Right then, he would have given anything to take her in his arms and hold her. But even if he’d been strong enough to do it, she might not have welcomed his embrace, especially if she’d known the truth about the past two years. Joe sensed that it was too soon to tell her. That would have to wait for the right time—if the right time ever came.
He finished the coffee, which had cooled by now. “There’s more to the story,” he said, hoping to change the subject. “But you’ll have to wait till I’m feeling stronger to hear it. You said something about getting me some water.”
“Of course.” She took the mug and the tray, left the room, and returned moments later with a glass of water. Joe’s pulse quickened when she walked back through the door. The sunlight of the new day, shining through the kitchen window, seemed to follow her into the room. This was her room and her bed, he realized, his gaze falling on the feminine touches—the ruffled curtains, the hairbrush and hand mirror on the dresser, the pretty, fringed shawl flung over a hook on the door. The light fragrance that had invaded his senses as he woke was hers.
“I didn’t mean to take your bed,” he said as she handed him the glass.
“There was no place else to put you.”
“But how did you sleep? Do you live here alone? What happened to your uncle, the doctor?”
“He passed away last year. And yes, I do live here alone. And since you asked, I managed to sleep fine. Drink your water. Then I’ll get you more. There’s a chamber pot under the bed. Let me know when you need it. You might need help getting up.”
Her offer startled him. He’d known from their first meeting that Sarah was a lady. But she’d mentioned his using the chamber pot without so much as a ladylike blush.
“Thanks, but I’m still pretty dry,” he said, draining half the glass. The water was fresh and cold, and he could tell his body craved it. But if he emptied the glass she would leave again.
“When you’re finished, I’ll need to check the dressing on your wound,” she said. “Are you in much pain?”
“Some. I’ll be all right.” The wound had hurt like blazes on waking, but he’d stopped thinking about the pain when Sarah walked into the room. “Was it you who patched me up after Rusty brought me here?”
“Yes—although getting that bullet out was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I assisted Uncle Harlan for more than a year before he died. He taught me as much as he could—that’s how I’ve made my living, helping poor folks who can’t afford to pay Dr. Phillips.” Her chin came up, giving him a glimpse of the stubborn determination he remembered. “I want to be a real doctor, Joe. I’ve already applied to one medical school. If they don’t take me, I’ll keep trying until I get in somewhere.”
“You’d make a wonderful doctor, Sarah,” Joe said. “But getting accepted can’t be easy for a woman.”
The ghost of a smile flickered on her lips. “Especially for a woman with no money,” she said. “I was planning to sell Uncle Harlan’s house to pay for school, but his estranged widow showed up and took it. That means I’ll have to get a job to support myself through medical school. Maybe I can help in the laboratory, or even just scrub floors and empty bedpans. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“I always knew you had the spunk and ambition to make something of your life.” Joe felt the tension easing between them. They were talking like old friends now. But friends didn’t hide the kind of secrets he was keeping from Sarah.
“I’ll take that.” She set the empty glass on the nightstand. “Now I need to check your wounds. Let’s hope there’s no sign of infection.”
“And if there is?”
Her stunning eyes met his, then glanced away. “Let’s just say we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
* * *
Sarah opened the black leather medical bag that she’d brought into the room earlier. She wasn’t worried about the shallow head wound, or the clean shot through the shoulder. But she was troubled by the deep, bleeding wound in his side, which she’d exacerbated by having to dig for the bullet. Joe was young and strong. Right now he didn’t seem to have a fever. But that could change at