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Authors: Marcia Lynn McClure
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heal up. Have yourself a good night, and Autumn will check in on you tomorrow. All right?”
“Yes, sir,” Gentry said. He took another swig, awed at how much better he felt with each swallow.
As the old doctor escorted Ransom Lake to the door, Gentry drank more of the sweet, refreshing cider. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he mumbled. The girl, Autumn Lake, had been right. The apple cider her daddy had pressed really did soothe the very soul.
Chapter Five
Autumn could hardly remember what she’d done to entertain herself before. It had been more than a week since the handsome cowboy, Gentry James, had ridden into town all shot up and literally dropped right at her feet, and Autumn had sat with him for most of the day every day since. Of course, Doctor Sullivan had requested that she do so—at least at first. But now she found herself hurrying into town every morning, blissful with the anticipation of laying eyes on Gentry James and keeping him company while he convalesced—even though Doctor Sullivan had assured her any danger of the cowboy dying had passed.
Autumn had discovered that Gentry James was too alluring to keep from! Not only was he entirely too good-looking for his own good (or anybody else’s, for that matter) but he was also charming in a humbled, man-who-had-been-knocked-down-too-many-times kind of way. There was nothing arrogant about him—at least that Autumn had discovered. Oh, he was strong enough and growing stronger by the day. He seemed to possess an iron will as well, and she sensed he could endure anything and come out breathing. All this she gathered not from the stories of his past he’d shared—for he’d shared none with her—but from his overall countenance and mannerisms.
Autumn knew some women might be scared of a man the likes of Gentry James—because of either his profoundly handsome face and form or his rather unforthcoming, standoffish nature. Of course, she couldn’t understand why either would keep a woman away from him. To her, he was the most attractive man that ever could be.
Unfortunately, the like of Tawny Johnson wasn’t timid around Gentry James. Tawny had volunteered several times to sit with Gentry as well. But her mother hadn’t allowed her to do so. Her mother had allowed Tawny’s older sister, Candy, to visit the injured stranger on occasion, however. Naturally, everyone knew that Belva Johnson was afraid her eldest daughter, Candy, would never marry and remain a schoolmarm forever. Thus, Belva Johnson found every opportunity she could to push Candy into being noticed by any single man under the age of fifty.
Candy was a nice enough young woman (Autumn’s mother swore Candy took after her father, Mr. Johnson, whereas Tawny was the spitting image of her mother, Belva Tibbits Johnson), but Autumn found she had some strangely, and entirely unfounded, possessive feelings stirring around in her bosom when it came to Gentry James. Therefore, instead of spending less time looking after him and keeping him company, Autumn had actually begun to arrive earlier and earlier each morning. She was bound and determined that Candy Johnson wouldn’t have a moment alone with Gentry.
Oh, it was all silly and schoolgirlish—Autumn knew it was—but she couldn’t seem to help herself. No doubt Gentry James would finish healing up, ride away to Denver to collect what wages he could, and never be seen nor heard from again. But she still couldn’t resist him. She couldn’t resist lingering in his company for every precious second that she could.
And so, when she knocked on the door to Doctor Sullivan’s patient room and heard Gentry James say, “Come on in,” Autumn smiled. Nothing in all the world caused her heart to swell inside her chest like the sound of the shot-up cowboy’s voice—and she’d determined, the very first moment she’d sat down in Doc Sullivan’s patient room to watch over him, that she would never miss the chance to hear it
“Yes, sir,” Gentry said. He took another swig, awed at how much better he felt with each swallow.
As the old doctor escorted Ransom Lake to the door, Gentry drank more of the sweet, refreshing cider. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he mumbled. The girl, Autumn Lake, had been right. The apple cider her daddy had pressed really did soothe the very soul.
Chapter Five
Autumn could hardly remember what she’d done to entertain herself before. It had been more than a week since the handsome cowboy, Gentry James, had ridden into town all shot up and literally dropped right at her feet, and Autumn had sat with him for most of the day every day since. Of course, Doctor Sullivan had requested that she do so—at least at first. But now she found herself hurrying into town every morning, blissful with the anticipation of laying eyes on Gentry James and keeping him company while he convalesced—even though Doctor Sullivan had assured her any danger of the cowboy dying had passed.
Autumn had discovered that Gentry James was too alluring to keep from! Not only was he entirely too good-looking for his own good (or anybody else’s, for that matter) but he was also charming in a humbled, man-who-had-been-knocked-down-too-many-times kind of way. There was nothing arrogant about him—at least that Autumn had discovered. Oh, he was strong enough and growing stronger by the day. He seemed to possess an iron will as well, and she sensed he could endure anything and come out breathing. All this she gathered not from the stories of his past he’d shared—for he’d shared none with her—but from his overall countenance and mannerisms.
Autumn knew some women might be scared of a man the likes of Gentry James—because of either his profoundly handsome face and form or his rather unforthcoming, standoffish nature. Of course, she couldn’t understand why either would keep a woman away from him. To her, he was the most attractive man that ever could be.
Unfortunately, the like of Tawny Johnson wasn’t timid around Gentry James. Tawny had volunteered several times to sit with Gentry as well. But her mother hadn’t allowed her to do so. Her mother had allowed Tawny’s older sister, Candy, to visit the injured stranger on occasion, however. Naturally, everyone knew that Belva Johnson was afraid her eldest daughter, Candy, would never marry and remain a schoolmarm forever. Thus, Belva Johnson found every opportunity she could to push Candy into being noticed by any single man under the age of fifty.
Candy was a nice enough young woman (Autumn’s mother swore Candy took after her father, Mr. Johnson, whereas Tawny was the spitting image of her mother, Belva Tibbits Johnson), but Autumn found she had some strangely, and entirely unfounded, possessive feelings stirring around in her bosom when it came to Gentry James. Therefore, instead of spending less time looking after him and keeping him company, Autumn had actually begun to arrive earlier and earlier each morning. She was bound and determined that Candy Johnson wouldn’t have a moment alone with Gentry.
Oh, it was all silly and schoolgirlish—Autumn knew it was—but she couldn’t seem to help herself. No doubt Gentry James would finish healing up, ride away to Denver to collect what wages he could, and never be seen nor heard from again. But she still couldn’t resist him. She couldn’t resist lingering in his company for every precious second that she could.
And so, when she knocked on the door to Doctor Sullivan’s patient room and heard Gentry James say, “Come on in,” Autumn smiled. Nothing in all the world caused her heart to swell inside her chest like the sound of the shot-up cowboy’s voice—and she’d determined, the very first moment she’d sat down in Doc Sullivan’s patient room to watch over him, that she would never miss the chance to hear it
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