home, lying in the cool grass, staring up at Whispering Mountain, waiting to die.
He had no idea how long he was out, but slowly his mind drifted from the peace of the dream through muddy waters where no thoughts made sense. Two people were carrying him. One had his shoulders, one his feet. From what seemed like miles away he could hear the old woman’s voice yelling for them to be careful and not kill him too soon.
A moment later they dropped him, and then, like panicked children, they picked him up and begin half carrying, half dragging him again. The old woman yelled for them to hurry before someone saw them. He slipped away, welcoming the darkness this time.
He had no idea if minutes passed or days. When he opened his eyes again, he was lying on something soft. He tried to move but couldn’t budge. He felt as though the last ounce of energy in his body remained in his mind, and if he struggled too hard even that would leave him.
He heard the old woman named Toledo say, “You better take care of him. If he dies I’ll beat you both.”
Gently, he felt someone pulling away his clothes. Warm water washed over him, and Duncan managed to open his mouth. A hand cupped the back of his head and let him take a long drink. When he finished, he let out a sigh and relaxed, trusting the hands moving over him, washing away blood and wrapping his wound.
CHAPTER 18
EM WOKE IN A THUNDERSTORM MOOD. SHE COULDN’T believe she’d let Lewt kiss her last night. No, she corrected herself. She didn’t just let him kiss her, she’d almost begged him to. And then, he’d kissed her, really kissed her. It had been so much more than she thought a kiss could be.
Crossing to the mudroom, she bathed, put on her oldest clean clothes, and joined Rose, already in the kitchen. As she combed her hair by the fire, Em made up her mind that the only way to deal with what happened on the porch last night was to stay as far away from Lewt as possible. He’d be on the ranch only three more days and then he’d be gone and forget all about her and the kiss. And she’d stay here, glad things were back to normal, only she’d remember the kiss and cherish it. She might never marry, but she’d have the one perfect kiss to remember.
Braiding her hair, Em was lost in thought when Rose finished the biscuits and finally had time to join her in a cup of coffee.
As usual, Rose didn’t mess around. She said what was on her mind. “We have to stop this game, Em. I almost called Tamela by her name last night. I really like these men and suddenly the game doesn’t seem fair. They’re all decent and honest. What are they going to think if they find out that Tamela isn’t a McMurray, she’s just a look-alike Emily because the real one wouldn’t give up working with the horses?”
“Don’t worry. We only have a few more days. After the party Friday night we will all say good-bye and I’ll have Sumner drive them into town. They can spend the last night at the hotel so there is no chance they’ll miss the train Saturday morning. You can say you think that would be easier on Mrs. Allender.”
Rose didn’t like the idea, but it did seem easier to continue the game than change it now. “Beth and I thought we’d take the men into town just to show them around. I’ll stop by the hotel and ask one of the waitresses to deliver lunch to the little house. It’ll be so much nicer that going into one of the crowded cafés.”
Em nodded. Most of the time the family was in town they either brought their own food or had one of the hotels deliver a meal. Their papa hated what he called “eating with strangers.” The girls never minded. Often Em and their mother would stay at the house while everyone else went shopping, and then they’d all ride home together talking of their day.
“Will you come with us?” Rose asked as she stood and began breakfast. The two girls from town they’d hired to help for the week never seemed to make it up for breakfast and weren’t that good at cooking. So Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Allender pitched in with helping prepare lunch and dinner and