“Thanks.” Adam knew she’d given him a gift by allowing him to call her by name. “Sister Cel, will you help me hide Nichole here even if it’s not the best place?”
“I will,” she answered proudly. “When I saw others moving in, I thought I should be leaving. Now I see I’m needed. The very wind whispers trouble.”
“You’re not superstitious, too?” Adam raised an eyebrow.
“No,” she answered. “It’s not superstitious to listen for trouble’s footsteps.”
“Well, however you know, I think you’re right and you are also greatly needed,” he added, guessing that he’d touched on her one reason for living.
The nun nodded as she went about making the small bed they had moved from upstairs.
“Stop acting like I’m invisible and defenseless!” Nichole snapped.
She was only a few inches shorter than he and now faced him squarely. “I do what I want to do and answer to no one, no matter what you believe or Sister hears in the wind. It that clear, Doc?”
He couldn’t help but wonder if she always woke up with such fire. Then he made the mistake of smiling. She attacked.
“If I decide to stay here in your study, we might as well clear the air. First, don’t take the bullets out of my Colt again, ever. Second, you’re not the only one in this house who is engaged. Tyler will come with my brother to get me as soon as the smoke clears at home.”
Adam was so busy trying to hide his surprise that he didn’t bother explaining to her that the engagement to Bergette was a farce. “Tyler?” he questioned. “Tyler? The man who was in command that night you were dying?”
“He took me to the train,” she answered with a lift of her eyebrows that seemed to say more.
“Wonderful.” Adam felt as if it had been raining on him all day. Why should he be surprised now when lightning struck him? “I’m happy for you both. Now you can marry and run around the country raising little Shadows.”
“Fine,” Nichole answered. “I feel the same way about you and little Miss Silk.”
“Fine!” Adam snapped as he faced Nichole.
Sister Cel stepped between them as she passed. “Now that everyone is fine here, can we get back to work? There are people waiting to see a doctor.”
“Where?” Adam hadn’t seen anyone all day.
“She said she’d wait till dark, but if you got time now, she needs care. You can have her doctored long before the others return.” The nun nodded toward the house on the left where several women from the saloons stayed. “Her name is Dancing, and I’m not sure she can walk over here. Her friend came over to check if you were seeing anyone and if you’d let them bring her over before dark.”
“I’ll go get her myself before the others get back.” Adam had never asked her opinion, but he imagined Mrs. Jamison would not be pleased by the people who sought his help during the nights. Her husband might have died an outlaw, but she considered herself a respectable widow.
The nun on the other hand made no judgment. People were people. Several times, when he’d needed another set of hands, she’d appeared in the hallway and helped.
He glanced at Nichole. “Stay here, and stay quiet.”
She didn’t argue.
Ten minutes later, she watched through a crack in the paneling as he carried a woman into his office. She was badly bruised and bleeding.
“Sister!” Adam yelled. “Sister!”
He laid the woman down on the table and began pulling bandages from the cabinet.
“She said she had to leave for a while.” Nichole rolled her sleeves up with clumsy bandaged fingers. “What can I do?”
Adam hesitated. “You shouldn’t be here. I told you-”
“Stop giving orders. This woman looks too near death to say anything. I may not be able to help much, but I appear to be all you have. When we hear the others, I’ll disappear. You seem to forget I can melt into nothing and vanish like smoke.”
“But your hands?”
“They’re better. I can stand a little discomfort if help’s needed.” Nichole looked down at the woman. “What happened to her?”
“The owner of the saloon accused her of stealing whiskey and slapped her around last night. When he found out she was planning to come to me, I guess he thought it would look bad for his reputation. So he beat her into silence.” Adam moved a scarf away from her face. “You wouldn’t know it now, but she’s a pretty girl, probably not out of her teens.”
Nichole touched the woman’s bleeding hand with her bandaged one. “Tell me what to do.”
Adam pulled off his coat. “Talk to her, keep her calm. If you have to, hold her down. Her left leg’s broken in two places, maybe more, and there are several cuts that need stitching. I don’t know if there are any injuries inside her or not. Her name’s Dancing.”
As Adam began examining the cuts and mentally ranking them in order of need, Nichole leaned beside Dancing and, in a soft, Southern voice, began to speak. “You’re going to be fine, Dancing. This here is the best doc in Texas. He’ll have that leg set and you back twirling across the dance floor in two shakes of a possum’s tail.”
Adam listened as Nichole whispered. He felt Dancing jerk when he set the leg, but she held on to Nichole’s arm without crying out. The nun returned and took up the job of keeping anyone, mainly Bergette, from bothering the doctor while he was working.
By the time they finished, it was long past dinner and the new arrivals to their household had turned in for the night. Adam and Nichole ate dinner in the examining room while watching Dancing sleep.
“Thanks for your help,” he finally broke the silence. “I seem to be saying that every time I see you.”
“I did it for her. No one should be beaten like that. She’s like a wounded animal, too frightened to let out a cry.”
He didn’t miss the fire in her eyes as she added, “Someone should do something about that man.”
“Agreed. But with men getting shot in gunfights and the stage being attacked, I doubt the deputy will take time for a barmaid. Some folks consider beatings as an occupational hazard of such women.”
“You mean no one will do anything?”
“He could have killed Dancing and no one would do anything, Nick.” He moved his chair closer and shoved his plate away. “You’ve put me off twice this afternoon. It’s time to take a look at those hands now.”
Nichole started to pull away, but decided to give in. In truth, her hands were throbbing.
Adam doctored them with the same care he always showed. “You’ve opened a few of the blisters, but you’re healing nicely.” He wrapped each finger slowly. “Tomorrow I don’t want you doing anything. We’ll unwrap them and let them heal. As for tonight, I’ll give you something to help you sleep without pain.”
“They don’t hurt anymore,” she lied. “Compared to Dancing, I’ve only a scratch. I don’t matter.”
Adam turned her newly bandaged hands over in his own. “You matter to me,” he whispered. His knees were so close to hers they lightly brushed her trouser leg. “Despite everything, I’m glad I have the chance to see you again. I’ve thought of you often.”
“Why?” She leaned forward watching his warm brown eyes study her.
“I feel-” He stopped suddenly, unable to look anywhere but at her. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered his thoughts. “So beautiful in so many ways.”
Nichole knew if she spoke she’d break the spell and they’d return to reality. She also knew with her ugly men’s clothing and short hair she was anything but beautiful. But if he wanted to believe it, if only for a minute, she wasn’t going to stop him.
Without a word, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. For a moment, he didn’t move, then without breaking the kiss, he slowly stood, pulling her into his arms.
No! his mind shouted. You can’t be doing this!
But his body wouldn’t listen. If it were only just this once, he wanted to hold her and feel her against him.