Braxton's Run: Cattle, Whiskey and Women

Chapter Twelve

"How is he?" Braxton asked Doc Carter late that evening.

"Fine." Doc Carter replied as he stepped out onto the fading light on the back porch of his house. "I am going to make him stay here overnight but he should be able to go back to the ranch tomorrow." Braxton nodded and picked at a rough knot in the wood of the porch beam.

"That's good." he said. Doc Carter nodded and sat down in his favorite white rocking chair. He crossed his arms over his large belly and looked up at Braxton.

"You want to talk about what happened between you and your family today?" he asked and Braxton shook his head.

"Not really."

"You talked to somebody didn't you?" doc asked. He was concerned with how pale and tired Braxton had been looking lately. Though he noticed that Braxton looked as if he'd had some rest recently and there was some color returning to his cheeks. Braxton nodded.

"Yeah, Laura." he replied.

"That's good. That's real good. She'll make you a fine woman." Braxton nodded. He just hoped he'd make her a fine man. He had rested more peacefully with her wrapped in his arms then he could ever remember resting before. They had both fallen fast asleep in the warm bed but he had awaken nearly an hour before she did and in that hour he had done nothing but sit and stare at her. He had memorized every single curve, line and freckle on her face. He had memorized every strand of gold and honey in her hair. Her breath had teased his skin and her light snores had made him smile.

Of course he made an excuse that he had to use the outhouse to get out of the bed because lying with her like that had caused a Texas sized arousal in him and he knew that now was not the time for that. Not with everything going on with his family and her father. It might sound odd for a man to say but he wanted his and Laura's first time together to be something special… Not something rushed in the midst of all this tension, sadness and guilt.

"Well I'll be going doc. I'm getting a bit hungry and I'm sure Laura is too. Grace has some more of that peach cobbler made over at the diner."

"Do you want to come in and see your pa? He's awake." Doc Carter said and Braxton shook his head.

"Nope. Brandon should be back tomorrow so I think I'll just save all my ass chewing for one day." Braxton gave a ghost of a grin, pulled his hat down lower and walked off the porch and around the building.

"Was that my worthless brother?" Bradley asked as he stepped out of the house. Doc blew out a long breath and pushed himself up out of the chair.

"That was Braxton. I'll just keep my opinions to myself on who's worthless in your family." he grumbled as he walked inside.

"Is that so? That bastard did this to pa!"

"No your pa did this to himself." Doc Carter replied as he stepped into the patient room and looked at Edmund lying pale and tired in the bed. Edmund's eyes narrowed.

"I'm ready to go home." he said weakly.

"In the morning." Doc replied as Maryanne fussed over her husbands pillows.

"Stop saying that my husband did this to himself." she scolded the doc. "He didn't ask to get sick and he certainly didn't ask for the all the stress that the last week has brought him." Doc Carter slammed down the bottle of pain killers he had been opening to get one for his arthritis and turned on this family.

"I am going to be as quiet and polite as I can about this since I know that stress isn't good for you, Edmund." he said and three sets of eyes looked at him with surprise. "But I am sick and tired of how you ride that poor boy. Was he rowdy as a youngin? Did he and Laura run wild and cause everyone in town a few headaches that they didn't need? Yes. But he is a damn good boy. Maryanne, your husband knew about a medicine that would have worked wonders for his sickness but he refused to spend the twenty five dollars a month on it." Maryanne cast an accusing glance at her husband but he was busy avoiding her gaze and adjusting his blankets.