Before the Dawn

by Beverly Jenkins

  Dripping wet, Leah coolly took the towel from his hand and began to dry herself. “Good morning. Have I not prepared to leave early enough? I didn’t think you’d begrudge me a shower. I was pretty sticky after all that juice.”

  Ryder’s eyes glowed with his own rise in temper. And his manhood glowed with the sight of her damp nakedness. Vivid and erotic memories of last night rose in his mind but he pushed them away. “You’re awfully brazen this morning for a woman who was a virgin last night.”

  Leah placed her foot on the seat of a short metal chair so she could dry her leg. “Isn’t this what you paid for?”

  Ryder looked at her ripe hips as she bent over to towel herself and could do nothing about the desire that flashed through his blood. “Brazen and sassy.”

  “I told you I was more everything than you thought when we met. It’s how we virgin whores are.”

  Leah knew that if she held on to her anger, he wouldn’t be able to hurt the parts of herself that had been left so vulnerable by their parting last night. She stood there nude as Bathsheba before David. “Is there a reason you’re here?”

  Ryder ran his eyes over the dark jewels of her breasts, the long marcasite legs and the hair curling over the juncture of her thighs. What he wanted he couldn’t have—ever again. “I came to tell you that Sam’ll be taking you back.”

  “That’s fine.”

  Ryder knew he should turn and leave now, but everything about her made him want to sweep her damp beauty up into his arms, take her back to his bed, and slowly finish what they didn’t finish fully last night. However he squelched the need by reminding himself that he didn’t know who or what she was.

  Leah could plainly see the desire hiding behind his stormy eyes. Yes, it called to her, but, like him, she pushed it away. “Is there anything else?”

  “Yes, this.” He held out a stack of folded bills. “I know you haven’t any at the moment.”

  Leah scanned his eyes, wondering just how much more he planned to offend her, but she took the offering because she knew she’d need it. Pride rarely fed a person as needy as she knew she was going to be. “You’re very generous.”

  That said, she wrapped the large drying sheet around her nudity and left him standing there.

  In the silence that followed her exit, a stunned and angry Ryder wondered when and how he’d lost the upper hand.

  After dressing in a burgundy traveling costume and a matching feathered hat, Leah took a solitary breakfast in her room, then met Sam at the front door. Her trunks were packed and ready to go. She took one last wistful look around the house. It was indeed beautiful. She doubted she’d ever see it again.

  As if he’d read her mind, Sam said quietly, “You’ll be back, don’t worry.”

  Leah didn’t reply.

  Chapter 6

  Sam was loading Leah’s trunks into the wagon when they spotted a carriage thundering up the drive. Seth was behind the reins.

  “Wonder what he wants?” Sam voiced curiously.

  Before Leah could speculate, Seth pulled back on the brake and jumped down. His golden face was lined with anxiety, his horses lathered from the fast pace. “Leah, Cecil’s ill. Eloise says you’d better come fast.”

  A shiver passed over Leah. “How ill?”

  “Very. He may not last the day.”

  Stunned, Leah looked to Sam, who replied without hesitation, “Go on with Seth. His buggy can get you there faster. I’ll bring your trunks.”

  “What’s happened?”

  Everyone paused. Ryder. He was standing in the doorway.

  Leah told him, “Cecil’s taken ill. Miss Eloise wants me to come right away. She sent Seth.”

  Ryder held his brother’s eyes for a long time, then declared, “I’ll take her.”

  After all that had happened, Leah didn’t want him involved. “That isn’t necessary. Seth can—”

  “I’ll take you.” His voice broached no argument. He turned to his brother. “Tell Eloise we’re on our way.”

  The two siblings faced each other like opposing forces on a battlefield until a stormy-faced Seth finally said, “As you wish, brother.” Stalking over to his black carriage, he whipped his horses around and headed back up the drive.

  Leah wanted to shout at Ryder for interfering, but her need to see Cecil overrode all else.

  Ryder turned to Leah. “I need to ride out to my office—Eloise’s place is on the way. I’ll drop you off, then go on to town. Give me five minutes to change clothes.”

  She wanted to give him a leaky boat and send him shark hunting, but held her tongue. They could argue later. “You have four,” she told him pointedly.

  He went back into the house.

  While she and Sam waited for Ryder’s return, Sam tried to make small talk, but once it became apparent Leah wasn’t in the mood he gave up. After more long moments of silence though, he finally told her, “You may as well tell me your side because he’s going to tell me his whether I want to hear it or not.”

  Leah shrugged. “Nothing to tell. It seems my virginity angered him.”

  Sam stared at her with wide eyes.

  Leah responded with a thin smile. “Bet you’re sorry you asked.”

  Sam nodded. “You’re right about that, and pardon me for being nosy, but did he explain why he’s mad about that?”

  “He didn’t have to. I know why. He’d prefer I be someone else.”

  Sam seemed to think on that for a moment, then offered, “Well, like I said, he can be slow at times.”

  “Fish are smarter.”

  He chuckled at first, then his manner became serious. “Do you really want to go back to Helene’s to stay?”

  “No.” Leah had quite enough of her sharp-tongued hostess.

  “Well, Miss Eloise has a small cabin in back of her place that she lets out every now and then. Maybe you can stay there, providing all goes well with Cecil.”

  “Providing,” she echoed. She’d already lost everyone else in her world. She hoped he wouldn’t be taken from her, too. Thoughts of her ailing friend made her impatient for Ryder’s return. “Where is he?” she asked Sam.

  As if cued, Ryder and his carriage came barreling around the side of the house. She could see he’d changed into a soft hide shirt with rawhide ties down the front. He halted the two-horse team near where she stood with Sam, and asked, “Ready?”

  Leah wasn’t ready to go anywhere with him, but for Cecil she’d endure even his presence. “Yes.”

  With Sam’s assistance, she climbed in. A blink of an eye later, she and Ryder were under way.

  Leah knew the journey to Miss Eloise’s would take over an hour and in that time she hoped they wouldn’t argue; however, she wanted to know exactly why he’d insisted on driving her. “Why are you doing this?”

  “We have unfinished business.”

  Leah looked his way. “You said my debt was paid.”

  “It is, but you owe me the truth.”

  “You didn’t want to hear the truth, remember?”

  Ryder’s jaw tightened. She was right, of course, he hadn’t, at least not then; he’d been too angry, too shocked. In reality, he wasn’t really prepared to hear it now, but she’d been a virgin last night, and, dammit, he wanted an explanation. “You could be carrying my child, you know.”

  That chilling reality swept over Leah with all its ramifications, but she pushed it away. “And I could not be.”

  Ryder had to hand it to her, she was tough. “Was my father unable to perform his marital duties, is that why you were untouched?”

  Leah surveyed him for a moment, her temper rising, but she kept herself under control. “Last night, you put me out of your bed and this morning, out of your house. I don’t owe you anything, least of all answers.”

  Ryder heard her anger and the underlying hurt in her voice. He didn’t want to be affected by it, but he was. Rather than give credence to the fact that her feelings were slowly beginning to penetrate the well-established barriers he�
�d set up around his own emotions, he concentrated on driving. Neither of them said another word for the rest of the trip.

  As soon as Ryder halted the carriage in front of Miss Eloise’s house, Leah hopped down and ran up the walk to the door. She knocked loudly.

  As Seth opened the door, Ryder rode away. “I see you made it,” Seth said.

  “Yes, where is he?”

  Eloise appeared. “Oh thank goodness. Cecil’s in here.”

  Without giving Ryder or anyone else a second thought, Leah hurried to follow Eloise.

  Cecil was lying on a small cot in a back room. His body looked so still that for a moment Leah thought she’d arrived too late, but the pain-wracked moan that slipped from his lips let her know he was still holding on. It gave her hope.

  She walked over to the cot. “Cecil?”

  His eyes slowly slid open, but they appeared so unfocused it was hard to determine whether he knew she was there or not. A heartbeat later the lids closed once more. Moved, Leah took a seat on the edge of the thin mattress and softly stroked his brow. He was sweating profusely but his skin felt ice cold. “What’s wrong with him?”

  Eloise shook her head sadly. “I wish I knew. According to Seth, Helene said he began vomiting this morning and was complaining of fuzzy vision, his throat burning, and that everything looked greenish yellow.”

  Leah stared confused. “Greenish yellow. Was it something he ate, do you think?”

  Eloise shrugged. “Maybe, but he can’t seem to speak, so I don’t know.”

  “He can’t speak?”

  “Seems that way. When he first got here he tried, but it was as if his face had stiffened up and he was having trouble moving his mouth.”

  Leah looked up with alarm. “Like a paralysis of some sort?”

  Eloise nodded affirmatively. “And he’s getting worse. He’s only been here a few hours, but he’s had numerous convulsions and vomiting. I can’t give him anything if I don’t know what’s ailing him.”

  Leah understood. She could see how concerned Eloise appeared, and it mirrored her own reaction. Leah didn’t want him to die. If he was going to pass, she wanted to at least let him know beforehand how much he’d meant to her and how much she loved him. He let out another series of anguished cries that literally broke her heart. “Can’t you do anything for him? What about the doctors in Denver?”

  “They won’t treat us. Closest one who will is in Boulder.”

  Leah continued to mop Cecil’s brow. “His breathing’s very shallow.”

  “I know and it’s getting slower. I wish I knew where and what he’d eaten.”

  While he continued to moan and toss, Leah reached down and tightly held his lifeless hand. “Did Helene know or say anything else?”

  “Only that he left her house last night to meet someone. She doesn’t know who. When he returned he mentioned being a bit nauseous but thought it would pass, so he went on to bed.”

  Leah looked down at Cecil and called softly, “Cecil, what did you eat last night?”

  He responded with more guttural moans that seemed rooted in pain.

  “Cecil,” she called again, this time a bit louder.

  Silence.

  Eloise said, “I’m going to take a chance and give him something to clean out his body—see if that helps.”

  Leah nodded and began to pray.

  For the rest of the daylight hours, Eloise went in and out of the sickroom with cups of herbs and medicinals. Leah assisted as much as she could, boiling water, washing soiled linens, and mixing Eloise’s carefully measured elixirs. For a while during the late afternoon, they thought he might be rallying: his skin felt less feverish, and he seemed more lucid, but evidently didn’t possess the strength or the mental clarity to recall his whereabouts before he’d taken ill because he never spoke a word. When he slipped back into unconsciousness Eloise put a consoling arm around Leah’s shoulders and gave her a soft squeeze of encouragement. “Don’t give up hope—he may pull out of this yet.”

  A numb Leah nodded. If he didn’t, she’d have no one. Everyone she’d loved would’ve been buried, all within the last year.

  Eloise said, “Why don’t you get you some tea, then go out and sit with Alice? I find she helps me at times like these.”

  Leah didn’t want to leave Cecil’s bedside.

  “Go,” Eloise commanded softly. “We may be at this all night, and you’ll need your wits about you.”

  Leah agreed and reluctantly took the woman’s advice.

  Outside the sickroom sat a worried-looking Sam and Seth. Sam had arrived a bit after she and Ryder, and she was glad he’d remained. She was also grateful to see that although the men were from warring camps, they seemed to have momentarily set aside their differences in order to offer their help and support. Leah was hardly surprised that Ryder had taken off without so much as asking after Cecil.

  “How’s he doing?” Sam asked.

  Leah shook her head sadly, “We thought he was coming around, but now—”

  Seth asked, “Does he have family back East, anyone you might want me to wire and notify?”

  “No. He has no one but me.” And I have no one but him. “Eloise suggested I get some tea and try and relax. She thought talking to Alice might help. Anyone care to join me?”

  Sam stood, saying, “No, I need to get on home, but I’ll be back first thing in the morning.”

  Leah didn’t want him to go. Sam Waters was well on the way to becoming a good friend, and she could dearly use one during this time of trial, but knew he had to return to Sunrise. She also knew him to be a man of his word; if he said he’d be back first thing tomorrow, he would be.

  Seth looked to Sam. “I’ll stay with her, Sam,” then he added, “that is, if my brother doesn’t mind.”

  Memories of Ryder pierced Leah’s heart. She pushed them away. “Ryder’s not a consideration.”

  She saw the curiosity in Seth’s eyes but chose not to address it now. They’d have plenty of time to talk later. “Sam, thanks for bringing my things.”

  Her trunks were stacked up by the parlor door.

  “My pleasure. I’ll be back in the morning.”

  After giving Seth a short nod, Sam departed.

  There was an awkwardness in the air once she and Seth were alone. Leah knew he’d been very upset about the deal she’d made with Ryder, and now probably had a fairly low opinion of her moral makeup as well.

  Seth broke the silence. “How about that tea, though at this point I’d personally prefer something a little stronger.”

  To her surprise he opened a sideboard and extracted a cut-glass decanter.

  “Scotch,” he explained as he splashed a small portion into a shot glass. “Any for you?”

  Leah shook her head.

  He set the decanter back. “Let’s go.”

  Outside, dusk had painted purple-and-orange swatches across the sky. After being inside most of the day, the cool air felt good on Leah’s face. She and Seth walked through the field of flowers to the back of the house and over to the stone bench positioned only a few feet away from Eloise’s beautiful stone daughter, Alice. Leah once again found herself overwhelmed by the beauty and detail. Looking at Alice’s laughing face, Leah asked, “Do you know when she made this?”

  Seth took a small sip of his scotch, then said, “I must’ve been eight or so. She’s very lifelike isn’t she?”

  “Yes, she is.”

  “When we were young, Ryder was afraid of her.”

  Leah held his gaze over her tea. “Of Alice, why?”

  “He thought she was real. Thought Eloise had turned her into a statute for being naughty.”

  “Why on earth would he think such a thing?”

  Seth took another swallow. “Because it’s what I told him.”

  Leah thought he might smile and view the episode as a simple sibling prank, but the cold eyes told her otherwise. “You wanted to frighten him.”

  Seth nodded. “I hated him. Eloise would make
arrangements for us to be here with her every summer. I guess she thought we needed to know each other, but every summer I tried to make the time as miserable for him as I could.” He quieted as if recalling those times. “Not too proud of myself now though.”

  The confession made Leah feel better about him.

  “Oh don’t get me wrong, he paid me back in spades. In fact, once he retaliated while I was sleeping. Smeared rancid bear grease all over my face and in my hair. It took Eloise all day to get the grease off, and a week for me to stop attracting flies.”

  Leah chuckled.

  “It’s good to see you smile again.”

  “Haven’t had much to smile about,” Leah admitted.

  “So what happened? Couldn’t help but see Sam loading your trunks in the wagon this morning back at Sunrise,” he added quietly.

  Leah searched his light brown eyes. She knew he was referring to the bargain she’d made with his brother. “He’s forgiven my debt, then asked that I leave, so I have.” She had no intention of telling him more than that.

  Seth drained the last of the liquid in the glass. “Can’t say I’m disappointed. You’re a beautiful woman, Leah. I’d rather see you on my arm than his.”

  She didn’t reply.

  “Do you think Cecil’s going to pull through?” he asked.

  Leah was glad he’d changed the subject, but found this one no less troubling. “I don’t know. I pray he will.”

  “You consider him family?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I do. Always have. Whenever I got in trouble Cecil always helped fish me out. Even stood up to my mother on a few occasions.” The sadness Leah had been fighting all day welled up and threatened to swamp her, but she forced it away. There would be plenty of time for joy, or sorrow, soon enough. “I should get back. Eloise may need me.”

  He escorted her back inside.

  Having spent the day at his office, Ryder returned to Eloise’s around midnight. He wasn’t pleased to find his brother sitting in her parlor, nursing a scotch. “What’re you doing here?” he asked bluntly as he took off his wet slicker and hat. It had been pouring rain most of the night.