Flynn stood and settled baby Ellery into the cradle near the stove. “Yeah, I suppose I do. I just don’t like it when I can tell she’s keeping a secret from me.”
“You do remember that the Christmas season is only a few weeks from now?” Rose handed him his plate of sandwiches and set a cup of milk at a place on the table.
He nodded gloomily.
With a chuckle, Rose settled down with her own plate.
Flynn sank into the seat beside her, and after a quick grace, they ate in silence. When he’d polished off his sandwiches, he pushed the plate back and looked over at her.
“So, I don’t have anything to worry about? Because earlier I overheard Pricilla Hines say that she thought Ben King and Dixie were… Well…” His face turned red.
Rose huffed. “Pricilla Hines? And you found that credible?” She made sure he could read the censure in her expression.
Flynn lifted his palms in a don’t-shoot-me pose.
Rose made sure she had his full attention before she spoke. “It’s Christmas, Flynn. Dixie loves you more than anything. She would never betray you like that. And neither would Ben do that to Ethel. Frankly I’m shocked that you would even briefly consider Pricilla’s drivel. And that’s all I have to say on the matter.” It was probably more than she should have said already.
Flynn nodded. “Yes. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell myself, but…” he waved the rest of the thought away. After a few minutes he yawned expansively and scrubbed both hands over his face. “If you don’t mind watching Ellery until Dixie gets back upstairs, I think I’m going to catch some shut eye. I was called out at four last night to tend someone wounded in the alehouse, and my short night is catching up to me.”
“Of course.” Rose sighed as she watched him disappear into his and Dixie’s room. It wasn’t the first time that the long hours he kept had raised her concerns. If he wasn’t half exhausted, he wouldn’t likely have given any credence to Pricilla’s tales.
Rose gathered up their empty plates.
One of these days, Pricilla Hines was going to end up starting a rumor that would be her undoing.
Chapter 5
Seth woke to soft gray morning light filtering in through the small hole they’d left in the roof to let out the smoke. His nose was so cold it felt numb and the top of his head felt as if it had been pressed against a snowdrift all night. But it was warm beneath the bedrolls.
He and Maude had crawled in next to Kane the night before. And even with the pine boughs and one bedroll beneath them and two on top, and the heat of Kane’s fevered body beside him, it had taken him some time to get warm after his fishing misadventure in which he’d caught no fish, but gotten wet feet. Thankfully Maude had an extra pair of dry socks for him when he’d returned to the lean-to last night and his other pair, which he'd hung near the fire, should have dried by now.
Maude suddenly sat bolt upright on the other side of Kane, taking the covers with her.
Seth gasped at the slap of frigid air. “Maude! Blast! It’s freezing! What are you doing?”
She ignored him and clapped a hand against Kane’s forehead. “He’s burning alive, Seth!”
He laid his hand next to hers and grunted. “Jail or no, we have to take him to the doctor in that little town.”
Maude worried her lip. “We got no money for that.”
“I know, but we have to try. Maybe the doctor will let you work to pay for his care.”
She squinted at him. “Me work? What about you?”
Seth sighed. “I’ll likely be in jail.”
“They’re going to know I was your accomplice the moment we arrive in town together.”
He pondered that. She was likely right. “Well, then maybe we’ll both be in jail, but hopefully they’ll help Kane.”
Tears filled her eyes. “True. We have to try.”
Seth reluctantly left the warmth of the pallet. Before he could even tug his boots on, Kane was shivering violently. Seth’s concern mounted. “He’s not going to be able to walk.”
Maude pressed her lips together. “We’ll make a travois, then.”
Seth nodded. “Give me the hatchet.”
It took him half an hour to chop branches and fashion a travois, and by that time Maude had their meager possessions all packed.
Kane barely had the strength to scoot from the pallet over to the travois, but with the two of them helping him, he made it.
With Maude pulling on a branch on one side, and him the other, they started down the road.
Seth sucked in a big gulp of the cool mountain air, and took a moment to appreciate the delicate lace the snow had made of the bare branches of a small oak. If he was breathing in his last morning of freedom, it was a good one to go out on, he supposed.
And Kane would have made the same sacrifice for him, if their roles were reversed. Except…Kane wouldn’t have stolen anything in the first place.
Kin felt like a little kid on Christmas morning as he trotted his horse through the snow toward the Rodante place with the crate of pies balanced carefully before him. He hadn’t been able to believe his luck when Mr. King had explained Dixie’s situation and asked if he’d be willing to take this trip to Seattle. Since he’d been thinking about moving to the city, this would be the perfect opportunity to look the place over and see if he felt he really wanted to move there.
Parson Clay wouldn’t be happy with him leaving, but things around here had started to feel confining. He appreciated all the parson had done for him over the past few years, he really did. But he was a grown man now and it was time he freed the parson from the burden of caring for him, especially now that he’d taken on Tommy’s care.
His horse’s breath fogged the air, and the sun just cresting the horizon, lit the bare white branches of a large maple with golden stardust. A few inches of snow had fallen during the night and the landscape all around was covered in a soft sparkling-white blanket.
On a cold morning like this, he didn’t expect to see anyone, so he was surprised when he came around a corner and saw two people tugging a travois toward him down the middle of the road.
“Whoa.” He pulled his mount to a stop and eyed the ragged group. None of them appeared to be in very good health. The girl and boy who were pulling the travois looked like they were about one missed meal away from starvation. And he couldn’t really see the person on the pallet for all the blankets piled around him, but if he was being hauled toward town in such a manner, he couldn’t very well be in too good of shape.
The girl huddled into a sweater thin enough that it was likely meant for a warm spring day, not a bitter cold winter morning. Her dress hung on a scarecrow thin frame, and a hank of mahogany red hair dangled over one of her dark eyes.
They stopped, both of them looking up at him with wary expressions.
Kin swung down and settled the crate of pies onto the road bank. “Howdy. Looks like you could use some help?”
The girl shook her head. “Our brother is sick and we’re taking him into town. We’ll be fine.”
Kin resettled his hat as he scanned the road in both directions. Of course, there was no one else in sight. But if he helped them get to town, he was going to miss the train. “You sure you can make it?” He scanned their scrawny frames once more.
The girl lifted her chin. “We’ll be fine.”
Her brother, however, eyed Kin’s horse. “We’d get to the doc faster if we could manage to hitch this travois to your horse—”
“Seth, hush up,” the girl snapped.
Seth paused. His gaze narrowed at his sister for a moment, before he kicked at a clump of snow.
Kin realized that he must be concerned about the amount of time it had taken them to get this far. He sighed. Mrs. Griffin wasn’t going to be happy, but neither would she want him to leave people freezing and—he glanced at what he could see of the sick man’s pallid face—maybe dying, on the road. He had to help them.
He stepped forward and held out hi
s hand. “Name’s Kin Davis.”
The girl hesitantly accepted it, dipping her knees in a little curtsy of greeting. “I’m Maude Carver. Our brother Kane is the one who’s sick. This is my brother, Seth.”
The boy nodded.
“Seth.” Kin shook his hand next.
He led his mount around till it faced the opposite direction. And realized with a bit of dread that not only was he going to miss the train, but he was going to have to abandon the crate of pies, as well. Mrs. Griffin might never hire him to do a job again.
He retrieved a length of rope from one of his saddlebags. “So that’s your brother on the pallet? How long has he been sick?”
Seth shuffled his feet. “He’s been sickly for nigh on three weeks, but only in the last couple days has he been taken by it so badly. We’re going to the doc, but we don’t have any money.”
“Shh.” His sister hushed him with an embarrassed smack to his arm. She huddled into a tight tense hunch, and wouldn’t meet Kin’s gaze.
He took the travois from the siblings and searched the sick man up and down as he set to lashing his rope around the front branches. “Is he contagious?”
Maude’s eyes widened. “Will the doctor not treat him if he is?”
Kin swallowed. What had he gotten himself into here? Had he just exposed himself to some disease? He shook his head at her question and dragged the travois a little closer to his horse. “The doctor will treat him no matter what, it’s just, he has a brand-new baby, so if your brother is contagious, I hate to take you right to the doctor’s house.”
“I see.” She eyed him as he worked. “What about payment?”
Kin motioned for Seth to help him. “Take that branch and put it into the stirrup on that side, while I do the same over here. Then hold it till I can come around and lash it in place.” He worked for a minute before giving Maude a quick look. “I’ve never heard of the doc turning anyone away no matter their circumstances. He’ll work something out with you, I’m sure.”
She expelled a little breath and he saw her shoulders ease. “I don’t know if he’s contagious. But neither Seth nor I have come down with whatever he has and we’ve been around him all this time.”
That was good to know, still with the new baby it was better to be safe. As he worked at tying the rope on Seth’s side of the horse, he considered.
The Kastain place wasn’t too far from here. And all three of these people looked like they could use some warmth sooner rather than later. He knew the Kastains had a finished room at the back of their barn where Mr. Kastain used to house a stable hand several years ago. It had an old wood stove and a bed. That might be the best place to take them for now. He could ride into town from there to fetch Doc.
Once the travois was securely lashed to the stirrups, he pointed through the trees. “Friends of mine live just over that ridge. I’ll take you there. They have a room and that will get your brother out of the cold. And I know they’ll be happy to let you stay for a few days without pay.”
The siblings looked at one another. Seth shrugged one shoulder.
Maude sighed. He could tell that she didn’t like the idea of charity. “All right. Thank you.” She strode to the crate on the embankment. “I’ll carry this for you.”
That was a relief. Maybe he could salvage part of this morning’s tasks, at least. “That would be a help, thank you.”
As Kin led them along the path toward the Kastain place, he thought about the money for the train. If he couldn’t go to Seattle today, he could just catch tomorrow’s train. He’d still be back with the sleigh in plenty of time for Mrs. Griffin to give it to her husband as a present.
His hopes lifted.
Maybe all was not lost after all.
Chapter 6
Dixie hurried across the street to the post office, joy coursing through her. Everything was going to come together and Flynn was going to be so pleased with the sleigh that would allow him to travel a little faster and transport more of his medicines on his trips to the camps.
From their living room window earlier this morning, she’d seen Kin ride out of town with the crate of pies. And he’d left with plenty of time to drop them off and make it to the train station in time. She was so pleased that she didn’t need to change her Christmas plans, after all!
Now she just needed to send a wire informing Mr. Fordham that Kin would be arriving later today to get the sleigh after all.
Mr. King looked up when she entered and offered her a smile. “Morning! From the look on your face it seems that Kin took my suggestion to go pick up the sleigh in Seattle for you?”
“That was your idea? Oh, it was such a relief to me!” Dixie reached across the counter to shake his hand. “Thank you so much.”
Ben gave her hand a friendly pump. “My pleasure.”
From behind her, a loud throat-clearing startled her.
Dixie snatched her hand back and spun around.
Mrs. King stood at the base of the steps that led up to the King’s apartments above the post office.
“Oh, hello, Ethel! Are you coming over for your morning cup of coffee at the diner? Just give me a minute and I’ll walk with you.”
For some strange reason Ethel’s eyes narrowed on her husband beyond Dixie’s shoulder. Dixie turned slowly to look at him. She pressed her lips together wondering what the poor man could have done to upset his wife. From the look on Ethel’s face, she’d best hurry along with her mission and get Ethel out of here before she said something to her husband that she might later regret.
“Ben, if you could just wire Mr. Fordham again and let him know that Kin will arrive on this afternoon’s train? As you know his wire last night informed me that he couldn’t hold the sleigh till the spring, so I want him to know that Kin is able to pick it up today.” She dug for some change in her reticule. “Will eighteen cents cover it again?”
Ben and Ethel were still having a stare down. But Ethel’s expression suddenly seemed a little less stony. In fact, almost contrite. Dixie glanced between them as she held the change toward Ben. She was obviously missing something here.
“Ben?”
With a start, he drew his attention back to her. “Yes, eighteen cents will cover it. Thank you. I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“I hope so!” She looped her arm through Ethel’s, giving it a squeeze as she offered her friend a smile. “Ready?”
Ethel lifted a hand to her husband and spoke softly. “I’ll see you at lunch?”
Ben snatched up his fountain pen and set to scrawling on one of the telegram forms. “Yes, you will.” His lips pinched into a firm line.
Ethel’s eyes shimmered with tears as she stepped through the door with Dixie. They paused at the top of the stairs.
Dixie looked over at her. Could this be about Ellery’s birth? It really wasn’t her place to pry, but she’d known Ethel ever since she and Rose arrived in town. She wanted to offer a gesture of friendship for whatever might be going on in the woman’s life. “Is everything all right?”
Ethel seemed to ignore her question. “Did you visit the post office yesterday?”
Dixie frowned. “Yes. I did. I ordered Flynn a present from Seattle and when Ellery arrived early, I was unable to travel and pick it up as planned. I had Ben send a telegram.”
Ethel sniffed. Her countenance paled, and her eyes fell closed. “I’m such a fool.”
Dixie blinked. “Pardon me?”
Ethel sighed and unaccountably threw her arms around Dixie and pulled her into a firm embrace. “And I owe you an apology.”
Now Dixie was truly confused. “You do?”
“Yes. You see, Pricilla came in yesterday just as you were finishing up. She witnessed the exchange between you and Ben and, well, I’m afraid she jumped to…conclusions.”
Dixie’s confusion mounted. “Conclusions about what?”
Two splotches of pink bloomed on Ethel’s cheeks. “About you and Ben.”
Dixie’s mouth fell open
and for a moment she couldn’t quite grasp what Ethel might mean and then it hit her. “About me and Ben!”
“Yes.” Ethel withdrew and wrapped her arms around herself. “And I’m afraid that Ben and I got into a bit of a row over it last night.”
Dixie took a step back. “Ethel, I assure you that Ben has never even so much as—Wait!” A thought struck her. She remembered Flynn gasping out last night that her getting a telegram explained everything. And then getting grumpy again later. “Was Flynn part of that conversation?”
Ethel frowned and shook her head. “No. He wasn’t there. But I suppose Pricilla could have shared her concerns with him like she did with me.”
Concerns!? Dixie had a mind to march down to the mercantile and give Pricilla a very large portion of her mind. But in her present state, that was probably a very bad idea.
“Can you forgive me for even wondering if it was true?” Ethel asked.
Realizing how her expression must look to the woman, Dixie turned and pulled her friend into an embrace. “Of course I can. What an awful thing for you to have been told. I’m sure it was quite a shock.”
Ethel’s hand trembled where it fiddled with the brooch pinned at her throat. “It was, indeed.”
“But I assure you there is nothing between Mr. King and I.”
“Yes. I believe you.” Ethel’s hands trembled as she straightened her sleeves.
Dixie gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m sure you could use a cup of coffee, but I think right now, what’s more important than your usual one at the diner is perhaps sharing a cup with your husband?”
Ethel blew out a breath and released a tremulous smile. “I think you are probably right.”
Dixie squeezed her shoulder and started down the steps. “I’ll see you in the diner tomorrow.”
Ethel raised a hand, smiling now in true joy. “Yes. Tomorrow.”
Dixie pressed her lips together. She wasn’t certain if Flynn had heard the same tale from Pricilla, but she needed to find him to make sure everything was all right between them.
Doc Griffin's Christmas Sleigh: A Wyldhaven Series Christmas Romance Novella Page 3