it.”
“I can’t give you anything else. I have salicylate, but it will thin your blood. That’s not a good idea right now.”
Rhyne remained skeptical, but she didn’t offer any resistance.
“As soon as I’m certain you’re not going to be sick, I’ll mix the laudanum for you.”
Rhyne opened her other eye, turned her head carefully, and looked around. “Where’s Judah?”
“Outside.” He didn’t mention that her father was tied up.
“He won’t like me being in his room.”
“I don’t understand. Isn’t this where he flailed you?” Cole had not intended to put the question to her so baldly, but he’d told his sister the truth when he said no one had ever mistaken him for being charming. Rhyne Abbot certainly would not misjudge him. What he did not expect, however, was for her to show no reaction. Will’s arrival prevented him from asking further questions.
He held out his hand for the glass of water and edged his chair closer to the bed. Slipping one arm under Rhyne’s head, he pressed the lip of the glass against her dry lips. “Easy. Easy now.” He drew it back when she tried to make him tip it. “Ready?” When she nodded, he allowed her a few more sips before setting the glass on the washstand. “How about that whiskey, Will?”
Will plucked the bottle from beside Cole’s chair and poured each of them a generous shot. “Wasn’t sure you were a drinking man,” Will said. “Sid Walker doesn’t think you are.”
“I’m not in the practice of offering alcohol to my patients, especially when their visit is prompted by that expectation.” He picked up the thermometer from where he’d placed it on the washstand. “Here’s what it’s good for.” He used the thermometer like a stirrer in his whiskey. “It cleans my instruments.” Cole put the thermometer back in his velour-lined bag and tipped his glass at Will before he drained it.
“Will?”
“What is it, Runt?” He flushed. “Rhyne. I mean Rhyne.”
“What’s Judah doing?”
“Last time I saw him, he was pacing the ground and railin’ at me. I’ve got him tethered to a tree by the privy, so you can understand the old bastard’s not in good humor.”
“You won’t be able to let him go,” she said weakly. “He’ll kill you.”
“I’m taking him in. He can cool off in jail. I figure that’s the only way either one of us is safe. The doc isn’t going to want to move you any time soon, and if you’ve got to stay in bed, Judah can’t stay here.”
That no-account Beatty knew what he was about, Cole decided. “It’s a good plan,” he said.
“I thought I’d save you the trouble of explaining it to me.” He finished his whiskey and rolled the glass between his palms as he went on. “I was thinking you’d want to stay here and look after her, but I know you’d have to make arrangements for your sister. I could ask Rose if we could take her in until you get back.”
Cole weighed the needs of his patient against his responsibility to Whitley.
Will made another suggestion when Cole didn’t respond, “Mrs. Cooper or Mrs. Showalter would do it, too, if you’d rather it was one of them.”
Cole realized that by not answering immediately he’d offended Will. He knew all about Mrs. Beatty’s former profession inside of two hours of his arrival. Rose made it a point to tell him. “It’s a generous offer, Will, and I’ll be relieved if Mrs. Beatty agrees. I hesitated because of Whitley. She thinks she’s sufficiently mature to be left alone.” She probably was, he allowed, but that didn’t mean he’d allow it. “I think she’d be pleased to spend time with you and your wife.”
“Good. That’s settled.” He stopped rolling the glass. “The sheriff makes his rounds on Thursdays. If you tell me what you’ll need, I’ll see that you get it. If you need it earlier, I suppose one of us can bring it tomorrow morning.”
“Judah’s about my size. His clothes will do. I’ll want my
“I can’t give you anything else. I have salicylate, but it will thin your blood. That’s not a good idea right now.”
Rhyne remained skeptical, but she didn’t offer any resistance.
“As soon as I’m certain you’re not going to be sick, I’ll mix the laudanum for you.”
Rhyne opened her other eye, turned her head carefully, and looked around. “Where’s Judah?”
“Outside.” He didn’t mention that her father was tied up.
“He won’t like me being in his room.”
“I don’t understand. Isn’t this where he flailed you?” Cole had not intended to put the question to her so baldly, but he’d told his sister the truth when he said no one had ever mistaken him for being charming. Rhyne Abbot certainly would not misjudge him. What he did not expect, however, was for her to show no reaction. Will’s arrival prevented him from asking further questions.
He held out his hand for the glass of water and edged his chair closer to the bed. Slipping one arm under Rhyne’s head, he pressed the lip of the glass against her dry lips. “Easy. Easy now.” He drew it back when she tried to make him tip it. “Ready?” When she nodded, he allowed her a few more sips before setting the glass on the washstand. “How about that whiskey, Will?”
Will plucked the bottle from beside Cole’s chair and poured each of them a generous shot. “Wasn’t sure you were a drinking man,” Will said. “Sid Walker doesn’t think you are.”
“I’m not in the practice of offering alcohol to my patients, especially when their visit is prompted by that expectation.” He picked up the thermometer from where he’d placed it on the washstand. “Here’s what it’s good for.” He used the thermometer like a stirrer in his whiskey. “It cleans my instruments.” Cole put the thermometer back in his velour-lined bag and tipped his glass at Will before he drained it.
“Will?”
“What is it, Runt?” He flushed. “Rhyne. I mean Rhyne.”
“What’s Judah doing?”
“Last time I saw him, he was pacing the ground and railin’ at me. I’ve got him tethered to a tree by the privy, so you can understand the old bastard’s not in good humor.”
“You won’t be able to let him go,” she said weakly. “He’ll kill you.”
“I’m taking him in. He can cool off in jail. I figure that’s the only way either one of us is safe. The doc isn’t going to want to move you any time soon, and if you’ve got to stay in bed, Judah can’t stay here.”
That no-account Beatty knew what he was about, Cole decided. “It’s a good plan,” he said.
“I thought I’d save you the trouble of explaining it to me.” He finished his whiskey and rolled the glass between his palms as he went on. “I was thinking you’d want to stay here and look after her, but I know you’d have to make arrangements for your sister. I could ask Rose if we could take her in until you get back.”
Cole weighed the needs of his patient against his responsibility to Whitley.
Will made another suggestion when Cole didn’t respond, “Mrs. Cooper or Mrs. Showalter would do it, too, if you’d rather it was one of them.”
Cole realized that by not answering immediately he’d offended Will. He knew all about Mrs. Beatty’s former profession inside of two hours of his arrival. Rose made it a point to tell him. “It’s a generous offer, Will, and I’ll be relieved if Mrs. Beatty agrees. I hesitated because of Whitley. She thinks she’s sufficiently mature to be left alone.” She probably was, he allowed, but that didn’t mean he’d allow it. “I think she’d be pleased to spend time with you and your wife.”
“Good. That’s settled.” He stopped rolling the glass. “The sheriff makes his rounds on Thursdays. If you tell me what you’ll need, I’ll see that you get it. If you need it earlier, I suppose one of us can bring it tomorrow morning.”
“Judah’s about my size. His clothes will do. I’ll want my
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