They worked for a half hour before a whistle came from the window. Louise smiled at them as she waved a hand in front of her nose. “Shoo-ee, it stinks.”
“Sorry about that.” Anna approached the window.
“Your dad wants to know what you two are up to and I didn’t want to be the one to spoil the surprise.” She stepped back from the window and covered her nose.
Anna waved Joshua over to stand with her by the window.
He stood next to her and smiled down at the top of her head.
“Well? Who wants to tell me what’s going on?” Her dad tilted his head, his brow furrowed.
“I’m planting you a garden. Joshua is helping me. I know how much you love flowers, and I thought it would be nice to look at while you recover.”
Mr. Lakeman’s eyes widened. Then he burst into laughter. “Joshua, I hope you know what you’re getting into, because my Anna here has never been able to grow anything. Ever.”
Anna’s hands went to her hips. “Now see here. I asked Julian to teach me. You’ve never complained abouthisgardening capabilities.” Her tone made it sound like she was offended, but the smile on her face gave her away. Joshua loved seeing the teasing glint back in her eyes. It had been years since he’d seen it.
It reminded him of so many good times growing up.
“And so you wrangled Joshua into helping you?” Mr. Lakeman’s face was lit up in a grin.
Joshua held up his hands. “I believe she can do it, sir.”
Anna swatted him. “Of course I can do it.”
“That’s exactly what I said! The manure must be getting to your brain.”
“All right, you two. Well, I’ll ask Louise to close that window because I’d like to eat my dinner without gagging on the stench.”
Joshua turned and picked up his shovel. “This is a great thing you’re doing for him. Not just the garden, but the dig, the sketches. Everything. You’re a wonderful woman, Anna.” He dug into the ground and turned over another large clod of grass and weeds.
“Thank you.” The words were soft, but he’d heard them.
It didn’t take long before his back was aching, but they’d gotten a lot accomplished. Louise brought them glasses of water and Joshua chugged his down in seconds.
A rider in the distance was coming at them awfully fast. “You expecting anyone, Anna?”
“No.”
Then he caught sight of his brother-in-law, Alan. His heart perked up. Maybe they found Caleb! Wouldn’t that be a miracle.
Alan’s expression wasn’t one of delight. “Joshua, it’s your mother. She’s been thrown from her horse.”
fourteen
“I am getting wonderfully interested in my bones.”
~Earl Douglass
SATURDAY, JUNE29
It was almost lunchtime, but if Joshua knew anything about Anna, she’d be at the dig with her team. So he rode out to the Walker Ranch and the gulley that had become his second home. Last night had been touch and go. Getting Mom back to the house was awful because she’d been in so much pain. But once Martha got her cleaned up and in bed, Doc was able to see that Mom had broken her femur. Not that a broken leg was a good thing, but it could have been so much worse. Joshua had expected more than one broken bone. Multiple rib fractures were common for women when they were thrown from their mount. He’d seen far too many of these cases in the hospital back at school.
His mind had gone to all the worst-case scenarios, which hadn’t been helpful. And he’d questioned Doc Walsh a bit too much, but this was his mother they were talking about. He’d gained a new understanding of what his own patients mightfeel one day when a family member was ill or hurt. Once he’d calmed down, he took notes about ways to ensure his patients’ families were well informed.
When the good doctor was ready to set his mother’s leg, he’d requested Joshua’s help. Something Joshua did many times in school, but it was different watching the pain move in waves across his mother’s face.
The bone would take a long time to heal, but his mother was strong. Keeping her in bed and off the leg would be an adventure for Martha and his dad. Mom had never been a good patient.
