Missing Scenes from Return to Rock Springs #2

Monday Afternoon at Doc Melvin's

"Well?" Jess wasn't in a mood to wait for an answer for very long. He didn't mean to sound sharp, but he was sick of being at Doc Melvin's. He had walked around the outer office until he thought he'd lose his mind. And to make matters worse, Caroline would not be able to visit with him until much later today. She had seen Amanda off on the stage earlier this morning, and she was now at Mrs. Denson's discussing plans for her wedding dress. She had told Jess it would be late afternoon or early evening before she would be able to get over to see him. Jess stood staring at the doctor now, waiting on a reply.

"Any dizziness at all?"

"No, not for a couple of days now. You know that." Jess wondered why Melvin would even ask him this.

"I knew that was the case yesterday. But you've been quite active today. You were up and dressed before Ma brought your breakfast, and you haven't sat down today except to eat. So, as a doctor, I have to ask again."

"I feel great. So what do ya think?"

"Alright, Jess. But if you try this you've got to be strong enough to use your leg muscles and not pull yourself up those stairs by using your arm. I only let you take that sling off yesterday, and I don't want you lifting anything except a fork full of food with that right arm." Doc's voice sounded commanding, but he couldn't hide his pleasure at Jess's progress in the last two days.

Doc pointed toward the stairs that led up to his living quarters, "Let's try it then." Doc went to the bottom of the stairs, "But I'm warning you, Jess. Don't push yourself to get all the way up if it tires you out too much. I don't want you tumbling back down, and I might not be able to catch you."

"You won't have ta try." Jess walked quickly to the stairs and didn't hesitate to start climbing them. He was careful not to touch the railing with his right arm. He was determined that this would be his last day at the Doc's. However, by the time he had mounted the next to last step, he felt weak as a newborn foal. He paused momentarily and immediately felt Doc's hands around his waist.

"That's far enough. Let's just turn you around, and I want you to sit down on the top step."

Jess stood still, not wanting to admit defeat. He had been sure that he could bound up and down the stairs with no trouble at all.

"I mean it, Jess. Sit down now!" Doc insisted.

But instead of listening Jess stepped up the last step to the landing on the second floor of the building.

Doc still had his hands around Jess's waist and was well aware that his patient was quite unsteady now. "Okay, I'm going to guide you to a sofa up here. You're not going to even try to go back down right now."

Jess didn't argue with the physician this time. Instead he let Doc lead him to a small parlor. It was an effort to take the few remaining steps to reach the oversized sofa in the center of the room.

Once Jess was seated, Melvin retrieved a pillow and blanket and returned to the sofa. "I don't want any argument. I'm going to remove your boots, and you are going to lie down up here for a while. And I hope that you'll take a nap."

"What the hell's wrong with me, Doc? I felt fine a few minutes ago." The frustration made Jess's voice more gravelly than normal.

"Other than you almost bled to death ten days ago, there's nothing wrong with you. Except maybe that you hate being confined inside my office, and you have absolutely no idea how surprisingly well you are doing." Doc smiled down at Jess as he moved his boots over to the side of the sofa. "Now just lie down like I tell you to. You'll get some strength back in a little while, and then we'll go back downstairs."

Jess didn't have the strength to argue with him. He lay down on the sofa. Damn, I'm glad Carrie's not here to see this, he thought. Can't believe I can't even climb a set of stairs without bein' exhausted. Although his thoughts raged with frustration, his physical exhaustion quickly got the upper hand, and within a few minutes he was sound asleep.

Late Monday Afternoon at Ma Poole's

Ma put the chicken pot pies in the oven. Knowing that they wouldn't be done for some time, she went up to her room. She sat down at the vanity and pulled open the small top drawer on the right hand side. Reaching way into the back, she pulled out a small case that she hadn't opened in over a decade. She had thought and thought about this for over a week now, debating and debating what would be her best course of action. She loved Jess as if he were her own son, and she had no doubt that she wanted him to have the contents of the case. But she well knew that Jess was a proud man. He had worked for everything that he had ever owned, and he would never want to accept what he would consider charity. Especially not an object that he would want to purchase himself. Ma also knew that Jess could not wait to recover enough to return to his duties as Sheriff. Because of the time that it would take for him to recover sufficiently, he would never consider asking for time off to go to a larger town than Rock Springs in order to buy Caroline a proper wedding ring. And Ma knew that Jess would not find a proper ring in Rock Springs.

She opened the small case and took out the gorgeous gold wedding band. It had been the pride and joy of Caleb, Ma's youngest son. She remembered how his face had beamed when he showed it to his mother. He had been so proud of his purchase from the store in St. Louis while he was on a business trip for his father, Ma's husband, Joel. Caleb had planned to ask Katherine Murphy to marry him the day after he returned to Rock Springs. But what he had not known was that his precious Katie had gone to Denver to care for an ailing maiden aunt while he had been in St. Louis. He had been so disappointed that they couldn't become engaged immediately, but he had decided to wait and surprise Katie with his proposal when she returned to Rock Springs. But that same week the regular Union troops had been recalled east to fight the Confederates. Caleb had been one of the first young men in what was then the Nebraska territory to volunteer for duty. He had been told that the Nebraska territory men would remain in the local area to help protect the residents from the various plains tribes that might threaten the settlers in the absence of the regular military. But that initial agreement had not lasted. Before long his unit was sent east to fight with the regular Union troops, and Caleb had been killed at Shiloh. The week that Ma and Joel had received the news had been one of the worst weeks of Ma's life. Just the day before, Ma had gotten word that Katherine had succumbed to scarlet fever while she was still in Denver. Ma had fretted over how she could possibly relay the news to Caleb while he was on the battlefield. But she never got the chance to put the sad news into written words since she found out the following day that Caleb had been killed in action on April 7, 1862.

Ma took the ring out of its case and fingered it lovingly. The ring had never been worn by anyone, but in Ma's thinking it was a beautiful symbol of love. A love that should have come to fruition in a marriage of two young people who were so obviously made for each other. But the ring was also a symbol of a marriage proposal that had never been voiced and two lives that had never known what it meant to become one. She had held onto Caleb's pride and joy all these years. If you had asked Ma a year ago if she would have ever parted with the item that reminded her so much of her precious youngest child, she would have sworn that the ring would be in her possession until the day that she died. But now she knew that would be a total waste. This beautiful gold ring should be a symbol of a love that did result in marriage. Jess should put this ring on Caroline's finger during their wedding ceremony in November. Yes, that was what should happen. And Ma had the perfect plan to make sure that Jess bought the ring and in that way he would never have to think he was receiving what he would consider charity. The last thing that Ma would ever do was to hurt Jess's pride.

She put the ring back in its case and put the case safely back in the drawer as she smiled to herself. It was too near dinnertime to carry out her plan today. But as soon as she took Jess his breakfast in the morning, she would go see Mr. Mitchell at his shop. Not only did he repair clocks, watches, and jewelry, but he was also known to have a few things for sale on occasion. Ma had been at his shop last week, and she knew that right now Mac Mitchell did not have any wedding rings for sale. She would soon rectify that situation in the morning. And best of all Mac Mitchell knew how to be discreet; he would never let on that Ma had just brought the ring to his shop. But right now she needed to get Lori and Jeff's dinner out on the dining room table and hurry over to Doc Melvin's with one of Jess's favorite meals.

Tuesday Morning

Ma hurried back from Dr. Melvin's with the empty pots that she had taken full of breakfast for Jess and the doctor. She put them in her kitchen and hurriedly ran upstairs to her bedroom. Putting the ring case in her purse, she went straight over to Mac Mitchell's shop.

The middle-aged man smiled as Ma came into his shop, "Well, hello, Ma. It's nice to see you again so soon. Did you reconsider that necklace that you were looking at on Saturday?"

Ma took a deep breath, "Mac, I've known ya fer a long time. And I need ta be honest with ya. I really wasn't interested in buying that necklace."

"No." Then Mac laughed, "Well, don't tell me that you were just wasting time. I know you too well to believe that. You're always busy doin' something productive. So what were you doin'?"

"I was trying ta see if you had any gold wedding rings fer sale."

"What? Why would you be interested in that?" Mac burst out laughing, "Don't tell me you're considering getting married again."

"Land's sake no." Ma laughed. Sobering, she continued, "Not fer me. I guess ya haven't heard that our temporary sheriff and Caroline Simpson are gonna git married 'fore he finishes out his contract."

"Harper and Caroline. Well, I'll be. I hadn't heard." Mac shook his head. "Mighty pretty woman that Caroline."

"And Jess needs ta git her a mighty pretty ring for their wedding."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't help ya with that, Ma. I haven't had a wedding ring in here for a couple of years now."

"And that's why I'm here."

"Huh?"

"I have a ring that I want ya ta sell ta Jess Harper."

"Come agin?"

"I have a new wedding ring that has never been worn by anybody. I want you ta sell it ta Jess."

"Why don't you just sell it to him yourself?"

"I don't want him ta know that it is from me. I would jest give it ta 'im, but he's too proud for that. I think it would be better he buys it from you."

Mac was puzzled, but he had known Ma for the last ten years. He knew that she was a good person. "Whatever you say, Ma. So how much do you want for it?"

"Nothing. But there's a couple of conditions."

"What's that?"

"Ya can only sell it ta Jess. If for some reason he doesn't buy it, ya hav' ta give it back ta me. And ya hav ta give him a really good deal on the ring." Ma smiled, "And if you agree ta my conditions, ya git to keep tha whole sellin' price. But ya better not charge 'im more than half what ya'd normally sell it for."

"Can I see it?"

Ma took the case out of her purse and opened it.

Mac took the ring out of the case, "This is a very nice ring. Brand new. What do I tell Harper about it?"

"Nothin' except that it's been here in Rock Springs fer more than ten years, and ya'll be happy ta git it outta yer stock."

"All right, Ma. What's gonna make him think to come to my shop?"

"Leave that ta me." Ma turned to leave, but then she added. "But ya hav' ta promise that you won't sell it ta anyone but Jess."

"I promise, Ma." Mac had never seen her act like this, but he certainly didn't mind doing a favor for Ma Poole. She was a good woman. He put the ring back in its case and placed the case on the shelf with the bracelet that he had shown Ma on Saturday. Why the ring was so special to her he didn't know. But if she wanted Jess to own it and no one else, that was fine with Mac Mitchell.

Wednesday Morning in Rawlins

Amanda awoke as the morning sun shined in through the bedroom window in her brother's guestroom. She had arrived at Len and Nancy's yesterday evening. Her father had been right. Nancy said that she was still having a very difficult time with morning sickness. Mandy was glad that Nancy's mother had already arrived to help care for their two-year old, Peter, and to take care of Nancy while she and Len went to the Sherman Ranch. Thinking of the Sherman Ranch and seeing Slim again, Amanda hurriedly got dressed. She noticed that Nancy's mother had already made up the other bed in the room that they had shared last night. She couldn't let her thoughts of Slim prevent her from helping Nancy's mother as much as she could before she and Len left on the stage in the morning.