Betrayals

Jarrod had never been so happy to see the doctor’s buggy as he was when he arrived at the ranch. He pulled the lathered, heaving Jingo to a halt and threw himself out of the saddle, leaping up the porch steps and bursting through the front door.

“Mother!” he hollered as soon as he entered the foyer.

“Nick, must you…” Jarrod saw Victoria rise from the settee in the parlour, her face tuning ashen as she realized which of her sons it was and took in his torn sleeve and bloody arm. “Jarrod, are you all right? Your arm…”

Jarrod shrugged her off as she came over. “It’s not me, it’s Nick. Doctor,” he turned to the lean man moving up behind his mother, “my brother’s been badly wounded. Probably others, too.”

Dr. Merar snatched his hat from the hall table. “Just saddle me a fast horse, Jarrod, and let me grab my bag. I’ll be right behind you.”

Jarrod nodded curtly and turned to leave. He suddenly came back and gave Victoria a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll bring him home, Mother,” he promised before quickly striding out of the house.

“I’ll take care of both of them, Victoria,” Howard Merar assured her as he followed.

Victoria stood, but it was a moment before she shook off her shock. Picking up her skirts, she hurried into the kitchen. “Silas,” she commanded, causing the white haired black man to turn from the breakfast dishes he was cleaning up, “gather up some supplies, bandages, blankets, food, water and brandy while I get the wagon hitched. We’re needed over at Frank Sample’s.”

*

The farmyard was less chaotic when Jarrod arrived with the doctor. The bodies of the fallen had been moved off to one side and respectfully covered with sheets and blankets. The last of the wounded was being moved onto the porch, the last except for one. Nick still lay where he had fallen, Heath still by his side in the same posture Jarrod had left him. Jarrod’s heart lurched when he saw how pale his dark-haired brother was. He put a hand softly on Heath’s shoulder and the blond jumped, turning.

“I brought the doctor, Heath.”

Heath gulped and nodded, slowly pulling his hand away from the piece of Jarrod’s shirt he had been using as a bandage. Dr. Merar lifted the bloody fabric and carefully examined the wound.

“Well, it looks as thought the bleeding has stopped for now. But I’ll need to get the bullet out as soon as possible. Jarrod, can the two of you take him someplace inside where I can operate? I’m just going to see who else needs my services.”

Jarrod nodded, squeezing Heath’s shoulder in a gesture of brotherly reassurance as the physician went to check on the status of the other wounded. “Come on, Heath, let’s get Nick into the house.”

Heath stayed at Nick’s side for a moment, smoothing back the lock of hair that kept flopping over Nick’s forehead, before rising to his feet.

“I’ll take this side, you grab the other,” Jarrod instructed. Putting an arm under both Nick’s shoulder and leg, the two men lifted him off the ground. Heath glanced up at Jarrod’s sharp inhale and saw his oldest brother’s face go pale.

“Jarrod, your arm…” Heath started, but Jarrod shook his head sharply.

“Let’s just go, Heath,” he said through gritted teeth, “I’ll be okay.”

They made their slow way into the house, past the parlour where Nettie Sample sat, cradling her children in her arms.

“Mrs. Sample, ma’am?” Jarrod asked gently, keeping the pain out of his voice. “My brother needs immediate surgery. Is there someplace…?”

The newly-widowed woman nodded, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief. “In the kitchen, Jarrod. You can use the table.”

“Thank you.”

“Much obliged, ma’am,” Heath added as he and Jarrod moved Nick into the next room, laying him carefully on the table.

Nick’s eyelids fluttered open and a low noise came from his throat. Heath instantly grabbed his hand and Jarrod put a restraining hand on Nick’s shoulder.

“Don’t move, Nick,” the lawyer cautioned. “You’ve got a bullet in you and the doc’ll be here right away to get it out.”

“Heath… okay?” he gasped.

“Right here, Nick,” Heath told him, squeezing his hand. “Not even a scratch, thanks to you.”

“Good.” Nick closed his eyes again. “Tired…”

Jarrod gave the shoulder a rough squeeze. “Don’t you go giving up on us, Nick. Mother’ll have my hide if I don’t bring you back in one piece.”

Dr. Merar strode into the kitchen, pulling things put of his bag as he walked. “Jarrod, find a basin and pour this alcohol over these instruments,” he ordered, handing over the mentioned items. Jarrod quickly rummaged through the cupboards as the doctor took Nick’s wrist and held it for a moment. “Pulse is a little fast, but strong.” He turned to Heath. “You did a good job on getting that bleeding stopped.”

Jarrod came over with the basin of instruments. “Here you are, doc.”

“Just put them over there.” Dr. Merar indicated the counter top beside him as he rolled up his sleeves. “Pump some water for me to wash up. I need you to wash so you can help me and then we’ll get started.”

Jarrod worked the handle of the small kitchen pump and the doctor washed his hands vigorously, holding them away from his body as he returned to the table. He pulled a small chunk of leather out of his bag and leaned toward Nick.

“Nick, this is going to hurt. A lot.” He slid the leather between Nick’s teeth. “Bite on this, it might help. Jarrod, hand me that probe.” Jarrod picked a long, blunt ended instrument out of the basin and handed it to the doctor. A moan escaped from Nick’s clenched teeth as the probe was inserted and his eyes flew open. They looked around wildly for a brief moment before catching a pair of sky blue. Nick gripped Heath’s hand more tightly and his eyes locked with the blond’s, not wavering as the doctor found the bullet and Jarrod passed him the next instrument. Nick uttered another cry as the bullet came out in one smooth motion, his eyes finally rolling back as the pain sent him again into unconsciousness.

Dr. Merar folded a thick pad of bandage and placed it over the wound. “Thank goodness it wasn’t very deep. Mr. Thomson, you hold this,” he instructed. “Jarrod, let’s take a look at that arm before it bleeds all over my other patient.”

Jarrod silently let the doctor clean and bandage his arm, keeping watch on his brothers. He turned his head when a familiar voice choked out, “Howard?”

Victoria walked slowly into the room. “Will he…?”

Finishing with Jarrod, Dr. Merar took the pad from Heath and checked Nick’s wound before bandaging it. “He should be okay, Victoria, barring infection.”

Heath backed off as Victoria took his place at Nick’s side. “Oh, thank God,” she whispered, smoothing back the dark hair.

“You can take him home whenever you want,” the doctor continued, “just take it slow. Jarrod, I recommend you keep that arm in a sling and don’t use it for a few days.” He gathered up his instruments, washing them and stowing them back in his bag. “There are a few other minor injuries. I’ll come check on Nick tomorrow, but call me sooner if you need to.”

“Thank you, Howard,” Victoria said gratefully. She looked at the two men standing quietly, one dark and one blond, but both with the blue eyes of their father. “Silas and I brought the wagon. Jarrod, go get him to help carry Nick and we’ll bring your brother home.”

The ride back to the ranch was agonizing for Heath. Every moan, every gasp from Nick as the wagon hit a rut sliced through him. He knew Jarrod was driving as carefully as he could, but sitting in the back of the wagon, cradling Nick against his chest to buffer the jolts as much as possible, Heath wanted to scream at the other man to stop, to slow down, anything to keep from causing Nick more pain. He couldn’t meet the worried eyes of the silver-haired woman beside him; he knew what he was feeling would be reflected on her face at least ten-fold.

“It should’ve been me,” he whispered as Nick groaned again in pain.

“What was that, Heath?” Heath finally looked into those caring grey eyes.

“I said, it should’ve been me,” he repeated, a little bit louder.

“And if it was you lying there,” came the response from the driver’s bench, “Nick would be saying the same thing.” Jarrod didn’t look back, just kept a close eye on the road to avoid the worst of the ruts and bumps.

“How can you say that, Jarrod?” Heath wanted to know, distressed. “He’s your brother. I’m just…”

“His brother too.” Both men turned sharply as Victoria spoke while she stroked Nick’s hair. Heath caught the brief exchange of glances between mother and eldest son before Jarrod turned back to the road.

“Ma’am…” Heath started, but Victoria cut him off with a shake of her head.

“Let’s just get Nick home,” she said firmly. “We’ll have plenty of time to worry about everything else once we know he’s safe.”

Obedient to her wishes, Heath was silent on the rest of the ride. His mind continued to replay those moments over and over in slow motion, seeing Nick leap in front of him, the red blossoming on the other man’s chest as the bullet found its mark. He remembered vaguely Jarrod telling him he was going for the doctor, his whole world focused on Nick and keeping Nick alive. How could he have ever thought the tall rancher was a callous, unfeeling monster? He thought about the way Nick held him after Gal broke her leg. Heath was right about Nick’s ultimate intentions, but oh, so wrong about the man behind them.

Looking back, he could now see Nick’s attempt to care for and comfort him before events reached their inevitable conclusion. And that conclusion had been inevitable, Heath had to admit as he held Nick tightly in his arms. He’d been attracted as much as he’d been repelled in those first few days and he now knew that revulsion was only due to the depravities he’d experienced in the past, not to Nick himself. The only thing that gave him any pause now was that Nick was his brother and he wasn’t sure how he could reconcile that with the feelings of longing he now had.

One step at a time, Heath, he told himself. Like Mrs. Barkley said, let’s just get him home and get him well before we think about anything else.

*

Victoria chopped carrots, readying some soup. She was thankful Audra was staying in town with friends and since Silas decided to remain behind at the Sample farm, stating that Nick had the rest of his family to care for him and Dr. Merar likely needed another pair of capable hands, Victoria was preparing something to eat, trying to keep her mind off her boys upstairs. It had taken all of her willpower not to follow when Jarrod and Heath took Nick up to his room, knowing that his brothers were capable of getting Nick settled comfortably in his bed.

His brothers. There was no doubt in her mind that Jarrod counted Heath as such and she had a shrewd suspicion that Heath felt the same. She knew it would be hard, but Victoria was determined to welcome this son of her husband’s with the same acceptance.

“Making a carrot cake for Nick’s recovery?”

Victoria looked up into Jarrod’s dancing blue eyes, then down at the carrots that did indeed seem to be chopped fine enough for one of her son’s favourite desserts. “I suppose the pieces are a bit small,” she admitted as she swept them off the chopping board and dumped them into the pot on the stove. Putting the knife down, Victoria turned back to her oldest son. Suddenly, all the anxiety and worry of the past few days overwhelmed her and she began to shake, her breath coming in great, heaving sobs.

Jarrod took her into his arms and held her close while she cried on his shoulder, rubbing her back and offering words of comfort. “It’s okay, Mother, Nick will be fine. I’m sure you’ll be threatening him with your wooden spoon to keep him in bed before you know it.”

The tears exhausted themselves a few minutes later and Jarrod pulled out a handkerchief to dry her eyes, his suspiciously bright as well.

“I’m sorry, Jarrod,” Victoria said apologetically.

“No need, lovely lady.” Jarrod placed a small kiss on her forehead. “You’ve soothed enough of my tears in the past, it’s only right that I return the favour.” He guided her to a chair and sat her down before taking his own seat beside her. He stared at his hands clasped on the table before looking at her. “When did you know about Heath?” he finally asked.

Victoria gazed out the window. “I suppose I suspected not long after he saved Audra,” she said. “There was just something about him that I couldn’t put my finger on, then, when I overheard you and Nick in the hall…”

Jarrod looked up abruptly, guilt on his face. “I never wanted you to hear…”

Victoria placed her hand over his. “It’s all right, sweetheart.” She took a deep breath as Jarrod held her hand. “I knew about your father’s roving eye, his… indiscretions. He told me about his affair in Strawberry, with the woman who must have been Heath’s mother.”

“I’m sorry, Mother.”

Victoria smiled, holding his eyes with hers. “You of all people have nothing to be sorry for, Jarrod. I should have said it more often, but I’ve never been anything less than proud of you.”

Jarrod tried to return the smile, but the guilt remained on his face. “If I’d have done what Father wanted, he might still be alive, today might not have had to happen,” he said softly.

“Never think that, Jarrod,” his mother admonished him sternly. “You followed your convictions and I know your father admired you for that.” Disbelief flickered across his face, but Victoria continued. “He never understood why you didn’t want to follow in his footsteps, but when we received the letter that said you graduated from law school at the top of your class…” She gave a small laugh. “I swear I thought he was going to take out a full page ad in the paper. As it was, he crowed about his brilliant lawyer son across the entire valley. He almost broke us, buying drinks for practically all of Stockton.”

“I never knew,” Jarrod whispered in surprise. “I always thought that I let him down when I didn’t stay on the ranch, that he resented me for leaving.”

“Oh, no, Jarrod, never that.” Victoria shook her head, her eyes growing bright with emotion. “He was disappointed, true, but he was so proud of what you accomplished. I think he felt badly that you had to do it all on your own. Your father never was one to admit he made a mistake. I think his guilt about not supporting you made him even that much harder on you.” She gripped his hand more tightly. “I’m sorry neither of us ever told you. We both failed you in that way, sweetheart. All you’ve ever done is make me proud.”

Victoria saw the guilt slowly leave Jarrod’s face as he wrestled with her revelation. “And I’ve always been proud to be your son,” he told her when he could finally speak. “Yours and Father’s.” There was another moment of silence before Jarrod glanced at the stairs. “What about Heath? I couldn’t get him away from Nick’s bedside, you know.”

Victoria followed his gaze, thinking about the way Heath held on to Nick on the journey back to the ranch. “I think Heath made himself a part of this family when he saved Audra,” she said. “And he certainly seems to have a close connection with Nick.”

Jarrod nodded. “And from what I’ve seen, Nick shares that connection.”

Victoria got the sense that there was something more to Jarrod’s statement, but refrained from asking.

“How do you feel, Mother, about all this?” Jarrod continued. “I mean, Heath is Father’s son, my brother, but he’s not yours. If it’s too hard…” He trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

“It will be hard,” Victoria admitted, “but I certainly bear no ill will toward that young man. I want him to stay, for you to get to know each other and for him to feel a part of this family. I never want to take him away from his own mother, but---“

“His mother passed away two days ago,” Jarrod interjected softly. “We got to Strawberry just in time for him to say good-bye.”

Victoria’s heart went out to the man sitting upstairs with her injured son. “Then he has no one.”

“Only an old family friend who he didn’t want to leave all by herself,” Jarrod confirmed. “But he does have a family, right here with us.”

“And he always will,” Victoria concurred firmly, acceptance written irrevocably in her determined grey eyes.