looking for Jessie. He overheard one man say that the ground was covered in blood. Another said they’d all be dead if it hadn’t been for Sage McMurray.
He spotted Elmo. “Anderson, you know what happened to the little widow I left in your care?”
The old man nodded. “The last time I saw her, she was carrying in supplies to Sage.”
Teagen moved to the entrance. He told himself he just needed to check on Jessie to make sure she was fine, but he knew it was more. After seeing all the blood, he knew the sight of her would calm him.
Before he could reach the door, men rode in with the guard who’d served as shotgun rider.
“He’s alive!” one shouted as several men gathered around to lift the wounded man down.
“Get him inside,” another hollered.
Teagen found himself backing to the edge of the porch to make room. The bad news was, ten men stood between him and the entrance. The good news was, he could see the street. If Jessie were anywhere besides inside the hotel, he’d see her.
“How’s Sage?” A low voice came from below Teagen, just off the porch.
He looked down to see Drummond Roak standing at the corner of the hotel.
“Fine, Roak. What are you doing here?”
“Came to check on my girl.”
Teagen almost laughed. “She’s not your girl.”
“I know, but she will be.” Roak flicked a chip from the piece of wood he whittled. “Was she hurt? I heard one guy say she had blood all over her.”
“No. It wasn’t her blood. She’s trying to help the driver, but I don’t think there’s much hope. He had a bullet in his chest.” Teagen watched from the livery to the trading post. No little widow.
“She stopped the attack,” Drum interrupted.
“That’s what I hear.” He glanced down, but the wild kid was gone. “Nice talking to you, Roak,” Teagen said to no one.
CHAPTER 11
FOR TWO HOURS JESSIE STOOD NEXT TO SAGE AND OFFERED any help she could. She’d taken care of little scrapes and even sewed a few stitches, but nothing like what Sage McMurray was doing to the man who lay still as stone on the table. The girl couldn’t have been a year out of her teens, but she knew what she was doing. Her hands were steady and her voice calm as she talked her way through each step as if reciting a lesson learned from a book.
Another man, in no better shape, lay a few feet away. The barber and what looked like a dance hall girl worked on him. Their voices were loud and broken with swear words. Their patient died within minutes, but he left most of his blood behind. The barber yelled for someone to come in and take the body to the undertaker, then he said he’d had enough blood for one day and left. The dance hall girl agreed with the barber and didn’t stay around, though she did turn a curtsy in Sage’s direction at the door as if she thought it proper.
Sage smiled at her but didn’t ask the girl to stay. Then her eyes met Jessie’s, and she knew what Sage silently asked.
“I’ll stay,” Jessie answered. “Just tell me what I need to do to help.”
Sage nodded and went back to work.
Blood made the floor slippery but Jessie couldn’t leave Sage alone, so she stayed, offering what help she could.
The hotel manager had given them both huge aprons, or their clothes would have been a complete mess. They hadn’t talked of anything except trying to save a life, but Jessie felt like they’d bonded. She already knew she liked Sage just from the way Martha and Teagen talked about her, but she also saw why they loved her so much. Where Jessie was shy and always hesitated, Sage stepped in like a general ready for action. There was something about her that drew all around her.
When Jessie could think of no other way to help, she washed blood away until her hands chapped.
“A few more stitches, and we’ll have him patched up,” Sage said, the exhaustion filtering into her voice.
Jessie ran her hand along the driver’s arm. At first it had been hot, then clammy, and now cold. He
He spotted Elmo. “Anderson, you know what happened to the little widow I left in your care?”
The old man nodded. “The last time I saw her, she was carrying in supplies to Sage.”
Teagen moved to the entrance. He told himself he just needed to check on Jessie to make sure she was fine, but he knew it was more. After seeing all the blood, he knew the sight of her would calm him.
Before he could reach the door, men rode in with the guard who’d served as shotgun rider.
“He’s alive!” one shouted as several men gathered around to lift the wounded man down.
“Get him inside,” another hollered.
Teagen found himself backing to the edge of the porch to make room. The bad news was, ten men stood between him and the entrance. The good news was, he could see the street. If Jessie were anywhere besides inside the hotel, he’d see her.
“How’s Sage?” A low voice came from below Teagen, just off the porch.
He looked down to see Drummond Roak standing at the corner of the hotel.
“Fine, Roak. What are you doing here?”
“Came to check on my girl.”
Teagen almost laughed. “She’s not your girl.”
“I know, but she will be.” Roak flicked a chip from the piece of wood he whittled. “Was she hurt? I heard one guy say she had blood all over her.”
“No. It wasn’t her blood. She’s trying to help the driver, but I don’t think there’s much hope. He had a bullet in his chest.” Teagen watched from the livery to the trading post. No little widow.
“She stopped the attack,” Drum interrupted.
“That’s what I hear.” He glanced down, but the wild kid was gone. “Nice talking to you, Roak,” Teagen said to no one.
CHAPTER 11
FOR TWO HOURS JESSIE STOOD NEXT TO SAGE AND OFFERED any help she could. She’d taken care of little scrapes and even sewed a few stitches, but nothing like what Sage McMurray was doing to the man who lay still as stone on the table. The girl couldn’t have been a year out of her teens, but she knew what she was doing. Her hands were steady and her voice calm as she talked her way through each step as if reciting a lesson learned from a book.
Another man, in no better shape, lay a few feet away. The barber and what looked like a dance hall girl worked on him. Their voices were loud and broken with swear words. Their patient died within minutes, but he left most of his blood behind. The barber yelled for someone to come in and take the body to the undertaker, then he said he’d had enough blood for one day and left. The dance hall girl agreed with the barber and didn’t stay around, though she did turn a curtsy in Sage’s direction at the door as if she thought it proper.
Sage smiled at her but didn’t ask the girl to stay. Then her eyes met Jessie’s, and she knew what Sage silently asked.
“I’ll stay,” Jessie answered. “Just tell me what I need to do to help.”
Sage nodded and went back to work.
Blood made the floor slippery but Jessie couldn’t leave Sage alone, so she stayed, offering what help she could.
The hotel manager had given them both huge aprons, or their clothes would have been a complete mess. They hadn’t talked of anything except trying to save a life, but Jessie felt like they’d bonded. She already knew she liked Sage just from the way Martha and Teagen talked about her, but she also saw why they loved her so much. Where Jessie was shy and always hesitated, Sage stepped in like a general ready for action. There was something about her that drew all around her.
When Jessie could think of no other way to help, she washed blood away until her hands chapped.
“A few more stitches, and we’ll have him patched up,” Sage said, the exhaustion filtering into her voice.
Jessie ran her hand along the driver’s arm. At first it had been hot, then clammy, and now cold. He
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