Hank shook his head, and patted Sarah’s hand on his arm. But the gossip did not stop.
“You think it’s contagious?” the same voice ringed to Hank’s right.
“She might be a leper,” the other one replied.
Hank hoped Sarah didn’t hear it, but her quickened pace said otherwise.
“Wonder how he stands to look at her.”
The hurt in Sarah’s eyes made Hank see red. It was bad enough to think such things, but to speak them out loud. The sniggering and bullying from his childhood years all rushed to the forefront of his mind. It was one thing to offend him, but to speak badly of his wife… He turned to the two young men still snickering on the porch.
Hank wrenched his arm free from Sarah’s grip and turned around. “T-talk like th-that – again and I’ll – I’ll –“
The two young men stopped talking, mouths hung open. Then, they looked at each other and howled with laughter. The brunet dropped his tools on a workbench and slapped his thigh. “Oh, no wonder they’re together! He can hardly –“
It took hank barely a moment to breach the distance between them. His tall frame blocked the sun casting a shadow on the two offenders. His hand grasped the louder one’s shirt almost lifting the lad off the floor.
“W-what did y-you just say?!” His other arm, balled into a fist hovered in the air ready to strike. The other youth cowered against the wall beside his unfortunate friend.
The young man gulped, eyes wide, with tears forming in their corners. “I- I’m sorry.”
His blonde friend wiped his hands on his pants. “We were just playin’, sir. No disrespect, really.”
Hank was about to teach them a lesson about playin’ and respect, when Sarah placed a hand on his arm. One glance at her face, brows furrowed, and mouth turned down, made him reconsider. She shook her head. "They’re just boys."
“Apologize t-to my w-wife now.” Hank said squeezing the brunet’s shirt.
“Sorry, we’re sorry Ma’m,” the two blurted.
Hank hoped that was enough of a lesson. He let the lad go and watched him ran inside the shop with a whimper. Alone on the porch Hank turned to Sarah – her eyes were cast down ad she twisted her fingers. Was she terrified of him? Ashamed of his outburst? But when he stepped closer she just smiled sadly at him. “Are you all right?”
Hank nodded.
“Let’s just go home,” she said. “We can buy the vegetables tomorrow.”
He wanted to tell her not to let it get to her, but who was he kidding? He clenched his fists. He was still ready to knock someone’s teeth out, but he followed Sarah back home anyway.
Chapter 7
Sarah hesitated before knocking on the doctor’s door. Hank didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say no either and they hadn’t breached the subject again. She was embarrassed enough by having to ask him to light the stove before he left for work, or wait for dinner if it went out during the day and Claire wasn’t around. She really wanted to feel useful, and since she wasn’t making progress overcoming her fears, Sarah thought maybe getting back to work would boost her confidence.
She wiped her sweaty palms on her dark blue skirt for the third time. Finally she thumped a fist against the door.
“Yes, yes!” A slightly grumpy man’s voice replied from inside.
The door opened and an elder man, with only wisps of white hair left on his head, narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m afraid my wife isn’t around. How many months are you now?”
Sarah blushed. “Oh, no, I’m not. I – actually, I came to see you, Mr. Edwards.”
“Call me Doc Edwards or just Doc.”
“Doc Edwards… I’m Sarah Welton.”
“Welton… Welton. Ah, yes, you’re Hank Welton’s wife. Heard about the wedding from my wife. Congratulations! Sorry I couldn’t make it, dear. Come in, come in.”
Sarah stepped inside the bright room, natural light streaming in through big windows. Doc pulled up a chair and gestured at the bench for her.
“Now, how can I help you? You look healthy enough. If you’re not pregnant, then something to do with…?” He ran a hand down the left side of his face.
“Oh, no, sir – Doc. Actually, I wanted to know if you were looking for an assistant.”
“Assistant?” Doc chuckled.
Sarah wet her lips and gripped her skirt. “I used to be a physician’s assistant back home in Louisiana.”
Doc scratched his bearded chin. “Hmm… Have you told your husband about this yet?”
“We’ve talked about it.”
Doc furrowed his brows. “I don’t think I even need an assistant, let alone a female one. But maybe my wife? I can ask if she’d need an extra pair of hands, especially with all the weddings recently she might be a bit overwhelmed soon.”
He winked an smiled at Sarah.
“Oh.” While, she was sure she’d learn a lot from Mrs. Edwards on midwifery, it wasn’t quite the subject she was interested in or something she looked to do for a living. She couldn’t help but think about the textbooks she read not so long ago.
“In any case,” Doc didn’t seem to notice her hesitation. “I’ll have to speak with both you and your husband before we finalize anything.”
Sarah blushed at the thought of confronting Hank again.
Again, Doc didn’t seem to care or notice. He stood up and returned the chair to a corner of the house. Sarah took the dismissal for what it was. She bade the old man goodbye and walked back home. All the way back she kept thinking about what to do. Hank hadn’t looked enthused with the idea of his wife working outside the homestead.
Sure it didn’t pay a lot, but Sarah liked the job. There was so much to be learned, so many people she could help. She just prayed Hank would like the idea, too. Maybe a midwife assistant would be easier for him to accept too.
* * *
Sarah had the whole day to figure out how to breach the subject. She said nothing the previous evening, but after talking with Claire in the morning she felt more confident. In fact she rehearsed her speech, as she cleaned the house. She was about to look through the vegetable basket when the front door opened.
Hank stepped inside.
“Oh!” Sarah said. “You gave me a fright! I wasn’t expecting you this early.”
Hank chuckled. “Mine c-closed early. There were – some loose rocks.”
“Was anyone hurt?” Sarah always worried about the men in the mines. Even though Hank said he hadn’t had an accident for years, there was no denying the job was a dangerous one.
Hank shook his head.
“Thank God.” She relaxed, but then tensed up again. “I’m so sorry Hank. I haven’t started dinner yet. You must be starving, and all I have is dessert!”
Hank raised a brow.
“It’s – it’s not yet sundown,” Hank said. “It’s fine. I’ll – I’ll go change first.”
Hank went to his room, and Sarah stepped back into the kitchen. The sun was still up, but a day at the mines would’ve still made him hungry. There were the two muffins Claire brought, l a gift from Mercy Beckett and her daughter, Amy. Claire suggested Sarah use those to soften up Hank before asking her big question.
She took the muffins and placed them on a clean ceramic plate. Might as well get this done quickly. She cleared her throat. “Hank?”
No reply. Maybe he didn’t hear her. She stood outside his room, and knocked. “Hank? I, umm, have some muffins here for you.”
There was a mumbled reply. Sarah turned around and muttered, “Give him the muffins, then talk to him about what Doc –“
“Sarah?”
Sarah turned around and saw sinewy muscles and an impressive chest glistening with sweat – or was it water? Hank had a wet towel in his hand. Heat ran up to her face from her stomach.
Tanned and muscled. And that dimple. Her face warmed up even more. What was she doing? A sound of something breaking into pieces pulled her from her daze.
“Are – are you all right?” Hank ex
claimed. He threw the towel over his shoulder and held Sarah close to his – bare – chest.
Why? What happened? Sarah looked down. The muffins were on the floor, together with the broken plate pieces. Her knees felt like rubber, like she’d collapse without Hank’s arms around her waist.
This was the first time she was this close to a man.
“Sarah,” Hank said, brows furrowed. “D’you h-have a fever?” He placed a hand on her forehead and neck. The touch and the proximity made her dizzier. His face seemed so close to hers…
“N-no, I’m fine.” This is not the kind of woman her Ma and Pa raised! “Must be – must be the heat.”
Hank let her go, and she immediately bent down to pick up the muffins and the pieces of broken plate. He bent down to help her pick up the pieces.
“Let me help.” Deep green eyes met Sarah’s when he looked at her hands. “Are – are you hurt?”
She shook her head. They stood up together and went to the kitchen. Hank threw away the broken pieces and dusted the muffins before placing them on the counter. “I – I’ll be back,” he said.
When he came back he wore a fresh shirt. “Would you – do you want me to light the fire?”
Sarah nodded. “That – yes, yes, thank you.”
She busied around the kitchen rushing to get dinner done, while Hank did some work outside. But he was still back before she was done. He relaxed in a chair and watched her work.
“By the way,” Sarah began, cutting meat into small squares, “I went to see the physician, Mr. Edwards – Doc.”
Pretend, there’s nothing unusual about it, she told herself. Casual tone, Sarah.
“About?”
She took a deep breath.
“About work – being a midwife’s assistant.”
“Oh.”
There it was again. No enthusiasm. He was probably thinking she should make better use of her time here, in the house. Maybe she should change track.
“Mercy’s invited me tomorrow to their house. We’re going to do some baking, and I’ll be bringing some cakes or cookies home. Perhaps… you’d like to invite some of your friends, miner friends tomorrow after work?”
Sarah dumped vegetables into a pan and looked at Hank’s glowering face. “Hank?”
He shook his head. “T-they – they usually go – to their own h-homes t-to rest.”
His stutter was always more pronounced when he was tense. Maybe he didn’t want her to meet his friends? She swallowed the bitter speculation.
She added more oil and instantly it sizzled in the pan. Distracted she didn’t notice the fire flare up until too late. She squealed and jumped back. In a blink of an eye Hank was right beside her.
“I’ll – I’ll handle this,” he said.
Sarah nodded and stepped aside letting Hank handle the pan. Grim thoughts filled her mind as she readied the plates. What was her use here? In fact she was surprised Hank hadn’t scolded her yet. What was she thinking? She barely handled the one job of running the house she had, and there she was thinking of juggling another. She shook her head and closed her hands in a silent prayer.
Chapter 8
Hank looked in through the shop window. It would probably take a few weeks of his earnings, but it might also, hopefully, bring a smile to Sarah’s face.
Yesterday, he didn’t miss how flustered she looked when he came out of his room shirtless. He had forgotten, for a moment, that there was a female in the house – a female who wasn’t used to seeing a bare chest.
It was time to replace their kerosene lamps with something that would scare her less. He stared at the lantern from outside the shop, until someone clapped him hard on the shoulders.
“Hey there, Hank!” Elias Briggs’ bearded, grinning face reflected in the window. “Whatcha lookin’ at?”
“Nothing,” Hank muttered.
Elias might have been old, but he shuffled, laughed, and cracked jokes like a young cowboy.
“Think we’re gonna hit the mother lode today?” The sparkle of excitement never died in the old miner’s eyes.
Hank shrugged. “Hope so.”
Elias nudged him in the ribs. “So, how goes it with the missus?”
“Huh?”
“I still remember the day I married Leona. Seems like yesterday, I was a strapping young man and she, a graceful beauty.”
Hank grinned.
Elias thumped him on the back. “Speakin’ of which, Leona says that Doreen Edwards says you’re missus went to see the Doc.”
Hank nodded. Sarah said something about that last night.
“You two that quick to start a family?” Elias elbowed Hank with a grin.
“Oh.” Hank felt his ears burn. “S-Sarah was just - just thinkin’ of bein’ an - an assistant.”
Elias shook his head. “Angel Creek’s a small town and nothin’ happens much ‘ere! Between Doc and his wife, there ain’t much need for more medics, ya know. There’s always makin’ and washin’ clothes… Cookin’ meals. Oh, what’s your wife’s specialty? I can’t live without Leona’s chili – best chili I’ve ever had in me life!”
It was a good thing Elias could talk a donkey’s ear off. He could carry the whole conversation by himself and Hank wasn’t one to object.
“Oh, hey,” Elias changed the topic yet again. “Have you heard? We’re gonna have snow this year!”
“Snow?”
Elias nodded, as he and Hank approached the mine shaft. “Yup. Well that’s according to Doc anyway. Can’t know for sure if it’s true, though. Sometimes there’s snow, and sometimes it’s just really cold wind. Brrr.” He shivered.
As they neared the entrance, more miners joined in, talking loudly, faces still clean. Once they get into the cages and do their work, they’d be nearly unrecognizable, faces dark with grime and coal.
Hank thought about his friends’ words. To finally hit the mother lode… He hoped this time, the darkness would be worth it. He’d be able to bring some light to Sarah’s smile so much quicker.
* * *
Hank took a deep breath and dropped his pick. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. The lantern hanging over his head flickered. He wondered what time it was.
“I’d kill for some beer right now,” Elias murmured beside him. “How ‘bout we get some liquor at the ol’ waterin’ hole, Hank?”
“Sure.” Hank leaned back on the rocks, they felt nice and cool against his skin.
The lights flickered again. A prickle of cold wind touched his back.
Hank furrowed his brows. Where did that come from? “Elias?”
“Hm?”
The earth rocked and the lantern rattled above their heads.
“Holy mother of –!” Elias chuckled as he straightened himself up. “Scared me good there for a bit.”
“That – that wasn’t a – a good sign,” Hank said, but Elias just laughed.
“Mine’s old. Maybe it’s the snow Doc talked about.” The older man squared his shoulders. “C’mon, let’s get goin’ till we hear the bell.”
“Oh yeah, bonanza!” Another voice echoed through the mine.
Hank and Elias looked up. It was Duncan Stone, a muscular towhead who told the tallest tales and drank the heaviest beers. He also had the dirtiest mouth in the West. And right then he was spewing words that’d make a bandit blush.
“What’s that fool found now?” Elias said.
Hank and Elias made their way to Duncan already surrounded by a few other miners. They all looked up at the set of rocks Duncan pointed to.
“Look at these stones, fellas! Precious gems!” Duncan grinned at the miners around him. “Just a little bit more hammerin’...”
The earth shook again and a nervous laughter erupted from the group.
“Just a bit o’ a shake,” Duncan lifted his pick axe, he seemed obsessed with his find to the point he lost all sense.
“L-Listen,” Hank said.
Duncan laughed. “Let’s see how much we can get here.”
He swung his pick at the rocks.
Hank grabbed his shoulder. “I d-don’t think you – you should do that.”
Duncan turned to him and frowned. “And w-why n-not?”
Some of the miners chuckled. Duncan always mocked Hank this way when he tried to push his point through. Hank shook his head. “I – I think it’s not – not safe. We – we should get to the c-cages.”
“Why? A-afraid of the d-dark now?” Duncan laughed. “I thought after days looking at your wife, you’d get used to monsters in the dar–“
But he didn’t get to finish it, what with a fist lodged in his face. Elias grabbed Hank’s shoulders, and someone got between him and Duncan.
“Who stole your rudder, huh?” Duncan shook off the men holding him and spit blood on the ground.
“C’mon, Hank,” Elias muttered, patting Hank on the shoulder. “Don’t mind that burnt boot.”
Duncan took his pickaxe and swung again at the rocks, while staring right back at Hank. As if just to spite him. He hit them again, and again, and –
The earth rumbled. This time, it wasn’t just for a moment. The cave shook like a rattler’s tail.
“Cave in!” Hank pulled Elias’s collar. “Get to the cages!”
He pushed the other miners towards the cages – their only hope of getting out of the mine. He grabbed Duncan, who was still gaping, and shouted in his face, “Move!”
They all ran to the cage, which was already getting pulled up. Hank grabbed onto an iron rail, when Elias shouted, “Look out!”
A huge boulder hit their cage, and Hank’s grip on the rail slipped. His back hit the rocks, and he tumbled down. He saw stars for a while, before his mind was overtaken by darkness.
Chapter 9
Sarah covered the pot. She hoped Hank was coming home soon, before the stew went cold. Claire had dropped by a few hours ago to help Sarah with the cooking. How was she going to get rid of this fear? To live, crippled by this weakness, seemed impossible.
“God, give me strength,” she murmured. She picked up the matchbox and stared hard at the wood under the pot. She needed to reheat the stew and at that moment she wished she didn’t let the fire die out an hour ago.
A Mail Order Bride for the Miner: Sarah & Hank (Love by Mail 2) Page 4
