Sweetwater (Birdsong Series) (19 page)

Dora felt relief at the good news. She knew how very
important that pet was to Cassie. “He’s a fierce one. Came chargin’ through
the door and flew right straight up in the air at the man’s gun arm.”

Cassie put out her arms and cradled the dog close to her
breast. “I’ll take good care of him, Whiskey. Thank you so very much.” She
put her cheek on the little dog’s black head, kissing his face and nuzzling his
neck. “I’m taking him upstairs now. Patty, would you mind coming along,
please?”

Patty smiled. She knew that Cassie was a little frightened
to be left alone after what they had just gone through. As a matter of fact,
Patty thought, she might like the company as well. “I’m ready to turn in,
Cassie. Can I sleep in your room?”

Looking relieved, Cassie nodded. “Please do. I would like
that ever so much. Good night, Dora—Whiskey. See you in the morning.”

When it was just the two of them, Dora laid her head down on
the table and gave into her tears. “It’s been a rough day,” she whispered.

“Well, now darlin’, I want you to go upstairs and get
yourself ready for bed,” Whiskey said softly, as he wrapped his big arms around
his wife. “I’ll be along in a little bit. There’s a few things here, that
need tendin’ to.”

Dora started to whimper. “I was so scared. I thought I
might be leavin’ you. But you saved me. You saved us all. I love you so
much, old man.”

Whiskey grinned. “That goes double fer me. When I saw him
threatenin’ you, I saw red. There was no way I was gonna let him do anythin’
to you or Cassie. I’d kill him again, if I could. He was a rattlesnake and he
hurt a lot of good people. Damn his worthless hide,” he growled. He looked at
the twisted body lying on the floor, and had to fight the urge to kick it out
of the way.

Dora composed herself and looked at the mess on the floor
where the little dog had lain. “Let me clean up this mess before I go
upstairs.”

Whiskey shook his head and guided his woman to the doorway.
“You’re not to think no more about all this. I’ll take care of everythin’ so
you don’t need to worry. Go on upstairs and get ready for your husband.” He
grinned. “I’m partial to the gown with the pink ribbon on it, and I’d be
mighty appreciative if you’d let me brush your hair fer a while. I find it
relaxin.”

“Whatever you say, dear.” Dora placed her hands on her
husband’s cheeks and pulled him down to her, whereupon she kissed him slow and
hard.

As she turned to go upstairs, she heard Whiskey chuckle,
“That’s my girl.” Then he left the hotel via the back door. He had to go get
the sheriff.

* * *

Blake suddenly jerked awake. He didn’t know what had
disturbed him, but something surely had. He listened. There it was—a
small splashing sound coming from the lake. It could have been a frog jumping
from the bank or a deer stepping out into the water for a drink. Whatever it
was, it was of little interest to him . . . that is . . . until he heard a
slight moan.

He was on his feet in an instant, gazing out across the
black water. The splash occurred again and, just as before, it was accompanied
by a moan. Something or someone was in pain. It couldn’t be . . . his mind
was trying to process the possibility . . . Did he dare hope?

“Emmie? Is that you, darling?”

Again—there was the splash. Blake ran into the water
and couldn’t believe his eyes. A woman was on her knees and trying to make her
way out from the water’s edge, falling with every attempt.

“My God, it is you. Emmie!” he shouted, as he scooped her
pitiful body up out of the water. “Emmie, it’s me . . . Blake. I can’t
believe it. You’re alive! You’re in my arms. Oh, my God, Emmie.” He was
shouting, crying, and laughing all at the same time. He was practically
hysterical with the joy and relief he felt at finding Emily alive.

He carried her over beside the water trough, and placed her
upon his coat. She was shivering with the cold and her lips were blue. Her
skin was pale and looked as delicate as old parchment. Quickly checking her
over, Blake discovered a huge bump on her forehead and burns on her hands and
feet. Her breathing was shallow.

“I’ll be right back, darling. I need to get you into
something warm.”

Blake ran to his saddlebags and pulled out a clean shirt and
some socks from the pouch. He also found some whiskey and some ointment he
always carried for emergencies. It was good for cuts and burns. Gathering up
his supplies, he ran back to her side.

With trembling hands, he stripped the wet garments from
Emily’s battered body. He felt like crying for her. She was so beautiful and
so delicate; to see the pain she had endured was almost unbearable. He noticed
the red marks around her wrists and ankles. It was obvious her hands and feet
had been tied. Someone had intentionally done this to her and probably set
fire to the farm.
Had Lucas caught up to
her? Had he intended to burn her alive?
Blake swore if this were true,
there would be no safe place for the man to hide. He’d hunt him down and kill
him.

Emily tried to speak, but she had no voice. Her throat hurt
desperately, worse than her hands and feet. She looked up at Blake and tried
to smile. By placing her hands over her throat, he knew that she could not
speak.

“You’ve inhaled a lot of smoke, Emmie. You need to rest
your voice and your lungs for a while. But you’ll get better, I promise. Do
your hands and feet hurt much?”

She shook her head and pointed to the bump on her head and
nodded.

“You’ve got a bad bump. Apparently you hit your head on
something.” Blake knew full well that someone probably hit her over the head,
but he’d face that fact after Emily was out of danger. “When I get you back to
town, I’ll give you some powder for the headache.

“Emmie, I’m so happy to have you back. I thought I’d lose
my mind. We all thought you had perished. I guess I’ll have to wait to hear
what happened, and frankly, I don’t care. You’re alive and I’m going to
protect you with my very life. Never again, will I allow something to happen
to you.”

Emily took his gentle hand in hers and squeezed, just before
she closed her eyes for some much needed rest.

Blake cuddled close to her, trying to keep her warm and to
reassure himself that she was truly safe in his arms and not a dream. Now that
she was found, nothing else mattered. He could finally breathe again. After
saying a silent prayer of thanksgiving, he tucked her in securely, and held her
tight within his embrace, waiting for the dawn.

“Emmie” he sobbed, as he closed his eyes.

*

The sound of a wagon woke the couple sleeping beside the
animal trough. The sun had been up for a couple of hours, and Whiskey and Dora
had finally arrived. Their mission was to get the doctor on his feet and bring
him back to town, hoping for the best.

The scene they came upon was grizzly in the early light of
day. “My God, Whiskey. It’s worse than I thought it could possibly be. Poor
Doc. We’ve got to go to him.” Dora grasped Whiskey’s arm for strength. It
was impossible not to think of poor Emily and how she must have suffered.

He patted her hand. “There, there, darlin’. Nothin’ is so
bad that we can’t get through it together. The doc’s gonna be okay. We’ll
help him get past this. But first, we need to find him.”

Dora squinted into the sun trying to locate Blake. “What’s
that over there by the trough? Is that him? I can’t quite make it out.”

“Yes, ma’am. That sure looks like Doc, but what’s that next
to him?” The wagon drew closer. Whiskey had a terrible premonition. Surely
Doc hadn’t found Emily’s charred and lifeless body, and spent the entire night
holding it against his chest, as if she was alive.

“Thank you, God! Praise the Lord! It’s Emily!” Dora stood
up in the moving wagon, eager to jump down and run directly to the sleeping
couple.

Putting his hand out to protect her, Whiskey hollered, “Take
it easy, Dora. It won’t do no one any good if you take a tumble out of this
here wagon. I’ll get us there quick enough.” He cleared his throat and spoke
softly, ”Is she alive?”

“Course she is, old man. Can’t you see?”

Slapping the reins one last time, the old man shouted out,
“Hey there, Doc. You all right? Is that Emily you got with you?”

The two sleeping people stirred, confused at all the noise.
Emily covered her eyes from the bright light and rolled away from Blake. Her
head was coming apart and her burns were excruciating.

Blake stood up, stiffly. “Whiskey,” he said smiling. “I’ve
got good news.”

Dora was on the ground, running toward Emily, her eyes
streaming with tears of happiness. “Yes, I say you have! Oh Emily . . .
sweetheart. We were so worried about you. How are you, darlin’?”

Emily could only groan her answer and covered her eyes with
her bandaged hands.

Disappointed and worried, Dora looked to Blake for answers.

“I don’t know what happened yesterday, but I don’t really
care. She crawled out of the lake, late last night. She’s got a bad knot on
her head, making it difficult for her to keep her eyes open. Her hands and
feet are burned pretty badly, too. Not to mention all the smoke she inhaled
into her lungs. She can’t speak because of the pain in her throat. But the
important thing is, she’s alive, and that’s the way she’ll stay. She’s a
fighter. Whoever did this to her, won’t get away with it. He tied her up and
set the barn ablaze with her in it. I swear I’ll kill him.”

While Dora knelt beside her friend, whispering soft and
soothing words into her ear, Whiskey took Blake aside. “It was her step-pa.
Lucas did all this.”

“I figured as much. How did you find out?”

“He paid us a late night visit at the hotel. I was outside
when he snuck in and put a gun to my Dora’s head, demandin’ money. Grabbin’
Dora was just another in a long list of mistakes. I couldn’t take the chance
he’d shoot her, so I got behind him and snapped his neck like a twig. Damned
if his whole head didn’t nearly come off in my hands. The sheriff didn’t say
much. He just nudged the body with the toe of his boot and nodded. I think
that’s his way of sayin’ ‘good riddance’.”

Blake reached out for the big man and gave him a strong hug,
then cried with relief. “Thanks, Whiskey.” He wiped his eyes, embarrassed by
his tears. “Emily and I will be able to sleep a whole lot better now, knowing
Lucas isn’t lurking behind every bush and around every corner.”

Sniffing, Whiskey chuckled. “I figured I did us all a
favor. He was pure evil, through and through—always had been. Now,
let’s get you and the little lady back to town.”

*

It was a happy homecoming. As the wagon approached the
hotel, a crowd started to assemble and followed it down the street. Happy
voices rang through the air telling of the good news.

Patty stepped out on the porch, expecting the arrival of
Blake and maybe the body of her best friend. It was obvious she hadn’t slept
after all that happened yesterday. With her eyes swollen and red, she gazed
down at the crowd. They appeared to be celebrating.

“Cassie! Come down here, at once. Something’s happening
and I—”

She never finished her remarks, as her feet were flying
toward the oncoming wagon. With her arms flailing through the air and her
glorious red hair tumbling down from it’s elegant chignon, she was laughing and
crying simultaneously.

Cassie took in the scene and was quick to follow Patty, with
a barking pup running close behind. “What is it?” she yelled.

Patty ran to the rear of the moving wagon and saw someone
completely wrapped in blankets and being held tenderly in Blake’s arms. He
smiled from ear to ear and she cried all the more. “Emily?” she whispered,
looking directly at the doc.

He nodded. “She’s hurt, but she’ll be fine after a few days
rest.” He still couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t let go of Emily for one second
since fishing her out of the lake. “Take us to my office, Whiskey,” he
directed.

By this time, all the women were jumping up and down out of
sheer happiness. They were going back to the hotel and preparing for Emily’s
eventual arrival. The doc explained he needed to take care of her injuries in
his office and hopefully she’d be able to sleep in the hotel, that evening.

“I knew she’d be found,” Cassie declared. “We’ve had too
much tragedy here, for one year, and it wouldn’t be fair to lose her, too.
She’s going to get married next Saturday.” Then, as she considered all the
possibilities, her eyes rounded and her face lost all its color. “She will be
getting married next Saturday, won’t she? She’s not going to have to delay it,
is she?”

“Now, now. It’s too soon to be worried about a weddin’.
I’m sure Emily and the doc will discuss it when the time is right. Don’t you
worry your pretty little head about it,” Dora said. “I’m goin’ to get busy
fixin’ soft foods for Emily’s throat. Somethin’ easy to swallow.”

“That’s a good idea,” Patty agreed. “Cassie, would you mind
going up to her room and see that everything is in order? She’s going to need
a couple of extra pillows. She shouldn’t be lying flat for a while. Also,
lower the shades. We need to keep the room dark. Lay out her softest
nightgown.”

Cassie was already in motion, eager to help her friend.
“I’ll make sure she has plenty of washcloths and towels, too . . . our very
softest ones . . . and my own French soap. It’s gentle. She’ll need fresh
water and so much more. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. Come
Tippy. We’ve got work to do.”

As he placed a cool cloth across her forehead, Blake kissed
the tip of her pink nose. He had dressed all of Emily’s wounds and checked for
possible internal injuries and broken bones. She was fortunate. Aside from
the blisters, slight smoke inhalation, and a possible concussion, Emily was
doing remarkably well. She had smiled several times, before closing her eyes
again. Blake knew she needed her rest, and in fact, that is what he would
prescribe, but it was so difficult for him not to touch her, to stroke her, and
convince himself that she was indeed here, safe with him.

Blake whispered words of love to her, while she slept. Who
knew if she heard him? It made little difference. There were things he had to
say. He would never be able to describe the depth of the despair he felt when
he thought she was lost to him forever. Never had anyone, from the very
beginning of time, felt such an overwhelming sense of grief, and now his heart
overflowed with joy.

Occasionally, Emily would whimper softly, no doubt reliving
her nightmare and feeling the discomfort of her injuries. For hours, Blake
tended to her, willing her pain away . . . losing track of time.

He was unaware of when he fell asleep, but he was suddenly
awakened by the sweet sound of an angel beckoning him.

“Blake,” Emily managed to say, just above a whisper. Her
extraordinary blue eyes were open and she was trying to smile for him, although
her lips were quite swollen. She put out her hand, not realizing the bandages
made it impossible for her to touch him.

“Hush, darling. You shouldn’t try to talk just yet.” Blake
could see the questions in her eyes. “You’re going to be fine in a couple of
days.
Everything
is fine. Lucas is
dead. We’ll never have to worry about him again.”

Her brows knitted together and her eyes beseeched him to
explain. Blake knew what she was asking. “No, sweetheart. I did not kill
him. He threatened Dora at gunpoint. Whiskey killed him.”

She smiled and closed her eyes once again, resting much
easier than before.

Blake let her sleep for a couple of hours before he decided
she would be more comfortable in her own bed. “Emmie, wake up, darling. I’m
going to carry you to the hotel and put you in your own bed. Did you hear me,
sweetheart?”

She opened her eyes and smiled. “Yes, darling,” she
whispered. “I’d like that.”

Very gently, Blake wrapped the blankets around her and
picked her up in his strong arms, as carefully as he could, so as not to cause
her any additional discomfort. “You let me know if I hurt you,” he insisted.

Only a few people were out this late at night, so no one
paid any attention to the doctor carrying a large bundle in his arms. The
lights at the hotel were burning brightly, showing him the way, as the entire
staff waited in the lobby for their arrival.

Cassie was standing by the window, eagerly anticipating the
moment when Emily would finally be home. “She’s here! Doc’s carrying her
across the street, now.”

Everyone got to their feet, anxious for the doors to open.
Cassie did the honors and held them wide for Blake and Emily.

“Yay!” they all yelled, albeit quietly. “Welcome home,
Emily.”

Emily forced herself to respond. She smiled broadly and
waved one bandaged hand in a greeting for her friends. Tears began to threaten
her eyes as she saw their lovely faces and felt the love they had for her.

“I love you all,” she croaked, and looked once again to
Blake for his assistance.

He placed her down on the settee, making sure she was
covered and comfortable. “Emmie is feeling better, but she needs a good and
uninterrupted night’s sleep. I know she’s happy to be home and will see you
all tomorrow. It still hurts her to speak, but soon, we won’t be able to shut
her up.” He chuckled, at which Emmie gave him a little frown. “Sorry,” he
said.

“I’ll take her up now, and you can sit with her if you like,
or you can wait until morning. Dora, I’d like for her to take breakfast in
bed, if that won’t be too much trouble. I’ll gladly carry the tray up to her.”

“Lordy, Doc. That’s what I’m here for. Don’t you worry
about a thing. We, women, have got everythin’ under control. Emily’s in good
hands with us. Speakin’ of hands . . . did you take care of yer own?”

Blake grinned. “Yes, ma. I did just what you said . . .
and thanks. I’m turning in now. See you all for breakfast.”

He gathered up his precious Emmie and the two of them
ascended the stairs, each to his own room.

* * *

Two days later, Emily was much improved, which was quite
evident by her enormous appetite and grumpy nature. “Why can’t I go
downstairs? My feet are better and I hardly cough at all.”

Blake laughed at his disgruntled patient. “You’re too weak
and I don’t want to take any chances with your recovery. There could still be
an infection.”

“You could carry me,” Emily teased. She reached out for
him, wiggling her fingertips like a small child. “Please? I’ll go mad if I
have to stay in this room one more hour!” She stuck out her bottom lip in the
cutest pout Blake had ever seen, while crossing her arms over her desirable
bosom. How could a man refuse?

“All right. You win,” he chuckled, knowing when to give
into a desirable woman. “Two hours. That’s all, and I don’t want to hear you
complain about it. You still need to rest. And I know you. You’ll be itching
to water plants, walk around your gardens—thinking of spring—all
sorts of things. Besides, we need to talk about what happened.” He grew
serious.

Emily frowned at the thought of revisiting the events of
that night. “Do we have to? You know what basically happened. Lucas came to
the farm in search of me. He found me and tied me up in the barn. I guess
when we were struggling in the kitchen, he must have overturned the lamp and
started the fire.”

“And?” Blake waited patiently for Emily to continue. She
had said this much, before, but she never revealed more. “Why do I get the
feeling that you’re leaving some things out?”

Taking a deep breath, Emily closed her eyes and threw her
head back before continuing. “Fine! I’ll tell you everything. Lucas wanted a
cup of coffee and I poured him a cup. It just so happens that I used the same
mug that I had used only hours before to kill the mice in the cellar. It was
possible that there was some arsenic still left in the bottom.” She looked
directly at Blake and smiled.

“He started getting ill quite soon after that first taste,
but not before he caught on to what I had done. He dragged me out to the barn
and tied me up before he passed out. It was then I started smelling the smoke
and knew the house was on fire.” She paused, her face suddenly falling
terribly sad.

“Oh Blake. My house. My pretty little house is gone . . .
just black rubble. I loved it so. I guess the whole farm is gone now, isn’t
it?” Blake could see she was on the verge of fresh tears.

“Darling,” he said, taking her in his arms, “It was only a
house and barn. It can all be rebuilt—bigger and better. We needed to
add on to the house anyway. Our babies need rooms of their own.” A deep dark
color settled along his neck and across his cheeks. He loved the thought of
having babies with Emily. “And the barn needed some repairs, too. We’ve still
got the land.”

Emily brightened. “And the lake. It saved my life, you
know.”

“What . . . the lake?”

“Uhmm. I had been trying to get free from the ropes for
what seemed like hours, breathing in all that black smoke. It was awful. It
felt like my throat and lungs were on fire and it was so black, I couldn’t see
Lucas lying right next to me. Suddenly the fire broke through to the interior,
not far from where I was sitting. I knew I had to get out right then, or I’d
die.”

Emily’s look of terror worried Blake. “You don’t need to
say anymore, sweetheart.”

“No, I need to tell you. As if it were magic, the ropes
miraculously dropped away and I heard my wonderful geese calling to me. I know
it sounds unbelievable, but it’s true. I crawled toward their honking. They
were angry, I can tell you. Some of the beams had fallen and I needed to crawl
over them. That’s how I got burned. Everything was so hot . . . anyway . . .
my geese kept honking and pecking the boards just outside the barn wall, making
quite a racket. I simply reached out and a board, large enough for me to crawl
through, gave way. I can’t tell you how glorious it was to draw a deep breath
of clean night air.

“It was so good that I didn’t notice my skirts were on fire.
The geese continued their squawking, flapping their wings, and waddled right
into the lake. The bank was only a few yards in front of me, but I couldn’t
walk any further. As I fell to the ground, certain I was going to die, I felt
the cool, sweet water surround my ankles. Instinctively, I rolled toward that
water and I guess that’s when I struck my head on a rock. The next thing I
remember, you had fished me out of the lake and were rocking me in your arms.
My lake floated me away to safety.

“When you rode out to the farm, did you see the geese? Are
they all right?” Emily asked.

Blake smiled at her concern for those ornery birds, knowing
full well that they would always have a place of honor on their farm and in
their hearts. “Oh, you can rest easy Emmie. They’re there, ruling whatever is
left of the place. As soon as you’re well enough, we might want to go out and
see what we can do for them. After what they did for us, I guess we owe them a
decent place to live.”

Emily was ecstatic at the thought. “Oh yes, Blake. And
we’ll rebuild, won’t we? It will be bigger and better than before. It will be
ours and our children’s, and we’ll put all of this behind us, forever.”

“That’s right, darling. Well, let’s get downstairs before I
change my mind.”

The hotel lobby had a party-like atmosphere. Everyone
wanted to come in and greet Miss Emily, once they heard she was up and out of
her sickbed. It seemed the whole town had missed her and they wanted to pay
their respects. The women were all discussing the upcoming nuptials.

“Will you still be
getting married this Saturday?”
they would ask. Or they would inquire
about her gown.
“Would her hands and
feet still be in bandages?”

The women offered their services to the future bride.
They’d help her in any way they could. They were a good group of women and
dear friends. Emily should have felt tired, but in reality, she felt revived.
This was life and she relished it, knowing she’d been given a second chance.

*

Saturday morning arrived and although cold, it was a
beautiful sunny day. Emily had barely slept with all the excitement. She,
Patty, and Cassie had stayed up late, altering her exquisite dress. Because of
the season, it had long graceful sleeves that covered her still reddened arms.
Patty gifted her with the most magnificent silk gloves to protect her hands.
Cassie worked hard on some soft wedding slippers for her blistered feet. All
in all, she was going to look as beautiful as any other bride, and one would
have to look very closely to see any evidence of her injuries.

The wedding was being held in the hotel lobby. It was large
enough to accommodate their guests and it was one of the most elegant rooms in
all of Hays City. There were few flowers, but what they had managed to acquire
were spectacular. Dora had outdone herself with the wedding cake. It was said
to be even grander than Eve Birdsong’s cake had been, just a year earlier.

The men moved all the furniture out of the lobby and
replaced the large, comfortable items with small straight-backed chairs, more
suitable for a wedding. And even though it was still morning, the men insisted
on preparing a
special
gentlemen’s
punch.

Patty convinced some musicians that played for the barn
dances, to play for the wedding. They would have done anything for her after
she batted her long eyelashes at them. It never hurt to turn on the feminine
charm, she thought.

Just before ten o’clock, a buggy pulled up out in front,
stopping right in front of the steps. A tall young man, with soft brown hair,
jumped down and ran to the other side to assist an extraordinarily beautiful
woman, holding a blue bundle, down and onto the sidewalk.

“Eve!” Cassie shouted, as she ran out to greet the new
arrivals. “Oh, my goodness . . . you had your baby! Is he a boy?”

Eve laughed. Cassie was so lovable and so very funny.
“Yes, dear.
He’s
a boy.”

“And we need to get them inside and warm them up,”
interrupted the very protective new father. “It’s cold out here.”

Dora and Patty opened the doors. “Well, look here,” Dora
exclaimed. “This sure is a day to remember. Eve, Ty, and a baby boy. My
lordy.” She held out her big arms toward the baby. Eve, very carefully,
placed her son in her friend’s open arms, while his papa held his breath.

“You’ll have to excuse Ty, but he’s a nervous father.”

“Well, he wasn’t so easy to come by, if I recall,” he
muttered. “I don’t know as how I can ever go through all that waiting again.”
The grimace on Ty’s face caused everyone to laugh.

“Yes, Ty. I guess all that waiting was more than a man
could bear. Next time, try having the baby and let Eve do the waiting,” Patty
teased.

His face turned red. “Sorry, but it really was awful, just
the same.”

Eve patted his hand and kissed his lips, lightly. “I’m sure
it was, darling.”

Turning to Blake, who had just entered the room, Eve asked,
“How is she? I wish I could have been here for both of you, but I was still
recovering.”

“We were well taken care of by this group of people you see
standing around us. Emmie and I will be forever grateful. Now, let me look at
the baby. Sure hope he takes after his ma.” He chuckled. “Where’s little
Carol? I miss seeing her pretty face.”