Dorothy Garlock (30 page)

Sammy dozed off and on throughout the early morning hours. Then Tator came along and kicked him awake. He sprang up.

“What the hell did you do that for?”

“Ya want to go with us down to Calmar and take out that damn rock pile, don’t ya?” Tator was carrying his rifle over his shoulder as if he were marching off to war.

“They’re taking guns?”

“Damn right we’re takin’ guns, and a-nuff dynamite to blow that sonofabitch pile to hell and back.” Tator was so excited he could hardly talk. “Come on, if you’re goin’. Leave your stuff here. Nobody’ll bother it.”

There were three truckloads of men headed for Calmar. Tator and Sammy were in the last truck. Most of the men standing in the back of the truck were older. Only a few had guns. All were grim-faced. Sammy was thrilled but a little fearful, too. The truck stopped along the bank upriver a short distance from where the makeshift dam had formed a small lake. They were piling out of the truck bed when they heard the explosions, three in all, and saw the rocks fly up and then settle in the river. A cheer went up from the men from Fertile, and several fired shots in the air.

“Shit!” Tator stamped his foot. “We missed it.”

Sammy, with Tator lagging along behind, followed the men as they walked toward a group gathered around a big black touring car. The district marshal was there as well as the Joneses and Corbin Appleby. Jack Jones was shaking hands with a man in a gray Stetson hat. Joe Jones was beside him.

Tator was a half dozen steps behind Sammy. Sammy turned to tell Tator to come on so they could hear what the marshal was saying. Tator, standing on spread legs, was jacking a bullet into the chamber of his rifle.

“What’re ya doin’?” Sammy yelled.

“Now’s my chance to get even with that sonofabitch. They’ll think it was a stray bullet.” He raised the rifle to his shoulder.

“No!” Sammy dived toward him, but Tator had already pulled the trigger.

April left the house without seeing Mrs. Poole. She was badly in need of a cup of coffee but would not have gone to her kitchen for one if her life had depended on it. Never had anyone slandered her character as Mrs. Poole had done. She didn’t think she’d be able to wait until her rent was due to move out of the house.

She walked up the street to Sparky’s but didn’t even open the door when she saw the crowd of people inside. She went on down the street toward the clinic. People gawked at her in her white nurse’s uniform, perky white cap perched on her head, white shoes and stockings. She smiled and spoke to those who were bold enough to make eye contact.

When she reached the clinic, Doc was in the surgery with a woman and small child. April stayed in the reception room, knowing that Doc knew she was there and would call her if he needed her. After the woman had left carrying a small girl, Doc lounged in the doorway.

“You didn’t need to c-come right back.”

“I couldn’t stand to stay a minute longer at Mrs. Poole’s, Doc, but I’ve got to get a cup of coffee soon.”

“Caroline is m-making breakfast. I locked the front door and the sh-shades are drawn.”

“Is she all right?”

“She was as bright as a new p-penny this morning.” His smile was reflected in his eyes. “It’s so damn good h-having her here w-where I can see her and know she’s all right.”

“I’m happy for you, Doc. Why don’t you go have breakfast with her? But first bring me a cup of coffee . . . please.”

Doc laughed. “I never knew you were one of
those
.”

“I am definitely one of those. I can’t even see straight without my morning coffee. It goes back to my nights working on the floor at the hospital in Kansas City. I would never have survived without it.”

April drank from the large cup Doc brought her. The strong coffee hit her system, stirring her brain to activity so that she was able to greet the woman who came into the clinic with civility.

“Morning, Miss Parker.”

“Morning. Is Dr. Forbes in?” Sarah carried a plate wrapped in a cloth.

“Yes, but he’s sleeping. He has been up all night and just now got to lie down to catch a few winks. I’m sure you’ll understand that I’d rather not wake him.”

“Well—I brought him some sugar cookies. He said they were his favorites.”

“That was sweet of you. I’m sure Dr. Forbes will think so, too, when he wakes. He had a terribly busy night. If you would rather bring them back another time . . .” April left the sentence hanging.

“No.” Miss Parker set the plate on the desk. “Just tell him I was . . . thinking of him and thought he might want a bit of home cooking.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him. He will be pleased, I know. Can I return your plate?”

“Oh, no. You needn’t do that. I’ll pick it up in a day or two.”

April didn’t feel a bit sorry for the lie she had told and made a to-do about putting the carefully wrapped plate on the cabinet behind her desk. She hoped fervently that Doc wouldn’t come charging through the door and into the clinic until after Miss Parker had left.

Thank goodness the phone rang.

April smiled a dismissal, and the woman reluctantly left the office.

“Dr. Forbes’s office.”

“April, this is Julie Johnson. Have you heard from Joe, Jack or Evan?”

“No. Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know. I’m worried. They followed the gang that went down to Calmar determined to blow up the dam that caused the flooding. They took shotguns.”

“I didn’t know a gang had gone down there, Julie.” “Corbin Appleby sent word to Evan. I don’t know what the four of them think they can do if the men won’t listen to them. Marshal Sanford was supposed to meet them on the outskirts of Calmar. I hope he did.”

“I’ve not seen Jack or Joe since early this morning.”

“I thought perhaps you might have heard something. I’m at Papa’s. Joe and Jack were here before daylight to get Papa’s car. Joe said they had been using yours, and he wanted to take it back.”

“He left it here at the clinic. I’ll call you if I hear anything, Julie.”

“If Eudora will watch Nancy and Logan, Joy and I may walk into town. If we do, we’ll stop by.”

As soon as April was off the line with Julie, she called the operator. “Flora—”

“This is Diane. Flora was on duty all night and by now is dead to the world.”

“Dr. Forbes and I were wondering if you’ve heard anything about what’s going on down in Calmar.” April felt slightly guilty using Doc’s name.

“I shouldn’t pass along what I hear, but it may be helpful for Dr. Forbes to know that about ten minutes ago the operator there at Calmar heard an explosion down on the river— several explosions, in fact. I talked to her again just now, and she’s heard nothing more.

“Got to go,” the operator added. “The board’s lighting up.” “Thanks, Diane.”

April hung up the phone and for a minute held her fist tightly against her chest as if to press away the dread that something had happened to Joe . . . or Jack or Mr. Appleby, the new father. Oh, dear Lord. What if Joe . . . was hurt? Damn, damn him. He had grinned his way into her heart. She didn’t want to love him . . . but she did.

How had it happened so fast?

That easy grin of his that could melt the hardest heart, the careless way his hair fell down over his forehead, the teasing light in his eyes, were dear to her. He had tried so hard to convince her that he was a suave gentleman when they went to the restaurant before the show. She wished that she had told him that she didn’t care about
suave
. That he was perfect just the way he was.

She suddenly felt as if she had been hit by a strong cold wind while standing naked on a high cliff. A cold hand stroked her spine. Up until he had come back with Jack to ask to borrow the car, she had been sure that he felt about her as she did about him. His kisses had been sweet, tender, loving, then passionate, as if he couldn’t get enough of them.

What had brought the change in his attitude toward her? Had she done something, said something? The only conclusion that she could reach was that he had talked to Jack about her and decided that she could be getting too serious about him and that he should break it off.

When the phone rang, April grabbed it.

“This is Diane. I heard from the operator in Calmar. Dynamite was used to blow out the rock pile, and the water is flowing through. The river up your way should be going down. One man was shot, another was injured by flying rocks. Several were hurt in fights.”

“Who was shot?”

“I don’t know, but they’re bringing him to Dr. Forbes.” “Thanks, Diane. Dr. Forbes will be ready.”

April hung up the phone and dropped her head into her hands and prayed, “Please, God, don’t let it be Joe.”

Doc carried a plate of food to Silas, who took it and sat down on the back step to eat. Back in the kitchen, Doc pulled Caroline into his arms and kissed her, then held her away from him so that he could see her face.

“How’s my pretty girl?”

“Fine when I’m with you.”

“You’re going to be with me f-from now on. Can you stand to be in here for a couple of w-weeks?”

“What if people find out I’m here?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we c-come to it. But they won’t find out if we are c-careful. I hate having to hide you away. I want the whole world to know that you are mine.”

Caroline and Doc had just finished breakfast when April knocked on the connecting door, then opened it and came into the room.

“Doc, the Calmar operator phoned Diane to tell her that one of our men has been shot. They are bringing him here.”

“Who was it?” Doc quickly got up from the table.

“She didn’t know. She said that there were a few other injuries, but nothing serious.”

“How about the rock pile?”

“They blew it up with dynamite.”

“The water will be g-going down. I’ve got to warn the people not to d-drink the well water until it’s been boiled.” He went to where Caroline still sat at the table and kissed her. “I’ll be b-busy for a while, sweetheart.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll find something to do. I’ve got all that yarn you bought for me to make things for our baby.” She whispered the last two words in his ear. She needn’t have whispered; April had already backed into the clinic and softly closed the door.

Chapter 24

D
OC SENT
S
ILAS TO
C
ALLAHAN
with a note asking him to warn people not to drink well water until after it had been boiled. He called the mayor, the drugstore and the postmaster asking them to pass the word to anyone who came in. Diane had agreed to call merchants, as time permitted, telling them to inform their customers. Then he and April began to ready the surgery to receive the injured.

While at the hospital in Kansas City, April had often prepared for emergencies but on a larger scale. Now she worked automatically. When all was ready, she made a trip into Doc’s quarters to use the bathroom. Whenever she was nervous and anxious, her bladder seemed to fill faster than at other times. She found Caroline sweeping the kitchen floor. Something spicy was cooking on the stove.

“Do you like to cook?” April asked.

“When I have someone to cook for. I don’t like cooking just for myself.”

“My cooking skills are limited to frying eggs and making oatmeal. My grandmother thought it was easier to do it herself than to teach me.”

When Caroline smiled, April could understand why Doc had fallen in love with her. He had been chased by the single women in this town for nine years, and a pretty, sweet, fragile girl like Caroline had won his heart despite the odds against their having a happy life together. April sighed and wished that they didn’t have to leave Fertile, not only because she and Caroline could be friends but because her own future was uncertain now. When a new doctor arrived, he might bring his own nurse, and she would be out of a job.

Back in the reception room, she thought briefly of calling Julie Johnson but decided against worrying her needlessly should the injured man not be her husband or brother. She went out onto the porch and looked up the street toward town. The October sun was bright but the air was cool. April wished for a jacket, but not even a fur coat would’ve warmed her enough to take away the cold dread that lay in the pit of her stomach.

She had seen what a gunshot could do. A single bullet could sever a spine, puncture lungs, liver . . . heart. Gut shots were the worst and usually ended in a slow death. She had seen patients with face wounds from a sawed-off shotgun. The work she and the doctors had done to save a life had not been appreciated when the patient saw himself in a mirror.

That Joe would suffer such a fate was unthinkable. Handsome, smiling, full of life—

All thought left her when the big black touring car came down the street and pulled up in front of the clinic. Corbin Appleby was out of the car the instant it stopped, and he opened the back door. Evan, Julie’s husband, hurried around to help him lift the injured man out of the car. April saw the light brown hair and knew it wasn’t Joe, but Jack. She couldn’t help the flood of relief that swamped her and immediately felt guilty. Joe crawled out of the car and took his brother’s shoulders. The three men carried Jack into the surgery and gently placed him on the examination table.

Jack was conscious and gritting his teeth in pain and swearing. His shirt was unbuttoned. A hand pressed a bloody white cloth against his side.

“Hell of a . . . note,” he gasped.

“Yeah. Too bad it wasn’t your hard head,” Doc said, calmly removing the makeshift bandage. “It would have made my job easier.”

April took the bloody cloth from him and realized it was the white shirt Joe had worn the night before. After dropping the shirt in the laundry bag, she unbuckled the belt on Jack’s britches. With a jerk of her head she motioned for Joe to take off his boots while she worked on the buttoned fly. With that done she flipped a folded sheet over his privates and pulled his britches down over his hips. Joe pulled them off and then stepped back out of the way.

Doc worked to mop the blood from the wound, then, communicating without words, April helped him turn Jack to his side. Jack swore and squeezed his eyes tightly shut.