Family on the Range. Jessica Nelson

      “Mary.” He tried again, forcing his windpipe to push out more air. A creak followed his plea, but he didn’t smell her.

      An odd sound cut through the air. Like a...giggle?

      He cocked an eye open. With the medicine swimming through his blood, the room tilted to the side. The doorway wavered, and for a second he thought he saw a thatch of blond hair beneath the doorknob.

      “Abby,” he breathed. A hard rush of pain splintered through his chest, cutting off his air and making his eyes burn. Just one more look. After all these years, he wanted to see her one more time.

      He waited. A second later the door creaked again, and Abby poked her head through. She shot him a wide smile that showed off teeth with a gap between them the size of Texas. Had he missed her losing teeth, then? It seemed she’d just started cutting them.

      Sarah said she ate everything in sight. A smile curled up inside Lou like a soft blanket over his heart. “Abby, come here. Give Daddy a hug.”

      Her giggle sprinkled through the air, light and fuzzy, followed by a sweet rush of darkness that took him to a warm and gentle place.

      * * *

      Lou Riley was seeing dead people.

      Unable to shake the morbid thought, he opened his eyes. Bright morning sun poured through the window, highlighting the suspiciously clean lines of his room. Mary had been in again, dusting and cleaning. He groaned, wincing as a nasty throb of pain jolted through his temples.

      His chest felt better, though. He tried shifting in the bed. His bandages crinkled with the movement, and a definite soreness invaded his muscles. No fever, no infection, which was a good thing. He’d be glad to discontinue this medicine, glad to get his head turned straight, glad to put an end to the dreams plaguing his sleep.

      “There you are, sleepyhead.” Mary floated into the room, her hair a shiny ebony in the morning light. Her features appeared smooth and even, a hint of worry not evident. He must be doing great.

      Despite his aches, he grinned at her. “Right where I’ve been the past week.”

      “Oh, not that long.” Blushing in response to his flirtatious smile, she set a tray on the bed.

      Lou sniffed the air. “Pancakes?” he asked hopefully.

      “Yep.”

      He took a closer look. “Is that a...rattler?” He glanced at Mary. The burnished rose color of her cheeks deepened.

      “I was experimenting with shapes. A little artistic license. I’m not sure how that was placed on the tray.” She frowned and didn’t meet his eyes.

      Interesting. He took the plate she held out to him and loaded up. Days of no food had made him famished. His stomach hurt just looking at it all. But that snake... A frown took possession of his mouth.

      He settled against his pillow, carefully moving the plate to his lap. “You know, my mom used to make me and my brother animal-shaped pancakes.”

      “Really?” Mary fiddled with the sheets on the bed.

      “Oh, yeah.” He nodded, never taking his gaze from her face. An uneasy suspicion was taking root. “Moms do it for kids all the time.”

      “Not all mothers,” she interjected.

      “Creative moms.” He amended the sentence with a flourish of his fork. “Speaking of kids, you might want to lighten my laudanum dosage. I’ve been seeing things.”

      Mary moved toward the dresser, her back to him. For a moment, Lou was distracted by the waves of hair that fell like a silk waterfall against her shoulders. He’d forgotten how dark her hair was, thick, and blacker than a sky bereft of stars.

      In all their years of knowing each other, he didn’t think he’d ever touched her hair before. In fact, he made certain not to unnecessarily touch her. To give her space and to help her feel safe. His general policy regarding women involved distance. Women were lovely creatures, interesting, a tad difficult, but getting mixed up with a woman took more stamina than Lou was inclined to expend.

      Relationships meant pain. He’d learned that early on.

      Clenching and unclenching his fingers, he willed the itch to touch Mary to leave.

      “What have you been seeing?” she finally asked.

      He studied her, noting the stiffness in her shoulders. “Things that shouldn’t be here.”

      “Oh?” She pivoted toward him.

      The look of obstinacy on her face might’ve made him laugh if he didn’t realize it meant something he wouldn’t like.

      “A kid,” he said flatly.

      She didn’t respond at first. Then a serene mask settled over her face. Her armor. Seeing it confirmed his suspicion that she was hiding something. A lead weight settled in his belly, feeling almost like disappointment.

      “What’s going on?”

      Her eyelids flickered. “You haven’t been seeing things. There is a child here, found abandoned by the lake. But she’s not staying long,” she rushed on. “I’ve made efforts to find her mother and hope to hear something soon.”

      He groaned. Impatience and a different kind of pain burned through him. He wanted to leap off the bed and make her see reason. His limitations, this inconvenient injury, might prove to be his undoing. “The girl can’t stay. This place is too dangerous for a child. Take her to the sheriff.”

      He waited for Mary’s reaction to his words. As usual, she withdrew. He could sense the retreat, see it in the way she backed up, eyes shuttered, face expressionless.

      How many times had he seen this look of hers? From the moment she’d been brought to the ranch, bruised in spirit, a desperate eighteen-year-old in need of rescuing, he’d known she was different. Vulnerable. He’d taken her under his protection, watched out for her even though he’d only been twenty-four and dealing with his own sorrows.

      Lou ground his teeth, trying not to scowl and failing. She met the look with a guarded demeanor.

      “I know you’re angry.” Her voice came out tiny, quiet.

      “I’m not angry, but it’s important for that little girl to be home. I can find her family within a day.”

      “No.” She moved forward. “You have to stay in bed. Rest and recuperate.”

      Suddenly the door to the room whipped open. James stood in the doorway, hair askew and whiskers bunching.

      “Josie’s gone.”

      Mary whirled, her hand to her chest. “You were supposed to watch her!”

      “The little whippersnapper slipped out of my sight,” James grumbled. “She wanted cocoa.”

      Mary picked up her skirts before casting Lou a worried look. “I have my own home now. You can’t tell me who’s allowed to stay there.”

      He narrowed his gaze. It sounded as if she was referencing her mother, the only person she argued with him about. Otherwise she never spoke up, never acted feisty. His niece, Gracie, must’ve influenced her more than he realized.

      It was a nice change from her natural timidity.

      Almost smiling, he made to speak but was interrupted by a harsh knocking from below. The sound reverberated up the stairs. Every muscle in his body tensed. No one should be knocking on a secluded ranch’s door.

      “Get me my derringer.” He pointed to his dresser, where he hid a backup.

      “Where?” Mary moved toward the dresser.

      “Behind, on the floor.”

      She reached down and picked it up, then brought it to him.

      Their fingers