If you don’t do something to set this straight, you won’t have a friend left in this town.”
Margaret’s words rang in Sarah’s ears as she strode to the front of the store. The clothes she’d requested were piled on the counter. She added the items to her basket. While she counted out her cash, the clerk wrapped everything but the hat in brown paper and gave her a receipt.
“If you don’t mind waiting, I can have somebody help you carry it out,” the clerk offered.
“Thank you, but I’ll be fine.” Sarah took the bundle, the hat and her basket, and left the store. With her arms loaded, she walked back down the boardwalk. This time she understood the whispers and the sudden silences as she passed. She’d told herself she didn’t care. But the hurt was there. How could people judge her for a simple act of kindness—one that had been nothing more than that?
But as she piled her purchases in the cart and drove back toward home, she knew that she was deceiving herself. Her feelings for Joe had grown into something far from simple and far beyond compassion.
* * *
By the time the plodding mule pulled the cart through the yard gate, the late-afternoon sun hung low above the prairie. Joe was waiting to unhitch Ahab, let him into the corral, and put the cart away.
Sarah had taken her purchases into the house. She unwrapped the bundled clothes and placed them, with the hat, on the table for Joe to discover when he came in.
He shook his head when he saw everything laid out. “This is too much, Sarah. I can’t imagine how much these things cost, and I don’t have a damned nickel to repay you.”
“You can thank Rusty. He’s the one who left the money,” Sarah said, handing him what was left over. “This is yours. He said you could call it back pay.”
“We’ll split it.” He counted out the bills and returned half to her. “I still remember when you bought me lunch in Dodge City. I always wanted to find you again and treat you to a nice dinner. Do you know of a good restaurant?”
Sarah thought of the gossip she’d faced in town. “Another time,” she said. “I’m afraid we’ve already caused enough of a stir.”
“Then we’ll have to make sure that we find another time,” he said. “Oh—I almost forgot. The postman came by while you were gone. He left something in your mailbox. It’s still there. I didn’t take it out because I thought it might be personal.”
“Oh!” Sarah’s pulse catapulted. Calm down, she told herself. It’s probably nothing. Some kind of notice from the landlord, or Lenore demanding something else of Uncle Harlan’s. Even if it is from the medical school, it’s probably a rejection.
“I can get it for you,” Joe said, but Sarah barely heard him as she flew out the door and down the front walk to the roadside mailbox.
The thin envelope was from the Bennett Medical College of Chicago, the only school that had sent her an application. Sarah carried it back to the house in shaking hands, feeling the slight weight of it—there wouldn’t be more than a page or two inside, she guessed. It wouldn’t take much paper to say no.
Joe took one look at her face and guessed what she had. “You heard from the medical school. What did they say?”
“I don’t know.” Sarah’s heart was pounding against her ribs. “I’m scared to open it. You take it.” She thrust the envelope into his hands. “Open it and read it to me.”
“If you say so . . .” he muttered, working a finger under the flap of the envelope. “Let’s hope it’s good news.”
“Just read it,” Sarah said.
There were two pages in the envelope. Joe took a moment to smooth out the folds, then began to read.
“Dear Miss Foxworth,
While we wouldn’t usually consider a female applicant for admission, we feel that your experience as an assistant to Dr. Blake would make you a highly suitable candidate. Therefore, it is my pleasure to notify you that you have been accepted for the first semester, beginning September 6 of this year . . .”
Joe dropped the papers on the table. “I think I’ve read enough. They want you, Sarah! You’re going to be a real doctor!”
“Oh!” Sarah was beside herself. “Oh, I can’t believe it! It’s like a dream come true!” Impulsively, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth.
Joe’s body