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Rescuing Christmas (Christmas Mail Order Angels Book 12)

By Lena Nelson Dooley

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Chapter 1
Wyoming, early November 1877
A darkness, deeper than midnight without a moon, shrouded Rose Ellen Murphy. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids didn’t cooperate. Where am I? The words shouted in her mind, with not one sound emitting from between her cracked, dry lips. The more she became aware of, the more aches and pains stabbed through her body. Why can’t I remember?
As the memories barely seeped into her consciousness, she felt assaulted and abused. She tried to force them back, but they soon became an agonizing waterfall with flashes of events, stacking into a heap of pain.
From somewhere nearby, voices were carrying on a conversation, but she couldn’t understand a single word. A woman’s sweet voice and a man’s kind one. Soon the memories screamed loud enough to drown them out.
“Don’t you lie to me. You’re nothing but a whore!” Whore … ore …ore. The male voice spewing the word had not a shred of kindness, without a speck of truth in what he spouted.
The hated words were shards tearing enormous holes in her heart while fists pummeled her aching body. Each one harder and more fierce than the last. When she thought she couldn’t stand another second of the abuse, the darkness claimed her once again, freeing her from the memories.
~*~
Jedediah Strong stood beside his mother as they watched the woman lying in his bed.
He’d found her in a deep gully when he was chasing a hungry coyote away from the small herd of cattle in his upper pasture. At first, he thought he’d found a dead body.
He planned to bury her there, since there was no way he could find out who she was. Something stopped him, almost as if he’d run into a brick wall. He sensed he wasn’t alone, but when he looked around he didn’t see anyone. Is that You, Lord? He didn’t hear a voice, but that peace beyond understanding settled over him.
Maybe he should make sure she wasn’t alive. But how could she be? Someone had beaten her beyond recognition. The only thing he was sure of was her abundant red hair. Clumps of curls stuck to her misshapen cheeks and forehead and formed a wide halo on the ground cushioning her head. No telling how long she’d been there.
He leaned close to her face and noticed her shallow breathing disturb the hair that swept across lips, veiling her mouth and chin.
Thank the good Lord that coyote didn’t find her before he did. He glanced toward the heavens. Maybe God was the one who gave him the feeling he needed to check on his small herd.
Jed didn’t want to hurt her, but he had to get her back to the house, so his mother could take care of her wounds. No doctor was out here in the mountains, so someone on each ranch had to learn how to take care of medical needs. His mother was one of the best.
Being as careful as possible, he gingerly picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She was so light he didn’t feel any weight difference as he swung up onto his stallion Hero’s back. He settled the slip of a woman in his lap and held her close to his chest. His heart beat faster, and he whispered prayers for her as he rode toward the house, two hollows over. Hero picked his way through the rocks as if he knew he carried precious cargo that didn’t need to be jostled.
Now Jed glanced down at his mother. “She’s been here for five days, and she’s never moved. Are you sure she’s still alive?”
Ma looked at the girl before she turned her face up toward his. “Yes, she’s alive, and she’s getting better. Her pulse is stronger, and a lot of the swelling has gone down. After I cleaned up her wounds and treated them with salves and poultices, I dressed her in that old flannel night gown of mine. It swallowed her whole, but at least it didn’t irritate where she’s wounded. I’ve been dribbling water and good strong elk broth between her lips, and most of the time, she swallows it automatically. I think her body just needs the time to start healing.”
Just thinking about how badly she was hurt brought pain to his heart.
“Jed.” Ma must’ve sensed what he was feeling. “You helped a lot by sitting by her bed for hours, reading scriptures over her. It’s been good as any medicine.”
Jed liked what he heard. “Reckon where she came from? She surely didn’t go out in the wilderness alone.”
“Did you get a chance to go back and look for tracks?” His mother headed into the parlor to the strone fireplace set in the log wall. She held her hands toward the flames.
He joined her, but leaned one arm on the wooden mantel he’d carved. “I did go back after I did chores the next morning. The gully was so rocky, I couldn’t find even one sign anyone else had been down there. Someone, somewhere must be looking for her.”
“It’s a ways from Howerton. Do you think she could of come from there?” Ma’s frown deepened. She pleated the hem of her apron like she always did when she was disturbed.
He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with the fingers of the other hand. “ I been thinking about that. Maybe I should go and see if I can find someone who knows her there.”
She turned toward him. “Of course, even though the swelling is going down on her face, there’s still a lot of bruises turning all kinds a colors. I think when she’s well, she’ll be right pretty. You’ll need to describe her.”
Jed stood up straight. “She’s pretty, has lots of dark red curls, and is a tiny, little thing.”
“Can you recollect what she was wearing when you found her? I burned those clothes. They were bloody, torn, and soiled.”
“What’s she going to wear when she wakes up?” He scratched his beard.
“I don’t reckon it matters way out here. I’ll give her some of the clothes you wore years ago when you were about her size. They’ll fit better than anything of mine.” His mother glanced toward the bedroom. “I’m going to check on her again. Don’t like to leave her alone too long.”
~*~
The next morning, Jed left at first light, his saddlebags full of provisions for his trip. His mother always made sure he had enough to last longer than he planned to be gone. He should reach Howerton by mid-afternoon. The town was growing fast, but he ought to be able to ask the sheriff about her, check at the hotels and boarding houses, and maybe at the mercantile, before it got dark. Someone would know if she came from there.
Hero was a strong stallion, and he made good time. Jed stopped only about a mile from town when the early November sun was straight overhead. He entered a grove of trees that cut the intensity of the cold wind. Jed knew there was a creek that ran through these trees, so he could water his horse and let him graze on the dry grass while Jed ate some biscuits and elk jerky. The cool stream would slake his thirst, too. While he ate, he prayed that God would lead him to the right place, if the woman was from Howerton.
He headed toward the sheriff’s office first. The door opened before he could grasp the knob.
“Well, howdy there, Jed.” The man wearing the badge stepped back. “Come on in.”
Jedediah followed him into the welcome warmth.
“Help yourself to some hot coffee. It’s cold enough to freeze you all the way to your bones.” Sheriff Kruger sat behind his desk. “What can I do for ya?”
“Thanks.” Jed picked up a tin cup and poured the black liquid into it.
The sheriff made coffee strong enough to stand a spoon up in it, but it would hit the spot right now. He sat in the other wooden, straight chair.
“I’m trying to find out about a woman I found nearly dead about a week ago.” He took a sip of the hot brew.
“Where is she now?” The sheriff looked real interested.
“Mother doctored her, and she’s taking care of her. She still hasn’t come to. I wondered if she came from Howerton.”
“Well, now.” The sheriff picked up a pencil and held it over a pad of paper on his scarred desk. “What does she look like?”
“She’d been beaten so bad, I thought she was dead and almost buried her. All I can tell for sure is that she has real pretty red hair. And she was wearing what looked like really nice clothes. Maybe something someone back East might wear. Of course, they were bloody and dirty, so Ma burned them.”
The sheriff hadn’t taken his eyes off Jed while he talked. “I might know who she is. Let’s go over to Mattie’s Boarding House.”
As they walked the two blocks to their destination, the sheriff told Jed about some of the men on outlying ranches and other properties sending for mail-order brides. Several of the matches had been successful. A few hadn’t. He thought this woman might be one of the brides.
When they stepped into the front door of the two-story, log cabin house, a smiling woman welcomed them.
“Mattie, this here’s Jedediah Strong.” The sheriff nodded toward him. “He owns a place northeast of here.”
The woman, who could be about his ma’s age, turned merry eyes toward him. “Do you need a room to stay for the night?”
“No, I’m trying to find out something about a woman I came across.” He didn’t know what else to say.
The sheriff took off his hat and held it at his side. “I thought she might be one of the brides you’ve had here.”
“I don’t have any right now.”
“Could we talk somewhere private?” The sheriff’s question surprised Jed, but he was glad the man asked it.
“Sure.” Mattie led the way into a small parlor near the front door.
Jed glanced around, relieved it was empty. Looked warm and cozy. Their hostess sat in a wingback chair like the one Ma had at home. The sheriff sat on a stiff-backed sofa, and Jed stood near them. He’d been riding long enough standing felt good right now.
“Go ahead and tell her your story.” He gestured toward the woman. “Mattie knows how to be discreet.”
Jed just gave the highlights—he’d found the woman, taken her home, his Ma was taking care of her, and he was trying to find out where she came from.
“And why do you think she may have been one of the brides?” She addressed her question to the sheriff.
“Go ahead, Jed. Describe her.”
He nodded. When he got to the dark red, curly hair and nice clothes, Mattie’s eyes widened.
“I did have a bride who looked like that.” She shook her head. “I never felt comfortable around the man who’d sent for her. He agreed to pay for her to stay here while they got acquainted. He said he’d court her. Because his place is so far away, he came into town once a week to spend time with her. The way he looked at her made my skin crawl. I tried to warn her without being too specific. I’d hoped she would change her mind and go back where she came from.”
Jed didn’t like hearing this. Could the varmint have beaten her and left her for dead in that gully? Chills ran up his spine, and he clenched his fists. If he could get his hands on the man, he’d give him what for. Make him sorry he laid a hand on that woman.
He stopped in front of the chair where Mattie sat. “What’s her name?”
“Rose Ellen Murphy. Such a pretty little thing. A real lady.” Worry crinkled Mattie’s brow.
The sheriff stood. “What happened to her, Mattie?”
“Hector came to get her the third week. He said he was going to show her his ranch.” Mattie pulled a hanky from her sleeve and wiped the tears that started to fall. “I haven’t seen her since. All her possessions are still in her room. I kept hoping she’d come back for them, and I haven’t needed the room yet.”
“How long ago was that, Mattie?” This sheriff was good at asking the questions Jed needed answered.
“Over three weeks.”
A lot could happen in three weeks.
Jed paced across the parlor several times while the sheriff and Mattie talked quietly.
He returned to stand before them. “Where does Hector live? I’m going to check on her.”
The sheriff turned to him. “I’ll go with you. Mohr isn’t the friendly sort. He might shoot you on sight. He won’t if I’m with ya. And I wanta know if the woman at your house is this Rose Ellen.”

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