On the Mountain (32 page)

He had just shut the door quietly behind him when he saw Kathleen heading towards him.  The look on her face reflected her shock at seeing him emerge from Anna’s room so early, then quickly turned to concern.  “Is she all right?”

“Yes.”  He nodded, “But no, she hasn’t woken.”

Her eyes became fidgety as she darted a worried look between the door to his room and Wade.  “Maybe we should send for the doctor.”

He hesitated, before nodding sadly.  “I’ll send Neil.”

They parted then, Kathleen going in to see Anna, while Wade headed for the back staircase to the kitchen.  Putting the kettle on, he went over to the back door and began slipping his boots on, when he heard footsteps running overhead.

“Wade,” Kathleen sounded breathless as she appeared at the top of the stairs.  “She’s awake.”

A new unidentified emotion swept the course of his body.  Wade wasn’t sure if he wanted to break out in a smile or cry.  He did neither.  “I’ll have Neil fetch the doctor immediately.”

“She spoke Wade.”  His sister added softly.  “She asked for you.”

He froze.  It just wasn’t the fact that she spoke that had him stunned, but the impact of those words.  He questioned his ability to remain strong when she looked up at him with those huge melancholy brown eyes.

“I’ll come up as soon as I return.”

He ran down to the bunkhouse and woke Neil, telling him to hitch his horse and ride into town as fast as possible.  His presence woke the rest of the men who started talking excitedly about Anna’s updated condition.  Since he actually hadn’t seen her, Wade didn’t quite feel the same enthusiasm.

Stepping outside the bunkhouse he stopped and looked up at the house.  It was still dark except for a light from the kitchen.  His room faced the river so he wasn’t able to see the light burning from there, but he knew she was in there, waiting for him.  He couldn’t explain the feeling that caused his feet to drag as he made his way back to the house and Anna.

Inside the kitchen, the kettle was boiling furiously.  He poured a cup of coffee before heading upstairs.  The door to his room was open and he could see Kathleen hovering over Anna, speaking in low tones.  Too low for him to make out anything coherent, but Wade didn’t care much what she had to say.  His eyes instantly drew to Anna’s face.  It was still pale, but her eyes were now open.

He walked into the room and her gaze darted from Kathleen to him immediately.  An expression crossed her face and he thought she would cry, but instead she said, “I remember.”

A funny tingling sensation rippled down his spine at the sound of her voice.  No matter how prepared he was for it, it still had an impact on him.  He frowned and came closer.  “What are you talking about?”

“In the village,” she said in a breathless whisper and he felt his insides do a painful twist.  It was a memory he had hoped she would never recover.  He could only imagine the horror she had endured.

“You don’t have to talk about it now,” he said quietly and tried to sound as comforting as possible.

“It’s the constable,” she spat out in a hoarse tone.  Obviously, after so long of not speaking, she was finding it difficult.

Wade frowned and tried not to think about that.  “What about him?”

“There were three of them.”  Her eyes winced and she touched her jaw.

“Hush, don’t try to talk, Anna, your jaw has been fractured.”  He wished with his entire being he could take her suffering away.  Both physical and emotional.

But she continued to speak, her eyes growing dark as she asked, “The two men down by the river?”

His face cringed at the mention of the men but assured Anna.  “They’re dead.”

Relief filled her eyes, but just as swiftly flooded with pain.  “They killed my family.”

He nodded.  “We figured they had something to do with it.”

“And the constable.”

Wade froze.

“He was there.  He killed those women.”  Her voice cracked, recalling the hateful memory.

“Anna,” Kathleen interfered.  “Don’t think about it now.  You still need your rest.”

Wade felt a heated rage building up inside.  He had felt there was something suspicious about the constable, which had only been reinforced with his disappearance.  But he never imagined he actually had anything to do with the massacre.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded and looked like she wanted to cry again.

He reached out and touched her leg covered by the bed sheet.  “Kathleen is right.  You need your rest to rebuild your strength.  I brought some coffee, but if you wouldn’t mind waking Elizabeth, Kathleen, maybe she would be so kind as to make Anna some breakfast.”

His sister nodded, then hurried out of the room.  When she was gone he stood there silently, not looking at Anna.

“Kathleen told me you saved my life.”  Her speech was hushed and his eyes automatically swung back to her face.  “Thank you.”

He felt a stab of pain and looked away.  Her gratitude was just salt in the wound.

“I’ve sent for the doctor.”  He steadied his voice before looking back down at her.  She lay peacefully in his bed.  Her beautiful face pale against his dark pillows.  His eyes shifted and he noticed the purplish swelling of her fractured jaw and felt a rush of emotion.  Involuntarily, his gaze drifted up and settled on her pale lips.

“Wade?”  It was just a small whimper, but there was definitely a trace of longing.

His heart felt wretched as he forced his eyes back to hers and saw the desperate look in her eyes.  From deep inside, he felt a stirring response.  Then the moment was shattered when Prescott came flying into the room and Wade looked away.

“It’s true.  You’re awake.  Thank God.”

“Hello Prescott.”  She attempted to offer a smile, but her jaw was obviously too painful.

His brows shot high.  “And speaking.  My God, how wonderful.”

She actually blushed and put color into her cheeks for the first time.  “Yes.”

Wade stepped away from the bed.  “I’m going to ride over to the RCMP station and let them know what you told me about the constable.”

Her eyes flew to his face and he could tell she didn’t want him to leave, but Wade headed for the door without looking back.

“What’s this about the constable?”  Prescott inquired, obviously perplexed.

“Anna can inform you,” he told his brother and bid them farewell.  “I’ll be back in several hours.”

Without another parting glance, he left them and headed for the barn to saddle Sty.  He couldn’t allow his mind to recall the suffering in her eyes, for at that moment he felt like a murderous man. If the RCMP did not reach the constable before Wade tracked him down, he had every intention of making the lawman his third victim.

* * *

Anna attempted to eat the breakfast that Elizabeth had made, but found it far too difficult to swallow.  Her jaw throbbed painfully when she tried to speak so found she did little of both after Wade hurried out of the room.  She had wanted him to stay but knew what she wanted and what Wade wanted, differed greatly.

Kathleen proved a boundless outlet for information.  She talked for the entire duration it took for the doctor to arrive and filled in missing gaps of time for Anna.  Not surprisingly, she was shocked to discover that she had been unconscious for nearly two days.  Both Kathleen and Elizabeth had been her main caregivers to which Anna was eternally grateful.  Though she was covered in a borrowed night gown, she wasn’t sure how she felt if either Wade or Prescott had ministered to her while she was unconscious.  In particular, Wade.  She already burned bright red from the knowledge that it was he who had carried her naked body up from the river.

She thought the doctor had arrived when the lower level of the house broke out into a loud commotion.  The woman sitting across from her frowned, as she had heard it as well, then got up to investigate.  She had just reached the corridor when Prescott came running up the back staircase.  He was breathing hard and sounded excited.  However, not in his usual Prescott way.  Instead, his voice was laced with concern.

“Neil said he saw Wade and a bunch of the ranch hands heading out of town, north of the Durand Pass.”

Anna frowned and listened closely.

“Whatever for?”  Kathleen questioned.

“Search party,” Prescott said point of fact.  “I’m going to ride out and see if I can’t catch up.”

“Maybe that isn’t such a good idea.”  She sounded worried and Anna still wasn’t clear as to the meaning of their conversation.  “It’s too dangerous.  Wade knows what he’s doing.”

“You don’t understand, Kathleen.  I don’t plan on joining him.”  His voice was bland as he told her, “I plan on stopping him.  If he tracks down the constable before the mounted police do, he’ll kill him.”

Anna’s heart stopped beating for an entire minute.  A man could be hung for the murder of a lawman.  Fear lodged deep in her throat.  Throwing back the bed sheets, she pulled herself up to a sitting position.  A sharp pain pierced her chest, but she dragged her limp legs over the edge of the bed.

“My God, what are you doing?”  Kathleen came running back into the room.

“It’s all my fault.”  Her words were slightly slurred and didn’t sound nearly as clear as she would have wanted.  “I have to stop Wade.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said with determination, then with less conviction added, “Prescott will find him.”

She shook her head and pleaded with her eyes, but the presence of another man entering the room stopped her from saying anything.  He was an older gentleman of whom she had never seen before.  Instinctively, her guard went up and she drew the bed sheet closer around her body.

“Thank God, Doctor.”  Kathleen declared, obviously relieved to see him.  “She’s going to make herself ill again.”

“Whoa there, young lady.”  He put his black bag down quickly and came over to put a pair of gentle hands on Anna’s shoulders and ease her back down on the bed.  “You’re going to put all my good work to waste.”

“I’m sorry,” she said this with a clenched mouth.  Her jaw was truly starting to hurt now.  “But I have to stop Wade.”

“I don’t know what all this nonsense is about, but you will do no such thing.”  He frowned down hard at her as he studied her face.  “Is your jaw beginning to throb?”

She nodded weakly and he gave an understanding nod.  “It’s beginning to swell as well as turn a lovely shade of blue.”

Anna watched as he turned back to his black bag and removed a white gauze bandage.  “Other than your jaw, how are you feeling?”

She didn’t want to think about herself, there was a more pressing matter of stopping Wade.  Her eyes pleaded with his sister once more, who only gave her a sympathetic look.  “Um, fine I guess.  I’m a little hungry.”

The doctor chuckled.  “Well, that is always a good sign.”

He walked back to her and unfolded the bandage.  “What’s that for?”

“You fractured your jaw,” he told her.  “Now that you’re awake, we’ll need to wrap it up so that when you talk or eat, you don’t dislocate it.”

She shifted uncomfortably on the bed, a sense of unease still about her, but the pain in her chest caused her to wince once again.

The doctor frowned down at her.  “Has it been painful?”

“Only when I move.”  She offered reluctantly.

“Understandably.”  He wrapped the white gauze under her chin, then up and around her head several times before pinning it securely in place.  When he was finished, he gently placed his hands on the opening of the evening gown she wore, and Anna recoiled instantly.  “It’s all right.  I just want to have a look.”

She took a deep breath and allowed him to push the clothing aside and expose her partially naked chest.  Anna kept her eyes diverted and without realizing it, held her breath until at last he put the gown back in place.  “Starting to bleed some so I think I’ll change the wrapping now.”

“Did you need some help?”  Kathleen inquired.

“That would be lovely.”  He smiled over at her.  “Could you bring a bowl of warm water and fresh towels?”

She nodded, then hurried out of the room.  When she was gone, Anna looked up at him and asked, “When can I get up?”

“I imagine not for several days.  You’ll need to rebuild your strength and allow your injuries to heal.”

A tormented crease formed between her brows.

“He’ll be all right, Anna,” the doctor surprised her by saying.  “I’ve known Wade Haddock all of his life.  Helped deliver both him and his siblings.”

Her eyes shifted to his face.

“I suppose that makes me quite an old man in your opinion.”  He smiled but continued.  “It also has brought many men of different backgrounds and characters through my medical office, but there hasn’t been any quite like your Wade.”

Anna blushed hotly.  He certainly wasn’t
her
Wade and if he had overheard the doctor make such a ludicrous remark, he would be sure to send Anna on her way. 

She eyed the doctor closely.  “How many other people know about my identity?”

His brows arched, but he continued with his task.  “Well, if I were to guess, I would probably say everyone.  Word has certainly spread like wildfire in town.”