Angel In The Saloon (Brides of Glory Gulch) (23 page)

Corrin turned to go back to Amelia’s side, but
remembering the scene in the entryway, decided to go another direction, through
the music room. She shut the parlor doors to drown out any unpleasant
conversation that may be overheard from the dining room and the sickening sight
of the blood in the entryway and devoted her attentions to her niece, telling
her all the men had just disclosed.

Amelia raised her head. “Well, we know Paul was alive
just a little bit ago. I must believe that he’s going to be alright.”

Corrin patted her shoulder. “Yes, we’ll just keep that
thought in our heads.” There were no guarantees in life, so if the girl wanted
to believe the best, then who was she to keep her from what little comfort she
could find at a time like this?

“Aunt Corrin?”

“Yes, Sweetie?”

“How does one tell if one is in love?”

“Well, that’s difficult to say. It’s different for
each person.”

“Oh no.” Amelia sighed. “Then how can anyone ever be
sure then?”

“Well, there are a few signs that are usually the
same; maybe your palms become sweaty; your heart flutters when you’re near him;
you often lose your breath when he touches you. Just hearing his name mentioned
in a conversation excites you. And when he’s not around, all you can think
about is him. Things like that are usually good indications that you’re falling
in love.”

“That sure describes me. But, I’m just so unsure.”

“Sweetie, what you’ve got to do is just follow your
heart. It won’t let you down. I can’t explain it, but your heart will tell you,
and suddenly, you’ll just be overwhelmingly, positively, absolutely, one
hundred percent certain that you’re in love. I’m sorry, but that’s all I can
tell you.” Even those who have fallen in love down through the ages couldn’t
agree on the specifics of love.

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Keeping a silent vigil, Amelia searched hear heart
long and hard about her feelings toward Paul Strupel. Although she was sure she
loved him, she prevented herself from telling him. Why? She decided to ask God
about it and trust Him to guide her, as well as keep Paul safe and alive.

Remembrances of her Father came seeping through her
thoughts of Paul. She recollected the night he left his mother and her never to
return. He told her he was going to war and would be back very soon. She hugged
him generously and told him she loved him, and then he was gone. The mind of a
child always seems to take the blame for the hurts imposed upon it.

Maybe that was the issue, Amelia thought to herself. Perhaps
she was afraid to tell Paul she loved him because she was clandestinely hiding
the fear that he would go away if she told him. It sounded incredible, yet
somehow possible.

Amelia prayed fervently, feeling that the Lord had
showed her this for a purpose. She had to forgive her Father for leaving, but
she also had to allow herself to not feel as though it was her fault that he
never came home again.

Her prayers were intense and arduous that night, but
when she was finished, she felt at peace within herself. Her heart soared, and
she knew emphatically that she was in love with Paul and couldn’t wait to tell
him. But then the horror returned. Had she waited too long to tell him?

She rested her head against her aunt’s shoulder.  “Aunt
Corrin?”

“Yes, Sweetie?”

“I do love him.” Silent tears escaped down her cheeks.

Corrin put her arm around her and hugged her. “I know,
Honey. I know.”

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About an hour later, the Cowan brothers rumbled into
town, their horses exhausted and sweaty from being pushed to their limits. They
brought their horses to an abrupt stop in front of Paul’s large house and
jumped down.

With long, deliberate strides, they trod up to the
porch, and recognizing the guards, Jeremiah simply stated, “We’re going in.”

They headed straight for the dining room, where
several men sat around the table, drinking what smelled like strong coffee.
Within a minute they were apprised of the situation, and then man mentioned the
ladies who were holding vigil in the parlor.

Jeremiah returned to the entryway and stopped in front
of the pocket doors. He pushed them open and Corrin immediately stood and fled
into his arms for comfort. 

“How are you two holding up?” he asked as he lovingly
hugged her while glancing toward Amelia. He thought she looked lovely, even
under the circumstances.

“We don’t really know anything. Just that he was shot
twice in the shoulder,” Corrin said. “We haven’t seen the doctor yet.”

He went to the settee and sat beside Amelia.

“Thank you for coming, Jeremiah,” she said. “Just
having you here is such a relief.” All her strength suddenly vanished and she
collapsed into his arms. She was obviously physically exhausted, but he was
certain the emotional turmoil had also worn her out.

Jeremiah held her tenderly in his arms and allowed her
tears to soak his buckskin jacket. He kissed her on her head.

“He’ll be all right, Amelia. Paul’s a fighter. You’ll
see.”

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They waited for almost another hour and a half before he
heard Doc’s footsteps in the hallway upstairs. The three in the parlor and the
men who had been keeping vigil in the dining room greeted Doc in the entryway
with anxious eyes. One of Paul’s intimate neighbors was holding a lamp for them
to see.

Corrin wouldn’t look at the doctor as he stood on the
blood-splattered stairs to deliver the news of his patient’s status. Aaron went
to her, putting his arm around her as a tear fell down her cheek.

Jeremiah remained near Amelia, holding tightly to her
shoulders. But he was actually clasping her because this small room, pitch-dark
when he first arrived, was now being seen through the lamplight. As they
assembled into the entryway, his was not the only face that grew eminently pale
at the horrendous sight of the puddle of caked blood on the floor and the
spatters about the staircase. The realization that this blood was Paul’s
compelled him to clutch her firmly in an effort to find solace for the pang
that now tormented his own gentle heart. His dearest friend in the world had
been short. And he found comfort in Amelia’s blindness.

“Well, because I arrived here within a half hour after
the shooting, I think he should be fine,” Doc Glover announced with a reserved
smile.

The group let out a deep sigh of relief, as if a train
engine had just emitted a bellow of steam.

“He took a bullet in his shoulder, right here.” Doc
pointed to the spot using his own body as an example. “It shattered the bone
and lodged itself in the shoulder, so I had to remove it. It was tricky and I
also had to remove several bone fragments. I didn’t want to tear any more
muscle than had already been damaged. I repaired the blood vessels and muscle
tissue around the wound. He may lose some mobility in his arm, though.”

Everyone listened intently.

“The other bullet entered an inch below the first. It
went straight through, which actually was to his benefit.” Again, Doc
pinpointed the spot on his own shoulder. “He’s lost a lot of blood, so he’s
pretty weak. But, like I said, I think he should make it. He needs a lot of
rest over the next few weeks. I’ll stay here tonight just for precaution. You
can go up now and see him, but don’t stay too long. He’s out right now and
probably will be for some time, but that’s to be expected. Like I said, he’s
very weak.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Corrin said as she shook his hand
and was first to ascend the stairs, the others following closely behind her.

Upon entering the room, Jeremiah immediately looked
toward the bed where Paul Strupel’s wounded body lye, a large, thick bandage
over his shoulder. His face was ashen even in the dimly-lit room.

Amelia’s knees gave out. Jeremiah sensed this and
caught her up in his strong arms, carried her over to a chair, and deposited
her in it. She protested, but he insisted she stay there until she felt better.

The room was unnaturally still except for Corrin’s
quiet sniffling.

The Doctor reappeared shortly and looked quizzically
at Amelia sitting by the fireplace.

“She started to faint so I made her sit there.” Jeremiah,
feeling the tenseness, had whispered his answer to the Doctor.

“Good,” he said as he approached Amelia to examine
her.

“I’m all right, Doctor. It’s just all those awful
smells. I suppose I was a little overcome. May I please see him now?”

Doc quickly assessed her as just being fatigued and
stressed, which was understandable under these circumstances. She also looked
pale and her whole body was trembling from the pressure.

“Sure, let me take you to him.”

He led her to the right side of the bed to avoid any
possibility of her accidentally bumping or touching his wound. Jeremiah, who
had been lovingly keeping a close eye on her stood behind her. He took her
right hand and placed it on Paul’s hand, and then put his hands on her
shoulders to steady her.

Trembling, she took Paul’s motionless hand with both
of hers and drew it up to her heart. She kissed it. Tears streamed down her
pallid face. She reached a shaky hand toward his head and stroked his hair,
then kissed his cheek tenderly.

It was difficult for Jeremiah to stay so close to her,
watching her lavish her affections on his friend, feeling her body quake
beneath his steadying hands, knowing she was hurting. His own eyes welled up
with tears and his heart prompted him to flee, but his deep sense of commitment
to his friendships wouldn’t allow him to do so.

“I think you’d all better go now,” Doc announced. “I’ll
stay tonight, and after that the rest of you can take turns staying with him as
you see fit.”

Corrin, Aaron and the others turned to leave, but
Corrin stopped in the doorway when she realized that Jeremiah and Amelia hadn’t
moved.

The Doctor now stood beside Amelia who was still
holding Paul’s hand and still being held by Jeremiah. He held out a glass with
a minimal amount of water for her to take.

“Here, Miss Jackson. I want you to drink all of this.”

Jeremiah took the glass from him, pried her hands from
Paul’s, and then carefully placed it in her shaking hands for her to drink.

“I put something in it that will calm your nerves and
will help you sleep tonight. I figured you’ve got a long week ahead of you, and
I certainly don’t need another patient right now. That’s good. Drink it all.”

When she had finished Amelia held the glass out for
someone to take. The Doctor obliged and nodded to Corrin who was still waiting
for her precious niece.

“You’d best be getting her home directly.”

Jeremiah escorted the ladies home, holding fast to
Amelia. He ached for her, as well as for his dear, wounded friend. But at that
moment, he felt he had to be strong for Amelia. He told the ladies that if they
needed him, he’d be staying at Paul’s house until he was better. They thanked
him, said goodnight, and disappeared into the Saloon.

Jeremiah went back to his friend’s house. He would
stay in one of the extra rooms as he had done so many times over the years and
plopped himself down on the familiar bed. His breathing became difficult. That
was actually Paul Strupel lying in that bed! This man was closer to him than
his own brother. How could this happen to him? And Amelia’s sweet, tender,
heart was breaking from the ordeal. His own heart ached and needed comforting,
but there was no one there to console him. He rolled over, put his face in the
pillow, and allowed himself to bathe it with his tears.

Amelia awoke, sat up and brushed the hair out of her
eyes, remembering bits and pieces of the night before. She picked herself up
out of bed to dress just as Corrin entered the room.

“Oh, good. You’re up. How are you feeling, Sweetie?”

“I feel rested. How long did I sleep?”

“Well, it’s noon, so you had yourself a great, restful
slumber.” Corrin tried to sound cheerful, having not slept so soundly herself.

“Noon? I must get over to see Paul. What if he woke up
and was asking for me---”

“Now hold on, young lady. First of all, Jeremiah
promised to tell us the minute Paul woke up and he hasn’t been by yet. Second,
you are my primary concern right now. You are going to take a quiet, slow,
relaxing, hot bath first, followed by a hearty lunch. Then, and only then, we
will go to see Paul.” Corrin had never been so firm with her niece, but like
the Doctor had said they didn’t want another patient on their hands right now.

Amelia complied with her Aunt’s wishes; however her
impatience was evident as she hastily bathed and dressed and was in the kitchen
before Corrin even had a chance to check on her progress. She began gulping her
lunch and Corrin stopped her by snatching her plate away.

“Amelia, you’re not going to gobble up this food
without chewing it. You need to slow down so your stomach can digest it.” She
put the plate back on the table in front of her.