Page 18 of A Letter to Carolina
Returning to the horses, he found her watching him. She showed a lack of confidence in new situations or when she felt unsure of whether her input was valued, which he noticed. That was something he could teach her. She had the education and experiences. She just needed to believe in herself enough to make others believe in what she had to say.
Nate figured speaking to a group of stubborn brothers differed from talking to a woman about her health needs. He couldn’t help but notice the way Carolina’s face softened as she talked to Aunt Cleo directly.
“I’m not going to bite you, sweetheart.” He untied the picnic basket that Georgia and Emily had put together while Carolina was changing. It was more of a snack, but it meant that they didn’t need to rush back to the house either.
“How long have you been living in town?” She settled herself on the picnic blanket, easily tucking her legs beneath her.
“It’s only been two weeks. I’ve been riding in either every day or every couple of days for several years now. But when Doc started talking about his hopes for retirement, I knew I needed to be more readily available.”
“Is it a busy practice?” Dipping her hands into the basket, she came back with two jars of lemonade and two of water. “Oh, wonderful.”
“You don’t enjoy lemonade?”
“I like it when I’m not exerting myself. I enjoy cocoa during the winter. But I prefer water.”
Nate filed that tidbit away. “What about coffee and tea?”
“I prefer tea with a dollop of milk but will drink coffee if there’s already a pot made.” She was still pulling things out, and now stared at what Nate knew to be a sticky bun. “What is this?”
“Georgia and Madison call them sticky buns. It’s a light roll with honey and I’m not sure what else is on top.” He much preferred these to the cinnamon creations, but he wasn’t overly picky about his sweets either. “They came from the diner in town.”
“That’s where Madison is?”
“Georgia’s little sister. She seems to be there every week. I believe they offered her a job at the diner, but Simon and Georgia haven’t been able to come to an agreement.”
“How old is she?” Carolina laid out a plate and uncovered the sticky bun.
Nate watched with interest as she cut a piece with a fork and hesitantly took a bite. He couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes closed in pleasure as she tasted her food. Thoughts of kissing her again washed over him.
“Maddy is fourteen.” He took a swig of water, hoping to quench the desires flaming to life inside of him.
“And Miss Marcy’s is a brothel?” She licked the honey from her lips, head tilted, allowing her to look up at him.
“It’s a....” Nate rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s a saloon, with ladies that work there in several ways.”
“How are you embarrassed by this? You treat them, don’t you?” Her brown eyes glimmered, something inside sparking with excitement.
“They don’t come to the clinic, and I have never been called on to go to them.” He took a moment to busy himself by setting up the sandwiches with cheese and apple slices.
“What do you mean, they don’t come to the clinic? Does Doc refuse them care?”
“Why do I feel like I’m in trouble for something I didn’t do? I answered your question.”
“Nate, that is a population of women that is typically badly mishandled, prone to addictions and infections. They have basic health needs.”
“It’s not something Doc trained me to do. I don’t seek potential patients and simply go where I am requested.” Her question brought a bit of shame to him as he thought about it. Carolina was right. The women who worked there were people, but he never tended to any of them. He handled the brawlers, the gamblers, and the outlaws, but he never touched, or even considered, the women that worked in that establishment.
“Ask me.” She folded her hands in her lap and sat up tall.
This had to be a trap.“Ask you, what?”
“Ask me.”
“Have you worked in a place like Miss Marcy’s?”
“What? No!” She tossed her napkin at him and looked up at the sky, her lips moving in a silent prayer.
Maybe Simon was right, women were confusing.
