Rosalind leaned in closer, looking closely at the wound, but not touching it. She didn't seem in the slightest bit reluctant to examine the wound. "Someone needs to ride into town," she declared. "Get the doctor. If he sews this up quick, it'll be okay."
Gideon thought about asking her how she knew that, but now wasn't the time, he told himself. One of the ranch hands headed off, clearly intending to follow Rosalind's advice.
"We're taking him back to the ranch, after the doc sees him and tells us it's safe to move him," Gideon said to Rosalind.
Jack coughed and his brows furrowed with pain. He reached up and curled his fingers around Gideon's left arm. Gideon was surprised by Jack's strength. The young man's fingers curled tightly around Gideon's arm.
"You know what you've always tried to tell me, Gideon," Jack gasped. "About God and all."
"Sure, Jack," Gideon replied.
"Well, you know I didn't listen much at the time," Jack said. "But, I still didn't forget a single word you said."
"I'm glad, Jack," Gideon replied. He was pleased that, at a time like this, Jack's thoughts had turned to eternal matters. Maybe those long, rambling conversations out on the range when Gideon had spoken about how Jack should be going to church every Sunday hadn't been a waste of time, after all.
"When you get better, you and I can go there together," Gideon said.
Jack smiled. "That sure sounds good," he agreed.
Jack coughed, and his face twisted into a mask of agony. He drew in a deep breath. Gideon saw how much effort that had taken. The man had spirit, Gideon told himself. Gideon glanced at Rosalind. Her features were set into a grim mask. She gazed tenderly at Jack, clearly concerned. Gideon wondered where she had learned how to attend to gunshot wounds. He'd had no idea she could do such a thing.
Jack started shivering. Rosalind glanced at Gideon. "We should try and get him back to the ranch house. We can't wait for the doc."
Gideon nodded, even though he realized the dangers involved in moving Jack. He asked one of the men to bring the carriage closer. Between them all, they managed to place Jack on the level rear of the carriage. His long legs dangled over the edge, but the rest of him was secure. Rosalind took up a position next to Jack, tending to him carefully as Gideon readied himself for the slow, careful journey back to the ranch.
Just as he was about to move off, Nathan and Luke came riding up to them out of the darkness. "They got away," Nathan announce, clearly annoyed.
Gideon flicked his head in the direction of Jack. "He got a look at one of them. Maybe that's something to go on. But later. Once he's recovered."
Nathan lifted a brow. "Will he?" he asked in a low voice.
"God willing, he'll be okay," Gideon stated evenly.
Nathan grinned at Gideon. "Do you need help to get back to the ranch?"
Gideon shook his head. "No." He glanced at the five riders congregated around the carriage. Every one of the ranch hands looked worried. Jack was well-liked amongst the crew. The last thing they wanted was for anything to happen to one of their own. "I think we've got enough help at hand," Gideon added.
Nathan touched his hat, and then he and Luke rode off quickly, heading in the direction of Inspiration.
Gideon glanced back at Rosalind and Jack. "Ready?"
Rosalind nodded and placed a reassuring hand on Jack's shoulder. His eyes were closed. Gideon wondered if Jack realized just how painful this was going to be.
Gideon tightened his jaw, drew in a deep breath and flicked the reins. It was time to take Jack back to the ranch and to try and save his life.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The following morning, Rosalind awoke in her room at the Cameron house. The sunlight poured in through her bedroom window. From the brightness of the light, she guessed it might be mid-morning. She stretched and sat up in bed and tried to make sense of what had happened the night before. It had been an eventful day and night, she told herself. And that was an understatement.
They'd arrived back at the ranch after a slow, careful journey with Jack laid out on the back of the carriage. Rosalind had done her best to lessen the effect of the bumpy journey on the injured young man. It hadn't been easy. Every violent shifting of the carriage had drawn an anguished cry from Jack. More than once, Gideon had halted the carriage and come around to check on Jack, helping Rosalind to make him feel settled before they moved off again.
It had felt good to work alongside Gideon to help young Jack, Rosalind reflected. Gideon had shown himself to be caring and compassionate. That hadn't really surprised Rosalind. She already knew he possessed those qualities. However, it was the deep respect with which Gideon was held by the ranch hands which had genuinely impressed her. They had looked to him with obvious deference, seeking his instructions throughout the journey back to the ranch.
And when they had arrived at the ranch, Gideon had taken charge of getting Jack into the main ranch house and moving him to a room at the back of the house. There was a bed in there, and Jack had been made as comfortable as possible while they'd awaited the arrival of Doc Thomas.
All of the Buchanan family had been involved in settling Jack into the house. Caleb's fury had been plainly visible in his eyes, but nothing had been said in front of Jack.
Rosalind had stayed with Jack, wiping the sweat from his damp brow. At one point, Gideon had left the room and she'd heard a heated discussion between the brothers and their father.
Finally, the doctor had arrived and had immediately attended to the wound. During that procedure, Rosalind had been happy to assist. Gideon had looked surprised that she would be willing to do such a thing, but he'd said nothing to her.
Luckily the bullet had not lodged in Jack's side but, according to the doctor, the damage it had caused would take a while to heal. Luckily, Jack had fallen into a deep sleep after the doctor had attended to him. Rosalind had wanted to remain with Jack, but, after an hour or so, Gideon had insisted she be taken back to the Cameron house in Inspiration.
So, reluctantly, she had allowed him to take her to what was still her temporary home. Now it was mid-morning. Rosalind dressed herself and went downstairs. Even though it was a Saturday, she found that Nathan wasn't in the house. Sophie was in the kitchen all by herself.
"Good morning," she said to Rosalind. "You'll be needing some late breakfast," she announced.
Rosalind sat down at the kitchen table and yawned. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sighed. Sophie started to busy herself putting some breakfast food on a plate. It looked to Rosalind that Sophie had been patiently waiting for Rosalind to wake up.
"I heard you all had a busy night," Sophie said, her back turned to Rosalind as she transferred some sausage and biscuits onto a plate. She turned and placed it on the table in front of Rosalind. "Nathan told me someone got shot."
Rosalind nodded. "One of the young ranch hands. Jack."
Sophie frowned and shook her head. "That's terrible. Is he going to be okay?"
Rosalind lifted her knife and fork and cut into the sausage. "The doc thinks the next forty-eight hours will be crucial." She placed some food into her mouth and watched Sophie take the seat opposite.
"I hope he'll pull through."
"The whole Buchanan clan is on call up at the ranch," Rosalind explained. "Jack won't be short of attention. But, he looks like a strong young man. I believe he'll get better. It just might take a while."
"Nathan said it was rustlers that caused the trouble," Sophie said.
Rosalind nodded as she chewed on her food. "Gideon said Jack got a look at one of the men. That's why he wound up getting shot."
Sophie sighed heavily. "It's nights like these that keep me up, worrying," she confessed. "I know it's his job to go out there in the middle of the night. But, I can't help worrying."
Rosalind reached over and placed a hand on Sophie's arm. "It's only natural you'd worry, Sophie," she said. "But, from what I saw last night, your husband can take care of himself."
Sophie no
dded, but she was still clearly concerned. "I know what you're saying is right, Rosalind. But, if anything were to happen to Nathan, I don't know what I'd do."
Rosalind gazed at Sophie. She'd never seen her like this before. Maybe the fact that someone had been seriously wounded had given Sophie cause to reflect on the dangerous nature of her husband's job.
"We need to go up to the ranch later," Sophie said. "I'll take some supplies. Maybe they need a few things to help out."
"I can go with you," Rosalind announced.
Sophie seemed pleased with that. She gazed at Rosalind. "How was your time with the family before all this happened?"
Rosalind gave Sophie and account of the whole visit to the ranch, including the tour of the ranch complex and the unforgettable dinner with the Buchanan family.
"And what about you and Gideon?" Sophie asked.
"What about us?" Rosalind retorted.
Sophie met those words with the lifting of an arched brow and said nothing. She knew Sophie was desperate to know how Rosalind was getting along with Gideon. There wasn't any way she could fool someone as smart as Sophie, Rosalind told herself. She would have to tell the determined woman something.
"Gideon and I are getting to know each other," Rosalind said. She lifted her gaze to the ceiling and tilted her head from side to side. "It's going slowly, but I think we're making progress. I'm discovering more about him every day."
Sophie grinned broadly. "Excellent," she said brightly. "I just knew that, given time, the differences between the two of you could be overcome."
Rosalind frowned. "Differences?" she asked. Of course she knew to what Sophie was referring, but she just wanted to hear it in Sophie's own words.
"You know," Sophie continued hesitantly. "Gideon is a man of strong convictions. Of the religious kind."
"I know that all too well," Rosalind agreed. She wasn't sure she wanted to talk about that right now. So much had happened since she'd met Gideon. She felt like it was going to take her some time to really understand him. And to know how she could possibly fit into his life.
"I knew he would be honest about them with you. That's the kind of man he is," Sophie said.
"And he has been honest with me," Rosalind said. "I can't fault him on that. He's such a kind man."
"Is that all?" Sophie asked and lifted a querying brow at Rosalind. "I can think of a few more attributes for Gideon Buchanan than just kindness. He is pretty handsome, don't you think?"
Rosalind felt herself blush. "Of course, Sophie," she blurted out. "He just doesn't make a big show of it. Not like some other men, who'd do everything they could to be the center of attention." Rosalind thought for a moment. "He's kinda modest and humble, I suppose. And he doesn't seem to have a cruel bone in his body."
Rosalind smiled and gazed across at Sophie who was listening intently. "He sounds almost too perfect. Don't you think?" Rosalind commented.
Sophie shook her head. "Maybe it's that other men don't even try to reach Gideon's standards. That's their choice." Sophie leaned forward and peered at Rosalind. "I think it was when his brother, Cal died that Gideon really focused all his effort on being a virtuous person. His brother's passing really affected him."
"I imagine it would have been real painful for him," Rosalind said. "He didn't really want to talk about it."
"I don't think there's a day that goes by when he doesn't think about his brother," Sophie said.
"I can believe that," Rosalind said.
They chatted a while longer. Rosalind finished eating her late breakfast and then drank some coffee. She was starting to feel like her day was beginning when Sophie said that she was going over to see Nathan and take him some lunch. She asked Rosalind if she wanted to go with her and Rosalind agreed. They both spent some time preparing a simple lunch for Nathan and packing it into a small basket which Rosalind insisted on carrying. Rosalind dressed suitably for a warm afternoon in Inspiration, and accompanied Sophie to the sheriff's office over on the town's main drag.
Sophie paused outside the wooden front door of the sheriff's office and knocked. A slightly irritable sounding voice called out from inside. Rosalind recognized it as belonging to Nathan. Sophie frowned and glanced at Rosalind. Sophie opened the door and stepped inside. Rosalind followed, expecting to see Nathan seated behind a desk and with a welcoming grin on his face.
Instead, Rosalind walked into a room crowded with familiar faces. Gideon was standing there, in front of Nathan's wide, wooden desk.
Alongside Gideon was Brett Calhoun, dressed in a dark suit and wide-brimmed hat. And, Calhoun was looking straight at Rosalind.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Judging by the expression on all three men's faces, any conversation which had been going on before the door had opened hadn't been of the friendly sort.
Rosalind froze as she peered at Gideon, who seemed equally shocked to see her.
Sophie took in the sight, and immediately faced her husband. "We can come back, if you like," she said to Nathan.
Nathan stood quickly, his head almost touching the low ceiling of the small office. "Gideon and me were just talking with Mr Calhoun here," Nathan said as he came around the desk to Sophie. "I was telling him about the unfortunate events of last night on the Circle Cross ranch."
Rosalind glanced at Brett Calhoun. For some reason she was the person he seemed most interested in, right now. His dark gaze was fixed on her, and there was a wry grin at the corner of his mouth. It was almost as if he was glad to see her, she told herself.
"Is that my lunch?" Nathan asked approaching Rosalind. He smiled as he took the basket from her and opened it. He peered beneath the white cloth cover and sniffed appreciatively. "My favorite," he said and glanced at Calhoun. "You should think about making yourself an honest man, Calhoun. Get yourself a wife who can take good care of you," Nathan said. He smiled at Sophie. "There's nothing so fine as some good home cooking."
Rosalind saw that Calhoun knew Nathan was mocking him. She wondered what had prompted Nathan to do such a thing. Maybe the conversation between him, Calhoun and Gideon had taken a nasty turn, and Nathan was just trying to calm things down with some of his typical good humor. There was still a noticeably tense atmosphere in the room.
Gideon shifted on his heels. He still hadn't said anything, but, to Rosalind's eyes, he looked like he had plenty he wanted to say.
To her dismay, Calhoun took a few steps toward Rosalind. He lifted his hat. "Nice to see you, this morning, Miss Grover," Calhoun drawled. Up close, his skin looked oily and pale. Rosalind felt a chill race up the length of her spine. She didn't say a word to him in response. Instead, she watched over Calhoun's shoulder as Gideon advanced toward Calhoun.
"I'd be obliged if you stick to talking about the reason why the sheriff dragged you over here, this morning, Calhoun," Gideon stated firmly. With an impatient gesture, he indicated that he wanted Calhoun to step away from Rosalind.
Calhoun's gaze shifted to Gideon. There was a momentary challenge as both men's eyes met. And then Calhoun stepped toward the sheriff's desk. His dark brown boots, shining freshly, made a heavy noise in the confines of the room.
Nathan placed the food basket on his desk and took his seat again.
"We can go, if you like," Sophie suggested.
Calhoun turned to Rosalind. "You claim Miss Grover was a witness to the supposed rustling at the Circle Cross, last night," he said. He narrowed his eyes. "Before she goes, I'd like to hear her account of what she saw." Calhoun sighed. "Since I'm being accused of being involved."
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