Chapter 22

As they walked together back toward the house, Jarrod kept a close eye on Heath. He seemed exhausted, but their discussion at the corral made Jarrod worried he might still bolt at the drop of a hat. It was the absolute last reaction Jarrod had anticipated when he walked outside. Nick had certainly expected that Heath would demand that they examine his proof. He was positive that Heath would want every single cent that he felt was owed him. Jarrod had dismissed such an extreme reaction, but he'd also not figured that he would have to practically beg to see Heath's evidence and then to stay and talk to the family once Jarrod was certain that the letter was the proof they needed. As they walked along, Jarrod tried to ascertain Heath's motives for wanting to leave, and then it finally came to him. Heath said he couldn't count himself a man if he didn't try to help when someone was in trouble. Heath figured himself for the trouble, and the best help he could offer was to leave before anyone found out he was Tom Barkley's son.

Jarrod was trying to decide how to go inside, whether he should open the door and enter first—which would give Heath a chance to leave while his back was turned—or whether to ask Heath to lead the way into a house that didn't actually belong to him yet. Jarrod's decision was made when his mother opened the door as they walked across the porch.

"Oh, there you are, Heath. I was worried when I didn't find you in the house. Come inside." She took Heath's hand and pulled him along. Heath looked back at Jarrod in confusion.

Jarrod pursed his lips; he'd still not had a chance to talk to his mother about yesterday's heated discussion in the study. It seemed that she had, indeed, overheard, and that she also had ideas about how the family should handle the situation. He merely followed as she led Heath up the stairs.

"Heath, I know you're tired, but we simply must have a family meeting, and you deserve to be there. And since Nick is stuck in bed, we'll have the discussion in his room."

Heath threw another glance back at Jarrod who simply raised his brow at the impossibility of arguing with her.

The three of them went into Nick's room. Audra was sitting by the bed, but Gene wasn't in evidence. Victoria turned back to Jarrod who raised his hand and headed back to the hall. Gene was just coming out of his room, and he had a questioning look when he caught Jarrod's eye. Jarrod nodded one time, and Gene's face was a picture of shock and dismay. The two of them had briefly discussed Jarrod's purpose in talking with Heath. Gene had clearly hoped that Jarrod would find that Heath's letter came from another man named Tom. It was unfortunate that Gene had to learn that their father was not as faithful as they'd believed, but he needed to accept that people could—and often did—let you down. Even people you loved and had put on the highest pedestal.

Jarrod motioned Gene into Nick's room, and their entrance made the family complete. Looking at each of them, Jarrod could deduce their emotions. Gene looked devastated. Audra was assessing each of them, trying to guess the outcome of their discourse. Nick had done the same, only he'd already figured out the conclusion. He looked ready to protest before anyone even made a statement. Victoria was a stone, completely unreadable. The only way Jarrod knew her thinking was that she'd come looking for Heath, essentially demanding his presence at a family meeting. Heath, once again, looked hunted, like he might open the window and jump.

Their mother started, "There was a discussion in the study yesterday afternoon between you four boys. I overheard parts of it and surmised the rest. I talked to Audra about it this morning while you were at the Semple Farm. I believe we should all discuss it now as a family."

Nick was breathing hard, "Then he doesn't need to be here."

Jarrod walked over to Heath and nodded at his shirt pocket. Heath sighed and gave the letter back to Jarrod. "I believe he does." He held the letter out to Nick. "Take it." Nick looked at it like it might bite him, but he finally accepted the envelope and stared at the front. "It's the letter that Heath got from his mother's bible. It's from a man named Tom saying that he loved her and that he's sorry and that he hopes she'll marry and have children. From the date it was written and when he was born, Heath believes it was written by his father. The handwriting… is Father's."

Jarrod was watching his mother as he spoke. She briefly closed her eyes. When she opened them, she looked back at Jarrod, resigned, and nodded one time. She turned to Heath who was staring at the floor. "Heath, your mother's name was Leah, wasn't it?"

Heath's face was a picture of astonishment. He managed to mumble, "Yes, ma'am."

"I finally confirmed my suspicions about an affair a few years before Tom died. He had always denied another woman, but I knew there had been someone between Nick and Audra. One day, we were having an ugly argument while you boys were back East, fighting the war. Gene and Audra were at school. And I brought it up again. I think he finally confirmed the affair with a woman—named Leah—just so I wouldn't bring it up again. I was so surprised that he finally admitted it that I walked away from whatever we were arguing about. After all those years of suspicion, to have it suddenly confirmed was disconcerting. I assumed that he had checked on the possibility that your mother was with child when they parted." She paused and managed a sad smile at Heath, "I shouldn't have assumed. I'm sorry."

Gene looked crushed, but Audra was actually covering her reaction pretty well. She only seemed a bit surprised and waiting for everyone else's response. Nick's face was gray, and he didn't try to hide his devastation.

Jarrod took a deep breath, "I know how upsetting this is to all of us, but we need to make some decisions. When Heath and I were talking just now, he offered to leave before anyone finds out that he's a Barkley."

Every eye in the room nailed Heath, and he glanced at each of them.

Audra asked what each of them was thinking, "Why, Heath? Why would you do that?"

"I know what's like being the town bastard. It ain't pretty. You're all good people. You shouldn't have to deal with that."

"But that's not fair to you."

"Look, I'm not unhappy. I got a decent life. I can go back to what I was before I came here."

He sounded rational and unemotional, but Jarrod didn't believe a word of it. Heath had come looking to find his father—or his father's family. "I don't buy it, Heath. Call it fate or God or what-have-you, but you came here for a reason. You came looking for a place to belong or at least a place where someone cared. Well, you found it. I care. You saved my life after the earthquake and did the same thing for my mother a couple of days later. You can't believe that was chance, not after what we've just learned. You're my father's son which makes you my brother, and I want you in my life."

"Me too," Gene's face was resolved.

"And me." Audra had never looked so certain.

Heath shook his head, "You don't owe me nothing. I would've done that for anyone. I told you that."

Jarrod smiled softly, "That's one of the many reasons I want so badly for you to be my brother."

Their mother crossed the room to grasp Heath's hands, "Heath, you deserve to be here—to be part of this—just as much as any of us. Please. Stay. Be part of our family."

Heath shook his head and closed his eyes, but he didn't pull away from Victoria. His voice was only a whisper, "You don't know. You don't understand how people will act."

"I don't care how they react. If they don't accept you as part of the Barkley family, then we will discontinue relations with them. What's important to me is this family… of which, as far as I'm concerned, you are now a member. Jarrod?"

"I agree completely."

"Gene?"

He nodded gravely one time.

"Audra?"

"I agree with you, Mother."

"Nick?"

All eyes turned toward the bed. Nick's face could not hide his feelings. Jarrod hoped that the evidence in Heath's letter and their mother's knowledge of the affair would persuade him to at least accept Heath's presence even if he didn't embrace his inclusion in the family.

Nick's voice was subdued which almost never happened. "It seems pretty clear that you're my father's son. That's gonna take some getting used to. I don't think you ought to live here, but I won't go against the rest of the family."

Jarrod knew Nick's disappointment in their father would take some time to resolve, but thankfully he didn't let that cloud his sense of fairness.

Their mother spoke again, "Now, Heath, you've been outvoted. You are part of this family."

"That's only 'cause you don't know what you're getting into."

"It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."

"It does matter. You only think it don't because none of you were born a bastard."

"I really don't like that word. Please don't use it anymore, especially regarding yourself. What truly matters is what the people in this room think."

"The only reason you don't think it matters is 'cause you've never been the target of it. But we're just going in circles here, and I can see I'm not making a dent in your thinking. You ain't gonna believe me."

"Just as you're not going to believe us when we tell you we don't care what anyone else thinks."

Heath looked even more drained than when they'd been down at the corral. He slowly shook his head, "All right. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Their mother bowed her head in gratitude. Jarrod moved closer and offered his hand. "Welcome to the family, Heath… Barkley."

Heath hesitated before returning the gesture and did the same with Gene a second later. Audra wrapped her arms around his neck, and he seemed completely baffled at her action. Then he looked at Nick who, despite his earlier words, still seemed conflicted. But Nick also held out his hand, and Heath walked over to the bed and shook it briefly.

Victoria stood in front of him, "Now, how about I draw you a bath so you can get cleaned up, and then all four of you boys should get some rest. You all look like you're about to drop. Heath, I'll make up the room you used before. That can be your room, or you can choose another later if you want.

"Don't matter none. Wherever you want to put me is fine, ma'am."

"All right."

"I'll just go down and grab my gear."

Victoria nodded, "Gene, why don't you help him with his saddle. It will go in the family tack room from now on."

Heath looked reluctant but resigned as he glanced at the rest of them and followed Gene into the hall. Victoria and Audra left for the bathroom and what used to be a guest room.

Nick looked at Jarrod with sick eyes, "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure he should have a chance to be part of this family. He has no one, Nick. And he doesn't deserve that. No one does. We have a chance to correct a grave error made by Father, Nick. I don't see that we have any choice. And frankly, I want him here."

"Maybe Father did know about him. Maybe there was a reason he didn't claim him."

"If that's the case, then it's even worse, and I'd be more ashamed than I already am for what he did to Heath and his mother. The preponderance of evidence is that he didn't know about Heath, and that's what I'm choosing to believe. And regardless of what Father did or did not know, we owe it to Heath to rectify the situation as much as we can. He didn't ask to be born. But he's had to deal with the consequences of that every day of his life. And none of that takes into account what he's done for this family—for all of us, but for me especially. We never would have found Mother without him—you know that. And just because you and I got injured this morning doesn't mean he didn't save our lives today. He might well have already shot whoever was specifically aiming at us."

After a second, Nick nodded. Jarrod knew that he would not go back on his word regardless of any reservations he had. "Get some rest, Nick."

Back out in the hall, Jarrod could hear his mother and sister talking in low voices down the hall in the room that would now belong to their new family member. He turned back toward the front stairway. He leaned against one of the upper support posts, looking over the grand entrance to the house.

The earthquake had brought many new changes to the valley, but none as important as the one that had just occurred in Nick's bedroom. Jarrod shuddered to imagine what his father might think. He just didn't believe his father could have known. Whatever his shortcomings, he would not have left a son and his mother to fend for themselves when he had the means to support them.

But as of now, there were four Barkley sons, and Jarrod planned to make sure Heath eventually felt that he belonged there. It would take some time, but Jarrod was certain his new brother was worth the effort. They would all need time to adjust—Nick and Heath especially—and there were financial considerations that would have to be altered as well. But that could wait for a while; Jarrod didn't want to overwhelm Heath on his first day as a Barkley.

Just then, Gene and Heath came back in the front door. "Come on back to the kitchen, Heath. That bath won't be ready yet. We'll just grab you a biscuit and some cheese to hold you till lunch."

Heath, naturally quiet even on the best of days, nodded and glanced up at the room around him and caught Jarrod's eye. He took a deep breath and then followed Gene through the door behind the stairs. Big changes for all of them, but Jarrod was full of hope for the future.

End

Note: Thanks to everyone who read and commented. I truly appreciate all of the kindness. I worked on this story off and on for about ten years, and the comments are like little pats on the back. Thank you all so much.

Best,
Queena