“Does it feel any better? Is there anything else I can do for you?”
She looked over her shoulder into the wagon. “Do you know if Adam keeps bandages or salve in his wagon?”
Joshua shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ll look.” He turned and climbed into the back of the wagon, going through the various sacks. “I don’t see anything like salve. There’s some long strips of fabric here, though. Probably for bandaging. Do you want them for your feet?”
Laura looked at the fabric strips he was holding up. She shook her head. “I was thinking about it, but I don’t think that would be good. I think I need salve. Doc Brown will have something for me. He always does.”
Joshua climbed back into the bed of the wagon and resumed his place seated next to her. “When do you want to go back, Laura?”
“Adam said to wait here. Why did he want us to do that? We should go back to the house. I have salve there.”
Joshua nodded. “I’ll drive you back to your house.”
“Although watching that fire burn is fascinating, too.” Laura watched the flames lick the sky. “Do you think the woods will catch?”
Joshua shook his head. “I was watching it earlier. It’s self-contained. It’s just going to burn up and be gone. Besides,” he noted as he pointed at the sky. “It’s going to rain. That will put it out.”
Laura looked up at the cloudy sky, wrapping her arms around herself.
Joshua saw her shiver. He leaned back in the wagon and pulled a small bag over to them. He pulled a pink and yellow shawl from inside it and threw it around her shoulders. “I don’t want you to get cold.”
“It’s not cold, really,” Laura said softly. “I’m just… I almost died. I almost died.” She looked up at him. “And you came to find me. I can’t believe you found me all the way out here.”
“You’re not as far from everything as you think you are. Did she cover your eyes?”
“I was unconscious,” Laura replied, putting one hand up to the wound on her head. “I hit my head in her room. That’s how she got me out of the house without you hearing me scream.”
Joshua nodded. “I figured as much.”
“Thank you for coming to find me, Joshua. You… you didn’t have to. I know you must have had to do some fast thinking. I don’t even know where I am and I’ve lived here all my life. You come here once in fifteen years and find me in the middle of nowhere…” She shook her head. “You are an amazing man.”
Joshua didn’t know what to say. He ran his hand over his mouth and tipped his hat a bit nervously.
She giggled. “I don’t think I’ve seen a man so embarrassed in all my life. Don’t you have a lot of women complimenting you? I know you do. I swear I heard Nate talking about all those women swooning over you in Louisville.”
“I do get a lot of compliments,” Joshua admitted. “But they only embarrass me if they come from someone I like.”
She smiled. “I’m glad to hear I’m one of the ones you like.”
“You… you’re the only one.” Joshua kept his voice low. He didn’t want to be aggressive with her. He would be as patient as she needed him to be. From the way she was looking at him, he didn’t think she would keep him waiting long. He scanned her face, wishing he could take her in his arms and kiss her with everything he had. He wanted to feel her warmth against him.
He lowered his head, unable to resist the temptation to give her a kiss. She waited expectantly, her head tilted back slightly. She was looking at him, but when he got close, her eyes closed. He thought it was the prettiest look he’d ever seen. It must be how she looked when she was sleeping. So peaceful. So happy.
Without the soot and dirt on her face. He grinned.
They pulled apart and turned to look when they heard the sound of horses approaching. Joshua jumped down from the wagon and watched in horror as Cynthia came tearing toward them on horseback. She was shrieking at the top of her lungs. Nate and Adam followed behind her, calling out for her to stop.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
LEARNING TO FLY
LEARNING TO FLY
Nate and Adam stopped their horses and dismounted at the same time she did. She had taken her horse all the way to the edge of the cliff. Once she was down from him, she slapped him on the rump and he bolted away from her.
“Don’t you dare come any closer!” Cynthia cried out, stepping closer to the edge.
“Don’t do it, Cynthia!” Laura cried out. She had jumped down from the wagon, but her burned feet sent spasms of pain through her body. She gripped the side of the wagon and Joshua helped her back up into it.
He turned to Cynthia, his hands out in a “stop” motion. “Don’t do this, Cynthia. You can still live a good life. I know you can.”
“I have nothing left!” Cynthia screamed. “I have no husband! I have no love! I have no children and no home! I have nothing!” She took another step back.
Laura screamed. “Come back, Cynthia!”
Cynthia sneered at Laura. “Why do you care? I killed your husband! I did it! I knew he left that side door open when he sat on the porch to smoke his pipe. While he was out there, I snuck in through the door and put the poison in his drink. He never knew what hit him.” She sounded like it amused her. It didn’t amuse Laura.
Joshua put his hand up to Laura, who took it and squeezed it for reassurance.
“See? I thought so. You don’t care about me.”
Laura had no more words. She didn’t care if Cynthia went over the cliff or not. She looked down at Joshua, not wanting to ever see Cynthia’s face again.
“He should have loved me!” Cynthia cried out. “He should have loved me!” The tone of her voice rose in pitch and she lifted her head to the sky, screaming as if she was in terrible pain.
Joshua’s hand gripped Laura’s tightly. She looked at him. He was staring at Cynthia. Suddenly, he let go of her hand and dashed toward Cynthia.
Cynthia saw him coming and turned, walking casually off the side of the cliff.
Laura screamed and threw both her hands out, but didn’t come out of the wagon.
Adam and Nate dropped the reins to their horses and ran to the side of the cliff. They stepped close to it and leaned to look over the edge. Joshua was already there, closer to the edge than Laura was comfortable with. She said nothing, but it didn’t stop her from worrying.
All three men turned back and stepped away from the edge, shaking their heads.
“No chance she can survive that kind of fall.”
“There’s rocks down there at the bottom anyway,” Adam said. “I know enough about this terrain to know she wouldn’t survive that.”
“She was already gone in her mind,” Joshua said. Adam and Nate followed him to the wagon.
“Should we try to put out the fire?’ Nate asked, his eyes on the burning shack.
“I asked the same thing,” Laura said.
Joshua and Adam both shook their heads. “It’s not burning out toward the woods,” Adam said. “It’s going to put itself out.”
“Help me up into the front of the wagon, Joshua,” Laura said, suddenly overcome with fatigue. He noticed her going pale and reached up to take her from the back of the wagon and gather her in his arms. He carried her to the front and stepped up with ease, setting her on the seat. “Thank you. Will you please take me home? Or to Doc Brown’s? Or home and then go fetch the doc for me?”
Joshua smiled. “I sure will. Anything you need.”
“We’ll meet you back at the house later, Joshua,” Adam said. “You be careful.”
“I think we’ve already come up against the monster for today, Uncle,” Joshua said.
Adam nodded, his smile barely visible. He and Nate went back to their horses and pulled themselves up into the saddles. They tipped their hats to Laura and waved to Joshua.
“What a day,” Laura said softly. “I’ve never had so much excitement in my life.”
“You seem to be handling it really well for a woman
who never has anything happen in her life.”
“Not till now. You know, when I think about it, I’m going back to a huge empty house. Both of my best friends are dead. I have no children and nothing to look forward to.” She looked up at him. “Well, I take that last part back. I think I do have something to look forward to.”
He looked back at her. “You do, Ms. Laura, if you want to.”
“I mean, I should keep my options open, since it’s only been a short time since James died. But I really do think he’d want me to be happy. He was that kind of man. He wouldn’t want me to be sad for too long. He’d probably scold me…” She laughed. “If he knew that I was spending too much time missing him.”
“But you can’t help missing the people you love who die. I’ll always miss my mother. And I was very close to her parents, my grandparents. They are gone, too. We can’t help but miss them.”
“The house is going to be so quiet. How will I handle it?”
“I hope you don’t plan to make yourself into a hermit.”
Laura giggled. “Not likely. I like people. I like doing things. I like helping other people, too. I have the money for it. That’s a plus.”
“It certainly is. “I think there’s a lot to be said for helping other people. Whether it’s with money or errands or food or labor. Helping other people is a great way to live your life.”
Laura nodded. “I think so, too.”
He bumped her lightly when the wagon went over a rough patch of ground. Touching her skin gave him a thrill. She looked up at him and he was sure she had felt it to. A connection like no other.
She licked her lips and looked away from him. It was too much for her. She was blushing furiously.
Soon they would be back at her house. He would carry her inside. He would get the salve and the bandages she kept stored in the pantry. He would probably even apply the salve and wrap her feet with the bandages as delicately as possible. He certainly seemed like the type to do that.
Excitement burst through her. She couldn’t wait to be at home, his hands touching her sore feet. He would make her feel better, just by being there. In addition, she would get him to tend to her head wound too. Maybe she could find a few other wounds for him to tend.
She grinned wide, unable to control it.
That night, with bandaged feet and a bandaged head, Laura lay in her bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She wanted to sleep. She was willing to bet her dreams would be filled with Joshua’s handsome face.
Her stomach growled. She really should have eaten more, but Lucinda, who had decided to stay with her for a while, had only made a thin beef stew. It was not very filling.
She wanted to get out of bed, but she also wanted to stay in it.
She pulled the quilt up to her neck and then put one arm outside of it. She turned over to the other side.
Flashes of Cynthia being there one moment and gone the next. Disappearing into thin air, dropping over the side of the cliff like a sack of potatoes.
James was gone. Samuel was gone. Cynthia was gone. It was a good thing she had Joshua now. She had made friends with Alice Collins. Everything she knew was about to change.
Laura pushed the quilt off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. A chill in the air brushed over her skin. She shivered.
She sat there for a while, staring at her bare feet, almost touching the floor. She tipped one foot down and pressed her big toe on the floor. She squeezed the mattress between her fingers. She lifted her head and breathed in the cool air until her lungs were filled.
By the grace of God, she was still able to take a deep breath.
She looked up and through the window. She’d left the drapes pulled slightly apart on purpose so that she could see the moon. It was one of her favorite times of the month, when the moon was full or nearly full and sent bright beams of light down to the earth. When the moon was in the right spot and the curtains were open just enough, the light was so bright, it almost seemed like she could touch it, feel it with her fingers.
However, it was only light. Moreover, she could only see it at certain times.
Tonight was one of those times. The light sliced through the room. She stared at it, pulling in a deep satisfied breath. The light represented peace to her. The quiet of the house didn’t bother her. Joshua was in one of the other rooms and Nate had decided to stay as well, though he would be returning to Louisville soon.
She got up from the bed and went to the window, pulling her quilt around her neck like a cape. She reached up and unlatched the window, turning it and pushing it open. It slid open easily. She leaned toward it, her face splashed with the light of the moon. A soft breeze passed over her face, making her smile.
”I do hope you are happy where you are, James. I will miss you all of my life. I know you would want me to be happy. But I will love you always and miss you till I am no longer breathing.”
She pulled in a deep breath of the fresh air. “I miss you,” she whispered again.
A flash of light caught her eye. She looked down at the garden and saw a lantern bobbing as someone walked through. When he was close enough, she saw that it was Joshua. He was walking toward the house, but when he got to the edge of the walkway, he turned and headed down the side of the house.
Laura watched him, admiring the way he moved. He was such a tall, interesting, and handsome man. She was looking forward to spending as much time with him as she could.
She was suddenly tired. An intense yawn escaped and she turned to trudge back to the bed. She stared up at the canopy fabric above her. It was waving up and down in the soft breeze coming through the window. She thought it looked like the waves of the ocean. Or what she assumed that looked like. She had never actually seen a large body of water herself. She’d hoped to travel with James, but…
Maybe it would be with Joshua.
She was glad that Joshua could take his holiday now. She wondered how much time he had left before he was to report back to his duties.
The night wore on and Laura lay there thinking, wishing she could fall asleep. The events of the last three weeks unfolded in her mind. She didn’t want to think about that anymore. She wanted to clear her mind of the recent tragedies and move on.
Before she had gone to bed, Joshua had sat with her, drinking a glass of red wine in the library. There was a large fireplace in there. Laura considered it to be the most comfortable room in the house. She was in a long nightgown and robe, her hair loose and curling around her shoulders. Joshua was in a loose shirt and comfortable trousers. They both stared into the fire without speaking for a long comfortable moment.
“I want you to know, Laura,” Joshua finally spoke, his voice deep and gentle. “I won’t let anybody hurt you. It… You mean a lot to me. I don’t ever want to see you in danger like that again. I really don’t.”
“I know, Joshua. I appreciate it. And I must say; I feel very comfortable with you, considering I have only known you a very short time.”
“I’ll stay on here at your house for as long as you need me. You have lost so much so quickly. You have to feel as though your life is just gone. Wouldn’t blame you if you feel out of sorts.”
Laura watched the fire, thinking about the shack, how high the flames had reached, how quickly it had died. She swallowed hard before taking another long drink from her glass. “I do feel… like I’m living in a fog, just moving through each day waiting for the next thing to happen. Now… what’s left? What can happen now that will destroy the rest of my life?”
“Don’t think that way, my dear. The troubles are over now. It’s time to heal.”
Laura felt tears at the back of her eyes. “I don’t know how to heal, Joshua. How do I heal?”
She looked at him. He leaned forward and said softly, “With the help of your new friends.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
LOVE FROM TRAGEDY
LOVE FROM TRAGEDY
The next morning, Laura had trouble getting out of bed
. She had tossed and turned all night, finally falling asleep when the sun was just beginning to peek out from behind the mountains. She wanted it to be sunny. She didn’t want it to rain anymore. However, it was rainy season in Wickenburg and there was nothing she could do about it. She waited until almost noon to get out of bed and wake up to a nice splash of water on her face.
The air was chilly, reminding her of wintertime. She still had yet to go through summer and she was wondering what her holidays would be like.
With James gone, Christmas would never be the same.
Someone was cooking breakfast. It was either Lucinda or Joshua. Laura thought it could easily be either one. She knew Joshua was a cook. He’d told her as much. He’d been a bachelor for a long time. He had to eat somehow.
The smell of coffee, tea, and fresh biscuits greeted her nose. She breathed in deep and smiled.
Lucinda knocked on the door.
Laura went to the door and opened it. She wasn’t used to having a maid come to help her with morning chores. “Good morning, Lucy. You don’t need to help me with anything. I know how to fend for myself.”
“All right, but if you need me, just yell.”
Laura laughed. “All right, I will. Is Mr. Crawford up yet?”
“Yes, he’s been up for a couple hours.”
“How surprising. He didn’t get to sleep until very late, I’m sure.”
“Yes, I know. But he seems to be enjoying himself anyway.”
“And how about Nate. Is he still here?”
“No, he left this morning to go back to Louisville. That’s what he told Mr. Crawford.”
“That’s good. Very good. I’ll be right down. Please let him know.”
Lucinda nodded and closed the door as she went out.
Laura was at the door to the dining room within a few seconds. Her heart was thumping in her chest. She was about to see Joshua’s handsome face. She wondered if he would look relaxed. She hoped he would. She was waiting to see him smile. She hadn’t really seen a genuine smile from him, though what she had seen made her swoon like all the women in Louisville.
An Unexpected Dilemma Bride_Family of Love Series_A Western Romance Story Page 18