“Let’s hope you’ve learned enough to stay alive until you get to Oregon.” He turned to his men. He didn’t have to say a thing. Without a word, they all ground hitched their horses and moved to a section where the soil was softer. Using makeshift tools, they helped Corny dig a shallow grave for his friend. When they finished, they wished him luck and watched as he climbed on his horse and rode off toward town.
As they mounted their horses, Owen said, “You’re a good man, Silas Haywood. I’m proud I got to meet you and your brother.”
Silas didn’t know what to say. Nobody had ever given him such a compliment. All he could do was mumble, “Thanks.”
Chapter 29
“So you let him ride off?” Adela looked at her husband.
The three men were eating the late supper she and Leona served them.
“He was just a kid, Adela.” Silas smiled at her. “I think he was telling the truth when he said the other guy pushed him into it.”
“I think Silas did the right thing, Miz Adela.” Curly said. “The boy was actually crying when we said something about hanging him.”
“You wouldn’t have hung him without a trial, would you, Silas?”
“Of course not. We just wanted to teach him a lesson he’d remember.”
“I think he learned it well. I thought he was going to kiss Silas’s feet when he told him to ride out and never set foot in Arizona Territory again.” Owen held his coffee cup for Leona to refill.
“Silas, come help me!” Rena’s frantic voice cut into their conversation.
Silas was on his feet and running toward the bedroom before the others could get up. He burst through the door to see Jake fighting and Rena trying to calm him.
He rushed to the bed and pushed his brother back to the pillows. “Calm down, Jake.”
“Rena, where’s Rena?” Jake almost screamed.
“I’m right here, darling.”
He didn’t seem to hear her. “Wigham has Rena. Got to stop him.” His voice was raspy and he tried to get up again.
“No, Jake. Rena’s here. Wigham didn’t get her.” Silas held his brother down.
Jake finally dropped back to the bed and became quiet. He’d passed out.
Rena was smiling through tears. “Oh thank God. He’s going to be all right, Silas. I know my husband is coming back to me.”
Adela, who was now in the room, put her hand on Rena’s shoulder. “Yes, Rena. He’ll be fine.”
Rena knelt on the floor beside the bed and took Jake’s hand in hers. She lifted it to her lips and kissed it tenderly. “Oh, Jake. I’m so glad you’re moving around. I know you’ll soon be as strong and healthy as you ever were. You have to be. There’s no way I could survive in this world without you. Please come all the way back to me soon. I love and need you so.”
Silas always thought Jake should’ve married a woman who was born in this wild country, but he was beginning to rethink it. He knew his brother loved this strange little woman and it was now obvious that Rena loved Jake. He’d never seen a woman who was as open to show her love for her husband. He figured women must be more brazen in her time, but didn’t they try to be more restrained around other men? He cocked his eye and looked at his sister-in-law. Obviously, not. He motioned for Adela to follow him out of the room.
* * * *
Though he had yet to wake up, Jake seemed to improve after this incident. Rena continued to change his bandage and coat his wound with honey twice a day. She also secretly fed him the penicillin dissolved in coffee. She had Leona or Adela bring her pans of warm water and she refused anyone’s help except Silas as she bathed her husband every morning. With Silas’s help, she rolled Jake over and changed his sheets after each bath. Nobody seemed to understand why the sheets had to be washed daily, but Rena knew it was important to keep away all the germs she could. She let everyone think she was picky and didn’t try to explain about the need for cleanliness. She’d already learned that few people in this era believed in the germs and bacteria they couldn’t see.
Two days later Jake had a restless day and Rena hadn’t left the room. She felt he might wake up and she wanted to be there.
By evening, she was exhausted. She set her coffee cup on the table beside the bed, leaned back in the rocker and drifted into a light sleep.
She heard someone speak, and she opened her eyes. She glanced around, but no one was there. She turned her gaze to Jake.
He smiled at her. “Hi, beautiful,” he whispered in a raspy voice.
“Oh, Jake! You’re awake.” She leaped out of the rocking chair so quickly it turned on its side and crashed to the floor. She ignored it. Kneeling by the bed, Rena grabbed Jake’s hand. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up. I knew you would. I just knew it.” She kissed his fingertips as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.
Jake rubbed the tears off her face with the fingers she left free. “Why are you crying, my love?”
“I’m so glad to see you awake that I can’t hold back my tears.”
“You look beautiful,” he whispered.
Before she could answer, Silas and Adela, followed by Leona and Owen, burst into the room. They stopped when they saw Rena and Jake absorbed with each other. Owen and Leona backed into the hall. Silas and Adela waited at the foot of the bed and watched the tender reunion.
Finally Rena looked up at them. “He’s going to be fine.”
“Could I come and speak to him?”
“Of course, Silas.” Rena smiled at him through her happy tears.
Silas moved to the side of the bed and stood behind Rena. “It’s good to have you back with the living, Brother.”
“How long…”
“Five days and four nights.”
“What happened to me?”
“Wigham—”
“You were shot, darling,” Rena interrupted Silas. “But you’re going to be okay now.”
“You sure are, Jake.” Silas glanced at Rena. “Your little wife here has doctored you like a baby. If everyone got that much attention, not near as many people would leave this world from gunshot wounds.”
“I wasn’t about to let you die and leave me. I need you to help me cope with this way of life.” She smiled at Jake. “Now, all I have to do is nurse you back to full health and things can get back to normal.”
He squeezed her hand, but she noticed he was still very weak. There wasn’t a lot of pressure. “Who shot me, Rena?”
She’d wanted to avoid upsetting him by telling him, but she wouldn’t lie. “Jasper Wigham.”
“Is he…”
“The sheriff is taking care of it, Jake,” Silas said.
“Good.” Jake held on to Rena, not only with his hand, but with his gaze, too.
She kissed his cheek for what seemed the hundredth time.
“Don’t do that again,” he whispered.
Rena looked shocked. “You don’t want me to…”
“I want you to kiss me where you’re supposed to, and that’s not my cheek,” he whispered.
Rena didn’t hesitate. She brought her lips close to his. “I love you.”
“I’m glad, because I love you, too.”
Adela walked up and joined her husband. “Hello, Jake.”
“Adela.” His voice was getting weaker.
She turned to Silas. “Honey, I don’t think we should tire Jake. Maybe we should let him get some rest.”
“Is there anything you want before we leave you to your wife?” Silas looked at him. Rena could tell he was having a hard time keeping the moisture from filling his eyes.
Jake grinned. “A cup of coffee.”
“You can sure have that.” Adela grinned.
“It will be here in a minute.” Silas reached out and took his brother’s hand for a quick shake. He then turned, righted the toppled chair and escorted Adela out of the room.
In a minute Adela returned with the coffee, but Jake had already gone back to sleep holding Rena’s hand against his lips.
* *
* *
Rena sat on the side of Jake’s bed at lunchtime a few days later. He kept frowning while she fed him chicken broth. “Don’t make such a face. It’s not that bad,” she teased. “Come on, eat. It’ll make you strong and healthy.”
“Strong and healthy, hell. I think somebody in that kitchen is trying to kill me. I need some beef and potatoes.”
“You’ll get your beef and potatoes, but not for a couple of days. You have to give your stomach time to readjust.”
“What do you mean? My stomach it fine with the exception of the fact that it’s starving. You’re not letting me eat enough to keep a kid alive, much less a man.”
“I want you well and strong again. Now, open your mouth.” She put a big spoonful of the broth inside.
He swallowed, then frowned. “Sounds like somebody in a buggy outside.”
“There’re enough people here to take care of whoever it is. Right now all you have to do is eat.” She gave him another bite.
“You know the only reason I’m eating this mess is because you’re feeding it to me. I’d eat dried leaves to have you sitting here.”
“That’s sweet of you.” She smiled at him. “Maybe since you’re being a good boy, I’ll see if I can’t slip you something solid for supper.”
“I sure would appreciate it, ma’am.” He winked at her.
There was a knock on the bedroom door. “Come in,” Rena called.
Silas came into the room followed by another man. “Doc Bradley came by to check on you, Jake. I think he figured he’d find that we’d done buried you.”
“I sure did.” The doctor looked at Jake then at Rena.
She nodded to him, got off the bed and set the soup bowl on the table. “Would you like to check Jake?”
He eyed her, but nodded. “Want to leave us alone?” His voice was brisk.
“I want her to stay, Doc. She’s my good luck charm.” Jake took her hand.
“I want to check that wound. I thought it might upset her.”
“I doubt that, Doc,” Silas said. “She’s changed the bandage on it twice a day without getting upset. She’s tougher than she looks.”
“Suit yourself.” The doctor moved to the bed and removed the bandage. He examined Jake’s injury. “I’ll be damned. There’s no sign of infection.” He looked over his glasses at Rena, but didn’t say anything.
“She’s made sure we’ve kept everything clean and that nobody touched Jake with dirty hands. She says there’re germs or some such things that could cause infection,” Silas explained.
“I’ve heard about that, but I don’t put much stock in it.”
Rena wanted to tell him maybe he should, but she decided to keep her mouth shut. She wasn’t a doctor and there might come a time when they needed him.
“Well, Jake, I don’t know if your woman saved your life or if you’re just damn lucky. By all rights, you should be dead.” He looked at Rena. “Maybe you should put up a shingle and start treating people.”
Rena shook her head. “I’m not a doctor.”
“Well, you sure act like one. Telling me what I could and couldn’t do to your husband.”
She bit her lip. “I’m sorry if I offended you, but I was very upset. All I wanted was for Jake to get well.”
“And you didn’t think I could help him get well?”
“I only knew that bleeding someone is seldom helpful. Doctors in Atlanta say it kills more people than it helps. The thoughts of Jake dying made me act irrational.”
The doctor bit his lip. “After you were so insistent about it, I read a couple of things that said some doctors were beginning to question the validity of it, so I guess I understand your reaction.”
“Thank you for forgiving me for being so rude.”
“The other thing I want to know is why in the world did you put honey on the wound? Don’t they think that’s outdated in Atlanta?”
“No. Doctors have used it on open wounds for years. I understand it’s a pure substance that helps fight infection.”
“I’ve heard about that too. It’s just that sometimes it’s hard to come by out here. I guess I’ll have to try it more often.” He turned back to Jake. “Glad you made it, boy. You’re too young to die.”
“I agree.” Jake winked at Rena.
“I heard you’d just got married. Looks like she’s going to be a handful.”
“I don’t doubt that.” Jake smiled. “But I think she’s worth it.”
“Maybe I should wish you good luck, then.”
“Thanks.”
The doctor looked at Rena again. “If you have a problem that you haven’t heard how to solve in Atlanta, let me know. I might be an old time doctor, but I know a few things.”
“I’m sure you know a lot about your field and I know we’ll call on you.” She smiled at him. “I just hope everyone stays healthy and nobody gets shot anytime soon.”
“If they do, I’m sure you can handle it.” He chuckled. “Now if you want to give birth, I might come in handy.”
“I hope we need you for that one of these days, Doc.” Jake grinned at Rena.
She blushed. Only if he learns a thing or two about keeping things sanitary.
The doctor nodded. “Okay, I’ll see you around. No need to show me out, Silas. I can find my way.”
“If you’re not in a rush, Doc, the women fixed a powerful good dinner. A pot roast and some fresh vegetables. We’d be obliged if you’d have something to eat before you head out.” Silas put his hand on the man’s shoulder.
“It sounds good. I haven’t had a good meal in a while. Seems like every woman in the area has decided it’s time to give birth. When they’re in that condition, they never want to feed me.”
“Well, come along.” Silas nodded to Jake and Rena and led the doctor from the room.
Rena picked up the bowl from the table and took her seat on Jake’s bed. “It’s a little cold, but it’ll still fill you up.”
He frowned at her. “You give that quack pot roast and vegetables, and all I get is this thin watery soup.”
She leaned over and kissed the end of his nose. “But he doesn’t get me to feed him and you do.”
“Then I guess it’s worth eating this awful mess.” He lifted his head while her face was still close. “Especially if I get a proper kiss.”
She kissed him and felt him kiss her back. “You better stop that or I’ll forget what I’m doing and spill this soup in your bed.”
“Set it on the table. I want to take you in my arms and kiss you for real.”
“Jake, you’re not strong enough…”
“All I want is a kiss. You wouldn’t deprive a sick man of that, would you?”
“But you need to eat.”
“Okay. Give me that bowl.” When she handed it to him, Jake turned it up and drank the remaining broth. He handed it back to her. “Now, the soup’s gone. Put that empty bowl on the table and let me kiss you.”
She did.
Chapter 30
That afternoon Adela and Silas came into Jake’s room. Rena was already there. They closed the door and together told him what had happened at the cottonwoods after he was shot. When he learned Wigham had taken Rena, they thought Silas was going to have to sit on Jake to keep him from coming out of bed and going after the man.
When he calmed down he looked at Rena. “Are you sure he didn’t hurt you?”
“Darling, he didn’t touch me.” She got out of one of the chairs Silas had brought into the room. Adela was sitting in the rocker. Rena took Jake’s hand. “He didn’t even help me down off the horse. One of his hands did.”
“That bastard probably had every intention of…”
“But he didn’t, Jake.” She smiled at him. “If he had, I’d tell you. I can’t keep anything from you.”
“I believe you, Rena. It just makes me furious.”
“I knew you’d be.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I’d be upset if you hadn’t cared.”
�
��Sit with me.” Jake patted the side of the bed. “I want you close.”
Without hesitation, Rena sat down beside her husband and leaned her back against the headboard. “Like this?”
“Yes. Like that.” He slipped his arm around her shoulder. “Go on with your story.”
Rena told him how she’d embellished Rachel McGregor’s tale about her being from the royalty and how Wigham swallowed the lie. She then told him about the men in the restaurant and how she searched Jasper’s desk. She ended with Jasper escorting her home. “He thought you were dead and that I had a funeral to plan.” She looked up at him. “And all the time I was praying that Finn had found you and got you to a doctor.”
“I’m not going to leave you anytime soon,” he said in her ear.
Silas took up the story and explained about the lease on the land and how he’d gone to see the lawyer. He also told him he’d reported the shooting to the sheriff.
Jake squinted. “Do you mean we own the ranch Wigham is sitting on?”
“Don’t make me explain it again, brother.” Silas sat his coffee cup on the table beside Jake’s bed. “That wife of yours has made us rich men.”
“When is this all going to take place?”
“As soon as the lawyer can get the papers to prove everything.”
Jake shook his head. “It still galls me that Rena was in that man’s house. What if he’d raped her?”
“He didn’t, darling.”
“I know, but what if…”
“Jake, don’t say what if. It didn’t happen.” Remembering the paper she found in Jasper’s desk, she reached over and patted his stomach, adding, “Something good will come from this. The worst part was you getting shot. Nothing worse than that could’ve happened to me.”
“I don’t agree.”
“Well, I do. When Jasper shot you, I wanted to die. I’ve sat by this bed and prayed the hardest I’ve ever prayed in my life. I didn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I’m going to be fine.” He pulled her tighter against him.
“Thanks to Rena,” Adela said. “She saved your life, Jake.”
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