Song of the Road (44 page)

“Hello, Jake,” the doctor said wearily. “This little girl has had it rough since she came back to Cross Roads. I still haven’t got it straight in my mind why someone would kidnap her.”

“The truth will come out sooner or later. I think Lon Delano was behind it. He was afraid Ocie would leave the ranch to Bob Clawson’s child. He wanted to get rid of the baby before it was born.”

“Well, Lon’s dead. The shotgun blast almost tore him in two. Too bad Ben didn’t let him have it sooner. Ocie will never walk again. That’ll be hard for a man like him.”

“No charges against Ben, I hope.”

“I wouldn’t think so. Sheriff Pleggenkuhle is a commonsense kind of a sheriff. Ben saved Ocie’s life, although Ocie may not thank him for it. It looks like my nurse did a good job on the shoulder wound.”

“Will I be able to take her home?”

“It’d be the best place for her if there’s someone there to take care of her.”

“There will be.”

Doctor Morris put his hands under the blanket and felt Mary Lee’s abdomen.

“The baby has dropped . . .”

“Dropped? What does that mean?”

“It means that it won’t be long until she’ll be delivering. Step in the other room, Jake, and send the nurse in. I’m going to check and see if she’s dilating.”

Only Deke was in the waiting room. Eli and Trudy had gone back to open the motor court.

“They said they could help Mary Lee more there than sitting here.”

“Have you heard any more about what happened at Clawson’s?”

“Only that when Ocie Clawson fired Lon and ordered him off the place, Lon started shooting. Big slugs from that forty-five tore up the man’s knees. They’ve taken him to Santa Fe to the hospital. The old-timer, they said, was calm as buttermilk. He told the sheriff that when a rattlesnake strikes, you shoot it. And that’s what he did.”

“Ben was there when I was a kid.”

“As soon as Mary Lee is all right, I’m going hunting for a man in a black sedan and a kid wearing boots with a star.”

“If he’s smart, the kid will ditch the boots.”

“If he was smart he’d never have got mixed up with Lon Delano.”

The doctor came in, leaned against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest.

“She may be starting to dilate a bit. You can take her home; but if her pains start or her water breaks, come get me. I’m going home to get a bite of supper, then on to the hospital in Santa Fe to see about Ocie. I’ll take you by the motor court unless you want another ride in that motorcycle car.”

“Now, Doc,” Deke said. “Don’t be knockin’ my cycle. It got us where your car couldn’t’ve. Ain’t that right, darlin’,” he said to the nurse when she came in.

“You promised to take me for a ride.”

“I’m not forgettin’ it, darlin’. You’ll have to tie down that perky little white cap on your head.” Deke winked at the doctor, slammed his hat down on his head and headed for the door.

Chapter 32

“W
AKE UP,
QUERIDA.
”

Jake, kneeling beside the bed, put his hand under Mary Lee’s head and lifted it a little. His other hand was on her arm.

“Wake up. The doctor said to wake you about every few hours.”

“Jake?”

“I’m here, sweetheart. Look at my hand. How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Two, silly man. Did you wake me for that?”

“Go back to sleep, honey. I’ll not wake you again until morning.”

“You’re tired. Lie down by me and get some sleep.”

“I might bump your shoulder. I’ll catch some sleep when Trudy gets up.”

When Mary Lee wakened again, light was coming in through the windows, and Eli was sitting beside the bed, staring at her intently.

“Mornin’, Eli.”

“You’re awake!”

“I think so.”

“How do you feel? Does your shoulder hurt where that pile of horse hockey shot you? I’m sorry I didn’t protect you like I promised.”

Mary Lee reached for his hand. “It pains me a little. I’m so glad you and Trudy were not in the house. They would have hurt you.”

“If I ever see that kid that shot you, I’ll blow his head off!” The boy’s voice trembled in anger.

“The man with him told him to kill me, Eli, but he didn’t. He saved my life. It was wrong of him to help the man take me, but when it came right down to it, he couldn’t kill me.” She held his hand up to her cheek. “Sometime during the night, Jake told me the reason they found me so fast was because you remembered the boots the man was wearing. If not for you they’d not have found me, and . . . and my baby and I would have died.”

Eli swallowed the large lump in his throat, and his eyes filled with tears. Unable to speak, he held tightly to her hand and looked out the window.

Trudy helped Mary Lee to the bathroom, where she could wash her face and brush her teeth. Unable to get into a nightgown because of her shoulder, she put on one of her daddy’s shirts and went back to bed.

The doctor came shortly after breakfast and put a fresh dressing on her shoulder wound. Jake was waiting in the kitchen when he came out of Mary Lee’s room.

“Shoulder’s healing. I’ll leave supplies so you can change the dressing. She had a mild concussion from the blow to her head. It was mild or she wouldn’t have drifted in and out of consciousness. If she runs a fever or has labor pains, call me. I expect her to deliver in the next few days.”

Jake followed the doctor to his car, where they spoke for a few minutes. When he came back in, he went to Mary Lee’s room and hunkered down beside the bed, leaned over and kissed her lips.

“The doctor said Gaston will be here in a few days.”

“He told me. I’m anxious to get it over.”

“Will you marry me,
querida
?”

“I want to, more than anything.” She laughed nervously. “I don’t think I could make it to the door, much less to a church to be married.”

“I’ll get the license and bring the preacher or the justice of the peace here. Later we can be married in a church if you want to. I want so much to be this baby’s papa.”

“So Ocie Clawson won’t have a claim to him?”

“That, but not as much as I want him to be mine, carry my name.”

“Poor Mr. Clawson. Trudy said that he’d never walk again.”

“He should have seen through Lon a long time ago. My regret is that now I may not be able to clear my name of the rustling charges. If you marry me,
mi tesoro,
you’ll be a jail-bird’s wife.”

“Are you trying to talk me out of it? If you are, you’re not going to succeed.”

“Will this evening be too soon for you?”

“Right now wouldn’t be too soon, my love.”

“I want to hold you, but I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.” He spoke in a kind of desperate whisper, then lowered his head and kissed every inch of her face.

Her palm caressed his cheek. “You shaved.”

“Of course,” he said happily. “This is my wedding day.”

After Jake announced that he and Mary Lee would be married that evening, the house became a flurry of activity. Trudy issued orders to Eli and Deke, and they jumped to obey.

Deke was sent to Ruby’s to spread the word that there was going to be a wedding, and to ask her to bake the wedding cake. When he returned, he stayed with Mary Lee while Trudy and Eli cleaned the cabins in record time.

Then it was Eli’s turn to stay while Deke and Trudy made a hasty trip uptown. They returned with a box that Trudy took in to Mary Lee.

“It’s beautiful, Trudy!” Mary Lee exclaimed when Trudy opened the box and took out a white satin housecoat trimmed with fluffy white lace and tiny covered buttons. The sleeves were wide and the body of the garment generous.

“Jake said to get something white. We saw him uptown,” she added by way of explanation.

Mary Lee looked at the price tag hanging from one of the sleeves and winced.

“It didn’t cost that much. It was on sale. Deke and I want it to be your wedding present.”

“Oh, Trudy, no. I can’t let you . . .”

“Are you goin’ to chase me around the house?” Trudy snipped off the price tag and carefully folded the garment and put it back in the box. “A girl doesn’t get married every day.”

“Especially a girl so pregnant she can’t bend over and could have the baby at any moment. And one with a lump on her head the size of an egg.”

“Just think of the story you can tell your grandkids. We saw Mama while we were gone. She’ll ice the cake after she gets here. She got one of the Johnson girls to come serve the evening meal at the café. ’Course, she’ll cook it this afternoon.”

“Where did you see Jake?”

“He’d just come out of the mercantile store. He bought new shirts for him and Eli. He was smiling from ear to ear. I’ve never seen a man so happy, and I don’t think anyone else has either. He looked as if he had the world by the tail and was grinning like a jackass. Speaking of jackasses, I’ve got to set up the ironing board. Deke is pestering me to iron his shirt.” She giggled. “Mama is bringing my dress. Deke is supposed to go get her about five. Jake said the ceremony would be at six.”

“How could I have ever felt sorry for myself? I have the most wonderful friends in the world.” Mary Lee choked on the last few words.

“Well, darn. You don’t have to bawl about it and get your eyes all red and puffy,” Trudy sniffed, and hurried back to the kitchen.

Jake and Mary Lee were married in the living room. Mary Lee, beautiful in the white satin robe, sat in a chair. Jake squatted down beside her, holding her hand. At the proper time, he slipped a wide gold band on her finger. After the words that made them man and wife, he kissed her tenderly, then winked at a beaming Eli in a white shirt and blue tie, who bent and kissed her cheek.

Deke and Trudy had stood with the couple, and Deke had insisted on his first right to kiss the bride. Jake proudly accepted congratulations and was tolerant as each man present kissed his wife.

The small room was crowded. Sheriff Pleggenkuhle had brought the justice of the peace. Paco and his wife were there as well as Mr. and Mrs. Santez and Mr. Morales. Ruby had made a beautiful two-tiered wedding cake. She and Trudy served it to the guests along with iced tea.

When Jake saw the lines of tiredness in Mary Lee’s face, he picked her up, expressed their thanks to the guests for having come, and took her to the bedroom. Trudy closed the door behind them.

“You won’t leave?” Mary Lee asked as he placed her gently on the bed.

“No, sweetheart. I’m staying right here with you tonight and every night for the rest of our lives.”

“Will you lie down by me? You can’t sit in that chair another night.”

“I might hurt you.”

“You won’t. Thank you for the ring. I didn’t expect it.”

“It was my mother’s. I took it to the jewelry store and they shined it up.” He didn’t tell her the shock he had experienced when he read the inscription inside.

“It was a lovely wedding.”

“We’ll have a
padre
marry us later, if you want.”

“We can think about it.”

“You’re so tired you can hardly keep your eyes open. Do you want to take off your pretty robe?”

“I think so. If my shoulder should bleed in the night, I’d get blood on it.”

After he helped her off with the robe and into the shirt, she lay back exhausted and closed her eyes. She could hear voices and laughter in the other room and wished that she could be in there celebrating her wedding.

“We’ll have a party on our first anniversary,” Jake said as if knowing her thoughts.

He took off his shoes, his shirt and tie and lay down beside his sleeping bride. It wasn’t the wedding night he had dreamed about, but she was his, and he could wait.

Scott Jacob Ramero was born three days after his parents were married. Mary Lee had awakened in the night with pains but didn’t waken Jake until early morning. He was so nervous that she wished that she could have waited until Trudy arrived.

The first thing Jake did was go to the other room and shout for Eli to wake up; then he hurried to cabin number one and pounded on the door for Deke. Finally Mary Lee managed to get him to sit still long enough to time the labor pains.

“The doctor said when they were five minutes apart to call him.”

“I’ve already called.”

“You didn’t!”

“I did. I told him they were almost five minutes apart. I want him here in plenty of time.”

“Ruby left some padding to put under me. It’s rolled up there on the floor of the closet.”

“Should we boil water?” Jake asked.

“Why? Are you going to cook me? Where is Deke going? I hear the truck.”

“He’s going to get Trudy and Ruby.”

Eli stood in the doorway wringing his hands.

“Don’t look so worried, Eli. Women have been having babies for hundreds of years.”

“What can I do?”

“Make coffee. Jake will need some and so will the doctor.” Jake’s hands were visibly shaking when he knelt by the bed and clasped hers. The stubble of whiskers on his cheeks and his tousled hair made him look roguish, but the green eyes on her face were filled with love and concern.