She stirred the watery mixture in the pot, then laid the spoon aside and wiped her hands on her skirt. She'd found no aprons, of course. Nor hand towels. Once she unpacked some of her clothing, she would have her own apron, but for now, she had patients to see.
A peek through Jonah's open doorway showed his eyes closed. He would likely sleep quietly for a few hours under the effects of the laudanum.
At her sister's room, she quietly pulled the latch string and eased the door open. Inside, the bed was empty, and Naomi stood by the pile of their belongings.
Dinah stepped into the room and closed the door again. "What are you doing up?"
Naomi was opening the pack where she kept her clothing and personal belongings. "I feel much better. I thought I'd clean up a little before the evening meal." She gave a tired smile. "Surely at least one of these men is looking for a wife."
Dinah's throat squeezed. "Naomi." Her sister deserved far more than any man who would take her.
Naomi sighed and pulled a brush from the pack. "I know it's not the best way to think, but I don't have another choice." She sent a look toward the closed door as she brushed hard strokes through her thick, blonde hair. Hair identical to Dinah's except with more loose curl. "These men all seem to be decent and hard-working. Surely any of them would make an acceptable husband. And father." Her brushing slowed as her free hand cradled her belly. The motion seemed more reflex than anything these days, as her abdomen grew larger.
Dinah took the brush from her and turned Naomi to face away. She used long gentle strokes to work out the tangles from the trail. "You and my little niece or nephew deserve far more thanacceptable. You need a man who will treasure you for the remarkable woman you are."
She made one final swipe, then set the brush aside and gathered Naomi's hair for a braid. "And until we find that man, we're going to stick together. Mr. Coulter said he needs to make a supply run to Missoula Mills soon, so perhaps I can ride with him and explore a little. He can help me locate a place we can afford to live in and house the clinic."
Byafford, she meant a place that would allow them to wait to pay the first month's rent after she'd seen a few patients and been compensated for her work. Maybe she could barter free services with the owner in exchange for such leeway.
Naomi sighed, a long breath that showed how much she worried about their future. It wasn't Naomi's job to worry though. Dinah did enough for them both.
Dinah tied off the braid with a ribbon, then took her sister's shoulders and turned her so they faced each other. "But until then, your doctor is ordering you to bed rest." She pointed to the cot with the mussed blankets. "Stay there with your feet propped above your heart, please. We have to get the swelling down. Do you need more water?" She glanced at the cup on the floor, where liquid glimmered halfway up the side. "You have to drink, Na. If you don't take in enough water, we could have serious problems."
She waited until Naomi met her gaze, then gave a pointed look. "I'm serious. If you don't obey on your own, I will sit on you and force you. You know I will."
Naomi grinned, surely remembering the time Dinah had wrestled her to the ground and forced her to eat peppermint leaves because she had a cough and Pop said that would help. They'd been ten at the time, and Naomi had looked green for the next hour. But her cough had gone away. Eventually.
Dinah released her, and Naomi turned to the bed and slumped down to sit on it, then took up the cup and drank. She sent a begrudging glare over the rim of the mug, but Dinah only returned a smile.
"Good girl."
Once Naomi was settled in bed with her still very swollen feet propped on blankets, Dinah turned to do some unpacking of her own. Cleaning up might be a good idea. There was no telling how trailworn she looked…and smelled.
Would there be any way to get a bath in the next few days? Something other than the creek? With so many men on the property, she wasn't sure she trusted them to give her complete privacy without a door she could lock. Maybe she could ask Lillian.
"So what's your plan?" Naomi asked from the bed.
Dinah turned, raising her brows. "Plan?"
"I'm sure you have things mapped out for tonight and tomorrow at least. What you plan to accomplish. What you need to learn to undertake those things."
Dinah couldn't help a smile, but she turned to her pack to hide it. She did like a good challenge, but she hadn’t anticipated this situation. "My main goal tonight is to check Jonah's bandage again and make sure he eats some and drinks plenty of water." She turned and gave a pointed look to the cup in Naomi's hands. “The same for you.”
She turned back to find a ribbon in her bag. "Then I want him to rest well and keep his pain under control. Tomorrow, he needs to eat a number of small meals throughout the day, and I'll check his bandage thrice at least."
She ran the brush through her own hair, cringing at the knots that snagged. "I also plan to do some cleaning in the cabin tomorrow. I'm hoping Lillian will help me with that, if they don't have her working in the barn again." A tight snarl fought the bristles, and she sucked in a breath as she worked through it. "I'd like to get to know her. Jericho said the children's mother was his sister. That she died last year."
Naomi gave her a strange look, and she replayed her words in her mind. Had she spoken too casually about the woman's death? But then the real reason settled in. She'd not meant to call Jericho by his Christian name. That was something Naomi had done all along the journey, but Dinah had made sure to always speak of him as Mr. Coulter.
Dinah cleared her throat and tried to cover her mistake."It must have been difficult for the children to transition to living so remotely. And to having only men—all those uncles—as caretakers."
Naomi nodded slowly, her eyes searching Dinah's face."I'm sure Mr. Coulter will be thankful for anything you can do to help his niece and nephew settle in. I would imagine they're still grieving."
Dinah laid the brush down as she re-braided her hair. Had Naomi used his surname to prove she was resigning herself to not marrying Jericho? Or did she think Dinah had set her sights on the man?
That wasn't the case. Not at all.Naomineeded the husband.
But she didn't really. Her history wasn't known in this place, and she didn't have to say anything more about the child's father than she wanted too. Dinah had a profession that could provide for them both.
