Western Dilemma

by Janelle Daniels

  She bit her lip, but then nodded as if deciding to believe him. “I’m happy to hear the rest of the tunnels are sound. That was my greatest fear—that there would be more collapses and men would die.”

  “You can’t fully stop cave-ins, but you can do things to avoid most of them. Unless there’s an explosion, this shouldn’t happen again.”

  “That’s good news.” She finished straightening the room.

  He didn’t want her to leave yet. “What else would you ask to be changed if you were speaking with the Copper Kings?” He knew he should stop the whole charade, but he truly wanted to know what she thought.

  She moved to the chair next to his bed, settling in, and he relaxed more fully against the pillows now that she was there to stay. He didn’t even want to think about why such a thing affected him that way.

  “I would require the men to use the facilities above ground.”

  “Done.”

  She looked at him skeptically, and he raised his hands in a gesture of peace. “I mean that. The change should already be implemented.”

  Her eyebrows raised. “Really? I’m surprised.”

  “I told you. The Copper Kings really do care about their employees,” he said gently.

  She still didn’t look convinced. “At least that will cut down significantly on tunnel disease.”

  To lighten the mood, he shivered dramatically. “Hallelujah.”

  She snorted. “I’m glad you’ve been saved from such a condition.”

  “Me too. What else would you change?”

  She held up her hands, biting her lip. “Those are my two biggest complaints, although I’m sure I could come up with several more. What about fire safety? Breathable air? Fair pay or breaks?”

  He grinned. “I hate to even tell you this, because it seems like you’ve thought a lot about it, but all those changes are already in the works.”

  “You’re lying.” The sting of her declaration was taken away by her smile.

  “It’s the truth.”

  “Well, I guess it’s fortunate. Now I don’t have to threaten anyone with bodily harm.”

  He put a hand over his heart. “You’d harm someone? Didn’t you take any oaths?”

  She rolled her eyes then shook her head playfully. “I’m not a physician.”

  “No?” When her eyes narrowed, he continued, “You’re an excellent nurse. And I’m fairly certain you know more than many doctors.”

  She flushed from the praise, her eyes softening. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

  “You don’t need to say anything. I only speak the truth.”

  She looked at him a moment longer, her lips parting invitingly. Then as if shaking herself, she stood abruptly. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well. I should see to my other duties in the clinic, but if there’s anything else you need, let me know.”

  He nodded, even though he wanted to ask her to stay. “I’m fine. Thank you for checking in.”

  She didn’t make eye contact as she headed toward the door. “I’ll bring in your meal shortly.”

  “Miss Kane?”

  She paused, and he waited until she turned back toward him before continuing. “I just wanted to thank you once again for taking such excellent care of me.”

  She smiled at him, but her openness from earlier didn’t show in her eyes. “It’s been my pleasure. Rest now,” she said, closing the door behind her.

  ***

  Only a few minutes. Just enough time to check on him, to see if he needed anything, and then leave. Emery couldn’t stay any longer than that even if she wanted to.

  And that was the problem. In the few days since her patient had woken up, she’d spent too much time with him, had gotten too attached. And now she wanted to spend even more time around him. It was wrong, completely unprofessional, and she was determined not to cross any more lines than she already had.

  She couldn’t think about how handsome he was, his sense of humor, his intelligence, or any of his other good qualities. None of it was appropriate. She had to focus on his injuries, his care, and make sure he fully recovered.

  She took a deep breath and knocked on his door. When he called for her to come in, she plastered a smile on her face and entered. “Good morning. How are you today?” she asked, making sure her voice was calm and professional.

  He only winced slightly as he sat up in bed. “Morning. I’m feeling a bit better.”

  The charming, roguish grin he gave her set her stomach fluttering. But instead of giggling or doing anything else unprofessional, she gave him another serene smile and nodded. “I’m glad of it. You’ll be out of here in no time.”

  She expected another smile, but, instead, his expression lost some of its cheer. “I don’t know. It’s been nice taking a break—even if it was forced on me.”

  She wanted to laugh, to give in and just enjoy his company. Professional. I must be professional. “Are you ready for your walk?” She’d warned him they would attempt one today, and she expected him to groan or try to put it off, but he didn’t.

  Instead, he slowly turned his body until his feet touched the floor. “More than you know.”

  She clucked her tongue, pleased. “I expected a fight.”

  From this position, the sunlight fell on his light-brown hair, teasing gold highlights out of it and making his moss-green eyes sparkle. “I want to get better as quickly as possible. I know how important it is to continue to move after injuries.”

  “You sound very sure of that.” Most people only knew that if they’d been injured before or worked in the medical field. “Have you had medical training?”

  He didn’t meet her eyes. “Some.”

  She had a feeling there was something he wasn’t telling her, but she didn’t push. It wasn’t her place to ask, even if she was curious about him. So instead of prying, she moved to his side, taking his arm to support him. “Let’s take this first time nice and slow.”

  He wobbled slightly but caught himself before he fell. “Easy,” she said. “We don’t need to go quickly.”

  Determination lit his eyes. “I can do this.”

  She started to feel uneasy. Yes, movement was good, it helped the body stay limber, but too much would set him back. “Slow down. We’re only taking a few steps this time.”

  “I can make it to the door,” he insisted.

  Her voice was wry. “But can you make it back to the bed after?”

  He snorted out a breath of amusement but didn’t say anything else, and she felt a measure of pride.

  Step by step they made it across the short distance to the door. She watched his every move to make sure he didn’t push himself too far.

  But he didn’t do anything reckless. He pushed himself to the edge, but never crossed it. And he must be hurting. Even with a week and a half of healing, those ribs must ache.

  They were a step away from the bed when she relaxed her grip on him, knowing he could make it the rest of the way. “You did a fantastic job—”

  Before she could say anything else, his legs buckled. She wrapped both arms around his waist, attempting to support him, but she only managed to collapse with him.

  They crashed onto the bed, and she fell beneath him as he landed on top. Their position shocked her, robbed her of breath. Her pulse raced as feelings crashed through her. She’d never been so close to a man before, had never been pressed up against anyone so intimately.

  His body felt healthy. His muscles were strong and thick, and there was no softness around his middle.

  She always thought a man would crush her if he lay atop her like this, but it didn’t feel that way. She felt secure, warm, and protected—

  Until she realized he wasn’t moving. “Everett?” She’d been calling him Mr. Everett up until that point, but she dropped the formality without even realizing it.

  He tried to speak, but only ended up inhaling sharply.

  His ribs!

  “Are you all right?” She tried to smother the pa
nic in her voice but didn’t succeed. He was injured, possibly even more than before, and she’d been just lying there, lost in her thoughts.

  He didn’t speak, but finally he was able to shake his head slightly.

  The nurse in her took over. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed. “Roll with me so you’re on your back.” She used the momentum to roll him over, knowing that if she stopped, he wouldn’t make it all the way.

  With her settled on top, he sucked in another breath, and she scrambled off him as quickly as possible, carefully avoiding his injuries. “Take a minute. Try to breathe evenly through the pain.” While he followed her instructions, she glanced over his body, searching for blood or any other injuries. “Is it just your ribs?”

  “Yes.” His answer sounded like a hiss.

  She waited for his breathing to slow. “Does it hurt more than before?”

  His pinched expression started to smooth out. “No. I think it’s all right. More than anything, it knocked the breath out of me.” He cursed softly. “I thought I was strong enough to make it.”

  “You were only a step shy,” she praised. “You made it almost the entire way. I was only going to let you take three steps to the chair for your first attempt.”

  He huffed out a breath and laughed. “I knew I could do more than that.”

  She placed her hand on his shoulder and waited until he looked her in the eye. “It’s good that you’re pushing yourself. It means you’ll recover more quickly.” She tilted her head. “You just don’t want to push too far. It could set you back.”

  He gritted his teeth but nodded. From what she’d learned of him, she knew he wasn’t the type of man to lie around, to let things happen naturally. He pushed, he pulled, and he wasn’t satisfied unless he was actively taking steps forward.

  It was funny she knew that about him already. Then again, it was something she respected. He worked hard, was dedicated, and she knew it must be the same in every aspect of his life.

  It was how he’d be in marriage.

  Warmth spread through her belly before she could stop it. That’s why she’d been determined to visit him only long enough to do her job.

  Even though it went against everything she was feeling inside, she removed her hand from him and stepped back, swallowing hard. “I think we’ve done enough today. Would you like help getting back in bed?”

  He pursed his lips, as if sensing the change in her. As he searched her face, she kept her expression serene. Finally, he shook his head. “No. I think I can manage on my own.”

  She took another step toward the door. “All right. But if you change your mind, or if you need anything, just call out. I’ll hear you.”

  Before he could say anything else, she fled out of the room, closing the door as if it could act as a barrier for her emotions as well.

  She had feelings for Everett. She couldn’t deny them. She’d crossed boundaries as his caretaker, and she didn’t know how to get their relationship back on track.

  It would be better if she could cut ties with him completely, but that wasn’t possible. He still needed her care, and she refused to abandon him—or anyone—in that state.

  Somehow, someway, she had to reverse this.

  But even as she walked down the stairs to the clinic, all she thought of was him.

  Chapter 4

  After a week of staying in his room, Everett was ready to pull his hair out. He’d inspected every inch of his quarters and had slept as much as possible.

  If he didn’t find something else to do, he’d go mad.

  Exercising patience, he decided to wait until Emery came in for her morning check. But when she didn’t arrive, he couldn’t wait any longer.

  Gingerly, he got out of bed. It was getting easier to move around each day, but his ribs were still tender, twinging if he moved the wrong way. He grabbed his pants from one of the dresser drawers, groaning as he bent to pull them on.

  By the time he was done with the fastenings, he was out of breath, but he’d done it. He guessed that within another few days, it wouldn’t be nearly as difficult to dress himself. He looked at the shirt he’d selected, flinching at the thought of lifting his arms to put it on. He momentarily thought about going without but knew that even with his injuries, such a thing was unacceptable.

  It took longer than he’d hoped and produced a fair amount of swearing, but he got the shirt over his head. Satisfied he was at least decent, he walked toward the door, not bothering with shoes. He wasn’t leaving the clinic.

  He exited the room, looking in both directions down the hall, uncertain where to go. He’d been unconscious when they’d brought him up, but voices floated from somewhere to the left, so he walked in that direction until he reached the stairs. He was sore, but he was also certain he’d be able to manage them on his own, so he held tightly to the rail and descended.

  Emery’s voice became louder, and then he heard a second, soft voice.

  They must be in the clinic, he thought. The doctor must still be out. He shook his head in astonishment that the man was absent so much. Such a thing couldn’t go on if the town continued to grow. He should talk to his partners about bringing in a doctor dedicated to working in town.

  Respecting the privacy of whoever was in the clinic, Everett sat in the waiting room until he heard a door open and close. There must be another exit in the room.

  When no more voices filtered through the wall, he knocked on the adjoining door.

  Emery yanked it open. “Everett? What are you doing down here?” Her eyes flew up and down his frame. “Are you all right? Are you injured?”

  He realized it was the second time she’d called him by his Christian name, and he decided he liked it.

  A lot.

  Not that she realized what she was doing. She’d assumed it was his last name like everyone had.

  He gave her a sheepish grin. “You missed check-in, and I got worried.” When she raised a brow, his smile widened. “And I’m bored out of my mind.”

  She snorted in amusement and shook her head. “That’s what I thought.” She tried to give him a serious look. “You know, it’s not good for you to be down here just yet.”

  “I know.” He tried desperately to look penitent but knew he didn’t pull it off. “I just couldn’t stay in there any longer. If I’m going to remain here for a few more days, I need something to do.”

  She crooked her finger at him. “Follow me,” she said, stepping back into the clinic.

  Intrigued, he trailed behind her.

  She went over to a desk that was neat as a pin and took a book from its resting place. “Here.”

  “What’s this?”

  “The cure for boredom.”

  He chuckled. “You sound like a teacher I used to have.”

  “He or she must be very wise.”

  “She is.” He turned the book over, reading the title, and laughed before looking back at her. “A romantic tale? That’s what you’re giving me to read?” He thought about it for a moment. “Is this what you started reading to me a few days ago?”

  Amusement filled her face, but she shrugged. “It’s all I have. A friend in town recommended it and lent me her copy.”

  She must’ve been interested enough to start reading it. Bit by bit he’d gotten to know her since he’d been here, but he would have never guessed she would be interested in such stories. “What’s it about?”

  Her cheeks flushed as if she hadn’t expected him to take it seriously. “It’s about a woman who answers an ad to become a mail-order bride.”

  Intrigued, he looked at the nondescript cover again. “Really? How does it turn out?”

  Amusement filled her eyes again. “You’ll have to read it if you want to know.”

  He grinned. “I think I’ll do that.”

  Whether or not she’d expected him to read it, it was too late now. She’d been interested enough to take it from her friend, and he wanted to know what she liked about it.

 
He’d tried to keep his distance from her, but the more time they spent together, the more things he learned about her, the more intrigued he became.

  Emery was strong, both physically and mentally. She had to be for the work she did, but there were other facets to her that also pulled at him. She was gentle, kind, and funny, and, from the book he held in her hand, she was a romantic. The more layers he peeled away from her, the more he found to like, and he wondered how much more there was to find out.

  She was a mystery to him, and mysteries were something he’d never been able to turn away from. “How has your morning been? Did you have a patient?” He looked at the door her patient must have exited from.

  She cleared her throat, as if tossing away any embarrassment she felt. “Yes. Nothing significant though. An aching tooth, and another with a cut. The usual.”

  He thought again of the doctor’s absence. “How many people do you generally treat a day?”

  She shrugged. “It ranges. Some days there’s only one, maybe two. Other days, fifteen.”

  And that number would only grow. “Is the doctor still gone?”

  “Yes.”

  “Any idea when he’ll get back?”

  “No. There’s no guessing either. Sometimes he’s gone for a few days. Other times, three weeks.” She frowned but didn’t say anything more.

  He was definitely going to talk to his partners as soon as possible to find another doctor. “It’s a good thing they have you here.”

  She nodded, agreeing easily. But it seemed she didn’t want to talk about it more. She took a deep breath and smiled as she changed the subject. “Would you like help getting back to your room?”

  A stab of disappointment filled him. He didn’t want to go back to his room yet. It was too quiet. “I’d like to stay down here for a bit, if you don’t mind.”

  She seemed to understand and nodded her agreement. “As long as you rest in one of the chairs out there and don’t do anything too taxing, I think it’s fine.”

  “Me? Taxing?” He feigned disbelief.

  She rolled her eyes. “I may not know you well, Mr. Everett, but even I know that’s likely.” She narrowed her eyes and considered him. “You seem the type to find trouble.”