Letter Perfect by Cathy Marie Hake

Author:Cathy Marie Hake
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2010-07-24T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Laney! Sis?” Josh knelt beside her and slowly turned her onto her back, then pressed his fingers to the side of her neck. Rapid, thready pulses beneath his fingers told him she was alive, but she hadn’t roused one bit.

“Sis?” He winced at the big lump on her temple. When he barely grazed it, her arms curled up and she turned her head away in reaction.

At least she can move. That’s a good sign. Josh slid his arms beneath her and lifted. Pitching his voice to carry, but not to alarm, he called, “Dad.”

McCain opened the door from the stable and tromped in. “Yeah?” He stopped in his tracks and rasped, “Laney!”

“I’m taking her to the house. Go get Doc.” Josh rushed toward the house and bellowed, “Hildahhh! Get the door!”

Ruth opened the door and gasped.

Striding by, he ordered, “Get Hilda.”

Ruth sprinted up the stairs alongside him. “Hilda’s still at the Fishers’. What happened?”

“I don’t know.”

“Let me turn down her bed.” Ruth dashed ahead of him and yanked back the bedclothes. By the time he’d placed his sister on the mattress, Ruth turned back around from the washstand and placed a damp cloth over the bump on Laney’s head. “This’ll help with the swelling.”

“How is she?” McCain rasped as he leaned over the footboard.

“I don’t know. You need to go fetch Doc.”

“I sent Felipe.” Dad’s hand shook as he reached over and jostled Laney’s leg. “Honey, wake up.”

“You men need to step outside for a moment.” Ruth pulled Laney’s nightdress from the bureau. Once she realized he’d spotted the garment, she went beet red and shoved it behind herself. “Josh, your father’s whiter than the sheets. Take him downstairs and give him a strong cup of coffee with two spoons of sugar.”

“I’m not going anywhere till she rouses.”

“Neither am I,” Dad said. He rounded the end of the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress.

“Then make yourselves useful. Take off her shoes.” Ruth stuffed the gown into a wad at the head of the bed and loosened the buttons at the throat of Laney’s shirtwaist and the waist of her riding skirt.

“Your clothes match,” Dad mumbled as his gaze went from Laney to Ruth and back.

“Pretend you didn’t notice,” Ruth commanded. “Laney wanted to see your reaction.” She lifted the compress, turned it over, and put it back in place. “Josh, take one of her hankies and dip the edge in Hilda’s ammonia.”

“Ammonia will burn her! The skin’s broken.”

“It’s not to clean the wound; it’s to help bring her to consciousness. A good whiff works wonders.” As she spoke, Ruth started to gently locate and remove Laney’s hairpins.

She acted as if she knew what she was doing, so Josh followed her instructions and hastened back with the handkerchief. He’d soaked half of the dinky, embroidered linen square, and it stank. “Here.”

Ammonia dripped all over. Ruth hastily snatched the compress, cupped it around the hanky, and waved it beneath Laney’s nose.

Her reaction was immediate. Laney threw back her head and started to cough.

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