She was about to close the satchel when he said, “There’s a book in there, too. I borrowed it for Nick.”
As she withdrew the copy of Mark Twain’s stories, she smiled. “He’ll like it. It’ll help pass the time once the fever breaks.”
They both looked at Nick’s face. His cheeks were blotched with fever, but the skin over his facial bones looked bloodless. Nor did she like the rise and fall of his chest. His respiration was rapid, and each breath rasped like a saw. Worst of all, though, were the red lines on his leg. The poultice covered them completely, but she knew his condition was worsening.
Rafe sucked in a lungful of air. “How soon?”
He was asking when they’d have to decide about an amputation. “I want to give the tea and poultice time to work,” she answered. “But if he has convulsions, or if the red lines spread above his knee, it would be wise to take the leg.”
Rafe muttered an oath. A better man would have offered up a prayer or bargained with God. Take me instead…take my leg…take them both…
But he didn’t believe in making deals with Mother Nature, God, Father Time, Zeus or anyone else. Instead he leaned back in the chair and stared out the window, watching as raindrops trickled down the black glass and disappeared. He felt sick inside, mostly from guilt. He’d expected to be back hours ago, but that nap had lasted close to three hours.
To make up the time, he’d taken a short cut through Needle Canyon. He’d had no idea that the pass would be full of the storm. Twice he’d almost turned back to the main road, but both times he had visions of Nick and forged through the mud and rain.
Dr. Leaf leaned forward in her chair and adjusted the poultice on Nick’s leg. She had pretty hands. They were smooth and strong, and he knew from yesterday’s kiss that they’d be generous to a man’s need.
“You’re later than I expected,” she said. “Did something happen?”
He’d enjoyed seeing her blush and decided to tease her some more. “Only in my dreams,” he said, sounding husky.
She pinched her lips together, then relaxed them as curiosity got the better of her. “What does that mean?”
“I took a nap in your bed.”
“I hope you changed the sheets.”
“Don’t worry, Doc. Without you, it wasn’t that much fun.”
The woman was trying to look bored, but her cheeks had flushed again. “I’d tell you to mind your manners, but you’d say something even more disreputable.”
He smiled at her. “Probably.”
“So instead I have a question for you.” She looked straight into his eyes. “Why are you on the run?”
She’d turned the tables on him and he didn’t like it. “It’s none of your business.”
“But it is,” she countered. “If the Bentons—”
“You’re not in harm’s way.”
“But what about you? Are you in danger?”
Hell, yes. Maybe it was the dim light that made him want to spill his guts to her. Or perhaps it was the talk of mysteries and sex. Either way, her interest in him had gone too far. “Just take care of the boy.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do.” She lifted the poultice off Nick’s leg and pushed to her feet. “I need to heat this up. There’s a plate for you on the stove.”
Rafe hadn’t eaten since that morning, but he didn’t want to follow her into the kitchen. “I’m not hungry.”
“You’re either a fool or a liar. Which is it?”
“Neither.”
After giving him a look that said she knew the truth—that he was both—she walked out of the room. Alone with his rumbling stomach, Rafe listened to the patter of the rain. A sudden burst made him grateful for the roof over his head. It also made him feel stupid for passing up a meal just because the lady doctor wanted him to eat it.
Seeing that Nick was asleep, Rafe ambled to the kitchen where Dr. Leaf had set a plate on the table, along with a bowl of cherry cobbler and a glass of milk.
She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “I thought you’d change your mind.”
“And why is that?”
“Men are predictable.” She had looked him in the eye, but he could see it was taking an effort. “If they’re not thinking about sex, they’re thinking about food.”
Rafe chuffed with irritation. He didn’t like know-it-all women, but she had a point. He’d walked into the kitchen like a stray dog sniffing out scraps. Wanting to prove to her that he was a cut above a cur, he lingered in the doorway where he could see her standing at the stove. Steam was rising from a pot and glistening on her cheeks. When she wiped them with her sleeve, he recalled their conversation in the barn. “I left the note like you asked.”
“Thank you.” Relief rang in her voice and she smiled at him.
“I also swept up the mess from the other night.” He hadn’t planned on telling her, but it felt right.
“The instruments weren’t damaged,” she said, sounding matter-of-fact. “And I can replace the broken jars.”
“I’ll pay for everything. And for the extra time with Nick.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “In cash? Or are we going to bargain some more?”
They were on his turf now. He flashed a smile. “Name your price.”
“Twenty dollars will cover everything.”
The amount was a fraction of what he intended to pay her. “You work cheap, Doc.”
“I’ll put it to good use. Not everyone pays me with money.”
Rafe could imagine—chickens, cherry pies, maybe a ham now and then. As he watched her at the stove, he added up the cost of a new horse, a coat, work boots and pretty shoes. Then he doubled it. He wasn’t motivated by guilt. Nor was he trying to buy his way into her bed. He just wanted to do something nice for her.
Feeling more comfortable, he sat at the table and took a bite of ham. While she prepared the poultice, he cleaned his plate. As enjoyable as it was, the food took second place to the pleasure of watching Dr. Leaf as she worked. She had her back to him, but he could still see the flex of her arms and the slight sway of her hips as she squeezed excess water from the poultice with a plate.
He was swigging down the milk, something he hadn’t done in years, when she turned to him. Her gaze dropped to the empty plate. “Don’t forget dessert.”
She left to tend to Nick, leaving Rafe alone with the cherry cobbler. The sweet treat wasn’t his idea of dessert, but he ate every bite, rinsed his plate in the wash bucket and walked back to Nick’s room.
Dr. Leaf had draped a damp towel over his scrawny chest, but Rafe could see the fever raging in the boy’s cheeks.
“You should know that waiting is risky,” she said gently.
“I realize that.”
He’d sounded angry and he was—mostly with himself. He couldn’t stand the thought of sitting helplessly in a chair, but neither could he leave. He had Dr. Leaf’s whiskey bottle in his pocket, but the thought of a drink brought no comfort. Instead he crossed the room where he could look out the window. A swaying branch caught his eye. He was fairly confident the Bentons had traveled south, but he’d be wise to stay alert tonight.
When Nick moaned, Rafe turned and saw that the boy had opened his eyes.
“Rafe? Is it really you? I thought—”
“Hi, kid. How are you feeling?”
“Sick.”
Dr. Leaf lifted the cup of tea to the boy’s lips. “Drink this, then I’ll give you a peppermint.”
When Nick downed the nasty brew without complaint, Rafe felt a chill. The tea smelled like moldy grass, but Nick was too weak to notice the taste. After a couple of slurps, Dr. Leaf set the mug on the nightstand and reached for the candy jar. “Here’s the peppermint,” she said to the boy.
Rafe’s mouth burned with the memory of the candy she’d given him in the cave. For a few seconds, he’d tasted the sugar and felt good. But he doubted it was going to help Nick. The boy was too weak to notice the sting of the mint. Rafe watched until he close
d his eyes and drifted away.
He looked up at Susanna who was unwrapping a Tootsie Roll. Oblivious to him, she popped it in her mouth and started to chew. She caught him staring and said, “Want one?”
At least that’s what she tried to say. With the candy in her mouth, she sounded tipsy and they both smiled.
Rafe knew what the smile meant. They were whistling in the dark, taking what comfort they could find. Wanting more of that closeness, he sat next to her and took the candy. Her fingers, still damp from the poultice, brushed his palm and sent a wave of longing through him. He could smell chocolate and mint, her warm skin, carbolic and the herbs. For some foolish reason, he wanted to hold her hand. Instead he popped the candy into his mouth and watched as Dr. Leaf checked the boy’s fever with her palm.
Rafe had no trouble telling the truth. “He’s worse, isn’t he?”
“Yes, but the tea needs time to work.” She sat back in the chair. “We have a long night ahead of us. Why don’t you tell me what else happened in town?”
Rafe was glad to think about something other than Nick’s leg. “I saw Melissa Greene.”
He told her the story, including how he’d gotten trapped in her apartment. When he mentioned sending Melissa to the sheriff, Susanna smiled. “That’s good. People need to be warned.”
Maybe, but Rafe was more concerned about the reward posters. “I did it for you—not me.”
She looked at Nick but spoke to Rafe. “I don’t understand why you’re on the run. Turning in Frank Benton would make you a hero.”
He wasn’t about to tell her he’d killed his half brother and robbed his father’s safe. What did it matter? His brother was gone and he’d squandered every cent he’d stolen. But neither was he in the mood to spin a lie. He settled for part of the truth. “It has nothing to do with the Bentons.”
As she adjusted the towel on Nick’s chest, he leaned forward so that his shoulders were aligned with hers. For the first time in years, he wanted to spill his secrets. Not even Lem knew about that night in St. Louis, mostly because the old man hadn’t asked. Not that Rafe cared. A man’s past was his own business.
He decided to change the subject before Dr. Leaf asked another question. “I told Melissa that Zeke Benton was dead but not how he died.”
“I hope it gives her some comfort.”
“I think it did. But the way she touched her belly, I wonder if she’s with child.”
“I’m afraid so,” Susanna murmured. They both knew what Melissa had ahead of her—shame, money troubles and the judgment of fools. Susanna’s eyes filled with pity.
“It’s going to be hard for her.”
“She could leave town. There’s a place in New Orleans where girls can go. She could have the baby and then give it up.”
Susanna gave him a sidelong glance. “It’s her child, too. She didn’t do anything wrong.”
“That’s true, but they’ll both be judged.”
“It sounds like you know about these things.”
“I do.”
When he refused to say more, she went back to wiping Nick’s forehead. “It’s not quite the same, but I was fourteen when I found out that my mother was carrying me when she married my stepfather. He was a horrible man.”
The loathing in her voice piqued Rafe’s curiosity. He hadn’t expected Dr. Leaf to understand bitterness. “How did you learn the truth?”
“He wanted to spite my mother, so he told me about my real father. I ran away from home and went looking for John Leaf.”
“So you know how it feels to have someone yank the rug out from under you.”
“I do,” she answered. “And I know what it’s like to be alone, just like Nick. You two are an odd pair.”
To pass the time, Rafe told her about the first bowl of chili he’d bought for Nick in Colorado and finished with their run-in with the Bentons. “We’d have been in Mexico by now if it weren’t for Zeke. He was gunning for me when Nick tried to warn me. The kid rode right into the line of fire.”
The lamp flickered, reminding Rafe of the cave where they’d taken cover. Why on earth had he waited five days before getting help? The answer was easy—he was a selfish son of a bitch, more concerned with himself than the boy.
He shook his head. “I should have taken him to town.”
“We all make mistakes.” Her voice sounded like silk catching on rough skin. “No matter what happens, he was lucky to find you.”
“Lucky?” Rafe pushed to his feet and glared down at her.
“If he loses his leg, he’ll wish he’d never been born.” The kindness in her eyes nearly dropped him to his knees. Without a bit of hesitation, she set the damp towel in the basin and took his hand in both of hers. When she tugged him down to the chair, he sat because he had nowhere else to go.
Clasping his hand in both of hers, she looked into his eyes. “When I first saw Nick, I thought you were just an outlaw on the run. But there’s more to the story, isn’t there?”
Rafe felt like a bug under a microscope. Yes, God damn it! But instead of shouting, he clenched his jaw. “Don’t concern yourself.”
She squeezed his fingers even harder. “You made a mistake. I’ve made them, too.”
Rafe knew all about mistakes. His father had made a colossal one, and Rafe had paid the price. He’d made one of his own, and his brother had paid with his blood. If he forgave himself for Nick’s misery, he’d have to forgive his father as well. But he’d sworn on his mother’s grave to hold that bitterness to his dying day. Mistakes exacted a price, and someone had to pay.
Rafe jerked back his hand. “You’re naive, Dr. Leaf.”
“I’m hardly that.”
For a young woman, she had sounded unbearably wise, even bitter, as if she had survived more heartaches than he cared to imagine. Leaning forward, she put her hand on the poultice to check for warmth. “Do you ever pray, Rafe?”
“Hell, no.”
“Why not?”
“Because the last time I tried it, the Almighty spit in my eye.”
In spite of the chill in the room, Rafe felt the humid air all over again. He saw Mimi’s coffin lying in a hole in the ground. It had been painted white and adorned with roses. The cemetery had been full of her friends—all women—except for Rafe’s father. When the burial was over, the man had gripped Rafe’s scrawny shoulder with clawlike fingers.
You’ll be going to school in Boston…I’ll do my best for you.
His best? Rafe hadn’t been fooled for a minute. The man’s wife and older son had his name and a fancy house in St. Louis. Mimi, on the other hand, had earned a pretty white casket.
Rafe had wanted to stay with his mother’s best friend, a Creole woman named Shanna who had six kids of her own. They were like brothers and sisters to him. But his father had dragged him screaming into a private railroad car. He could still see the teak panels, each one carved with a scene from an ancient myth—Dædalus flying too close to the sun, Medusa with her snakes, and Zeus towering over them all.
Terrified, he had cried for help, but Mimi’s God had turned a deaf ear. Rafe doubted he was listening now, but Susanna was looking into his eyes, waiting for an explanation he didn’t want to give. She also looked exhausted and in need of a kind touch.
“You look beat,” he said.
“I am.” She stretched her neck and rubbed it with her own hands, kneading the muscles without fully relaxing.
Rafe had a knack for neck rubs. It came from having an artist’s hands and a man’s intuition. Right now, those instincts were telling him that Dr. Leaf needed his touch. Duke had left the barn before Rafe. Judging by the light under his bedroom door, he was reading in bed and unlikely to check on Nick or Susanna. After pushing to his feet, Rafe positioned himself behind her chair, put his hands on her shoulders and started to rub.
She stiffened but didn’t stop him.
“Help me out, Doc,” he murmured. “Relax a little.”
She lowered her chin, but her muscles s
tayed stiff. Was she worried that Duke would walk in and see them? Or maybe she was afraid that she’d enjoy the neck massage a little too much? Holding in a smile, Rafe decided to give that worry a run for the money. Using his thumbs, he smoothed the muscles fanning away from her spine. He worked up to her shoulders, down her biceps and then up to her hair where he slid his fingers along the base of her skull.
A soft moan escaped from her throat. “You shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Want me to stop?” Rafe put a dare in his voice.
“Not yet.”
Her shoulders rolled forward, giving him a view of the hairs that had strayed from her braid and the skin behind her ear. If they’d been in her bedroom, he’d have kissed that spot and made her shiver. Instead he worked his fingers deeper into her hair, watching as the lamplight turned the ends into filament.
With each stroke, she felt softer in his hands until she reminded him of a deer lying in the sun. When a deeper moan came from her throat, Rafe felt a rush of pride and wondered if anyone else had ever given her this small pleasure. He hoped not. A neck rub wasn’t the biggest first in a woman’s life, but it counted for something.
He could have kneaded her back for hours, but just when he wondered if she had dozed off, Nick went into convulsions.
Chapter Ten
Rafe pushed his way to the bed and grabbed Nick’s legs to hold him still. Susanna had already leaped to her feet and grabbed a padded stick off the nightstand. After putting it in the boy’s mouth, she held his shoulders against the mattress.
“We have to cool him down,” she ordered. “Get another towel.”
Rafe plunged a strip of cotton into the washbowl and spread it over Nick’s chest. Then he gripped the boy’s ankles to hold him still, feeling every jerk of his body. Rafe didn’t know much about medicine, but he had some common sense. “Maybe we should dunk him in the stream.”
“It would be too much of a shock.”
“Then I’ll open the window.”
Midnight Marriage Page 11