“Ben,” she whispered. Tears of blue crystal filled her eyes and slowly overflowed.
It cut him to the quick.
“Yes, Cam. I’m here. I ain’t leavin’ again. Talk to me, Cam.”
It took a few minutes, and a little more gentle urging, before she was persuaded to slowly, haltingly describe her horrifying encounter with the Putnam brothers yesterday afternoon. His heart swelled, first with overwhelming compassion, and then with pure blood lust. With the telling, he could almost feel the fibers of cord that held everything together inside him beginning to loosen, and snap.
But she was frightened enough already. She, his wife, had been frightened, and menaced, by those two monsters. He dared not make it worse.
“He—hit you—?” From blood lust to cold hard rage, he barely got the words out.
A feeble nod was her only response.
“And you’ve been hidin’ inside the house ever since?”
Her lips trembled. “Uh-huh.”
“Okay.” Ben wrapped both his big warm hands around hers, so frozen to the touch. “I have to leave you for a bit just now.”
Camellia’s eyes widened tragically. “No. Please, don’t go. You said you wouldn’t, and I—”
“I have to, Cam. I need to fetch Dr. Havers, have him look you over and see what I can do to help you. The place is dark, the doors will be locked. And I’ll be back in just a few minutes. You’ve been mighty brave already, darlin’. Can you be brave just a little while longer?”
“I’ll—t-t-try...”
“Good girl. All right, then.”
Gabriel Havers was, fortunately, ensconced in the office, leaning back in his wooden swivel chair with both feet propped on the desk top and a book spread open across his belly. He was asleep, filling the space with a round of hearty snores. Business must be slow. Dead slow.
“Stir your lazy stumps, Gabe,” was Ben’s admonition as he swung open the door to stride across the waiting room. “Got a patient for you to see, right now.”
The doctor came instantly to life. Must be due to the training at understaffed, overfilled hospital corridors, that he would nap whenever a chance came along. “Done. Let me get my bag.”
Hastily Ben explained the reason for his visit as they rushed along. By the time they reached the Forrester front porch, Gabriel had all the pertinent facts in hand. He asked no questions. Not yet. Once inside, he even sternly clamped down on his shock and consternation at Camellia’s appearance. For now, his whole medical experience was attuned to the kindness and compassion that always came into play during any examination.
“Doesn’t look like any permanent damage,” was Gabe’s conclusion, when he had finally finished and his patient could relax somewhat upon the settee. “I think the bruises will gradually fade away, and your pretty face won’t have any permanent scarring from the injury. But everything hurts you right now, doesn’t it, Cam?”
She felt safe enough, in the presence of these two, strong husky males, to admit that, yes, everything did hurt.
“And you took care of yourself, right after—this happened?”
“Hot tea. A lot of hot tea, and a lot of sugar. And cold compresses, for my face.” She winced.
“You did the right thing, Camellia.”
Her blurry gaze sought out Ben, who had been perched on the very edge of his chair, warily watching while the doctor did what needed to be done. “I—I did give you—the message—?”
“Yes, Cam. You did.”
“The Putnams?” asked Gabriel, with interest that was more than casual.
“Yeah. Ever since they found some bit of rock that they swore was copper ore, off in the foothills beyond town, they been houndin’ me to open up the area for minin’ and smelters.”
“Nothin’ that you’re interested in doin’, I reckon.”
Ben snorted. “Not me, nor anyone else. The rock was assayed. There ain’t nothin’ to it. And even if there was, a mine is an ugly, dirty, smelly thing. Nobody wants to deal with it. But the Putnams are determined to try, regardless. Last time they pushed the idea again was at our weddin’. I told ’em no, for the umpteenth time, and they’d oughta not bother me in the future.”
“But that wasn’t the last of it,” Gabriel shrewdly guessed.