Chapter 30 #2
Cora bumped her water glass as she withdrew her hands from the table. Water splashed over the rim before she saved it from a full tumble. “Your letter said you’d be—”
“So you thought you’d have plenty of time before I returned?”
“It’s not like that at all.”
Ben clenched his hands. “What are you doing here, then?”
She blinked.
LeBeau threw his napkin down. “It’s none of your concern.”
“Charlie broke his arm.” She scooted back her chair. Her brow furrowed. “I had to bring him to Arth—Dr. LeBeau to have it set.”
Ben snorted. “Well, this isn’t the doctor’s office. And I don’t see Charlie.”
LeBeau narrowed his eyes. “Are you questioning the lady’s word? Or does she need to show you the cast? It’s not Cora’s fault the arm was swollen and they had to spend a couple of days in town.”
“A couple of days?” Ben’s voice rose.
“I figured the least I could do was ensure they were properly fed.” LeBeau snickered. “Somebody had to.”
“They had plenty of food.” Ben gritted his teeth. “I was driving cattle to market…” He flinched. The cattle. He had failed.
“Ben left us plenty of everything.” Cora stood and pivoted to Ben, lowering her voice.
“I agreed to share a meal with Dr. LeBeau as friends. He has been my family’s doctor for years.
Charlie’s at Miller’s buying something. Probably something for you.
” She glanced around at the staring patrons.
“We can finish discussing this at the ranch.”
LeBeau drummed his fingers on the table. “The lady doesn't owe you any explanation, McKenzie. And if you were a gentleman, you wouldn’t cause a scene in public.”
Ben glared at him. “You don't know the first thing about being a gentleman, you weasel.”
“Ben.” Cora reached out as if she might touch his coat sleeve. “We need to go.”
“Excellent idea.” LeBeau stood. “Obviously, the man lost all of his manners while he was off chasing windmills.”
“Arthur.” Cora gaped at her supposed friend. Couldn’t he be done throwing oil on the fire? “You’re the one without manners now.”
“It’s fine.” Ben’s voice steeled. He jerked his arm away from her would-be touch. “LeBeau, I’ll see you on the street.” He dug a fifty-cent piece out of his pocket and plunked it down on the table. “I’m paying for Cora’s meal.”
Arthur puffed out his chest and headed for the door, a few steps behind Ben. Chairs scraped the floor around them. Everyone in the restaurant was coming.
If only she could get these two men alone in a room and talk this out.
Not all together, one at a time. Even better, just her and Ben.
Arthur was acting obnoxiously. She needed to convince Ben to head home with her and Charlie, where she could explain everything and find out what he was doing back here a month early. Something must have gone wrong.
Arthur filled the exit. Lifting her skirts, she nudged past. Sweat plastered her chemise and camisole to her upper back and chest. She almost tripped over the café placard.
In the street, Ben pivoted, tossed his dust-covered hat aside and removed his gun belt. The look he’d given Wolf Heart the night of the attack paled in comparison to the glare that hardened his features now, eyes narrowed and jaw clenched.
Arthur sauntered up beside her.
She jutted a hand to her hip. “You should apologize.”
His mustache twitched. “It’s that manure-shoveling Yankee who needs to apologize. To you.”
“I don’t need an apology.”
Voices rang out. “There’s going to be a fight.” Men crossed the street. Even ladies quickened their pace. A buggy drew to a halt.
She blew out a breath so hard that it lifted the hair wisps from her forehead. “Ben.” She turned toward the street. “Please, don’t do this. We need to talk.”
“Stay out of it, Cora.” He yanked off his dirt-streaked sack coat.
Arthur stepped beyond the shelter of the crowd. “You’ll have to excuse him. A man in need of his medicine can’t always control his temper.”
“Arthur.” She grabbed him by the arm and spun him toward her. “You’re despicable.”
Ben closed the distance.
Arthur shook free. “Cora, I’m not going to allow you to throw yourself away on a man with a wounded soul. A man like your fa—”
Smack. Ben’s fist collided with the doctor’s face.
Cora jumped back. So did the crowd. Arthur was really going to say like her father? Here in front of everyone?
Arthur reeled, regained his footing, and swung at Ben.
Ben dodged and drove another punch into Arthur’s left jaw. “I’ll show you wounded.” He struck a blow to Arthur’s gut.
Arthur groaned, doubled over, and rammed his shoulder into Ben’s stomach.
They tumbled. The two rolled, a flurry of jabs and knees and grunts.
Ben regained his feet and swiped his sleeve across the trickle of blood from his lip.
Breathing heavily, Arthur pushed up, crouching, hands ready, his eye swollen, and his nose bleeding.
“Enough,” Cora called out.
“No, they’re not finished yet. Let ’em go at it some more,” a farmer yelled.
Charlie squeezed through the crowd on the side and ran to her. “What’s happened?”
“Ben and Dr. LeBeau—”
Arthur charged. Ben jerked away and slammed a hard right into Arthur’s ribs. The doctor stumbled but swept his feet beneath Ben’s, taking them both down. Punches and jabs. They wrestled. The smack of flesh to flesh.
Arthur jerked free, his white shirt smeared with dirt and blood. He rammed a boot into Ben’s gut.
“Uhhn.” Ben flinched.
Arthur drew back for a second kick. Ben grabbed his booted foot and yanked him down. He pounced on top of him, pinning him to the ground, knees on the doctor’s thighs, grinding his hands into the dirt with his own. “You finished shooting off your mouth, scum?”
Cora shoved Charlie behind her and edged forward. Drops of blood and sweat dampened the ground near the two men. This needed to stop. “No more. You’re done.” She gritted out the words.
Hair poking out in every direction and face swollen, Arthur sliced a glare up at Ben. His lip curled. “I bet even now if you smelled laudanum, if someone had a bottle and took the lid off…” His voice became barely more than a hiss. “You’d drop to your knees and beg for a taste.”
Ben’s left hand clamped down on the man’s throat. Arthur gasped and clawed at the vice-like grip. Ben drew his right arm back, fist clenched, ready to drive a powerful blow into LeBeau’s face.
“No.” Cora latched onto Ben’s shoulder and lowered her voice to a whisper. “You’re better than that.”
His upper arm trembled beneath her hand, like a steam engine held back by a loose brake, ready to burst forth.
“You’re better than that.” She repeated the reminder and curled her fingers around his muscle.
He puffed out breaths.
“No, he’s not…” Arthur huffed, struggling for air. A vein bulged across his left temple.
“Only for you.” Ben grunted, shook free of her hold, and struck the ground with his fist inches from Arthur’s head.
LeBeau flinched.
Ben loosened his grip and stood.
LeBeau rolled to the side and coughed.
“Way to go.” Some of the crowd cheered.
“What are you talking about? That’s our doctor,” others rebutted.
“Snooty nose doctor.”
“Snooty doctor’s better than a Yank,” another hollered.
Cora stiffened her wobbly limbs. “My brother, Jeb sent him.” Swiping her nose, she turned in a circle, meeting their eyes. “Anyone dishonors him, they dishonor the Scott family.”
Ben swung his gaze to her.
Surprise? Pain? What else? The unfathomable hazel eyes held hers for a breath, then he retrieved his gun belt and strode off. The crowd parted in his wake.
Arthur pushed up onto his hands and knees.
She wasn’t waiting for him to regain his feet.
Charlie threw her a glance and took off running after Ben.
She lifted her skirts and followed. Ben was already a block ahead, storming toward the livery stable, as if he would smash through anything in his path.
She picked up her pace. They needed to go home together.
Charlie caught up to him, calling out and tugging on his loose shirt. Ben’s hat and coat? He’d left them. Should she go back?
Ben halted his headlong charge and turned to the boy. He dropped down to one knee. They spoke, and Charlie threw his good arm around the man. But then, Ben ruffled the boy’s hair and pointed toward her. Charlie back-stepped while Ben tromped ahead double-quick.
Not good. Cora halted and placed her hand to her chest.
Charlie plodded up to her. “He said I had to wait and come home with you.”
If Ben had waited, they could have all traveled home together. “That’s fine. We’ll fetch his hat and coat and meet him at home.” Why did her stupid voice have to tremble?
“I can go get it.”
“Hold on.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, adjusting the loop of the sling away from his neck. “What else did Ben say?”
The boy lifted his chin. “Not much. That he’d missed me and that he was glad I didn’t get too hurt from the fall. I told him I didn’t like the doctor. And I understood Dr. LeBeau said something mean to him. And that I think the doctor is trying to steal you.”
“Me?” Cora winced. That’s the last thing Ben needed to hear. She pressed her lips together. She wouldn’t scold the boy.
Charlie wiggled a finger against the opening of his cast. “The doctor’s sneaky with his money. I took his nickels and dimes, but I know what he’s up to.”
She tapped her fingers to his back. “Go fetch Ben’s coat and hat. Then meet me at the livery stables. We need to get home.”
Dear Lord, help that man listen to reason.