The Brides of Chance Collection Part 58

She turned. "He's holdin' his own, Gideon Chance-which is more than I cain say for myself. Where do y'all hide the grits?"

He chuckled. "No one can stand them. One of us can see to making oatmeal. Don't trouble yourself."

"Them gals ain't lifting a hand to do work for a few days till we get them straightened out. Your Miriam's sleepin' like the babe in her arms after a rough night. Fact is, she's comin' down with the sniffles, and I don't want her sharin' them with anyone. Alisa needs to rest, and it's been a c.o.o.n's age since I seed me a gal half as green 'round the gills as Delilah."

"I didn't think the women ought to. The Chance men survived on their own cooking for a couple of years."

She located the oatmeal, started it, and put beans on to soak for a meal later on. "I'm fixin' to go gather me more yarbs. You sh.o.r.e you cain keep watch on the breakfast?"

"We'll manage the food-I just don't want you going out there alone. We've got snakes and poison oak."

"You Chances mollycoddle women. That strappin' brother of yourn already fussed over my plan to go gathering." She laughed and touched her sheath. "I got me my knife. I'll watch where I walk, and if 'n a snake takes a mind to say howdy, he'll make a fine lunch."

Gideon gave her a stunned look.

"Oh, now don't you be a-tellin' me yore truly afeered of pizzen oak. Onliest things I touch or harvest are things I ken. Them nasty leaves o' three...well, I leave them be!"

The corner of his mouth kicked up. "Miriam learned that lesson the hard way. Just promise me you'll stay to the path and in sight of the homestead."

"Fair's fair." She nodded and left. Walking along the edge of the yard, she took note of a few places where she could show Miriam to gather a few essentials, but a spot of land by the vegetable garden had her aching to plant an herb garden.

'Mornin', Lord. I'm givin' Ye my thanks for them young'uns makin' it through the night. I could pert near feel the angels stirrin' the water on the stove, jist like they did in them healin' pools in that Bethesda place in the Bible....

Hands busy collecting yarbs, she carried on her morning prayer time. Granny Hendricks back home taught her that praying whilst she gathered carried a special blessing-that a healer who listened and spoke to the Almighty would hear His voice, follow His leading, and pick the essentials for whatever ailments and accidents lay ahead.

She'd told Daniel it wouldn't take long, but the bounty of this landscape exceeded her wildest imaginings. It took no time whatsoever to fill her gunnysack. Since Daniel gave her permission to use that loft, she might as well lay by a good stock of yarbs. "Lord, I'm thinkin' on bethroot. Ain't seen me none hereabouts. What with two gals a-carryin' babes, I'd sh.o.r.e like to lay in a supply."

"I talk to myself, too."

Lovejoy let out a surprised yelp as she spun around. "Bryce Chance, I swan, you 'bout skeered the liver outta me!"

"Sorry." He scratched the back of his neck. "I aim to take that sorrel back to the MacPhersons' 'less you say otherwise."

"Now that's kind as cain be. I'm sh.o.r.e Obie has need of her."

Bryce took the gunnysack from her. "Dan said not to let you go far afield."

Lovejoy tried not to gape. "Dan'l sent you to hover over me like a guardian angel out here?"

"He said a stiff wind could blow you straight to Texas." He frowned as he looked at the bag in his hand. "This is too heavy for a dab of a woman."

"Your big brother worries too much." Though she said the words, something deep inside warmed at the thought that Daniel didn't just pay lip service to her safety-he'd needed to stay with his daughters, but he'd made sure his brother shadowed her.

"Can't blame Dan. Mama and Hannah are both buried yonder. We're all antsy 'bout womenfolk."

"Hannah was his wife?"

Bryce nodded curtly.

"I'm sorry. Did she pa.s.s on recently?"

"Nah. Little over two years past-right after Ginny Mae was born. Best you not talk of her. Dan's been half-crazy with grief."

They walked back to the barnyard in silence, and Bryce handed her the gathering sack at the pump, then headed toward the stable. Lovejoy paused at the pump, washed her hands free of the sap and dirt, and rinsed the blade of her knife. Stretching and looking about, she let out a sigh and whispered, "Dear Lord in heaven, look down on me. I'm a-needin' strength and wisdom. Plenty needs doin' 'round here, and my mind's whirlin' round foolish thoughts."

The foolish thoughts didn't go away. As the day progressed, Lovejoy reminded herself that she didn't ever want to marry again-not even if someone as stalwart as Daniel Chance asked. Besides, he wasn't asking, and folks back home relied on her. They needed a healer in Salt Lick Holler.

Chapter 10.

Red flannel?" Daniel echoed Lovejoy's request as soon as he took a gulp of oatmeal. Someone hadn't tended the pot, and the cereal tasted scorched. It was the first time since Miriam had come that one of the brothers had made breakfast. Daniel hoped it was the last.

Logan made a face and dumped sugar in his bowl; t.i.tus opted for drowning his in milk and salt. Paul plopped a blob of b.u.t.ter in his, but it was all in vain. No amount of doctoring would fix their breakfast.

Lovejoy took a bite and bobbed her head. "Yes, yes. Red flannel. Gideon, thankee for makin' the meal. It makes me warm clear through."

"Glad you like it." Gideon smiled, but Dan figured he had reason-he'd gotten a fair night's sleep.

Alisa suppressed a shudder and washed down the only bite she'd tried with some ginger tea. "I have some white flannel. You're welcome to it."

"That's powerful nice of you to offer, 'specially seein' as how you need that flannel to st.i.tch baby gowns, but I'll turn it away." Lovejoy rose. A moment later she returned with a little bowl filled with berries and a cup of cream, which she set down in front of Alisa, effectively nudging away the oatmeal. She patted Alisa's arm. "Not often I'm picky, but this is one of them times. I'm wantin' red."

It's not like her to be so persnickety. Dan shook his head at how she sat down, took another bite, and swallowed without letting on just how foul the stuff tasted. If she could be satisfied with this, why couldn't she be satisfied with white flannel?

"Red makes the best poultices and plasters. Need lemons and lemon drops, too. Whichever of you bucks moseys into town, I'll be asking for them as well."

"Lemons?" Bryce echoed.

"Lemon drops?" Logan looked like he didn't know whether to be confused or thrilled at that order.

Calm as you please, Lovejoy took another spoonful of oatmeal, downed it, and confirmed, "Aye. I recollect seein' a whole bushel of lemons in Reba's mercantile. They smelled dreadful good."

"Get her whatever she wants," Paul muttered.

"It's for that bride o' yourn," Lovejoy said. "Lemonade or suckin' on them drops helps with the sickness."

Paul shot to his feet. "Why didn't you say so? We have h.o.r.ehound-"

"Lemon's the onliest candy that'll do."

Paul accepted that outrageous notion without batting an eye. "Fine. What else do you need?"

"That's it, unless they got a library."

"A library?" the Chance brothers asked in unison.

"I reckon I may as well learn me a bit 'bout the yarbs what grow in this place. Some stuff don't grow but in special places, and I have a hankering to take advantage of this opportunity. I'll collect a pa.s.sel o' whatever's beneficial, leave some here, and take the rest back home when I go."

"You're not staying?" The words tumbled out of his mouth before Daniel could hold them back. That sleepless night was making him do stupid things.

"I aim to change your mind," t.i.tus declared. "I want you around when Alisa needs a midwife."

"And when Delilah does, too!" Paul slapped his hat on his head and glowered at Lovejoy. "I'm going to get red flannel, lemons, and lemon drops. One more thing: I'm going to see if White's Mercantile has a spare pair of handcuffs, because I'll do whatever I have to, to keep you here!"

Lovejoy merely laughed. Plainly, she didn't understand just how serious Paul was. The man is besotted by his bride. Just like I was....

As his brothers divvied up the ch.o.r.es for the day, Daniel ignored their plans. He'd work in the barnyard, the stable-anything close to home. Whenever his girls were under the weather, that was a given.

"Dan'l." Lovejoy's voice jarred him out of his thoughts. He looked up from his barely touched oatmeal. "The young'uns are gonna give us fits again tonight. 'Member where the mustard was when you brung me? I'd take it kindly if 'n you got a mind to gather a pa.s.sel more on account of, by tomorrow, we'll use up all I cut."

"I know where there's some mustard," Alisa said. "I'll get it."

"Nope. Ain't gonna see you walking farther than the yard. Yore ankles done swoll up over the night. Most you oughtta be doin' is st.i.tchin' and readin'."

Alisa blushed to the roots of her hair. Dan couldn't be sure whether it was because she was trying to keep it a secret from t.i.tus or if it was because Lovejoy spoke of such anatomy in mixed company.

t.i.tus gave his wife a horrified look. "What's wrong? Why didn't you tell me-"

"I'm fine, I'm sure," Alisa murmured.

"Don't bother growin' gray o'er that, t.i.tus," Lovejoy said. "Her hands ain't swoll a-tall. It's when a mama-to-be's hands and face get swoll up that you got cause to fret. I niver seen me men who clucked like hens over their women and kids like you Chance boys."

"They're very good men." Though Alisa included them all in her words, Dan noticed she kept her gaze trained on t.i.tus.

Lovejoy chuckled. "Cute as a litter of speckled pups, if 'n you ask me."

"I'll get the mustard on my way home," Paul said.

Alisa started to giggle. "Look for a few bones, too."

"You even chop vegetables purdy."

Alisa looked across the table at Lovejoy and laughed. "I do?"

"Looky there." Lovejoy gestured at the colorful heap. "You don't hack at 'em with your blade; you cut 'em all of like size. And you got it arranged in an arc about you like a rainbow with the stripes a-going up and out 'stead of side to side."

"I feel ridiculous sitting here while you're working."

Lovejoy took two pots and a kettle over to the table. "Beans in here," she said as she scooped half of the tomatoes into the larger pot then put the rest of the tomatoes and vegetables in the kettle. "You're doing plenty of important things, Alisa Chance. First off, you're carrying a new life. Ain't anything more important a woman cain do than that."

"Any woman can carry a child."

Lovejoy looked her in the eye and felt the waves of pain wash over her for an instant before she resigned them to the Almighty. "Not every woman, Alisa."

Dumping her last handful of beans into the pot, Alisa sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh, Lovejoy. I'm sorry. That was-"

"Now don't you start frettin'. I need you to be clear-thinkin' on account of I need to know what Delilah's been able to tolerate so's we cain perk up her appet.i.te."

"Other than an occasional soda biscuit, she's not keeping much of anything down. I figured on making biscuits to go with the soup you're planning."

"That's a right fine idea. After you take a nap, I expect it'll be 'bout time for you to start in on that."

"Nap!" Alisa gave her an outraged look. "I'm not going to lie around while you work."

"Yup, you are." Lovejoy started stewing the tomatoes and said over her shoulder, "Never did see me any reason to beat 'round the bush, so here goes: The ox is in the ditch here. This is a big ranch with plenty that needs doin'. All three young'uns are ailin', and Miriam's hands are full with them today. You and Delilah best behave yourselves, else you're risking the lives you carry. 'Stead of frettin', why don't we praise Jesus that I'm strong and cain fill in?"

"Fill in? Lovejoy, you did laundry, too!"

"Day's fair and sun's strong. Good time to let the whites bleach on the line." She stirred sauteed onions into the tomatoes and added in broth and a sprinkling of mild spices. Last night's leftover rice finished the recipe. This would be for the children and women. The menfolk would be having a hearty Brunswick stew. "I ken 'tisn't Sat.u.r.day night, but seems to me Delilah would feel a far sight better if we tubbed her. No use lettin' the hot water go to waste, so what say you have a soak? It'll loosen you up afore your nap."

"You're doing too much."

Lovejoy laughed. "One of these days when the shoe's on the other foot and my Tempy's in a fix with Lois and Eunice, you'll return the favor."

"You'll be there-"

"She said she would be leaving soon," Daniel said as he came in. He lifted his chin toward Lovejoy. "I put another pair of onions in the girls' cabin for tonight."

"Thankee, Dan'l."

He crossed the kitchen, lifted a spoon, and took a taste of the soup she'd started for the children. Humming appreciatively, he grabbed a mug, dunked it, and started drinking. He turned to Alisa. "You found Ma's recipe!"

"Who cares about a recipe! Daniel, she can't leave. We need her! I need her." Alisa started to cry.

Wincing, he gave his sister-in-law an awkward pat. "Now, Alisa..."

"Folks back home are expecting me," Lovejoy said in a level tone. She'd found sympathy usually made a maternity patient worse instead of calm. "Widow Hendricks is fillin' in as the healer, but it's temporary."

"But they'll have her. We don't have anyone." Alisa took hold of Daniel's sleeve. "Tell her, Dan. Tell her how we need her to stay."

Daniel looked like he'd gladly give up his best horse to anyone who'd bail him out of this situation.

"Things have a way of working out. I've tended well o'er a hundred births, so I speak from experience. Why, look right under your nose. Miriam and Caleb seem to be just fine."

"But Dan's wife died." The words curled in Alisa's throat.

Lovejoy tilted her head and frowned. "Dan'l, is that the gospel truth?"