Page 8 of A Redemption Mountain Christmas (Redemption Mountain #27)

The smell of sizzling bacon and fresh biscuits wafted through the ranch house as Eliza sat at the breakfast table with Rachel and Ginny. She sipped coffee, enjoying the warmth seeping through the mug into her hands, a welcome contrast to the frosty air outside.

The front door swung open, and Spencer strode in, his cheeks ruddy from the cold. He paused when he saw Eliza, then removed his hat.

“Pardon the interruption. Eliza, can you take a look at Travis? Fool got himself thrown, breaking a horse. He may have cracked some ribs.”

She set down her coffee, nearly sloshing it over the rim in her haste. “Of course. Let me grab my bag.”

Eliza hurried to gather her medical supplies, adrenaline pumped through her veins. Stepping outside, the icy wind stole her breath. She blinked against the swirl of snowflakes as she followed Spencer across the yard to the corral.

When they reached Travis, she dropped to her knees beside him. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Travis managed a weak smile.

“Sorry to cause trouble, ma’am.”

“Hush now. Let’s have a look at you.” Eliza carefully cut away his shirt and examined his ribs, keeping her touch gentle. Travis still winced.

“I believe you have at least one cracked rib. I’m going to temporarily wrap your chest so the men can get you inside. It’s going to hurt.” She glanced up to see Rachel and Ginny. “Rachel, I’m going to need your help.”

Several minutes later, Eliza looked at Spencer and Billy, who held a stretcher. “We need to get him inside.”

The men nodded, moving to help Travis onto the stretcher. Eliza gathered her supplies, her mind already leaping ahead to what she needed to do inside. As they trudged through the deepening snow back to the house, she sent up a silent prayer her skills would help heal Travis.

Inside, Eliza directed Spencer and Billy to take Travis into the same room where she’d treated Tom’s broken arm. Rachel hurried in behind them, ready to assist however she could.

With Rachel’s help, Eliza carefully removed what remained of Travis’s shirt and unwound the makeshift bandage. Even light pressure made Travis grit his teeth against the pain.

Examining him closely, Eliza’s skilled fingers probed along his ribs, confirming at least two cracks on his left side.

“You were right not to move too much,” she told Travis. “Cracked ribs can shift and do more damage if they aren’t stabilized.”

She and Rachel wrapped clean linen tightly around Travis’s chest, immobilizing the damaged ribs. Eliza gave instructions on how to check the binding wasn’t too tight.

With Spencer holding Travis upright, Rachel and Eliza wound the long strips firmly in place. Travis let out a relieved breath once it was done, the support easing some of the sharp pains.

“You’ll need to stay in bed for at least a week to give those ribs time to start knitting back together,” Eliza said in a commanding tone.

Travis nodded wearily. “I’m not going to argue with you, ma’am. I know broken bones need time to mend.”

Satisfied her new patient would follow orders, Eliza began putting away the supplies while Rachel made Travis comfortable.

The snow swirled outside the windows as Eliza made her way down the hall. The warmth of the kitchen enveloped her, the voices of the women a welcome change from the quiet sickroom.

She headed straight for the coffeepot warming on the wood stove, hoping the strong brew would clear the fatigue from her mind. As she lifted the cup to her lips, Spencer strode into the kitchen, careful not to track melting snow across the floorboards.

“How’s Travis faring?” he asked without preamble.

Eliza lowered her cup. “Resting for now. But he’ll need a week of bedrest at the very least.”

Spencer’s jaw tightened. “Travis would go pure crazy cooped up for a week.”

“Travis’s health is more important than his need to get outside.” She met his gaze. “Surely you can manage without him for now. Once he’s out of bed, it will be at least two more weeks before he’ll be able to do any work.”

Spencer crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. “Travis will be the first to tell you he’s not going to wait long. Ranch hands have a tendency to heal up fast as they can and get back to the job.”

Eliza bristled at his stubbornness. “And I’m sure many have ended up with complications from rushing their recovery. There are proper medical protocols to follow.”

Their terse conversation had drawn the attention of others in the kitchen. Hard glances shot between the women, tensions rising. Realizing her imperious tone could be off-putting, Eliza excused herself, muttering as she stalked back to the sick room.

She spent the rest of the day moving between Travis’s sickroom and the rest of the house, feeling the strain of her interactions with Spencer.

Eliza regretted their disagreement took place in front of others.

It had been apparent the women sided more with Spencer than with her.

Their courtesy remained, but an unspoken standoff simmered beneath the surface.

As the daylight faded and the workday ended, Eliza sensed the gulf widening between herself and the folk of this wild land she found herself in.

Spencer’s world felt, at once, familiar and foreign, their clashing views on frontier living evident.

She retired after supper, pondering how to bridge the divide.

The next morning dawned clear but bitterly cold. The sun emerged during breakfast, so by the time Billy carried her bags outside, the temperature had warmed enough to make the ride to town bearable.

She’d planned to ride along in the wagon to Splendor for supplies and to send a telegram to her parents. Waking, she’d made the decision to pack and return to the St. James Hotel. It was her bad luck Spencer would be driving the wagon.

Bundling herself against the icy wind as Spencer hitched the horses to the wagon, she rushed back inside to avoid the brooding silence. And to, once again, thank Rachel and Ginny for their hospitality. As she expected, both women had been gracious, inviting her to return.

Eliza climbed gingerly into the creaking wagon, arranging her skirts while avoiding Spencer’s eyes. He flicked the reins, and they jolted forward, the horses’ hooves crunching through the frozen ruts.

Neither spoke as the wagon rolled and pitched its way toward town, the frosty countryside glinting past. She studied Spencer’s stony profile. His jaw was clenched, eyes fixed ahead. The chill between them felt colder than the winter wind.

When they reached Splendor, Spencer pulled up at the hotel. He stepped down and wordlessly helped her to the ground before carrying Eliza’s luggage inside. She followed, her tension easing as her boots echoed on the wooden floorboards.

He deposited her bags with the clerk, touched the brim of his hat, his expression unreadable, and strode out without a glance back. Eliza watched him go, an unexpected pang in her chest. With a shake of her head, she turned to arrange for the telegram to her parents.

After relaxing and eating lunch, she decided to enjoy the warmer afternoon weather. Eliza made her way along the boardwalk toward the mercantile. A young boy rushed up to her, waving a piece of paper.

“Ma’am? Are you Miss Gladstone?”

“I am.”

“This message is for you. It’s from the docs.” He handed her the slip, tipped his cap, and dashed off again.

Her brows furrowed. “The docs?” she muttered. “Wait a moment, young man.”

When he turned around, she held out a coin. “Thank you for the message.”

He flashed a huge smile, took the coin, and rushed back down the boardwalk.

She scanned the message. It was from Doctors Clay McCord and Drake Ralston, inviting her to join them for supper at the Eagle’s Nest restaurant that evening. Intrigued, she continued on to gather her supplies, pondering what they wished to discuss.

Exiting the Splendor Emporium, Eliza spotted the boy who’d brought her the message. “Boy?”

He turned and waved when he recognized her. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Would you be available to deliver a reply to the doctors at the clinic?”

Nodding eagerly, he took the paper she held out, along with another coin, and ran off.

Chuckling, Eliza stood on the boardwalk, watching as he disappeared around a corner. She continued her walk toward the mercantile, stopping when she realized it would require her to cross the foot-deep muddy street.

Deciding to try again tomorrow, she entered the boardinghouse restaurant, craving a slice of Suzanne’s pie. As she sipped coffee and ate the delicious pie, Eliza watched as soft flakes of snow drifted to the ground. She hoped it would ease and not worsen over the next few hours.

Dressed in her best skirt and blouse, Eliza entered the lantern-lit interior of the Eagle’s Nest. She spotted the doctors when they stood to welcome her to their table. Clay and Drake offered smiles as she approached.

“So glad you could join us, Doctor Gladstone,” Clay said, holding out her chair. “I’m Clay McCord, and this is Drake Ralston.”

“It’s a pleasure, gentlemen. Please call me Eliza.”

Over hearty helpings of expertly seasoned buffalo stew and warm buttermilk biscuits, the men explained the origins of the Splendor Clinic, how the town had grown, and their need for another physician.

Answering her questions, she couldn’t miss the pride both men had in the clinic and their work. She also didn’t detect any hesitancy about working with a woman, a refreshing attitude after dealing with so many doctors in New York who refused to consider her a trained professional.

“We could certainly use a doctor of your skills and dedication,” Drake concluded. He and Clay watched her expectantly.

Eliza sat back, considering the offer. “I’m honored, gentlemen. As I said, I’m in Splendor because the pass to California is closed. However, I’d like to see the clinic, if I may. Then I shall give you my answer.”

As they continued their conversation, Gabe rushed to their table. “Apologies for the interruption, but there’s been an attack on a wagon train just east of town. I’ve got over a dozen injured, some critical. They’re at the clinic. We need your help.”

McCord and Ralston exchanged grim looks. “We’re on our way,” Clay said. He turned to Eliza. “Eliza, would you care to assist us?”

She was already standing. “Absolutely. Let’s go quickly.”

They rushed out to Gabe’s wagon. As they jolted down the rutted road, he gave them details of how the Crow ambush happened less than a mile from Splendor.

“Gunshots were heard by several people in town. I heard them, too. By the time I grabbed some men and rode out to the wagons, the Crow party had disappeared. Morgan Wheeler rode back into town and got Noah’s wagon. We loaded the injured and took them to the clinic.”

At the chaotic scene, Eliza steeled herself at the sight of bloodied, moaning people. She joined the doctors assessing injuries, working to staunch bleeding and splint broken bones. Despite the horrific wounds, Eliza felt energized.

As the long night continued, the doctors saved all but one elderly man who didn’t die from his wounds. His heart gave out while the doctors were treating him.

They agreed to a rotating schedule with two doctors always at the clinic.

Eliza returned to the St. James exhausted but invigorated. She’d rest for five hours, then return to the clinic. As she entered her room, she reflected on the injured settlers and how satisfying it had felt to utilize her medical skills to help them.

Undressing, she sat on the edge of the bed, thinking over the offer from the doctors. The frontier clinic would allow her to continue practicing medicine and make a real difference in people’s lives. She had seen the great need today.

Eliza knew accepting the position would mean giving up her original plan to travel farther west. It was a decision she refused to make without careful consideration.

Perhaps after a few hours of sleep, she’d feel up to thinking through the positives and negatives. She yawned, laid back on the bed, and closed her eyes.