Miriam nodded, her mind playing through the possible remedies she knew about. Silver nitrate worked well to cure infections. Or maybe a garlic compress where the tooth had been.
Alex reached for the hand towel, turning as he dried his arms. Her eyes caught on the ripple of lean muscle under the dusting of dark hair on his forearms. She swallowed, forcing her gaze away from the attractive sight.
But her eyes seemed to wander of their own accord. Up, up. Until they landed in the rich depths of his chocolate gaze. A fire burned there, drawing her in.
Alex stepped closer, their bodies only a foot apart. His clean hand touched her cheek, its warmth sending a tingle all the way to her core.
"You're an amazing nurse." His words came out husky, and his breath played across her skin.
Was he going to kiss her? Every part of her craved it.
His eyes searched her face, his thumb caressing her cheekbone. His gaze landed on her lips, hovered there.
And then he sucked in a breath, and the transformation was instantaneous. He jerked his hand from her face, and stepped back, bumping into the wash stand. "I'm sorry." His gaze skittered to the floor, and he turned and strode out of the room, skirting a wide path around Miriam.
She could only stand there. What just happened? Had she done or said something to spook him? A long breath seeped from her lungs. Did he not feel the same sparks that shot through her when he was close?
Limping forward with her crutches, Miriam turned and sank onto her bed. Working so close to Alex, day after day…it was wonderful.
But how long could she do it before she lost her heart?
~~~
Alex held a tense breath as the razor blade scraped down his neck. After he pulled the sharp metal away, he exhaled, then eyed his face in the mirror. Strong features, fairly evenly proportioned. Although his nose was a bit larger than he'd like. Dad always said he had a real Irishman's nose. At least his brown hair was good and thick, although it needed a trim. Straight as it was, it hung down almost over his brows. He blew out a breath, ruffling the fray of bangs across his forehead.
"Goin' somewhere special?"
Alex jerked at the sound of Bryan's voice, and he spun to face his brother. "No, just cleanin' up."
Bryan's mouth twitched. "Maybe it's time you did go out."
Alex raised a brow. "Out where?"
"Anywhere. The café. The mercantile. Go inspect mines. Rent a horse from Jackson and ride up into the mountains." Bryan stopped lacing his boot, and turned his full attention on his brother. "You've got to get out, man. You haven't left the clinic since that lout attacked Miriam."
"I haven't needed to."
"You haven't had the nerve."
Heat rushed through Alex. "It has nothing to do with nerve."
Bryan cocked his head. "Then what is it?"
Alex tightened his jaw. He wasn't about to admit his feelings for the woman. Not with her still a patient in their clinic. "It's not safe to leave her alone."
"So today's my day to stay here. You're off the hook."
Off the hook? Like he was dying to ditch her the first chance he got?
Bryan threw up his hands. "Come on, Alex. No person in his right mind would stay holed up in this clinic day after day. Even Miriam's dying to get out of here." He hung his hands from his hips and stepped closer to Alex. "You have the chance, and I'm making you leave." He held up a single finger. "One hour. I don't care where you go or what you do, but you'll get out of my hair for one entire hour today. Got it?"
Something Bryan said wove its way back through Alex's mind. Miriam had said several times how much she wanted to see the mines. And after being cramped in this little clinic for almost four weeks now, she was probably dying to leave. But the idea was too crazy. Wasn't it? Would it strain her knee too much? Probably not any more than helping around the clinic. And mild exercise was beneficial for her body to heal now.
"Got it?"
His attention snapped back to Bryan, and he couldn't stop a grin from leaking onto his face. "Anything you say, big brother."
~~~
Miriam eyed Alex as she sat by the stove in the examination room, slicing bread for sandwiches. He'd had a twinkle in his eyes all morning, and now as he wrote notes in the patient journal from those they'd seen the day before, he actually whistled.
What had him in such a good mood? "You're especially chipper today."
He glanced up, eyes wide with innocence. "Me?"
"No, I meant your shadow."
His mouth tipped and he leaned over to peer at the dark spot on the floor by his chair. "What's that? You wanna go to?" He cocked his head as if listening to someone. "You think so?" He slanted a glance at Miriam. "I guess I can ask."
Miriam couldn't help a grin. What a goose he was.
Alex rose to his feet, jutted his chin like a pompous courier, and performed a deep bow. "Miss Bryant, my shadow and I extend an invitation for you to join us today for a tour of the mines."
What? Surely she hadn't heard right. "You mean…leave here?"
A dimple pressed in his left cheek. "If you can bear it."
If she'd been closer, she would have flung her arms around his neck. Instead, she clapped. "That would be…wonderful."
Luckily, he didn't make her wait long. Bryan joined them for sandwiches at lunchtime, then Alex left to hire a wagon from the livery.
As Miriam cleaned up the stove and filled a pot with beans to soak for dinner, Bryan came in with his arms full of some kind of fabric.
"Here's one of Alex's old coats. It'll be big on you, but better than nothing."
"But…where's my coat? Didn't I have it on when Gideon brought me down the mountain?" Now that she thought about it, the buckskin jacket wasn't with her few meager possessions tucked under the bed in her room.
"It was pretty much shredded. Not sure if Gideon took it with him or not, but you'll need this if you go."
That was for certain. It'd been bitterly cold when she'd stepped outside to empty her chamber pot earlier.
Bryan laid the coat on a chair back, and by the time Alex parked the wagon in front of the clinic, Miriam was snuggled inside the oversized wool jacket. It smelled of Alex. That minty freshness that drifted around him in the mornings after he'd shaved. And maybe a touch of the carbolic acid he used during surgeries. And there was something else, a unique aroma that was his alone. She breathed it in, and warmth spread through her.
Chapter Fourteen
"Who's ready for a grand tour?"
Miriam fastened the last button on the oversized coat as Alex's voice drifted from the front room. She tucked the crutches under her arms where the baggy sleeves hung low. "Coming."
Alex and Bryan both waited by the door as she hobbled into the front room.
"I've never seen two people so excited to look at a bunch of holes in the ground," Bryan grumbled as he handed Alex a thermos and a basket. He snapped his fingers. "Oh, I put some bricks in to heat. Let me get them for you."
As Bryan strode back down the hall, Alex's gaze took in Miriam. The corners of his eyes creased in a smile that made her stomach flutter. "That coat looks much better on you than it ever did on me."
She glanced down, trying to hide the warmth creeping into her face. The jacket bunched in thick creases around her arms, and the shoulder seams spread several inches wider than her own. "Thanks."
"Are we ready then? Your coach awaits, m'lady." He turned and extended his elbow. As if she were a real English lady and not an invalid who needed both hands to maneuver on the crutches.
As he held the door open for her, a glimmer flashed in his eyes. Excitement? Pleasure? She couldn't quite tell. But what would be so special for him about this outing? He had opportunities to drive through the countryside any day he pleased. Could it possibly be the company he looked forward to?
She stopped at the edge of the boardwalk and took in the sights and smells of the street. There wasn't much activity for an afternoon. Only a single wagon pu
lled by a pair of sorrel mules, and two men crossing over toward Ottawa Street. The frigid air nipped at her face in a way she hadn't ever fully appreciated before. Everything felt clean. Fresh. Not at all how she usually thought of Butte. But after being inside for weeks, even the dirty streets of this town made a welcome sight.
"The stairs might be tricky with the crutches. Okay if I carry you down?" Alex's voice rumbled close to her ear.
Miriam glanced down at the two steps to the ground. Surely she could manage something so simple.
He must have read her mind, though. "I'd rather you not take chances putting weight on that knee yet."
She glanced back at him and scrunched her nose. "All right."
He scooped her up, and the strength of his arms around her was more than all right. It was heaven. She rested her head on his shoulder, and the day would have been perfect if she could stay exactly like that.
He maneuvered the stairs and strode to the wagon, placing her gently on the seat. Every part of her body resisted as she released her arms from his neck, and he pulled back. Stopping a few inches from her face, his gaze locked with hers. Miriam's chest tightened so she could barely breathe.
Alex seemed to be having the same trouble. Although his shortness of breath could be from carrying her weight. Was he going to kiss her? His face inched closer.
And then he pulled back, clearing his throat. His gaze fell to the wagon side, as his feet shuffled back.
Oh, why wouldn't he kiss her? Part of her wanted to grab his jacket front and drag his lips to hers. But the selfish, offended side of her would have enjoyed slapping the uncomfortable look right off his face.
The clinic door squeaked open, and Bryan marched out, carrying a crate of bricks, thick steam wafting from their clay surface. "I'll put these at your feet, then you can tuck this blanket around them to hold in the heat." He picked up a folded grey wool from over his arm.
While Bryan worked, Alex circled the wagon and climbed up beside her, leaving at least a foot of space between them.
Alex was quiet as they started off, and Miriam shot glances at his face. Had she offended him? He caught one of her peeks, and an emotion crossed his face like he was trying to shake off the gloom. A grin touched the corners of his mouth. "Feels good to be out, huh?"
There was the Alex she knew. Her face pulled into an answering smile as she tilted her head back to enjoy the limited sunshine on her face. "Wonderful."
They passed familiar buildings, and she couldn't help but crane her head for a better look in the windows of Lanyard’s Dry Goods. What she wouldn't give for a hairbrush and a few other personal items.
"Maybe we can stop there on the way back through, if you're up to it." The rumble of Alex's voice brought her attention back to him. "Or if not, you can make a list for me to take to the clerk."
Warmth washed through Miriam, soothing away the tension in her shoulders. He was such a thoughtful man. One of the things that made him a good doctor. "Thanks."
The wagon hit a deep rut in the road, and Miriam braced her good leg to keep from falling off the seat. A knife of pain shot up from her left knee, even though she tried to keep that leg relaxed.
Alex eyed her. "Is the ride going to be too much?" He looked like he might turn back at a single word.
No way was she going back to the clinic early now that she'd finally escaped. Gripping the edge of the seat under the blanket, she flashed him a confident smile. "It's no problem at all."
As they passed through the outskirts of town, the buildings changed from false-front stores to rows of one- or two-room shanties. Several connected in clusters, building onto each other in order to share walls. Although some of them looked like the wind could blow straight through without ever hitting the wood siding.
The shacks became less frequent, and soon a tall wood tower appeared, like a church steeple, above the tops of a grove of leafless beech trees. Miriam eyed the turret, and as they rounded a curve in the road, the entire vertical structure came into view. She gasped. "What's that?"
"The headframe for the Travona mine."
The rectangular base, maybe ten feet by twenty, tapered on one side as it rose to a square tower. It must've been at least a hundred feet high. "What's it for? Where's the rest of the mine?" There weren't any other buildings or openings into the ground in sight.
Alex reined the horses in and set the brake on the wagon. "That's how the men get down to the ore, and how they bring it back up."
"Are there stairs inside that thing?"
"No, actually it's a pulley system that lowers them. From what I'm told, the early gold was discovered near the surface of the hill, so the miners built shafts with openings in the side of the mountain. But these silver veins are hundreds of feet down, so they use this main elevator to raise and lower things, then dig tunnels inside the ground to follow the ore."
A man that had been working at the base of the massive wood structure dropped the rope in his hands and strode their direction. "You got business here, mister?"
"Hello, sir. I'm Doc Alex, from the clinic." He extended his hand toward the man.
The miner stroked his beard and squinted at Alex under the brim of his cap. His gaze darted between the offered hand and Alex's face, then back to the extended hand. Finally, he took a cautious step forward and shook. "Don't need no doctor."
Alex kept his easy smile. "Glad to hear it. Miss Bryant was interested in seeing some of the mines."
The man's expression changed completely as his gaze took in Miriam, roaming quickly from her face down to the blanket covering her lap, and back up again. It wasn't an intrusive look, but more curious. Like a man who didn't see women very often and trying to refresh his memory.
"Hello, Mister…" She waited for his name.
"Halsten." He did an awkward little bow, and must have stepped on his own toes in the process for he almost fell headfirst.
Miriam bit her lower lip to hold in a smile. "So nice to meet you, Mister Halsten. I was just admiring the headframe." She motioned toward the towering wooden structure. "Do I understand correctly that it lowers the men down into the ground using pulleys? Do they hang from a rope, then?"
His mouth drew in a grim line. "Yes, ma'am. The pulleys raise and lower 'em, but they don't hang onto a rope. Leastways not the way you're meanin'. They ride up and down in a cage. Pack as many men in as we can, too. It's a long way down ta hundred feet underground."
"Is it awfully cold down there?" Miriam pulled her oversized jacket tighter as a breeze whipped against her.
"'Tis at first, but by the time the men get ta poundin' and carryin', they've worked up quite a sweat. When they come back up at the end of the day, it's a sight ta see. Wish you could be here for it, but you'll not wanna be hangin' round in this weather." He peered up at the overcast sky.
"What time do the men come up?" Miriam's gaze drifted back to the headframe, as if the men might come spilling out of the door at any moment.
The miner squinted as he still looked upward. "Two or three hours still."
After a few more minutes' conversation with the man, Alex gathered the reins. "We have a couple more mines to see, so we'd best head on. Good talkin' to you, Halsten."
The man tipped his cap as Alex clucked to the horses. When Miriam waved to the miner, his mouth spread into a wide gap-tooth grin that transformed his face. She couldn't help a chuckle.
The Alice and the Original mines were similar to the Travona. Each headframe was a site to behold. At the Original, they dismounted from the wagon, and Miriam hobbled on her crutches over to the base of the structure. Every miner they met was more than eager to answer questions and tell his own stories of operating the pulleys or digging out the underground shafts. No matter the speaker, each tale reinforced in Miriam's mind what miserable life mining must be. Underground all day, rarely seeing daylight. Her own soul would shrivel up and die under such conditions. How did the men endure it?
When they drove away from the Original, Alex t
urned the wagon back onto the road the way they'd come. Miriam pulled the coat he'd loaned her even tighter around herself, and hunkered down like a turtle in a shell. She clamped her jaw against the chattering of her teeth. What she wouldn't give for her buckskin jacket, and her fur hat and gloves.
"Scoot closer and we can share body heat." Alex spoke above the whistle of the wind that had whipped up.
She was too miserable to worry about whether that was proper or not. Every muscle in her body ached from the cold, especially her left knee. Scooting over, she closed the gap on the seat between them, and reached to thread her hand through his elbow. He raised his arm though, and slipped it behind her, encircling her shoulders and pulling her close to his side. His warmth penetrated quickly, and Miriam burrowed deeper. Tucked under his wing, her teeth soon stopped chattering. She matched her breathing to the steady intake of his.
They drove for a while. How long, she couldn't have said. Alex's warmth permeated every part of her upper body. Her toes were numb, but that didn't matter a whit. The air took on that dusky feel when the sun sinks lower on an overcast day. Too bad they couldn't see a beautiful sunset, with pinks and blues and oranges. That would have been the perfect close to a wonderful afternoon.
"We'll drive right by the Travona." Alex's voice rumbled in her ear. Deep, yet soft. Intimate. "I know it's cold, but I was hoping you would get to see the miners come out of the shaft. Are you up for a quick stop?"
She looked up to meet his gaze. Their faces mere inches apart. "Yes, I'm fine." But she was better than fine. Close enough to touch his face with her breath. If she could have breathed. It would be so easy to brush his cheek with her lips. Her gaze fell to his mouth. But what would he think? No lady would initiate such a thing.
Tucking her head back against his side, she released a long shuddering breath. Alex's arm tightened around her, pulling her even closer into him. But it was several minutes before his steady breathing raised his chest against her shoulder.
Mountain Dreams Series: Books 1 - 3: Mountain Dreams Box Set 1 Page 35