Debra Cowan - Whirlwind Groom

“Coming, Sheriff.” It was Penn’s wife, Esther, who answered him.

He heard frantic muttering, then saw her iron-gray hair as she breathlessly mounted the stairs. As round and soft as Penn was narrow and hard, Esther had a sweet disposition and good hearing, for which Davis Lee was thankful.

He stood aside so the older woman could open Josie’s door. When she pushed it wide, he strode across the room to the bed in the corner. Josie was still limp in his arms. Her skin was waxy, pale as a cloud and Davis Lee’s chest squeezed.

He laid her on the mattress, sitting on the edge of the bed to tuck his trail blanket tightly around her. He wished she would open her eyes or moan or something.

“Should I send Penn for Miss Donnelly?”

“I sent Russ to fetch her.” A trained nurse who had come to Whirlwind only a few months ago, Catherine was the first woman Davis Lee had been in danger of falling for since Betsy, but she’d fallen hard for his cousin, Jericho. And he for her.

Esther moved up behind Davis Lee, peering at Josie over his shoulder. “Poor thing. What can I do?”

“Probably ought to get her boots off.” What had she said about things constricting her? Maybe he had wrapped her too tightly. He loosened the tight cocoon of blanket.

Esther moved to the foot of the bed and unbuttoned Josie’s black boots, slipping them off. Davis Lee lifted the blanket and tugged her skirts up enough to see the wound. Her golden-peach skin was stretched taut and thin. He thought her calf looked more swollen than before but he couldn’t be sure.

Aware that Esther stared disapprovingly at his hand on Josie’s leg, he pushed her skirts back down. “Josie?”

Her eyes remained closed. He took her hand. Finding it clammy, he tucked it between both of his and rubbed. She was in shock. Maybe he shouldn’t have loosened the blanket. Where the hell was Catherine? All he knew to do was keep trying to wake Josie. He kept her small soft hand in one of his and lifted the other to her face, patting her cheek.

“Josie? Wake up.”

He cursed under his breath. She was so slight, looked so defenseless lying there. Her lips were barely parted, her lashes dark crescents against her pale cheeks. The rise and fall of her chest was rapid, too rapid.

She opened her eyes.

“Josie?” He leaned over her.

“Sheriff?” she croaked, looking at him through slitted, pain-filled eyes.

“I sent for Catherine. You passed out.” He awkwardly patted her shoulder, his stomach dipping like he’d been thrown from a horse. “She’ll be here soon.” It needed to be now.

“I…can’t see you very well. I’m thirsty.”

Esther hurried out of the room. “I’ll get some water.”

Davis Lee squeezed Josie’s hand, using his other to tuck the blanket snugly around her once more.

“Hurts.” She sounded breathless; her eyes drifted shut.

“Josie, don’t go. Stay awake.” He tapped her chin gently with a knuckle. “Josie.”

Where was Esther? Hell, where was Catherine? What if he hadn’t sucked out enough venom? For all he knew, that stuff was leeching the life out of Josie. The sound of footsteps rushing up the stairs had him looking over his shoulder. Relief pushed through him as Catherine hurried inside, skirts swishing.

“Russ said there was a snakebite.” The raven-haired nurse hurried around him, shoving a small black bag into his chest. She placed a hand on Josie’s forehead.

He stood and stepped back to give his friend some room.

“How long has she been like this?”

“She woke up just a minute ago, but before that at least ten minutes.”

“Where’s the bite?”

“Her left calf, on the inside.”

Rolling up the sleeves on her pale blue bodice, Catherine folded back the blanket and reached for Josie’s skirts. She glanced at him. “I need to look at the wound.”

He nodded, his gaze fixed on the soft crest of Josie’s cheekbones, the delicate winged arch of her dark brows, the freckles scattered across her fine-boned nose. Her lips were bloodless. She was still so pale. What if he hadn’t gotten help on time?

“Davis Lee?”

“Huh?”

Catherine twirled her finger. “Turn around.”

He did, biting back the impulse to tell her that he’d already done more than see her patient’s trim, uncovered ankles. He’d ripped the woman’s damn corset off.

“Maybe I need to have a look at you, too?” his friend asked in her calm, soothing voice.

“I’m fine, but I’m afraid she’s real bad.”

She didn’t say anything for a long moment. “You cut her.”

“I had to. Is it too deep? Will it scar badly?”

“It’s hard to say. Did you suck out the venom?”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

He massaged the tight muscles across his nape. “I don’t know. It seemed like a long time. She told me when to stop.”

He wanted to turn around, see Josie’s face. “Catherine, has she opened her eyes again?”

“No, not yet.”

“She was awake just a minute ago. Said she was thirsty. Esther went to get her some water.”

“Did you clean the wound?”

“No.” He should’ve done that. Why hadn’t he thought to do that?

His friend stood and reached for her bag, then had to pry it gently from Davis Lee’s tight grip. She opened the satchel and removed a thick folded square of linen and a brown bottle marked Carbolic Acid.

Damn this anyway. Josie’s ankles were the least of what he’d seen today. He turned around, willing her to open her eyes. “We were out by Ollie’s marker. She lost consciousness a couple of times on the way back to town. We weren’t more than ten minutes away.”

“Has she been unconscious ever since?”

“Except for that short time a while ago.” He didn’t think Josie looked any better. “She’s still shaking.”

“It’s shock,” Catherine told him. “She needs to stay warm.”

Esther walked back into the room carrying a glass of water and an earthen pitcher.

Catherine opened the bottle of carbolic acid and dribbled some of the liquid onto the cloth then gently cleaned the puncture wound and surrounding cuts.

“What do you think, Catherine? Tell me what’s going on,” he demanded. “Is she gonna—”

“Not if I can help it.” She cleansed the wound again.

“Should I have brought her to you instead of here?” The thought that his decision might cost Josie her life had his chest pounding so hard it hurt.

“No. The hotel was closer.”

That had been his first instinct, but since Betsy, Davis Lee hadn’t trusted his instincts about much.

Josie’s eyes fluttered open again and her pain-clouded gaze locked with his. “Where am I?” she croaked.

“Your room at the hotel.” Relief deepened his voice. “Catherine’s here. She’s going to help you.”

Josie licked her lips and Catherine held her head so she could drink from the glass of water Esther had brought. When she finished, Catherine eased her head back down and handed the glass to Davis Lee. “Esther, help me get her under the sheet. I want to wrap the blanket on top of it. That should keep her warm enough.”

Catherine competently rolled Josie toward the wall and Esther struggled to pull the sheet from beneath her split skirt. Davis Lee made an impatient sound and scooped Josie up in his arms. When the sheet was turned down, he laid her back on the mattress.

Esther unwrapped the blanket from around Josie then spread it on top of the sheet. Catherine tucked the covers close to Josie’s body, making a cocoon.

Her fevered gaze locked on his. He didn’t see blame or fear there. He saw trust. Something hot and sharp grabbed him deep inside.

He cleared his throat. “She’s gonna be okay, isn’t she?”