The next day, I sat up in bed and found Doc Seaver beside me. He gave me a clean bill of health and told me I could go back to work on Monday. “I would like you to take it easy for the rest of the day, Annie. If you get dizzy or have headache, have someone get in touch with me. I want your promise you’ll stay in bed.”
“Okay, Doc.”
Chance, as always, was by my side, which didn’t bother the doc. He loved animals, and Chance liked him, too.
The doc had told me to stay in bed and rest, but I wanted to get up. Now, I knew there was nothing wrong with me going downstairs and maybe even getting some fresh air, but the trick was to do it without anyone catching me. Slowly, with Chance ahead of me, I snuck down the stairs, holding onto the rail.
I was in the hallway when I heard my mother’s voice. “Annie, what are you doing out of bed? I know you heard Doctor Seaver tell you to stay in bed all day today. And you sat there and told him you would obey his orders.”
“I’m really fine. I can’t stay in that bed anymore, and Chance is here in case I get dizzy.”
“And I suppose Chance will be able to tell us if you are in trouble?”
“Of course she will. She can bark.”
Mama shook her head and pointed upstairs. “I suggest you march back upstairs and take your friend up there with you.”
“Come on, Chance, let’s go back up. Maybe we can tie my bed sheets together and climb out the window.’’
I was on my way up when the sound of horses coming up the road caught my attention. I looked out the window to see nearly the entire Sullivan clan approaching our home. Ethan, Abel, Thaddeus, Jonah, Eli, and Travis had all stopped at our front door.
“Mama, it’s the Sullivan family.”
Chance sat up, and her ears were pressed back.
“Easy, Chance. They’re not gonna hurt anyone.”
Ethan got off his horse first and knocked on the door. I opened the door and boldly met his gaze.
“Good afternoon, Miss. Is your pa home?”
“I suppose so, sir.”
At that moment, Papa came to the door. “Something I can do for you, Ethan?”
“Heard your place was broke into last night. Heard your girl was hurt, knocked down as he was escaping.”
“That’s right.”
“Our place was broke into also. No one was home.”
“They get anything of value?” Papa asked.
“No. It seems we got there when he had just broken in,” Ethan said.
“It seems they got nothing at my house, either. Something must have scared them off.”
“The sheriff seems to think it’s kids with too much time on their hands.”
“Has anyone looked in on Henry Hunter and the missus?” Pa asked.
“I sent one of my men there this morning and told him meet us here.”
“We can’t do anything,” Pa said, “and no one saw anything.”
Ethan looked back at his brothers. “Come on. Let’s go check on the Hunters.”
They turned and rode out as fast as they’d ridden in. I met Travis’s eyes for a second before he turned and followed them.
I thought about the look on Ethan’s face and somehow knew he would track the intruder down the way he did with the animals he hunted.