Home by Nightfall (27 page)

“I would expect so. Your job here is done.”

• • •

Susannah woke with a start, at first not realizing where she was.

Then she lifted her head from Tanner’s hospital bed and remembered.

Looking around, she saw that the lights were dimmed but still on in the hallway and in Jessica’s private office. She stretched her neck to the right and left, trying to loosen the muscles that had stiffened while she slept in the awkward position.

Hushed voices from down the hall caught her attention.

“…don’t worry about that, Cole. I’ll see to it that he looks proper for the funeral.”

That was Fred Hustad’s voice. Fred Hustad, the undertaker.

Susannah snapped her attention back to her husband.

He lay stretched out in front of her, and she put her hand to his forehead. She couldn’t be certain but he seemed as feverish as ever. He turned his head toward her. Without thinking, she pressed the palm of her hand to the locket beneath her blouse.

“Hi,” he said softly. His voice was rough from hours of disuse and his speech sluggish from the medications.

She was glad that he was coherent and recognized her. “Tanner…how are you feeling?”

He worked his unsteady free hand up toward his injured shoulder and felt the bandages. “Not so good. Mule-kicked. I was—someone shot me—Jess patched me up?”

She smiled and pretended that everything was fine. She lifted his hand from the bandage and took it between both of her own. “Yes, and you gave us quite a scare. The damage was worse than she’d first hoped and she had to repair it. But you’ve got a fever and we’re going to bring it down.”

He wrinkled his nose. “God…what stinks? Not me, is it?”

“Not exactly. It’s some kind of bee goop and honey that Granny Mae put on your wound.”

“Smells this bad, must work.”

She smiled again. “Do you feel up to a few spoonfuls of beef broth?” He sounded groggy but she thought she’d try.

“Guess so.”

She got a spoon and poured some broth from the saucepan at the back of the stove where she’d been keeping it warm. Carrying the spoon and a cup along with a towel, she sat down beside him again.

“It’s been snowing off and on all day.” She put the towel under his chin to catch any dribbles. He accepted being fed with no argument. If he’d felt better he would have resisted.

“Who…who shot me?”

Another spoonful of broth.

“We found out it was Bert Bauer.”

He turned his head away, refusing more broth.

“Shit.”

Susannah sat back and put the spoon in the cup. He didn’t sound surprised. In fact, it was as if he’d been expecting this possibility.

Beyond their screened-off corner, she heard the sound of a cart or table being wheeled down the hall and out the front door.

Jessica, carrying a small lamp, stepped around the screen and prevented Susannah from asking Tanner any questions, which was probably best at this point. She didn’t want to wear him out.

“Tanner? I thought I heard your voice,” Jess said. She was still dressed in her work clothes.

“Have you slept at all?” Susannah asked her.

“I took a couple of cat naps on the sofa in my office. Cole put the boys to bed upstairs in the apartment and they’re asleep. There’s been a lot of chaos for everyone today.” She turned to Tanner. “And how are you doing?”

“Not so great. Bauer shot me?”

Susannah and Jess exchanged looks. “That’s what we think. Whit took off to look for him.”

“I—didn’t even know…didn’t know he was back.”

Jess felt his forehead and put the lamp on a table beside her. Fishing around in her apron pocket, she produced a thermometer. “Let’s not worry about that now. Whit will take care of it. Keep this under your tongue for a minute.” She looked under the bandage and held the lamp closer for a better view, and winced.

Susannah gave her a smile. “I’m glad he has two skilled people to look after him. You and Granny Mae.”

Jessica took his pulse and then pulled the thermometer from his mouth. “Let’s see what’s what here.”

Susannah pulled the sheet up around Tanner’s chin. “Try to sleep. I’m going to stretch my muscles.” Leaning down, she kissed him on the forehead and the lips.

She looked around the edge of the screen to the wall clock. “It’s almost nine. This has been a long day.” And it had been. She and Tanner hadn’t slept much the night before and their day had begun before sunrise. Susannah tipped her head toward Jess’s office and they went in and sat on the horsehair sofa.

“His temperature is one hundred three degrees. That’s just too high. Let’s get some more snow for his head. I’ll send for Mae to see if she has any other ideas.”

“Oh, God, Jess.”

“Don’t go to pieces on me now. Tanner is strong and young. We just need to find the right thing to give his system a hand in fighting this. Fred Hustad just took Shaw’s body over to his place. Cole went with them,” Jess said, taking up a coffee pot that sat on her desk. She shook it but there was only a little at the bottom. “I don’t even know where Riley went. He left after Whit did.”

Susannah lifted her hands in wonder. “How is Cole taking it?”

She put down the pot. “I think he’s kind of numb, really. We haven’t had much chance to talk about it, and considering what Shaw did to Tanner, I think he’s had two major blows in one night. What about
you
?”

Susannah closed her eyes for a moment, then looked down at the wedding ring Tanner had put on her finger last summer. “That old man gave me a lot of trouble over the years, and he hired someone to kill my husband. I can’t forgive that. I’m not even sure he did it for Riley—I think he just wanted to run everybody’s
life and have his own way. He tried to ride roughshod over all of us, and he’d get furious when we reminded him that we’re adults and don’t want to be ordered around. I won’t miss him.”

Just then, the front door opened yet again. “Now what?” Susannah said. “This office is getting to be like Grand Central Station.”

Jess hoisted herself off the sofa and looked down the hall. “Oh, my God.”

Susannah flew off the sofa as well and peered over Jess’s shoulder.

Whit Gannon had returned with Riley and a woman neither Jessica nor Susannah had ever seen before. She had long red hair, wore only a thin housedress and a flimsy coat, and was not dressed well enough for the weather. Worse, she was streaked with blood.

Riley looked pale and exhausted.

Whit stepped forward. “Doc Jessica, Miss Susannah, this is Emmaline Bauer. She’s a very good friend of mine.” She looked self-conscious and uncomfortable as the introductions and greetings were exchanged.

Suddenly, Jessica grinned and said, “I owe you a debt of gratitude! You’re the one who acted as silent witness for me a couple of years ago when Adam Jacobsen wanted to run me out of town on a rail. I’d refused his proposal and he saw me kissing Cole on the porch here. Whit testified that he’d caught Adam Jacobsen with you, posing as a tractor salesman instead of a minister. I’ve always wanted to thank you.” She added, “And you too, Whit, of course.”

Em lowered her chin and smiled. “I’m glad it worked out for you.”

“What brings you here tonight? It’s been busy around here, that’s for sure, especially considering the weather.”

“Well, I, uh—”

Whit stepped in. “Show her your hand, honey.”

Em held out her left hand, palm up. It was red and blistered.

“Oh, yes, that looks painful.”

“I scalded it toting a pitcher of boiling water.”

“Are you hurt anywhere else—this blood, is it yours?” Em wouldn’t look at Jessica. The big bruise on her face was obvious, though.

She glanced down at the stains and shook her head, as if not trusting her own voice. Tears welled in her eyes.

Jess turned. “All right. Could you get Mrs. Bauer settled at the work table, Susannah? I want to chat with Whit and Riley for a minute.”

“Of course. Come back here,” Susannah said gently. “Would you like some hot coffee or tea?”

Em murmured some response that Jessica didn’t catch. She gave Whit and Riley her attention and lowered her voice. “Okay, what on earth happened?”

At that moment, Cole opened the door and stamped the snow off his boots before walking in. His face wore the same pallid, worn-out expression as Riley’s. “What’s going on?”

Jess said, “I asked first. Cole, I’m glad you’re here. Now I won’t have to repeat the story.”

“After I left here,” Whit began, and he went on, telling them everything that had happened in the past few hours.

Jessica listened with her mouth partly open, barely able to grasp the horrible outcome of the machination that Shaw had set into motion. Occasionally, she traded gazes with both Cole and Riley. At last she said, “Two people are dead, one was threatened, and another barely escaped with his life. This is incredible.”

“Wait until the news spreads—and it will,” Cole observed with some gloom. “This is a small town.”

Before she could stop herself, Jess replied, “At least it won’t be Shaw carrying the tale to Tilly’s.” Then she added, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound heartless. I’d better see to Mrs. Bauer. Cole, I hate to ask, but could you run over and get Granny Mae? Things are getting backed up in here.”

Cole nodded and then said, “There’s some apple pie and sandwiches upstairs, if anyone is hungry. Riley? Whit?”

Riley nodded and headed toward the steps.

Whit sat down in one of the waiting room chairs. “I believe I’ll just wait here until Em gets fixed up.”

Cole smiled and walked out to get Mae.

After Jessica took over Emmaline’s care, Susannah sought out Riley and found him alone, sitting on the stairs. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to him all day, and she knew he’d been through a lot. He certainly must know that she’d spent the night with Tanner.

She climbed up and sat beside him. “How are you, Riley?”

He looked at her and then at the steps. “What do you care?”

She frowned and gathered her skirt to stand. “Well, if you’re going to talk to me as if you were twelve years old, I guess there’s no—”

“Wait. Don’t go. I’m sorry.”

She sat again. “I want to thank you for helping Whit. I’ll bet Emmaline does too, but she’s with Jess.”

“She already thanked me. I’m sorry about last night, too. I really did have a bad dream. When I came into your room and saw you there, I guess one thing led to another. I thought about Cole and Jessica expecting a baby. We’d been married but never had any of our own—it all kind of snowballed.” His voice was low and as empty as an echo. “I’ve just been lonely since I came here. I feel as if I got my memory back but none of the things I remember are the same or mine anymore. I’m like an extra leg on a calf,
not useful for anything.” He didn’t ask for sympathy but spoke simply, telling her how things were for him.

“It won’t always be that way, Riley. It’s only been a few months. And now, well forgive me, but now that Shaw is gone, it will be just you and Cole running the place. I know he was your father but I think he just added more stress to an already difficult situation. You won’t have that from now on.”

“I’m not good for that either, Susannah. Not anymore.” Finally he said what she’d been thinking all this time. “I’m just not the same man I was before I left. I still love the horses, but I don’t care about running a business or being a leader. I’m thirty-three, I’ve been through a war, and I’m tired.”

This was as frank and honest as he’d been with her since he got back last fall.

“But everyone needs something to do,” she said. “It’s not a matter of earning your keep or anything like that. People need a reason to get up every day. A purpose. We just don’t know what yours is yet. If you don’t find that you could end up like a younger version of Shaw. That would be such a waste.”

Just then, Granny Mae came in, dressed in galoshes and a big, warm coat. She carried a basket of what were probably potions, Susannah guessed. She looked at the two of them and Susannah could see that she’d been crying. There must have been something about that old goat Shaw that she’d found more endearing than the rest of them had. Granny Mae continued to the back, where her patient was waiting for her.

“That man you had to shoot—is that going to haunt you?” Susannah had worried that he’d have some kind of relapse because of it.

“He was another canker sore on society. Whit told me about both of them, including Emmaline’s ex-husband and all the trouble
he’s given her over the years. It’s never easy to kill someone, but this makes more sense than killing a man I didn’t know who was only guilty of wearing a uniform different from mine. Rush used Em as a shield—I couldn’t get over something so cowardly and sniveling. He would have killed her or Whit or me. I had the chance to make the shot so I did.”

“You did what you had to do. Think of the lives you saved, Riley. For all the years I’ve known you, I can’t remember a time when you didn’t make the right choice or do the best you could.”

He turned a rueful gaze on her. “Well, maybe the other night…”

“I’m not going to hold that against you. We’ve all been stopped in our tracks by the last few months. You’re still a good, decent man and an honorable one.”