“Rose Hannah.”
Chapter 16
S heriff Roy
Easton didn’t butt in on other folks’ affairs, unless it was for their own
good, and Jed and Hannah clearly needed his nudging. The town’s docs beat the
nation when it came to fixing other people’s ailments, but they groped about,
as blind as newborn kittens, when it came to healing themselves.
Roy figured a little prying and
poking never hurt anyone, and a visit to the doctor’s office with a real or
imagined malady was an opportunity to show up uninvited. So, one hot, roughshod
afternoon in early July he strode into the Rutherford-Sutton surgery. He
sauntered past the cot in the kitchen, noting the disheveled blankets. Clearly,
Rutherford hadn’t yet stamped his brand on the woman.
“Doc Hannah, can you get a
splinter out of my hand?”
Hannah leaned over the lawman’s
splayed palm and squinted. “I see it. Mr. Easton. It’s the third one this
week.”
Roy’s blue eyes twinkled. “Ma’am,
it’s the post outside the jailhouse.”
Hannah hissed. “Stop touching it!”
“It reached out and grabs me. Honest.
Say, did you get the cake Emily brought over?” Emily was Roy’s young
sister-in-law.
“Yes, and yes, she mentioned how
handsome Doctor Rutherford is, again. Tell her ‘thank you’.”
Rutherford wandered in at that
moment, and when Roy caught his eye he leaned into Hannah and breathed deeply. Observing
the irritation sweep across Jed’s face, Roy grinned. “Miss Hannah, did I ever
tell you about the time Cal and I drove four hundred beeves up to the Missouri
River?”
Hannah pulled out the splinter and
poked at Roy’s hard chest. “No. Does this hurt?”
“Only on Thursdays. My feet hurt
on Saturday, and my head aches after a night at the Copper Strike saloon. What
have I got, Doc?”
“A good imagination,” Hannah
rolled her grey eyes toward the ceiling.
Rutherford opened a cabinet in the
corner. He appeared to be searching for something.
Roy raised his voice. “I’d say
there’s only one man lacking in imagination around here. But don’t you fret,
Doctor. John Hawkins wrote to his brother.”
“And what business is it of yours?”
“Hawkins has a bachelor brother,
and he’s of a mind to come to help John, if there’s a woman he can court in
these parts.”
A bottle crashed to the floor, and
Rutherford cursed.
“You all right, Jed?” Roy called
across the room.
“I’m fine,” he growled.
Roy figured he was hitting his
mark, so he continued on. “Of course, John has written about you, and his
brother won’t hold you living with a man against you, seeing as Jed is onlys
your business partner.”
Hannah blushed. “Mr. Easton, I
have to get on to other chores now.”
Roy grimaced and took his hat from
the chair he’d set it on when he entered the room. “Oh, I nearly forgot,” he
reached into his vest and pulled forth a letter. “This came in on the wagon,
and Watkins asked me to bring it over.”
Hannah brightened as she
recognized her mother’s handwriting on the envelope. “Thank you, Mr. Easton.”
Roy shoved his hat on his head.
“You’re welcome.” He looked over at Jed. “I expect I’ll see you at base ball
practice this afternoon? We’re going to beat Ingston this time.”
“Yes. See you there.”
Roy tapped his hat brim. His
mission accomplished, he turned and walked out of the office.
Hannah sighed, leaned against the
examining table and tore open the correspondence.
Dearest Hannah,
It was a great joy to
be in receipt of your letter. How happy and satisfied you must be after
bringing new life into the world. What an honor for you to receive a namesake
child in little Rose Hannah!
My life continues
it’s amiable path, and I tell you my dear, that my vision begins to fail me, yet
daily walks are a pleasure, and I’m blest with
Chapter 16
S heriff Roy
Easton didn’t butt in on other folks’ affairs, unless it was for their own
good, and Jed and Hannah clearly needed his nudging. The town’s docs beat the
nation when it came to fixing other people’s ailments, but they groped about,
as blind as newborn kittens, when it came to healing themselves.
Roy figured a little prying and
poking never hurt anyone, and a visit to the doctor’s office with a real or
imagined malady was an opportunity to show up uninvited. So, one hot, roughshod
afternoon in early July he strode into the Rutherford-Sutton surgery. He
sauntered past the cot in the kitchen, noting the disheveled blankets. Clearly,
Rutherford hadn’t yet stamped his brand on the woman.
“Doc Hannah, can you get a
splinter out of my hand?”
Hannah leaned over the lawman’s
splayed palm and squinted. “I see it. Mr. Easton. It’s the third one this
week.”
Roy’s blue eyes twinkled. “Ma’am,
it’s the post outside the jailhouse.”
Hannah hissed. “Stop touching it!”
“It reached out and grabs me. Honest.
Say, did you get the cake Emily brought over?” Emily was Roy’s young
sister-in-law.
“Yes, and yes, she mentioned how
handsome Doctor Rutherford is, again. Tell her ‘thank you’.”
Rutherford wandered in at that
moment, and when Roy caught his eye he leaned into Hannah and breathed deeply. Observing
the irritation sweep across Jed’s face, Roy grinned. “Miss Hannah, did I ever
tell you about the time Cal and I drove four hundred beeves up to the Missouri
River?”
Hannah pulled out the splinter and
poked at Roy’s hard chest. “No. Does this hurt?”
“Only on Thursdays. My feet hurt
on Saturday, and my head aches after a night at the Copper Strike saloon. What
have I got, Doc?”
“A good imagination,” Hannah
rolled her grey eyes toward the ceiling.
Rutherford opened a cabinet in the
corner. He appeared to be searching for something.
Roy raised his voice. “I’d say
there’s only one man lacking in imagination around here. But don’t you fret,
Doctor. John Hawkins wrote to his brother.”
“And what business is it of yours?”
“Hawkins has a bachelor brother,
and he’s of a mind to come to help John, if there’s a woman he can court in
these parts.”
A bottle crashed to the floor, and
Rutherford cursed.
“You all right, Jed?” Roy called
across the room.
“I’m fine,” he growled.
Roy figured he was hitting his
mark, so he continued on. “Of course, John has written about you, and his
brother won’t hold you living with a man against you, seeing as Jed is onlys
your business partner.”
Hannah blushed. “Mr. Easton, I
have to get on to other chores now.”
Roy grimaced and took his hat from
the chair he’d set it on when he entered the room. “Oh, I nearly forgot,” he
reached into his vest and pulled forth a letter. “This came in on the wagon,
and Watkins asked me to bring it over.”
Hannah brightened as she
recognized her mother’s handwriting on the envelope. “Thank you, Mr. Easton.”
Roy shoved his hat on his head.
“You’re welcome.” He looked over at Jed. “I expect I’ll see you at base ball
practice this afternoon? We’re going to beat Ingston this time.”
“Yes. See you there.”
Roy tapped his hat brim. His
mission accomplished, he turned and walked out of the office.
Hannah sighed, leaned against the
examining table and tore open the correspondence.
Dearest Hannah,
It was a great joy to
be in receipt of your letter. How happy and satisfied you must be after
bringing new life into the world. What an honor for you to receive a namesake
child in little Rose Hannah!
My life continues
it’s amiable path, and I tell you my dear, that my vision begins to fail me, yet
daily walks are a pleasure, and I’m blest with
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