An Unspoken Dream (Kansas Crossroads Book 13) Read online

  “That’s not what I mean.”

  Grace finished her broth, looking to delay the conversation that was inevitable. “He had just asked to court me,” she said after a long moment. “I was flabbergasted—I’ve never even liked the man, and suddenly, he shows up and he’s charming and funny, and he’s moving here and starting a business, and then he says he’s interested in me, and it simply floored me. I told him I’d consider it, and that seemed to please him, and not five minutes later, he’s crushed on the road.” She closed her eyes, not wanting to see it all in her mind again, but she couldn’t help it. There it was.

  “He asked to court you?” Nora’s voice sounded as incredulous as Grace felt.

  “He did. Astonishing, isn’t it?” Grace chuckled, but the sound caught in her throat, and she reached for her water before she choked. “And then he saved my life by getting me out of the way. It was honestly like a novel, only it happened to me, and now . . . now who knows what’s going on over there.”

  The door to the kitchen opened just then, and Sarah came in, breathing hard. “I’m sorry—I know the train’s almost here. But I have news about Gilbert.”

  “What is it?” Grace asked, coming to her feet. Her heart pounded almost painfully. “How is he?”

  “He had some internal bleeding, so Dr. Wayment did surgery. He was able to find the source of the bleeding and get it stitched up—I don’t exactly remember what all he said. It was long and medical. Anyway, he will recover. He has three broken ribs and he’s bruised quite badly, but Dr. Wayment says he’ll recover fully.”

  Grace sank back into her chair. “Oh, thank goodness. Is he awake yet?”

  “No, he’s still sedated from the surgery, but he should be awake soon.” Sarah grabbed an apron and tied it around her waist. “Looks like Ruth has everything almost ready.”

  “She does,” Grace replied. “Posy helped her.”

  “I’m so glad. I’ll owe them one.”

  Just then, Grace heard voices coming from the direction of the dining room, and she came to her feet. “Sounds like the train’s here.”

  Sarah looked her up and down as though seeing her for the first time. “Why are you dressed for work? You’re not taking this shift.”

  “But I have to,” Grace said. “We’re still short on waitresses, remember?”

  Sarah shook her head. “Olivia’s stepping in again today. I ran into her on the sidewalk out front.”

  “And Giselle’s here, remember?” Nora pointed out. “Everything’s fine, Grace. We’ll be all right.” She stood up. “I’ll speak with Elizabeth about how to take meal payments, and then she can help as well.”

  Sarah crossed the room and put her hand on Grace’s shoulder. “Go back to bed,” she said gently. “You can come back to work tomorrow, but not today.”

  Grace climbed the stairs numbly, actually glad that she’d been sent out of the kitchen. She realized that she wasn’t up to it yet, and she did have nine more books tucked away. She hated being incapacitated, though, and hoped it wouldn’t last long—she wanted to do her part.

  ***

  Gilbert tried to open his eyes. They were so heavy. It was too hard, so he kept them closed another minute while he tried to figure out what was going on. He was somewhere strange—it didn’t smell like home or the Brody. And he was in pain. So much pain.

  At last, he managed to open his eyes and saw a blonde young woman standing at the foot of his bed, writing something on a clipboard. She wore a white apron and he thought for a moment that she might be Grace, but then his vision cleared and he realized he didn’t know her. He’d seen her, though—with the doctor who had come for the waitress at the hotel.

  “Are you a nurse?” he asked, discovering that his throat was dry.

  “Yes, I am. My name is Jeanette Wayment. Do you remember anything about what happened?”

  He tried to think, but he was too thirsty to focus on anything else. “Water?” he managed to croak out.

  “Of course.” She moved to his side and helped bring a cup to his lips. His chest ached when he lifted his head.

  “Thank you,” he said as his head fell back on his pillow. “Um . . . I remember a wagon. And Grace.” Worry flashed through him as he said her name, and he raised his head again. That was probably a mistake.

  “You should lie still,” the nurse said. “You’ve been through quite a lot.”

  “But how is Grace?”

  “She’s all right. She was shaken up a bit, but the doctor had Elizabeth take care of her. You need to focus on yourself right now.”

  “I’d really rather not, if you don’t mind.”

  “You wouldn’t? Why is that?”

  Gilbert was having trouble forming sentences in his head. “Because I’m not a very nice person. I want to think about nice people. Like Grace.”

  “From what I’ve heard, you’re a very nice person. You might have saved her life.”

  “Penance for all my wrongdoing.” Gilbert closed his eyes. “So tired. Where am I?”

  “You’re in the recovery room at Dr. Wayment’s office. His office which is inside his home, and I’m his wife, so you might say, you’re at my house.”

  He heard the humor in her voice even though his eyes were closed and he couldn’t see her facial expression. “I . . . think I’ll sleep now.”

  “That’s a very good idea. I’ll be nearby if you need anything.”

  He was about to tell her that he needed Grace, but he fell asleep instead.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “So, you’re awake now.”

  Gilbert grinned as Stephen peeked into his room. “There you are. I was wondering if you’d forgotten all about me.”

  “Forgotten you? I’ll have you know, I’ve been here almost every minute. Except for the last few hours. But I’m back now.”

  “Why did you leave? Surely you don’t have anything better to do than watch over your little brother.”

  Stephen took the chair next to Gilbert’s bed. “I certainly have things to do that are more interesting. You’re very boring while you’re asleep.”

  “How could I be interesting while asleep?”

  “Well, you could talk or something. That would be good for a start.” Stephen smiled. “Actually, I think you’ll be very pleased with what I have been doing this morning.”

  “Let’s hear it. Then I’ll decide.”

  “I started out at the bank. No—that’s a lie. I started out in your hotel room. I remembered you saying that you’d received some telegrams and were just waiting for a few more, so I talked Elizabeth into letting me in your room and I found them, along with the business plan. I took them to the bank, met with Timothy Hancock, and he said he’d get the loan process rolling.”

  “Really?” Again, Gilbert made the mistake of trying to sit up. He was really going to have to stop doing that.

  “Really. I figured you wouldn’t mind a little breaking and entering if it landed the loan.”

  “No, not at all.” Gilbert nodded. “What else have you been up to?”

  “After I did that, I went over and spoke with Mr. Appleby. I finalized the agreement to rent us his upstairs room, and he says we can begin using it as soon as you’re on your feet. He has a desk and a table we can use until we get some office furniture of our own.”

  “That’s great. I don’t understand, though. Why did you do all that? I thought you wanted more time to think about it before you got involved.”

  Stephen cleared his throat. “Well, that’s an interesting story. Last night, my wife came running into the house, telling me that you’d been in a horrible accident. When I saw you, all bruised and unconscious, I realized that nothing matters more than family, and that the best thing I can be doing with my time is supporting my family. Sarah agrees, and we’re in this, brother. Win or lose, success or fail, we’re doing it together.”

  Gilbert was surprised at the tears that suddenly sprang to his eyes. He hadn’t expected his brother to make a decis
ion so quickly, or to finish tying up the loose ends so Gilbert could concentrate on recovering. “Thank you,” he said. “You’re really coming through for me. I hope you won’t regret it.”

  “If it fails, I might feel bad for losing an investment, but I will never regret helping my brother,” Stephen said. “Family first. Everything else is second.”

  ***

  Grace stood in the hallway of Dr. Wayment’s house, trying to decide if she should or should not knock on the door that led into the recovery room. She wanted to see Gilbert—wanted it badly, to make sure he was all right and that she wasn’t just being kept calm so she wouldn’t go into shock again—but she had no idea what she’d say to him. “Thank you” didn’t seem like enough, but what else was there to sum up her feelings?

  “I’m pretty sure you’ll need to open the door if you want to see what’s on the other side of it.”

  She whirled around at the voice. “Dr. Wayment! I didn’t hear you. Um, I was just wondering about Gilbert. How he is.”

  “You could ask him yourself.”

  “I could, but maybe I’d rather ask you first.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Come into my office for a minute, would you please?”

  She followed him, feeling quite a bit like a school child expecting a lecture from her teacher. Instead, Dr. Wayment looked into her eyes, then listened to her heart. Then he sat back and regarded her with his piercing brown eyes.

  “You seem to be feeling better.”

  “I am. Yesterday . . . well, that was horrible. But I am recovering, and I hope Gilbert is too.”

  “And yet you’re hesitant to go in there and see.”

  “He . . . he’s having some romantic thoughts about our relationship, and I haven’t decided yet if I think that’s a good idea.”

  “I see.” Dr. Wayment nodded. “I don’t think it’s necessary for you to make that decision before you go in there, if that’s what’s troubling you. You could visit him as a friend and leave all romantic ideas outside. Neither of you are in a position to be deciding anything right now anyway. I recommend you stay away from poker tables and horse dealers until you’re fully recovered.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Grace said with a smile. “So, what is his condition exactly?”

  “He’s very sore—those ribs are going to give him trouble for a few weeks at least, maybe over a month. Only time will tell. I’m sure you’ve heard that I did surgery for internal bleeding.”

  Grace nodded.

  “That solved his most life-threatening problem, but now we’re waiting for those tissues to mend. He’ll need to remain in bed for at least three weeks, and I plan to keep him right here so I can check on him regularly.”

  “I’m glad of that.” Grace studied her hands. “I’m being silly, aren’t I? I can take it—tell me the truth.”

  “I’d say that your hesitation is natural. But I’d also say that yes, you’re being silly.” He smiled at her. “Every relationship comes with risks, even friendships. The only way to avoid risk is to avoid having any feelings at all, and Grace, that would be impossible for you. You display who you are in every minute, and you show your loves and your likes and your loyalties right there on your face. Take risks. Don’t miss out on all the wonderful things that might happen because you were too afraid to try.”

  Grace smiled. “I didn’t realize you were so knowledgeable about love, Doctor.”

  “Well, I didn’t used to be. In fact, I thought I could get along without it just fine. But then this blonde-haired little minx entered my life, and I haven’t been the same since.” He came to his feet and motioned to the door. “Go see him, Grace. Just as a friend, with no expectations. There will be time enough for expectations later.”

  She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “All right, I will. And thank you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  When his door opened again, Gilbert called out, “Did you forget something, Stephen?” But it wasn’t his brother who entered the room. It was Grace.

  “Hello,” she said, standing at the foot of the bed. “Dr. Wayment said you were awake, and I thought I’d come see how you’re feeling.”

  “I honestly feel quite horrible, but seeing you takes the edge off. Please, sit down.”

  She moved around the bed and sat where Stephen had been just a few minutes before. “Gilbert, I don’t even know where to start, but I want to thank you so much for what you did. When I think about it, I can’t believe that you were so brave—I don’t think I’d have that kind of courage.”

  He raised his hand, but even that much motion hurt his ribs, so he lowered it again. “It was instinctual, really. I’m sure anyone would have done the same thing.”

  “I don’t know about that. And to be honest, I don’t want to experiment with that theory. Let’s just say, you saved my life, and if I can ever find the right words to express how I feel, I’ll say them. For right now, I hope ‘thank you’ suffices.”

  “It does.” Gilbert smiled at her. At least that didn’t hurt. “And it’s good to see you. I was just lying here thinking about you.”

  “You were? Should I be flattered or offended?”

  “Oh, not offended. I was only thinking the most positive things.”

  “Hmm. What sorts of things?”

  “For starters, I’ve been wondering what you’d look like in a pink dress. And here you are, wearing a pink dress. It’s every bit as nice as I imagined.”

  She seemed flummoxed. “Why would you imagine what I look like in a pink dress?”

  “Because your cheeks turn such a nice color when you blush, and I thought it would be a rather becoming combination.”

  She shook her head. “Now you’re just teasing me.”

  “No, not at all. In fact, there’s a mirror on the wall over there, and if you’d like to see how your dress complements your blushing cheeks, you can look there right now for evidence.”

  “I’m fine where I am, thank you very much. What else were you thinking about?”

  He hesitated. She’d been so shocked when he brought up courtship the night before that he considered not going there again, but she said she wanted to know what he was thinking about, and he wanted to be honest with her. He weighed his options, then said, “My desire to court you. I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to give it more thought—we have been a little busy since then.”

  “I actually have been thinking about it.” Grace stood up and moved over by the window. She peered out, but he didn’t think she was looking for anything in particular. “Right after you . . . right after the accident, one of my friends sat with me, and she told me that you did what you’d done because you care more about my safety than your own. That if you didn’t truly have feelings for me, it would have been harder for you to make that choice. But now you’re telling me that anyone would have done it, and I don’t know what to believe.”

  That was a difficult question to answer. In truth, she hadn’t asked a question, but he knew she was looking for some resolution anyway. “Your friend is right,” he said after a long moment. “I do care about you and your safety, quite a lot, and in that moment, I wanted to do whatever it took to protect you. You’re a rare woman, Grace. I’ve never met anyone like you, and I don’t believe I ever will again. The thought of something happening to you, when there’s no one who could ever replace you—the world would lose a treasure.” He paused and then continued, “I would lose a treasure.”

  She turned and looked at him, clearly astonished. “But how can you know that about me so soon? We’ve spent so little time together, and to be frank, I believe I annoy you half the time.”

  He laughed, but that hurt, and he ended up gasping.

  “I’m so sorry.” She came back to his side and took his hand. “Are you all right?”

  He was able to breathe normally again after a moment, although the feeling of her hand on his made that a challenge. “I’m fine,” he said. “It’s just . . . you were so adorab
le when you said that. And yes, it’s true, but only somewhat.”

  “I somewhat annoy you, or I’m somewhat adorable? I’m getting a little confused here.”

  “You shouldn’t tease me. Laughing hurts.”

  “All right, I’m now being very solemn and very serious. Do I annoy you?”

  “You keep me on my toes, and I like that. I like it very much.”

  “I guess I’ll have to keep doing it, then.”

  He waited a moment to see if she would retract what she had just said, but she didn’t. “Are you saying that you’ll spend more time with me?”

  “I suppose that’s what I’m saying, yes.” She flashed him a smile that disappeared as suddenly as it came. “You have to understand, I’ve never had anyone develop feelings for me so quickly. Love isn’t something I’ve experienced a lot in my life, and I don’t know where it comes from or how it happens or how it should be. The only romantic relationships I know about are in novels, and those aren’t a true reflection of life.” She hesitated. “I have seen several of my friends fall in love and get married, but I’ve never come close myself, and . . . you’re making me nervous.”

  “I’m making you nervous? Grace, you’ve scared me out of my wits! Here I am, Denver’s most eligible bachelor, girls being offered to me right and left. I’m told I can write my own ticket in this world, and then you come along and bowl me over and I find that the things I want aren’t the things I want anymore, that I want less and yet more. I want the heavens, not the earth.” He entangled his fingers with hers. “These few days with you have meant more to me than any other days in my whole life.”

  “Then . . . then I suppose we’ll be nervous together?” she asked, her voice suddenly small.

  “We’ll be nervous together.” He gave her hand a squeeze, wishing with all his heart that he could take her in his arms and kiss her. But that would probably hurt.

  ***

  When Grace was ready to go back to the hotel, Dr. Wayment offered to give her a ride. “I need to check on Nora anyway,” he said. “And you look all done in.”