and nerves. She placed them on her cheeks to cool the telltale flush that heated them. She saw her shawl, still on the bed, caught beneath Pastor Key’s shoulder. She vaguely remembered being tired and deciding the best place to rest and still keep an eye on the pastor was on top of the covers next to him. Amazing what a sleep-deprived brain could construe was a good idea!
Leah heard the click of Dodger’s nails on the wood floor. He came to the doorway and gave a questioning wag of his tail.
Pastor Key rolled onto his back, taking her shawl with him, and flung his arm over his face. Leah leaned forward, grabbed her shawl and pulled it slowly until it was free. She held it before her like a shield until her heartbeat slowed to a normal pace. It was damp with sweat. She tiptoed to the bed and quickly touched his forehead. It was moist but cool.His fever had, miraculously, broken and he seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
Thank you Lord.
“If I had known that sleeping in the same bed with him was all it would take to break his fever I would have done it sooner.” She spoke quietly to Dodger, who carefully watched her every move. “I think the best course is to pretend like this never happened.” Leah straightened her skirts and gathered the clothes hanging on the peg. She’d forgotten about them in her worry over Pastor Key’s wound. The blood needed soaking from his shirt and she wanted him back into pants as soon as possible. She’d wash them out and have Jim put them on him tomorrow morning.
His boots stood in the corner with a pair of socks hanging out of them. Wasn’t it strange that Pastor Key wore the same type of boots as Jake and his cowhands? You would think that someone from Ohio would have regular shoes. They were well worn too. Curious. But she already knew from his physique that he wasn’t what a person would consider a typical pastor.
Dodger whined. Leah scooped up the socks and let Dodger out. The world had changed while she slept. Night was quickly approaching and the storm had yet to abate. Ice covered everything. Icicles hung from every eave. Dodger slid down the drift on his stomach with his legs splayed in four different directions. He managed to find his feet and shook himself indignantly before cautiously lifting his leg against the clothesline post.
“I really should have dug out the washtub,” Leah said mournfully. Dodger scrambled back up the drift, sliding back down twice before he got close enough for Leah to haul him in. “Guess I’m stuck with the chamber pot.”
Dodger shook the ice from his coat and followed Leah to the kitchen. She dropped the pastor’s clothing on the table and built up the fire in the stove. She went to the parlor to add more to the fireplace, which was almost out.
A quick look out the parlor window showed the streets to be deserted. Everything was covered with ice. Lights glowed in Dusty’s upstairs window and down the street at the saloon. She’d expected Jake to stop by during the day. He could have, when she slept, but Dodger would have barked and knowing Jake he would have been comfortable enough to come inside to check on her whether she answered the door or not.
“More than likely he’s punishing me for telling him to go last night.” He did get moody at times. He and Ward could have drunk the night away and slept all day. Ward was known to be a bad influence, a reputation he enjoyed way too much.
The drifting wasn’t as bad on the front of the house as the back. Leah was able to scoop up several bucketfuls of snow and filled all her pots. She ate a quick and filling meal while the water heated. Then she went to work on Pastor Key’s clothes.
She put his shirt and his long johns in the sink to soak. It should be a simple task to mend the bullet holes.
“I wonder if he has any other clothing.”
Dodger yawned from the rug. Clearly he could not care less about the preacher’s wardrobe.
“I’ll ask Jim if he had anything with his
Leah heard the click of Dodger’s nails on the wood floor. He came to the doorway and gave a questioning wag of his tail.
Pastor Key rolled onto his back, taking her shawl with him, and flung his arm over his face. Leah leaned forward, grabbed her shawl and pulled it slowly until it was free. She held it before her like a shield until her heartbeat slowed to a normal pace. It was damp with sweat. She tiptoed to the bed and quickly touched his forehead. It was moist but cool.His fever had, miraculously, broken and he seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
Thank you Lord.
“If I had known that sleeping in the same bed with him was all it would take to break his fever I would have done it sooner.” She spoke quietly to Dodger, who carefully watched her every move. “I think the best course is to pretend like this never happened.” Leah straightened her skirts and gathered the clothes hanging on the peg. She’d forgotten about them in her worry over Pastor Key’s wound. The blood needed soaking from his shirt and she wanted him back into pants as soon as possible. She’d wash them out and have Jim put them on him tomorrow morning.
His boots stood in the corner with a pair of socks hanging out of them. Wasn’t it strange that Pastor Key wore the same type of boots as Jake and his cowhands? You would think that someone from Ohio would have regular shoes. They were well worn too. Curious. But she already knew from his physique that he wasn’t what a person would consider a typical pastor.
Dodger whined. Leah scooped up the socks and let Dodger out. The world had changed while she slept. Night was quickly approaching and the storm had yet to abate. Ice covered everything. Icicles hung from every eave. Dodger slid down the drift on his stomach with his legs splayed in four different directions. He managed to find his feet and shook himself indignantly before cautiously lifting his leg against the clothesline post.
“I really should have dug out the washtub,” Leah said mournfully. Dodger scrambled back up the drift, sliding back down twice before he got close enough for Leah to haul him in. “Guess I’m stuck with the chamber pot.”
Dodger shook the ice from his coat and followed Leah to the kitchen. She dropped the pastor’s clothing on the table and built up the fire in the stove. She went to the parlor to add more to the fireplace, which was almost out.
A quick look out the parlor window showed the streets to be deserted. Everything was covered with ice. Lights glowed in Dusty’s upstairs window and down the street at the saloon. She’d expected Jake to stop by during the day. He could have, when she slept, but Dodger would have barked and knowing Jake he would have been comfortable enough to come inside to check on her whether she answered the door or not.
“More than likely he’s punishing me for telling him to go last night.” He did get moody at times. He and Ward could have drunk the night away and slept all day. Ward was known to be a bad influence, a reputation he enjoyed way too much.
The drifting wasn’t as bad on the front of the house as the back. Leah was able to scoop up several bucketfuls of snow and filled all her pots. She ate a quick and filling meal while the water heated. Then she went to work on Pastor Key’s clothes.
She put his shirt and his long johns in the sink to soak. It should be a simple task to mend the bullet holes.
“I wonder if he has any other clothing.”
Dodger yawned from the rug. Clearly he could not care less about the preacher’s wardrobe.
“I’ll ask Jim if he had anything with his
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