A Bride to Heal His Broken Heart

by Melynda Carlyle

  They sobered up and sat down, eyeing him warily. “Boss?”

  Orvis ignored the question in Leroy’s voice and instead told them, “Shooting the Whitfield boy was a stroke of genius. It’s already got other landowners wondering if staying here in Virginia City is in their best interests.”

  Leroy and Claus nudged each other and Orvis finally cleared his throat to gain their attention once more. “However, it’s not enough.”

  “Not enough?” Leroy asked.

  Orvis nodded. “You heard me right. The deadline has been moved up and that means we need to stir up more chaos right away.”

  “What do you want us to do, boss?” Claus asked.

  “I want you to hit a couple of the smaller ranches. Focus on the ones that border the Wilson ranch. Don’t hold anything back, and use any means you feel necessary, aside from killing, to get the point across. They will sell their land to the railroad. This week.”

  Leroy and Claus exchanged looks. “Any means necessary?” Leroy asked.

  Orvis nodded. “You heard me. But no one dead, for now. Get the message delivered.” He waved his hand toward the door. “Get out of here and get to work.”

  Leroy and Claus left, and Orvis poured himself a shot glass of whiskey, tossed it back, and then poured a second. He didn’t like George insinuating that his position was dependent upon gaining the lawful sale of the land. He felt threatened, and he didn’t like it one bit.

  He slammed his glass down on the table and then got up and strode from the saloon. Leroy and Claus would have no problem putting more pressure on the landowners. The only person who could possibly stand in their way was the sheriff.

  Orvis headed across the street, intending to make sure Sheriff Chisholm knew what was at stake here. So far, he’d been successful in convincing the man he was in danger of losing his position if he didn’t turn a blind eye to what had been happening. He needed to make sure the sheriff’s eyesight didn’t suddenly return this week.

  He arrived at the jail and stepped inside, stopping short when he saw Darren Wilson standing inside the office. It appeared the men were having a friendly chat, and both men turned to look at him upon his entry. Darren gave him a hard stare and the sheriff looked decidedly uneasy.

  “Darren.” Orvis nodded and then turned to address the sheriff. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I must have a few words with the sheriff. Alone. I hope you understand.” He looked at Darren.

  ***

  The last person Darren wanted to see was Mayor Orvis Harington. He’d been hoping to get some answers from the sheriff but had only finished the basic greetings when suddenly the mayor was there. Something was off about the mayor’s demand for a private conversation with the sheriff, but Darren couldn’t say what. Knowing there was no excuse he could give to deny the mayor, he nodded at the sheriff and stepped back.

  “Of course, Mayor. Sheriff, I’ll catch up with you later.” He tipped his hat and then stepped back out onto the boardwalk.

  He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something about the mayor that just wasn’t right. He and Mark had discussed it several times, and they’d both felt that the mayor was trying too hard.

  Virginia City was a small town, and for the most part, the townsfolk acted in a civil manner. They only wanted to see their town and their lives prosper. Being the mayor of such a town should have been a fairly easy task.

  Mark’s plan had been to take over the role of sheriff from Dudley Chisholm and restore order to the town. With the arrival of the outlaws, things had not been going well, and Mark and others in the community had seen a need for a change. What they hadn’t planned on was how stubborn Dudley could be. The man had refused to step down, and so far, the mayor had refused to make him.

  Surely Mayor Harington can tell that Dudley’s vision is failing him. Whoever heard of a blind man acting as the sheriff?

  Darren shook his head. The absurdity of the current situation had never been more apparent. He could just imagine the troubles that would come their way if word spread beyond Virginia City that the only law in town was blind and lazy. There would be trouble everywhere one looked.

  Darren strolled down the boardwalk, looking at the businesses and nodding at people he passed. Most of them had come West to make this little town their home and to create a future for themselves. Many of them had left behind everything in order to make a new start in Nevada. They deserved to have a lawman at the helm who had their best interests in mind – and a mayor, too, for that matter.

  Chisholm didn’t seem to be concerned about anything but himself. If the mayor could see the problem and refused to correct it, then he too was only serving himself.

  It was time for someone to stand up for what was right and fix things. Someone was going to have to fight for the town before it was too late. Even if that someone was him.

  Chapter 24

  “Good afternoon, Doctor,” Lorna called out as she stepped out of the doctor’s office. She took a deep breath and smiled. She enjoyed helping the doctor, but coming toward her was something that made her even happier: Darren Wilson.

  She walked a few feet away from the office door and waited for him to reach her. He didn’t appear to have seen her yet, and her smile faded as she realized Darren seemed preoccupied.

  Since their passionate kiss the night before, she hadn’t really had a chance to talk with him about where the two of them might be headed. Seeing him now, she wondered where she actually stood with him. He crossed the street and drew nearer to her, his head still down as if he was trying to solve a giant problem.

  Do we have a relationship? What exactly does he feel for me? What exactly do I feel for him?

  Lorna was confident she knew the answer to her last question. They’d shared kisses on two separate occasions now, and she was certain there was a connection between them that far exceeded mere friendship.

  And yet, Darren hadn’t spoken of courting her, even in a roundabout way.

  She’d been hoping they could discuss things on their way back to the ranch. Instead, it looked like Darren had other things on his mind: pressing things that had stolen his smile and left behind a frown on his forehead and worry in his eyes.

  “Darren?” she called softly to him when he was but a few feet away.

  He stopped and lifted his head, looking around for a moment before giving her a small smile. “Sorry, I was thinking about something else and didn’t realize where I was. Ready to go home?”

  “If you are.”

  “Yes. The wagon’s over at the livery. Shall we?” He gestured with his hand.

  Lorna nodded and followed a foot or so behind him as he crossed the street and cut a diagonal path for the livery. The town was fairly quiet today, as had been the doctor’s office. Darren retrieved the wagon, and within moments the stable boy was holding the steps for her to climb onto the buckboard and get settled.

  Darren joined her moments later and directed the wagon towards the end of the main street. He didn’t seem inclined to talk until they were a mile out of town. “I visited Sheriff Chisholm,” he told her.

  “You don’t sound happy about the visit,” Lorna commented.

  “I’m not. The man needs to step down, but he won’t. I am considering getting the townsfolk to vote him out, since the mayor won’t ask him to step down.” He paused and then added, “I’m also considering naming myself as a potential person to fill the sheriff’s post.”

  “You want to be sheriff?” Lorna asked, stunned at this turn of events.

  “I don’t know that I want to be sheriff, but something needs to be done. If no one else is willing to step up, then I will.”

  “Surely, if you go to the mayor…”

  “I think the mayor knows.” Darren paused for a moment before continuing, “How could he not? Anyway, he came to visit the sheriff after I was already there. He basically asked me to leave so that he could talk to the sheriff alone. Chisholm looked mighty uncomfortable, if you ask me.”

&
nbsp; “So, you think the mayor is refusing to act? For what purpose?”

  “That’s something I haven’t figured out yet,” Darren told her. The ranch house rose up on the horizon and he grew silent as they completed their journey.

  Lorna was almost relieved when he brought the wagon to a halt and Ethan came over to help her down. Darren had already jumped out of the wagon and was striding for the barn. She allowed Ethan to help her and then sighed before heading for the house herself.

  It seemed that whatever thoughts were occupying his mind, Darren didn’t have room for anything else – even the common courtesies.

  She stepped inside the house, hung her shawl on the hook by the door, and took a few steps toward the kitchen. The sound of unfamiliar voices caused her to turn toward the dining room instead.

  She was shocked to see Brian sitting at the head of the table with two Indians sitting on either side of him. The three were easily conversing back and forth, and Lorna felt the blood drain from her head.

  June came from the kitchen and smiled at Lorna. “You’re home. Come and join us for dinner. We’ve just started.”

  Lorna was immediately acutely uncomfortable. Until now, she’d done a credible job of hiding the animosity she felt for all Indians. But now they were sitting here, in the house she called home.

  She took a shallow breath, trying to steady her emotions before she answered. When that only marginally worked, she took another. It was her third breath before she finally felt in control of herself once more.

  She knew she’d shared with Mark the fact that Indians had killed her father and she even recalled having referred to them as savages. But she couldn’t remember if she’d told him how much she truly hated the entire race.

  “Lorna?” June asked, preparing to sit down. She nodded at an empty chair and Lorna took a hesitant step forward. She glanced at the two Indians sitting at the table and forced herself to remember how helpful the Indians had been when Timothy had gotten shot. They had acted civilly and the exact opposite of savages.

  She took another step, and then another, bringing herself to the empty chair. She slid into the seat as more memories came rushing through her mind. She was the reason young Timothy had survived. The Indians had offered some assistance, and she was honest enough to give them some credit for Timothy’s recovery. Still, Lorna had felt immense relief when they’d climbed back into the wagon and left the Paiute camp behind.

  Lorna had secretly been hoping she would never have to interact with the Indians again. And yet, here they were: at the ranch, sitting at the supper table. A vivid image of her father being brought into the medical tent appeared in her mind: his face, sweaty and white as his body went into shock from the pain and injury, the Indian arrow protruding from his abdomen, the blood that gushed from the wound with each breath he took.

  She remembered wanting to scream, but her nurse training and the possibility that he could be saved had kicked in. She’d exhausted her knowledge and skills trying to help him. It hadn’t been enough, though, and he’d taken his last breath in her arms.

  “Lorna? What do you think about that?” Brian questioned with a note in his voice that brought her back to the present.

  She blinked at him and then gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. What did you ask me?”

  “I was telling you that the Paiute tribe admires you very much, and I wondered what you thought about that.”

  Lorna looked confused for a moment. “They admire me?”

  “Yes,” Brian said, smiling. He gestured toward the Indian woman to his right. “This is Pamahas, and she is a healer amongst her people. They came here to see you.”

  “Me?” Lorna asked in shock.

  “Yes. The Paiute camp has been struck by an illness. They have come here asking for your help in caring for their sick.”

  “I…I…well, I don’t…I don’t know what to say,” Lorna stammered out. The very last thing she wanted to do was help the Indians, and yet, they’d asked for her help. They were staring at her intently and with so much hope in their eyes that she found herself nodding her agreement before she could even think through the matter.

  “I…of course. I’d be happy to help, if I can.”

  Brian and June both beamed at her and Brian said something to the Indians, causing them to look at her with smiles and nods of happiness. Lorna’s initial reaction was to correct them and tell them that she was mistaken. The thought of going back to the Paiute camp filled her with dread and fear.

  But seeing the hopeful look of relief on Pamahas and her companion’s faces, Lorna realized she couldn’t refuse to help until she knew there was no help she could offer. God had given her the ability to help heal the sick, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

  Fears aside, these people needed her help – and her help was exactly what they were going to get.

  Chapter 25

  The next day, Lorna was both relieved things had been slow at the doctor’s office and silently wishing they’d been busy. With nothing to distract her, she’d had plenty of time to worry about what was going to happen this afternoon. She was heading out to the Paiute tribe camp with Darren, and she was more than a bit nervous.

  Darren had come back into the house long after the Indians had left, but he’d readily agreed to accompany Lorna out to the camp the next day after her shift at the doctor’s office was over. She’d seen the surprise written on Darren’s face when Brian told him that she had agreed to visit the tribe.

  “Pamahas was here today.”

  Darren had lifted a brow and asked, “A friendly visit?”

  Brian shook his head. “No. A sickness has entered the camp, and she came here to ask for Lorna’s help.”

  “She is their best healer and yet she came here to ask for a white woman’s help?”

  “They admire Lorna and her healing skills. She agreed to visit their camp. I would like you to drive her out there after she finishes in town tomorrow.”

  Darren had given her an approving look, smiling as he nodded, and readily agreed. “We’ll go tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Good, good.” Brian had seemed very satisfied with things, and the subject had changed to the ranch and cattle.

  Lorna had expected that Darren might question her decision and was somewhat mystified that he hadn’t. He’d observed her reaction when they had taken Timothy out to the Paiute camp. He had to know how she felt, although they’d never really discussed the issue.

  They finished dinner and she hoped she might have an opportunity to speak with him alone that night, but he’d been called out to the barn to help with a foal having trouble being birthed. Lorna had gone to bed worried about what she might have gotten herself into.

  She’d awakened this morning with a sense of apprehension hanging over her head, wondering how a good family like the Wilsons could possibly think it was a good idea to keep company with the savages.

  She’d been looking forward to a busy day at the doctor’s office to help keep her mind occupied. Not only did that not occur, it was now much earlier than she’d planned to be let off. She found herself standing on the boardwalk at a loss for how to distract herself for the next hour.

  She turned to her left and headed for the general store, thinking that was as good a place as any to waste some time. She nodded at a couple of ladies who were just leaving as she entered. It appeared many people were taking care of their shopping today, and she smiled at several ladies in the shop in greeting.

  She headed for the fabric and sundries tables in the corner and spent several long minutes looking at bolts of fabric before turning her attention to the shiny ribbons hanging up. She was letting them fall through her fingers when booted feet heading her way had her looking up. Orvis Harington was walking directly toward her with a smile on his face that sent shivers of revulsion up Lorna’s spine. There was just something about the man…

  “Good day, Miss MacPherson. Fancy meeting you here. You are looking as lovely as ev
er,” Orvis told her in a sickly-sweet voice.

  Lorna inclined her head. “Mr. Harington.”

  “Please, do call me Orvis,” he replied, letting his eyes roam over her person.

  Lorna was very uncomfortable and shook her head. “That wouldn’t be proper, sir.” She started to turn and leave, but his voice stopped her.

  “Of course, of course. We must get to know one another better, first. In fact, why don’t you join me for lunch and we can do just that?”

  “No, thank you,” Lorna replied, giving him a tight smile and attempting to walk away once more.

  “Now, I won’t take no for an answer. After all you’ve done for this town, lunch is hardly an adequate way of thanking you. But it is a start.”