Courting Kate (39 page)

Inside the stage, Kate gripped the leather strap to keep her balance and tucked a woolen lap robe around her, grateful for its additional warmth. But as she settled back into her seat, she couldn’t stop her thoughts from returning to the night she and Tanner had spent together. She closed her eyes, remembering the ecstasy, the passion. The feel of his lips, the strength of his arms, and the moment when he’d claimed her. Then later, when he’d awakened and taken her again.

Now, it seemed even more dreamlike than it had then. And like a dream it had vanished in the light of day.

She heaved a wistful sigh; catching herself, she opened her eyes, glad that she was alone in the coach. How could Tanner make her feel those things, behave that way himself, if he didn’t care? She remembered the tenderness of his touch, the look of wonder on his face. Maybe he did love her and simply wasn’t able to tell her. Some men were like that, saying with action what they couldn’t put into words.
 

Their joining had been fierce, joyous, combining hearts and souls in that one moment when they had truly become one. If she had become pregnant, would she have still been so determined to be on her way? Somehow she doubted if she would have had any say in the matter. Family was everything to Tanner. She knew that from seeing him with his brothers. A child— his child— would be no different. He wouldn’t have allowed her to leave. He would have made her stay, married her. And because she loved him, she wouldn’t have had the strength to resist. Then, for the rest of her life, she would be forced to live with the knowledge that Tanner had married her simply because of the baby. She couldn’t, wouldn’t allow that to happen. Was she selfish to want him to love her for herself?

The first time they had made love, she’d been foolhardy, living only for the moment, the passion. It was a wonder she hadn’t gotten pregnant. She might not be so fortunate if it happened again. And it would have happened again if she’d stayed. She loved him too much for it to be otherwise. That was one of the reasons she had to leave.
 

Well, she had left, so that was no longer a problem. She had a whole new life waiting for her just up the road. Then why did she feel such sorrow, such an overwhelming sense of loss?

The stage slowed on the rising grade. The whip cracked and the horses blew as they labored up the hill, but Kate paid little attention to the sounds or the scenery. Her thoughts were still on Tanner.
 

The wind whipped and whined around the stage windows, making Kate glad she was inside the coach and not on top with the driver. The steady chuck-chuck of the wheels and the rocking of the coach finally lulled her into closing her eyes. Exhausted from the late hours she’d been keeping, her mind retreated, seeking a place where there was nothing but peace. Even there, Tanner filled her dreams. And peace was not to be found.

* * *

The stage jolted to a stop. Kate, yanked from a troubled sleep, sat up and rubbed her eyes. A sense of unease drew a wrinkle to her brow and made her wonder if something might have happened to the coach without her being aware of it.
 

She peered out the window and saw a two story white building beside the roadway. She recognized it as a way station and knew they had stopped to change horses. A sign swinging crazily from a rafter over the steps of a wide front porch read
 

Wolf Creek Inn.
 

A jingle of harness bells drew her attention to the opposite window, and she saw a long string of mules and a freight wagon pull up beside a corral.

The freighter, a burly man in plaid shirt and black denims, shouted a greeting, his breath forming white clouds against the cold air. He climbed down to join Uriah Jones, the stage driver, and the hostler, who were in the process of changing teams. They welcomed him jovially, as if they were all old friends.

Nothing seemed to be amiss. But the sense of foreboding wouldn’t leave her. If anything it grew stronger.
 

A stiff gust of wind picked up the dust and swirled it about the coach. A shiver skittered down her backbone, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Her palms grew clammy. Her heartbeat quickened.
 

“Miss, are you all right?”

“What?” Disoriented, she whirled toward the open door and stared at the driver.
 

“Are you sick or something?” Uriah asked, his weather-beaten face mirroring his concern.

“No, I’m all right,” she shakily assured him. She raised a trembling hand to her cheek. Her face was wet with tears. She hastily wiped them away.
 

“Wolf Creek Station,” he said. “We’ll be going on to Canyonville to spend the night, but I thought you might like to get something to eat or drink while I change teams. Don’t take too long, though, I’ve got a lot of time to make up.”
 

She allowed him to help her to the ground. “Thank you.” She managed a feeble smile, but was grateful when he left her to return to the other men. She took a moment to get the kinks out, then, anxious to be out of the cold, she walked toward the building.

Overhead, a trace of crimson tinged the purple sky. Beneath it, ever-deepening shadows infiltrated the evergreen hills. Sunset. Soon it would be dark. She shivered with dread.
 

She had no reason to be so anxious, she told herself. She was overtired; she must have had a bad dream, even though she couldn’t remember it. That was all it was, that and her imagination.

But a sixth sense told her it had been something else—a premonition. Her footsteps slowed. She had experienced that same kind of feeling before—when someone she loved had died.

A familiar face, etched with pain, flashed through her mind. “Kate,” she heard him cry.

She froze. “Tanner!”
 

She whirled and ran toward the driver. “Mr....Mr...Uriah—“Yes, miss?”

“You must turn the stage around. I have to go back.”

The driver shook his head. “Afraid I can’t do that. This stage is Portland bound. I have a schedule.”

“Please,” she begged. “I have to return to Jacksonville.”
 

“Sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”

If she couldn’t go by stage... There had to be another way. She turned to the hostler. “Can I rent a horse?”

“All the horses belong to the stage line.”

“Miss, Jacksonville is on my route,” the brawny freight driver broke in, running a hand over his unshaven face. “But I don’t know if you’d care to ride with me, and the seat on that wagon ain’t exactly the place for a lady.”

She hesitated. The man’s rough appearance certainly didn’t inspire confidence. But if she had learned anything these last few months, it was not to go by first impressions. And with her growing fear for Tanner, she would have accepted a ride with the devil himself. “You could take me?”

“You would be safe with Jules,” Uriah assured her. “But like he said, it sure would be uncomfortable.”

“When can we leave?” She managed a grateful smile. “I do need to get there as quickly as possible.”

“The mules have to rest. And I’m a bit tuckered myself. But I will be leaving at dawn tomorrow.”
 

“Tomorrow?” Frustration threatened to choke her, but she tried not to let it show. So much could happen in that length of time. Something had happened to Tanner; she knew it. And she knew he needed her. More than anything she wanted to be at his side.

It also looked like she would need wings to get there before tomorrow.
 

Trying not to appear ungrateful, she looked at the teamster and nodded. “I’ll be ready.”

* * *

Dr. Thomas rubbed the sleep from his eyes and shuffled into the sick room. “Any change?” he asked softly.

Matt shook his head. “Coffee’s on the stove. Looks like you could use it.”

“Thanks.” He went back to the kitchen and poured himself a cup. He twisted his back to remove the stiffness. It was hard to find a spot that didn’t hurt. He was getting old, and that ride up the mountain had just about done him in. After that, he’d been with Tanner most of the night, until Matt had forced him to lie down for a while.

After assessing that Tanner had a concussion, two broken ribs, two more cracked, and the broken leg, he had rebandaged the injuries.
 

He still found it hard to believe that Mark had come up with the same conclusions, or that the youngster had set the leg. A practicing physician couldn’t have done any better.

Remembering all the times Mark had come to him with questions about some hurt varmint he had found gave root to an idea. It was a shame for the boy to be stuck up here on this mountain, especially when he had such talented hands. If somebody, say an aging medical man like himself, took the boy under his wing, Mark would make a fine doctor someday, if that was what he wanted to be.

Examining the notion, he poured a second cup and carried it back to the sick room. He handed it to Matt. “Don’t you think you could use some rest, too?”

Matt shook his head. “Mark ran me out after you left. He’s the one who stayed here all night. I got up a little bit ago.”

“Where is Mark?”

“He’s down at the barn, tending to the stock.”

“He did a good job on Tanner.”

“Yeah, I know. But all the doctorin’ in the world isn’t going to do a lick of good if we can’t keep Tanner from frettin’.” Matt looked over at his brother and frowned.
 

Tanner was sleeping, due to the laudanum they had forced down his throat. Even though they had given him enough to put a horse to sleep, he had continued to moan and toss and call for Kate. Finally, afraid he might hurt himself if they didn’t, they had tied him to the bed.
 

Now they had to wait, let nature take its course, and pray that no infection set in.

Doc sipped his coffee. If Kate were here, that would ease one part of the problem.
 

Although he was certain Tanner would deny it, he had called out for her in his sleep. He had also fought against taking the drug, saying that he had a contract to finish. It had taken not only the doctor, but Matt and Mark to hold him down, while Luke administered the drug.
 

“This contract....” the doctor began.

“After I heard him muttering about it, I went to find the papers. I also found some notes he’d made. Tanner didn’t tell us, but he has to get it finished right away. If he doesn’t, he will lose all the work he put in. He’ll also lose the mountain.”

Doc let a whistle slide between his teeth. “No wonder he’s worried.” He looked at Matt. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. Mark and I could try to finish it ourselves, but I doubt if we would make the deadline. If Tanner woke up and we weren’t here, he’d get out of bed if he had to crawl.”

“In his condition that could kill him.” Doc downed another gulp of coffee. “Damned shame.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Looks like Tanner’s going to be out for a while. Is Luke up yet?”

“I’m up,” Luke said through a yawn, peering through the doorway.

“Come on into the kitchen, son. I’ve got some things that need doing in town. Maybe you could take care of them for me.”

“Sure thing, Doc.”

“First, we could all use some breakfast.” Matt followed them into the kitchen and put the skillet on the fire.
 

Several hours later, Luke sat in Madame Jeanne’s parlor, his hat wadded in his hand.

“Relax, Luke,” the Frenchwoman said with a smile. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

“No, ma’am.” He couldn’t tell her he couldn’t abide the stuff. That wouldn’t be polite.

“Maybe a piece of Kate’s pie?” she asked, her dark eyes merry.

“I thought Kate had left.”

“She has. I saved these.”

“That would be right nice, ma’am.”

“Jeanne. I inseest.” She got to her feet. “Come eento the kitchen. I theenk we will be more comfortable there.”

Two pieces of pie and a cup of chocolate later, Luke bid her goodbye.
 

“Tell Dr. Thomas not to worry.” She fanned herself with the letter. “I take care of eet. I am certain Chauncey weell help out, too. Geeve heem sometheeng to do besides wear a hole een my carpet.”
 

“Thanks, ma’am—Jeanne.”

Luke mounted his horse and headed for home. Although his curiosity had been killing him, he still didn’t know what was so important in that letter. And neither the doctor, nor Jeanne had volunteered to tell him. “Guess they figured it wasn’t none of my business.” Which it wasn’t. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but wonder.

He wondered all the way home.
 

* * *

The freight wagon rumbled into Jacksonville shortly after noon. Kate had the driver unload her things at Madame Jeanne’s, then thanked the man and bid him goodbye.

Jeanne, surprised and happy to see her, told Kate about Tanner, then sent someone to find Chauncey. Kate was nearly hysterical by the time the old miner arrived at the boardinghouse door.
 

“Kate, honey, I’m so glad you came back,” he said. “Now I know Tanner is gonna get well.”