“It’s personal. Family business, actually.”
“You’re family?” Daisy asked.
“No. I’m just the messenger. Doing a favor for Lydia’s brother.”
“I didn’t even know she had a brother,” Beth said, hurt in her eyes, as if Lydia had betrayed her by not mentioning Randall. Ask me, it was a mercy.
“Maybe she didn’t think him worth mentioning,” Wyatt offered. He watched me over the rim of his glass as if he’d asked a question rather than made a statement.
Lydia had no shortage of people ready to defend her. I hoped they weren’t the type to kill the messenger, so to speak.
Juanita and Lydia made another trip into the dining room with more platters of food.
“Lydia,” Beth said. “Mr. Wilder is here to speak with you.”
“What?” Her eyes mirrored the surprise in her voice.
I reached into the inside pocket of my jacket and brought out the letter her brother had given me to deliver. I had no idea what he’d written, but whatever it was would likely change her life. Of that I was certain. Randall had a way of doing that.
I stood and approached where she’d rooted herself to the floor. Looking down at the letter in my hands, I wished I didn’t have to give it to her, but I’d come this far and I had to go through with it if for no other reason than to discharge that blasted debt. I held a shred of hope he’d forget what he knew about me after that and leave me be—but only a shred.
I took one of her hands in mine and looked her in the eyes, which I noticed were a rich honey brown. Fear crouched there, ready to pounce as soon as I spoke again. “I’m sorry I have to tell you this news, but your mother has passed away.”
I expected tears, but instead she let go of the breath she’d been holding and the fear disappeared, replaced by relief. “Oh, well, I suppose it was bound to happen.”
“Are you all right, Lydia?” Beth asked.
“She looks like a rabbit ready to bolt,” Daisy said.
“I’m fine. I wasn’t close to Mother. I haven’t spoken with her in several years.” She glanced down at the letter in my hand, then back up at me. “Is that for me?”
“Oh, yes, sorry.” I dropped her hand and gave her the letter. “It’s from your brother.”
She sucked in a little breath and the fear returned to her eyes. “I forgot the bread,” she said and scurried back to the kitchen, leaving the letter dangling from my hand.
“And there she goes,” Daisy said.
“Why’d her brother send you to deliver a letter?” Isaac asked. “He doesn’t trust mail delivery?”
“He could have sent a telegram,” Sam said.
“I have no idea what’s in this letter, but he asked me to let her know her mother had passed, and then I’m to escort her back to him in Omaha. I suspect he wants to reunite with her to deal with their mother’s passing.”
“I’ll go check on her,” Beth said and headed for the kitchen.
“How well do you know her brother?” Isaac asked.
A tricky question. I didn’t know any of these folks, and beyond their protectiveness of Lydia, I had no real way to gauge their character. Isaac and Wyatt struck me as tough customers, Sam as more relaxed. Daisy stood her ground. Nellie just watched me with sharp eyes.
“Not well. We’ve been acquainted for several years, but I owed him a favor, and this is how he asked me to repay it. He’s a Methodist minister. Lives in Omaha.”
I had no qualms telling them about Randall, but my association with him was more complicated and none of their business. Best to keep it as simple as possible.
Lydia appeared in the doorway. Beth gave her a little shove from behind until they’d both managed to make it into the room.
Lydia cleared her throat. “I apologize for my behavior, Mr. Wilder. You took me by surprise.”
I took a few steps closer and held the letter out, offering it to her. She kept her eyes on it as if she expected it to sprout teeth and bite her, and although she flinched a bit as I approached, she held her ground.
“Take it, Lydia,” Beth said.
Lydia seemed to deflate as she reached out and snatched the letter from my hand. She looked at it, ran her fingers over her name written on the front of it, then quickly turned it over and tore it open. She unfolded the paper and as she read, I watched her expression change from fear, to consternation, to surprise, to anger, to uncertainty.
“Well?” Daisy asked. “What’s it say?”
“He wants me to come home.”
“You are home,” Beth said. She sounded indignant, but how could I make her understand that the Lazy D wasn’t my home any more than my brother’s home was. Certainly the company was better, but otherwise I wasn’t so sure this was really home any more.
“Well, he wants me to come to his home, anyway,” I said.
Typical of Randall’s demeanor, the letter was brief, formal, and persuasive. He noted Mother’s passing, that she’d played an important role in his ministry and rather than hire outside help, he would prefer to rely on family. He needed me and hoped I’d understand my duty.
“You’ll just have to send a letter back with Mr. Wilder telling him you’re needed here,” Beth said.
I glanced at Emmett, and the sour expression on his face almost made me smile. It said, without any words, that he didn’t like that idea. He probably had plenty to say, but I doubted he had any desire to tangle with Beth at that moment.
“He needs my help,” I said, focusing on Beth again. Not that I was overly keen on family duty since Randall’s idea of duty only seemed to run one way.
“So do we,” Beth said.
I noticed Isaac watching Beth, his face dark with concern. I wondered what was on his mind. Seemed like none of the men were willing to risk jumping into the mix.
Beth had crossed her arms and stood firm, as if her word was law. I’d be forever grateful she’d taken me in when I needed a home and I had nowhere else to go. But Beth had the ranch to run now, and a devoted husband. It wouldn’t be long before they started a family and she had children to care for and lavish her love and attention on. I was certain she’d always provide a home for me, Daisy, and Nellie, but our little misfit family was a thing of the past.
I cocked my head and considered her. “Oh? Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you need me?”
My stomach twisted waiting for her answer. Beth and I were very different in temperament and upbringing, but I truly loved her as the sister I’d never had. We’d had our share of disagreements, the worst of which when I’d turned Isaac in to the sheriff as an outlaw. As long as I lived, I’d never forgive myself for that, and I suspected in a dark corner of my heart that Beth never would either.
“How could you even ask that? You’re family, Lydia. You belong here. It’s your home.”
“But you don’t really need me for anything. When we lived at the homestead, I cooked for us, we all worked together in the garden and did all the chores together, and we depended on each other to get by. Here, you have plenty of hired help for all that. You don’t need me, but Randall does.”
I couldn’t believe I was actually defending my brother. He was as shady and underhanded as Father had been, and I had no doubt he had some plan for me once I got to Omaha, but at least he truly needed me. It had been a while since I’d felt needed.
“That’s not true, Lydia. We need you. Isaac and I are so busy running the ranch, I can’t keep up with the books. You’re so organized, so good with numbers, I could really use your help keeping the books.”
I gave her a skeptical look. Her plea had the air of a hastily manufactured story.
“Why didn’t you ask me before now to handle the books?”
“You’re so busy teaching. I know how important that is to you. I didn’t want to add another burden. Daisy, Nellie? Tell her how much we need her to stay,” Beth said.
“Well, if you’re going to manage the ranch books, you may as
well manage the mine’s books, too. Once we begin construction, and hiring miners, and a foreman, I’ll be busy managing it all, and like Beth said, you’re the best of us with numbers,” Daisy said.
I’d had no idea they appreciated my accounting skills, or had thought about including me in their business pursuits. But it still felt less like they needed me and more like my skills could fill an empty business hole.
“I can certainly do those things, but you don’t really need me to do them. You can easily hire an accountant. If I weren’t here there’d be someone else to do the same work. I’m sure the town can just as easily find another teacher,” I said. I thought the mayor would be happy to be rid of me and my troublesome nagging for a library. Maybe he could find a more compliant teacher.
Daisy shrugged an acknowledgement. It hurt that she agreed, but it oddly it made me feel closer to her. I shifted my attention to Nellie, waiting for her response. Of all my friends, Nellie and I had the least in common.
By then all eyes had turned to her, but as always she maintained her impassive expression.
She ruffled Shiye’s mop of black hair and looked at me, holding my gaze for a moment, then turned to Beth. “Lydia must follow her heart.”
The room fell silent, as if a pall had settled over us and we’d suddenly become awkward strangers. I glanced at Emmett, who watched me with something like sympathy in his eyes; but there was something else, too—maybe some guilt? Envy? I didn’t know him well enough to read him.
Juanita chose that moment to walk into what surely seemed like a room full of statues. She looked around the room at each of us, and shook her head. “Supper will get cold if you don’t sit down and eat. Now.”
She set a pile of forks on the table and returned to the kitchen. Her command served to break the spell.
Sam reached for a fork and the platter of ham, helping himself to a healthy portion, then passed the platter to Wyatt.
“You’re all acting like if she goes to Omaha she’ll never come back. Nothing sayin’ she can’t go visit her brother then come right back home,” Wyatt said.
I hoped he was right. I liked to think I’d have the option, but the question still remained, where did I belong? It hadn’t escaped my attention that although Beth and Daisy said they needed me, and that I was family, nobody said they loved me, or even that they cared.
Isaac held a chair for Beth and she sat. He took his seat at the head of the table, and everyone else found seats. Emmett held a chair for me, then took the seat next to mine.
I wasn’t foolish enough to suppose Randall loved me, either. Mother hadn’t loved me enough to fight for me when Father sent me off to marry a stranger. After Father died and Randall took over the ministry, he hadn’t loved me enough to pay my way back home when the man I’d been promised to in Carson City took off with my dowry, leaving me stranded and alone, having refused to marry such a homely woman.
But love or not, Randall was my blood and the only family I had left, and he needed me. Wyatt was right; I could always come back if I wanted to. Returning to Randall didn’t have to be permanent.
“Well, then,” Beth said, buttering a slice of bread. “You’ll go visit your brother then come back home?”
I shrugged as I spooned some beans onto my plate. “I suppose it depends on what I find there.”
I had no idea what Randall’s specific plans for Lydia were, but I had a general idea of what she’d find in Omaha. It wasn’t really any of my concern. All I had to do was deliver Randall’s sister to him and my debt would be paid. End of my involvement, or so I hoped.
Silence settled over the table, broken by the clink of silverware on china, slurping from cups, and the sound of chewing and swallowing. The tension in the silence wound tighter the longer it lasted, tempting me to excuse myself and head back to town. I certainly didn’t belong in the middle of this family argument.
“So Emmett, what do you do when you’re not delivering messages and escorting women across country?” Wyatt asked.
The question was casual enough, but his eyes hinted at professional interest. I supposed as sheriff it was an occupational hazard to be suspicious of everyone, but I bristled under the scrutiny. My past was none of his business.
I swallowed and wiped my mouth with a napkin while I collected my thoughts. “Actually, I mix and sell a selection of medicinal tonics,” I said.
“So you’re a huckster?” Beth asked.
I sighed and placed my napkin on the table. “No. I’m a physician—was a physician. Since then, I’ve developed several tonics which are legitimate remedies.”
“You’re not a physician anymore?” Beth asked.
Isaac cleared his throat, and placed a hand over Beth’s. She gave him a sour look, but took his gesture as the warning it was meant to be. “Beth’s father is a physician,” Isaac said, “and she trained at his side, so she has a particular interest in medicine. She’s been a midwife in Palmer, and filled in as physician when Doc Brown was too drunk to treat patients.”
“Well, then, you know that many of a physician’s tonics are worthy of more widespread sales,” I said, returning her sharp glare. I’d spent the last couple of years sparring with naysayers like her. It didn’t help that there were plenty of hucksters out there selling at best worthless, and at worst dangerous, tonics to desperate people.
“Why’d you stop practicing medicine?” Daisy asked.
“It’s a long story, and not terribly interesting,” I said. It was true enough, but most people would certainly find it interesting, especially Randall. I tried not to think about it for the pain and anguish it caused me. “Actually, I find I’m able to help more people with what I do now.”
Beth grunted her doubt across the table, but didn’t elaborate.
“How did you meet my brother?” Lydia asked.
She’d been quiet for so long, and I’d been so focused on Beth, I’d nearly forgotten she sat beside me. When I looked at her, she kept her attention on her plate, as if she could hide in plain sight.
“I ran into him shortly after I started on the road. That was when he was still on the tent revival circuit. I was trying to establish my business, but I was low on capital. He loaned me money in exchange for a future favor. That’s how I ended up here. He called in that favor.”
Lydia’s only acknowledgement was a little sideways tip of her head.
I scooted my chair away from the table. “Speaking of which, I’ve purchased train tickets out of Carson City for two days from now. We have seats on the stage for Carson City tomorrow morning. We’ll stay the night there, take the train up to Reno, then east to Omaha.”
General chaos ensued following my pronouncement, as I’d expected. It was best to get it over with so I could head back to town. Beth and Daisy both froze momentarily, then began protesting. I couldn’t make out what either of them said, other than they weren’t in favor of my plans. None of the men had anything to add, other than a variety of doubtful and suspicious glares. Nellie’s expression was unreadable, though her gaze never wavered, leaving me uncomfortable and ready to bolt.
Lydia’s eyes finally left her plate, and met mine. Hers were wide with shock. “But I’m not ready to leave tomorrow.”
“Exactly,” Beth said. “If she’s going to go, at the very least she’ll need time to prepare.”
“She has until tomorrow morning,” I said. The discussion irritated me. What was all the fuss about, anyway? “As Wyatt pointed out, she’s not moving permanently.” I turned my attention to Lydia. “All you’ll need is a suitcase. If you need more once you’ve arrived at Randall’s, you can send for it.”
“But it’s so soon,” she said.
“There’s no reason to dawdle. I’d just as soon get this duty dispatched. We can both move on once it’s done.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Lydia said.
I stood from the table and straightened my jacket. “Good. I’ll return for you in the morning.”
I headed for the
door, fetching my coat from the hook where Lydia had hung it earlier.
“Hold up,” Wyatt said. He stood, sending his chair scraping backwards. “I’ll ride back to town with you.”
I didn’t really want company, especially not the sheriff, but I couldn’t very well tell him he couldn’t ride back to town just now, so I waited.
Everyone else stood to say their goodbyes. Watching the scene was uncomfortably personal and left me with the sense of being on the outside watching something I had no right to watch.
Wyatt shook both his brothers’ hands, then hugged Beth and kissed her cheek. He thanked her for supper and she smiled her pleasure at his appreciation. He hugged Daisy, who winked at him, and he grinned—the first time I’d seen anything other than a scowl on his face all evening. He ruffled Shiye’s hair, and nodded at Nellie. When he got to Lydia, he held her shoulders at arm’s length and gave her a serious look.
“You be careful, Lydia, and come back soon. You’ll be missed.” When he hugged her, she blushed.
By the time he’d finished his goodbyes I was ready to be on the way. I shrugged into my coat and opened the door, holding it for Wyatt to exit ahead of me.
I glanced back at Lydia before I left. “I’ll be back first thing in the morning. Be ready.”
I accompanied the sheriff back to Palmer, and he took his time before beginning conversation. I figured he had some sort of motivation, so I waited for him. I wasn’t really in the mood for conversation anyway, so I welcomed the silence.
“What does Lydia’s brother really want with her?” Wyatt asked.
Of all the questions he could have asked, that was the easiest to answer.
“I have no idea. He asked me to deliver the letter, then escort her back. That’s all I know. And believe me, I’m anxious to get it over and done. I don’t like being indebted.”
He nodded like he understood having debt hanging over his head.
“If you were to venture a guess…”
I looked at him and let my impatience show. “The only way I’ll know is to take her to him. Randall and I aren’t friends, we aren’t colleagues, and he didn’t see fit to share his plans with me. Whatever he wants with her is between the two of them.”
Depending on the Doctor (Nevada Bounty Book 2) Page 2
