Western Dilemma Read online

  The statement soothed Emery’s heart. “I don’t know what I’d do without you all.”

  “We all need each other.”

  After Abby left, Emery collapsed on her bed, falling asleep almost instantly. She welcomed the blissful darkness.

  Chapter 12

  Candles burned late in the copper mine’s office in town. Even though he was exhausted, Everett still tried to read the reports he’d been attempting to understand for the last few hours. Words blurred on the page, and the only thing he could think of was Emery.

  And how badly he’d screwed everything up.

  It wasn’t his nature to sit knotted up with angst. But there was nothing else to be done. He’d made his bed and now he was lying in it.

  Alone.

  He pounded a fist on the desk, almost hoping it would break. At least then he’d have something else to focus on.

  He wanted to charge forward, to go to Emery and somehow make all this right. It’s what he’d done his entire life. Pushed, worked, struggled for things, and then eventually accomplished them.

  And if this was only about him, that’s exactly what he’d do.

  What would life be like now that he’d found Emery and lost her? What could he do? Was he supposed to go on with his life like nothing had happened—just mingle in society and go on his long, dangerous treks, never caring if something happened to him?

  He didn’t want that life any longer. He’d finally found something more exciting, more thrilling, than any mountain he could climb.

  Love.

  Not the sappy kind of love he’d read about in poetry. Not the kind where he wanted to sing her a song or kiss her hand. It was the kind where he wanted to lie at her feet and beg her to let him stay with her, to let him be devoted to her. The kind where he wanted to never leave her side.

  Now that he knew what love was like, his old life felt empty and shallow.

  The front door opened, and Everett barely glanced up from his paper long enough to see Lucas step in, close the door, and lean against it. “It’s pretty late to still be working.”

  “It’s pretty late for you to be out of bed and away from your wife.”

  Lucas’ brows shot up and Everett cursed, throwing down his paper. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

  Lucas nodded before moving to one of the chairs opposite the desk. “It was. But I don’t blame you.” He shook his head and had a far-off look in his eyes. “When I lost Abby all those years ago—when I left her—I felt like I was walking around with my heart outside of my chest. Even though I thought I was doing it for her, it felt like I’d never be whole again.”

  “How long did it take to get back to normal?” Everett asked, hoping it would happen soon. He couldn’t go on like this for long.

  “It didn’t.”

  Everett groaned and leaned his head back on the chair, his eyes closed. That was not what he wanted to hear.

  Lucas chuckled, and when Everett glared, he held up his hands. “I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you. I’m just thinking how much time I wasted, how I wished I had figured out how much she meant to me long before I came to Promise Creek.”

  “I already know I want Emery.”

  “That’s good. Because getting her back won’t be easy.” He looked regretful. “She was gutted today.”

  Everett jumped out of his chair and spun away. “I know! I saw her too. Don’t you think I know how much I hurt her? How I’m completely to blame for this? If I could go back and change it, I would.” He paced the room like a caged animal. “I need to make it up to her, but I don’t know how. I don’t know what I can do.”

  Lucas held out his hands. “It depends on what you’re willing to give up.” He shrugged. “It depends on how much you want her.”

  Everett whirled to face him. “I love her. I’ll give up everything if I need to.”

  A ghost of a smile crossed Lucas’s mouth. “I thought that might be the case. So you’re not planning to leave?”

  Shaking his head, he sat in his chair again, collapsing in a heap. “No. The clinic is her dream. She’ll never be happy living in the East.”

  “But will you be happy living here?”

  “I’ll be happy wherever I am as long as it’s with her.”

  “I’ll admit I’m pleased. There’s more than enough work to go around.”

  Everett wasn’t thrilled about helping with the day-to-day operations of the mine, but he would if that’s what he needed to do. But there had to be something else he could do, something that would bring him satisfaction. He’d always liked helping others—

  Everett’s head jerked up. “I’m not going to work at the mine.”

  Lucas cocked his head. “All right. What are you going to do?”

  For the first time since the announcement at the mine, a smile crossed his face. “I’ve been thinking for quite a while that this town needed a doctor in the clinic. A permanent one.”

  A twinkle entered Lucas’ eyes. “I agree. That would leave the other doctor free to travel as he desires. Is that what you really want to do? Work in the clinic?”

  “Yes. I’ve missed it. I didn’t realize how much until recently. I can still help out with the mine when needed though.”

  Lucas waved him away. “That won’t be a problem. The rest of us have it handled for now.”

  Everett knew that was true. Now that three of his partners lived in Promise Creek, the mine was in good hands.

  Lucas rose from his chair. “Now that things appear to be settled with you, I’ll head home. Would you like to be the one to tell Emery about your new position? Or would you like me to do it?”

  “Why would either of us tell her that?” Then realization dawned, and Everett leaned back in his chair. “We own it, don’t we? The clinic?”

  A wry smile crossed Lucas’s face. “Half. The other half is all Emery’s.” He gave one more nod before heading toward the door. “Get some sleep. You’ll need it for when you talk to her tomorrow.”

  A gruff laugh left Everett’s lips. It wouldn’t be easy winning Emery back. But he wouldn’t give up until he did.

  ***

  One piece of advice Emery remembered her mother giving her before she passed away was that everything looked better in the morning. And today was no exception.

  Her eyes were gritty from crying, her face puffy, and, even though her heart was still ravaged with grief, she felt a small sense of peace. Things could only get better from here—the worst had already happened.

  She was alive, well, and had the clinic. It had to be enough.

  It would be enough.

  So for now, she’d get up, get dressed, and go into work like it was any other day. And eventually, it would be. She would recover from this, she would move on, and everything would work out the way she’d always expected.

  The clinic was what really mattered. And even though every inch of it still reminded her of Everett, it wouldn’t always. More patients would stay in that room, walk the halls, and leave their own imprint.

  Besides, once he finished his job at the mine, he’d leave, and knowing he was gone would help. At least she hoped it would.

  With the miners now coming to the clinic in town for their exams, there was little chance of seeing him unless he got injured. She prayed that didn’t happen.

  Even though she wanted to stay in bed all day, she did exactly as she’d planned. She got ready and headed into town, determined to move on. It had worked for her in the past. Any time she’d set her mind to something, she’d accomplished it. This would be no different.

  She blew out a long breath as Main Street came into view. She tightened her grip on the reins, thinking through what she needed to do that day—

  “Nurse Kane! Nurse Kane!”

  At the panicked voice, Emery brought the wagon to a stop.

  The man who called for her ran up to the side of her wagon. “Praise heaven you’re here!” he said, sounding out of breath.

  Emery couldn’t te
ll if it was from exertion or his panic. “What is it? What’s happened?”

  “There’s been an accident at the mine!”

  Emery’s stomach dropped. No. How was there another accident? Why did these things keep happening after Everett had made so many changes? “How many injured? Are they coming here, or should I go to the copper mine?”

  He shook his head quickly. “Not the copper mine. The coal mine. The injured are being loaded now, but they sent me ahead to make certain you were here.”

  Now that she knew it wasn’t the copper mine, her heart settled and she focused on what needed to be done. “Mr…?”

  “Mr. Ellsworth.”

  She nodded. “Mr. Ellsworth, I want you to take my wagon to the stables. Once you’re finished, wait by the clinic and flag down the injured. I don’t want any time wasted while they try to find the building.”

  He nodded quickly, helping her down before climbing up in her spot. He didn’t waste another moment before seeing to his tasks.

  Picking up her skirts, she raced the rest of the way to her clinic, unlocked the doors quickly, and headed for the supplies.

  Before she could gather anything, another person stepped through the door. She spun to meet them, ready for injuries, but jerked to a stop. “Everett? What are you doing here?”

  His chest rose and fell, attesting to his speed in getting here. “I heard about the accident at the coal mine. I’m here to help.”

  She pressed her lips together. The desire to refuse him, to send him away, filled her, but she choked it back. Men had been injured, possibly more grievously than she was capable of fixing. She needed him if she were going to save lives. Quickly making up her mind, she turned back toward the supplies. “Clean up and be ready. But know that even though you’re the doctor, I’m in charge here.” She glanced back at him to make sure he understood her.

  “Understood.” He didn’t take any more time to argue with her, and instead went and washed his hands.

  Emery gathered what she thought she might need, but she didn’t know for certain what had happened.

  She frowned then planned for the worst-case scenario. “When they arrive, I’ll go outside and prioritize the patients,” she said, giving Everett instructions. “The worst off, I’ll send in here to you, the ones that need to be seen immediately after will go in the waiting room. All others with minor injuries will wait outside. If you need assistance, I’ll be with you, but if not, I’ll take care of the injuries I can.”

  He nodded thoughtfully. “It’s a good plan.” He smiled at her, and she hated how it made her stomach flip. “It’s just what I would’ve suggested.”

  His indirect praise made her feel fluttery, but she stamped it down and frowned. “I’m glad you approve, Dr. Clarke.”

  His smile fell. “Emery.”

  She closed her eyes and waved him away. “I’m sorry. This isn’t the time.”

  “But we still have things to discuss.”

  She disagreed, but she didn’t say so. Right now, they needed to focus on other things, not on what had happened between them.

  But before either of them could say anything more, shouts sounded outside. “It’s time,” she said.

  He nodded at her and she moved outside to see to the men.

  The number of wagons and riders overwhelmed her, but they would make do. They had to.

  She’d definitely have to bring on a few others to work in the clinic to make sure these men received the care they needed.

  As they unloaded the wounded men, she quickly assessed each, telling them where to go to be seen.

  When one wagon pulled up and men jumped out quickly, she knew whoever was riding in the back must be seriously injured. Glancing over the side to the unconscious man in the back, she said, “Bring him to the exam room in the clinic.”

  The men didn’t question her, just picked up their friend and brought him inside. There’d been a lot of blood, but she put the patient out of her mind. He was in Everett’s hands, and she was confident that if anything could be done to save him, Everett would do so.

  Over the next hour, more men were brought to them. She applied tourniquets, stitched up gashes, and examined broken bones before sending them in to Everett. By the time they saw to everyone’s care and settled the men that needed more recovery into the beds upstairs, Emery was ready to fall over. They’d gone hours without rest, without food, and without seeing to any of their needs.

  She stepped into the doorway from the sitting room, leaning against the frame as she watched Everett wipe down the exam table, removing any traces of blood. She’d seen him labor tirelessly today, saving lives and taking his time to make certain men had the best chance to recover from their injuries.

  Today he’d showed her what their life could be like together.

  Her heart ached as she watched him. Seeing him like this reminded her of everything she felt for him—for the person she thought he was.

  Everything was blending together though—who she thought he was and who he really was. Now that she knew the truth, she wondered how she ever thought him a miner. There were so many things about him that should have tipped her off.

  The man she’d worked with over the last several hours was one she respected. He might not have been completely honest with her, but he had his reasons. She was still hurting, but even now, she couldn’t confidently say that she would have done anything different if their situations had been reversed.

  As if feeling her eyes on him, he glanced up and gave her a tired smile. There was a bit of purple smudged under his eyes, attesting to his exhaustion, but physically, the rest of him looked good. He looked strong, confident—everything she’d ever wished for.

  He flipped the towel over his shoulder. “We did good work today.”

  “We did,” she agreed. They had worked seamlessly together as if they’d been doing so for years. “I can’t believe we got it all done.”

  “Your system was brilliant. It made it easy to help everyone.”

  She walked farther into the room and looked over the table, happy to see it was spotless. “What happened with the first man?”

  He frowned then, losing some of his easiness. “I don’t know if he’s going to make it. He’s still alive, but he suffered many internal injuries. If he pulls through, he’ll need a lot of assistance.”

  Emery nodded, already coming up with a plan. “I’ll take care of him.”

  “I know you will.”

  She’d known he was leaving town, but for the first time, it truly hit her. He would never know if the man survived or not, never know what happened. And she would never see him again.

  An ache spread through her center, and Everett moved toward her slowly, stopping only a few feet away. “Emery, there’s something I should tell you.”

  She didn’t know if she could handle anything else. “Something more?” she asked, bracing herself.

  “I’ve taken a new job,” he said.

  Confusion marred her brow. “You have? Where?”

  He shuffled his feet then brought his eyes to hers. “Here.”

  Her eyes widened. “In town?”

  He took another step toward her but didn’t reach out for her. “Here in the clinic. I’m the new doctor.”

  Her breath accelerated as shock filled her. He wasn’t leaving. He was staying, and she’d be working with him every day. “Why—why would you do that?”

  He let out a breath. “Because I know you love it here. Because this is your dream.”

  She shook her head. “But it’s not yours.”

  “It wasn’t. I hadn’t thought I would work as a doctor again, but after helping in the mine, after using these skills again, I remembered how much I enjoy helping others. I’ve always craved adventure, excitement, but I’d forgotten that I found all those things while patching people up. I don’t pretend to be God, but the power of helping a person heal after they’ve been on the brink of death is a heady feeling.”

  “You can be a do
ctor anywhere.” She tried to smother the panic in her voice, but she couldn’t completely. If he stayed, if she was working with him every day, she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

  “I want to be a doctor here.”

  “Why?”

  “Because this is where you are.” She shook her head, denying his words, but before she could say anything, he reached out and took her hand. “Emery, I know I’ve made mistakes. Plenty of them. But I realized that if I left, that would be the biggest mistake of all. I made the mistake of not telling you who I am. I held back, foolishly thinking I could get you to care for me without knowing who I am. But I see how wrong I was.”

  He squeezed her hand. “You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met. You don’t care about social standing or the things I could buy you. You care about people, about life, and I regret every moment that I hurt you. I can’t apologize enough.”

  He smiled wistfully, and brought his other hand to her face, stroking her skin softly before looking back into her eyes. “I promise I’ll never hold anything back from you again. I’ll never lie to you, never leave anything out. I love you. I love you with every fiber of my being, every bone in my body. That will never change. I don’t say this to pressure you into giving me another chance—only you can make that decision. I’m telling you because I want to give you my love with no expectation of receiving yours. I want you to know that even if you reject me, you have my whole heart. And I hope with time, I can win yours.”

  Emery scarcely breathed.

  When she didn’t respond, he looked at her intently, taking her other hand in his. “Talk to me, Emery. Tell me what you want. Whatever it is, I’ll do it. Even if you want me to leave, to give up this position, I will, if that’s what you really want. But I beg you, give me the chance to make it up to you. Allow me to be with you even if it’s only here in the clinic.”