Sweetwater (Birdsong Series) (3 page)

“What a woman,” the banker sighed.

Emily’s bravado was fueled by rage and it left little room
for self-pity. She needed a plan, and she’d get the girls to help her. Maybe
she could persuade Blake to help her, too. He was handy with his
fists—why was that, she wondered? Oh, well, she knew he could handle
himself in a fight. She’d seen evidence of it, before.

Slamming the door, Emily got the attention of everyone in
the hotel . . . even a few of the guests were intrigued.

“Well.” She stood, just inside the door, out of breath and
filled with righteous indignation. “It seems I am
not
the owner of my own farm. The owner refuses to sell.” Against
her will, her bottom lip began to quiver. She could feel her strength begin to
leave her body as her knees began to tremble. “He may come to town, though,
and I pray he stays here, for a night or two. I’ll get even with that mangy
polecat!”

The guests, sitting in the lobby, looked uncomfortably at
one another, feeling a bit of apprehension. What was this lovely lady capable
of doing to a paying guest?

Patty saw the guest’s looks of concern and she needed to
reassure them that everything was just fine. “Please, if you’d all like to go
into the dining room, I believe Dora is serving a cold dessert, just for today.
We want you to be comfortable here, at the Birdsong, and we hope you’ll
recommend us to your friends.” Patty expertly guided the men and women to the
elegantly appointed dining room for refreshments. Hopefully, Dora had
something
prepared, Patty prayed.

Cassie took her cue. “Psst. Emily,” she whispered. “I
think you should go into the kitchen if you want to yell. Yes?”

Emily looked around her, as she realized the scene she had
created in front of paying guests. “Oh, no. What have I done? Is Patty mad,
do you think?”

Cassie grinned. “Heck no. You should have been here when
Ben Singleton came by. He wanted to follow me around the hotel while I did my
work. He got as far as room number three, before Patty caught up to him.”
Cassie’s eyes were filled with mischief. “I swear . . .the kiss she saw? It
was the first one, all day!
Really!
”
She smiled broadly. “Now—
that
made Patty mad.”

Both women giggled at the thought.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get your farm, Em,” Cassie muttered.

Giving the young girl a hug, Emily smiled. “It’s not the
only farm in Kansas, kid. But I vow to make the owner sorry he didn’t sell it
to me!”

“I believe you will.” Cassie nodded.

The railroad was pushing westward, slicing through the
wilderness and connecting cities and towns. With its expansion, came a flood
of immigrants. The men worked laying track and the women followed their men,
trying to keep some sort of home.

Fort Hays was busy during this time, as well. All of this
activity meant the Birdsong Hotel was usually filled to capacity. There was
precious little free time, and that was good enough for Emily. It kept her
mind off revenge.

Patty and Dora were never idle, it seemed. With vast
amounts of cooking to be done, the never ending ordering of supplies, and the
overall managing of the business, the two women fairly dropped into bed at the
end of each day.

Cassie worked hard, too, but it didn’t make it any easier to
keep an eye on the silver-blonde beauty. Young men were always trying to find
an excuse to get her alone. She tried to dissuade them, but in the end, she
could be found behind a closed door or under the stairwell, giggling at their
boyish antics.

Dora was adamant. “Cassie. Enough of this nonsense! We
can’t be watchin’ out for you all the time, and these boys are up to no good.
You’re gonna find yourself in a peck of trouble, one day. Act like a lady and
see that you don’t get in a tight spot with these cowboys.”

“Of course, Dora. I don’t know what could happen, though.”
Cassie sighed and rolled her big eyes. She really was as innocent as she
seemed, and that was one of the many things the young men found so attractive.
“I’ll be more careful. I promise.” She crossed her heart.

Blake Donovan was beat. There were never enough hours in
the day to see to all his patients. He’d been out visiting the newly arrived
workers and their families. The complaints and injuries ran the gamut . . .
fevers, cuts, scrapes, and a few women in various stages of pregnancy. Now,
all he wanted was a soft, clean bed. He was even too exhausted to enjoy one of
Dora’s delicious dinners. As he stumbled into his room, he heard something
that sounded like a scuffle coming from behind the utility door. Laying his
ear against the panel, he could barely make out the sound of a frightened
woman.

Instantly, he pulled the door open, and a tiny blonde fell
out onto the floor with a dirty cowpoke falling directly on top of her.

“What the hell ya’ doin’?” the scruffy stranger demanded to
know. “Shut the damn door and get outta’ here,” he yelled. “I’m havin’ me
some fun with this little bit.”

That was the last thing he’d remember, as a fist of iron
smashed into his surprised face. Again and again, it pummeled him. Too soon,
he was past seeing or knowing what was happening to him, and still the fists
flew into his face and midsection. His attacker was oblivious to the big and
powerful hands trying to pull him off the unconscious man. Finally, totally
exhausted, Dr. Blake Donovan staggered back and surveyed the damage he’d done.

Emily had her arms around his shoulders, cooing something
into his ear. He didn’t understand what she was saying; he could only stare at
the bloody pulp before him, which had once been a face. She gently turned him
away from the ghastly sight and quietly led him down the hallway to her room.

Cassie was hysterical, with bruises of her own and a dress
that had been ripped down the front, exposing her soft flesh. Dora was leading
her away. That left Patty to make some semblance of order.

Whiskey stood with his massive fists clenched tightly,
gazing down at the inert cowboy. “I’ll keep an eye on him,” he growled. “You
go get what you need to fix him up.”

Almost immediately, Patty returned with some clean towels
and water, from her own room, and proceeded to cleanse the man’s badly beaten
face. He had sustained serious wounds. She had seen beatings before, but
nothing quite like this. Apparently, Dr. Donovan had some secrets of his own,
and she would demand an explanation before she encouraged his courting of Emily.

Blake took a deep, soul-cleansing breath and forced himself
to focus on the most amazing blue eyes, he had ever seen. Fringed with long
black lashes, curling up at the corners, they were intelligent, compassionate,
and wholly wonderful eyes.

“There you are. I was beginning to worry you had left us,
Doc,” Emily said softly. “That was quite a scene, back there. Where did you
learn to fight like that?”

“Huh? I fought?” He was confused. “I
never
fight.”

“Ha! Tell that to the man lying in the hall. Seriously.
You don’t remember any of it?”

Blake shook his head. “I’m sorry, Emmie. I’ll go and see
if I can do anything to help.” He tried to sit up, but felt weak and unsure of
himself.

“Whoa, Doc. Just lie back. I think you’ve done quite
enough for one evening. Mind telling me what happened to set you off like
that?” She put her hands on his chest and gently coaxed him back down against
the pillows. “You really hurt him, Blake.”

“He had it coming. How’s Cassie?” His memory was returning
in vivid detail and he knew he would have done it all, again.

“Cassie? I don’t know. She was with Dora when I brought
you here to my room. Why? What has she got to do with this?” Emily was
afraid to hear what he might say. Emily assumed that Cassie was crying because
she came upon the two men fighting. She hadn’t noticed Cassie’s dress.

“I was returning to my room, to get some badly needed
shut-eye, when I heard scuffling coming from inside a closet. As I drew
closer, I was certain a woman was in trouble.” He gritted his teeth and nearly
spat out the information.

“I opened the door and Cassie fell out onto the floor . . .
with that bastard on top of her. He ripped her dress, wide-open, and she’d
been crying. I saw red, Emmie. He was trying to rape her. He practically
boasted about it. Told me to get lost so he could finish what he’d started. I
hit him. That’s the last I remember

“Is he going to live?”

Shocked at the revelation, Emily nodded. “Well, certainly.
You didn’t kill the man, Doc, and if what you say is true, he got what was
coming to him. Leave him to Dora and Whiskey. They’ll tar and feather him and
ride him out on a rail. But you, Mr. Donovan, need to relax and close your
eyes for a while. I’ll stay with you.”

Blake did exactly as he was told. He closed his eyes and
allowed his lips to curl upward at the corners in a small smile of contentment.
His Emmie was there with him, at least for the moment, stroking his forehead
with her long cool fingers, and it felt like heaven. He didn’t even notice the
fiery pain radiating out from his damaged hands.

It was late into the night when Emily finally left Blake,
softly snoring and deep in slumber. Tonight, she would share a bed with Patty.
Neither woman wanted to be alone.

The sheriff had been summoned, and after Dora explained what
the man tried to do to Cassie, he arranged for the unconscious cowboy to be
carried away to the hoosegow and await the judge. He deemed Blake did what any
good man would have done in similar circumstances, and there was no need for
further questioning.

“So, tell me, Patty,” Emily insisted, as she crawled into
the narrow bed. “What exactly happened?”

“Didn’t Blake tell you?”

“To be honest, he’s not thinking too clearly. I don’t think
he remembers much after throwing that first punch. He said Cassie fell out of
the closet and landed on the floor with that big galoot on top of her.”

Looking furious, Patty informed Emily of the rest of the
story. “That snake
pretended
to be a
guest in the hotel. Of course, he is most definitely NOT a guest. He waited
for Cassie to pass him in the hallway, and stopped her, asking for more towels.
Naturally, she complied, unlocking the linen closet. She never saw him
coming. He pushed her in and shut the door behind them.”

Emily gasped, “Poor Cassie.”

“Oh, Em, it was awful. He tore her dress and camisole,
exposing her breasts. He put his filthy hands and mouth all over our Cassie.
I don’t know if she’ll ever truly recover. If Blake hadn’t been coming up
those stairs, at just that exact moment . . . I shudder to think what would
have happened to our dear girl. She’s very upset and scared to be left alone.
Dora is with her now.” Patty began crying softly.

“Then Blake was right to punish the bastard,” Emily stated
unequivocally.

Patty’s eyes widened with the memory of the violence she had
witnessed. “You didn’t see him, Em. The doc is not your common saloon
fighter. His fists are lethal. I believe he’s had professional training. I
think our kind doctor is a pugilist.”

“A what?”

“A professional boxer. For some reason, he has chosen not
to share his past with us. How much do you really know about him, Em?”

Emily shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know much. He’s a
good doctor, and he seems to like me. That’s about all.”

“Well,” Patty said, “I’m going to find out a little more
about our
good
Doctor Donovan. We
think he is a gentleman, but he has a history, Em, and I imagine it’s a dark
one. Until then, I would advise you to stay clear of him.”

Emily was surprised to hear Patty say these things about
Blake. She knew that her friend had once been sweet on him. “Everyone has a
history, Patty. Take it easy on Blake. I believe he’s a hero. Now, can we go
to sleep?”

Patty turned down the wick and bolted the door before she
crawled into bed next to Emily. “Good night, Em.”

“Night,” Emily whispered. As she closed her eyes, she
thought about the handsome man lying in her bed. Just thinking about his long
and hard body spread out on top of her clean sheets warmed her most feminine
areas. She noticed he had smelled of soap and soft leather. It was a manly
scent. She had delighted in the touch of his dark blonde hair, as she brushed
it back off his forehead. He was a good man, she decided, no matter what
concerns Patty had. He was her hero and he deserved a reward. She smiled at
the thought. She’d think of some way to repay him.

*

The next morning, the news was all over town. Patty was
upset because of the adverse publicity, fearing some of the guests would choose
to leave. But contrary to that way of thinking, she had people wanting to
extend their stay. The women felt safe with a protector like Dr. Donovan
around. They fairly swooned as he walked past. Men slapped him on the back,
and older women kissed him on the cheek. A few younger women held up their
babies for him to kiss. In their eyes, he was a real hero and a protector of
womanhood. Too bad those sentiments didn’t apply to the lovely and frightened
Cassie.

Cassie refused to come downstairs, preferring to remain
hidden away from curious eyes. She cleaned the rooms, but took her meals
alone. She hadn’t shown her scratches and bruises to Dora, and she didn’t want
her to see the bite. It would only further upset the woman. The vicious
bruising around her nipple was an ugly reminder of how close she had come to
being ruined forever.

As Cassie passed Emily’s room, she noticed the door was
slightly ajar. Upon closer inspection, she saw Dr. Donovan sitting in a chair,
staring out the window. She tapped lightly.

“May I come in, Doc?” she asked meekly.

At first, he seemed to not have heard her, but slowly he
turned his head. Cassie couldn’t believe her eyes. The doctor looked as if
he’d been dragged behind a horse. His complexion was ghastly white and dark
blue smudges encircled his brown eyes. His hair was mussed and his shirt was
misbuttoned. He was in bad need of a shave.

“Oh, my lord, Doc. What’s happened to you?” Forgetting her
own problems, she ran across the room and fell to her knees in front of him. “You
look awful. Are you sick? Did you get hurt?”

The fear, he saw, in her beautiful lavender eyes brought
Blake out of his nightmare. He forced himself back to reality. There was no
need to frighten the child any more than she already had been.

“I’m not feeling well, Cassie, but it will pass.”

“I’ve never seen you look like this. Is it . . . is it
because of me?”

“No, sweetheart. It’s entirely because of me. I did
something last night . . . something that I thought I had control over—a
demon I thought I had conquered. Have you heard how that man is doing? Did I
kill him?”

“Kill? You think you killed him?” Cassie was stunned, and
honestly, she didn’t care if he was dead as a doornail. He deserved whatever
he got. “Unfortunately, he’s still alive, but he was forced out of town, and I
can tell you, he looked the worse for it, too. I doubt even his mama will
recognize him.” Her voice dropped off.

“Doc, I want to thank you for saving me. He did some
terrible things . . . he . . . he touched me.” She started to shiver and the
tears began to run down her soft cheeks. “I swear I did nothing to invite him.
I’m a good girl. Really!” She started to scream. Her hands flew to cover
her face from Blake’s sympathetic gaze. “Why did he want to hurt me? I did
just as he asked. He said he needed another towel. I’m so embarrassed,” she
sobbed.

Blake held out his shaking arms to her. “Shhh, darling.
You’re getting yourself upset. No one blames you. You did nothing wrong.
There are some disagreeable hombres out there that don’t respect women.
They’re the ones you’ve got to look out for. But even the wisest can be taken
unawares, and you’re just a little, bitty thing. You’re a wonderful young
lady, beautiful and wise. Don’t ever doubt that.”

He rocked the sniffling girl in his arms until she quieted
some. He meant to comfort her, but was surprised to find that he had found
solace in her sweet presence.

“Go on now, sweetheart. Continue your chores and forget
about last night. It is over.”