Read Online One Bright Morning by Alice Duncan - Free Book Online Page A

were
following fast on his heels, and Maggie hoped that person was a
friend and not an enemy.
    Whoever the second rider was, she was
overjoyed to see Dan Blue Gully again. She had the door opened by
the time he had run up to it.
    “ Are you all right?” He
grabbed her by the shoulders in a grip that Maggie knew would leave
bruises. Her face squinched up in pain and he eased his
hold.
    “ Sorry, Mrs. Bright. Are you
all right?”
    “ I’m all right, Mr. Blue
Gully. And I’m so happy to see you, I can hardly see
straight.”
    Maggie almost giggled when she realized she
could hardly see straight even before he showed up.
    “ I’m real, real sorry, Mrs.
Bright. French Jack got by us when we doubled back. I thought for
sure you was dead when we rode up and heard the shots. Who was it
shot his partner?”
    Dan glanced toward the bedroom. He knew
better than to expect Jubal Green was well enough to defend the
little cabin, but he couldn’t imagine anybody else shooting that
well.
    “ Me,” said Maggie
proudly.
    Dan’s gaze flew away from the bedroom door
and landed on her with an amazed thump.
    “ You ?”
    “ Yes.” Maggie’s face,
through the grime and exhaustion, was beginning to register the
tiniest bit of offended pride.
    “ Kenny taught me how to
shoot, Mr. Blue Gully, and I know I’m not much of a shot and I
can’t see worth a darn, but—but, well, I guess I got
lucky.”
    Dan just shook his head as he peered down at
her. She looked as though it had been a rough night for her.
    “ I think that shot was more
than luck, Mrs. Bright. You got him right in the butt. He won’t be
able to ride for a month.”
    The Indian grinned and Maggie blushed.
    “ I’m real sorry I left you,
ma’am,” he said. It sounded as though he felt genuinely
guilty.
    “ Well, I guess I’m all
right. I don’t know about your friend, though.” A sudden fear for
Jubal Green almost swamped her.
    She hoped Dan wouldn’t be angry or upset
with her. She’d done the best she could.
    “ Well, let’s take a
look.”
    They both walked toward the bedroom, Maggie
trailing a little behind Dan, worry making her footsteps drag.
    Jubal Green looked almost good. He even had
a little color in his cheeks.
    “ My God, ma’am, what did you
do to him?” asked Dan in amazement.
    Maggie’s face fell tragically.
    “ Oh, dear,” she whispered.
“I tried to do what you told me to do. I had to change the bandage
one extra time because he flung his leg around so bad that it began
to bleed again. I sponged him off and poured bark tea down him and
soup, and—oh, God, Mr. Blue Gully, I’m sorry.”
    This had been such a trying few hours.
Maggie was too tired to stop the tears of remorse that slid down
her cheeks. She was sure she had killed Jubal Green with her poor
nursing.
    Dan’s gaze left his friend and shot over to
Maggie, a puzzled frown marring his face.
    “ You’re sorry?”
    Maggie’s hands had flown to her cheeks and
she was shaking her head miserably. “I’m so sorry. Is he dead?” she
whispered.
    “ Dead ?” Dan stared at Maggie incredulously. “Ma’am, I didn’t expect
him to look this good for a week or more. I don’t know what you
did, but I swear, you must be magic. He looks
wonderful.”
    Maggie blinked several times, certain that
she had misunderstood the man.
    “ I did all right?” stumbled
out of her mouth so softly that Dan had to strain to hear
it.
    “ You did more than all
right, ma’am. You did—you did superior,” he said. He wasn’t used to
talking to women and didn’t quite know how to go about
it.
    Maggie looked up at him with astonishment
evident in her big, tired eyes. “Thank you,” she murmured.
    “ Thank you , ma’am,” said Dan Blue
Gully.
    He took in Maggie’s ragged appearance, her
obvious exhaustion, and a sympathetic frown tugged at his lips. The
poor woman needed rest. That was obvious.
    “ Ma’am, you got French Jack
to back off for a while. Now I’m going to take over