Another Dawn (43 page)

      
Of course, that term gave him even more ideas, and that was dangerous territory.

      
He put her down in a reclining position, but she pushed herself upright the moment he released her. "Sofie, Sofie, Sofie."
 
Sighing, he went to the hearth and poked at the dying embers, placing another log on the hot coals. Within a matter of seconds, it flared to life and the fire's warmth drove away the autumn chill.

      
"Shane said you went to see Mr. Smith."
 
Sofie smoothed her skirt and met his gaze as he sat on the ottoman in front of her. "How is he doing?"

      
Luke didn't want to go there. That guy gave him the creeps. "He was asleep, but Roman asked me to come back later."
 
He shrugged. "Last night the guy wrote the word 'priest' on the slate. Guess I'm the only one in town."

      
"Maybe he'll be able to tell you his name."

      
"Roman said he wrote another word besides 'priest' but he couldn't make it out."
 
Luke drew a deep breath and leaned slightly forward. "You're determined to go to Denver then?" He had to talk her out of seeing the specialist before they reached Denver. Maybe when he proposed to her she'd forget about regaining her memory. He hoped.

      
"Of course," she said quietly.

      
How could he really expect her to abandon hope of regaining her memory forever? Simple, he couldn't. However, he might be able to distract her for a while.

      
Actually, distracting Sofie held a great deal of appeal. He shifted his position, but it didn't help much. In his condition, he should've remembered how uncomfortable sitting astride anything could be.

      
Making himself as comfortable as possible, Luke searched her expression, knowing as he did that she loved him, too. Somehow, he'd make this work. He had to. Thank God she wasn't the kind of woman who could hide her feelings, because knowing how she felt helped him remain focused.

      
She jerked her gaze from his and said, "I'm very anxious to see the specialist."
 
Tugging at the cuff of her sleeve, she looked up to meet his gaze again. "Luke, this is very important to me."

      
"I understand," he said, and that was the truth. He did understand her need to regain her memory, though he didn't have to like it. With any luck, she'd be married to him before then, though even that didn't guarantee her acceptance of his duplicity. He swallowed hard.

      
Married. The thought of living with and loving Sofie for the rest of his life brought him more pleasure than he ever could have imagined.
 

      
Yes, marriage.

      
All he had to do was forsake his fictitious priesthood–a sacrifice he couldn't wait to make–and convince Sofie to take the plunge. She had to agree.

      
"All right, then," he said, rubbing the tendons at the back of his neck. "When Roman gives the okay, we'll leave for Denver."

      
"Do you...know the way?" She shrugged and gave a nervous laugh. "I have no idea."

      
Well, if Luke could find Highway 24 and Interstate 25, he could make it to Denver in no time. "We'll get directions."
 
He grinned.

      
"Will we have to ride horses?" she asked. "I'm not sure I know how."
 

      
Luke hadn't thought of that. "Yeah, I suppose we will. I'll use some of the gold the town gave me to buy horses and supplies."
 
He chuckled. "I can ride a little, but it's been a long time. I'll have to learn all over again."

      
"Fast."
 
Sofie smiled and the worry lines in her brow eased and smoothed. "I know we have to beat the big snows."

      
"Yeah, and it's already October."
 
Luke didn't want her to see his worry. He'd lived his entire life in Colorado, and he knew the heavy winter snows could begin any day. If they commenced before their departure, they'd have to wait until spring.
 

      
And if they commenced while he and Sofie were traveling...

      
Staying put was the safe thing to do, but Luke couldn't wait that long, and it was obvious Sofie didn't want to either. They had to leave soon.
 

      
"I asked Shane and Jenny about airports...."
 
Her brow wrinkled and her obvious confusion tugged at Luke's conscience.

      
"I...I have a lot of things to tell you, Sofie," he said quietly, holding her gaze with his. "But they have to wait until after we leave here. Trust me."

      
She nodded, but didn't look away. "All right."

      
She trusts me
. Guilt threatened his resolve, but Luke banished it. For now. If only he could permanently exorcise the demons that haunted him, especially guilt.

      
Once he'd shed his masquerade, Luke vowed to sort through his feelings about his grandparents and his wrongful conviction and near-execution. Suppressing all that stuff wasn't healthy–he knew that. And he wanted to be the best husband he possibly could. That meant having his head screwed on straight.

      
"Good."
 
He reached out and took her hand, cherishing the petal-like softness of her skin. He wanted her desperately, but he loved her even more than he wanted her.

      
Miracle of miracles.

      
He smiled just as someone knocked at the front door. "That'll be Roman."
 
After giving her hand another squeeze, he rose and went to answer the door.

      
Very soon he'd be able to touch her all over, to kiss her and love her as she deserved to be loved. His heart slammed against his ribs and the renewed tug of desire in his groin nearly drove him to his knees.

      
Yes, soon.

      
He opened the door and Roman stepped inside. "Sofie wouldn't stay in bed," Luke explained, closing the door. "She's in the parlor."

      
Roman sighed as he sat on the settee beside her and placed his black bag on the ottoman. "Sofie, I thought I told you to stay in bed another day."
 

      
"You did, but I felt like moving around."

      
"I never met a soldier or miner who was as stubborn as most of the women I've treated over the years."
 
He asked her a few questions, then said, "I need to check your wound and change the dressing. Would you prefer to do that here or upstairs?"

      
The implication was clear. Luke could take a hint. "You stay here, and I'll go to the kitchen."
 
He took a few steps, then stopped. "Oh, before I forget, I need to know how soon Sofie will be able to travel."

      
"She's young and heals fast. If she keeps healing even while disobeying doctor's orders, I'd say any day, if you take it easy."
 
Roman looked up and sighed. "By the way, can you come back to see Smith again this afternoon?"

      
"Sure."
 
Luke couldn't prevent the tremor of apprehension that raced down his spine. Smith's scars weren't what made him uncomfortable. It was the man's eyes. They gave Luke the creeps. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

      
"Thank you."
 
Sofie averted her gaze when he looked at her.

      
Somehow, he had to make this work. His new life would be meaningless without Sofie.

      
Free or not.

      
"Smith wrote another word for Anna while I was checking on Sofie," Roman explained, leading Luke through the front door of his small house shortly after noon. Inside, the physician paused and ran his fingers through his white hair. His expression grew pensive. "My job is to serve and to heal, Luke."

      
Where'd that come from? Sensing his friend needed to talk, Luke merely nodded.

      
"Smith, or whatever his name is, has recovered enough to get on with his life, such as it is."
 
Roman shook his head and chuckled quietly. "I have a wife now, and having patients here longer than necessary is..."

      
"Unnecessary," Luke finished with a grin. "Seriously, you have a right to your privacy, and the obvious solution is to find out who this guy is and send for his family."

      
"What if he's wanted by the law?" Roman paced a few steps, then turned and repeated the process, stopping again in front of Luke. "What if he doesn't
want
to be found? Then what? I can't stand the thought of sending him to an institution, but I don't know what else to do."

      
Luke had experienced more than his fill of institutions. "Yeah, I see your problem."
 
He sighed and gave a shrug. "All we can do is try."

      
"Thank you."
 
Roman led him down a hall toward the back of the house, next to the office Luke had visited once before. "Anna went to see Dora," he said over his shoulder. "If I don't miss my guess, that young lady is in for another lecture–number ten or twenty, I'd say–about her conduct at our wedding reception."

      
Luke cleared his throat. Laughing would be inappropriate, though that was precisely what he itched to do. "Yeah, I suppose so."

      
"Anna planned on letting Dora stay on in their house, but that was when she thought Jenny would be staying there, too."
 
Roman sighed again. "Now that Jenny and Shane have decided to return to Texas..."

      
They paused before a closed door at the end of the hall. "Seems to me, Ab might be more than a little interested in Dora," Luke said thoughtfully. "Maybe they'll get married."

      
"Now that's something I'd like to see."

      
Luke grabbed the doctor's shoulder before he knocked. "Is he, uh, off the laudanum now?"
 

      
"Completely."

      
Luke needed to make sure he couldn't blame any bizarre behavior on drugs this time. "Good."
      

      
Roman knocked, then pushed open the door. "Mr. Smith, Father Salazar is here to see you."

      
Luke looked beyond the doctor, where the tall man stood before a curtained window. He wore the gray hood Dora had made for him, and a blue shirt and black slacks covered the rest of him. He was only slightly hunched now, and he took a few steps toward them without limping. Of course, the burns had been restricted to his upper body, and only one side of that.

      
A bell sounded from somewhere nearby. "I have a patient," Roman announced. "I'll be back as quickly as possible. The slate's on the bureau."

      
Before Luke could object, the doctor was hurrying down the hall.
 
Resigned to face Mr. Smith alone, Luke summoned his priest persona and entered the room.

      
"Do you think you can write your name for me?" Luke crossed the room and picked up the slate, then faced the hooded man.
 

      
"No...slate."
 
Mr. Smith's voice sounded hoarse and raspy, barely audible. He took another step toward Luke and paused.

      
Luke couldn't be sure, but it looked as if the man was smiling beneath his hood. Why did he let Smith get to him this way? "You can talk. That's good."

      
Smith took another step toward Luke, until he was only a few feet away. The sunlight flowing through the window illuminated the man's eyes. Frenzy gleamed from the twin slits, with nothing less than pure hatred.