Wild Wisteria

by Maddie Taylor

  Darkness had settled in. The moon and stars were casting more light on the scene inside the framed-up roofless house than the dim flicker of the candles held by the family looking on. Luke spotted a lantern by a pile of boards and brought it closer, the strike of the match drawing everyone’s attention. It also illuminated the gruesome sight of his father’s bloody and displaced leg.

  “Although this sounds like everyday conversation around the Jackson family dinner table, maybe everyone should take a deep breath and let Janelle get to work.” Stepping up beside his mother, he used his free arm to tuck her into his side as he gave her a sympathetic squeeze. Dipping his head slightly forward, he greeted his father. “How’re you doing, pa?”

  “Had better days, son. Took a tumble and don’t like all this fuss.”

  “No, Henry,” Janelle corrected. “You’ve got an open compound fracture of the tibia, which is hardly the result of a simple tumble.”

  “English, girl,” he grumbled.

  “That means your shin bone broke in two and one end is poking clear through the skin.” Janelle glanced grimly at Aaron, giving a slight tilt of her head toward the whiskey bottle he held in his hand. Neither Aaron nor Luke missed the silent message. He needed more of the only painkiller they had at hand at the moment.

  “Take another long draw of this fine single malt, pa.” Aaron handed him the bottle. “It’s gonna hurt like hell when Janelle sets the leg.”

  “If he’s lucky, he’ll pass out,” Heath murmured.

  “I’m not strong enough, guys,” Janelle said as her gaze encompassed the three brothers. “You’re going to have to do it for me.”

  “Tell us what you need us to do.” Luke had a general idea, squatting by Henry’s side, opposite from Janelle and Aaron, while Heath moved into position by his shoulders.

  “He’s had plenty of liquor, but he needs something to bite down on. Heath and Luke, you will have to immobilize him while Aaron pulls back on his lower leg. I’ll guide the bones into alignment and apply the splint. Letty, do you have the strips of cloth ready?”

  Choked with tears, she could only manage a nod, so Jenny replied in her stead. “We couldn’t find any cloth, so used our petticoats. We did find some rope and cut both into the lengths like you asked.”

  “Very good, I’ll use the cloth to dress the wound and the ropes to tie the boards for the splint.” With a heartening expression, she squeezed her father-in-law’s hand. “At least you were considerate enough to break your leg around all this nice smooth lumber.” Henry snorted, but even that little movement racked him with pain. “I’m sorry, Henry. I wish I could take the pain away, but unfortunately, Aaron was right. This is going to hurt like hell.”

  “I know it, gal. I’m only glad it’s you instead of that quack from town.”

  “Thanks for the confidence, but this isn’t risk-free. You should know that with the skin broken, there’s a good chance of infection. I cleaned it as best I could out here, with only whiskey as antiseptic…”

  “And a damn waste that was, too!”

  She ignored him. “If Doc was here, you could have ether, but we can’t risk waiting for him to get back, and I wouldn’t move you without splinting it first.”

  “I trust you, sweet girl. Do your best and we’ll let the good Lord take care of what follows.”

  “Henry,” Letty said softly, her frown visibly communicating her worry. “Bite down on this strap.” She placed it in his mouth and when his teeth had sunk into the leather, she bent and kissed his brow. After a whispered “I love you,” she turned to Janelle. “Do it, but wait until I’m gone. I can’t bear to watch him in pain.” As she rushed away, she covered her ears.

  “On the count of three,” Janelle forewarned, meeting each man’s gaze and getting a nod of readiness. With her hands on either side of the protruding bone, she counted. “One. Two. Three.”

  Luke cringed, but held on as his father’s agonized cries echoed through the valley along with the crunch of bone as it snapped into place. It was a blessing when he saw Henry’s eyes shut as he sank into a pain-free oblivion.

  * * *

  Wisteria had barely stepped across the threshold the following Sunday when Henry bellowed.

  “Bring me my grandson, girl.”

  Both she and the baby jumped; tears welled up in his eyes as his lower lip quivered.

  “Henry! You’ve scared him,” Letty admonished while rushing into the foyer. She gathered Micah in her arms, cuddling and cooing as she soothed him.

  “Nonsense. Bring him to his grandpa, it’s no good to be coddling the boy.”

  As Letty approached the couch where Henry was reclining, his injured leg propped up on several pillows, Micah quickly forgot his fright and with both arms extended, reached for the older man. He was soon laughing and squealing as Henry dangled him over his head.

  Wisteria drew near, eyeing the white cast on his leg. “How are you feeling, Mr. Jackson?”

  He aimed a frown her way. “It’s pa or Henry, gal. I’ve told you that several times. As for the leg, I feel like one of those gol dern Egyptian mummies in this consarned plaster boot. What’s worse, it itches like the devil and Janelle says not to be sticking things in it to scratch. I’ve got to wear this infernal contraption for six hellacious weeks. Six weeks, did ya hear?”

  “Quit complaining,” Aaron chided from the other side of the room where he sat with his arm around his wife. “If not for Janelle, you’d be laid up in bed for the entire time it takes your leg to heal. It was her idea to put that metal base on the bottom so you could walk about some.”

  “And she added that little window,” Jenny put in, “so she could watch for infection and take out the stitches when it’s time.”

  “Don’t forget,” Heath reminded him with a mild tone of reproach, “if it wasn’t for Janelle, you’d have had to wait five days for Doc to get back to town. Who knows what shape your leg would have been in by then.”

  “Or, what he would have done when it came time to fix it.” Luke added in a similar reproving fashion. “They don’t call the man ‘old sawbones’ for nothing.”

  “She’s brilliant, Henry, so quit your grousing,” Letty admonished gently.

  “None of you are telling me anything I don’t know,” he said, looking fondly upon his eldest daughter-in-law. “I’m the first to admit that we were blessed to have her come into our lives that fateful day.”

  Janelle rushed across the room and hugged his neck. “I love you too, pa.”

  It was a touching moment and Wisteria didn’t want to interrupt, but she’d been wondering about something for a while now. When Janelle released Henry, she blurted it out. “I’ve heard you all mention that before. What exactly happened on that fateful day?”

  Wisteria had also asked this same question before and like the other times she’d inquired, there was an awkward silence as they looked at each other.

  “That’s a story for another time,” Henry said suddenly. “I’m hungry and so is my grandson. Ain’t ya, Micah, my boy?” He sat up with the baby in his lap, setting his cast on the floor carefully. “Go to your ma for a bit, I need both hands to hobble my way into the kitchen.” He held the baby up to Wisteria, who naturally took him. The subject was brushed aside as the others followed Henry, who made his way toward the heavenly scent of Letty’s pot roast. He hardly hobbled, instead practically flying down the hall on the pair of crutches Aaron and Janelle had fetched from Doc’s office in town.

  “Was it something I said?” she asked of Luke who was the only one who hadn’t fled the room. Slowly walking to where he waited by the door, she tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but there were too many missing. “There’s a story here,” she said, stopping inches away from his chest and tilting her head back. “One of these days one of you is going to slip up and it’s all going to come tumbling out.”

  “It’s Janelle’s story to tell when she’s ready, darlin’.” Bending to place a soft kiss on her lips, he took
Micah from her arms and preceded her down the hall. Speculating about the secret held by her talented, brilliant, and very closemouthed sister-in-law, she didn’t realize her eyes had wandered down to the seat of her husband’s very snug denim pants. She followed along, watching with the longing he so easily stirred within her.

  At the door, she shook herself mentally, trying to clear away her wayward thoughts and hoping the blush of lust didn’t show on her cheeks. As Letty took Micah from his arms to settle him into his high chair, Luke took his seat. He glanced up, smothering a grin while he spread his linen napkin across his lap. She’d been found out somehow, either because the accursed man knew her well already or because he had eyes in the back of his head. As she took the vacant seat by his side, she ignored the low chuckle emanating from his amused lips.

  “Hungry, darlin’?” he asked teasingly, as he offered her a basket of steaming rolls.

  The corners of her mouth tipped upward as she tilted her head and met his gaze head on. “Famished, dear, and dinner looks good too.”

  Caught off guard by her returned innuendo, he stared until she took the rolls from his hands. A flash of amusement crossed his face before laughter rolled from deep in his chest.

  Chapter Fifteen

  After wiping her hands on her apron, Wisteria stepped back, smiling proudly at the two dozen freshly seeded pots aligned on the shelf. These joined the four dozen others she’d planted in the weeks before, which had already sprouted and were thriving in the sunny greenhouse she’d set up at the back of the house. With a southwestern exposure, several large windows, and two skylights, what Luke had originally intended as a sun parlor when he’d built it was the perfect spot to grow her indoor herbs.

  Who’d have guessed she had a green thumb? She certainly hadn’t when Janelle approached her with the idea, never having grown anything in her life. But she’d been willing to try, especially when she learned she could contribute to the research project Janelle had started into the health benefits of herbs. Having seen the results firsthand when Micah had been so sick, she’d jumped at the opportunity to pitch in where she could.

  Janelle’s goal was to grow and distribute the herbs, get personal accounts of their effectiveness, then compile all of her information into a book, a home medicinal, or what she called a ‘how-to’ manual. Letty and Jenny already helped by growing and packaging the herbs, but the fledgling operation that had started out at Janelle’s kitchen table had grown large. Word had already gotten out on how effective they were, and because Janelle often gave the herbs away to those who couldn’t afford a token donation, the demand had greatly increased. So, Wisteria’s green thumb and her wonderful sun parlor were a welcome addition.

  Her problem today, however, was she’d run out of pots. She’d planted lemongrass, which could be brewed into a soothing tea to calm both the nerves and an upset stomach, aloe vera for burns and other skin ailments, and black tea, which helped remove bags under the eyes—something that Janelle said she couldn’t keep because the women in town bought it in truckloads, whatever that meant—and aided in a disease that she called diabetes. She’d gone on to explain about glucose in the bloodstream and something called the pancreas and had completely lost her, so she shortened it to the side effects of overindulgence in chocolates and cake, and left it at that. The three plants filled all of her six dozen pots, which left no room for the calendula for wound healing, the lemon balm for female problems, or the mullein for coughs.

  She put her hands on her hips and frowned, then turned to Micah, who was playing with painted wooden blocks nearby. “It can’t be helped. I’ll have to go to see Letty for more supplies.” Bending down, she scooped up her son. “What do you say, little man? Would you like to go visit grandma?”

  As though he understood, he chortled excitedly.

  So after packing a bag of Micah’s necessities—nappies, a change of clothes, and whatnot—she saddled up Shasta and headed out. Yet, when they rode up to the main house a little while later, they were disappointed to find that Letty had already gone to town.

  “You missed her by ten minutes or so, Miz Jackson,” a young ranch hand advised as he unloaded a supply wagon. “On horseback, you should be able to catch up to her gig. She and Miz Jenny left no more than ten minutes ago.”

  “Perfect,” she said. Holding tight to Micah, she put her heels to Shasta. Thirty minutes later, she was on the outskirts of town, having seen not one sign of Letty or Jenny. Deciding there was no sense in turning around when she was almost there, she rode on straight to the general store.

  She was at the front counter, waiting in line to settle up when she heard her name. Turning, she saw Slim waving as he approached with Virginia on his arm.

  “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, little sister.” Slim pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he patted Micah on the back.

  “I’ve missed you, Slim,” she said with a smile, “and you, Virginia. When are you coming out for a visit?”

  “It didn’t sound like your man was real pleased to have us as relations.”

  “What?” she asked, surprised by her tone. “No. Luke said you could visit anytime at the ranch.”

  “But not vicey-versy, so he said.” Virginia seemed quite put out by that fact. “I’ve heard tell of them rich Jacksons. You married into money, honey, and I’m afraid you also married a snob.”

  “That’s not true. The family is kind and generous. Luke worries, that’s all.”

  “Then come to the house for a visit now. I baked a strawberry cake fresh this morning. We’ll chat and have tea.” There was a challenge in her sister-in-law’s determined face.

  “I don’t know,” she hedged, remembering Luke’s warning. “It’s not you, it’s where you live. Too near to South Town and Sixth Street for his liking.”

  “But you’re allowed to venture all the way into town by yourself?” she quipped. “Nope, he’s a snob and turning you into one too.”

  “Now, Ginny,” Slim cut in. “You know Rose ain’t like that.”

  “Leopards might not change their spots, Slim, but people sure do. I’m afraid your sister has changed into a snooty highbrow like the rest of them.” Virginia’s tone was softer with Slim, but her words still stung.

  “I haven’t changed at all, just my circumstances have,” Wisteria insisted. “And I swear, Luke is neither snooty nor highbrow.”

  “Then coming for tea and cake won’t be a problem. Slim’s with you to play protector, he’s got his gun and I’m packing too.” She patted her purse. “We’ll see you back home after our visit. Surely he can’t fuss about that when you would be riding the back roads all alone if we didn’t.”

  She had a point, although she didn’t think Luke would be happy about either prospect. She waffled, not wanting to hurt her brother and give credence to his new wife’s opinions. “Okay,” she agreed, although a nagging worry set up in her gut. “For no more than an hour, however. I’ll have to get back to start supper.”

  “It don’t take more than that for tea and cake.”

  So off they went, Wisteria not feeling at all good about her decision. Once she got there, she appreciated her time with Slim and Virginia, who was actually friendly when she wasn’t on her soapbox about social classes and elitism. Micah also enjoyed spending time with his uncle, who in the short time they lived with him had become quite attached. When she looked in and saw them playing happily on the floor in the front room, she hated to disturb them and convinced herself a little longer would do no harm.

  She and Ginny had cleared the table and were washing up the few dishes when a knock sounded at the door. As Slim got up to answer it, an odd shiver of awareness crept up her spine. She dried her hands and was about to enter the living room when she heard the familiar voice at the door.

  “I’ll see her home, now that I’m here.”

  Wisteria stiffened. Peering wildly around, she was seriously contemplating an escape out the back door, then chided herself for her silly, ridicul
ous notion. Luke was her husband, and although she had no idea how he’d found her, he had and it was time she faced the music, as discordant as it was shaping up to be.

  Goodbyes were said in a rush and the next thing she knew, Luke had guided her out the door and set atop her horse quick as a wink. Instead of passing Micah up to her, Luke mounted and settled him in his lap. With little more than a glance her way, he ordered tersely, “Keep close. We’ll ride fast. I’d like to be home before dark.”

  Noticing the sun dipping low in the western sky, she realized how time had slipped away and how late it must be. Without a valid argument, she quietly followed along at the fast trot he set. Taking the long way around town, he bypassed Sixth Street and South Town entirely, coming out on Main Street, and finally making the turn toward the west end and Silverbend beyond.

  Conversation was nonexistent. She felt like a naughty child fetched home by a disapproving papa. Although she knew he didn’t want her there, she didn’t really see the harm. She was with Slim and Virginia, both of them armed, and though she hadn’t said so, she was too, prepared for trouble as her father had taught her. She wasn’t entirely a fool, except for ignoring her husband’s wishes, that is.

  When they rode into the stable yard a half hour later, she dismounted without waiting for his help, taking Micah, who reached for her as soon as Luke walked over.

  “I’ll see to the horses. You see to supper. We’ll discuss this after Micah is in bed for the night.”

  “There’s nothing to it, really, Luke. I needed some supplies and ran into Slim at the store. I didn’t see the harm—”

  “You disobeyed me, Wisteria. After promising me that you wouldn’t go there again, you did so against my express wishes. And you rode into town alone, I’m still having trouble comprehending that.”