situation you are. I have accepted a new position in Colorado where I can rebuild my life and renew my faith. This was my last trip into St. Joseph.”
A WEEK LATER, Loretta was able to push herself up on a stack of pillows. Her injured ribs made it difficult to take a deep breath and the bruises on her body and face were beginning to fade although they were still clearly visible. Amelia sat beside the bed, scooping up another spoonful of oatmeal and bringing it to Loretta’s mouth. It tasted good, even though Amelia had gotten a little carried away with the sugar. Loretta winced slightly as she took the oatmeal into her mouth.
“Too hot?” Amelia asked.
“No, it’s fine, sweetie. I’ll be glad when my lip heals though.”
“Cyrus says it will in another week or so. Same with the other cuts, but you might have a couple of little scars. Gonna take longer for your ribs though.”
“Yeah. I’d kill to take a deep breath,” Loretta said with a small smile.
A light tap at the door startled Amelia. She stood quickly and set the bowl on the nightstand. She walked to the door, leaned closer to it, and whispered, “Who is it?”
“Cyrus and Hettie,” a soft female voice said.
Amelia looked back at Loretta and smiled, then opened the door. Loretta noticed Cyrus was holding the hand of the familiar looking woman beside him.
“You’re looking much better today, Miss Loretta,”
Cyrus said as he crossed the room to stand next to the bed.Loretta reached out and stroked his arm, attempting a crooked smile to protect her lip. “Thanks to you, Cyrus. You saved my life. I’ll never be able to repay you,” she said quietly as a tear escaped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. Her hand quickly brushed it away. “I’m sorry.”
“You should contact the police,” the woman next to Cyrus said tersely.
Loretta looked at her curiously, trying to remember where she had seen her before. “I’m a whore,” Loretta snapped. “The police are frequent customers to my employer’s establishment. It’s not likely they would do anything.” Loretta looked at the woman through bruised and swollen eyes. “Do I know you?”
“I’m sorry. My name is Hettie Tobias. I spoke to you and Amelia for a few minutes the day before you were…assaulted. In that little café.”
Loretta looked at Amelia in disbelief. “You went to a total stranger for help?”
“There wasn’t no one else, Retta. You know the other girls wouldn’t have done a damn thing,” Amelia said defensively.
“Language, Miss Amelia,” Cyrus reminded her softly.
“Sorry, Reverend. If it hadn’t been for Cyrus I couldn’t have gotten you out of there. Jack would have come back and finished you off for sure.”
“It’s all right, Amelia” Loretta looked at Hettie. “I thought you were leaving for someplace out west,”
she said.
“I’ve postponed my journey,” Hettie said, glancing up at Cyrus, a light blush coloring her cheeks.
Cyrus cleared his throat, a smile teasing at his lips. “As it happens, Miss Hettie and I are both traveling to the same town in the Colorado Territory.”
Loretta lifted an eyebrow, looking at Cyrus and then back toward Hettie. “Reverend Langford is a fine Christian man.” She was unsure what Hettie actually knew about her relationship with Cyrus or what he might have told her.
“Hettie knows,” Cyrus said softly. “I’ve told her everything.”
“Then she’s a fine Christian woman,” Loretta smiled.
Cyrus sat on the edge of the bed and took Loretta’s hand. “Um…we were thinking, Miss Loretta,” he began, looking at Hettie. “Jack is looking everywhere for you and Amelia. Miss Hettie and I thought perhaps the two of you might consider traveling with us to Colorado.”
“I’m not afraid of Jack Coulter,” Loretta said defiantly. “But I sure as hell ain’t workin’ for him again.”
“Perhaps all you need is a fresh start,” Hettie said, touching Loretta’s arm. “Once you get
A WEEK LATER, Loretta was able to push herself up on a stack of pillows. Her injured ribs made it difficult to take a deep breath and the bruises on her body and face were beginning to fade although they were still clearly visible. Amelia sat beside the bed, scooping up another spoonful of oatmeal and bringing it to Loretta’s mouth. It tasted good, even though Amelia had gotten a little carried away with the sugar. Loretta winced slightly as she took the oatmeal into her mouth.
“Too hot?” Amelia asked.
“No, it’s fine, sweetie. I’ll be glad when my lip heals though.”
“Cyrus says it will in another week or so. Same with the other cuts, but you might have a couple of little scars. Gonna take longer for your ribs though.”
“Yeah. I’d kill to take a deep breath,” Loretta said with a small smile.
A light tap at the door startled Amelia. She stood quickly and set the bowl on the nightstand. She walked to the door, leaned closer to it, and whispered, “Who is it?”
“Cyrus and Hettie,” a soft female voice said.
Amelia looked back at Loretta and smiled, then opened the door. Loretta noticed Cyrus was holding the hand of the familiar looking woman beside him.
“You’re looking much better today, Miss Loretta,”
Cyrus said as he crossed the room to stand next to the bed.Loretta reached out and stroked his arm, attempting a crooked smile to protect her lip. “Thanks to you, Cyrus. You saved my life. I’ll never be able to repay you,” she said quietly as a tear escaped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. Her hand quickly brushed it away. “I’m sorry.”
“You should contact the police,” the woman next to Cyrus said tersely.
Loretta looked at her curiously, trying to remember where she had seen her before. “I’m a whore,” Loretta snapped. “The police are frequent customers to my employer’s establishment. It’s not likely they would do anything.” Loretta looked at the woman through bruised and swollen eyes. “Do I know you?”
“I’m sorry. My name is Hettie Tobias. I spoke to you and Amelia for a few minutes the day before you were…assaulted. In that little café.”
Loretta looked at Amelia in disbelief. “You went to a total stranger for help?”
“There wasn’t no one else, Retta. You know the other girls wouldn’t have done a damn thing,” Amelia said defensively.
“Language, Miss Amelia,” Cyrus reminded her softly.
“Sorry, Reverend. If it hadn’t been for Cyrus I couldn’t have gotten you out of there. Jack would have come back and finished you off for sure.”
“It’s all right, Amelia” Loretta looked at Hettie. “I thought you were leaving for someplace out west,”
she said.
“I’ve postponed my journey,” Hettie said, glancing up at Cyrus, a light blush coloring her cheeks.
Cyrus cleared his throat, a smile teasing at his lips. “As it happens, Miss Hettie and I are both traveling to the same town in the Colorado Territory.”
Loretta lifted an eyebrow, looking at Cyrus and then back toward Hettie. “Reverend Langford is a fine Christian man.” She was unsure what Hettie actually knew about her relationship with Cyrus or what he might have told her.
“Hettie knows,” Cyrus said softly. “I’ve told her everything.”
“Then she’s a fine Christian woman,” Loretta smiled.
Cyrus sat on the edge of the bed and took Loretta’s hand. “Um…we were thinking, Miss Loretta,” he began, looking at Hettie. “Jack is looking everywhere for you and Amelia. Miss Hettie and I thought perhaps the two of you might consider traveling with us to Colorado.”
“I’m not afraid of Jack Coulter,” Loretta said defiantly. “But I sure as hell ain’t workin’ for him again.”
“Perhaps all you need is a fresh start,” Hettie said, touching Loretta’s arm. “Once you get
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