Читать книгу The Prairie Doctor's Bride - Kathryn Albright - Страница 14

Chapter Five

Sylvia was no good at waiting. When she drove her wagon into town just after dusk, she had expected Doc Graham to be home. She hadn’t a clue how she was going to convince him to travel all the way to her place. She had nothing to pay him with for his services. All she knew was that she was scared for Tommy and with each minute her desperation was growing bigger and bigger. It might end up choking her if the doc didn’t show up soon.

She paced the length of his walkway a few times, her arms crossed over her chest. Then she sat down on his steps. For all of one minute. Then she was up pacing again.

On her way to town, she’d come face-to-face with the fact that a man who wore a silk vest, a man who had an office, was not likely to come over to her side of the river to see her son. He’d expect payment, which she didn’t have. He’d probably expect her to bring her boy to him—and she wasn’t going to move Tommy. She might hurt him worse.

At least she was sure this was the doc’s house. A brass sign on the porch said Doctor’s Office plain as could be. She’d checked three other houses, peeking in the darkened windows, before she was sure she had the right house. There was some big hullabaloo happening down in the new building next to the bank. Maybe that was where everyone was. Maybe she should check down there.

She hated to walk right in on the entire town. Her whole life she’d made it a point to avoid as much of the people here as she could.

But what if he never came back tonight? What if he was out on a call? Maybe somebody was having a baby. Or somebody was sick. The thoughts plagued her.

Maybe she should have asked Carl for help... She recoiled at that when she remembered how he had treated Tommy at the mercantile. No... Carl would have made things worse. She’d done the only thing she could and that was to leave Tommy by himself. Doing that weighed on her something fierce. He was too hurt to wander off. The way he had whimpered once, like a kicked puppy, just crumpled her insides. He needed the doc. She couldn’t go back without him.

A shout came from somewhere on the main street. Then a door squeaked open and shut on one of the buildings—maybe the hotel. A dog barked.

Someone was coming.

She tiptoed up the porch steps and pulled into the shadows.

It was a man. His long strides gave that away. The silver clasp at his neck gleamed in the small amount of light left. The doc had worn the same tie in the mercantile.

Her heart pounded. She swallowed, nervous. What could she possibly offer him by way of bartering? What would he accept?

Now he was on the steps. He stood taller than she remembered. She hesitated. Maybe this was a fool idea. There was no way she could force him to go with her if he had a mind not to.

As he crossed in front of her, she caught a whiff of that fancy-smelling lotion he used. He reached for the door handle...

She gathered her courage. Tommy was worth it. Tommy was worth everything. “How much do you charge for a doctor visit?”

He froze at the sound of her voice.

“Would you take a chicken in payment?”

“I hate chicken,” he said evenly in his deep voice.

Her gut tightened. What to do? What to do?

Then he started to twist around.

“Stay as you are!” She panicked, fumbled with her satchel and withdrew her pistol. She shoved it against his lower back. “I got me a gun here, don’t you know.”

It was her nerves talking. She was making a muddle of everything.

“I dislike being accosted at gunpoint.”

She would have laughed at the absurd statement had her skin not been crawling in her nervousness. Instead, she scowled. “Most people do, but you’re mighty calm for bein’ in such a condition.”

“Believe me. I am not calm at all. I simply can’t see any value in making the situation worse.”

“Well...that’s a good thing. Now. Enough talk. You got to come with me.”

“What is this about? I assume someone is hurt or sick.”

How much could she tell him without him saying no to crossing the river? If he wouldn’t take a chicken, she had nothing to give him. She had nothing to spare.

“Are you alone?”

He was asking too many questions and this was taking too long.

“I said quiet! Just move on down to the wagon there.”

He started to turn.

She didn’t want him facing her! She stepped farther into the shadows.

“If you need my medical skills, then I must insist that either you or I bring my medical bag.”

She scowled again. “Fine. Get it. But don’t try anything.”

She followed him to a room in the back of the house, where he picked up a brown leather bag the size of a bread box from his desk.

“I’ll need my—” He reached for a drawer.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” She cocked her gun. He could store anything in there—a gun or a knife. “You git a move on.”

The rustle of heavy material sounded as he grabbed his coat off the back of his chair and shrugged into it, then picked up his bag again. She stepped aside to let him pass and followed him outside.

Light from the moon cast the town in shadows of gray and black and blue as he strode to her wagon. She didn’t want him sitting next to her. He might get the upper hand and wrestle her gun away from her. Then where would she be? Where would Tommy be?

“Climb in the back.”

He took hold of the edge of the wagon and then paused. “You do realize that this is kidnapping?”

She shut out the twinge of guilt she felt. Tommy was all that mattered. “Can’t be helped.”

“I could shout. Call out for help.”

“Everyone is at the town hall. There’s no one around to hear you.”

“You’ve planned this well.” He swung into the wagon bed. “If I forced your hand, they would hear a gunshot...”

“I don’t think you want to take that chance, now do you, Doc? I been living off the land most my life. I don’t miss what I aim for.”

“I see your point.”

“Now, lay down on your back.”

“I hardly think that is necess—”

She threw a tarp over him. “I’m in charge here, in case you ain’t noticed. Now, no more shenanigans. I never heard someone talk so much during a kidnapping.”

“So, this is a common occurrence?”

“Ya gotta come with me, Doc,” she said softly, mostly to herself. “I can’t give you no choice in the matter.” Her heart hurt, tight with remorse. It wasn’t right—her using him this way especially after he’d done her a good turn a few days back at the mercantile, but it couldn’t be helped. Tommy came first, despite how guilty she felt about forcing the doc. She snapped the reins. “Get up! Berta!”