A Nurse for Clark

  A Nurse for Clark

  Nursing the Heart Romance

  Melissa L. Blue

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  A Nurse for Clark

  Copyright © 2020 by Melissa Lynne Blue

  Cover Design by Virginia McKevit

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without written permission.

  Dedication

  This one is for the real Zoe, my best friend, and a truly brilliant nurse…

  One

  Montana Territory

  August 28, 1868

  Zoe Blye braced her palms on the smooth wooden rail of the steam vessel coursing through the roiling Missouri river. Cool spray splashed onto her fingers as a powerful wind gust blew the straw hat back on it’s ribbons and tugged at her dark hair, threatening to liberate the curly mass from it’s pins. Zoe grinned as her first glimpse of Fort Benton came into view.

  The sparse landscape was a far-cry from the lush Mississippi wetlands she’d left behind. Flags billowed atop the whitewashed fortifications settled off the riverbank, a sign of civilization, and a welcoming sight as she sailed into her new life. Behind the rustic fort, mountains jutted toward the heavens, and blue sky stretched endlessly without a single cloud to mar it. A thrill raced along her spine.

  Montana…

  The fresh start she’d fought for…

  After weeks of travel, first by train and then by boat, the end of this rigorous journey had finally arrived. A combination of nerves and excitement assailed Zoe. Everything rode on this opportunity. She’d requested the assignment out west, desperate to get away… to hide… to disappear. The moment Nurse Harrow had informed her she’d been selected, Zoe had read everything she could get her hands on about Fort Benton and the Montana Territory. All the same, she felt extremely ill prepared.

  “Nurse Blye, we’ll be docking soon. Would you like some assistance with your belongings?”

  Zoe turned to the kindly Captain Walters with a smile. “That would be lovely, Captain, thank you. My trunk is packed in my stateroom.”

  He nodded. “I’ll send a crewman down to gather it. After we arrive I’ll escort you off the boat and ensure you find Dr. West.”

  “I’ll wait for you here,” she replied, grateful for the sheltering kindness and respect he’d shown her on the trip.

  Zoe turned back toward the rail as the steamer approached the dock. People bustled about the port. She spied a couple of uniformed soldiers, but most wore serviceable clothes and furs. She wondered if she might see an Indian! Based on her vast readings, Zoe anticipated encountering all sorts of colorful characters.

  Captain Walters returned for her as the sailors tossed out heavy mooring lines and prepared the gangway. He offered his arm and she slipped her fingers through the crook of his elbow. The captain escorted her down the gangway onto the crowded dock. Men hollered back and forth as heavy crates and parcels of cargo were hauled from the steamer. Zoe found herself scooting closer to Captain Walters as sailors and traders hastily jostled past her.

  “This place is far busier than I imagined,” Zoe stated, more than a little awed.

  Walter’s chuckled. “There’s always a bit of commotion at the dock once a boat arrives. Men are waiting for wares to sell or trade, some are waiting for letters and news, others will board for the return trip.”

  Zoe simply took in the excitement humming through the air around her. “When will you leave?”

  “Day after tomorrow as long as the weather permits.”

  “So soon?” The news brought surprise and a little sadness.

  “Yes. We have a very narrow window to sail the Missouri before winter closes in. I can’t afford to waste even a day.”

  Zoe nodded. She wasn’t looking forward to the harsh upcoming winter, but she could endure the icy cold if it meant never looking over her shoulder again. She tossed a reflexive glance behind her, battling the ever present pit in her stomach. She strove to shove the fear of—

  “There’s Dr. West,” Captain Walters interrupted her darkening trail of thought. He raised an arm in greeting.

  Zoe spotted a tall, broad shouldered man dressed in a simple blue shirt with a gray button down vest and matching charcoal trousers. Even from a distance he cut an intimidating figure with a black brimmed Stetson slanted over his eyes, and a dark beard covering his jaw. She swallowed back a fresh rush of nerves. My new employer. On the steamboat journey she’d learned that Captain Walter’s had brought Dr. West to Montana about one year ago. He’d described him as a stoic man, a war veteran, looking to make a fresh start in life. Zoe hoped the two of them would have that in common. Lives ravaged by the war… two souls searching for a new path…

  Walters quickened his pace, escorting her through the crowd, and if Zoe had thought Dr. West intimidating from a distance… he was positively goliath up close! Truly one of the tallest men she’d ever laid eyes on.

  “West! Good to see you,” Walters greeted jovially.

  Dr. West simply nodded in return. His mannerism completely opposite to the friendly river captain.

  “Allow me to introduce Miss Zoe Blye,” Walters pulled her right up in front of the man. “The nurse you sent for.”

  Zoe gulped, a shiver rushing down her spine as she lifted her gaze to Dr. West’s face. With the sun at his back, it was impossible to see his eyes beneath the shadow of his hat, but she could feel his gaze boring into her. Overgrown whiskers covered the lower half of his face, making it difficult to discern more than the rather grim set of his lips. Squaring her shoulders, Zoe fell back on years of good manners and forced a brilliant smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. West.”

  He stood perfectly still as an awkward silence lapsed between them.

  Zoe kept her shoulders square and back ramrod straight, unsure what to do.

  Finally, Captain Walter’s cleared his throat, and Dr. West visibly startled, as though woken from a trance. He quickly yanked the Stetson from his head and pressed it against his chest. He bowed slightly. “It’s an honor to meet the woman brave enough to travel to the wilds of Montana to serve as my nurse.”

  Zoe flushed and shied from the compliment. Her move had little to do with bravery and everything to do with necessity. She opened her mouth to form some sort of polite response, but at that moment a cloud passed over the sun and the doctor lifted his head—finally granting her a good look at his face.

  Recognition struck like a lightening bolt.

  Horror and dread slithered the length of her spine and seeded in her belly. “You!” she spat as vivid memories lashed her mind.

  Both West and Walters stepped back with the force of her anger.

  “You ruined my life!”

  ~*~

  Confusion swamped Clark like a tidal wave as he stared down at the woman who’d traveled halfway across the country—to the middle of nowhere—to work with him. One moment she’d blinded him with the loveliest smile he’d ever seen, and the next she glared at him as though the devil himself. She seemed to know him, but Clark would swear he’d never laid eyes on her before. He’d remember a face that beautiful… an accent so smooth and refined…

  After a long moment, he cleared his throat. “Forgive me, Miss Blye, I seem to be at a loss. Have we met before?”

  Her striking blue eyes locked on his, icy with anger and… fear. “Y-you were in the Yankee division that burned my home.”

  A direct blow to the gut could not have laid Clark more low. He closed his eyes, instant
ly transported back to the war, back to the days he strove to forget but remained as vivid as the day he’d lived them. He could almost feel the muggy southern heat weighing him down as he searched his miserable memories for a glimpse of this girl.

  Faces from the past jumped out at him.

  Friends…

  Enemies…

  Joey’s face twisted in agony…

  Clark snapped his eyes open. The brilliant Montana sunlight rushed in, forcing back the cloud of despair that weighed him down every day. His gaze settled back on Miss Blye, once again he was struck by just how lovely she was. A mass of thick dark curls lifted gently on the breeze and kissed the milky curve of her cheeks. She was a rather petite thing, with enormous blue eyes as vast as the ocean and luminescent as a gemstone. He shifted uncomfortably, still unable to recall any previous encounter with her. “Surely you’re mistaken, Miss Blye?”

  Despite the demure and doll-like quality of her features there was nothing porcelain about this girl. “No, Sir. Yours is a face I will never forget.” Her eyes flashed. “Especially with that scar behind your left eye.”

  Inadvertently Clark lifted a hand to the long, ugly scar marring his face. He met her gaze, stuffing back the temptation to insist she was wrong. Swear he couldn’t possibly be the Yankee soldier she remembered, but… he couldn’t. He couldn’t lie to her or himself that way. If he did, there would be no hope of atoning for the evils he’d seen and done in war. “You’re from Mississippi, then?”

  “I am.”

  His gaze shifted to the dirt. What were the odds that the nurse sent to him from the school, the lone volunteer to come west, was a former rebel he’d crossed paths with in the war?

  Fate was a cruel entity indeed.

  More over, what was he supposed to do about it?

  “Miss Blye,” he said after a long moment. “I’m truly sorry for any hardship caused to you during the war. I don’t recall a meeting between us, but my Cavalry detachment was involved in war tactics that I’m not proud of. It was a terrible time for everyone.”

  She glared up at him, fury crackling beneath the surface, but said nothing.

  Captain Walters placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and broke the uncomfortable silence. “Nurse Blye, if you’d like to book a return passage, let me know now, and I’ll have your things returned to the steamer.”

  Clark swallowed, his frustration mounting. He needed help in this desolate corner of the world. He was the only physician for miles around, and he grew busier every day as word of his presence in Fort Benton spread. People traveled from far and wide to visit him, and he was frequently called away for injuries and illnesses or deliveries. News of the nursing school had been a God send, a means of securing a skilled set of hands. If Zoe left, Lord only knew when he’d mange to procure another nurse or a partner.

  “I’d like for you to stay on,” he blurted.

  Both Miss Blye and Captain Walters looked at him in shock.

  He stepped forward, locking eyes with Miss Blye. “I need help,” he said bluntly. “After the war, I finished medical college so I could help people. I witnessed enough ugliness in four years to last four lifetimes. I came here because I thought I could make a difference, but…” his voice trailed off as he searched for the right words. “I’m drowning. I can’t do this alone.”

  Her expression softened just a little, and a glint of empathy sparked in her icy blue eyes. She glanced back at the boat and Clark could all but see the gears twirling in her mind. She wanted to bolt. He could sense it. At long last she turned back to him and nodded. “Very well, Dr. West.” She shifted her attention to Walters. “Thank you for your kindness, Captain. Perhaps I will see you again next summer.”

  Walters brow furrowed with concern, he grabbed her upper arm and led her a few feet away. “Are you certain?” he whispered urgently, his tone low but just loud enough for Clark to overhear.

  Miss Blye held herself regally, like a queen holding court, and fixed the captain a demure smile. “I survived far worse than this Yankee during the war, Captain. I made a commitment. I intend to see it through.”

  Walters took one of her hands in both of his and bowed his head. “I wish you the best of luck, Miss Blye. It was a true pleasure to have you sail with us.”

  “The pleasure was mine, Captain.”

  He released her hand. “Should you change your mind, come to the dock by ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”

  She licked her lips. “I will.”

  “Doctor,” Walter’s addressed him seriously, “take care of this fine lady.”

  “You have my word, Captain.” A mixture of relief and uncertainty rose in Clark’s throat. Had fate sent Zoe Blye to him as a test? A rare opportunity to cleanse his blackened soul? Or… had he made a colossal mistake in asking her to stay?

  Two

  I’ve made a terrible mistake. The certainty of it settled in Zoe’s chest as she stared wistfully back at the steam vessel sitting proudly at the dock.

  “Are you ready, Miss Blye?”

  Zoe forced her attention back to Dr. West. He’d loaded her trunk into a small wagon, and now extended a hand to assist her onto the seat. She lifted her chin and stepped around him. “I can manage.” Without his assistance, and in most unladylike fashion, she hefted herself into the wagon, quite nearly ripping her petticoats in the process.

  West narrowed his gaze on her, clearly irritated, but said nothing. He simply rounded the cart, and hefted himself into the driver’s seat. Without a word, he released the break and signaled the horse.

  As the cart lurched into motion, Zoe stuffed down the urge to jump off. Must as she longed to sprint back to the haven of the riverboat, she was stuck. Leaving Fort Benton was not an option. Too many obstacles stood in her way, the simplest of which… she had no funds to return. There was also Nurse Harrow to consider. If she left her first assignment, on her very first day—an assignment she’d all but begged for—it was unlikely she’d get another. The reputation of the school would suffer and so would Zoe’s. Thirdly, and even more terrifying than working for this damn Yankee doctor, she couldn’t risk Norman catching up with her.

  Zoe steeled her resolve, and focused on what she’d told the captain. She’d survived the war of northern aggression, she’d cared and provided for her sickly mother in little more than a shack for a solid year, she was a Blye and she was made of stern stuff. She didn’t have to be friendly with Dr. West. She would serve as his nurse in a professional capacity and otherwise keep to herself.

  I can do this.

  Thusly resolved, she forced her attention to the rough and rugged surroundings. While undeniably beautiful with the lush riverfront and the massive Rocky Mountains reaching toward the heavens, the place seemed barely civilized. It was unlike anything she’d seen before. Wagons hauled by horses or mules trailed into and out of the Fort, no doubt to trade or buy goods. The buildings, constructed of wood or brick, appeared quite simple. Nothing compared to the ornate Greek revival architecture she’d grown up with in the deep south. A handful of farms dotted the countryside, and she spied a few women and children about. She took a small measure of comfort in the fact that some families inhabited this place.

  “I’ll take you to get settled in, and later today or tomorrow you can tour the clinic,” Dr. West broke the silence.

  Zoe nodded. “How close will I be staying? I’d like to be nearby if I’m needed for any late emergencies.”

  Dr. West kept his eyes forward. “We have living quarters attached to my clinic.”

  Zoe gulped, a little nervous about other details of the living situation. Was she expected to stay in the same house with Dr. West without a chaperone?

  Such would be disastrous for her reputation.

  “Do you mean we’ll be sharing a living space? Surely you considered the need for a chaperone prior to sending for a nurse.”

  He cast her an irritated glance. “Not to worry, princess, my housekeeper will ensure your southern belle virtue remains
intact.”

  Zoe bristled, but refused to rise to the insult. She turned away and closed her eyes. Visions of him years ago, towering above her on a black stallion, burned in her mind. Blue clad soldiers carrying lanterns and torches had swarmed around him, all but giddy with the havoc they’d set out to wreak.

  “Our orders are to burn everything!” West’s words echoed in her mind.

  “No, sir! Please,” she’d begged. “My mother is ill. We have nowhere else to go.” Stories of the Yankees ransacking and burning the countryside had reached them the week before. She’d prayed the tales were an exaggeration, that Blye’s Bayou would be spared.

  He’d stared down at her, expression hard, unfeeling. “I have my orders, and I will do my part to end this war.”

  There was no reasoning with him. “You’re a monster!”

  The wagon rattled to a halt, jerking Zoe back to the present. Dr. West set the brake and jumped to the ground. Zoe sat for a moment, settling herself. She drew a deep slow breath, and looked up at the two story building beside them. The building was significantly bigger than she’d expected, and surrounded by a tidy whitewashed fence. A wooden sign swung over the front porch steps inscribed with the words, Clark West, MD.

  West rounded the wagon and raised a hand up to help her down.

  “I can manage,” she clipped.

  West gave a curt nod and stepped back. “As you wish, Princess.”

  Zoe gritted her teeth as she lifted her heavy skirts with one hand and held the back of the seat with the other. She stepped down but her foot tangled in the long petticoats and she lost her balance. Panic rose within her as she toppled forward, her position precarious, and impossible to recover. To both her horror and relief, Dr. West moved fluidly forward and caught her in his arms. She gasped, lying against the firm expanse of his muscular chest as he clasped her in his long arms.

  Thoroughly embarrassed, she glanced up, meeting his gaze. She swallowed tremulously and positively hated herself for noting that his eyes were a rather lovely brown.