by Connie Mason
"Meggie will skin me alive for telling you this, but the reason she turned you down has nothing to do with you personally. Meggie has strong feelings for you. She wouldn't have let you...well, never mind that right now. Let's just say she's powerful afeared of marriage. She was only sixteen when..."
Zach! What are you saying?"
Keen disappointment made Jess wince when he saw Meg standing in the doorway. Another moment and he would have learned Meg's secret.
"Aw, Meggie, Jess has a right to know."
"It's my place to tell Jess, but now is not the time."
Jess rose abruptly. His presence here was uncomfortable for all of them. "It's time I left. Perhaps I'll see you in town, Zach." He gave Meg a curt nod and headed out the door.
"Jess, wait!"
Her voice held a plea Jess couldn't resist. He turned to face her, his expression carefully composed. "What is it?"
"I'm sorry."
"About turning down my proposal? Don't be. I had no business asking you to marry me. Blame the moment. We were both carried away by..." He cast a surreptitious glance at Zach, who seemed to be hanging onto every word, and shrugged. "You know what I mean."
Meg nodded mutely.
"Keep your secrets, Meg, you don't owe me an explanation. Soon I'll be gone from your life. We both know my time in Cheyenne is limited. The danger increases each day I remain."
Jess spun on his heel and strode out the door without waiting for Meg's reply. What could she say, anyway? She knew his life wasn't his to share while he was a wanted man. And Meg had to come to grips with something that happened to her long ago before she could face her future. He sincerely hoped the right man would come along when she was ready.
Meg watched Jess ride out of her life. She couldn't ask him to stay for fear his past would be exposed.
"Don't let him go, Meggie," Zach urged. "You know you love him."
Meg rounded on him. "I know no such thing."
"I know you like a book, Meggie girl. "You'd not let a man make love to you unless you loved him."
Meg stared at him, appalled. "How...how did you know?"
"It wasn't difficult. The Meggie I knew from old wouldn't look at a man with hunger in her eyes. I'm glad, honey. Now you know not all men are like Arlo. I'm glad it was Jess who showed you."
Meg studied her hands. "I hurt him, Zach. He thinks I turned him down because he's a wanted man. It's not that at all. That same old fear grips me whenever I think of marriage. How do I know Jess won't turn into an ogre like Arlo once we're married?"
"Your heart knows," Zach said. "Follow your heart."
"If only I could," Meg sighed. "My gut tells me Jess wasn't serious about his proposal. Like he said, it was the moment. His future is too uncertain to make a commitment to a wife. Jess wanted me to go to Oregon with him, but you know I won't leave you."
Zach shook his head. "As much as I appreciate your loyalty, it was wrong of you to use me as an excuse. Go to Jess. Tell him about Arlo and agree to go anywhere with him. Men like Jess don't come along every day. I'll get along just fine without you."
"It may by too late, Zach. I might have hurt Jess beyond repair. Angry words were exchanged."
"Is there nothing I can say to change your mind?"
"No. What happened is for the best."
Zach's sad gaze followed Meg as she turned and reentered the house.
The following days were tense ones for Jess. He sat on the horns of dilemma. His gut told him to leave Cheyenne and seek a safer haven, but his heart refused to listen. It wasn't just Meg who held him back, but the patients who needed him. Old Doc Belcher had sunk deeper and deeper into an alcoholic stupor, leaving Jess the only doctor in the thriving city who knew what he was doing.
He couldn't leave until he removed the stitches from little Kerry Wheeler's head wound. And it would be at least two weeks before the cast could come off Harry Pepper's leg. Then there was Mrs. Buxley, who needed nerve medicine to get her through a day with her eight children. And Pearl Lavine whose weak chest was a constant worry.
Instead of packing up and moving on like he'd intended, Jess spent the following days treating his patients as if nothing were wrong. He made no effort to see Meg during that time, though the oversight cost him dearly. Meg had made it perfectly clear that she didn't want him as badly as he wanted her.
One day Miss Polly Gallagher, the grocer's daughter, was carried into the office by her father. It seemed the pretty Miss Polly had tripped over a barrel of pickles and sprained her ankle. Her worried father hovered nearby while Jess bandaged the pert miss's well-turned ankle.
"Thanks, Doc," Mr. Gallagher said as he paid Jess for his services. "Do you mind if I leave Polly with you while I hitch up the horse and buggy? Can't have her walking home on that ankle."
"That's fine," Jess said absently as he stowed away his gauze and bandages.
"You're very talented, Doctor," Polly simpered after her father left the office. "Do you mind if I speak my mind about something?"
"Say whatever is on your mind, Miss Gallagher."
Polly cleared her throat and sent him a coquettish smile. "The whole town is talking about you and that Lincoln woman," she said slyly.
Jess's head shot up. "Oh, really? What are they saying?"
"That you and that female bounty hunter have become...close. Rumor has it that you saved her life."
"I suppose that's true enough," Jess allowed.
"Meg Lincoln is a disgrace to womankind," Polly sniffed. "What she does for a living is unnatural and disgraceful. She has no reputation to speak of. Why, everyone knows she's mistress to that disreputable old cripple she's living with."
Jess hung onto his temper with difficulty. "Miss Lincoln is an extraordinary woman," he said with curt dismissal. Polly Gallagher might be pretty but her spitefulness detracted from her beauty. Unfortunately Jess knew she was only repeating the town's opinion of Meg Lincoln.
Polly held out her leg to inspect her bandaged ankle. "It's too tight," she whined.
Jess lifted her foot and examined the bandage. His eyebrows arched upward when Polly raised her skirts past her trim calf to expose a dimpled knee. He smiled grimly, aware of the game Polly was playing. A game in which he wasn't interested. He hadn't met a woman yet who could compare with Meg.
"The bandage is fine, Miss Gallagher," Jess said as he yanked her skirts down to her toes. "Rest your ankle for a few days and you'll soon be fit as a fiddle."
Polly flashed him a brilliant smile. "You have such gentle hands, Doctor Gentry. You must be lonely here all by yourself. You need a wife to take care of you."
Her hint couldn't have been more blatant.
"I have no time for a wife," Jess said curtly. "Ah, here comes your father."
Polly spared her father an impatient glance as he walked through the door. "If you ever find yourself in need of respectable female company," she stressed in a coy whisper, "remember me."
"I'll try," Jess replied, wondering what Miss Polly would say if she knew he was an outlaw. She'd probably run screaming for her papa.
Zach was working in town at the hardware store now and Jess ran into him occasionally. Though they spoke briefly whenever they met, Jess didn't once ask about Meg. Taking about her would only open wounds he wasn't prepared to deal with.
Over the course of the next few days, Jess had come to a decision. As much as he hated to leave Cheyenne and abandon his patients, he knew the time had come to leave. After much soul searching, Jess realized there was but one course open to him. He had to return to Dodge and prove that the Gentry brothers had been falsely charged with a crime they hadn't committed.
Jess had his saddlebags all packed and his medical bag newly stocked and was about to lock the front door for the last time when he saw Zach running down the street toward his office, waving something in his hand. Jess's heart took a serious tumble. His first thought was that something terrible had happened to Meg.
Zach was winded and unable to spe
ak when he finally reached Jess. Jess helped him inside, easing him into a chair.
"Breathe deeply, Zach. Do you need your medicine?"
Zach shook his head. "I'll be...all right...in a...minute, Doc. Here, read...this." He thrust the paper clutched in his hand at Jess.
It was a telegram from a lawyer in Philadelphia. Jess read it through and handed it back to Zach. "I'm sorry about your wife, Zach. Do you intend to travel to Philadelphia to settle your wife's estate? According to the telegram, there's a considerable sum involved."
"I didn't know Tilly's parents died and left her their fortune. According to Mr. Fernwood, I'm Tilly's next of kin and the money is mine. All I have to do is go to Philadelphia and claim the estate. Do you know what that means to me and Meg, Doc? We won't have to worry about money again.
"I can't wait to tell Mary. There's nothing to keep us from getting hitched now. The only problem is Meggie."
"Surely you don't think Meg will object to your marrying Mary, do you?"
"Nah, nothing like that. Meg will be glad for me. It's just that I don't want to leave her alone while I'm gone. We both know how folks in these parts feel about her. She has no one but me, Doc, and you. But you know how stubborn she can be."
"I do, indeed," Jess muttered. "What are you worried about? Meg is capable of taking care of herself during your absence. How long do you intend to be gone?"
"No more than two weeks. Big cities ain't for me. Will you help me out, Doc?"
"I don't know, Zach. You couldn't have caught me at a worse time. I've decided to return to Dodge City and try to prove my innocence."
"Stay, Doc. Two weeks can't make that much difference. And I'd feel a whole lot better if Meggie had someone to rely upon during my absence."
Jess's eyes narrowed. "Why do you think Meg needs protection? Perhaps I'd be more inclined to stay if I knew the reason behind your request."
Jess watched as Zach seemed to mull over his next words. "I don't know as I have the right to tell you."
"If you want me to stay and watch over Meg, you do."
"I'll tell you this much," Zach allowed. "There's a man Meg has reason to fear."
Jess's attention sharpened. "Is his name Arlo?"
Zach gave him a startled look. "Did Meggie tell you about Arlo?"
"Not really. She mentioned his name once, and when I asked about him she turned stubborn and refused to talk about him. But I know he's the man who hurt her."
"I reckon I ain't talking out of turn by telling you Meggie has good reason to fear Arlo. We live everyday worrying that he'll show up and make Meggie's life miserable. Meggie is a strong woman, Doc, afeared of nothing but that bastard Arlo. He's the only man who has the ability to hurt her. It happened a long time ago, but Meggie is still vulnerable when it comes to Arlo."
"Do you think this Arlo will show up here and hurt Meg?"
Zach nodded gravely. "It's possible."
"What is Arlo to Meg?"
"I've said all I can without breaking my word to Meggie. What do you say, Doc. Will you stick around until I return? I've got an odd feeling about Arlo. Something tells me this is a bad time to leave, and my premonitions are usually right."
"So are mine," Jess said, "and my gut tells me it's time to leave Cheyenne. I'm living on borrowed luck. We both know what's going to happen when the sheriff takes those wanted poster out of his drawer."
"I know I'm asking a lot, Doc, but I know Meggie's well being is important to you. You two can't fool me. You care for Meggie and she cares for you."
"Perhaps, but circumstances aren't right yet to do anything about it. That's why I'm going to Dodge. I need to get this miscarriage of justice straightened out. Meg deserves a life free from worries. I can't make that happen until I'm a free man. And that might never happen."
"I understand, Doc, but that doesn't solve my problem. Two more weeks is all I ask. I've already bought my train ticket. I leave tomorrow."
How could he refuse? Jess wondered. If Arlo was a threat to Meg, then he had no choice but to stay and see that no harm came to her during Zach's absence. The sheriff hadn't discovered the poster yet, perhaps he could pull this off.
"What does Meg say about this? Something tells me she's not going to like it."
"She doesn't need to know. Just ride out a couple of times to see how she's doing and keep an eye out for strangers. I've never seen Arlo myself so can't give you an accurate description. Meggie refuses to talk about him."
"Very well, Zach, I'll stick around another couple of weeks. I don't get around much so it's not going to be easy watching for strangers when I don't even know what Arlo looks like."
"Slick, that's all I can tell you. He's a smooth talker, from what I gather. And he has a mean streak a mile wide."
"I'll do what I can, Zach."
Zach grabbed Jess's hand and pumped vigorously. "You've just taken a load off my mind. I'm gotta go see Mary and tell her to prepare for a wedding as soon as I return. Thanks again, Doc."
"Take care of yourself, Zach," Jess said in parting. "Your heart can only take so much. Remember my advice. Take your medicine and rest when you feel yourself tiring."
What have I gotten myself into? Jess wondered as he watched Zach limp off down the street. There was only one thing he knew for sure. If Arlo got anywhere near Meg, if he harmed one hair upon her head, he'd kill the bastard.
Chapter Ten
Several medical emergencies kept Jess busy after Zach left town. Three days passed before Jess finally found the time to check on Meg. Jess was preparing to lock the front door for the day when a man barged into the waiting room.
The man was flamboyantly dressed in black suit, striped red and black vest, and string tie. His fingers were adorned with flashy rings and a gold watch fob was draped across his trim stomach. Blood dripped from a rag clamped around his wrist.
"Can you take a look at this, Doc?" the man said, holding out his injured wrist.
"What happened?" Jess asked, ushering the man into his examining room.
"I was running a poker game down at the Whistle Stop Saloon when a cowboy attacked me."
Jess slanted him an censuring glance. "That should teach you not to cheat."
The man, obviously a professional gambler, turned eyes the color of cold cement on Jess. "I've killed men with less provocation."
"Listen, Mr...."
"Skully."
"Listen, Mr. Skully, either you want your wound treated or you don't. It's your choice."
Skully pulled away the bloody rag and shoved his wrist under Jess's nose. "If you weren't the only doctor in town worth his salt I wouldn't be here. I don't like your attitude."
Jess examined the wound. It wasn't deep but would require stitches. "What happened to the man who gave you this?"
"He's not dead, if that's what you're wondering. He might have been," Skully allowed, "if the sheriff hadn't been in the saloon and hauled the cowboy off to jail to cool his heels."
Jess merely grunted. It didn't take him long to decide he liked neither the gambler nor his attitude. Looking into his eyes was like looking into a crypt. Cold and empty, utterly devoid of feeling.
"This is going to sting," Jess said as he held Skully's wrist over a basin and poured disinfectant over it.
"Holy shit!" Skully cried, jerking spasmodically. "Are you deliberately trying to hurt me, Doc?"
"Your wound needed disinfecting," Jess intoned. "I'd hate to guess where that cowboy's knife had been before he cut you. This is going to need stitches," Jess continued.
"Just get it over with," Skully said, gritting his teeth.
Jess took his time threading the needle. He'd never deliberately tried to hurt a patient but the gambler had rubbed him the wrong way. He didn't know the man from Adam, but he still didn't like him.
Nevertheless, Jess tried not to cause excessive pain. The first stitch brought a howl from Skully. The second went easier, as did each successive stitch. Finally Jess set the needle aside and applied a
bandage.
"You're a lucky man, Mr. Skully. The knife could have severed a tendon and you'd never be able to deal from the bottom again."
"Just finish the damn job so I can get out of here," Skully growled."
"You're all done. Come back in a week and I'll take out the stitches."
"How much do I owe you?"
"I usually charge a dollar or the equivalent for an ordinary office visit; sewing up gamblers cost five dollars."
Skully gave Jess a lethal look and fished a five dollar bill from his pocket. He looked ready to explode as he tossed the money at Jess's feet.
"You're pretty damn arrogant for a small town doctor." Suddenly Skully's expression turned thoughtful. "Have we met before?"
Jess went still. He was positive he'd remember Skully if they'd met before. If he looked familiar to the gambler that meant only one thing. Skully had seen the wanted poster.
"We've never met."
Skully's cold eyes searched Jess's face. "I could have sworn I've seen your face somewhere. I've an excellent memory. One day it will come to me."
Jess sincerely hoped not. The gambler was a man he didn't want for an enemy.
Skully left shortly after that, giving Jess another thorough inspection before closing the door behind him. Jess breathed a sigh of relief. This was a terrible time to be recognized. The timing was all wrong. He'd promised Zach he'd keep an eye on Meg during his absence and he wasn't sure he could keep that promise now.
Jess locked the office door and went into the kitchen to fix himself something to eat. It was too late now to visit Meg. It would have to wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow was Saturday; he would close the office early. He could hardly wait.
Jess found that he had little appetite. He was eager to see Meg and had to forcibly prevent himself from riding out there despite the darkness and late hour. Would she welcome him? Probably not. She wouldn't like the idea of Zach asking Jess to keep an eye on her. In all likelihood she thought he'd already left Cheyenne. Did she miss him as much as he missed her?