catching her as she sank blissfully into the welcome void of unconsciousness.
Chapter Two
Dr. Taylor Hayward’s boots clumped up the creaky wooden steps as he carried the unconscious young woman into Warner’s Cobweb Palace.
He laid her atop the bar rather than lower her onto the dusty floor. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be offended when she awoke to find herself the center of interest in the old saloon. In his opinion the bar was the cleanest area in the entire building and therefore the best choice as a makeshift fainting couch.
He didn’t think the girl was ill or would be in need of his services once she regained consciousness. She had simply received a shock when she had stumbled upon the grisly scene and would surely come around soon without medical intervention. Still, he planned to stay close to her until she was in possession of her full faculties and to offer smelling salts if need be.
Suddenly, there was a high-pitched shout and a sharp pain in his ankle. He looked down to see a reddish-haired boy of about eight drawing back to give his shin another whack. Before the child had a chance to kick him again, Taylor lifted him by the back of his coat collar and held him at arm’s length.
“Whoa, son. Take it easy.”
The wiry boy wriggled and swung his fists in the man’s direction even though his arms were far too short to reach his intended victim. “What’d you do to my sister?” he screeched.
“This young lady? Nothing. She fainted and I caught her so she wouldn’t fall and hurt herself. That’s all. What’s your name?”
Still struggling and obviously intent on doing more bodily harm, the boy ignored the question. Looking past him, Taylor saw a slightly older child holding a toddler and standing next to the proprietor. Since none of the children was familiar to him, he called out, “Hey, Abe. Do you know this little rascal who’s tryin’ to take me apart?”
The old man nodded as he laid a hand on Luke’s head and stroked his hair. “Aye. That’s Mathias Reese, Miss Sara Beth’s brother. So are these young gentlemen. This is Luke and the baby’s Josiah.”
“Then suppose you tell them I’m an innocent doctor, not a mugger?”
Mathias started to relax but his eyes looked suspiciously moist. “You’re a doctor?”
Taylor lowered him carefully to the floor at his feet and released him before crouching to speak with him on his level. “That’s right. And it’s a good thing, too, because I think my ankle will need medical attention.”
The child glanced out the door to where the crowd was still milling around the recently deceased threesome. “Can you fix my mama?”
Taylor’s breath caught. Ah, so that was why the girl had fainted. Little wonder. She and the boys were apparently part of a family that had just been devastated in a matter of minutes.
He laid a hand of consolation on the boy’s thin shoulder before he said, “I’m sorry, son. I got here too late to help her.”
“Papa?” Mathias whispered. His lower lip was trembling and he was clearly fighting to keep from weeping.
Instead of answering, Taylor swept the grieving child up in his arms and motioned to Abe to join him rather than leave the unconscious girl unattended.
“Both their parents?” Taylor asked quietly aside.
The old man nodded again. “Afraid so. I don’t know what these poor little tykes’ll do now.”
“What about the other man. Who was he?”
“Can’t say. I think I’ve seen him around but I never did catch his name. He’s one of the regular dock workers is all I know. I didn’t see everything that happened but I do know that Mrs. Reese managed to shoot their attacker before she fell, too.”
“I suppose it was a robbery gone terribly wrong,” the doctor said. “What I don’t understand is why a refined couple like that was out wandering this neighborhood at night.”
Behind him, the girl stirred and moaned. Taylor passed Mathias to Abe Warner and grasped her delicate hand. As her eyes fluttered open, he was struck by the flecks of golden color in her beautiful, green gaze.
She blinked, managed to focus, and tried immediately to sit up.
Taylor gently restrained her. “Lie still. You’ve had a bad shock and you need a few more moments to gather your wits before you try to stand.”
Her eyes widened, misted. “Mama and Papa are both gone, aren’t they?”
Taylor knew better than to lie to her. “Yes. I’m afraid so. Are you the eldest of their children?”
She continued to stare at the ceiling of the dimly lit room and act as if she hadn’t comprehended.
“Miss?” Taylor chafed her wrist in his hands to help revive her. “Miss? Can you hear me?”
He saw her gather herself, mentally, before she answered, “Yes,” and again endeavored to rise. This time he assisted her and carefully helped her down from the bar. She seemed steadier on her feet than he’d expected, so he released her.
To his surprise, she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and addressed him boldly. “Thank you for your efforts on behalf of my parents, Doctor. I left home in a rush and neglected my reticule but perhaps my father’s purse contains enough to satisfy your fee.” She paused briefly then added, “Unless he has been robbed.”
“Do you think that’s what led to this?”
“Of course,” she replied, yet there was something odd in her expression. Something that alerted the doctor to the possibility that she was hiding something.
“Would you like me to help you make final arrangements?” Taylor asked.
“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary,” Sara Beth answered. “I’m sure Mr. Warner can assist me.”
“Well, please accept my condolences. If there is anything I can do for you in the future, feel free to call upon me. My office is located at the corner of California and Montgomery streets, above the Wells Fargo & Co. office.” He withdrew a card from his vest pocket and presented it to her. “My name is Taylor Hayward.”
For a brief moment, he thought she might refuse to take the card. Then, she pocketed it without comment.
The doctor turned to Abe Warner. “Can you handle everything in here for now?”
“We’ll be fine.” The apple-cheeked old man gave a wistful smile. “If I can manage my mischievous monkeys and all the birds and other critters in here, a few little boys won’t cause me no trouble.”
Taylor hoped Abe was right. He had an unsettled feeling about leaving the children in the elderly man’s care, yet it looked as if their sister was old enough and wise enough to eventually provide a stable home for them.
She was an extraordinary young woman, he mused. Her fortitude in the face of disaster was not only unusual, it was inspiring. Most women he had encountered, of
