She followed Caleb with a lighter step. More time with Gabe and possibly a motherly employer. This job might be a blessing. It put off meeting the man she sought, allowing her more time to plan for that day. Emma eyed Caleb’s broad back. The chance to meet up on occasion with a fine gentleman didn’t hurt either. Skeeter’s orneriness may have done her a favor.
Caleb tied Skeeter inside the barn and brushed the old brute from his ears to his hind legs. The beast deserved a thorough job. After all, he brought Emma back. But the meeting between her and his mother didn’t go so well. With his sister married and gone, he’d hoped the two women would become close.
“Lord, forge a relationship between Mother and Emma.”
“This trip so tough it got you talking to yourself?” Gabe grinned at him from the doorway.
“I thought you were getting settled at the men’s quarters.”
“Yeah, well,” Gabe said, ambling into the barn and dropping his belongings in the hay, “that’s what I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Something wrong?”
“You could say that.”
Caleb hung the brush on a nail. “Not exactly what you’re used to?”
Gabe scratched the back of his neck. “Right. The place is … um …” “Untidy?”
“Putting it mildly. You reckon I could hole up here in the barn till my job is done?”
Caleb clapped Gabe on the back. “Help yourself. The back corner of the loft is rather cozy. I used to go there when I needed a quiet place to think. I’ll let everyone know that’s your home for the next couple months.”
“Appreciate it, young man. It’ll make my stay much more pleasant.”
“You’re welcome. Get some rest. We’ll pick out the logs you’ll need for the bedstead first thing tomorrow.”
With a quick good night, Caleb headed to the house, ready for a soft bed after too many nights spent on the ground. His mind dashed to Emma, wondering how well she’d settled in with four women already living in the cramped quarters. By the look on her face, he wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find her gone in the morning. He hoped not. She probably needed to spend some time with women, his mother especially.
If he were honest, he wouldn’t mind getting to know the feisty girl better. So many questions surrounded her, like what happened to her parents? Why did she have such a bad limp? What man was she looking for, and why? He hated to admit the last question bothered him the most. But that was one area where he dared not let his mind linger. If he did, he’d also have to admit that he cared.
Chapter 3
Water sloshed from the bucket Emma toted, soaking the right side of her dress. Her right shoe squished with each step, mocking her dream of working next to Mrs. Kelley. The matriarch found a job for Emma, all right. Scrubbing the men’s living quarters.
The expressions on the other ladies’ faces when they heard the task she’d been assigned still puzzled her. Groans or outright laughter she could have handled. But surprise and dismay swirled around the room before they all made excuses to leave, giving Emma the impression they thought her ridden with some awful disease.
She pondered the women as she balanced the pail, broom, and mop in her aching arms. Marie, daughter of the cook and close to Emma’s age, was a talkative little thing. Emma felt certain the girl fell asleep midsentence and woke up completing the thought without missing a beat.
The men’s quarters loomed ahead, much larger than the women’s lodge. Made sense since Caleb had to hire so many men to chop down trees and work the mill. Cleaning the building would take at least a week. She shrugged. Staring wouldn’t get the job done. Besides, it would feel good to put the bucket down.
Emma climbed the steps, propped the broom and mop against the doorframe, and knocked. No way did she want to surprise some unsuspecting man. Hearing nothing, she turned the knob, opened the door, and entered.
Sweat. Urine. Some odors defied description. The stench slammed into her nose and sprinted to her stomach, churning it into a roiling mess. Burning tears sprang to her eyes. The bucket dropped with a thud as she slapped her hand over her mouth and lurched for the door. Once outside, she sucked in great gulps of fresh air.
Holding her apron over her nose, she turned and stared at the revolting structure. Surely people didn’t live in there. They couldn’t. How could they breathe?
Did Mrs. Kelley have any idea just how disgusting men were? Emma didn’t … until now. Her next thought weakened her knees. What if Mrs. Kelley knew the exact condition of this place and sent her here on purpose?
Determination set in. Her life had been one long challenge from the moment a stranger killed her father and shot her in the leg. This test wouldn’t be any more difficult, just stinkier.
She took a deep breath, grabbed the mop, and headed back inside.
“You sure you want to do that?”
She gasped and spun. Gabe stood at the far end of the porch grinning. She shook her finger at him. “You should know better than to sneak up on a defenseless woman.”
He laughed as he scaled the steps. “Oh, I don’t know. That mop looks pretty dangerous.”
“It’ll be even more so after it’s spent time in there.” She jerked her thumb at the door. “Are you sleeping in there?”
“Not a chance. I pitched my bedroll in the barn.” He glanced inside then back at her. “You can’t seriously want to go in there.”
“No, I don’t, but I have to. It’s the job I was given.”
He stared at her for a moment. “By the look on your face, this isn’t what you expected.”
“Not even close.” She shook her head. “You men are nasty creatures.”
“Now, now. Don’t go lumping us all together.” He grabbed the broom. “Come on. I’ll give you a hand.”
“You can’t do that. You have your own job to do.”
“I know, but it can wait. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate knowing I’d left you to this.”
She stopped him from heading in by touching his arm. “Promise me something.”
“What’s that?”
“If I pass out, get me out of there fast. I just know something disgusting will start crawling on me the minute I hit the floor.” A shudder ran through her from her neck to her toes.
He chuckled. “You’ve got my word.”
She followed him in and bumped into him when he came to an abrupt stop. “What?”
“It’s worse than I remembered.” He leaned the broom against the wall. “First thing I’m going to do is open the windows. We need fresh air.”
“I agree.” She glanced at the bucket of water at her feet. “Is there a well or stream nearby? This won’t be enough water to wash the windows, let alone the floor.”
Gabe grunted as he struggled with the last window. “I think so. I’ll round up more buckets and start hauling for you once I get this open.”
Emma hung out the blankets from thirty-five beds, hoping to get rid of some of the smell since she didn’t have time to wash them today. Gabe wrangled another five buckets and filled each one. He’d disappeared one more time in search of a second mop.
With the bedding out of the way, she picked everything up off the floor and started sweeping the thick layer of dirt toward the back door. Dust rose in a cloud that sent her into sneezing fits. But if she didn’t sweep first, the water would turn the dirt into thick mud.
The mound of filth at the door grew to the point where she needed a shovel. Barring that, she decided to do her best by flinging it with the broom. She braced her feet, gripped the handle tight, and heaved as hard as she could.
“Gabe? You in th—Ack!”
Caleb lurched back, gagging and spitting. He pulled his kerchief from his pocket and swiped it across his face.
“Who in the world …?” He sure sounded mad. “Gabe? You in there?”
She couldn’t flee. Time to confess. “I’m sorry.”
He flinched and turned. “Emma? You did that?” He glanced around. “What are
you doing in here? This is the men’s quarters.”
“I know. And even if I didn’t, my nose told me so.” She shuddered. “Men are disgusting.”
Caleb frowned. “Not all men. Besides, the most energy these fellas have after a full day is to eat and fall into bed.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t work them so hard.”
Caleb looked fit to be tied as he squinted down at her. His bearing made her think of the geysers she and Doc had read about some time back … all hot and spewing. If the color of his ears was any indication, he was plenty warm and ready to blow.
He removed his hat and slapped it against his leg, sending more dust dancing through the air.
“Why are you here, Emma?”
She held out the broom. “Cleaning.”
“Clean—” He glanced around. “This is the job Mother gave you?”
The words wouldn’t come, so she nodded.
He scowled and slammed the hat back on his head. “What was she thinking?” He stomped toward the door. In a panic, Emma raced after him and grabbed his arm.
“Wait.” “Why?”
“Because …”
He crossed his arms again. “Yes?”
“Your mother must have thought it necessary, or she wouldn’t have had me do it.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m talking to her.” “No, wait.”
He peered down at her without a word. What was she supposed to say? No, she didn’t want to be here, but something held her here. “I want to do it.”
“What?”
“All right, maybe not want, but I’m doing it anyway. She gave me a job, and I’m going to do it.” For some unknown reason she wanted to please Mrs. Kelley. “Just let me finish this, then I’ll be on my way again.” If that’s what was wanted of her.
“But Emma—”
Ignoring his stare, she bent to the task of sweeping again. Nothing would stop her. “Then I’ll help you.”
She stopped cold. “What?” She already had Gabe helping. Mrs. Kelley would fire her for sure if she found out her own son stooped to cleaning. “Oh no you’re not.”
“Then I’m going to talk to Mother.” He spun around to leave.
“Wait.” Hardheaded man. “All right. I’ll let you help. Just don’t tell your mother. She’ll set me on Skeeter herself and show us the road.”
A grin spread across Caleb’s face. “Does that mean you want to stay?”
Confounded man. Thought he was so smart. She grabbed the mop, fought the desire to whop him upside the head, and handed it to him. She pointed at the water bucket, refusing to answer.
The pile of dirt still sat near the door, so she moved to finish sweeping it out. Seconds later, water washed across her feet. Caleb held the empty pail, his mouth hanging open.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t think …” The shock on his face transformed to a struggle to hold back a laugh. “Maybe I should sweep.”
Obviously the man had never cleaned a day in his life. “You sure there’s nothing else demanding your attention?”
Footsteps pounded across the porch and into the room. “I found another mop….” Gabe skidded to a stop in a dirty puddle, his eyes large as he spotted Caleb. “Morning.”
“Good morning, Gabe. I’ve been looking for you.” Caleb let the bucket slide from his fingers and wiped his hands on his pants. “I thought we were going to look through the logs for my parents’ bedstead.”
“Um, yeah. I got a little sidetracked. I hated leaving Emma to this mess all by herself.” He motioned to the water at Caleb’s feet. “Appears you ran into the same predicament.”
Time to stop this. “I told you both I can do it myself. Now go about your business, and leave me to mine.”
The two men shared a long look, then Caleb smiled.
“Whaddaya say we help with the floor and let her finish the rest?”
Gabe grinned. “Sounds good.”
Before Emma could argue, they each picked up a bucket and flung the water across the floor. As if in a race against each other, the men grabbed their mops and started slinging them back and forth. Best thing Emma could do was stay out of their way. In a short time they reached the end and returned to dump two more buckets across the floor. She hoped they’d at least leave the last one for her so she wouldn’t have to fetch another for the windows.
When they’d reached the end of the room for the second time, they turned and leaned on their mops, pride at their accomplishment evident by their smug expressions. She couldn’t help but laugh.
“Thank you very much for your help.” Oh, the floor would have to be mopped again to get rid of the streaks of dirt they’d left behind, but she wasn’t about to bring them down by mentioning that fact. “There’s no telling how long it would have taken me to do the job you did in all of five minutes.”
Their faces beamed at her praise. They reached to shake hands.
From the doorway, a man’s desperate voice called, “Caleb? You in there, boss?”
Caleb ran out the door. “What’s wrong?”
Gabe and Emma followed him outside. A man stood bent over, gasping for air.
“Accident. Down at the harvest site.” He sucked in another breath. “It’s bad, boss.”
In a heartbeat, Caleb, Gabe, and the messenger sprinted away. Emma hesitated only a second before racing in the opposite direction toward her new quarters.
Chapter 4
Caleb glanced back to make sure Emma didn’t follow. He needn’t have worried. Last he saw of her was a glimpse of her skirts as she sped toward home.
He slowed to let the logger catch up. “What happened?” What was this man’s name? He’d been working for them only a week. Wright. Martin Wright.
“A tree … fell … crushed two … men.”
Martin looked ready to collapse. Better not ask more questions, or they’d end up carrying him to the accident site.
They arrived to find everyone clustered around one man. A quick glance at the other man revealed unseeing eyes staring at the sky and a gaping head wound. Alex—something. He, too, was new.
Caleb shoved through the group to find Tom Rustin, one of his best workers, on the ground. He dropped to his knees next to the unconscious man. One of his arms lay at an impossible angle. A search for a pulse came up successful though it was weak.
“Anyone gone for the doctor?” “Yes, sir. Soon as it happened.”
“Good.” Caleb pulled the kerchief from his neck and pressed it against the scrape on his forehead. Gabe took over that job, allowing Caleb to look Tom over better. The broken arm was obvious. He prayed what he couldn’t see was in better condition. “Don’t quit on me, Tom. You’re the toughest old duffer I know.”
The nickname he’d given Tom almost from the time they started working together made his chest ache. Caleb learned everything he knew about logging from Tom. He wasn’t ready to say good-bye.
Footsteps and crunching leaves rattled through the forest. The doctor must be here. The men parted, and Emma crashed through brush and branches right before she tripped and sprawled to the ground.
What is she doing here?
Caleb ran to her side and helped her up. “You shouldn’t be here, Emma. It’s not a pretty sight. Go back home.”
She didn’t answer but stooped to pick up a black bag then trotted the few steps to Alex’s body. She lingered only long enough to check for a pulse before running to Tom to do the same. Then she opened the black bag.
“Someone find me some straight sticks about a foot long.” She pulled out some scissors and started cutting Tom’s sleeve. “And I’m going to need some strips of cloth.”
After a quick glance at his arm, she gripped the front of Tom’s shirt and jerked it open. The act broke Caleb out of his trance and propelled him to her side.
“What are you doing, Emma? You’re not a doctor.”
He grasped her wrist to stop her. By the look on her face one would have thought he’d slapped her.
“No, I’m not a d
octor, but I helped one for years. Now please, let me work.”
He stared her dead in the eyes and saw … confidence. The decision might be one he’d regret, but he let her go. If she could help, he’d let her.
Emma took care to be gentle as she examined the broken arm. Her fingers reminded Caleb of butterflies as they flitted along the swollen skin—light but thorough and skilled.
“Did anyone see what happened?” Emma stopped her examination to glance around. “Anyone? I’d like to know how this arm was broken.”
Caleb wanted to know that himself. He looked at the man who’d worked for him the longest, his high climber. “Well?”
Seth scratched at the back of his head and on down his neck before shoving his hands in his pockets. “It’s my fault, boss. I crowned the tree all right, but it fell on that other tree. Made widow makers of the branches. Tom saw and ran at Alex, probably to shove him out of the way.” He motioned to the fallen treetop. “One of the branches whacked Tom, but Alex took the brunt. Crushed him as it rolled past.”
The description made Caleb shudder. Such a dangerous job. No matter how careful they were, he lost men every year. Emma had returned to her work. She placed the fingers of her left hand on the break while slightly turning his arm with her right. Tom groaned and she stopped.
Emma glanced at him. “I need you at his shoulder.”
He moved to do her bidding.
“Just hold his shoulder and upper arm to keep them from moving.” She looked him in the eyes. “Can you do that?”
Caleb reached for Tom. With careful movements, he grasped him tight. “Like this?”
“Perfect.”
Emma clutched Tom’s forearm and slowly leaned back, pulling his arm toward her. Not only could Caleb hear the quiet grind of bone on bone, but he could feel the tiny vibration through Tom’s shoulder. He prayed Emma knew what she was doing. Tom wouldn’t be happy without full use of his arm.
“There.” With great care, Emma released Tom and once again ran her fingers along the break. She nodded. “That ought to do it. Where are those sticks I asked for?”
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