The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund

Author:Jody Hedlund
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group

A fool’s errand. That’s what it had been.

Eli should have known the caravan wouldn’t change their plans. He didn’t know why he had even bothered trying to convince them to wait.

His eyelids drooped and his body sagged. Aching weariness had invaded every muscle. After two straight days and nights of riding, he had to rest or he would drop off his horse in fatigue.

But if he didn’t keep going, he wouldn’t be able to make it back to Priscilla and the others in time to lead them through the shortcut.

His chin bobbed against his chest. Dizziness swirled with the pounding in his temples.

All his pleading with Fitzpatrick hadn’t done him a lick of good. The man had claimed he had no objections to the missionaries joining the caravan but had insisted he couldn’t slow down for them.

Of course, Black Squire had been right there, double-talking as usual. Out of one side of his mouth, he claimed he had nothing to do with them missing the steamboat in Liberty and thanked Eli for saving Running Feet’s life. But out of the other side of his mouth, he made sure to remind Captain Fitzpatrick they were already behind schedule.

It was only when Eli was getting ready to leave that Captain Fitzpatrick finally pulled him aside and told him about the cutoff that could shave some time off their travel.

A drop of rain splattered against Eli’s hand. He lifted his face to the billowing clouds. Another drop hit his cheek.

His cold fingers fumbled behind his saddle for his India rubber cloak, and he dragged it around his body just as the rain began to pelt him in full force.

He could only hope the thrashing rain would help keep him awake.

“Lord Almighty,” he prayed, “this trip is testing me beyond my endurance. I don’t know how much longer I can keep going on. I’d appreciate an extra measure of your strength right about now. ’Cuz mine’s running out.”

The long hours in the saddle alone had given him plenty of time to think about the precariousness of their situation. Even though he’d been wrong to blame the others for missing the caravan, he decided that if he was going to see his plans for the mission succeed, he couldn’t rely on Henry or anyone else. It would have to be himself and the Almighty. Just like it always had been.

Eli ducked his head, and the rain poured off the brim of his hat in streams onto his cloak. He cupped his hands and caught the water, then lowered his head and took a long drink.

When he lifted his head, the wind brought him the faint echoes of a scream.

His muscles tightened, and he tugged the reins, bringing his horse to a standstill. Through the patter of raindrops against the leaves, he strained his ear, every sense in his body on edge.

Another burst of wind carried the scream again, this time clearer.

Apprehension wormed through his pores and into his blood. Was it Priscilla?

From the thickening of the undergrowth and foliage, he’d guessed he was drawing near to the Elkhorn River.

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