Her mouth was cotton and her throat craved water. “Drink…”
Jacob placed one hand behind her head to assist as she took several sips. It soothed like food to a starving man, but the effort was exhausting. She sank back against the pillow.
“What…happened?” she managed to croak.
The man on her right answered, “It seems you got in the way of a bullet, young lady. It passed through the outer edge of your leg cleanly, so it should heal fine if you give it the chance. Might be painful for a while, though.”
Anna turned toward the man as he spoke. He was of medium build with salt-and-pepper hair and round-rimmed glasses that made him look scholarly. As if he could read her mind, he smiled. “I’m Doctor Steiner. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Stewart, but unfortunate to be under these circumstances.”
She offered a weak smile. “Thank you.”
The doctor turned to Aunt Lola, who was hovering at the foot of the bed. “I’ve sanitized the wound and will leave you laudanum to give her for the pain. You’ll need to change the dressing once a day for the first week. I’ll be out again to check on her in a few days.”
The older woman nodded. “Don’t you be afearin’, Doc. We’ll take good care of our girl.”
“I have no doubt.” He nodded and pulled a small glass bottle from his bag. “One spoonful if the pain gets bad. I’ve already injected a dose, so she shouldn’t need any more for a while.”
He turned back to Anna. “Stay in bed for a full week, then you can move around a little bit with walking sticks. You’ll need to use them to help you walk for at least two weeks after that.”
Jacob nodded. “We’ll make sure she gets plenty of rest and doesn’t overdo things.”
Doctor Steiner looked satisfied and reached out to shake Jacob’s hand. “I guess I’ll be on my way then.”
“You’ll be needin’ a snack for the road, I’m a’thinkin’,” Aunt Lola said, leading the doctor out the bedroom door. “I’ll cut ye a slice of pound cake.”
When the pair left, Edward edged closer to Anna, opposite from where Jacob stood like a guard on sentry next to the bed. Edward’s eyes held a hint of worry but also a new maturity that had not been there before. “Are you gonna be okay, sis?”
Despite her exhaustion, Edward’s question sent a warmth through her chest. She reached out to touch her brother’s hand. “I’ll be fine, thanks to you. I can’t believe you saved me.”
He dropped his head and scuffed at the floor, red touching his cheeks. It made him look like the overgrown boy she was accustomed to. Still, his broad shoulders and muscled forearms foretold the man he was becoming.
She had to speak before she lost her nerve. “Jacob was right.”
Edward’s head shot up, and his eyes drifted to Jacob before meeting her own.
“I do need to let you grow up and become the man God has planned for you.” She squeezed his callused hand. “I’m proud of you, little brother.”
He didn’t hold her gaze long, and she could tell she’d embarrassed him. It had needed to be said, though.
“Why don’t you head downstairs now? I’ll just rest for a bit.” Even as she spoke, her eyes drifted closed.
* * *
Jacob poked his head through Anna’s open doorway the next morning. “G’morning. Edward said you were awake. Are you hungry?”
Anna was propped up on pillows and gave him a smile that seemed to require real effort. “Come on in.”
He maneuvered through the doorway holding a tray filled with steamed oats, bacon, and tea. “Aunt Lola sent this up for you. I’m afraid she has her hands full making food for the men, so I volunteered to bring it up.” He gave her a wink.
“I’m sorry she has to do my work, too.”
“Don’t be feelin’ sorry for her. I think she likes the challenge.”
Jacob set the tray down on the edge of the bed and tucked his large frame into the chair next to Anna. The room seemed small and confining, and he tugged at his collar. He would much rather be outside where he could have room to breathe and stretch his legs.
Anna raised a brow. She must have noticed his discomfort. “You don’t have to stay and watch me eat. I know you need to get out in the pasture with the men.” Her skin was still pale except for the pink that spread across her cheeks and nose from the harsh sun while she’d been tied to the tree.
A wave of protectiveness washed over him. “I’m not going anywhere for now. You eat up so you can get your strength back.”
Her eyes widened a bit, but she obeyed and managed a few bites before sinking back onto the pillows.
She turned to him with questions in her eyes. “You never told me what happened yesterday. Did they catch the cattle thieves? I remember seeing one of them wounded on the ground. Is he okay? Was anyone else hurt?”
The muscles in Jacob’s jaw tightened. “They caught ’em all. Sheriff Brown has them locked up for now until the judge comes back from San Antonio to hang ‘em.”
Anna’s hazel eyes widened even more. “You think they’ll be hung?”
“I’m sure of it. This is the same band that stole our cattle and tied up Edward last winter. With that and what they did to you yesterday, they’ll be lucky if a lynch mob doesn’t take them out before the judge does.”
Her body shuddered.
Jacob stroked a finger over the lines on Anna’s hand. “You’re safe now.” He looked up into her eyes, and the haunted look he found there tightened his chest. “I will never let anything like that happen to you again as long as I live.” He raised her fingers to his lips and gently kissed them. If only he could erase the awful memories that would likely haunt her for weeks to come.
Anna drew a shaky breath. “When I was out there, tied to the tree waiting for them to come back and do who knows what, I prayed.”
Jacob kissed her fingers again and murmured, “I’m sure you did.”
Anna continued, “I prayed and God reminded me of several verses from Psalms where he talks about saving us from evil. He gave me this overwhelming feeling of peace.” The corners of her mouth turned up in the beginnings of a smile. “Then he sent my little brother to save me.”
“He’s not so little anymore.”
Her long lashes dipped as she blinked then looked back up at him. “No, you were right. Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For helping him grow up.”
A surge of warmth sluiced through him. He loved this woman with everything inside him. It was way past time to tell her so and make her his own. He almost opened his mouth right then to tell her, but one look at her lying injured in the bed stopped him. Not here. Not like this. He needed to give her time to recover first. He needed to do this right.
Instead, he reached over and cupped her cheek with his hand. “Anytime. But now it’s time for you to rest so you can get your strength back.” He rose and laid a gentle kiss in her hair, drawing in the sweet scent of honeysuckle he’d learned to associate with her. “Sweet dreams.” He turned to pick-up the tray and strode out of the room, an unfamiliar knot tightening in his stomach.
* * *
When Anna next awoke, sunlight poured through her windows. Abigail lay curled on the floor and thumped her tail when Anna’s eyes opened.
“Hey, girl,” Anna said, holding out a hand to the puppy. The dog came forward, tail fanning like a flag in a lazy breeze. As Anna scratched the silky hair between her ears, Abigail sat and gazed at her with a look of complete adoration. Something in the chair caught Anna’s eye, and she sat up to get a better look, wincing at the pain. There lay a sprig of yellow honeysuckle and a slip of paper. She carefully picked them up and read the note. Proverbs 31:10.
Curious, Anna reached for her Bible on the bedside table and flipped to the verse. Who can find a virtuous woman, for her worth is far above rubies. Her mouth pulled into a smile and she fingered the flower, inhaling the sweet scent she had always loved. The note was written in Jacob’s even hand. Did he think she
was worth far more than rubies? She glanced down at the blanket covering her injury. She wasn’t worth much of anything lying in bed. If only she could be up and moving again, working in the kitchen…helping. She wanted to be a helpmate to Jacob, just like the virtuous woman described in Proverbs thirty-one.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Over the next few days, Anna strengthened and the pain in her leg lessened. She hated staying in bed all the time, but Jacob always brought her breakfast in the morning and read a couple of chapters from the Bible while she ate. He stopped in to visit throughout each afternoon when she wasn’t sleeping, and at least once a day she would awaken to find a flower and a note on the seat of the chair. Aunt Lola was also a frequent visitor, and both Edward and Mr. O’Brien came by a couple of times each day to offer a cheery word. For the first few days, she slept much of the time, but as she was able to wean herself from the laudanum, she was awake more and more.
Jacob wasn’t going out to work with the cattle. When he wasn’t with her, he tinkered in the barn or did odd jobs around the house. It was strange. Nothing had kept him from the livestock before. Was he hanging around because of her? A warmth flooded her chest, but a seed of concern planted itself in her mind. She didn’t like the idea of being so much trouble that Jacob couldn’t even do the work he loved. She would just have to speak with him about it that morning. It was almost breakfast time, and Jacob would likely be coming up with her tray any minute.
As if he’d read her mind, boot thuds echoed up the stairway and down the hall, stopping outside Anna’s room. She reached up to tuck a few wayward strands of hair behind her ears. It was bad enough she had to lay here in her dressing gown, but the least she could do was keep her hair styled. As soon as the pain had subsided enough for her to realize her state of disarray, Anna had engaged Aunt Lola’s assistance in braiding her long hair so it didn’t flow loose around her shoulders. Things may be a bit wilder and more practical in Texas, but she would make sure her sense of decency held strong.
The light knock on the door brought a smile to her face. “Come on in.”
The door opened and Jacob peered around the edge. “You hungry?”
“Starved.” Her stomach flip-flopped like that of a giddy school girl as Jacob approached. His strong jaw was freshly shaven and his short brown hair still slicked back since he hadn’t yet donned his cowboy hat for the day. The royal blue shirt he wore didn’t disguise the breadth of his shoulders and the muscles that played across his chest and arms with each of his movements.
As always, he wore the blue bandanna Anna had given him for Christmas, and she was struck again by how closely it matched his eyes. She studied it intently. The fabric was worn around the edges. She’d need to buy more fabric as soon as she could get to town. Too bad she didn’t have the material now, for she certainly had time on her hands.
Jacob placed the tray on the side of the bed and folded his tall frame into the cushioned chair. “How’re ya feeling today?”
“Much better. The pain’s not as bad, and I haven’t had to take the laudanum this morning.” She bowed her head slightly and chanced a look at him. “Hopefully, I can stop sleeping so much, like I’ve done for the last few days.”
“Sleep is what you’ve needed, I guess.” He nodded toward the tray that she hadn’t yet touched. “And food is what you need now. Eat up so you don’t hurt Aunt Lola’s feelings again by not finishing her food.”
Anna’s heart sank. “Oh, I’m so sorry. The food has been wonderful. I just haven’t quite had my normal appetite.”
A mischievous twinkle flashed in Jacob’s eyes. “Don’t worry yourself overmuch. I’ve been finishing off what you couldn’t eat. Just didn’t want to make the cook feel bad.” He leaned back a bit and rubbed a hand over his flat stomach.
It took her a moment to absorb his words, then a giggle snuck out before she could catch it. “Well in that case, you might as well help me eat now instead of making me dine by myself.” She pushed the plate with biscuits and strips of bacon in Jacob’s direction. “I’ll be doing good to finish the hotcakes with everything she’s piled here. You eat these.”
Jacob eyed the food for a second as if debating the sincerity of her words. He finally looked at Anna with a raised eyebrow then gave a slight shrug and leaned forward to pick up a piece of bacon. “I wouldn’t want to make you eat by yourself.” He popped it in his mouth.
Anna nibbled the hotcake, watching Jacob out of the corner of her eye. There was something intimate and comfortable about eating from the same tray. But why was she shy in his presence? She had to say something to break through her awkwardness. “Jacob.”
“Yep.” Elbows resting on his long legs, he raised his eyes to meet her gaze and the familiar tightening squeezed her chest at their blue intensity.
“You, um, haven’t gone out with the cattle in a few days. Is there something wrong?”
Jacob studied her for a few moments, all traces of laughter gone from his face, then looked down at the biscuit in his hands. “I thought I’d stay close for a few days…until things get back to normal.”
Anna leaned forward and laid a hand on his arm. “I hope you’re not staying here because of me. I love having you around, but I don’t want to be any trouble for you.”
Jacob stared at her hand on his arm as if deep in thought then lifted his gaze to look at Anna’s face. A sheen of moisture covered the usually clear blue of his eyes. His voice was low and intense. “I… We almost lost you. When you were unconscious and I was racing to get you to the house so you could be doctored, I prayed God would keep you alive. I promised I would never let anything like that happen to you again. I’m just trying to keep my promise.”
Anna’s heart tightened at the pain in his eyes. “Jacob, God doesn’t expect you to sit here and watch over me. That’s His job.”
He nodded, dropping his gaze back down to Anna’s hand that still rested on his arm. “I know.”
He sat staring at her hand for a long moment, then his Adam’s apple bobbed and he seemed to recover himself. He leaned back in the chair and let Anna’s hand slide down his arm and into the palm of his large, work-roughened hand. Anna relished the warmth of his skin.
“You finish eating now while I go talk to Pa for a few minutes before he heads to town. Anything you want him to bring back for you?”
Anna’s eyes trailed to the bandanna around Jacob’s neck. “There is something. If you’ll get me a piece of paper, I’ll write down a list for my aunt to gather for me at the store.”
Jacob nodded and kissed her palm, sending a shiver up Anna’s arms. Rising, he smiled with both brows raised. Something about the quirk of his mouth spoke a promise Anna couldn’t quite discern. “I’ll be right back.”
* * *
The week had seemed like at least a month, but Anna was finally up and moving on the crutches the doctor brought her. She was determined to make it downstairs, but still didn’t have the strength or stamina to sit upright in a chair for very long. So she settled for arranging herself on the sofa in the den in time for the family to gather after dinner and listen to Mr. O’Brien read from the Bible.
It was wonderful to be sitting, in a dress, not a dressing gown, with her adopted family all around. Mr. O’Brien, nestled in his overstuffed chair, read from the book of First Samuel while Aunt Lola rocked and crocheted next to him. The steady rhythm soothed the tension in her nerves and reminded Anna of early memories of her own Mama. Jacob inhabited his usual chair between the sofa and the fireplace and wiped down several bridles as he listened to the reading. He was always so industrious. Since Anna sat on the sofa with her leg propped across the extra seat. Edward had brought in a chair from the dining room and sat stroking Abigail’s head. She gazed at him with her devoted-dog eyes.
Each person in this menagerie was so near and dear to her heart. Anna’s eyes stung at the love that threatened to overwhelm her chest. At a gentle touch on her shoulder, she glanced at Jacob.
His brows
pinched, shadowing his blue gaze. “Does your leg hurt?” He mouthed the words so he didn’t interrupt the story of Samuel inspecting Jesse’s sons to find the future king.
Anna flashed him what she hoped was a convincing smile and shook her head slightly. The truth was, the pain in her leg was getting worse the longer she sat there. She’d probably overdone it a bit for today.
Once again, Jacob seemed to read her mind. As soon as there was a break in the story, he stretched and yawned dramatically. “I reckon I’m a bit tired tonight. Do you mind if we stop there so I can check the animals before turning in early?”
Aunt Lola ‘harrumphed.’ “Don’t know how you could be tired from hangin’ around the house all day. But Anna, on the other hand, has been up more than she ought. Reckon it’s time for her to be turnin’ in.” Setting her needlework back in the basket beside the rocking chair, Aunt Lola pushed to her feet. “Come on, lassie. Let’s be gettin’ ya upstairs.”
* * *
Two weeks later, Anna sat across from Jacob in the kitchen, her hands busy peeling potatoes for breakfast. She’d made Aunt Lola promise to sleep in this morning and allow Anna to resume cooking duties on her own.
As her knife flew around the potato almost of its own accord, Anna eyed Jacob. He’d been awfully quiet this morning…almost moody. Right now, he held a coffee cup in hand and stared out the kitchen window to some far distant place. He was going stir crazy missing the cattle and the cowboys, the life he loved. He hadn’t said a word about it, though, so Anna wasn’t altogether sure if he knew what was making him so gloomy. Of course, maybe he didn’t mention it because he didn’t want Anna to feel bad. If that was the case, then she needed to say something now. Anna took a deep breath. “I think they miss you as much as you miss them.”
Jacob turned to look at her as if he’d just realized she was in the room. “What?”
The Rancher Takes a Cook Page 17