In a Cowboy’s Arms (7 page)

“A bounty hunter came by today to ask about a woman,” Duane Tenfeather said, his stealth startling Dade.

“What did you tell him?”

“I had never seen or heard of her before.”

That was a relief. “Daisy’s missing.”

“Ah, you didn’t know,” Duane said. “Your sister left this afternoon with Doc.”

Damn! Was the woman totally fearless? Or was it just recklessness? “When did they leave? Where’d they go?”

“To the Orshlin farm. They left town about thirty minutes before the bounty hunter rode into the livery,” he said, and Dade heaved another relieved breath.

Maggie was gone before Carson arrived. She should be safe unless someone in town put two and two together like he had.

“The oldest Orshlin boy came to town to get Doc because his mother is near to birthing,” Duane went on.

Of course Maggie went with him. Dade wanted to be angry that she hadn’t consulted him. Wanted to be pissed that Doc hadn’t sent word over either.

But the fact was they were in a place where Carson would likely never look. She was safe.

“What about the bounty hunter?” Dade asked. “See him around lately?”

The usually stoic half-breed tensed, his anger so hot Dade felt the burn. “He rode west, taking the trail up to the mines.”

The opposite direction from the Orshlin farm. “He must have picked up somebody’s trail.”

Duane looked to the mountains. “God help them.”

Silently, Dade offered up another prayer for his sister, himself, and Maggie Sutten.

Maggie was sure she’d just seen a miracle as Doc Franklin brought the Orshlin twins into the world. There were several tense moments when the doctor had to guide one baby into the proper position, and that just awed Maggie. Even then, the afternoon had given way to dusk before both twins were delivered into Doc’s gnarled hands.

As Maggie cleaned up the tiny, squirming, crying bundles of joy, she felt as if she’d finally done something worthwhile in her life. The strong tug in her heart also confirmed that she wanted children of her own. At least three, though she’d take more or less, God willing.

If she could finish her nurse schooling and find a good man to love and marry, she’d be happy beyond belief. Dade Logan’s handsome face came to mind right off, and the ache in her heart shot straight to her womb.

She shook off that fanciful dream with a bone deep shiver. Until she was sure that Whit Ramsey wasn’t out for revenge, she couldn’t think about marrying any man. Considering how much he had lost financially by not marrying her, the “adopted” daughter of the Silver King, made her fear he wouldn’t forgive or forget her anytime soon.

But even if he did and there was a way she could havea romance with Daisy’s brother, he’d likely never forgive her when he found out what she’d done.

She didn’t kid herself into believing he’d remain ignorant of her deception for long. Doc Franklin knew her identity. All it would take would be one slip of the tongue for Dade to get suspicious.

No, she’d have to tell him the truth–at least that she wasn’t his sister. She didn’t dare reveal her true name to him or tell him she was on the run from a man.

“How are they?” Mrs. Orshlin asked after the doc had finished tending to her.

“They seem perfect,” Maggie said. And tiny and so vulnerable.

How could any woman not love her baby? Not want to keep it?

She caught Doc’s nod and pushed those questions that had tormented her all her life aside. Carefully she transferred both babies to their waiting mother. Tears filled the woman’s eyes, but her smile attested that they were happy tears.

“Thank you both for coming so quickly,” she said.

“That’s my job,” Doc said.

Maggie glanced past the curtain that separated the bedroom from the main part of the cabin. The other children were seated at the table, and the oldest boy–the one who’d ridden alone into town to get Doc Franklin–was feeding his siblings.

The boy was capable, but he never would’ve been able to deliver both babies alive.

“When’s your husband due back?” Doc asked.

“Five days from now, maybe more,” Mrs. Orshlin said on a yawn, confirming her exhaustion. “Please, help yourself to supper. You know you’re welcome to spend the night.”

“Considering the hour, we’ll take you up on that offer,” Doc said. “Let’s get those babies in the cradle, and you take a nap.”

She gave a weary smile. “All right. But just a short nap.”

Doc nodded to Maggie. She removed the sleeping babies to the wicker basket and snuggled them tightly in blankets. They barely stirred.

“Are we really staying the night?” Maggie asked as they slipped out of the alcove that served as a bedroom.

Doc gave the children a quick glance then nodded to the door. “I’d just as soon.”

He and Maggie stepped onto the stoop and closed the door. A stiff breeze had kicked up, carrying with it the smell of rain.

Maggie bundled her heavy wrapper around her. “You’re worried about her.”

“Yep. She tore inside. I’m afraid the packing won’t hold and she’ll start bleeding.” Doc frowned up at the dark clouds scudding across the sky.

She shivered at the thought. “When will she be out of danger?”

“If the bleeding stays through the night, she should do fine.” She caught his barely perceptible wince and could only guess at the pain such exercise cost him. Yet he hadn’t given up his vocation. Dedicated to the soul.

“It was the most wonderful thing to witness,” she said.

“That it is, but it can be a challenge too.” He made a face. “Before long my own infirmities will force me to retire. Don’t know what folks will do then without a doctor.”

The same thought had crossed Maggie’s mind when she saw how badly Doc’s hands had been affected by arthritis. If he hadn’t been here to guide these twins into the world, would they have survived?

Surely another doctor would come along to take his place. Doc must have connections to the fine medical school in St. Louis. He should be able to persuade a young doctor to come here and take over his practice.

“What did they do before you came here?” she asked.

“Prayed for the best, since doctoring was left to the barber and an old woman who served as midwife.”

That combination of Wild West doctoring saved some and buried far too many. Even good nurses were nigh impossible to find.

That was part of the reason that her foster parents had chosen her off the orphan train. She was a tall sturdy girl. They believed she’d be able to “assist” their crippled daughter in her daily tasks.

She tipped her head back and drank in the wild beauty around her. Even during the years she’d lived with Harlan Nowell, she could look out a window anytime and enjoy the mountain vista.

“It’s a fact I’ll miss living in the mountains.” But to stay would place her at great risk.

She’d made enemies of two powerful men. Both had the reputation of leveling swift retribution on their adversaries.

A wry smile played over the old doctor’s mouth. “You’ll be a great asset to the profession. Why I’d hire you right off, though I couldn’t afford to pay you near what you’d earn in a hospital.”

She’d be happy being his nurse. “If I thought Whit would give up looking for me, I’d take you up on your offer.”

Doc scowled at his gnarled fingers. “Maybe he will in time.”

She doubted it. From all she’d heard over the years, Whit didn’t forgive easily. She knew Harlan Nowell was the type to carry a grudge to the grave. By running off, she’d not just ruined Whit’s plans for a partnership with Nowell, she’d cost Whit a small fortune.

Whit would want to ruin her. Nowell would likely want to see her dead, and would level the same punishment on anyone who dared to help her. That’s why she couldn’t stay here and bring trouble on Doc Franklin.

“I should see to supper,” Maggie said, and Doc Franklin gave a weary nod.

“You go on. I’ll be in directly,” he said.

Maggie watched him amble off toward the barn before she turned and slipped into the cabin. The eldest Orshlin girl, nearly eight years old by Maggie’s estimation, had placed a strange array of food on the table and had begun peeling potatoes.

“What are you making?” she asked the girl.

Boney shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Stew, I reckon. Ma usually puts in what she has on hand.”

Maggie doubted the woman added dried apples and raisins to the mix. “May I help you?”

The little girl glanced from the alcove to Maggie, clearly torn between doing as she’d been told and welcoming a helping hand. Maggie understood the dilemma.

“I assure you I make a very good stew,” Maggie said. “But I could use a helper.”

That was all it took to get the girl’s capitulation. She nodded her head. “I help Ma all the time.”

“Well then tonight you’ll be my helper,” Maggie said, and set to work preparing a goodly portion of food that would last the family through tomorrow.

By then Mrs. Orshlin should be able to oversee her daughter’s culinary attempts. Hopefully Mr. Orshlin would return by then.

If not…

Then Maggie might volunteer to spend another night here to help the family. It’d keep her hidden from anyone Whit would send looking for her, and she’d get away from Dade Logan and his discerning brown eyes.

For she wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to hide her secret from him.

Maggie pressed a hand to the small of her back and stifled a groan. It’d been some time since she’d functioned on so little sleep, and longer still since she’d dragged out of bed and set to work at a stove.

Her body was mightily protesting the short hours and the hard cot where she’d grabbed a few hours rest. It didn’t help that thoughts of Dade Logan had invaded what sleep she’d managed, leaving her more restless.

He wouldn’t be happy that she’d left Placid without telling him her plans, but she wasn’t about to begin accounting for her every move to another man. And if she was honest, she’d had to put distance between them because she was afraid she’d make a mistake around him last night, one that would prove she wasn’t his sister.

Why oh why did Daisy have to have a brother? Especially one who was too handsome and too discerning by half? Who’d spent the entire winter here waiting for her return?

“Is the baby going to be all right?” the eldest Orshlin child asked Maggie as she spooned oatmeal into bowls.

She prayed that would be so, but she’d caught the worry on Doc’s face in the wee hours. Something was amiss with the second born twin, and whatever it was could take the child’s life.

A wave of helplessness washed over Maggie the likes of which she’d never felt before. Yes, she was helping the family by caring for the younger children and lending Doc a hand when needed. But it didn’t feel like near enough.

A deeper yearning swelled in her to help the baby who had fallen into a death-like sleep three times now. According to Doc, there was no cure for the ailment.

She’d heard the same thing of Caroline years before. There was little to ease the pain and nothing to stop the debilitating twisting of her limbs as she aged. And in her case she aged quickly.

Laudanum for pain. A wheelchair allowed her some range of movement when the pain was too great for her to hobble.

Maggie hated that her foster sister’s world was confined to her spacious suite at the mansion. That watching others enjoy a life was likely all she’d ever have.

She shook off the memories that troubled her still and bent to the cooking task at hand. The fragile baby needed a nurse for the next week, and she’d volunteered to stay and help the family any way she could. She hadn’t hesitated to take on the job. Not only would she be able to provide much needed help, but staying here would keep her out of Dade Logan’s company.

That man had commanded far too much of her thoughts since just meeting him yesterday. Heaven knew how much more she’d catch herself thinking of him–his eyes, his impossibly broad shoulders–if she was in his company more.

“Do you have children?” the oldest daughter asked her as she added the last ingredient to the medicinal recipe Doc Franklin had given her to ease Mrs. Orshlin’s condition.

“No, but then I’m not married either.”

The little girl nodded, taking that in. “Are you going to?”

“Going to what?” she asked, confused.

The little girl let loose an impatient huff. “Get married and have babies.”

The question caught her totally off guard. There’d been a time when she’d dreamed along with Caroline about winning the heart of a good man and having a family. Butnow that she had defied Whit and Harlan Nowell, that dream seemed a lifetime away.

“Maybe some day,” she told the little girl as Doc exited the alcove.

His smile, though tired, relieved her. “She’s resting and both babies are stable. How’s the formula coming?”

Maggie gave the thick broth a stir. “It’s about finished.”

Doc helped himself to a taste and nodded approval. “You’ll need to feed this to the mother twice a day for the first four days to rebuild her blood. After that she can resume her regular meals.”

“What should I do for the baby and this death sleep that threatened him before?”

“Enlist the help of the children and keep a close watch. If either stops breathing, just wake him or her up.” Doc picked up his black bag, looking far too worried and tired. “I’ve done all I can, so I’ll head back now. If you need me, send the boy into town, and I’ll come back.”

“I will.”

But as she followed him outside to his waiting buggy, she prayed all would go well. That Mrs. Orshlin would regain her strength with the aid of the meat broth and the precious babies would thrive.

And after that?

Maggie watched the doctor’s buggy disappear around the bend, momentarily tempted to pick up her skirts and run after him. She wanted to stay here for this was where she was needed. Hopefully it wouldn’t be long until Doc had secured a position for her at the St. Louis hospital. As Daisy Logan?

Maggie frowned, questioning the wisdom of continuing to use her childhood friend’s name. If she remained Daisy, then she’d forever be Dade’s sister. She’d be subject to surprise visits from him. She’d have to continue leading him to believe that he’d finally found his sister. That they were family.