Cowboy Creek Christmas: Mistletoe Reunion

Perplexed, Sam followed Marlys into the room behind the waiting area, August trailing behind. They followed a hallway into the first room, which held a desk, shelves lined with books and a small wooden rack on a cabinet.

She took a squat bottle from the rack and applied a dot of glistening liquid to her little finger.

“What’s that for?” he asked.

“Lean toward me.”

He hesitated, but slowly leaned.

She trailed her finger under his eye.

Her closeness and touch made him unexplainably unsettled.

“I can’t promise this will completely remove that scar, but the skin growth appears new enough that this might greatly improve its appearance.”

He’d received the injury while unloading the presses and parts a couple weeks ago. Sometimes he noticed the mark when he shaved, but hadn’t paid much attention to it after the cut had healed. Apparently she’d noticed. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. A surprising curl of gratification spiraled in his chest. It had been a long time since someone had tended to him like this. But she was a doctor, so he’d be foolish to read anything more into the gesture. “Smells good. What’s in this?”

“Sandalwood powder, honey, lavender, aloe plus a couple drops of other oils.” She put the cap back on the bottle and handed it to him. “Dab it on a couple of times a day.”

Their fingertips grazed as he accepted the bottle. “Thank you.”

“Our plans for Thursday still stand?”

“Yes. I found someone who knows the area to travel with us. He speaks Cheyenne.”

Marlys’s eyes opened wide. “You did? That’s perfect. Thank you.”

“You’re dead set on doing this. If I can’t talk you out of it, I’ll first make it safe and then make it advantageous to your cause.”

“I can’t be talked out of going.”

“I know.” They returned to the front of the building where Israel waited. “Thank you for the balm.”

“My pleasure. That should be plenty.”

He took an awkward step back, gave her a nod and turned away. Their cart was half-depleted, so Israel walked ahead, and August sat on the remaining newspapers, hanging on and laughing when they crossed the ruts.

Sam had the urge to caution him about falling off, but instead smiled at the unfamiliar sight of his boy’s gap-toothed grin and the joyful sound of laughter. His son hadn’t derived much pleasure from their relocation.

Sometimes thinking about his son’s remoteness made Sam sick to his stomach. August had been only a year old when Sam had enlisted. Upon his return Sam had been a stranger to the five-year old. Little wonder the boy had barely warmed to him, preferring his grandmother’s company and tutelage over his father’s. But Sam’s mother had done more than her part in raising and caring for her grandson. It was time she had the freedom to travel and enjoy friends. And now that they were settled in their new home, it was past time August and Sam learned to make the best of their threadbare family.

But it seemed the more he tried to draw him close, the more reserved August became. Sam was at a loss, and he prayed continually for a breakthrough.

His thoughts skipped back to Marlys, strangely pleased that she’d had the inclination to make something for the scar under his eye. He glanced at his reflection in the window of the sheriff’s office as they passed, then grabbed a paper and entered to give the lawman a copy.

Marlys was still an enigma. He’d never understood what made her tick, and he still didn’t. He needed to create a stable life for his son, perhaps marry and establish a family if God saw fit to make that happen. He’d be wise to remember she wasn’t that woman, and no attraction or friendship was going to change that. He’d already learned the hard way that hoping for a piece of her heart was futile.

But for some reason, he did value her friendship, and he felt unexplainably responsible for her. She was the smartest person he knew, but she was also headstrong and naive, and those two qualities could mean trouble. He meant to keep his guard up where she was concerned—for her protection and for his.

* * *

Dressed in sensible boots, a slim split riding skirt and a warm coat with a fur hat, Marlys approached the livery and opened the single door. November had arrived with more sun and less snow, but she’d been warned that the weather was unpredictable, so she was prepared.

Sam stood beside a shiny mahogany horse in the wide open area, wearing a suede coat and boots, with a revolver holstered to his thigh. He tightened the cinch on the saddle, patted the horse’s rump and turned to spot her. “I thought we were meeting at the newspaper office.”

“I was ready so I walked,” she replied.

“You look warm and ready for the day.”

“Amos Godwin made these boots for me,” she told him. “I ordered two pair, and he finished these warm ones first.” She glanced over her shoulder. “We will need to go back to my office, though. I have items to bring that I couldn’t carry.”

“I wondered about that. Do we need another horse?”

“I believe so.”

The door opened again, and a young man in a heavy coat joined them, spurs jangling. “Sam.” He tipped his hat to Marlys.

“Marlys, this is James Johnson, Hannah’s husband. James, this is Dr. Boyd.”

“How do, ma’am. I’ve heard about you.”

Marlys greeted the young man with a warm smile. “All good, I’m sure.”

He grinned. “You arrived in town a little too late to hear all the gossip about me and Hannah. And there were a lot of tongues wagging so I was relieved about the new topic of interest.”

“You have me curious now,” she said.

“We’ll have plenty of time to talk,” he replied.

“How much are you taking?” Sam asked her. Then, without waiting for a reply, he said, “James, would a wagon make the trip?”

“No hills or rivers,” he answered. “One creek, not too deep. A wagon will fare well.”

“We will probably need it,” Marlys agreed.

“I’ll hitch horses,” Sam decided. “And I’ll drive the wagon. You can ride ahead, James.”

Their scout headed back into what appeared to be the tack room. “I’ll help with the animals.”

It didn’t take long for the two men to have the wagon ready. Sam assisted Marlys up to the seat and climbed up to take the reins. Back on Second Street, they loaded her crates and bags from her office, and covered them with a tarp.

“I brought food, too.” She handed him a basket with a lid, and he tucked it under the covering.

The weather cooperated, with partial sun breaking through the clouds, but the air was crisp. She was glad she’d bundled for warmth and brought her scarf for her neck and face. James rode ahead as they made their way north out of town.

“No patients today?” Sam asked.

She raised an eyebrow and slanted him a glance. After the incident with the soldier, she’d had a few patients by default, and Pippa liked the mineral baths, but her waiting room was still a good place to be if one wanted quiet time.