Sweetwater (Birdsong Series) (7 page)

Patty sent off a letter to Eve and Ty. It was possible that
Emily might try to get as far as their ranch.
“Please keep an eye out for her. If you do see her, for God’s sake,
let us know. We’re sick with concern for her safety.”
She signed the
letter and said a prayer as she sent it off by special courier.

Cassie was slowly starting to return to normal. That is, as
normal as any young girl of seventeen could be. Her birthday had come and gone
with just a minimum of fuss. That was the way she wanted it. She avoided the
saloons and anyplace where groups of young men gathered. She still dressed
demurely, for her age, but that only made her more attractive. Trying to hide
her striking features under layers of cotton gingham and calico was like trying
to hide the sun under a basket—it always shown through. With every
passing day, she grew lovelier.

One day, never giving up hope of hearing some news of Emily,
Cassie timidly approached a small gathering of soldiers from Fort Hays. They
were admiring some horses that were soon going up for auction.

“Excuse me, sirs. But I need to know if any of you have
seen Miss Emily Falkenrath, from the Birdsong Hotel?” she asked, shyly.

At first, the men ignored her question, as they didn’t know
whom she was addressing. Surely, a pretty young thing, like this young woman,
would not be walking around town in search of soldiers. But she stood her
ground, staring up at them, one and all.

Finally, one young man stepped forward. He had hair the
color of a raven’s wing, blue black in the bright blazing sun. He gazed at her
with eyes as dark as night, impossible to see into their depths. The young
corporal would be frightening, if it weren’t for his bright smile and the
perfect white teeth grinning at her. Dimples graced his cheerful face, as he
obviously admired the beautiful young woman.

“Forgive me, miss, but were you speaking to one of us?”

“Oh, yes, sir. I am most distressed about a friend of mine.
We work at the Birdsong Hotel, and she is missing. Do you know Miss Emily
Falkenrath?”

The soldier shook his head. “No, miss. I am sorry to say,
I do not. This is the first time I have been in Hays City. Why are you so
worried? Surely, she has left of her own accord. Perhaps she’s has even met a
man.”

Some of the soldiers snickered.

Shocked at the very idea, Cassie stated adamantly, “Never!
She wouldn’t do that. She doesn’t like men. And she is part owner of the
hotel. She’d never leave us alone. We’re all so very worried about her. I
know something terrible has happened.” Her luminous lavender eyes began to
swim with unshed tears.

The man reached out for her, clucking her under the chin.
“Now, now. There’s no need for tears. Worry is just trouble borrowed. May I
see you back home, miss?” He was mesmerized by the unusual color of her eyes and
stared deeply, not willing to say goodbye, just yet.

Forgetting her fear of men, Cassie nodded. “Yes, thank
you,” she muttered. “I can’t think of anyone else to ask. I only approached
you as a last resort.” Her bottom lip was trembling. It was obvious that she
was having great difficulty keeping her composure.

He grinned as he held out his arm to the lady, and led her
back the same way from which she had come. The corporal could hear the
chuckles of his friends. They were sure to be making crude jokes, but they
didn’t understand. This lovely creature was in pain, and she was so delicate,
he could barely take in her exquisite beauty. She looked like an angel, with
her silvery blonde curls bouncing under her bonnet. A heavenly being sent to
earth, to lend it beauty and grace, and he was going to help her find her
friend. He vowed to help her, and then maybe, she would take pity on a mere
mortal and bestow a kiss upon him.

Looking up, Patty was surprised to see a very handsome
soldier escorting a sad and dejected Cassie on his arm. “Cassie? Are you all
right, dear?” she asked, as she rushed to her side.

“Yes, ma’am. She’s just a mite disappointed,” the young
corporal answered. “She was looking for her friend, Emily, but had no luck. I
think she’s tired and could use some refreshment. May I stay with her for a
while, ma’am?”

“Certainly. You appear to be a gentleman. If Cassie has no
objections, I would like to extend an invitation for you to stay for dinner,
Mr. . . . I’m sorry. I do not know your name, sir.”

“Forgive my lack of manners, ma’am. I’m Corporal Adam
Breyer, from Fort Hays. I’m originally from Kentucky, where I left a family
consisting of a mother, a father , two incorrigible siblings, and an odd
assortment of aunts.
That’s
why I
left,” he chuckled. “Actually, I really miss them.”

His eyes returned to the stunning young woman standing by
his side. After a brief hesitation, he asked Patty, “Could you introduce me
to this lovely young lady? I don’t know her name.” He grinned, slightly
embarrassed.

“Corporal Breyer, may I introduce Miss Cassandra Miller.
She is part owner of this hotel.”

“
This
hotel?” He
looked all around him and was quite noticeably impressed. He let out a slow
whistle. “Isn’t she rather young to be the proprietress of an establishment,
such as this?”

Patty laughed. “Yes, she is. She is but one of four
owners.”

“You do know that I can hear what you both are saying. I’m
not deaf,” Cassie grumbled. “And don’t you
ever
address me as Cassandra.” She looked up at the surprised soldier. “My ma
called me that, and
that’s
why
I
ran away from home. My name is
Cassie. Got it?”

Grinning, Adam nodded. “Yes ma’am. I stand corrected, and
I completely agree, Miss Cassie. I’ll never even utter that other name, again.
It’s a terrible moniker to saddle on a young girl. Imagine naming your infant
child something like that! I would never do that to my child. It’s simply
awful. I don’t know how you hold your head up—”

“STOP!” Cassie yelled. “Are you loco? My name may be bad,
but it’s not hideous, and nobody has the right to say those things about my
name, but me! I can say what I please, but you should remain silent. It shows
good taste. You’re not very sophisticated, are you? I’m more
gintilly
, I suppose.”

He snickered, but didn’t dare correct her. She was adorable
just as she was.

Patty knew the soldier had caught Cassie’s
faux pas
, but she admired his decision
to let it pass. He was definitely well educated, and she could tell he
probably came from a more
gentile
background than Cassie would ever suspect. She approved mightily of this
Corporal Adam Breyer.

“Forgive me, Miss Cassie. May I still stay for supper?”

Cassie started to fidget, running the toe of her little shoe
in circles on the carpet and twisting her hair. “Yes, Adam. You may stay, but
will you continue to help me look for my friend?”

He smiled. “For you, I’d do anything.” And he meant it.

All throughout dinner, the discussion centered on finding
Emily. Dora and Patty told the corporal what little they knew. They told him
of the two disreputable men she ran into, the night before, and her irrational
reaction to the event. She must have known them, they all surmised.

“I’ll put the word out to the men, back at the fort. You
say she is tall, slender, with black hair?”

“Oh, she’s much more than that,” Dora added. “Just look for
the most beautiful brunette you’ve ever seen. That would be her. She has
twinklin’ blue eyes and a certain comeliness about her that a man can’t ignore.
You’ll know her, whenever you see her.”

“I’ll keep vigilant and I’ll spread the word.” He looked at
Cassie’s hopeful face. “Don’t worry, miss. She’ll turn up when she’s good and
ready. I bet she’s hiding out for a while, until those men are long gone.
Don’t fret.”

Cassie smiled, believing every word the handsome soldier
said. Against her better judgment, she could feel herself falling in love, and
she was certain it was forever.

Standing, Adam excused himself. “It was a wonderful dinner,
Miss Dora. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Patty for inviting me to stay. Miss
Cassie, would you walk me out? I’d like to say something to you, privately.”
He smiled a bone-melting smile at her. “I have to leave now, and return to my
regiment.” He held out his hand and lifted her small hand to his lips.
“Please?”

She nodded and left the table.

Once the young couple found themselves in the relative
privacy of the front porch, standing in the deep shadows, the soldier relaxed.
“Cassie, I’d like to see you again, the next time I’m in town. Would you agree
to that?” Adam asked, tentatively.

She nodded. “I think I’d like that very much, Corporal.”

“Good. May I be so forward as to ask if I may kiss you?”

Again, she nodded, but said nothing. Standing on her tippy
toes, she shut her eyes tight and pursed her lips, awaiting his touch.

He chuckled at her charming face, all puckered up, like a
small child’s. “Cassie, just relax,” he whispered, as his lips lightly grazed
over the top of her own. He gently placed a kiss on her mouth, getting just
the slightest taste of her sweetness. Forcing himself to step back, away from
her delectable mouth, he sighed. “You are so beautiful. I can’t breathe when I
look at you.”

With that said, he turned and walked away, not daring to
look back at the beautiful young woman with the stars shining in her amazing
eyes and the beguiling smile on her sweet, sweet lips.

Emily took one last look around her, admiring the
beautifully appointed room. She had stayed away from the hotel for much longer
than she had planned, but it hadn’t occurred to her how difficult it might be
to tear herself away from the farm. She had already planted a small flowerbed
for cuttings, by the back door, and she had imagined much, much more in the
future. She would return to Hays City today, but she would leave her heart
snuggled safely, in comfort, in her own little piece of the world.

Emily hooked the quarrelsome mule up to the wagon, and
giggled at the thought that she may be a wanted outlaw—
for mule theft!
“Oh, dear. I better
get you home, little one.”

With one last look back, she cracked the reins, moving the
mule only slightly, but trusting him to follow the road back to Hays City. She
allowed him to walk back at his own leisurely pace, for she certainly wasn’t in
any hurry to get to town. There was no telling what kind of reception she
would receive, but it was almost guaranteed not to be pleasant. It had been
unkind of her to let her friends worry, for surely they had suspected the
worst. She could just picture Blake scouring the town, looking under every
rock for her lifeless body. The guilt of that, caused an unexpected tightness
in her chest and a feeling of overall sadness. Emily had to admit to herself,
that she had developed very strong feelings for the doc.

Watching the slow swaying of mule’s head and the occasional
twitch of his ears, she was lulled into a dreamlike state—a daydream
filled with thoughts of Blake Donovan. Whenever Dr. Donovan entered her line
of vision, she noticed her heartbeat increased its rhythm. At times, she felt
breathless and lightheaded. She always had the strongest urge to run her
fingers through his unruly hair, as it invariably, fell forward onto his
forehead. She liked the way it curled over his collar. It looked soft and
silky and always smelled clean.

A bird swooped down at the mule, causing him to miss a step,
bringing Emily back to the present. She looked around her and noticed she was
nearly halfway to town. Although saddened by that fact, the sun was still warm
and comforting and allowed her to proceed with her private thoughts and
daydreams.

Emily knew Blake was infatuated with her. Many men had been
attracted to her in the past. She knew they thought she was ravishing. But
when she peered into the looking glass, she simply saw a woman, a bit too tall
and too thin. A woman with icy blue eyes, as cold as her heart. She didn’t
smile as often as perhaps she should, but there had been so little to smile
about . . . until recently. Her hair was nice, she thought. It gleamed and
fell heavily down her back—past her waist—ending in a natural curl.
Of course, she never wore it that way. Whenever she left the confines of her
bedroom, her hair was tightly coiled upon her head or pulled back and gathered
at the nape of her neck. Emily always thought she resembled a colt. She had
long arms and long legs, but they were strong and well toned. She knew her
breasts were too large for her frame, causing her blouses to never fit properly
without being altered. No, she was definitely
not
the beauty that Eve, or even young Cassie was. Patty was
gorgeous with her sophisticated allure. Her short curly red hair made her look
years younger than her actual age and her large eyes were the bright green
color of winter wheat. Her friends were the real beauties of Hays City.

Snapping the reins, once again, Emily smiled. That was all
true, she reckoned, however, not one of them had her green thumb. She could
get anything to grow and flourish, and she was proud of that. Best of all, she
had her own farm—well—almost.

She could now see the dusty town spread out before her. It
was a large town, thanks to the railroad and Fort Hays, and it had seen its
share of infamy, in the early days. Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody had
resided there, almost twenty years earlier. In 1869, Hickok had even been
marshal. The town boasted its own Boot Hill cemetery, where men killed in
shootouts were buried. Hays survived a brutal fire back in ‘79, and Whiskey
gloried in the telling of it.

“Flames engulfed
nearly the whole town, but Frieda Birdsong and me managed to fight it back and
save our own little part of it,”
he’d say.
“The Six Gun Saloon sat right here, where the Birdsong Hotel sits
today. Them were the days.”

Emily chuckled. He was quite a character, she thought, and
she loved him dearly. Nowadays, Hays City was changing, and becoming a good
and decent place for families to put down roots and live peaceable.

She could hear the sounds of the town drifting up the road
toward her. It would be only a few minutes before she had to face the music.
Perhaps she should have thought of the trouble she could be in, before she
decided to return? Or maybe, she shouldn’t have left in the first place . . .
but it was too late now. A little boy, with hair the color of scrubbed
carrots, was running toward her, waving his arms around wildly, shouting at the
top of his lungs. Emily had a very bad feeling about this, as she drew up at
the first hitching rail in front of the stage office.

Behind the young lad, a crowd was starting to gather, and
slowly, it crept forward, in her direction. As the little boy grew closer, she
could hear him calling out to the mule. “Percy! Percy! You’re back.” Tears
were running down his dirty, little, freckled face and Emily felt the deep
pangs of regret. What had she done?
She’d
stolen a pet!
The small mule answered back with a heart-wrenching bray.
He too, was glad to be home.

As Emily gathered up her skirts, in preparation of stepping
down from the wagon, she was startled as two large and very strong hands
grabbed her by the waist from behind. Immediately she knew who held her so
tightly. She could smell the scent of his soap and medicinal alcohol.

“Doc!” she screamed. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Blake could barely contain his fury and his relief at
finally holding the woman he loved in his hands. “Shut up, woman, if you
please,” he growled. He lifted her up off the seat and swung her over his
shoulder, carrying her like a bag of feed.

“Put me down! I must insist. Blake!” she squealed.

“Not now, Emmie, not now! I should turn you over my knee in
front of the entire town. You’ve been very bad and I promise you, you will be
punished.”

The crowd of curious onlookers parted, to allow the handsome
and furious Dr. Donovan through, with the lovely lady thrown indelicately over
his shoulder. Some of the townsfolk were giggling and laughing at the
hilarious scene. To see a lady being carried in such a manor, in front of them
all, was very entertaining. Naturally, there were those who thought she should
be arrested for stealing that little boy’s mule and wagon. Others—mostly
the men—thought the young doctor was well within his rights to treat her
so.

“You teach her, Doc,” some male voice hollered from the rear
of the crowd.

“Yeah,” shouted another. “Cain’t let her get away with
runnin’ off on ya’.”

“Please Blake, put me down. Everyone is laughing,” Emily
cried. She squeezed her eyes tightly, but she could still hear their taunts
and laughter. “I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”

“You damn well will tell me everything. I’ve been out of my
mind with worry. Where the hell have you been?”

Emily had to think. She didn’t dare tell anyone where she
had
really
gone. The farm was not
actually hers and it must be a crime to stay there, uninvited—even if she
did polish it up and plant a garden. They’d think she was loco. No, she would
have to invent something else. She remained silent.

With one swift kick, the double doors of the hotel opened,
revealing a very surprised Patty and Cassie standing just inside. “Emmie!”
they shouted in unison, as they ran up to the furious doctor hauling their
mortified friend, over his back.

“Cassie . . . go and get Dora. Hurry,” Patty ordered.
“Blake, is there something wrong with her? Why can’t you walk, Emmie?” Patty
rapidly fired questions at them, needing immediate answers. “Where have you
been? Did somebody kidnap you? Talk to me,” she pleaded. Standing with her
hands on her hips, Patty expected one of them to explain.

Patty was already developing a theory, and it made her angry
to think that Emily had carelessly caused them all so much grief. “For God’s
sake, Doc. Put her down and bolt the door, so she doesn’t take off again.”
Patty was not amused.

Blake put Emily on her feet and stood with his hands on his
hips, a mirrored image of Patty.

Emily’s knees began to shake as she heard the sounds of a
woman sobbing as she ran in from the kitchen. It could only be Dora.

The woman lunged for Emily, wrapping her arms around her,
rocking her back and forth, the entire time, repeating her name over and over.
“Ooooh, my pet. Where have you been, Emily, our darlin’ girl? We’ve been so
worried about you. We were afeared we might never see you again.” She stopped
just long enough to blow her nose on her hanky. “Oh, my darlin’, Emily. It
must have been just horrible. Sit down and tell us all about it.”

Dora pulled the young woman down onto the settee, where she
brought Emily’s head to rest on her impressive bosom. She looked up at the
doctor. “Sit down, Doc. You’ll need to hear this too. No sense in her
tellin’ it twice.” Gazing at Emily with a pathetic look in her eyes, she
whispered softly, “He’s been goin’ plum out of his mind, dear. Be good to him.”

Everyone waited to learn what had happened to Emily. No one
had a clue, really, but now that she had returned seemingly unharmed, they
would finally discover the truth.

A pin could have been heard to drop in the next room; it was
so quiet.

They waited.

And waited.

“Emmie!” Blake shouted.

“You needn’t yell, Doc. I was just finding the words. I’m
not sure where to begin.” She was perspiring and very uncomfortable under four
pair of inscrutable eyes. No thoughts were coming to her. Emily started to rub
her temples, trying desperately to conjure up a believable story.

“Oh, you poor lamb. It’s been awful for you, and here we
are, demanding you tell us what I’m sure you’d rather forget. You got a
headache, dear?” Dora asked.

Emily nodded. “It’s terrible. I can’t think. I need to go
to my bed, now. May we talk about this later?” she beseeched all the women,
carefully avoiding Blake’s scrutiny.

“Emmie . . .” Blake threatened, knowing full well she had no
headache.

“Of course, Em,” Patty quickly replied. Maybe she had been
too quick to judge. Maybe Emily really had been abducted. It certainly
wouldn’t do her friend any good to be interrogated if she was suffering. “You
go on up and I’ll bring you some tea. It will help to relax you. Dora made some
of the muffins you like so much, just this morning. Would you like me to bring
you a couple?”

Emily stood, weaving slightly—for effect. Very
dramatically, she placed the back of her hand over her forehead, and looked as
if she were ready to swoon. “Thank you, dear friend. That would be most kind
of you. I’m going to retire now.” Her eyes darted toward the scowling face of
Blake, before she turned away and floated up the stairs—the perfect
picture of a woman suffering distress.

The ladies bustled around the room with excitement.
Everything would be all right, now. Patty hurried to the kitchen to prepare a
tray. Dora followed right behind her. Only Cassie remained behind with the
doctor.

“Is she fakin’, Doc?”

Blake smiled, but it never reached his eyes. “I’d bet on
it, Cassie. She doesn’t want to tell us where she’s been.” He stared, his
body stiff with anger. He would not let her—even his precious
Emmie—get away with frightening everyone half to death.
She’d tell him everything, by damn.

Emily had dinner in her room.

Blake skipped dinner, altogether. He had other things on
his mind, as he knocked on the bedroom door.

“Yes? Who is it?” Emily asked in her most pitiful voice.
She waited a moment before repeating herself. “Who is there?”

The doorknob turned and the door swung silently open,
revealing the most desirable man she had ever seen. Blake appeared to be
slightly taller and broader, just now. His eyes were dark with anger—or
was it desire? His finely sculpted lips were drawn in a tight line. The cords
in his neck were tautly pulled. Masculine strength poured from this man.
Without speaking, he entered her room, shutting and latching the door behind
him.

“Blake,” she croaked. She was speechless with the onslaught
of emotions suddenly overwhelming her. She should be frightened, but instead,
she was excited. Every nerve ending in her body was burning for his touch.
Her breathing was shallow and she was getting lightheaded.

Silently, he walked toward the bed upon which she rested.
Step by step, he approached, exuding a primal passion impossible for her to
ignore. The very air reverberated with it. Slowly, he removed his coat and
placed it across the foot of the bed. Next, he removed his vest. He wore no
tie, so the first three buttons of his shirt were the next to go. Never
blinking, his dark eyes never left her face.

Emily licked her lips. He was hypnotic in his actions, and
she could not turn her face away. Her gaze was fixed on those top three
buttons and the fine brown hair being revealed as the shirt opened. She
wondered how the curls would feel against her cheek?

Blake removed his belt and turned toward the large rocking
chair beside the bed. He unexpectedly sat down and softly spoke her name.
“Emmie, come here.” He held out his hand.