The clock ticked on. It was now getting on to late afternoon. Aaron came in to cover the next desk shift, and Michael decided to pick up some food at the restaurant and take it over to Kathryn. They made really good soup, and he thought that would go well on her stomach. He knew that Josie and Elizabeth had planned to visit Kathryn that afternoon and finish up the wedding preparations. If they’d eaten together, the soup could go in the icebox for another time.
He’d just spoken to the waitress about his order when he heard loud voices outside. He stepped out to see a car pulling up to the station, a man he’d never seen before at the wheel. Nettie and Bryce were inside, Bryce with a large cloth pressed to his head. “Can someone get Dr. Miller?” Nettie cried out, and one of the men who had been walking down the street took off in that direction at a run.
Michael trotted across the street and spoke to Nettie through the window. “What’s the matter? What happened?”
“The MacDonalds came alongside us in their boat, knocked Bryce out, and took Jamie,” she said. “Bryce has a terrible gash on his head.”
“I’m all right,” Bryce said, sounding tired. “I’m upright and I’m talking, aren’t I?”
“Yes, but that’s only out of sheer stubbornness,” she retorted. “You need stitches, I’m sure.”
“We’ll let the doctor decide that.” Bryce moved as though he wanted to get out of the car, but then he sank back into the seat. “This nice fellow who works at the ferry brought us back here. We were adrift for quite a while.”
“They cut the sail after they took Jamie,” Nettie explained. “We made it to a small island and then were rescued by the afternoon ferry.”
Ernie and Aaron had come running, and now they gathered in closer to hear what had happened.
“So we have a confessed murderer on the loose, and suspected smugglers as well.” Ernie pressed his lips together. “We’ll have to act fast—I don’t imagine they’ll be sticking around here much longer.”
“Nettie, how large was their boat? Large enough to carry all their things? Did they look like they were leaving for good?” Michael asked.
“I don’t know,” she faltered. “Everything was happening so fast.”
“It’s all right. You had your hands full with this big lug, I’m sure.” Michael nodded toward Bryce, who made a wry face.
Dr. Miller arrived, calling out for everyone to give him room. He opened the car door and surveyed Bryce with a concerned look on his face. “Let’s get you inside,” he said. “That gash is nasty. At least it clotted up well—that was likely your saving grace.”
Ernie and Aaron each took one of Bryce’s arms and supported him as he walked into the station. Michael gave Nettie a hand as she stepped out of the car on her side.
“Thank you,” she said. “It’s been a long day.”
“I imagine it has,” Michael said. He made sure she found a chair, then he came back outside, thanked the man from the ferry—who refused any sort of compensation before driving away—then headed back over to the restaurant, where he amended his order. Instead, he asked for enough food for Bryce and Nettie, plus whatever juices or lemonade they might have. Then he paid extra to have it delivered, as it wouldn’t be ready for a few minutes and he wanted to get back to the station.
“You’re a lucky man,” Dr. Miller was saying as Michael came inside. “A person can lose a great deal of blood from a head wound.”
“He did lose a lot,” Nettie said, motioning to her dress. Michael hadn’t noticed before, but it looked like it had been drenched with blood that had since dried.
Dr. Miller eyed the dress, then turned back to Bryce. “You’re even luckier than I thought. No one loses that much blood and lives to tell about it.”
“No one but Bryce,” Aaron said, and they all chuckled.
“Speaking of my dress, if you don’t mind, I’ll change,” Nettie said, standing up and grabbing her bag from where it had been set next to the door. She went into the back room, and Michael was glad she had that option. Of course, she’d had the bag with her because she’d been leaving Bison Bay. He wondered if that was still in the offing, but Dr. Miller had just put in the first stitch, and Michael figured now wasn’t the time to be asking Bryce questions.
The restaurant delivered the food, Bryce and Nettie both ate, and the Mounties took Bryce home and got him settled. Then Michael walked Nettie back over to Kathryn’s. He smiled, thinking how natural it was to think of his cabin as being Kathryn’s. “You and Bryce seem to have worked things out,” he said.
“You might say that,” Nettie replied with a grin. “It took a thunk over the head to get him to see sense, but he’s being much more reasonable now.”
“So you’ll be staying?”
“I will.”
Michael grinned. “I’m glad. Bison Bay needs you, Nettie Smith.”
She pursed her lips. “I was offered a job teaching at the school.”
“That’s not exactly what I meant. Bryce needs you.”
“I know.” She returned his grin. “And yes, he needs me. I pretty much saved his life today, and I hope he remembers it.”
“I’m sure he will.”
They reached the house, and Michael carried Nettie’s bag to her bedroom while she explained what had happened to Bryce. Kathryn, who had regained all her natural color after her illness, went pale again as she listened, then pulled Nettie in for a tight hug.
“Oh, I’m so glad you’re all right,” she said into her friend’s hair. “You both could have died.”
“We could have, but we chose not to, and I think that was a good choice.” Nettie pulled back and gave Kathryn a wide smile. “We should mark the date on the calendar and celebrate it every year as ‘We Didn’t Die Day.’”
Kathryn gasped. “Every year? You’re staying?”
Nettie grinned. “I’m staying. And we’re getting married. In fact, if you don’t mind, I’d like to have a double wedding with you and Michael tomorrow, if the doctor thinks Bryce is strong enough to be up and around.”
“If I know Bryce, he will be,” Michael said. “He hasn’t been in Bison Bay long, but I can tell you, he’s shown his mettle over and over again.”
Kathryn gave Nettie another tight hug, and Michael chuckled. A happy ending for all four of the Mounties, then.
A moment later, Nettie excused herself. “I’m absolutely exhausted,” she said as she told them goodnight. “I’ve done a lot today.”
“Sleep well,” Kathryn told her.
As soon as Nettie was out of earshot, Kathryn turned back to Michael, concern on her face. “How bad is Bryce? Do you really think he’ll be all right by morning? And tell me more about the escape.”
Michael sighed and led Kathryn over to the fireplace, where they each sat in a rocking chair across from one another. “The doctor said he shouldn’t have survived. He lost a lot of blood, and it’s going to take a while for his body to regenerate. However, he was sitting up and talking, and he looks for all the world like he’s going to be just fine.”
“What a miracle.” Kathryn pressed her hand to her stomach. “And this is normal in the life of a Mountie?”
“Actually, no.” Michael laughed. “I’ve handled more petty theft cases than I have murders and escaped criminals. If we were in a bigger town, sure, but not out here.”
“Good, because I don’t know if I could handle it if this was normal.” She looked up and met his eyes. “So, what’s the plan for getting Jamie back? If you want to delay the wedding, I understand. This has to come first.”
He was glad she understood the seriousness of the situation, but even more glad that he didn’t have to take her up on her suggestion. “I talked it over with Ernie, and he says he thinks we should take action tomorrow night. The wedding can go on as planned tomorrow morning.”
Kathryn smiled, and it lit up her eyes. “Oh, I’m so happy to hear that. I didn’t want to delay it again, not after all this time.”
He laughed. “All th
is time?”
“You know what I mean. It feels like a long time, even if it hasn’t really been.”
“I do know what you mean.” He reached out and took her hand. “We’ll get married in the morning, and then around dusk, we’ll head down to the cove where we saw the flashing lights. We suspect that the MacDonalds have a hideout down there.”
She nodded. “And you’ll be careful?”
“As careful as we possibly can be. There are risks, of course.”
“Like getting clunked over the head.”
“Yes, like getting clunked over the head. But I’ll try not to let that happen.” He rubbed her hand. “I love you, Kathryn, and I’ll come back to you as soon as I can. Hopefully, we can get this all wrapped up in a matter of hours, but I can’t guarantee anything.”
She nodded. “I know. Nothing is guaranteed.” She paused, and then she smiled. “And I love you too.”
“Sure glad of it.”
He stood, then bent down and kissed her. Just a few more hours, and she would be his wife. He tried to focus on that and not on the very real fact that just a few more hours after that, he’d be heading out on a potentially dangerous assignment. He’d take it one thing at a time.
***
When Michael got back to Bryce’s cabin, he stuck his head into the room to check on the patient. Bryce was awake, looking around from under his bandage.
“You’re supposed to be asleep,” Michael scolded him. He nodded over at the nurse Dr. Miller had brought in to keep an eye on things overnight. “She’ll get mad at you if you don’t.”
The nurse, who was older and looked somewhat austere, didn’t argue with him.
“I know. Just a lot on my mind.”
“Nettie says the two of you want to have a double wedding with us in the morning.”
Bryce grinned. “Yeah, we thought that sounded like fun. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Mind? Of course not. You should have married her a long time ago.”
“I agree.” Bryce grinned again, but then he became solemn. “Dr. Miller cleared me for the wedding, as long as the nurse keeps an eye on me overnight, but I’m not cleared to go back to work for a few days. I don’t want to sit here on the sidelines while the rest of you pick up my slack.”
“Slack? You have a gash in your forehead. I don’t consider you to be slacking in any way.”
“I know. It’s just frustrating. Jamie was in my custody—I should help retrieve him.”
Michael could easily understand Bryce’s frustration, but it wasn’t logical, and they all needed to keep cool heads. “If you’ll stay here and man the station, that makes three of us who can go looking for Jamie, and that’s a big help.”
Bryce didn’t answer for a long moment. “All right,” he said at last. “I’ll support you from here. If I’m well enough to get married, I’m well enough to sit at a desk. Just wish I was well enough to ride and shoot.”
“In time, you will be.” Michael knew his words sounded trite, but there really wasn’t anything he could say to fix the situation. Only time would allow Bryce to heal and regain his strength.
Michael shoved a few supplies into his bag, making sure to include clean socks. If there was one thing he hated, it was wearing damp socks, and being down on the coastline, his feet were sure to get wet. He finished gathering what he wanted to take with him and set his bag by the front door. He had no idea how long they’d be out there, but he did know one thing—they’d either come back with the MacDonald clan in custody, or they’d have a good idea where they’d gone and a plan to hunt them down. Anything less just wasn’t acceptable.
Then he turned his attention to his uniform, brushing it and polishing the buttons. He wanted to look his very best on his wedding day.
Chapter Nine
“I’m so nervous. I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” Kathryn said as Nettie helped her arrange her hair.
“I think there’s some law about it,” Nettie replied. “Brides are supposed to be nauseated on their wedding day.”
“I think I’ve had enough nausea over the last several days to last me for a lifetime.” Kathryn met Nettie’s eyes in the mirror. “Aren’t you nervous? You seem so calm.”
“Oh, I’m plenty nervous. I’m just refusing to show it. I’m staying strong. For you.”
“And I appreciate it.” They both laughed. “Nettie, thank you again for taking such good care of me. I can’t think of anyone else who would have done what you did—you practically gave up your whole life for me. Well, not your whole life—you did take some time out to go save Bryce. But almost your whole life.”
“It was my pleasure. And I appreciate how readily you forgave me.”
Kathryn turned and looked Nettie in the face. “How could I not forgive you? You’ve been such a good friend. And I love the article you wrote about Miss Hazel—it’s a lovely tribute, and your editor definitely needs to publish it.” She traded places with Nettie and brushed out her hair. “I keep thinking that you should write children’s books. You have such a talent for writing, and also with children.”
“I’ve never thought about that.” A thoughtful look crossed Nettie’s face. “I’ll have to look into that, but do you know, I think I’d like that a lot. Maybe even more than I would being a reporter.”
As Kathryn finished doing Nettie’s hair, a knock sounded on the door, and Michael poked his head inside.
“Is my bride ready?” he asked.
“I’m most definitely ready,” Kathryn replied. She turned to Nettie. “I’ll see you there.”
***
The wedding was everything Kathryn had been dreaming about. The birds were even singing as they walked into the chapel, as if they were anxious to prove how very special this day was going to be. Kathryn appreciated that because she kept thinking about that night, how Michael and the other men would be leaving to investigate the cove, how she didn’t know when she’d see him again. She had to concentrate on the moment in front of her rather than thinking about later or she’d miss all the joy and beauty that was right before her eyes.
When she said her vows, a thrill ran from the top of her head all the way down to her toes. It was finally happening—she was joining herself to this man who stood before her, handsome in his red serge uniform, looking at her with so much love in his eyes, she couldn’t believe it was all real. She felt as though every wish she’d ever made on the evening star had suddenly been granted in that moment, and when she looked over at Nettie, she could see that her friend felt the same way.
The two couples accepted congratulations after the ceremony and shared a small wedding cake, but the day was passing quickly, and as the sun climbed higher in the sky, they were reminded that only hours remained until their next task began. Michael carried his things from Bryce’s cabin back over to his own, then helped Nettie take her things over to Bryce’s cabin.
“This is the most fun I’ve ever had moving from one house to another,” Nettie called out as she picked up her satchel.
Kathryn laughed. “This does feel a bit like musical chairs, doesn’t it?”
“Musical chairs isn’t usually quite so heavy,” Michael said with a grunt as he hefted Nettie’s trunk.
Once everyone’s things were rearranged and each bride and groom were sorted out, Michael and Kathryn returned to his cabin—their cabin—and he took her in his arms.
“I’m so glad you’re able to live in your own cabin again,” she said, looking up into his eyes.
“I’m glad too. You know, I’ve missed this place.” He looked around with appreciation, then back down at her. “Mostly because Bryce snores.”
She laughed, delight filling her chest. This was now truly her home, Michael was her husband, and that’s all that mattered. She’d push the danger aside and focus on the joy of gazing into his eyes and knowing that he was hers forever, no matter what that night would bring.
***
Bryce drove Michael, Ernie, and Aaron to within half a mi
le of the cove, then dropped them off and returned to the station. The cranks for the cars had been found back behind a wooden crate in the garage. They weren’t sure how they’d fallen behind there, but it didn’t matter—it was just nice to have access to the cars again.
Bob Kristofferson would be spending the night with Bryce at the jail in case something happened and Bryce needed backup. Bob was a good man who had been a friend to the Mounties for years, and he was a crack shot besides.
Michael hefted his bag up onto his shoulder. Josie had baked each Mountie two loaves of bread, and they smelled delicious. He hoped things would be resolved before he had time to eat both of them, but he was sure glad she’d been thinking of ways to support them.
They crept down the shoreline. The sun had set two hours before, and they were now moving in full dark. Ernie had spoken with one of the fishermen who worked these waters, and that man had confirmed that there were caves along this stretch of the shore. Michael hoped his gut instincts were correct and that they’d find some sort of evidence that would lead them to the MacDonalds. No one had seen them in town since Jamie’s escape, and Michael feared they were long gone. His gut was often more correct than his brain, though, and that’s what he was clinging to.
They found a rock outcropping that would allow them to see down into the cove and hopefully wouldn’t be visible from below. They’d each dressed in dark clothes, not wanting the red of their uniforms to give them away, and they settled in as best as they could. It was decided that Aaron would take the first watch while the other two slept, and they’d rotate. If there was no movement below all night and over the course of the early morning hours, they would post a lookout, and the other two would begin a systematic search of the caves. That way, even if they didn’t catch men on the move, they’d be looking for clues.
Ernie had called the Mounties in Charlottestown and asked them to be on the lookout for the MacDonalds or their boat. Beyond the steps they were taking, Michael wasn’t sure what else could be done.
He closed his eyes and settled back, knowing he needed to rest as much as possible before his turn on watch. He smiled when he thought about that morning, how beautiful Kathryn looked walking toward him in the church. He had a whole lifetime with her to look forward to, and with that as his incentive, he could do anything.
RNWMP: Bride for Michael (Mail Order Mounties Book 24) Page 7
