But thank God she was here. She probably wouldn't fumble as much in caring for Naomi as he and Gil would.
He spoke quietly so he didn't disturb Naomi with the details. "I'm going after Dinah. Naomi said she should be back by now, so I hope she's close. We didn’t pass a wagon, but they may have pulled off the road for some reason." Though contemplating why they might have left the main thoroughfare made his belly curl.
He met his brother's gaze. "Stay here and do everything you can to make her comfortable."
Gil stiffened. "Wouldn't you rather I go with you?"
Jericho gave him a look. "I think one of us should stay here and catch the babe."
Gil’s eyes flared wide like a frightened colt.
Jericho clapped his shoulder and turned for Pinto. "I'll be back soon with Dinah."
* * *
"Iwant you to do it."
Dinah spun back at Thomas’s words. He couldn't really mean he wanted her to cut his leg off. Most people fought that option vehemently.
He still lay against the mattress, but he didn't look as limp as he had. His eyes possessed more life than a moment before.
His hand slipped out of the blanket and reached for her but stopped at the edge of the mattress. "I'm not ready to die. I want you to try to save me."
Her chest squeezed, and she took Thomas's hand, doing her best to ignore the grime and sweat covering his rough palm. "Are you certain? Recovering from surgery is so painful. And your body will still be fighting the infection. You'll still have the fever for a while. You could still die."
He gripped her hand harder, using it to pull himself up to rest on his elbow so they were the same level. His earnest gaze searched hers. "I don't want it said that Thomas Booker gave up at the end. I want folks to tell the story about how I fought for my life 'til the last breath. And if this ain't my last breath, all the better. I've got more livin' to do."
She still needed to give all the details of what he could expect after the surgery, but this determination to live made her twice as determined to help him succeed.
God had placed her here—in this musty ramshackle cabin—for such a time as this.
Just keep my sister safe, Lord. Please.
* * *
"She still hasn't returned?" Jericho fought the panic rising in his chest. He’d gone twice as far down the road toward Missoula as he would have expected Dinah to travel to catch the wagon Naomi spoke of. He’d thought surely he missed her along the way.
She should be back here with her sister.
Gil shook his head, worry furrowing his brow. “We haven’t seen her. You want me to come help look?”
Jericho glanced around the little camp they’d made. Sean watched them from the low fire as he fed small branches into the flame. Lillian knelt beside Naomi. His niece looked every bit as worried as Gil, but Naomi’s eyes were closed. She must be resting between pains.
Then her eyes flew open, and she rolled onto her side toward Lillian. “Ohhh.” The anguished moan as she curled her knees up raised another spurt of panic within him.
He turned Pinto and spoke to Gil. “Stay and help her. I’ll search the road toward Helena.” Maybe she’d not had success with the wagon they saw before and had turned back the other way in hopes of finding another rig.
If so, he would meet her soon. She wouldn’t leave Naomi in this condition long.
He kicked the gelding into a canter and searched the road and into the trees on both sides. The trail climbed a slope, and soon the trees fell away as the ground turned steeper and rockier. He had to pull his mount back to a trot, the animal’s breath coming in heaves. When he tried to rein down to a walk, Pinto pressed forward. I know, boy. I want to find her too.
Hehadto find her.
As much as Jericho worked to press away the images of what might have happened to Dinah, the awful possibilities crowded in. A beautiful woman, alone on a remote road in the mountain wilderness… He would almost rather her be faced with a wild animal. Yet what that bear had done to Chalmers’s arm…and he’d seen even worse from a grizzly attack.
Pinto stumbled, tearing Jericho’s focus back to the present as he pulled hard on the reins to keep the animal’s head up. The gelding regained his feet, then slowed to a walk as they neared the top of the slope.
Jericho scanned the area around them, searching every nook in the rock, every shrubby tree for sign of movement behind it. He even turned to study the terrain behind them. The trees were so thick that he couldn’t see much except the road.
