Chapter 6
Blade didn’t get much sleep. It was after midnight when he got back home.
He had ridden to Dakota’s house with her to make sure she got there safely.
When he returned home, he checked on Millie and then got into bed.
He tossed and turned for hours and finally decided to simply get up.
If he had gotten even an hour of sleep, it was a lot.
Ignoring how tired he felt, Blade started on breakfast. Usually, Margaret or Millie made breakfast, but things were different now.
He wasn’t much of a cook, though, so he settled on making oats, something he knew he couldn’t mess up.
Wanting to help Millie feel better, he took her breakfast to her in her room.
He wasn’t sure whether to wake her or simply leave the food on her bedside table, but luckily he didn’t have to decide.
Millie was sitting on her bed, leaning back against the wall as she read a book.
A lantern on her bedside table lit up the room, and when he entered, Millie closed her book and focused her eyes on him.
“I made breakfast,” Blade said as he walked over to her. “You want it now?”
Millie nodded, causing a wave of relief to wash over Blade. She had been so traumatized the previous day that he couldn’t get any response out of her. Seeing her communicate and want to eat made him extremely happy.
He placed the tray on her bedside table and handed the bowl to her. “Will you be okay if I go to work?”
Millie nodded again.
Blade could feel himself relaxing. He had expected Millie to still be in bad shape, but she seemed to be doing all right.
“I’m not going to work the whole day. I’ll come home for lunch. Will you make sandwiches for us?”
Millie actually smiled at this and made the hand gesture that meant yes.
“Dakota will probably be joining us, so make enough for her too, all right?”
Millie didn’t reply that time, but it was okay. Maybe Dakota was right about her being stronger than he thought.
With that, Blade headed off to work. Fortunately, the town was quiet after the previous day’s events, and before it was even time for lunch, Blade was already making his way home.
He stopped at Dakota’s house on his way, but she wasn’t there.
Sometimes during the day, Dakota worked at the carpenter’s shop, but Blade had gone past there before he left, and there was no sign of her.
That only meant one thing: she was already at his house, waiting for him.
As expected, Dakota was sitting at the kitchen table with Millie when he arrived. In front of them was a tray with sandwiches and three empty cups. The moment Millie saw him, she got up and started making coffee.
They ate in comfortable silence for the most part, and then all three headed to the ranch.
Millie immediately went to work in the vegetable garden, while Blade and Dakota headed to the other side of the ranch to do some target practice.
They set up some empty cans and bottles to shoot at and then marked out their distance.
It was always a competition between the two of them.
Today, they were going to work on accuracy.
“My aunt and I had a fight again last night,” Dakota said as she loaded her pistol.
Blade snorted. He couldn’t stand the woman. “I’m guessing it was about your clothes.”
Dakota got into position and aimed her pistol. “You’re guessing right. You’d think she’d at least try to find something new to complain about.”
“Honestly, I wish she would just stop complaining altogether.”
“Me too,” Dakota agreed before she took a shot. The bullet sent one of the cans flying.
“Nice,” Blade complimented as he readied himself to take a shot.
Blade took one shot after another until his chamber was empty. It felt good watching the cans fly off the fence. He was running out of patience. He was physically and mentally ready to go after Austin and his gang. He didn’t want to wait any longer.
“It’s time,” he said, turning toward Dakota. He thought she would be surprised, but instead, it looked like she had expected it.
“I know,” she replied.
Blade tilted his head to the side, his brows furrowing. “How?”
“I can’t explain it. I just had a feeling that you would want to leave soon.”
“It’s like you know me better than I know myself.”
“I think I might,” Dakota agreed. “When are you planning to go?”
“I don’t know. With the way I’ve been feeling lately, I’d leave right now if I could.”
Dakota focused her attention back on their targets. “Why can’t you?” She shot off a round, the slug hitting a rock she had balanced on top of an old glass bottle.
“I’m worried about leaving Millie, especially now that Margaret is gone.”
“Some independence will be good for her. If you keep taking care of her and babying her, she’s never going to be able to take care of herself. She needs to see that she can be self-sufficient.”
Dakota always said things exactly the way she saw them. She didn’t lie or sweeten her words to protect people. The only person Blade had ever seen get under her skin was her aunt.
“I know you’re right, but I can’t help but worry,” Blade admitted. “If anything happened to her while I was gone . . .”
Dakota took another shot before replying . Frowning, she turned to look at him. “Firstly, nothing is going to happen to her, and secondly, even if something happened to her, it wouldn’t be your fault.”
Blade considered her words as he reloaded his Colt.
“If you’re really that worried, why don’t you talk to Dr. Masterson about it? He’s her doctor and understands her condition better than anybody else.”
That wasn’t a bad idea. “Okay,” Blade agreed. “I’ll go see him when we’re done here.”
***
The bell hanging over the door rang, announcing that somebody had arrived.
“Want me to see who it is?” Jace asked.
Dr. Masterson nodded. “Yes, please.”
Jace rushed out of the consultation room, leaving Dr. Masterson to finish treating the woman and her son.
Standing in the middle of the front office was none other than Blade.
“Is everything okay?” Jace asked, skipping the pleasantries. Blade worked with Sheriff Wolfe, and if there was an emergency, there wasn’t time for small talk.
“Yes,” Blade replied. “Just need to speak to Dr. Masterson.”
Jace could feel his body relax. He was still getting used to treating real people.
“He’s busy with a patient, but it shouldn’t take too long.
” Jace wasn’t sure whether he should act professional or casual around Blade.
“Is there anything I can assist with while you wait?” Jace asked, settling for professional.
Blade shook his head. “No. I’ll just wait for him.”
“All right,” Jace agreed. “I’ll tell him you’re here.”
Jace quickly delivered the message and then returned to the front office, feeling like he had to keep Blade company. The young man looked distracted, though, and didn’t even try to make conversation.
Usually, Jace felt very comfortable around people, but Blade’s presence made him a little nervous. Maybe it was because he was so young and already working for the sheriff. Or maybe it was the assortment of weapons that visibly decorated his body.
He couldn’t possibly have been older than Jace, who had only turned twenty-one a couple of months ago, but his eyes were those of a man who had seen things he shouldn’t have.
Jace’s keen eyes detected a scar on Blade’s forehead, proving his theory that Blade had been through a lot for his age.
The scar was mostly hidden under the young man’s shaggy blond hair, but it was definitely there.
“We’re all done,” Dr. Masterson said as he walked the woman and her son to the door. “Blade, how can I help you?”
Blade shuffled on his feet, looking uncomfortable. “Can we maybe speak in private? It’s about Millie.”
The expression on Dr. Masterson’s face changed at the mention of Millie. “Of course,” he agreed. “Follow me.”
Jace had no idea who Millie was, but because of Dr. Masterson’s reaction, he found himself feeling curious.
With no patients to treat, Jace patiently waited in the front office.
He could hear Dr. Masterson’s and Blade’s voices, but he could not make out what they were saying.
They were in Dr. Masterson’s office for quite a while before the door finally opened.
“Jace, join us for a moment, won’t you?”
Intrigued, Jace quickly made his way into the office.
“Blade is going away for a while and came to ask for help with his sister, Millie,” Dr. Masterson said, looking between the two of them. “I’ve been Millie’s doctor all her life. She’s a sweet girl but has a rather uncommon condition.”
“Oh, all right,” Jace said, unable to keep quiet for too long. He tended to talk a lot when he got nervous, excited, or just in general, actually.
“She’s been mute for the last seven years. Hasn’t said a word.”
Jace had heard of mutism but had never met anybody with it. “That’s a long time.”
“It is,” Dr. Masterson agreed. “She’s healthy otherwise but gets scared pretty fast. She also suffers from warrior heart and has episodes where she gets stuck in the past.”
Something horrible must have happened to her. Those conditions were usually related to a traumatic event. It was mostly soldiers who suffered from warrior heart after fighting in a war. “That’s awful,” Jace stated, filling the silence. “I’m so sorry.”
Blade nodded in acknowledgment but didn’t reply.
“I agreed that I would check in on Millie to make sure she is all right while Blade is gone, but I can’t go see her every day. I have patients to care for, and I need to be here in case there is an emergency.”
Jace’s heartbeat sped up a little. He knew where the conversation was heading, and he was both terrified and excited.
“My suggestion is that you”—Dr. Masterson pointed at Jace—“go visit her every day. It will be good for everybody involved. Blade can rest assured that his sister is being taken care of. Millie will be exposed to a new person, which I believe might actually help her, and you will learn more about mutism and warrior heart than any book could ever teach you.”
Jace hesitated for a moment, unsure how to react. He didn’t want to come across as too excited since it might seem disrespectful. “I’ll do my best to ensure that she remains safe and healthy,” he said, hoping it came across as respectful.
“So you’re okay with this arrangement?” Dr. Masterson asked Blade.
Blade let out a long breath before replying, “I guess I have to be.”
Dr. Masterson placed a hand on Blade’s shoulder. “Millie will be all right. We’ll take care of her.”
“Thank you,” Blade said with a small smile. “You think you can start checking on her tomorrow? I want to get an early start.”
“Of course,” Dr. Masterson agreed.
Blade thanked them again, and then he was on his way, leaving Jace and Dr. Masterson to discuss the situation further.
“Is there anything else I should know?” Jace asked. “I’ve read that certain things can trigger episodes when people suffer from warrior heart.”
“That’s true.” Dr. Masterson took a seat at his desk. “I think it is best if you know what happened to her. That way, you’ll understand her much better.”
Jace sat down across from Dr. Masterson, his stomach contracting. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what he heard next.
“Seven years ago, when Millie was eleven, a gang of bandits raided their ranch. Blade and Millie’s parents were brutally slaughtered, along with their younger sister and all the men and women who worked on the ranch.
Millie was assaulted and then stabbed. Blade was shot three times.
Both of them were left for dead, but somehow, despite their life-threatening injuries, they survived. ”
Jace sucked in his breath. “That’s . . .” He didn’t have words.
“Horrible,” Dr. Masterson finished for him. “Nobody should have to go through such an ordeal, especially not children.”
“No wonder she is traumatized.”
Dr. Masterson nodded in agreement. “You think you can handle it?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure, but I really want to try.”