Mail Order Bride - Westward Secrets: A Clean Cowboy Romance Novel (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 13) (21 page)

Mitch heard the door open behind him and saw that Marcus now followed him.  The three men went out to the horse.  Marcus and Ben saw Rick’s condition and began moving quickly. 

“His hands are clenched around the horn,” Marcus said as he tried to get them unwrapped from around it.  “I don’t want to break his fingers.”

“He’s unconscious, Marcus,” Ben said.  “Mitch, was he like this when you found him?”

“Yeah.  He didn’t wake up at all.  What’s wrong with him?” Mitch asked.

“Not sure yet,” Marcus said as he succeeded in getting Rick’s right hand unwrapped from the saddle horn.  It was easier releasing the left one and the three men were able to get him off the horse and carry him inside. 

Gina sat in the examination room with Rick, who was still unconscious.  She’d been pacing as she waited for him to awaken, but then sat down.  Marcus and Ben said that there was nothing physically wrong with Rick.  They’d both checked him over from head to toe.  There were no injuries, not even scratches on him.

Both doctors thought it had something to do with his mental condition, but there was no way to tell until he woke up.  They took the precaution of tying him to the examination table so he didn’t hurt himself or anyone else when he woke up.  Gina got up again and walked over to him.  She stroked his forehead and willed Rick to wake up. 

“What happened, Rick?” she whispered.

As she looked down at him, she was afraid for him.  She prayed that Marcus and Ben could help him. 
I love him and I want him to be well.
  Yes, she’d fallen in love with the deputy, but had been too afraid to say anything to him yet.  She wanted to in the worst way, but hadn’t found the right moment.  After this, though, she planned to tell him as soon as possible.

No one knew where he’d been or what he’d been doing.  He wasn’t due to work until one o’clock and she didn’t know if he’d had any plans before that.  It was a complete mystery to all of them.  She placed a hand on his chest and bent to place a kiss on his cheek. 

As she straightened, Rick’s eyes suddenly opened and he tried to sit up.  The ropes prevented this movement.

Gina put her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him back down.  “It’s ok, Rick.  You’re safe.  It’s all right.  I’m here.”

Rick looked at her, but had a hard time focusing at first.  He cleared his throat and said, “Where am I?”

“At the medical clinic,” she said.  “Just lie there and rest.  I’m just going to get one of the doctors.  I’ll be right back.”

Rick lay his head back and then looked down at himself.  “Why am I tied up?”

Soon Gina was back with both Marcus and Ben.

“Well, look at that; Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum,” Rick joked.  “What’s going on here?”

Marcus smiled.  “Glad to see you still have your sense of humor.  We were hoping that you could tell us what happened.”

“Gina saw you come through town on your horse.  It looked like it was out of control,” Ben said.

Gina said, “I went to the sheriff’s office and told Mitch.  He rode after you and when he caught up to you, you were unconscious.”

“I had a heck of a time getting your fingers from around the saddle horn,” Marcus said.

“Any thoughts about what might have happened?” Ben asked.  “Where were you this morning?”

Rick tried to think back.  It took a few minutes, but it finally came to him.  “I went to see Maddie.”  He frowned as the conversation started coming back to him.  “We ended up in a nasty argument.”

Gina and Marcus’ eyebrows rose.

“What did you argue about?” Gina asked as she took his hand.

“About Geoff and about me.  She hates me, and I’m not kidding about that,” Rick said.  “She didn’t like it because I was telling the truth about some things.  Anyway, we fought and Seth came in on the tail end of it.  And then…”  Rick laid his head back on the table and closed his eyes a moment.  “She brought up my nightmares.  She doesn’t know what they’re about, but she brought them up.  I don’t remember who gave her that little bit of information.”

“Was she just asking how you were?” Gina asked as Rick squeezed her hand.

“Nope.  She was doing it to needle me.  It worked, too.  Damn it.  Can you untie me, please?” Rick asked.

“Let’s wait until you finish telling us what happened,” Ben said.  “I don’t want to have to tangle with you like I did that night at the bar.”

Rick gave him a wry smile.  “Ok, Ben.  Seth came in and I said something smart to Maddie, she screamed back at me and Seth told me to go.  I went outside and she yelled something at me.  What the heck was it?”

Pleasant dreams, Richard.
  The words whispered inside his mind.

“‘Pleasant dreams, Richard.’  That’s what she said to me.  Then I had such awful pain in my head.  I don’t remember anything else until I woke up here,” Rick said.

“What does that mean?” Gina asked. 

Rick looked at her and swallowed hard.  “It was something that my mother said to me every night.  She always called me ‘Richard’, never Rick.  It must have triggered a blackout.”

Gina noticed that his hand trembled slightly.

“It’s all right, Rick,” Gina said.  “Don’t think about it right now.”

Marcus started untying the ropes and they helped him sit up.  He called on his ability to put on a pleasant face even when he was very angry.  “Get your bearings before you try to stand up,” he said.

Rick took deep breaths to clear his head as Hannah came in carrying a cup of tea.

“This is willow bark tea.  I thought you might have a headache and even if you don’t, it’ll help soothe your nerves,” she said.

Rick took the cup and said, “Thanks, Hannah.  That’s why you’re the best nurse.  You always know what people need.”

“You’re welcome,” Hannah said.  “Ben, your next patient is here.”

“All right, Hannah.  Thanks,” Ben said.  “Rick, I’m sorry for what you’re dealing with, but you know we’ll do everything we can to help you.  Gina, good to see you.  I’ll see both of you soon.  Marcus will keep me apprised of what’s going on.”

“Thanks, Ben,” Rick said.

Ben nodded and left.

Gina looked at Marcus.  “Isn’t there anything you can do for this?”

Marcus sat down in one of the chairs and sighed.  “Unfortunately, there is no quick fix.  There are two theories regarding this type of condition, neither of which I exactly agree with.  However, I’m no expert, which I’ve already told you.  I contacted Professor Schmidt who heads the psychiatry department at Rush and he said that the most effective treatment for this right now is laudanum. 

“So what I’d like to do is mix you up some to take before you go to bed at night.  At least that should help with the nightmares.  As far as the flashbacks go, this is still something relatively new to the medical world and there’s no known cure.  At least in white culture.  However, I’m going to talk to our medicine man, White Horse, and see if he would be willing to do a cleansing ceremony for you.”

Rick absorbed this information and didn’t respond right away.  At length he said, “I’ll try anything, Marcus.  I can’t keep having blackouts like this.  It makes me unreliable at either job.  I need to be alert at all times. People’s lives depend on it.  You know that.”

“I know.  I’m glad you’re open to the ceremony, but you have to approach it with an open mind or it won’t work.  Your spirit is troubled along with your body.  A cleansing might not cure you, but it might help some,” Marcus said.

Rick nodded.  “How out of it will the laudanum make me?  Will I be able to still do my jobs?”
              “Yeah.  We’re gonna start you out on a low dose and go from there.  I am not a fan of laudanum or cannabis unless it’s absolutely necessary but, in your case, it is.”

“All right,” Rick said as he stood up.  “I feel fine.  I need to get to work.”

“You can’t go to work,” Gina protested.

Marcus nodded.  “She’s right.”

“I’m fine,” Rick said with a frown.

“No work today,” Marcus said in a firm tone.  “I’ll tell Mitch.”

Rick swore.

“Sorry,” Marcus said.  “I’ll be back shortly.”

Rick put his hands on his hips and said, “This is great.  Now what am I supposed to do with myself?”

“Well, I know two kids who would love to spend some time with you,” Gina said with a smile.  She slid her arms around Rick’s waist and looked up at him.

Rick’s mouth curved upwards and he chuckled.  “I wouldn’t mind spending some time with them, either.  Or their mommy.”  He put his arms around her and held her close.

“Good.  I guess you’re mine now,” Gina said.

“What?”  Rick looked into her eyes.  “What do you mean?”

“I told Hannah that you’re my boyfriend,” Gina said.

Rick grinned, “Did you, now?  Well, how about that?  I guess that makes you my girlfriend, then.”

“I guess it does,” Gina said.  Hearing Rick say that made a thrill run through her.

Marcus came back in and they parted.  The doctor smiled at them as he handed Rick a small bottle.  “Now, there’s a dropper in there.  I want you to take ten drops at bedtime.  No more than that, Rick.  I mean it.  If you can’t promise me that, I’ll take it back.  Do you promise?”

“I promise.  Ten drops only.  Got it,” Rick said.

“Good.  You know, good support with things like this is always good, too,” Marcus said with a pointed look at Gina.

Rick put his arm back around Gina and said, “She is.  Believe me.”

Marcus grinned.  “I always like to see people happy.  All right.  Get out of here.  No work, brother-in-law.”

Rick chuckled as he and Gina walked out the back door of the clinic.

              “Hey, little brother.  What brings ya?” Seth asked with a smile as he answered their door that evening.

              “Well, I need to see Maddie,” Marcus said.

              “Sure.  C’mon in.  You want some pie?  We just finished dessert,” Seth said as they walked out to the kitchen.

              “No, thanks,” Marcus said.

              Maddie saw Marcus and smiled at him.  “Hi, Doc,” she said.

              He gave her a half-smile.  “Hi.  Can I talk to you?”

              “Certainly.”

              “Let’s sit down,” Marcus said.

              Once the three of them were seated, Marcus said, “This isn’t a social call, I’m afraid.  I’m here as a doctor.”
              “Ok,” Seth said.  “What’s wrong?”

              Marcus turned his attention to Maddie.  “It’s about your brother.  I’m asking you as his doctor to not mention his nightmares anymore.  They’re terrible and he’s been having flashbacks.  I know that you argued with him today and whatever you said as he was leaving triggered a blackout.  So, don’t mention them to him if you see him.”

              Maddie had stiffened.  “So he ran to you to tattle on me?”

              With great effort, Marcus curbed his anger and told them what happened with Rick that day.  “So that’s why I’m asking you not to talk about them.”

              “I didn’t know he was having such difficulty.  Should he be working as a deputy?” Maddie asked.

              “Did you not understand what I just said?” Marcus said.  “Have some compassion for him.”

              “He said awful things to me, Marcus.  Crude things about Papa and he insulted me.  He said I was heartless and cold.  I’m neither of those things.  I’m sorry if I said something to upset him, but he made me so angry,” Maddie said.

              Marcus sighed.  “I understand that, but this is no small thing that he’s going through, Maddie.  I can’t tell you what it is exactly, but the first twelve years of his life were a living hell thanks to his mother.  Imagine J.R. going through something like that.  Rick was just a boy, too.  As far as him being a deputy, he’s been doing the job just fine.  What do you have against him?”

              “I just wish he hadn’t come here and caused so much fuss.  People come up and ask me about him.  Do you know how embarrassing that is?  They ask about my father’s affair and about Rick.  How long did I know about him?  Who is the woman Papa slept with?  It’s been horrible,” Maddie said.  “I just want him to leave me alone.”

              Seth said, “It’s not his fault, honey.  He just wants to know his family.”

              “I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Maddie said.

              Marcus cocked his head at her and said, “I’m very fortunate that my Lakota family was so accepting of me.  Rick sure could use that.  Anyway, I’m asking you as his doctor not to mention his nightmares or his mother.  If you can’t do that, I guess it is better for you to stay away from him.  After today, I doubt he’ll bother you.  Goodnight.”

              As Marcus left the kitchen, tears gathered in Maddie’s eyes.  She got up and ran upstairs.  Seth put his head in his hands and said, “I’m too old for all this crap.”

              A week later, Rick was happy with the results of taking the laudanum at night.  While the nightmares didn’t completely go away, they weren’t as frequent.  There were only two drawbacks; it was sometimes hard to get up in the morning and once he was up, he was a little giddy.  Mitch and Jack thought this was very funny because for the first half hour or so after he arrived at work, Rick laughed at things that weren’t humorous.  Rick never knew what might set him off on a laughing jag.

              Rick couldn’t play with Curtis at those times because the first day he did, he almost passed out from laughing so hard.  So Curtis stayed in his pocket or in his bed in Rick’s desk drawer until Rick’s giddy period passed.  Rick also didn’t go out on patrol until he settled down so he didn’t laugh when someone came to him with a complaint.

              He’d had a few flashbacks, but nothing severe.  He began to hope that his problem was being brought under control.  After another week had gone by with the nightmares and flashbacks still greatly diminished, Rick began focusing on other things.  Gina and the kids became the most important part of his life. 

              One night, as he was driving Gina home, Rick stopped along the road and turned to her.

              Gina began to get a little nervous as he smiled at her.  “What is it?”

              “I want to tell you something I’ve been wanting to for a while now,” Rick said.  “Come here.”

              Gina slid over to him and Rick took her in his arms and said, “You make me so happy.  You’re like no other woman I’ve ever met.  I love you, Gina.”

              Gina smiled and said, “You do?”

              “Yes.  I knew a while back, but then all of that happened with those flashbacks and all.  I just didn’t feel it was the right time to tell you.  I didn’t want you to think I was only saying it because of all the trouble I was having.  But since things are better, I felt that I needed to tell you that I’ve fallen in love with you.  That includes the little people, too.”

              Tears welled up in her eyes.  “I love you, too, Rick.  I love you so much, but I was scared to tell you because I didn’t know if you felt the same way.”

              Rick grinned and laughed.  He had never felt so ecstatic.  Taking Gina’s face in his hands he kissed her and then said, “I definitely feel the same way.  I love you.”

              “I love you, too, and I love saying that.  Oh, if only I didn’t have to go home,” Gina said, her eyes reflecting her love and desire for him.

              “Yes, if only.  But, that’s ok.  The little people need you,” Rick said as he started the horse out again.

              When Gina got home that night, she was bursting with joy.  Randall sat in the parlor reading a book dressed in his silk pajamas and smoking jacket.  He never smoked, he just liked the jacket.  It also made him presentable in case he had to answer the door at a late hour.

              Gina pounced on him.

              “Guess what?” she asked.

              Randall smiled.  “Whatever it is, it must be positive,” he said as he saw the way her eyes shone with happiness.

              “He loves me!  Rick loves me!” Gina said.  “Isn’t that wonderful?”

              The butler chuckled.  “It is indeed.  Congratulations, Gina.”

              Gina said, “Thank you.  I’m so happy!  Goodnight, Randall.”  She kissed Randall’s cheek as she did every night and trotted down the hallway.

              Randall laughed as he settled back in his seat to read again. 
Ah, yes.  Being in love is a wonderful thing.
  He thought about his own love and grinned.

              Once Rick decided something, nothing deterred him from his goal.  This was certainly true in his love life as it was in everything else he did.  He wooed Gina with a new intensity and nothing was too good for her and the kids.  Rick was very slick about getting information from Gina about the kind of house she would like.  He also obtained similar knowledge from the children. 

              Based on all of this intelligence, Rick instructed the contractors on the renovations for the house further back on his property.  When it was halfway done, Rick decided the time had come to put his other plan into motion.

              One day, as he was getting ready for work, there was a knock on his door.  He opened it to find Tessa standing on the stoop.

              “Hello,” she said with a smile.

              “Well, this is a pleasant surprise.  Come in,” Rick said, stepping back.

              Tessa did and gazed around at his little place.  Claire was right; it did put one in mind of the little house by the stream.  It had the same feel to it.

              Rick and Tessa had become very friendly over the past few weeks, but it was the first time she’d ever come to his home.

              “This is very quaint,” Tessa said.

              “Thanks.  You’re being nice,” Rick said.  “Tea?”

              “Do you have time?” Tessa asked.  “I don’t want to make you late for work.”
              “There’s plenty of time.  Make yourself comfortable.”  Rick put water on to boil.

              Tessa sat on one of the chairs.  “How are you feeling?”

              “Good.  Things are definitely a lot better,” Rick said as he sat down opposite her.

              Tessa noticed all of the marks on the wooden floor. 

              Rick followed her glance.  “I move these chairs all over the place, depending on what’s going on at the time.”
              Tessa smiled.  “That’s very unconventional, but I shouldn’t be surprised.”

              “Yeah, your little brother doesn’t fall into the conventional category at all.”
              “No, but I don’t mind it in the least,” Tessa said.  “I am ready for another journal.  You’re a very good writer and I am enthralled by your accounts of the daily life of a mountie.”

              Rick grinned.  “It was definitely interesting.”

              “It’s a shame that they fired you,” Tessa said.

              Rick shrugged.  “Everything worked out for the best.”

              Tessa chuckled.  “You’re speaking of Gina.”

              “I am.  If I hadn’t been relieved of duty, I might never have tracked all of you down and then I wouldn’t have met her.  The universe has a way of knowing where our destiny lies.  We just have to listen,” Rick said.

              “I agree.  I feel the same way about setting out on my own and marrying Dean.  So I understand what you’re saying,” Tessa said.

              “I’m sure you’re excited that Mike is coming home for Thanksgiving.”

              “Oh!  You have no idea!”  Tessa’s eyes shone with joy at the thought.  “I miss him so.  I can’t believe I have to look up at him now.”

              “He’s a good boy.  You’ve certainly raised your kids right.  Speaking of that, I want to ask your advice on something,” Rick said.

              “Oh?  I’ll certainly help if I can,” Tessa said.

              “What was it like marrying Dean when he already had two kids?” Rick asked.

              “Wonderful.  We got along from the first time we met.  Sadie was so sweet and Jack was so funny.  He spoke his mind then as much as he does now.  That hasn’t changed and he’s always had a voracious appetite.  Right away he wanted to know if I cooked.”

              Rick laughed.  “That sounds like him, all right.  How soon was it that they started calling you ‘Mama’?”

              “Not too long after we were married.  Perhaps a month or so.  Jack started it, actually.  It happened suddenly one day when I was disciplining him.  He thought Dean would intervene on his behalf, but Dean felt that it was time they learned that they had to listen to me.  And I’ve been their mother ever since.  I’ve never tried to take Sarah’s place, but I’ve made my own place.  Why do you ask, as if I don’t know?”  Her eyes smiled at Rick.

              Rick couldn’t keep the broad smile from his face as he held up a finger and strode over to his chest of drawers.  He came back to her with a ring box. 

              Tessa grinned as she opened it and said, “Oh, Rick!  You certainly have good taste in jewelry.  How could any woman refuse such a ring?”

              “I’m nervous as hell about asking her, but it’s time.  I can’t live without her now and I’ve fallen in love with those kids,” Rick said.

              “Well, I am certain that she will accept your proposal.  When do you plan on asking her and how?” Tessa asked as she handed the ring back to Rick.

              “That’s for me to know and you to find out,” he told her.

              “You’re shameful to tease me that way!  At least promise that you’ll tell me all about it,” Tessa said.

              “I promise,” Rick said.

              Tessa cleared her throat and said, “The other reason I came is to invite you to Thanksgiving dinner.  We would love to have you.”

              Rick’s face underwent a dramatic change from smiling and happy to closed and slightly angry.  “Thank you, Tessa, but, no.  I can’t run the risk of arguing with Maddie and I haven’t heard anything from our father, so I will not come and end up ruining the day for everyone.  There’s no guarantee that I wouldn’t become surly and I don’t want to do that to you.”

              She sighed.  “I thought as much, but I wanted to ask anyway.  I’m so sorry about Maddie.  I’ve tried and tried to talk to her and she won’t budge.  Papa and I have worked some things out, but it’s been hard.”

              Rick nodded.  “That’s good.”  He fixed their tea and gave her a cup.  “Enough about that.  Tell me which parts in that last journal were your favorites.”