it.
“Melody. She’s the reason we left.” Her eyes started to fill again, but she fought the waterworks. “My friend, the midwife named May Frommer, told me all about the rumors and made me see the light. She helped us get away.”
“I know May. She’s a local. What rumors?”
“About how babies who aren’t perfect don’t last long in Cold Plains. Look at Melody. She’s wonderful and I love her beyond measure, but she isn’t perfect.”
Sniffling again, she tried to steady her voice. “Have you heard the rumor that Devotees may be stealing children who aren’t perfect and selling them? May says so. May also mentioned a basement place where anybody who isn’t totally perfect is kept hidden. Do you think that’s true?”
“I’d believe anything about those creeps. But are you telling me that because your daughter has a simple birthmark you think she’s less than perfect?”
“Not me. I think she’s terrific. But, well, I couldn’t take a chance that the rumors are true. Could I?”
“Suppose not. So you’ve given up on Samuel Grayson and his philosophy, then?”
“Oh, no. I’m sure Samuel can’t know about any of this. It must be a few bad people in the Devotees who are using the group as a cover for doing terrible things. And, besides, what’s wrong with believing you can become the best you?”
Nathan stood and started pacing the room. “How soon can you get the baby ready to leave? I want you out of here by nightfall.”
The bedroom door opened wider at that moment, and Maria stepped into the room. “I heard that, Nathan. What’s wrong with you? These two can’t leave the ranch yet. Where’re your manners? The child is still not healthy. Something’s wrong with her, and she needs a doctor. And also there’s at least one cut on Susannah that requires stitching.”
Nathan ran his hands through his hair. “Hell. Why can’t you sew her up? You take care of the rest of us and our little cuts and bumps on the ranch just fine.”
“Nothing I’ve tried has helped the baby. She needs a doctor.”
“Who’re we gonna call?” He sounded frustrated, and his voice was growing louder. “Old Doc Jones quit making rounds through Cold Plains a year ago. And don’t say you’ll call one of those Devotee people to come out. Not on this ranch.”
Susannah’s whole body grew tense. “No, please. No doctors.”
Maria came over and bent to smooth a hand over her hair. “There’s a new man, sugar. Just came to town a while back. Don’t know it for a fact, but local people claim he doesn’t belong to the group. He’s supposed to be a good doctor without ties to them. Or at least he don’t spout that crud like the rest. I think we need to try. For Melody’s sake.”
She wasn’t thrilled to hear Maria bad-mouthing the Devotees’ philosophy. What was so wrong with becoming a great new person? But the idea that her daughter needed medical attention was the central most important thing to her right now.
Looking to Nathan, Susannah pleaded, “Please help my baby. I know you won’t let any of the Devotees take her from me. But Melody needs a doctor. We have to call this new man now.”
“I’ll call. But afterward, you remember what I said.”
“Of course. We’ll leave as soon as Melody can travel.”
“The child shouldn’t travel for at least ten days.”
“What?” Nathan barked at the doctor. “Why not?”
Before he’d called the man, Nathan had dialed up May Frommer for a recommendation on the doc and also for a brief discussion of his current uninvited guests. May had said it was still up in the air as to whether Dr. Rafe Black was secretly a Devotee or not, but her best guess was he was not. And then she went on and on about how Nathan should be gentle with Susannah and the child—as if he was ever too rough on any woman. He simply wanted her gone.
“The baby seems lethargic because she’s dehydrated,” Dr. Black answered and brought him back to the moment. “I’ve given her electrolytes, but this kind of thing takes a toll on infants. Babies take cues from their mothers. In this case, the mother is anxious and exhausted, so the baby is, too. Stress can kill a child that small.”
Hell, he was no ogre. He couldn’t throw them out now.
“Have you treated the mother yet?” He wondered what Susannah would have to say about the doctor’s orders. “Have you talked to her?”
“Not yet.” The doctor picked up the second case he’d brought into the house and looked ready to go back into the bedroom.
But he turned first and asked a question of his own. “Is this woman a Devotee? She looks familiar, like I’ve seen her in town. But Devotees don’t often come to me.”
“She was a Devotee for a few months. Having the baby seems to have changed all that.” Nathan hoped to hell that what he just claimed would turn out to be the truth.
He had no intention of having a practicing Devotee on his ranch, in his house, in his damned bed.
“But she lived in Cold Plains during the past six months?”
It was an odd way of putting the question, but Nathan nodded his head.
“Very well. I’ll go back to treat her now. Your housekeeper tells me her name is Susannah and that she has a few cuts that qualify for suturing. I’ll check them out.”
Nathan let him go and then headed off to find Maria.
He didn’t have to search long. He found her where she was most of the time: in the kitchen.
“Looks like you’re going to have houseguests for the next couple of weeks,” he told her. “Hope you’re ready.”
“The doctor says they have to stay? Good. We’ll handle it. I’ll fix you up a spot in one of the guest rooms.”
Damn. “Why can’t they move to a guest room?”
“Rooms are too small and there isn’t one that’s connected to a bath. This won’t be forever. Don’t whine about it.”
Gritting his teeth, Nathan got his temper back under control. “What did you think of Rafe Black? The way he talked to me about the Devotees, I got the distinct impression that he wasn’t one of them.”
“Naw. He’s no Devotee. He don’t stink like they do.”
That made Nathan chuckle. All right, so he was stuck with Susannah and the kid for a couple of weeks. He’d make the best of it. For quite a while now, he’d been wondering if it was possible to deprogram a Devotee. Actually, he guessed what he would be doing in this case was called exit counseling since Susannah left of her own free will. Once, before circumstances made him give up the idea, he’d been sure he could accomplish the steps necessary.
This might be a good time to find out for sure.
“There’s only one wound I see that might need a couple of sutures. But it’s probably been too long to keep it from scarring.” The doctor spoke softly to Susannah even though Maria had taken the baby into the kitchen.
“Which wound? Where is it?”
“On the back of your arm. It won’t show unless you wear sleeveless blouses or bathing suits.” He opened his bag and took out the necessary equipment. “I’ll make a couple of quick sutures to be sure it heals without any trouble.”
“Thank you.” She bit the inside of her cheek and waited for him to numb the area.
While he worked, Dr. Black said, “Haven’t I seen you around Cold Plains? Have you lived there long?”
Was he asking her because he was a Devotee or because he wanted a new patient?
“I