A Tender Moment Under the Stars: An Inspirational Historical Romance Book

by Grace Clemens

  “No, I think we’ve got this,” Solomon said. “Hold on just a moment and we’ll go get the doctor.”

  Isabel watched as Freddie crawled up under the tarp and leaned over Betty, his eyes lovestruck and terrified.

  “She’s going to be all right, Freddie,” Solomon said loudly, clapping one hand on his friend’s shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t you worry. We’ll be back as quick as we can.”

  “It’s going to be at least an hour,” Freddie said. “Get going, would ya?”

  Solomon nodded. He and Freddie left the tent at the same time. Solomon headed to his horse and Freddie went back to his. Isabel saw him pull out a fresh blanket roll from underneath a pack on the horse’s back. He hurried back to the tent so the dry blanket wouldn’t get too badly soaked from the torrent.

  Isabel turned her eyes to Solomon, who was pulling himself up in the saddle. He gave her a nod and a direct look and the two of them set out for town.

  Isabel had no idea where the doctor was. Solomon would know, so she was following him. But if they were a half-hour from Solomon’s house, they would be a half-hour from the doctor’s house. That’s what Isabel gathered from what the men had said, anyway. And anything could happen in an hour.

  That was even if the two of them safely got to the doctor’s office. They were going over some fairly harsh terrain. Justice whinnied and nodded aggressively.

  “I don’t think Justice likes this weather or this trek, Sol!” Isabel yelled at the top of her lungs.

  Solomon looked back at her and slowed till he was riding next to her. “Yeah, Vic’s not real happy about it either. But this is the fastest way to Doc’s. We can’t take the long way. The safer way. We have to get there as fast as we can.”

  Isabel nodded. “I know, Sol. I understand. I’m worried about her, too. I…can’t say I like her but I don’t want any harm to come to her.”

  Sol leaned forward, pushing Victory on harder. Isabel did the same and they rode against the wind and rain as fast as they could.

  Isabel thought about the evening they’d had. How things had relaxed somewhat between her and Betty. They all ended up having a good time together playing cards and eating the meal the ladies had made for the men.

  She remembered their conversation and knew the moment things had changed between them. It was when Betty looked on with interest while Isabel told them a story from her childhood. After her father died, her mother had taken on both roles, she’d told her companions. And watching her mother go through the terrible illness that took her life, battling every day against death, was one of the most horrible experiences she’d ever gone through and ever expected to go through.

  For the first time since she’d arrived in the Gulch, Isabel had seen a look of sympathy and compassion on Betty’s face. She’d been grateful to see it and happy she had given Betty a chance.

  She tried to keep her mind off what was going on with Betty and concentrate on riding safely. It wasn’t easy with the horses being nervous and the weather unrelenting. When she and Solomon emerged from the woods, she could see the town in the distance.

  She moved her eyes down the row of buildings and spotted the Doc’s house. She’d been told he specifically built the clinic on the other side of town so that if someone on his side needed help, they wouldn’t have to cross through town to get to the clinic. He could help them from his house, if that’s where he was.

  Emergencies, the boisterous older man told Isabel after being introduced to her in town, typically happened after hours when the clinic was closed. He was available all the time, he’d told her. She should never hesitate to call on him if she had a medical need.

  At the time, Isabel had thought the doctor meant when she was prepared to have a child. But now, she could see how wise his decision had been to inform her ahead of time that he was always available for help. He was a man in his mid-sixties who had kind eyes and a gentle demeanor. She’d been told by several others that he was a great doctor and they wouldn’t have wanted anyone else in Steven’s Gulch.

  Chapter 33

  She breathed a sigh of relief when they got to the doctor’s house. Both of them jumped down from their horses and bolted up to the door. Solomon banged on it with his fist.

  “Doc!” he called out. “Doc, are you in there? Doctor Jenkins? Are you here?”

  Isabel was glad she wasn’t in the rain anymore. She could still feel the mist of water washing over her face as she stood under the porch roof. She began to shiver and noticed when Solomon looked at her with alarm.

  “You’re cold. You could be getting sick. We’ve got to get you warm and dry, Izzy. Fast. You are gonna stay here while the doc and I head back to Betty and Freddie.”

  “But, Sol…” Isabel only protested half-heartedly. She didn’t want to be out in the storm anymore anyway and really felt like she would be in the way if she went back with Sol. What could she do that Solomon and Freddie couldn’t do to help the doctor? She shook her head. “No, you’re right. I don’t want to go back with you. I hope that doesn’t upset you.”

  “Not at all.” Solomon put one arm around her shoulders and squeezed her to him. They were both soaked to the bone so his hug didn’t warm her at all. He banged on the door again.

  “Doc!” he yelled. “Doc!”

  He tried the doorknob just when it was turned and the door was pulled open by the old man who had obviously been fast asleep.

  He grunted out a greeting that was barely audible and waved his hands that they should come in.

  “What’s going on, Sol?” he asked, pressing the palms of his hands in his eyes.

  “How can you sleep on a night like this?” Sol asked, slightly amused. “Betty’s been hurt, Doc. You’ve got to come help her.”

  The doctor was suddenly alert, a tribute to his character and craft. Isabel was impressed by how quickly he pulled himself together. He gave Solomon a sharp look and said, “How was she hurt?”

  “We were all at my cabin,” Solomon explained anxiously. “We were going to stay the night during the storm and hope it had passed by morning. A tree fell in the kitchen, destroying it and we had to leave. On the way, her horse bucked and she was thrown. I don’t know if she hit her head on a rock or what happened. She’s alive, though.”

  “She’s unconscious?” the doctor asked.

  Solomon nodded. “Yeah, she’s breathing and has a heartbeat and a pulse. But she’s not opening her eyes. Even with hard rain pelting on her face.”

  “Stay right here, I’ll get my bag.”

  The doctor turned to go to the back of the house, leaving Solomon and Isabel in the living room.

  “Doc!” Solomon called out, keeping the doctor from going out. The older man turned back with a questioning look. “Izzy’s gonna freeze to death or catch a killing illness. Do you have anything she can use to get warm?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do,” the man said to Isabel’s immense relief. “You go build up the fire in the living room. There may still be some burning embers you can use to start it. Both of you stay in there and get dry. I’ll be right back.”

  Isabel was curious to find out what the doctor had for her to stay dry with. She would have to get her clothes off. Even when the fire was built, it would be a while before she was truly dry. It felt like she was literally soaked to the bone.

  She shivered again and Solomon made sounds of disappointment and disapproval while he built a fire. He kept looking over his shoulder at her.

  Isabel couldn’t help being a little amused by it. “You are too worried about me,” she giggled, utterly grateful when the flames began to rise and the heat wafted toward her. She stretched her hands out, chills covering her body as she warmed. She dropped to her knees in front of the fire. Solomon came up behind her and gently pulled on her jacket. She shrugged it off into his hands and he set it on one of the nearby chairs.

  “It will dry here. Are you all right? Feeling okay? Feverish? Do you feel like fainting?”

  Isabel st
udied his worried face, amused and touched. “I feel fine, Sol. I’m just really cold. I do hope I can get out of this dress soon. I’m so wet and cold.”

  She put her hands together and rubbed them in front of the fire he’d built.

  “This is a wonderful fire, Sol, thank you so much.”

  Solomon knelt next to her. “Doc will be back momentarily.”

  “Speaking of the devil, here I am!” They heard behind them. Isabel turned and was stunned to see the doctor had dressed in that short amount of time, retrieved a towel for Isabel’s hair and one for Solomon to dry off with. He handed Isabel a huge fluffy robe.

  “Oh my,” she said, taking the robe. “This looks so incredibly warm and comfortable.”

  “I think you’ll find that to be an excellent description,” Doctor Jenkins said with a gentle smile. “I purchased several of them in various sizes for just this sort of situation. You can use the guest room right over there to change.” He pointed toward one of the doors down the hallway he’d just come from.

  Isabel jumped to her feet. She gave Solomon a grateful look and as she passed the doc, she leaned to place a kiss on his pudgy cheek. “Thank you, Doc. I really appreciate this so much.”

  “My pleasure, dear. Sol? You sure you don’t want to stay here?”

  Solomon laughed. “Then how would you find Betty and Freddie?”

  “Freddie is with her?” The doctor said, his eyes lighting up. “That’s a good thing. I’m glad to hear it. He’s a smart man. He’ll know what to do in a pinch.”

  “We need to get back as soon as possible,” Solomon said. “We don’t have time for me to get changed or dry. But I’ve warmed up and I think I’ll be fine. I’m strong. In good health.”

  The doctor shook his head, taking the wet towel from Solomon and giving him another one. “Excellent shape,” he said. “Take this and stand there for the next five minutes, drying off. I have a rain jacket you can use to at least combat against the weather a little.”

  Isabel snorted softly. “Mine didn’t do me much good.”

  Solomon nodded. “Yeah, they’re almost useless in weather like this. Best thing to do is just stay inside. Which we would have done if it hadn’t been for that doggone tree.”

  “It was a bit of bad luck, that’s for sure,” Isabel said quietly.

  “A bit is an understatement,” Solomon said. He looked down at Isabel, his eyes warm with affection. “Go change, Izzy. I’ll wait till you come back before I leave.”

  “You be sure to do that,” Izzy said, her throat constricting just a little as she gazed into his eyes. She could feel her heart beating in her chest, a feeling she wasn’t familiar with. She hurried to the room the doctor had pointed out. She opened the door and went in, immediately stripping off the wet dress. She stripped down and found that she was colder without the clothes on, even though they were wet. They’d been keeping her body temperature at a tolerable level.

  She felt like a block of ice when she pulled the fuzzy robe around her shoulders. She’d never felt anything like that fabric. “Good Lord.” She looked up. “Thank you for this help, Father. I appreciate it. Please be with Betty right now. She really needs You so much right now.” She closed her eyes and finished her prayer in silence. When she was done, she left the room and hurried back to the warmth of the fire and Solomon’s eyes.

  He was still standing in front of the hearth, his hands held out to it. She could see his leather vest was still soaked completely and some of his clothes were glistening. Five minutes in front of the fire wasn’t long enough.

  Her heart pulled with fear that he might be the one to get sick and perish. That would leave her completely alone once again. And this time, there was no way she would answer another ad. If anything happened to Solomon, she would stay in Steven’s Gulch. She liked the people and the town itself. She was glad Solomon was a citizen.

  He turned to see her coming toward him and she saw his eyes light up. The corners of his lips pulled up in a soft grin. “Look at you. You look like the Queen of England.”

  Isabel chuckled, raising her eyebrows. “The Queen of England would be a blessed woman if she got her hands on one of these robes. I don’t even want to ask how much they were. I’m just glad to have the experience.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” the doctor said with a smile. “You’re actually the first woman to wear that one. I’ve never had anyone here small enough to use it.”

  “Well, every other small person in Steven’s Gulch is missing out,” Isabel said with a soft laugh. “I love this. I may have to purchase one myself, if it’s affordable.”

  The doctor nodded. “I think Sol can afford one of these for you. Maybe you’ll get a matching set as a wedding gift from someone.” The older man winked at them, making Isabel giggle. “Come on, Sol. I know you aren’t dry and probably not warm but we’ve got to get out there. The longer she’s not conscious, the worse her problem could become.”

  Solomon nodded. He turned to Isabel as the doctor went out to the front door. “I’ll get the buggy ready!” he called back. “No need for your horse to get completely worn out.”

  “Thanks, Doc!” Solomon said loudly. “I’ll be right out.”

  He turned his attention to Isabel.

  “I’d give you a big hug, Izzy,” he said in a quiet voice, “but I’d soak you again and I don’t want that. Stay right here in front of this fire until I come back, okay? That way I am sure you are safe from this storm.”

  “I’ll stay right here, Sol. I promise.” Isabel looked in his eyes and knew she would do whatever he wanted or needed her to do. She was his completely.

  Chapter 34

  Solomon’s heart pounded as he and the doc rode to where Freddie and Betty were. He was glad the wheels were able to make it. He’d had the doctor take the longer route because the other way was too rough for the vehicle.

  He could see the makeshift tent in the distance after only twenty-five minutes, which seemed impossible to Solomon but that’s what happened. He jumped down from the buggy and ran to the tent with the doctor on his heels.

  He stayed out of the tent but stuck his head in.

  “Sol,” Freddie said, having seen them ride up in the buggy. “She’s awake. Barely but she’s awake.”

  Relief swept through Solomon. “Thank You, Lord,” he said, glancing up. “Has she said anything?”

  “Excuse me,” he heard behind him. He stepped out of the way and let the doctor hunker down and step inside. “This was an excellent idea, this tent. Bravo, gentleman. Now let’s see what we can do for our lovely lady here. Betty? Can you hear me?”

  Solomon was stunned to hear the wind die down outside. He didn’t feel it either. He backed out of the tent and looked up at the sky. He was able to do that without getting rain in his eyes. He blinked and looked at the rising sun in the distance. Because the sun was coming from the east, Solomon was able to see the clouds rolling overhead. Chills covered him when he realized they were going away from him and his friends. The light rain he felt tapered off in only a few minutes until it was no longer raining.

  He put one hand over his mouth and sighed internally, closing his eyes. He said a prayer of thanks.

  “Hey, it’s not raining anymore,” he said, poking his head back into the tent.

  “Good,” the doctor said, glancing over his shoulder at Solomon. “Take this tarp off and give us some room. Her neck and spine appear to be fine and she’s conscious. I need one of you to carry her to the buggy and strap her in the back. I want to get her to my house right now. I have what she needs for her head there and I can do a more thorough examination.”