The WESTWARD Christmas BRIDES COLLECTION: 9 Historical Romances Answer the Call of the American West
Page 29
“What’s her name?” She gazed up at the man, her heart leaping when his dark eyes connected with hers.
“Annie. And I’m Cade Maddox, the town blacksmith.”
No wonder his shoulders were half a mile wide. “I’m Beth Ruskin.” She smiled at Annie. “Could I take a look at your arm, sweetie?”
Annie shied away, leaning against her father’s chest, and shook her head. Lizzie moved closer and held out her doll. “You want to hold my dolly?”
Annie’s eyes lit up, and she quieted. After a moment, she pushed up and reached out with her uninjured arm, accepting the doll. Blinking the tears in her eyes, she offered a tiny smile.
“That was kind of you, Lizzie.” Beth was more than relieved that her ward’s action had helped Annie to stop crying. Mr. Maddox caught her eye and gently peeled back a portion of the towel, revealing the girl’s long gash. Her heart jolted. She needed suturing for sure. Beth laid the towel back over the wound. “Keep a tight hold on that. It will help slow the bleeding.”
“Will she need … sewin’ up?” Mr. Maddox swallowed, his eyes filled with concern.
Beth nodded. “Yes.” She looked at the wagon driving by and then back at him. “But I’ve never done that before.”
He held her gaze for a long moment. “When will your father return?”
Shaking her head, Beth whispered, “I don’t know.”
His lips pursed, and determination replaced the concern. “Then you’ll have to do it.”
She gasped. “I’m not a doctor.”
Mr. Maddox took a firm hold on her arm. “You have to do it.” He covered the girl’s ears and lowered his voice. “I’m not going to let her bleed to death because you’re afraid.”
Beth winced, angered by the man’s impudence.
He blew out a loud sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m just—” He brushed his hand through his thick hair. “Scared—to be honest.”
Beth softened. “I understand. I’ll have to put her to sleep to suture her arm.”
Mr. Maddox nodded. “That’s probably for the best.”
Beth stood and glanced at the building. Everyone still inside stood watching at the door or out the window. She didn’t want an audience—and she needed a cleaner place. “Could we do the procedure at your house? There are too many people here.”
His eyes widened, but he nodded. “Sure.”
“Let me gather a few more things.” She rushed back inside, the people moving apart to let her pass.
Mrs. Parker followed her. “I’d be happy to keep an eye on Lizzie while you tend the injured child.”
“Oh, thank you.” Beth smiled, more than a little relieved. Maybe the woman would see what a sweet child Lizzie was and want to adopt her. She quickly located a package of suturing needles, thread, and a bottle of nitrous oxide for putting the girl to sleep. She rose, trembling. I don’t want to do this, Lord, but I know I must. Please help me.
Chapter 3
Cade held Annie against his chest, wincing at her whimpers as they hurried back to his house. He knew she was in pain, and it was his fault. If only he’d watched her better—but she’d been in her pen, and she had never climbed out before. How could he have known she would today?
Still, he was responsible for her, and he should have kept her safe. But he’d failed. Some father he was.
A woman with two sons rushed toward them, the boys holding a pail of water. “We found some.”
“Wonderful.” Miss Ruskin said, taking two steps to each of his one.
Cade slowed his pace, even though he wanted to get Annie tended to as soon as possible. If they didn’t, she might bleed to death—and he couldn’t bear that.
The women followed him into his modest home, and he glanced around, wishing he’d cleaned the place up earlier.
“We’ll need to boil the needle. My poppa always does that. It’s his firm belief it helps prevent infection.”
“It will take too long to heat the stove. If you’ll take Annie, I’ll fire up my forge. The pail should hold up to the heat, and the water will boil quicker.”
She nodded as she placed her supplies on a corner of his table. “We’ll need whatever lamps you have and a place to perform the procedure.”
Cade took the lantern from the kitchen wall and carried it into his room. He tossed the quilt over his mattress and replaced his pillow then hurried back to get one of the parlor lanterns. Annie’s whimpers grew with his constant movement. He paused in front of Miss Ruskin. “You’ll need to hold her while I tend the fire.”
Miss Ruskin nodded and crossed the room to the other woman. “Mrs. Buchanan, would you mind staying? I may need you to assist me.”
“Of course.” The woman turned to her sons. “You two run along. Your pa may be wondering what happened to all of us.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the boys said in unison.
Miss Ruskin reached out to the nearest boy, taking hold of his sleeve. “Oh! If you see my father, would you please send him down here right away?”
The boy nodded, his ears turning red. “Yes, ma’am. I’d be happy to.” He scurried after his brother.
“Mr. Maddox, I think it will work best for Mrs. Buchanan to hold Annie so I can administer the nitric oxide. Shall we go in your room?” Her cheeks turned a rosy red, and she looked away.
He knew how improper it was for her to be in his bedroom, but it was better than putting Annie on the hard table. Annie would probably pitch a fit when he gave her to the woman, but there was nothing to be done about it.
With Mrs. Buchanan seated on the bed, he passed Annie to her.
The girl squealed. “Papa. Hold you.”
Miss Ruskin was prepared and placed a cloth over Annie’s mouth and nose. In a few short moments, his daughter went limp. Cade blew out a loud sigh, spun, and hurried to his smithy. He got the fire going and set the pail in the center of the flames, wishing there was more he could do.
“Excuse me, but is my daughter here?”
Cade glanced up, more than a little relieved to see Dr. Ruskin. “Yes, sir. She was just gettin’ ready to stitch up my daughter’s arm.”
The man frowned. “Was she now?”
The doctor’s expression and tone made him wonder if he had been wrong to insist that Miss Ruskin treat Annie, but desperate times called for desperate measures. If it came down to it, he would have stitched up Annie’s arm himself.
Dr. Ruskin cleared his throat.
“Uh … this way, sir.”
Miss Ruskin looked up as they squeezed into the small room. “Poppa! I’m so glad you’re here.” She stood, and Cade nearly passed out at the sight of the cut on Annie’s arm. “I’ve just started cleansing the wound.”
“Good. Proceed while I wash my hands.”
Cade couldn’t miss the relief in Miss Ruskin’s pretty features at the presence of her father. He had pushed her to do something she wasn’t comfortable with, and she hadn’t balked. He admired her willingness to face a scary task for the sake of saving his daughter, even though she’d been uncomfortable with the thought of sewing up Annie’s arm.
“Once I finish cleaning Annie’s wound, I can take over for you if you’d like to go on, Mrs. Buchanan.”
The woman nodded, her face pale. “That would probably be a good thing. I’m feeling a touch queasy.”
Miss Ruskin looked over her shoulder at Cade. “Is the needle ready?”
“No, but the water should be boiling by now.”
“You might show Poppa where it is. He can prepare the needle and any other instruments he will need.”
Cade nodded and fled the room. An hour later, the task was done, and Annie was just starting to rouse. He turned to the doctor, who was rolling down his sleeves. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“No need to thank me. It’s my job.”
Miss Ruskin grimaced. “I’m just glad we were here in town when Annie got hurt.”
“A blacksmith shop is not a safe place for a child.”
The doctor’
s comment heaped guilt onto Cade’s shoulders, making him feel worse than he already did. “I know that, but my wife died, and then the woman who watched Annie while I worked left town recently, and I don’t have anyone else.”
Dr. Ruskin donned his jacket. “Maybe you should consider remarrying.”
“Poppa, please. We shouldn’t meddle.” Miss Ruskin sent Cade an apologetic glance.
Her father’s mouth quirked, but he didn’t apologize. He pulled a packet from his medical bag. “If the girl seems to be in pain, mix a teaspoon of this powder into a small cup of water. I’m not sure how long we’ll be in town, but I want to check her arm in a day or two. If you see any signs of redness or her pain seems extreme, bring her to me.”
Cade nodded. “How much do I owe you?”
“A dollar.”
Cade fished a coin from his pocket and paid the man. While Miss Ruskin was kind and friendly, her father was gruff to the point of being rude. The daughter must take after her mother.
Miss Ruskin gathered up the last of the supplies then looked at Annie again. “She’s a sweet girl. Take good care of her.”
Too late for that.
Cade stretched and yawned. His back ached from sitting in the straight chair all night, but he’d been too afraid to lie down for fear of not waking if Annie needed him. There was little need for concern about sleeping since Annie had woken up at least a half dozen times last night. The powder let her sleep for a time, but whenever she moved her arm, she’d cry out. He hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep—and he had a full day’s work that needed doing.
Next door, someone pounded on the front of the smithy. He glanced at Annie, sleeping for the moment, and hurried outside. He looked at the sun, surprised to see it so high in the sky. He must have dozed a little. “I’m not open yet.”
A stranger walked toward him, grinning. “Have a late night at the saloon?”
Cade frowned. “Advent doesn’t have a saloon, and I don’t drink.”
“Oh. Sorry.” He glanced back at a man who sat on the bench of the wagon parked in front of the smithy. “We’re from the railroad. Got some tools that need to be repaired. We’re trying to get the tracks fixed that the heavy rains washed out so we can get the stranded passengers on their way.”
The railroad paid well, and Cade could use the money, but what about Annie?
He caught a glimpse of Miss Ruskin sashaying toward him with the little girl in tow. His heart tripped but started back on its normal path again. She smiled and waved. The railroad agent looked in her direction and let out a whistle. Cade wanted to grab the man by the neck and shake him but had second thoughts. Not good to anger a customer.
“Good morning, Mr. Maddox. How did Annie fare the night?”
Lizzie waved at Cade, and he smiled at her and waved back.
The agent yanked his hat off. “We ain’t got time for socializin’. You gonna be able to take on our work? The boss said to wait in town until you was finished.”
Miss Ruskin cleared her throat. “I’m not doing anything. I can watch Annie for you so you can tend to whatever you need.”
He lifted a brow, surprised she’d offered to stay in his home. “What about your father?”
And your reputation? he wanted to ask but didn’t.
“He knows I came here to check on Annie. I doubt he’ll miss us for a long while. He gets rather caught up in his medical books. Lizzie will be a good distraction for your Annie if she feels like playing at all.”
She had a point. With the other girl around, Annie probably wouldn’t mind his being gone—and he could get work done a lot faster without having to worry about her. Still, having Miss Ruskin in his home made him as uncomfortable as if he’d bathed in itching powder. But he saw no other option. “If you’re certain you don’t mind.”
She cocked her head in a charming manner. “If I minded, I wouldn’t have offered, and since you’ll be in your smithy, no one will have reason to talk.”
There was little doubt people were already talking about the doctor’s pretty daughter. He wondered if any of the lonely males in town had asked her to marry him yet. They would if she stayed around for long. He blew out a sigh and nodded. “All right, then. Thank you.”
She smiled, nearly stealing his breath away. It wouldn’t do for him to make a fool over her with the railroad men looking on. He turned back to the man. “I’ll open the smithy, and you and your friend can unload the tools. Let me take another peek at my daughter and get Miss Ruskin settled.”
The man gave him an audacious wink and moseyed away. Cade fisted his hand, not liking what he assumed the stranger was thinking. He glanced at Miss Ruskin. “If you’ll wait here a moment, I’ll be right back.”
She nodded, and he jogged to the smithy doors and unlocked them. What had prompted her to come visit today? Had she known he’d need her? Or had God answered his prayers for help by sending her? Either way, he was grateful and trotted back to her side like a faithful dog.
“It’s a lovely day. Perhaps if Annie is feeling up to it later, I might bring her out to sit on a blanket and enjoy the day.”
“I don’t know. She was mighty fussy last night.” He yawned and quickly turned his head.
“I suppose she kept you up?”
“Some, but I’ll survive.” He entered the house, once again wishing he’d taken time to straighten things up. What must she think? But then he was just a blacksmith—a man used to dirt and grime, although he didn’t care for it in his home. The place needed a woman’s touch, but that wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon.
As he peeked at Annie, he thought about what the doctor said about him needing a wife. Needing and wanting weren’t the same things. Reaching down, he lightly brushed Annie’s blond hair from her face. The girl needed a mother, but he didn’t know if he could bear to love another woman and lose her, and besides, the only woman to spark his interest since Nellie died was Miss Ruskin. But she would be leaving soon.
He kissed Annie and returned to the kitchen where Miss Ruskin waited. “Make yourself at home.”
“You have a lovely house. I’ve always liked the charm of clapboard homes with big front porches. Our house was brick—and so close to our neighbors’ that you could hear their conversations if we both had our windows open.”
“Where is home?” He knew by the quick clip of her refined dialogue that she’d lived up north.
“New York.”
“And may I ask where you’re headed? Visiting a relative maybe?”
The smile on her face slipped. “Um … no. I’m afraid not. Poppa has it in his head to go to the Arizona Territory and set up shop. He heard they needed doctors out there.”
“We need a doctor here. Maybe you could talk him into staying put.”
She cocked a brow, as if reading more into his comment than he meant.
“I … uh … need to get to work.” He tucked tail and nearly ran to the safety of his shop.
Chapter 4
Beth settled Lizzie at the kitchen table with a pencil and sketch pad and went to check on Annie. For the moment, the little cherub slept peacefully. How many times had she awakened her father during the night? He certainly looked like he hadn’t slept much, with his ruffled black hair and red eyes. It must truly be difficult for him to take care of Annie and run his business.
Several pairs of overalls lay on the arm of a side chair that sat in one corner of the room. Even though Mr. Maddox had obviously worn them to work—more than once, Beth hung them up on one of the pegs on the wall. She crossed to the window, marveling that it was open in mid-December. Though the early mornings had been cool, the sun quickly warmed her to the point she didn’t even need her cloak. One thing was for certain: she wouldn’t miss New York’s chilly temperatures.
On the chest of drawers sat a picture of a pretty woman. Beth walked over and examined it. Annie had her mother’s blond hair and fair skin. The girl looked nothing like her father. Had her mother already had the girl when she and Mr. Maddo
x married? She sighed. It was none of her business. After another peek at Annie, she fled the room to check on Lizzie, but when she walked into the kitchen, the girl was nowhere to be seen.
Beth rushed from room to room, even checking the two empty ones upstairs. Where could she be? She hurried to the window and searched the town, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl. Had she gone back to the store where they were staying for some reason?
Downstairs, she checked on Annie again then hurried outside onto the porch. “Lizzie? Where are you?”
Loud clanging rang out from the smithy. She hated disturbing Mr. Maddox, but she had to find Lizzie, and he needed to know she was going to search for her. She jogged down the stairs and across the dried yellow grass intermixed with green weeds. She could hardly imagine anything being green in December.
As she neared the smithy, she skidded to a halt. Lizzie stood at the doors, peering in. Beth hoped Mr. Maddox hadn’t discovered her yet. In fact, she was sure he would have returned the girl if he had. “Lizzie,” she called in a loud whisper.
The girl looked over her shoulder, her eyes growing wide. She took another look in the blacksmith shop then backed away. “I just wondered what he was doing to make all the noise.”
“You shouldn’t have left without me. I had to leave Annie alone to come find you.” She took the girl’s hand. “Let’s hurry back to the house.”
“Why is he making all that noise?”
“He repairs tools and make things out of iron. Sometimes he has to pound on them to get them to form the shape they need to be.”
“Can I do it?”
“No, sweetie. It takes a big, strong man like Mr. Maddox to wield those heavy tools. And the fire and shop can be dangerous.” Had Annie gotten hurt in there? Mr. Maddox hadn’t mentioned how his daughter had cut her arm, even though he’d been quite distressed about it.