Alex turned back to his work table to hide his smile. How many times had he teased his younger sister, Cathleen, that way? And their middle sister, Brit, had been able to give it back better than he could dish it out. That is…before.
He ground harder on the mortar, pushing back thoughts of Brit. He needed to get this powder put away before dust contaminated it. Working in Dad's apothecary shop, he'd learned to protect the integrity of the herbs at all cost.
As Alex reached for an empty glass jar, he tried to tune out the conversation behind him. It wasn't hard, because Miss Bryant's voice had grown so soft he could barely make out the words. Probably the laudanum kicking in. And she did need to rest. Time to call an end to visiting hours.
He turned and leaned back against the work counter to watch the scene. Gideon was telling her a story about a horse, but Miss Bryant's eyelids sagged. Every few seconds they would droop so low they concealed the green depths, then they'd pop back up to almost full mast. Only to repeat the process. The faint dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks were like Cathleen's. But that's where the resemblance ended. Nothing else about this woman made him think of a sister.
In fact, very much the opposite.
~~~
Everything in Miriam wanted to give into the pull of oblivion. The pulsing in her leg had lessened a little. Enough so sleep had become the most important thing.
"I'll get a bite to eat while you sleep some."
She forced her eyes open again at Gideon's comment. He couldn't go yet, she still had questions. Focusing on forming her mouth into words, she pushed through the fog. "Will we go home tomorrow?"
Silence.
Gideon didn't answer, so she pushed her eyelids up again. Her brother and the doctor exchanged looks. What did that mean? The doctor took a step forward, bringing him into clearer focus. He was the younger brother she hadn't met yet.
"Miss Bryant, we had to repair a tendon in your knee. It should heal without problems, but I'd like to keep you under observation here at the clinic for at least a week to make sure there's no infection and no added strain."
A week? There was no way they could be gone from the ranch for half that long. Leah was there by herself even now, tending the stock and keeping the place running. And the first snow could hit any day. They still had so many things to do to prepare. But the doctor didn't stop talking long enough for her to set him straight.
"After that, I'd prefer you stay close to town for up to six weeks."
Miriam shook her head, but immediately stopped when pain shot through her temples. "I…can't." It would be so much easier to talk if her head would stop spinning.
"Miri, I'll go up and get Leah tomorrow, and we'll stay here in town with you." Gideon's voice had a soothing quality, like he was trying to keep her from getting riled. "John Stands-alone will keep an eye on the ranch for a few days. Then we'll see how you're healing."
Her temples started to hammer, making it so much harder to focus on her argument. "We need to go home tomorrow. I'll be fine." She closed her eyes against the pain pounding in her head.
"Sleep now, little sister. I'll come back in a couple hours and check on you." Gideon's warm, work-roughened hand brushed the hair off her forehead.
She forced her eyes open enough to attempt a smile. "Okay." Nothing could possibly be more important than sleep right now.
Chapter Three
When Miriam woke again, her eyelids still required great effort to raise. The sun streaming through the side window didn't help much, and a groan escaped as she turned away from the bright light.
"Hark. The sleeping lady stirs." The voice carried a lilting accent, but she couldn't wade through the fog in her mind to place its origin.
A figure came into view, and she blinked to clear her hazy vision. The doctor's brother. Or…he was a doctor, too. But he was the new one. Smiling brown eyes shimmered under a thick layer of brown hair scattered across his forehead, giving him a playful look.
"And how feel ye today, m'lady? In need of a helpful remedy?"
She blinked again. His accent sounded like Leah's stories of the Knights of the Round Table in Camelot. Where was she?
A grin pulled at one side of his mouth. "In other words, are you in pain this morning?" His voice lost the accent, slipping into a rich tenor. "I can give you something to take the edge off if you need it."
Miriam carefully tightened her muscles, taking stock of what hurt.
Everything.
When she tried to shift her legs, the left one screamed in pain. Her upper back throbbed, and everything else just plain ached. She stopped moving and clamped her teeth against a whimper. She would not look like a weak child in front of this man, practically a stranger. And a physician from a big eastern city, at that.
Shifting her focus to the doctor, she found him watching. Sadness lined the corners of his eyes. When he caught her gaze, his dark brows rose, a pleasant expression lighting his face again. "Shall we start with tea? Mum always said a good cup of tea could cure a world of ills."
"Yes, thanks."
He was already striding toward something behind her. Dishes clanged, then he appeared a minute later with a tin cup, steam wafting from its brim. Miriam reached for it, but her position was awkward, lying flat on the bed.
"Let's get you settled." The doctor placed the cup on a table by the wall, then reached for a thick folded quilt. "I'm going to raise you up a bit."
Miriam tried to help as he lifted her shoulders, pillow and all. Every limb in her body moaned against the effort.
"Easy there. Just let me do the work. You can lay back now." He crooned the words, a bit of the earlier accent lacing his voice again. The rhythmic cadence and tenor of his voice was so calming, soothing the tension in her muscles as she followed his direction. Not to mention the warmth of his hand on her shoulder, even through her sleeve.
"There now. Is that a little better?" He stepped back and scanned her from head to toe.
Even though she was covered to her shoulders by a thick wool blanket, heat crawled up Miriam's neck. What must she look like in front of this stranger? Her hair tickled her cheeks, apparently escaped from the braid she usually wore. Her hand itched to smooth the strays, but that would be too obvious.
The doctor turned to a small side table and carried it to the middle of the room beside her bed. "We'll move you to the spare sickroom later today. You'll have a little more privacy there." He raised his head to meet her gaze with a wink. "And the bed is immeasurably more comfortable than this rock solid examination table."
What was it about this man that made her want to smile? Just hearing him talk lifted her spirits, pushing away everything that weighed her down.
He brought the tin cup again, and placed it in her hands. "It's probably cooled enough." Their fingers brushed in the transfer, raising bumps along the surface of her arms.
"Thank you." She mumbled the words, her gaze dropping to the amber liquid. It was almost a relief that it took all her focus to keep her hands from shaking as she raised the drink to her mouth. Was she so weak from the accident? Or was the trembling merely from being close to this man? She needed to clear that thought from her head pronto. He was a doctor, here to cure the sick and injured residents of the territory.
She was just another patient among the throngs.
A door opened in another room, and boot thumps sounded on the wood floor. The doctor strode to the doorway. "Gideon. She woke just a few minutes ago."
Her brother followed the doctor into the room, taking her measure in one swift gaze. "How you feelin' today?" He grabbed a wooden chair from beside the desk and settled next to her bed.
"All right, I guess." She forced her lips to form a reassuring smile.
One of his brows arched. "Pretty lousy, huh?"
This time the smile came easier. "Like I was attacked by a mountain lion."
He nodded, then looked up at the man working at the stove in the corner. "Doc Alex takin' good care of you?"
Miriam's gaze drifted to the man. Alex. It fit him—with the Irish brogue he slipped into so easily.
At Gideon's words, the man—Doc Alex—turned and sent her another wink. That simple motion produced a flurry in Miriam's midsection, clearing her head of all thought. What had the question been? She glanced up at Gideon. That's right, the doctor's care. The feeling of Alex's hands brushing hers as he gave her the warm tea flashed through her mind. She'd better not let that emotion show. "Yes, he's been a good doctor."
Gideon nodded. "I'm sure you feel better after sleeping so long." He must not suspect her of any improper feelings. That was a man for you. Couldn't see emotion if it smacked 'em in the nose.
"Doc, you still think she needs to stay a week?" Gideon addressed his question to the doctor, who turned from the stove to study them.
"Yes, at least. It's critical for her leg not to be strained these first few days. If she pushes too hard, it could permanently damage the knee."
Gideon's deep green eyes turned to her, and he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Miri, I need to go up the mountain and get Leah. She'll be worried sick if I stay away any longer. But we'll be back tomorrow."
Miriam's chest squeezed at the anguish in her brother's face. He'd lost so many people he loved. But she wasn't about to be counted among them. Placing a hand on his clasped fingers, she squeezed reassurance. "I'll be fine, big brother. Stay at the ranch a few days and get things ready for winter. You heard the doctor. I can't do anything but sit here for a week. Come back to get me then."
He pulled back, brows lifting. Obviously, her response wasn't what he expected. "That's a far cry from what you said last night."
Last night? What had she said? Something tickled the corners of her mind. Something about arguing with Gideon and the doctor. But what had she argued about? Ugh. Thinking so hard made her head ache. No matter. She tightened her jaw, giving Gideon her no-nonsense look. "I don't know what I said last night, but this is what I want. Go home to Leah, take care of the ranch, and come back for me in a week."
His gaze scanned her face, then raised to the doctor standing by the window. "I don't know, Doc. What do you think?"
Doc Alex came to stand at the foot of her bed. "She'll be well cared for, Gideon." His voice slipped back into the Irish brogue as a twinkle flashed in his eye. "We'll serve her tea in china cups and play whist and dominos."
Gideon raised a single brow at the man. "That should be interesting." He leaned back in his chair, eyeing Miriam through narrow slits. "All right. Anything you need before I head up the mountain?"
Miriam scanned the blanket covering her lower half. She still wore the blue wool dress from when she was attacked. Could she stand the same clothes for a week? But if she sent Gideon to the store for ready-made clothes, who knew what he'd come back with? No. She could make do with this dress until Leah came. But what about underthings? No way was she going to have Gideon buy any ready-made.
Her gaze flickered to Gideon's, then skittered around the room. He might be capable of purchasing the fabric and thread. Could she cut the material and sew new drawers while she stayed in bed? She nibbled her bottom lip. It might be worth trying.
She looked back to her brother. "Could you pick up a few things from the Dry Goods? I'll write them down if you have paper and charcoal."
"There's a sheet for you right here." The doctor strode toward the little writing desk by the door, then handed her a paper and pencil nub.
Within minutes, Gideon and her list left, and Doc Alex settled a tray across her lap. Steam wafted from some kind of yellow gruel on the plate in the center. Her gaze lifted to find him standing a few feet away, eyeing her.
His mouth quirked as he met her look. "It's not quite tea and crumpets, but I was low on supplies."
With that charming, slightly roguish grin on his face, he could have served her pig slop, and she wouldn't have much to complain about. Miriam dropped her focus to the food, took up a spoonful of gruel, and raised it to her mouth. It tasted a little better than it looked. Heavy on the cornmeal, but not too dry.
The doctor placed her refilled mug on the table beside her, then settled into the chair Gideon had vacated. He held his own steaming tin cup in both hands. Was he going to watch her eat? Suddenly, the room seemed unseasonably hot. She kept her focus on the yellow mixture, and raised another spoonful to her mouth.
"So tell me, Miss Bryant. What does a lady like yourself do in your leisure time?"
A lady? Miriam's head jerked up as she stared at him. No one had ever called her a lady. Not up on the mountain. Not wearing a dirty homemade wool dress with her hair falling halfway out of her braid.
"Do you play dominos? Write letters? Tame mountain lions?" That dimple pressed into his cheek again.
A nervous titter escaped Miriam before she could stop it. Leisure? "Umm… Leah and I like to read together. It works, because one of us can still get things done while the other reads."
A sparkle lit his eyes. "Really? What do you read?"
She nibbled another spoonful before answering. "Anything, really. Leah brought a whole trunk full of books when she first came to the ranch. Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, even some thrilling sea novels by Herman Melville. Have you heard of him?"
"Typee, and Moby Dick?"
A smile tugged at Miriam's mouth, despite the throbbing in her leg. "Yes. Leah calls them heavy reading, but to me they're fascinating. Can you imagine traveling all the places he's been? I've always dreamed of seeing foreign lands and exotic animals."
His brows rose just a bit, and he leaned back. Was that respect shining in his gaze? "You'd like to be a sailor on a whaling ship?"
Heat crawled up her back. "I might rather ride in first class with a traveling companion or two."
That twinkle sparked in his amber eyes again, and his voice slipped into the brogue. "Ah… I knew ye were a lady from the moment I set me eyes on ye, didn't I now."
A twinge of pain shot from her knee up into her hip, but Miriam tried not to wince. She was enjoying this conversation too much to be put off by her injuries. "So what of you, Doctor Donaghe?" She couldn't quite bring herself to call him Doc Alex to his face, even though Gideon had done it. "Have you traveled the world? Maybe studied medicine in England?"
"Please, call me Alex. Doctor Donaghe is my big brother."
Miriam paused. Would that be appropriate? Titles were pretty informal in the Territory, with most men going by nicknames alone. Slim, or Stubby, or Gimp. But Leah had been teaching her the etiquette of a lady, in preparation for their big trip East next summer. And Leah said a lady never addresses a man by his first name. Still…he was asking her to. Wouldn't it be impolite to refuse?
She took a deep breath. "Okay. So…Alex, have you traveled abroad?" His name was magical rolling across her tongue. Would he think she was crazy if she said it again?
He shrugged, his chin dipping in a self-conscious expression. "I was raised in Boston, studied medicine in Montreal, and now I've finally made it to Butte City." He spread his hands as if this dirty mining town were the mecca of all he'd aspired to.
Montreal? Wasn't that in Canada? She opened her mouth to ask, but pain shot through her leg again. This time it was much more than a twinge. More like a bullet. She bit her lip against a cry.
Alex sprang forward, removing the tray from her lap. "Is it your knee? I'll ready another dose to help with the pain."
Miriam nodded. The ache in her knee had radiated through her leg now, and wasn't subsiding. Lord, help me. It seemed to take forever, but Alex finally reappeared by her side with a tincture of thick brownish liquid.
"Thanks." She could barely push the word out as more than a whisper. Her fingers shook as she raised the container to her lips and drained it.
"Sleep now if you can." Alex's voice was soothing, almost like a lullaby. "Would you like another cup of willow tea?"
Miriam shook her head, but then stopped as pain ricocheted through her temples. "N
o, thanks."
A hand stroked the hair from her forehead. Gentle, yet strong. Or maybe she imagined it.
Chapter Four
Alex tore his gaze from the woman sleeping in the center of the room. She was so beautiful, in a half-wild, half-elegant sort of way. But she was a patient. Those thoughts shouldn't enter his mind. Gripping the edges of the crate, he lifted it slowly so the clink of medicine bottles didn't wake his patient. After slipping out the door, he pulled it shut behind him.
She slept in their primary examination room, so he'd made do with seeing patients in the spare room all day. Unfortunately, the medicines and instruments he typically used were all stocked in the room where she napped peacefully. When Bryan came back that afternoon, they'd have to see about moving her.
The sound of the front door opening drifted down the hall, followed by a wet, hacking cough. He settled the crate on the work counter in the empty room, then strode toward the front waiting area.
"How can I help you?" He inserted a genial tone into his voice as he spoke to the two men. One leaned heavily on the other. His slender limbs looked barely strong enough to hold him up.
"M'brother's in a bad way." The stronger man eyed him, his bushy black beard matching the dark hair that stuck out in several directions. The other man must be the older brother, maybe close to a decade older, as his brown hair was evenly streaked with salty gray. Or maybe the illness had aged him prematurely.
"Come on back." Alex waved for them to follow him and made his way toward the empty examination chamber.
Coughing echoed down the hall as the men obeyed his direction. Deep hacks that signaled moisture in the lungs. Alex helped the man lower himself to sit on the bed. "I'll need you to unfasten the top five buttons on your shirt."
The man seemed too exhausted to do more than slowly comply, while his dark-haired brother paced near the door.
Alex picked up his Cammann's stethoscope from the table and slipped the ivory earpieces into his ears. "Can you take some deep breaths in and out?" With the bell-shaped piece settled over the man's lungs, Alex squinted as he listened. A gurgling noise accompanied the rush of air.
Mountain Dreams Series: Books 1 - 3: Mountain Dreams Box Set 1 Page 28