CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
Truda wasn’t nearly as sure about keeping her seat as she’d said before Jamie led her horse away from the center. But she couldn’t let people carry her down off the mountain. She wasn’t that helpless. At least she hoped not. However, the Bible did say pride goeth before a fall. At least that was how people generally quoted the Proverbs verse. She had looked it up once and found the pride went before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Wasn’t that just like people? To shorten and leave out parts when it came to Scripture. She was as guilty as the next person, but she didn’t want to think she had a haughty spirit. That sounded even worse than being prideful.
She did dread showing up at the hospital with evidence of her clumsiness. She didn’t want to be Jackson’s patient. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to be to Jackson, but the very thought of him made her heart beat a little faster. Or perhaps it was the pain shooting up her arm. That wretched dog. No, that wasn’t fair. The dog hadn’t intended to send her flying off the steps. He’d simply been overly friendly.
Was that what she was being with Jackson? Overly friendly? And apt to experience another fall, albeit a different sort of tumble. One that might hurt worse than this broken wrist. Fractured, the nurse had said. A heart could be broken or fractured too.
To keep from thinking about that or how her arm throbbed, she studied Jamie leading her horse. He sat on his horse as though born to a saddle.
That look he’d given Piper before they left the center was enough to melt Truda’s heart. If not for her unfortunate accident, the two young people might be sitting on the porch, doing some spooning. That sounded like a country word. When in Rome and all.
But it could be the young man was headed for disappointment. Oh, Truda had no doubt Piper was as taken with Jamie as the boy was with her, but sometimes romance wasn’t so simple. Truda could attest to that. A chance meeting with a young man years ago had perhaps raised her romance expectations too high, and now she had the impossible dream of recapturing that feeling.
Why did her thoughts keep circling back to Jackson Booker? She did hope he was a good doctor. Maybe that was all she should hope.
“Are you all right, Miss Danson?” Jamie looked back at her.
“Just peachy.” Jamie flinched, and Truda was sorry for how the words sounded.
“Sorry. I guess that was a dumb question.”
“No, really. I’m okay. Just wishing we were there already.” The light was fading among the trees and nothing looked familiar. Not that she’d paid much attention on the way up to the center. She’d just followed along. But shouldn’t she at least see something she remembered? The problem was, trees had a way of looking alike. “It’s getting dark.”
“I know.” Jamie slowed the horses. “It shouldn’t be much farther. I think I hear the river.”
Truda held her breath and listened. “I’m not sure about the river, but I am sure someone’s coming toward us through the woods.”
Miss Danson was right. Someone was coming. Jamie fought the urge to take off in a gallop rather than face another mountain man. But Miss Danson could barely keep her seat moving at a snail’s pace. Nothing for it but to hope they weren’t about to meet up with another Clem Baker or Mann Taylor.
When Miss Danson suddenly called out a hello, Jamie jumped and his horse took a side step.
“Easy, Sid.” Jamie gathered the reins. He’d hardly needed to use them since the horse appeared to know his way.
He looked around at Miss Danson, who shrugged a little. “I thought we could ask whoever it is if we are on the right path.”
“Whoever it is might not be friendly.”
Miss Danson frowned. “Why wouldn’t they be friendly? Everybody I’ve met since I got here has been friendly.”
She hadn’t met Mann Taylor, and he hoped she wouldn’t or anyone like him. A man on a mule came around a bend in the trail. At least no guns were in sight.
“Evening, ma’am.” The man stopped his mule beside them and tipped his hat at Miss Danson before his eyes tightened as he stared at Jamie. “This fellow giving you trouble?” The big man had a bushy red beard streaked with gray.
“Oh no,” Miss Danson said. “He’s helping me down the mountain to the hospital. I fell and broke my wrist. I hoped you could assure us we are on the right path since night is falling and we are strangers to this place.”
“What you two doing up here anyhow?” The man sounded a little less friendly.
“I’m a friend of Mrs. Breckinridge. We were visiting the Wilder Ridge Center.”
The man visibly relaxed at the mention of Mrs. Breckinridge. “I shoulda guessed you were one of her ladies, but generally one of those girls is escorting ’em instead of a feller.”
Jamie spoke up. “I’m just helping out. Running errands and such.”
“Is that so?” He studied Jamie a moment. “I reckon I’ll take your word for it, but others might not. Could be you oughta watch your step in these parts. You don’t look like you belong, and some get worried about them that look like they don’t belong.”
“Yes, sir. I’ve found that out.”
The man actually chuckled. “So who’d you run afoul of up here? Benny White or Mann Taylor?”
“Mr. Taylor pointed me toward the Wilder Ridge Center.” No need saying how he pointed him.
“Well, you don’t have to worry none about Malcom Jenkins. I’ll be glad to help you get on down to the hospital. The lady here looks plumb tuckered out, but my old mule, he’s steady as a rock. I’ll ride alongside her through the river to make sure she don’t fall in.”
“I’d be grateful.” Miss Danson did seem to be wobbling a bit in the saddle.
“Don’t you worry about a thing. Dr. Jack, he’s a good bonesetter. Took care of my boy when he fell out of a tree and broke his leg. Fixed him right up.”
Mr. Jenkins kept talking all the way down the hill. At the river, he guided them to the shallow ford, something Jamie might not have found in the near darkness.
When they splashed into the water, Jamie stored up the sight and sounds in his mind. Someday he might write a story with a river crossing. Perhaps an adventure story. Perhaps a love story with a happy ending.
He so wanted a happy ending to his own love story. He and Piper living happily ever after made his heart sing along with the sound of the water flowing downstream.
Once out of the river, Mr. Jenkins said, “Just head on up Thousandsticks Mountain. I need to get on home. The old woman will be fretting over me.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Jenkins. You’ve been such a help,” Miss Danson said. “The Lord must have sent you to make sure we found our way.”
“My pleasure, ma’am. You ever need any more help, you just give a shout out for Malcolm Jenkins.” He splashed back into the river.
At the hospital, Jamie dismounted beside a shiny black Ford roadster parked near the entrance. “Now that’s the way to travel,” Jamie said as he helped Miss Danson off her horse.
“Looks like something that should be on Louisville streets, not here,” Miss Danson said.
His stomach growled as he walked her into the hospital.
“Feeling a little lank?” she asked.
“I could go for a piece of that chicken Piper was frying.”
Miss Danson shook her head. “I can still barely believe Piper actually plucked a chicken.”
“As Nurse Freeman said, Piper’s a wonder.”
“That she is,” Miss Danson said.
A man in the hospital lobby turned toward them. “Did you say Piper?”
Braxton Crandall. The last man Jamie wanted to see. And now he was smiling at them, ready to steal Piper away from Jamie. Or perhaps simply step back into his place as her intended. Her father’s intended for her anyway. And why not? That slick roadster out in front of the hospital was just the tip of the iceberg of things Braxton Crandall could give Piper. Jamie didn’t have so much as a horse to call his own.
The man came toward them, concern on his face. “Miss Danson, you appear to be injured. I do hope nothing too serious.”
Miss Danson looked down at her arm. “A broken bone, I fear.” She smiled at Braxton before glancing over at Jamie. “Jamie helped me down the mountain. Jamie, have you met Braxton? Braxton Crandall.”
Jamie rubbed his hand off on his trousers and held it out for Braxton to grasp in a handshake. But what he wanted to do was sock the man in the jaw and tell him to drive that fancy car of his back to Louisville.
“Jamie?” Braxton gave him a questioning look. “Ah yes, Simon Russell’s little brother. I’ve been talking to Simon about his venture into radio set manufacturing.”
“Simon thinks everybody wants a radio, hard times or not.” Jamie pushed something he hoped resembled a smile out on his face.
“Indeed. He’s a progressive thinker. I’m sure you’re excited about his plans.”
“Yes.” Jamie didn’t bother explaining the only plans he was excited about were plans with Piper. If he had any chance for plans with her, now that Braxton Crandall was in Hyden. He turned to Miss Danson. “We need to find someone to help you.”
As if she heard him, a nurse came down the hall to take Miss Danson in hand and lead her away.
“I’ll check on you after I see to the horses,” Jamie called after her.
Miss Danson smiled over her shoulder at him. A smile that included Braxton Crandall. Jamie shifted on his feet. He was suddenly tired as the good memory of Piper’s lips on his drained away in the presence of this man.
“Horses? Do you have a horse?” Braxton Crandall asked. “They tell me I will need one to get to this Wendover place to see Piper.”
“Right. But the horses I need to take care of aren’t mine.”
“Whose are they? I could buy one of them.”
“Neither of these is for sale.”
“I get the feeling you don’t want me to make it to Wendover.” Braxton frowned a little.
“Not at all.” It wasn’t much of a lie. Jamie knew Piper wasn’t there, but she would be the next day. “Have someone here call Wendover. Somebody will bring a horse to escort you over. Especially if you say you want to talk to Mrs. Breckinridge about contributing to the Frontier Nursing Service.”
Braxton’s frown turned to a smile. “Actually, my mother is very interested in being a sponsor. She hopes to visit later in the year. I volunteered to come first to see the lay of the land.”
“And see Piper,” Jamie said.
“Yes. We’re going to be married after she gets this insane desire to do something different out of her system.”
Jamie’s throat felt tight, but he wouldn’t let this man see how his words upset him. “Getting married would be different.”
The man’s smile got wider. “So it would.”
“Do you love her?” Jamie shouldn’t have spoken that question out loud.
Braxton gave him a look. “I’m not sure why that matters to you.”
“Piper and I are old friends. I want her to be happy.”
“Oh, I see.” And he did appear to understand more than Jamie wanted him to. “Well, Jamie, let me assure you that I will love Piper. We might not have known each other long, the way you and Piper have, but love will grow between us.”
“That’s good to know.” Jamie managed to almost smile as he choked out the words.
Without bothering with a “nice to meet you” or to say that Piper was up in the hills and not at Wendover, Jamie headed outside to take care of the horses. Braxton Crandall would have to find Piper on his own.
But what would happen when he did? She might send him away. An uncomfortable feeling scratched around inside Jamie. What kind of life could he offer Piper when Crandall could provide for her every need, perhaps even love, if it had a chance to grow? He wanted to kick the side of the roadster as he passed by it, but all that would do was bruise his foot. He could almost hear Simon telling him it was time to grow up and face facts. Dreams didn’t always come true, and love didn’t always conquer all.