But she was chuckling. “It’s a happy occasion. I just hate she’s so miserable through this part.”
Again he nodded. Better to change topics before he shoved his boot deeper in his mouth. “How’s my brother?”
Weariness cloaked her expression. “Well. Sleeping now.” She pushed off from the rail and strode toward the door. “He’s probably still feeling the effects of the chloroform we used in the surgery, as well as the laudanum for pain.”
She reached to open the door, but he grabbed her arm before she could. “Wait.”
Pausing, she turned to look at him, her brows raised.
“I . . . How did it go?” He desperately needed to know. But even more, he wasn’t quite ready to enter the dim interior of the clinic. Needed one more moment before he faced his brother.
Her face softened, as though she understood his reticence. “The doctor said he cleared out more bone fragments that had fallen away since the first surgery. There was still healthy bone to attach the metal to. Everything he hoped for, I think.
“We’ll keep the incision clean, and your brother will need to stay in bed for a couple weeks while the wound heals. After that, he should be able to move to a chair, and then he could start using walking sticks. The doctor even knows someone who could make a rolling chair. It might not work so well outside, but he can move around in the clinic and come onto the porch.”
Nate soaked in each word, the knot in his belly uncoiling a little more with each detail. Did he dare hope? After weeks of disappointing news, he’d prepared himself for the worst.
But he’d been praying. Maybe God was answering his prayers the way he’d been asking. He well knew the Lord didn’t always respond with a yes to every petition. But maybe in this case He had.
“That’s good. Really good.” He still wasn’t quite ready to enter. To leave the cool breeze blowing fresh air through his hair, still damp from the creek. To face the pallor and melancholy on his brother’s face.
He nodded toward her walking stick. “How’s your leg?”
“Better.” Her pretty cheeks pinkened in the fading light. “I’ve been without it most of the day. I’m only using it now because I’ve been on my feet a lot.”
“You’ve had a busy day.” He brushed her arm, but the moment his skin touched her sleeve, he regretted the action. What in the world had made him do it?
He propped his hands at his waist to keep them from acting of their own accord again. “Make sure you rest enough to let it heal.”
She dipped her chin in a way that she probably didn’t realize made her even more endearing. “I’m well. Don’t trouble yourself.”
“I was thinking about going back to the cave,” he blurted out. “With a lantern and supplies this time, to see how big that cavern is. Maybe there are offshoots that go in farther. Would you like to come if you feel up to it?” Why that came out, he couldn’t have said, but his entire body strained as he waited for her answer.
“I would.” Was that excitement lighting her eyes? Probably only wishful thinking on his part.
He nodded, trying to steady his reactions. “Maybe Sunday after the service.” But could he really spare so many hours on his only day off? Sunday usually meant extended time with Aaron, and he’d also hoped to cut down more trees for his cabin. “Or maybe next Sunday. I should spend the hours after church this week with Aaron. That will also give your injury more time to heal.” There. A compromise to ease his conscience about his brother.
The prospect of a few hours in Miss Hannon’s company felt like a light in a murky, fog-filled night. And when she sent him a tentative smile, that light brightened into the hope that maybe things really were about to get better.
Just maybe.
Five
Nate inched over the rock ledge around the mountain, straining to see the footing in front of him. He’d thought the early morning moon would be bright enough that he wouldn’t need to light the lantern on his way to the cave, but the last thing he wanted to do was step on a loose rock and tumble sideways.
He could almost feel the haunting sensation of empty air underneath him, his hands clawing for a rock or tree or anything to catch his fall. Sharp boulders striking his body, slamming into him with blow after blow as he rolled downward, maybe finally ending his pain when his head struck, pulling him into blissful oblivion. How long would he lay out here before someone discovered him?
His fellow workers would miss him, but would anyone actually come look for him? Or would they think the worst? That he’d left town, abandoning both his commitments and his brother in a single selfish act?
Pain pressed his chest. How long would it take before he’d proven himself reliable, before people began to trust him and the changes he’d made? Believe in this new man God was growing him into being?
His foot hit a bump in the rock, and he stepped up onto the higher stone. If he remembered correctly, the cave should be not far ahead. If he was going to bring Miss Hannon here, especially with her still recovering from her injury, he needed to get a better understanding of the place. Make sure he had the right supplies.
He’d not been able to sleep much anyway, what with the cold pressing through his blankets and his mind whirling with worries about his brother. He might as well put the energy to better use with a quick stop in the cave before he made his way to the mine.
As he rounded a jut in the cliff beside him, the cave opening yawned wide just ahead. Within seconds, he had his lantern lit. He adjusted the rope over his shoulder as he started into the blackness. It seemed like he should need more, but this had been all he could think to bring.
After ducking through the opening, he straightened and raised the lantern to get a good look around. The hollow place was massive, even larger than he’d thought last time in that quick glimpse. Its shape didn’t stretch wide, but extended as far back as he could see, and all kinds of rock pieces hung like stone icicles.
He stepped forward, letting his gaze wander from one to the next, examining the odd shapes and varied thickness. Some extended all the way to the cave floor, narrow in the middle and wide again at the base. He was so intrigued by them that he almost missed the drop in the floor and stumbled as he fought to keep his balance. This must be where Miss Hannon had twisted her ankle. He’d do well to take more care.
Moving slowly enough to take in his surroundings, he inched his way farther. The cavern maintained a consistent width as it moved deeper through the core of the mountain, almost as though planned by an engineer and dug out by a team of workers. But the beautiful formations throughout couldn’t be manmade, nor the elaborate striations in the rocks along the side.
A dark circle appeared in the wall on his right, a shaft possibly. The opening rose above his shoulder, so it might be a good size. Perhaps he and Miss Hannon could investigate that when they returned. Would she be recovered enough by this Sunday? He didn’t want to explore more without her, not since he’d already offered the invitation. But he wasn’t sure he could quell the curiosity inside him another full week.
Yet he would if he had to. The last thing he wanted for her was another injury.
“Good morning.” Laura made her voice as pleasant as possible as she spoke into the barely cracked doorway. If she kept her voice bright enough, perhaps some of her good cheer would rub off on this grumpy patient.
Aaron didn’t answer, so she elbowed the door open and stepped inside. “I hope you’re hungry. I made fresh biscuits this morning.” That seemed to be one of his favorites. He always finished them, even when he left some of his porridge untouched. Salt pork was the other food he never failed to finish, although his room often smelled for several hours after she served it. Maybe he smeared the grease on his shirt.
A light snore drifted from the man in the bed. She stepped nearer, listening to see how steady his breathing was. Sometimes he lay still groggy when she came in with breakfast, and he was always still grumpy, but she’d spoken loudly enough to wake a deaf dog. Could he b
e feigning sleep so he didn’t have to face her?
“Mr. Long, it’s time to wake up. You’ll want to eat while the food’s hot.”
The snoring continued. He lay with his mouth parted, the muscles of his face sagging with a relaxation he wouldn’t be able to pretend. Her belly clenched. She’d seen that look before, the same oblivious stupor her father showed after spending hours with his whiskey bottles.
But that couldn’t be the case here. Aaron had no way to obtain the wretched poison.
She set the tray on the bedside table, then turned to shake his shoulder. “Aaron, wake up.”
The snoring continued.
She gripped his shoulder harder and shook enough for his head to wag back and forth. He was out cold.
Maybe the laudanum she’d given him last night had caused this lethargy. She’d never seen the effect last this long, but perhaps combined with his pain and his body’s struggle to heal, this stupor was the result.
Just to be certain, she pressed a hand to his forehead. Not overly warm. She moved her fingers to his cheek. The same.
Breathing out her tension, she straightened and studied him. Sleep must be what he needed most. Perhaps this was his body’s way of forcing rest so it could recover. Maybe this healing would cure his sour mood, too.
Having Aaron in better spirits would be a blessing for them all.
But as she studied the relaxed skin of his face, she replayed the events of last night. He’d complained of pain, and she’d checked with Doc Micah to see if they could do something about it. Then she’d administered exactly the amount the doctor had prescribed. And they kept the bottle locked in a drawer in the storage room. Aaron would have no way to get extra, even if he were able to walk.
Still, she’d have to mention this lethargy to Doc Micah. She’d seen the effects of addiction on a man fighting through pain and despair. She wouldn’t lose Aaron the way she’d lost Robbie.
No matter what.
Laura peered through the crack between curtains in the examination room, her stomach doing a nervous flip at the sight of Nate riding down the street. She must have lost her senses. Truly. What was she thinking leaving town alone with this man who’d been part of the group who’d kidnapped her?
He sat a horse well, his broad shoulders back in a confident, comfortable position. But then, he’d spent many years riding horseback on the trail, running from lawmen and the good people he’d helped rob of their hard-earned goods.
The sobering thought crashed in to churn her nerves.
Yet, she knew this man, not just his sordid past, but also the changes he’d made. In every interaction they’d had over these past few months, he’d showed himself earnest in his efforts to make amends. To live an honest life. She was fairly certain she could trust him while they explored the cave together.
She packed her pistol just in case, though.
Besides, exploring the cavern would be a good deal safer with a partner. An extra set of hands and eyes and ears.
She turned away from the window and moved toward the door. He didn’t need to come inside for her. That would feel too much like he’d come courting.
Even the thought sent a rush of heat up her neck and started that nervous flipping in her middle again. She’d never been courted in her life, not with her father’s drunkenness hanging like a shroud in their home. She’d had her hands full with her brothers anyway. Then Will’s sickness . . . then the war . . . the last few pieces of her former life she’d tried desperately to cling to had shattered.
Now was hardly the time to dwell on the past. She’d begun a new life and was about to set out on a grand adventure.
With a man.
She needed to be careful to keep their relationship from going beyond friendship. Especially when she still didn’t know for sure where her place was in this town. Adding in the attentions of a man would only muddy things further.
And was Nate even a man whose attentions she would want? A cohort of the men who’d submitted her to so much fear and pain?
But Nate had been opposed to the kidnapping as soon as he’d met up with the group in the woods. He’d fought to free them. Put his own life in peril. But still . . .
With her hand on the front doorknob, she grabbed the satchel she’d packed and slung it over her shoulder. This excursion simply served as an opportunity to search the cave. To put the weight of past struggles behind her and enjoy the afternoon.
She inhaled a strengthening breath, then pulled open the door and stepped out. She no longer limped, and her ankle was barely tender with each step.
When Nate turned from tying the horses and noticed her, his countenance brightened, and he offered a shy smile. “Ready?”
She nodded and couldn’t help returning his grin. The man had a face far too handsome for his good. The way his smile pulled slightly crooked, forming a dimple on one side, would melt any woman’s heart.
And those eyes.
She glanced toward the horses to regain her composure, yet her mind held on to the image of how his eyes darkened to forest green in the bright afternoon sun.
“I hope this mare suits you.” Nate reached for her satchel as he spoke, and she handed it over. “Sam at the livery said she’s plenty dependable. He called her Nugget, I think.”
She moved to the horse’s head while Nate tied her pack behind her saddle. “Hello there, pretty.” The mare shone a dark sorrel, the color of rich garden dirt fertilized to the peak of readiness for planting.
Laura soaked in the savory scent of horse, an aroma that swept her back to some of her favorite memories. She and Will had spent every hour they could steal away roaming the pastures and woods. They’d only had the one mare, an aged farm horse who plodded along wherever they directed her, and of course they’d never wasted time with a saddle.
Those bright moments with Will had been among her best. She could still see his cheeky grin. His wind-ruffled hair. Her brother. Her confidant. Her only friend through every dark day after their mother died and their pa took to the bottle.
“Do you think she’ll suit?” The gentle rumble of Nate’s voice sounded nearby.
She pulled back from the mare. At some point, she’d rested her forehead on the animal’s wide blaze. Maybe that touch had drawn Will’s memory so vividly. She struggled to recover herself. To push back the emotions that still swarmed in her weakest moments.
Nate still waited for an answer, so she nodded and worked to clear the tears from her voice. “She’ll do fine.”
His strong hand rested on her elbow, his warmth soaking through her woolen sleeve. “Can I do something? Help with something? Is it your ankle?” He must have heard the emotion in her voice, witnessed another of her moments of weakness.
She sniffed and fought for normal composure. “I was just thinking of my older brother, Will. He and I used to ride together whenever we could. I . . . miss him.” A fresh burn of tears surged up to her eyes. If they didn’t get riding soon, she’d not be able to stop herself from blubbering.
Squaring her shoulders, she nodded. “I’m well. Ready when you are.” There. Her tone sounded normal. If she looked at him he’d see her reddened eyes, so she shifted sideways beside the horse, toward the saddle, forcing him to step back out of her way.
“All right, then.” His voice sounded both concerned and amused, if that combination were possible.
Within moments, they skirted toward the edge of the town. Nate had suggested the roundabout way, which would give them both a better view of the surrounding mountains and also keep them from riding straight through the center of Settler’s Fort. Both served as valid reasons for the direction they now rode.
Her conscience twinged. She should have told Ingrid exactly what they were doing. She’d only mentioned to her friend she wanted to get out for a walk after church, and Ingrid had looked worried at the words, probably because of Laura’s ankle injury. But the limb was recovered enough. She’d been careful not to limp for days now.
Ke
eping quiet about the true nature of their excursion proved easier since the doctor and Ingrid had planned to picnic with Joanna and Isaac. They’d invited her, of course, but Nate’s previous offer to explore the cave had overridden all her desire to relax with their friends.
She would have liked to spend extra time with Joanna, who’d been her first friend here in Settler’s Fort, and was still one of her dearest, although they didn’t see each other often since her marriage had moved her more than an hour’s ride outside of town. But being the fifth person in a party of couples might make Laura wish for something she shouldn’t at this point. Not with her life so unsettled.
In truth, whether or not to explore the cave with Nate today was her decision, and hers alone. Perhaps she should have told Ingrid where she was going for safety’s sake, but Ingrid wasn’t her mother or her guardian. She was answerable to God alone.
Am I doing something wrong, Lord?
“Wanna run?” Nate’s voice broke through her thoughts, but the words flashed her back to another time. Another grinning boy on horseback. Although that time she’d been sitting behind him, clinging around Will’s waist as he kicked the old mare into a canter. Both of them would lean low as their mount stretched out, and Laura’s hair would fly behind her, the wind cooling her neck. She could breathe the freedom even now.
Those times slipping away with her older brother had been some of her best memories. Her happiest. When little Robbie would be taking one of his afternoon naps and Pa was nursing a jug of something, Will knew she needed the few minutes of no responsibility.
Maybe a childhood of sneaking away for stolen pleasures was why she’d hidden her plans to explore a cave with Nate from Ingrid today. Her fun with Will had always been innocent. She prayed today’s adventure proved to be just as harmless.
She glanced over at Nate. And possibly even more thrilling.
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