“Maybe so, but you can stitch up a cut on someone’s head or body, and I could never do that. You have a gift like Manfred, a gift of healing.”
Manfred laid his napkin on the table. “And along those lines, it’s time for me to show you the office.” He pushed back his chair and stood then reached over and placed the palm of his hand on Molly’s head. “I’m sure you’re going to be big help to your ma today. In another year or two I may allow you to help around the office.”
Molly smiled and nodded, her eyes bright with the love she had for her pa. “I will take good care of Clara and Tommy today. Auntie Hannah can tell me all about what she does to help you, so someday I can too.”
“That’s my good girl. Now, come, Hannah, it’s time to start our day.” He strode from the room and into the hallway leading to the room where he saw patients.
Hannah swallowed the last bite of her cinnamon bun then patted the crumbs from her mouth. What an exciting day this would be. Her first day as a real nurse working with a doctor. She tweaked Molly’s nose. “I’ll tell you about everything this evening, Miss Molly.”
She followed Manfred to the front of the house where he had his office, an examining room, and one room for patients who needed an overnight stay or more in-depth care. The doctor who had lived here before had built the house with a family in mind as well as a medical facility. Manfred had been fortunate to land such a good practice when the older man had become ill and he and his wife moved away to live with their oldest daughter.
Manfred pointed to the cabinet with a large bowl and ewer sitting on top. “Cleanliness is extremely important to me. You’ll wash your hands after every contact with a patient. You will use only clean instruments and use them once. Soon as you finish with anything, it goes into that bin and then is washed with hot soapy water. I saw enough of what dirty, unsanitary conditions can do to sick and wounded during the war. That’s not going to happen here.”
She’d heard about his ordeal in a Yankee prisoner camp and could understand and agree with his philosophy of cleanliness. She gazed about the rest of the examining room. Two beds sat against opposite walls with partitions that could be pulled around them to give more privacy. In addition, two glass-enclosed cabinets lined the other wall with the table for washing one’s hands between them. Sallie had cleaned the room thoroughly yesterday, and the odor of antiseptic and cleaning supplies lingered in the air. That would be Hannah’s job from now on, and she intended to keep the room sparkling clean and ready for new patients every day.
Micah retrieved his saddle from the stables where he’d left it the night before and checked out the corral. Half a dozen horses milled about. One of them stood out from the others and caught Micah’s attention. “Pa, does that smokey gray colt belong to any of the hands?”
“No. He’s just been broken and was slated for sale, but if he’s the one you want, he’s yours.”
“Does he have a name?” Micah picked up his saddle and headed for the colt. Less than two years old, the young horse tossed his head and mane as Micah approached.
“You called it with his color. Rose named him Smokey. She said he reminded her of the smoke coming from chimneys on cold days. You can rename him if you prefer.”
Micah grinned and slid the bridle into the horse’s mouth. “Nope, that suits him fine.” He finished saddling the horse and joined his father.
“Let’s get started so I can see what you’ve done while I’ve been gone.” Micah turned his horse in the direction the other hands had taken. Levi had raced away before Micah could speak to him, but a chance would come today, of that Micah was certain. The uncertainty lay in how the discussion would end.
Micah spent the morning rounding up strays on the south side of ranch, one skill he hadn’t lost in the years away. At the noon break Micah watched as Levi filled his plate and moved to a spot under a tree at a distance from the others. Micah grabbed his tin plate of beans and bread and ambled over to the same area. Now was as good a time as any. He made his way to the side and came up from the back before Levi had a chance to spot him and get away.
“It’s time we had a talk, Levi.”
Levi’s face hardened and he set his plate on the grass. “I don’t want to talk to you.”
He started to stand up, but Micah gripped Levi’s arm. “I don’t care. It’s going to happen now if I have to tie you up like a calf.”
“Nothing you say is going to change anything.” Levi’s jaw clenched and the muscles there twitched.
“Listen to me and find out.”
When Levi didn’t respond, Micah breathed deeply then exhaled. “Look, I’m sorry I left the way I did, and sorry I never wrote. I was thoughtless and selfish.”
“You can say that again.”
Micah ignored the remark and changed tactics. “How do you think the ranch is doing?” Maybe he could warm up his brother with a little shop talk.
Levi’s eyes narrowed. “So you came back just to check out your inheritance? See how much money you’ll get so eventually you can go blow that too?”
“That’s not what I mean.” Micah frowned. Apparently his brother thought he was just a gold digger. This was going to be harder than he thought.
“Yeah, I just bet. You knew that Pa planned to leave the ranch to you, but you don’t care about it or you wouldn’t have run off.”
“I do care what happens to it, but I don’t want to run it. That should be your job—”
“Sure, leave all the work to me while you go gallivanting to town, drinking and charming all the young ladies—”
Micah interrupted. “How’s Pa? I’m worried about him.”
Levi’s mouth popped open then he frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I don’t think Pa is in good health right now.”
“Ha, that’s a good one. Pa’s as strong as an ox. If you think he’s ailing, that’s just wishful thinking on your part.”
Levi’s derisive laugh cut Micah to the core. At this rate nothing would be settled. But Micah had to keep trying. “I’m serious. Last night when we talked he kept rubbing his chest. Said it was something he ate, but I don’t think so.”
“So what’d you tell Pa during your talk?”
“I apologized. And I promised to stay a month to prove what I can do to help him and you.”
Levi’s hands clenched into fists. “You think you can come in and take up with running things without a by your leave? You’re mistaken, and I won’t stick around and let you boss me around. I’ve been giving the orders the past two years, and I take orders from no one, especially you.”
Levi raised his fist and landed a punch on Micah’s jaw that sent him reeling backward. “That’s what I think of your coming home.” He spun around and stalked away.
Micah nursed his jaw. Trying to call Levi back now would do no good. By the set of his shoulders and the firmness of his step, his brother would not listen. Besides, Levi twisted any little thing Micah said until Micah couldn’t tell up from down or forward from backward. In Levi’s mind, Micah was the most selfish, self-absorbed creature on the planet. And maybe he was. Once.
Micah hunkered down and poked at the beans on his plate. Maybe he could wait a few days until Levi cooled off some and then try again to reason with him. Something was wrong with Pa, he was sure of it, and now that he was back home, he needed to convince Levi to face facts and work together. The future of the ranch could well depend on it.
CHAPTER 6
THURSDAY MORNING MICAH rose early to pack up his belongings at the hotel. He’d returned last night with the promise to bring everything back to the ranch. Going home to live may not be the best idea, but Ma had insisted, as had his sisters. He’d never been able to resist their charms, so now he planned to check out of the hotel and head for the ranch. Helping out at the ranch gave him security for the moment, but at what price?
He and Levi had never seen eye to eye, but their youthful battles had never reached this extreme. He’d hurt his brothe
r more than he’d realized. The resentment he’d seen in Levi’s eyes yesterday pained Micah, but he deserved every bit of it, even the sucker punch at the end of their argument. Micah rubbed his jaw as he remembered their conversation.
Even after Micah had walked out and disappeared for five years, Pa hadn’t changed his will. Why he hadn’t remained a mystery. Levi deserved the ranch all the way, not just a parcel of land and a small herd. If Pa’s health hadn’t become an issue as well as his promise to stay, Micah wouldn’t be headed to the ranch now. He’d keep his end of the bargain and help take care of the herds, mend fences, and whatever else needed to be done for at least a month. But Micah could make no guarantees as to how long he’d stay after that unless he, Pa, and Levi reached some agreement for the future.
After checking out of the hotel, Micah headed for the livery where he’d returned the rented horse and left Smokey for the night. He may not like to herd cattle and break horses, but he loved to ride. He’d even raced a time or two in earlier years when they had competitions at the Independence Day celebrations. Maybe they’d have a race again this year and he could see if Smokey had the speed of the horse he’d sold.
Camilla Swenson exited the bank, spotted Micah, and hesitated. Smiling, he swept off his hat and crossed the street to her side. “Good morning, Miss Swenson. I assume that is still your name?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Yes, it is.” She gazed at him speculatively. “What brings you back to these parts, Mr. Gordon?”
“I decided it was time to come home. I see I’ve missed a few changes while I’ve been gone, including you. You’re not the same gangly young girl who hung around with my sister at school, and that’s a nice change.”
Camilla’s cheeks turned a bit pink. “Thank you, Mr. Gordon.” She tilted her head to one side and grinned, revealing the dimple in her right cheek. “Will you be coming to church on Sunday? We’d be pleased to see you there.”
“Thank you, Miss Swenson. If you are there, I promise to make a point of attending.”
Micah shifted the bag to his other hand. Nice as it was talking to Camilla, the quicker he got out to the ranch, the quicker he could get to work. No sense in giving Levi any more reason to fuss at him. He smiled at Camilla and placed his hat back on his head. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get to the ranch.”
He turned toward the livery but caught her words following him. “See you Sunday, Mr. Gordon.”
Her words of anticipation filled him with contentment as he rode out of town. Camilla was fun to flirt with, and he enjoyed her company. She could be the exact diversion he needed to take the edge off the tension at the ranch and add some pleasure to the next few weeks.
Only eight in the morning, and already the Texas sun beat down and caused beads of perspiration on his brow. He mopped it with his neckerchief then stuffed it in his back pocket. When he got to the ranch, he’d tie it proper around his neck.
The ride consumed less than half an hour, but at this time of day Pa and the others would already be out in the pasture. He’d join them later, but first he wanted a look at Pa’s ledgers. Pa would never admit a problem with the ranch, but something didn’t sit right in Micah’s mind. His business experience, as well as learning to read people, gave him reason to be concerned. If the ranch was doing poorly, that could explain the stress and be the cause for the pain in Pa’s chest. Levi may not see it, but Micah had. Pa’s stubborn streak would prevent him from admitting a problem even if Micah asked. Most men tended to lie, at worst, or gloss things over when it came to business. Micah preferred to see the plain and simple truth now and find ways to help than to be in the dark.
The books would be easy to find since his pa was a creature of habit. They’d be in the same drawer, locked, but with the key in the usual place under the lamp on his desk.
The house lay quiet when he entered. Ma and the girls must be upstairs. He headed for Pa’s office and opened the door. With a glance over his shoulder to see if Ma had come down, he stepped into the room then closed the door behind him.
The extra large oak desk sat in front of two bookshelves filled with all types of books, from how to take care of sick cattle to the latest in literature. The collection of Shakespeare volumes still filled one shelf to the left of Pa’s chair. Pa may be a range-hardened cowboy, but he had a keen mind and enjoyed reading classics.
Micah settled into the leather chair behind the desk and picked up the Bible lying there. If his memory served him right, another, smaller one lay on the nightstand near the bed in Ma and Pa’s room. Micah fingered the rough binding. Pa put such great store in following what the Bible said about living. He believed in the Lord and the promises of Jesus found in the Bible.
A bookmark lay between the pages, and Micah’s fingers trembled as he opened the thick black book. The silk ribbon rested on a page from the Psalms. Verses were underlined, and many had side notes written in his father’s hand in the margins. Micah gulped and blinked his eyes before closing the book with a thud.
Whatever Pa believed, he’d taught to his children, but Micah had no use for the verses. God had never done him any favors, and the promises spoken in the Bible were only empty words with no meaning to Micah. He shoved the Bible aside and reached to open the drawer. Locked, as he’d thought it would be. Micah lifted the oil lamp and there sat the key.
He smiled and picked up the key to unlock the desk drawer. One thick ledger lay on top, and he removed it. When he opened the pages and thumbed through them, he found rows and rows of numbers listed under expenses and income. Some glowed red and shouted a loss. Pa’s steady handwriting continued as Micah turned the pages.
Toward the end the numbers were black, but one number stood out. A deposit noted a loan from the bank. Upon closer inspection, Micah discovered the profits in the past few months barely covered the expenses. If this kept up, another loan would be in order. What had happened to the prosperity of five years ago?
Micah went back through the numbers and spotted places where poor decisions had cost the ranch money. Something must be wrong for Pa to lose money like that. If things kept on the way they were headed, the end of the year would show great loss. He grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen to start taking notes and adding figures.
When he closed the ledger, Micah had enough notes to show his father ways to cut costs and save money. The business end of the ranch excited Micah and whetted his appetite for making things come out even. He folded the paper and stuffed it into his vest pocket. Now he had to convince Pa of the changes needed to keep the profits coming in and pay back that loan.
He opened the door and listened. Voices came from the direction of the kitchen. Tantalizing aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg filled the air. Ma and Margaret must be baking for the evening meal. He closed the office door behind him, making sure it didn’t thud or click. Then he slipped out the front door and headed for the barn, where he had left his horse.
Pa had said last night they were going to work rounding up strays in the hills to the west. That’s the direction Micah headed on horseback, his mind filled with numbers and ideas. Now all he had to do was convince Pa to trust him with taking care of the books instead of rustling cattle for the ranch.
Hannah plopped into a chair and blew out her breath. What a day it had been. Nine-year-old Kenny Davis had fallen from a tree in his yard and broken his arm. He’d been quite the little trooper while Manfred set it. Meanwhile Mrs. Phillips had brought in both her boys with fever and vomiting. And Jay Barnes, a rancher, had needed stitches on a cut in his hand, which Hannah had done while Manfred was busy with Kenny.
Manfred appeared in the doorway to the examining room, wiping his hands on a towel. “Well, we’ve had ourselves a busy time. It’s a good way to start off your time here. Now you’ll appreciate the lulls even more.”
“Yes, I will. Of course the hospital kept me busy, but so much of that was routine care. This is much more exciting.”
Manfred smiled. “This first week will be exc
eptionally busy, what with people coming in just to meet the new nurse.”
Yesterday and today many patients had come in out of curiosity with no real medical problems. “I like the people I’ve met so far.”
“We’re a nice town, and it appears like they’ve accepted you without any question. Jay Barnes isn’t one to let just anyone stitch him up, but he looked happy with your work when he left, and thanked me for the time. Not sure when or how he’ll pay his bill, but he’ll come up with something for it.”
“I noticed that many of your patients didn’t pay you right away. Is it usually like that?”
“Most of the time. Those who can pay up front do, but the others take care of it as they can, and sometimes it’s with food, or a chicken, or some other thing they have. I’m happy to accept whatever they have to offer, and so is Sallie.”
“One thing I can say for my sister is that she can make more out of less better than any other woman I’ve met, even Grandma Woodruff, who was the best at it. Sallie inherited that trait from her.” No matter what Sallie started with, something good always came from it. This she admired in her sister, but it wasn’t a trait passed on to Hannah.
Manfred nodded toward the door. “No patients are waiting, and Sallie won’t have dinner ready for another hour. Could you do me a favor and run down to the store and restock a few items? We need more bandages and tape. And I need to catch up on my bookwork.”
“All right, but I think I’ll change out of this uniform first. Don’t think the store patrons would appreciate seeing Jay’s blood on it while they shop.”
Fifteen minutes later Hannah strolled up the main street of town toward the general store. The bell jingled when she entered, and Mr. Hempstead nodded a greeting as he finished wrapping an order for another customer.
“Be right with you, Miss Dyer.”
“No hurry. I’ll wait.” Hannah glanced around, enjoying her first trip to the store. Colorful bolts of fabric filled a wall, inviting her to explore someday, and canned goods lined another group of shelves. The bell jingled again, and Hannah glanced up to see a beautiful young blonde, about her age, but tall, with a confident bearing. Hannah swallowed hard. With a girl like that around, who’d ever pay attention to any other female in the room?
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