by Connie Mason
“Anything else you need?” Chad asked with wry amusement. Color had returned to her cheeks and he suspected it was due to embarrassment.
“There’s a chamberpot inside the commode,” she said, refusing to look him in the eye. “Just remove it and set it on the floor beside the bed, please.”
Chad did as she asked. “Do you need any help?”
Sarah shook her head. It was bad enough that a virtual stranger had undressed her. Her bodily functions were private and she was determined they remain that way. It would be difficult but somehow she’d manage this on her own.
Abner was waiting in the kitchen for Chad to prepare breakfast. “I already washed,” Abner said, showing Chad his hands. “Can we eat now?”
“As soon as I fire up the stove and cook the oatmeal. I’ll bet your mama is hungry, too. Why don’t you go on in and see her while I put on the coffee and cook us up a pot of oats. That ought to fill your empty tummy.”
Abner skipped out of the room and Chad set to work. A half-hour later he found a tray and carried coffee, a bowl of gruel, and a slice of browned bread into the bedroom. He found Abner sitting on the bed chatting with his mother. The chamberpot was nowhere in sight so he assumed Sarah had managed on her own.
“Your breakfast is on the kitchen table, Abner. Go on in and eat while I feed your mother.”
Sarah watched warily as Chad set the tray down on the bed and brought a spoonful of oats to her mouth. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Dammit, just shut up and eat I’m not here because I want to be and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make this any harder for me than it already is.”
Sarah opened her mouth for a scathing reply and found it filled with oatmeal. He kept her so busy chewing and swallowing she found little opportunity to say anything. Before she knew it the bowl was empty and the coffee cup drained down to the last dregs. Replete, she settled back against the pillows and sighed.
“Thank you, I guess I was hungrier than I thought. It’s been a long time since I could afford coffee.”
“You should eat more. You could use some meat on your bones, you’re skinny as a rail.”
Red patches blossomed on Sarah’s cheeks. Chad Delaney was no gentleman. No doubt he had looked his fill when he’d helped her off with her clothes last night. How in the world had something like this happened? She was as helpless as a kitten and dependent upon a strange man. A man who exuded danger, but one who possessed a tiny spark of compassion despite his rough exterior. Chad Delaney was a hard man on the outside, but Sarah suspected that deep down there was goodness in him. Dimly she wondered what had made him that way, and what it would take for him to rediscover his inherent kindness.
Chad walked into the doctor’s office just as Clayter was bidding goodbye to a patient He spotted Chad and motioned him into his examining room. “How’s my patient? I planned to look in on her later.”
“Sarah seems better this morning, but that’s not why I’m here. I spoke with her parents yesterday and the ‘good’ reverend and his wife refused to acknowledge their daughter. They ignored her plight and flatly refused to help her. There has to be someone who will take care of Sarah and Abner for a couple of weeks. I understand Sarah has a brother and sister.”
The doctor gave a snort of derision. “You’ll find no help there.”
“Nevertheless, I have to try. Tell me where to find them.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Delaney. I’ll write their addresses down for you. Ruth lives outside of town but Jacob resides in Carbon with his wife and children.”
“Wish me luck. Doc. I can’t stick around town much longer. I’m not cut out to be a nursemaid. Besides, I’ve seen the havoc women cause and don’t need that kind of trouble.”
“There’s a world of anger inside you, Delaney,” Doc said, ‘Just see that you don’t direct it at Sarah and her boy.”
Chapter 3
Chad was angry. Angrier than he’d ever been in his life and that was saying a lot. Talking to Sarah’s brother had been an utter waste of time. Jacob Temple had refused to discuss his sister Sarah, or even admit he had a sister by that name. Chad got the impression that Jacob was as unbending and unforgiving as his father. He spouted scripture and claimed to be a deacon of the church. He’d said he had no sympathy for whores and wouldn’t lift a hand to help one.
Chad had left before the urge to smash the sanctimonious fool in the face became too strong to repress. Now he was on his way to the home of Ruth Temple Stout, Sarah’s sister. Chad had no idea what he’d do should Sarah’s sister refuse to lend a hand. He cursed beneath his breath. If he didn’t have bad luck he wouldn’t have any luck at all. His life was going from bad to worse.
Chad arrived at the neat clapboard ranch house situated at the end of a dusty road. Everything about the ranch exuded modest prosperity. A woman came out on the porch to meet him before he could dismount. Two small children clung to her skirts. She looked like an older version of Sarah but in Chad’s opinion she had none of Sarah’s appeal.
“My husband isn’t here. Do you have business with him?”
“I came to see you, ma’am,” Chad said, doffing his hat. “You are Ruth Temple, aren’t you?”
“Ruth Temple Stout,” she corrected. A wary look came over her face as she slowly backed toward the door. “I don’t know you. What business do you have with me?”
Chad dismounted and Ruth’s alarm increased. Chad sought to ease her fear. “I mean you no harm, ma’am. I came about your sister.”
“Sister? I have no sister. Perhaps you’d better leave.”
Chad grit his teeth in frustration. “What about Sarah? Have you disowned her, too?”
Ruth had the grace to flush. “Sarah chose the kind of life she leads. She’s an embarrassment to our family, to the entire town, if you want the truth of it. Father disowned her years ago and I’d be disloyal to the family if I acknowledged her. Why are you here? Who are you?”
“I’m Chad Delaney. I know your sister.”
Ruth rolled her eyes. “I’ll bet you do. Please state your business, Mr. Delaney, then kindly leave.”
For all the good it would do him, Chad decided to appeal to Ruth’s compassion, if she possessed any. “Your sister was injured in an accident yesterday and she needs your help. Both her arms and hands are swathed in bandages and she’s unable to care for herself and Abner.”
Ruth gave him an incredulous look. “And you expect me to help? I’m sorry, but you’ve come all this way for nothing. My reputation in this town is exemplary and I won’t have it besmirched by associating with Sarah. I’ve risen above her sinful reputation and maintain my standing in town despite it. Good day, Mr. Delaney.”
Has the whole world gone mad? Chad wondered. He’d thought his own problems were formidable but Sarah Temple’s were overwhelming. Now what in the hell was he going to do? Come what may, he was going to ride out of Carbon and forget he’d ever met a woman named Sarah Temple, he told himself as he mounted and rode away.
When Chad returned, Doctor Clayter was at the house. He’d just changed Sarah’s bandages and was packing up to leave. He welcomed Chad with some relief. “Ah, there you are, Delaney. Sarah said you’d left town.”
Chad’s expression was grim. “I’m still here but not for long. If you’re ready to leave, Doctor, I’ll walk you to the door.”
Sarah watched Chad and the doctor leave, her thoughts in a turmoil. How had this stranger come to be so important to her in such a short time? she wondered. What would she and Abner have done without him? She felt so helpless, so utterly alone. For the first time since Abner was born she began to doubt her ability to provide for herself and her son. This accident had been the last straw in a long chain of disastrous events that had changed her young life forever.
Chad Delaney was going to leave and Sarah was relieved. The man was dangerous; he had too many secrets. There was a dark side to him. She felt real fear at the chaotic tumble of emotions he roused within h
er. The unleashed energy he exuded and the hidden secrets she glimpsed in the depths of those hazel eyes gave hint to his torment. He was running from something … or someone. Was it a woman? Sarah didn’t want a bitter man like Chad around Abner. Her son was young and impressionable and was becoming too fond of the bounty hunter.
Sarah blushed every time she recalled Chad’s hands on her, undressing her. She tingled all over when she remembered his gentle touch upon her body. Complicating matters was Sarah’s vague memory of a hard male body holding her during the night, pressing her against solid male contours. She knew it was a dream but just the thought of Chad lying beside her made her hot and restless and she buried it deep inside her. Chad Delaney was a temptation and the good Lord knew she couldn’t afford to succumb to the renegade when she’d been trying so hard to maintain an unblemished reputation in a town where everyone thought her a whore.
Chad walked Doctor Clayter to his carriage, determined to speak with him about Sarah’s situation. “I spoke with Sarah’s brother and sister,” he said without preamble.
“I warned you, didn’t I? I knew you wouldn’t find any help there. I didn’t open my practice in Carbon until after Sarah… er… got in the family way. I delivered her child, and she’s been doing my laundry for free ever since to pay for it Truth to tell, she paid her bill long ago but she still refuses to take money from me. I’ve treated Abner for various childhood diseases and once for a broken arm. Sarah can’t pay with hard cash and so she continues to do my laundry.”
“What do you know about Sarah besides what you’ve already told me?”
“Not much. Oh, there’s gossip and rumors aplenty, but I don’t put much store in them. From what I gather, Sarah’s parents never forgave her for sinning with a man. Some say she was raped, but since the rumor was never confirmed, no one really knows and the townspeople refuse to buy it”
Chad’s mouth flattened. Rage seethed through him. “Do you know the name of the man who was supposed to have raped her?”
“No, and I don’t know if anyone else does, either, but I’m willing to bet that’s the way it happened. Sarah is no whore, I’d stake my life on it. You find me one man who’s paid for her services and I’ll give you a hundred dollars, that’s how sure I am.”
“I’m not interested in your money,” Chad said, frowning. “I can’t stick around long enough to get involved in Sarah Temple’s life. I make my living by bringing outlaws to justice and it’s time I got on with it. Sarah and Abner are complications I don’t need. I can’t afford entanglements at this time in my life.”
“You’re going to leave Sarah and Abner?” Clayter asked, his voice ripe with accusation. “I understand you were responsible for Sarah’s injury.”
Chad’s jaw hardened. “Did Sarah tell you that?”
“Not in so many words. But Sarah has been taking in wash for a number of years now and never had an accident until you showed up. I don’t know who you are, Delaney, or what happened between you and Sarah, but if you have any compassion you’ll stick around until she can manage on her own.”
“Compassion!” Chad snorted. “What about Sarah’s parents? What about her brother and sister? There’s not an ounce of compassion between them. Why should I take responsibility for Sarah when her own family won’t? I’m a stranger, for God’s sakes!”
Clayter stared at Chad, his sharp gaze seeing things Chad had tried hard to bury. “Let your conscience be your guide, son. I’m a pretty good judge of character and I don’t think you’ll disappoint me.”
“You’re wrong,” Chad charged. “You don’t know me at all.”
Clayter stared at him. “I know something soured you on life. You’re bitter and disillusioned, but I can see through that tough exterior to your better qualities. You can fool a lot of people, but not me.”
“You’re wrong, Doc, dead wrong. This is likely to be the last time I’ll see you so I’ll bid you goodbye. Do I owe you anything for Sarah’s care?”
“You’ve already paid me,” Clayter said gruffly. “Tell Sarah I’ll return in a couple of days to check on her.”
He climbed into the carriage and slapped the reins against his horse’s rump. Annoyed, Chad watched the carriage disappear down the rutted road. The doctor’s lecture had irritated Chad. Clayter couldn’t possibly know about the vile things he’d seen and done, or been aware of the tragic events that had occurred when he’d involved himself in other people’s lives. Nothing was going to force him to become involved again.
Nothing!
Chad returned to the house in a foul mood. He went straight to the bedroom. He found Sarah sitting on the edge of the bed, attempting to rise.
“I’m leaving,” Chad said, hardening his heart against Sarah’s helplessness. “I’ve already stayed longer than I intended.”
Chad tried to avoid looking at Sarah but seemed unable to turn his eyes away. Even wrapped in her voluminous nightgown she looked seductive in an innocent sort of way that contradicted everything he’d been told about Sarah Temple. He recalled with clarity her nude body, her womanly curves, and her long, supple legs. She’d felt so damn good in his arms; he could still recall the incredible heat of her lithe body pressed against him. Sweat popped out on his forehead and he felt himself thicken with desire.
“I’m surprised you remained this long. I’m not ungrateful, you know. You’ve been a great help to me and Abner and I thank you.”
Despite his resolve to get the hell out of here while he still could, he seemed rooted to the spot. “How will you survive without help?” he heard himself ask. Would he never learn to stay out of other people’s business?
Sarah’s chin rose fractionally. “I’ll be fine. Abner is a big help to me.”
Chad nodded curtly, thinking there was only so much a five-year-old could do and biting his tongue to keep from saying it. “Well, it’s certainly been interesting knowing you, Sarah Temple. Take care of yourself.”
Chad strode out of the room and shut the door quietly behind him. He leaned against the panel for a moment, indecision warring within him, men his expression hardened and he shoved himself away from the door.
“Chad!” A small body hurtled toward him, Hinging to his leg. “I wondered where you were. I tried to start a fire in the stove but there wasn’t any wood in the firebox.”
Chad closed his eyes and fought to control his temper. He didn’t know with whom he was angrier, himself or Sarah Temple. Fate was conspiring against him. There could be no other explanation for it.
“I was just leaving, Abner, but I reckon I can gather enough wood to last you and your mother a spell.”
Abner’s face fell. “You’re leaving? For good?”
“That’s right.” God, he couldn’t stand to see Abner’s disappointment but there was no help for it. “I have to make a living and I can’t do it sitting around here playing nursemaid. It’s up to you to take care of your mother.”
“I can do it,” Abner said with false bravado.
“I know you can. I’ll go cut that wood.”
The hillside was covered with trees and fallen branches. Chad didn’t have far to go to find wood for the stove. Dimly he wondered who would be cutting wood for Sarah when winter came. Soon Chad had gathered a huge armload of wood and returned to the house. Abner was waiting for him in the kitchen. He wasn’t alone. Sarah had joined him. Still clad in her nightgown, she was balancing a jar of jam between her bandaged hands.
Chad realized what was going to happen, but before he could react the jar slipped from Sarah’s hands, hit the floor, and shattered into a hundred pieces, spewing jam and broken glass all over the place.
“Oh, no!” Sarah cried, staring at the mess. Standing barefoot amidst a field of broken glass, Sarah seemed bewildered by her predicament Before Chad could stop her, she took a step forward. Her face contorted with pain and she cried out when a piece of glass found her tender instep.
Cursing roundly, Chad’s footsteps crunched across the floor as he scooped
Sarah up and carried her back to her room. “Don’t touch anything until I clean up the mess,” he called over his shoulder to Abner.
“You’re a walking disaster,” Chad said as he sat Sarah on the edge of the bed. “What in the hell do you think you were doing just now?”
“Trying to feed my son,” Sarah contended. “Do you have a better idea?”
His hot gaze raked her from head to toe. “Yeah, a lot of them but nothing that will do me any good right now,” he growled. He grasped her ankle and placed it on his knee. “Let me have a look at your foot.”
Sarah gave a shriek as Chad plucked a sliver of glass from her instep. A gush of blood poured forth and he grabbed a towel from the washstand to stanch it. “Does it hurt?”
“Not much. It seems I’m in your debt again.”
Chad merely grunted. “I’ll need a bandage.”
“In the top drawer of the dresser. Left side.”
Chad found a strip of cloth and bound it around her foot. Then he stood back to inspect his handiwork. “I’d best get back to the kitchen and clean up that mess.” Suddenly a thought occurred to Chad. “Do you have a neighbor you’re friendly with? Someone who would be willing to help out until you’re on your feet again?”
“There’s only Carrie Barlow and we’re barely acquainted. The poor woman is burdened with five children and another on the way. Her husband was injured in a mine accident and can’t work. She has her hands full taking care of her family. The residents of Shantytown are too busy making a living to neighbor.”
Chad could understand that. The rows of shanties beyond the tracks sheltered people who barely scraped out a living.
Chad strode from the bedroom without revealing his intentions to Sarah. After cleaning up the kitchen with Abner’s help, he fired up the stove, cut up the chunk of beef he’d purchased the day before, and placed all the ingredients for a stew in a pot to cook. He asked Abner to point out the Barlows’ shack men sent the boy to the bedroom to keep his mother company. With a purposeful glint in his eyes, Chad marched up to the Barlows’ and rapped sharply on the door.