Her cold, stiff fingers tossed dresses aside as she rummaged in her trunk for scented soap. Goose bumps dotted her skin, and she shivered, clenching her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering. Hugging the soap to her chest, she hurried downstairs, and finally located a towel from the clean laundry basket in the washroom. The only one left. The rest of the room was piled high with dirty clothes. She groaned. More work for her tomorrow.
Angel dragged a kitchen chair behind her as she returned to the parlor, and placed the items on the bare wooden seat, so it’d be within easy reach. The cooling water didn’t feel quite so wonderful as she settled back in.
After a few minutes, concerned about the time, she sat up and reached for the soap. It jumped from her wet hands and flew from her grasp, sliding across the floor. She slapped the water in frustration, causing more of it to wash over the side.
Once more she climbed out, and retrieved the soap. Back in the tub, she used her hands to make lather, and rubbed up and down her arms and legs, before moving to the rest of her body. Next she splashed the water over herself, trying to get the soap off. More soapy water landed on the floor.
She dunked her head and washed her hair. But there was no maid standing there with a bucket to pour clean water over her head. How in heaven’s name would she get the soap out? Clustered strands of wet, soapy hair fell in her face and stung her eyes. With no other choice she sucked in a breath and dunked her head back into the dirty water, hoping most of the soap would come out as she wiggled her fingers through the wet strands.
She sat up and ran her hands over her hair. The soap hadn’t all come out, and rivulets of it ran into her eyes. She blindly stretched her hand out toward the chair. When her hand touched the wood, then the soft cotton, she pulled the towel to her face and wiped her eyes. Holding her nose, she dunked once more, and then blinking at a furious pace against the burn in her eyes, stood, and put one foot on the floor.
Before she could take her other leg out of the tub, her foot slipped on the soapy water and she slid backward. Arms flailing, she grabbed for the chair next to the tub. It turned over and her body landed sideways on top of it. She went down with a thud. Blinding white pain in her side was the last thing she felt before darkness descended.
Nate left the bathhouse feeling good. He carried his dirty clothes in a bundle under his arm, and nodded at several people as he rode past on his horse. A typical Saturday night, the saloons were doing a good business. The sheriff’s palomino stood tied to the hitching post outside the Black Lily, one of the more popular saloons.
Sheriff Travis could be there for business or pleasure. Once in a while things got rowdy on a Saturday night, but most times the lawman was there to indulge in his favorite pastimes of gambling and visiting with the girls upstairs. And he didn’t appreciate it when his fun was interrupted by business.
Anticipating his own night of fun, Nate picked up the pace. After arriving home, he brushed the horse, and fed him some oats. Certain he’d given Angel enough time, he hurried up the steps, and let himself in through the back door.
Silence greeted him. Perhaps Angel waited for him upstairs, possibly in a frilly white nightgown, sitting up in bed, all sweet-smelling, and shy. A single lamp would be burning, and he would leave it on, unless it made his new bride uncomfortable. There was plenty of time for him to talk her into better lighting.
Whistling a soft tune, he tossed his clothes on the dirty laundry pile, and walked past the kitchen. He glanced into the parlor, and his jaw dropped. Angel lay sprawled on top of a chair, naked, soaking wet, and holding her side as she moaned.
“Angel, what happened?” He ran to her and knelt in a puddle of water.
“Fell.” She gasped. “Can’t move, or take a deep breath.”
Nate eased the chair out from under her and she let out a sharp squeak. “Okay, honey, hold on.” He dashed upstairs, and yanked the blanket off the bed. Then he ran to the boys’ room, and woke up Matt.
“Matt, come with me. Angel fell and I have to go for the doctor.”
Rubbing his eyes, Matt followed him downstairs. Nate hurried over to Angel and covered her naked body with the blanket.
“Is she dead?” Matt stared wide-eyed when Nate threw the blanket over her entire body, covering even her head in his haste.
“No, just hurt. I’m going to leave you here with her while I fetch the doctor.”
Nate hunkered down and pulled the blanket off her face. Angel moaned louder, and a tear ran down her cheek.
“Honey, I’m going for the doctor. I don’t want you to move until he’s had a chance to examine you. I’m leaving Matt here so you won’t be alone.”
Her eyes closed, she just nodded, biting her bottom lip, two more tears tracking down her cheeks. Her inability to fill her lungs completely confirmed her injured ribs.
He stood and turned to Matt. “See if you can mop up m
ost of this water, son. Don’t move her, or let her try to get up, okay?”
“All right.” Chewing his lip, he glanced from the woman on the floor to his papa. “Will she be all right?”
“I’m sure of it, but I want the doctor to take a look.” He ruffled the boy’s hair and headed to the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Dr. Penrose’s house and office sat at the other end of town. Nate strode to the barn, quickly re-saddled his horse, and took off at a gallop. He didn’t like that Angel said she couldn’t take a deep breath. Hopefully she hadn’t cracked a rib that could be poking into her lung.
The poor girl certainly had a rough time since she’d arrived. She looked pathetic lying on the floor in pain, with tear-filled eyes. They were not off to a good start.
He raced through town, past shadowed businesses. The saloons continued to reverberate with noise. Loud laughter and music drifted out the batwing doors as he rode by. The sheriff’s horse still stood patiently in front of the Black Lily.
At the end of a long, dark road, lights from the doctor’s house provided a beacon. Clumps of mud flew as he tightened the reins on his horse, tossed them over the post and ran up the stairs.