by Bobbi Smith
"Easy, Jim." Roni was by his side in an instant. "Don't try to move or do anything too fast."
He opened his eyes and struggled to focus on Roni and Walker, who were standing over him. It took a moment for him to figure out where he was and what must have happened. When he did, he groaned even louder.
"Now, I remember." He looked over at Walker. "It was Thompson, wasn't it?"
"Yes. He and his men were waiting for us," Walker answered. "How do you feel?"
"Like hell," Jim muttered, trying to sit up.
"Just stay where you are," Roni ordered and held him down. Beat up and weak as he was, it wasn't difficult for her.
"Yes, Doc," Jim answered obediently with a wry, pained grin. He knew she was right. Just that small effort had left him dizzy and hurting all over.
She knew that smile and was glad to see Jim truly was himself again. "That's more like it. You can try to sit up in a few minutes, but there's no need to rush it. When you do, you're going to feel it."
"I feel it already. How'd the fight get broken up?" Jim asked, looking over at Walker. "Did the deputy show up?"
"No, Chet did." Walker went on to explain how his future brother-in-law had appeared just in time and had run Ben and his men off.
"Good thing Chet came along when he did." Jim didn't like to be beholden to the other man, but he knew he owed him a big debt.
"You're right about that." There was no telling what Ben and his men might have done if they hadn't been interrupted.
Walker hadn't fully buttoned his shirt and Jim could see the bandages around his chest. "How bad are you?"
"Just a couple of cracked ribs. Roni took care of it."
Jim looked at Roni. "In case he hasn't told you, we're real glad you're back in town. You're a good doc."
"You had doubts?" she teased him.
"Never."
"Should I try to get him home?" Walker asked her.
"It would be best for him to stay here in the office overnight."
Jim offered no protest. The way he was feeling, he knew he needed to stay right where he was.
"While he's here, I'll be close by in case there's any kind of complication with his head injury. We'll know more in the morning about how capable he is of moving around on his own."
"All right. I'll come back then," Walker said. He looked down at his friend, relieved that Jim's injuries weren't as serious as he'd feared. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Jim could only give a slight nod.
Roni walked Walker to the door so she could lock up after him. Walker had just started outside when she spoke. "Walker."
He looked back at her questioningly, and she went straight into his arms and kissed him. He held her close and kissed her deeply before putting her from him reluctantly.
"Be careful," she said, gazing up at him.
"You, too." He gave her one last tender kiss before leaving her.
Walker waited until he was certain she'd locked the office door before moving off. It was late and he was glad the streets were deserted.
Walker reached the hotel and found the clerk was nowhere in sight. That was fine with him. He wanted nothing to do with anyone right then. He went on up to his room and gingerly shed his shirt. His chest was hurting so much, he didn't even think about trying to undress more than that. He stretched out on the bed and sought what comfort he could, but sleep proved elusive. His thoughts kept returning to Ben Thompson and how he was going to find a way to teach him a lesson once and for all. It was only as the early morning hours came that he finally managed to fall asleep.
Ben was feeling pleased with himself as he rode through the night. It wasn't often that he enjoyed himself so much in town, but this had been a mighty entertaining trip, that was for sure. He'd been looking forward to having a good time, and it didn't get any better than taking on Walker Stevenson—and winning. The filthy halfbreed . . .
Ben smiled to himself at the memory of the fight in the alley. Everything had worked out just fine. His men had backed him up when he'd needed them most, so he'd left them behind to enjoy themselves at the saloon. He was certain they wouldn't head back to the ranch until the next afternoon, but that was all right. They'd earned a night of carousing.
Ben's thoughts turned to Walker. It was too bad the banker had been with the 'breed, but Jim should have known better than to deal with his kind. Walker had put up a good fight, but he'd been no match for him and his men. In the end, they'd given him quite a beating. The prospect of how badly the 'breed was going to be hurting in the morning pleased Ben. It was just a damn shame that Chet had shown up.
Still, Ben continued smiling.
He'd beaten the half-breed in the fight tonight, and that was all that mattered to him.
Ben hadn't been riding fast, and he knew he wasn't going to make it all the way back to his ranch tonight. Ready to bed down for the night, he found a spot to make his camp. He built a small fire and spread out his bedroll before tending to his horse and getting his flask from his saddlebag. He settled in, enjoying some more whiskey before finally passing out.
It was much later when Chet caught sight of the low-burning campfire off in the distance. Taking great care not to make a sound, he dismounted and made his way toward the site on foot, armed with his rifle. He'd been hoping he would get lucky, and as he got close enough to see who was bedded down there, he knew he had.
It was none other than Ben Thompson.
And he was sound asleep.
Cold-blooded man that he was, Chet did what he'd come to do. Ben never had a chance as the sound of the single gunshot echoed eerily through the silence of the night. Chet knew enough people had witnessed the fight at the dance to suspect Walker right away. Satisfied his plan was perfect, Chet returned to his horse and rode for his own ranch.
Soon, very soon, he was going to have everything he'd ever wanted.
Stacy was sorry that Chet hadn't decided to stay in town and attend church with her that morning, but she still hoped to get Walker to go. She rose early and got ready, wearing her Sunday best. Walker was usually up at dawn, so when she didn't hear him moving around in his room, she wondered if he'd already gone down to the stable to get the buckboard hitched up and the horses ready for the trip home. She hurried downstairs to see if she could find him.
"Good morning, Miss Stacy," said Lester, the clerk.
"Good morning," she returned. "Have you seen my brother yet this morning?"
"No, ma'am, I haven't, but I've only been at the desk for the last half hour or so."
"Thanks, Lester."
Stacy considered going to the stable to look for him, but decided to wait at the hotel since she was already dressed in her nice clothes. She went back upstairs and was just passing by Walker's room when the door opened and he stepped out into the hall.
"There you are—" She stopped, shocked by the sight of his bruised jaw. "Walker! What happened to you?"
"I'll tell you all about it on the way over to Roni's office."
"Roni's office? Why do we have to go there this morning?"
"Come on." He took her arm, and they went down to the lobby.
"So he was upstairs after all, was he?" the clerk remarked as they passed through.
"Yes, he was," Stacy told him, forcing herself to smile as she let Walker usher her from the building. "All right," she demanded in a low voice. "Tell me everything! Now! What's going on?"
Walker told her what had happened and how Chet had shown up just in time to run Ben and his men off and save him from further harm.
"That must have been right after he dropped me off at the hotel."
"They'd knocked Jim unconscious, so Chet helped me get him over to Roni's."
"How bad is Jim hurt?" She cared about Jim and feared he'd been badly injured.
"He came around, but Roni insisted he spend the night there with her so she could keep an eye on him."
"What about you?" She could tell he wasn't moving with his usual ease.
He
shrugged. "Roni patched me up. I'll be all right."
"Why didn't you come and get me?" she demanded, wishing she'd been there to help in some way. "I could have done something—"
"There was nothing you could do. There was nothing any of us could do until Jim regained consciousness. Once he came around and started talking, he seemed like himself again, but I don't know if he'll be up and moving yet."
"And you didn't go tell the sheriff about this?"
"No. I trust Sheriff Protzel, but I didn't want to get the law involved. This is between Ben and me."
Stacy put any thoughts of going to church that morning aside. She was worried about Jim and wanted to make sure he was all right.
They reached Roni's office and knocked softly on the door.
Roni answered it quickly and let them in. They noticed immediately that the door to the back room was closed, so they kept their voices down.
"Roni, Walker just told me what happened. How is Jim?" Stacy asked worriedly.
"How was he during the night?" Walker added.
"He only stirred a few times. Otherwise, he rested quietly. It might take a day or two for him to get his strength back, but he should make a full recovery."
Walker and Stacy were both relieved by the good news.
"When can we talk to him?" Walker asked.
"Let me check if he's awake."
Roni opened the door to check on Jim and found he was stirring.
"Well, good morning," she greeted him as she went on in. "Walker and Stacy are here to see you."
Jim frowned, suddenly feeling self-conscious about being in such bad shape. He didn't want Stacy to see him this way. He wanted to get up and act as if he was fine. Determined to try to act unhurt, he swung his long legs over the side of the table and tried to push himself into a sitting position. A strong wave of dizziness and nausea swept over him, though, and he was forced to lean forward and rest his head in his hands as he fought for control.
Stacy hurried to his side and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Roni was there, too. "Like I told you, you're going to have to take it nice and easy for a while, Jim. Don't try to make any sudden moves. That'll only make things worse."
"How long is this going to last?" he asked, looking up at Roni. Even though he felt disoriented, he was all too aware of Stacy's presence beside him and her gentle touch upon him.
"It should pass in a day or two."
"And until it does, I'm going to stay right here in town and keep an eye on you," Stacy said.
"That's not necessary," Jim protested. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with Stacy. There was nothing he wanted more, loving her as he did, but it was humiliating enough just having her there with him now.
"You think I can't tell how bad you're hurting?" Stacy challenged, using the same tone on him that she used on Walker when she was determined to have her way. "You live alone. What if you needed something and there was nobody around to help you?"
"I'll be all right," he insisted. He was used to taking care of himself.
"That's right. You will be, because I'm going to be nursing you."
"There's no point in arguing with her, Jim," Walker advised him with a wry smile, knowing how determined his sister could be when she made up her mind to do something.
Jim knew Walker was right. He was definitely losing the argument, so he managed a half-grin at her. "So, are you thinking about giving up ranching and taking up doctoring like Roni?"
"I just might. You never know," Stacy retorted, daring him to say more.
"That's a good idea. I could use the help," Roni said, smiling. She looked at Jim. "You listen to Stacy and do what she says. I'll come by your house and check on you, too, just to make sure you're behaving yourself."
"I'll keep my room over at the hotel, then," Stacy said.
"There's no need. I've got an extra bedroom upstairs. You're welcome to stay here with me, if you'd like," Roni offered.
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
"Let's see about getting Jim back home now," Roni began. "Once he's settled in and comfortable, we can go fetch your things from the hotel."
"That'll be fine."
Roni looked at Walker. "How are you holding up? Did you get any rest last night?"
"Not much, but I'll be all right."
"That's good to know," Stacy quipped, hoping to lighten their moods a little.
"I had a good doctor," he told them, his gaze warm upon Roni.
"Are you going to stay in town or go back home?" Stacy asked.
"I'll help you get Jim over to his house, and then I'd better head back."
"I'll send word if there is any change in his condition," Roni said, and then looked at Jim. "You are looking better this morning, so I think you'll be back to normal in a day or two."
"Like Walker said," Jim put in, "I have a real good doctor."
"Yeah, the new doc in town knows what she's doing," Stacy added.
"I'm just doing my job," Roni countered with a laugh.
"Your father would be proud of you," Stacy told her.
Chapter Six
Jim knew he wasn't a physically strong man. The fight last night had proven that to him yet another time, but through the years, what he'd lacked in physical strength, he'd made up for by outsmarting those he came up against. He'd been successful in his banking career, and he'd always believed he had the intelligence and strength of character to make the best of any difficult situation that might befall him.
That was until now.
The prospect of having Stacy at his house with him for the next few days was like his wildest dream coming true, but it was also going to put his inner strength to the test. Not to mention the fact that he was indebted to Chet now for helping to save his life and she was engaged to the rancher.
Yet despite the dilemma he found himself in, Jim had to smile. If being in the fight was what it had taken to get a chance to spend time alone with Stacy, it had been worth it.
"You're smiling," Stacy remarked, coming to stand in the parlor doorway to look at him lying on the sofa. "You must be feeling better."
The strain of just making the short trip from Roni's office to his home had left him pale and a bit shaken, and Roni had insisted that he rest and not try to move around too much for the remainder of the day. Stacy was glad to see he was following doctor's orders so far.
"I am," Jim told her. "You're here."
She laughed, believing he was teasing her. "Are you getting hungry? I thought I'd start fixing dinner soon."
She hoped he'd get his appetite back, for he'd barely eaten anything that day. Roni had told her that a head injury could sometimes cause nausea and loss of appetite.
"You know, I am getting a little hungry."
"Good. Do you feel up to sitting in the kitchen with me and keeping me company while I cook?"
"Sure." He started to try to stand.
"Here—let me help you."
Stacy went to his side and slipped a supportive arm about his lean waist as he got to his feet.
Jim enjoyed her sweet scent and the warmth of her body pressed against him as they made their way slowly from the parlor. He almost wished it was a longer walk to the kitchen.
"Roni said she'd be coming by a little later to look in on you again, so maybe she'll stay and eat with us."
"That would be good. I didn't get much of a chance to thank her for taking care of me the way she did."
"We're blessed to have her, that's for sure. After her father died, I wondered if we'd ever get another doc in town."
They moved into the kitchen and Jim sat at the table while Stacy began to prepare the meal.
It was late afternoon when Mick and the other ranch hands who'd spent the night in town made it back to the Thompson ranch. Mick left his horse down at the stable and went up to the house to let Ben know they'd returned.
"Where's the boss?" he asked Maria, the housekeeper, when she came to the door
to let him in.
Maria gave him a strange look. "He's not here. I thought he stayed in town with you."
"No, he rode out last night. He said he was coming home then."
"He never showed up. I haven't seen him."
Mick frowned. Hungover as he was, the last thing he felt like doing was riding out again, but he had no choice. "Something must have gone wrong. We'd better go look for him."
He went back down to the stable to give the other men the news. They weren't happy, but mounted up again and split into groups to search for their missing boss. They figured Ben's horse had thrown a shoe or gone lame, and Ben was trying to make his way back to the ranch on foot.
Mick and a ranch hand named Al had been combing the land for hours, looking for some sign of their boss, when they heard the sound of gunfire in the distance. Mitch knew that was a signal that some of the other hands had found Ben, and he breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a long day.
They rode in the direction of the shots, but what they found when they reached the others shocked them.
"The boss is dead!" one of the men yelled when he saw them coming.
"He didn't have a chance! Whoever did this shot him down in cold blood!" another added.
Mick reined in and quickly dismounted to check on Ben. He was cursing under his breath when he stood up. It was obvious Ben had been asleep when he'd been killed.
Mick looked at the other men. "We still got some hours of daylight left. Spread out and take a look around. See if you can find anything that'll give us a clue who did this."
"We already know who did it!" one of the other men charged. "It was the half-breed!"
"It had to be! He threatened the boss at the dance! We all heard him!"
Mick thought they were right. "All right. Let's get Ben into town. We gotta let the sheriff know what happened."
They loaded up Ben's body and started the trek to town to notify the sheriff.
It was Sunday evening, and things usually stayed pretty quiet around town, so when Sheriff Protzel heard the commotion outside in the street, he got up from his desk to see what was going on. He walked out of the office to find Mick and several of the other men from the Thompson ranch tying up their horses out front. Strapped on the back of one of the horses was a dead body.
