“Heard of him, he’s a good man,” Bull said.
“I agree, despite the fact that he was probably the one us,” Buck added.
“Perhaps, but I think it was Richard he was after more than us,” Bull added.
Chapter 31
Josie walked out the door to the dugout. Standing the overhang, she stretched as she looked out over the slightly rolling land. She watched as the sky shaded from gray to yellow then that beautiful shade of blue that was unique to Colorado. A low hanging star was fighting against the coming sun, soon to be lost in the day’s brightness, Josie knew.
With Bull and Buck asleep, Josie knew she could easily walk away. Despite their efforts to hide the location, she had a good idea where she was. So why didn’t she walk away? “Because you have a patient,” she answered herself. “Two,” she corrected.
Sighing, and looking to the horizon again, a movement seen from the corner of her eye brought her back around. Eyes searching, at first, she saw nothing, then a dot appeared just beyond the rise in the land. So brief was the glimpse at first she thought it was a play of the early morning light. When it appeared again, Josie decided it must be Case, for she knew he’d been watching, not wanting to be inside.
With a smile, thinking of the three, Josie returned inside the dugout to check on her patients. She supposed in normal circumstances there would be those who questioned a woman alone with three men for an extended time. Josie hoped that would not be the case this time. Most of the people in Kiowa Wells knew and, she hoped, respected her as a doctor first, woman second. When she’d been caring for Will, she believed she’d convinced the women of her professionalism. Of course, Will had been so disarming with the ladies, they couldn’t help but believe there was nothing between them. Now, she wished there had been more.
Shaking her head at her fanciful dreams, Josie was greeted with a sleepy, “Where were you?”
“Getting some air,” Josie answered, starting to mention what she’d seen, only to keep that information to herself. Bull and Buck knew Case was out there, that he would take care of anything or anyone coming this way.
“Don’t do that again unless one of us is with you,” Bull said. “Richard still may be out there, and we don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Josie smiled at Bull, “I will take your request under consideration,” she replied, bending over to check the wound, and finding it healing, patted Bull on the shoulder. “If you take it easy, you should make a full recovery.”
Moving over to Buck, Josie checked his fingers, and seeing no major swelling or discoloration, patted the man’s arm. “Things look good. Just be careful to keep your arm up. It helps with the swelling.”
Buck blushed, and whispered, “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t hurt you.”
“I know,” Josie said, placing a sisterly kiss on the man’s whiskered cheek. If anything, Buck blushed even more.
“So, you get yourself kidnapped and I find you kissing your captors,” Will said as he entered the dugout.
Josie jumped at the sound of the man who’d been in her thoughts most of the time over the last two days. Then, his words sank in and Josie rounded on him, eyes shooting sparks.
“Of all the stupid, pig-headed,” Josie sputtered, advancing with each word, “You immediately assume the woman did something wrong, that I am at fault, and to think...” Josie stopped, stomping her foot on Will’s boot. “And to think...”
Bull and Buck watched, neither one moving. So this is the man who’d been following them from Pond City, the man that Richard had tried to kill, and here was this little spitfire tearing into him and he was just standing there. He must have it bad, Bull thought.
Will was stunned. He’d walked in, expecting Josie to be tied up, a hostage. Instead, she was wandering around freely, unharmed. So what was he to think?
“I walk in and find you kissing a strange man,” Will began.
“And you assumed,” Josie interrupted. “If you had bothered to look, they are both injured. So yes, I could have left, but then who would have taken care of their injuries? Answer me that William Murphy!”
Sheepishly, Will looked about, noticing that what Josie said was true. It hurt that he couldn’t rescue her, that she’d taken care of these men, and he’d made a mess of everything.
“Well, well, well, seems I finally caught a break,” came Richard’s laughing voice from the back of the dugout as he advanced into the room. “You,” Richard said, pointing at Josie, “Get over here.”
“I will not,” Josie retorted.
“If you don’t, then one or both of these men,” Richard continued, pointing his pistol at Bull and Buck, “gets a bullet and it’ll be your fault. And you, Murphy, drop your gun.”
Silence reigned, but no one moved. Josie could see Richard’s eyes change, his body tense when no one responded to his demand. Slowly, she moved away from Will, keeping herself between Richard’s gun and the others. She wasn’t sure what she would do, but at least she could buy some time. Then the thought hit her, where was Case? Perhaps he was still out there. As long as he was safe, there might be a chance.
“Why threaten?” Josie asked, her eyes never leaving Richard’s. She watched him watching her, not really taking in the others. So he had trouble focusing, or rather, he focused on one thing at a time.
“All you had to do was ask.”
“And let Murphy ruin things for me again? He’s the one who made my life hell.”
“I can believe that. He has a way of being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Josie agreed.
“So you do understand.” Richard smiled. “It seems that even Dutch, that’s the man who rode off with the stolen money, money I would have used to—”
“Used to what?” Will asked, only to have Josie shoot him a look remain quiet. What is she up to? Will wondered, fear and pride warring within him.
Richard turned his eyes from Josie, pistol moving slightly, only to have Josie adjust her steps to remain in the line of fire.
“I know, money would have allowed you to do so much,” Josie said.
“Yes, and now,” Richard lunged forward and grabbing Josie, moved her in front of him as a shield, pistol moving to cover the three again. “Now, you all will pay for making my life miserable.”
Before Richard could get set, Josie hammered down on the gun arm and Case, who had crept in by the back way, grabbed him from behind. Retaining his hold on Josie, the three went down backwards as Richard tried to keep the upper hand.
The minute Josie had chopped Richard’s arm, Will lunged forward, and grabbing Josie, flung her away and entered into the fight. Although Richard surprised them with his strength, Will and Case soon had him subdued.
“I’ll get you for this,” Richard screamed over and over. Will, with Case’s help, tied the man, and Case took him outside.
Will looked over to see Josie lying on the floor, not moving. His heart skipped a beat and he couldn’t get air into his lungs. Buck was trying to revive her with his good arm, but he couldn’t raise her up. From the bed, Bull said, “Young man, that woman loves you.”
Will stopped, turning to look at the wounded man, “What?”
“If you’d have been paying attention, she kept herself in the line of fire the whole time she was advancing. Only someone who cares deeply for someone would take a bullet for him.”
“Can you help?” Buck called from behind Will.
His paralysis fled as Will rushed to Josie, taking her in his arms. Holding her close, he whispered in her ear, “Wake up sleeping beauty. I love you, you know.”
“What?” Josie croaked, “what did you say?”
“I said I love you, and dang it, I want to marry you, but I’m not good—,” Will declared stopping as Josie closed her lips over his.
“Don’t you ever say you’re not good enough,” Josie countered, “and that is your doctor’s orders.”
“Yes, doctor,” Will grinned, pulling Josie closer and sealing his declaration with a ki
ss that lasted so long, the three-watching wondered if the two were going to come up for air.
Epilogue
Josie sat in the rocking chair, holding one of the twins, the quilt Grandma Mary made, covering her and their baby son, Cassie watching close by. The other was being held by her father, as he rocked away in the other rocker, Romeo lying at Will’s feet.
Gently, to keep from waking the babe, Josie again read the letter that had come with the quilt.
Dearest Josephine,
I am saddened that I was unable to attend your wedding to William Murphy. He sounds like a wonderful man.
Somehow I knew, once you found the right man, he would accept you for who you are, and love you despite any faults he might think you have. I confess, I did wonder if you would be open to marriage, having chosen the challenging work of being a doctor.
Here is the quilt I started for you. The Wedding Rings signify the interlocking of two people and the life they will make together. I know, despite any differences, and there will be some, the strength of the love you have for each other will carry you through anything life throws at you.
Love,
Grandma Mary
“If you don’t stop reading that letter, it will fall apart,” Will said as he rocked his daughter in his arms, pride showing in his face. As he looked over to Josie, love like he’d never felt caused his heart to feel like it would burst in his chest. He knew he was the luckiest man alive.
A knock on the door brought Homer in, carrying the supplies Josie had asked for.
“Everyone is asking about you, Doctor Josie. They want you to take all the time you need for the babies, but I can tell they miss you,” Homer said, adding as he walked back out the door to get the rest of the order, “and they miss you too, Marshal. Oh and Amos says to tell you Mary Jane is fitting right in.”
Josie laughed, smiling over at Will. “It seems we’ve found a home here.”
Will nodded. Richard was safely locked away, Case, Bull and Buck were working for Mr. Fresch, the latter having caught Dutch and returned the money that had been stolen. Will and Josie said nothing about the three men and their past, and no cattle were rustled from the area. Will thought they three might have something to do with that.
The whole town had turned out when they’d returned from the dugout and then attended the wedding that the Mayor and Mrs. Greene had arranged. Then they had built the house to convince the two they needed to stay here.
“There is nothing too good for our Doctor Josie,” Mrs. Greene had declared, although Josie thought she was just grateful to learn her shortness of breath was a too-tight corset.
Looking down at her son, Charles, then over to his sister Mary, she was content. With the birth of he and his siste,r Mary, Josie knew her dreams had all come true. She not only had a wonderful husband and children, she was also a doctor. To her way of thinking she had the best of all worlds.
Rising, Will gently placed their daughter in her crib and leaning over Josie, kissed her saying, “I love you, dear wife.”
“And I love you, husband.”
~ The End ~
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Additional Information
For more of Angela Raines work, visit her Amazon page at: http://amzn.to/2ipSfoi
Watch for her new website in 2017
Keep up with Angela on her Facebook page: 659639475 http://bit.ly/2b7okij
Angela Raines is the pen name for Doris McCraw. Originally from the mid-west, Doris now calls the Rocky Mountains her home. Doris is a writer, historian, actor, and teacher. An avid reader, Doris loves to spend time in history archives looking for the small, unknown pieces of history. Many times, these pieces end up in her stories or poems.
Currently Doris is working in both the Medieval and Western Romance genre. The two have a wonderful history, much not commonly known which adds to the joy of telling these stories.
A photographer, Doris also writes haiku and combines them with her photography on the haiku blog: fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com.
Enjoy the romances of my character's siblings and cousins.
Every title is a Clean, Sweet Western Historical Romance.
All 12 titles released in January, 2017. To learn more about our series and the individual books, visit SweetAmericanaClub.com.
Grandma's Wedding Quilt Series on Amazon:
1. Grandma’s Wedding Quilts –The Prequel by Kate Cambridge, 01-01-17
2. Kizzie's Kisses by Zina Abbott, 01-09-17
3. Jesse's Bargain by Kay P. Dawson, 01-10-17
4. Meredith's Mistake by Amelia C. Adams, 01-11-17
5. Monica's Mystery by Kate Cambridge, 01-12-17
6. Pleasance's First Love by Kristin Holt, 01-13-17
7. Zebulon's Bride by Patricia PacJac Carroll, 01-14-17
8. Ione's Dilemma by Linda Carroll-Bradd, 01-16-17
9. Josie's Dream by Angela Raines, 01-17-17
10. Chase's Story by P.A. Estelle, 01-18-17
11. Gloria's Song by Kathryn Albright, 01-19-17
12. Tad's Treasure by Shanna Hatfield, 01-20-17
Brought to you by Sweet Americana Sweethearts. Visit us for Sweet & clean romances in North America between 1820s & 1920s, including blog posts from all of us.
Grandma's Wedding Quilts Series Cover Design,
Copyright © Shanna Hatfield, 2016
This book would not be possible without the help of so many people. I would like to thank Cheryl Pierson and Livia Washburn of Prairie Rose Publications for believing in my talent and helping me on this path of being an author. My cover models, Camille and Chris along with my photographer Nadine Keaney. Cover designer Shanna Hatfield. Robyn Echols and all the authors of this series. I thank them all for their support, patience and continued friendship. Please make sure to read their offerings in this series along with all their other works.
Josie's Dream (Grandma's Wedding Quilts Book 9) Page 12