by Jodi Thomas
Miss Willingham patted him on the back. “Go back to the hospital, Daniel, and get some rest.”
“I think I’ll do that.” Lockhart tried to look professional, but in truth, he looked as if he might turn green any moment.
Miss Willingham turned her attention back to Dr. Farris. “There have been some problems….”
Dr. Farris hurried past her into Sarah’s room without waiting for her to finish. The nurse looked at Cody as if he were a stray dog that had somehow gotten into the house.
“I know.” He raised his hands in surrender. “I know. I’m leaving.”
He walked back out onto the porch. He could never remember having felt so useless in his life. For all the good he was doing, he might as well have gone home, but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to leave. He leaned back against the cold brick and tried to sleep on his feet while the early sun warmed his face.
“Cody?” a voice called from the doorway.
“Kat?” Cody straightened, realizing he must have dozed off, for the sun was well over the treetops. “How’s Sarah?”
Katherine hesitated in the archway. Her face was white with worry, and her apron was splattered with blood. She turned huge green eyes to him, then bolted toward him as though he were the only refuge in the world. “Oh, Cody,” Katherine whispered against his neck. “She’s bad, really bad. The baby’s out, but Dr. Farris says Sarah’s had a great deal of damage.” Katherine clung to him. “She’s very weak. If she makes it, she’ll have to stay in bed for a month, maybe longer.”
“I thought Dr. Farris knew how to help?”
“He did. If he hadn’t been there, I don’t think she would be alive now. Dr. Lockhart tried, but he didn’t know what to do.”
Cody pulled her against him and buried his face in her hair. “The baby?” he whispered. “Did it live?”
“Yes, but he’s so small. Half the size he should be. The doctor says he’s seen them live when they’re born that small, but it’ll be a gamble.”
Rain sparkled in Katherine’s hair, and he brushed it away gently with his hand, wishing he could brush away the worry in her eyes as easily.
“It’s going to be all right,” Cody said against her cheek, trying to believe it himself. “I wish I could do something to help.”
Katherine smiled up at him. “You’ve helped a great deal. You got us here and you’re holding me now.”
“I’ll hold you whenever you need me, Kat.” Cody wanted her to believe he would always be there for her, but he wasn’t sure he believed that himself, either.
“Katherine,” a student nurse said as she joined them on the porch. “Sarah is asking for you and someone named Cody.”
“We’ll be right there,” Cody answered as he pulled his handkerchief from his pocket. “Dry those eyes, beautiful. We don’t want Sarah to see that her heroine has been crying.
She doesn’t have anyone but us, and we’ve got to convince her that everything is fine.”
Without answering, Katherine moved into his arms holding on as tightly as she could. He could feel her shake with grief and fear and realized all Katherine’s strength would vanish if she lost Sarah. Cody wrapped his arms around her and hugged her just as tight, praying he’d be strong enough for her whenever she needed him.
After a long moment Katherine slowly pulled away and followed the student nurse back into the building. The room had already been cleaned, and Sarah was resting quietly. She smiled as Cody knelt beside the bed.
“How’s the finest little lady in the world tonight?” he asked as he kissed her hand. “Ready to go dancing?”
“I’m a little tired right now, but I’m happy. Did you see Bart’s son? He doesn’t look much like his father now, but he’ll grow.”
“We wanted to see you first,” Cody answered. “Miss Willingham is taking care of the baby.”
Sarah looked at Katherine. “We did it, Kat. We delivered a baby.”
“With Dr. Farris’s help and Miss Willingham’s,” Kat agreed. “You get some sleep. I’ll pull a chair up and stay right beside you in case you need anything.”
Sarah nodded. “I’m going to name him Matthew. It means ‘gift from God.’ Matthew Rome.” Sarah’s eyes closed and she drifted into sleep. She looked so small in the large bed with pillows and covers all around her.
Cody stood watching her for a long while. Sarah’s happiness made all their troubles seem so small. Her inner strength probably made her the strongest one of them all, he thought.
The student nurse interrupted them again by pointing toward Miss Willingham’s private rooms. “You can see the baby now,” she whispered.
Cody crossed the hall and tapped lightly on the door.
When he got no answer he turned the knob and entered a darkened office. He walked into the sitting room and pushed a door open to a small kitchen. The night was warm, but the stove made the room hot.
“Come on in and close the door before you let the heat out,” Miss Willingham ordered.
Like everyone who ever came in contact with the woman, Cody did as he was told. Miss Willingham sat at the table with Matthew in her arms. Her hair was disheveled and her apron bloody, but she didn’t seem to care. Dr. Farris relaxed beside her, blowing on his hot coffee without taking his eyes off the baby.
Cody pulled up a chair and watched as she rocked little Matthew Rome. “He’s small,” she said, “but he’s a fighter. This little fellow is going to make it fine. I know a few tricks.” She glanced at Dr. Farris and for once her smile was genuine. “First, we’re going to keep this room warm twenty-four hours a day. Except for the times he’s with Sarah, he’ll sleep in here. I’ll have a cot moved in and we’ll take shifts. We’ll hire one of the student nurses to sit with Sarah when Katherine or I can’t be there.”
“I’ll cover all the expenses for that.” Cody looked up as Katherine entered. “I’ll also pay for anything you need until Sarah and little Matt are on their feet.”
“Matthew,” Miss Willingham corrected. “I’ll not have him called by any nickname. Christ didn’t call his disciple Matt for short, and we will have the same respect for the name.”
“Matthew, then.” Cody laughed as he leaned forward. “And Miss Willingham, I think I’m in love with you.” He kissed the cheek of this woman who tried to be so tough.
“Nonsense, young man. I’m only doing my job as a nurse.” Her back was as straight as ever, but a blush stained her cheeks. “And hadn’t you better go do whatever it is you do.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Cody stood, his hand brushing the baby’s cheek one last time in farewell.
“Young man,” Miss Willingham added when he’d reached the door. “You may come back to visit Matthew.” She glanced down at the baby and smiled. “If we’re going to have one male living in the dorm, we might as well have one visiting.”
“Or two,” Dr. Farris added.
Exhaustion lapped over Katherine in slow waves of numbness. She poured herself a cup of coffee and smiled, first at Cody, then at Dr. Farris. The life was back in the doctor’s eyes. Whatever had made him so sad had vanished with the birth of this tiny infant. Even without sleep Dr. Farris seemed ten years younger.
Farris took the cup from her hands. With a wink he told her he guessed she’d hold it until the coffee was cold without having the energy to drink. “Nurse Katherine, why don’t you walk this young man to the door while Miss Willingham and I talk? By the way, I think it best if you don’t report to work for a week. You look as if you could sleep that long without waking.”
Katherine followed Cody into the hallway. “Thanks for being there last night.”
Cody fought the urge to hold her. Instead, he took her hand and pulled her outside with him, unwilling to say good-bye in front of the others.
“Does this mean you’ve finally seen the light and we can start being together again even when there’s no disaster?”
Kat slowed her steps. “I’ve been thinking about that.” She spoke clearly even though he
r heart screamed that her words were a lie. “There can be no us,” Only hours ago she’d almost given in to her feelings for Cody, but that was before she’d seen how desperately Sarah needed her. She wouldn’t turn away from Sarah and the baby. Not now. Not even for Cody. Not even for her own happiness. Yet she delayed this last parting, knowing she should go back inside but wanting to feel him beside her one last time.
They walked almost to the car before he gave conversation another try. “I know where I can make five hundred dollars this week. I want you to have it for the baby.”
Katherine shook her head. “We can manage.”
“I know you can, but I want to help.”
Katherine leaned against the door of his car. “What do you have to do to make that kind of money?”
“Fly and land.”
“There’s more to it than that.” Katherine took a deep breath of the fresh-washed air. “I know an ordinary flight, even at an air show, doesn’t pay that much money.”
Cody lightly looped his arms around her. “Some railroad men made a bet that a plane couldn’t land on a moving train car. I heard them talking yesterday. I bet I could do it if they lined up enough flatcars.”
Katherine opened her eyes, all sleepiness forgotten. “You can’t!”
“For five hundred dollars I can.”
“What if you crash?”
Cody shrugged. “That solves your problem of never running into me again.” He tried to laugh, but the joke fell flat between them.
Katherine swung and hit his shoulder with her fist. “I want none of the money. I’ll never speak to you again, Cody Masters, if you do such a foolish thing.”
Cody caught her fist in his hand. He loved seeing the sparks in her eyes, even though he was the source of her anger. “I wasn’t aware you were speaking to me all that much in the first place. In the second place, landing the plane will be no problem as long as they keep the train going in a straight line at the same speed.”
She pushed him away and turned back toward the dorm. Staying away from him was right, not only for Sarah’s sake and Matthew’s but also because he would break her heart by gambling with death as surely as Bart had broken Sarah’s.
“You’ll speak to me, Katherine!” Cody yelled after her. “You won’t get rid of me so easily this time.”
Katherine increased her pace. She would think of the baby and Sarah and forget about this crazy pilot who threatened to crush her heart. They needed her; Cody only wanted her. She had lied to Sarah once, and now she planned to make that up to her if it took a lifetime.
* * *
Cody tried to sleep the next day, but by nightfall he was wide awake and ready to fly. He walked toward the airplane thinking more of Katherine than of what he intended to do.
Wheeler DeJon, as always, had oiled the engine and prepared everything. The Frenchman pointed one long finger at Cody as he neared. “I think you’re insane to try this, Cody, If you miss by a foot you’ll not only be dead from the crash but the damn train will probably run right over your bones.”
Cody laughed. “Sounds like one hell of a mess to clean up, old friend. Guess I better not miss.”
DeJon snorted. “I checked the train cars. The surface is flat. I also tied the boards between the cars so they can move slightly with the rattle of the train and still make a platform.”
“Good.” Cody knew DeJon would take care of all the details. “All I have to do is fly a straight flight going the same speed as the train, then drop down onto the cars. A piece of cake.”
DeJon spit a long brown stream of tobacco juice. “I’m going to be riding on the train. When I hear your engine, I’ll light a torch at the end of your landing space.”
“Thanks.” Cody slapped DeJon on the back. “But stay clear. If I should slip off, I don’t want you grabbing the plane and being pulled off the train.”
DeJon laughed. “Unlike your mother, my mother had a smart child who lived and plans to go on living.”
Cody dropped his smile. “One more thing. If something happens, tell—”
DeJon interrupted, not wanting to hear any last request from a pilot. “I know. Tell each mademoiselle that you loved only her.”
“Something like that.” Cody only had Katherine on his mind, and she’d threatened never to speak to him if he flew tonight.
DeJon dropped to the ground and scraped up a handful of dirt. He rolled it in an oily rag he’d used to clean the engine. “I don’t have any train dirt, but this should work, no?” He dusted the oily mixture on Cody’s shoulder. “Don’t forget to come back in one piece.”
Cody winked but couldn’t bring himself to say anything. This would be the riskiest flight he’d ever made. The fact that it was being flown at night made it even worse.
An hour later he climbed into his plane, suddenly impatient to meet his fate. Within seconds he was airborne and flying across the cloudless sky. The stars hung huge and sparkling, dusting the earth with a glow almost as bright as shadowy daylight. The rain from the night before had dampened the land, making it seem new in the moonlight.
Cody followed the tracks until he heard the sound of the train. He circled high and flew parallel with the locomotive. Even as he lined his plane up with the flatcars he couldn’t get Katherine’s angry face out of his mind. He wished he’d told her that he would have flown this trick for half the money. Oh, he needed money fast, but he could have gotten it some other way for her. He was flying tonight for the thrill and probably always would. Still, if something happened, he knew she’d blame herself.
As he began to descend, he laughed. “Better a fast death than dying by inches.” But the words seemed hollow. For the first time in his life there was something he wanted to do beyond this moment. Someone he wanted to talk to. Someone he wanted to love. Katherine.
DeJon’s torch blazed in front of him and smoke from the train blackened Cody’s face as he slowly lowered his plane onto the flat surface of the railway cars. Suddenly Cody felt the sensation that he had been waiting, even yearning, for. It had always come to him when he flew. The feeling that time was falling away, that he and the airplane were one. Cody was in his element. The canvas and wire that covered the machine also extended to his being. At that moment he knew he would succeed.
As the wheels touched down, the plane rocked, tipping first one direction then another. Cody forced the brake with all his strength as the plane rolled to a stop on the flatbed railroad car. He closed his eyes as the sounds and images of the night came flooding back to him. Safely down, Cody and machine could once again separate…until the next time.
He heard the clink of metal as bands were thrown over the wings to secure the plane on the car.
“You’ve done it!” DeJon shouted. “You’ve done it!”
Cody took a deep breath and relaxed the death grip he had on the controls. “Want to try it again?” he shouted to DeJon. Cody tried to swallow the heartbeat pounding in his throat as he climbed from the plane.
DeJon’s smile acknowledged the joke. “Sure, boy. Some other night.”
They both laughed as they sat down in front of the plane to wait for the train to stop so they could collect their money, and go have enough to drink to turn this night’s fool’s play into heroics.
* * *
“Morning, Mr. Masters.” Miss Willingham looked very much as if she had come from a long line of palace guards. “Won’t you come in? We were about to take tea.”
Cody pulled off his hat and tried to comb his hair with his fingers. What was it about this woman that always made him feel as if he still wore short pants? “I hoped it would be all right for me to check on the baby today.”
“Of course.” Miss Willingham ushered him into her sitting room, which now looked far more like a nursery. “We’ve seen you twice a week for over a month. Why would our hospitality change now? I’ll go get Matthew.” She moved through the doorway just before Sarah entered.
“Cody!” Sarah cried.
As he had
every time he’d seen her, Cody hugged her warmly. She looked so frail that a snowflake might crush her, but her smile left no doubt of her happiness. “I wanted to see how Matthew has grown.” Cody helped her to a rocker. “Plus I hoped to catch Katherine.”
Sarah patted his arm. “She took the train back to Columbus over an hour ago.”
Cody tried not to allow the disappointment to show in his face. He’d seen Katherine only once—the day after his night landing on the train. She’d argued, then finally taken the money from him, promising to pay it back as soon as she could. He’d left so angry he wasn’t sure he could see her again without strangling her. Yet, as each visit passed, anger turned to longing.
“Kat’s been working double shifts, hoping to finish up my year there as well as her own.” Sarah’s smile faded. “On weekends she insists on coming to Dayton to care for Matthew, and then it’s back to work. She’s looking so pale, I’m starting to worry about her.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Cody fought the urge to add, Besides beat some sense into her stubborn head.
“No.” Sarah lifted her shoulders. “Matthew’s stronger every day. Soon we’ll all be able to sleep at night. If Kat can just keep working for three more months, Miss Willingham has offered us both teaching jobs here.”
“Is that what you want?” Cody tried to read her face closely for the truth.
“It’s what I want.” Sarah nodded. “But not Kat. She tells me it is, but I know her. She needs more.” Sarah’s blue eyes were an ocean of concern. “She’ll die here. I can’t allow her to give up all her dreams just because mine have changed. She’s always wanted to travel, see the world, work at some big hospital. Teaching here would wither her, but she won’t accept that. One person can’t live another’s dreams. This is mine now, not hers.”
“What can I do?” Cody felt as helpless as Sarah.
“Talk to her,” Sarah pleaded. “Make her start living again before the Kat who flew with you disappears forever.”
“I’ll try,” Cody said as he heard the door open.
Miss Willingham ended the conversation as she entered with the baby. “Here he is, awake and dry, Mr. Masters.” She looked at Cody and raised a questioning eyebrow. “Did you wash your hands?”