“Us?”
She grinned. “Yes, us. But with all the men gone, I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving Sally with the children alone on the ranch. So, forget I mentioned it.”
Clayton nodded. “All right.”
Sadness entered Maggie’s heart. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized how badly she’d hoped to go. The backs of her eyes began to burn. Averting her eyes from Clayton, Maggie focused on the upcoming cove. Winter coated it much like the disappointment coated her heart. Stop being silly, Maggie told herself. It wasn’t like she and Clayton were a young married couple looking for an evening where they could court each other or express their undying love. Still, she wanted to attend the dance.
* * *
Clayton didn’t want to build up her hopes so didn’t tell Maggie that he would ask George if he intended to go to the dance. If George wasn’t attending, then he and Maggie could go. Her eyes had shone when she’d asked about the dance, but now they looked glassy with tears. He pulled the wagon up beside the cove and set the brake.
“What are we doing here?” she asked, looking about.
He reached up to help her down from the wagon. “I just thought we could both use a little break from everyone.”
Maggie placed her gloved hand into his. “I do love this spot.”
When she was firmly on the ground, he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “I was thinking that tomorrow I’d run into town and see the doctor. Would you like to come along?”
“It would be nice but no, I don’t want to take the children out in this cold weather. Besides, if you leave early enough, Doc Anderson might take you out on his home visits.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. Clayton had been studying the medical books every night.
He patted her hand. “It would be nice to have you along, but I agree. Breathing this cold air all day wouldn’t be good for the children.” Clayton enjoyed the feel of Maggie pressed against his arm and side. She smelled of cinnamon and sugar.
They continued to walk in comfortable silence. Clayton stepped around the patches of snow and ice. He didn’t mind the cold air on his cheeks or the mud on his boots. All he cared about at the moment was spending quiet time with Maggie.
The sound of a horse coming in fast drew his attention. He turned to find Bud racing Snowball across the frozen ground. That boy was going to kill himself and the horse if he didn’t slow down. Bud was not an experienced Pony Express rider.
When Bud and Snowball slid to a stop in front of him, Clayton demanded, “What are you doing? You could kill yourself and that horse racing about like that.”
He ignored Clayton’s outburst. “Abraham is hurt. You need to get to him as soon as possible. I’ll go get the doctor.”
Clayton grabbed Snowball’s bridle. “Get down.” He waited for Bud to do as he’d been told and then jumped into the saddle. “Take Maggie home and then ride into town for the doctor.” He turned the horse and headed toward the south pasture.
What could have happened to Abraham? He should have asked Bud what was wrong with his foreman but instead had acted impulsively. As the little mare raced back to Abraham, Clayton realized he should have told Bud to send Hal or George back with the wagon to get Abraham home.
He saw Abraham propped up against the fence. Clayton jumped off Snowball and ran to the fallen man. He pulled off his gloves and ran his hands over Abraham’s arms, legs and back. There were no injuries that he could feel. His breathing was steady, but he seemed to be out cold. Clayton leaned back on his heels. Had his heart gone out? Or had he fallen off his horse and hit his head?
Where was Abraham’s horse? He looked about the area but didn’t see the stallion anywhere. It probably headed back to the barn. Clayton focused on Abraham. His needs were more important than worrying about a horse.
Clayton leaned forward once more and ran his fingers over the back of Abraham’s head. When he pulled them away, they were covered in blood. He set the other man up and searched for the wound. It was a large gash and felt deep.
The sound of a wagon traveling across the pasture drew his attention. He watched as Bud whipped the horse toward him. Clayton gently lowered Abraham back to the cold ground and stood.
“Mrs. Young said you might need the wagon to get Abraham back to the house.” Bud set the brake and jumped down.
Clayton nodded. “Where is she?”
“She’s walking back to the house.”
Clayton growled deep in his throat. The last thing he needed Maggie to do was get sick and die, like his parents had. He pushed the thought away. “We’ll pick her up on our way back.”
“What happened to him, Clayton?” Bud asked. He stood over Abraham, frowning.
Clayton pulled the tailgate off the wagon and set it to the side. He joined Bud. “Help me get him to the wagon. He has a nasty cut on the back of his head, so be careful laying him down.”
He lifted Abraham by the shoulders and Bud took his feet. Together they carried the foreman to the wagon.
As soon as they got him inside and the tailgate back in place, Clayton climbed into the wagon and turned it back toward the house. Aware that going too fast would shake Abraham about, Clayton kept the little mare at a slow clip. He pulled his gloves back on.
“Bud, go find Maggie and take her to the house. But don’t ride so carelessly this time. Then switch horses and go to town and find Doc. Take one of the Pony Express horses. They know how to run on this ice and snow.”
“All right, boss.”
He watched the young man ride away. Why did this ranch have to be so big? Why had Maggie decided she would be better off walking home than riding with Bud? And what had happened to Abraham? Clayton hadn’t seen any rocks that Abraham could have hit his head on.
The thought came to him that Abraham might have been attacked. Clayton should have checked the ground for other footprints. Then a bone-chilling thought came to him. If Abraham had been attacked because he was alone, what did that mean for Maggie? She was alone now, too.
Chapter Eighteen
Maggie trudged toward home. Now that Clayton was gone, the cold sank into her bones. She wrapped her cloak tighter about her body and prayed for Abraham to be all right. Clayton would make a great doctor someday. Abraham was blessed that her husband was on the ranch.
It hadn’t seemed like she was that far from the house when she’d been riding a horse. Even though she was now cold and tired, Maggie wouldn’t have given up the last hour spent with her husband. She’d enjoyed listening to his voice and feeling his gloved hand on top of hers.
Her boots slipped on a clear slab of ice. Maggie used her arms like windmills and tried to keep her feet beneath her. It was no use. Maggie went down hard, landing on her back. She lay on the cold ground for several moments. Other than the fall knocking the air out of her, she didn’t think she was hurt.
Thankfully, there had been no one around to witness her fall. She imagined she’d looked far from graceful as she’d flailed her arms and slipped on the ice. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked about, just to make sure she was truly alone. After several long moments, Maggie stood and began walking once more, taking greater care now about where she put her feet.
Her thoughts went to the dance that she would be missing. It would have been fun to attend. Before her mother had died, they had gone to a barn-raising dance every year. She closed her eyes and imagined the new barn, smelling of freshly cut wood, decorated with hay and benches. Images of the large dance floor and the musicians filled her tired mind.
Her favorite part was being swirled about the dirt floor to the sound of fiddles and violins. Maggie had been sixteen, the same age as Sally now, when she’d attended the last dance. The young men had kept her dancing all night. Perhaps she should talk Sally into going. It had been fun.
She heard
a rider coming and opened her eyes. How long had she been standing in this same spot daydreaming? Maggie looked to her right and saw Snowball and Bud coming toward her. She waved.
Bud stopped the horse and kicked his foot out of the stirrup. “Come on, the boss says I’m to take you home.” He extended his hand down to her.
Maggie started to put her gloved hand in his but then realized it was covered in mud. She looked down at her dress. It too was covered in the sticky clay of the land. “I fell,” she said needlessly.
The young man laughed. “I can see that. Wipe your hand off on Snowball’s hip.”
“I’m sorry, ole girl.” Maggie did as Bud instructed, then placed her hand in his and swung onto the horse’s rump.
“Ready?” Bud asked, glancing over his shoulder and placing his boot in the stirrup.
Maggie couldn’t bring herself to wrap her arms around his waist as she’d done with Clayton. Instead she gripped the seat of the saddle and held on. “Ready,” she answered.
Bud nodded and then took off.
Maggie bounced along on the horse’s hindquarters, wishing for the life of her that she’d just walked home. Bud seemed unaware of her discomfort and pressed the horse harder to race back to the barn. Snowball’s hooves thundered across snow and ice.
The little mare pitched forward when her front feet hit a spot of ice. Maggie feared the horse was going to lose her footing and the three of them would all go down. “Don’t you think we should slow down?” she called to Bud.
“No, ma’am. Abraham is hurt bad and Clayton told me to get the doctor out here quick. I have to leave this nag at the barn and get one of the Pony Express horses saddled and be on my way before he gets back to the house with Abraham.” Bud pressed the horse harder.
Maggie hung on tighter and wondered what Clayton had been thinking to give Bud such orders. Didn’t he realize how bad the ground was? Or had he been so concerned for the foreman that he hadn’t thought of what could happen to her and Bud should Snowball lose her footing?
“We’re here,” Bud said needlessly when they arrived at the barn. He kicked his foot out of the stirrup. “You should get off first.”
George came out of the barn. His gaze shot from Maggie to Bud. “What’s going on here?”
Bud answered, “Abraham is hurt. I need to get to town for the doctor.”
Maggie reached out to George. She wasn’t sure how to get off Snowball without falling unless the older man helped. George hurried to the side of the horse and assisted Maggie. Her legs felt like jelly. She leaned heavily on George.
“Mrs. Young, are you all right?” George asked, wrapping an arm around her waist to better hold her up.
She nodded. “I think so. It’s just been a hard day.”
Bud had already jumped from Snowball’s back and entered the barn, leaving the little mare standing out in the cold. He called from inside, “George, which one of these horses is the fastest?”
George frowned and looked to Maggie.
In a low voice, she answered his unasked question. “Bud says Clayton told him to take one of the Pony Express horses.”
“What do you think?” George asked, his worried gaze on the barn.
Maggie sighed and tested her legs. “I don’t know. Those horses are Clayton’s babies. But if Abraham is hurt as bad as Bud says, I suppose it’s possible Clayton told him to take one of the Pony Express horses.”
“George!” Bud’s voice sounded irritated.
George looked into Maggie’s eyes. He called back, “Take the solid black.” He turned back to Maggie, concern in his faded blue eyes. “Do you want me to help you to the house?”
Maggie shook her head. “No, I’m fine. My legs were just shaky from trying to stay on the back of Snowball without falling off.” She took a careful step away from George. The last thing she needed was to fall again.
“If you don’t mind my saying so, it looks like you took a roll in the mud.” George’s eyes were still filled with concern.
She giggled. “I did. Hurt my pride more than anything else.”
Bud came thundering through the barn doors. He sat atop the black mustang with a wide grin. “I’m headed to town to get the doctor.”
Snowball whinnied and stepped sideways to get out of Bud’s path.
Maggie frowned.
Bud’s eyes shone. He looked anything but concerned for Abraham. The hired hand seemed more excited to be riding a Pony Express horse than anxious to get help for the injured man. He spurred the mare into action.
She sighed as he sped down the road toward town. Maggie looked to George. “I hope he makes it to town without breaking his neck on that horse.”
George shook his head. “That boy has been a handful since Gus left.”
Maggie nodded. She was beginning to see that. “Thank you for helping me down from Snowball.” She walked over to the little mare and rubbed her nose while telling her what a good girl she was. Taking hold of the bridle, Maggie began leading the horse into the barn.
“Here, Mrs. Young, let me take care of her for you. You head on into the house and get cleaned up.” George placed his hand over her gloved one.
“George, please call me Maggie.” She released the bridle. “Thank you.”
He smiled at her. “It’s my pleasure, Maggie.”
She smiled and turned to the house. Baby James wasn’t the only one who would be getting a bath tonight. Her smile dissolved as she thought of Abraham. Had he lay in mud and ice? He’d probably need a bath, too. Maggie turned back to the barn.
Her footsteps felt weighted. She entered the barn just as George released Snowball into her stall.
“Is there something else I can do for you?” George asked.
Maggie nodded. “Yes, please tell Clayton to bring Abraham up to the house. I’ll have a place fixed for him.”
“Yes, ma’am.” George pulled a feed bag from a hook.
She turned and walked to the house.
Sally and Dinah sat at the kitchen table. Baby James lay on a blanket beside the stove. The two girls looked up as Maggie entered the room.
“What happened to you? Did you fall off the horse?” Sally asked. She pushed her chair back and stood.
“I’m fine, Sally, and no, I did not fall off the horse. I slipped and fell in the mud.” Maggie pulled her gloves off. Dinah hurried to her side. The little girl was about to hug her, but Maggie stopped her by putting her hands out. She smiled at her sister. “No hugs just yet. I’m a filthy mess, but I promise I’m fine.”
Dinah looked up at her. “Good.”
Sally tsked and walked over to Maggie and Dinah. “You should go on upstairs and get cleaned up. I’ll make sure these two stay out of trouble.” She pulled on one of Dinah’s freshly woven braids.
Maggie nodded. “I will, if you will put a large pot of water on the stove and throw a sheet over the settee. One of the men was hurt out in the pasture. I’m not sure how badly, but I want to make him comfortable until the doctor arrives.” She wanted to go pick up James and give him a quick hug but decided against it.
“We’ll take care of it, won’t we, Dinah?”
The little girl grinned. “Uh-huh.”
“All right. Then I’ll go clean up and be right back down.”
Maggie started to climb the stairs. A muscle in the back of her right leg protested the movement. Would she be too sore to move tomorrow? Her body protested each step she took to her bedroom.
Her thoughts went to Clayton and Abraham. How far were they from the house? What had happened to Abraham?
* * *
Clayton’s thoughts were on Maggie. Had Bud found her and taken her home? He looked over his shoulder. Abraham lay in the same position he and Bud had placed him. It bothered Clayton that Abraham hadn’t woken and hadn
’t made a sound. Clayton knew Abraham was breathing, but the man was out cold.
The ranch yard and house came into view. It was all Clayton could do to keep from racing the horse toward home. He forced himself to drive slowly, avoid ruts and bumps and focus on getting Abraham to the bunkhouse in one piece.
George stepped out of the barn as soon as Clayton got to the bunkhouse. “Maggie said to take him up to the house. Says she’ll have a place fixed for him.” He walked beside the wagon.
Thank the good Lord that Maggie was all right. Clayton continued to the house.
George met him at the back of the wagon. “I’ll help you get him inside.”
Maggie stepped out of the house. Her hand fluttered to her heart and rested there.
Clayton called to Maggie, “Bring a blanket, please.” She hurried into the house and returned with an old blanket. Clayton rolled Abraham onto his side and then placed the blanket where he’d been lying. Then he let Abraham back down onto the blanket. This way, they could use the blanket to carry the unconscious man into the house. Clayton grabbed one end of the blanket and George took the other.
Maggie held the door open. “I hope the settee is big enough for him.” She followed the men into the sitting room.
Sally stood in the kitchen doorway. “Maggie, I know earlier you said Dinah couldn’t have cake, but it might be enough distraction to keep her in the kitchen for a while.”
Maggie nodded. “I believe you’re right. Cut a piece for yourself, too.”
Clayton and George carried Abraham to the settee. “Maggie, can you get a towel for his head? He has a nasty cut, and I don’t want to get blood on the settee.”
He watched as she hurried to the kitchen. Was she limping? Clayton looked to George. “Let’s get him on the settee.”
George lowered Abraham’s legs onto the piece of furniture.
Maggie came back with a large piece of cloth. She folded it and placed it on the arm of the settee.
Clayton lowered Abraham’s upper body the rest of the way down. He worried that Abraham still hadn’t shown any signs of waking up. “I wish I knew what happened to him.” Saying the words out loud didn’t make him feel any better.
Pony Express Special Delivery Page 18