Brides of Arizona, page 28
“Yes, Doc Meyer gave her something to help her rest. I don’t know when she’ll wake up.” Kathleen could see the disappointment on Quinn’s face. “Did you have something you wanted to talk with her about?”
“Nothing particular. Just a few more questions. I figure I can’t ask too much at one time, so I’ll come by every day to interview her a little. How’s the wound healing?”
“Doc’s worried about infection setting in. He showed me how to treat the wound.” Kathleen tried to hide her uncertainty. “I’ve never done anything like this. I worry about hurting her instead of helping.”
Quinn placed the bags at the foot of the bed. Following behind him, Kathleen wasn’t prepared for him to turn around so fast. They were only inches apart. She couldn’t breathe. She could see that he wanted to hold her in his arms as much as she wanted to be held. Silence stretched as taut as a rope. The only sound in the room was Edith’s steady breathing.
His hand, warm against her cheek, startled, then thrilled Kathleen. She hadn’t noticed him reaching up to touch her. Never had she felt like this about anyone. Why now, Lord? Why Quinn? Kathleen closed her eyes and stepped away. She couldn’t let this happen. Somehow, she had to discourage him. Guilt ripped through her as she watched pain flash across his face. She didn’t want to hurt him.
His hand dropped to his side. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. For the last few hours, all I’ve thought about is looking at you and touching you. You are so beautiful, Kathleen, so alive.”
Understanding jolted her. He’d spent the day out at the site of the attack. After viewing all that death, he needed comfort. How could she deny him that? Would it be so wrong in this instance? Kathleen ignored the check in her spirit and stepped closer to Quinn.
“I’m sorry, too. I misjudged your intentions. After what you’ve been through today, I can see why you need a person’s touch.” She reached up and traced her thumb along his strong jaw. His eyelids lowered. His hands caught hold of her upper arms, drawing her to him. Like a moth drawn to a flame, Kathleen couldn’t seem to stop him as he lowered his head to hers. She closed her eyes. In the back of her mind, she wondered what her first kiss would be like. Never before had she allowed herself to even dream of such a thing happening.
Quinn’s lips settled over hers in a warm caress. He slid his hand around her, drawing her even closer. Time stopped. A wonderful feeling of contentment settled over Kathleen. She didn’t ever want this to stop.
“Kathleen, is that deputy still in there?”
At the sound of Mrs. Monroy’s voice, Kathleen jerked away as if she’d been burned. Her cheeks felt on fire. Quinn gave her a lazy smile that made her heart sing.
Chapter 15
Tugging his string tie to tighten it, Quinn gazed at his image in the mirror. Clean shaven, his hair a little damp from the bath, he looked ready to pick up Kathleen for the church meeting. He didn’t feel ready. What he was about to do would break his parents’ hearts. They’d always taught him deception was the same as lying. A sin. He hadn’t thought of that word in years.
I’m not deceiving anyone. Quinn wasn’t sure who he tried to convince. Religion is important to Kathleen. She is important to me. Because of that, I can go with her to church and make this sacrifice. After all, I do believe in God. Someone had to make this world. All I’m doing by going to this church meeting is supporting the woman I care about. Quinn stared at his reflection. He could read the guilt still present in his eyes. He turned away, grabbed his hat, and dusted off the brim. Settling it on his head, he stalked out of the room. He wouldn’t allow these feelings to interfere with what he planned to do. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. Wincing at the prick in his conscience, Quinn shoved the feeling deep inside, where he hoped it wouldn’t surface again today.
The packed meeting hall showed how much the townspeople missed regular church services. For the last three days, the evangelist had been scouring the town, encouraging everyone to come to his meetings and hear the Word of God. A buzz of excitement filled the room as men and women settled onto hard benches.
Quinn steadied Maria’s elbow as they inched through the crowd to find a seat. Harriet and Kathleen followed behind. Once again, Kathleen had managed to pair him up with a girl he didn’t want. Maria was nice enough. So was Harriet, but neither one could hold a candle to Kathleen. At least, that was his opinion. Ed Fish and John Wasson seemed to have other ideas. The two glowered at Quinn from across the room. They must think he had orchestrated this himself, leaving them out when he knew they were interested in the new schoolteachers. They couldn’t be more wrong.
Part of an empty bench showed up on the left. Quinn directed Maria down the aisle. There should be enough room for the four of them if they sat close together. He fought a smile at the thought of sitting close to Kathleen. Quinn began to urge Harriet in beside Maria. She stopped, waiting for him, a smile on her face. Kathleen was nowhere in sight.
With a groan, Quinn stepped in next to Maria and waited for Harriet to take her place on the other side of him. Ed and John would believe for sure that he had designs on their girls, even though they hadn’t declared their intentions.
“Where did Kathleen go?” Quinn tried to keep his distance when he asked the question.
Harriet didn’t have the same reservations. She almost rested against his arm, holding her fan in front of her face as if to hide something. “She went to help Glorianna with the babies. Conlon got stopped by some of the men outside, and Glorianna couldn’t handle them alone.”
How had this woman known so much, when he hadn’t even realized Kathleen left them? Quinn sighed and glanced across the crowded room. He caught sight of Conlon moving down the outside aisle, then saw Glorianna seated beside Kathleen, each of them snuggling one of the twins. As Conlon reached his wife, Quinn prepared to stand and beckon to Kathleen so she would know where they were sitting. Kathleen seemed to refuse Conlon’s offer to take the baby. She looked across the room at Quinn and waved. She had made her choice of with whom to sit. Because of the veil covering her face, Quinn couldn’t even see if she was disappointed or happy that they were apart.
For a moment, Quinn considered getting up and leaving before the meeting started. After all, he’d come here to prove to Kathleen that they were compatible despite their different beliefs. “Well, getting up and leaving won’t prove a thing to her.” He mumbled the words to himself.
“Did you say something?” Harriet’s shoulder touched his as she spoke. Quinn could almost feel John’s gaze burning into his back. How would he ever get out of this one?
“Nothing.” Quinn shook his head at her.
The hum of conversation died as the evangelist stepped up on the platform. A slight breeze from Harriet’s fan slid across Quinn’s face. The moving air felt good. There were too many people crowded into this closed building. Already, the warmth made Quinn want to loosen his collar. By the end of the service, this many bodies would smell worse than a pack of javelinas.
The preacher greeted the crowd, introducing himself in case some of the people hadn’t met him yet. He began to speak, and Quinn shut him out, choosing to let his mind wander to other things. As a boy, he’d heard enough sermons to last him a lifetime. Of course, in those days, he hadn’t listened much, either. He spent most of the time ogling the girls or daydreaming about the plans he had to leave home and become a lawman. Those plans had been fulfilled.
The crowd laughed, and Quinn glanced in Kathleen’s direction. Despite her veil, he knew she watched his reaction to the message. He’d better at least try to look interested and react the same way the crowd reacted. That shouldn’t be too hard. He smiled, and she faced forward once again.
“I want to spend my time talking to you folks about whom you trust.” The preacher pulled out a rag and wiped it across his beaked nose. “I’ve found something disturbing as I’ve traveled across the West.” He glared out at the congregation as if accusing them of a terrible crime. “People out here trust in a lot of things, but they don’t trust in the Lord.”
One elbow on the pulpit, the preacher pointed in Quinn’s direction. “Over here I see your fine deputy. I haven’t met him yet, but I’ve heard about how he cares for this community. After talking with folks about him, I’m sure the deputy feels responsible for your welfare. He takes that charge seriously.”
Sweat dribbled down Quinn’s spine. People turned to stare at him as he sat between the two schoolteachers. Why was this man singling him out?
“I’m sure you folks think you can trust this deputy to provide protection for you and your families, and you can … to an extent.”
Jaw muscles tense, Quinn fought the anger burning inside him. Had this preacher just sullied his name and reputation?
“Then, there’s this fine lieutenant over here.”
All heads turned in Conlon’s direction.
“The other day, he and his men performed a horrible duty. I’m sure you all know about the attack, so I won’t go into that. Your community is blessed to have the cavalry here to help watch out for you. I’m sure they do their best to avoid incidents like the one that happened this past week. You can trust in them … to an extent.”
A murmur passed over the crowd. Heads moved close together as everyone seemed to wonder at the unusual way this man made his points. Quinn glanced over at Conlon, expecting to see anger. Instead, Conlon and Glorianna both had smiles on their faces. Didn’t they realize what this man had said? He might be causing the whole town to doubt their ability to protect and defend. Quinn clenched his fists, longing to leave this place before he enacted violence on the preacher.
“I’d like to look at a problem the Israelites had with their protection.” The evangelist peered over the pulpit, rubbed his nose, and smiled at the crowd. “You see this problem has been around since God first revealed Himself. The Israelites, during the days of Joseph, went to live in Egypt. I’m sure you remember that story. Well, there came a time when God wanted His people to leave Egypt and trust in Him. That introduced a load of suffering.” He chuckled and stepped around the pulpit. Absolute silence filled the hall.
“The Israelites liked putting their trust in the Egyptians. Those Egyptians had fancy chariots and plenty of them. They had horses that were trained for war. And their horsemen had such strength everyone marveled at them.”
A baby wailed. Quinn glanced at Kathleen and saw her jiggling the infant she held, probably Andrew. He could tell from the blanket. The crying ceased.
The preacher stepped behind the pulpit again. He looked down at the Bible he’d placed there. “I’d like to read a verse from the book of Isaiah the prophet in the thirty-first chapter. ‘Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!’ ”
Looking up, the preacher gave a moment for the words to sink in. “Isaiah says later in the chapter that the Egyptians are not gods. Their men and horses are only flesh and blood. The Israelites weren’t wrong to trust in the Egyptians and their tools partially, but God says don’t forget to seek Him. You folks can trust in your cavalry and your deputy. That’s a good idea, because these fine people will do their best to protect you from harm.
“But they are only flesh and blood. Put your trust in the Lord, Jesus Christ, who is able to always take care of you. I tell you today, He is not flesh and blood; He is God, and He is worthy of your trust.”
The rest of the evangelist’s words buzzed past Quinn without him hearing them. This teaching was wrong. He knew for a fact that God did not always protect His people. He didn’t always have their best interests at heart. How could this man stand up there and say these things? Gripping the side of the bench, Quinn held on to keep from jumping to his feet and shouting out the hypocrisy of the message spoken here.
At the end of the service, Quinn excused himself from Maria and Harriet. Pushing through the crowd, he approached Ed and John. The two gave him looks that would make him cringe at another time. He ignored the animosity.
“Ed, John, would you two mind escorting Miss Bolton and Miss Wakefield home?”
Surprise gave the pair a startled look. They nodded, and Quinn once again pushed off through the crowd. People were milling around, chatting about the message and how wonderful this speaker was. Quinn couldn’t believe how gullible they were. No wonder the Bible called these people sheep. They couldn’t even see the truth for themselves.
Several men clapped Quinn on the back in greeting. He nodded and pushed past them, working his way toward Conlon. As he arrived, Glorianna and Kathleen stepped into the aisle.
“Conlon, could you give Kathleen a ride home?” Quinn almost winced at his harsh tone.
“Why, sure.” Conlon shot a surprised glance at his wife.
Quinn didn’t wait to see Glorianna’s or Kathleen’s reactions. Once more, he set off through the gaggle of people. He wanted to mow them down to get outside and away from here. Getting free couldn’t happen fast enough. Shutting out all sound and focusing on the door, Quinn plowed through the mass of townsmen, heedless of the startled glances he received. Let them wonder what his hurry was. He didn’t care.
The nip of winter in the air outside chilled the sweat on Quinn’s face. He searched the yard for the horse and buggy he’d brought the women in. He should have offered Ed and John the use of the buggy in case they had walked or come on horses. For a moment, he pondered going inside to see if they needed the conveyance. One glance at the crush behind him and he banished the idea.
“Deputy Kirby.” Mayor Allen grabbed his hand and stopped him. Quinn cast a longing glance at the buggy waiting for him. The mayor pumped his hand like he wanted to get well water to flow. “Good to see you here, Deputy. Mighty fine sermon today.”
“Yes, Sir.” Quinn tried to extract his hand. People were beginning to pour out of the building. He had to get away from here. The sense of urgency was overpowering.
“I heard about that woman you rescued from the wagon train attack. Fine piece of work. That’s why we hired you.”
Confused, Quinn stopped and gazed at the mayor. “But, Sir, I didn’t rescue her. One of the drivers brought her to town.”
“That’s not the story I heard.” Mayor Allen beamed. People were stopping to listen, and he continued. “I heard you carried her into Mrs. Monroy’s house, and you’ve been there several times to check on her welfare. I’m proud to have a deputy who does his job so well.”
An embarrassed flush burned Quinn’s cheeks. Had the whole town been talking like this? They didn’t know the real reason he went to Mrs. Monroy’s so often was to see Kathleen. Yes, he wanted to hear Miss Barstow’s story, but her account wasn’t that important. He’d already heard the driver’s story. Miss Barstow couldn’t have much to add other than the reason she’d been traveling with her sister.
People crushed up against him, shoving him close to the mayor. “Sir, I’ll stop by and discuss this with you tomorrow.” Sunlight glinted off the shine on the top of Mayor Allen’s head. Quinn pulled his hand free. He started to step away.
“You do that, young man.” Mayor Allen beamed in his direction. “I’ll be looking forward to a full report from you. I want to hear how you single-handedly ran off those Indians and rescued that young woman.”
Quinn stopped. His mouth fell open. A murmur ran through the people standing outside. What would they think? What stories would be passed around the town now? Gritting his teeth, Quinn strode across the yard and yanked the reins free. The horse jerked its head away from him, startled at his quick movement.
“Easy, Girl.” Quinn calmed the horse, then stepped around to the side of the buggy.
Quinn felt someone touch his arm. He almost groaned aloud. Not another person thinking he was some kind of hero. Looking down, he stared in shock at Kathleen standing beside him. Through the gauze of her veil, he could make out a shadowy smile.
“Conlon and Glorianna are taking you home.” He gestured at the hall. “I’m sorry; I have to leave.”
“Do you have an emergency?” Her soft voice touched a chord in his heart.
“No, I just need to go.”
“Then I’m going with you.” Kathleen stepped around him and lifted her skirts to step into the buggy. “I came to the meeting with you, and I’ll return with you.”
He stared up at her as she folded her hands in her lap. Blocking her face with her hand, she lifted her veil a bit and smiled at him. “Are you coming?”
Chapter 16
Gripping the seat between them, Kathleen did her best to maintain her balance as the buggy raced down the street. The muscles in Quinn’s jaw stood out in tense relief, a testimony to the anger he must be trying to hide. What had upset him so? She could still recall the urgent feeling that raced through her when he asked Conlon to take her home. God had spoken to her heart as if in audible words, letting her know she had to go with him. She didn’t know what she was to say to Quinn, but the Lord wanted her here for a reason.
The buggy careened around a corner and raced out of town. Kathleen wasn’t sure where they were going, but this wasn’t the way to Mrs. Monroy’s boardinghouse. Relieved that Maria and Harriet weren’t with them, she clung to the rocking conveyance, praying they would stop soon and that they would be safe.
As the bank of the Santa Cruz River approached, Quinn pulled on the reins, slowing the horse. He turned off the road and guided them into a small stand of trees. Sweat coated the horse’s hide. The bay tossed her head, jangling the bridle and sending a long string of saliva into the air. Kathleen thought the poor horse wasn’t used to being treated this way. Quinn swung down and tied the mare where she could reach some grass.
“I still can’t get used to such mild weather this late in the year.” Kathleen noted the way Quinn jumped at the sound of her voice as if he’d forgotten he’d brought her. “Back home we’d have ice on the ponds—even snow—and each person would be wearing enough clothes to cover two families.” She almost hated resorting to such inane conversation, but she had to break the silence between them.
