“Yes.”
“Okay. That door there leads out back. You’ll have privacy. Let’s do this quick before she returns and cusses us both.”
Garrett agreed. Leaning on the old trapper for support, he shuffled his way on legs weak as wet string. His back protested angrily and sweat dampened his brow. Outside, the bright sunshine hurt his eyes. He couldn’t tell what the temperature was. His focus was on answering his needs before he passed out.
Back inside and feeling better, he lay on the cot and waited for his ragged breath to return to a pace akin to normal. His back felt like a bonfire fueled by jagged pieces of glass.
“How’s the pain?”
“Bad.”
“Got some laudanum tea here.”
Garrett struggled up, drank as much of the tea as he could, then lay back again. The many questions he wanted to put to Odell about the shooting were soon forgotten as sleep pulled him under once more.
Garrett awakened, and had no idea how much time had passed since Odell helped him outside. Had it been hours, days? He was still in the windowless room, however. The pain in his back had subsided somewhat but was still viable enough to let him know he’d not be dancinga jig anytime soon. He was hungry and thirsty. “Anybody here?” he called out.
The door to the front of the office opened, letting in the light of day. Spring entered. Seeing her filled him with a soft glow.
“Hey there,” she said, walking over to the cot.
“Hey.”
She placed a light hand on his forehead. “No fever. That’s good.”
He agreed.
“Welcome back to the world.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you thirsty? Hungry?”
“Both.”
“Colt said to give you soft things to eat first. Would you like some eggs?”
“Yes.”
He wanted to tell her how grateful he was for her presence and her brother’s care but his brain was scrambled as the eggs she’d offered.
Whit stuck his head in the door and Garrett was pleased to see him, as well. Spring said, “Odell told me about you going outside. I wasn’t happy but I understand. Whit will help you if you need to again. I’ll get those eggs from Dovie.”
Feeling a bit closer to human as a man who’d been shot in the back could, Garrett silently offered up thanks for being alive.
After putting in her request for Garrett’s eggs, Spring sat in the dining room to wait for Dovie to bring the plate. Hazel Jarvis entered the otherwise empty space and walked over to Spring.
“Good morning, Miss Lee.”
“Morning.”
“If you have some spare time in the next few days, I’d like to speak to you.”
“About?”
Overdressed as always, this time in olive green, she fidgeted for a moment. “I—I’d just like to get to know you better.”
“Why?”