They left the Grand Hotel together. She turned in the direction of Mrs. Brown’s house.
Seth took her arm. “Where are you going?”
Rebecca looked up at him. “To pick up Janie.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I must be really tired, I’d forgotten all about the baby. How is she?”
She took a step forward and he released his hold on her. “She’s growing so fast. Can you believe she pushed herself up and rocked back and forth for several seconds before collapsing to the floor yesterday? She’ll be crawling before we know it.”
From the corner of her eye she watched his lip twitch into a half smile as if he could picture Janie trying to crawl. “Wish I could have seen that.”
“Me, too.” They walked on in silence for a few more moments. “Seth, did you ever find out what happened to her parents?”
“No.”
Rebecca looked up into the star-filled sky. It looked as if she could reach up and touch heaven. Had Janie’s parents been believers? She’d wondered that question every day since she’d taken Janie in.
The smell of wood smoke filled the evening air as they passed several houses. Mrs. Brown’s house came into sight and Rebecca hurried her footsteps. She’d missed Janie and wanted to cuddle her, inhale her baby scent and kiss her soft cheeks.
Seth walked in time with her. He held the fence gate open so that she could enter Mrs. Brown’s front yard. It had felt so right dancing with him tonight. But she didn’t like the way his mood changed from moment to moment. There were moments when she’d thought he might kiss her. Would she have allowed him to? Rebecca frowned at the question. She wasn’t sure.
* * *
Seth leaned over in the saddle and studied the prints he’d been following for the past two days. Horace Nance and another member of the Evans gang were a few hours ahead of him. He was saddle sore and bone tired.
For two weeks he’d been tracking down the Evans gang. Each member he caught led him to the next. He sat up and yawned.
The only problem was that no one wanted to tell the gang’s exact number. When had they grown so large? Every disgruntled outlaw in the New Mexico Territory seemed to have joined them. What he wouldn’t give for a good cup of Rebecca’s coffee and his warm, soft bed.
He climbed out of the saddle and led the horse to the river’s edge. While the horse drank, Seth leaned against a tree. His eyes were heavy so he shut them. The warmth of the sun caused him to relax further.
Shots filled the air. Pain sliced through his right leg and left shoulder, and his side burned. Seth sunk to the ground and grasped his side. He pulled sticky red fingers back and felt the warm blood that coated them. Seth ducked his head just as a bullet grazed his left temple.
Ambushed.
How had he let this happen? Seth flattened his body against the ground and searched for his horse. Tail held high, the stallion raced up the river bank on the other side. Now what? Would the outlaws finish him off? Or take him captive?
Darkness edged into his line of vision. Seth shook his throbbing head. He pulled himself behind the tree he’d been leaning against moments before and prayed for protection as inky blackness shut out the light.
* * *
Rebecca couldn’t stand being idle any longer. She scooped up Janie, a basket of dust rags and her shawl. Seth had been by several times to check on her and Janie, but had said she didn’t need to come to the house because he wasn’t spending much time there. He’d also warned her not to go anywhere alone.
She tickled Janie under the chin. “I’m not alone, am I, sweetie? You’re with me.” Rebecca walked into the dress store and called to Eliza, “Eliza, I’m heading over to the marshal’s house to dust.”
“It’ll be dark soon. Don’t stay over there too long.” Eliza turned back to the ironing board.
She knew her friend was thinking about the Evans gang. So far they hadn’t approached her again, but still her friend worried about her. “I won’t.” Rebecca rocked the basket as she walked to Seth’s house. She missed him.
Grace came running up to her. “Hi, Miss Rebecca. Where are you going?”
Rebecca smiled at her young friend. “Over to dust the marshal’s house. Want to come?”
Grace wrinkled her nose. “Do I have to dust, too?”
“Nope. But if you want to play with Janie for a little while, you’re welcome to do that.” Rebecca handed Grace the basket.
“All right.”
Rebecca stepped inside the musty-smelling house. She left the door open and handed Janie to Grace. Next, she spread out a blanket on the floor for Grace to put the baby on. “This place needs a good airing out.” Then she headed into the kitchen to open the back door, too.
“It does smell in here,” Grace called from the sitting room.
A light breeze flowed from one door to the other. “That will help.” Rebecca came back into the sitting room and pulled a dust rag from the basket. “Don’t let her put anything into her mouth,” she warned Grace.
“I won’t.” Grace took a little rattle from the basket and gave it to the baby. She talked to Janie and pulled out another small toy. Rebecca smiled at the two girls before going to work on the dust that had accumulated during her absence.
She dusted the sitting room and the guest room and had just entered Seth’s room when she heard a commotion outside.
“Miss Rebecca, hurry!” Grace squealed from the sitting room.
Rebecca ran to the girls. Her heart pounded as she watched two men carry another man into the house. She couldn’t see his features but knew it had to be Seth. Blood covered one side of his face. His arm hung limp, and dark color stained his shirt and pants.
They stopped just inside the doorway. “Excuse me, Miss Ramsey. Where is his bedroom?”
Her eyes met the doctor’s serious gaze. Her hand shook as she pointed to the room she’d just left. “What can I do?” she asked, following the men into the small room.
Seth groaned as they laid him down.
“I need hot water, a pair of scissors and freshly laundered rags to clean up these bullet wounds.” He’d already moved past the other men and was tearing at Seth’s shirt.
Rebecca turned to do his bidding and ran into Grace. She caught the girl before she fell and hit the floor. “Grace, please take Janie into the other bedroom and watch her for me.”
“Yes, Miss Rebecca.” Grace raced back to Janie and picked her up.
She hurried to the kitchen and grabbed the water bucket. Empty. Rebecca ran outside to the well. As she pulled the water up her thoughts went to Seth. What had happened? Was it the Evans gang? Or someone else? Being a lawman was dangerous, but she’d never expected to see Seth covered in dried blood and looking so pale. Tears burned the back of her eyes.
Rebecca put the water on the stove and then built a fire to heat it. She found a pair of scissors and took them to the doctor. The two men who had carried Seth in were gone.
He took the scissors and waved for her to leave the room. The doctor returned to Seth’s side and began cutting his shirt off his shoulder. Rebecca looked past him to Seth. His breathing came in shallow gasps.
She whispered, “Is he going to make it?”
The doctor continued to cut away Seth’s clothes. “If I have anything to do with it, he will. Now go check on the water, I need to clean up these wounds and dig out the bullets.”
Rebecca hurried into the guest room to check on the girls. Grace played with Janie on the bed. “Thank you, Grace. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here to take care of Janie.”
“Is the marshal going to be all right?”
She tugged on Grace’s braid. “Doc says he thinks so. Do you mind watching Janie for just a few more minutes?”
Grace smiled at the baby. “No, I don’t mind. But she’s getting hungry.”
“As soon as I get the hot water for the doctor, I’ll come back and feed her.”
“All right.” Grace turned her attention
back on Janie.
Rebecca hurried to the kitchen and poured hot water into a big bowl. She found a clean dishcloth and took everything to Seth’s bedroom. The doctor took the bowl and rag. “Thank you, Miss Ramsey.”
He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “Don’t go far, I may need you to hold him down when I remove these bullets.”
She gulped. “I’ll be in the next room feeding Janie.”
Once more he waved her away with his hand. “Fine, fine.”
Rebecca headed back into the kitchen and warmed up a bottle for Janie. Tears pricked her eyes again. What if Seth died? Her heart twisted at the thought. She closed her eyes and silently prayed. Lord, please don’t let him die. In our own way, we’ve become friends and I don’t want to lose him.
“Miss Rebecca, Janie is crying.” Grace stood in the doorway holding the screaming baby.
Rebecca tested the temperature of the milk on her wrist and then turned to Grace. “I’m sorry, Grace. Bring her here and I’ll feed her.”
Grace handed the baby to Rebecca. As soon as Janie saw the bottle she stopped her thrashing and reached for the milk. “She sure raises a fuss when she’s hungry, doesn’t she?” Grace said.
Rebecca rocked Janie in her arms. “She sure does.” She smiled at Grace. “Thank you again, Grace. If you want to go home before it gets too dark, go ahead. I’m going to feed Janie and then she’ll be ready for bed.”
Relief washed over the little girl’s face. “All right.” Grace hurried from the room. The sound of the door slamming into place announced her exit.
She returned to the guest bedroom and sunk into the rocker that Seth had purchased shortly after they’d found Janie. His thoughtfulness had touched her and now she realized he might not live to see Janie grow into a beautiful young woman. Stop thinking like that! she told herself. Seth is strong—he’s going to make it.
Janie’s soft sucking noises filled the silent room. The sound of the doctor moving about the bedroom next door filtered through the wall. Seth groaned. Rebecca’s heart twisted. She picked the baby up and gently patted her on the back, then continued rocking until Janie fell asleep.
Rebecca continued to hold the baby long after her soft snores filled the air. She listened to the sound of sloshing water from next door and the occasional moan from Seth. A few moments later, the doctor filled the bedroom doorway.
“Miss Ramsey, can you help me?”
She nodded.
He turned to leave.
Rebecca said a silent prayer for strength. She laid the baby in the center of the bed and placed rolled-up blankets around Janie to keep her from falling off. Then she straightened her shoulders and walked into Seth’s bedroom.
The bowl of water she’d given the doctor earlier sat on a small table beside the bed. She gulped at the amount of blood on the dishcloth. “I need fresh water and another dishrag, please,” the doctor said as he cut away Seth’s pant leg.
Relief washed over her as she scooped up the red water and hurried from the room. She’d thought he wanted her to hold Seth while he dug for bullets. Rebecca tossed the water out the back door and hurried to rinse out the bowl. She refilled it with fresh hot water and grabbed another dishcloth before returning to Seth’s bedroom.
She set the bowl down and looked to the doctor. He bent over Seth’s thigh and frowned. “That bullet is going to have to come out. The ones in his arm and side went straight through, but this one seems to be buried against the bone.”
Rebecca dreaded what he would ask her to do next but squared her shoulders to comply. She knew the doctor would have to cut the bullet out. Did she have the strength to hold Seth down? Tears filled her eyes.
Chapter Seventeen
Rebecca’s gaze went to Seth’s pale face. The doctor had washed off the blood and placed a bandage around his forehead. She wondered where he’d gotten the cloth to create the dressing and then saw that one of the sheets had been torn into bandages.
“Is the baby sleeping?”
Rebecca nodded.
“Good. Go to the livery and ask Hank to come over here. Then go to the blacksmith shop and see if Dan can come, too. I’ll keep an ear open for the babe.” He never looked up from his work. His fingers prodded the open wound.
She hurried from the room. Fresh tears filled her eyes when she heard Seth yelp in pain. Within moments both Dan and Hank were rushing to the marshal’s house. Rebecca followed them inside. She listened as the doctor gave them instructions on where to stand while he removed the bullet.
Rebecca hurried to the guest room and scooped up a sleeping Janie. She hurried from the house to avoid the sounds of surgery. If Eliza hadn’t already left for the pie supper over at the church, Rebecca would have taken Janie home. Tears blinded her as she carried Janie to Mrs. Brown’s house. She prayed the older woman wouldn’t mind watching her baby.
Mrs. Brown met her at the door. “Hello, dear. What brings you here?”
She cradled the baby to her. “I was wondering if you would mind watching Janie for me. I will be back in a couple of hours to get her.”
“I’ll be happy to, Miss Ramsey.” The older woman extended her arms to Rebecca.
She handed her Janie. The baby continued to sleep and suck her thumb. “She should sleep until I return.” Rebecca brushed the hair off the baby’s forehead.
“I’ll take good care of her. Now hurry back to the marshal, dear.”
Rebecca looked deeply into the older woman’s eyes. “How did you know I’d be going back to the marshal’s?” Did the woman think that she wanted to get rid of Janie to spend time with Seth? The desire to reach out and take her baby back from the woman threatened to overtake her.
“Oh, the old gossips have already been by the house. Is he as shot up as they say he is?” Mrs. Brown tucked a little black curl behind Janie’s small ear.
“He’s pretty bad off. I’m heading back to see if I can do anything to help the doctor,” Rebecca replied. Hadn’t she already said that? Rebecca couldn’t remember. Her mind wouldn’t focus on anything more than getting back to Seth.
The old woman nodded. “I’ll take care of the baby, don’t worry.”
“Thank you,” Rebecca said and then turned to leave.
“Rebecca?”
She stopped at the sound of her name. “Yes?”
“If you ever need a friend to talk to, these old ears will listen.”
She smiled at Mrs. Brown. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”
The crickets began to chirp their happiness at the coming of nightfall. As she hurried back to Seth, Rebecca wondered about Mrs. Brown’s words. She thanked the Lord above that she had Eliza and Hannah to talk to when she needed sympathetic friends. Was Mrs. Brown offering friendship because she needed friendship? Rebecca decided she’d explore that thought more, once Seth was feeling well again. Until then, she wanted to be by his side with no distractions.
She hurried through the door just as the men were leaving the bedroom. Their grim faces caused her to think the worst. “Is he…?” Rebecca couldn’t finish the question around the large knot in her throat.
“Yep, he passed out.” The blacksmith rubbed his large forearms. A frown marred his normally smiling face.
Hank shook his head. “Poor guy. That had to have hurt.”
“I thought he was going to bite right through the belt,” Dan added.
Rebecca’s gaze moved to the shut bedroom door. “What’s Doc doing now?”
“Cleaning up the wound. He had to cut deep and wide for that bullet. Good thing the reverend found him when he did, otherwise he might have bled out.”
Bile rose in her throat as she pictured Seth’s bleeding body and the doctor working over him to dig out the bullet. She forced it back down, telling herself she couldn’t throw up. Soon she’d need to take care of Seth and she’d have to be strong.
Hank rubbed his booted toe against the hardwood floor. “I best be getting back to the livery.” He walked to the front door.
<
br /> “Me, too.” Dan followed the other man outside. Just before closing the door, he offered, “If you need any help, Miss Ramsey, give me a holler.”
A few minutes later, the doctor stepped out of the room. “Miss Ramsey, he woke up for a few moments and asked that you stay with him.”
“I wasn’t going anywhere, Doctor.” Rebecca wanted to go to where Seth lay but knew she needed to wait to hear what else the doctor had to say.
“Good. He should sleep the night through. I have several other patients I need to check on. Sally Rutherford’s baby is due any minute and I’m going to drive out to their farm, but I’ll be back in plenty of time to spend the night with Seth.” He snapped his bag shut and turned to leave.
“Is there anything special I need to do?” Rebecca followed him to the door. A light breeze lifted her hair.
“Naw, like I said, I gave him a dose of laudanum, he’ll probably sleep until morning. Just keep an eye on him in case he comes down with a fever.” He patted her hand before leaving.
Rebecca nodded. She watched him climb into his buggy and then turned to the quiet house. She slipped into Seth’s room, gathered up the bowl and towels the doctor had used and carried them to the kitchen to scrub clean. Once that was done, she checked on Seth again. He still slept peacefully.
With nothing else to do, Rebecca returned to the sitting room and took down the Bible. She began to read the book of Exodus. The stories of Moses, Pharaoh and the Israelites carried her away to the days of old and the teachings of God.
Several hours later, she stood and stretched, and then she checked on Seth. His pale face matched the clean pillow case. Rebecca said a silent prayer of thanks that he was alive and then returned to the sitting room. A look at the clock told her the doctor would be back soon. She decided he might like a light supper so she headed to the kitchen.
As she moved about, Rebecca began to dream of married life. What would it be like to have her own kitchen? To have babies crawling about her feet? And a man who loved her more than anyone else?
How long had she dreamed of having her own family? Having someone who would love her? The sad truth came to her. It was the day her father married her stepmother. Since the age of fifteen, Rebecca had wanted to be part of a loving family again.
The Marshal's Promise Page 12
