When they reined in again in front of the Travona headframe, Mr. Halsten stuck his head out of the open door at the base. "Didn't expect to see you'uns back. Yer just in time, though. We're fixin' to bring up a cage full o' miners."
Miriam sat straighter, anticipation warming her insides. A man's shout ricocheted inside the wooden structure. An awful squeak signaled the first turn of the gears, then grinding noises kept up a steady purr. Several minutes passed, with no change in the regular turning of the gears.
Letting out a huff, Miriam sank against Alex's side. "Do you think they're coming?"
A chuckle reverberated in his chest. "Patience. It takes a while to travel up a hundred feet."
Chapter Fifteen
It must have been a quarter hour later when Miriam heard male voices inside the headframe. Shouts mostly, one or two sharp words called over the noise of the metal. With another ear-piercing squeal, the gears ground to a halt, leaving behind a silence so eerie it raised goose bumps on Miriam's arms.
A white cloud drifted from the opening. Miriam blinked. Men walked inside the hazy fog. The dark movement of their boots was visible at the bottom, and as the cloud cleared, caps and dark faces appeared at the top.
"Is that…steam?" She couldn't take her eyes from the uncanny sight.
"Yep. The men have worked up such a sweat underground, when they reach the cold air at the surface, their clothes freeze stiff. The steam is the heat from their bodies melting their frozen clothing."
The miners trudged toward the road, limited words spoken between them. Every few seconds, one of them would cough. Weariness weighed down every step they took, pressing down broad shoulders so they looked like a defeated lot of men. Miriam's heart squeezed and tears burned the backs of her eyes. Everything in her cried out to help these men, but what could she do? They'd put in a hard day's work, but it was likely the same thing they did every day. Week after week.
That horrible squeal sounded again, sending Miriam's heart into double time at the suddenness of it.
"The cage is going down to bring up another load of miners. Shall we head back now?" Alex's thumb rubbed her arm through the coat.
"All right." Miriam swallowed down the lump in her throat.
As they drove, the image of those faces, so soot-streaked they were almost black, played over and over in her mind. "Alex."
"Hmm…" His chin rested on her hair for just a moment.
"Why would men keep working in the mines? It looks like a terrible way to live. Down in the ground all day, not coming to the surface until dark. So exhausted they can barely walk home. Why don't they find other jobs?"
Alex was quiet for so long, she almost looked up to make sure he was awake. At last he spoke. "For most of them, it's the only work they know how to do. They're not skilled at a trade, like blacksmithing or carpentry. A lot of them came over from Ireland. Some during the potato famine years back. There's nothing else for them to do. In the cities, they would starve to death." He stopped speaking, and his shoulders lifted as he inhaled a deep breath. "It's an awful life."
With a flash of awareness, Miriam saw Alex as a boy in that life. He was Irish. He'd come from a big city. Had his family almost starved to death? But his father was skilled, right? Hadn't Alex said he was an apothecary? Did that mean Alex's life had been different than so many of his countrymen? She didn't dare ask. How did one go about inquiring if a man came from a poor family? No, his speech was cultured, not the rough working-man brogue of the miners she'd met. And hadn't he and Bryan both gone to a prestigious college in Canada?
A single phrase came back to her then. Something Pa used to say when she was a girl. But for the grace of God go I. Heart raised in silent prayer. Lord, thank You that Your mercies are new every day.
Soon, they rolled into the outskirts of town. Miriam had expected to pass the miners on the road who they saw leaving the Travona, but as she eyed the men milling around the shanties, none looked familiar. Although with the miners' faces blackened, there was a chance she wouldn't recognize them.
"Where are the men we saw leave the mine?" She sat up straighter, putting a few inches between her and Alex. Now that they were in town, propriety was more important.
Alex must have sensed her concern, because he pulled his arm out from behind her, gripping the reins with both hands. "There are trails all through the woods around Butte. I imagine they took a shortcut home. Men on foot outside of town can sometimes get to a place twice as quick as a man in a wagon that has to stay on the road."
By the time Alex reined the wagon to a stop in front of the clinic, Miriam's teeth chattered again, and she hunkered down inside her coat.
"Let me come around." Alex set the brake and jumped from the wagon. After he'd jogged to Miriam's side, he handed her the walking sticks, then scooped her in his arms, and carried her up the steps. His warmth was heavenly, and she fought the urge to burrow into his chest.
Alex planted her gently on the boardwalk, and Miriam leaned against him until she had the sticks firmly planted under her arms.
"Are you sure you can walk?" He hadn't taken his arm from her waist.
Miriam forced a smile through her chattering teeth. "Yes."
"Let's get you inside then."
~~~
Miriam blinked open her eyes and stretched, turning over to gauge the time by how much light seeped through the window. Bright sunlight streamed through the dingy glass.
She bolted upright. How late had she slept? This lady of leisure stuff was making her soft. Too soft.
Hurrying through her toilette, she scrubbed her face in the frigid water from the ewer, wiped her teeth with a clean rag, and finger-combed her hair before refastening the braid.
In the next room, the scrape of chair legs sounded, along with the low hum of male voices. What must the men think of her? And she'd promised to take care of all the meals from now on. If they hadn't given up on her and started breakfast themselves, the Donaghue brothers were surely starving by now.
Fitting the crutches under her arms, she hobbled through her door and followed the voices to the examination room that also served as kitchen and eating area.
Alex stood at the stove, scrubbing a bowl over a pot of water. His face brightened when he saw her in the doorway. "G'mornin'."
"Morning." Miriam swung forward. "Let me take care of that. Sorry I'm so late this morning."
She stopped at the stove and nudged Alex aside with her elbow. He didn't budge, but nodded toward the table where Bryan sat. "I left a plate of food for you." He wrinkled his nose. "Such as it is."
"Alex's specialty. Rubber eggs and burnt bacon." Bryan leaned back in his chair, long legs stretched in front of him, with a mug of coffee in both hands.
Miriam nibbled her lower lip as she turned back to Alex. "Are you sure?"
A dimple pressed into his left cheek. "Am I sure the bacon's burned? 'Fraid so. I went to pump more water and the fire was hotter than I figured. Go ahead and eat."
That grin always melted her insides. "All right. Thanks."
But as she hobbled to the chair and lowered herself into it, her stomach tightened so much she likely wouldn't be able to eat anything. It was time she stopped imposing on these men. She'd be forever grateful for their care and kindness, and maybe she could still come and help at the clinic to work off her debt to them. But they certainly didn't need to worry about her as a houseguest. And that's what she'd become.
Miriam picked at the food on her plate, forcing a weak smile when Bryan slid a cup of coffee in front of her. The eggs shone golden, but were cold and rubbery as Bryan had joked. With all of Alex's skill as a doctor, he shouldn't have to worry about cooking when she was perfectly capable.
She inhaled a deep breath, then looked up. Her gaze skittered between the two brothers. "Do you think my injuries are healed enough for me to move to the boarding house?"
Metal clanged at the stove, followed by a splash from the pan. Alex mumbled something under his breath and grab
bed his right hand with his other.
"Are you okay?" Miriam started to her feet, but he waved her away.
He still kept his right hand against his shirt. "I'm fine." But he almost snarled the words. How badly was he injured?
Miriam hesitated, her hand poised on the table to help her rise. He must have burned his hand when he dropped the mug in the pot of hot water. Should she help him tend to it? She knew as well as anyone how bad a burn could hurt. But Bryan was a doctor, so he would be worried if Alex was really hurt. Right?
Bryan cleared his throat, drawing Miriam's attention. "I suppose we'd need to do an examination to make sure. If everything looks okay, you should be fine to move."
Miriam blinked. It took several seconds before she realized he was answering her question.
She flicked a glance at Alex, but his back faced them as he bent over the firebox. Turning to Bryan, she inhaled a deep breath. "When do you want to do the examination?"
He nodded toward her food. "Finish breakfast, then we'll take a look."
A half hour later, Miriam settled herself on the examination table, while Bryan and Alex gathered clean water and supplies. Her stomach twisted in a hundred knots, and her shoulders ached from the tension building in her muscles.
Not only did her next steps depend on the outcome of this examination, but things were different now. Her relationship with these men had become more than that of a patient and doctors. Bryan reminded her of Gideon more every day, with his dry humor and penchant to hoard words. Like each one cost him half a day's work.
And Alex. Butterflies flitted in her stomach even now as she thought of him. What did that mean? She was attracted to him, no doubt. Who wouldn't be, with the way he lit up a room just by walking into it? The way he made each person feel they were special? When really…Alex was the special one. Miriam's chest squeezed at the thought. Could she be falling in love with him?
Boot thuds in the hall brought a swift end to that thought.
"All right, let's have a look at that knee." Bryan slipped his surgery smock over his head as he stepped forward.
Alex crossed the room toward the washbasin without a word. Was he angry with her? Now that she thought about it, he hadn't given her more than a word or a nod since she sat down to breakfast.
After she inched her hem up to reveal the splinted knee, Bryan began unwrapping the stiff leather splint. A soft scrape of wood behind her pulled Miriam's focus from his work.
Alex placed a chair at her shoulder and settled into it. The tension eased out of her muscles. Having him near was like snuggling under a warm quilt on a cold winter morning. She sent him a smile to try to convey her thanks.
Just as her gaze connected with his, a knife of pain shot from her knee to her hip. Miriam bit hard on her lip to keep from crying out.
Alex's hand slid into hers, encircling her palm with his long fingers. She squeezed it as another jab radiated through her thigh.
He glanced at where Bryan worked, then his gaze came back to find her eyes. "He almost has it unwrapped." His expression was a mixture of compassion and a hint of her own pain. As if he were trying to take it on himself.
She locked her focus in Alex's amber gaze, forcing aside the throbbing that rippled with every touch of Bryan's surgical probe.
"You're doing great," Alex murmured, as his thumb stroked the back of her hand.
Time seemed to stand still, until Bryan finally glanced up from where he'd bent over her knee. "Everything's looking good. I'll wrap the knee with a softer splint this time. The exercises are helping, and it's good you're up and moving on crutches now." He looked to Alex. "You wanna examine the arm while I wrap this back up?"
Alex nodded, then pulled his hand from hers with a soft smile. He carried his chair to her other side, and organized a few supplies on the edge of the bed.
Miriam watched his movements as she tried to ignore Bryan's ministrations to her knee.
Alex's touch was so gentle, as he cut the knot holding the bandage around her wrist, then carefully unwrapped it. The burn smarted when the air hit it, but only for a moment. Alex squinted as he examined all sides of her forearm and the back of her hand. "Looks good. The blisters didn't pop, and they're almost completely gone." He glanced up at her. "It should be fine to leave it unwrapped now. Just be careful it doesn't get dirty, and put this salve on twice a day."
Miriam released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Maybe I can keep from getting hurt this time."
A smile touched Alex's mouth as he spread the salve over the mottled red skin on her arm.
Miriam swallowed. "So does this mean I can move to the boarding house?"
The smile disappeared from Alex's lips, replaced by a grim line. But he didn't answer.
Bryan spoke up. "I think that should be fine. As long as you're careful, and we can make arrangements for someone to check in on you." His brows lowered. "I don't recommend you leave town though."
Miriam forced her lips into a smile. "That's not a problem. The mountain trail must not be passable yet, or Gideon would have come."
While Bryan finished her leg, Alex gathered the leftover supplies and dirty bandages. He didn't speak a word, and wouldn't meet her gaze. A far cry from his earnest support a few minutes before. What had she done to upset him? Wouldn't he be glad to have her out from underfoot?
She watched his rigid shoulders as he put away the unused bandage in the cabinet, laid the metal instruments they'd employed in the to-be-cleaned bin, and tossed the soiled cloths in the wash stack. With everything put away, he strode to the doorway and disappeared. Without a word. No easy smile. No cheery comments to brighten her mood or ease her discomfort.
"He'll be all right."
Miriam's gaze shot to Bryan's face. His eyes flickered a sad smile. Could she ask what was wrong with Alex? She couldn't quite bring herself to.
But when she had a moment, she'd talk to Alex herself.
Chapter Sixteen
Miriam blinked. Where was she? Another blink brought her surroundings into focus. With a yawn, she sat up. Why was she sleeping in the middle of the day? She pulled her shoulders into a stretch, then leaned back against the wall at the head of the bed.
She'd had a cup of willow tea to help with the pain after her examination, and it must have put her to sleep. Pushing aside the blankets, she used her hands to lift her bad leg to the cold floor. How long had she slept? After being so late waking this morning, and now a nap in the middle of the day, these doctors probably wrote her off as useless. And Miriam Bryant may be a lot of things, but useless was not one of them.
In the small mirror Alex had set up for her, Miriam frowned at her appearance. She'd need to rebraid her hair. For the second time today. As her fingers worked through the task, her mind wandered to the morning's events when she'd announced her plans to move. Alex had been so strange. She needed to talk with him and find out what she'd done to offend him. Maybe over lunch, or in between patients if it was a slow day.
She stilled her movements to listen. No voices drifted through the walls. It didn't sound like Alex was with anyone at the moment. Her fingers fumbled with the ribbon. Why was she shaking? Was it so hard to talk to Alex? Silly girl. He was the easiest man she'd ever conversed with.
Grabbing the crutches, she hobbled toward the hall. As she entered the main examination room, Alex glanced up from the chair by the desk. He'd been reading a book, his legs propped on the wooden desk.
His face formed a smile when he saw her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "There's coffee on the stove, and I sliced bread, cheese, and beef for sandwiches. Are you hungry?" Dropping his legs to the floor, he started to rise.
"Don't get up. Please." She'd inconvenienced him enough already. "I just need coffee right now. I'll get it." It was time she cared for herself.
She filled the cup half full so it didn't spill while she hobbled, and limped to sit in the chair beside the desk.
Alex dropped his attention back to the boo
k. Should she interrupt him? If she'd offended him, she needed to make it right.
Miriam cleared her throat. "Alex?"
He glanced up, his brown eyes wary. "Yes?"
"Um, what are you reading?" Chicken.
He lifted the book so she could see its cover. "Medical Flora of the United States."
"Interesting." She moistened her lips. "Have I, um, done something to offend you?"
His gaze shot to her face, but he didn't answer. Just sat there, as if debating what to say. Was whatever she'd done so bad?
He rose and walked to the window, staring out at a passing wagon and the mountain range beyond. At last, he spoke. "Bryan stopped by Watson's Boarding House. They'll have a room ready for you tomorrow."
That didn't answer her question. Did it? Something about her presence—or leaving—had upset him. Did he think her ungrateful?
Placing her coffee on the desk, she pushed to her feet, choosing her words carefully. "Alex, I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you've both done. Everything you've done. I'd like to keep helping in the clinic, if I can. That is…" She crossed her arms over her chest. "If I would be a help, and not get in the way."
He waved toward the stove. "You're always a help. Everything you do around here is a breath of fresh air. Your cooking is fit for royalty compared to mine." Alex spun to face her. "Patients love you, and when you're helping me with a procedure, you think two steps ahead of me."
He strode back across the room and placed his hands on her upper arms. The warmth of his touch seared through her sleeves. "I love having you here. I lo—" He stopped himself before finishing the sentence, dropping his arms to his sides. What had he been about to say?
"I don't want you to overdo it, though. Come when you can, but don't push yourself." His forehead puckered. "I'm not sure I want you coming by yourself, though. The sidewalks are still icy, and those crutches could be dangerous outside. Why don't you wait for me to come walk with you? Or I could bring you in the wagon."
Mountain Dreams Series: Books 1 - 3: Mountain Dreams Box Set 1 Page 36