A Time to Bloom by Lauraine Snelling

Author:Lauraine Snelling
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Fiction;LCGFT;Novels;FIC042030;FIC014000;FIC027360
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2022-04-07T00:00:00+00:00

His eye was killing him.

He’d enjoyed the evening until now, except for the awkward moments at the corral. He still thought women should keep well out of such sides of farm business. But the family, food, and companionship had loosened something deep within him tonight. Especially sitting and talking with Del. Talking and being listened to, as he hadn’t with anyone in some time, especially a woman.

Who would have thought that woman would be Delphinium Nielsen?

Once the music began, though, the grinding pain began also. It seemed sometimes it had a fiendish mind of its own, starting its torturous tattoo whenever he let his guard down or dared even an inkling of hope for finding a place to belong out here in this territory. The more everyone sang and tapped their feet around the campfire, the more the agony drilled deep.

“‘. . . Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on!’”

At the rousing finish and burst of applause, RJ leaned his elbows on his knees and pressed his hands over his ears, hoping the darkness kept him from being too obvious.

As the sisters led into the gentler “Abide with Me,” RJ rose and headed toward the wagon, sucking deep breaths of the cool evening air. Maybe being away from the smoke would help.

If only he’d brought some opium. He’d thought of it but resisted, blindly hoping he could get along without it for one evening.

More fool he.

He braced his hands on the side of the wagon and looked up at the sky. Stars upon stars, millions, billions of miles away. Bright as the fireflies and making him feel as small.

God . . . I know you’re up there. I just kinda doubt you want to be bothered with me. But if you do, please . . . please take away this pain. He closed his eye and swallowed hard, feeling weak and childish. What did the Lord of Lords care for one injured soldier’s eye? So many had been hurt worse.

“RJ.”

He started at the voice behind him and whirled to see Adam’s shape in the darkness.

“Here.” Adam pressed a cool tin cup into his hand, the rim glinting in the moonlight.

RJ took it. “What . . . ?”

“Just drink.”

Hardly knowing why, RJ obeyed, then nearly spat out the liquid. Cold tea, but another flavor laced it. His throat burning, he tried to push the cup back. “No.”

“Take it.” The doctor’s voice came low, empathy without condescension. “For tonight.”

RJ resisted a moment longer. Then, blinking back tears of relief mixed with regret at his own weakness, he downed the cup of opium and tea in one swallow.

The doctor gripped his shoulder in the darkness. “This isn’t forever, RJ.”

But what if it was?

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