A Convenient Wife
“Prop open the kitchen door and listen for the front door, Ellie. If patients come in, tell them I’ll be back directly. They can wait in the outer office for me.” He stuck his head back in the door. “If you have time, make a list of them as they come in and I’ll take them in order.”
So it was she came to be sitting at the small desk in his waiting room an hour later, talking to a young mother who held one sick child while Ellie amused another. Win’s brow rose and a grin curved his mouth as he caught her eye. “Send my first patient in, will you, Miss Mitchum?”
“Yes, sir,” she said agreeably, rising to settle the small girl on her chair as she picked up her list. “Mr. Taylor, you can go in now.”
The room held only three remaining patients as Win leaned through the office door more than an hour later. “I can finish up now, if you need to see to supper,” he told her quietly. And Ellie escaped thankfully to the kitchen, aware of the curious eyes that had watched her for the whole of the afternoon. No one had questioned her, yet all had paid her mind, and she felt she’d been on display, sitting behind the desk, calling out names, and trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.
The potatoes were ready for the oven and she placed them around the piece of beef she’d put in the roasting pan earlier. Carrots swam in the broth, and two onions sent a savory aroma upward as she opened the oven door. By the time the table was set, the last patient had taken his leave, and Win joined her in the kitchen.
“You were a big help, Ellie,” he told her, washing at the sink, his shirtsleeves rolled above his elbows. “I don’t usually have so many patients in an afternoon. I think they made up for yesterday.” He peered over her shoulder as she stirred flour and water into the pan, watching as it thickened into gravy. “You’ll have me spoiled.”
She felt a warmth take hold of her, and she turned her head to look up at him. “I think it would be a joy to spoil you, Dr. Gray.” And then she looked away, flustered at the words she’d spoken without forethought.
A flush crawled up his jaw and centered on his cheekbones. “Thank you. That’s probably the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in a long time.” He turned away and sat at the table. “I saw the girl at the saloon, Ellie. I thought seriously about bringing her here for you to tend, but she didn’t want to leave her friends there.” He glanced up at her. “I didn’t know if it would be the right thing to do, anyway. I wouldn’t want folks to talk about having her here with you.”
“What would they say?” she asked, dishing up the meat and vegetables with ease. Placing the platter before him, she poured the gravy into a deep bowl. “If a woman’s been hurt, what does it matter who she is? If she needs taking care of, I reckon I can do it.”
“I thought you’d feel that way,” he said, dishing up food onto his plate. “But Cilla said she’d be all right, and the other girls will look out for her. I told Sheriff Kincaid about the ranch hand who hurt her, and I believe he’ll handle it. Not that most folks would think much of it.”
“What can he do?” Ellie asked, sitting down across the table from him.
Win shrugged. “Not an awful lot. Just warn him to behave himself. I don’t think Cam will let the fella in the place again anyway.”
Ellie took up her fork. “Did he hit her?”
“It wasn’t so much that, Ellie,” Win said slowly. “Billy’s set on stealing money that’s hidden in the foundation of the addition to the saloon. He made the mistake of telling Cilla about it, and then decided he’d better convince her not to spill the beans about his plan to anyone else.” His mouth was taut as he paused, as if he chose his words carefully. “Don’t repeat what I just told you, Ellie. Cilla told me in confidence and I probably shouldn’t have repeated it, but I’m certain I can trust you.”
His head bent as he spoke and Ellie remembered Tess’s words. There’s men who don’t care how they use a woman. What Tess had meant, Ellie wasn’t sure, but good sense prevented her from asking Win. Maybe it was like when Tommy had hurt her, that day in the barn. She’d bled, and ached something awful for a couple of days, as if there was something all torn up way inside of her.
“Do any of those women have babies?” she asked quietly.
“Babies?” Win sounded surprised. “I doubt it, Ellie. At least, not that I’ve ever heard about. Those girls pretty much know how to prevent such things from happening.”
And wasn’t that a puzzle. If Tommy had given her a baby from his shenanigans that day, it made sense that… She halted that line of thought and bent low over her plate. There were things she needed to be asking Tess, that was for sure, and one of these days, she’d get up the nerve.
For the first time in months, Winston Gray went to bed with a full stomach and the sure knowledge that a good breakfast would be awaiting him in the morning. He grinned to himself as he lay in the center of the big bed, his hands stacked beneath his head. Ellie was working out well. His house was clean, his pantry organized, and she was planning on using a scrub board to do his clothes, first thing tomorrow.
She’d washed her hair in the new bucket after supper, out on the back porch where she couldn’t be seen by those who might pass the house, and he’d watched from the doorway as she dried it with his newest towel. Her hands had been adept, brushing the length of soft, brown silken strands, then braiding them in a simple plait that hung down her back.
The sight bothered him, setting up a yearning he tried his best to dismiss. A woman was the last thing he needed in his life right now, what with his practice taking up all his time.
But, Ellie was proving to be a complication. She felt grateful to him, trying her best to make his life an easier path, and his very masculine self could not help but wallow in the attention she gave.
That her soft eyes rested on him often was a fact he tried diligently to ignore. That his own gaze focused on her at times was to be expected. She was a lovely woman, a girl really, he decided. Pregnant though she was, she projected an aura of innocence that brought forth his male urge to protect and cherish.
And those thoughts needed to be banished, he decided abruptly, rising from the bed to stalk to the window. Ellie Mitchum was his housekeeper, and he’d do well to look upon her as a servant. His snort of laughter was swallowed as amusement followed that thought. She was like no servant he’d ever come in contact with, and there’d been plenty of them in his life.
None of them had followed him to bed at night, as had the woman who slept overhead. Not in physical form, certainly, but in his mind. And she’d only been here for two days. He shifted restlessly, stretching one long arm to rest against the window frame.
Taking Ellie Mitchum into his home had been a hasty decision. Taking her into his life would surely follow. Already, she was keeping him awake and on the edge of arousal.
His mind spun as he considered the state of his body. Damn. Having a woman in his bed was the last thing he needed to be thinking of.
Visiting the saloon today had given him access to several women, any of whom would welcome him into their presence. All but poor Cilla, that victim of a cowhand whose idea of persuasion involved brutality.
Ellie was another victim. Not as was Cilla, but certainly worthy of his care. And for all of her innocence and eagerness to please, she was a woman. A warm, needy female, sleeping in his house. And if Dr. Winston Gray knew what was good for himself, he’d get her youthful beauty out of his mind.
Otherwise, he was going to spend a sleepless night.
Chapter Four
“You think you’ve fallen into a soft bed, don’t you, girl?”
George Mitchum’s words were harsh and accusing, piercing Ellie’s thoughts. Startled, she dropped the shirt she held into the dirt; then, gathering her courage to face the man behind her, she bent to pick it up.
“Drat,” she whispered, aggravated at the mud that stained both the shirtfront and one sleeve. Carefully, she placed it beside the wash basket, then turned to look at her father.
“I’m working for my keep,” she said quietly. “Same as I did at home.”
“Does he know you’ve got a bastard under your skirts?”
Scornfully, he tossed the query in her direction, his eyes raking her figure with a scalding look, then seeking her face. With every speck of courage she possessed, Ellie met the gaze he turned on her.
“Doc Gray knows I’m going to have a baby, yes.” Pain swept through her, that her own father could be so cruel. Yet, what had she expected? That he would come to visit, seeking her out to ask forgiveness for his brutal actions?
Not likely, she thought, her lips tight as she fought the trembling that seized her. “I didn’t get this way all by myself,” she said curtly, wary of the clenched fists hanging against George’s thighs.
“You flaunted yourself, just like all women, looking for—”
“Is there a problem here?” Win’s voice was stiffly polite, his words reeking of a courteous inquiry as he spoke from the back door. Long strides brought him to Ellie’s side and she straightened her spine, lest she be tempted to lean against his stalwart strength.
“This is my daughter,” George said sharply. “I don’t need you interfering. Seems like you’ve already stuck your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
“All I’ve done is hire Ellie to be my housekeeper and tend to my kitchen,” Win said quietly. “You’re trespassing, Mr. Mitchum, and causing Ellie to be upset. I don’t think you need to say any more to her.”
“Well, well,” George drawled, rocking back on his heels. “Looks like you got yourself a champion, girl. At least he won’t have to worry about getting you in the family way, will he? Since you’ve managed to do that already.”
Ellie shot a look at Win, noting the crimson streaks that lined his cheekbones. “He’s my employer, Pa. Nothing else.”
“You just keep tellin’ folks that, girl. Not that anybody’s gonna believe you.”
“They’ll believe her, Mr. Mitchum,” Win said forcefully. “The truth always manages to win out in the end. And Ellie is being honest with you.”
“I doubt you’ll have much of a practice left when folks realize you’re harboring a woman like Ellie under your roof,” George sneered. “And I’ll see to it that they know what’s goin’ on here.”
“Why’d you come here, Pa?” Ellie asked in a small voice. “Haven’t you already done enough damage?”
He shook his head, his eyes sweeping over her face. “Not near as much as you deserve, shaming me the way you have.”
From the other side of the yard, near the sheriff’s back door, a woman spoke. “Good morning, Doc. Does James need to walk on over there?”
Ellie gasped. It wasn’t bad enough that Pa was giving Win a rough going over. Now the neighbor had to be privy to the shame of it all.
“I think Mr. Mitchum is leaving, Mrs. Kincaid. Thanks just the same.”
“Good morning, Ellie,” Kate Kincaid called cheerfully. “I heard at the mercantile that you were going to be my new neighbor. Why don’t you step over, and I’ll pour us each a cup of coffee.”
Ellie turned slowly to face the neighbor. That the invitation was an escape route was all too obvious, and yet she hesitated leaving Win to face Pa alone.
It seemed Dr. Gray had other thoughts on the matter. His hand touched Ellie’s shoulder. “That sounds like a wonderful idea, Ellie. Go on across and visit with Kate for a while. You can finish the wash later.” More than a suggestion, his firm tone implied an order, and Ellie cast one quick glance at his stern profile.
“Yes, all right,” she said breathlessly, and lifting her skirts, she turned and hastened across the yard to where the neighbor watched, a determined smile curving her lips. Kate Kincaid was definitely the woman in the window, Ellie decided, except that by daylight, she wore small spectacles. Her body heavy with advanced pregnancy, she was nonetheless a beautiful woman, her dark hair and delicate features only enhanced by the sunlight.
And with a soft word of welcome, she cast Ellie a lifeline she felt sadly in need of this morning. Behind Ellie, her father muttered a profanity and Win murmured an answering phrase, one Ellie could not decipher. It mattered little. If Win was willing to face George on his own, and obviously he was, Ellie was more than willing to let him. She stepped onto the low stoop as Kate opened the screen door wide.
“Come on in,” she invited, waiting until her guest was over the threshold before she allowed one last look at the two men who faced each other some seventy feet away from her back door.
“Sit down, Ellie,” Kate said quietly. “You look like you’re about to pass out cold.” A cup of steaming coffee appeared before her, and Ellie gripped it with both hands, craving the heat of the cup against her chilled skin.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m sorry you got involved in this, ma’am. But I surely appreciate you allowing me to escape my father. Maybe Dr. Gray can persuade him to go along and let me be.” To her enormous shame, hot tears cascaded down her cheeks as she spoke, her voice choking on the words.
Kate settled across the table, easing her pregnant body onto a chair. “Well, I’m just glad he didn’t call my bluff, Ellie. James is already gone to his office, and I’d have looked mighty foolish trying to call him home to take a hand. I figured your father wouldn’t know I was lying through my teeth, insinuating that James was in the house.”
Ellie lifted the cup and sipped at the strong brew. Her hands trembled, but she persisted, knowing that the warmth would penetrate and soothe her inner trembling. Kate watched silently as the cup was settled back on the table, and Ellie pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. Tears were dried and her nose attended to before she spoke again.
“Did Tess really tell you I was next door?” she asked. And then added in a hesitant whisper, “Did she tell you about me?”
Kate nodded. “She was pleased that Doc hired you on. It’s a wonderful place for you to stay.” She pushed a plate across the table. “Here, have a cookie, Ellie. I baked this morning. James loves Saturdays. During school months it’s the only day I can devote to being a wife.”
“And you teach at the schoolhouse all day, every day?” Ellie asked, reaching for a cookie.
“I’ve been there just over a year now,” Kate told her. “I’m probably the first woman to teach during a pregnancy, and I’m still surprised that the town council agreed. I’ll be taking a couple of weeks off when the baby comes, and then he’ll go with me every day.”
“They’ll let you do that?” Ellie asked, stunned by such a thing being possible.
“It looks that way,” Kate said. “They thought for a while that they had a man available for the job, but Will Kincaid gave him a job at the bank. Jonathan, the fella who came to take over my place, decided it was easier handling folks’ accounts and sitting behind a desk than coping with a schoolroom. They’re looking for another teacher now, but in the meantime, I’m it.”
“When do you think—” Ellie faltered, her gaze resting openly on Kate’s girth.
“Probably in a couple of weeks. Doc says babies have a schedule of their own.” She leaned over the table and her eyes twinkled behind the round lenses of her spectacles. “I happen to know something Doc doesn’t. And if I’ve got it figured right, my nine months will be up two weeks from today.”
“Nine months. That’s how long it’s supposed to take?” Ellie asked. “I didn’t want to sound foolish in front of Doc, and I never knew anyone before who was going to have a baby.”
“You don’t have a mother?” Kate’s eyes were kind, her hand reaching to clasp Ellie’s fingers. “No one to talk to?”
Ellie shook her head. “No, just my pa. And he’s never been one to do much talking. At least not to me.” She glanced toward the door. “It’s quiet out there. Do you suppose Doc convinced my pa to leave?”
“He’s gone for now,” Win said from just beyond the screen door. “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop, ladies,” he said, opening the door and stepping inside the kitchen. “I’m afraid I made him angry, Ellie. He’s determined to give you a bad name, it seems.”
“I think I’ve already done that, without any help from him,” Ellie said, resignation shadowing her words. She picked up her cup and held it between trembling hands.
“Is there any chance you might marry the baby’s father?” Kate asked quietly.
Ellie shook her head. “He’s gone back East with his folks.”
“Sounds like a fine specimen of manhood to me.” Kate’s eyes flashed with scorn as she rose to find a cup for Win. “Have a cookie, Doc,” she said. “It’s good for what ails you.”
“I thought maybe you could keep an eye on things while I’m out making house calls this morning, Kate. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt for Ellie to keep an eye on you. Are you feeling all right?” He cast a measuring look at Kate, and she rested her hand atop the rounding of her belly. “You’ve dropped, haven’t you?”
“It’s easier to breathe, the past couple of days,” she admitted with a grin. “Is that a good sign?”
“The best,” Win said. “It won’t be long now.” He frowned at the coffee and shook his head. “I don’t have time for this, but I’ll take a couple of your oatmeal cookies with me, if that’s all right.”
Kate laughed. “There’s more where those came from. Tess told me I’m nesting. I’ve been baking and cleaning house like a madwoman this morning. James made me promise to send for him if I have so much as a twinge, and now you’re siccing Ellie on me. I don’t stand a chance, do I?”
“Well, Ellie’s worked hard ever since she got here. It won’t hurt her to take a day off.” Win headed for the door. “I’m going to stop by and talk to James. I’ll let him know you’re in good hands, Kate.”
“Billy Barnes is Cilla’s current flame, Doc.” James leaned back in his chair and shrugged. “She’s clammed up about the whole episode, so there’s no use in you worrying about it.”
“Has he pulled this kind of stunt before?” Win asked. He settled on a straight chair across from the sheriff’s desk and crossed his ankles. “You know, I put in a nasty thirty minutes with her. There’s no excuse for a man hurting a woman that way.” His disgust reflected in his voice and manner.
Win drew a deep breath. “It’s bad enough when someone gets shot up or falls off the roof, but to see a female used the way Cilla was makes my blood boil.”
James nodded agreement. “I think they go back a ways. He’s been hanging around the Double Deuce for over a year, and Cilla’s the only girl he pays much attention to. Matter of fact, he used to do carpenter work around town till just lately. Now he’s dabbling in ranching out at Caleb’s place.”
“Well, I don’t like the man, and I’ve never laid eyes on him,” Win said bluntly. “And I’m about half-mad at Cilla, that she’s not willing to make a fuss over it, but…” He paused. “I guess I understand. She’s afraid of him.”
“Saloon girls are a breed apart,” James told him. “I’m just happy I’ve got Kate. I never had much truck with the women in saloons. I think a man’s got to be pretty hard up to…” He paused for a moment, and then a grin lit his face. “I didn’t know how lucky I was gonna be the day Kate came to town.”
Win sat up straight in his chair, another thought manifesting itself at James’s words. “You know that Ellie Mitchum is living at my place, don’t you?”
James nodded. “I heard. Her pa came by here a few minutes ago and told me she was living in sin.”
“And what did you say?” Win asked mildly.
“Not much I could say. It’s none of my concern. Not unless George tries to force her back home. I heard from one of his hands that George roughed her up and sent her on her way. Seems like he’s singin’ a different song today. I’ll warrant he’s missing having regular meals and clean clothes. The talk is that he treated her like a servant. I don’t think there’s many folks would take kindly to him dragging Ellie back home.”
“He’s not dragging Ellie anywhere,” Win said, rising and stalking to the doorway. His anger was quick, remembering the belligerent stance George had taken. “He thinks I’ve taken the girl to my bed, James.”
“She’s a good-looking young woman,” James said quietly. “I think he won’t be the only one with that opinion.”
“It’s not true.”
James nodded agreeably. “Not yet, anyway.”
“I won’t take advantage of her.” Win felt a heated flush rise to his throat. His thoughts had been roaming in that direction last night, he reminded himself.
“You need a wife,” James told him. “Ellie wouldn’t be a bad choice for you.”
“You ever heard about falling in love with a woman first?”
“Yeah.” James grinned. “But sometimes there’s other reasons for marriage. And having a woman around isn’t the worst of them.”
“Wait till I tell Kate you said that.”
James shrugged. “Kate knows I love her, and a lot of that came later down the line. Ellie’s a good girl. There’s never been a breath of scandal about her till the Jamison boy started keeping company with her. And then the whole damn family vamoosed and went back East. It’s not too hard to figure out why, I guess.”
“Well, her father’s not going to drag her home,” Win said harshly. “If I have to, I’ll marry her myself. There sure isn’t anyone else lining up for the job.”
“Now, I heard that Tess has been scouting up women for you to consider ever since you came to town.”
“That’s true. The woman can’t stand to see an unmarried man.”
James leaned forward over the desk, looking up at Win. “All joking aside, Ellie would make a good wife, Doc. You could do a hell of a lot worse.”
“How did we get into this discussion?”
“You brought it up,” James told him. “I just pointed out a few facts. Just thought you might like to consider all the angles.” He grinned up a Win. “I’m an agreeable sort, Kate tells me.”
“Well, I’ve got a couple of house calls to make,” Win said. “I just wanted to let you know that Ellie’s keeping Kate company for a while. In case her father comes back, I’d just as soon she wasn’t alone at my place.”
“You going to church next Sunday?” James asked as Win stepped over the threshold, bringing him to a halt.
“You got some reason for asking?”
“If you take Ellie with you, it’ll set folks talking, you know.”
“They’re probably already hashing me over,” Win said defensively. “If Ellie wants to go to church, I’ll take her.” He stomped across the sidewalk and headed for the livery stable, where he kept his horse and buggy. And then paused midstep. He’d forgotten his bag with all the to-do about Ellie and her father.
It didn’t look to be a wonderful day, he decided glumly, heading for home.
Church had been barely tolerable, Win thought, walking beside Ellie as they left the small, white chapel. They’d been the focus of all eyes, even though he’d been as decorous as possible, speaking when spoken to, and ignoring the sidelong looks of the women in the congregation. Ellie, oblivious to the attention they’d garnered, had sung with a sweet soprano voice, and listened intently to the minister’s sermon.
“Well, we managed to raise a few eyebrows,” Win said gruffly, slowing his pace for Ellie’s shorter steps. Hands shoved into his pockets, he knew he was being taciturn, but being the subject of gossip didn’t set well with him.
“I know I’m not dressed for church,” Ellie said quietly. “I probably shouldn’t have gone till I could afford a new dress. It’s just that Pa didn’t take much stock in church-going and I didn’t get to attend service very often. Only if he was in a good mood or one of the men had to go to town on Sunday and I could hitch a ride.”
“He let you out and about with a ranch hand?” Win asked, his brow lifting as he considered the idea.
“They knew not to make advances,” Ellie said softly. “Pa would have fired them on the spot if they looked crossways at me. Not that there’s much to look at.”
The girl honestly didn’t know how pretty she was, Win decided. She wasn’t a great beauty, but with decent clothes to wear and the healing of her bruised face, she’d be more than presentable. Her hair alone was enough to make a man sit up and take notice.