CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
Jamie could hardly believe he was riding up into the hills. He’d been resigned to janitor duty at the hospital. It wasn’t so bad. Anybody could use a broom, and he liked talking to the patients.
One, a sweet little lady who looked to be pushing a hundred, said she’d make him some molasses cookies. She claimed a person hadn’t lived until they had a molasses cookie. He was still talking to her when Nurse Thompson came to find him.
“You should have had the whole hospital swept by now,” she said.
“Don’t you fuss at the boy.” The woman sat up in bed and shook a finger at Nurse Thompson. “I’m tellin’ him about how eatin’ a ’lasses cookie can make a feller smile.”
“That’s for sure, Miss Virgie, if it’s one of yours.” The nurse adjusted the woman’s pillows. “But settle back and relax. We don’t want to get your heart all in a twirl again, now do we? Fact is, I’ve got another job for Jamie.”
Miss Virgie sank back against the pillows. “You watch her, son. She’ll have you digging holes just fer the fun of it.”
“That’s not true. I’d make him plant flowers or something.” Nurse Thompson gave the woman a mock frown before she turned back to Jamie. “But no shovels or brooms needed for this. We didn’t give Danny one of the medicines they need up at Wilder Ridge tomorrow. So Miss Aileen says to let you take it.”
“Walking?” Jamie asked.
“Good gracious,” Miss Virgie said. “You’d be walking in moonlight ’fore you got there. Best take a horse or a mule.”
“Good idea, but I seem to be lacking either of those.”
“We’ve got that taken care of,” Nurse Thompson said. “Dr. Jack keeps a horse stabled close by in case he gets a call to a place he can’t get to in his truck.”
“Plenty of places like that,” Miss Virgie said. “They had to carry me down here on a bed. Good thing I’ve got me some strong grandsons. They’ll do anything to get me better so’s I can make them my ’lasses cookies.” She chuckled.
“What if Dr. Jack needs it?” Jamie asked Nurse Thompson.
“We can always find a horse for emergencies.” The nurse pointed him toward the door.
Miss Virgie called after Jamie. “You come on back anytime, young feller. I’ll tell you about my honey cornbread next time. I could use some of that right now. Maybe I’ll go on down to the kitchen and stir me some up.”
“You stay right there in bed and behave,” Nurse Thompson ordered. “You want to get well enough to cook for those grandsons again.”
“I could adopt that one there.” Miss Virgie pointed toward Jamie. “Can’t never have too many grandsons.”
“I’ll remember that, Granny Virgie, and look forward to that molasses cookie,” Jamie said.
That made every wrinkle in the old lady’s face smile as she sank back down on her pillows.
Out in the hallway, the nurse said, “You are a charmer, aren’t you?”
He did like people, he thought now, as he rode Sid, Dr. Jack’s horse along the trail. He had the map one of the nurses drew for him memorized. Past three oaks standing like soldiers guarding the trail. Around a couple of boulders and then into the creek for a ways. Not a typical map, but then this wasn’t typical country. At least none that Jamie had ever traversed even on the few trail rides he’d taken out west. Before the crash.
Jamie brushed that thought aside. He had to stop thinking about the crash. The family money was gone, but he had his strength and God-given abilities. Would that be enough? Especially for Piper, who was accustomed to so much more.
But he was here. He wasn’t going to shy away from her answer, whatever that might be. If she said no, he’d pack up, resign the teaching job before he started, and head out west to write stories of new places. He was crazy to even think about asking Piper to share that dream. Women liked houses and families and stability. Didn’t they?
He turned the horse out of the creek up the hill. The gelding was a spirited animal that stepped lively along the mountain trail.
Jamie felt the same energy. He was happy to be riding through the trees to where Piper would be. He should be close, but then the trail changed. Where it had looked plain enough coming out of the creek, now it was no more than a trace nearly covered over with bushes. The trail to the center shouldn’t be petering out. They were bound to have plenty of visitors to keep the path beaten down.
He stopped and pulled the map out to study it. He must have turned out of the creek too soon. Nothing for it but to backtrack and give it another try.
“Don’t make no sudden moves.” A man stepped out of the bushes with a rifle pointed straight at Jamie.
He didn’t look like Clem Baker, but it was plain there were similarities.
“I’m sorry if I’m trespassing. I lost my trail,” Jamie said. “I’m headed to Wilder Ridge Center.”
“Likely story. I’m thinkin’ you’re one of those feds out here poking around where you ain’t got no business bein’.” The man’s gun stayed steady on Jamie.
He was thin and hard looking, with a felt hat pulled down low on his forehead to almost hide his eyes, but Jamie could see the grim line of his mouth.
Smiles weren’t going to work on this man. Jamie sat stone still with his hands in clear view. “You’ve got me all wrong. I’m taking some medicine up to the center. They sent me from the hospital.”
“They use girls for that,” the man said. “But government men are all city-looking fellers like you.”
“You’re right about the girls, but one of the nurses needed this and I happened to be there handy.”
“Handy to be hunting moonshine stills. Well, there ain’t none around here to be found.”
“I don’t know anything about stills.” Jamie tried to keep his voice strong, but he was trembling inside. This man meant business. “If you’ll point me toward the center, I’ll just ride on over there.”
“I could do that.” The man pushed back his hat brim with the gun barrel before he leveled it at Jamie again. “Or I could just shoot you and let the buzzards have you. I could use a good horse.”
“It’s Dr. Jack’s horse. People would know that. Might get you in trouble.” Jamie acted like shooting him wouldn’t be the trouble, and he wasn’t sure it would be if people thought he was a revenuer. He needed to change whatever was making him appear to be a government man, and fast. If he lived long enough.
The man stepped closer to look at Sid. “I reckon you’re right about this being the doc’s horse. But I ain’t got no way of knowing you didn’t steal it.”
“If you’ll go with me over to the Wilder Ridge Center, they’ll vouch for me there.”
“Matter of fact, I need to go over there anyhow to get something for my old woman.” The man’s eyes narrowed on him. “But if you ain’t telling the truth, I’ll shoot you there. Them nurses wouldn’t turn me in. Not over a blamed revenuer.” He shook the gun barrel at Jamie. “You get down off’n the horse. I’ll ride. You can hoof it.”
Jamie got down and smoothed the gelding’s neck when he danced to the side.
“You like horses?” The man motioned Jamie away from Sid.
“I like horses.”
“You ever had one of your own without having to steal the doc’s?”
“I used to have a horse, and I didn’t steal this one. They let me ride him.”
“I ain’t never had no fancy-riding horse. Just mules. They’s better for hill country, anyhow.” The man swung up on Sid.
Jamie considered making a run for it while the man didn’t have the gun pointed at him, but the man was probably a crack shot and would get Jamie before he got out of sight.
Jamie walked in front of the horse back to the creek. He noticed every leaf, every squirrel chattering in the treetops, every breath as he wondered if it might be his last. He did hope he got to tell Piper he loved her before he died.
The man probably wouldn’t shoot Jamie, but he obviously enjoyed scaring him. He’d done that well enough. A verse from Psalm 23 ran through Jamie’s head. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me.
Somehow he didn’t think the man behind him was evil. That was a funny thing to think, with a gun pointed toward his back. Not evil. Just mean. Ornery mean. Those were good words to describe him. Jamie almost smiled. With his insides quivering with fear, he was still thinking of how to write about this someday.
The trail out of the creek was plain as day. If he had found it, he’d be at the center by now. Maybe talking to Piper. Maybe telling her he loved her. Not maybe. He would tell her. Before he died.
When they got to the center, Piper was in the yard, chasing some chickens that were squawking and flapping away from her. With all the commotion, she didn’t notice them.
“What’s the girl doing?” the man muttered.
“Looks like she’s trying to catch a chicken,” Jamie said.
“Then I’m reckoning she ain’t noticed that rattler curled up by the gate. Get down, boy, so’s I can get a clear shot.”
Jamie wasted no time dropping to the ground.
Catching a chicken wasn’t all that easy. They squawked and scattered to all sides as if they knew exactly what Piper intended to do once she caught them. She finally cornered one of the young roosters beside the gate and grabbed it.
She had the chicken clutched under her arm when a rattling noise froze her in place. Slowly, she turned her head. By the gate post, a coiled snake rattled its tail. Slitted eyes stared at her from its raised head while its tongue slithered in and out.
Piper’s mouth went dry as she tried to remember what Suze said to do if she happened across a rattlesnake. No sudden movements to make the snake strike. Ease away from it very slowly. Don’t forget to breathe. While that last one had been what Suze told her about helping Nurse Robbins catch babies, it seemed good to remember now too.
Just as she started to inch back from the snake, a man yelled, “Don’t move.”
She froze again. A gunshot boomed. Piper couldn’t keep from jumping then, but it didn’t matter, since the bullet hit the snake’s head. The chicken squawked and tried to fight free, but Piper held on.
“Stick the blame chicken’s head under its wing,” the man said. “The stupid thing will think night’s come.”
Piper did as he said and the rooster went limp in her hands. She turned to look at the man.
“Mr. Taylor.” Mann Taylor was astride a horse and Jamie was pushing up off the ground. “Jamie.” She didn’t know which of them she was the most surprised to see.
“You know him?” They both spoke almost in unison.
“I do. Know both of you.” She looked from Jamie’s amazed face to Mr. Taylor. “And I thank you, Mr. Taylor, for shooting the snake.”
“You need to keep a better watch on what’s around you, girl,” Mr. Taylor said. “Else you’re liable to get snakebit. Such might not kill you, but take my word for it. It ain’t pleasant.” He looked around. “Is the nurses here?”
“Nurse Freeman will be back soon.” She looked at Jamie. “What are you doing here, Jamie? And how’d you get here? You couldn’t have walked here that fast.”
“I rode Dr. Jack’s horse.” Jamie nodded toward the horse Mr. Taylor was riding.
“And a fine horse it is.” Mr. Taylor swung down off the horse, never losing his grip on the gun. He handed the reins over to Jamie. “If the girl knows you, I reckon as how I won’t shoot you. This time. But I’m warning you. Don’t go poking around in bushy thickets where you ain’t got no business.”
“Yes, sir.”
Mr. Taylor made a crusty sound that might have been a laugh. He lowered the gun to point toward the ground. “You city folk get polite as all get-out when you’re scared, but you can ease down. I ain’t shooting nothing else today.”
Piper moved away from the snake. Even dead, it made her shiver. Mr. Taylor strode across the yard toward it. “If you don’t want the creature, I’ll fetch it home.” He picked the snake up by the tail and held it out toward Piper. It was almost as long as she was tall. “Less’n you want it for supper.”
“No, no.” Piper backed away. “I’m supposed to kill this poor chicken for supper.” She kept its head under its wing as she stroked the chicken’s feathers.
“Best think of it as food instead of petting it like a fool cat.” He held out the snake again. “If’n you’re too squeamish to kill the bird, snakes taste something like chicken.”
“I’m too squeamish to cook a snake for sure,” Piper admitted.
That made the man laugh again. “I ain’t never figured out how brought-in people the likes of you two survive. Don’t you ever eat meat?”
“Nothing we have to kill ourselves,” Piper said. “We go to the butcher shop.”
His eyes narrowed on her. “I’m doubtin’ you ever set foot in a butcher shop.” He looked over at Jamie, who seemed more than anxious to give the man room. “Or that feller who looks like a government man either. So you vouch for him?”
“He’s here to help the frontier nurses for a while.” Piper smiled at Jamie, who gave her a relieved look.
“Hmm. Then maybe he can kill that chicken for you.” He jerked his head to the side to motion Jamie toward them. “Come on over here. I done told you I ain’t gonna shoot you this time.”
Jamie looped the horse’s reins around the fence and stepped closer.
Mr. Taylor studied him a second. “You ever kill anything, boy?”
“Never anything I planned to eat except fish.”
“Fish don’t count. So now’s your chance. Hand that chicken over and let the boy jerk off its head. He surely ain’t as squeamish as you.”
Piper held the chicken out toward Jamie, who looked every bit as squeamish as she felt.
“Jerk off its head?” Jamie gave the chicken a dubious look.
“I can get a knife,” Piper offered.
Mr. Taylor let out a sigh. “Lord a’ mercy, if you two ain’t past useless. Here, boy, hold my snake.” He held it out and Jamie took it, though gingerly. “Now give me that chicken.”
Piper handed it over.
“Women’s work,” the man muttered as he gave the chicken’s neck a twist and yanked off its head. He dropped the flopping chicken on the ground. “I ain’t plucking no feathers. You can’t figure that out, you’ll have to eat feathers and all.” He flung the head to the side.
Piper stared at the chicken. “Nurse Freeman left me directions.”
“I reckon it had you chopping off the head. Some think that’s more civilized, but the chicken is dead either way.” Mr. Taylor’s lips twisted in a sideways grin as he took back his snake and draped it around his neck. He motioned toward the chicken that had stopped flopping. “Boy, grab that up before the hens go to pecking at it. Blood messes with them. Sometimes the fool things will peck a wounded one to death. They’s tasty, but not smart.”
Jamie grabbed the dead chicken by the feet and held it up. He didn’t look much happier holding the chicken than the snake.
“I’ll get some hot water.” Piper started toward the house.
Mr. Taylor called after her. “Whilst you’re in there, look for something the nurse left for me. She generally leaves it on the table by the door with my old woman’s name on it.”
Piper found the bottle just where the man said. She ran back out with it before she got the hot water. When she handed it to him, he said, “Thank ye.”
“Thank you. For . . .” She hesitated.
“For killing the chicken?” He raised one eyebrow as he stared at her. “Jest don’t count on me doing it ever again. That’s women’s work.”
She called after him when he started off. “Why aren’t you riding your mule?”
“You’re a nosy thing.” He turned to scowl at her. “Don’t know as how it’s any of your business, but that little West boy’s pa needed to do some plowing.” He pointed toward the chicken Jamie was holding. “I’d advise you to get at it if’n you aim to have that bird for supper.”