The Stafford Collection, Historical Western Romances (20 page)

Sabrina had fled into the forest and vomited. Her nerves and stomach could not take any more. A shadow passed over her and she looked up at Brock’s mother as she wiped her mouth.

“Are you all right? I know it’s very difficult.”

“I’m fine. I just needed some air.”

“I heard you through the window.”

Sabrina looked horrified. “I am so sorry. I went too far. My parents are dead and I just didn’t want Brock to have to live with the guilt that I feel.”

“You should not be sorry. I wish to thank you. You said what we have all been feeling.”

Sabrina shook her head. “I’m sorry---I don’t know what came over me. I was horrid.”

“You said exactly what he needed to hear,” she insisted.

“And if he still refuses?” Sabrina asked softly.

“There is a doctor here. We will knock him out and do the surgery anyway.”

Sabrina smiled.

They heard footsteps and they turned to see Brock hurrying toward them. He ran up and scooped her up in his arms, swinging her around in a circle. Normally this would not have bothered Sabrina at all. In fact, she loved it when he showed his playful side. However, being spun after being sick is never a good idea and she told him so. He sat her back down gently but still kept her in his arms.

“What on earth?” she exclaimed as he leaned down and kissed her. His mother looked on in amusement.

“He said yes! He will have the surgery. We have to find Thomas.”

“He’s over by the wood pile talking to your sister,” his mother stated with a gleam in her eye.

They found Thomas sitting on a stump talking to Chase and Jaelyn. Brock informed him of the news and he nodded gravely.
By this time it was very dark outside and the temperature had dropped again.

Chase started a fire and Jaelyn decided to cook supper for the weary group to help keep her mind off things. Thomas, Anna, and Brock headed inside so that Thomas could examine Jonathan. Sabrina was not sure to which group she belonged. She wanted to go with Brock, but felt these were details the family should work out together. Settling herself on the vacant stump, she sat listening to the siblings’ friendly gibes.

Being with Brock’s family made her miss hers all the more. She wondered what Warren was doing and if he had received her letter.

Chapte
r
21

T
he man fingered the envelope nervously. He had plucked it from the mailbag as soon as he’d seen Warren Lovett’s name on the outside. There was no return address. His conscience wavered for an instant. It was his job to sort the mail and send out telegraphs. John enjoyed his job most days but it didn’t pay very well. He thought back to the first time the soft-spoken man had come in to visit him.

He was looking for information and he introduced himself as Mr. Ted Smith. He requested that John notify him of any personal correspondence that Warren Lovett received. In particular, he wanted to know if he received any letters from women. John was perturbed and immediately said no. He needed this job to help feed his family. He would not sacrifice his family’s
well-being to help some stranger. The man simply accepted his refusal and left him a tip.

John stared long and hard at the money left on the counter. He had been given tips before, of course. Like the time he hand delivered a package to the hotel for which a guest had been waiting, but he had never received a tip for doing nothing.  The door swooshed open, admitting another customer and John slid the money into his pocket.

The man appeared again about a month or so later. He made the same request. He explained that he was looking for Warren’s sister. They had been engaged and he’d been out of town during the tragedy with her family. He was trying to get back in contact with her. Warren had tried to separate them--to break them up--so he would prefer if no one knew of his request.

John eyed the man speculatively. He had heard of the tragedy at the Lovett estate and the mysterious missing sister, even though he had not lived here when it occurred. Many people thought she was dead. I mean, who would walk off and leave all that money? The man waited patiently for John’s reply.

“I can’t open other people’s mail. I would lose my job,” he stated, gazing straight into the man’s keen eyes.

The man smiled. “That’s why I came to you. You have integrity. All I need is information. You don’t have to open the mail. Just make a note of the city or even the state that the letter came from. In return, you will receive a gratuity. I’ll do the rest.” He smiled, showing his white teeth.

“Do you live in town? How would I contact you---if I decided to do this?”

“I travel a lot. I will send you contact information each month where you can send me a telegram. I will forever be in your debt.”

That was two years ago. John had received a letter from him once a month ever since. The letter always included his contact information and a tip for his service. Although, he was still unsure of the validity of the request, he did, however, start taking notice of any mail that Warren received.

Warren Lovett did not receive much personal mail---mostly just business requests and such. He did receive some mail from time to time from a woman in Boston. Unsure, he nervously telegraphed the information to Mr. Smith.

He received his regular letter the following month. However, this time there was much more money in it. The note attached said that the woman in Boston was Warren’s aunt. It stated that he was doing a good job and to keep looking.

As he held the envelope, he thought of his wife and family. John sighed, squinting at the smudged
cancellation stamp from Oklahoma on the front. He turned to the telegraph machine and started tapping in the code. Once done, he placed the envelope in the box for Warren Lovett. Smiling, he looked forward to his next letter.

Chapte
r
22

T
homas breathed through his mouth as he stepped into the building. Anna led the way to the back bedroom. A lamp was lit on the table next to the bed and a soft glow washed over Jonathan’s form.

“Jon, this is the doctor; he is going to look at your leg to see if he can help.”

Thomas stepped up closer to the bed and introduced himself, holding out his hand for Jonathan to shake. He wanted to see how much strength Jonathan still had. He was impressed by the man’s grip. There may be hope yet. He was quite smitten with Jaelyn and was afraid that she would hate him if her father died under his care.

Moving down to the end of the bed, Thomas had Brock hold the light so he could see. Wiping any expression from his face, he pulled back the covers to view the damaged limb. Seeing the amount of destruction from rot he took a metal object and probed the leg trying to see how much feeling and circulation he had left. The swelling had shut off his blood supply and killed the nerves from his calf down. He figured he could remove the leg and still preserve the knee joint. Since he was, otherwise, in good health, he had a decent chance of recovery if the fever did not kill him.

Medicine had come a long way, thanks to the Civil War, and there were now prosthetic devices that he could obtain to replace the lost appendage.

This brightened Jonathan’s outlook greatly. Thomas suggested that they start the surgery in the morning. There was not enough light to see properly and he was exhausted and sore from the trip. Also, he wanted Jonathan and Anna to have one more night together in case he didn’t make it.

He suggested that he drink lots of water to try to combat the fever. He had brought some chloroform with him so hopefully Jonathan would be out during the surgery. There were some risks to using it but he felt it would be worth the risk. Anna was so grateful, she had tears in her eyes. Her husband had been suffering so much and she hated the thought of him going through that awake.

Thomas and Brock headed out and informed the others of the plan. Jaelyn hopped up and hugged Thomas tightly, thanking him. He could not resist inhaling her fresh woodsy scent as he hugged her back, mindful that she had two very strong brothers watching him closely. It was a refreshing change from the city women who used overly powerful perfumes to cover up their bathing habits. Yes, he could not let her down.

Seeing the frown on Brock’s face as he watched Thomas hugging his sister, Sabrina reached up and grabbed his hand, pulling him down to sit next to her on the ground. She smiled broadly, as he frowned at her. She thought it was cute.

Pulling away, Jaelyn quickly made plates of food for her parents and took them inside. Thomas sat down nervously across the fire from Brock and Sabrina. Chase engaged him in conversation while he dished out food for the rest of them. Jaelyn was back by then and chose to sit between Brock and Thomas. Apparently, she felt Brock was a bigger threat to her happiness than Chase. Being twins, they sort of looked out for each other. Big brothers were different.

Sabrina asked about the layout of the house and Brock explained that he helped his parents build the addition when he was younger. The trading post was busy and it offered more privacy to the family.  Sabrina and Thomas were surprised that the trio had pretty much grown up in a one-room house.

Thinking of her multileveled home and all of the rooms, she felt a bit out of touch. Her parents had always had their own room
as did their children.

No wonder he had no qualms about having sex with his brother so close by. She was glad for the darkness as she blushed, thinking of making love to Brock. She was still sore from traveling but she didn’t care. She looked over at Brock and found him watching her intently.

“You’re awfully quiet.”

“Um, just thinking.”

“About?”

“About your parents,” she answered, which was partially true. A strong breeze blew by and Sabrina shivered, so Brock moved closer, wrapping his arms around her.

Chase took the dishes to clean up and was soon back to discuss the plans for the next day.

“I will need help,” Thomas began, his voice steady and sure. He was in his element. “Sabrina, do you think you can help me with the instruments and surgery?”

Sabrina looked up, startled. She was not sure if she could help him remove the limb. The smell itself made her sick. Looking around at his other options she realized as he did that it would be better if it was not a family member forced into that role. She nodded. “Yes, I will help you. You’ll have to tell me what to do.”

“We’ll go over it tomorrow. I brought some medicine to knock him out. I could use you and Chase nearby in case it doesn’t work or wears off,” Thomas added looking at Brock first and then Chase. They both nodded without hesitation. Sabrina felt better knowing that Brock would be nearby. He gave her strength.

She had some experience with healing. The first time she’d met Samuel he was near death. She had helped take care of him and nurse him back to health. Thinking back to his horrible wounds she had faith that Brock’s father would survive. He had to.

“We should all get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.” Brock stood up offering his hand to Sabrina. She took it and stood up awkwardly, not sure of what the sleeping arrangements were. She did not want to sleep in the house because of the stench. Then she felt bad because the odor could not be helped.

She was surprised when instead of leading her to the house he led her down a narrow path through the woods. She had no idea how he could see in the darkness. She stumbled and he caught her before she fell.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine, I just can’t see in the dark,” she hissed. “Where are we going?” She grabbed onto his arm and held him closer.

“Chase has his own cabin nearby. We are going to sleep there.”

“We?”

“Just you and me. Thomas wanted to stay close by in case he was needed. Jaelyn lives there and Chase is keeping an eye on Jaelyn and Thomas,” he said grimly.

Sabrina suppressed a laugh.

They reached a clearing and soon came upon the small cabin. Once inside, Brock felt around and lit a lamp so that Sabrina could see. “Must be part cat, “ she murmured, blinking from the sudden light. She spied the warm pile of furs in the corner and was surprised when Brock led her over to them.

“This is his bed?” she asked in wonder and awe at the same time.

“My father is a fur trader,” he explained, as he started undressing. Sabrina stifled a yawn as she sat down on the soft bedding to watch him. Smirking, he stopped at his underwear. He turned and knelt by a pile of belongings near the door. They must have placed them there while she and Brock were visiting with his father. He chose a package and brought it over to her.

She took the package curiously and opened it up, revealing the nightgown he had purchased for her. She held it to her chest and pulled him down for a kiss.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“My pleasure.”

She stood up and undressed. Brock was amused as she turned her back to him. She was still not comfortable being nude around him. Slipping the gown over her head she turned around and Brock was speechless.

“You look like an angel,” he said, pulling her down into the covers next to him. She settled into his arms, laying her head on his chest.

“I’m so sorry about your father. I hope that Thomas can help him.”

“He seems very knowledgeable. If anyone can, I’m sure he can,” Brock replied.

“He’s a good fellow,” she hinted.

Brock sighed. “I know. It’s just, she’s so young.”

Sabrina snorted. “She’s nineteen, the same age I am.”

Brock groaned. “That’s different.”

“How is that different?”

“Well, you’re not my little sister.”

“Your little sister is not so little anymore. Let her make her own decisions. Trust her to do the right thing.”

Brock sighed, “What you’re saying is don’t mess up and push her away like Warren did to you.”

“You’re pretty smart for a man.”

“I have my moments.” He kissed her head as she yawned and mumbled good night.

She awoke the next morning to find Brock tracing imaginary circles on her abdomen with his finger. Still trying to hang on to the last threads of sleep she grabbed his hand to keep it still and snuggled into his chest.

“We need to get up. Thomas wanted to get started first thing,” Brock whispered in the stillness.

Sabrina roused herself guiltily. How could she have forgotten about his father’s surgery? She turned to look at him, straining to see his face through the dim light of dawn.

“Did you get any sleep last night?”

“I got enough,” he said, kissing her forehead and standing up. Still sleepy, she watched him in concern; he was unusually
quiet. She said a quick prayer for his father’s health and his family’s courage.

She regretfully slipped out of the warmth of the covers to get dressed. “You may want to wear your old clothes since you’re going to be assisting Thomas,” he said bleakly.

Sabrina nodded and dressed quickly.

Holding her hand, Brock led her back along the trail to his parent’s home. The others were already up and milling about outside. Jaelyn was cooking breakfast but Sabrina did not dare eat anything. She already felt queasy. She did accept a cup of coffee from Chase. Sipping the hot liquid helped warm her a bit.

The others did not eat much either. All except for Thomas. She watched as he ate two plates full. Seeing everyone staring at him, he smiled grimly and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Thanking Jaelyn for the ‘wonderful’ meal he stood up and motioned for Sabrina to follow him into the house.

She nervously stood up and handed her cup to Brock as she followed him inside. They had opened the shutters the night before and the scent of decay was barely noticeable; it was sure cold in there, though. His black doctor’s bag was already on the counter, which he had covered with several sheets. There was another table nearby and Thomas spread out a cloth to lay the instruments on. He held up and explained each one to Sabrina as he placed it on the table. She nodded, trying to pay attention and
keep up her mantra in her head:
I can do this, I can do this, I have to do this.
He explained what he would be doing during the surgery and what he needed her to do. She asked a couple of questions which he answered patiently.

“We are doing the surgery in here. There is more light and the counter is more stable than a bed.” He went out and called in Chase and Brock, explaining what their duties would be. He called in Jaelyn and they all went into the back bedroom to see their father, possibly for the last time.

After saying goodbye to her father, Jaelyn stopped to face Thomas. “Keep him safe,” she whispered, laying her hand on his cheek before taking her mother’s arm and leading her outside where they would wait. Brock and Chase lifted their father and carried him into the other room, laying him down as easily as they could. Sabrina marveled at Jonathan’s willpower. She knew the pain of being moved must have been excruciating but he didn’t even moan.

Chase and Brock lit lanterns to add as much light to the room as possible. Sabrina looked over to Brock who nodded to her in support. Thomas took out a small bottle of liquid and poured it into a cloth. Talking to Jonathan in low tones, he placed the cloth over his face, telling him to breathe deeply. After about a minute or so he went limp. Thomas held the cloth for a little while longer before moving down to expose the leg to the light. He then took a belt and wrapped it tightly around Jonathan’s upper thigh to help control the blood loss.

Handing him the knife as instructed, Sabrina placed her hand on the counter for support as Thomas cautiously made the first cut. Getting no reaction from his patient, he cut deeper, going through not only the skin but also the muscle. Freeing the healthy skin from the bad he pushed it up like a sleeve on a shirt, exposing the bone beneath it. Sabrina kept up her mantra in her mind as her body followed Thomas’s instructions.

Handing him the saw, she was surprised at the small amount of blood loss during the procedure. Then suddenly the leg was free. He wrapped it in a towel and handed it to Sabrina who turned and laid it in a basket on the floor to dispose of later. She felt another wave of nausea and dizziness as she stood up
too quickly and forced herself to breathe slowly as Thomas had told her to. She was grateful how well everything was going.

Thomas rechecked the leg, making sure all the dead tissue was gone before he started suturing up the wound. It was at this point that Jonathan woke up, thrashing in pain and confusion. Chase and Brock quickly moved to restrain him so Thomas could finish. Sabrina felt a rush of adrenalin course through her as she threw her body on his stump he was trying to move. Thomas applied the chloroform again, and the man gradually settled.

Thomas winked at her as he quickly finished his task. They all sighed in relief and exhaustion when he was done. Covering up the mess, Thomas called in Anna and Jaelyn who went over and wept in relief as they surrounded Jonathan. Brock pulled Sabrina into his arms, holding her tightly and telling her what a good job she did. She nodded into his shoulder, so full of emotion, she was unable to speak.