Suzanne rolled over in her bed, squinting up at the shaft of sunlight. What time was it? Had she overslept? She lay there for a moment, trying to analyze why this particular morning seemed different from all the others. She sat up on her elbow, listening. The air felt cold, stale, and the smell of fresh coffee was missing.
She tossed the covers back and grabbed her robe while shoving her feet into her worn house slippers. Remembering Luke Thomason was a guest here, she paused at the door, buttoning her robe all the way to her chin. Then she smoothed her hair back, cracked the door, and peered into the living room.
Luke was nowhere in sight. The blanket was folded neatly at the end of the sofa. Her eyes flew to the closed door of her father’s bedroom. Had Pa refused to make coffee because they had argued over the money spent for it? No, he didn’t hold grudges or stay mad. She tiptoed across the living room to her father’s bedroom and gently turned the knob.
He was still in bed, lying on his side, facing the wall. It wasn’t like him to stay in bed so late. Was something wrong? A sudden panic overtook her. The pain of losing her mother was still fresh in her heart. She couldn’t begin to comprehend what losing Hank would mean. Her heart lunged to her throat and for a moment, she was paralyzed by fear. Her lips parted, but she couldn’t force herself to call his name. What would she do if he didn’t respond? Her eyes clung to his back as her breath froze.
His shoulders rose and fell, ever so slightly. He was breathing evenly; he was all right. She heaved a sigh, weak with relief. She remembered their argument, the worry over money. He’d probably not slept well.
She closed the door gently, not wanting to disturb him.
“Thank You, God,” she said aloud, padding back across the living room. As long as Hank was alive, nothing seemed quite so bad. Passing the coffee table, she caught a flash of gold in the sunlight. She stopped, staring for several seconds before she realized what she was seeing. Slowly, she walked to the table and stared down at the wedding band, placed on a sheet of paper.
She sank onto the couch, not touching the ring or the paper, and sat there for a while. Then, drawing a deep breath, she reached forward, gently placing the wedding band on the table, and lifting the letter to read the masculine scrawl.
I can’t thank you enough for saving my life and sharing your home and food with me. I’m leaving the only thing of value that I own. Maybe you can sell it and get some money to tide you over. Thanks for your help.
Luke Thomason
Suzanne lifted the gold wedding band and studied it thoughtfully. It was not shiny and new, but softly burnished and worn—lovingly worn, no doubt. She turned the ring over, inspecting the inner side as a miniature design caught her eye. Two dainty hearts were joined together, with each heart holding a tiny initial. G in one heart, L in the other.
Luke.
She stared into space, feeling numbness give way to disappointment. She glanced at the closed door of the bedroom, wondering how Hank would take the news that Luke had deserted them, just when they needed him most. As for the ring, where did he expect her to hock a wedding band?
She leaped from the sofa, pacing the floor. The man would rather part with this ring, a loving link to his wife, than put in a few days’ work here, where he could see he was desperately needed!
Coward! She paced a wider circle, her steps moving quickly over the boards. She bit her lip, frustrated to tears, and another emotion battled her senses, frustrating her even more. She had been attracted to this man, and now she hated herself for it.
From the moment she’d found him, injured and bleeding to death, she had been struck by the fact that he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. And later, as she had cleaned the wound, bound his shoulder, and prepared and served him food, she had felt drawn to him, despite his reserve, which often bordered on rudeness.
Then she had decided he was a widower coming to Colorado Springs to forget the sorrow of losing his wife. She had wanted him to stay here with them, to bring the smile back to Hank’s face, to help her through this difficult time.
Her pacing ended at the table as she stared dumbly at the ring, then the letter. She leaned down, folded the letter over the wedding band, and wandered into her bedroom to place both in a drawer.
No way would she sell a wedding band with two hearts joined together just to buy a sack of oats for the horses! The man knew very little about Wiley’s Trading Post. Mattie needed cash, not a wedding band; Mattie already had one of those, and she would starve to death before she’d part with it. She couldn’t barter a wedding band for a ranch hand, which was what they needed most.
She yanked down her work clothes from a shelf, unable to stem the frustration boiling through her. Of course she could sell gold in Colorado Springs, but she didn’t have the money to get there!
“Suzanne…”
“Coming,” she called at the sound of her father’s voice. She tugged on her clothes and hurried barefoot across the living room floor, poking her head into the bedroom.
“My chest is giving me some trouble this morning,” Hank said, pushing himself up on the pillow. “Since you’ve got Luke to help you, maybe I’ll just stay in bed awhile longer.”
“Good idea, Pa.”
Never could she recall her pa staying in bed. The old fear rose in her anew as she walked to his bed and looked down into his face. She didn’t like the bluish tint to his skin. She pressed her palm against his forehead. No fever. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“My ribs are not as sore,” he said, attempting a grin. “That’s a blessing.”
“A big one.” She smiled, patting his shoulder. “You lie still while I go whip up the biscuits.”
He shook his head. “Don’t have any appetite this morning. But I need my coffee.”
“You’ll have it in a jiffy.”
She hurried back to the kitchen, more grateful than ever that she’d bought coffee. There was no point in telling him that Luke had hightailed it. For now, she’d let him think Luke was checking out the back forty.
She grabbed the battered tin pot and reached for the water bucket. She was angrier than ever at Luke—they had saved his life, and yet he had deserted them just when he was needed most.