Catching Kent

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Do you know who’s in the wagon?” she asked them.

  “Pa said he found him in an alley,” Adam replied. “Said he was unconscious. Uncle Joel tended to his wounds.”

  “Wounds? What happened to him?”

  “Got beat up. Pretty bad too, from the looks of it.”

  Harriett shook her head and sighed. “It’s amazing he survived. Whoever did that to him showed no mercy.”

  Rose shivered at the thought of how much the stranger went through. “No one knows who he is?”

  “There was nothing on him but the clothes on his back,” Adam began, “and he’s not from around here. Pa said he probably came off the train.”

  “Do you think he came here to live?” Rose asked.

  “How can he know?” Harriett replied with an exasperated sigh. “The man’s unconscious and Adam just said he has nothing on him to tell us who he is.”

  Rose studied her sister. “Are you annoyed with me?”

  “Not annoyed. Just…” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I spent all day running around to help Ma. I’m exhausted. I don’t feel like answering a lot of questions, and I’m sure Adam doesn’t either.”

  Adam glanced at Rose. “We should wait for the man to wake up and find out who he is then.”

  “Alright,” Rose agreed. “I’m sorry I didn’t help you more today,” she told Harriett. “I shouldn’t have spent all that time with the horse.”

  Her sister rubbed her arm. “We’ve all had a scare, what with Pa coming home late and all. Let’s just be glad everyone’s fine.”

  Rose nodded in agreement. Her sister was right. Dwelling on what she should have done wouldn’t do any good. When her pa called for Adam’s help, she resisted the urge to run in and see what they were doing. She groaned. Sometimes it was hard to stand by and wait while something important was going on.

  Eli ran out of the barn and Rose caught him before he passed them. “What’s going on in there?” she asked.

  “Pa and Adam are going to carry the man into the house.” He yanked his arm from her. “I have to open the door.”

  He hurried to the house and Rose turned her attention back to the barn in time to see her ma. Her ma stopped in front of them. “A young man’s been seriously injured in town today. Your uncle Joel said he has some broken ribs and a fractured leg. It’ll take some time for him to heal.”

  “Where will we put him?” Rose asked.

  “Adam and Eli’s bedroom. He can have Jacob’s old bed.” Turning to Harriett, she continued, “Do we still have clean bedding in the attic?”

  Harriett nodded. “I’ll get the bed ready.”

  “Good. Your pa and Adam are going to carry him.” As Harriett hurried to the house, her mother clasped Rose’s hand. “Will you get a pail of water? Our guest might get thirsty in the middle of the night.”

  “Of course, Ma.” Before she headed for the well, she asked, “Do you know anything about him?”

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart, I don’t. I’m afraid we won’t know much about him for a while. Joel gave us some medicine, and some of it will make him drowsy.”

  It was probably good since the injuries must have hurt. Rose’s heart went out to him and his loved ones. Someone, somewhere had to be worried about him. For a moment, she imagined what her family would go through if she’d been attacked without mercy and rescued by a group of strangers who had no idea how to get in touch with her family. They’d be heartbroken. She pressed her hand over her heart, tears welling up in her eyes as she imagined her mother and Harriett crying while her father and brothers tried to console them.

  “Rose?”

  Breaking out of her thoughts, her face grew warm. “I’ll get the water, Ma.”

  She filled a pail with water. When she saw her pa and Adam carrying the stranger on a board, she followed them. It was hard to get a good look at him, especially since his bandages covered half of his face, but he looked to be about Adam’s age.

  “Is he going to be alright?” she asked, keeping pace with her pa.

  “He’ll be fine,” he replied. “Just needs time to rest and recover.”

  “Where did you find him?”

  “In an alley.”

  “What was he doing there?”

  They went up the steps and her father sighed. “It’s been a long day, honey. We’ll go over all this tomorrow.”

  Despite her disappointment, she relented and stopped asking questions. She followed them into the house where her mother led them up the stairs and to Adam and Eli’s room. Harriett finished making the bed and stepped aside. Rose watched as the men transferred the stranger from the board to the bed. The stranger let out a slight groan, making her wince in sympathy, but he didn’t wake up.

  “The medicine Joel gave him should make him sleep through the night but,” her pa looked at Adam and Eli, “if he wakes up and needs anything, come and get me. I’m sure he’ll have a lot of questions.”

  “Alright, Pa,” Adam replied, adjusting the pillow under the stranger’s head.

  “We should leave the lamp on,” her mother said as she lowered the wick, leaving a soft hue throughout the room.

  “Good idea,” her pa agreed. “Rose, you got the water?”

  “Yes, Pa,” she said.

  “Good. Fill that pitcher and leave what’s left over there.” He pointed to the table by Adam’s bed. “We should get out of here so he can have some quiet.”

  “I don’t think he hears us, Pa,” Eli said. “I don’t hear nothing when I sleep.”

  “No,” her mother began, “but if people are talking around you, you might wake up. Now, come along. We need to grab something to eat and finish up our chores. Then we’ll go to bed.”

  As much as Rose wanted to stay and watch the stranger sleep, she joined her family as they headed downstairs to the kitchen. There were so many questions she had, and her mind ran through several possibilities of who the stranger was and why someone would beat him and leave him in an alley. Was he an outlaw?

  Perhaps he killed someone and the person’s brother sought vengeance? Maybe he was on his way to elope and the lady’s brother found out and was stopping the wedding? She hoped it was the elopement. Not only did she hate the idea of an outlaw being in her house, but a foiled elopement was a romantic notion. Imagine how it’d be if a young man loved her enough to risk everything to run off to marry her.

  “I can’t believe you, Rose,” her sister said, interrupting her thoughts. “Even now when we have all this going on, you stop everything to daydream.”

  “I was just wondering about the man upstairs.” Rose grabbed some bowls and spoons.

  “You’ll have time to think about him when Pa and Eli are done eating.” Harriett shook her head and adjusted her bun. “I’ll be glad when it’s autumn. I’m tired of sweating every day.”

  “It won’t be long.” She passed her mother and set the bowls and spoons on the table in front of her pa and Eli. As she turned to help her ma with the soup, she saw Harriett standing in front of the window, fanning herself. On impulse, she grabbed a clean cloth, dipped it in the pitcher of cool water by the sink and pressed it to her sister’s forehead. “Is that better?”

  With a pleased smile, Harriett nodded. “Much. Sometimes I envy you, Rose. The heat doesn’t seem to bother you as much as it does me.”

  “To be fair, you spend most of your time inside. It’s hotter in the house.”

  “Yes, that’s true.”

  “Why don’t you sit in the parlor and rest? I’ll help Ma.”

  “Thank you.”

  As Harriett left the kitchen, Rose went to the shelf to collect the cups.

  ***

  The next afternoon, Rose couldn’t hold back her curiosity. She slipped into her brothers’ room where the injured man still slept. She heard he’d waken once during the night. He hadn’t woken again since then, but she wondered if he might wake up while she was with him.

  She sat on the chair by his bedside and touched his for
ehead. So far, he didn’t have a fever. Smiling, she brushed aside his brown hair which had blond highlights in it. Even though his face was bruised, she could tell he was a handsome man. High cheekbones, thick eyelashes, soft lips, a strong jaw… Curious, she brushed his jaw, surprised the stubble should tickle her fingertips.

  She smiled and removed her hand from his face. Examining the rest of him, she noted that he was strong, much like her father and brothers, but unlike them, his shoulders were a little broader. She guessed he was an inch or two taller than them, too. She turned his hand over and noted how smooth it was. There was no dirt under his fingernails either. This was also different from her family. She placed her hand in his. Even though his palm was smooth, it by no means made him soft. He was wonderfully masculine. So much about him intrigued her.

  Releasing his hand, she set her elbows on her knees and resumed her study of his face. “Will you wake up so I can talk to you?” she whispered, willing him to open his eyes.

  But he continued to sleep, his breathing even and slow.

  Despite her disappointment she said, “That’s alright. You’ll wake when you’re ready. I’m just a little impatient to learn about you, that’s all.”

  She continued to watch him, wondering what his past had been like, what brought him to Omaha, where he was going. Her heart went out to him.

  “We’re not all like those horrible men who hurt you,” she said, her voice soft. “It’s sure no way to welcome a stranger to town.”

  She leaned closer to him and brushed aside his bangs again. It wasn’t that she had to. They weren’t in his eyes or anything. She just had the urge to touch him. Had he been awake, she never would have taken such liberties. But he was asleep and no one could see her, so she could safely explore him. His hair was soft, so unlike his facial hair. She brought her fingers to his jaw again and noted the difference. He was so fascinating.

  The sound of footsteps made her straighten in the chair and she clasped her hands in her lap. Her heart pounding, she glanced over her shoulder, relieved no one had seen her being so familiar with him.

  Her mother and Eli entered the room, and her mother frowned. “Rose, what are you doing here?”

  “I was curious about the stranger,” she replied, her cheeks warm. Her curiosity had been more personal than her mother would have preferred, but it was still curiosity.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be in here alone with him,” her mother said and placed a clean washcloth and towel by the water basin. She turned to Eli. “Adam will be in here soon to help you tend to the young man.”

  “Tend to him how? He’s asleep,” Rose said, not hiding her surprise.

  “He needs to be woken up so he can take his medicine and tend to other things,” her mother replied.

  “Oh!” Of course, there would be more practical reasons why she couldn’t be here when Eli and Adam took care of the stranger. She hadn’t even thought that he couldn’t visit the privy.

  “Why don’t you help your father clean out the stalls?” She motioned to Rose’s pants. “You’re already dressed for it.”

  “But then I’ll smell like manure,” Rose protested. “What if he wakes up and wants to meet everyone?”

  “He won’t be in any shape to talk to us for a couple of days. The medicine your uncle gave him will make him sleep most of the time.”

  She nodded and left the room. A couple of days? It would take a couple of days before she could talk to him and learn all about him? How was she going to survive that length of time? With a sigh, she headed for the barn.

  Chapter Three

  During church that Sunday, Rose had a hard time focusing on the sermon. She couldn’t stop thinking about the man resting in her brothers’ room. He’d been alert for such brief periods of time that she didn’t get a chance to talk to him. She’d managed to sneak in a couple of times to see him while he slept, but her curiosity was bothering her more and more each day.

  When the sermon was over, she joined the others as they filed outside to enjoy the nice sunny morning. Usually, she’d love to stand around and talk with her friends and family, but today, she wanted to get back home. She stood by her mother, hoping she’d be done visiting with her aunts soon so they could leave.

  After a few minutes, she gave up and turned toward the other people. Harriett was sitting by their thirteen-year-old niece Esther, helping her braid her hair. Harriett was so much like their mother. She had a tendency to take care of others. It was a wonderful quality, one that Rose admired. And at the moment, she had the urge to talk to her. At times, she felt closer to her than anyone else.

  As she headed for her sister, Stanley Craftsman called out her name and jogged over to her. She glanced around but didn’t see anyone close enough to run to. It was no secret he wanted to court her but was to shy to ask, something she hoped he’d never get up the nerve to do.

  She cleared her throat and offered him a polite smile, fiddling with the strings on her bonnet. “Hi, Stan.”

  “You’re looking pretty today,” he said, his hands in his pockets.

  “How can you tell the difference between me and Harriett?”

  “You’re easier to notice.”

  She frowned and lowered her hands. “I don’t understand.”

  “You’re the one who is talking to people and doing things. She’s usually out of the way, in the corner somewhere or,” he scanned the church yard, “helping your cousin with her hair. You might look alike, but you’re nothing like her.”

  “Oh.” That made sense. “She’s got a lot of wonderful qualities.”

  “I know but so do you.”

  “How’s your family?” she asked, opting to change the topic before the conversation took a turn she didn’t want.

  “Everyone’s doing fine. I’ll be getting my own land before the end of the year. Then I’ll get a house up before next summer.”

  Her smile faltered. She didn’t like the sound of this. She knew what he was hinting at and didn’t want to hear any more. “That’s good, Stan. It really is. Adam plans to get his own land soon, but he’s twenty-five. You’re only twenty-one. You got time before you need to run off and get your own farm.”

  “Actually, it’s time I left home. I want to start thinking about the future.”

  Something tugged on Rose’s dress, so she looked down, relieved when she saw it was a one-year-old girl. “Ida!” She reached down and picked her cousin up. “Why, you’re walking already?”

  Lisa Baron came over to them, an apologetic smile on her face. “I’m sorry. Ever since she learned to walk, she’s been all over the place.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mind at all,” Rose said. And really, she didn’t! Ida had just rescued her from a dangerous conversation. “She wants to go out and explore the world. And who can blame her?” She tapped the girl’s nose and was rewarded when the girl laughed. “There’s so much to see.”

  “I hope she doesn’t try to explore too much too soon,” Lisa replied. “I want to enjoy the time I have with her while she’s still a child.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you’ll have more children soon enough. Then Ida will be running off and exploring with all of her brothers and sisters.”

  “You know,” Stan began, shifting from one foot to the other, “there’s lots of places to explore on the land I’m going to buy. It’s ideal for children.”

  Rose bounced Ida in her arms and cooed at her, intentionally avoiding eye contact with him. It wasn’t a good sign that he was hinting at having a future with her.

  “Rose, do you mind if I ask about the stranger your pa took home this week?” Lisa asked.

  “Stranger?” Stan looked at Lisa. “What stranger?”

  “My pa tended to his wounds,” Lisa told him.

  “Her pa is my uncle Joel. He’s one of the town doctors,” Rose clarified.

  “Oh, right.” He nodded. “I know who he is. What’s this about a stranger?”

  Lisa shrugged. “Pa didn’t tell me mu
ch about it. He got beat up pretty bad, from what I hear.”

  “He did,” Rose said. “He came off the train and a couple men ran off with everything he had except for the clothes on his back. We have no idea who he is or what he’s doing in Omaha.”

  “Even now you don’t know?”

  “He sleeps most of the time. I think your pa is due out this week to check on him.”

  “Yes, he said something about that,” Lisa replied and shrugged. “I was hoping you knew more than my pa did by now.”

  “I was hoping for that, too.” Ida squirmed in her arms, so she handed her to Lisa. “I think she’d rather be with you than me.”

  “I think she wants to walk again. I don’t know why I wanted so badly for her to learn to crawl. Ever since she has, it’s hard to keep up with her.” With a chuckle, she said good-bye to Rose and Stan then headed for her husband.

  Rose’s mother patted her on the shoulder. “It’s time to leave. Tell your sister it’s time to go while I get Eli.”

  “I will, Ma.” Rose silently thanked her mother for her excellent timing and smiled at Stan. “I have to go. It was nice talking to you.”

  He tipped his hat. “I’ll talk to you next week.”

  She managed to turn her back to him before she grimaced. It was getting harder and harder to think of ways to avoid the inevitable. Sooner or later, he was going to get impatient and come right out and state his intentions. If only she had the courage to tell him she had no interest in him. But she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Her brother Isaac was married to his sister Emily. That made them family, in a roundabout way. That connection only made it worse because their families got together once in a while. And she didn’t want to be known as the girl who broke Stan’s heart.