To Tame a Renegade (5 page)

“Yes, it’s the best thing for her. Are you tired?” “A little. Where are you going to sleep?” “Let’s get you settled first.” He pulled the trundle from beneath the bed and smoothed the covers in place. He was about to tell Abner to climb in when he heard Sarah moan. “Tell you what. You can sleep on the sofa and I’ll take the trundle. Your mama might wake up during the night and need something.”

Abner thought about that a moment and decided it would be great fun. He’d never slept on the sofa before.

The house was quiet as Chad tugged off his tight buckskin trousers and jacket, removed his white linen shirt, then turned the lamp down low and climbed beneath the covers of the trundle. Weary to the bone, he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him. He hadn’t been in bed ten minutes when he heard Sarah thrashing about. When he went to check on her he found her burning with fever and shivering at the same time. She was shaking so hard the entire bed was shaking with her.

Cursing the unlucky star that brought him to Carbon, Chad found the medicine the doctor left for fever and painstakingly spooned a measure down Sarah’s throat. When her shivering continued unabated, Chad sighed helplessly, shucked off his longjohns, pulled back the blanket, and slid into bed beside her. Sharing his body heat was the only way he knew to warm her. When he took her into his arms, a tiny breath slipped past her lips and she burrowed into him. His loins tightened and he could feel his body responding to the soft woman’s flesh molded against him.

Chad groaned as he tried to turn his lustful thoughts to something less dangerous. It didn’t work The woman in his arms was still there, still snuggled against him, making him hard as stone, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Except leave. And he’d do that as soon as he found someone to care for Sarah and her boy. Chad wanted no responsibilities, no commitments, no entanglements. He had left Dry Gulch and a prosperous ranch to escape obligations he couldn’t handle.

During the night Sarah’s fever broke and Chad left her bed. He knew she wouldn’t appreciate waking up and finding him beside her, no matter what his excuse. He still hadn’t decided whether Sarah Temple was a laundress or a whore and he told himself he didn’t care. All he wanted was out of here.

Chad was up and dressed when Sarah awoke. She appeared startled to find him in her bedroom. “I thought you’d be gone by now.”

“I’m fixing to leave soon. How do you feel?”

“Better. I just need to get these bandages off.”

“That won’t be for a while. Are you hungry? I’ll fix something for you and the boy to eat before I leave.”

Sarah refused to look at him, recalling how he had stripped her bare last night before slipping her nightgown over her head. “There’s very little food in the house. I was going to the store as soon as Mrs. Kilmer paid me for doing her laundry. The laundry! I have to get up and finish it”

She tried unsuccessfully to get out of bed, crying out in pain when she put pressure on her arms. She was utterly helpless and she didn’t like the feeling. She had depended on herself too many years to let this injury stop her from taking care of herself and Abner.

“You won’t be doing anyone’s laundry for a long time,” Chad said. “Mrs. Kilmer took her dirty clothes back home yesterday and all I can say is good riddance. What a vicious woman.”

Sarah groaned in dismay. “That woman is my bread and butter. I hope you didn’t offend her.”

Chad shrugged, recalling the heated exchange between him and Mrs. Kilmer. “Forget the woman. You probably don’t remember that I bought groceries yesterday after I called on your parents. I know how to cook oats, would you like some?”

All vestiges of color drained from Sarah’s face. “You went to see my parents? Whatever for? How did you know about them?”

“Doc Clayter told me who your parents were and where to find them.”

“How dare you interfere in my life!”

“Look, lady, I could have just ridden out of town and left you and Abner to fend for yourselves but I thought your parents should know about your accident. Someone has to take care of you and the boy.”

“It won’t be my parents, as I’m sure you found out. They disowned me years ago.”

Chad searched her face, wondering how she could speak about it so calmly. “So they told me. I never met a more self-righteous pair of fanatics in my life. What happened?”

“It’s a long story. One I’m sure you found out. They disowned me years ago.”

Chad searched her face, wondering how she could speak about it so calmly. “So they told me. I never met a more self-righteous pair of fanatics in my life. What happened?”

“It’s a long story. One I’m sure won’t interest you since you’ll be leaving soon. Goodbye, Mr. Delaney.”

Ungrateful wretch, Chad thought but did not say. What would she have done had he left? “I’ll be more than happy to turn this job over to someone else. I’m not any good in the sick room. I’ll fix something for you and Abner to eat, then I’ll be leaving for awhile.” He turned toward the door.

“Wait!” Sarah said. She hated to ask Chad Delaney for anything but this matter was most pressing. “Could you please help me get out of bed before you leave? There is something I… need to do.”

Chad started to refuse but the pained look on her face changed his mind. It suddenly occurred to him what she might need. He nodded then returned to the bed. With Sarah’s help he managed to raise her without hurting her too badly.

“Anything else you need?” Chad asked with wry amusement. Color had returned to her cheeks and he suspected it was due to embarrassment.

“There’s a chamberpot inside the commode,” she said, refusing to look him in the eye. “Just remove it and set it on the floor beside the bed, please.”

Chad did as she asked. “Do you need any help?”

Sarah shook her head. It was bad enough that a virtual stranger had undressed her. Her bodily functions were private and she was determined they remain that way. It would be difficult but somehow she’d manage this on her own.

Abner was waiting in the kitchen for Chad to prepare breakfast. “I already washed,” Abner said, showing Chad his hands. “Can we eat now?”

“As soon as I fire up the stove and cook the oatmeal. I’ll bet your mama is hungry, too. Why don’t you go on in and see her while I put on the coffee and cook us up a pot of oats. That ought to fill your empty tummy.”

Abner skipped out of the room and Chad set to work. A half-hour later he found a tray and carried coffee, a bowl of gruel, and a slice of browned bread into the bedroom. He found Abner sitting on the bed chatting with his mother. The chamberpot was nowhere in sight so he assumed Sarah had managed on her own.

“Your breakfast is on the kitchen table, Abner. Go on in and eat while I feed your mother.”

Sarah watched warily as Chad set the tray down on the bed and brought a spoonful of oats to her mouth. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Dammit, just shut up and eat I’m not here because I want to be and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make this any harder for me than it already is.”

Sarah opened her mouth for a scathing reply and found it filled with oatmeal. He kept her so busy chewing and swallowing she found little opportunity to say anything. Before she knew it the bowl was empty and the coffee cup drained down to the last dregs. Replete, she settled back against the pillows and sighed.

“Thank you, I guess I was hungrier than I thought. It’s been a long time since I could afford coffee.”

“You should eat more. You could use some meat on your bones, you’re skinny as a rail.”

Red patches blossomed on Sarah’s cheeks. Chad Delaney was no gentleman. No doubt he had looked his fill when he’d helped her off with her clothes last night. How in the world had something like this happened? She was as helpless as a kitten and dependent upon a strange man. A man who exuded danger, but one who possessed a tiny spark of compassion despite his rough exterior. Chad Delaney was a hard man on the outside, but Sarah suspected that deep down there was goodness in him. Dimly she wondered what had made him that way, and what it would take for him to rediscover his inherent kindness.

Chad walked into the doctor’s office just as Clayter was bidding goodbye to a patient He spotted Chad and motioned him into his examining room. “How’s my patient? I planned to look in on her later.”

“Sarah seems better this morning, but that’s not why I’m here. I spoke with her parents yesterday and the ‘good’ reverend and his wife refused to acknowledge their daughter. They ignored her plight and flatly refused to help her. There has to be someone who will take care of Sarah and Abner for a couple of weeks. I understand Sarah has a brother and sister.”

The doctor gave a snort of derision. “You’ll find no help there.”

“Nevertheless, I have to try. Tell me where to find them.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Delaney. I’ll write their addresses down for you. Ruth lives outside of town but Jacob resides in Carbon with his wife and children.”

“Wish me luck. Doc. I can’t stick around town much longer. I’m not cut out to be a nursemaid. Besides, I’ve seen the havoc women cause and don’t need that kind of trouble.”

“There’s a world of anger inside you, Delaney,” Doc said, ‘Just see that you don’t direct it at Sarah and her boy.”

Chapter 3

C
had was angry. Angrier than he’d ever been in his life and that was saying a lot. Talking to Sarah’s brother had been an utter waste of time. Jacob Temple had refused to discuss his sister Sarah, or even admit he had a sister by that name. Chad got the impression that Jacob was as unbending and unforgiving as his father. He spouted scripture and claimed to be a deacon of the church. He’d said he had no sympathy for whores and wouldn’t lift a hand to help one.

Chad had left before the urge to smash the sanctimonious fool in the face became too strong to repress. Now he was on his way to the home of Ruth Temple Stout, Sarah’s sister. Chad had no idea what he’d do should Sarah’s sister refuse to lend a hand. He cursed beneath his breath. If he didn’t have bad luck he wouldn’t have any luck at all. His life was going from bad to worse.

Chad arrived at the neat clapboard ranch house situated at the end of a dusty road. Everything about the ranch exuded modest prosperity. A woman came out on the porch to meet him before he could dismount. Two small children clung to her skirts. She looked like an older version of Sarah but in Chad’s opinion she had none of Sarah’s appeal.

“My husband isn’t here. Do you have business with him?”

“I came to see you, ma’am,” Chad said, doffing his hat. “You are Ruth Temple, aren’t you?”

“Ruth Temple Stout,” she corrected. A wary look came over her face as she slowly backed toward the door. “I don’t know you. What business do you have with me?”

Chad dismounted and Ruth’s alarm increased. Chad sought to ease her fear. “I mean you no harm, ma’am. I came about your sister.”

“Sister? I have no sister. Perhaps you’d better leave.”

Chad grit his teeth in frustration. “What about Sarah? Have you disowned her, too?”

Ruth had the grace to flush. “Sarah chose the kind of life she leads. She’s an embarrassment to our family, to the entire town, if you want the truth of it. Father disowned her years ago and I’d be disloyal to the family if I acknowledged her. Why are you here? Who are you?”

“I’m Chad Delaney. I know your sister.”

Ruth rolled her eyes. “I’ll bet you do. Please state your business, Mr. Delaney, then kindly leave.”

For all the good it would do him, Chad decided to appeal to Ruth’s compassion, if she possessed any. “Your sister was injured in an accident yesterday and she needs your help. Both her arms and hands are swathed in bandages and she’s unable to care for herself and Abner.”

Ruth gave him an incredulous look. “And you expect me to help? I’m sorry, but you’ve come all this way for nothing. My reputation in this town is exemplary and I won’t have it besmirched by associating with Sarah. I’ve risen above her sinful reputation and maintain my standing in town despite it. Good day, Mr. Delaney.”

Has the whole world gone mad? Chad wondered. He’d thought his own problems were formidable but Sarah Temple’s were overwhelming. Now what in the hell was he going to do? Come what may, he was going to ride out of Carbon and forget he’d ever met a woman named Sarah Temple, he told himself as he mounted and rode away.