Parson Clay's Christmas Pup: A Wyldhaven Series Christmas Romance Novella Read online

  Dixie’s brow furrowed. “He is. He’s just eating breakfast. He had a very late night. Whatever is the matter?”

  Aurora pressed her palms together. “There’s something awfully wrong with Parson Clay. I was to meet him at the church this morning to go over Sunday’s music, but he didn’t arrive. When I went up to the parsonage to check on him, I found Tommy in a cold cabin, and Parson Clay has a fever like I’ve never felt before. And I think maybe a rash.”

  Dixie’s eyes widened and she dropped the pen she’d been holding. It rolled off the desk and clattered to the floor but she paid it no mind. She hurried toward the dining room. “I’ll send him right up.”

  Aurora breathed a sigh of relief that Doc happened to be here. “Thank you. I’m going to hurry back. I’ll meet him there.” When she arrived at the parsonage once more, she was thankful to see that Tommy had followed her instructions and was still putting the cold compress on the parson’s skin, except he hadn’t been as adept at ringing out the rag and now the parson and one end of his tick were soaking wet.

  She ought to have realized that would be a problem. She reached for the rag in Tommy’s hand. “Thank you, Tommy. I can take over from here. Doc is on the way, and as soon as he gets here, I’ll make you breakfast. Go back and finish your painting.”

  Thankfully it was only a few minutes before Doc panted into the room. He frowned at PC on the floor and the water everywhere. “What happened?”

  Aurora felt a little sheepish. “He must have fallen before I got here. And I had Tommy wiping him down with cool water while I came to get you.”

  Doc grinned. “Well it looks like he did a fine job of it.”

  Aurora looked at the mess in consternation. “Will it make him sicker?”

  Doc shook his head. “We won’t want to leave him wet like that for long, but the most important thing was what you did, and that was to cool him down.” He motioned to the bed. “Help me get him back onto the bed. Then we can find dry blankets.” He set his black bag by the door and came to bend over the parson. “Preston? Can you wake up? We’re going to help you back to your bed.”

  PC moaned a little and his eyelashes fluttered. His gaze settled on Aurora and a frown immediately puckered his forehead.

  “Come on.” Doc tugged the blanket free and grabbed Preston’s arm.

  PC wore only a pair of long underwear! Heavens! She hoped Doc didn’t have time to notice the flush in her face as she grabbed PC’s other arm and they hauled him to his feet.

  He swayed so severely she thought he might fall right back down.

  “Whoa!” She surged to wrap one arm around his back.

  Doc did the same and between the two of them, they managed to get PC seated on his mattress.

  “‘S cold.” He shivered.

  “We’ll have you covered back up in just a moment,” Doc consoled. “Lay back against the pillows.”

  As PC complied, Aurora hurried to the chest in the corner. When she’d lived here there’d been extra blankets in there. And thankfully, as with the kitchen, nothing seemed to have changed. She lifted the whole stack out and turned back for the bed.

  Doc set his medical bag on the bedside table and opened it to fish around inside. “If you don’t mind stepping from the room, I’ll do a quick examination and then we’ll know more what we are looking at.”

  “Of course.” Aurora quickly spread the blankets over PC, and then took the wet tick with her as she left. She draped it over a couple chairs near the living room fireplace.

  Out in the kitchen, Aurora added wood to the stove and fumbled her way through scrambling eggs and making toast for Tommy. When she poured him a glass of milk, she noted that her hands trembled. She thunked the pitcher down by Tommy’s glass and smoothed her hands over the front of her skirt. She looked out the window at the world that looked so pure with the fresh blanket of snow. How was it that even on a day like today sickness could sneak in and wreak its havoc?

  Tommy looked forlornly at his plate, and then glanced up at her. “P-Parson always m-makes me oatmeal.”

  Aurora laid a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “For today just eat the eggs and toast, all right? Next time I’ll know that you want oatmeal.”

  Tommy shook his head. “T-Tommy don’t like eggs.”

  Aurora sighed.

  What was it she had just been thinking about Tommy being compliant? But she didn’t suppose it would hurt her to make a pot of oatmeal. At the very least it would keep her occupied. What was taking Doc so long?

  When the oatmeal was finished, and Doc still had not emerged from the bedroom, Aurora put her energy into scrubbing down the kitchen cabinets. She was only halfway finished with the task when Doc stepped into the room.

  He set his doctor bag by his feet and then straightened to face her with a frown.

  Her heart stuttered. “Is it bad?”

  “It’s not good. I’m afraid he has measles.”

  Aurora staggered to the table and sank into the nearest chair. Measles could be deadly.

  Doc gave her a look. “Now don’t go giving up before we’ve even begun the battle. You know that Rose Pottinger had pneumonia a few years back, right? And my treatment saved her. And the mortality rate for pneumonia is much higher than for measles. Parson Clay is strong. He can beat this. But...”

  Her gaze flew to his. “But what?”

  His lips pressed into a grim line. “You’ve been exposed. Have you had measles before?”

  Aurora felt her eyes widen. “Not that I know of.” She gasped! “I didn’t expose Dixie, did I?”

  He frowned. “Did you cough on her? Or touch her?”

  Aurora shook her head. “No. In fact I remained close to the boardinghouse entrance as I spoke to her because I wanted to return here quickly.”

  “Then I’m sure she’s fine. But I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist that you remain here in quarantine.”

  Aurora flew to her feet. “What?!”

  “Only for a few weeks.”

  “A few weeks! I can’t stay here unchaperoned for one night, much less weeks! Do you know how the tongues will wag?” Her face blazed. Why was she forever blurting the first thing on her mind?

  Doc sighed and stared out the window for a moment. “I’ll have to find you a chaperone, then. Someone who’s already had measles. Besides, your stay might be much shorter than that. There is another sickness called German Measles. It appears to be measles at the onset, but has a much shorter duration and is less contagious. If it is that, the parson will be better by Christmas and you’ll be able to go home. Well, maybe not home.” He cast her an apologetic look.

  “Why not home?”

  “Because I’ve seen too many cases of pregnant women giving birth to babies with defects if they contract German Measles during pregnancy.”

  Aurora frowned. Whatever was he talking about? No one was pregnant back at the Rodante place where she lived. Then a thought struck her. She gasped, eyes widening! Despite the craziness of the day she was experiencing, joy flooded in like a crashing wave. “Liora’s expecting?!”

  Doc blinked. “She hasn’t told you yet?”

  Aurora shook her head.

  “Well, then, you’d best keep that tidbit of information to yourself. I’m obviously too tired or I wouldn’t have let it slip.”

  Aurora nodded. “Since it looks like I’m going to be stuck here for a while, what can I do to help?”

  “I was just about to get to that.” Doc hefted his black satchel. “I will go down and get a few things that I need to treat him. But then I have to ride out to Camp Sixty-Three today. It is my normal day for a clinic out there. If I show you what to do, can you stay here and care for the parson?”

  “Wait. Why are you allowed to leave, but I’m not?” Aurora frowned.

  Doc smiled apologetically. “I’ve had both rubella—that’s the formal name for German measles—and measles. Once you’ve had them, you can’t get them again. In fact, I’ll check with Dixie. She may have had
them as a child as well, and that would rule out any possibility of you having exposed her.”

  “There’s Kin too. He’s out there somewhere. I haven’t seen him, but would PC have been contagious before this morning?”

  Doc sighed. “Yes. I thought of that. I’ll have to track him down.”

  Aurora nodded and then promptly frowned. “How soon can you find a chaperone? I don’t want the parson being bad-mouthed about town on account of me wanting to help him.”

  Doc seemed to ponder on that for a few moments. “Well Tommy there will be here. So it’s not like you are in the house with him alone. And there’s really no one else to do what Preston needs right now. I think folk will be understanding. I’ll call a town meeting and try to find someone for you by this evening.”

  Aurora lifted a hand. “That will have to do, I suppose.”

  Doc nodded. “I’ll be back in ten minutes. While I’m gone please boil some water to make him a medicinal tea. And if you could keep the fires going good and strong that would be best. I’ve given him a good strong dose of cough syrup. That might make him a little off his head. So don’t be too alarmed if you notice that. The syrup should also help bring his fever down a little.”

  “All right.” Aurora nodded, relieved to have an assignment to tackle while he was gone. “I’ll go check on him as soon as I finish washing these cupboards.”

  Chapter 3

  Preston felt a damp cloth against his brow and turned his head into the agreeable chill of it. A woman spoke softly in a pleasant voice, but he couldn’t quite make out what she was saying. He tried to open his eyes but his lids were heavy. Too heavy. And his tongue felt thick. Like it used to when he drank too much on a Saturday night.

  The woman crooned a few more words. The voice was so familiar. “Ma?”

  The cloth stilled.

  He wished he could open his eyes to see her.

  He fought to think through the morning. Was it really Ma? He remembered he’d fallen trying to go put wood on the fire. Then Doc had been here. And someone with him. They’d helped him back into bed. Doc had given him some vile tasting medicine and he’d been able to taste the alcohol in it. Next time he’d have to refuse, but he supposed the good Lord would forgive him for breaking his vow since he hadn’t known what was in the syrup Doc had urged down his throat until he was already swallowing. And, whooee, was it doing a number on him! Even with his eyes closed, waves of dizziness rocked him. He may as well be adrift at sea.

  The woman murmured again, and the cold cloth found his neck this time. That was not so pleasant because it raised an itch he knew he dared not scratch. If he did, it would only grow worse.

  It had to be Ma.

  When he’d missed the train for back east because of the avalanche, he had worried that he might never get to see her again. Had she really come? And had she brought puppy? He frowned and tried to think past the sludge of his mind. Puppy? Was that the right word? No not puppy. Poppy. Poppy with her beautiful black hair and ruby red lips and ready laughter.

  The rag resumed its ministration. He licked his lips. “Did you bring puppy?” He frowned. Why was her name so hard to say?

  The feminine voice shushed him. “You’re going to be fine. Can you lift your head?” He felt a hand slip behind his head and the cool rag swiped along the back of his neck. He shivered. The boat rocked more violently this time.

  If Ma was here, he hoped Poppy had come to her senses and come too. His tongue felt like a stick in his mouth. “Water.”

  “Of course. Here you go.”

  The hand slipped behind his head once more, and he felt the touch of the glass against his lips. Never had a few sips of water satisfied so well.

  He dropped his head back to the pillow and fumbled for the woman’s hand. Her fingers were small and cool in his. Did Ma always have such small hands? He couldn’t seem to remember. But Poppy… Her hands had been tiny. So tiny. He’d loved to watch her play the piano with those slender fingers flying over the keyboard. He frowned. Piano? No. Poppy didn’t play the piano. “Poppy?”

  The small hand gave his a squeeze. “I’m sorry. You don’t have one.”

  Don’t have one? “Don’t have one what?” The words rasped razor blades in his throat.

  “You don’t have a puppy.”

  He felt the muscles of his forehead tighten. That was certainly true. He hadn’t had Poppy for a long time. But Ma knew the story. “But I’ve wanted her since Christmas 1882.”

  The rag continued its ministrations. “Maybe this year then.”

  He nodded. At least he thought he did. “Maybe she’ll come.”

  “She’ll come.”

  He relaxed then. The boat quit rocking and he lapsed into sweet sleep.

  Aurora frowned at Preston as he drifted off. His breathing grew more pronounced and his mouth gaped slightly.

  No wonder he was so thirsty. The sickness must be causing him to breathe through his mouth. She’d have to remember to keep giving him liquids. It wouldn’t do for him to become dehydrated.

  As she returned to the kitchen with the bowl of now tepid water, she pondered over his ramblings about a puppy. Had he been disappointed over not getting one the Christmas of…1882 had he said it was? He would have been just a boy then.

  She knew he’d planned to go back east to visit his family this year but had been prevented from doing so by the avalanches that had blocked the tracks. Perhaps that disappointment had stirred the distant one in his fevered mind.

  But it didn’t matter what had brought it up. What mattered was that the parson needed a puppy! She couldn’t go back and soothe the disappointment of a boy, but she would do everything in her power to make that request a reality this Christmas.

  But…where was she going to find a puppy?

  She would ask Kin as soon as he returned. He had his ear to the ground all over the place! He would know a family around here somewhere who had a litter they needed to part with!

  Her heart felt lighter at just the thought. It was the perfect thoughtful gift. Nothing too intimate, but one that would let Preston know she cared.

  Maybe that would jostle him out of his ambivalence toward her.

  She set about chopping potatoes for a lunch soup with a song in her heart.

  Kin Davis was in his shed out at his pa’s old place, working on the final touches of the sleigh that Dixie Griffin had hired him to make for Doc. He had just added the last stroke of red paint when he heard someone hail his name from out in the yard. His pulse spiked. That was Doc! After all the work Dixie had put in to keep this sleigh a secret, it wouldn’t do for Doc to see it before Christmas day.

  Kin snatched up a rag and hurried from the shed, closing the door behind him. He wiped the red paint from his fingers as he smiled at Doc across the yard. “Morning, Doc. How did you know I was here?”

  Doc waved a hand. “Ewan McGinty said this was likely where you were at.”

  Kin clenched his teeth, but made sure to keep his smile in place. He didn’t want Doc to wonder why he was frustrated. But Ewan knew very well that he was here working on Doc’s present. The old troublemaker had likely hoped to ruin Doc’s Christmas. He was likely still sore that Dixie had never given him any consideration and had married Doc.

  “Been a while since you came out to this old place, hasn’t it?” Doc glanced around. “I see you’ve done considerable work on the cabin.”

  That was an understatement. Back when Pa was alive, the cabin had been so gap-sided that Kin hadn’t been able to keep it warm in winter even with a blazing fire in the stove. But when Parson Clay had first come to town, he and Kin had lived here for a while, and the parson had showed him some tricks for temporary chinking. After they’d moved to the parsonage near the church, Kin had decided to put in real chinking as he could afford it. And then he’d added a couple windows and replaced the porch and steps. He’d even planted a couple apple trees in the field out back. And maybe one of these days there would be a proper orchard. But nex
t on his list was converting the old shed into a proper barn.

  Doc angled him a look. “You aren’t making moonshine in that shed, are you?”

  Kin decided that the truth was probably his best defense. He held up a hand to reveal the remnants of red paint. “Just working on a little Christmas surprise that I didn’t want a certain someone in town to see.” He held his breath. Now he just had to hope that Doc would think he meant the parson and wouldn’t pry for more details.

  “Speaking of a certain someone….”

  Kin released his breath. Thankfully Doc seemed to be on a mission.

  “Listen.” Doc said. “I’m here because Parson Clay has come down very sick. I need to know who you may have spoken to before you came out here today?”

  Kin shrugged. “I was in the alehouse for a bit last night. But this morning I came straight here without seeing anyone. Well, other than Tommy. He was already up by the time I left the house.” Come to think of it, it was odd that PC hadn’t already been up when he left today.

  Doc rubbed a hand along his jaw and seemed to be pondering.

  Kin felt his concern mount. “How sick is PC?”

  Doc slapped his horse’s reins against one palm. “I think he has the measles. You ever had them?”

  Kin nodded.” Had them twice when I was a kid. One time was a lot worse than the other.”

  Doc blew out a sigh of relief. “That likely means you had both types. Which means the chances of you passing it along are much lower. That’s a relief. Because I could really use your help.”

  Kin stuffed the rag into his back pocket. “Happy to help anyway I can. What can I do?”

  “Aurora grew concerned when PC didn’t show up for their weekly music preparation this morning. She went into the parsonage. She’s never had measles, so I have placed her under quarantine. She can’t leave the cabin. For that reason, I need to call a town meeting to see if I can find a woman who has had measles to stay with her there.”

  Kin grinned. PC would be fit to be tied over such a breech in propriety. But then, so would Aurora. After her original foray into folly when she arrived in town posing as a boy, she’d swung completely to the other end of the pendulum and went out of her way to conform with expectations. She really must have been concerned to go into the parsonage like that—even with Tommy there. He couldn’t help a chuckle. Imagine how flustered she was right about now! Oh he was going to have fun giving her a hard time about this one!