Chapter Thirteen

Deborah"s heart hammeredagainst her chest as she laid her palm on Aaron"s forehead. It was hot to the touch. His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps, his strong frame now shivering under the thin blanket.

Deborah hurried to the door. "Adam," she called out, her voice steady despite the panic that knotted her stomach. "Fetch the doctor, quick."

Adam, who had been tending to the horses, dashed into the room, his boots thudding against the wooden floorboards. One glance at Aaron, and he needed no further urging. "On my way," he said with a nod, tipping his hat before hurrying back out into the growing light.

Deborah smoothed back Aaron"s hair, murmuring words meant to comfort them both. Her hands, usually so sure when tending the garden or mending clothes, trembled slightly as she adjusted the damp cloth on his brow.

It wasn"t long before the doctor arrived, his bag of instruments clinking softly as he stepped through the door. He was a man of few words but sharp eyes that missed nothing. He examined Aaron with practiced hands, lifting an eyelid, checking his pulse, looking at the wound, and then finally standing straight with a serious look on his weathered face.

"Mrs. Tudor," the doctor began, his voice as gruff as the dry Texas land, "Aaron needs to be in the hospital. This infection is beyond what home care can manage."

A protest formed on Deborah"s lips. She wanted to argue, to claim she could nurse him back to health herself. But then she met the doctor"s gaze, saw the unspoken gravity there, and she knew better.

"All right," she agreed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I trust you, Doctor. We"ll do whatever it takes."

"Good," the doctor replied with a small nod. "I"ll arrange for the transport. He"s in good hands."

As the men prepared to move Aaron, Deborah stood by, her heart aching with worry. Yet, even amid the fear, she clung to a flicker of hope. Love and companionship were the cornerstones of this community, and with their support, she believed they would weather this storm too.

*****

DEBORAH PACED THE HOSPITALcorridor, her footsteps echoing off the sterile walls. With each pass by the ward"s door, she stole a glance at Aaron, lying still on the cot, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths. Days turned into weeks, yet she remained by his side.

"Ma"am, visiting hours are over," the duty nurse reminded her gently one evening, her eyes soft with understanding.

"But I can"t leave him," Deborah whispered, her voice laced with desperation.

"Come now, you need your rest too," the nurse urged, guiding Deborah away from the ward.

Reluctantly, Deborah allowed herself to be led to the front entrance. She stepped out into the warm Texas night, the air heavy with the scent of wildflowers and dust. Lantern in hand, she made her way to the nearby boarding house, its windows aglow with welcoming light.

Mrs. Garvey, the boarding house owner, met her at the door. "You look all tuckered out, dear," she said, her voice a comforting drawl. "I saved you some supper if you're hungry."

"Thank you," Deborah managed, her exhaustion evident. "I'm not hungry, but I think I need to eat so I can keep visiting Aaron."

"We"re all rootin" for your Aaron."

Deborah was back at Aaron"s side as soon as visiting hours started. She caught snippets of conversation from the other ranch hands in the ward, their familiar banter a strange contrast to the sterile environment.

"Hey, Deb," called out Sam, one of the hands, from his cot. "Is Aaron getting any better? We're all worried about him."

"That bullet had bad manners," Deborah replied, attempting a smile. "It gave him an infection, and he's just not doing well. I have faith though."

"Bullet don"t stand a chance against The Gentle Giant," chimed in another hand, Pete.

"Sure don"t," agreed the third, Billy, his voice weak but spirited. "Aaron"s too stubborn to let a little fever beat him."

Their words were meant to buoy her spirits, and in some small way, they did. The days blurred into one another, but the ranch hands" encouragement never waned, nor did Deborah's resolve. As she sat knitting beside Aaron"s bed, her fingers worked the yarn into patterns of hope and strength, a tangible representation of the community"s bond.

"Deborah," Aaron murmured one afternoon, his voice raspy but clear.

She nearly dropped her knitting in surprise. "Yes, Aaron?"

"Thank you," he said, his brown eyes locking onto hers. "For being here."

"Always," she promised, squeezing his hand with a tenderness that spoke volumes.

*****

DEBORAH SAT BESIDEAaron's bed, her knitting needles clicking softly as she worked on another pair of socks for the winter. She looked up when she felt a gentle squeeze on her hand.

"Deborah," Aaron whispered.

She set aside her knitting, her heart leaping. "Aaron?"

"Your hands..." He tried to sit up, his gaze focusing on the half-finished socks in her lap. "You"ve been busy."

"Rest now," she said, easing him back onto his pillow with a soft touch. "I had good company."

"Outsiders?" His brow knitted together, concern flickering across his features.

"Taken care of," she assured him. "You needn"t worry."

A slow smile spread across his rugged face, and he reached out to stroke her cheek with a roughened fingertip. "Proud of you," he murmured.

"Thank you," Deborah replied, her voice barely above a whisper as a blush crept into her cheeks.

They lingered in the quiet comfort of the room, the only sounds the distant bustle of the hospital and the rustle of starched sheets as Aaron shifted. His fever had broken. The clarity in his eyes told her that the worst was over.

*****

AARON LEANED ON DEBORAHas they made their way across the porch, his recovery still a work in progress. The other ranch hands were there to greet them, their grins wide and teasing.

"Look at this," Pete said. "The Gentle Giant laid low. Reckon we"ll have to pick up the slack."

"Only until I"m back on my feet," Aaron shot back, a mock frown on his face. "Then you"ll be eating my dust again."

"Sure, boss," Jim agreed, nudging Tom. "Let"s leave him to rest. We"ve got a ranch to run."

"Go on then," Deborah said with a laugh. "We"ll manage."

As the men ambled off toward the barn, Aaron turned to Deborah, his expression softening. "Seems like they missed me."

"Missed giving you a hard time, more like," she teased, helping him settle into a chair on the porch.

"Maybe so," he said, gazing out at the sprawling fields with a contented sigh. "But it"s good to be home."

"Very good," she agreed, taking a seat next to him, her hand finding his once more. They watched in companionable silence as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with strokes of pink and orange.

"Tomorrow"s another day," Aaron said, hope threading through his words.

"Another day," Deborah said, her heart full. "You have no idea what it means to me that we'll have another day together."

He smiled. "I'm home now. I'm just going to keep getting better."

*****

AARON STRETCHED HISarms, feeling strength surge back into his muscles. He watched Deborah through the kitchen window, her figure silhouetted against the morning light. Today, he would rejoin his men, and it filled him with a sense of purpose.

"Morning, Deb," Aaron called as he stepped into the warm kitchen. "Smells like heaven in here."

"Good morning," Deborah replied, her voice lacking its usual warmth. She kept her back to him, fussing over the stove. "Charlotte had to go help her daughter today, so it's just us."

"Something wrong?" Aaron asked, frowning at the tension in her shoulders.

"Nothing," she answered too quickly, offering him a weak smile that didn"t reach her eyes. "Eat up. You"ll need your strength."

He sat down, but his gaze lingered on her. As he ate the hearty breakfast she"d prepared, he noticed her untouched plate and the pallor of her skin. But before he could press further, she busied herself with cleaning up, skillfully evading his concern.

"Deborah," he started, but she cut him off.

"Go on, Aaron. The cattle won"t drive themselves to Fort Worth."

"All right," he said reluctantly, sensing this wasn"t the time to argue.

Outside, the air was thick with dust and the lowing of cattle. Aaron mounted his horse, the familiar creak of leather comforting. His men were already waiting, their faces set with determination.

"Ready, boss?" Pete asked, tipping his hat back.

"Let"s do this," Aaron replied, the words rumbling from deep within his chest. He glanced back at the house once more, wishing Deborah stood there waving him off.

The drive was long and hot. It was already October, and it should be cooling off soon, but it didn't seem like soon enough to Aaron. They pushed the cattle along, the animals stirring up clouds of dust that clung to their clothes and skin. Despite the grueling work, there was camaraderie among the men—a shared joke here, a pat on the back there. They were a team, bound by sweat and the danger they'd shared.

"Hotter than a billy goat in a pepper patch," Jim remarked, wiping his brow with a dusty sleeve.

"Yep," Aaron agreed, squinting against the glare of the sun. "But we"ll make good time if we keep at this pace."

"Deborah"ll be proud, boss," Tom added with a grin.

Aaron nodded, his heart swelling with pride—and a twinge of worry for his wife left behind. But he shook it off, focusing on the task at hand.

"Come evening, we"ll be in Fort Worth," he said. "Then it"s just a matter of selling these beasts and heading home."

*****

DEBORAH SAT ON THEporch, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her gaze following the path that led away from their homestead. The silence of Aaron"s absence clung to the air like the summer heat, pressing down upon her with an unfamiliar weight. She turned as the screen door creaked and Cassandra stepped out, carrying two glasses of lemonade.

"Here," Cassandra said, offering one of the glasses. "You look like you could use this."

"Thank you." Deborah took a sip, the tartness making her pucker slightly. "I"ve been feeling off, Cassandra. Not just my stomach. It"s like everything"s topsy-turvy."

"Tell me about it," Cassandra urged, her voice steady and concerned.

"I can"t keep much down, and I"m tired all the time. At first, I thought it was worry for Aaron, but now..." Deborah trailed off, her blue eyes clouded with uncertainty.

"Let"s see Hortense. She"ll have something for your stomach, at least." Cassandra"s suggestion was practical, as always. Hortense was the local midwife who also did a great deal of healing with herbs.

"Suppose it couldn"t hurt," Deborah murmured, allowing a faint smile to touch her lips as they set off down the road.

The walk to Hortense Blakely"s place wasn"t long, but the sun bore down unrelentingly. Hortense"s herb garden welcomed them with its fragrant promise of relief. The older woman met them at the door, her keen eyes missing nothing.

"Come in, come in," Hortense beckoned, leading them to her cluttered kitchen where jars of dried herbs lined the shelves.

"Deborah"s not well," Cassandra explained succinctly.

"Let"s have a look at you, child," Hortense said, her fingers surprisingly gentle as she took Deborah"s wrist, feeling for her pulse. "Let me examine you." She led Deborah from the room to her spare bedroom, which she used for checking the women who came to her.

After a short exam, Hortense nodded sagely. "Well, I"d say congratulations are in order, Deborah. You"re expecting."

"Expecting?" Deborah echoed, the word foreign yet filling her with a sudden rush of joy.

"Indeed. A little one on the way."

Overwhelmed, Deborah felt the corners of her mouth twitch upwards. "A baby..." She'd noticed her cycle had been missing for a couple of months, but she'd thought it was the stress of Aaron almost dying.

"Let"s get you some ginger tea for the mornings," Hortense suggested, already moving to gather the necessary ingredients.

By the time Aaron returned, the homestead seemed to hum with the secret Deborah harbored. She watched him stride toward her.

"Deborah," he greeted warmly, tipping his hat back with a familiar gesture.

"Welcome home, Aaron." Her heart beat fast as she stood before him, the news bubbling up inside her. "I have something to tell you."

He waited, anticipation etched into his rugged features.

"I"m... we"re going to have a baby," she said, the words a bridge between them.

Aaron"s reaction was immediate, his face breaking into a wide, ecstatic grin. He swept Deborah into his arms, spinning her around once before setting her down gently.

"That"s the best news I"ve heard in ages!" His laughter rang through the air, infectious and full of life.

Deborah laughed too, her earlier reservations melting away in the warmth of his embrace. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart, and knew that whatever the future held, they would face it together.