A Bride to Heal His Broken Heart

by Melynda Carlyle

  “You were shivering,” he whispered. “His fever is gone.”

  “It broke a little while ago,” she whispered back, leaning forward to look at her patient. “He’ll probably sleep for a while now, if the fever doesn’t come back.”

  “Thank you for staying with him,” Darren told her.

  “What time is it?” she asked, hiding a yawn behind her hand.

  Darren glanced toward the window where the first glimmer of dawn was on the horizon. “The sun will be up soon.”

  She nodded and then pushed the blanket off and stood up, laying the blanket over the back of the chair before stepping up to the side of the bed. She was only a few inches from Darren, and he moved back a step as his body reacted to her nearness.

  “How about I go make a fresh pot of coffee?” he suggested softly.

  Lorna smiled at him. “That would be lovely, thank you.”

  Darren headed for the bedroom door, stopping to watch Lorna as she checked on his pa one more time. She took his pulse and then pulled the quilt up, making sure he was covered from his neck to his toes. The man was sleeping so peacefully, it was hard to remember how miserable and ill he’d been just a few hours earlier.

  Lorna took a moment to adjust the blanket and then stood up and gave Darren a soft smile.

  She joined him, and they went downstairs together. She sat at the worktable in the kitchen and watched as Darren set about making a fresh pot of coffee. While it was brewing, he took a seat at the table and then told her, “I like seeing you smile.”

  She gave him a skeptical look. “You make it sound like I never smile.”

  “Maybe I just don’t see it often enough,” he replied. He turned back to the coffee and poured two cups, then turned back around to find her watching him intently. He lifted the cups and then tipped his head toward the back door. “The sun’s getting ready to come up. Want to watch with me from the porch?”

  Lorna nodded, but when she reached for one of the cups, he shook his head and carried them both outside. He waited for her to join him and then placed both cups on the porch railing, gently sliding one her way. “I like this time of day, before the day actually begins. It’s so quiet and still, and yet there’s the promise of life on the horizon.”

  “Each day is like a chance to fix whatever went wrong the day before,” she quietly added.

  Darren looked at her and nodded as he lifted his cup to his mouth. “Exactly.” He took a sip of the hot brew and watched as she did the same. A faint line of orange was just beginning to show where the sky met the earth, and they watched in silence as the sky began to lighten.

  The sounds of animals waking – birds beginning to stir, insects preparing for another day – were the only sounds besides their breathing to interrupt the silent interlude. Darren turned his head slightly to the side and watched her profile, once again marveling that such a beautiful young woman had felt as if she had no other option than to become a mail-order bride to a man she’d never met. The men in her previous town must have been blind and dumb.

  When the red ball of the sun peeked over the horizon, he cleared his throat and softly spoke, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for my pa. I can’t even imagine what might have happened if you’d not been here.”

  “I didn’t really do all that much,” she protested softly.

  “But you did. You kept us all calm, including Pa, and he seems to trust you. He’s everything to me.”

  “And you are the same to him,” she murmured.

  Darren was quiet for another long moment while he gained control of his emotions. “Since Mark was killed, I’m all he has left.”

  “Your brother’s death hit your father hard. It hit you all hard.”

  “Yes. This land is untamed and full of dangers, but never in a million years would I have guessed one of us would have been killed for nothing. The man who shot Mark has to pay.”

  “And he will, whether in this life or when he meets his Maker on Judgment Day.”

  “Is that your way of telling me I should leave revenge to God?” Darren asked, thinking about her actions in town the day before.

  Lorna shrugged. “I was just stating something I believe to be true. The Good Book promises that judgment will come to everyone, but I don’t believe we have lawmen for nothing. Maybe the sheriff—”

  “If you’re about to tell me the sheriff is going to help bring Mark’s killer to justice, I’ll stop you right now. You’ve seen how the man acted when outlaws were robbing the bank. Not only is he losing his vision, but he should have been replaced months ago. He’s getting too old to do his job.”

  “Why hasn’t he been replaced?” Lorna asked.

  Darren shook his head. “That’s a very good question, but not one that can be answered this morning. I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am that you’re here. On the ranch. In Virginia City.”

  Lorna said nothing. After looking at her for a long moment, Darren added, “I’m sorry things didn’t work out the way you’d hoped, but I’m glad you’re here, nonetheless.”

  “I’m glad I’m here, too.”

  Darren gave her a soft smile and then turned back to finish watching the sunrise. A sense of peace and well-being covered him in this moment. If only the world could stay just like this.

  Chapter 16

  Lorna finished watching the sunrise, draining her coffee cup and listening as the ranch came to life. She heard June enter the kitchen and knew the ranch hands would soon be up and looking for their breakfast.

  She didn’t know how much time had passed while she stood on the porch with Darren, but it was enough that she felt an urgency to go check on his father. Brian had appeared to be doing better, but there was still a chance that his fever could come back and Lorna wanted to be there if that happened.

  “I should go back inside,” she told him quietly.

  “Thank you for watching the sunrise with me,” he said.

  “Anytime,” she whispered as she picked up both of their empty cups and headed back inside. June wasn’t in the kitchen, so Lorna quickly rinsed the cups and set them on the sideboard to dry before heading back upstairs.

  She had so many thoughts running around her head where Darren was concerned, but she forced them aside for the moment. They needed more time for examination than she had right now.

  She entered the bedroom and was relieved to see that Brian was still sleeping peacefully. She quietly walked to the side of the bed and laid a gentle hand upon his head, smiling when she found it slightly cool to the touch without any sign of fever.

  She breathed out and released the pent-up nerves she didn’t realize she’d been harboring. She knew how much Darren and everyone else at the ranch cared for Brian, and she’d been worried that she’d missed something and the man was much sicker than she’d originally thought.

  She sank down in the chair beside the bed, her gaze going to the window. Thoughts of her own father creeped in and memories assailed her: memories of her childhood and then later, when she’d become an adult and the war had started. Her father hadn’t even thought twice about signing up to fight with the Union Army. And then, he’d been shot and died. Savages had taken her father’s life. She clenched her fists as anger rushed through her veins. It wasn’t fair that his life had been cut so short, and yet…

  Her mind flashed to the Paiute tribe Darren had taken her and Timothy to and how they had helped them. The men and women she’d met there hadn’t seemed like savages.

  They’d been kind and more than willing to help Timothy; they just hadn’t been able to do so without risking further injury to him. They’d even offered some of their herbal medicines to help him recover more quickly. Those weren’t the actions of savage people. The Paiute tribe had shown compassion and an understanding of what it meant to help their fellow man.

  But while she recognized those facts, there was still an underlying hostility and anger burning inside of her. She knew the Paiute tribe wasn’t responsible for her f
ather’s death, but they were still Indians, and in her mind, that made them the same as those savages who had shot and killed her father.

  She would never be able to forgive those actions. Because of them, she was now completely alone in the world, and she would go to her grave carrying her hatred with her.

  Brian stirred and she forced her thoughts back to the present. She located the basin of water and the cloth. She dampened the cloth and then returned to the bedside, wiping Brian’s forehead gently as he continued to stir. She turned to rinse out the cloth, and when she reached for him once more, she discovered he was awake and watching her.

  “Good morning,” she whispered softly.

  Brian smiled weakly and lifted his hand to draw her nearer. “Sit,” he told her in a hoarse whisper.

  Lorna didn’t even think about the inappropriateness of her actions; she just sat down on the edge of the bed. She watched Brian, giving him plenty of time as he struggled to find his voice.

  He finally smiled and then clasped her hand, squeezing it with a weak grip. “Thank you.”

  “No thanks are needed.”

  Brian shook his head once. “They are. You saved me. Again.”

  He squeezed her hand harder and she returned it in kind. “I’m glad I was here to help.”

  Brian released his grip but continued to hold her hand. He searched her face and then sighed. “Mark would have loved you.”

  Lorna had heard these words before. She remained silent. She didn’t have a response and Brian looked as if he wanted to say something else. She gave him an encouraging smile and waited.

  “I…we…are so happy that you are here with us. Having you with the family has been a good thing.”

  “I’m happy to be here, as well. You all have been so kind and taken me in and treated me like one of your own.”

  “It was easy to do,” Brian assured her. “Are you happy here?”

  Lorna smiled and nodded. “I am. I’m happier than I ever hoped to be, which is strange considering I came here to get married and…well, you know how that turned out.”

  Brian nodded, each passing moment seeing him a bit stronger. “Yes, you arrived at one of the lowest points in our recent history. Your presence helped draw us away from our grief.”

  Lorna looked concerned and protested, “I didn’t want to—”

  Brian stopped her. “That is a good thing. Having you here has forced all of us, especially Darren, to remember that life goes on. Mark may not be here with us any longer, but that doesn’t mean we can stop taking care of our responsibilities. That includes moving forward with our lives, dreams, and hopes.”

  Lorna nodded, completely understanding what he was trying to tell her. When her father passed away, she’d immersed herself in the work of the field hospital, focusing on those who were still alive and that she could still help.

  Brian gave her a strange look and then stated, “I’ve been watching you these last few days with Darren. You are a good influence on him.”

  Lorna felt her face blush at Brian’s words. “He wasn’t happy I was here to begin with.”

  “He’s coming around,” Brian assured her. “Darren has always been a restless spirit. My hope for him is that he will settle down and find peace.”

  Lorna laughed softly. “Darren must take after his mother.”

  Brian shook his head. “Darren is adopted and not even of my own blood. When his father died, my Ginny couldn’t stand the thought of Brian feeling as if he were all alone in the world. She’d already started caring for him when Silas was working, treating him as she did Mark – like one of her own children. After Silas’s death, we adopted Darren and he became my son.”

  “He was lucky to have you both.”

  A knock came on the bedroom door and she turned to see June standing there with an apron on and a dishrag in her hands. “Breakfast is ready. Good morning, Brian. Feeling better?”

  “Much, thanks to Lorna here. Take her downstairs and feed her, as I’m sure she was up most of the night.”

  Lorna opened her mouth, but whatever she’d been about to say was stopped by June, who agreed with Brian. “He’s right. You need a hearty breakfast to start your day, regardless of how much sleep you did or didn’t get.”

  “Go eat,” Brian told her.

  Lorna looked back at Brian, who winked at her and then closed his eyes, his face relaxing as he pretended to be asleep. Lorna smiled and then joined June in the hallway. “I could just bring something back up here. He’ll be hungry.”

  “And he can eat – after you do.” June’s voice brooked no argument, so Lorna nodded.

  “Thank you.”

  “No, thank you.”

  Lorna followed June down the stairs and into the dining room to find the only seat unoccupied was directly across from Darren. She nodded at the others already gathered there and slipped onto the chair.

  “Morning, Miss Lorna.”

  “Good morning.”

  “Good morning,” Darren murmured to her, a playful look in his eyes and the hint of a smile flirting on his lips.

  “Good morning.”

  June handed her a plate piled high with flapjacks and then returned a moment later with a warm bowl of maple syrup. “Eat.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Lorna took some food and then passed the plate to the man sitting next to her. Bacon and biscuits were already being passed around, and when the biscuits reached Darren, he held the plate out to her. She took one, nodding her thanks.

  She ate quietly, listening to the men talk about their plans for the day and glancing up at Darren from time to time. He was eating and conversing with the others, but it seemed that his gaze never left her for long. It was disconcerting, but also created a warm sensation in the pit of her stomach.

  Lorna couldn’t deny how handsome Darren was. She had noticed it the first time she saw him standing on the porch with what she now knew was Mark’s hat in his hands. She recalled being so excited at the possibility that he was the man she’d come here to marry, only to be disappointed a short time later.

  Now…well, Darren was very attractive and with nothing standing between them, she was having a hard time convincing herself that Darren was not for her. Brian had been hinting at something earlier, but they’d been interrupted before he could finish.

  Lorna suspected that he might have been trying to determine if Lorna would be receptive to Darren courting her, if he was so inclined. Looking at him now, she blushed a bit and ducked her head. His gaze was still on her, and the smile that had been barely there was now fully evident and directed right at her.

  Her stomach did a little flip and it felt as if a hundred butterflies had suddenly taken flight together. She shivered slightly as feelings of excitement and anticipation ran up her spine. The more time she spent in Darren’s presence, the more time she wanted to spend with him again.

  The other men began to leave, carrying their plates and utensils through to the kitchen before heading out the back door. Soon, Darren was the only one still seated at the table with her. She looked up and caught him staring at her once more, an intense look upon his face. She blushed again, unable to look away this time.

  When his lips slowly turned up in a full-fledged smile, she immediately returned it. It was the only proper response to having a handsome man paying her such close scrutiny. With any other man, she might have been tempted to reprimand him for being so forward, but not with Darren. Deep down, there was a part of her that liked having his attention so fully focused on her.

  She wasn’t sure what that meant for the future, but suddenly she couldn’t wait to find out. Brian wanted Darren to settle down, but so far she’d not seen or heard any evidence that Darren was even considering courting a female from town. She was beginning to wonder if there might be a chance that he’d noticed her.

  She found she wasn’t as opposed to the idea of Darren courting her as she should have been. It wasn’t like he was going to be poaching on his brother’s discovery. Mark
wasn’t here – but Darren was. Lorna justified the possibility of accepting Darren’s attentions in the future with that knowledge.

  “What are your plans for the day?” she asked into the silence when it became more than she could stand.

  “I thought maybe I’d drive you into town,” he replied, lifting his cup up and taking a sip of the coffee inside. “You’re working with Doc this morning, right?”

  Lorna nodded. “I’m supposed to, but your pa…”

  “Aunt June said she would check in on him frequently today.”

  “Doesn’t she have chores to do?” Lorna asked, not wanting to inconvenience anyone.