Love Is Patient Romance Collection

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

  The café was locked, and a CLOSED sign hung on the door. Puzzled, Dan went around to the back entrance and knocked. After a moment, he heard footsteps and muted coughing. The door opened. Etta stood holding Lila’s baby. Lines of tiredness crossed her face.

  “Dan, I’m so glad you’re here. I couldn’t leave the baby and didn’t want to take him out with all the sickness. But I don’t know how much worse it would be. His mama’s down with something. I think it’s this influenza that’s going around. I’ve been taking care of her the best I can, but …”

  Another fit of coughing erupted from the cot across the room, where Lila lay writhing and moaning. When Dan touched her face, the heat was almost enough to burn his hand.

  He looked at Etta. “Are you or the child sick?”

  “No, thank the good Lord.” She shook her head. “What can we do, Doc? Can you move her to the hotel?”

  Dan frowned. The hotel was full of sick miners. He hated to take a woman there. Even Lila.

  “Are you willing to take care of the infant until Lila’s well?”

  “Sure. Got nothing else to do. No sense in opening up. People are scared to leave their houses anyway.”

  “Give me a few minutes to check with the Jacobsons. Since the sickness is already there anyway, maybe they’ll agree to care for one more. I don’t know where they’ll put her, but a pallet on the floor would be better than the hotel right now.”

  Elaine watched as Dan carried Lila into the house. She’d only seen the woman once, and it had been dark, but she tried to restrain her curiosity. What did she care what the woman looked like?

  She led the way to the small visitors’ room, where three cots had been set up. One of the staff members lay on one of them, her small form still as death.

  Elaine pulled down the blanket on one of the cots and watched as Dan placed the woman gently between clean white sheets. He checked her pulse, then straightened up and turned to the woman on the other cot. After checking her vital signs, he looked at Elaine.

  “Thank you for taking Lila in. I wouldn’t have liked to leave her around the baby any longer. He’s already been exposed to the influenza, and at his young age, he’ll have little chance to survive if he catches it. We can only pray he hasn’t already.”

  Elaine stood frozen, unable to speak. Between the extreme tiredness and the emotional stress of being in Dan’s presence, she was feeling dizzy again.

  “Elaine, are you all right?”

  Her heart leapt at the concern in his voice. “I’m fine. I’m just tired.” She pulled at the button on her throat. “Of course, it was the Jacobsons’ decision to allow her to stay here. But I’d like to think I wouldn’t turn a sick woman away from the door.”

  A tender look crossed Dan’s face, and he placed his thumb on her chin, turning her face up so that she had to look at him. “Of course you wouldn’t, Lainey. I know that.”

  Tears filled her eyes and threatened to overflow. Blinking, she cleared her throat and clasped her hands behind her back before she could make a fool of herself by flinging herself into his arms. The thought warmed her cheeks, and she cleared her throat again. “Would you like to check on the other patients while you’re here?”

  He looked at her silently for a moment, tenderness and yearning in his gaze, then a veil seemed to cover his expression. “Yes. Have you seen any improvement in anyone?”

  A twinge of disappointment gripped her. Then she firmed her chin. “Rainsong doesn’t seem as feverish today. But she still can’t keep any nourishment down.”

  Side by side they walked to the infirmary, where three people kept around-the-clock vigil with at least one staff person in the room at all times. In addition to Rainsong and Pedro, nine more patients tossed restlessly in the infirmary, including three toddlers and one infant.

  Elaine and Dan walked over to the crib near the window. Little Autumn lay still and silent.

  Mary sat by her side, constantly dipping cloths into cool water and sponging the child’s hands, arms, and legs. She looked up at Dan as he and Elaine stopped by the crib. Her eyes were brimming over. “Please, Doc, don’t let Baby die.”

  Chapter 8

  The night breeze fluttered the lace shawl that lay across Elaine’s shoulders and caressed the skin at her neck. She shivered, and a sigh of pleasure escaped her lips. Fifteen minutes had passed, and she knew she had to get back inside, but the thought of facing the stifling heat and the smells of sickness inside the orphanage was almost more than she could bear.

  At least the epidemic seemed to be dissipating. There had been no new cases for the past few days, and some of the earlier victims were showing signs of improvement. Thankfully they hadn’t lost anyone. Dan had said Rainsong and Pedro should be well enough to leave the infirmary in another day or so. Autumn was also getting better, much to Mary’s delight—although she still had to be practically hauled away from the child’s bedside to get a few hours’ sleep each day.

  Elaine inhaled deeply and attempted to rein in her thoughts. Her intention had been to spend a few moments mentally preparing for the chores that must be done before she could retire for the night. Her thoughts, however, had taken on a mind of their own, and no matter where she tried to guide them, they skipped and danced right back to Dan Murphy. She had stopped denying, at least to herself, her feelings for the handsome doctor. But she was so ashamed of herself for believing all the rumors that she couldn’t bring herself to spend any more time than necessary in his presence.

  How could I have thought he was capable of such deeds? He’s proven his character over and over again.

  “Elaine! Come quickly!”

  At the sound of Martha’s frantic cry, Elaine rushed into the house and down the hall to the infirmary. Lord, please don’t let it be a new case of sickness.

  The fear on Martha’s face caused Elaine’s heart to race.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” The sound of her own voice matched the expression on Martha’s face.

  “Lila’s taken a turn for the worse. I’ve sent for Dr. Murphy, but I need you to sit with her until he arrives.” She paused and inhaled deeply. “It’s really bad. I don’t know if she’ll make it.”

  As Elaine’s hand rested on Lila’s face a few minutes later, she wasn’t sure either. The young woman’s skin was hot and as dry as parchment. She moaned and thrashed from side to side. Suddenly the thrashing stopped, and she grew still.

  “Please, Lord, no. Don’t let her die without knowing You.” Elaine hardly knew she was praying aloud. She leaned her head down to Lila’s chest and breathed a sigh of relief when she detected a heartbeat. “Heavenly Father, forgive me. I’ve been so bitter toward this woman, I haven’t even prayed for her. I don’t know her heart, but You do.” She sobbed the last few words. “If you’ll give me another chance, I’ll tell her about You.”

  A gentle hand touched Elaine’s shoulder, and she glanced up to find Dan gazing tenderly at her. She stood and moved aside so that he could attend to Lila.

  “Elaine, will you hold the lamp close so I can get a better look at her throat and eyes?”

  She complied, all the while watching Dan’s hands as he examined his patient. Such strong hands, and yet so gentle.

  Finally, Dan stood and washed his hands in the clean water one of the staff had brought, then turned to Elaine and motioned her out into the hall. “Continue with the medicine and keep her as comfortable as possible. Try to get water down her. At this point, that’s about all we can do.”

  “Do you think—” Elaine stopped, unable to voice her fear.

  Dan rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath.

  He’s exhausted. He needs to get some rest.

  “I really don’t know. Her condition is poor, but she has a couple of things going for her. She’s a strong woman. And she has you to pray for her.” He looked at Elaine intently, searching her face. “Take care of yourself. Get plenty of nourishing food and make sure you don’t overtire yourself.” He reached down and brush
ed back a strand of hair that had fallen across her cheek.

  Elaine closed her eyes and sighed. If only she could stand here like this forever. Suddenly she felt his lips brush against her forehead. Startled, she opened her eyes. The love in his eyes almost took her breath away. With sudden resolve, she decided it was time to let him know she trusted him.

  “Dan, I’m so sorry for my attitude lately. I was terribly confused. I shouldn’t have condemned you the way I did.”

  A look of tenderness crossed his face. “Shh. It’s okay. I know things looked bad. I don’t blame you.”

  She bit her lip, and her eyes filled with tears. “I want you to know I believe in you. You’re a good man, and I know you’re innocent.”

  The gold in his eyes flickered, and his smile was warm. “Thank you. You don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that. I could handle everyone’s doubts but yours.”

  Elaine sat and stitched as she watched over Lila. She laid the small shirt she was mending aside and reached over to feel the young woman’s forehead. The skin was cool and moist to Elaine’s touch. Thank You, Lord.

  “Could I have some w–water, please?” Lila’s cracked voice wasn’t much more than a whisper, but Elaine’s heart jumped with excitement.

  “Of course you can.” Elaine poured a little bit of water from the pitcher on the bedside table. “Here, let me lift your head a little.”

  Lila took a few sips, then lay back on the pillow. Her eyes still appeared tired as she looked up at Elaine. “I could hear you praying for me.” Her words held a measure of wonder. “Why would you care if I died?”

  Elaine struggled to find the right words. “I just couldn’t bear the thought of you dying. Especially when I wasn’t sure if you even knew about Jesus.”

  “I do.” Her voice seemed stronger now. “My mother took me to church when I was little. I accepted Jesus when I was thirteen.” She stopped speaking and took several breaths before continuing. “Mama died of the typhus a few months later. I guess I blamed God. My granny tried to keep me straight, but I was so bitter. By the time I was sixteen, I’d just gone wild, I guess.”

  “You know God will forgive you, Lila. You can start over.”

  “I know. I’m a little scared at the thought of what I’ll do with my life, but I’m going to give it back to God right now and ask Him to help me.”

  Lila closed her eyes, and after a few moments, Elaine thought she’d gone to sleep. But she stirred and her eyes opened slightly. “All that stuff about Dan wasn’t true. We never were together.”

  “I know.” Elaine smiled. “But thank you for telling me.”

  It was over. Finally. Dan yanked off his boots and fell across the bed, not even feeling the wrinkles in the rumpled sheets. He was going to sleep the rest of the day and all night. Then he’d get cleaned up and go have a long talk with a certain auburn-haired woman.

  Dan and Elaine stood side by side and watched as the train pulled out of the station. They stood silently until the last car was out of sight.

  “Do you think they’ll be okay?” Elaine squinted, trying to see the caboose in the distance.

  “I think they’ll do marvelously.”

  “Lila showed me her grandmother’s letter. She sounded so happy and excited to see her first great-grandchild.” Elaine frowned. “Of course, Lila did lie to her and tell her she was a widow.”

  Dan laughed. “Well, she hasn’t been back with God for long. Give her time.”

  The real surprise was Mary. During Lila’s convalescence, the two young women had become friends, and Lila had led Mary to the Lord. Then, to be sure her friend didn’t go back into a life of sin, she’d insisted on taking Mary home with her.

  “I wonder how Lila’s grandmother will react to Mary.”

  “Well, my dear, that’s where you come in. Pray. A lot.” He took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm, gently leading her away from the empty platform.

  “I will, Dan. I promise I will. And for Lottie, too. She has such a big heart and worked so hard to help the children.” She felt tears rise to the back of her throat. “Now she’s right back at the saloon. I had so hoped …”

  A shadow crossed his face. “I know. I did, too. But remember, as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. And now, Miss Lainey, what’s this I hear about a Fourth of July picnic?”

  She started at his sudden change of subject. “Oh yes, we have one every year. It’s so much fun, Dan. You’ll have to be sure and attend.”

  He chuckled, and she looked up into his eyes. Oh, those gold-flecked eyes.

  “Yes, of course I intend to go. But I meant would you do me the honor of attending the event with me?”

  Elaine’s breath caught in her throat. She had begun to think she’d imagined his interest in her. In the weeks since the end of the epidemic, he’d not spoken of anything personal. In fact, he’d only come to the orphanage a couple of times a week to check on the children. But now his eyes seemed to burn into hers.

  Oh, stop it, Elaine. There you go again, imagining things. He’s just being friendly.

  Realizing he was waiting for an answer, she swallowed. Well, she had planned to go to the picnic anyway. But she couldn’t let him think she was expecting anything but friendship.

  “That would be nice, Dr. Murphy. Thank you for asking me.”

  He threw back his head and laughed.

  Now why is he laughing?

  Chapter 9

  Dan knew he needed to tell Elaine about his past. He’d imagined it dozens of times, each time changing the words and location. In one scenario, she looked at him tenderly with tear-filled eyes and assured him it didn’t matter a bit. She was only sorry he’d had to endure so much. Then, in another, a look of disgust crossed her face and she turned and ran away from him.

  Night after night he’d tossed and turned, weighing the cost of telling her. And tonight was no different. He knew, before their relationship could go any further, he had to be honest with her. If he asked her to marry him, and that was his intention, she had the right to make a decision based on the full knowledge of who he was.

  Groaning, Dan turned over and sat up on the side of his bed. He lit the lamp on his bedside table and picked up his watch. He groaned again and flung himself back onto the bed. Four in the morning—another sleepless night.

  “So, Elaine, dear, who will be escorting you to the picnic?” Mrs. Granger’s lips tilted in a teasing smile as she added a spool of white thread to Elaine’s sack.

  Elaine blushed and tried to concentrate on the money she was counting out. “Why would you think anyone is escorting me? I usually walk over with the children and staff.” There. She hadn’t actually lied.

  “Mm-hm. A number of things don’t seem to be as ‘usual’ lately, do they, now?”

  “Mrs. Granger, really …”

  “Oh, all right, then. I’ll stop teasing. But everyone knows you and the doc are sparking.”

  “Wh–what?” Elaine almost dropped her reticule. Grasping it, she yanked the strings tightly.

  “Well, there’s no shame in being courted, you know. And personally, I think it’s about time you two continued what you started a couple of months ago.”

  Elaine mumbled good-bye and left with her purchases. How mortifying. Was the whole town talking about her and the doctor? Because other than being kind and attentive, he certainly hadn’t made any declarations of affection toward her. True, he’d asked to court her at one time, but that was before Lila came to town and the rumors got so bad. Then the epidemic hit right afterward.

  Early this morning he’d dropped some medicine off at the orphanage for one of the children, and he’d asked if he could come over tonight to talk to her. Maybe he wanted to tell her he’d made a mistake when he’d asked to court her. At the thought, a knot formed in Elaine’s stomach.

  “Elaine! What’s wrong with you? I’ve called your name twice.”

  Startled, Elaine looked up to see Anika standing in the doorway of the o
ffice she shared with her husband.

  “Sorry, I didn’t realize I was here. I guess I was daydreaming.”

  “Hmm. Do you have time to walk over to the café with me? I was just about to take a break.”

  “I’m afraid not. I told Martha I’d start the ironing this morning. We did laundry yesterday, so there’s a lot.” Elaine puckered her forehead and bit her bottom lip. “Oh, fiddlesticks. Maybe I will go with you. A few minutes won’t hurt.”

  The two walked in perfect step, their heels clacking against the boards. As they turned into Etta’s place, the smell of coffee and fresh-baked pastries assailed Elaine’s senses.

  They found a table near a window and sat facing each other.

  Anika groaned. “Etta’s baking is wonderful for the palate but murder for the waistline.”

  “Like you have anything to worry about.” Elaine grinned at her friend, whose statuesque form was the envy of just about every woman in Cactus Corner.

  “Well, I have to be careful not to get too sure of myself. You know how trim May Johnson was, and she’s big as a cow since she had her baby.”

  “Anika! You don’t mean you’re—”

  Anika glanced at her and laughed. “No, silly. But we do plan to have a family someday.”

  Elaine felt her face go hot. “Oh. Well, we shouldn’t talk about such things.”

  “Excuse me if I offended your maidenly ears,” Anika teased.

  Elaine stood, her hand knocking over the saltcellar. Fumbling, she brushed the spilled granules off the cloth.

  “Anika, I really should go on home. I’d forgotten I have to help Rainsong with her arithmetic before I can do the ironing.” Elaine rushed out, feeling a twinge of remorse at the hurt and bewildered look on her friend’s face. But she couldn’t take the teasing and banter today. Not until she knew what was going on with Dan.

  Dan and Elaine stood in the moonlight and listened to the night sounds. He reached over and took her hand. From their position on the stone patio behind the orphanage, they gazed out across the desert.