“Morg, you think you had it wrong, about the dates I mean?”
“I guess so. We sure weren’t ready for this, huh?”
“Well, at least they’re all safe. How’s Lilly taking all this?”
“Not well,” Morgan admitted.
“I didn’t think she would,” Mead sighed. “I’m afraid there’s not much starch to that woman.”
“Callie Mae and I are getting married,” Morgan said, changing the subject.
“That’s great, Morg, I’m happy for you both. When?”
“Saturday. I want you to stand up with me, so I think we’ll have the wedding at the farm.”
“I don’t know how much standing I’ll be able to do,” Mead replied, “but I’d be proud to bear witness. What’s the hurry anyway? Can you wait till I’m better?”
“We could, but I kind of jumped the gun, if you know what I mean,” Morgan admitted.
Mead grinned. “I thought you were only going to compromise her if she said no?”
“So did I but things took a different turn tonight.”
“I understand. Listen, Morgan, I’m getting a little tired. I think I’d like to go to sleep for a while.”
“That’s fine,” Morgan said, patting his brother’s shoulder. “You get some rest and I’ll be back in the morning. As soon as Doc gives me the word, I’ll bring the wagon and get you home. Ma’s cooking and fussing will have you on your feet in no time.”
“It will,” Mead agreed, closing his eyes.
Morgan quietly slipped out of the room.
“How is he?” Matthew asked.
“He’s sleeping,” Morgan said.
“Matthew, run over to the boarding house and wake Mrs. Jamison. Tell her I have a couple of patients I need her to sit with tonight. I’ll leave Lilly resting and see her home when she wakes,” the doc explained while Matthew hurried to do as he’d asked. “You folks go on now and get some rest.”
“Thanks, Doc. Matthew and I will head home so I can explain things to Ma, but we’ll be back in the morning,” Morgan said, shaking his hand. “When Matthew comes back, tell him I’m taking Callie Mae home and to meet me there. Are you coming, Jane?”
“I’ll see Jane back to the saloon when I get Mead settled for the night,” Doc stated firmly.
As soon as the others went out the door, Doctor Horace Brubaker turned to Jane.
“Take off the bloody apron, Jane.”
Jane looked down at herself and removed the apron, staring at it as though seeing the blood for the first time. Her lower lip began to quiver and Horace opened his arms.
“Come here,” he ordered gently.
Dropping the apron, Jane flew across the room, throwing herself into his strong arms.
“It’s all right, little one,” he murmured into her hair.
CHAPTER 19
Saturday turned out to be a beautiful fall day. Callie Mae stood in her room and carefully slid her hand over her mother’s ivory satin gown. Her grandmother’s Irish lace veil was spread out on her bed and a bouquet of flowers sat on her dresser, brought by Morgan yesterday.
She was getting married and for a moment she doubted the wisdom of her decision. It went against everything she’d been telling herself and anyone who would listen for months, but the truth of the matter was, she was in love. She’d been in love with Morgan Whittaker from the time she was seven years old and followed him into the mercantile, where he bought her a peppermint stick. He was seventeen at the time, tall and lanky with a shock of dark hair falling over his brow. When he squatted to hand it to her, she’d gazed into his warm eyes and lost her heart. He knew it too, she thought, remembering his lips twitching as he tried to suppress his smile. Morgan patted her head before he shooed her outside, and she made up her mind right then that someday he was going to see her as a woman instead of a little girl and fall madly in love with her.
