Ingrid heaved a sigh, feeling as if he had dismissed her without even acknowledging her offer to accompany him. She turned away, too, and focused instead on glancing up and down the street for the elderly woman who had saved her life, though Ingrid didn’t see her anywhere.
“Looking for someone?”
Ingrid spun to face Sheriff Logan, who had mounted his horse and steered the animal closer to where she stood on the wooden plank sidewalk. “If you must know, I wanted to thank the woman who cried out to warn me about the wagon.”
“What woman?Ishouted out to you. Didn’t you hear me?”
“No, it wasn’t you at all. I nearly ran into her, that’s how close she stood to me. Surely you saw her, too.” Once again, Ingrid glanced around her, and then she shrugged as she used her hand to fan her face. “It’s warm today, isn’t it? June is never this hot in Minnesota. She must have ducked into one of the shops to find some shade. She saw you riding up, you know, and said you looked concerned—”
“Iamconcerned. You’re as red as a beet. Let me help you up.”
Taken by surprise, Ingrid glanced from his outstretched hand back to his face; truly, the man did appear tense. “Oh, no, Sheriff, I didn’t mean to ride with you. I thought we’d walk to your house to visit with David.”
“My house is at the opposite side of town. Take my hand, Miss Hagen, now! You’re not accustomed to this heat and it’s clear from all your fuming and running that you’re suffering from hallucinations—”
“Hallucinations? Whatever do you mean—oh!”
He leaned over and caught her around the waist so suddenly that Ingrid didn’t have a chance to wrest herself away.
Instead, she found herself hoisted up and settled crosswise in front of him before she could blink, one strong arm firmly holding her while he veered his horse out into the street.
Chapter 2
“Let me down, Sheriff, let me down!”
Outraged, Ingrid realized her shrill demand might have been a whisper for all he appeared to be listening to her, the man drawing her so tightly against him that she gasped.
“Stop your struggling, Miss Hagen,” came his terse response. “You’ll only overheat yourself even more.”
“I’m not overheated!” she protested, though she did cease her struggles when she realized the spectacle they must be making as passersby along the main street stopped to gape at them.
Oh, dear, how humiliating—and she was the town’s new teacher, too! She glanced at Sheriff Logan to find his jaw set and his eyes straight ahead, his grip tightening around her when he urged his horse by its name, Blaze, into a canter. Startled, she clutched at his shirt, certain that if he hadn’t held her so close she would have bounced right out of the saddle into the street.
“Joshua Logan, I assure you I’m fine!” she cried out, desperate to get his attention by using his given name. He did glance for an instant at her in surprise, and then he pressed Blaze to go even faster.
She could do nothing but cling to him for dear life as they careened off the main road past the Red Dog Saloon and onto a side street. Ingrid recognized the neat clapboard houses at once and realized he was taking her to see Kari’s father-in-law, Dr. Charles Davis.
“No, I don’t need a physician, I just want to go home!” she insisted again, knowing it was futile as the sheriff reined in his horse.
Her dress all askew from their wild ride, her hair loosed from its bun and tumbling down her back, she had never felt more embarrassed as he dismounted, pulling her with him in one agile move. Without a word he carried her toward the front porch, Ingrid so infuriated now that she began to struggle in earnest and kick her legs.
“If you don’t let me down, I’m going to scream!”
“Doc Davis!” was his only response, Ingrid never gladder to see Charles and Molly, his lovely wife, rush from the house. She and the twins, along with Kari, Seth, and Caleb, Molly’s brother, had dined with them several times at their home and they had always been so kind to her. At leastnowsomeone would listen to her since Sheriff Logan absolutely refused to!
“He’s going to say I’m suffering from the heat and having hallucinations, but I’m not!” Ingrid blurted before anyone could speak, though Charles approached at once to press two fingers to her wrist and a cool palm to her forehead. She blinked in surprise, realizing to her dismay that he wasn’t listening to her, either.
“Take her inside, Sheriff,” Charles murmured as Molly ran to open the door, Joshua obliging the physician and carrying Ingrid into the house. With little ceremony, he turned into the drawing room and deposited her upon a settee, but gently, compared with how he’d grabbed her right off the sidewalk and rode away with her.
“Doc Davis will take good care of you, Miss Hagen. I hope you’re feeling better soon.”
Feeling better soon? So overcome by indignation and what she had a good mind to say to him, Ingrid could only stare flush-faced as Joshua tipped his hat and then left the drawing room, the front door closing behind him.
Suddenly she did feel overwarm, her bodice damp with sweat. She tried to sit up, but sucked in her breath at a swamping sensation of dizziness and fell back upon the settee.
“I…I don’t know what’s the matter with me,” she said almost to herself as Molly removed her shoes and propped a pillow beneath her stockinged feet. “I felt fine a moment ago—”
“It’s our Texas heat, Ingrid,” Charles broke in, asking his wife in an aside to fetch a glass of water and some wet cloths. He turned back to Ingrid, adding, “It will take some getting used to, but you’ll be fine again soon. Just lie quietly, please.”
