Tobias; how did dinner go?" Priscilla asked after Silas had brought lemonade and cookies to the ladies.

"You were right Priscilla, he did propose." Sharon replied with a sigh. She had been out to visit two weeks ago and had mentioned that Tobias had asked her out to dinner at The Empire Hotel restaurant. Priscilla had told her how romantic it was, adding that she thought he would propose.

"So, what did you tell him?" Priscilla asked as she reached over to take Sharon's hand. Her friend had confided that while she liked Tobias, she was not interested in getting married again.

"It was hard, but I explained that I did not want to go live in Los Angeles – Stockton is almost too much of a city for me. Of course, I told him I was honored, but I wasn't the person he needs." She looked series as she made the comment.

"Well as long as you are happy with the decision that is all that matters. I am sure he will have no problem finding a suitable wife." Priscilla beamed as she laughed. Suddenly her expression changed to a grimace and a look of pain. "Ow" she doubled over for a minute, and then stood up. Sharon saw that the center part of her skirt looked damp and knew what had caused it.

"We need to get you upstairs; you are going to have the baby." Sharon tried to sound calm and not show how concerned she was. Yes, she had had two children but knew that every birth was different. "Silas, Silas?" She called out as she helped Priscilla into the hall.

"Would you please go get Mr. Heath? And start some water boiling? It's Mrs. Nick's time." Sharon told him when he came into the hall. She then started to help Priscilla up the stairs, but halfway the woman stopped and let out a gasp. Sharon waited for the pain to pass, and then helped her the rest of the away up, and down to Priscilla's room.

"Let's go into the bathroom, and I will take my clothes off." Priscilla opened the door and led Sharon into one of the prettiest rooms she had ever seen. Bemusedly Sharon looked around, silently admiring everything.

"Mrs. Nick, Silas said your time has come?" A middle-aged woman with dark hair and a French accent came into the room, and her words broke Sharon's thoughts.

"Yes, it has Elise. Mrs. Flynn is going to help me in the bathroom. Could you get a nightgown for me please? One of my shorter summer ones." Priscilla told the woman, and then started walking across the room. Once in the bathroom, which impressed Sharon with how modern it was, she helped Priscilla out of her clothes, and into the short nightgown the maid had brought. It was soft lawn fabric, with lace insets, very pretty and cooler than a long nightgown Sharon thought.

The next several minutes were spent getting Priscilla into bed, after Flora had brought in some extra cloths for the lower part of the bed. Priscilla then asked Elise to help Sharon change into one of her old skirts, so she did not ruin her outfit. She was touched at Priscilla's thoughtfulness but wondered if anything would fit. Her friend was half a head taller and fine boned compared to herself.

Elisa though found a skirt that fit around the waist; Sharon figured it was one Priscilla wore in the early days of pregnancy. Unfortunately, the skirt was too long, but by rolling the waist band she made it work. Her thoughts were interrupted by a moan from Priscilla, and she turned to go to her.

"Can I come in?" As Sharon came into the bedroom, she heard a knock on the door and went to go answer it, after looking at Priscilla. It was Heath, and Sharon let him in.

"Heath, we need the doctor, and you should let Priscilla's grandmother know too." Sharon explained in a low voice. "Also, I need to get word to Mother Flynn about what is happening." She did not want her family to be worried about her.

"Of course, I'll go into town and get the doctor and tell Elspeth, then stop by your house." He answered, turning to go but Sharon put her hand on his shoulder.

"No Heath, send someone else. I want you to stay in case something goes wrong." She did not want Priscilla to hear the worry in her voice. Sharon flashed back to last year, down at Kilkenny Farms, when a young mother had died in childbirth. She had been helping with the birth; they did not have a doctor just a man who had been a medic in the British Army.

"Are you sure? I mean I've seen babies and animals born, but I'm not a doctor." Heath's face wore a cautious expression, which Sharon saw. She pointed out to him that his experience could come in handy. Sharon was relieved when he nodded his head.

"Let me go get someone to ride into town, and then I will be back." Heath smiled reassuringly at Sharon. He had heard the apprehension in her voice and wondered if she had had problems with her births. From what he had remembered about Priscilla's two other times there had not been any problems.

Heath was back in the bedroom in less than ten minutes, Flora behind him holding a basin of water; she had already brought in towels.

"How far apart are the contractions?" Heath asked Sharon and Priscilla, standing a little away from the bed. He was not sure how Priscilla would feel about him being there, but Sharon had asked him to stay.

"I think I have a while Heath." Priscilla looked over at him "Nick is going to have to do something very nice for you. Thank you for being here." Her comment made Heath feel better, but then he noticed a grimace of pain come over her face. Heath watched as Sharon lifted the cover and examined Priscilla.

It was another three hours before the contractions started to increase. During the time Sharon had Priscilla suck on some ice and keep a cool rag on her head between the pains. Heath felt like he did not really need to be there, since everything seemed to be going fine. He decided to pass time by telling the ladies some of the adventures he and Nick had shared over the years on cattle drives and trips. The stories made them laugh, which made him glad he could lighten the moment.

When the contractions increased, so did the pains, and he found his hands being gripped tightly by Priscilla. He could not even begin to imagine what it must feel like for a woman; and to do it more than once.

"Heath, there is something" Sharon said to him a low voice as Priscilla let out an anguished cry. He managed to get his hands free and went to see what Sharon was referring to. The baby's head was just emerging, but something did not look right about the skin tone. Priscilla gave another cry and pushed, and he saw that the cord was wrapped tightly around the baby's neck.

"Sharon, Silas brought up Victoria's medical kit" Heath indicated the bag on a side table. "Please bring it over for me." He watched as Sharon fetched it, and quickly opening it Heath found what he needed. They would have to work fast, or they would lose the baby.

"Sharon hold the head." Heath stated, and taking a pair of scissors, he poured alcohol on them. Just as he went to cut the cord Priscilla had another contraction and pushed again. Heath saw that the cord was even tighter now, and knew he had to work fast. Saying a silent prayer, he slipped a finger under the cord and cut, as the baby was now out.

He watched as Sharon took the baby and slapped his rear end, before using a rag to clean out its nose and mouth. Heath had not realized he had been holding his breath until he heard the cry of life.

"My baby!" Priscilla tried to sit up, and Heath went to help her. "Is everything all right?"

"Nick has another cowhand." He answered jovially, as Sharon brought the baby, now wrapped in a blanket over to Priscilla.

"Ducky; oh." She signed softly, as she cuddled her new son.

"Ducky?" Sharon looked over at Heath, puzzlement on her face. He just shrugged and lifted his hands; in truth he was still in shock at how close they had come to losing the child. His heart felt like it was still racing.

"That is our – Nick and mine's – nickname for the baby. His name is Andrew Cavendish Barkley; we are naming him after my cousin." Priscilla glowed, and then handed the wrapped bundle to Heath. "Ducky, these are your godparents." She indicated Heath and Sharon, who he noticed looked very surprised.

"Tis a great honor, but don't you want a family member?" Sharon asked, as she sat next to Heath and stroked the baby's head. It reminded her of when she had first seen Sean and Tara; babies were wonderous. Thank goodness Heath was here she thought, seeing the cord wrapped tightly around the baby's neck. She looked over at him with awe.

"This child was born because of you two, so of course you will be godparents!" She declared happily.

For Heath, sitting next to Sharon, holding the newborn child, and seeing how she was looking at him overwhelmed him with emotions. It felt so right to be with Sharon, and he remembered his thought on what it would have been like if they had married all those years ago. A wave of sadness hit him quickly, as he realized that he would never hold his own child.