possible.
Chapter Thirteen
They waited two days before attempting to move Lucas. Mindy washed his wound everyday with water from the stream and it seemed he had passed any risk of infection.
“It’s going on three days now,” Mindy chirped as she worked over Lucas. “I think God decided to take a hand in the matter.” She smiled at Boone, who grimaced.
Mindy guarded Lucas like a mother hen, clucking over his every desire and need. As far as Boone was concerned, she had seen things no proper female ought to have seen by now. His eyes narrowed at the thought. She waved away his notions of propriety, saying she had nursed her brothers through sickness many times, and the male form was not a novelty to her.
For himself, Lucas doted on the attention, and who wouldn’t? He often called to have Mindy fetch him water or to sit by his side and sing.
There Boone grimaced again. Her singing wasn’t as lovely as his mother’s, that was certain, but it seemed to give Lucas comfort. The sound echoed through the trees and across the water. It made him angry for some reason that he couldn’t fathom.
One of the ditties she sang over and over was the song they had listened to at length from the stagecoach driver, Gibb, along their journey. Boone shook his head to think of it. The broken wheel had occurred five days ago, though it seemed like a month.
From his position on the other side of the campfire, Boone watched as Melinda gathered her filthy skirts around her like a lady, and sat down near Lucas. She had ripped off a bit more of her dress to use as a cold compress for his head. She kept it moistened and near in case he called for it. Boone tensed as Mindy laughed. It was obvious that she was giddy with her success and how well Lucas was progressing.
“Luke! I’ve sang that song a dozen times. Surely you’d rather hear something else.”
Lucas shook his head and held out a hand, which she readily took. “I love to hear you sing. It’s so charming hearing Gibb’s words coming from your sweet lips.”
Mindy blushed. “You’re a snake charmer, Luke Wilhite. But you can forget it if you think I’m going to fall for any of that.” Still, she was soon singing:
I sing to everybody, in the country and the town,
A song upon a subject that’s worthy of renown;
I haven’t got a story of fairy-land to broach,
But plead for the cause of sticking to the box seat of a coach.
After singing out the song’s final note, Mindy’s ringing voice came to a stop. She smiled at Lucas and said, “How was that?”
“Like angels.”
Boone snorted and Melinda cast him a wicked frown. “I think I’ll go try to trap something for dinner,” he said.
Melinda got up and followed him to the tree line. “What’s stuck in your craw?” she hissed. “You’ve been angry as a goat for two days!”
“I don’t like to see couples spooning in public!”
“Spooning! I’m trying to give the man a little comfort, is all. He’s been shot! He can’t move around and he deserves some pleasure.”
“Well, then, you should stop singing to him!” Boone said.
“Oooh, you make me furious, Boone … Boone, what? I don’t even know your last name!”
“It’s Gary, Gary Boone. Don’t use it. Boone’s fine. As a matter of fact, it’s better if you don’t call me at all!”
“Oh! You are exactly the type of man my momma warned me about on this trip! You’re arrogant and … arrogant … and I don’t know what all, but it’s not attractive!”
“Who is there to be attractive for? You?” Boone frowned. “Go look at yourself. You’re not a prize! Did your momma ever tell you that?”
Mindy clenched her hands into fists at her sides. “Yes! Yes, as a matter of fact, she did! You’ll be happy to know she told me that quite regularly! I realize exactly what I am, Gary Boone, and I know what I’m not — which is more than I can say for some people!”
She whirled off, but not before Boone caught a sparkle of moisture in
Chapter Thirteen
They waited two days before attempting to move Lucas. Mindy washed his wound everyday with water from the stream and it seemed he had passed any risk of infection.
“It’s going on three days now,” Mindy chirped as she worked over Lucas. “I think God decided to take a hand in the matter.” She smiled at Boone, who grimaced.
Mindy guarded Lucas like a mother hen, clucking over his every desire and need. As far as Boone was concerned, she had seen things no proper female ought to have seen by now. His eyes narrowed at the thought. She waved away his notions of propriety, saying she had nursed her brothers through sickness many times, and the male form was not a novelty to her.
For himself, Lucas doted on the attention, and who wouldn’t? He often called to have Mindy fetch him water or to sit by his side and sing.
There Boone grimaced again. Her singing wasn’t as lovely as his mother’s, that was certain, but it seemed to give Lucas comfort. The sound echoed through the trees and across the water. It made him angry for some reason that he couldn’t fathom.
One of the ditties she sang over and over was the song they had listened to at length from the stagecoach driver, Gibb, along their journey. Boone shook his head to think of it. The broken wheel had occurred five days ago, though it seemed like a month.
From his position on the other side of the campfire, Boone watched as Melinda gathered her filthy skirts around her like a lady, and sat down near Lucas. She had ripped off a bit more of her dress to use as a cold compress for his head. She kept it moistened and near in case he called for it. Boone tensed as Mindy laughed. It was obvious that she was giddy with her success and how well Lucas was progressing.
“Luke! I’ve sang that song a dozen times. Surely you’d rather hear something else.”
Lucas shook his head and held out a hand, which she readily took. “I love to hear you sing. It’s so charming hearing Gibb’s words coming from your sweet lips.”
Mindy blushed. “You’re a snake charmer, Luke Wilhite. But you can forget it if you think I’m going to fall for any of that.” Still, she was soon singing:
I sing to everybody, in the country and the town,
A song upon a subject that’s worthy of renown;
I haven’t got a story of fairy-land to broach,
But plead for the cause of sticking to the box seat of a coach.
After singing out the song’s final note, Mindy’s ringing voice came to a stop. She smiled at Lucas and said, “How was that?”
“Like angels.”
Boone snorted and Melinda cast him a wicked frown. “I think I’ll go try to trap something for dinner,” he said.
Melinda got up and followed him to the tree line. “What’s stuck in your craw?” she hissed. “You’ve been angry as a goat for two days!”
“I don’t like to see couples spooning in public!”
“Spooning! I’m trying to give the man a little comfort, is all. He’s been shot! He can’t move around and he deserves some pleasure.”
“Well, then, you should stop singing to him!” Boone said.
“Oooh, you make me furious, Boone … Boone, what? I don’t even know your last name!”
“It’s Gary, Gary Boone. Don’t use it. Boone’s fine. As a matter of fact, it’s better if you don’t call me at all!”
“Oh! You are exactly the type of man my momma warned me about on this trip! You’re arrogant and … arrogant … and I don’t know what all, but it’s not attractive!”
“Who is there to be attractive for? You?” Boone frowned. “Go look at yourself. You’re not a prize! Did your momma ever tell you that?”
Mindy clenched her hands into fists at her sides. “Yes! Yes, as a matter of fact, she did! You’ll be happy to know she told me that quite regularly! I realize exactly what I am, Gary Boone, and I know what I’m not — which is more than I can say for some people!”
She whirled off, but not before Boone caught a sparkle of moisture in
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