sight of a short, middle-aged, heavily painted woman wearing a red dress so bright that he blinked from the glare of it. She assessed him in a manner so professional that he had no doubt, whatever her present occupation, that her past had been a full one. She continued her open scrutiny of him while addressing Dr. Carr.
"I came for the tray, Doc. Looks like the parson here did a pretty good job on it this time."
"Yes, he did." Dr. Carr squinted in the woman's direction, then turned toward Reed. "This is Sally Greenwood, the woman I was telling you about."
Sally gave a short laugh as she approached the bed and picked up the tray. "Pleased to meet you, Reverend. Whatever the doc said about me, I don't suppose it was too good from the look on your face when you saw me in the doorway."
"I didn't have anything to do with the look on the reverend's face when he saw you in the doorway, and neither did you." Dr. Carr raised his wiry brows. "The reverend's not the type to admit it, but he's been waiting for his wife to walk back through that doorway for the past hour."
"Can't say as I blame him." Sally balanced the tray with a practiced hand, obviously willing to linger. "I don't know what's holdin' her up. She got out of the bath a while ago, and then she walked up the street toward the train station. I figured the reverend sent her on some kind of errand or somethin'."
Reed spoke for the first time. "How long ago did you say that was?"
Sally gave him another appreciative sweep. "About an hour."
"An hour…" Reed frowned.
"She's a real nice young woman." Sally was watching him too closely for comfort as she continued, "I told her that there ain't been no preacher makin' regular trips out into Injun Territory since Reverend Stiles died over a year ago. They've been waitin' for the replacement they were promised at the mission ever since. They're goin' to be real happy to see you come, especially with such a young, pretty wife and all."
"At the mission…"
"Right. That's where you're goin', ain't it? I told your wife that I couldn't understand why you came to Sedalia when it would've been faster to take the train direct to Baxter Springs and start out by wagon from there."
"I had business here to take care of, first."
"That's what I figured. Of course, your wife didn't seem to know nothin' about it."
"It wasn't necessary for her to know."
"I suppose some men think that way." Sally allowed her gaze to linger a moment longer before she turned abruptly toward the door. "I'll bring you somethin' else to eat in an hour or so."
"That's a good idea, Sally." Dr. Carr nodded. "The reverend here needs to regain his strength."
Deep in thought, Reed was hardly aware of Sally's leaving as he considered the information she had imparted. A preacher and his wife were expected at a mission in Indian Territory. That was convenient. If he knew this country as well as he thought he did, the news had gotten around. Whatever direction he chose to go in, that story should provide him plenty of cover.
His thoughts interrupted when another bout of pain viciously stabbed his thigh, Reed silently cursed.
"I can give you a powder for the pain, if you like."
Reed shook his head. He couldn't afford to have his thinking impairednot now. He would need his wits about him if he was going to turn things around when Chastity returned. But he'd handle her. He knew those church types. They were all the same.
Where in hell was she, anyway?
The train would depart for Kansas City in a scant half hour! She had to find them!
Her eyes on the ground as she retraced her steps toward the train station for the third time, Chastity felt the nudge of panic. Things were not going well.
Strangely, as she had reclined in her bath, she had begun to feel certain that the
"I came for the tray, Doc. Looks like the parson here did a pretty good job on it this time."
"Yes, he did." Dr. Carr squinted in the woman's direction, then turned toward Reed. "This is Sally Greenwood, the woman I was telling you about."
Sally gave a short laugh as she approached the bed and picked up the tray. "Pleased to meet you, Reverend. Whatever the doc said about me, I don't suppose it was too good from the look on your face when you saw me in the doorway."
"I didn't have anything to do with the look on the reverend's face when he saw you in the doorway, and neither did you." Dr. Carr raised his wiry brows. "The reverend's not the type to admit it, but he's been waiting for his wife to walk back through that doorway for the past hour."
"Can't say as I blame him." Sally balanced the tray with a practiced hand, obviously willing to linger. "I don't know what's holdin' her up. She got out of the bath a while ago, and then she walked up the street toward the train station. I figured the reverend sent her on some kind of errand or somethin'."
Reed spoke for the first time. "How long ago did you say that was?"
Sally gave him another appreciative sweep. "About an hour."
"An hour…" Reed frowned.
"She's a real nice young woman." Sally was watching him too closely for comfort as she continued, "I told her that there ain't been no preacher makin' regular trips out into Injun Territory since Reverend Stiles died over a year ago. They've been waitin' for the replacement they were promised at the mission ever since. They're goin' to be real happy to see you come, especially with such a young, pretty wife and all."
"At the mission…"
"Right. That's where you're goin', ain't it? I told your wife that I couldn't understand why you came to Sedalia when it would've been faster to take the train direct to Baxter Springs and start out by wagon from there."
"I had business here to take care of, first."
"That's what I figured. Of course, your wife didn't seem to know nothin' about it."
"It wasn't necessary for her to know."
"I suppose some men think that way." Sally allowed her gaze to linger a moment longer before she turned abruptly toward the door. "I'll bring you somethin' else to eat in an hour or so."
"That's a good idea, Sally." Dr. Carr nodded. "The reverend here needs to regain his strength."
Deep in thought, Reed was hardly aware of Sally's leaving as he considered the information she had imparted. A preacher and his wife were expected at a mission in Indian Territory. That was convenient. If he knew this country as well as he thought he did, the news had gotten around. Whatever direction he chose to go in, that story should provide him plenty of cover.
His thoughts interrupted when another bout of pain viciously stabbed his thigh, Reed silently cursed.
"I can give you a powder for the pain, if you like."
Reed shook his head. He couldn't afford to have his thinking impairednot now. He would need his wits about him if he was going to turn things around when Chastity returned. But he'd handle her. He knew those church types. They were all the same.
Where in hell was she, anyway?
The train would depart for Kansas City in a scant half hour! She had to find them!
Her eyes on the ground as she retraced her steps toward the train station for the third time, Chastity felt the nudge of panic. Things were not going well.
Strangely, as she had reclined in her bath, she had begun to feel certain that the
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