Chapter 5

“Why would you send a cowboy to make that long trip into town now when we can just wait until Bliss gets back and she can make out her grocery list? It’s about time for the supply trip anyway. We can take out two birds with one stone,” Colt explained to his boss the next morning.

“That won’t work. You know how she always insists on going on the supply trips,” Sherman objected.

“Not when she has a new husband to see to,” Colt said, speaking the very words searing a pain into his gut.

Sherman looked up at him from his place at the head of the table in the main house at the ranch. He thought a moment, and Colt held his breath.

“I guess you have a point,” he finally admitted.

Colt silently released the breath he had been holding captive and resisted a smile of triumph. “Also,” he said. “I think it would be best if I went on that trip. I know what Bliss wants, and I think I should get the supplies since I’ll be heading up the whole thing. I can take Dawson with me when he gets back.”

Sherman seemed to like that idea. “That’s not a bad point. I supposed I can spare you for a week or so. You’ll have to wait until Bliss gets back and give her a few days to get the list together.”

Colt nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Good. Now get to work,” Sherman told him.

Colt spun on his heel and walked down the hall toward the front door. He swung open the oak door and walked out onto the front porch. As he walked toward the bunkhouse containing his office, he pumped his fist and smiled.

“Smith, ain’t you supposed to be out with the herd this morning?” he called out to one of the cowboys walking lazily around the barn.

The man nodded and walked off to the barn to gather his horse.

Colt walked with a little pep in his step. He had actually worked it out for Miss Steele to get to a real doctor. She might even remember why she had come to Arizona in the first place.

You did good, Kidd. You actually did good.

*****

Two days passed and Colt was beginning to dread Bliss returning home. She was expected any day now. He don’t know how he would react to seeing her smiling face again as she looked up at Clint. He had tried to set aside his feelings of hurt and be happy for them, but he hadn’t succeeded so far. Every time she saw her smile at Clint, jealously washed over him and he couldn’t shake it. How was it that he could grow up with Bliss, and yet she had known Clint only a few months when they were married. It made no sense.

Miss Steele hadn’t improved much. She was able to remember things for a longer time, but she was still confused a lot of times. Doc continued to stay at the line shack with them in order to keep an eye on her. Colt hadn’t had much of a chance to talk to her, or even see her, since that one night when she had awakened him. While part of him wanted to talk to her. To get to know her the small bit that he could in her current state, another part of him wanted to stay as far away as possible. Something about her - maybe the uncertainty - screamed for him to take caution. Something steered him away and he couldn’t put his finger on it.

He sat at his desk, his feet propped up on the edge of his desk and a pencil in his mouth, shifting through some papers that needed sorted out into their respective piles. It was around quitting time, but he needed to get through the last stack of papers so that he would have them finished.

Suddenly, whoops and yells came from outside. Colt jerked up from his seat and took the pencil from his mouth, walking to the small window that faced the main house. As soon as the scene registered in his mind, his heart sank and his gut turned to iron.

Bliss was back.

Part of him wanted to sink into the floor at that moment. He didn’t know if he could face her and Clint yet. He walked back to his desk and sat down. He needed a few minutes to compose himself before going out. He sorted out the last of the papers and rubbed his forehead.

You know what, Kidd? You’ve got to stop being this way. You’re gonna march right out there and you’re gonna look happy about it. Bliss is happily married and that ought to mean a lot to you. So stop it with this whipped puppy stuff and slap a smile on that face of yours.

Colt stood up again, and this time he headed for the door of the bunkhouse. He gripped the doorknob and twisted it until the door opened.

Bliss was encircled in her father’s arms, laughing with him while her hand was still attached to her husband’s. Colt took a deep breath and walked across the yard until he neared them.

Clint turned to him and smiled. “I was wondering where you were.”

Bliss turned around to face him, and Colt nearly forgot his words. “I… um… I had some work to finish up on. Did ya’ll have a good trip?” Colt extended his hand to Clint.

Clint took it and shook his hard. Really hard. The man had a grip on him. Colt hoped he was gentler with Bliss, though by the way their hands were constantly clasped together told him that his grip on her was more comfortable.

“We did, thank you,” Bliss smiled. “You wouldn’t believe how big the city is, Colt. It’s huge! I didn’t get to explore most of it because… well…” she glanced at her husband as a faint blush came over her cheeks. “Well, I was preoccupied, but what I did see was absolutely marvelous! Clint wasn’t amazed as I was, because he’s been in a lot of big cities, but it was truly amazing! You’ll have to see it sometime.”

As Bliss chattered on and on about the sights of the big city, but Colt hardly heard a word. She was truly happy. Her eyes sparkled and shone, her face had a glow to rival the sun, and her hand never left Clint’s. She was the happiest he had ever seen her. Knowing and seeing that made that pang in his stomach seem a little less sharp, for he knew that Clint would take good care of her.

After all, even Sherman approved of the man.

Maybe Bliss would be understanding about Jessie Steele. She might even be of some help in her care. He would as Granny what she thought of that later.

He felt an urgency to get back to the line shack and check on the people there. The feeling came out of nowhere, and he tried to convince himself that it was simply to get away from the joyous celebration of Bliss‘ return.

“Why don’t we all go into the house? Grace has been cooking all day hoping that you would come home today. Will you join us, Colt?” Sherman asked.

Colt smiled but took a step back. “I’ve got to get back to Granny.”

“How is she doing?” Bliss asked.

Colt shrugged. “She’s still Granny.”

“Tell her hi for me, will you? And bring her to see me some time,” Bliss smiled.

She and Granny had always got a long famously.

“I’ll do it,” Colt smiled briefly back at her. “It’s good to have you two back.”

With that, he dismissed himself and walked toward the barn, trying to block out the happy voices behind him.

*****

Jessie sighed and watched as Carby held up a dress for her view after explaining to her why she was in this strange place. It still made no sense to her, and she longed to see her mother, but she refrained from asking more questions.

“I like this color grey, and I think that it would go good with your complexion,” Carby said.

“What happened to my dresses? I didn’t have any with me?” Jessie asked.

Carby shook her head. “You had nothing but that thing.”

Jessie followed the woman’s finger as it jabbed in the direction of her dark blue dress. It had been one of her favorites, only now it looked ruined.

“What happened to the flounces?” she asked the older lady.

“They were ripped up terribly, so I had to take them off to salvage the garment,” Carby explained.

Jessie sighed and looked back at the plain grey dress that Carby held up for her. It wasn’t as glorious as the ones she was used to wearing back home, but it would have to do. She wasn’t in Myrtleville anymore, anyway.

“Do you think it will fit me?” Jessie’s hand flew self-consciously to her stomach, as she taken a habit of doing whenever anyone mentioned anything about her appearance.

Carby waved her question away with a flick of her wrist. “Of course it will fit, honey. Besides, you need something to wear besides that nightdress if you go to town to see the doctor there.”

“How will I get there?” Jessie asked. Surely Carby wasn’t taking her.

“My grandson and his friend have it all figured out. They will take you,” Carby said, hanging the grey dress beside Jessie’s dark blue one.

Jessie tried holding back a smile. The one who had saved her. She had seen his friend once today when he came in to check on her earlier, though she couldn’t quite remember his name. She hadn’t seen this grandson yet. Was he handsome? Was he kind and gentle? It wouldn’t do for her hero to be a grizzly.

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” Carby called.

Jessie pulled the blanket up to her chin and sank low in the bed. No daughter of Myra Steele would allow herself to be seen in such a state. She smoothed as much hair as she could behind her ears and looked down to make sure her legs were covered.

“Granny? I just wanted to let you know that I’m home and Bliss came back today. She’ll have that list written up in no time,” a man’s voice said.

It wasn’t an overly deep voice, but it was kind enough. Jessie slid her gaze to the door to catch a glimpse of her hero.

A glimpse turned into an all-out stare. He was marvelous! Never before had she seen a man such as him back in South Carolina. Except for Adam. This man didn’t hold a candle to her Adam.

Feeling guilty for having gawked at a man other than her betrothed, Jessie sank deeper under the blanket over her and diverted her gaze.

“That’s good news, Colt. Miss Steele if feeling some better today, I think,” Carby glanced over at Jessie with a smile.

“How’s your head?” the man, Colt, asked her.

Jessie’s hand went up to touch the bandages that his friend had changed out earlier that day. “It hurts a bit, but it’s tolerable.”

Colt nodded at her words and looked back over at his grandmother. “Once Bliss gets that list written up, I’ll let you know. And you can start packing. We’ll leave in the next few days. We’ll have to pull this thing off without a hitch to keep if from Sherman.”

“Who’s Sherman?” the question slipped out before Jessie could stop it.

Colt looked back at her with a small smile that didn’t reach his azure eyes. “He’s the man we’re keeping you from, ma’am. Not to worry though, he won’t know a thing.”

Jessie nodded slightly, not quite understanding. Why were they keeping her from this man? Did he not like them? What if her being here was endangering their lives?

Jessie took a deep breath to ward off the silly thoughts. She had to trust this family. They were her only hope.

*****

Colt blinked his eyes against the morning sun and sighed with dread of the day. He didn’t want to go to the ranch and see Bliss and her happy face. Then, it hit him. It was Sunday. He didn’t have to work on Sundays. Blowing out a relieved breath and sitting up, he noticed that the sun shone a little brighter knowing that fact.

He looked around the room and noticed that Doc was still asleep. His grandmother was also still sound asleep in her room, giving him a few minutes alone. Colt placed the coffee pot on the burner and filled it with water.

A rustling sound came from the room to his left, and he paused. Was Miss Steele already stirring? What if she was trying to move around on her leg, not knowing what had happened to it?

Colt walked up to the door and forgot to knock in his worry.

Miss Steele was leaned out of the bed, reaching across the bedside table to the dresser beyond it, where his faded, leather bound Bible lay.

“Problem, ma’am?” he asked.

She froze. Her gaze slowly slid upward until it stopped on his face. “Hi, Mr. Kidd,” she smiled. “Can you get that for me?”

Colt walked over and retrieved the Bible before holding it out to her. He suddenly stopped.

“What did you just say?"

Merry Christmas guys!!