“He’ll have to,” Jessie returned. ‘“There’s nothing wrong with his feet. Billy,” she directed, “Jeb and I will steer him if he’s not surefooted enough. Could you go inside and get his bed ready?”

“How bad hurt is he?” Jeb asked seriously when Billy was gone. She explained, finishing, “The Doc seemed to think he should stay off his feet for the next few days, which means someone has to look after him. Otherwise, I would never have brought him back here.”

Jessie shook Chase gently, then sighed when he rolled onto his back. “He’ll be breaking those stitches for sure. I hope you’re still handy with a needle, Jeb.”

“Don’t tell me he got it in the back?” Jeb’s voice rose indignantly.

“Yep, but I’ll explain the rest later. Let’s see if we can get him out of the wagon.”

They managed, but it took a while. Chase didn’t even open his eyes until his feet were on the ground, and he was so wobbly that they each grabbed one of his arms to pull around their necks.

They put him in Thomas Blair’s old room, dragging him all the way. Billy had the bedcovers pulled down and was waiting anxiously. Luckily it was a low post bed with no footboard.

“Let’s position him so he can get his knees up on the foot of the bed, Jeb. Then we’ll lower him to his stomach,” Jessie instructed.

“Christ, no!” Chase growled.

“Oh, shut up,” Jessie said impatiently. “I never heard a man bitch so much about sleeping on his stomach.”

“Lady, if you had two quarts of raw whiskey in your stomach, you’d bitch, too.”

Jessie released his arm and stepped back. “I recall you got rid of that this afternoon,” she said in a lighter, amused tone as she rubbed her aching shoulder. He was too heavy to carry.

He grimaced. “And I recall you retching right alongside me, so have a little sympathy.”

Jeb and Billy both looked at Jessie strangely, and that heated her temper. “You’re talking mighty clearly for a man who had to be dragged in here.”

Chase raised his head slightly. There was the tiniest grin about his lips. “Was I supposed to make an effort? Nobody told me.”

Jeb snorted and left the room, mumbling all the way. Billy giggled until Jessie’s stormy eyes lit on him.

“I’ll, ah, get his things out of the wagon,” he offered quickly, and left the room.

Jessie turned those flashing eyes back on Chase. “I’m beginning to think you’re not as bad off as the Doc told me,” Jessie said coldly. “And if that’s the case, Jeb can tote you back to town when he returns the wagon tomorrow.”

“For another ride like today?” he cried. “Not on your life! And what is all this talk about a doctor? I have a terrible hangover, but what’s a doctor got to do with that?”

“You really don’t remember what happened to you, do you?”

Chase closed his eyes wearily. “I got drunk, maybe a little more than usual, but so what? I’ve been doing a lot of that lately,” he added, more to himself than by way of revelation.

“Maybe the name Annie will stir your memory. ”

The anger in her tone disturbed him. Annie? The only Annie he knew was ...

Chase put his hands to his temples, which caused a stabbing pain in his back. He didn’t know which was worse, the physical pain or the memory of him staggering up the stairs last night with Silver Annie. All the while, he’d been thinking of this one, wishing it were Jessie he was with, Jessie he was about to make love to. Had he really gone to Silver Annie’s room?

His eyes opened wide. He could see that Jessie wasn’t just a little angry, but one hell of a lot angry. She was standing there with her arms crossed over her chest, her body so stiff he thought she was about to break. She was trying to mask her feelings with contempt, but her eyes were shooting daggers at him.

She knew. Somehow, she knew. And she was furious about it. Chase didn’t know whether to be pleased or worried.

“I, ah, can explain, you know,” he ventured sheepishly.

“Can you?” Jessie said coldly. “Where you were found is explanation in itself, isn’t it?”

“Found? You didn’t come to the saloon, did you? Is that how you know?”

“Yes, I was there. Half the town was there! It will probably make the paper. I can just see the headlines. ‘Drunk assaulted and robbed in whore’s room. Thief got away with the victim’s pants, since he wasn’t wearing them at the time.’ ”

Chase’s eyes narrowed. “Is that supposed to be funny?”

“That is what happened, Summers. Or don’t you remember getting a knife in your back?”

He tried to turn over, but he couldn’t. “So that’s what hurts so much.”

“I would imagine it does.”

“How bad is it?”

“Doc Meddly said you should stay off your feet for a few days, since you lost so much blood. Other than that, you should heal fine.”

“If I was to have bed rest, what did you drag me out here for?”

“I wasn’t going to stick around town to take care of you! And Meddly had me believing no one else would tend you, considering where you got your wound. I probably could have found someone to look after you, but it was easier just to bring you here. Rachel can do it. So if you have any explaining to do, you can do it to her.”

Chase frowned. “I doubt Rachel would help me now, Jessie. She doesn’t think too kindly of me anymore.”

“You think I do?”

“No, I suppose you don’t,” he sighed. “What were you doing at the saloon, anyway?”

“I went there to see you,” she said stiffly, unsure of herself for the first time.

That was the last thing he expected to hear. “Why?”

“That hardly matters now.”

And with that she left the room, leaving Chase even more befuddled.

Chapter 29

JESSIE lingered at the table with Rachel after Billy had excused himself. She hadn’t eaten a meal in such uncomfortable silence since those terrible meals she and her father had suffered through when they were angry with each other. No wonder Billy had left as soon as he could.

At least Jessie was used to it and didn’t let it affect her appetite. That was important, because evenings were the only time Jessie could make up for the other meals she was missing. She wasn’t going to let a little tension keep her from taking full advantage of the times she felt perfectly normal, as if there were no changes taking place in her body.

The silence continued, both avoiding the other’s eyes. Finally Jessie’s plate was empty, and there was nothing left to do but get it over with. She sighed deeply.

“He won’t have to stay here long, Rachel. A week at the most, until he can sit a horse without opening up his wound. A week isn’t that long.”

Rachel’s eyes were stonily unsympathetic. “But why did you bring him here?”

“Look, I don’t like this any more than you, but there was no one else to look after him. I couldn’t just turn my back on him, could I?”

“How did he get hurt?”

“The thief who was robbing him panicked and stabbed him in the back.”

Rachel lowered her eyes. “Well, I suppose things like that are to be expected,” she said harshly, “

considering his occupation.” It was the most condemning remark Jessie had ever heard from her.

“You knew he was a gambler, Rachel. It didn’t seem to matter to you before.”

“He is not the boy I used to know,” Rachel said coldly.

“It’s none of my business what kind of man he is, Rachel,” Jessie said. “And it’s none of yours, either. He’s not answerable to either of us.”

“Well, that’s a fine attitude after what he did to you,” Rachel said tearfully.

“Are you ever going to put that to rest?” Jessie demanded. “What Chase and I did, we did together. You’re the only one crying over it!”

“If you feel that way, why didn’t you marry him when he asked you?”

“His asking came a bit too late,” Jessie replied bitterly. “He didn’t want to marry me, and I knew it. Whose pride would have been served if I had accepted? Only yours, Rachel.”

Rachel’s voice turned soft suddenly. “You mean... you would marry him if he loved you?”

Jessie shook her head. “Where on earth do you get these ideas? That man doesn’t love me. I mean no more to him than any of his countless other women.”.

“Are you so sure, Jessica? He may very well love you now but hasn’t realized it yet. He did stay in town instead of moving on,” she pointed out.

“To get drunk.”

“But why, unless he loves you so much he—”

“Are you defending him? I wish to hell you’d make up your mind!”

Rachel looked away. “I’m not defending him, not in the least.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it, because I wouldn’t marry a no-good, carousing—”

“So you do care!”

Jessie could have pulled her hair out by the roots, she was so exasperated. She leaned forward and banged her fist on the table, her cheeks high with color.

“I don’t care! I care so little that he can starve to death before I’ll put one foot in his room again. He’s in this house, but I’m not going near him, not going to set eyes on him again. Now, you brought him here in the first place, so he’s your responsibility. You tend him!”

Rachel stood up stiffly, rigid. “I refuse to care for the man who ruined my daughter.”

Jessie’s mouth fell open as she watched Rachel walk away from the table. She jumped up, tore around the table, and followed Rachel up the hall. “I am not ruined! Do you hear?”

“I cannot help but hear, you’re shouting so,” Rachel replied without stopping. “But it does not change the facts. I won’t help him.”

“But he’s your friend!”