Page 39 of A Soft Kiss in Summer
Josiah spurred Jake into a run as another shot rang out.Gideon stepped out onto his front porch as he rode past his house.He’d apparently heard the gunfire as well.He wasn’t sure where it was coming from, but from the sounds of the echo, it was on the other side of town.
The sound of a scream filtered down the street as he got in front of the mercantile, followed by another gunshot.If he had to guess, he’d say it was coming from the saloon.
He pulled Jake to a sliding stop near the livery stable, jumped to the ground, and started running, his hand going to the gun holstered at his hips as he neared the saloon.Others were running toward the ruckus and when he was close enough to see the saloon doors, he saw Violet run into the building.
“Damn it.”He ran faster.The last place she needed to be was in a saloon where some drunk was shooting up the place.
The scene inside the saloon was chaotic at best.People were yelling and Bonnie was crying hysterically.A man lay across one of the new tables Archie had just finished making, a bright spot of blood blooming on his chest.Violet was beside him, her hands over an apparent gunshot wound.
She caught his eye as he came further inside and made his way toward her.His steps faltered when he saw it was Archie laying there bleeding.“What happened?”
Harland Peterson, one of the local cowboys, was the one to answer.“Some newcomers starting trouble.They were having a go at Bonnie and Archie tried to stop them and got a bullet for his trouble.”
“Any idea who they were?”
“No.Looked like saddle bums to me.They ran out before anyone could stop them.”
Josiah caught Violet’s eye.“Can you go get doc Tibbens?”
She nodded without a word and ran.Archie was gasping, his eyes wide and unfocused.Bonnie stepped up to the table.Her sobs, although warranted, did nothing to help the situation.
He nodded at Levi when he ran inside.The blacksmith glanced at Bonnie before taking her arm and pulling her away from Archie and out of the way.
It seemed like hours before Violet came back.She was out of breath when she stopped beside him.“Doc Tibbens said he can’t come.”
“He can’t come?”
Violet shook her head.“No.He said his gout was acting up, and he was in too much pain to be running around town.We’ll have to take Archie to him.”
It took him and four other men to carry Archie across town.Violet ran ahead of them and opened up the door to the small office attached to the front of Doc Tibbens’ house.
The old man was coming into the room from a doorway that led to his personal residence and Josiah noted how slowly the man was walking.
He made it to the table they’d placed Archie on and he started directing people to grab the things he needed.Violet was right by his side, fetching this and that as Doc Tibbens examined the wound.
“Bullet’s still in there.”He looked at Violet.“Want to dig it out?”
“Me?”Her eyes widened in shock.
“My eyesight ain’t what it used to be and, to be honest, I’m not sure I can stand long enough to do it.”
She looked at him, her terror plain to see.He met her gaze before giving her a small nod of his head.
A deep inhaled breath later, she nodded.“What do I need to do?”
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen so much blood.It took nearly ten minutes for Violet to dig the bullet from Archie’s chest.Luckily, the pain had rendered the man unconscious, so he didn’t feel much.
Doc Tibbens sat most of the time but was able to get up and watch from Violet’s side on occasion, instructing her every step of the way.
As she started to sew the wound closed, a long curl of her hair fell into her face.She tried to blow it away before tilting her head.Her hands were covered in blood and, without thinking, he reached out and tucked the strand behind her ear.
Their eyes met as he touched her.He pulled his hand away and, for some unknown reason, his heart thumped so hard it felt like someone had punched him in the chest.His breath stuttered before she looked away, her hands shaking as she finished sewing Archie’s wound closed.
He watched her as the minutes ticked by, taking in every nuance of her face.Her complexion was a pale, creamy peach, unblemished by anything other than a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose.
She had her bottom lip clamped between her teeth as he stared at her mouth.He watched her longer than he should have, memories from that morning coming back to mind.The scent of her hair and skin was still in his nose and the feel of her breast in his hand was like a phantom object he could still feel.
He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to get her out of his head and never took his eyes off her face until she sighed long and loud as she finished closing the wound.
