can’t infect the children. And . . . they couldn’t bear to see me succumb. . . .”
They knew what she was thinking. Clint admired what Mrs. Nelson was willing to do for Amelia, but the children also needed her. Amelia was right about that. He quickly formulated a different plan. “Tell me how this disease progresses.”
Mrs. Nelson explained her experience with yellow fever. “If the symptoms haven’t improved in a few days, and if the fever and vomiting persists, that’s when many do not . . .”
“Survive,” Amelia finished Mrs. Nelson’s sentence.
“You told me that the symptoms are similar to influenza. Could this be influenza?” Clint asked.
Mrs. Nelson thought about Clint’s question. “I guess it could be influenza, but if the other families hear she is sick, they will assume the worst, just like with Ben Wilburn’s boy.”
Glancing at Amelia, Clint asked, “Amelia, do you think you could travel?”
Mrs. Nelson’s mouth dropped open. “You don’t think she should go off alone, do you?”
“No.” Clint’s eyes shifted from Amelia to Mrs. Nelson. “I think she should go with me back to La Grange. You can tell me how to care for her. If the doc is still alive, he will know what to do once we arrive in LaGrange.”
Mrs. Nelson frowned at him. “Mr. Mitchum, I know you have nothing but the most honorable intentions, but she will not even be able to change her clothing by herself.”
Clint arched his brow at her. “I assure you, I’ve seen a woman’s body before, Mrs. Nelson. I have no intention of taking advantage of Amelia.”
Flustered by his comment, Mrs. Nelson’s face turned a rosy pink. “I’m not suggesting . . .”
Clint’s expression and his voice softened when he looked at Amelia. “You know this is the only thing that makes sense. You can trust me.”
Amelia’s gaze met his. “I trust you, but I can’t let you do this. I don’t want you to get sick because of me.”
“I’m not going to get sick. And you don’t actually think I would let you go off by yourself, do you? Even if Mrs. Nelson convinced you to allow her to go with you, I couldn’t let that happen.” Clint quickly decided he would not listen to more objections. “Mrs. Nelson, please be kind enough to get together what I’ll need for her and we’ll leave at dawn.” His tone let them know that the decision was made. He knew traveling with Amelia was going to slow him down, but that didn’t sway his decision. He couldn’t leave her behind, not knowing what was going to happen to her. He didn’t wait for her to respond; he walked to the back of the wagon.
Tears filled Amelia’s eyes. “Please don’t do this. I would rather stay alone than risk you becoming ill.”
Clint turned and walked back to her, leaned over and cupped her cheek. He spoke softly to her. “Stop worrying about me. I told you, I will be fine. I’m too darn mean to catch anything. I want you to rest now. We’ll leave at dawn.”
A tear slid from the side of Amelia’s eye. “Say goodbye to the girls for me. Don’t let them come in here. Make sure they understand I don’t want to leave, but I must.”
Clint reached down, picked up her hand and held it in his. It felt so small and delicate in his grasp. He hoped her will to survive was stronger than she looked or felt. He’d learned in the war that a man’s will to make it home to his loving family increased his chance of survival when faced with a life-threatening illness or injury. Those men had a reason, a purpose to make it through any hardship. “I promise I will explain the situation to them. Now you must promise me you will get well.”
When she didn’t respond, Clint gently squeezed her hand. “Promise me.”
“I promise,” she whispered as she looked into his eyes.
* * *
Before dawn, Tom Nelson helped Clint carry some supplies to the wagon. “Clint, this is good of you to take Amelia to La Grange, but do you know what you’re in for?”
“I can’t say I’ve seen yellow fever, but I saw just about everything else in the war.” Clint had been exposed to more diseases and injuries in the war than he cared to recall. He felt he could handle yellow fever. Only problem was, he’d never cared for a woman. There might be situations where he would shock Amelia’s delicate sensibilities