Love's Abiding Joy (Love Comes Softly #4)(56)

"Yer to be grandparents again in July," she said. "We're gonna have another little one."

"Oh, thet's wonderful!" stated Marty, hugging her girl close. "But, my, I wish thet it would be sooner! We should be off home long 'fore then, an' it will be so hard to leave without seem' him--or her."

"I'm hopin' fer a girl this time," admitted Missie. "But a boy would be all right too. Willie's always needin' lots of cowboys on the ranch." They laughed together, and Willie looked pleased.

They talked further about their hopes and dreams concerning the new baby. Marty commented about how thankful she was that Dr. De la Rosa would be there for the birthing. And perhaps by then he would also have his little surgery all ready for use.

Clark and Marty, arm in arm, returned with happy steps and joyful hearts over the snowpacked path back to the little soddy. They were just about to enter when Cookie appeared, hobbling hurriedly toward the bunkhouse from the cookshack, a small lantern swinging by his side. Marty assumed he must be going to meet with the cowboys for their own Christmas celebration, but Clark noted an urgency to Cookie's steps.

"Somethin' wrong?" he called to Cookie.

Cookie hesitated. "No, nothin' wrong, really. Least not fer you to concern yerselves with. Scottie jest came ridin' in with some stray cowpoke thet he found out there on the range someplace. Fella's in pretty bad shape. Looks like he ain't e't in a week, an' the weather's kinda on the cold side to be a-sittin' out under a rock outcroppin'. Lane, he went over to see what the doc would advise fer his frostbite."

Cookie was about to move on, but Clark called to him. "I'll join ya. Don't s'pose there be much thet I can do, but I'll take a look-see."

He turned to Marty and spoke softly, "Ya go on in out of



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this cold to bed. I'll jest be a few minutes an' then I'll be in to join ya. Ya might want to check on the fire ag'in 'fore ya turn in."

Then Clark deftly hopped along after Cookie, his crutch making strange tracks in the fresh snow.

The cowboys had put the unfortunate man to bed, Lane directing them to his bunk before he left for the doctor's. Smithie was using the only medicine that he was acquainted with--a shot of whiskey. The man was sputtering and fussing, so Clark knew he was at least alive.

"Where'd ya find 'im?"

"Scottie found him someplace out there. He didn't even have a horse. Said it had died. He was walkin' somewhere-- who knows where--an' the bad weather caught him. He tried to hole up in a sheltered spot and wait out the wind. He coulda been there till spring and not had the wind stop none."

Clark smiled in spite of his concern. "Is he in bad shape?"

"Don't know yet. He has some frostbite fer sure, an' he's thin as a rattler. 'Bout as mean as one, too, I'm a-thinkin'. All he can do is cuss an' namecall. Don't seem to 'preciate much the trouble thet Scottie took fer 'im."

Clark moved nearer to the bed.

The man before him was heavily bearded and his eyes were only dark holes in his head. Bedraggled and dirty, he looked as though he hadn't had a meal for weeks. Yet something about him was vaguely familiar.

Clark motioned for them to move the lantern in closer, the result being a gruff complaint and a curse from the stranger. Clark looked steadily into the thin, shadowed face and finally was sure.

"Jedd," he said, shaking his head in unbelief. "Jedd Larson."



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Chapter Twenty-six




Jedd



The sick man stirred slightly and mumbled something incoherent. All other eyes in the room turned on Clark. "Ya know this man?" asked Scottie.

"It's Jedd Larson, there's shore no mistakin' thet; but he shore do look in bad shape. Last I seed 'im he was still young and strong--and a mite on the stubborn side. Marty an' me raised his two girls--though it's hard fer us to remember at times thet they ain't really our own. We think of 'em as such."

"Well, I'll be a--" expostulated Cookie, though he was not allowed to finish his statement, for the ill man began to toss and call out in his delirium. Clark leaned over him in an effort to understand what the man was saying. He straightened as he caught the one word that was repeated over and over. Jedd was saying, "Tina."

"Understand 'im?" asked Cookie.

"He's askin' fer his wife. She's been gone fer a number of years now. Can't say thet Jedd treated her too kindly whilst she was here. Maybe he's regrettin' it now."

Clark reached out a hand and felt Jedd's brow, hot with



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fever. He leaned over the man and spoke his name softly. There was no response. Clark knelt down beside the bed and took the man's hand in his. He began to talk to Jedd. The cowboys gradually moved back from the bed to allow the two men a degree of privacy.

"Jedd," Clark said clearly, "Jedd, this is Clark. Clark Davis, yer neighbor. Remember me, Jedd? Clark Davis. Clark and Marty. Ya left yer girls with us, Jedd, when ya decided to go west. Tina wanted 'em to have schoolin'. Tina asked Marty to give the girls a chance, Jedd. Remember? They are fine girls, Jedd, yer Nandry an' Clae. You'd be mighty proud of 'em. Both of 'em married. Nandry has a little family of four. An' Clae's got a little girl. Yer a grandpa, Jedd. A grandpa five times over. You'd be proud of yer grandkids, too, could ya see 'em."