“She needs the help of a doctor, not a storekeeper,” Mr. Lester huffed as he followed behind. Ignoring all the comments, and the stares of the other diners, Michael strode to the kitchen, Heidi clutched in his arms, struggling to breathe. The Lesters and Mrs. Manfred followed, shouting orders and making demands.
“Get me a bowl of boiling water and the largest cloth you have.” Michael called over his shoulder to Honey as he set Heidi on a chair and instructed her to raise her hands above her head. He went down on one knee alongside her, leaned close, and spoke quietly into her ear again. He rubbed circles on her back as Mr. Lester continued to bellow.
Michael turned from his spot on the floor and spoke in a quiet, firm voice, looking directly at Mr. Lester. “Please leave.”
Mr. Lester’s face grew a deeper red. “I will not leave. She’s my daughter, and I insist we send for a doctor before she collapses.”
Michael stood and, continuing to rub Heidi’s back, glared at the three idiots making the situation worse. “I will say this once more, and then I will escort you from the premises. Either keep quiet or leave us. I’ve treated asthma before.”
Mrs. Lester linked her arm in her husband’s. He attempted to wrench free, but she held on. “Harold, fetch a doctor. You know all this uproar is not good for Heidi.”
He adjusted his jacket and addressed his wife. “I will go. But you stay here and safeguard our daughter.”
“If you two intend to stay, you are to be quiet.” Michael spoke as he pulled the bowl of steaming water towards Heidi, and eased her head down. Once again he placed a towel over her head, creating a tent, and continued to rub her back and talk quietly to her. “Where is the packet of Belladonna I gave you?”
“Home,” Heidi gasped.
“All right. Just relax.” He caught Honey’s attention who stood nearby, watching Heidi carefully. “Miss Honey, can you come here and do what I’m doing? Rub her back and keep the towel over her head?”
“I will see to my daughter.” Mrs. Lester stepped forward and calmly placed her hand on Heidi’s shoulder. “Just show me what to do.”
Michael gave her a quick rundown on what to do and then left, the kitchen staff forgetting their duties to eagerly watch the drama.
His long legs ate up the distance between the coffee shop and his store. He unlocked the door and hurried to his work table. He shook powder onto a piece of paper, folded it, and tucked it into his pocket.
When Michael returned to the coffee shop kitchen, Mrs. Manfred stood apart from Mrs. Lester as she continued to minister to Heidi. It pleased him to see the woman kneeling as he had done, and whispering softly in her daughter’s ear. He hunkered down on the other side of the patient and sprinkled the powder into the hot water. “Breath slowly, Heidi. As your lungs begin to open, take deeper breaths.”
Heidi nodded and followed his instructions. Within minutes the sound of her wheezing diminished, and her muscles relaxed. His own muscles eased at the same time.
Mr. Lester burst into the room with Dr. Kane trailing behind him.
“You didn’t tell me Michael Henderson was treating her.” Dr. Kane glared at Mr. Lester, and dropped his medical bag on the floor.
Heidi’s papa sneered. “Treating her? He’s no doctor.”
“No, he’s not, but he knows more about treating asthma than I do.”
Mrs. Lester stood and moved to her husband as the doctor took her place next to Heidi. He glanced across her lap toward Michael. “Belladonna?”
Michael nodded. He took the towel off Heidi, and helped her to sit back. Although her breathing seemed better, she remained pale, and dark circles appeared under her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered closed and lines of fatigue emerged on her face.
“After you’ve rested for a minute, I will escort you home.” Michael handed her the towel to wipe her sweat-drenched face.
Heidi shook her head. “No, I’m fine now. I can return to work.”
“No, Miss Lester, you need to rest a bit.” The doctor stood and patted her on the shoulder.
“And as your employer, I’m afraid I must insist.” Michael turned to her parents and Mrs. Manfred. “Will one of you fetch her things from the table, and bring them here? I prefer not to subject her to the embarrassment of being dragged through the restaurant. We’ll leave through the back door.”
Mrs. Lester turned to leave. “Wait a minute, Mary.” Mr. Lester took her arm and turned to Michael. “I don’t understand, sir, why you feel it’s your place, or your responsibility for that matter, to assume the care of our daughter. Is there something going on between the two of you I am unaware of? She is a betrothed woman, you know.”
Michael sighed and placed his hands on his hips. “Mr. Lester, do you have a buggy handy?”
“No. Of course not. We came up on the train.”
“Exactly. I, on the other hand, have a buggy at the livery next to my store. I can have your daughter home, and settled with a cup of tea in less than twenty minutes.”
“You still have not answered my question, young man.”
Michael studied him for a moment. “Nor will I.” Especially since he had no idea himself what went on between him and Mr. Lester’s daughter.
Mrs. Lester raised her eyebrows at her husband and left to gather her daughter’s belongings.
Within minutes, Michael had Heidi wrapped and bundled under a warm blanket in his buggy. As the buggy proceeded down the street to her house, she placed her face in her hands and cried, her shoulders shaking, deep wrenching sobs that tore at him.
Like most men, Michael preferred to duck a pot or pan tossed at his head, than have to deal with tears. So he kept silent, but offered her a handkerchief from his pocket.
Heidi took it, and continued to cry. Her sobs had turned to soft hiccups when Michael stopped the buggy by the side of the road a few blocks before Mrs. Wilson’s house.
Michael turned to her. “Are you all right?”
She lifted a blotchy red face, with tear clumped eyelashes, wiped her nose with his handkerchief and took a deep, shuddering breath. “No. Not at all. I’m humiliated and ready to return home to Oklahoma City. They’re right. I have no reason to continue my−adventure−as Clarence called it.”
“Prepared to quit already?” He asked softly, as he ran his knuckles over her soft, damp cheek.
She faced him, fresh tears brimming in her eyes. “I caused a fiasco in the coffee shop. My parents and my fiancé’s mother trail me around town, causing trouble everywhere I go. One night this week I can expect Clarence to pop up and berate me also. There’s nowhere for me to hide from them.” Her eyes flashed with anger. “I asked them to allow me a month, but they won’t.”
Michael nodded. “Good.”
“Good?” Her jaw dropped. “You think it’s good they’re refusing to honor our agreement?”
“No. I think it’s good you’re feeling anger instead of self-pity.”
Heidi drew back as if slapped. “Self-pity? Is that what you think of me?”
He smiled to lighten his words. “Aren’t you doing that very thing? Feeling sorry for yourself because they won’t leave you alone? Ready to quit and return home, and be the dutiful daughter and fiancee? Is that the life you truly want for yourself?”
She starred at her lap. “No.”
“Then keep the anger, Heidi. Your family has no right to control you, you’re a woman grown.” He studied her as her features changed from sadness to fear, and then anger.
“You’re right. If I want to stay here a month and try a different life, I will do it.” She lifted her chin and glared at him.
The transformation amazed him, and he’d never seen a more beautiful woman in his life. Two red dots appeared on her cheeks, and her blue eyes grew deeper, as she pushed the curls off her forehead. Before his brain could kick in and scream no, he leaned forward, and putting his hand on the back of her neck, pulled her to him. She closed her eyes as he covered her lips, softly at first, and then deeper when she sighed in
to his mouth. The slight scent of Belladonna drifted over him, along with her own special fragrance of lavender, and Heidi. Her lips were soft and full, sweet and salty from her tears. He pulled her closer, and she slid her hands up his chest to circle his neck. The warmth of her body heated him, and stirred his manhood.
Michael opened his eyes and broke from her. Immediately he felt cold, as if the sun had dipped behind a cloud. His palm cupped her cheek. “Do you want an apology?”
“No,” she shook her head, and leaned against the seat.
He took up the reins and continued on. What had he done? The poor woman had just recovered from a serious asthma attack, dealt with overwrought emotions, and he’d kissed her? He glanced sideways. If the kiss had affected her in a negative way, she showed no signs of it. She sat erect, her hands resting in her lap, a slight smile on her lips. No, no signs of an adverse reaction.
“Have you been keeping your journal?” Michael asked, glancing at her.
She turned to him. “Every day. I write how I feel, what I eat, and where I am.”
“What did you have for lunch at the coffee house?”
“An egg salad sandwich and tea. Nothing unusual, and certainly nothing I haven’t had before.”
He thought for a few minutes, and then asked the question he figured he already knew the answer to. “What were you talking about with your parents when your asthma attack started?”
Heidi mumbled to her lap. “Papa insisted I return home.”
“Stress can trigger an attack.”
She shrugged her shoulders and gazed at the passing houses.
Although still daytime, the gloomy weather made the soft lights from Mrs. Wilson’s parlor glow in the dimness as the buggy stopped in front of the house. Michael wrapped the reins around the dash rail, and hopped down. His hands gripped Heidi’s slim waist as he lifted, and then set her on her feet. He extended his arm that she took before climbing the stairs.
Once on the porch, Michael turned to her. “Tomorrow I’ll inform any visitors you have they are only welcome in the store to purchase something. I don’t mean to cause insult, but I won’t have you upset. You need to feel safe at your job, and I will see to it.”
Heidi ducked her head, then looked up at him, tilting her head. “Thank you, Michael.”
He could feel the sweat beading on his upper lip. “You’re welcome. Get some rest.” He touched her cheek briefly and then waited until she entered the house and closed the door before he hurried down the steps to return to work.
By six o’clock, he had his key in hand to lock up the store and leave. The afternoon had been difficult with Heidi out. The amount of people who asked after her amazed him. She’d only been with him a couple of days, but she’d already made an impression. He had young David mix up sodas after he finished his deliveries, which freed Michael to prepare prescriptions. Now, with sore feet and a growling stomach, he grabbed his coat and locked up.
He welcomed the numbness in his brain as he traveled the dark streets to his home. His small house came into view, the only shadowy structure on the block. He drove the buggy into the carriage house, and took care of the horse before entering through the back door.
Familiar objects came into view as he moved from lamp to lamp to touch the wicks with a match. The dark blue sofa, with its embroidered pillows, compliments of his sister, Rachel, offered comfort to the tired body. Two overstuffed chairs sat in front of the fireplace, as if waiting for him to select a wife and settle there each evening. Something he’d promised himself years ago he would never do.
While leftover vegetable soup heated on the stove, he lit the fireplace, then stood staring at the flames, his arm resting on the mantle. What was he to do about Heidi Lester? The idea of them being merely employer and employee had evaporated this afternoon, when he’d kissed her, and she didn’t object. Even though she swore her determination to stay for a month, and taste some freedom, she could still change her mind and return to the comfortable and coddled life she’d left. She had adoring parents and an anxious fiancé ready to escort her back at a moment’s notice.
Why the hell would he care? Hadn’t one broken heart been enough?
Chapter Seven
After a busy week, Clarence boarded the train at the Oklahoma City station. He cursed under his breath as he settled in a seat across from a bulky man smoking a cigar. The train being crowded, there were no other seats available, so he reconciled himself to choking his way to Guthrie.
Guthrie! Every time he thought about his newly stubborn fiancée, anger shot through him. Tonight he should have been paying the obligatory weekly visit to her parlor right here in Oklahoma City, and then heading to his mistress’s house for a night of pleasure. Instead he sat on this miserable train to pay homage to the woman who held his comfortable future in her hands.
The fact that she lasted all week rankled. Had he been a betting man, he’d be short quite a bit of funds right now. Never in his wildest imaginings would he have thought she’d have the nerve to pack up and leave her home, let alone last a week working in a store like a common shopkeeper. The girl had cowed under her parents’ edicts all her life. He’d expected to have the same sort of wife. Why had she picked now, when his ambitions were within grasp, to defy them all?
Two and a half hours later, the train pulled into the Guthrie station. Clarence checked his watch. Seven minutes past eight o’clock. Obviously the store would be closed, so his best plan would be to check into the hotel and see if he could locate his mother, who might know the whereabouts of his fiancée. The whole situation bordered on outrageous, and he needed to talk some sense into the girl so everyone could quit this place.
The hotel lobby radiated a bit of warmth. The walk from the train station hadn’t taken long, but the lowering temperatures outside made the blazing fireplace welcome. Clarence blew on his hands as he approached the desk clerk.
“I’d like a room, please.”
The desk clerk shifted a cigar from one side of his mouth to the other, and pushed a large book in his direction. He handed him an ink pen. “Sign here.” While Clarence wrote the information, the clerk turned, and after studying an array of keys hanging from the hooks on the large board behind him, took one and handed it to Clarence. “Room eighteen.”
“Do you happen to know if Mrs. Manfred is in the hotel this evening?”
The clerk thought for a moment. “She left a bit ago with Mr. and Mrs. Lester. I think one of them mentioned The Pollard Theater.”
“Wonderful,” Clarence mumbled to himself as he reached for his satchel, then climbed the stairs to the second floor. Here he stood in this blasted town, with no way to locate Heidi and begin his campaign to convince her to come back with him when he left Sunday.
After unpacking his few belongings, his growling stomach reminded him he needed to eat. Afterward he would visit the saloon and look up his favorite whore, whose name he still couldn’t remember. Not that he cared what her name was. He only cared about her body and her willingness to do anything he paid her to do.
****
“Heidi, since we’ve established night air is not good for your health, I’ll continue to see you home you each evening.” Michael pulled the keys to the store from his front pocket, and held the door for her.
She clenched the soft woolen scarf tighter around her neck and face, when a blast of cold air struck her as they stepped into the street. “I hate to inconvenience you. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Michael shook his head, and gripped her elbow. “No. It’s no trouble.”
Heads down against the icy wind, they hurried to the livery where his buggy and horse stood waiting. Michael nodded at the liveryman as he helped Heidi in, and handed her the heavy wool blanket from the back seat.
She shivered as she tucked its warmth snugly around her legs. Michael climbed up, wrapped the leather reins in his large hand, and slapped the horse’s back.
Once on the road, he turned to her. “Did you have a nice lunch wit
h your parents?”
Heidi’s shoulders shook with the cold. The woman definitely needed to put on some weight. He resisted the urge to pull her close, share his warmth.
“Y-y-yes I did.” Her jaw trembled as she spoke.
“Are things a little easier with them now?”
“S-s-somewhat. They still think I’ve c-c-ontracted some type of b-b-brain fever, t-t-though.” She chuckled. “Maybe I have. I’ve n-n-never done th-th-this kind of thing b-b-before.”
Michael sighed, battle lost. He transferred both reins to one hand, and held out the other to her. “Come here.”
Hugging herself, her eyes met his with alarm. “W-w-what?”
“Move closer to me, you’re shaking so hard I’m afraid you’ll tumble off the seat.”
She slid over, barely touching him. He grunted, draped his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her close. She sat stiff as a board.
“Are they enjoying their stay here?”
“Y-y-yes. They’re g-g-going to the theater tonight. They invited me, but I didn’t f-f-feel up to it.” She snuggled closer, obviously enjoying the heat. Her muscles eased, her body slackened.
And his hardened. One part of him, anyway. Her lavender scent drifted toward him, and a few soft curls tickled his jaw as she swayed when the buggy hit small holes in the road. Somehow she felt right in his arms. A perfect fit.
Michael inwardly groaned when he thought about another way she would fit, naked, and writhing underneath him. Her soft, sweet breath hitching, slender arms pulling him close, as she found her release and cried his name.
Damn. I’m treading into dangerous territory here.
“How are your parents getting around while visiting here?” Maybe polite discourse would divert blood back to his brain.
“A rented buggy now and then.”
He blew out a breath of relief when Mrs. Wilson’s house came into view. Soft lights shone through the window, like a beacon, welcoming its inhabitants after a long day.
Heidi shifted and straightened her coat and scarf. “Thank you for the ride. I appreciate it.”
A Prescription For Love: An Oklahoma Lovers book Page 6