Page 28 of Conveniently Wed
“How is he?” asked another voice. Ricky. With Matty rushing right on his tail, looking concerned. Seb and Chester must’ve relieved them in the night, just like they were supposed to do.
“About as cranky as a bear,” came her quick answer. But she didn’t let go of his elbow until he was all the way upright.
“So, back to normal, then?” Matty said.
And Edgar’s wife beamed a smile at the other man.
It rubbed him the wrong way. “I’m right here,” he growled.
And that set the three of them laughing.
He started to stomp off—more like limp off—but Matty stopped him. “Let’s have a look at the hand, you old grizzly.”
Edgar reluctantly held up his mitt for inspection. It was colorful and grotesque, swollen yellow and purple. The skin around the bite was pink and puffy but there were no red streaks going up his arm that might indicate poison.
“Looks like I ain’t gonna make you a widow yet,” Edgar said.
She frowned at him, and he remembered her worrying over him in the darkest part of the night.
“You wanna ride back to town and see the doc?” Ricky asked grudgingly.
“I want to go visit the woods and then get saddled up.” He limped off because he couldn’t stomp the way he wanted.
And by the time he’d done his private business in the woods, he knew he wasn’t riding anywhere that day. Except in the front of the wagon.
His legs were trembling, his equilibrium was off, and he only had the use of one hand. He was sweaty and weak, a feeling he hated.
It made him cranky when he walked back to camp and saw one of the cowhands bent close and saying something to Fran.
“Make sure the cookfire’s out,” he barked. “Don’t need a prairie fire chasing our flank.”
She glared at him but went back to the smoking ashes.
Ricky waited near his saddled horse. It was obvious Edgar’s brother had something to say. He tried to beat him to it. “You look exhausted.”
“Bet I look better’n you do. Guess you’re in the wagon today, huh?” But the lines around his brother’s mouth didn’t lift in a smile.
“Trouble sleeping in your bedroll after the snake incident?”
“Somethin’ like that.” But the shadows in Ricky’s eyes remained.
Edgar needed to get these cattle to sale. He knew there was something eatin’ his brother, but if the other man wasn’t offering it up, what was he to do? They weren’t women, who could share gossip and hurt feelings. If Ricky wanted help, he’d ask for it.
“Go easy on her,” Ricky said. “Seems she and the sister have had a rough time of it.”
Edgar’s temper flared. But before he could get into it with Ricky, the other man swung up into his saddle and spurred his horse.
Finally, Edgar approached the chuck wagon. Wary, like a man should be when facing an unknown predator.
She met him with a cup of coffee. He took it.
“Thanks.” His ma would skin him if he didn’t practice basic politeness.
“You’re welcome,” she said a little too sweetly. She brushed a hank of hair out of her face. The sleeves and skirt of her dress were soaked like she’d carried several pails of water up to douse the fire.
“This the cup from the bottom of the creek?” After the hullabaloo with the snake, their moment of closeness the night before seemed a long way off.
“Um hmm.” She loaded up a last crate in the back of the wagon.
