Wanton Desire

by Ruth D. Kerce

  “I guess. I don’t rightly care so much what others think, but Joe feels like they’re family, so it matters. I don’t want to ruin anything for him. I know what it’s like to feel alone.”

  Emma supposed she and Willie had that in common. She put her arm around Willie’s shoulders. “Well, I think you’re a fine person. I’ll just bet that Beth will eventually see that too and change her mind about you. She’s just protective of Joe.”

  Willie smiled up at her, then pulled away and busied herself arranging bottles and medicinal tins, as if she didn’t want anyone to see how emotional she felt about the situation. Just as Emma was about to say something else to the girl, the door swung open and Joe entered.

  “We got a telegram from Santa Fe.”

  Emma’s heart skipped a beat. “What’s it say?”

  “It’s from Skylar. She says the baby is fine. Or will be fine soon. She has a stomach infection. They’ll be heading back this way in probably a week or so, after Josie gets some of her strength back. She’s pretty weak right now but the doctor told them there’s no reason not to expect a full recovery.”

  Emma nodded and let out the tight breath she was holding. “Thank goodness they figured out what it was.” They wouldn’t need her out there. Now as soon as she signed over the clinic and her father’s parcel of land, she could leave on the next stage. Of course, she’d stay long enough for Beth and the rest of the family to return, so they could visit. But then, she’d be headed back to Boston.

  She and Joe stared at each other in silence. In her head, Emma could almost hear the ticking of time as it was running out for them.

  Willie cleared her throat as she passed between them. “That’s great news, Joe,” she said.

  Joe blinked, as if coming out of his thoughts, and then he smiled slightly. “Um, yes. It’s a relief. I’ve got some work to do outside of town. Thought you two should know. I need to check on the outlying ranches and homesteads today to make sure everyone is all right after the storm. I probably won’t see you again until morning.”

  “Come over early and I’ll fix breakfast for all of us,” Emma offered, hoping he’d accept so they all could spend some more time together.

  Joe nodded. “I’d like that.”

  And then he turned and walked out the door. Emma stared at the door for a long while before finally getting back to work. She tried to keep her thoughts focused on her task and not let thoughts of leaving sadden her but it was difficult. Elk Valley had wedged its way back into her heart. She no longer saw a dirty little town as she had when she’d first arrived. She now saw it as she had for most of her life. This was home. Even so, could she stay? Could she give up her dream? Maybe she could find a different dream and a different profession.

  Willie stepped up beside her and fidgeted with the bottle in her hand. “Um, Miss Emma, I’ve been wondering…”

  “Wondering about what?” She pushed her previous thoughts aside and returned to checking the contents of the medicine bottles on the shelf in front of her. “And you don’t have to call me Miss Emma.”

  “I know. But it seems like you’re due that respect. Not many women could do what you’re doing, trying to be a doctor and all.”

  “You’re very kind.” Willie had been raised well, regardless of what her current circumstances were. Emma would miss her when she returned to Boston. “What have you been wondering about?”

  “Well, why are we doing all this?”

  Emma looked away from the inventory sheet she’d posted on the wall. Cataloguing what medicine remained in the clinic had been one of her priorities. “Doing what? Cleaning and getting things in order?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s filthy in here and everything is a mess. I don’t know what we have and what we don’t have right now.”

  “I know. But it’s just all going to be cleared out anyway next week or so, after you sell it. Right?”

  As if someone had slammed a door in her face, Emma froze. The rag she was holding fell from her fingers. Hearing the finality of those words aloud and said so bluntly, while performing the same cleaning and organizing tasks that she and her papa used to do together…

  The futility of her actions hit her and she felt dizzy. Everything seemed to collapse in on her at once. She grabbed her skirt and rushed up the stairs, barely making it to her room before tears streamed down her face. She felt as if her whole life were falling apart.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Emma,” she heard Willie call up the stairs.

  She flopped down on the bed and buried her face in the pillows. She wanted her old life back. She wanted her papa. She wanted to keep the clinic. And most of all…she wanted Joe by her side!

  * * * * *

  Willie stared out the kitchen window. The day had passed like a whirlwind. Darkness now enveloped everything outside. She upped the flames on the lanterns she’d lit earlier.

  Emma never had come back downstairs. Willie felt sorry for her. She knew how it felt not to have family anymore and to have your life dumped upside down. Sometimes it seemed as if everything, even fate, was your enemy.

  She turned in a slow circle, surveying the work she’d done. The kitchen and clinic areas were clean and organized. The upstairs and the cellar still needed work but she would tackle those areas tomorrow. It felt good to be useful.

  Maybe Emma could even get a better price for the place if everything was perfectly arranged and free of grime. Emma deserved every cent she could get. She was a nice person and had made her feel welcome and worth something right from the start.

  Earlier she’d made a stop at the general store and picked up some food for tomorrow’s breakfast. She’d charged it to Joe’s account. Nobody had seemed surprised or even questioned her actions. They all knew she was his sister. But still…

  She’d tell Joe about it in the morning. She could hardly believe they were going to have a sit-down, family-type of meal together. It had been such a long time since she’d felt a real part of anything.

  “Ohh.” She rubbed her back, which felt more stiff and sore than it had in a long time. “Been on my feet way too much today.” She was ready for bed. She liked the room Emma had given her. It was small but more comfortable than the ranch in her opinion. It felt very much like someplace she’d want to call home.

  Suddenly, the knob on the back door jiggled, drawing her attention. She’d already locked the doors and put the closed sign in both the front and back windows. The back was used for deliveries only as far as she knew.

  Someone must be bad off if they were trying to get in that way, instead of coming around to the front. It had to be a patient. There weren’t nothing in here to steal. Even most of the medicine had been discarded. Emma had directed her to toss a great deal of it out because she’d said it was too old to be effective. And she hadn’t seen anything else of value around. Of course, a crook wouldn’t know that nothing here was worth his time and trouble, especially a stranger.

  Regardless of her fears, she couldn’t ignore whoever was out there in case they were truly in need. Maybe it was just some drunk, looking for a place to sleep it off. She knew how that felt. It was something she never wanted to do again. She wanted a better life for herself and to make Joe proud of her. Emma too.

  She walked over and looked out the back window. A woman stood off to the side and from the angle she couldn’t tell who it was. She relaxed slightly. She left the window and went to unlock the door. She wouldn’t have done that if it had been a man but she couldn’t leave a woman just standing out there in the dark.

  When she pulled open the door, her stomach clenched. “Cora?” The last person she’d wanted or expected to see. “What do you want?”

  The woman’s eyes widened. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m staying here and helping out Emma. Not that it’s your business. Why are you trying to come in the back way?” Her better sense told her to slam the door in Cora’s face but then she told herself that she was just being silly. “Is
someone hurt?” She tried to look around the woman to see if anyone stood in the shadows but she appeared to be alone.

  Cora pushed her way in. “Not yet.”

  “What are you doing?” She pushed back at Cora. “You best get out of here if you know what’s good for you.”

  “Where’s the lady doctor?” Cora asked.

  “Upstairs. Sleeping. She’s tired and not feeling well. She doesn’t want to see anyone, least of all you.”

  “Too bad.”

  Willie didn’t like the determined look on Cora’s face and she began to get nervous. “Come back tomorrow.” When Cora tried to scoot past her, Willie grabbed her arm. “Joe won’t like you being here like this.” Maybe mentioning Joe would intimidate her enough to leave.

  “Well, Joe’s not going to know about it, is he?”

  The look in Cora’s eyes when she said that gave Willie chills. When Cora pulled away and headed for the stairs, Willie panicked. Something was very wrong. “You can’t go up there.” She rushed over and blocked her.

  “Get out of the way, Willie.” Cora pushed her aside and hustled up the steps two at a time.

  Willie hesitated, not sure what to do. Joe wasn’t in town, so she couldn’t run to him for help. Elk Valley didn’t have a deputy. Nobody else would probably even open up to her if she went pounding on their door. They’d probably just think she’d been drinking again and she couldn’t even blame them, given her recent actions. She hurried up the stairs. “Miss Emma!”

  Emma came out of her bedroom. “What’s all the ruckus?” When she spotted Cora, she stopped cold. “What do you want?”

  “I need you to come with me. Someone’s hurt.”

  “You said nobody was hurt.” Willie rushed her words. “She’s up to something, Miss Emma. Don’t believe her.”

  “Are you going to leave someone to die?” Cora questioned, her voice rising and her face turning red.

  “Of course not. Who’s hurt? Where are they? What happened?”

  “Come on, I’ll show you.”

  “I need answers first, Cora. I need to know what to bring.”

  “Just bring yourself. Oh, and your bag, of course.”

  “I don’t believe you, Cora,” Willie said, standing firm and not about to let her take Miss Emma out of the clinic without answers. “Why won’t you say who’s hurt?” Oh, how she wished Joe were here.

  “Damnation. You’re giving me a headache with all these questions.” She pulled out a small pistol from her cleavage.

  Emma’s eyes widened. She reached out her hand. “That’s not necessary, Cora. Calm down.”

  “You’re coming with me. Come on. Down the stairs.”

  Willie’s stomach clenched. She looked around for a weapon but nothing was around that would do any damage. Nothing that she could lift or easily get to anyway. She could rush Cora and try to wrestle the gun from her but she didn’t want to chance Emma getting shot. Or herself.

  “A gun really isn’t necessary,” Emma said, her voice slow and steady. “If someone’s hurt, I’ll come.”

  “Nobody’s hurt,” Willie insisted, knowing Cora was lying. She could see it in the woman’s eyes. She’d learned how to read people over the years. Besides, she’d never known Cora to help anyone except herself.

  “Shut up, skunk face. Now get going.”

  Whether they were willing or not, Willie knew they had no choice. All three of them headed downstairs. Once in the front office, Emma walked over to the desk to grab her father’s medical bag.

  Dread gripped Willie even harder. “Don’t go with her, Miss Emma. Please,” she pleaded one last time, glancing to the side. Cora wouldn’t really shoot them, would she? Was she that loco?

  Willie saw the wary look on Emma’s face and knew that she had her own doubts about Cora. She was just more adept at concealing her feelings. Somehow that made her feel better. At least Emma hadn’t been fooled by this hateful woman.

  “She’s coming. And so are you.”

  Me? Now Willie knew this wasn’t going to end well.

  Emma’s eyes narrowed and she finally spoke up. “Willie doesn’t need to go. There’s no reason for it.”

  “There’s reason. Everyone out the back door.” Cora waved the pistol in the direction she wanted them to head.

  “The back way?” Emma questioned.

  “It’s closer.”

  “To what?” Willie asked, her heart pounding. “Ain’t nothing in the back of town no more. Nothing good anyhow. Not at this time of night.”

  “What’s really going on, Cora?” Emma asked. “Why are you so out of sorts?”

  “Cora’s not out of sorts. She’s plain-out lying for no good reason.” Maybe if they could distract and delay her with their arguments, they could buy enough time to figure out how to get away from her unscathed.

  “Are you two dimwitted or something? I’m holding a gun here, so don’t either of you get me aggravated. Just move. Unless you want an extra hole in you that you weren’t born with.”

  Willie and Emma locked gazes. Emma had suspected all along that Cora was touched in the head. With her holding a gun on them though, there wasn’t much they could do but follow instructions, at least for now.

  The image of Joe came to her mind and she drew strength from it, knowing he would come looking for them in a few hours for breakfast. If they weren’t here, he’d realize something was wrong and start searching for them. She stepped out the back. Willie followed close behind. Cora closed the door after them all, then waved them forward.

  “We’re going to Delia’s,” she told them.

  “The whorehouse? We can’t get in there. The place is all boarded up.” The whorehouse loomed in the distance, looking formidable in the dark. Emma glanced around, hoping to see someone. Anyone. The area on the back end of town where they were walking looked deserted as was normal for this time of night. They wouldn’t be able to rely on anyone coming to their aid.

  “Someone is there and they’re waiting,” Cora said.

  The supposedly hurt person? Emma highly doubted it. Something strange was going on here but she wasn’t sure what Cora was up to. Why she’d felt the need to bring them to Delia’s at gunpoint made no sense.

  “Hurry up. And don’t you start thinking of making a run for it,” she said to Willie. “I’ll shoot you in the back. I swear it.”

  They crossed an empty expanse of land and came around the rear of the whorehouse. Only the moon lit their way as an eerie stillness filled the air. Not even the insects were out tonight.

  Emma saw doors to what she suspected was the cellar. The only entrance to the cellar used to be off a small room in the kitchen. She wondered when and why the change had occurred. It wasn’t as if the whorehouse took large deliveries of anything. Well, maybe liquor and sheets. She shot a look at Willie, who appeared as concerned and shaken as she was.

  Cora stomped on one of the large wooden doors then stood back. It swung open and light spilled out. Then a man appeared.

  “Slim!” Willie’s face turned white.

  Slim. Emma recognized the name. He was one of the bank robbers. She remembered the conversation Joe and Willie had about him and she knew they were somehow acquainted with the man. She also knew that the association wasn’t a friendly one and her stomach clenched with the knowledge.

  “What the hell did you bring her for?” he asked Cora, pointing at Willie. His eyes flashed with anger as he joined them up top.

  “She was there at the clinic. What was I supposed to do? She suspected something right off. I couldn’t leave her there to run and find Joe.”

  He grabbed her arm. “All right, cousin. Get down in the hole.” He jerked her forward.

  “Cousin?” Emma and Cora questioned at the same time.

  “Unfortunately, yeah,” Willie said in return as she pulled against Slim’s hold. “Let go. You’re hurting me.”

  Emma’s head pounded as she realized the truth. “That makes you Joe’s cousin too,” she said more to
herself than to Slim. Bad news all the way around.

  “Yeah, me and Joe are cousins,” he said to her as he released Willie’s arm. “We got a real genius up here, Montana,” he called down into the cellar. “Now stop chattering and start walking before I toss you both down these steps.”

  Joe’s past wasn’t the best. He’d been a gunfighter and had always said that he was a loner. She couldn’t blame Joe for telling people that. Having relatives who were nefarious would make her want to cut all ties and tell folks she had no relations too. Of course, at the time, he’d had no knowledge of his sister. The fact that Joe hadn’t told her that one of the bank robbers was his cousin made her think that Slim was particularly troublesome.

  “You never told me you’re related to Joe,” Cora said.

  “I never told you a lot of things.” When everyone simply stood there staring at him, he drew his pistol. “I’m about out of patience. Everyone get down there, before I start shooting.”

  Emma reached out for Willie’s hand as they descended into the cellar. Apparently there were three of them—Cora, Slim and someone named Montana. When they reached the bottom, she saw him in the lantern light. A younger man. He wasn’t hurt as she’d already pretty much figured. A shocked look crossed his face.

  Her grip on the medical bag tightened and Willie’s grip on her other hand tightened. She glanced over at the girl whose gaze was fixed on the man in front of them.

  “I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice. He masked the emotion on his face and stepped closer when he spoke, as if he didn’t want the others to hear.

  Sorry? She looked back and forth between the two. Did he and Willie know each other too? Another relation maybe? This situation was turning stranger by the moment. What could these three want with them?

  She released Willie’s hand and turned toward Slim and Cora who had come down after them. She watched as Slim pulled the doors closed. Her nerves were quickly escalating. “All right, we’re here,” she said when he turned toward her. “Now what’s going on? Obviously no one’s hurt.”