Page 42 of Mail-Order Bride Secret
His horse took a sudden jump to the right, intent on stopping a cow wanting to go the wrong way.
Wally went left.This is what comes of being distracted.He stuck out his arms to break his fall. Only his head hit first.
“Man, wake up.”
He was being shaken which did nothing to ease the pain in his head. He groaned. Pinpricks of light flashed before his eyes.
The cowboy—thankfully not one working for the Shannons or the news would get back to them and they would fuss—leaned over him.
“Man, I ain’t never seen nobody come off a horse like that.”
“It weren’t something I planned to do.” Each word jabbed a hot needle into his brain. He struggled to sit up and leaned forward, waiting for the dizziness to pass.
“You gonna be able to ride?”
“Give me a minute.” Slow even breaths seemed to help.
“Thinking I should let someone know.”
Wally forced himself to his feet, staggering like an old bum. “I’m fine.” It took two tries to get himself into the saddle. Two minutes before his dizziness passed. “Let’s get these critters down to the main herd.” His jaw creaked as he concentrated on staying upright.
By the time they had the animals down to the others, his head had cleared. He rode to the cowboy. “Best if you don’t mention that little incident back there.”
The cowboy touched the brim of his hat and nodded.
Wally took care of his horse before he joined those gathered around the fire where he accepted a plate of food from Boots. A lingering dullness resided behind his eyeballs.
“Tired, huh?” Boots drawled around the straw he sucked.
“Nothing a few hours of sleep won’t fix.” Words of a long-ago prayer trickled through his mind.If I should die before I wake.He certainly had no wish to die. Maybe he shouldn’t let himself sleep this night.
11
Maddie wiped a weary hand over her brow. Her gaze went to the door of the middle room. Oh, to stretch out on that bed but she shook her head. No matter how tired she was there was no time for sleep. She gave Jonathan a dry biscuit and put wooden spoons on the floor in front of him. She barely stopped long enough to make sure he was fed and safe before she hurried back to the others with the basin of water. In the twin’s bedroom, the chair she’d spent so much time sitting on for the last four days was by Otis’s bedside. The curtains were drawn to protect both his and Ivy’s eyes. She put the basin on the bedside table and went to check Ivy first. The fiery red rash spread down her body, but her fever had broken yesterday.
“Auntie Maddie, my throat hurts.”
“I know sweetheart. I’m sorry.” She helped Ivy drink water. A touch to the child’s cheek assured Maddie her fever hadn’t returned. But there were other dangers. She hoped the sore throat wasn’t a harbinger of worse things to come.
“Otis is bad, isn’t he?”
Maddie understood Ivy meant health-wise not behavior-wise. She didn’t want to frighten the girl but the two had a sense about each other. “He’s still sick. You rest and I’ll take care of him.”
Even in the darkened room, she saw Ivy’s eyes were wide and watchful.
One touch to Otis’s forehead and Maddie knew the fever persisted. She dipped the much-used cloth in the water she’d brought and gently sponged the boy. His breathing rasped.
At the sound, fear almost choked Maddie.
She murmured words she hoped were encouraging even though Otis didn’t know or care what she said. In reality, the words were to bolster her own spirits and hopefully, make Ivy feel better.
A knock sounded on the door. The others at the ranch had been warned to stay away. Though it was too late to prevent the spread.
“I’ll be right back.” She put aside the basin of water and crossed the kitchen, glancing at Jonathan. The boy had pulled open a cupboard and was studying the contents. Nothing but pots and pans. Nothing ofdanger. He could pull everything out if it kept him busy.
Maddie opened the door to see Olivia standing on the step, her hands full.
“I brought soup and bread. I doubt you’re going to have time to cook. We’ll take turns bringing you food until the children are better.
