Love Is Patient Romance Collection

by Vetsch, Erica; McDonough, Vickie; Barton, Janet Lee

  Chapter 3

  The small visitors’ room was stuffy—too stuffy. Elaine pulled at her collar, then grabbed her fan and waved it furiously.

  Anika Truesdale shook her head and narrowed her hazel eyes. “Really, Elaine, I’d think after nearly ten years you’d be used to the weather here.”

  “Well, I’m not. It’s not natural for it to be so hot in May.” She gave another sharp pass with her fan to make her point.

  “Well, it’s natural for Arizona, honey,” Anika drawled.

  The four friends tried to meet at least once a week, although it wasn’t always possible now that India and Anika were married. Today’s meeting had begun with a lot of friendly banter and catching up on each other’s events of the week. Elaine didn’t know why she’d gotten so tense all of a sudden. But the weather wasn’t helping.

  “Are you sure it’s the heat, sweetie?” India grinned, then ducked as Elaine’s fan flew through the air, bounced against the wall, and almost landed on her head. A startled look crossed her face, and she stared at Elaine.

  Elaine gasped in horror. What in the world had she done? “I’m so sorry, India. I don’t know what came over me.”

  India nodded her forgiveness. “I think I know. Why don’t you admit you’re smitten with the good-looking new doctor?”

  “Oh no! You can’t be!” Jody lifted her hands to her cheeks, her eyes wide.

  “Why, Jody, what do you mean?” Elaine asked. “Not that I care a whit about Dan Murphy, of course.” Her heart fluttered, and she felt warmth creeping up her face.

  Jody bit her lip. “Oh dear. I hate passing on gossip, but …”

  “But what?” Anika leaned forward. “Just get to the point, Jody.”

  Elaine couldn’t help but smile. Anika and her lawyer mind could never abide beating around the bush.

  “Well—” Jody hesitated, then rushed on. “Mrs. Sanders thinks Dr. Murphy might not be quite nice.”

  Elaine’s heart pounded. Why would Mrs. Sanders say such a thing?

  India looked at Jody, a surprised expression on her face. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’ve met him and I think he’s very nice.” She grinned. “My horses even like him.”

  “I hate to spread gossip, but for Elaine’s sake, I think I must. Mrs. Sanders saw him coming out of the saloon week before last, and a few days ago, Mr. Sanders spotted him standing outside the saloon doors, talking to one of those … women.” Jody blushed and bent her head over the small garment she was sewing.

  “Well, maybe someone was sick,” India said.

  Jody glanced up. “That’s what I said, but Mrs. Sanders said no respectable doctor would treat those women and take a chance on spreading their disgusting diseases to the decent folk in Cactus Corner.”

  “Hmm.” Anika tapped her fingers against the wooden arm of her chair. “She may be right. The bartender usually does their doctoring.”

  “How in the world would you know that?” India jerked her head up and stared at Anika, wide-eyed.

  Anika grinned. “I am a lawyer, you know. We have ways of finding out things.”

  Elaine felt numb. She couldn’t speak because of the lump in her throat.

  “Elaine, you don’t really care about that man, do you?” Jody asked.

  “No.” The word came out with a croak, and Elaine ducked her head and concentrated intently on the small shirt she was mending. “Of course not. I barely know him.”

  Mercifully, at that moment, India took pity on her and turned to Jody. “By the way, Jody, has Elmer proposed yet today?”

  Anika and India exploded with laughter as Jody rolled her eyes and didn’t bother to answer. Her employer made no secret of the fact he intended to make Jody his bride. Not that Jody thought him repulsive, but she simply wasn’t interested, and Elaine knew his constant wooing was about to drive Jody insane.

  Just then, Grace peeked her head through the door.

  “Everyone’s tucked in. Do you mind if I join you?” A few months ago, Anika had recruited the girl to women’s suffrage, and since then, Grace had almost become Anika’s shadow.

  “Grace, what in the world are you wearing?” Elaine stared at the pant-covered legs.

  “It’s a bloomer outfit, ma’am. I waited until I went off duty to put it on.”

  Elaine heard a muffled snort coming from India’s direction and had to press her own lips together to keep from laughing. Jody had turned her head and coughed into a hanky.

  Anika stood and took the girl’s hand, leading her over to a chair beside them. “Pay no attention to them, my dear. You look absolutely delightful. I’ve been thinking of making a bloomer outfit for myself. I hear they’re all the rage among the suffragettes in England and even New York.”

  Elaine was thankful for the laughter and the change of subject.

  A short while later, when everyone had left, she stepped outside and watched the moon rise above the mountains. She shivered as cool air tickled her skin. She should have remembered to wear her shawl. That was one good thing about the desert. Although she was burning up a short time earlier, nighttime always brought a cool breeze.

  She went back inside and said good night to Mrs. Jacobson, who was just coming out of the kitchen. Once in her room, she fidgeted as she tried unsuccessfully to keep her mind on her devotions. Finally, she gave up and went to bed.

  Thoughts of Dan Murphy’s kind eyes pressed into her mind, and she tried fruitlessly to block them out. He seemed so nice, and she had to admit her pulse raced whenever he was near.

  “Oh Lord, I almost fell in love with a scalawag.”

  Through her open window, the cicadas seemed to mock her. She could almost hear them chiding, “You did, you did.”

  Slinging her coverlet back, she strode to the window and slammed it shut. “There,” she muttered, brushing her hands together.

  But as she lay back on her soft pillows, a sob caught in her throat as her own thoughts echoed the words. I did. I did fall in love with him.

  Dan patted little Sam Carter on the shoulder and handed him a piece of licorice. “You’re a trouper, Sam. I think you may be the best patient I’ve had all day.” He didn’t mention that the little boy was the only patient he’d had all day.

  Mrs. Carter’s tired eyes rested kindly on Dan as she clutched the bottle of cough syrup he had given her for her son. “I wish I had the money to pay you, Dr. Murphy.” She bit her lip, and Dan could see embarrassment written all over her lined face.

  “Don’t worry about it, Mrs. Carter. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into this wild plum cobbler. It’s payment enough.”

  A hint of a smile touched the woman’s lips as she lifted her toddler from the cot. She headed for the door, then stopped and turned. “I don’t believe them rumors about you, Dr. Murphy. And my man don’t, either.”

  Dan stared after her as the door swung shut behind her. Rumors? What rumors? He’d wondered why he’d had only a handful of patients all week. The first few days after Doc Howard left, the office had been full almost continuously. He’d thought maybe no one was sick, but it was highly unusual not to at least have headaches or rashes to treat. Come to think of it, the few folks who had come in had been from the Indian camp a few miles away or miners’ families. Not one of the upstanding citizens of Cactus Corner had darkened his doorway this week.

  Now that he recalled, he’d received some cool nods from the ladies of the town, and not a few skirts were swept aside as he walked down the street.

  What were the rumors? And who started them? He inhaled deeply, then let the air out with a whoosh. So it had begun again. Only this time, he was innocent of any wrongdoing.

  He washed up and changed his shirt, then grabbed his bag and headed out the door. He hadn’t checked on the children at the orphanage in a few days. Besides, a visit with Miss Elaine was just what he needed to lift his spirits.

  Grace answered his knock.

  “How are you today, Miss Grace? Lovely as ever, I see.”

  The g
irl blushed and stammered, “I’m fine, Doc. Brother and Sister Jacobson are at a church board meeting. I’ll tell Miss Elaine you’re here.” She scurried from the room, leaving Dan standing in the hall with his hat in his hand.

  A few minutes later, Elaine walked in. How she managed to look so cool and crisp in this heat was a mystery to Dan. Unfortunately, the expression on her face was even cooler.

  “Yes, Dr. Murphy? How may I assist you?” Not a trace of friendship or congeniality appeared on her face. In fact, she seemed to struggle with some emotion he couldn’t identify.

  “I thought I’d check in on the children,” he said, attempting a smile.

  “The children are all fine, Doctor. So if you’ll excuse me …” The words trailed off, and she glanced toward the door.

  He nodded and turned away, then with resolution wheeled back around to face her.

  “What’s going on, Miss Elaine?” He took just a tiny bit of satisfaction at the shocked look on her face. Apparently she hadn’t expected to be confronted.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Dan quirked an eyebrow. “Well now, let’s see. I have very few patients, none of whom happen to be the so-called respectable citizens of the town; I’m getting the cold shoulder from said citizens; and now you’re treating me as you would a rattlesnake getting ready to strike.”

  He watched with interest as Elaine’s face flamed. She opened her mouth, shut it, and then opened it again.

  “Miss Elaine, one of my patients tells me rumors are going around town about me. I think I have a right to know what they are so I can either admit to them or defend myself.”

  Elaine felt tension clamp down on her from her head to her toes. She realized she was twisting a section of her skirt and forced herself to open her hand. Uncertainty gripped her. It had never occurred to her that the stories were untrue. After all, why would anyone make up such atrocities? But he looked so confused and even a little hurt as he stood facing her. What if he truly was innocent? It was easy to jump to conclusions. Elaine had been guilty of that herself at times.

  She swallowed and took a long, shuddering breath. “Dr. Murphy, would you like to come in for a moment? Perhaps we should talk.”

  A look of surprised relief passed over his face, and he followed her to the small receiving room in back.

  Elaine sat down next to a small table, motioning him to the chair on the other side. Could she really do this? Maybe one of the men should be talking to him. But then, most of them believed he was guilty. Still, such a delicate subject. She could feel warmth on her face just thinking about it, but having admitted to herself that she was in love with him, she felt she owed it to him to push through her embarrassment.

  She glanced at him and was surprised to see sympathy on his face.

  “Miss Lainey, if this is too difficult for you, don’t feel that you have to tell me anything.”

  She straightened her back and looked him in the eye. “I’m fine, Dr. Murphy.”

  She began with the incidents at the saloon. “I realize the first time was probably when you went to find out about Autumn.”

  “Yes, you’re right. It was.”

  “Well, what about standing in the doorway with one of those …” She stopped and blushed again, then, frustrated at her own emotions, she took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. They wouldn’t get anywhere if she couldn’t stop blushing.

  “Her name is Lottie,” Dan said, coming to her rescue. “I was giving her instructions on how to care for one of the girls who’d come down with a very bad case of tonsillitis.”

  “Oh.” Elaine paused. “But … should you be treating those women? I mean, after all, you could pass something on to other people.”

  “What exactly could I pass on to these ‘other people’?” Dan scowled. This was the first time she’d seen him with anything less than a pleasant expression on his face.

  “Well, I don’t know.” She frowned and blew a strand of hair from her eyes. “Mrs. Sanders said some kind of disease could be passed on.”

  “My dear, the type of disease the good Mrs. Sanders was referring to can’t be passed from patient to patient by a doctor.”

  “Oh.” She wasn’t sure what to reply, since she had no idea what sort of disease he was referring to.

  “Didn’t Dr. Howard give medical treatment to the folks at the saloon?”

  Elaine shook her head. “My friend Anika said the bartender took care of them.”

  Anger washed over his face. “Well, just so you know, physicians take an oath to give medical care to all who need it. And I intend to do just that. If anyone, including you, has a problem with that, I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is.” He stood, gave her a short bow, and then strode from the room.

  Elaine listened to his boots as he walked up the hallway. Suddenly she jumped up and ran out into the hall just as he reached the front door. “Doctor, wait.”

  He stopped and turned, his brow raised, a question in his eyes.

  “Don’t you want to hear about the other things being said?”

  His lips turned up slightly at one corner. “Not particularly. I think I have a pretty good idea of what’s being said. I hope in the future you’ll give me the benefit of the doubt before you believe the rumors, Miss Elaine. I may be rough around the edges, but I’m not immoral.”

  Elaine’s heart fluttered. She could feel the throb of her pulse in her neck as relief washed over her. She held her hand out to him. “I believe you, Dr. Murphy.”

  With two strides, he was standing in front of her, her hand in both of his. Warmth filled his eyes as he gazed into hers. “Thank you, Lainey. But are you sure you want to be my defender? It may cost you in terms of friendship.”

  Elaine jerked her chin and gave a tight little smile. “My friends won’t turn against me.” Gently she slipped her hand from his warm grasp. “Good day, Doctor. I’ll be praying for you.”

  Chapter 4

  Elaine stopped and stood gaping at the crowd gathered around the door of the general store. What in the world was going on? And how would she ever get through the shoulder-to-shoulder throng? Well, the flour bin was almost empty, so she really had no choice.

  “Excuse me.” She squeezed between two strange men at the edge of the crowd. Twisting and elbowing her way, she managed to get to the door, where she slipped inside. The crowd there wasn’t as large. Mrs. Granger locked the door and motioned for her to follow her into their private quarters in back of the store.

  “Elaine, you shouldn’t have come out. It’s getting pretty bad on the street.”

  “But what’s going on?” Elaine followed the storekeeper’s wife to the corner, where they sat in high-backed rockers.

  “You didn’t hear about the copper strike last week?” Mrs. Granger fanned herself and gazed at Elaine through wide blue eyes.

  “Well, yes, I did hear that someone had found copper up in the mountains. What does that have to do with this?”

  Mrs. Granger sighed. “Unfortunately, it seems everyone from a hundred miles around has heard about it, too. They’ve been pouring into town like ants since yesterday. Many of them came without any mining gear at all, expecting to buy it here. And expecting credit. We sold what we had on a cash basis, but we’ve run out. We simply weren’t prepared for the rush. Some of them are getting downright ugly.”

  Elaine gasped. “Isn’t the sheriff doing anything to control them?”

  The woman gave a short laugh. “He’s trying. But the jail won’t hold them all.”

  “Can’t you get more supplies?”

  “Fred’s heading to Tucson today. He’s tried to reason with the miners, but some of them can’t be reasoned with. Like that crowd outside.” She brushed hair from her forehead and breathed deeply. “I was just getting ready to lock up and put the closed sign on the door when I saw you coming. I suppose you need something for the orphanage.”

  “Yes, tomorrow is baking day, and we’re about out of flour.” She looked questioningly
at the older woman.

  “Sorry, dear. That’s gone, too. I’ll have someone bring some over from my own supply—enough to make a few loaves.” She peered at Elaine. “But you really shouldn’t go back through that crowd. And it wouldn’t be safe to go out the back way either. No telling who’d be out there.”

  “Well, no one bothered me on my way in. I’m sure I’ll be fine, and I really have to get back.” Elaine rose. “Anything you can send will be fine. We’ll get by.”

  They walked to the front of the store. Mrs. Granger put the CLOSED sign on the door, and the crowd began to thin out just a little.

  Mrs. Granger unlocked the door, and Elaine slipped through. Seeing the angry faces of the men in the throng, she almost turned around and knocked on the door. But no, she had to get back to the orphanage. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and began to make her way back through the jumble of sweating, mumbling bodies.

  “Hey there, pretty little lady.” A hand grabbed Elaine’s arm and yanked her around. She found herself nose to nose with a grinning, bearded round face. She almost retched from the foul smell emanating from between the man’s broken, rotted teeth.

  “Let go of me.” She jerked her arm, then yelped as he squeezed it tighter, pulling her close to him. Laughter met her on all sides, and she felt herself getting dizzy.

  “Let her go. Now!” She heard Dan Murphy’s voice and felt strong arms catch her just as darkness overcame her.

  “Elaine, dear, wake up.”

  Elaine’s eyes fluttered open as gentle hands patted her cheeks. Martha Jacobson’s worried face looked down at her. As she raised herself onto one elbow, she saw that she was lying on her bed at the orphanage.

  “What? How did I get here?”

  “Dr. Murphy carried you here after he rescued you from that mob of ruffians.”

  Elaine’s heart raced as the memory of her assailant flashed through her mind. “Oh, I need to thank the doctor. Is he still here?” Her hero. Her knight in shining armor. Warmth rose from her chest to her face, and she felt the corners of her lips tilt upward.