If she could just be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had nothing left of Esther in his heart, she’d give back as passionately as he’d given. So here she lay as the fire burned down and Henry slept, wondering if she’d ever know for certain that her sister’s memory didn’t lay between them as surely as the roll of quilts did. She’d almost convinced herself to settle down and go to sleep when she realized that once again someone stood at the foot of her bed. “Penny, what are you doing here?”
“I need your help again, Hannah. I have another charge here in Creede and she is in need of your services tonight. Please dress and grab your medical bag.”
Hannah climbed out of the bed and began to dress. “Penny, I know that the trail should be cleared enough to travel tomorrow afternoon, but it will be way too treacherous tonight.”
“Don’t worry about travel. I’ve gotten that taken care of for you. Someone will remember later that they sent for you and gave you a ride there and back, but I’ll take you to the girl. Just be ready; she’s at the Golden Nugget.”
“Maybe you should go to Doctor Thomas and take him.”
Penny shook her head. “I can’t. I’m not allowed to show myself to anyone but you, Hannah dear.”
Hannah pulled on her coat and grabbed her medical bag. “Henry will be very upset if he wakes and I’m not here.”
“Don’t worry about your man. He won’t wake till morning; my Boss has seen to that. Now take my hand and, whatever happens, don’t let go till we are outside the Golden Nugget. They are waiting for you to show up so they’ll take you straight to the girl.”
“What do you mean, don’t let go?”
Penny smiled as they stepped outside. “I wouldn’t want to lose you along the way.” Then Hannah gasped as she was flying through the sky as fast as a thought. Before she could get used to the sensation, she was on her feet just down the boardwalk from the newly erected Golden Nugget Saloon. Penny smiled at her. “Here you are, safe and sound. Just come find me here when you’re ready to return to the cabin.”
“You aren’t coming with me?”
“I told you I’m not allowed to let anyone else see me. But Celeste is also my project and I couldn’t leave her to suffer when I knew you could help her.”
Hannah nodded and walked up and into the saloon like it was an everyday occurrence. She stepped inside and was greeted by one of the soiled doves. “I knew you’d come if we sent for you. It’s Celeste; she’s been beat real bad, Miss.”
Hannah’s teeth clenched. “Take me to her.”
The girl nodded and led Hannah upstairs to a room on the end. Hannah stepped inside and froze at the sight before her. Standing beside the girl crumpled in a heap on the floor stood the one person she thought she’d never have to put eyes on again as long as she lived: her sister’s killer and husband, Augustus Rayner. His eyes got real big. “Who is this, Jose?”
“This is Nurse Hannah. She works for Doctor Thomas, Gus. I told you she’d come help with Celeste.”
“I see. Okay, you get on back downstairs and get to work; I’ll see to the nurse and Celeste.”
The calico queen looked like she wanted to argue but she nodded her head and left without a word.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t little Hannah Coppersmith all grown up.”
“I know who you are, too, Augustus. But that doesn’t matter right now; helping this girl does. Put her on the bed and then leave me to my work.”
Her brother-in-law grabbed her by the arm. “Don’t get all high and mighty on me, girl. This is my place. These are my girls and if it hadn’t been for that fire and Dougal messing up, you’d be one of my girls right now.”
“I’m not getting anything with you. I don’t even want to be in the same room with you. But Celeste needs my help so get her on the bed and let me get to work or you might have one less girl to run.”
He let her arm go, picked the woman up from the floor, and dumped her on the bed. “Do what you can and then we’ll talk.”
He walked out. Hannah took a deep breath before starting to examine the girl on the bed. She was young for a soiled dove and had only come to town a few weeks ago. Someone had beat her but not where it would show and cause her not to attract customers. Mostly, she was just bruised and had a few deep lacerations on her back from what looked like a whip. Hannah cleaned them and sewed them up. She found a lump on the back of the woman’s head as if someone had slammed her head into the floor. Hannah got her awake with some smelling salts and checked her eyes to make sure they were okay. Then she asked the girl what had happened. “I was asked by Doctor Thomas to help look after the Reverend after he almost got hung. I missed a couple of paying customers and Gus wasn’t happy.”
Hannah was mad now. The man had beat this woman same as he’d done her sister; if he’d killed her no one would have said anything. Well, she knew what to do about that. “I’m going to give you a dose of laudanum for your pain and leave you a bottle. No more than three or four drops in a glass of water every four hours, Celeste.”
“Okay, thank you for coming to help me, Miss Hannah.”
“Why do you work here? I’m sure we could find you a better job.”
“Oh no, ma’am, this is all I’m good for. I been used for a while now; no one wants a ruined woman anywhere but where I am.”
Hannah looked down at the girl with the olive skin and dark hair and eyes. Even after such horrors there was still an innocence about her. “Don’t you believe that, Celeste. I know that God has great plans for you. Why, I bet you have one of the best angels he has on your side.”
“No, Miss Hannah, I don’t think God even knows who I am.”
“That’s not true. You just keep praying and watch; God’s got a plan for you, Celeste. You’ll see.”
The door opened and Gus came in. “I see you got her awake. Get dressed, girl, and get downstairs; you got money to make up.”
Hannah put herself between Gus and Celeste. “She can’t work tonight or tomorrow, either. Whoever beat her did too good a job; she needs to rest for a few days until her stitches come out. She can serve drinks after tomorrow but the head injury means she needs to be in bed for two days. Otherwise, she could get worse.”
“She needs to be downstairs earning her keep.”
“In two days she can serve; six before she can go back to her other duties. Either you see to it or I’ll have Doc come tell Mr. Anders you rejected our medical advice.”
Gus’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. Two nights and no whoring for a week.”
Hannah nodded, “Good. Let’s go and let her rest.”
She walked past Gus, trying not to shake from anger or fear. She left the room and he followed her. Before she could get downstairs, his hand clamped down on her arm again and pulled her into an empty room. “Now then, let’s talk about you and me.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
Gus smiled; it wasn’t a pleasant smile. “Not true, sister-in-law. What are you doing in Creede?”
“I’m a nurse working with Doctor Thomas. What are you doing in Creede? Shouldn’t you still be running from a hangman’s noose?
Gus squeezed her arm. “See, this is what we need to talk about. I’m Gus Reed and I work for the Golden Nugget. If I even think you’re telling people differently, I’ll have to make sure you get to visit your sister real soon.”
Hannah laughed. “I don’t have to say anything. Obviously, you haven’t heard Creede has a U.S. Marshal here investigating Archie and the Sheriff and the kidnapping of those of us taken before the fire. He gets one good look at you and you’ll be heading to New York and that noose faster than you can blink.”
Gus shook his head. “Doubt it; ain’t no paper on me in this town or state. I’ve checked.”
Hannah grinned. “Won’t have to be. This Marshal knows you, Augustus. Knows you real well. His name is Henry Wheeler.”
Gus laughed. “Wheeler? No one’s seen him in a week. Rumor was he got shot and is buried u
nder a snowdrift somewhere. Even if he ain’t, Wheeler is a weak, sniveling fop. He wouldn’t fight for your sister before we were married and he won’t fight now. You just worry about yourself, little sister, else I’ll introduce you to the things I did to your sister before I end you the same way I did her. As a matter of fact, I might just make you my second wife. I always did want to sample your goods as well but your sister kept you away from me.” He reached out to pull her toward the bed when the door opened and in tumbled Jose and a miner. “Oh sorry. Didn’t realize the room was occupied.”
Hannah pulled away and exited quickly. “It’s all yours, Jose, Gus was just getting the rundown on Celeste.”
She quickly walked down the stairs and was headed for the door when Mr. Anders stopped her. “Nurse Coppersmith. You tended to Celeste?”
She smiled. This man made her skin crawl, too, but at least he had never done anything to make her think he was anything other than a rich man making money. “Yes, sir. She needs to stay in bed for two days and no whoring till the stitches in her back come out. Send her to see me or Doctor Thomas in six days and one of us will remove them.”
The man nodded and handed her a double eagle coin. “Much obliged. I’ll see to it. Your ride is waiting?”
“It is, Mr. Anders. I should go; it’s too cold to make them wait.”
The man nodded and she hurried out and down the boardwalk. When Penny appeared and took her hand, Hannah let out a sigh of relief. “Did you know?”
“Of course I did. What are you going to do?”
“Nothing for now. Henry will insist on coming with me for my first appointment to check the girls. He’ll see him and that will be that.”
“That choice is yours but remember that you made the choice. Just remember, if you need me, call for me.”
Then they were flying again and before Hannah could even catch her breath she was back inside her cabin and Penny was gone. Hannah slipped into her nightgown, pulled the extra covers off the bed, and removed the rolled quilts, too. She climbed under all the covers and snuggled up as close as she could against Henry. Bob looked at her from the bottom bed post. “I know Bob, but I need him to hold me.” She pulled Henry’s arm over her and he unconsciously pulled her close, holding her tight just like she needed. She lay there and shook till his scent and warmth calmed her and she slipped into a troubled sleep.
Nine
Henry woke the next morning to find his body wrapped around Hannah’s. She was under the covers with him, pressed right up against his body and his arms and legs were wrapped over her. He started to unwind himself and pull away but she whispered and scooted closer to him. “Hannah, honey, what are you doing?”
“Just hold me a little longer, Henry. Please. I had bad dreams and needed you to hold me. You did and I just want to keep feeling safe in your arms.”
Henry kissed the back of her head. “If you’re sure, honey. I didn’t want to upset you. Do you want to tell me what your dreams were?”
“I dreamed someone was trying to hurt me like Esther got hurt. I just needed to feel your arms around me and know you had me.”
He pulled her tighter to him even though he knew it wasn’t appropriate. “I will always have you. No one will hurt you as long as I’m breathing, Hannah.”
“I know; that’s why I wanted you to hold me.”
“I’ll hold you anytime you want me to or anytime you’ll let me. I’m more surprised that your rooster isn’t pitching a fit.”
“I told you, Henry, Bob is special; he knows his job is to protect my virtue and he knew it was safe and still is. If he thought you were trying to take advantage of me I have no doubt you’d be feeling his wrath.”
“Then I’m glad he understands. Should we just lay here for a bit or are you ready to get up?”
She shuddered and held on to his arm. “Could we just lay here a little longer?”
“Hannah, we can lay here as long as you want. But I got to say I’m finding a way to get us to town today. We need to see the preacher right quick after this.”
She giggled and then sighed. “Are you sure, Henry? I mean, you don’t have to marry me. I’m tough; I would survive anything anyone said.”
He pulled her so that she would turn and face him and wrapped his arm back around her. “Are you telling me you don’t want to marry me, Hannah?”
“I didn’t say that.”
He looked into her gray eyes and tilted her head so she could see his eyes better. “Listen carefully, Hannah Coppersmith. There is nothing I want more than to make you my wife. Not because I have to, but because I need to. I can’t see my life without you right here where you are now. In my bed, in my arms and in my life every day and every night. So let me just ask you. Will you go to town with me today and marry me?”
“That’s what I want, too, Henry. Yes, I’ll go to town and marry you today.”
Henry pulled her tightly against him and captured her mouth for a kiss that was even more intense than the one they’d shared the night before. He knew he should be ashamed of the way he was pressed against Hannah from foot to head and everywhere in between, but he wasn’t. If he was honest, it felt perfect and right and like they belonged together just like they were. They both might have forgotten themselves in the moment if not for the flutter of wings and the loud crow that came from the foot of the bed. Henry pulled away and smiled at Hannah. “That, I believe, is my warning that Bob has decided it’s time for us to get up before he goes after my body parts with that beak of death of his.”
Hannah giggled again and gave Henry another quick kiss before rolling away from him to get dressed. “I need to look at your stitches today before you get your shirt on, Henry. I think they should be ready to come out. I’m sure you’re ready to have use of your hands and guns back.”
Henry nodded and turned away from her so she could have modesty to walk behind the blanket to get dressed.
Hannah couldn’t believe it when Henry had asked her to marry him. He didn’t have to do that because they’d already agreed to get married. But the fact that he’d asked her in such a romantic way while holding her and assuring her he’d always keep her safe. It was beyond her wildest dreams. He still hadn’t said he loved her but he’d made sure she knew how he felt.
After dressing she’d gotten her scissors and quickly removed his stitches. The wound was well on its way to being healed. She cautioned him to take it easy getting back to his normal routine just to give it more time to heal completely. Even as she said it she knew he would push just as far as he could.
Dressed, they enjoyed breakfast and then while she put the cabin to some semblance of order, Henry went out to hitch her mare to her wagon. They’d agreed to come back there tonight and then move to Topaz the next day. Henry had wrapped himself in one of Hannah’s bear skins since his coat hadn’t been salvageable after she’d cut it off him. No sooner had he come into the cabin to let her know they were ready to ride into town than they heard the sound of someone coming up the trail and a, “Hello, the cabin.”
Henry’s Colts were already back around his waist and he picked up the rifle as he and Hannah walked to the door. There, in a buggy much like Hannah’s, was Doctor Thomas, Reverend Theodore, and Reverend and Millie Bing. “Hello, come on in. We were just coming to see some of you.”
Doctor Thomas was the first to speak. “Marshal, it’s good to see you; we were worried about you. Sheriff Ketchem said you’d taken a bullet saving Reverend Theodore, but when you never made it to my cabin we thought the worst.”
“Sorry to worry you but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to make it to your place. Thought I might make it here to Hannah’s but that didn’t happen either. Passed out at the turn to the trail to her place.”
“How did you end up here, then?”
Hannah took up the story. “I was heading out to celebrate the new year when I came across him and his horse in the middle of the trail. I got him back here and removed the bullet.” She made no mention of the he
lp she’d had or anything else but it was obvious everyone realized what that meant. Only Reverend Theodore was angry enough to speak of it. “Are you saying, woman, that you’ve had this man in your home and bed since New Year’s Eve?”
“He has. I took a slug out of his back and sewed him up. He’d lost a lot of blood and, with the blizzard, I knew I couldn’t move him again without killing him.”
Theodore climbed down from the buggy and placed himself right in front of her, inches from her face. “That would have been better than living in sin with the man for a week.”
Henry’s eyes tightened. “Excuse me? Are you accusing Miss Coppersmith of something, Reverend?”
“I’m not accusing; I’m saying she has ruined her reputation and sinned against God by taking you into her house without a chaperone.”
“We had a chaperone,” Henry said. Theodore looked at him, finally surprised.
“You did? Whom?”
“Bob was our chaperone and a great job he did of it, too.”
The young pastor’s face turned purple with anger. “Are you telling me this harlot was alone with two men for a week?”
Henry opened his mouth to call the man to task for his slur to Hannah’s good name but before he could, there was a series of loud clucks. The good reverend shrieked like a little girl as Bob tore into his head with wings and beak and spurs. “Get it off me!” He screamed and waved his arms but Bob had gotten his talons in the Reverends hair and was beating him about the ears with his wings and pecking at the top of his head with his beak. Everyone else came down from the buggy and were attempting to get the reverend away from the rooster. After the man had dropped to his knees, Henry finally called out. “That’s enough, Bob, I think he knows not to slander Miss Hannah again.”
Hannah the Healer Page 6