Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands Romance Collection

by Davis, Susan Page; Dietze, Susanne; Franklin, Darlene

  She leaned her head back against Luke’s shoulder. “My arm.”

  “All right.” He instructed Millie to fetch Dr. Carter then turned back to her. “I’m going to sit you up slowly but it’ll hurt some, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Gently, he pulled her upright, holding her against his chest. Her stomach lurched. She’d never hurt like this before in her life. Was her arm broken? Lord, she prayed not. She had too much to do.

  “You’re going to be okay, sweetheart. I promise.”

  She leaned into him more. “It hurts.”

  “I know it does. Doc Carter will fix it right up.”

  Chardy relaxed. If Luke thought she’d be okay, she’d be fine. She trusted him.

  “Is she hurt bad?”

  She turned her head slightly and found George staring down at her, fear imprinted on his young face. “George.”

  The boy dropped down on his knees beside them, “I’m so sorry, Sister. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.” His voice broke. “I wanted some of those peppermint sticks you keep in your office. I thought I would give one …” He slammed his mouth shut.

  Chardy wasn’t sure what hurt more, her arm or that George wouldn’t confide in her. She closed her eyes, the tears she’d tried hard to hold in check rolling down her checks. She’d failed her brothers, Papa, even Luke.

  “George,” Luke said. “It’s time you told her the truth.”

  She opened her eyes in time to see George nod then look down at her. “The truth is …” He hesitated, glancing over at Luke. He nodded, and George continued, “I like Nancy McGee.”

  Chardy tried hard to concentrate through the pain. “Is that why you stole her ribbon?”

  “I didn’t steal it!” He exclaimed then calmed down. “She gave it to me, only she was too shy to admit it. That’s why Emmett and Thomas got into a fight at school. Rupert was making fun of Nancy.”

  Chardy tried her hardest to smile. “You were looking out for each other.”

  “I guess.” George’s expression collapsed into guilt. “I never meant to hurt you, Sister. Never.”

  “I know you didn’t.” Another stab of pain shot through her, stealing her breath. When she finally could speak again, she asked, “Did you get the peppermint you wanted?”

  “Yes, but …” He hesitated. “I don’t think I should go to the dance. Nancy will understand.”

  “I think that’s very good of you, George,” Luke said, bracing her injured arm between his strong hands. “Now, do me a favor. Go find out what’s taking Doc so long.”

  “Yes, sir.” The boy didn’t waste a second, jumping up and running toward the door. The bell clanged as he opened it, followed by muffled voices and the door slamming.

  Luke looked up. “Who is George talking to?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe Doc …”

  Boot steps echoed against the hardwood floor as the cowboy drew closer. She yelped as Luke tightened his hold.

  “Mr. Carter,” she grimaced.

  The man crouched down beside them. “Miss Millie said you hurt yourself real bad. Thought maybe I could help.”

  “Unless you’re a doctor, we won’t be needing you,” Luke growled.

  Carter glanced over the two of them then took off his hat and sat it next to her. “Then why isn’t Miss Chardy at my brother’s office getting fixed up right now?”

  “We’re waiting on him to come here,” Luke reasoned. “I don’t want to move her until I know it’s okay.”

  “Then you’ll be waiting until the cows come home, at the rate Miss Millie is moving.” He flashed Chardy a gentle smile. “If I carry you, Doc can get you fixed up lickity-split.”

  Even as much as she was hurting, she wished Will Carter would leave them alone. Luke would take care of her. He always had.

  “I’d be much obliged, Carter.”

  Chardy glanced up. “Luke?”

  But he didn’t answer. Instead, Luke stared at the cowboy then nodded his head.

  He couldn’t even carry Chardy down to the doctor’s office.

  She was in pain, much more than she was letting on. Her arm was broken, though the bone hadn’t punctured the skin, thank God. Less chance of infection. He wouldn’t wish that kind of sickness on anyone, not even Will Carter.

  The cowboy was right about one thing. The sooner Chardy saw Doc Carter, the better. Luke had seen his share of men suffer from bullet wounds, have their limbs amputated. He’d lain in the bed beside them. But nothing had prepared him to watch Chardy suffer. It felt as if his own arm had been broken along with hers. Seeing her like that, and knowing there wasn’t much he could do, made his stomach roil.

  But Will Carter could help her. If it meant her finding relief, Luke could swallow his pride and make it happen.

  “Luke?”

  His eyes met hers. Pain glossed over her pale blue eyes, but also something else, a kind of hurt only another person could inflict on someone. “I can’t carry you, sweetheart.”

  “But I don’t want to go without you.” The tears were coming faster now. “Maybe I can walk.”

  Luke didn’t doubt it, strong, stubborn woman that she was. But he didn’t want to take any chances of injuring her arm more than it already was. He kissed her on the forehead. “Let Carter carry you before that break gets any worse.”

  “But …” She pleaded with him.

  “No arguments, sweetheart. That arm needs to be set.”

  She nodded with a sniffle. The bodice of the pale blue waist shirt had blotches from her tears. Luke glanced over at Carter and nodded. The man shifted his arms under Chardy and waited.

  Luke glanced back at Chardy, who’d turned pale as a sheet. “We’re going to try our best not to hurt you, but we might not be able to help it.”

  She stiffened in Luke’s arms. “I know.”

  Luke shifted her weight slowly into the cowboy’s waiting arms, stopping only once to make sure Chardy was okay. She’d been biting her lip so hard, he expected to see blood. What he would give to bear the pain for her!

  By the time Carter held her securely in his arms and stood, she had passed out. “Poor little thing.”

  “Probably for the best.” Luke grabbed his cane and stood. “I’ll be there as soon as I close up the store and find her brothers.”

  Carter gave him a slight nod. “I’ll tell her when she wakes up.”

  “Thank you.” The words tasted like dust in Luke’s mouth. As the man turned and walked out of the store, Luke stopped to pray. Lord, take care of my girl.

  But Chardy couldn’t be his girl or his wife, could she? She needed someone who could take care of her and protect her. He couldn’t even carry her to the doctor next door. This was just a broken arm. What if they married and had children? She could die because of him. Maybe now she’d understand the truth of their situation and open her heart to someone else.

  But was he strong enough to let her go?

  Luke hurried down the sidewalk as fast as he could. Closing up the store had taken longer than he’d thought. Even with the boys helping, the mercantile stayed busy with people coming in for groceries or whatnots, and some who’d dropped by simply to check in on Chardy. It had been over an hour and no one had sent word from the doctor. Had he been wrong by letting Will Carter carry her there? Had she suffered because of him?

  Luke stood on the outside of Doc Carter’s two-story house and looked through the window at the empty waiting room, then waited for someone to step inside. Following them in, he swiped off his hat, nervously holding it in his free hand.

  Footsteps coming down the hall caught Luke. A slight woman with a dour look on her face stood in the doorway. He nodded. “Mrs. Carter.”

  “Luke.” Her mouth tightened into a straight line. “I suppose you’re here to check on Chardy.”

  “Yes, ma’am, though I’d like to talk to Doc first. If that’s all right with you.”

  She scowled as she turned and walked back down the hall, mumbling as she went. “Poor
man missed his breakfast, and now his lunch, taking care of folks. People expect too much from him.”

  Not sure what to do, Luke waited outside the doorway. Finally, the woman turned then stared at him as if he’d lost his head. “You want to speak to my husband, don’t you?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Luke hurried to the woman who paused next to an office door down the hall. Opening it, she glared at him. “Be quick about it. My husband needs to eat before his lunch gets cold.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He nodded as he entered the doc’s office.

  Doc Carter glanced up at him from behind his desk. He nodded to his wife as she closed the door. “You’ll have to forgive my wife, son. While it’s my duty to provide care for the citizens of Turtle Springs, my lovely bride considers it her duty to take care of me.”

  Sounds like Chardy. “A good attribute in a wife.”

  “Yes, it is.” The man’s smile widened as he leaned back in his chair. “Have a seat.”

  Luke sat down. “I want to know how Chardy Stevens is doing.”

  “She’s fine, son. I had to give her some laudanum for the pain. She’s resting at the moment. It was a clean break, so I was able to set and plaster it without any problems.”

  Luke released the breath he’d been holding. “Praise the Lord.”

  “She’ll need to stay here for a couple of days just to make sure she doesn’t run a fever, but after that, she can go home, just as long as there’s someone to help.”

  “I’ll move her brothers back to town so we can take turns with her.” He’d have to get a room at the hotel, but he didn’t care as long as he was close by.

  “There is one thing, son.” Doc leaned forward, his elbows on the edge of the desk, his fingers set in a steeple. “My examination revealed some numbness and tingling in Chardy’s fingers and the palm of her hand. Sometimes, this happens because the swelling from the break puts pressure on the nerves in the arm.” He met Luke’s gaze. “Or it could mean there’s nerve damage.”

  “What does that mean?” Luke asked. It sounded a great deal like what the army doctors had told him before gangrene had settled in his leg.

  “It could mean nothing, but it bears watching. There’s no sense asking for trouble just yet. Let’s get her back home. No activities for at least two weeks, then we’ll see how she’s doing.”

  He could handle that, though Chardy might not like it too much. “May I see her now?”

  “Of course.” Doc rose and walked around his desk to where Luke stood. “You know, she wanted to wait until you got here before she’d let me set it.”

  That was his Chardy. Stubborn to the bone. “She’s a might determined.”

  The man laughed as he led Luke out into the hallway. “Those are the best kind of wives. They don’t turn tail and run when times get hard.”

  It was true. Not once had Chardy ever faltered in her love for him, not even when he’d come home in pieces. How would she handle it if she lost the use of her hand? It would be a blow, but Chardy would do what she’d always done and make the best of it.

  What did that say about himself?

  Doctor Carter opened a door to their left before Luke could ponder on it very long. “She’s still asleep.”

  “I’ll just stay for a minute.”

  The man studied him for a moment then nodded. “Remember, she needs her rest.”

  “I understand.” Luke moved deeper into the room, his gaze fixated on Chardy. She looked so pale and fragile, curled up on her side, her good hand balled up under her cheek. Her plastered arm rested on a pillow, her fingers pink and rosy against the snow white case. He leaned down and pushed a loose curl out of her face, his fingers lingering over the softness of her cheek. Without thinking, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Rest, my love.”

  He heard someone at the door. “How’s our girl?”

  Luke pivoted around. Will Carter. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m staying here with my brother.” The cowboy gave him a crooked grin. “So how is Miss Chardy doing?”

  Luke took a step toward him. “Why didn’t you stay with her? She shouldn’t have been left alone.”

  “She ain’t.” Will pushed his hat back on his head. “At least, not yet.”

  And she never would be if Luke had anything to say about it. Chardy needed more than a rambling cowboy who’d leave her for weeks or months on end. “Get out.”

  Will seemed taken back. “What?”

  Planting his good leg, Luke shoved the man toward the door. “You heard me. Visiting hours are over.”

  Will tugged at his vest. “We’ll see who Chardy picks at the interviews.” He glanced down at Luke’s cane then and met his gaze. “I’m pretty sure it won’t be you.”

  Luke gritted his teeth as the cowboy turned, his boots heavy against the wood floor. He may not like Will Carter, but the man was right about one thing. Chardy wouldn’t pick Luke.

  Because he wouldn’t even put himself in the race.

  Chapter 12

  Chardy stared out the window of her bedroom above the mercantile, watching the hustle and bustle below. Today was the day of the interviews, and the street below was filled with people hurrying about their day. There were new faces in the crowd, mostly men who’d answered Mayor Melton’s ad. This afternoon, everyone would meet in the hotel’s dining room and the auditions would commence.

  But she had only one person on her mind.

  Luke.

  Where was he? In the ten days since she’d returned home after the accident, he hadn’t visited her once. He still came to pick up the boys every couple of days to go and check out the garden. But this chair beside her window offered her glimpses of him, driving his wagon down the street, going in and out of the hotel during the day. Still he hadn’t been back to see her since he’d brought her home from her stay at Doctor Carter’s.

  “Sister? Someone here to see you,” George called from the doorway.

  Her heart fluttered in anticipation. “Who is it?”

  “Doc Carter and that brother of his.” The boy stepped into the room and closed the door. “That cowboy has been by here every day since you came home.” He eyed her curiously. “You’re not sweet on him, are you?”

  Chardy chuckled. George had grown up in the days following her fall. He’d begun to confide in her again, and she was surprised at some of his well-thought-out plans for the store. She’d felt confident enough in his behavior to share some of her worries. Of course, he relished his role as chaperone most of all. “We’re just friends.”

  The boy breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, because Luke doesn’t think much of him.”

  “I don’t doubt that,” she said, remembering the animosity between the two men. “Still, Luke doesn’t know Will that well.”

  “He knows him well enough. Told me just yesterday to keep an eye on that cowboy.”

  Yesterday? “When did you see Luke yesterday?”

  “When he dropped by here.” George rolled his eyes. “He comes by every afternoon to check on you.”

  That gave her some comfort. “Then why hasn’t he come up to see me?”

  “I don’t know.” The boy walked over to her bed and grabbed her shawl. “I think he feels like he let you down.”

  “Why would he feel like that?”

  He draped the shawl over her shoulders then sat across from her. “You remember when I got in that fight with Rupert Peabody?”

  She wasn’t sure how that had anything to do with her and Luke, but she’d let him finish. “Yes. He was picking on Nancy.”

  “I don’t know why, but I couldn’t let him do that. Nancy is important to me, so I feel like I need to take care of her and protect her from bullies like Rupert. I think that’s how Luke felt after you fell. But he couldn’t, at least, not how he wanted to, because of his leg.”

  “But that’s not what happened. Luke did take care of me in all the ways that mattered,” Chardy protested. The man had held her and comforted her in the moment
s after she’d fallen. He’d been there every time she’d come out of the laudanum-induced fog, giving her sips of water, whispering words of comfort. How could he ever believe he’d let her down?

  Chardy glanced over at her brother. “When Luke comes by this afternoon, would you tell him I’d like to see him?”

  “I don’t know. You might be poking the snake.”

  “Well maybe it’s time to poke him a bit.” She pulled the shawl over her injured arm. “Besides, I need to thank him for everything he did. Please?”

  “I’ll do my best.” George gave her a cockeyed grin as he rose to his feet. “I’d do anything for you, Sis, but do me a favor, will ya?”

  “What’s that?”

  “Don’t tell any of the other boys. They’ll give me what for about it.”

  She pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. “I promise. Your secret is safe with me.” She grabbed the pillow on the floor beside her, set it on her lap, and placed her injured arm on top of it. “Would you send the doctor in now?”

  “And that cowboy?” George smirked.

  “Tell him I don’t feel up to having company today.”

  “Yes, ma’am!” He slammed the door behind him.

  Chardy simply shook her head. Will was a nice man, even if he did go a little overboard with the cowboy route. He’d asked to court her almost as soon as she’d been released, but she’d told him right then that she wouldn’t entertain any romantic offers from him. She thought that would be the end of it, but he’d come back the next day with an offer of friendship. Since then, she’d been helping him narrow his list of potential brides.

  There was a knock at the door. “Come in.”

  Doctor Carter poked his head around the edge of the door. “Are you decent?”

  She chuckled. “I wouldn’t have asked you to come in if I wasn’t. Millie came by this morning and helped me get dressed. I didn’t realize how tiring it was to lay in bed all day.”

  He set his black bag on the table then joined her by the window. “Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes, young lady. I’ve seen you sitting by this window for the last couple of days.”