A Christmas Miracle for the Rancher: A Historical Western Romance Novel

by Etta Foster

  “Wonderful,” Louise beamed. “Are you comfortable?”

  He adjusted to tuck the beams under his arms as much as possible.

  It kept him from using all his energy in his arms, and instead spread it through his shoulders and back. Then he gave her a pointed look because she never asked that question at an appropriate time.

  “Right,” she bit her lip through a smile as she remembered. “What I mean is… You did wonderfully and I hope you are ready to move along the bar. Right this way to me.”

  When he glanced at the floor, Richard wondered why it looked so far away. That’s how he had lived since growing that tall. Now that’s how far he would fall if he wasn’t careful.

  Richard shook his head and turned back to Louise.

  She was prettier to look at than the floor.

  “I don’t know,” he swallowed. “I’m just supposed to what, pull myself across?”

  She opened her mouth, but Dr. Carmichael was still busy. She turned back to Richard.

  “Yes,” she offered as though she were the doctor. “You will pull yourself across while you are moving your legs. Can you do that? One after the other?”

  “You mean walking?” he pointed out shortly.

  On occasion, he couldn’t help himself. But Louise didn’t seem to notice. Richard cleared his throat as he scolded himself.

  “Whatever you want to call it,” Louise said instead, “simply do it. Come right this way over to me.”

  The instructions sounded simple. But already Richard could feel the tightness in his chest building.

  He gripped the bars carefully and looked back down. It would be a long way to fall. He was tired of falling.

  But then Louise called his name again and he looked up. His heart pounded in his chest as she smiled at him, waving and urging him over.

  She had left her hair loose that day. It looked like warm honey slipping over her shoulders.

  Any irritation he’d felt toward her lately disappeared. All she wanted was to help him achieve his wish to walk again.

  Louise had put aside her life with her friends and family in order to be there with him.

  She didn’t complain, merely asked that she wasn’t ignored. And there she went, smiling and cheering him up any moment he appeared to struggle.

  If he couldn’t do this for him, Richard decided, he could at least do this for her.

  “You better not leave,” he warned her with a smile of his own, trying to keep the mood light.

  “Of course not,” Louise assured him adamantly. “Not until you make your way right here in front of me.”

  He felt a bead of sweat trickle down his back. “All the way? I thought just a few steps. Or whatever might happen,” he added.

  Only then did he realize that he should have remained sitting until they were finished talking.

  Swallowing, he listened to Louise urge him on.

  After another deep breath, Richard realized he had to move forward or hope he fell back into his chair. He shook a strand of hair out of his face and then glanced at the lower half of his body.

  It was mostly wiggling his hips around. That was most of what he could do.

  His feet dragged behind him as he moved his weight around. It was like crawling in thin air.

  Richard had never thought himself a heavy man, especially since Mrs. Pennyworth always claimed he was too thin, but now he could feel himself starting to droop.

  “Halfway there,” Louise pointed out to him. “You’re so close, Richard. You’re nearly finished. Just a few more steps. Lift your feet. Your legs will remember.”

  Right, he had hardly moved them so far. They were still dragging behind him.

  Richard brought his hips forward and after some struggling, he managed to set a foot down properly on the ground. He froze in the moment.

  Louise gasped. “Yes. Just like that, Richard. Can you do it again?”

  Though he wasn’t certain of the answer, he nodded furiously. He wanted to do it. He had to be able to do it. He could feel it in his body that this was right.

  His legs still knew how to walk.

  Even if he couldn’t put his weight on them yet, working through that familiar motion felt like a fresh summer breeze.

  It took him a moment. But soon he maneuvered his left foot to do the same.

  Louise squealed, clapping lightly. “That’s perfect.”

  He gathered the courage and strength for another step.

  But as he raised his head to look at her, the brightness in her eyes caught his attention just as he tried to lift his right leg.

  It wasn’t enough, causing him to stumble.

  That caused his weight to shift and before he knew it, he was falling.

  There wasn’t enough time to cry out before collapsing on the hard floor.

  “Richard!” Louise yelped loudly.

  When he opened his eyes, she was already by his side. She took his arm as she hovered over him with concern written across her face.

  “I’m fine,” he assured her before she could say anything. “Or at least, I will be,” he added, seeing as he was still lying on the floor.

  He made a silly face that made her giggle. “Help me up?”

  She nodded, scooting back on her knees. “Of course, of course, yes.”

  It took a moment of wrestling and balance and chuckles before he was sitting up again.

  Louise stretched to the side to fix his leg so he would be more comfortable. He hadn’t asked her, but she already knew.

  She always knew just want to do.

  Wishing he could do that as well, Richard found his heart hammering in his chest as he said her name. “Louise?”

  The young woman glanced up.

  While he was planning to simply thank her, he found himself reaching out to take her face in his free hand.

  She came willingly. Her hand covered his on her cheek.

  In the next moment, her lips were on his.

  Louise was soft and sweet, though even better than he had imagined. She fit his lips in a way that he didn’t know was possible. The world melted away in a heartbeat.

  The moment reminded him of the first letter she had sent and the way it had made him feel.

  “Richard?” Someone cleared their throat.

  It was Louise who pulled away first.

  Her eyes were wide as she looked up. He reluctantly followed, not wanting to forget what had just happened.

  Doctor Carmichael stood before them with the nurse he had been talking to a moment ago. They had brought over his wheelchair to him and were poorly suppressing amused smiles.

  But Richard found that for a minute, he didn’t care about anything.

  Not after that kiss.

  Chapter 35

  Springtime was in the air.

  Louise could hardly believe how quickly time was flying by. Easter had recently ended, and the flowers were in full bloom in Gramercy.

  Walking through the market, that was more than clear to see. She lifted a hand, smiling, to brush against the bundles of flowers for sale. They were yellow and purple and white and pink.

  She could even smell it in the air. Louise inhaled deeply, wondering how she had grown so fortunate.

  Her life was falling into a rhythm again and she could hardly believe it.

  This wasn’t Oklahoma. But she didn’t let that disappoint her. Louisiana was still very much her home and there was comfort around the familiarity of such a place. The weather, the streets, the people, all of it.

  Richard was learning to embrace the world there as well.

  He didn’t like the crowds. He didn’t like the noise. But he was trying hard. Both to heal and enjoy the world around him.

  There were difficult days, of course.

  After a few hard falls and bruises, after straining his muscles when he tried too fast, there were hiccups in the road to recovery.

  Dr. Carmichael said those were to be expected.

  Especially after a rough morning. He�
�d woken up in a lot of pain and after she talked to his doctor, they said to give it a few days.

  That only frustrated Richard more. Because he couldn’t find the strength to leave his bed, she thought it best to give him time to rest.

  And if she could find him a treat to enjoy, hopefully that would brighten his mood.

  Louise considered her options. He might enjoy some fresh fruit, something rare that one hardly found in Oklahoma. Or a sweet treat.

  She wandered the shops, eyeing items as she went. This was the only market in Gramercy, one she didn’t visit often.

  After all, the New Orleans markets were the best in the area. Everyone knew that.

  But it was probably better, she supposed. New Orleans was further away. And besides, she was close enough to home that every day she ran the risk of running into her family.

  Not that it would be a terrible thing to do, she told herself.

  It would only be confusing since they still believed her to be in Oklahoma. That’s what she and Luanne had written to tell them.

  They were safe in the west, having a lovely time with the gentlemen. No guaranteed return date yet.

  But surely her parents wouldn’t mind; the two of them had plenty of projects and clubs and work to focus their attentions on.

  Lorelei on the other hand was sorely missed.

  Pausing by a bread shop, Louise noticed the cinnamon rolls. Lorelei’s favorite. She sighed and wondered again if she should visit home.

  Or she could just find a way to talk to her sister. For a minute she wondered if that would be possible. To reach out to her younger sister and hug her again.

  Tell her everything that had happened since they had last seen one another.

  A lump formed in her throat.

  Louise hurried inside and went to the counter. “Two cinnamon rolls please,” she requested, exchanging the money in return for the treats.

  On her way out, she ducked her head and inhaled the sweet scent. It was delightful.

  “Louise Mercedes Soleil Moreau?”

  Eyes wide, she jerked her head up.

  No one had said her full name in a long time. Not since her father had been upset with the last book she had brought home.

  A cold shiver ran down her spine in dismay.

  It couldn’t be. There wasn’t a chance in all the world that either of her parents would be there. But that didn’t stop the thumping in her heart.

  Her eyes darted around the marketplace, through the foods and baskets and ribbons. It had to be her imagination. That was the only logical reason.

  As she told herself this over and over, she prepared to hurry off back the way she had come.

  Except it was too late.

  Louise yelped as she felt a familiar hand grab her elbow. It reminded her of too many moments in her childhood when she was being pulled back to the house, back in the room, back into order when all she wanted to do was run free or read.

  She whirled back around with wide eyes, shocked to find her mother standing before her.

  “Mother.” Louise couldn’t find any other words.

  Mrs. Lacy Moreau looked as lovely as usual in her fine dress and decked out in lace that softened her sharp figure. Her hair was perfectly coifed and even her nails shone in the sunlight.

  The fine lady stood with her shoulders back standing as straight as a statue.

  Instantly, Louise felt recalled back to her youth. She moved her own shoulders back and stuck her chin out as though ready for a scolding.

  Her stomach tightened as well, but that didn’t help much. It only made it harder for her to breathe.

  “What, pray tell, are you doing here in town?” Mrs. Moreau asked. Her brow furrowed and by the jaw lock, she was angry.

  A woman could never be upset out in public.

  Louise felt her mother’s nails dig into her arm so she couldn’t move. Her heart was still hammering loudly in her chest. She tried to think but the thumping was just so loud.

  “I…” She tried to smile. “It’s good to see you, Mother.”

  “Of course it is,” her mother responded sharply. “It’s always wonderful to see family. But usually that is through an expected arrival.

  “How long have you been here? I don’t see your bags. Yesterday? Last week?

  “What if someone saw you and told me? If I didn’t know my own daughter had returned to town? Who are you even with? Louise, if you’re staying with the Rehns, I swear…”

  She shook her head at the memory of Jeremy Rehns, known well throughout the area for his spoiled and selfish ways.

  Though her family kept close connections with the otherwise kind and popular family, Jeremy was unavoidable.

  Louise had hardly thought of them or anyone else since reaching Louisiana.

  “You raised me better than that,” she assured her mother. “And I didn’t do it on purpose, Mother, we…” Louise hesitated to say too much.

  Richard’s story was his own. She swallowed and glanced around to see who was nearby.

  That reminded her mother as well that they were out in public. The tight grip on her arm loosened. Her mother inhaled deeply before taking a step closer to slip her arm in so they were beside one another.

  “Let’s walk,” the woman advised as they pulled themselves together.

  She sniffed politely, pulled her parasol up to shade them both from the bright sun, and started them down the trail.

  Mrs. Moreau was well-known throughout the entire town. People cleared the way for her as they walked.

  It made Louise uncomfortable, not looking for attention. She liked being anonymous in a crowd, lost to all but herself.

  But she had grown up with the woman as her mother. Louise accepted the inevitable.

  Her mother had wanted her to go to Oklahoma, after all. Louise had left with her mother’s blessing. If she hadn’t given it, Louise wasn’t certain if she really would have had the courage to leave her home.

  They walked down the lane and took a turn before either of them could find the right words. The shock faded and the anger softened into frustration.

  Her mother took her hand and rubbed it softly as though to remember the touch.

  “I missed you,” Louise offered softly. “But there’s been so much happening…”

  “You’re not alone?” her mother asked her sternly.

  Hurriedly she shook her head. “No! No, not at all. Well, right now, yes. But no, I traveled with Richard Hanson. Yes, the gentleman I went to visit out west.”

  “Did you wed?”

  Of course Louise knew that would be the next question. She inhaled to prepare herself for her mother’s anticipated response. “No. Not yet.”

  Mrs. Moreau’s entire body stiffened, tightening her grip on Louise.

  “And why ever not?” she asked through gritted teeth. “If people know you’ve been traveling unescorted… where are you even staying? Louise, this is nonsense.”

  “Mother,” Louise pleaded. “Please, listen to me. Please. Stop worrying about all the people you may or may not know. Everything has been just fine.

  “I mean it. Honestly. We took the train, and that was decent. Then we’ve had our separate rooms at Mister Seary’s lodge.”

  Her mother stewed for a minute. “A lodge? For travelers? Oh, if anyone hears my daughter has been in town and not been with me… to stay in a lodge mere streets from your home.

  “Any decent person would assume you were hiding something. This makes no sense.

  “I can’t understand what you must have been thinking. It’s quite unreasonable for such a smart girl like yourself. You know I would welcome you home with open arms. Your father as well.”

  Louise sighed.

  Only minutes after a family reunion with her mother and she was being scolded. The hand on hers lightened its grip, however, and she leaned into the other woman.

  It was annoying, but it was expected. And she couldn’t help admitting that there was something comforting about havin
g her mother beside her again.

  “It’s complicated,” Louise articulated carefully. “We’re here because of the healing clinic.”

  Mrs. Moreau stopped to give her a good look. “You don’t mean McCoy’s clinic, do you? Where Lorelai visits every summer? Whatever for? What’s wrong with you?”