by DiAnn Mills
CHAPTER 42
Tahoma spent the rest of the afternoon, evening, and into the night in a desperate appeal to God for Eva’s safety and wisdom to find her. In the wee hours of the morning, he paced the floor, his prayers mixed with tears.
How had he been so stupid? He’d spent all those years studying medicine under acclaimed doctors in Chicago and graduated with highest honors, and yet he hadn’t made the correct diagnosis when the woman he loved had reached out with her heart.
Where could she have gone? Eva had not withdrawn money from her account, and that meant she had to find means to support herself. He wanted to believe a young beautiful woman should have been able to find work. She’d already proven herself aware of possible danger around her, certainly a woman who would not easily fall prey to unscrupulous men.
She could not have traveled far. Hundreds of little towns dotted the Southwest for her to fade into obscurity. But Murdock’s hired detectives had searched the area and had photos of her. Why couldn’t they find her?
Unless she was dead.
No! Tahoma refused to accept her death until he saw the grave.
Mid-morning, Tahoma made his way down the street to Murdock’s office. He had one idea, and a feeble one at that.
Again he met the beggar who shouted insults, and Tahoma tossed him another nickel. Inside the law office, the receptionist smiled and greeted him with none of the apprehension she’d exhibited the previous day.
Mr. Murdock must have heard the conversation because he opened the door and immediately ushered him inside.
“I stopped by to see Victoria last evening,” he said. “She hasn’t heard from Eva.” He pressed his lips together as though gathering his thoughts. “I regret the statements I made yesterday about her character. She looked as though she’d been weeping. Although I haven’t always agreed with her in the past, she does love Eva.”
Tahoma sensed the man wanted to say more, so he eased back into the chair and waited.
“She’d been drinking. Not my idea of a good way to handle grief, but I understand the need to medicate sorrow.”
“Does she know about my being here?”
“I chose not to tell her. No point in building false hopes or potentially giving her more reason to drink. I told her I haven’t given up on finding Eva, and she shouldn’t either.”
Tahoma nodded. “My thoughts aren’t much better than yesterday, but I do believe she’s alive. This morning it occurred to me that if Eva changed her name once, then she probably would do so again. Especially if she planned to hide out in some remote community.”
“She’d have to earn a living.”
“True, but I never saw her back down from a challenge.”
Murdock smiled through watery eyes. “She and her father were cut from the same stone. He had so much tenacity—and compassion for others.”
His Eva.
“I think your detectives should keep looking. And I’m going to do the same. I have a photo of us together, and I’ll begin at Ghost Ranch and talk to those who were in contact with her before she left. She was close to the Monarch boys, and who knows? They may offer a clue.”
“We won’t give up until we find her.”
“No sir. We won’t.”
“And when you find her, Tahoma, don’t let her go.”
Tahoma thought he heard correctly, but did Murdock really comprehend what he was suggesting? “What kind of life can I offer her?”
“The same life we offer any woman we love. Our hearts and our devotion.”
He studied Murdock’s face, the lines across his forehead and his impeccable arched mustache. His suit probably cost more than Tahoma’s entire wardrobe…and yet Tahoma had a friend. “Are you saying you are accepting of Eva and me?”
“I can’t think of a finer man.”
Three days later, Tahoma drove down the narrow dirt road leading to Ghost Ranch. Home. A part of him wanted to visit his parents, but until he found Eva, he couldn’t bear to see his father’s disappointment. Like a small boy, Tahoma wanted approval, no matter how ridiculous it sounded.
Charlotte was easy to find, brushing down a painted mare in the horse barn. She hugged him before uttering a word.
“I’ve missed you.” She stepped back and gripped his shoulders. “So have the others. I don’t know whether to shake you or hug you again.”
He grinned. “What’s been going on?”
“It’s definitely calmed down around here. However, Rex broke his leg, and I had to take him to Santa Fe to get it set. He swore all the way—mostly at you for not being here.”
Being here felt good; he’d missed Charlotte and the other ranch hands. “How did he manage that?”
Charlotte set aside her grooming brush and anchored her hands on her hips. “Oh, he was checking on strays and slipped over the side of a cliff.”
Tahoma frowned, not wanting to think about losing an old friend. “It’s a wonder a fall like that didn’t kill him.”
“Right. Luckily, one of the other men pulled him out.”
“Is he doing all right now?”
“Feisty as ever. The cast’s off, but that old man wants to get around like he used to.”
“I’ll take a look at him, if he doesn’t take a swing at me first.”
She laughed. “Prepare to duck. It’s time for dinner, and the men will want to see you.”
“Good. I want to talk to them and the Monarchs.”
She drew in a ragged breath. “Have you seen your parents?”
“Not yet. Have you heard any word from them?”
“About two weeks ago. They both looked good, but your father’s lost weight. Looks pale.”
“Father’s heart condition is draining him of his strength. He needs to be under a doctor’s care.”
Charlotte gave him a grim smile. “I think he’ll have the proper care soon.”
“Have you heard from Eva?”
“No. Hoped you had. I don’t want to think about what might have happened to her. I still regret abandoning her in Albuquerque.”
Tahoma wrapped an arm around her waist. “She’s hiding out, and I intend to find her. I spent over six months running from the truth and God. Now I’m back to find her and make things right between us.”
Charlotte lifted her fist in the air. “One more time, I wish I were twenty years younger.”
“How many?” He laughed.
“All right, thirty.” She startled. “I have a letter for you from the Navajo Reservation. I’ll get it before we eat.”
“Has anyone seen Juan Martinez?”
Charlotte shook her head. “He’s probably deep into Mexico.”
Outside her cabin, Tahoma drank in the high desert scent—the faint essence of June growth. On the way here, he’d seen the wildflowers. For certain he’d missed home, perhaps even more so than when he was attending medical school.
“Here you are,” Charlotte said from the doorway. “It came about six weeks ago.”
Tahoma took the envelope. At first he thought he’d read it later, but the contents could be important. He lifted the seal.
Dear Dr. Benally,
Your people are in desperate need of your medical knowledge. We’ve had an outbreak of measles that is taking the lives of young and old. Please come as soon as possible and bring medicine. Please telephone the reservation upon receipt.
Now what was he supposed to do?
CHAPTER 43
Tahoma rubbed his tight neck muscles and stepped outside the Navajo Reservation clinic into the bright Arizona sunshine. He’d worked around the clock for the past three weeks with little sleep and not much to eat. The measles epidemic had finally slowed, but that didn’t stop two babies who were ready to be born this morning, a broken arm, and a deep laceration that needed to be stitched.
Now, as a lull between patients offered a bit of peace, he decided to explore a little of the reservation. He’d visited here right after he became a doctor, and the changes he’d observed thi
s time around made him curious to see what else had been done. Maybe he should have stayed and practiced medicine here instead of returning to New Mexico. But then he’d never have fallen in love with Eva Fortier.
He greeted a few people and continued walking through the community that housed his clinic. The need to ride across the vast land spread through him—a need to be alone with his thoughts and ponder the rough road ahead. Once he fulfilled his obligation of working until the measles epidemic was over, he’d begin searching for Eva. Taking a deep breath, he offered another of the hundreds of pleas that she was safe.
He stopped to see a man whose four children had recovered from measles. After pleasantries and visiting with the family, he asked to borrow a horse. Soon after, he was racing across the green flatlands, skirting around herds of sheep and those who tended them. The sights, sounds, and smells of nature and his people caused him to push aside his worries.
He’d sensed a similar calming of the spirit when he was in Yellowstone. There, several thousand feet above sea level, he realized God had protected Eva and kept her from those who’d sought to harm her. At the time, he’d thought she was safe in Syracuse. Juan Martinez would never have tried to track her down there, and Tahoma had been positive he was the one working with Chambers. An uneducated man would not venture beyond the familiar. Or maybe that was what Tahoma wanted to believe.
Now, when doubts threatened him, he drew himself back to the moment in Yellowstone when he’d watched an eagle soar across a sky as blue as Eva’s eyes. The majestic bird flew to a nest buried in a rock formation. Unlike the huge nests he’d viewed in the past, many of which lay in the shape of a V nestled in tree branches, this one was only visible with the aid of binoculars.
“She is safe,” a whisper in the wind said.
“She is safe,” Tahoma whispered. Comforted by the thought, he continued to ride across the reservation. He remembered a small mission school about five miles to the west. Although it might be closed for the summer or maybe no longer in existence, he chose to ride there. When he reached the area beside a small stream, he spotted a group of children gathered in an activity. Possibly some had been to see him for their illnesses.
Not wanting to interrupt the lesson, he rode behind the school.
“One if by land and two if by sea,” a boy shouted.
Tahoma dismounted and froze in his steps. He shivered in the intense heat. Only one woman could have initiated a history lesson in this manner.
“Here is your horse, sir. May God speed,” a woman said.
But it wasn’t any woman. The voice belonged to Eva.
“I will return as soon as I can,” the boy said. “We all will fight the redcoats until we’re free.”
Tahoma willed his feet to move, to find out if his ears had deceived him. He walked to the side of the school building and stole a glimpse of Eva. His breath caught in his chest.
All these months, she’d been safe with his people.
All these months, when he’d pleaded for God to keep her from those who wanted to kill her, she’d been right here.
All these months, she’d been using her talents to help his people.
“Miss Adams.” A small girl pointed at him. “There’s a man beside our school.”
Miss Adams?
Eva whirled around. She covered her mouth, and he heard a gasp.
I thought for a moment I’d seen a ghost.
I’d dreamed of Tahoma for so long that I feared my eyes had been blinded by longing. But Maria had seen him.
“Tahoma,” I whispered. I wanted to shout his name, but I was afraid of so many things.
He walked toward me. Tall and broad shouldered. Rugged and handsome. Just as I remembered. I forgot about the children. I forgot about propriety. I forgot about everything but the man I loved.
So I ran to him.
“Tahoma.”
He opened his arms, and I allowed him to envelop me. The fresh scent of him made me dizzy, and I clung to him like a child.
“I’ve thought about you for so long,” he whispered.
“I was afraid you’d be killed trying to keep me safe.”
“I was afraid someone had hurt you.”
“I’m sorry.”
The laughter from the children brought me to my senses. And for Tahoma too, for he immediately put me at arm’s length.
“Dr. Tahoma,” a boy said.
Tahoma smiled at the boy and made his way to his side. “How are you feeling?”
“Good.”
My questioning gaze caught his eyes. “I’ve been working at the clinic for three weeks.”
“Then you must be the doctor who’s been taking care of those who contracted measles.”
“I’m the one.”
“But I didn’t know your name.”
He laughed. “My finding you was by chance.” He pressed his lips together. His eyes moistened. “No, it was God.”
I fought my own rising emotions. “We have much to talk about.”
“That is for certain. Where do you live?”
I pointed to the school. “Here. I have living quarters in the back.”
“It must be lonely.”
I had my memories, but I feared I would cry if I told him so. “I could prepare dinner for you around six.”
His eyes widened, and I could see the teasing sparkle.
“Dr. Tahoma, Miss Adams has learned to cook.”
“Mutton?”
“Fork-tender.” I laughed, and it came from deep inside my soul. If I lived to be a hundred, no moment would ever be as special as this one.
CHAPTER 44
Tahoma returned the horse to his friends and hurried inside the clinic to call Mr. Murdock. The moment he spoke to the receptionist, she recognized his voice and interrupted Mr. Murdock’s business appointment.
“I’ve found Eva.” He trembled. “She’s safe and looks wonderful.”
“Where? How is she surviving? Can I talk to her?”
Tahoma grinned into the phone while peace filled him. He eased into a chair behind his desk and closed his eyes, reliving every moment with his Eva.
“Tahoma?”
“I’m right here. She’s teaching at a mission school here on the Navajo Reservation. Using the name of Adams. We talked briefly, and she invited me to dinner tonight.”
“Eva cooks?” He chuckled. “Victoria would be appalled.”
Tahoma propped his feet up on the desk. “I had the same reaction.”
“Will you call me the moment you return tonight? I believe you have my home telephone number.”
“I do have it, sir, and I’ll call you. I think to be safe we should keep this information to ourselves.”
“Good idea. Another man may be out there somewhere, and he could be someone we know. My lawyers have been talking to Chambers to see if he’ll provide names in exchange for relocating his sister.”
Tahoma had considered the same tactic. “Any luck? I’ve often wondered if another ranch hand was involved.”
“Not yet, but he’s bending.”
“Can Victoria be trusted to keep Eva’s whereabouts to herself?”
“Oh, I know how to put the fear of God in her. All I need to do is threaten to cut off her funds. Seriously, she has suffered in all this, and I want to bring her the good news.”
Once Tahoma placed the receiver back on the cradle, he started to laugh—and every bit of him drew the benefit.
He’d found Eva.
She was alive and safe.
Tonight he’d have her all to himself.
Mutton, no less.
When had she learned to cook?
And he laughed some more.
I couldn’t contain my joy. Tahoma had found me, and he was coming for dinner. My mind had whirled and danced so that I allowed the children to go home an hour early. I simply couldn’t concentrate on their lessons. They’d teased me about hugging Tahoma, and a little girl wanted to know if I’d been sick.
Oh, I had
been ill in every respect, but the good Doctor Benally had brought the perfect medicine for my heart.
While I hummed a tune and set my small table, I inhaled the aroma of mutton stew. Over the past several months I’d developed a taste for what I once couldn’t bear to smell. Now the lamb, onions, carrots, and seasonings simmered over my small wood cook stove. And I’d make corn cakes to go with it.
I kept checking the clock, certain it had stopped. I held it to my ears, and the rhythmic sound hinted at my impatience. So the pot was stirred again, and I refolded the napkins. For the tenth time, I stared out my open door, basking in the western sky blending into chalky pastel colors of pink and orange—and anticipating my hero’s arrival.
Then I saw a truck heading toward the school. My goodness. Tahoma looked fine driving Charlotte’s truck. I touched my heart and tears filled my eyes. I’d dreamed of seeing him for so long, and now God had allowed it to happen.
I met him at the truck door, and all I could do was smile. Silly me. I’m sure I resembled a schoolgirl.
“Do you meet all your gentleman callers like this?”
“Only the doctors.” I bit my lip to keep from giggling. I thought of Victoria and her proper ways. Of course, she seldom had any real fun.
“Is there someone here who is in need of a doctor?”
“Oh, yes.” I took a deep breath. “For many months.”
He touched the tip of my nose through the open window of the truck before opening the door to step out. “If that is the case, then I shall need months to make a proper diagnosis.” He took my hand, and we walked inside my small two-room home that held a tiny kitchen and a tiny bedroom.
“Please, have a seat.” I gestured toward a chair at the table. “And I’ll prepare a plate for you.”
“Eva, something smells wonderful.”
“Thank you. The mutton stew has been simmering since the children ate their lunch.”
I handed him a plate heaped full of stew and corn cakes, then I ladled some for me and sat down. I could feel his eyes observing my every move, and a delicious sensation that had nothing to do with the food nearly overcame me. Definitely a reaction to love.
