by Paty Jager
Allie peered up the chimney of the rock fireplace. “I don’t know if we should use this fireplace. I can’t see the sky through the chimney.”
“I’ll set up a fire outside when I get back from hunting.” Isaac placed the second box of gold next to the first one he’d carried in. “You can rest while I’m hunting.” He kissed Allie on the lips. He’d been kissing her on the lips every chance he got. He’d also slept in her bedroll every night. She didn’t push him away, which meant she liked his company, and he hoped was opening her heart and mind to becoming his wife.
White Hawk’s words that they were married from having made love, echoed how Isaac felt. Their hearts were married and having a preacher say the words would only make it legally binding.
“Be back soon. There’s lots of animal tracks around here. Shouldn’t take me long to find dinner.” He kissed her one more time and picked up his Winchester, leaving Allie to rest.
Outside, he pulled the packsaddle off the mule and staked him out to graze on the tall grass around the shanty. Isaac took a good look at the meadow full of swaying grass, the stream running past the shanty, the timber half a mile away, and made a note to check on this property. It would make a good place to raise cattle. He smiled. And a family.
They’d stop at the next town and he’d inquire about this homestead. Heading toward the timber, he had his appetite set on something other than rabbit.
***
Alamayda used the straw broom in the corner of the one room shanty to sweep the varmint droppings, leaves, and debris out of the building. In the corner farthest from the door and the fireplace, she rolled out their bedrolls. One of the many things she liked about sharing a bedroll with Isaac was having more cushion between her and the ground.
Staring at the fireplace, she didn’t see any reason why they couldn’t use it if she got on the roof and shoved a stick in the chimney to break loose whatever blocked the space.
Setting foot outside the shanty, she peered up at the sky. Dark black clouds were gathering fast. Ignoring the clouds, Alamayda hunted beneath a cottonwood tree behind the shack for a long limb. The tall grass made it hard to tell the length of the sticks. Finally, she pulled up one that was at least eight feet long. Plenty of length to clear the chimney.
Back at the shanty, Alamayda shoved the stick up on the plank roof by what looked like a ladder for the purpose of getting on the roof. She tested each rung before placing a foot. Once on the roof, she picked up the stick and scrambled across the roof to the chimney. She rammed the stick down into the opening. Soot drifted up out of the chimney, but she kept poking the stick until there wasn’t any resistance for several stabs.
Alamayda tossed the stick over the side of the roof and started back toward the ladder. Her foot pushed on a soft spot. “Oh!”
The plank snapped and shoved down through the tar paper. Her left leg fell through the hole and hung down through the roof while her body and other leg sprawled across the roof. Studying her predicament, Alamayda moved her limbs to make sure nothing was broken. Toes, fingers, everything moved without pain.
“How am I going to get off of here?” She studied the area around her and noticed more planks that were cracked. Placing her hands on what looked like the sturdiest places, she steadied her body as she pulled her leg out of the hole.
Rain gushed from the dark clouds above, drenching her and the roof. When her foot was free, Alamayda worked her way down the roof on her backside. At the ladder, she rolled to her stomach and eased onto the top rung, felt for the next one, and soon her body was off the roof. Her foot found the next rung.
The rain made the rungs slick. Her foot slipped off, sending her plummeting to the ground.
Her arms flailed.
She sucked in air preparing to scream.
Her right leg broke her fall, spearing pain up her leg. She crumpled to the ground and the world went dark.
***
Isaac had two grouse hanging from his belt when the rain hit. He wished he hadn’t left his duster in the shack. The summer heat had been too much as they’d walked today and he’d shed the garment. Now it would have kept him dry.
Crossing the meadow to the shanty, he didn’t know what good hunting did. With this downpour they couldn’t cook outside. He didn’t want to risk burning down the shanty with them in it by using the old fireplace. There could be a nest that would catch on fire.
He entered the shack. The lantern wasn’t lit, and Allie wasn’t waiting for him.
“Allie! Allie!” He lit the lantern and discovered water pouring through a hole in the roof half way between the chimney and the wall. A pile of sticks covered in soot cluttered the fireplace and the area in front of it.
“Tarnation!” The fool woman went up on the roof. He hung the lantern on a hook, tossed the grouse to the side of the fireplace, and leaned his rifle against the fireplace. His gut told him something wasn’t right.
Isaac rushed out the door and started around the side of the shack. He spotted Allie on the ground, her right leg bent oddly.
“Allie?” He dropped to his knees beside her and leaned close. She was breathing.
He slid his arms under her and carried her into the shack. She was soaking wet. He didn’t want to place her on the bedroll but there wasn’t any furniture in the shack. Not even a chair to sit her on.
Isaac knocked his dripping hat off his head and grabbed a corner of the folded up tent, pulling it out of the supplies stacked in a corner. He placed Allie on the tarp and started unbuttoning her clothes. He could set the broken leg, but if she caught sick, he had limited resources to get her well. She had to get dry and be kept warm.
The shirt and top half of her union suit came off easy, pulling on her boots, especially the one on the broken leg would hurt her. He eased the left boot off and drew in a fortifying breath as he grasped the right boot.
“Oooo!” cried Allie, sitting up, her eyes wide.
“I know, I’m sorry.” Isaac placed a hand on her cold, thin shoulder, easing her back down on the tarp. “I have to get this boot off and your clothes off so you can warm up.”
“My leg. It hurts.”
Isaac’s heart squeezed with helplessness. The whole time he’d known Allie, she’d never once complained. And now he had to cause her pain to help her. “I know it hurts. I have to get this boot off.”
He slowly eased the wet boot from her foot, but not without her sucking air, tearing up, and letting out a moan.
Sweat trickled down his forehead. Taking care of someone you loved added more pressure to be careful and heal them. Once the wet clothing was off of her, he picked her up again. This time being conscious, she moaned when her injured leg dangled.
Hurrying to the bedrolls in the corner, Isaac gently placed Allie down and covered all but her injured leg with blankets. “Lay still. I’ll get the fireplace going, and then set your leg.
Allie held her hand out to him.
Isaac grasped the hand and squeezed.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to use the fireplace. And now…” her eyes sagged closed.
He kissed her forehead and placed her hand under the blanket. He understood her belief she could take care of all things, having done that for so long, but she had to learn there were limits.
Isaac used the broom to clean the debris from the fireplace. He restacked the dried twigs from the nest and added two pieces of cut wood from the half dozen stacked in the corner of the room. A mouse ran out of the pile and into their supplies. Following the flight of the mouse, he noticed the rain pouring through the hole in the roof was running toward their supplies.
Glancing over at Allie every few minutes, Isaac moved the supplies, even the heavy boxes of gold, to the side with the wood. The fireplace blazed, causing steam to curl up from his wet clothes. He shucked out of his vest and shirt and used the hatchet in their supplies to make splints for Allie’s leg. The only bandage material he could think of was one of Allie’s dresses.
Isaac knelt
next to Allie. “Allie? Darlin’,” he said softly, pushing the loose strands of wet hair out of her face. “Allie, I need to ask you a question.”
Her eyelids slowly fluttered open. Her glassy brown eyes stared at him.
“Which dress can I rip into bandages? The blue or the brown one?” he asked, watching her eyelids close.
“I don’t care,” she whispered.
He kissed her forehead and pushed to his feet. At her bag, he pulled out the brown dress. It reminded him of a spinster. Allie wasn’t a spinster anymore. She was going to be a married woman. Using the knife from his boot, he sliced the skirt of the garment into long bandages. He carried the sticks, bandages, and top of the dress over to Allie.
“Wish I was a drinking man. Then I’d have something to help you with the pain.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned close. “Allie, I’m goin’ to set your leg. It’s gonna hurt. I’ll try to be fast.”
She didn’t open her eyes but she nodded.
He grasped her leg above and below the area that was swollen. “Ready?” he asked, to give her notice he was about to bring her pain. He pulled evenly. Allie cried out, and his chest ached from having caused her discomfort. Finally, the leg appeared straight and didn’t move when he set it down to wrap bandages around the sticks before placing them against Allie’s leg and binding them tight to keep the leg from moving. When the leg was set, he pulled the blankets over her leg.
“That’s done. We’ll have to stay here until your leg heals.” Isaac sat on the ground with his back against the wall next to Allie. He listened to the rain hitting the roof and puddling in the corner of the shack. He’d do everything in his power to keep her from getting consumption. Not knowing how cold she became or how long she was out in the rain, he could only do his best and hope he did a better job saving her than he did her father.
Chapter Thirty-six
Alamayda’s leg throbbed. It was dark, but red embers glowed in a fire to her right. Reaching with her right hand, she tried to feel her leg to see why it hurt. The scratch of a wool blanket on her skin, took her mind in another direction. Why am I naked under this blanket? Where is Isaac? Why does my leg ache?
She licked her parched lips and forced a word out her dry throat. “Isaac?”
“I’m here.”
His strong hand landed on her shoulder and moved up to settled on her forehead. “Good, you’re not with fever.”
“My leg. It hurts.”
“I know. I wish I had some whiskey. I don’t think you broke it bad. I set it, but the swelling isn’t going down.” His hand brushed her hair back from her face.
Her mind flashed to falling off the ladder. “Can I have some water?”
A click and whoosh was followed by the yellow glow of the lantern. Isaac sat beside her on the ground. He stood, placing the lantern on the hook in the rafter.
He returned with a canteen, holding it to her lips as he raised her head with the other hand.
After she’d quenched her thirst, Alamayda asked, “Did you eat?”
“No, I found you and wanted to take care of you. Then I fell asleep.”
“Heat a can of beans. You need to keep up your strength.” She reached out a hand. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
Isaac folded her hand in his. His gaze didn’t sparkle, it held sorrow.
“What’s wrong?” She pulled him closer. “You didn’t cause my leg to break. It was me, being my usual stubborn self.”
He sat on the floor beside her and leaned forward placing a kiss on her lips. “I know I didn’t cause this. I just hope I did enough to help you heal.”
“Did you see any willow when you were out hunting?” she asked. Shifting to ease the sore spots on her backside from laying on the hard ground, sent a twinge of pain up her leg. She winced.
“Is the pain too much?” he asked.
“It’s not bad if I don’t move. But this ground is hard.” She’d never again wish for a feather bed. A corn husk or wheat mattress would be better than the hard ground.
“Why did you ask me about willow?” Isaac asked.
“If you could bring back willow bark it can be boiled and used for a pain draught. I used it quite a bit for my mother’s pain. We didn’t have money to buy drugs.” She would never remember her years of taking care of her mother with fondness, but it had made her resilient and knowledgeable about many things.
Isaac rose.
“Where are you going?”
“To get the bark.” He bent toward a pile of wet clothes.
“No, you’re not. I see it’s still raining.” He gaze wandered to the hole she’d made in the roof. The water wasn’t the deluge it had been when she was on the roof. It had settled into a sprinkle.
“But you need relief from the pain.” Isaac picked up his shirt from the top of the pile. Water dripped from it.
“No. You need to hang those clothes up to dry and make yourself something to eat. I could use a biscuit myself.” She noted her clothing was on the bottom of the pile. That was why she was naked.
“I’d rather get the willow bark.” Isaac hung his shirt and vest over the rafter. He picked up her shirt and pulled her union suit out of the trousers. A wet wad of money fell out of one of the pockets she’d sewn onto the union suit.
“What’s this?” Isaac asked.
“Depending on which pocket it came out of, it’s either your money or mine.”
He pulled the union suit back down and held it up, studying the garment. “This is a clever idea. But also puts you in more harm by having the money on you.”
“Thank you. No one can steal what they don’t know you have.”
Isaac grinned at her and shook his head. “Allie, I’ve never seen a smarter woman than you.”
His compliment warmed her as much as his kisses. All her years dealing with men, she’d never once heard one say they admired her. They called her ruthless, conniving, all the words that were unflattering, to the other men they dealt with. She knew because they would talk about her before she was even out of earshot. To have this man she cared strongly about say she was smart…her heart thumped against her chest like she’d just raced up a hill.
“Thank you. No one has ever said that about me.”
“I don’t know why. You draw pictures that look real, you know a lot, and you aren’t scared to try anything. That’s more than a lot of men could say.” Isaac finished hanging the wet clothes and came over to where she lay on the ground.
He knelt next to her. “I’ve never met a finer figure of a woman. I’m glad you were stubborn and came out to Montana looking for a gold mine.” He sealed the statement with a kiss that made her forget her pain.
Pulling out of the kiss, he stood. “I’ll get some beans rustled up for the two of us.”
Alamayda put her fingers on her lips and watched the kindest man she knew as he heated up beans.
***
Isaac watched Allie sleeping as he boiled a batch of willow bark. She’d fallen two days ago, but refused to have him retrieve the willow bark until today, saying he didn’t need to get wet on her account. He had a feeling she didn’t want to be left alone. The thought made him smile and his chest swell. She felt safe with him around. He liked that. Allie was a strong woman. One who could handle most things that came her way. Knowing she wanted him close had kept him inside, other than to check on the mule, until this morning.
He’d heard her moaning in her sleep during the night. He’d snuck out of the shanty at daybreak and found the grove of willows upstream and removed a handful of bark. Not knowing which was better, he’d brought back some from older growth and some from young plants.
She woke when he entered the shanty and told him to boil all of it in one pot.
Staying here while Allie’s leg healed well enough she could walk would run them out of supplies, and he didn’t like having the gold sitting in the open. In the cave it was harder for someone to stumble across it. Here, anyone coming into the shanty could discove
r the gold.
Allie moaned. Isaac poured the boiling water into a tin cup and set it to the side. He couldn’t make biscuits, but he knew how to make hotcakes. Allie needed food, and he needed her awake to discuss what to do next.
“What are you doing? It smells so good my stomach is rumbling,” Allie said from her bed on the floor.
Isaac glanced over and saw her wince as she shifted her body. Laying on the hard ground had to be making her as sore as her broken leg. He made a mental note to fix her a softer pallet.
“Making hotcakes,” he answered.
“You know how to cook?”
Her weary tone made him second guess the ideas in his head. “I can cook a few things. One is hotcakes. I don’t always have the ingredients.” He carried the cup of willow bark tea and a plate with two hotcakes over to Allie.
He set the plate and cup on the box of gold he’d slid over to use as a seat and table. “You want me to help you sit up?”
“Please. This ground is making my back ache.”
Isaac stood behind her and grasped under her arms. His hands touched the soft side of her breasts and his mind flashed to the night he’d made love to her. He’d forgotten she didn’t have a stitch of clothing on. Lifting, he picked her body up and slid her legs along the blankets, propping her against the gold box.
“I could use a shirt,” she said, holding the blanket up to her neck.
“I have the top of your dress here.” Isaac plucked what was left of the brown dress from the top of Allie’s bag. He handed the garment to her.
Allie slid one arm in, dropped the blanket and slid the other arm in. Isaac couldn’t take his eyes off her bare skin as her hands moved to button the front of the dress.
“Need help?” he asked.
Allie glanced up, her lips tipped in a half smile. “I’m hungry. If you buttoned this we’d forget about the food.”
The smell of scorched hotcake met his nostrils. “Tarnation!” He hurried to the fireplace and pulled the frying pan off the cooking rack. A black hotcake smoked in the pan.
“You can have one of mine,” Allie said.