Dr. Carr threw back the coverlet without warning, and Reed could feel Charity's chagrin. Her color darkened as Dr. Carr
unwrapped
his leg and addressed her casually.
"Get over here and look at this, Chastity." When she hesitated he said, "Come closer, woman! You're partly responsible for this and you should see it." Not bothering to look down at his wound, Reed kept his gaze trained on Chastity's face as she came to stand beside the bed.
"Well, what do you think?"
"It looks fine."
"It looks better than fine!" Dr. Carr addressed Reed. "Either that collar you wear gave you some special help from On High, or Chastity and I just make a damned good team, because that wound of yours looks to be almost free of infection! At this rate, you'll be on your feet in a week."
"A week!"
"A week?"
Dr. Carr looked at Reed, then at Chastity. He frowned. "What's wrong with you two? I'd say you should be pretty damned satisfied to see things going so smoothly."
Chastity smiled weakly. "I'm satisfied."
Reed grated, "I'm not. I'm getting up now."
Dr. Carr gave a short laugh. "You're not serious."
"I'm serious, all right." Reed boosted himself to a seated position. A week was out of the question. He needed to be on his feet nowand no one was going to hold him back.
"Don't be a fool! Stay where you are."
Reacting sharply to Dr. Carr's order, Reed grated, "This is the way it is, Doc. I'll get up now, while you're here to help me, or I'll get up by myself, after you're gone."
"You're not ready to start walking, yet."
"I'm ready to get on my feet, and that's what I'm going to do."
"Reed, Dr. Carr knows what's best for you."
Dr. Carr exploded, "Don't waste your breath, Chastity! You should know this man by now, because I surely do! He wants to get up, and he's not going to let it go until he does! Well, we'll give him what he wants, and he'll be flat on his back again in a minute."
Not speaking again until he had rubbed a foul-smelling salve into the wound, Dr. Carr rewrapped the bandage,
then
addressed Chastity abruptly.
"All right, I'll take one arm. You can take the other."
Chastity glanced down at Reed's unclothed state, her skin flushing hotly. "But… shouldn't he at least put on his pants?"
Dr. Carr glared. "What's the matter with you, woman? He's only going to be on his feet for a few minutes!"
"But
"But, but. Just take his arm when I tell you to!"
Chastity's gaze met Reed's with true panic.
Reed's intense stare held hers, and Chastity could feel perspiration bead on her brow and upper lip. It was bad enough to tend to an only partially clothed man when he was lying helpless and needy in bed, but…
Reed slid his legs down onto the floor and the quivering within Chastity turned to quaking. Somehow, seated upright, poised to stand, he looked bigger and broader. His hair looked
more blond
. His eyes looked
more blue
. His body looked more…
naked
.
"Grab his arm!"
Chastity jumped to Reed's side at Dr. Carr's command. Her heart fluttered in her chest as Reed slid his arm across her shoulders. His arm was heavy and warm. His callused palm brushed the flesh of her upper arm, and a tremor moved down her spine. The pure male scent of him increased that tremor to an inner shuddering as she moved supportively closer.
Pain twitched across Reed's face, and Chastity asked instinctively, ''Are you all right?" She was unprepared for his sudden glance toward her for the moment when his incredible blue eyes linked with hers. The shock of the contact jolted through her, as did the abrupt realization that Reed needed her at that moment more than anyone had ever needed her before.
Reed took one step, then another. His weight gradually shifted, and Chastity saw Dr. Carr's surprise when Reed began effectively supporting himself. She saw his surprise turn to incredulity when Reed began walking virtually unaided.
"You were bound and determined to prove me wrong, weren't you?" Grasping Reed's arm, Dr. Carr continued gruffly, "All right, so you did. You can walk, but you've had enough for the first time out. Don't be pigheaded or you'll find yourself right back where you started."
When he was again abed, Chastity pulled the coverlet up over Reed with trembling hands. Somehow unwilling to meet his gaze, she turned toward Dr. Carr as he addressed Reed sharply.
"I'm leaving. Just make sure you keep taking that medicine I gave Chastity for you. I'll be back tomorrow morning." He paused. "Remember, whatever you might be thinking now, you're not well enough to resume any
other
normal activities yet… if you get my drift."
Chastity stared a silent moment at Dr. Carr. She didn't get his drift.
Oh, dear… or did she?
Chastity glanced at Reed, relieved to see that he showed no reaction at all to the doctor's comments.
Dr. Carr paused at the door. "Behave yourself, Reed. I don't want to see all my hard work go for naught. Give yourself a week. No matter what you think, you need it."
Dr. Carr pulled the door closed behind him, and Reed stated flatly, "We'll be on our way in two days."
Music, shouted conversations, female laughter blending with loud male guffaws sounds from the brightly lit street below echoed in the silence of the hotel room. Somehow unable to sleep after Dr. Carr left, Reed had listened to the voices as they grew gradually louder, the music more bawdy, the laughter more shrill. He had no need to look at the clock now to know that the midnight hour had passed. He had been a part of scenes similar to the one below too many times not to be familiar with its progress.
Another shriek of female laughter interrupted his thoughts, and Reed grimaced. That would be Trixie… or Pearl… or Ruby. Their names really didn't matter. They were a necessary lot on the frontier… or anywhere, he supposed. He had made use of their particular talents when the need pressed. The exchanges
had been
mutually beneficial… and mutually satisfying if he were to believe the smiles that had followed him out the door.
The sound of restless movement turned Reed, frowning, toward the chair in the corner of the room. Chastity moved again. Her face was shadowed. He recalled the warmth of her body pressed against his side when he had attempted to walk earlier. He remembered the softness of her flesh when his palm brushed her upper arm, and he recalled that when she looked up at him
Reed halted that thought abruptly. The women below were soft on the outside and hard on the inside. A man knew they could take care of themselves when he walked away. Chastity Lawrence wasn't one of their breed. He had no time for her kind, but she would be immensely useful to him. She was made to order for this particular situation. There wasn't a man alive who would suspect they had entered Indian Territory with devious intent when they saw the innocence in her eyes. She was so inexperienced with the wilderness that he would be able to take as circuitous a route as he pleased in scouting the country where Morgan was hiding. And she was so trusting that she would not suspect for a moment that he was anything but the man he had told her he was.
The truth be said, Chastity Lawrence needed a keeper.
The thought that there was a man waiting for her in Caldwell who was willing to assume that responsibility somehow lent him little comfort, and Reed tossed impatiently.
He stiffened at the resulting pain that stabbed his thigh, and Chastity sat up abruptly. He could see the tension in her shadowed posture as she asked, "Is anything wrong?"
"No." Regretting his clipped response, Reed cursed under his breath, continuing more graciously, "I'm all right. It was just a twinge. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"I wasn't sleeping."
"I suppose not. It's a lively night at the Roundup."
"Yes."
"That's not unusual."
"I suppose it isn't."
"It's not what you're used to."
"Well…"
There was no need for elaboration.
Silence stretched between them for a long moment before Chastity asked hesitantly, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
Wariness prickled up Reed's spine. "No, I suppose not."
"When Mr. Jenkins came to see you earlier… how did you know he was outside the door with a gun?"
"I didn't."
"I don't understand."
"I didn't know it was Jenkins… but I knew someone was there with a gun."
"How?"
"I heard the click of the hammer when he drew it back."
"Oh…"
He could sense her surprise and the new questions that were raised in her mind. But he had questions of his own. "You said someone is expecting you in Caldwell."
"Yes."
Annoyed when Chastity didn't offer more, he nudged, "You should wire him that you'll be delayed."
"I will."
He didn't like her hesitation. "Will he be angry?"
"I hope not."
"He sounds understanding."
"Oh, yes. He's a wonderful man."
"Is he a rancher?"
"No, he's a banker."
A banker…
"Are you visiting, or do you expect to stay?"
"If all goes well, I hope to stay."
"Does he want you to stay?"
"I don't know."
Reed was suddenly angry. "Any man worth his salt would know better than to let a woman like you travel alone in this country."
He heard the edge that entered her voice.
"A woman like me?"
Reed replied more cautiously, "A stranger to this country."
"I can take care of myself."
Sure.
"I know exactly where I'm headed and what I'm going to do. I've been planning this journey for a long time."
He remained silent.
"It's very important to me."
"It sounds like
he's
very important to you."
"I'm depending on him."
The touch of desperation in her reply clenched Reed's stomach. "You don't have anyone else?"
"No… yes…" She hesitated, then said simply, "He's all I need right now."
Reed strained to see Chastity more clearly in the semi-light, but her features were as vague as her responses.
Vague… but truthful.
He was sure of that. She didn't know how to lie.
It occurred to Reed that meeting him was the beginning of her education in that direction.
A light flickered outside the window, momentarily illuminating Chastity's face. She was leaning back against the pillow again, clenching her locket in her fist. That habit of hers had become familiar to him. It tugged strangely at his memory.
Reed spoke abruptly. "I'll make sure you get to Caldwell when everything is straightened out."
"That isn't necessary."
"Yes, it is."
He wondered why he had said that.
The answer was suddenly clear. The balmy night air filtering through the window, a soft feminine voice in the darkness, the remembered scent of roses that still teased his
senses no
, he wasn't going to fall into that trap!
He concluded their conversation abruptly.
"We'll be starting out in two days."
"But Dr. Carr said"
"Two days. No longer."
Chapter Five
The two days were up.
The sun shone brilliantly on the light traffic of early morning as Reed glanced out the window of the hotel room to the street below. Chastity had awakened earlier. He had allowed her to leave believing he was still asleep because it suited his purpose to do so. She had been using the early mornings to make use of Sally's bathtub, if he were to judge from the fragrance of roses taunting him when she returned. He knew she would be gone for a while and he needed the time.