Even working together, it took them more than two hours to get the man treated and settled. Nathan stood and gathered all the bloody rags. Taking the pan of hot water, too, he crossed to the sink and began washing them all out.
She watched him work with mixed feelings of gratitude and sadness. He was too young to take on such responsibilities, but she appreciated his understanding. Illness never bothered her, but she couldn’t tolerate the sight of blood.
Shaking her head, she forced back the memories of the night that had changed their lives forever. Now wasn’t the time to brood. She had more important things to worry about.
Rachel checked the stranger over for other injuries. There were small cuts on his knuckles and bruises were beginning to show on his hands and arms. He’d put up quite a fight.
She brushed strands of hair away from his face. Unlike most men she knew, he was clean-shaven. Only the stubble of a day’s growth of beard showed. His right cheek was cut and scraped, and one eye was swollen, but he was still a handsome man. The deep purple bruise across his ribs marred the golden-toned skin of his chest. A storm of butterflies broke out in her belly, just like when she’d accidentally touched him.
She tried hard to ignore the fluttering and returned to her examination. He had such a strong face. She couldn’t resist tracing the tiny lines around his eyes and mouth. Whoever he was, he’d seen his share of broken dreams, too.
Her hands trembled as she folded back the blanket from one long leg, then the other. Rachel tried to convince herself it was exhaustion, and not the fact that the stranger was naked that made her shake. She didn’t find any injuries, but his skin was much too cold for her peace of mind. Leaving him lying on the drafty floor was too dangerous.
“Nathan, help me drag my bed in here, close to the fire.”
“What for?” Nathan shook out the last of the rags and draped it over the edge of the sink to dry.
“We need to get him off the floor.”
“Sis, we couldn’t even drag him to the fire without help. There’s no way you and I are gonna get him up onto a bed.”
“You’re right.” She chewed on her lower lip as she tried to think of a way to heft the stranger onto the bed. “Maybe we could just use the mattress.”
“That’d work,” her brother agreed.
They’d discussed moving her bed closer to the warmth of the fire just a few hours ago, but she’d never imagined it would be needed for a stranger. Grunting beneath the weight, they hauled the straw-stuffed mattress through the narrow doorway and close to the fire.
Nathan studied the stranger. “If we turn him onto his belly, we can shove the mattress up against him and then roll him back onto it, like you did with the blanket.”
“That’s a good idea. Just be careful of his ribs.”
It took both of them to move him. As they rolled him to his uninjured side, the blankets slid off and Rachel couldn’t look away. His legs were long and muscular, the skin golden brown except for the dark hair covering them. She skimmed quickly past his more private areas to study his back. Here, too, the muscles were well defined. The sight of more bruises brought her mind abruptly back to her task. The man was injured and freezing, and all she could do was stare.
After spreading a dry blanket across the mattress, she and Nathan shoved at the unconscious man, struggling to get him up onto the straw-filled pad. “I had no idea he would be so heavy.”
“Well, he ain’t exactly small,” Nathan grunted.
“I’m grateful he’s not awake. He’s got so many cuts and bruises, this would really hurt him.”
“Yeah, but at least awake he’d be able to help some.”
With a final heave, the man’s limp body dropped onto the mattress, pulling Rachel with him. As she straightened, the blanket over his legs came with her. Rachel’s breath caught at the sight of the long, lean, very naked male. Her brother yanked the blanket back into place and aimed a disapproving scowl in her direction. The heat of embarrassment swept through her.
Busying herself with covering the man head to toe, she tried to resist glancing back toward what she’d glimpsed. She wasn’t unfamiliar with male anatomy, but changing her baby brother’s diaper wasn’t the same as seeing a full-grown man’s—
Rachel stood abruptly, resisting the urge to fan the heat in her face. “I’m going to change into dry clothes. Put all the blankets over him and spread my old dress over his legs, too.” Her cheeks warmed again. Catching up her wet nightdress, she hurried into her tiny bedroom.
When she returned, she found Nathan brushing the stranger’s horse. The animal’s head hung low and it balanced on three legs, nearly asleep. She had to smile. Her brother certainly had a way with God’s creatures. He could calm even the most skittish animal in no time. Before long, the giant horse would be following the boy around like a puppy.
“How is he?” She kept her voice soft so she didn’t startle the big animal.
“A few cuts, probably from the ice and stuff in the wind. I put some liniment on them. He’ll be fine by morning.”
She watched for a moment, admiring Nathan’s ability to work with the huge animal. She’d never been able to get close to something that big. Knowing there was nothing she could do to help, she turned her attention to the stranger lying on her floor. He stretched the length of the mattress, with his feet hanging off the edge. They must still be very cold. Rachel tucked the blankets more closely around him, but it wasn’t enough.
“What’s wrong?” Nathan gave one last shove to the sea chest to enclose their growing menagerie, then shuffled over to stand beside her.
“He’s still too cold. We have to get him warm somehow.”
“What if we put some hot coals in the wash pan like you did last winter when I was sick? We could set that by his feet.”
Rachel nodded in agreement. While Nathan got the large metal pan, she stirred up the fire. Taking care not to drop any, she shoveled several glowing chunks of wood into the wash pan. While Nathan positioned it near the man’s feet, she added another log to the fire. Satisfied it would burn for most of what was left of the night, she checked that the pan of coals wasn’t too close to the man’s feet or to the blankets. The embers wouldn’t stay warm for long. She’d have to stay up and add more through the night.
Nathan sat on his heels near the stranger, studying him intently. “Maybe we could rub his hands and arms, try to get his blood flowing. Miss Abby did that when I walked to town last winter and it started to rain and I got all wet and cold. It warmed me right up.”
“It’s worth trying.” Rachel knelt by his side and reached under the blanket for the man’s arm. Starting gently, then with more vigor, she rubbed his skin from shoulder to fingertips. As he warmed, the man’s left hand relaxed enough for her to remove the crushed leather reins and toss them aside.
She rubbed at the marks left behind on his palm. His fingers were long and tapered, but not pretty like Hiram’s. The young banker that was courting her never did any work more strenuous than lifting his ledgers. If the calluses were an indication, the stranger worked with his hands.
While Nathan concentrated on his legs, she moved on to the man’s chest and shoulders, careful to avoid his battered ribs.
“That’s all we can do, for now,” Rachel murmured, breaking the silence of the room. “Now we just have to pray.” She hugged her brother. “Thank you for helping me.”
Nathan returned her hug, resting his head on her shoulder. Rachel ruffled his blond hair and smoothed it back in place. He was getting so tall.
“Who do you think he is, Sis?”
Rachel looked back at the stranger. “We’ll have to wait until he wakes up to find out.”
“We can look through his things. There’s bound to be something there that’ll give us a clue.”
Rachel was hesitant. “We can’t go rummaging through his possessions.”
“Why not? He might be an outlaw. Don’t you wanna know if he is? It ain’t like we’re gonna ste
al something.”
“Isn’t like,” she corrected, sighing when he stiffened. “I’m sorry. You’re right. We aren’t going to take anything.” She paused. Nathan’s suggestion made sense, but searching through the man’s belongings felt wrong to her somehow. Still, how else would they find out anything? Swallowing the protest born of years of hard-learned lessons, she nodded. “You get his saddlebags. I’ll check in his coat.”
Nathan dragged the heavy saddlebags closer to the fire while Rachel went through the man’s clothes, laying them out to dry as she emptied the pockets. There wasn’t much, but she spread everything on their small plank table and brought a lantern closer.
They already knew he wore two revolvers, but no intelligent person went unarmed out here. She found a folded piece of paper inside an envelope that was too big for it, a small amount of money, and a very fine silver pocket watch. There was more money in his saddlebags, along with a dented tin cooking pot and cup, some dried meat, extra ammunition, a slightly damp leather-bound book of poetry, and a letter addressed to Jake McCain.
“Is that his name?” Nathan leaned closer to read it.
“I don’t know. I wouldn’t think so, since the letter hasn’t been opened. Maybe he’s just delivering it.”
She unfolded the official looking piece of paper that had been in his coat pocket and laid aside the envelope. “He’s a Texas Ranger.” She turned the paper so Nathan could see it better. “It’s his commission. Look, it’s signed by Governor Hubbard.”
“A real live Ranger!”
Nathan’s eyes lit up as he reverently touched the state seal. He was obsessed with the Texas Rangers and planned to join up as soon as he was old enough. Rachel knew the stranger would be peppered with questions the moment his eyes opened.
“His name is Jake McCain. At least that’s what it says on the commission.” She glanced over her shoulder at the man in question. “I wonder why he hasn’t opened his letter.”
Returning the heavy paper to its envelope, Rachel gathered all the man’s possessions. She put the ammunition back in his saddlebags and left the book on the table to dry. Reaching to the mantel over the fireplace, she pulled down a wooden box.
“What are you doing with that?” Nathan stopped reenacting his imaginary battle with horse thieves long enough to ask.
“I’m going to put his things in here. That way, nothing will get lost.”
Rachel carefully poured out her own keepsakes onto the rough-hewn mantelpiece. Then she placed Jake’s items in the box, closed the lid, and returned it to its place.
“You need to get back to bed.” She talked over Nathan’s protest. “It’s still a few hours until morning. You might as well get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”
“Why? We ain’t—aren’t going anywhere in this snow.”
“Mr. McCain will need a lot of help. And you have another animal to care for. When your chores are done, we’ll work on your spelling and you can read to me while I make bread.”
“Schoolwork,” he huffed in disgust.
“I thought you wanted to beat Matthew in the spelling contest this year.”
“Yeah, but do we have to do it tomorrow?” He scrunched his face into a look that was half plea and all little boy.
She turned away to hide her smile. “We’ll see.”
“Sis, where are you going to sleep? He’s in your bed.”
Rachel looked at the man stretched full length on her mattress. “I need to tend the fire, and he shouldn’t be left alone. The rocker will be fine for me.”
Nathan headed for the stairs, stopping long enough to shoot half a dozen bad men along the way. He was still accepting imaginary congratulations when he disappeared into the attic room he’d claimed as his own the day they’d moved in. When winter had settled in, they’d moved his bed close to the chimney so he would be warm. After years of living out of a wagon that was too small, he enjoyed having his own space.
She listened to his footsteps on the plank floor, and heard the ropes under his mattress squeak when he flopped into it. She had to smile. He’d be asleep soon, and his dreams would be filled with adventures and heroes.
Summoning what remained of her energy, Rachel dragged the rocker closer to the fire. Circling the room, she checked on the animals and made sure all the windows were still secured. She blew out the candles as she went, only leaving their special one burning. Shivering, she pulled her heavy winter cloak tighter over her nightdress. Since all of her blankets were piled on the stranger, it was the only warm thing she had left.
Now that the work was done, the howl of the wind seemed to increase to fill the silence. She laced her fingers together to keep from covering her ears to block it out. It sounded like a woman’s screams as it rushed around the little house and battered the windows. She recited the books of the Bible, forward and backward, to the sound of her footsteps. She tried humming her favorite hymns, anything to drown out the shrieking blizzard.
Settling into the oversized rocking chair, she watched the man lying unconscious on her floor. Only his head was visible. He had a long, straight nose and a high forehead. His face seemed so smooth. Every miner in town sported a long, oiled mustache. Even Hiram had a small one growing, but it wasn’t very full yet.
The stranger’s coal black hair glinted almost blue in the firelight. The golden tone of his skin said he spent a lot of time outdoors. She wondered what kind of man he was. Not that it really mattered. In this town, they’d distrust him just because he was a stranger. Even the fact he was a Texas Ranger wouldn’t change anything.
She shifted in the chair, trying to get comfortable. The hard wood didn’t bother her. It was thinking of the narrow-minded folks that were her neighbors that had her fidgeting. Though everyone in the town came from somewhere else, they guarded their little community vigilantly. If she hadn’t been able to take on the job of teacher, she doubted she and Nathan would have been welcome, either. But this place was home now, and she at least could make the stranger welcome.
Rachel yawned. Snuggling deeper in her cloak, she cast one last glance at the fire and dozed off.
She didn’t know how long she’d slept before the man’s restless movements woke her. The fire hadn’t burned down much, so it couldn’t have been more than an hour. Kneeling beside him, she took his arm to tuck it back under the blanket.
His reaction was instant. He twisted his arm and grabbed her wrist, tugging her across his body. Clutching at his shoulder with her free hand, Rachel tried to regain her balance.
“It’s all right, Mr. McCain. I won’t hurt you.” At the mention of his name, the pressure on her wrist eased a little, but he didn’t release her or open his eyes. “You’ve been injured. Please, let me help you.” Over and over she repeated the words, trying to calm him. Because she was lying across his chest, she knew the instant he decided to trust her. The tension drained away and he let go.
With the fight in him gone, his shivering increased until his entire body quaked. She tucked the blankets close and stirred up the pan of coals, but it didn’t help.
Rachel gnawed on her lower lip. She needed to get him warm. She could spread her cloak over him, but if he didn’t have any heat of his own to keep in, it wasn’t going to make much of a difference. But what else could she do? When the solution occurred to her, her face burned.
Ignoring her conscience as it lectured her about the impropriety, she spread her heavy cloak over him, toed off her soft leather shoes and slipped beneath the blankets with him. Talking to him in a low voice, she reached over his chest to get a little closer and brushed his bare skin with her fingers. Warmth flooded her as she remembered what else was naked. She shivered then, but it had nothing to do with the cold.
“Stop this, Rachel Catherine,” she whispered into the silence of the cabin. “You have to help him.” Moving slowly, she stretched one leg over his as far as she could, but it wasn’t enough. Gathering her courage, she wiggled and maneuvered until she was stretched out ful
l length on top of him.
When she was finally settled, she glanced up and gasped. She stared into the most amazing green eyes she’d ever seen.
A slow smile tilted a corner of his mouth as his hands moved to her shoulders and smoothed the length of her back, coming to rest on her bottom. As he held her in place with one hand, the other untied her bound hair and spread it out until it fell like a curtain around them.
Strange warmth stole through her. “Stop that.” She tried for a tone of authority, but her voice sounded breathy and confused, even to her ears. She tried to capture his roving hands and nearly slipped off him.
The man shifted beneath her. Her blood heated as he pressed a ridge of hard male flesh into her feminine center. Oh, dear, was this why her mama had... Rachel shook her head to clear it. She was not like her mother. She just couldn’t be.
“Let go of me.” She struggled to get loose and roll off him, but his hold tightened to keep her in place. For one insane moment, Rachel never wanted to move from this spot. Shaken, she shoved at his arms, but he didn’t release her. “You’ve been injured. I’m only trying to get you warm.”
He frowned, confused. “Where—”
“You’re in Lucinda, Texas, Ranger McCain. You were caught out in the blizzard and landed on our doorstep.”
His eyes narrowed when she used his name, but a violent bout of shivering overtook him before he could speak. His quaking nearly knocked her off his chest, and she clutched his arms, locked her toes around his calves, and held on. Unfortunately, that only increased their intimate contact. This time, her gasp was one of discovery. Stunned, she looked up, but he was battling the shaking that wracked him.
Rachel wrapped her arms around his and held him close. “You’ll be fine, Mr. McCain. It will stop soon. Your body is only trying to warm itself. Don’t fight it. You’re safe here.”
She kept talking to him until the shivering began to abate. Gradually, he quieted and his eyes drifted closed. She thought he was still awake when his fingers tightened on her waist, but they relaxed just as quickly. When he didn’t move again, she risked smoothing a hand over his shoulder and across his chest. He seemed to be a little warmer.
Texas Gold Page 2
