Aundy (Pendleton Petticoats #1)(32)
Author: Shanna Hatfield

“He’s out of town, but Kade and the Doc both said they’d be here as quick as they could,” Fred said, nodding to Dent as Bill turned the wagon toward the house.

Pulling up by the front door, Aundy carefully moved and lowered Nik’s head to the wagon bed before accepting Bill’s hand and jumping down.

Running up the porch steps, she raced into Erik’s room, glad she’d aired it recently after sorting through Erik’s things. Now the room looked orderly, if impersonal.

Flinging the quilt off the bed, she folded back the covers and turned as Bill and Fred carried the boy in the door.

“Bring him in here,” Aundy said, watching as they gently carried Nik to the bed and carefully placed him on top of the sheet.

Aundy ran to the kitchen to get some rags and start boiling water while Bill and Fred helped Lem in the house. Disoriented, he managed to walk into the front room with the support of the other two men.

Returning with a pan of warm water, Aundy held a cloth over Nik’s wound, hoping to stop the flow of blood. Having Bill hold the rag, she took another and wet it, wiping off Nik’s face and hands.

“Nik, you’re going to be just fine. You’re back at the house and safe now,” Aundy said as she rinsed the rag and washed his face again.

Bill peeled back the blood soaked rag and Aundy handed him a fresh one. She took a damp cloth to Lem and dabbed at the wound on his head that was already forming a scab.

The thundering of hooves echoed up the drive and Fred ran outside to greet Kade.

“Doc’s coming,” Kade yelled loud enough they could hear him in the house. Fred ran out and scooped up Butter from the front lawn before climbing in the wagon and driving it to the barn, following the deputy as he raced ahead.

“How’s Nik?” Lem asked quietly, looking into the room where he could see Bill bent over the boy.

“He’s bleeding a lot,” Aundy said, not knowing what else to do for Lem. Going to the kitchen, she came back with a glass of water and handed it to him. He drank it down and leaned back against the chair, closing his eyes.

“Tried to stop him,” Lem said, shaking his head, then wincing at the pain.

“Stop who?” Aundy asked, hoping Lem saw the man’s face.

“Don’t know. He had on a hood that covered his head,” Lem said, holding his head in his hands. “Don’t know who.”

“Just rest for now, Lem,” Aundy said, patting his arm. “You can tell us what happened later.”

“Aundy?” Bill called and she hurried to the bedroom. “I need more rags.”

Terrified by the sight of the blood-soaked rags in the pan of water, Aundy took the pan to the kitchen and hurried back with another stack of cloths. Nik was going to bleed to death right there on the bed if they didn’t do something soon. Uncertain if the bullet was still inside the boy, Aundy felt helpless.

Dropping to her knees next to the bed, she took Nik’s hand in hers and prayed. Lifting her head, she saw Bill nod and offer her a tight smile. Before she could get to her feet, the doctor burst in the front door.

He started toward Lem, but Bill grabbed his arm, pulling him into the bedroom.

“Nik’s been shot,” Bill said, pointing to the wound. “Lem’s got a bump on his head. Reckon he can wait a spell before you tend him.”

The doctor began barking orders and put both Bill and Aundy into service helping him. When he dug the bullet out of Nik, Aundy thought she would surely faint, but forced herself to breathe and keep following the doctor’s directions.

“I can’t promise anything, Aundy. That poor boy lost a lot of blood,” Doc said, staring down at Nik’s ashen face. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Washing his hands, the doctor went to tend Lem, declaring he had a concussion and a nasty cut. Giving him six stitches, he told Lem to take it easy for a while and stay away from any activities that might bump his head.

Lem decided to go back to the bunkhouse to rest and ambled off that direction, leaving Bill, Aundy and Doc in the house to watch over Nik.

The phone rang and Aundy went to answer it, not surprised to find Nora on the other end of the line.

“Oh, honey, George told Jim what happened over the fence a little bit ago. I’ll bring some food over and Garrett is riding to the pasture to see if he can help track whoever did this. Is anyone hurt?”

“Nik,” Aundy said, feeling her throat tighten with emotion. “Nik was shot.”

Aundy heard Nora’s intake of breath. “Have mercy! Who would shoot that sweet boy?”

“I wish I knew,” Aundy said, starting to feel anger overtake her other emotions. Who, indeed, would shoot an innocent boy? “Doc took out the bullet so we’re just waiting.”

Nora didn’t have to ask what they were waiting for.

“I’ll be over as soon as I can, honey. Just sit tight,” Nora said, hanging up the phone. Aundy knew with Nora there, she’d be able to focus more on Nik and figuring out who had done such a horrid thing.

Making a fresh pot of coffee, Aundy walked back to the front room where Bill and Doc sat visiting quietly. They positioned their chairs so they could easily see into the bedroom where Nik fought for his life.

Uncertain what she should do, Aundy took a wet cloth and wiped Nik’s face, kissing his forehead as she brushed back his hair and whispering to him to fight to get well. She reminded him that he had many, many adventures to take and they’d barely got started on his schooling.

“Fight, Nik. You’ve got to fight,” she said, kissing his forehead again before walking to the kitchen.

Pouring two cups of coffee, she took the mugs of hot brew to Doc and Bill, then went back to the kitchen to stir up a batch of sugar cookies. She didn’t know what else to do to keep busy.

Placing warm cookies on a plate, she carried it to the front room and set it on a table between the two men. Offering to refill their coffee cups, she took them back to the kitchen and returned to the front room, feeling ready to climb the walls.

Not one who could ever sit and do nothing, Aundy knew she couldn’t read, couldn’t sew, couldn’t do anything at the moment other than worry about and pray for Nik.

Rubbing her hand on her apron, she looked down and noticed for the first time the blood that covered it.

Excusing herself, she went to her room and changed into a clean dress. With her hair flying every direction, she took it down, combed it and then braided it in a crown around her head, knowing that would help keep it contained. As she was leaving the room with her soiled clothes in hand, she thought about her little revolver. Slipping it into her pocket, she decided it might be a good idea to carry it today.

Leaving her clothes soaking in a pan of water on the back porch, she tied on a clean apron and began thinking about making lunch. Looking in the refrigerator to see if she had enough left over roast to make sandwiches, she was surprised to see Nora bustle in the back door, followed by J.B., both carrying loaded baskets of food.

Setting the baskets on the table, they each gave her a hug. J.B. decided to walk down to the barn and see if Dent was back while Nora removed her hat and hung it on a peg by the door.

“Let’s go see that boy,” Nora said, taking Aundy’s hand and walking to the bedroom. Greeting Doc, Aundy asked Bill if he’d walk with J.B. down to the barn, knowing he’d rather be outside than stuck in the house.

Nora and the doctor checked on Nik while Aundy stood at the foot of the bed. Patting Nik’s sheet-covered foot, she felt tears threatening to spill and turned away just as a knock sounded at the front door.

Aundy opened it and bit back a sigh when Ashton stood on the front porch with his hat in hand.

“Aundy, I just heard the news. Is the boy going to live?”

“We’re praying he will,” Aundy said, opening the door and stepping back so Ashton could walk inside. He gave a brief glance into the room where Doc and Nora stood over Nik’s bed, then took Aundy’s hand in his own, pulling her to the far side of the front room.

“When I find who has done this, I’ll make sure he pays,” Ashton said vehemently.

Looking at Ashton, really looking at him, Aundy thought something about him seemed different. Although dressed impeccably, his hair was a mess and a growth of stubble darkened his normally smooth cheeks. His eyes were what she noticed most. There was an odd light glinting in them that frightened her.

“Missy, Dent say to…” Li said, opening the door and hurrying inside only to come to a complete standstill a few feet away from where she stood with Ashton.

Dropping his head, Li began backing toward the door. “Sorry, Missy. I come later.”

“Please, come in,” Aundy said, motioning for him to stay. “Have you met Mr. Monroe?”

“I leave now, Missy,” Li said and hurried out the door.

“That wasn’t like him,” Aundy said absently, staring at the closed door, wondering what had gotten into her cook.

“What kind of help have you hired out here?” Ashton asked, glaring at the closed door. “You’ve hired a Chinese laborer?”

“He’s a wonderful cook and a good friend,” Aundy said, not liking Ashton’s tone. “Speaking of good cooking, Nora brought food for lunch. I think I’ll set it out. I’m sure everyone is hungry.”

Walking to the kitchen, Aundy wished Ashton would leave instead of following her. She opened one of the covered baskets Nora brought and set a platter of sandwiches on the table.

Getting plates out of a cupboard, she turned around to see Ashton grab the rocks she left in a bowl in the center of the table.

“Aren’t those pretty?” Aundy said, setting down the plates and pulling a cake from the second basket. “I found those down at the creek the other day.”

“Down at the creek? On your property?” Ashton said, dumping the rocks into his hand and tossing all but three aside.

“What are you doing?” Aundy asked, bending over to pick up the rocks Ashton threw on the floor. Reaching beneath the table, she suddenly felt fingers curl around her upper arm like an iron fist.

“Something I should have done weeks ago,” Ashton said, yanking her upright and tugging her out the door behind him. Glancing around the corner of the house, he jerked Aundy along with him. So surprised by his behavior, she hadn’t yet put up a fight, but when he neared the end of the front walk, Aundy pulled back.

“I’m not going anywhere. I need to be here, close to Nik,” Aundy said, digging her feet into the yard.

“You’re coming with me,” Ashton said, gripping her arm tightly and continuing toward his horse.

“I won’t go with you,” Aundy said, starting to panic, trying to pull away. If she screamed, would the men get there in time to help her? So much for thinking she could take care of herself. “You can’t make me.”

“Yes, I can,” Ashton said, staring at her before pulling a revolver from his holster and striking the butt against her head, knocking her unconscious.

Chapter Eighteen

Garrett couldn’t get to Aundy’s fast enough once he heard the news about Nik being shot and her dead sheep.

Knowing she still wasn’t of a mind to speak to him, he rode out to where the sheep were pastured to see if he could do anything to help.

Dent and Kade were there, along with Fred, Hank, George and Glen.

Looking at the slaughtered animals, Garrett shook his head. Why anyone would be so cruel, he had no idea. Trying not to think about the wounded boy back at the house, he dismounted and walked over to where the men stood.

“Garrett, good to see you,” Dent said, reaching out and shaking his hand. “We found some bullet casings by the tree where we found Lem. Looks like whoever did this took Lem by surprise, shot the dog and maybe didn’t plan on Nik being out here. Probably killed the sheep first, then did the shooting because we heard the shots go off early this morning and the sheep were already bleeding out when we found them.”

Surveying the area, Garrett wished the ground had been wet. Maybe then they’d be able to find a distinguishable boot or hoof mark.

As it was, all they had was some flattened grass.

They were all looking for clues when a yell drew their attention toward the barn. Garrett slapped his horse on the rump and mounted on the run with the rest of the men hurrying to follow.

Racing toward the home place, he topped the rise and nearly plowed over Aundy’s cook.

Pulling back on the reins, he circled Li, then bent down to look in the man’s frightened face.

“Missy need help!” Li said, over and over while Garrett looked at him, trying to make sense of his words.

“Help? Who needs help, Li?”

“Hurry, bad man has Missy. Hurry fast,” Li said, waving his hands in the direction of the house while trying to catch his breath. “Bad man take Missy, ride away.”

Giving Li a hand and hauling him up behind him on the horse, they rode to the bunkhouse where Li jumped off, pointing toward the house. “Bad man, Ashton, take Missy with him.”

“Ashton? Ashton Monroe?” Garrett asked, wishing Li could speak better English. As wound up as he was, it was nearly impossible to understand him. “How do you know Ashton?”

“He beat me, leave me to die when I not help him cheat someone when Missy find me,” Li said, pointing down the road. “He hurt Missy. Hurry.”

“Who’s gonna hurt Missy?” Dent asked as he and the rest of the men rode up while Bill and J.B. hurried out of the barn to see who was making all the commotion.

“Ashton Monroe,” Garrett said, looking at Kade. “Li said he took Aundy and rode off. We’ve got to find her. If he’s behind all this, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”

“Why he want Missy?” Li asked, looking from Garrett to Dent.

“We’re about to find out,” Kade said. Making plans, he asked J.B. to stay with Nora at the house, and asked Bill and Dent to keep an eye on the place while George and Glen went back out to watch over the sheep and clean up the dead carcasses. Garrett, Fred, and Hank would go with Kade to find Aundy. Li would watch over Lem at the bunkhouse.