“Ma taught me to read and cipher,” Heath said, paying attention only to Connor. “She didn’t really say much, just that she’d left a letter.”
Seth didn’t blame the boy for being hostile, considering all the surprises his life had handed him lately. “How did your ma die?”
“She had a fever and it got so high she had to take to her bed.” Suddenly Heath looked as if he might break down and cry.
Knowing tears would embarrass him, Seth spoke to head that off. “It might’ve been an infected wound.”
Connor picked that moment to squeal and jump toward the hot stove. Heath caught the boy in time. Seth was glad to see Heath wasn’t going to let his dislike of the Kincaid brothers stop him from being kind to a child.
“I didn’t see any wound.” Heath turned Connor to face the room. “She never complained of anything like that. But she had a bellyache. She was holding her belly low on the left side. Hurtin’ bad.”
“I’ve heard of stomach ailments that can kill a person.” Seth tried to remember all the reasons men had died during the war. Usually it was all too obvious what had killed them, but sometimes they died for no reason he could ever figure out.
“She told me there was a letter in a box in her room, and to go get it. It was written in her own hand that Pa had grown sons. Just a note saying you lived around Rawhide. No names, nuthin’ else. She said Pa had some land over this way and a share of it oughta be mine.”
Seth looked at Ethan. This house and this property was most clearly their father’s. If anyone had to give up a big chunk of what they owned, it would be Ethan.
“We’ll figure out how to divide things up.” The little baby in Ethan’s arms let out a yelp and he rose from the table to bounce Lily, but the tyke wasn’t interested in being cheered up. As he walked and bounced, Ethan added, “We’ve got all winter to sort it out.”
Lily’s fussing grew into full-out crying.
“Seth?” Audra’s voice came from upstairs.
Seth was running for the stairs so fast he couldn’t remember standing up, scared to death, considering she’d just barred him from the room. “What is it?”
“Can you sit with Callie and keep cool cloths pressed to her forehead while I tend Lily?”
A whoosh of air escaped Seth’s chest. “Yep, sure I can. You scared me to death.”
Audra rested a hand on Seth’s shoulder. “I don’t see any infected wounds, at least nothing like what Wendell had. We just need to keep her fever down. If she wakes up for even a moment, try and get her to take a drink of water.”
“Connor!” Callie twisted in her sleep.
Seth surged from his chair by her bedside. All day she remained in either unnaturally still sleep or she’d cry out, shout Connor’s name, then toss and turn.
“Get Connor out. Go!” She was refighting the battle with outlaws at the stagecoach. “Where’s my rifle!”
Seth, careful of her cuts and bruises, took hold of her shoulders. The feverish heat of her skin terrified him.
“Callie, wake up, honey.” Words weren’t enough. Seth shook her gently but relentlessly until finally her eyes flickered open. He knew the torment of nightmares, and it made him sick to think they had Callie in their grasp.
“Take a drink of water.” He slid an arm under her shoulder and lifted her, an inch at a time, knowing every move hurt, until she was sitting up enough he could lift the tin cup to her lips.
“Where’s Connor?” She always asked the same thing first.
“Connor is fine, honey.” He coaxed her into taking a drink.
She reached up her hand and rested her open palm on his face. “Why did you leave me?”
“I was sick, honey. Out of my head. I’d have never left you if I’d been thinking right.” He knew that had to be the truth. Holding her as he was now, he couldn’t imagine letting her go. He got another swallow of water down her throat and for a few seconds she seemed to realize what she was doing and took a long gulp.
She turned her head from the cup, and Seth eased it away so it wouldn’t spill.
“My pa was so mad.”
Seth leaned close to catch her muttered words. “What about your pa?”
“He said I’d picked a husband who abandoned me. Said I was stupid.”
“I’m sorry I made things bad between you and your pa.”
“He hated me for that. For having no husband and a baby on the way. He accused me of lying about being married. Accused me of being . . . being . . . with a man . . . without being married. But I had the marriage license.”
“He didn’t hate you, Callie. Your pa loved you.” Seth said the words because he hoped they gave her comfort, but he knew not all fathers loved their children. Knew it firsthand.
“Luke ran off. Pa poked at him until Luke couldn’t stand it, for fighting for the North. Then Pa got shot. I had to run. I let them take my land, steal my ranch! Pa would’ve hated me for that, too.”
“You couldn’t fight for a ranch when you had a baby to take care of, Callie. You did the right thing.”
“And you weren’t there. You should have been there. My pa would still be alive if he’d had a strong man to fight at his side. We’d still have our ranch. Luke might’ve even stayed because you could have eased things between him and Pa.”
Not wanting to hear any more of her delirious honesty, Seth lifted the cup again and got her to take another drink.
She turned her head aside and he was far from satisfied with the amount she drank, but it was something at least.
He realized then that since she was mostly out of her head, this might be a good time to learn a few things about her without making her killing mad. “How old are you, Callie?”
“I’m twenty . . . in just a few months.”
Seth had figured her for older. If she was nineteen and they had a son nearing a year old, then . . . “How old were you when we got married?”
“A man ought to know his wife’s age, Seth. He oughta remember things like that.”
Seth decided to change the subject. “How old is Connor?”
“Connor needs me.” Callie’s eyes closed, and Seth let her lapse back into a restless, feverish sleep.
The day went on much the same and the night, too. Over and over, Seth wrung out a cloth and bathed her forehead with cool water, constantly fighting the fever that seemed to rage out of control. He checked her wounds, terrified he’d find red streaks stretching away from them.
When Audra insisted, Seth left and allowed his sister-in-law to handle personal things for Callie. Seth went back to his wife’s side as soon as Audra would allow it.
Seth stayed at Callie’s side almost constantly through three long days and nights. Though he got a little water down her throat, she gagged on broth.
She lost weight, shrunk away before his eyes. Seth found she’d calm down when he got close enough that her grappling hands could latch on to him. And it was no hardship to slide under the covers with her and hold her while she fought for her life.
Finally, in the early morning hours of the fourth day, Seth woke up to find Callie soaked with sweat and sleeping peacefully.
As the sun rose, Seth saw through the small window that the blizzard had blown itself out. He didn’t dare move and risk waking her, so he lay there and reveled in the feel of his wife.
He heard the house stir and still he stayed with Callie, afraid the least motion would awaken her. Rest seemed like the best medicine right now.
With Callie at peace, Seth, his head aching with exhaustion, fell asleep and the next time he awoke, the day was bright and the hour was nearer midday than morning.
As Audra swung the door open, Seth realized the turning knob had broken into his sleep. Audra came in the room with Connor in her arms. “You’re awake,” she said.
Seth saw Audra looking down at Callie. He turned to see Callie’s black eyes wide open and clear. “Hi, honey. You feeling better?”
The instant she figured out they were lyin
g together, Callie’s brow furrowed. “Get out of this bed, Seth Kincaid.”
“Hand him here.” Seth ignored his feisty wife and reached out for the boy. Connor flashed his wild grin and tried to throw himself out of Audra’s arms.
“Your son doesn’t have a cautious bone in his body.” Audra clucked her tongue as she gave Connor to Seth. “Why am I not surprised?”
Seth managed a brief smile before letting Connor sit on his chest, facing his mother.
“I’ll be right back with something for you to eat, Callie.” Audra slipped out of the room.
“Papapapa.” Connor reached down and gave Callie a sound slap on the chest.
It distracted Callie from throwing Seth out of bed. And Seth was too busy keeping the chunky little tyke from damaging his ma to get up.
Or at least that was the excuse he made to himself as he enjoyed the glory of his healing wife and his smiling son.
Chapter
13
“How long have I been in bed?” Callie wanted to punch Seth for being in the bed with her. She was determined that nothing would pass between them yet. She’d made that clear as glass. And yet here he was for the second time.
Or, depending on how long she’d been out of her head, maybe it was the tenth time.
“We got to Ethan’s four days ago, late at night. You’ve never really been awake since. Or at least not for long. The trip was too hard for you, honey.”
Her husband made it sound like she was soft. That made him an insensitive clod.
“I’m feeling better.” Better enough to slam a fist right in his gut. More of the ordeal came back to her. “And did I single-handedly save your son, the parson and his wife and the two men on top of the stagecoach, which led to the arrest of four wanted desperados?”
“I don’t know if single-handedly is fair.” Seth let Connor bounce up and down on his chest. “The driver and the man riding shotgun helped a lot.”
“And I earned a fortune in reward money, which I immediately had to spend on your surprise brother.” Callie started wishing she couldn’t remember anything.
“Heath is your brother now, too. It was right handy you having all that money. There’ll be more reward money coming, but I had to promise a good chunk of it to the general store to outfit Heath and buy extra supplies for the winter.”
“So in the four days since I’ve found my husband, I’ve been nearly killed, made and spent a fortune, survived a long ride through the mountains into the teeth of a blizzard, all with a baby strapped on my back? Is that right?” Callie was yelling toward the end, so she clamped her mouth shut.
“I carried Connor from Colorado City. And I carried you part of the way. Are you feeling all right, Cal? You sound a little like you’re still not quite right in the head, honey.”
Audra entered the room with a steaming bowl of . . . something wonderful. Maybe beef stew. Callie’s stomach clenched and she hoped she could keep something down. “But the rest of us did fine,” Seth-the-Clod went on. “Connor came through with no trouble.”
There was no good reason for her husband to lie there saying she was the weakest one of them. Let him fight off a band of outlaws for a while and see if he didn’t get worn clean out.
Audra must have sensed that Callie was gathering her strength to pound Seth.
“Get up.” Audra plunked her hands on her hips and glared at Seth. Who obeyed her. Callie memorized the exact stance and glare. She’d use it often.
Seth grumbled a bit, but he got out of bed, mostly dressed.
Praise the good Lord God in heaven.
“Callie needs a few minutes to wake up.” Audra made shoo motions with her hands as if Seth were a flock of crows raiding the corn patch. “Take Connor and go eat, then help Ethan get the children fed. When Callie and I are done with her breakfast, I’ll holler and you can bring Connor back up.”
Seth glanced past Audra to look at Callie, as if he’d stand up to the little tyrant if Callie asked him to.
“Go.” Callie wouldn’t have minded kicking him to underscore the message. “Take care of your son for a change. Try and remember who I am while you’re down there.”
Callie saw Seth back out of the room, holding Connor like an old hand at baby wrangling. Audra swung the door shut in his face.
Audra sat on the side of the bed and picked up the bowl. “Hi, Callie. I’m Audra. I’m married to Seth’s brother Ethan.”
“No, wait. Stand back up. I don’t need to lie here and be spoon-fed.”
“You might be wrong about that.” Audra gave her a kind but doubtful smile. “You’ve had a hard week.”
Nodding, Callie said, “I might be wrong. But let me try, please.”
After too long a look, as if Audra would do what she thought best regardless of how Callie felt—an annoying way to behave—Audra replaced the bowl on the little table and stood.
“Let’s see how you do.”
Callie tossed back the covers and her arm almost screamed aloud in protest. It would have to do the screaming because she wasn’t about to let her mouth make a sound.
Forcing her legs sideways, Audra helped ease them around and lowered her feet. Callie was sitting up on the edge of the bed for about three seconds before the edges of her vision turned dark. Audra sat beside her and slid an arm around her shoulders.
“You’ve gone dead white. If you try and stand right now, I’m sure you’ll fall on your face. But if you just sit up awhile, give it a few minutes, the light-headedness might pass. If it doesn’t, you’re going to have to stay in bed awhile longer.”
As a rule, Callie didn’t take orders from anyone. But somehow, letting such a pint-sized woman boss her around didn’t seem like too much to accept.
The dark quit getting worse. Callie waited, hoping her vision would clear. As long as she wasn’t doing anything, she asked, “Seth really doesn’t remember me?”
“Seth doesn’t remember much of anything since the end of the war.”
“He was really sick. I mean, I’m not surprised he doesn’t remember when we first met.” She was surprised. Stunned. The big idiot. “I was helping tend the patients who came out of Andersonville. My brother was held prisoner there, and Pa and I headed east to fetch him home. Then we got there and Luke needed doctoring for a long time. I was helping with him and there was so much need. Once Luke was able to travel home, I wanted to stay behind and help.” She’d met Seth by then and he’d already touched her heart. But she hadn’t told her pa that.
“One of the doctors was from Texas, and Pa trusted him to watch out for me and get me home. Pa took my brother and I stayed. Seth was so sick. He was wounded. The wounds—they hadn’t even removed the buckshot from his back. It was infected. He was one of hundreds who needed help. I just, we just . . .”
Callie turned to Audra. “I can’t believe he forgot he was married.”
“Your letter came here, along with the one to Rafe and Ethan. I’m sorry.” Audra slid a supporting arm across Callie’s shoulders, as much emotional support as physical. “It came as a complete surprise to him. And you never mentioned a son.”
“He was out of his head a lot at first. Sick and tormented by nightmares.”
“He still has them.” Audra met Callie’s eyes and the truth of those terrible dreams was there.
“Seth had talked about his brothers, so I knew where they lived.”
“And he just left you?”
“I thought the nightmares drove him out into the night. I thought he’d come back. When he didn’t, I thought he must be dead or maybe sick enough he’d ended up back in a hospital. I stayed back East, hoping, hunting for him. Then I realized Connor was on the way and I had to get back to Texas. I went home to find out my brother had taken off, left Pa and the ranch. I was already getting big with Connor, and Pa didn’t even know I’d gotten married. It wasn’t so easy with a baby to go hunting for my husband. Then Connor was born, and the rancher next to us wanted to grab more range. My pa died and I wasn’t str
ong enough to hold the ranch.”
Callie swallowed hard, not wanting to talk about that. “With my home lost to me, I set out to find Seth’s brothers, hoping maybe Seth was alive and they’d know where he was. And if I found Seth out here, alive and well, I decided I’d kill him.”
Callie looked at Audra sharply, expecting horror. In truth, Callie probably wouldn’t actually kill Seth, but she might well make the man wish for death before she was done. That idea held a strong appeal.
“I’ve done some work on your clothes.”
Callie looked down and realized she was wearing her own soft, white flannel nightgown.
“I found what must be your satchel and a riding skirt and blouse. There were some faded bloodstains, but I could see that someone put time into washing and mending them for you.”
“The parson’s wife, though maybe the hotel owner might have helped. He and his whole family were uncommonly kind to me.”
“Has your head cleared?”
Callie nodded. “Yes, I’m steady now.”
“Do you feel up to trying to stand?”
Callie smiled at Audra, and the smile alone set a few muscles to protesting. “It’ll hurt like blue blazes, but it’s just aches and pains. I’m not bad hurt.”
“A hundred small injuries take a toll on a woman.” Audra stood, a head shorter than Callie. She might look like dandelion fluff, but then a dandelion was a tough little flower. “Let’s get you to your feet.”
Callie found each move to be easier than the one before, which didn’t mean they weren’t all torment. It was slowgoing, but Audra remained patient and soon had her dressed and sitting in front of the soup. Callie took the first bite and her stomach threatened to rebel.
“I think I’ll leave eating until later.” Callie fought to keep from casting up the contents of her belly.
Resting one surprisingly strong hand on Callie’s shoulder, Audra said, “Just give it a second to settle. Take slow, steady breaths.”
Mary Connealy - [Kincaid Brides 03] Page 10