Kansas Courtship

by Victoria Bylin

  Will pulled up a chair. “So, young man, where have you two been?”

  A mystery was about to be solved. Zeb took a seat on the outside of the circle. Alex sat on the floor at his feet.

  Emmeline put her arm around Mikey’s shoulders. “Can you tell us what happened?”

  The boy’s eyes filled with tears. “It was my fault.”

  “What was?” Will asked.

  “I made Missy come with me. She didn’t want to, but I said we could get away and now she’s sick.”

  “Away from what?” Emmeline hugged his shoulders.

  “We didn’t want to go with new families when we got to Oregon. We were going to run away, but then the tornado came and it picked us up.”

  “I saw that,” Bess declared.

  Mikey’s eyes rounded with fear. “I didn’t know where we were. I heard people calling, but I was afraid. If we went to new families, we couldn’t be together. Missy didn’t want to leave, but I talked her into it.”

  Emmeline riffled his hair. “You must have been very scared.”

  The boy raised his eyes to the ceiling as if he was considering a grave question, then he looked back at Emmeline. “I was, but just a little.”

  Zeb knew bravado when he heard it. He used the same tone himself.

  The boy kept his eyes on Emmeline. “We were walking back to the town we’d been in. The lady at the store didn’t like us, but we thought maybe someone would let us do chores for food. Before we got there, some Indian children found us. They took us to their tribe, and we lived with them.”

  Emmeline broke in. “The woman who brought you—”

  “We called her Ni-Wako,” he said. “I don’t know what it means, but she was nice. She was real scared when Missy got sick. She tried to heal her, but the medicines didn’t work. Today Missy’s lips turned blue. That’s when the Indian lady brought us here.”

  Bess reached for Mikey and hugged him. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

  “Me, too.”

  As he squeezed back, Emmeline rubbed Bess’s shoulder. “The storm hurt you, too.”

  Bess let go of Mikey, sat up and looked at Nora. “I don’t know why I couldn’t talk. I tried, but nothing would come out. At first, I couldn’t even think.”

  “You had a trauma,” Nora explained. “In a way, your mind went to sleep so it could heal.”

  Emmeline shuddered. “The storm was terrible.”

  Bess’s eyes misted. “Even before the tornado, I was scared all the time. Do you remember the Indians on the hill? I thought they’d eat us alive.”

  Zeb understood the girl’s fear. Kansa warriors plucked their scalps bald except for a strip down the middle. With their stoic faces and unfamiliar clothing, they had a fearsome presence.

  Bess took a breath. “I remember the noise from the tornado and looking for Mikey and Missy. The next thing I knew, we were at a cemetery burying Papa. I couldn’t think. I just knew I was afraid.”

  Emmeline hugged her sister. Together they rocked and grieved until Bess sniffed and they broke apart. Will put one hand on his wife’s shoulder, then tugged at Bess’s braid with the other. He made a good big brother. “Hey, kid. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me, too,” she replied.

  Zeb’s gaze went to Nora. She’d put an apron over her dress and looked relaxed. She could have been baking bread instead of saving a child’s life. He didn’t know what to think until he saw a scrape on her temple.

  “What happened to you?” he said, almost growling.

  “This?” She raised her hand to the lump. “I hit my head in the wagon. It’s nothing.”

  Zeb’s thumb was nothing. A hit on the head could have been serious. What if she’d suffered a concussion? Who’d take care of her? Startled by his protectiveness, he looked back at the Logans and saw Will drilling him with his eyes. Zeb knew what his friend wanted. He expected Zeb to tell her she had the doctor job permanently, and he expected him to do it now. When Zeb stayed silent, Will blew out a disgusted breath.

  Emmeline went to Nora and gripped both her hands. “I can’t thank you enough, Dr. Nora. I’m going to tell everyone that you saved Missy and Bess.”

  “Thank you,” Nora replied. “But I don’t want to cause a stir. I just want to be a good doctor.”

  Will gave Zeb a hard look. “It seems to me you are a good doctor. You’re the only doctor this town needs.”

  Zeb couldn’t deny Nora’s skill, but he didn’t like being put on the spot. “She’s good with children,” he finally said. “Women, too. But don’t expect men to see her.”

  “Mr. Garrison?”

  He heard Nora’s voice, but he kept his eyes on Will. Will looked ready to punch him.

  Nora waited with the patience of Job until Zeb gave up and faced her. “What is it?”

  “I’m in the room,” she said mildly. “Rather than speaking about me to Will, please address me directly.”

  Zeb didn’t like being corrected, but he had it coming. Neither did he like the scrape on her temple, or the memory of kissing her. Everything about this woman confused him, especially the gentle tone of her voice. It disarmed him. “You’re right,” he said sincerely. “I apologize.”

  “Apology accepted,” she replied. “Now I have an offer for you.”

  He dreaded hearing her plan. “What is it?”

  “I’d be glad to serve the women and children of High Plains. When it’s convenient, we’ll negotiate a new salary. If a man falls ill or gets hurt, of course I’d help.”

  Will grinned. “Trust me, Doc. It won’t be long before some tough guy stubs his toe and comes running.”

  “It won’t be me,” Zeb argued. He’d let his thumb fall off before he asked Nora for help. He glanced at her. “We can talk about it.”

  Someone rapped on the door. Zeb was closest, so he opened it. “Come in,” he said to Pete and Rebecca.

  Rebecca’s eyes snapped to Bess. The girl grinned from ear to ear. “Hi, Rebecca!”

  “Glory be!” Rebecca hurried to the sofa. Bess pushed to her feet, and the females hugged for a solid minute, rocking and crying like babies. Zeb snuck a peek at Nora and saw tears of joy in her eyes.

  Carolina stepped out from behind the curtain. “Dr. Nora? Missy’s awake.”

  “Thank you, Carolina.” Nora crossed the room to where Mikey was huddled against Emmeline. She crouched next to him and smiled. “Would you like to see your sister?”

  He nodded.

  She stood and held out her hand. As Mikey took it, Nora turned to Emmeline. “We’ll give them a few minutes, then you and Will can see her.”

  “Me, too!” Bess said.

  Zeb’s throat tightened with awe. Bess was speaking. The twins had been found. He’d witnessed two miracles today. He’d also just seen a side of Nora that rocked him to the core. Mikey was only eight years old, but she’d treated him with respect. The boy had been taking care of his sister, and he needed this time with her. Didn’t Nora deserve the same consideration—a chance to express herself without being judged?

  As Nora and Mikey stepped behind the curtain, Carolina turned to Emmeline. “I’m going to heat some broth for Missy. Would you like to bring it to her?”

  “Very much,” Emmeline answered.

  As she went with Carolina, Rebecca sat with Bess on the divan. They were chattering like magpies, a welcome sound compared to silence. Alex looked up at Zeb. “I’m glad Mikey and Missy are back.” The children had been friends on the wagon train.

  “Me, too.” High Plains had much for which to be grateful. Zeb thought of the town hall. He’d finish it in time for the jubilee or eat a bucket of sawdust.

  Will slid his gaze to Pete. “Zeb’s come to his senses. Dr. Nora’s staying.”

  Pete clapped him on the back. “It’s about time.”

  “Hold on!” Zeb protested. “I said I’d talk to her, but we haven’t agreed on anything.”

  Will put his hands on his hips. “What is wrong with you?”


  Zeb aimed his chin at the curtain. “If she wants to see women and children, fine. But we still need a male doctor.” He hadn’t planned on taking such a hard stand, but Will had goaded him. He almost said he’d be paying her half just to make a point, but his conscience stopped him. Zeb could be spiteful, but he wasn’t that bad.

  Pete shrugged. “As long as we’ve got a doctor, I’m happy.”

  Rebecca smiled at her husband. When Pete grinned back, Zeb wondered if they had a baby on the way. He understood Pete’s hope for children. He had the same dream himself. Blinking, he imagined a little girl with red hair and blue eyes. The thought made him crazy and he shot to his feet. He had to get out of the parlor before he started liking oil paintings again.

  He looked at Alex. “How about a trip to the mercantile? We’ll get licorice for everyone and bring it back.”

  “I have to ask Dr. Nora.”

  Before Nora had interfered, Alex had looked to him for guidance. He’d been thinking about adopting the boy. Now Alex considered Nora his guardian.

  The boy peeked into the sickroom. “Dr. Nora? Can I go with Zeb to the store?”

  Zeb heard her voice through the curtain. “May I,” she corrected. “And yes, you may. Just don’t overdo it.”

  “I won’t.”

  Alex popped out from the curtain, grinning like a prisoner loosed from a jail cell. As Zeb opened the front door, he heard Will talking to Pete. “I don’t care what Zeb says. Once word about Missy and Bess gets out, anyone in town’ll be happy to go to Dr. Nora—male or female. And when that happens, Zeb will have no choice but to admit she’s the only doctor we need.”

  Will had that know-it-all tone that had irked Zeb for years. “Not a chance,” he said, turning back to face his friend.

  “I say Dr. Nora has her first male patient by Sunday.”

  Zeb laughed. “That’s just three days away.”

  “So you have nothing to lose by agreeing.” Will rocked back on his heels. “If you say that you’ll accept Dr. Nora if she gets a male patient in the next three days then there’s nothing on the line except your pride.”

  “It’s a deal,” Zeb said. “With one condition. You can’t be the patient and neither can Pete.”

  “Fair enough,” Will acknowledged.

  Rebecca and Bess looked at him with a giggle in their eyes. Zeb felt like an adolescent fool for fighting over Nora, so he pushed open the door. “Come on, Alex.”

  Side by side, they walked to the store. Instead of chattering about candy and wooden horses, Alex talked the whole way about Dr. Nora. Zeb’s thumb throbbed. So did his heart. He ignored them both.

  Nora stood back as Emmeline spooned the last drop of soup into Missy’s mouth. Will and Bess stood on one side of the bed, and Mikey was perched on the foot of the narrow cot.

  Nora couldn’t have been happier for the twins. Will and Emmeline had just promised to adopt them. Mikey and Missy wouldn’t have to worry about being separated ever again. Counting Bess and Emmeline’s other siblings, Glory and Johnny, plus Emmeline’s mother and her new husband, the Logans had a huge family and the promise of babies of their own.

  A bittersweet joy tightened Nora’s chest. She wanted a husband and children. But she wanted them with Zeb. Considering Zeb’s tone, that dream seemed as impossible as flying. Needing distraction, she turned to the counter where she kept her apothecary jars, spooned sumac leaves into a bowl, then searched the shelf where she kept small bottles of liquid medicine. She needed tincture of myrrh, found it and excused herself.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said to Emmeline. “I’m going to brew a tea for Missy.” The family barely noticed when she left.

  Nora went to the kitchen. Carolina was filling the teakettle, and Rebecca and Bess were chatting at the table. Nora loved her new friends, but she couldn’t stop envying the Logans and their big family. She blinked and imagined a boy with Zeb’s dark hair. She wanted a girl, too. Nora loved dolls and games. She’d done her first doctoring on a rag doll with a torn arm.

  “Hi,” she said as she set down the medicines.

  All three of them smiled at her. Rebecca spoke first. “If this doesn’t show people you’re a good doctor, nothing will.”

  Bess’s face lit up. “I want to shout it from the rooftops, at least the ones that are fixed.”

  “Thank you both,” Nora replied. “We’ll see what happens.”

  Rebecca’s eyes twinkled. “After you left the room, Zeb and Will got into it again. They made a deal about you.”

  Nora was afraid she knew what they’d talked about. She’d heard Will’s dig about male patients. “What’s the deal?” she asked Rebecca.

  “Will thinks you’ll have a man for a patient by Sunday. If you do, Zeb has to admit you’re all the doctor we need. Zeb says it’ll never happen.”

  Nora groaned. “If word gets around, no man will want to be first. I’ll never have male patients.” She thought of Clint and his cough. He’d be sure to avoid her now.

  As Nora put the leaves to boil, someone knocked on the door. Carolina was filling a basin with boiling water, so Nora waved for her to stay. “I’ll get it.”

  Walking across the parlor, she wiped her hands on her apron. Putting on a smile, she opened the door and saw a woman she recognized from the visits she’d made her first week in town. Lanie Briggs was married to Tom Briggs, the man working on the town hall with Zeb. She had her little girl with her, a toddler with a lazy eye. The woman studied Nora with a mix of hope and suspicion.

  “I’ve come about Ginny.” She hoisted the little girl into her arms. “Can you fix her eye?”

  “Maybe,” Nora replied. “If you patch her good eye, her lazy eye will have to do more work. It might straighten on its own. But I won’t give you false hope, Mrs. Briggs. Patching doesn’t always work.”

  “It’s worth a try, though. Isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” Nora replied. “If you do nothing, the eye will go blind.”

  “Will you do it, Dr. Nora?” the woman asked. “Would you try?”

  Nora opened the door wide. “I can’t make promises, but I’ll do my best. Come in.”

  As Lanie Briggs crossed the threshold, joy bubbled in Nora’s heart. The seeds she’d planted were breaking through hard earth and reaching for the sun. Soon she’d have a harvest of patients. Her practice would flourish and she’d be able to stay without a salary from Zeb. One of her dreams had come true. The other—the desire for a husband and children—hung beyond her grasp.

  As she stepped back into the parlor, she heard laughter coming from the Logan clan. Fighting a heaviness in her chest, Nora smiled at the little girl with the crooked eye. “Hi, Ginny. I’m Dr. Nora. I’m going to try to fix your eye, okay?”

  When Ginny gave a solemn nod, Nora patted her head and prepared to go to work. It was enough. It had to be.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Every time Clint coughed, Zeb thought of his deal with Will. The cowboy looked more peaked with each passing day. Yesterday Zeb had ordered him to go to the Circle-L and not show his face until he could talk without wheezing. Clint had gone, but this morning he’d come back. He was on the cutting floor now, getting ready for the day’s work.

  If Doc Dempsey had been alive, Zeb would have hauled the cowboy to the man’s office. Doc had faltered after the tornado, but he’d done well enough with fevers. At the very least, he’d have ordered Clint to stay in bed. Dr. Mitchell could give the same advice, but Clint wouldn’t listen to her. Men didn’t respect lady doctors and never would.

  Alone in his office, Zeb considered ordering the cowboy to see Dr. Nora in spite of the deal with Will. He hadn’t started up the saws yet, and the Thompsons were late delivering timber. He could do without the cowboy today, so he walked from his office to the cutting floor. The building was silent until Clint started coughing up his lungs. Zeb put his hands on his hips. “I told you to stay home.”

  “Can’t stop working.” Clint headed for the keg of vegetable o
il they used for lubrication.

  “Hold up!” Zeb ordered.

  Clint glared at him, but his expression had no force. Standing with his shoulders hunched, he looked as if every breath hurt. Not a speck of sawdust filled the air, but later the room would be awash in it. How much worse would he feel then?

  “Get out of here,” Zeb said gently. “You’re as sick as a dog.”

  Clint shook his head.

  Zeb took another approach. “You’re a good man, Clint, but right now you’re not worth spit.” The next words pained him, but they had to be said. “Go see Dr. Mitchell.”

  “No way, boss.”

  Zeb wiped his hand through his hair. “I know she’s female, but she can handle a silly cough.” Anything more serious, and he’d think twice about sending his best worker.

  “I don’t care about her being a woman.” Clint backhanded feverish sweat from his brow. “I have to work because I need the money.”

  Zeb didn’t see why. The man worked two jobs. Will paid him a decent wage and so did Zeb. Clint didn’t waste a dime on anything. “I know you’ve been saving up. You’ve earned a day off.”

  “I don’t have much time,” Clint argued. “I need every cent.”

  “For what?”

  Clint looked at him as if he were stupid. “She’s gonna leave with him, Zeb. I tell you, she’s—”

  “You mean Cassandra?”

  Clint’s cheeks flushed. “Who else would I do this for? I love her, but I can’t marry her until I can take care of her. And I can’t do that until I can buy a ring that’s twice the size of what Percy has in mind.”

  He spat the man’s name. Zeb shared his dislike. “I see.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  Zeb heard an insult. “What do you mean?”

  “Have you ever loved a woman? I mean really loved her? Loved her so much it hurt to say her name?”

  Instead of Frannie, he saw a redhead with blue eyes. He didn’t want to love Nora, but he did. The thought rocked him to the core. Love, like the river, couldn’t be stopped. Could he learn to respect her career? He could tolerate her seeing women and children, but how would he feel when she took off in the dead of night to care for a stranger? And what about her New York roots? She’d come to High Plains out of desperation. Would she stay no matter the cost? He didn’t know.