No one was in the waiting room, and the door leading to the surgery was still closed. Michael motioned toward the chairs against the wall. “Let’s sit here and wait. Not much else we can do.”
~*~
KodyAnne stood in the middle of the waiting room and stared at the door, wishing she could see through wood. She shook her head. “I don’t want to sit down. I want to see Papa.”
Tears blurred her eyes, and she brushed them away. She crossed to the door and put her ear close to it. A murmur of voices she couldn’t understand barely reached her. With a heartfelt sigh, she turned away and went to sit down.
“Why’d this have to happen? Why’d the sheriff shoot Papa? He said he only wanted to stop him, but that’s not what happened, Mike.” She looked up at the one person who’d always shown up when she needed him the most. Even now, after so many years, he was here and was willing to help just as he had been before.
He shook his head. “I can’t answer that. I believe Clint when he says he didn’t intend to seriously injure your father. He’s a good shot and a good man. I don’t know what happened or why. Only God knows that. And God doesn’t make mistakes.”
KodyAnne crossed her arms and sat back in the chair. “Well, if God did this to Papa, He isn’t the loving Heavenly Father I’ve been told about.”
Mike leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and turned to her. “Who taught you about God, KodyAnne?”
“Why Pastor . . .Pastor . . .” She frowned. “What’s your last name, anyway? I forgot.”
“Wellington. Michael Douglas Wellington.” He grinned and held out his hand for her to shake. “Glad to meet you, Miss Delmont.”
She shook his hand and laughed at his foolishness.
“My father’s name is James Douglas Wellington. He and Mom figured I might be partial to Michael since it was the only name I came with, so they added Douglas. Said they’d long wanted a son and would sure like for me to carry my father’s name.” Michael’s grin disappeared, and he looked away. “They’re the only parents I ever had. I’m honored to have my dad’s name. I never told them, but I’d have taken James, too, without hesitating.”
“Oh, Mike.” KodyAnne slipped her hand under his arm and laid her head against it in a hug. “I’m glad you found good parents. I did, too. Mama died two years ago of a fever, but she was just as wonderful as Papa. I barely remember my first parents, and I loved them. But they couldn’t have been any better to me than Mama and Papa have been.”
“I’m glad.” Michael cleared his throat.
KodyAnne smiled. She could get teary-eyed if she wanted, but he wouldn’t dare because he was a man. Men were silly that way.
“I’m glad they taught you about God.” He cocked an eyebrow as if he couldn’t quite believe they had.
She looked up at him with her head still against his upper arm and suppressed a giggle. “Mike, I’m surprised at you. Don’t you know sinners go to church, too? Here you are a preacher, and you don’t know who all’s sitting in the pews listening to you? Why there’s probably all manner of sin going on behind those handshakes and innocent smiles you get every Sunday. My papa never let us miss a single Sunday’s meeting unless we were sick.”
“You mean he sent you?” Michael frowned.
She shook her head and laughed. “No, he took us. Maybe you’d better have a look around your congregation Sunday morning and ask the good Lord who’s come to hear you preach. You might have a thief, a prostitute, a wife beater, or maybe even a murderer in your church.”
A grin tilted his lips. “I could hazard a guess there’ll be at least one outlaw if you come, KodyAnne. You will be there, won’t you?”
She smacked his arm and straightened up. “Don’t know if I want to come after that remark.”
“Aw, I’m just teasing. You know that.” His grin stirred warmth deep within her heart that made her eyelashes lower.
She peeked at him. “I’m glad I found you, Mike. I should be mad at you for not looking for me. You didn’t, did you?”
He shrugged. “I did at first. I had my dad inquire, but we never found out anything. After a few years went by, I figured you’d forgotten me. I guess I failed you, KodyAnne, but I never forgot you. How could I forget a little tomboy who followed me everywhere I went and wouldn’t give me a moment’s peace?”
He leaned back and let his gaze travel from the top of her felt hat to the hem of her fancy purple dress all decked out with ruffles and lace. “You’re not such a little tomboy anymore, are you?”
Her eyes danced, and her lips curved into a Cheshire cat grin. “I’ve always heard you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”
“Now what’s that supposed to mean?”
KodyAnne lifted her skirt just high enough to reveal her trousers’ leg hidden by her lady-like façade. Michael’s eyebrows shot up. His mouth dropped as the inner door opened.
KodyAnne sprang to her feet and hurried forward. “Papa. Is he all right?”
The same woman who’d escorted her from the room, stepped in and closed the door. “Miss, I need to talk with you. Let me get a chair, and you sit down.”
With her heart beating a hard, steady drum of warning, KodyAnne turned back to Michael and took his hand. She needed his strength, his protection. His fingers closed around hers, and she clung to the concern she felt in his grip. They stood waiting as the woman pulled a chair closer. Again she said, “Please, sit down.”
Tears welled in KodyAnne’s eyes as she collapsed into the chair behind her. Michael sat next to her, continuing to hold her hand.
“Your father is still alive.”
At Mrs. Harper’s words, air rushed from KodyAnne’s lungs, leaving a burning sensation in its place. She searched the woman’s eyes for the bad news she knew would be following. Her voice sounded like a frightened child’s even to her. “But what?”
Mrs. Harper held her hands out in a helpless gesture. “We got the bullet out. There was damage inside, and Doc has fixed it for now, but the rest is in God’s hands.”
“You’re telling me Papa’s going to . . .” KodyAnne wiped her fingers under her eyes. “He’s going to die, isn’t he?”
Chapter 4
Michael held KodyAnne’s hand and prayed silently. Bless her, Lord. Be with her and her father and have Your way.
He didn’t really know what losing a parent felt like. The woman who gave birth to him died when he was five but wasn’t much of a mother. His mom and dad, who were more parents to him than she ever was, were still alive. The tears trickling down KodyAnne’s cheeks told of her pain. If only he could take it from her.
“I didn’t say that, dear.” Mrs. Harper patted KodyAnne’s hand. “Why don’t you go down to the diner and get something to eat?”
“No.”
“Yes.” Michael insisted in spite of KodyAnne’s head moving back and forth. “You need to eat, and I’m hungry.”
Her eyes pleaded with him. “Mike, I need to be here for Papa. I can’t go off and leave him. You go on.”
He opened his mouth, but Mrs. Harper interrupted. “Now’s the best time for you to leave, dear. Give us a couple of hours to get your father moved into a bedroom and for him to regain consciousness. He’s sleeping now, so there’s no reason for you to stay. In fact, the doctor will not allow you to see your father for at least two hours.”
“I can see him then?” KodyAnne loosened her grip on Michael’s hand and leaned forward.
“Yes, you surely may.” Mrs. Harper stood. “Now, go get something to eat. There’s no need of you getting ill yourself. Brother Wellington will escort you to the diner, isn’t that right, Pastor?”
Michael stood. “I certainly will.” He held his hand out.
KodyAnne took it and rose beside him. “All right, I’ll go. But we’ll be back in two hours.”
“Fine.” Mrs. Harper shook her forefinger in a playful threat. “But not until then. Go for a walk around town. Have the preacher here introduce you to some of the women. Mr
s. Taylor at the general store is a fine young lady. And right next door to her at the dressmaker’s are the Halloways, both wonderful women.”
“I’d like to see the church, too.” KodyAnne smiled at Mrs. Harper. “Since I’ll likely still be here come Sunday morning, I’d like to know the way. I plan to help fill a pew. The pastor has been so kind to me, I wouldn’t think of staying away.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.” Mrs. Harper’s voice lilted.
“I can’t wait to hear the message.” KodyAnne turned her smile on Michael. “Just from what I’ve seen of your pastor, I have no doubt his sermon will be worth listening to.”
“I certainly hope so.” Michael grinned at her, knowing she was teasing him, glad she felt like doing it.
She probably had trouble thinking of him as a minister. He didn’t blame her. Sometimes he felt the same way. His background certainly wasn’t good training for a preacher. When they were kids, he’d never backed down from a fight. That’s exactly what he did the first time he’d seen her. Of course, he did it for her. Two boys almost as big as him taunted her with scraps of food they’d taken from her. He’d sent the two bullies running with a bloody nose and a black eye. That wasn’t the only time he’d defended her. Not by a long shot.
“Oh he’s a fine speaker.” Mrs. Harper nodded. “You won’t be disappointed.
“I’m sure I won’t.” KodyAnne stepped forward. “We’d best be going so the pastor doesn’t swoon from hunger.”
She stopped at the door and turned to face Mrs. Harper, her brow furrowed and the corners of her mouth turned down. “I’ll be back in two hours. Please take good care of my papa.”
“Oh, you precious girl.” Mrs. Harper touched the edge of her apron to her eye. “Of course we will. Don’t you worry about a thing. Reverend Wellington, you see that she eats plenty.”
“I will.” If he let out the chuckle that tried to escape and commented on her big appetite, or at least the one he remembered, Mrs. Harper might be offended. KodyAnne hadn’t changed much. Few could resist her appeal. He figured any person who didn’t fall for KodyAnne’s charm must have something wrong with them down inside. Already this morning, she’d captivated the sheriff, the doctor’s wife, and the general store owner, not to mention Jake Turner. Michael’s fists tensed at his sides. He’d rather not think of KodyAnne charming Jake or any single man.
They headed down Main Street on foot and crossed the intersecting street before they reached the jail on the corner. Clint’s chair that he liked to tilt back with his feet resting on the hitching rail, sat empty on the porch. Usually this time of day, he’d be gazing across the street at Willow Springs Emporium. He must be out doing some sort of sheriff duties. Maybe he decided to track down KodyAnne’s brother after all.
“There’s the dressmaker’s shop.” KodyAnne looked across the street at the small building beside the general store. “I didn’t pay much attention when I rode in this morning. You really have a nice, clean town here.”
Michael scuffed his boot through the dirt and raised a puff of dust. He chuckled. “Yeah, you should see it after a good rain.”
“Oh, Mike.” KodyAnne gave him an amused look. “Of course, the road is made of dirt. What else would you expect? I meant everything looks so neat.”
She turned to look at the jail as they walked past. “Even that place isn’t so bad, at least from the outside.”
“You want to look inside?” Michael couldn’t resist teasing her.
He got a frown in response. “No, I don’t want to see inside. If I never see inside a place such as that, I’ll be happy.”
“In that case, I’d stay away from banks if I were you.”
She stopped and glared at him. “I won’t talk to you if you’re mean, Mike.”
He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her he was sorry or tickle her until she laughed again. He couldn’t do either. “Ah, Andy, I didn’t mean anything. Can’t you take a little teasing?”
Her shoulders relaxed, and he breathed easier as her features softened. “Why don’t you call me that all the time like you used to?”
He’d done it again. He’d called her Andy when he hadn’t intended to. He couldn’t meet the hope in her gaze, so he looked away. What did she want from him? “I didn’t mean to. It just slipped out. We aren’t kids anymore, An–KodyAnne.”
He could kick himself for almost letting it slip out again. What was wrong with him? If he called her Andy, he’d be tied to her in a way he didn’t know if he wanted to be. Not now. It’d been different when they were kids and he’d named her Andy. She hadn’t had a family then and he’d just rescued her from two bullies when he asked what her name was. He laughed when she told him.
“KodyAnne?” He’d repeated when she was only seven and he was ten. “That’s too long for a little kid like you. Where’d you get such a name anyhow?”
She planted her fists on her hips and glared up at him. “From my mama and daddy. His name was Cody and her name was Anne. I’m KodyAnne ’cause I’m the best of ’em both.”
He laughed, but stopped real quick when the melting in her big, brown eyes became more than he could handle. “Hey, quit that. I’m not laughin’ at you. I’m just thinkin’ that’s too much to say if you’re gonna stick with me. I’ll call ya Andy. That’s got both their names in it, too, only flopped backward.”
Now, he shook his head. “We can’t go back to the way it was when we were in the city. It’s different here. We’re different. I’ve had experiences you don’t know about. And it’s the same with you.”
“You mean we can’t be friends, anymore?” KodyAnne’s eyes were wide and solemn as she looked into his.
“No, I didn’t say that.” He took her elbow and urged her forward. “Come on, people are starting to look at us.”
She glanced around and walked beside him. “I guess they thought you might be taking me to jail after all.”
He chuckled, glad for her humor. “Yeah, could be.”
He nodded to a stranger who came out of the boarding house as they walked past. “The next place is Melanie’s. Of course, you should already know that since you were there before she opened for the day.”
Her eyes laughed at him. “You mean the nice blond-haired girl with the long braid who said you were acting like a cave man?”
“That’s the one.” He held the door for her and swept off his hat as they went in.
The diner swarmed with patrons while Melanie’s two waitresses filled orders and cleared tables.
KodyAnne looked around the busy room. “My, they do a good business here.”
“At noon and for the evening meal they usually have a rush. It looks as if we’ve managed to get here at just the right time. Let’s grab that empty table before someone else comes in.”
After they gave their order, KodyAnne looked across the table at Michael. “What’s the older sister like? Is the boardinghouse respectable? Who else lives there?”
He laughed. “Whoa. How am I supposed to answer everything at once? Mrs. Clemmons comes across grumpy, but don’t let her fool you. From what I’ve seen, she has a good heart, and she wouldn’t allow her boardinghouse not to be respectable, so don’t worry about that. What else did you ask?”
“I don’t remember.” KodyAnne shrugged. “Are you sure they’ll let me stay?”
“They’ll let you stay.” He growled out the words. They’d better let her stay. What he’d said about Mrs. Clemmons was the truth. She could be a grouch sometimes, but she’d be happy to have the business, although Clint hadn’t said if the town would pay. He might not have thought of that. Didn’t matter. If they didn’t pay, he would. KodyAnne wasn’t staying in a jail cell.
The waitress set two plates of fried chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans in front of them. KodyAnne folded her hands in her lap. She peeked across the table at Michael. “You will pray, won’t you? I don’t think I can eat if the food isn’t blessed.”
He lifted his eyebrows. Was she ser
ious or only poking fun at him because he was now a minister? Either way, he’d already planned to pray. He bowed his head. “Lord, thank You for all You’ve given us. For the food set before us. We ask Your blessing upon it and upon those who prepared it. Keep Your hand on KodyAnne’s father. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
“Thank you, Mike.” She picked up her fork and stuck it in her fluffy mashed potatoes. “Mmm, this looks really good.”
“I guarantee it is. No one can cook like Melanie.” He lifted a forkful of potatoes to his mouth.
She swirled her fork in the potatoes then stabbed her chicken, picked up her knife, and cut a tiny piece off, then went back to the potatoes. After a bit, she lifted her fork and nibbled from the end of it.
He swallowed his second bite. “KodyAnne, if you ever get a little food to your mouth, you might feel better.”
She frowned. “I’m eating.”
“Glad to know it.”
She lifted enough potatoes to fill a thimble and put them in her mouth. By the time he devoured half his food, she’d taken in maybe a half dozen bites. Very small bites. He put his fork and knife down and leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest.
She looked up. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, except I just remembered something.” He shook his head. “You used to have that big appetite because nothing ever got inside. No wonder you were always hungry. You always did eat like a little baby bird pickin’ at its food. Remember how Preacher and I used to tease you about that?”
“Yeah, and Brian, too.” She huffed. “You ganged up on me and made me eat.”
“Too bad the other fellows aren’t here. I’ll have to get along without their help.” He leaned forward setting his elbows on the table. “I won’t eat another bite until you catch up with me, and we aren’t leavin’ here until I’m finished.”
The Preacher's Outlaw Bride Page 4
