Sagebrush Bride

by Tanya Anne Crosby

  “You can’t leave me,” she whispered, grief-stricken. “You can’t—I won’t let you,” she told him, grasping his sweat-soaked shirt firmly. With lips that trembled, she kissed his mouth, tasting the salt of her tears as they slipped onto his wind-chapped lips.

  Cutter’s eyes opened, but Elizabeth didn’t notice. Her own eyes were closed, her lashes glistening with tears, as she pleaded with him, savored his lips. The sight of her bent over him, kissing him with so much tenderness, filled him with exhilaration.

  He’d awakened earlier to find her sleeping fitfully atop him, but bushed as he was, he’d let her sleep on. And within minutes, he’d fallen back asleep himself.

  “Who will help me raise Katie?” Elizabeth sobbed brokenly. “I can’t do it alone… I need you, Cutter,” she implored. “Come back to me… please. Katie deserves a father… I need a husband… ” She gave a choked little laugh suddenly, burying her head against his throat, whispering a kiss there. “Can’t raise her out of wedlock, you know… What will people say?” she asked a little hysterically.

  His Adam’s apple bobbed. Elizabeth must have felt it and stiffened.

  His throat thick with emotion, Cutter whispered, “Shhh, bright eyes… don’t cry.” He reached out, touching a lock of her hair, fondling it reverently between his scarred fingers, assuring himself that she was real, that he hadn’t died and gone to heaven.

  Startled by the sound of his voice, the unexpected touch of his hand, Elizabeth glanced up, tears shimmering in her eyes. A cry of relief broke from her lips. “Cutter?”

  “You weren’t askin’ me to ride the river with you, were you, Doc?”

  Confused, Elizabeth shook her head softly, repeating his words. “R-Ride the river?”

  “Share a tepee,” he said with quiet emphasis.

  “Share a tepee?” she echoed over the pounding beat of her heart. A joyous tear slipped over her lashes and slid down her cheek as she began to understand what it was that he was asking. “I-I don’t know how to swim,” she replied recklessly.

  Like the day she’d first laid eyes upon him, his eyes were dark, insolent, teasing her even now. “Blind as a bat, too,” he remarked baldly, “and can’t shoot to save your life… but I’m willin’ t’ teach you the one… overlook the other.”

  Seeing the flicker of amusement in his eyes, Elizabeth managed a choking laugh, hot tears slipping down her cheeks. Her fingers brushed reverently over his beard, her eyes growing dreamy, full of yearning. “I can shoot,” she whispered, “and I believe I see very clearly, too, Mr. McKenzie—does that mean you’re accepting?” She smiled tentatively, the beat of her heart stilling as she awaited his reply.

  For a moment he studied her intently. “Depends,” he replied huskily, a weak smile tipping the sensuous corners of his mouth.

  “On what?” she asked breathlessly.

  His eyes grew openly amused, challenging her. “On whether you’re asking.”

  Elizabeth stared at him, not quite believing what it was they were speaking of—that she was actually asking him to marry her. She was actually asking… She couldn’t stop herself. Nothing could have stopped her in that moment. She felt as brazen as she likely sounded.

  For an instant his eyes turned sober as he reminded her, “Won’t be easy… being a half-breed’s wife. Be more like ridin’ the rapids.”

  Elizabeth choked on an elated sob. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except for the fact that she loved Cutter McKenzie… wanted to spend her life with him… wanted to bear his children. “I… I believe I’m asking,” she murmured, half laughing, half crying. Hot, exultant tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “Believe?”

  “Am.”

  A satisfied gleam came into Cutter’s eyes suddenly, and his husky whisper reached into her soul. “Then I reckon I’m acceptin’, Miz Bowcock.”

  With a joyous cry, Elizabeth surged forward, kissing his mouth passionately, sobbing without restraint. “I love you, Cutter McKenzie!” She withdrew suddenly, laying her forehead against his chin. “But you frightened me!” She lifted her anguished gaze to his. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”

  “Reckon I thought I was too tough to be brought down by a little-bit scratch,” he told her honestly.

  Relief washed over her to hear that it wasn’t a lack of trust in her. “It wasn’t a scratch. Don’t ever do that to me again. Promise me you won’t!”

  He nodded.

  “Promise!”

  “I swear it,” he whispered fervently, urging her back for another silky taste, intending to seal his vow with a kiss.

  She sighed breathlessly, whimpering as he kissed her chin and then her lips. “I couldn’t bear to lose you,” she confessed.

  Cutter responded with an oblivious groan, covering her mouth with his own and kissing her with all the emotion he’d locked away for so long, giving it all. Lacing his fingers behind her neck so she couldn’t withdraw if she’d wanted to, he thrust his tongue possessively into her mouth, reveling in the sweetness and warmth she offered, his arms going about her…

  “Are ya gonna make me look away now?” a little voice interjected with dismay, startling them both. “Granpa always makes me look away!”

  Elizabeth jerked away in alarm, and Cutter released her promptly. Somehow they’d managed to forget Katie’s presence.

  Cutter cleared his throat suddenly.

  Rushing at Katie’s words, Elizabeth stared at Cutter in shock a long moment, not certain she’d understood correctly. And then, as she remembered Miss Mimi’s impromptu speech, and Cutter’s insight, her jaw slipped and her lips parted to speak.

  No words came.

  Cutter gave her a long look and arched his right eyebrow, as though to say, I told you so, and then suddenly let out a peal of laughter at her expression.

  Unable to contain it, Elizabeth burst out laughing as well, holding her arms out for Katie.

  Katie flew into them, squeezing Elizabeth with all her might. And then her head popped upright as a dog’s bark reached her ears. “Look!” she shouted suddenly, pointing over Elizabeth’s shoulder. “Look! It’s Shifless and Granpa!” She surged to her feet and began to run toward them.

  Cutter lifted his head to watch her, along with Elizabeth. And it dawned on him in that instant, as he watched Katie run through the tall grass toward her yapping dog, that Elizabeth had saved his life, as well as Katie’s and her own. Without Elias, because Elias was obviously just returning. He turned to look at Elizabeth in amazement.

  She was watching Katie, too, her profile beautiful from where he lay. Her eyes sparkled with love, and he thought in that instant that he might be the luckiest man who ever lived.

  “Cutter?” she asked suddenly, glancing down at him. “What does nesta vah hosay voomats mean?”

  Cutter straightened his leg, grimacing at the lingering pain. “The hell you say?”

  Elizabeth gave him a narrow-eyed glance and tried again. “Nesta,” she began again, “vah hosay voo mats.”

  His brows lifted suddenly as he realized she was trying to speak Cheyenne. He chuckled. “Ne-sta-va-hose-voomatse?”

  Elizabeth nodded.

  “Cheyenne,” he told her. “It’s Cheyenne. It mean’s ‘I’ll see you again.’ “ He reached for a lock of her hair, turning it lazily about his finger. “Why? Did I say that to you in my sleep?”

  Elizabeth shook her head, biting down thoughtfully on her lower lip as she glanced back up in time to see two blurry forms tackle each other and fall to the ground. “No,” she said as she waved at the approaching riders. They were still too far for her to see them clearly, but one waved back excitedly, and she surmised it was Elias. “He came again,” she revealed softly, as she watched the same figure slide off his horse to snatch Katie into his arms. Tears returned to Elizabeth’s eyes. Despite the fact that she couldn’t really see the touching scene, she could imagine it, and it was no less stirring in her mind.

  Cutter’s heartbeat quickened. “Who
came?” he demanded.

  “The Indian. I think he said his name was Estano-vah,” she repeated as best she could. Silence met her declaration, and she looked down into Cutter’s face. “What does it mean?”

  He would have chuckled at her pronunciation except that a bolt of alarm darted down his spine. “Life-Taker.”

  “Life-Taker,” Elizabeth repeated solemnly, looking back at the hazy scene in the near distance. “It doesn’t suit him,” she decided with a sad little smile.

  There was a sense of peace in her expression that touched Cutter to his soul.

  “He took nothing,” Elizabeth revealed solemnly. “Only gave.” She met his gaze suddenly. “He called you… I think it was ‘Notsemah-em.’ “

  Another ripple went down his spine. “My blood,” he translated for her, his voice little more than a hoarse whisper.

  Elizabeth understood what a gift those words were, but the look on Cutter’s face revealed just how magnificent a gift it truly was. “I never meant to blame you, or your people, for my mother’s leaving,” she told him, knowing instinctively that he needed to hear it. “My mother left because she wanted to, and for no other reason. Forgive me,” she pleaded, her hand reaching out to brush lightly against Cutter’s jaw.

  Her words brought a jolt to Cutter’s heart. They meant more to him than even Life-Taker’s recognition of their kinship. “No need to ask,” he assured her, pulling her down atop him. He didn’t give a damn who saw them, not Elias, the men who rode with him, Katie, or even God Himself. “I forgave it the moment you said it,” he told her. And though he hadn’t realized until that moment, it was the truth. He knew as soon as he said it that it was.

  Still, he wasn’t going to let her off so easily…

  He began to devise ingenious ways for her to make it up to him every day of the rest of their lives. He kissed her earlobe tenderly, nuzzling his head into the crook of her neck, and inadvertently peered over her shoulder… Beginning later, he decided with a groan of regret, when they didn’t have an audience. He whispered something into Elizabeth’s ear, and she bolted upright, her hand flying to straighten her hair.

  Together they watched the riders approach; Cutter grinning broadly, and Elizabeth pink-cheeked.

  As long as she lived, she didn’t think she’d ever understand what happened to her senses when Cutter touched her! Nonetheless, she was certain she would enjoy pursuing the answer to that question.

  And pursue it, she would.

  Diligently.

  EPILOGUE

  Elizabeth had had very few customers; with two new physicians in Sioux Falls, the competition was just too great. And it didn’t help much that she was in the last days of pregnancy. The women seemed not to be bothered at all by the fact. The men, on the other hand, didn’t seem able to look her in the eye without blushing. Most of them seemed hesitant to come to her when either of the other two male doctors suited them better. At least it seemed they thought so.

  So when Jo rushed in, supporting Dick Brady so that he wouldn’t fall on his face, Elizabeth was naturally ecstatic. She rose as quickly as she was able from behind her little desk and waddled toward them, her smile enormous. A white-faced Katie scurried in after them.

  “He tripped over Shiftless,” Jo exclaimed.

  “But he scared ‘im, that’s why!” Katie added plaintively. “And that’s why he bited him, too!”

  And it didn’t take much to deduce where, Elizabeth thought, her brows furrowing, as she inspected Brady’s face. Canine teeth marks ringed his bulbous nose, but only one of the puncture marks was of any consequence, and it was bleeding very little, if at all.

  “Snake-headed dog,” Brady muttered drunkenly. “Blamed thang yelped ‘n’ turned on me—made no never mind that I was flat on ma face already. Iffen ya ask me, I say he was bent on bitin’ me!” He grinned suddenly and winked. “But I tol’ Miss Jo here you’d fix me up right fine, ‘n’ here I am.”

  His disclosure thrilled Elizabeth, though she tried not to show it. He’d actually chosen to come to her? She had to remind herself not to be too delighted. The man was suffering, after all. She put on her most solemn expression. “Does it hurt very much?”

  Brady shook his head, then nodded.

  Elizabeth’s brows lifted in confusion. “It does? Doesn’t?” He shook his head. “Does?” she tried again, and Brady nodded. “Oh, you poor thing!” she said, giving him her compassion as she glanced down at Katie. There was so much of herself she saw in Katie, more each day; from the way she watched, wide-eyed, while Elizabeth treated patients, to the way she defended those she loved, even when they were in the wrong. Yet, as doting of Katie as Elizabeth was, she forced herself to give her niece a reproachful frown.

  “But Aunt Lizabeth!” Katie protested. “Shifless was just taking a nap! That’s all!”

  Cutter appeared in the doorway, filling the room with his presence. He didn’t have to speak for Elizabeth to know he was there. She sensed him and glanced over her shoulder, giving him a welcoming smile as she lifted the lid from a small glass container of gauze pads. He was wearing black trousers and a black shirt, but no guns, and no hat, and the grin he sported as he leaned against the doorframe gave him an almost boyish appearance.

  He winked at her, raking a hand through his head. “Wrasslin’ bears again, Brady?” he asked casually.

  Surprised by the statement, Elizabeth gave Cutter a baffled glance. How had he known about that? And then she recalled, and her gaze flew to Brady. Brady’s expression was so comically confounded that she pursed her lips to keep from giggling. He twisted his fingers together as he stared down at the wooden floor, and suddenly Elizabeth couldn’t contain her mirth. She envisioned him stabbing and wrestling with nothing but himself, and began to giggle, softly at first and then with hilarity, clutching instinctively at her abdomen. Suddenly she gasped as a searing pain tore through her, doubling her over.

  At once both Jo and Cutter hurried to her side. Despite the fact that Cutter was farthest, he reached her first. “Elizabeth!”

  Jo’s face paled with concern. “Are you all right?”

  Katie’s face paled, as well.

  Together, Cutter and Jo began to lead Elizabeth up the stairs to their apartments above the office.

  “No!” Elizabeth gasped, pushing Jo away as another pang shot through her. “Stay—stay with Mr. Brady! Don’t let him near—” she tried to whisper a warning into Jo’s ear, but another pain came, making it sound more a shriek “—the knives!”

  When Elizabeth doubled over, Cutter swept her into his arms, carrying her up the stairs and straight to the room they shared, leaving Jo downstairs with Katie. He laid her gently upon their bed, and then removed the shiny new spectacles he’d ordered for her.

  “The water,” Elizabeth groaned, trying to rise.

  “Easy now,” Cutter told her. “Jo will know what to do! We’ve gone over it enough!”

  Elizabeth closed her eyes. “You’re right,” she relented. Laying her head back against the pillows, she forced a smile. Cutter’s words were reassuring, but his tone was frantic, and she knew that she would need to remain strong to coach him.

  All at once, Katie came racing in, with Shiftless barking at her heels. “He’s bleedin’, Aunt Lizabeth! He’s bleedin’!”

  Within seconds, Jo appeared as well. “Katie Elizabeth, get that dog out of here!”

  “Oh, yes, ma’am!” Katie slapped her little leg, calling Shiftless. “Come on, boy! Come here!” Grasping the dog by the collar when he came close enough,

  Katie dragged him from the room. Jo followed her as far as the door, closing it behind Katie, and then she turned to Elizabeth. “That man!” she declared.

  Elizabeth’s face whitened as dread, along with another contraction, ripped through her. “Good night!” she moaned. “He’s stabbed himself!” Again, she tried to rise.

  Cutter forced her back down to the bed, glaring at her.

  “No. No. Nothing like that,” Jo assured her.


  “Then what?” Elizabeth asked, giving in to a little hysteria. “He wasn’t bleeding when I left him!”

  “Dammit, Liz, don’t worry about Brady!” Cutter broke in. “You’re bringing our baby into this world, and that’s all you need to be thinkin’ of just now.”

  Elizabeth’s gaze returned to her husband. “Our baby,” she whispered reverently, and then another contraction squeezed her, and she gritted her teeth until it ebbed. When it was over, she swallowed and opened her eyes to look into Cutter’s. His expression was full of concern.

  “Cutter’s right,” Jo told her. “You don’t need to be worrying over Brady. Besides, it’s just that I socked him one,” she disclosed. “Just an itty-bitty nosebleed is all he’s got.”

  Both Elizabeth’s and Cutter’s gazes snapped back at Jo. “You socked him?” they asked simultaneously.

  “Well, yes! You’d think he’d’ve learned by now to keep those dirty paws o’ his off o’ me!” She smiled at Elizabeth, winking.

  “You see, I knew you were gonna be a little busy, so I thought I might bandage him myself… and the idiot pinched me.”

  “Where?” Cutter demanded, his gaze jerking up.

  “Now, Cutter, he didn’t mean any harm,” Jo replied. “It’s the red-eye that gets him roused. He can be a perfect gentleman when he’s sober.”

  Elizabeth grimaced. “Trouble is, he’s rarely—” she grunted as another contraction besieged her “—sober!”

  she screamed, clutching desperately at Cutter’s arm.

  “Lucky man,” Cutter said savagely.

  Elizabeth blinked, surprised by the remark, and tried to remember to breathe. Her eyes felt as though they were crossing.

  “Why is that?” Jo asked.

  “Because… if I weren’t busy playing doc just now, I’d break the son of a bitch’s nose! As it is, you’d best get out there and tell the yack to leave before I’m tempted to finish the job you and Shiftless started.”