Dorothy Garlock (6 page)

“I’ll put your name on the list. Thank you for asking me.” As soon as the door closed behind the two men, April smiled and held out her hand.

“It’s good to see you, Doctor.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Miss Asbury. Joe came by last night and told me that you’d be here s-sometime this morning.”

“I became stuck in the mud up by his place yesterday afternoon. He and his brother pulled my car out this morning. I need to find a place to stay.”

“I’ve got a couple s-suggestions. There’s the hotel. Nice big airy rooms. They’ll give you a weekly rate, b-but it’ll still cost more than living in a p-private home. Mrs. Poole has a large r-room and will give you breakfast and supper for f-four dollars a week. She and her brother run the hardware s-store.”

“I prefer to stay in a private home where I will have a place to wash and iron my uniforms.”

“My laundry is d-done by Mrs. Bloom. She also w-washes for the surgery twice a week.”

“It would be a luxury to have my uniforms laundered, but I’m afraid I can’t afford it right now. Would Mrs. Poole allow me to do my washing there?”

“She’ll be at the h-hardware store. Phone and ask her.” “If she will allow me to use the washing facilities, I’ll go look at the room.”

Chapter 4

T
HE ROOM WAS BIG
,
SQUARE AND AIRY
. The hardwood floor gleamed, yet the place was cozy and feminine, with twining roses on the wallpaper and an embroidered scarf on the walnut dresser. The white bedspread and pillow shams were also embroidered and edged with crocheted lace. The bed was a heavy four-poster with a thick mattress. April moved aside the white starched curtains and looked down on the backyard and a small, neat vegetable garden.

“The bathroom is across the hall between my room and the storage room.” Mrs. Poole spoke from the doorway. “The hot-water heater is there. You’ll need to light it a half hour before you take a bath.”

April smiled at the woman who had seldom taken her eyes off her since she came into the house.

“I’ll bring my things in.”

“You’ll take it?” Mrs. Poole seemed surprised.

“Yes. I think I’ll be very comfortable here.”

“Fred will be here in a few minutes. Fred is my brother. He lives here with me. He’ll bring in your things.”

“May I borrow your ironing board? I have to iron a uniform for tomorrow. I have my own iron, and I’ll get a board as soon as I can go uptown.”

“No need for that. You’re welcome to use mine.” “Washing and ironing uniforms is a never-ending job. I usually keep the ironing board set up in my room all the time.”

Mrs. Poole nodded. “We have supper after Fred closes the store at six. Saturday nights we’re open until nine, and I take Fred’s supper to him or go stay at the store while he comes home to eat.”

“I’m sure there will be times when I’ll not be here at six, and I won’t know until the last minute.”

“In that case, I’ll set your supper aside.”

When April returned to the car after carrying a few of her belongings up to her room, she saw a man hurrying down the street toward her.

“Miss? Miss Asbury? Here, let me help you.”

On hearing her name, April turned to look at the man who must be the brother Mrs. Poole spoke about. He was a plump man with a broad, clean-shaven face. He wore a white shirt, bow tie and a dark felt hat.

“Fred Hazelton.” He held out his hand. “I’m Mrs. Poole’s brother. She called to say that you’d taken the room. It will be a pleasure to have you staying with us.”

“I don’t know how long I’ll be here. It will depend on my job here with Dr. Forbes.”

“Of course. Let me help you with these boxes.”

“Some are quite heavy. I had to bring everything I own simply because I didn’t have any place to leave it.”

Even though Fred insisted he was used to carrying heavy things at the hardware, he was sweating by the time everything had been carried up the stairs to April’s room.

“Thank you, Mr. Hazelton.”

“You’re very welcome. But call me Fred . . . please.” “Fred,” Mrs. Poole called from the bottom of the stairs. “Tell Miss Asbury dinner is ready anytime she is.”

“I suppose you heard that,” Fred said with a chuckle. “I’m glad you’re here, Miss Asbury. My sister needs a pretty young woman around. She hasn’t been herself since her husband was killed. She thought the sun rose and set on him.”

“How long has it been?”

“Hmmm . . . let me see. Back in ’23. That’s when I came here to help her with the store. It was a terrible accident. He fell from his horse. It became frightened and stomped him.”

“How awful for her.”

“She could have had gentlemen friends, but she discouraged their attentions.”

The only time Fred took his eyes off April was when he scanned the room. He sucked his lower lip between his teeth as he backed out the door.

She was just too beautiful for words! Oh, God! Oh, God! He could hardly wait.

“Thank you again, Fred,” April called. “See you downstairs . . . April.”

During the week that followed, April took up her duties with Dr. Forbes as if she had been doing them for years. She seemed to anticipate his needs, and they worked together as if they were extensions of each other: setting a broken leg, sewing up gashes brought on by a knife fight down in Shanty Town, bringing down a baby’s fever when the child was about to go into convulsions.

Twice she had been unable to eat supper with Mrs. Poole and Fred because patients had come in just as the office was closing for the day. She had gone back to the rooming house to find a cloth-covered plate of food on the table. After she had turned down Fred’s invitations, first to stay downstairs and listen to the radio, then to play cards, he had ceased to ask. April wasn’t sure that she liked him. She knew that he was harmless, yet his solicitations made her nervous.

Dr. Forbes introduced her to tall, gaunt Frank Adler, the druggist and one of Doc’s best friends. At his pharmacy she met one of the two town attorneys, Harold Dozier, who was a well-dressed man with faultless manners. He was single, Doc pointed out on the way back to the office, and owned several houses in town.

“I think he liked what he saw,” Doc said. “I’d be surprised if he didn’t come calling.”

The parade of women coming by the office to look her over was a source of amusement to both her and the doctor.

“Why was she reminding you of the church supper?” April asked after one of the ladies had left. “It’s three weeks away according to the note on your calendar.”

Doc lifted his shoulders in a shrug.

“At least she had an excuse,” April continued. “One came in yesterday and, after hemming and hawing, finally got around to asking me if I was married or engaged.”

“Did she leave a pie or s-something?”

“Dr. Todd Forbes! You’re spoiled.”

“Yeah, I am. I guess—”

He cut off his words when the door opened. A tall, lean man came into the office. He removed his hat, revealing thick dark hair. It was hard not to notice the scar that sliced across one eyebrow onto his cheek. It showed a pale, threadlike line through his summer tan.

“Howdy, Corbin. You sick?”

“Naw. Sorry to disappoint you.”

“Damn. None of my so-called friends ever get s-sick anymore. How am I goin’ to make ends meet if m-my friends don’t give me their business?”

Corbin shook his head and grinned. “I hear this every time I come in here.” He extended his hand to April. “I’m Corbin Appleby, ma’am. Welcome to Fertile.”

She placed her hand in his. “April Asbury. I’m glad to be here.”

“Corbin was the police officer here until he got to be as c-crooked as the crooks. Now he owns the r-rag he calls a newspaper.”

“You see why I’m not going to get sick and let him get his hands in my pockets?”

Affection between the two men showed in their ability to tease each other.

“I’m here to get a story about your new nurse, Doc. I might even put her picture on the front page.”

“Paint a mustache on her. I’m afraid she’s going to dry up the supply of c-cakes and pies the ladies bring me.”

“So that’s what’s causing that little potbelly.”

“Smart mouth,” Doc snorted. “I don’t have a potbelly and you know it. Go ahead and interview my nurse. But first, how’s Annabel?”

“She complains of a backache once in a while.”

“During this last month she’s not to be lifting Murphy.” “I’ve already told her. Our son is two and a half,” Corbin explained to April.

“A good-sized boy for his age,” Doc added.

“Are you wishing for a girl this time?”

“I’ll take whatever I get and pray that it’s healthy and my wife comes through it all right.”

“As I’ve told you before—women have been h-havin’ babies for y-years now. You’re as bad as an old woman when it comes to w-worrying.”

“Boone will bring Tess over in a week or two to stay until after the baby comes. Tess was my wife’s neighbor when she lived over by the big river.” Corbin explained this to April while he was setting up his camera to take her picture.

When the picture was taken and the interview over, Corbin told Doc that the job of town police officer was going to be open in a few weeks.

“The council firing Burkhardt?”

“He got a job as a guard down at the state prison.”

“Will they b-bring in an outsider like they d-did when they hired you?”

“They need a man with experience.”

“You interested in the job?”

“No. I promised my wife I’d stay out of law enforcement. I would help train a man if it came to that.”

“How about Jack Jones?”

“No one thinks more of Jack than I do. But he’s been hitting the bottle pretty heavy lately.”

“If he had a purpose in life, he m-might not.”

“He’s local. That’s in his favor, but I don’t know if I could talk the city council into hiring him.”

“How about This or That Humphrey?”

“Too young.”

“How about Joe?”

“He might take it for a while, but we need a man who wants to make law enforcement a career. Joe wants to raise cattle. Have you seen the bull he’s got out at his place?”

“I have,” April said. “He calls him Rolling Thunder.”

“April was s-stuck in the mud out by Joe’s when she first came to t-town.”

“If you had to get stuck, you couldn’t have chosen a better place.”

“That’s what
he
said.” April’s eyes were twinkling. “He’s not lacking in confidence.”

Corbin smiled. “Wait until you see him and Thad Taylor together. They’d put Amos and Andy to shame.”

“Thad is married to Joe’s sister,” Doc explained to April. “I hope you like it here and stay, Miss Asbury. We need someone to keep Doc on his toes.”

“I plan to stay as long as he wants me. I’ve burned my bridges behind me, so to speak.”

After Corbin had left, Doc picked up his bag. “I’ll be gone for an hour or two if anyone asks for me.” He was out the door before she could ask any questions.

April didn’t have time to think about Doc’s sudden departure. As he left, George Belmont came into the office.

“Where’s Doc goin’?”

“Didn’t say. Come into the surgery and let me look at your hand.” George pulled his hand out of his pocket and followed her. He sat down and placed it on the table. April brought supplies from the cabinet and looked closely at the wound. “Stitches are ready to come out.” She was surprised when he withdrew his hand from her touch.

“Not until you say you’ll go to the picture show with me tonight.” He grinned cockily. She had already noticed that he had recently shaved and was wearing a clean shirt.

“That’s blackmail,” she said with pretended shock.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t buy it. Give me that hand, or I’ll give you a shot that will lay you low for a week.”

“You’d do that?”

“You can bet your boots I would. I put those stitches in and I’m taking them out.”

“I don’t suppose you’ll come to the ballpark and watch me pitch in the tournament?”

“You’re not pitching with this hand, George. If I catch you, I’ll take a willow switch to your backside.” April continued to talk while she snipped the stitches and pulled them out with the tweezers. “I thought a grown man would have more sense than to try to pitch horseshoes not more than a week after he almost sliced his hand in two.”

A smile spread across George’s face. It delighted him to have this pretty young woman fuss over him. Lord, he knew that he didn’t have a chance with her, but the fellow who did would be a lucky son of a gun.

“Be careful and don’t pop open that cut, because if I have to stitch it again, I’ll use the dullest needle I can find.”

“What do I owe you?”

“One dollar. Stop back in a day or two.”

“You wantin’ to see me again, little sweetie?”

“Of course. You’re the cutest thing I’ve seen in a mighty long time. I just love your big blue eyes.” She batted her lashes at him.

“They ain’t blue. They’re brown.”

“Oh, so they are. I guess I’ve got you mixed up with the man who cut his foot.”

George was laughing and shaking his head when he left the office.

Dr. Forbes was thankful he had made his escape without having to tell Nurse Asbury where he was going. He could have made up some lame excuse about somebody being sick or injured, but sooner or later the lie would have caught up with him.

I hate the lying, pretense and conniving... but dear God, what else can I do?

He drove to the edge of town and then turned north on the river road, relieved that it was hard-packed clay and the rain-water had run off into the ditch alongside it. The road was slick but passable. He had driven on it under these conditions before. He drove slowly and carefully until he reached the lane leading to the house. Then he pulled the car onto it just far enough to park it off the road.

With a large paper sack in one arm, Doc walked along the grassy edge of the lane to the house that sat amid a thick group of tall pines. It was a small cabin with a cobblestone chimney. Flowers were planted in a round bed in front, and pots of flowers lined the steps leading to the porch. White curtains fluttered at the windows.