Ghost of Christmas Past

Seven

Seven

 

“Thank you so much for coming, Dr. Rivers.” Lilly walked the kindly silver-haired man to the hotel room door.

The doctor replaced his gray bowler hat and smiled warmly at her. “My pleasure, Mrs. Langston. As I said before, your husband should make a full recovery. Change his bandages as I instructed and watch for any signs of infection, but he’ll be up and around before you know it.” He shifted his attention to Davy. “Thank you for your service, Marshal Langston. It’s men like you making the west a civilized place.”

Davy simply nodded from his place on the bed.

“Merry Christmas, Doctor,” Lilly offered. Strange… but it didn’t feel like Christmas at all.

“And to you.”

The doctor took his leave and Lilly closed the door, leaning her back against the wood. Her gaze fell to Davy on the bed. He rested on top of the coverlet with several pillows propped behind his back. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the headboard. Crisp white bandages circled his sturdy chest and lean abdomen, contrasting vividly with the swarthy skin stretched over his taut muscles. Her throat closed with sadness as emotion threatened to overcome her. Tension ruled the air between them. They should be celebrating. They should be rejoicing that he was alive and that they were together, but instead they’d scarcely spoken since the argument by the pond. She’d laid down a variable gauntlet out in the desert, and Davy had been silent as the grave since. She wanted desperately to settle a few things between them, but she doubted he’d be up for a serious discussion tonight. He needed rest and to be  honest… so did she.

A hearty wrap on the door interrupted her heavy thoughts. She jumped a foot. “That must be the sheriff,” she muttered, heart hammering. She’d asked the hotel clerk to summon the doctor and the sheriff when she’d rented the room. She opened the door to reveal three men wearing badges.

“Good evening, ma’am, I’m Sheriff Brody, and this here is Deputy Marlin and Deputy St. John.” He removed his hat and stepped into the room followed by the deputies. He nodded in grim greeting to Davy. “We came as soon as we received your message.”

“Thank you.” Davy’s brow furrowed and his eyes took on the hard edge of the lawman Lilly knew all too well. With a grimace he swung his legs around to sit on the edge of the bed. He quickly relayed the details of the attack to the sheriff and his deputies, including how Lilly had ridden out on a hunch to find him.

“Your wife is one hell of a woman,” the sheriff complimented. “You are a lucky man.”

Davy’s brilliant blue eyes shifted to Lilly’s and locked. Intensity glowed in their depths. “I know,” he replied solemnly. She couldn’t tell if he was angry or something else entirely. His expression was totally unreadable, and it was a little disheartening.

“I’ll wire Sheriff Mills in Crossroads to be on the lookout for Jack Dawes,” Sheriff Brody said seriously.

“And I’ll wire the marshals office first thing in the morning. I suspect Foster was behind Jack’s attack.”

“Foster and his gang have been known to visit Big Springs but they are good at keeping a real low profile. They may get bolder if they believe you’re dead. If I hear anything, anything at all, I’ll send word, and Deputy Marlin will be posted outside your hotel.”

“We appreciate that, Sheriff.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Marshal Langston?”

“To be perfectly honest, Sheriff, I need a change of clothes.”

The sheriff chuckled. “I’ll have something sent up. Your wife can ask for it at the desk.”