Read Online Deborah Camp by Blazing Embers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Blazing Embers
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worthless mine.
Dropping the hoe, she pulled off her bonnet and let her hair spill around her shoulders. She ran her fingers through its tangled mass as she contemplated what she’d prepare for dinner. She’d stalked into the woods yesterday and had come back to the cabin with three squirrels, each killed with a single shot from her trusty rifle. She couldeither fry ’em up or make stew out of ’em. Stew would be better, she decided, keeping her patient in mind. He’d taken little nourishment during the three days he’d been thrashing about in her bed. The fever had made him crazy, but he’d looked better this morning when she’d checked in on him. His skin had felt cooler against her palm, and he had been resting quietly.
Maybe the fever had run its course. She’d forced medicine down his throat three times a day and had kept his wound clean and medicated with the salve. It hadn’t been easy. Cassie touched the bruise on her left cheek where his arm had slammed into her. For a man weak with fever, he had a powerful punch. She’d wrestled with him every day, trying to make him swallow the medicine, drink water, and take a few spoonfuls of soup. He’d fought her, calling her Blackie sometimes and, once or twice, Annabelle.
Annabelle. Who was that? His wife? One of Jewel’s working girls?
“Good morning, doc.”
She whirled in the direction of the deep drawl. Rook was leaning against the corner of the cabin, a sheet wrapped around him and held by one hand at his waist, leaving his upper torso bare. His free hand was lifted in a salute, and one corner of his mouth tipped up in a lopsided grin.
“What are you doing out of bed?” Cassie asked, both irritated and flustered by his intrusion.
“I wanted a breath of fresh air. I’m tired of smelling medicine and old flowers.” He raked a hand through his midnight hair and then across his whiskered jaw. “Your garden is coming right along, I see.”
“You get back in the house! If you pass out, I’ll leave you right where you drop. I ain’t lugging you back in!”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Your charm is dazzling, doc. Are you always this sweet in the morning?”
“You heard me,” Cassie said, pointing to the cabin. “Get back inside.”
“How long have I been here?”
“Too long.”
He sighed and looked past her to where his horse wastethered. “Would you do me the courtesy of answering my question?”
“Three days … no, four, counting the day you rode up and fell off your horse.”
He clicked his tongue and the chestnut raised its head, its ears pricking forward. “How you doing, Irish? Is this sweet-tempered woman taking good care of you?”
“I gotta find something to feed him,” Cassie said, looking over her shoulder at the horse. “What did you call him?”
“Irish. Who was that man who just left?”
“A banker from town. Why?”
He lifted one shoulder carelessly. “Mere curiosity, doc. Do you have money in his bank?”
“No.” She squinted at him, suddenly wary. “What’s it to you?”
“Nothing, nothing.” He hitched up the sheet, tightening it around his middle. “You’ve done a good job, doc. I think my fever has broken. I feel much better, thanks to you. Have I been a lot of trouble?”
“Trouble is your middle name,” Cassie said, yanking her bonnet back on and tying it under her chin.
“No, it’s Abraham.”
“What?” she asked, glancing at him and looking away quickly. He was almost naked! Didn’t he know that?
“My middle name,” he explained. “It’s Abraham.”
“Get back in the house. I’m busy and I don’t have time to jaw with you.”
He laughed softly and glanced down at his bare feet. “Could I bother you for some of that potato soup?”
“It’s all gone.”
“Oh, I see.”
She sighed and dropped the hoe, giving in to his stubborn interference. “I was gonna make squirrel stew. Guess I can start it now so’s you’ll get back into bed and shut your
Dropping the hoe, she pulled off her bonnet and let her hair spill around her shoulders. She ran her fingers through its tangled mass as she contemplated what she’d prepare for dinner. She’d stalked into the woods yesterday and had come back to the cabin with three squirrels, each killed with a single shot from her trusty rifle. She couldeither fry ’em up or make stew out of ’em. Stew would be better, she decided, keeping her patient in mind. He’d taken little nourishment during the three days he’d been thrashing about in her bed. The fever had made him crazy, but he’d looked better this morning when she’d checked in on him. His skin had felt cooler against her palm, and he had been resting quietly.
Maybe the fever had run its course. She’d forced medicine down his throat three times a day and had kept his wound clean and medicated with the salve. It hadn’t been easy. Cassie touched the bruise on her left cheek where his arm had slammed into her. For a man weak with fever, he had a powerful punch. She’d wrestled with him every day, trying to make him swallow the medicine, drink water, and take a few spoonfuls of soup. He’d fought her, calling her Blackie sometimes and, once or twice, Annabelle.
Annabelle. Who was that? His wife? One of Jewel’s working girls?
“Good morning, doc.”
She whirled in the direction of the deep drawl. Rook was leaning against the corner of the cabin, a sheet wrapped around him and held by one hand at his waist, leaving his upper torso bare. His free hand was lifted in a salute, and one corner of his mouth tipped up in a lopsided grin.
“What are you doing out of bed?” Cassie asked, both irritated and flustered by his intrusion.
“I wanted a breath of fresh air. I’m tired of smelling medicine and old flowers.” He raked a hand through his midnight hair and then across his whiskered jaw. “Your garden is coming right along, I see.”
“You get back in the house! If you pass out, I’ll leave you right where you drop. I ain’t lugging you back in!”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Your charm is dazzling, doc. Are you always this sweet in the morning?”
“You heard me,” Cassie said, pointing to the cabin. “Get back inside.”
“How long have I been here?”
“Too long.”
He sighed and looked past her to where his horse wastethered. “Would you do me the courtesy of answering my question?”
“Three days … no, four, counting the day you rode up and fell off your horse.”
He clicked his tongue and the chestnut raised its head, its ears pricking forward. “How you doing, Irish? Is this sweet-tempered woman taking good care of you?”
“I gotta find something to feed him,” Cassie said, looking over her shoulder at the horse. “What did you call him?”
“Irish. Who was that man who just left?”
“A banker from town. Why?”
He lifted one shoulder carelessly. “Mere curiosity, doc. Do you have money in his bank?”
“No.” She squinted at him, suddenly wary. “What’s it to you?”
“Nothing, nothing.” He hitched up the sheet, tightening it around his middle. “You’ve done a good job, doc. I think my fever has broken. I feel much better, thanks to you. Have I been a lot of trouble?”
“Trouble is your middle name,” Cassie said, yanking her bonnet back on and tying it under her chin.
“No, it’s Abraham.”
“What?” she asked, glancing at him and looking away quickly. He was almost naked! Didn’t he know that?
“My middle name,” he explained. “It’s Abraham.”
“Get back in the house. I’m busy and I don’t have time to jaw with you.”
He laughed softly and glanced down at his bare feet. “Could I bother you for some of that potato soup?”
“It’s all gone.”
“Oh, I see.”
She sighed and dropped the hoe, giving in to his stubborn interference. “I was gonna make squirrel stew. Guess I can start it now so’s you’ll get back into bed and shut your
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