by Connie Mason
“Do you have business with me?” the preacher asked.
“Are you Hezekiah Temple?”
“I am.”
“I’ve come about your daughter.”
Hezekiah raised his eyebrows in askance. “What about Ruth? I saw her just last week and she and the children were fine.”
“I’m talking about your other daughter.”
Hezekiah’s lips flattened even more, if that was possible. “I have only one daughter. Her name is Ruth. She’s married to a good man. They have two children. Since we have nothing more to discuss, I bid you good day.” He started to close the door.
“Wait!” Chad’s superior strength won out as he held the door open. “You have another daughter. Her name is Sarah.”
“Who is it, dear?” A short, full-bodied woman peeked out at Chad from behind her tall husband.
“Someone asking about Sarah. I told him we had no daughter named Sarah. Perhaps he’d like to hear it from you, Hazel.”
The woman’s gaze shifted to the floor. “My husband is correct. We have only one daughter and one son.” She glanced up at her husband for approval and received it.
What was wrong with these people? Chad wondered. “I know you have a daughter named Sarah. She lives nearby and takes in laundry for a living. She has a son named Abner. I’m here on her behalf. She’s had an accident and needs your help.”
Hezekiah seemed not at all moved by the news of his daughter’s plight. “Who are you?”
“The name’s Chad Delaney. You don’t know me but I know Sarah and Abner.”
“Are you one of Sarah’s… customers?” Hazel asked timidly.
Chad grit his teeth in frustration. Did these people have no hearts? “You’re a man of God, Reverend. Have you no compassion? Sarah fell into a tub of boiling water and suffered serious burns to her arms and hands. She won’t be able to take care of herself and Abner for some time. You’re her parents, I’m appealing to you for help.”
“Sarah sinned against God’s laws,” Hezekiah intoned in his best fire and brimstone voice. “She committed fornication then had the gall to lie about it I’m a man of God, Mr. Delaney, I do not condone fornication. Sarah is an embarrassment to her family and to the town of Carbon. We disowned her years ago.”
“What about your grandson, did you disown him, too?” Chad noted that Hazel said nothing, meekly deferring to her husband. Did the woman have no mind of her own?
“The result of Sarah’s sins is her responsibility,” Hezekiah intoned. “We want nothing to do with her or the bastard she gave birth to.”
Chad felt like smashing the hypocrite in the mouth. “Whatever happened to forgiveness? Doesn’t your church believe in giving someone a second chance?”
“We will speak no more of it, Mr. Delaney. Sarah made her bed, now she must lie in it I might have relented and forgiven her for sinning, but when she lied about what she had done I knew she was beyond redemption. Some souls cannot be saved and must be surrendered to the devil. Sarah is one of those lost souls.”
“You’re a hypocrite and a fanatic. Reverend,” Chad snarled. “I pity you. Your soul is as barren as your heart.”
Chad’s words gave him pause for thought. They were startling because he could have been describing himself instead of the Temples.
“Hezekiah is a good man,” Hazel claimed. “None of the town’s prominent citizens criticize us for disowning Sarah. Hezekiah says she should have left town.”
Chad had wasted enough time with these unnatural parents. They were clearly never going to change. Personally he thought Sarah was brave, albeit foolish, for staying in Carbon and trying to restore her reputation. Unfortunately the townspeople seemed disinclined to give her a second chance. The situation was growing desperate. Dusk was approaching and he still hadn’t found anyone to assume responsibility for an injured woman and her child. This was going to take longer than he thought and he wasn’t happy about it.
“I can see I’m wasting my time here,” Chad said. “I’m really sorry for you. Good day, Reverend and Mrs. Temple. You don’t deserve a grandson like Abner.”
As he walked away, Chad heard Hazel Temple say to her husband, “Perhaps I should …”
“It’s none of our business,” Hezekiah answered as he slammed the door.
Chad had a difficult time reconciling the Sarah he knew with the Sarah described by her parents. Of course he hadn’t known Sarah very long. But whores didn’t take in laundry. Whores usually had food in their cupboards and wore decent clothing. Had the town never forgiven her for having a child out of wedlock, he wondered, and labeled her a whore despite the fact that she was trying to live a respectable life? Chad had no idea why he cared. He intended to light out of town as soon as he found someone to tend Sarah and her son.
It was dusk when Chad entered the ramshackle shanty where Sarah and Abner lived. He was loaded down with groceries he had purchased after leaving the parsonage. He wasn’t much of a cook but he knew Abner would be hungry. Hell, he was hungry, too.
“You came back!” Abner came running to the door to meet him, his eyes shining with happiness.
“I told you I would. How’s your mother?”
“She woke up once but went back to sleep. She wanted some water and I held the glass to her lips.”
“You did good, boy. How would you like some bacon and beans? I bought some tinned stuff too; peaches and things.”
Abner’s eyes grew round. ‘Teaches? Really? I’ve never tasted them. I’ll bet they’re good.”
“You’ll find out as soon as I fire up the stove, fry some bacon, and open a few cans. Got fresh bread, too. The last loaf in the bakery.”
Chad struck a light to the oil lamp sitting on the kitchen table and looked for the woodbox. He found it next to the stove. The supply was low but Chad found enough wood to start a decent fire. In no time at all he had cooked a meal of sorts and was sharing it with Abner. When he opened the tin of peaches, he watched in amazement as the lad devoured the entire contents.
“I’ll do the dishes,” Abner offered as Chad began to clear the table. “Mama does them on the back porch. There’s a tub out there. You can pour the water in the tub for me and I’ll do the rest.”
“It’s a deal,” Chad said. “I’ll look in on your mama while you’re doing the dishes.”
The bedroom was dark when Chad entered. He saw a lamp on the nightstand and lit it, turning it down low. Sarah was still sleeping but she looked uncomfortable with her skirts twisted around her legs. Chad knew most women wore corsets and hers had to be digging into her ribs by now. Cursing her parents for being such callous bastards, Chad realized it was up to him to make her comfortable.
Determination tautened his jaw as he strode to the dresser and rummaged in the drawers for a nightgown. He found a white shapeless garment and pulled it out, giving it a shake to free it of wrinkles. Plain, high-necked, and worn thin from countless washings, it didn’t look like a nightgown a whore would wear. He carried it to the bed, wondering how he was going to get Sarah into it without hurting her.
Fortunately her dress buttoned down the front. He made short work of the buttons then slid his arm beneath her to lift her so he could work her bodice down her shoulders. Sarah moaned but didn’t awaken.
Damn, he felt like a blasted nursemaid! He had to find someone… anyone! to take over this burdensome task. Tomorrow he was out of here for sure. Chad still hadn’t spoken with Sarah’s brother or sister. Surely one of them would be willing to help their injured sister. Regrettably it would have to wait until morning.
Carefully Chad worked Sarah’s dress down her shoulders and over her injured arms. Then he removed his arm from beneath her and concentrated on pulling the dress down her hips and legs. That wasn’t too difficult, he thought as he removed her shoes and reached beneath her petticoat to where her stockings were fastened with ribbons above her knees. His fingers skimmed along smooth white flesh and abruptly he withdrew his hand as if burned. He gave a shak
y laugh, chiding himself for being so skittish. Sarah was only a woman and he’d seen and felt more than his share of women’s legs… and everything else.
He quickly stripped off her stockings and released the tape on her petticoat, tossing it atop the dress on the floor. Trying to keep his gaze from settling on her full breasts, he wondered how he was going to undo her corset strings since they laced down her back. He was still pondering the situation when Sarah opened her eyes and stared at him.
“What are you doing? Why are you still here?”
“I’m still here because your parents refused to help or acknowledge you,” Chad said in a low growl. He didn’t mean to sound surly but his patience, what little he possessed, was hanging by a slim thread. “What I’m doing is trying to get you out of your clothes and into a nightgown.”
She glanced down at her nearly nude body and gave a cry of dismay. “You can’t… you shouldn’t…”
“There’s no one else,” Chad said grimly. “Turn on your side so I can unlace your corset. You’re much too thin to wear one of these contraptions, anyway. My sister-in-law Zoey wears denim trousers and plaid shirts. Makes sense to me. In my opinion nothing is worse than lacing yourself so tight you can’t breathe. Don’t argue, just turn and let me do the rest.”
Sarah didn’t have the energy to argue. She hurt like the very dickens and was still groggy from the laudanum the doctor gave her. When Chad nudged her on her side, she did not resist She even sighed in relief when he used his knife to cut the strings then slid her corset away from her body.
“Now the chemise,” Chad said as he raised the hem on the brief garment that saved her from total nudity.
“No, please.”
Chad ignored her as he eased the chemise up over her head. He reached for her nightgown, pausing a brief, unintentional moment to stare at her nude body. Her pale flesh gleamed silver and gold in the lamplight and his breath caught in his throat. She was exquisitely made; small, delicate, and all female. Generous by any standards, her full breasts were tipped with delicate pink nipples. Her waist could easily be spanned by both his hands and her gently curved hips merged into a pair of shapely legs. His eyes lingered a moment too long on the dark triangle at the juncture of her thighs. He had to forcibly restrain himself from running his fingers through the lush thatch of thick dark hair covering her womanhood.
Realizing where his thoughts were taking him, Chad pulled the nightgown over Sarah’s head and carefully eased her arms into the sleeves. It wasn’t until the nightgown was pulled down to her feet that he was able to breath freely again.
“Are you hungry?” he asked as he settled Sarah beneath the blanket. “There’s some bacon and beans and…”
Sarah nearly gagged at the thought of beans and bacon. “Nothing, thank you. What about Abner? Has he eaten?” Suddenly she recalled the bareness of her cupboards. “I don’t have any bacon. I’m not even sure there’s beans.”
“You have both bacon and beans now. Don’t worry about Abner. His tummy is full for a change. I bought a piece of beef, someone can make soup with it tomorrow.” The words “after I’m gone” were implied but not spoken aloud. “Are you in pain?”
The white lines around Sarah’s mouth spoke more eloquently than words.
“Doc Clayter left a bottle of laudanum. I’ll give you a another dose. Open your mouth.”
He poured a spoonful of medicine and brought it to her lips. She opened dutifully, swallowed, and grimaced. “Water.”
Chad obliged, then perched on the edge of the bed. “Where does Abner sleep?”
“There’s a trundle. It slides beneath the bed in the daytime and pulls out at night. Why are you still here?”
“Because no one else volunteered,” Chad said harshly. “Playing nursemaid isn’t exactly my line of work. I’ve got an outlaw to catch so I reckon I’ll move on tomorrow.”
No response was forthcoming. Sarah had already dropped off to sleep. He reached over to douse the light and noticed that her face was flushed. He placed a hand on her forehead and felt heat against his palm. She was feverish and it made him feel angry and helpless. He’d never asked to be placed in this predicament, never bargained for a chore for which he had no training. It was just like a woman to trap him into a situation beyond his control. He was glad his brothers couldn’t see him now. They’d tease him unmercifully. Well, it wasn’t a damn bit funny. “Is Mama sleeping again?” Abner asked as he walked into the room. He stifled a yawn with the back of his hand.
“Yes, it’s the best thing for her. Are you tired?” “A little. Where are you going to sleep?” “Let’s get you settled first.” He pulled the trundle from beneath the bed and smoothed the covers in place. He was about to tell Abner to climb in when he heard Sarah moan. “Tell you what. You can sleep on the sofa and I’ll take the trundle. Your mama might wake up during the night and need something.”
Abner thought about that a moment and decided it would be great fun. He’d never slept on the sofa before.
The house was quiet as Chad tugged off his tight buckskin trousers and jacket, removed his white linen shirt, then turned the lamp down low and climbed beneath the covers of the trundle. Weary to the bone, he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him. He hadn’t been in bed ten minutes when he heard Sarah thrashing about. When he went to check on her he found her burning with fever and shivering at the same time. She was shaking so hard the entire bed was shaking with her.
Cursing the unlucky star that brought him to Carbon, Chad found the medicine the doctor left for fever and painstakingly spooned a measure down Sarah’s throat. When her shivering continued unabated, Chad sighed helplessly, shucked off his longjohns, pulled back the blanket, and slid into bed beside her. Sharing his body heat was the only way he knew to warm her. When he took her into his arms, a tiny breath slipped past her lips and she burrowed into him. His loins tightened and he could feel his body responding to the soft woman’s flesh molded against him.
Chad groaned as he tried to turn his lustful thoughts to something less dangerous. It didn’t work The woman in his arms was still there, still snuggled against him, making him hard as stone, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Except leave. And he’d do that as soon as he found someone to care for Sarah and her boy. Chad wanted no responsibilities, no commitments, no entanglements. He had left Dry Gulch and a prosperous ranch to escape obligations he couldn’t handle.
During the night Sarah’s fever broke and Chad left her bed. He knew she wouldn’t appreciate waking up and finding him beside her, no matter what his excuse. He still hadn’t decided whether Sarah Temple was a laundress or a whore and he told himself he didn’t care. All he wanted was out of here.
Chad was up and dressed when Sarah awoke. She appeared startled to find him in her bedroom. “I thought you’d be gone by now.”
“I’m fixing to leave soon. How do you feel?”
“Better. I just need to get these bandages off.”
“That won’t be for a while. Are you hungry? I’ll fix something for you and the boy to eat before I leave.”
Sarah refused to look at him, recalling how he had stripped her bare last night before slipping her nightgown over her head. “There’s very little food in the house. I was going to the store as soon as Mrs. Kilmer paid me for doing her laundry. The laundry! I have to get up and finish it”
She tried unsuccessfully to get out of bed, crying out in pain when she put pressure on her arms. She was utterly helpless and she didn’t like the feeling. She had depended on herself too many years to let this injury stop her from taking care of herself and Abner.
“You won’t be doing anyone’s laundry for a long time,” Chad said. “Mrs. Kilmer took her dirty clothes back home yesterday and all I can say is good riddance. What a vicious woman.”
Sarah groaned in dismay. “That woman is my bread and butter. I hope you didn’t offend her.”
Chad shrugged, recalling the heated exchange between him and Mrs. Kilm
er. “Forget the woman. You probably don’t remember that I bought groceries yesterday after I called on your parents. I know how to cook oats, would you like some?”
All vestiges of color drained from Sarah’s face. “You went to see my parents? Whatever for? How did you know about them?”
“Doc Clayter told me who your parents were and where to find them.”
“How dare you interfere in my life!”
“Look, lady, I could have just ridden out of town and left you and Abner to fend for yourselves but I thought your parents should know about your accident. Someone has to take care of you and the boy.”
“It won’t be my parents, as I’m sure you found out. They disowned me years ago.”
Chad searched her face, wondering how she could speak about it so calmly. “So they told me. I never met a more self-righteous pair of fanatics in my life. What happened?”
“It’s a long story. One I’m sure you found out. They disowned me years ago.”
Chad searched her face, wondering how she could speak about it so calmly. “So they told me. I never met a more self-righteous pair of fanatics in my life. What happened?”
“It’s a long story. One I’m sure won’t interest you since you’ll be leaving soon. Goodbye, Mr. Delaney.”
Ungrateful wretch, Chad thought but did not say. What would she have done had he left? “I’ll be more than happy to turn this job over to someone else. I’m not any good in the sick room. I’ll fix something for you and Abner to eat, then I’ll be leaving for awhile.” He turned toward the door.
“Wait!” Sarah said. She hated to ask Chad Delaney for anything but this matter was most pressing. “Could you please help me get out of bed before you leave? There is something I… need to do.”
Chad started to refuse but the pained look on her face changed his mind. It suddenly occurred to him what she might need. He nodded then returned to the bed. With Sarah’s help he managed to raise her without hurting her too badly.