to face the future sooner or later." She got up from the table and hurried into the kitchen. "I have time to decide, now that Boyle's leaving."
"No, you don't have time, unless you've lost your mind and believe anything that bastard tells you."
"Do you like cake? I thought I'd bake one and you could have some when you get back from town."
"For the love of God, you've got to face facts, not bake." She pushed the curtain back so she could see him. "I want to bake now." Each word was said in a slow, precise monotone. "I work problems out in my mind when I bake. Do you like cake or not?" She looked mad enough to shoot him if he told her no. He gave up trying to make her be reasonable.
"Sure."
Douglas left the ranch a few minutes later. He checked on Boyle's lookouts before he headed into town and didn't arrive at Simpson's house until midnight.
The doctor was waiting at the kitchen table with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and his pistol in the other.
"You're late tonight," he remarked. "Sit down and I'll get you some coffee, son. How's the baby doing?" Douglas pulled out the chair, straddled it, and told the doctor not to bother with coffee.
"Parker's doing all right, but Isabel's recovering from a cold. What should we do if the baby catches it?"
"Keep him warm…"
"We've been keeping him warm. Isn't there anything else we can do? What if he gets a fever?"
"Douglas, it won't do any good to snap at me. The baby's too small for medicine. We just have to hope and pray he doesn't get sick."
"I want to get them both out of that death trap she calls home. If I'm real careful, couldn't I…" He stopped trying to plead his case when Simpson shook his head at him.
"It's a miracle that baby's surviving, and that's a fact, coming early the way he did. Do you realize how you'd be tempting fate by taking him out at night? And where are you thinking you'll take them? Boyle will turn Sweet Creek upside down searching for them, and you don't dare risk going to Liddyville because you won't know who Boyle has in his hip pocket. I know we've been over this before. Boyle's got friends in Liddyville too, and someone will hear about your arrival. Folks gossip with one another. I'm telling you, it's too dangerous."
Douglas could feel a pounding headache coming on. "What a mess," he muttered.
"Is Isabel anxious to leave?"
He shook his head. "She knows she has to, but she won't talk about her future yet. She keeps putting it off". It's damned frustrating."
"I know it is. I've got some more bad news for you," Simpson said. "Boyle went and hired himself a new man. He goes by the name of Spear, and he's got a real mean look about him. I nosed around to find out what I could and heard that Boyle met Spear when he was on one of his annual trips back to family in the Dakotas. By the way, Boyle's leaving tomorrow morning. I heard him telling Jasper Cooper he was putting Spear in charge while he's gone." The doctor took a drink of his coffee, and then said, "No one in town suspects Isabel's gotten help. Time's on your side because you've got at least another month to fatten that baby up and get him thriving before Boyle comes back."
"You told me the baby could be moved when he was eight weeks old."
"I also told you ten would be better."
"If I could bring help in now, couldn't—"
"Think it through, son. You don't want to put Isabel and her son in the middle of a war, do you? No, of course you don't. Look on the bright side," he suggested. He ignored Douglas's incredulous look and continued on. "You've done fine for over seven weeks now, and I'm sure you can hold out a little longer without any trouble at all. Then you can send for help and get Isabel and her son out of there. I still don't cotton to the notion of taking that baby out at night, but the more weight he has on him, the better his chances will be. With Boyle away, it should get easier. Do you see? It isn't all grim, is it?"
"Hell, yes, it is."
Simpson chuckled. "She's
"No, you don't have time, unless you've lost your mind and believe anything that bastard tells you."
"Do you like cake? I thought I'd bake one and you could have some when you get back from town."
"For the love of God, you've got to face facts, not bake." She pushed the curtain back so she could see him. "I want to bake now." Each word was said in a slow, precise monotone. "I work problems out in my mind when I bake. Do you like cake or not?" She looked mad enough to shoot him if he told her no. He gave up trying to make her be reasonable.
"Sure."
Douglas left the ranch a few minutes later. He checked on Boyle's lookouts before he headed into town and didn't arrive at Simpson's house until midnight.
The doctor was waiting at the kitchen table with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and his pistol in the other.
"You're late tonight," he remarked. "Sit down and I'll get you some coffee, son. How's the baby doing?" Douglas pulled out the chair, straddled it, and told the doctor not to bother with coffee.
"Parker's doing all right, but Isabel's recovering from a cold. What should we do if the baby catches it?"
"Keep him warm…"
"We've been keeping him warm. Isn't there anything else we can do? What if he gets a fever?"
"Douglas, it won't do any good to snap at me. The baby's too small for medicine. We just have to hope and pray he doesn't get sick."
"I want to get them both out of that death trap she calls home. If I'm real careful, couldn't I…" He stopped trying to plead his case when Simpson shook his head at him.
"It's a miracle that baby's surviving, and that's a fact, coming early the way he did. Do you realize how you'd be tempting fate by taking him out at night? And where are you thinking you'll take them? Boyle will turn Sweet Creek upside down searching for them, and you don't dare risk going to Liddyville because you won't know who Boyle has in his hip pocket. I know we've been over this before. Boyle's got friends in Liddyville too, and someone will hear about your arrival. Folks gossip with one another. I'm telling you, it's too dangerous."
Douglas could feel a pounding headache coming on. "What a mess," he muttered.
"Is Isabel anxious to leave?"
He shook his head. "She knows she has to, but she won't talk about her future yet. She keeps putting it off". It's damned frustrating."
"I know it is. I've got some more bad news for you," Simpson said. "Boyle went and hired himself a new man. He goes by the name of Spear, and he's got a real mean look about him. I nosed around to find out what I could and heard that Boyle met Spear when he was on one of his annual trips back to family in the Dakotas. By the way, Boyle's leaving tomorrow morning. I heard him telling Jasper Cooper he was putting Spear in charge while he's gone." The doctor took a drink of his coffee, and then said, "No one in town suspects Isabel's gotten help. Time's on your side because you've got at least another month to fatten that baby up and get him thriving before Boyle comes back."
"You told me the baby could be moved when he was eight weeks old."
"I also told you ten would be better."
"If I could bring help in now, couldn't—"
"Think it through, son. You don't want to put Isabel and her son in the middle of a war, do you? No, of course you don't. Look on the bright side," he suggested. He ignored Douglas's incredulous look and continued on. "You've done fine for over seven weeks now, and I'm sure you can hold out a little longer without any trouble at all. Then you can send for help and get Isabel and her son out of there. I still don't cotton to the notion of taking that baby out at night, but the more weight he has on him, the better his chances will be. With Boyle away, it should get easier. Do you see? It isn't all grim, is it?"
"Hell, yes, it is."
Simpson chuckled. "She's
Similar Books
