A Man with a Past by Mary Connealy

THIRTY-FOUR

Get up here now!” Molly’s roaring voice greeted Cheyenne when she shoved open the back door.

She’d been surprised to see so many lights on so late.

It was sheer reflex that made her turn and yell, “Falcon, get in here!”

He was leading the horses to the barn.

It was enough noise that someone came stumbling out of the bunkhouse in their longhandles with a hastily pulled on pair of pants.

The hand grabbed the horses from Falcon, and he sprinted toward the house. Cheyenne had already shed her hat and gloves.

She looked at Amelia, who was wide-eyed from the commotion.

Cheyenne jabbed her finger at a kitchen chair. “Stay.”

Running for the stairs, she almost slammed into Andy running down.

Andy turned and ran back up. “Wyatt’s bad. Bad.”

Andy looked behind him, one lightning glance full of dread.

Cheyenne saw grief.

Running faster, she stormed into Wyatt’s room. Full of people. Falcon came in hard on her heels.

Molly was frazzled. Her fine, blond hair was sticking up as if it hadn’t been combed in two weeks. Two months maybe. Her pale blue eyes raging, she snapped, “Get over here, Cheyenne. Now.”

Cheyenne was there before Molly could finish ordering her over.

“Cheyenne. Chey.” The mumbling went on. He’d called her Chey, which sounded like shy. Like she was a delicate little shrinking violet. She rested one hand on his forehead and felt the fire inside him.

“Wyatt, I’m here.” She leaned down, terrified at the vivid red flush to his skin, the hollow of his cheeks, as if he were fading away right before her eyes.

“Cheyenne.” He grabbed her wrist so hard she thought she’d be bruised tomorrow. But she wanted the contact. She took her free hand and caught hold of his grasp.

“I’m here. Wyatt, I’m here now.”

“Chey. You’re all right.” Then he seemed to collapse. His muscles went slack.

“No, Wyatt! No!”

Molly grabbed her shoulders and lifted her out of the way. “That’s what I needed.”

“Is he—is he—is he—”

“He’s sleeping.” Molly took Cheyenne’s hand with her own fragile one and rested it flat on Wyatt’s chest. Through the panic, Cheyenne felt the steady, if rapid, beating heart.

“He’s just sleeping. He wakes up from time to time and gets agitated and calls for you. He fights me, tries to get up, won’t take a drink, won’t lie still for the ice and cool cloths. And he doesn’t have the energy to waste on whatever fevered fears he has about you.”

Molly released Cheyenne and got hold of her shoulders again and pulled her tight into her arms.

Shocked, Cheyenne let herself be held. Let it push back the awful moment when Wyatt had passed out and gone limp. The moment when she thought her brother was dead.

Letting herself be held was so odd. So nice. Tears burned in her eyes. She was horrified to think she’d cry over a hug. Pressing one hand to her eyes, she let Molly hang on. Or maybe Molly was just too strong for Cheyenne to get loose.

Which was surprising because Molly seemed fragile, fine-boned, and pale. But there was strength in her, lots of it.

Cheyenne sniffled and swiped her wrist across her eyes before straightening away from Molly and turning back to Wyatt.

Win and Kevin stood on the far side of the bed. Andy behind them. Rubin paced in the few empty spaces in the crowded room.

“What happened?” Cheyenne demanded. “He was fine when I left him.”

“Well, he’s not fine now,” Molly snapped. “Don’t waste my time with foolish questions. Win, more tea.”

Win ran from the room like a lowly private being threatened by a general.

“Rubin, that’s the last of the yarrow, where’s my new supply?”

“I’ll fetch whatever’s left in the bunkhouse and send a man running to town for more of everything at first light.” Rubin rushed out.

“Andy!”

“Ice—I’m going.” And Andy ran like wolves were nipping at his heels.

“I’ll get dry towels and pillowcases.” Kevin was gone before Molly could open her mouth.

Cheyenne rushed around the bed to sit down by Wyatt. “Tell me what to do. I want to help.”

“I need you to stay here. There’s not much for you to do unless he has one of those spells where he calls out for you. I’ve got to have you here to hand.”

Molly looked at her, blinked, then looked again. “You’re a filthy mess.”

Cheyenne touched her hair, her face. “I am?”

Molly turned her attention back to Wyatt. “Yes, and you look like you’re played out. Go clean up and get to bed. Don’t expect a good night’s sleep because I’ll be waking you every single time I need you.”

Cheyenne didn’t run like the others. Instead, she studied her brother and prayed her heart out for God to touch him and heal him. Not even close to finished, she got up and left.

Falcon was waiting in the hallway when she strode out the door. She caught his hand as she walked to her room. “I guess now isn’t a good time to tell them we’re getting married. If Wy-Wyatt—if he, if—” Her voice broke, and she couldn’t go on.

“Get in there and clean up,” Falcon said. “You should sleep, but if she needs you to be with him, then you’ll go be with him. We’ll tell them we solved all the crimes, found Amelia—”

Cheyenne punched herself in the head. “I forgot about her. Send her up here. She can sleep in Win’s old room tonight.”

“Okay. And we can tell them we’re getting married as soon as Wyatt can stand up for the I do’s.”

Cheyenne threw herself into Falcon’s arms. “He looks so weak, so sick.”

Falcon held her tight. She thought he might’ve gone on holding her, just standing there, forever. He would have if she’d needed him. Knowing that warmed her trembling, frightened heart. Finally, she let go and rushed into her room to shed her trail-worn clothes, wash up, and get back to her brother.

While she changed, she heard Falcon go back to Wyatt’s room and ask what he could do to help. She met him going out while she was going in.

“I’m going to bring Amelia up,” he said. “I keep forgetting we even brought her home.”

Cheyenne found her first smile since she’d gotten home. “I do too.” She caught his arm. Their eyes met.

He didn’t hug her or draw her close. He just raised his hands to support her elbows as she rested her hands flat on his chest. Just for a few seconds, he held her up.

Everything she’d ever wanted in a man was in that support, in that one short stretch of time.

Then he gave her a firm nod and stepped out of her way. To let her care for her brother knowing he’d take care of everything else for as long as she needed him to.