The Jewel of His Heart (14 page)

Maybe on another trip into town he’d leave a couple of the stones to be cut and polished. He could probably pay the jeweler’s fee out of the other stones if they were very valuable. Another great excuse to call on Juliana and return her coat.

Andy interrupted his musings by saying softly, “There’s someone in our camp up ahead.”

“You sure?” Josh slowed his horse, being careful not to make any sudden moves.

“Yes. I saw someone slip into the wagon. What do we do?” Andy shifted in his saddle to turn toward Josh.

Josh squinted to see if he could make out any movement. He saw someone step down out of the wagon, flinging the door back on its hinges. Josh eased his .44 out of its sheath and turned to Andy. “Easy and quiet now. Drop back a ways. I’ll give that no-account something to think about before he goes plundering again.” Josh gave his horse a slight kick in the side, with Shebe running close behind him. “Yee haw!” he yelled, charging toward the camp. Slowing at its edge, he fired a few random shots in the clearing to scare the person off. A dark-haired man ran from the wagon and hopped on his horse, ducking the flying bullets. He crashed into the woods.

Josh and Andy gave chase. They ran right through the herd, scattering bleating sheep. Shebe trotted over to the flock instinctively to calm the frightened sheep, swerving this direction and that and keeping them all together with her sharp barking. The man had a head start since he was on the other side of the sizable herd, and Josh and Andy lost his trail in the woods.

Josh pulled back hard on the reins. “Let’s head back. He’s long gone now.”

“Wonder what he was after—money?” Andy turned his horse back toward camp.

“Probably. Guess he thought a sheepherder would be a good target, but he should’ve known there wouldn’t be much for the taking.”

“Maybe he heard you discovered the sapphires,” Andy said, patting his horse, whose sides were heaving from the hard run. “Could be. Even Hoover had heard the news. I guess word gets around somehow.”
All the more reason for taking the stones back
to the assayer now
, he thought.

Back in the clearing, they found the camp was a mess. The man had ransacked the wagon, apparently looking for something, but nothing was taken. Josh felt like Andy’s suspicions were right. But it wasn’t worth losing their lives over. Now they’d have to watch their backs.

Shebe was lying in the shade, her tongue hanging out from working the sheep, which she had managed to keep together. Josh brought her a bowl of water as his thanks. “Good girl, Shebe. I declare, you’re the smartest sheepdog around,” he said, watching her lap greedily from the bowl.

Andy laughed, slapping his thigh. “She’s the
only
sheepdog around!”

16

Working at the newspaper gave Juliana a sense of being in control of her life, and she felt great satisfaction that she and Albert worked well together. No male had materialized to take her job, so she felt she could relax a bit. She had been allowed to not only write articles about the Ladies Social Club or the price of beef or sheep for the market, but also design snippets of some of the shopkeepers’ ads, which helped bring in some more business. Coming up with a catchy phrase or slogan was fun and challenging. Many days she and Albert would spend part of the afternoon drinking coffee, laughing, and brainstorming their ideas while pouring over layouts for ads. She knew this was important because the cost of the ads paid to keep the newspaper in business.

Tonight Mark had invited her and Marion to supper at the hotel, and she was looking forward to spending Friday night over a good meal with friends. Maybe she’d even sleep late on Saturday morning. Now that would be grand. Something she had never done, actually.

The bell above the door jangled, and Mark gave her one of his warm smiles. “I’ve come to walk you home before supper.”

“You didn’t have to do that, you know. It’s only a couple of blocks from here.” She cocked one eye at him as she continued to tidy her desk. Juliana wasn’t sure exactly how she felt about Mark, because for the first time in her life, she enjoyed her bit of independence. Finally she was being paid for something she actually enjoyed doing.

“I feel honored to be able to walk a pretty lady anywhere.”

“Any lady?” she teased.

His face turned as red as a ripe tomato, and he ignored Albert’s chuckle. “Correction—one pretty lady.”

She could feel the pink creeping into her face, so she turned to gather her cloak hanging on the coat rack behind her.

“Here, let me help you with that,” Mark said, reaching to drape the cloak about her shoulders. The act seemed intimate and brought his face close to hers. Close enough that she could smell his shaving lotion, and she noted his trim, manicured nails on long fingers. A surgeon’s fingers. Any woman would be proud to become his wife. Josh’s hands flashed in her mind. Strong, capable hands that were calloused yet gentle with his dog or a baby lamb. She turned the thought off as quickly as it came. It just wouldn’t do.

“I’ll lock up, Juliana. See you at church Sunday?” Albert’s eyes crinkled with mischief.

“Yes, of course,” she answered. She was going only to pacify Marion and get to know the townsfolk a little better. Church was a good place to meet new people. The ladies in the social club normally attended, so who knows, she might pick up a tidbit for the paper. Other than that, she found the minister’s sermons boring.

“Ready?” Mark opened the front door and stood waiting for her.

“Albert, please tell Sally thanks for the muffins today.” Juliana waved briefly before following Mark outside into the late afternoon. Albert waved back, grinning at the two of them. Albert was wise, and she respected him. It was apparent that he and his wife had taken a liking to her, and it warmed her heart. Juliana wished for a time like that with her own father.

Mark took her arm and steered her in the direction of the hotel. “I dropped by to check on little Jane this afternoon.”

“I hope she’s feeling better. Marion and I paid her a short visit recently.” Juliana tried to match her steps to his stride.

“She is doing well. Her broken leg is curtailing her normal life, but it should heal nicely.”

Juliana nodded. “I can understand how she may feel, especially for an adolescent who is normally busy with her friends.”

The hotel was full of activity this time of day, with weary travelers checking in after a long day on the stagecoach or train. Marion stopped briefly from her work behind the front desk to say hello to them. Juliana went on upstairs to freshen up before dinner, leaving Mark to talk with a couple of local men in the lobby.

There was a note on her door and a brown package propped up on the doorjamb. Puzzled, she opened the piece of paper. It was from Josh.

Miss Juliana,

I brought your coat back since I was in town on business. Sorry I missed you. Maybe I’ll catch up with you later. You need protection from the cold spring mornings!

Your friend, Josh McBride

Juliana reached down and picked up the parcel, holding it to her chest while unlocking the door to her room. A distinct scent permeated the package. Not unpleasant, but the kind that tells you it has been in the possession of another, and with a masculine appeal because of its clumsy wrapping in brown paper tied with coarse string. How sweet of him to return the coat.

She untied the string and shook the coat to release the wrinkles. She glanced over the note again. His handwriting was bold script, legible, but with short, distinctive loops and characters. She found herself sitting on the edge of the bed staring at it. Something about it held her, just like the eyes that had drawn her when she first saw the sketch of him and his dog. She could practically hear his voice in her head. But why was she dwelling on that? What was happening to her mind? After all, he had signed it “friend.” What else did she expect?

She shook her head and sighed, folding the note and putting it aside. Time to freshen up and get back down to the dining room. She didn’t have time for woolgathering.
Woolgathering . . .
She laughed. How appropriate that particular word would come to her. She remembered Josh saying that people need a shepherd, like sheep do. Was that from the Bible? She couldn’t remember his exact words.

She smoothed her hair and washed her face and hands. Her hands were beginning to look softer. Where there were rough spots before, she now came home with spots of ink. But that didn’t bother her.

A sharp rap sounded on her door, and she opened it to see Marion in a blue dress with long sleeves etched at the neck and cuffs with delicate cream lace. Her hair was pulled up by a matching ribbon. “Marion, you look beautiful!”

Marion blushed. “Why, thank you. Are you ready to go down and meet Mark? I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Josh to have dinner with us too. He stopped by the hotel this afternoon.”

“Ah ha! That’s why you changed your dress—”

“No, not at all,” Marion interrupted. “After working behind the counter all day, my dress looked a little the worse for wear. That’s all.”

“Well . . . what I have on will have to do.” She looked down at her brown calico dress, pretending indifference. “Even so, you still look nicer than me.” She grabbed Marion’s arm as they headed down the stairs. “Let’s go. I’m famished. What do you think Pierre has on the menu tonight?”

Juliana’s mind was not on dinner but on how mousy she looked next to her friend. But why should she care? Hadn’t she said a dozen times that a man was not a pressing need in her life just now? Survival was first and foremost.

17

Josh and Mark rose from their seats when Juliana and Marion approached the table.

Josh noticed that Marion had changed her work dress and looked fresh as a bluebell on the mountainside. But it was Juliana who drew his attention. She seemed somewhat quiet as Mark pulled out a chair for her, and she busied herself with adjusting her skirts before looking at him with a half smile on her lips. Maybe she was just tired. He’d get a full smile out of her.

Even though she was wearing a serviceable work dress, he thought her large, thoughtful eyes and dark hair framing her face were prettier than he remembered. She was tall and slender, almost too thin, but curvaceous enough in all the right places, and striking. That was the word—not beautiful but striking. He pulled out a chair for Marion next to him.

“Thanks for the dinner invitation. I hope I’m not intruding,” Josh said, casting a thoughtful look at Mark.

“Think nothing of it. Now we’re a balanced table.” Mark turned to smile warmly at Juliana.

“Josh, thank you for bringing the coat to me.” Juliana’s eyes latched onto his, and his heart began to thump.

“I was afraid you might have need of it. The spring mornings are still cold.”

“I will need it, but the coat is a loan from Marion, and I know she appreciates its return.” She nodded toward Marion.

Josh directed his gaze to Marion. “You’re a good friend to Juliana.”

“It’s easy to be her friend. Who wouldn’t like Juliana?” Marion beamed at her.

“I’d have to agree with that,” Mark said, giving Juliana’s arm a squeeze.

The possessive touch did not go unnoticed by Josh, and he turned toward Marion. He hadn’t noticed before how attractive she was. She had pulled up her cherry-colored hair, exposing her slender white neck with just a sprinkle of freckles on fine porcelain skin. Her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief, and she talked in an easygoing manner.

But all of it only made him think of Juliana’s chestnut hair, large blue eyes, and creamy beige complexion.

“Josh, what brings you to town and away from your sheep? Don’t the sheep need a shepherd?” Marion spoke teasingly, giving him her full attention.

“Indeed they do. I have a young fellow who works with me named Andy,” Josh said. He didn’t want to reveal too much. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was flirting with him.

After placing their orders for dinner, everyone relaxed. Juliana looked around at her friends and, with a reporter’s eagerness, said, “Tell me all your news!”

Mark leaned in toward them. “I received news from a colleague of mine that Colorado has a new kind of photography. It’s called an X-ray.” Mark’s face lit up with excitement, and he tapped his fingers on the table. “This is exciting news in the medical field.”

“Oh, Mark, tell us all about it, please.”

Josh watched as Juliana gave Mark her rapt attention. Maybe it was just the journalist in her. Or did she find his field intriguing?

“Yes, what does that mean?” Marion asked.

Mark had an audience now. “It’s a way to take a picture of, say, your hand or another part of the body without the flesh, and one can see the bones underneath.”

“Did your colleague discover it?” Josh’s eyebrows lifted.

“Oh heavens, no. It was developed by a German physicist by the name of Roentgen last year. Then a professor at Colorado College, Dr. Cajori, and his associate, Dr. Strieby, read about it and decided to experiment for themselves. Other medical colleges were doing likewise. The first X-ray was done successfully at Dartmouth College in Hanover on the wrist of a fourteen-year-old boy.” Mark paused and drank from his water glass.

At that moment, their entrées arrived, and for a moment it was quiet as they began to eat.

“So what do X-rays mean for the medical field?” Josh asked as he spread butter on his roll.

“It means we can take a picture of a part of the anatomy and be able to make an accurate diagnosis. Like a broken bone, or to pinpoint a bullet.” Mark sliced the meat on his plate like a surgeon making his first cut.

“That’s so exciting! That would have come in handy when Jane was struck by the wagon, right?” Juliana eyes widened. “I just had a thought. Wouldn’t that same thing be useful somehow to check how deep a bad spot is on one’s tooth?”

“I don’t see why not. That’s very astute, Juliana. I’ll see what I can find out.” His adoring look at Juliana turned Josh’s stomach. She seemed to be basking in it since her cheeks were rosy. “In fact, I’m thinking of catching a train down to Denver to see it firsthand. This would be invaluable in treating my patients.” Mark turned back to his dinner. “Delicious steak, don’t you think, Josh?”