Chase tipped a spoon and dripped the liquid onto the boy’s mouth. Instinctively, his parched, shriveled lips parted. He took in the water, then swallowed so hard he coughed up most of what they’d given him.
“He’s in a bad way, Letty Sue. I hope Sam hurries Doc Ramsey along.”
She nodded slowly and continued to wipe away as much dried blood as possible from the child’s face. “How old do you suppose he is?”
“Looks no older than two, I’d say.”
Letty Sue couldn’t tell the boy’s age, so she took Chase at his word. She didn’t know much about children, never having had siblings. “He’s so still, Chase. And sometimes I think his breathing’s stopped.”
“He’ll make it, Letty Sue. He’s a strong boy, judging by the way he’s held up so far. No telling what he’s endured, but he’s alive, and soon he’ll have the doctoring he needs.”
Letty Sue rose from the bed then, glancing once more at the boy. Weary from the long ride home and exhausted with worry for the child, she turned and fell into Chase’s arms. “Oh, Chase. I’m afraid for him.”
He closed his arms around her. Tears moistened her eyes. She blinked them back.
“We’re doing all we can, darlin’. Don’t cry.”
She brushed a fallen drop from her cheek. “I’m not.”
Chase pressed his lips to her forehead, stroking her hair gently. “Why don’t you rest a spell? I’ll watch out for him until the doc arrives.”
She moved away from Chase and sat back down on the bed. She couldn’t fathom leaving the boy, no matter how tired she was. “No. I’m fine, Chase. Truly I am.” Rinsing the cloth in a bowl, she dabbed at the child’s face once again.
Letty Sue silently prayed for the boy’s recovery. Whatever happened to him, she knew he didn’t deserve the pain inflicted on his young, delicate body.
“Poor child,” she murmured quietly.
Standing beside her, Chase laid a hand on her shoulder. The comfort he offered soothed her. She reached up and covered his hand with hers. The strength she felt from the contact brought an overpowering sensation of peace. She was amazed how the touch could nearly completely subdue her desperation. Chase had the power to calm her with just a thoughtful word, a tender touch. She glanced up at him then, and he returned her gaze with a warm, reassuring smile.
That was how Sam and Doc Ramsey found them when they entered the room. “Oh, thank heavens!” Letty Sue stood and rushed over to the doctor. “Please help him. He’s hurt badly.”
Doc Ramsey peered at the boy through his thick spectacles. “I’ll do what I can. You’d best leave the room now, Letty Sue.”
“No, no. I—I want to stay.”
He lowered his head to peer over his glasses. “Now, Letty Sue, we all know you don’t have the stomach for these things. I can’t have you collapsing dead away.”
The doctor was right; normally, Letty Sue wouldn’t have been able to handle the bloody sight. But it was different today. She felt the boy needed her there. He was so very alone, in an unfamiliar house, among complete strangers. She grabbed hold of the doctor’s arm and guided him toward the bed. “I promise I won’t faint, and I’m not leaving, so please examine the boy.”
Letty Sue stood with Sam and Chase against the wall, watching the doctor administer to the child. Ten minutes later, Doc Ramsey rose from his place on the bed, stretched his arms and twisted the kinks from his neck. He muttered something about not being as young as he once was.
He turned to them and said quietly, “Well, he’s not as bad off as he appears. Most of the bruises are what you see, on the surface. I don’t believe there’s internal bleeding. His ribs will pain him, but not a one appears to be broken. He’s lost a great deal of body liquids. Dehydrated, I’d say. It’s important that he drink water, broth, anything you can get down him. He’s exhausted and catching up on the rest his body needs. Now, can you tell me who he is? Where’s the boy’s family?”
Chase explained the situation, answering Doc Ramsey’s questions the best he could. In truth, they didn’t know a thing about the child.
“It’d be best not to move him around too much,” the doctor instructed, once he’d been given all the facts, limited as they were.
“He’ll stay right here,” Chase announced.
Letty Sue’s head snapped up. “He will?”
“Yep.”
“But I, uh—” She tugged at her bottom lip. She wanted the boy to survive, prayed for it, but having him stay meant she’d be responsible for him. She’d have to tend him day and night. She’d never cared for another human being before, much less a small injured child.
“We’ll keep him until his parents are found, Letty Sue,” Chase said quietly. And as if reading her thoughts, he stated with certainty, “You’ll do fine.” He glanced down at the child. “It’ll be best for the boy to stay, since he’s already here and shouldn’t be moved. I’ll ride out today and talk to the sheriff. Maybe the boy’s parents have contacted him by now.”
It was all settled in Chase’s mind. Letty Sue still had doubts, yet she couldn’t refuse to help the child.
They listened to Doc Ramsey’s instructions, noting the most important thing was to give the child fluids. The doctor promised to come by tomorrow to check on his progress. Letty Sue prayed there would be some.
Once they saw Doc Ramsey out, Chase turned to Letty Sue. “I’m heading to town now. I’ll find out what I can. Are you sure you’re all right with this?”
She nodded, realizing Chase would be gone most of the day and she’d be solely responsible for the child’s welfare. A tingle of fear rose up, but the child’s needs outweighed her own uncertainties. “I’ll take good care of him, Chase.”
He studied her intently, piercing her with his gaze, then nodded. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Letty Sue watched the boy sleep. She’d been able to get some water down his throat earlier. Color began to rise in his pallid cheeks and Letty Sue felt some-what encouraged. This afternoon, she’d made broth from beef stock and vegetables. The boy needed the nourishment, as much as he could tolerate.
She lifted his head gently, propping another pillow behind him. “Here, sweet little one, try to sip this.”
With her fingers, she parted his lips and spooned in a scant amount of broth.
The boy’s eyes opened.
Big, sad, beautiful blue eyes.
“Hello,” she said softly. Relieved that he’d finally awakened, she smiled broadly. With his eyes open, which somehow defined his features more clearly, Letty Sue thought the boy handsome, adorably so.
He stared up at her.
“I’m Letty Sue. We found you a ways from here. I know you hurt now, but soon you’re going to feel much better. Do you think you can drink some of this broth? Doc Ramsey said you need lots of nourishment.”
He didn’t move or make a sound.
“Can you open your mouth like this?” She showed him what she wanted him to do.
Slowly, his lips moved, opening enough for her to spoon the broth in. The boy’s dire hunger must have kicked in, because from then on, feeding him became much easier. Once all the broth was gone, he stared at the empty bowl with obvious longing.
Nothing could have made Letty Sue happier. “You want more? I’ll be right back, I promise.”
She dashed from the room, filled the bowl quickly, then, balancing it precariously, hurried back to the bedroom without spilling a drop. “Here we go,” she said, out of breath.
But the boy had fallen back to sleep.
Letty Sue smiled and set the bowl down. She fingered soft blond locks of hair resting on his forehead. “Rest, little one.” Then a deep yawn stole from her mouth. She scooted down next to the child and, overcome with fatigue, closed her eyes, certain she’d hear him if he awakened again.
Chase entered the darkened house. Not one lantern burned in any room, which seemed curious. He managed to make his way to the parlor and strike a match to light the closest lante
rn. With the dim yellow beam as his guide, he made his way to Letty Sue’s room.
There, on the bed, lay two sleeping forms. Letty Sue’s body curled around the young one’s, her hand resting on the boy’s shoulder.
Chase couldn’t help but smile.
Yet the news he had wasn’t good.
He wondered if he should waken them both.
The boy needed liquids.
Chase pulled up a chair and sat down. The movement was enough to cause Letty Sue to stir. Her head lifted and, through the shaft of dim light, she squinted until her eyes focused on him.
Lifting her skirts carefully, she rose from the bed.
Chase stood and, taking her hand, guided her out to the hallway.
Letty Sue, looking sexily rumpled, spoke with excitement. “He woke up, Chase. I fed him some broth. He took the entire bowl. He’s got the most amazing eyes, soft and blue like shallow lake waters.”
Chase thought she had the most incredible blue eyes he’d ever seen, but now was not the time to say it, much less even think it. “Did he say what happened?”
She shook her head. “He didn’t speak, not one word.”
Chase rubbed his jaw, the spiky stubble reminding him he was in need of a shave. “I don’t have much to tell. The sheriff hasn’t heard anything about a missing boy. No one’s come looking for him. I asked around town. Not one soul knows a thing about him. Sam and I rode back out to where we saw the mustangs, and searched for signs of his folks. We didn’t find anything.”
“Maybe, now that the word’s out, we’ll hear something in the next few days.”
“That’s what I’m counting on. But the boy woke up. Now that’s good news. Should we wake him to give him more liquids?”
Letty Sue shook her head. “He’s so fatigued. The morning’s soon enough. I’ll make up another batch of broth and hopefully he’ll get some strength back.”
“You look tired. Go on back to bed.”
She nodded. “I’ll sleep next to him. There’s plenty of room, and if he wakes up, I’ll hear him.”
“Want me to sleep in there, too?”
Letty Sue’s brows lifted and her face flushed pink. She searched his eyes then, confused.
He explained, “I meant on the floor. I can watch out for him, too.”
Her cheeks went rosy red and, apparently chagrined, she protested, “No, no. You’ve been out all day. You must be exhausted and you need your rest. I’ll care for the boy. We’ll be fine.”
Chase thought it a good notion, too, because sleeping in the same room with Letty Sue, breathing in her scent and watching her sable tresses spill over the pillow, would most likely not allow him much sleep at all.
And he was just too doggone tired to fight those cravings tonight.
Chapter Fourteen
Morning sun streamed into the kitchen through blue checkered curtains. Letty Sue squinted, adjusting to the golden light as she entered the room. Chase sat at the table sipping coffee.
“Morning,” she mumbled, then stretched reflexively. Her cotton robe opened. Chase’s gaze followed her movements, his eyes focused on the open flap. With a quick pull, she brought the fabric taut and tied it up.
Tired as she was, she found herself not in the most cheerful mood today. She’d spent the last few nights with the boy, tending him. She wasn’t sleeping as soundly as she was accustomed to, but it was worth the effort, because the child was recovering. Doc Ramsey said he’d be out of bed in just a few days.
“I was thinking about asking Sally if her family would take the boy in,” Chase said, taking a sip from his coffee mug.
“Why in heaven would you want to do that?” she snapped.
Chase’s lips pulled down in a frown. He turned the mug around in his palms. “I’ve given the situation a good deal of thought. So far, no one’s come to claim him, and I can’t run the ranch and watch out for the boy at the same time.”
Appalled at the notion, Letty Sue fixed him with a stare. “You don’t have to. And he’s certainly not going to the Hendersons. They have enough children of their own to fill up Fort Worth.”
Chase brought his palms up. “Then who? The town has no orphanage and I doubt—”
“Me, Chase, who else? I’ve been tending him the last few days, in case you’ve forgotten.”
Clearly irritated, he shook his head. “I haven’t forgotten, Letty Sue. But your stage leaves day after tomorrow. Or have you forgotten?”
Letty Sue had forgotten, momentarily, but she’d also failed to tell Chase her new plan, one she’d conjured up last night. “Chase, I’m not leaving. I couldn’t possibly. I’m sending a wire today to inform Mama.”
Along with a long letter of explanation about the turns her life had taken in the past few weeks. Letty Sue could barely believe she was a married woman now, with a child to raise. As much as she’d like to, she couldn’t keep certain truths from her mother. But she didn’t explain everything in detail, either. Mama would have to wait for the rest. Letty Sue had enough to think about at the moment, rather than worrying over her mother’s sensibilities right now.
“You’re not leaving?” Creases lined Chase’s forehead and his eyes narrowed. “How come?”
“The boy. Oh, and I think since he’s going to be living with us, we should give him a name. Since he hasn’t spoken to tell us his real name, I’d like to call him Jake, after my father, Jacob.”
Chase blinked. “You’re staying because of the boy?”
“Yes, well, someone has to care for him. He’s so sweet, and fragile still. Until we find his folks, Chase, he’ll stay at the Double J. I’ll raise him.”
“You?” The dubious look he cast her injured her feelings. He didn’t believe her capable of too many things, much less raising a child.
Twisted-foot Woman.
The name still gnawed at her, and although Chase hadn’t teased her recently, she knew he still thought of her as a bungling, inept child.
Shaking his head, he protested, “You don’t know a thing about children, Letty Sue. You’ve admitted that already, and tending him for a few days is quite a bit different than actually raising the boy.”
Letty Sue’s temper flared. Challenged now, she boldly met his gaze. “I know I’m probably not the best person for the job, but mind you, Chase Wheeler, what I don’t know about child rearing, I’ll learn. You and I both know what it means to be raised by one parent—the difficulties, the feelings of rejection, not really fitting in. Jake has no one…except us. I won’t turn him over to anyone but his real parents.”
Chase glared at her, a cold metallic look she recognized from their initial meeting weeks ago. She stared back, determined to press her point. Chase Wheeler could not and would not change her mind.
As he contemplated her arguments, his anger abated considerably, softening the angry lines contorting his face. “You’re giving up your trip East.”
“I know. This is more important. He is more important.”
“It won’t be easy.”
“I know that, too. The child needs a home.”
“That’s a fact, but—”
“The boy is staying, Chase, and so am I.”
Chase stood, taking one last gulp from his mug. He jammed his hat on his head and strode toward the back door. “The boy needs a home, Letty Sue. We’ll give him one. But don’t go getting fancy notions about all this and don’t give up your heart. The boy’s parents might show up any day to claim him.”
Relieved, Letty Sue sighed wearily once Chase walked out the door. At least he hadn’t put up much of a fuss about her staying. But he’d known betrayal from a woman he had once trusted, and it was clear he’d not allow anyone into his heart. The wounds caused by Marabella’s duplicity were still too raw.
Perhaps in time Chase might learn to trust Letty Sue some, but the boy had already softened the hard edges of the man’s tough outer core. She saw it every time he looked at little Jake, every time he ruffled his sunny blond locks. There was no mistaking
the fact that he cared for Jake.
Don’t give up your heart.
Chase’s warning echoed her own dismay.
As far as Letty Sue was concerned, that might have already happened. She may have given up her heart to one adorable, golden-haired boy as well as her mule-headed, handsome husband.
Letty Sue fretted terribly over Jake, who was sandwiched between her and Chase on the buckboard wagon.
“Relax, Letty Sue. He’s not going to fall out.”
“I know,” she said, keeping a hand on the boy’s thigh. When the wagon jolted from a pothole in the road, all she could think about was how easily her lunch basket had flown off on the day of the social. Heavens, Jake couldn’t weigh much more than that overstuffed basket. “But this is his first time off the ranch since we found him.”
“It was your idea to take him to town. You wanted to get him fitted with some new clothes.”
“He does need clothes, Chase. With him being so small, it’s best I have him with me to make sure of the fit. And he’ll see Doc Ramsey while we’re in town.” Letty Sue worried over taking Jake out today, although he did appear to be much stronger. It had been a week since they’d found him out on the range. “I think he’s strong enough to travel, don’t you agree?”
Chase let out a long-suffering sigh. “I told you so, yesterday, about half a dozen times.” He peered at her over Jake’s head. “He’s going to do just fine.”
Letty Sue nestled the boy closer to her and glanced at his sweet face. Many of the bruises had healed, and he seemed more than interested in the scenery, his big blue eyes wide with curiosity, as they headed to town.
Less than twenty minutes later, Chase pulled the horses to a stop, setting the brake on the buckboard once they reached the livery. He jumped down, then reached up for Jake. When the child hesitated, looking to Letty Sue, she nodded her encouragement, and then Jake flew into Chase’s arms.
Chase held him with one arm while helping Letty Sue down with the other. But instead of setting the child down, Chase chose to carry him.
“He’s a bit unsettled right now. I think some candy from the emporium might help that situation.”
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