Chase (Prairie Grooms, Book Four) (9 page)

“It could be years!” burst out, Apple.

“Will you please
stop
interrupting!” scolded Lena.

“Sorry,”
said Apple, with a slight pout.

“
Years?” asked Chase. “What do you mean, years?”

“
She's exaggerating, of course. But our cousin William was engaged for a couple of years, now that I recall.”

“
A couple of years?” said Chase, his eyes wide. “I can't wait two years!”

“
No one is asking you to wait two years,” said Lena. “But a couple of weeks would be nice.”

He sat up and gazed at her. She was beautiful. More beautiful than the day of the funeral. “Considering how long I've waited for ya to get here, a couple more weeks won't matter.”

She leaned toward him in
her chair. “Really? You don't mind giving us more time to get to know each other?”

He shrugged. “If it'll make you feel more comfortable, then of course I'll wait. I have to admit, I'd like to get to know you better too.”

“
Well, now that that's settled,” said Apple as she bounced out of her chair. “Let’s go see if they've brought the body!”

“
It's not a body until he's dead,” Lena reminded her. “Since when did you become so morbid?”

“
Because I'm already a widow,” said Apple, her face solemn.

“You're only a widow if you’re
married,” Lena reminded her.

“Doesn't coming
here to get married, count?” asked Apple.

“
No, it does not!” Lena told her then turned to Chase. “Is there anything we can help you with, anything we can do?”

“
You mean, other than being so entertaining?”

Lena sat back in her chair and stared at him. “Is that what we are to you? Entertainment?”

He waved his hands in front of him as if to take the statement back. “I meant no disrespect, Miss Lena. But you
do
make me laugh.”

“
See sister?” said Apple. “Americans have a sense of humor.”

Le
na rolled her eyes, shook her head, then looked at Chase and smiled. “Perhaps we should marry right away,” she suggested. “After two weeks of this you may not want to wed me.”

He gazed at her as his eyes roamed her face in a languid manner. “No Miss Lena,” he said, his voice soft. “On the contrary, I think I'm gonna enjoy getting to know you very much.”

Lena sucked in a breath, not used to being caressed by a mere look. Her heart skipped a beat as he continued to stare at her, his eyes mapping her face, her body, as she sat still as a statue and watched him. She had no doubt that in a very short time Chase Adams was capable of learning her well.

Six

Lena was on the verge of squirming in her chair, when the men from the posse arrived with the injured man. They carried him into the house on a crude stretcher and took him to the patient room in the back. Lena and Apple both craned their necks to see past Chase and get a glimpse of the patient, but Chase moved to block their view. He glanced over his shoulder at them as the men passed, moving his body from right to left until they were out of sight. “This isn't something the two of you should see,” he told them. “I best take you back to the hotel. But first let me go see if Grandma needs anything.”

“Is he… dead
?” asked Apple.

“
Don't rightly know, but I aim to find out,” he said as he left the parlor and disappeared down the hall.

Lena turned to her sister. “What is the matter with you?”

“
It was just a question,” retorted Apple.

“
Yes, but you’ve asked that same question far too many times.”

“
I'm sorry Lena, I don't know what's come over me.”

“
You’re reckless,” said Lena. “But I suppose I don't blame you. I can't imagine what it's like to know that your intended is gone. In fact, I don't know how you can stand to sit in the same room with my betrothed and myself and not be sick of heart.”

“
My heart was hopeful because I was going to be married. Not crushed because I already was,” Apple reminded her.

Le
na smiled, stood, and went to where Apple sat. She reached down and took her sister’s hands in her own, pulled her up, and hugged her. “My dear, sweet Apple. Your outlook on life astounds me at times. I wish I shared it.”

“Of course you share it, we’re
sisters aren't we?”

Lena
released her as she smiled and nodded. “And I'm so glad we are, I don't know what I would do without you.”

“You'd have Fina all to yourself the
n. Speaking of which, I wonder if she and Cousin Imogene are having tea yet?”

“
We’d better be getting back.” She turned toward the hall just as Chase came back into the parlor. “Are we ready to leave now?”

He nodded. “Yes, there's nothing I can do here, though I wish there was. The man they brought back is in a bad way.”

“
Is he going to live?” asked Lena, her voice full of compassion.

“
Doc Waller's not sure, but he’s going to try his best to see that he does. Poor devil went too long without water.”

“
Isn't there another doctor in town?” asked Apple. “You mentioned him before didn't you?”

“
Yes there is, but Doc Waller just told me he went to Oregon City with Mr. and Mrs. Van Cleet, and won't be back for a week or two.” He held his arm out to Lena. “Shall we?”

She smiled, gave Apple a side-ways glance,
and then took it.

“Lena! You’re
blushing!” announced Apple with glee.

Lena, at this point, didn't even try to correct her sister. Instead she began to smile as did Chase, and together they left the Waller's. Their smiling abruptly stopped when they reached the street and noticed the rest of the posse riding into town. Chase put a hand over hers, tightened his grip, and drew her closer to his body. He leaned down to her ear. “I'm going to take the two of you back to the hotel and leave you with your family. Then I’d better talk with the sheriff and see if they need any help. I'm sure their horses are going to need tending to.”

She nodded in understanding as they headed for the hotel. Apple tagged along behind them and stared at the tired men as they dismounted their horses, which looked as equally wore out. “Did they catch them?” she asked Chase.

“
Don't look like it,” he said. “Those boys ain’t lookin’ very happy.”

“
Is there anything we can do?” asked Lena.

Chase shook his head. “There's nothing a refined lady like you can do. I wish there was.”

“
Is there
anything
a woman can do in a situation like this?” asked Apple.

Chase stopped and waited for her to catch up. “Well, if you were married to one of those gentlemen, you could have a hot meal waiting for him when he got home. Then help him get the trail dust off, and then…” he snapped his mouth shut, cutting off his own words.

“
And then what?” asked Apple.

Chase said nothing and instead bit his lower lip. Lena looked at him and tugged on his arm, prompting him to speak, but he shook his head. “Come now,” she prodded. “What were you going to say?’

He eyed her and offered
a lopsided smile. “It ain't fittin’ to say in public.”

“
Now you must tell us!” said Apple, her voice once again filled with glee.

“I
ain’t gonna say it,” said Chase. He then firmly pressed his lips together.

Le
na stopped them and looked him in the eye. “Let us suppose that I made you dinner, and then washed the trail dust from you. What then, I wonder, would a man like you want?”

His eyes widened. “Now ma'am, this conversation is going places it ought not to go.”

Lena
raised a single eyebrow at him and smirked. “I think I know what I would do for my husband if
he
were to come home in the same state as these men,” she said as she nodded to the tired posse. Some of them began to lead their horses down the street toward the livery stable.

Chase looked into her eyes, his heart threatening to leap from his chest. “Would you now?” he asked, his voice low. “Would you really know what to do for a man like me?”

Lena could feel the muscles in his arm tighten as he looked at her again, as if he were mapping her face, memorizing every inch of her skin. She looked away before she spoke. “I believe that once a man and a woman get to know each other, they would naturally anticipate the other's needs.”

He leaned a few inches toward her. “You know what Miss Lena? But I do believe you're right.”

She looked up at him and smiled as Apple began to fidget behind them. She'd inched her way back down the boardwalk several feet to stare at the men. “I'm glad you didn’t rejoin the posse,” she told him. “Otherwise you might still be out there.”

Chase smiled as he looked at her. “I reckon so,” he said. “But I’d sure want to come home if’n I knew you were there waitin’ for me.”

She smiled as warmth spread through her chest. The look he gave her was tender, gentle, and made her want to get closer to him, though she knew she mustn't for propriety sake. None of the men back in England made her feel this way, and she was glad now they hadn’t. For if they had, she would never have made the long journey to America and wouldn’t be standing there to look into the eyes of one, Chase Adams. “I daresay, Mr. Adams,” she began on a whisper. “But I do believe that I, too, am going to enjoy our time getting to know one another.”

“That sure does make two of us, don’t it?”
he asked with a smile.

“We'd best join the others for tea,” a
nnounced Apple as she shoved her way past them and continued down the boardwalk.

“
Is your sister always so impulsive?” asked Chase.

Lena let out a heavy sigh
. “Always,” came out a groan.

“
Shall we then?” he said as he waved his hand after Apple.

“Y
es,” she said. “After all, I can always do with a spot tea.”

* * *

They'd barely reached the hotel when Constance came rushing out. “Chase!” she cried. “Did you see him? Did you see Cutty?”

Chase let go of Lena's arm and grabbed Constance before she could run past him. “Hold on there,” he told her as he swung her around to face him. “You'd best stay here until your husband gets back to town. Let him be the one to identify the man.”

“He's not dead is he
?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

“
No ma'am, but he's been through a lot, and he doesn't look good at all.” He glanced at each of the women in turn. “Now I don't know how tough you ladies seem to think you are, but if it were left up to me, none of ya would see him. Not yet anyway.”

Constance put her hands to her mouth as she gasped. “Is he that bad?”

“
Yes ma'am, I’m afraid so,” he said. “Now why don't you go back inside and get re-acquainted with your cousins. As soon as I see any sign of Ryder, I’ll come fetch ya.”

Constance looked at Lena and Apple. “I'm so sorry, where are my manners?” She grabbed Lena to her in a fierce hug. “It's good to see you Cousin. It's been so long.” She released her and turned to Apple. “You've grown up.”

Apple looked at herself and brushed the skirt of dress. “We all do.”

Lena
took Constance by the arm. “Come along, let's go inside and talk.”

She looked over her shoulder at Chase, with what he swore was a look of longing. It made his heart race. He tipped his hat, then crossed the street as the women went into the hotel. Sheriff Hughes stopped him. “Some of the boys ran their horses pretty hard out there, son. Looks like we’re gonna keep you busy for a few days.”

“Did Ryder
and Seth return with you?”

“
No, they stopped off at Ryder’s place to see what supplies they might be needin’ when he takes his wife home.”

“I be
t you're mad as a rattler comin’ back to town empty-handed. I'm sorry you didn’t have much luck out there.”

“
I've had better weeks, I’ll attest to that. I see we’ve had some additions to our fair town while we were gone,” he said as he nodded toward the hotel.

Chase smiled and followed his gaze. ‘That we do Sheriff,” he said. “And they're very pretty.”

The sheriff let go a heavy sigh. “Poor Sam never even got to lay eyes on his new bride. Blasted shame that.” He shook his head, his eyes full of sadness. “Poor little thing he left behind is probably fretting somethin’ awful.”

“
I don't know about that,” said Chase with a chuckle. “She seems to have recovered from the shock quite well.”