The Texan's Reward (21 page)

Nel returned to her sewing, but by lunch, she’d enjoyed as much of Wednesday’s talk as she could endure. They

ate on the porch with Gypsy and the preacher. As the others cleared away the dishes, Nell asked the girl to take

her sewing and go up to keep Mrs. O’Daniel company. The nurse must be lonely in her bedroom.

Nel slipped into one of the window coves and opened a book.

The house hadn’t been quiet for two hours when the preacher came in to wait for dinner. He said he’d been

studying al day and wondered if he might practice a sermon on her. Everyone else passing through could claim

to be busy. Nel was trapped. After an hour of acting like she was hanging on every word, her only saving grace

was that she wouldn’t have to hear it again when he preached from the pulpit.

He’d been to town to turn in his request to preach some Sunday, but hadn’t heard a reply.

Nell swore that Gypsy announced dinner was ready before Marla even cut out the biscuits, so they could gather

round the table and the reverend would have to stop practicing. They’d al noticed the man couldn’t seem to get

wound to ful speed while he ate.

So they sat talking at the table, all wondering from time to time why dinner hadn’t been served. Finally, Marla

brought it out and seemed surprised everyone was already around the table.

Exhausted, Nell forced herself to stay downstairs as long as possible. She knew if she went to bed, she’d only

worry about Jacob, so she spent an hour reading to everyone after supper, then let Harrison guide her to the

study to go over some of the records he found.

It was almost midnight when Harrison and Marla carried her up to bed. Alone, she sat in the darkness and

wondered where Jacob was.

He was al right, she decided. She would have felt it if he’d been shot.

Shadows deepened as the house grew quiet. One hour slipped by, then another, as she strained to hear any

sound announcing Jacob’s return.

“He’s safe,” she whispered in the darkness of her room.

She listened again but heard only silence.

WHEN NELL OPENED HER EYES, MORNING SPILLED across the room in bright colors of reflected light. She’d

overslept and missed the sunrise.

In the months since the ambush, she’d learned to move slowly when she first awoke. The last thing she needed

was a jab of pain shooting through her body when she wasn’t wide awake enough to fight it.

So she lay still, bracing herself before she faced another day.

A voice seemed to drift from nowhere. “Rol to your side, dear, before trying to sit up. It’l put less pressure on

the small of your back.”

Nel did as the voice ordered, then pushed herself to a sitting position. A squarely built woman in a navy blue

dress with a starched white apron faced her. “Remember me?” The nurse laughed and waved. “I’m Mrs.

O’Daniel, and I’m happy to be at your service.”

Nell had talked to the woman several times yesterday, but the Mrs. O’Daniel she’d seen in bed suffering from a

hangover looked nothing like the proper woman before her now. Only hours ago, the nurse hadn’t been able to

focus, and her hair was a bush of tangles and curls around her plump, pale face. Now all signs of disorder had

been forced back into a bun at the base of her neck. This morning there was no hangover. The woman who’d

looked like she might fall apart had vanished and been replaced by a chubby woman who stood straight as a drill

sergeant but smiled as warmly as an old maid aunt.

“Good morning,” Nell managed as she lowered her feet to the floor.

Mrs. O’Daniel handed her a glass of water. “I’d like to get a few details out of the way, if I may, before we start

our first day together, my dear.”

Nel nodded, not trusting her voice.

The nurse stood as if at attention. “I’d like to rearrange this room for you. The wheelchair needs to be beside

your bed and the lamp far enough away that it won’t get knocked over. After moving some of the furniture, you

should have something to hang onto when you move about.”

Nel saw the woman’s point, except for the “moving about” part. Standing and taking one step had been the

sum total of her “moving about” for six months.

“Next, starting today, you’ll be on a routine. Regular meals, regular sleep, regular exercise. As soon as it’s warm,

we’l swim in the afternoons, but for now you’l have a hot bath and a rubdown a few times a week.”

“You sound like I’m a horse.” Nel smiled, thinking she’d make Jacob laugh when she told him of the nurse’s

orders. In truth, she was wil ing to try anything. Dr. McClel an would be here soon, and she wanted to show him

some progress.

Mrs. O’Daniel didn’t smile. “Your housekeeper laid out your clothes, miss, and I’ve put your brush near enough.”

She moved the straight-backed chair she’d been standing in front of closer to Nell. “If you’ll hold onto this, it will make standing easier while you’re dressing. I’ll see you in thirty minutes.” She turned and opened the door.

“Aren’t you going to help me dress?”

Mrs. O’Daniel stared at her. “If you can stand on the porch all by yourself, you can dress yourself. I’ve put

everything you’l need in front of you.”

The door closed before Nell added, “But I fell.”

Thirty minutes later, Nell was ready for a nap. She’d struggled with dressing and combing her hair. At first she’d

thought to put it up, but soon found it took far too much effort. She braided it in one long braid and braced

herself on the chair back while she reached for a ribbon.

Mrs. O’Daniel returned with the chiming of the clock. “You look grand, my dear.”

Nell wanted to call her a liar, but she smiled at the nurse’s effort to compliment her on effort at least.

Mrs. O’Daniel straightened the room as she talked. “Everyone is waiting breakfast on you, miss. I’ll help you

downstairs.” She carried a wide leather belt. The buckle was sturdy and the leather pliable from use. Without

comment, the nurse buckled it loosely around Nel ’s waist. “I know it’s not much, Miss, but it wil hold.”

Nell raised her arms so the nurse could carry her, hoping the stout woman could manage it. She looked like she

might weigh as much as the last nurse, only Mrs. O’Daniel was not only ten years older but more than a head

shorter than Mary Ruth had been.

To Nell’s surprise, Mrs. O’Daniel put one arm around Nell’s waist and gripped the belt. She braced her other arm

in front of Nel to help her stand.

With a little effort, Nell stood beside the woman and placed one arm across her thick shoulders.

“Now hold your body straight and do the best you can to walk, miss. Don’t you worry about falling. The grip I’ve

got on this belt won’t let you go. We’ll move as fast or as slow as you like. Speed isn’t important, progress is.”

Nel nodded and gripped the back of her chair with her free hand.

Moving across the room, Nell reached for support as she passed furniture. It took them twenty minutes to get to

the landing. Though Nell moved in small steps, her feet took very little of her weight. She was almost walking,

she thought. Almost.

When Harrison and Marla saw her at the top of the stairs, they both ran to help. Mrs. O’Daniel informed them

that they weren’t needed. She moved so that Nel could hold the railing with her free hand. “We’re going down

these stairs together. One step at a time. Anyone near her but me wil just be in her way.”

Nell lifted her chin, not wanting to admit how frightened she felt. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the

banister, taking one step down, then Mrs. O’Daniel waited while she got another firm hold and they managed

another step.

Halfway down, Mr. Harrison moved in her path. “Let us carry you the rest of the way,” he asked. “You’ve done

quite enough for today.”

Mrs. O’Daniel looked at Nell. “You’re only halfway through,” she said. “These stairs will never be longer or

harder than they are today if you reach the bottom.”

Nell tried to smile. “I want to go the rest of the way,” she whispered.

Harrison moved aside. His face was set with no display of emotion, but she didn’t miss the worry in his gray

eyes. He joined the others watching from the bottom of the stairs.

The preacher mumbled a prayer, and Wednesday paced as Nell held fast to Mrs. O’Daniel’s shoulder with one

hand and the stair railing with the other. Sweat ran off her forehead, but she forced her head high. The nurse

was giving her a chance to fight, and fight she would. One step at a time.

Mrs. O’Daniel’s breathing sounded like a train pul ing into the station, but she held on tightly to the belt. Nell

leaned into her, knowing the woman would hold fast.

One more step.

Nell’s shoe turned, making her foot slip sideways. Mrs. O’Daniel held on, giving her time to straighten and find

her balance again.

One more step.

Nell closed her eyes, remembering al the times at school that she’d walked down the stairs alone to go to

dinner. She’d written Fat Alice long letters about her friends at school, but in truth, she’d been alone. No one

wanted to be friends with a girl they knew nothing about, and if they’d known her past, they wouldn’t have

offered anyway.

One more step.

She’d told herself then that their whispers didn’t hurt. She told herself now that the pain didn’t matter. She

would survive.

With the last step, everyone cheered, and she realized she’d reached the bottom of the stairs. She was no longer

that frightened child; she was surrounded by friends. Nel felt exhausted and thankful when Gypsy slipped the

wheelchair against the back of her legs and she could sit down.

“You did a grand job,” Mrs. O’Daniel whispered as she unbuckled the belt. “A grand job indeed.”

“Thank you,” Nel answered out of breath.

For once she let the housekeeper push her to the table.

Mrs. O’Daniel took the seat Harrison pulled out for her. Now that she was sober, she seemed all business, which

was something he understood. She ate in silence, then pushed her plate aside and pul ed out her watch. The

timepiece was huge, the kind of pocket watch a man would carry.

As she drank her second cup of coffee, Nel couldn’t help but wonder which of Mrs. O’Daniel’s husbands had left

it to her. Smiling, Nell remembered the watch she’d given Jacob a few years ago for Christmas. He’d told her it

was the best gift he’d ever received.

After Nell downed the last of her coffee, she felt more like facing the day. “What’s the plan, Mrs. O’Daniel?” She

liked the way the nurse seemed to know what she was doing. Most of the others had been happy to read while

Nell stayed in bed. All had insisted she take frequent naps.

“We’ll walk down to breakfast every morning from now on. And every day you’ll stay out of that chair a little

longer until one day, you’ll climb the stairs alone and the wheelchair will be pushed into a corner to collect

dust.”

Nel wasn’t sure she believed her words, but they offered Nel something she hadn’t had in six months: hope.

Mrs. O’Daniel worked upstairs rearranging Nell’s room for most of the morning. She sent Gypsy and Marla

bumping their way downstairs with the bedroom rug and ordered Mr. Harrison to bring up two more ladder-

back chairs. When she finally came downstairs, she had the belt with her.

Nell smiled. “I have a feeling I’m going to grow to hate that thing.”

Mrs. O’Daniel was all business. “It’s time for your work, dear. Gypsy tells me you like tea. Would you like to walk

to the kitchen for a cup or out to the porch to stand in the sun for a few minutes?”

The nurse offered her arm for Nel to pul up on. “The porch please,” Nel answered. She’d not whine, no matter

what the nurse suggested. After the stairs, a walk to the porch didn’t seem al that hard, but her legs felt weak.

To her surprise, the trip was not as bad as she feared it might be. Nell was learning to trust the stout little

woman. True to her word, Mrs. O’Daniel moved slowly, allowing Nell to find her footing with each step but not

letting her put much weight on her legs.

When they reached the porch, Nell closed her eyes and smiled into the warm sun. She took a deep breath,

smelling rain in the air. Looking north, she noticed clouds rol ing in along the horizon. A storm would be upon

them by nightfall.

Mrs. O’Daniel stood like a rock beside her. “One more step each day, miss. Just one more step, and before you

know it, you’ll be walking.”

The preacher hurried up from the barn. “I thought I’d go into town after lunch and have a talk with a few more

of the churches. Let them know I’m offering to preach next Sunday to whoever asks first.” He stopped a few feet

away. “It’s been months since I’ve stood at a real pulpit. Most places I come to are lucky to have a barn or a tent

they use for services.”

He held the door open as Nell and Mrs. O’Daniel walked inside. When Nell lowered herself back into her

wheelchair, the nurse whispered, “Before supper we’l do the same thing.”

Sheriff Parker rode out from town to join them for lunch. The moment he saw Mrs. O’Daniel, he smiled, knowing

he’d have someone new to tel his stories to. Nel pumped him for any word about Jacob, but al he knew was

that a posse hired by the railroad rode out from Fort Worth a few hours after the robbery. They’d have little

chance of catching the bandits unless weather or Jacob slowed them down. He told Mrs. O’Daniel about how he

and three other lawmen rode into the Indian Territory after a gang of outlaws who’d rustled a hundred head of