by Joannie Kay
“I was so scared! Thank you— I don’t even know your name!” she confessed, giggling in relief.
“I am Rachel Waterford; my father is the doctor, and I am his nurse. I am glad you got here when you did.” She smiled and then said, “We aren’t done yet, Sally.” The next few minutes saw the placenta delivered and Rachel made Sally comfortable. Then she bathed the baby and returned him to his mama’s eager arms. “I’ll go and get Timothy now.”
“Please, let me tell him we have a son.”
“Of course.” She walked out into the hallway and was shocked to see Lance standing there, the sheriff beside him. “Uh oh,” she whispered, and then squared her shoulders and stood up straight. “I am sure the sheriff told you the truth, Lance, but I am too busy right now to discuss this with you. I plead guilty, and I apologize for kicking you, Arnie. I panicked, and if I’d thought about it for a moment I would have realized you would simply come and tattle on me.” She made a face. “Bad choice, and I truly am sorry for hurting you when I was the one in the wrong. Now please excuse me. I have a worried husband to deal with.”
“I ain’t mad at you, Rachel, but you need to do what Lance says. You don’t know what Cane is capable of. You’re too sweet to suffer like that.” With those words Arnie went to the door and left.
“I will make it up to him,” Rachel said to herself, feeling about two inches tall. She then looked at the angry man standing in front of her. “Please wait until I’m not so busy to scold me, Lance. I can’t deal with this right now.” Lance stood aside, and she went into the parlor and saw that Timothy was pacing the floor and praying out loud. “Timothy, please come with me,” she said, smiling at him.
They entered the office area and then went to a small room that contained a cot. Sally was beaming ear to ear and holding her son protectively. “Timothy, come and meet your son. Little one, this is your pa.”
“Sally? This is our baby? You had the baby already?” Timothy was stunned and in shock. “Is he all right? It was too soon!”
“Nurse Rachel thinks I miscounted.”
“It isn’t unusual for a woman to spot a bit in the first month, and be pregnant and not realize it,” Rachel explained. “Your baby looks full term to me.”
“Ma’am, I want you to know that we waited until our wedding night to— you know,” he whispered.
“We were married just nine months ago last week,” Sally added. “Timothy is worried folks will think we anticipated our vows, but we didn’t. He doesn’t want anyone to look down on us, or on our son.”
“Why should they? You’re married, and if anyone is tactless enough to ask you how long you’ve been married, just tell them ‘long enough to have a child’. Hopefully, they will get the message.”
Timothy laughed. “You’re feisty, ma’am. So is my Sally. She told off the preacher when he stopped by to give us heck for not comin’ to church one Sunday morning. She was sick and throwin’ up because of the baby, and I wasn’t about to leave her home alone and go to church. He also thought I should give a bigger donation than we were able to afford. Sally let him have it, and we talked things over and decided to move out here and hope that folks won’t try to run our life for us. Do you have a good school here?” he asked hopefully. “That and we want to be where a doctor is – just in case. It didn’t feel good today, when I was so scared, not to know if there was a doc here!”
“My father is a wonderful doctor, and we have a great school here. What kind of work do you do, Timothy?”
“I make furniture. Would there be a need for that here?” he asked.
“I think it would be wonderful, Timothy! Right now we have to order furniture, or ask someone who does woodworking as a hobby to build for us. It would be wonderful to go to someone who does this to make a living. I hope you and Sally will decide to settle here.”
“I think our son decided,” he said with a smile. “Sally, we’ll see what is available while we are here. You need to rest up now, and I’m not anxious to move you away from help if you need it, so we are staying at least four weeks, and that will give us plenty of time to decide if we want to make this our home. Is this agreeable to you?” he asked for her opinion, and Rachel was proud of him. Not all men thought it necessary to ask what their wives thought about anything.
“I think you are a sweet man to want to take such good care of me, Timothy. I don’t know how you learned to be such a good husband, but you are the best. I am happy to stay and see if we can build a business here. We were so lucky to find Nurse Rachel!”
“I was praying with all my heart,” he admitted. “You didn’t feel good all night, and then you were in so much pain so suddenly. It went faster than my sister said it would.”
“How didn’t you feel good last night?” Rachel asked.
“My lower back hurt something awful.”
“You were having what Papa calls back labor. You were in labor all night, and this morning the contractions were much harder.”
“I barely got you here in time, Sally. If I’d known what was going on I would have brought you last night.”
“We are all fine. God looked after us, Timothy.”
“You need to rest now, Sally. I want Papa to check you over before you leave. Timothy, you might want to go to the hotel and get a room for a few nights if you can afford to do so. Sally needs rest and she can’t get that if you are living in the wagon. Besides, it will be safer for her here in town if you are planning to hunt for a place to live and work.”
“I can afford it, ma’am. Thank you kindly for your advice and care for us. If all the folks here are as nice and helpful as you, then I know we will be happy here.”
He left, and Rachel busied herself cleaning the rooms, and checking on her patients. They were all doing well, and it was best if she went and faced Lance and the scolding she was sure to get.
Chapter Seven
“What is wrong, love?” Clay asked his too-quiet wife. She was sitting on her chair and her back was ramrod straight while her knitting needles clicked as she furiously knitted.
“Nothing, dear.” She flashed him a smile that did not meet her pretty blue eyes.
“If I was able, I would flip you over my knee and spank you. You know I do not like it when I ask you a question and you give me a ‘nothing’ in reply. I want the truth. Now answer me or I just may ask Lance to wallop you for me.” He wouldn’t, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Oh, you would do no such thing, Clayton Henry Carson! I know you better than that!” She giggled at his frustrated expression. “Nothing is really wrong, but Lance is very upset with Rachel. I fear he is going to spank her again.”
“What did she do, and were you involved?” Clay asked.
“No, of course I’m not involved! Clay!” she scolded. “Why would you think that?”
“You and Miss Rachel are a lot alike,” he promptly answered. “Tell me what she’s done.”
“She sneaked out of here, wearing her pants and gun, and went to watch people get off the stage. She didn’t think the ranger would recognize that woman they are watching for. The sheriff caught her out, and she kicked him where it counts to get away from him, and he came straight here to confront her in front of Lance. She was busy delivering a baby then, so Lance has had plenty of time to build a fine temper with her. Rachel did apologize to the sheriff, and he was nice about it, but Lance is angry. I was trying to think of something I could say to calm him, but I fear I would only make it worse.”
“You would be making it worse for yourself, Mary, love. You need to learn to keep out of people’s personal business. We’ve had this talk before, and I just might have to use a paddle to make sure you hear me, if there is a next time.”
“I can’t help it, darling. Rachel is so special to me. I love her like a sister, and I want her to be very happy with Lance. He is very strict.”
“He is trying to keep her safe. She needs a good walloping, and if she were mine, she would get one to remember for seve
ral days. She would think fireworks went off on her bare fanny.”
“How are you feeling? Truth now,” she asked, purposely changing the subject. “Do you think you could move into the bedroom with me this evening?”
“Yes. I know I would sleep better, and so would you. If I was going to get a fever, it would have happened by now. Besides, I like the feel of your body next to mine,” he said, grinning at her as she blushed.
“I like the feel of your body next to mine too,” she whispered shyly. “I love you so much, darling, and I keep seeing them shoot you, over and over in my head!” She suddenly burst into tears, and Clay managed to pull her from the chair and to the bed, wrapping his arms around her.
“We are right here together, love. You are safe, in spite of their intentions, and I am healing and will be fine in a day or two. The nightmares will fade for both of us in time.”
“I hope so. Clay, one more person survived our terror. I am with child.”
“Are you serious, Mary?” he asked, dazed by the news.
“I suspected, but Doctor Caleb confirmed it this morning. We will be parents in January!”
“This is the most wonderful news, Mary!”
“Yes it is! I am so excited! I asked Doc Caleb why it took us so long to conceive, and he said it took him and his wife eighteen years to make Rachel! I feel so happy and so lucky!”
“I am so excited, and I want you to know that I will do all I can to be a good father to our child. This is amazing news, and I want to jump up out of this bed and start building a cradle, and all the other things the baby will need.” He pulled her closer and kissed her tenderly. “I love you, Mrs. Carson.”
* * *
The front door opened and Caleb walked inside just as Rachel was coming out to go and find Lance. “Papa, you’re home. Good! How did it go with Judy?”
“It is nice to have you here to welcome me home, honey. I missed you so much. Judy is just fine. Susie has a little sister now, four older boys and two little girls. Judy was pleased. And what went on here?” he asked.
“I also delivered a baby, but mine is a boy.” She explained everything to him, and then took him inside the office and introduced him to Sally.
“Hello, young lady. I hear you barely got here in time to deliver? How are you feeling now?” Caleb examined her and the baby, and he pronounced them as doing well.
He then looked at his other patients and congratulated Clay when he was told about the expected baby. “This is just the news to get you well all the sooner,” he predicted.
“Yes it is, Doc. Mary thinks I am able to move into her room now. May I?” he asked.
“Yes, but don’t think I am giving you permission to get frisky. You will pop your stitches if you try that right now.”
“I will fight to restrain myself,” Clay replied solemnly, but his eyes were twinkling, and he chuckled when Mary gasped in outrage.
“I will help you to the bedroom now, and then you will lie down and rest. You are not ready to be up and about. Tomorrow we will start getting you out of bed for short periods of time. Mary, you go and turn down the bed. Rachel, go and see if Lance will help us. He is taller than you and he will be able to support more of Clay’s weight.”
“What did I say wrong?” Caleb asked when his daughter disappeared.
“Rachel is in trouble with Lance again. She followed him to watch the stage come in, and she kicked the sheriff in the—”
“Clay!” Mary cut him off. “Your language!”
“I’m sure Doc knows what I mean.”
“My daughter is a wonderful young woman; she is also a handful. I am going to stay out of it and let her learn what her impulsiveness brings about.”
Rachel returned with Lance, who was cheerful as he helped Clay to the nearby bedroom. Clay whispered something to Lance and he nodded and grinned in agreement.
Mary fussed over getting her husband settled in the cheery room while the doctor thanked Lance for his assistance. Rachel could see that Mary had everything under control, and she slipped out of the room unnoticed. When Lance turned around from speaking to Caleb, planning to confront the pretty redhead, he found that she’d managed to disappear once again. He walked back through the office, glancing in the rooms that served as Doc’s office and surgery. There was no sign of Rachel.
He marched up the steps, determined to deal with her, and found her bedroom empty. Surely she wouldn’t sneak out of the house again? The very thought frightened him so badly that he was shaking as he went downstairs and started searching for her. The parlor was empty, and so was the large dining room. He ran to the kitchen, and was so relieved to find her standing at the stove, stirring a pot, that he almost fell to his knees.
“Lance! What’s wrong?” Rachel rushed to him, concern for him in her bright green eyes. “Do you need to sit down? Can I get you some water?”
“I thought you left the house again,” he whispered hoarsely. “You gave me a scare when I couldn’t find you.”
“I’m sorry! I wasn’t needed in the bedroom, and since Papa is back to care for Sally and for Jack, I decided to start supper. I just put on some chicken to cook, and was adding some vegetables to season the broth. We’ll have chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes and some canned vegetables. I need to roll out some noodles,” she announced. “Would you like to keep me company? I want to talk to you.”
“I want to paddle you!” he stated, his earlier anger returning.
“I know that,” she announced. “Really, Lance, you need to calm down. I am not your prisoner. I’m on your side, and I am pretty darn sure you won’t recognize Misty Feathers when she gets off the stage. She isn’t going to be dressed the way she normally dresses, but I guarantee I will know her.”
“What makes you so sure that Cane, or one of his gang, isn’t already watching this house and looking for you?” he demanded.
“The man is not smart, for one thing,” she replied as she cracked eggs into a very large mixing bowl. “You are giving him credit to think the way you do, but he’s just not smart. He’s mean, a bully, and an opportunist. He thinks I am still in hiding and too afraid to come out for fear he would shoot me. Cane will slip into town late at night on the same day Misty arrives on the stage. They will have some signal planned so he will know which hotel room she is staying in. I am sure she will arrive tomorrow at the soonest, and she will be dressed very sedately, and wearing a hat with a veil that covers her face. You haven’t heard her voice, but I have. If you arrest her, we can get her to tell us the signal, and then hide in her room until Jared Cane shows up, and arrest him just like that. See? I told you I had a plan.”
“What makes you think she will tell us the signal?” Lance asked while she added flour to make her noodle dough.
“Oh, that won’t be difficult,” Rachel scoffed. “Cane is sure of himself because this is the plan they always use, and he is positive that no one in town will be the wiser because he believes no one knows what he is about.”
“You are underestimating the man, Rachel. He hasn’t avoided capture for so long by being stupid. I am positive he is searching for you, and if he asks enough questions, he is going to find you right here. You know what he is planning, and he wouldn’t have talked to Misty about their plans with you right there unless he planned to kill you along with Doctor Merritt. You need to stay off the street.”
“Do you think he won’t come right up to the door and pretend to be ill to get inside this house, Lance? If he is smart, and if he learns where I am, then he would have to know I told the sheriff here of his plans. He and Misty will just go elsewhere for the fourth! Oh, he might want to shut me up and not leave behind a witness who can testify that he killed Doctor Merritt, but he could do that anytime. You’d better hope he is as stupid as he looked to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if Misty isn’t the brains behind the robberies.”
“You are to do as I say and remain inside this house. I promised you a spanking if you didn’t obey me, and that span
king is going to happen right now.” He grabbed for her, and sent a cloud into the air as he forced her to drop the dough into the flour she’d placed on the table in preparation for rolling it out to cut noodles.
“Lance, you are getting flour everywhere!” Rachel yelled angrily. “Let me go! Can’t you see that I am busy?” she demanded as he sat and pulled her over his knees.
“I can see that you have been avoiding me all afternoon because you knew this was going to happen.” He gave her upturned bottom a hearty spank and Rachel tried to throw herself off his lap. “You might as well lie still, little girl. I have no intention of releasing you until you are too sore to sit for a week!”
Rachel kicked her legs as he started spanking her in earnest. She had nowhere to put her sticky, dough covered hands, and she was furious with him for giving her dough time to dry out! “Let me go; I have work to do!” she screeched.
“This is my work,” he said, flipping up her skirts to reveal her drawers.
His hand landed again, and this time it hurt like blazes! “Stop! I am still sore from last night, you fool! Stop!”
“It’s foolish to call me names while you are in this position.” He smiled at his own wit, but he didn’t think she found his play on words a bit funny as he continued to raise handprints on her backside.
“No, Lance! No more! You are really hurting me now!” she cried out, desperate for him to stop.
“A spanking is supposed to hurt. I stopped entirely too soon last night and that is why you disobeyed me today.”
“No it isn’t! You need my help!” she insisted, and wished she’d kept her mouth shut when he spanked her even harder, and this time on her sit spots. “Papa!” she screamed. “Papa! Help!” Rachel called for her father. She heard his running footsteps, and then he was in the kitchen.
“I am sorry, daughter, but I am not interfering.” Caleb turned around and went back the other way. He wasn’t going to help her.
