Free Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander

locate the patient’s heart, which, depending on their temperament”—he tossed a wink at Ben and Lyda—“is more difficult to do with some patients than with others.” Ben and Lyda smiled, which prompted Mitchell to grin. “But you’ll know you’ve located the heart muscle by the particular sound of the . . .”
    Rachel looked on, feeling a little like the odd man out. Ben and Lyda seemed to have a more familiar friendship with the doctor than she’d credited them with. And this bedside manner of Rand’s . . . this humor he used had a way of nurturing the doctor-patient relationship, which was clever, she admitted begrudgingly. She smirked to herself. Apparently he saved “arrogant, abrupt, and rude” for his assistants. Poor Angelo . . .
    “Miss Rachel?”
    Charlie Daggett stood by the door, hat in hand, and Rachel joined him, mindful of Kurt watching the scene play out on the bed, a faraway look in his eyes. She reached out to give him a reassuring touch, but at the last second he sidestepped her affection.
    Aware of Charlie looking on, Rachel pasted on a smile, pretending her son’s rejection hadn’t hurt. “Yes, Mr. Daggett?”
    Charlie turned his hat in his hands, and his gaze briefly dropped to Kurt. His expression grew pensive. “Miss Rachel, I’m glad I ran into you here, ma’am. Fact is, I came into town looking for you.”
    Rachel waited, a tad unnerved by the seriousness of his voice.
    “Mr. Daggett . . .” Lyda walked up beside them and laid a hand on Charlie’s coat sleeve. “Excuse me for interrupting, but before you go, let me thank you again for happening by when you did. We couldn’t have managed moving Mr. Mullins up here without you.”
    Charlie ducked his head. “I’m glad I was here to help, ma’am. You and your husband have always treated me kindly. You’ve been real generous with giving me work too.”
    Lyda laughed softly. “You’re a hard worker, Mr. Daggett. So it’s hardly generosity on our part.”
    Charlie’s ruddy complexion deepened. “I’ll come by every day, ma’am, and can tote Mr. Mullins up and down the stairs as you need, ’til the doc says he can do it himself.”
    Lyda nodded. “Thank you. In fact, I was going to ask that very favor of you. I have a feeling it may be several days before Dr. Brookston allows Mr. Mullins to move about on his own.”
    Lyda returned to the bedside, and Rachel waited, both eager to know what Charlie was going to say and apprehensive at the same time. Charlie let out a sigh, his breath soured with liquor, and she fought the urge to take a backward step.
    “I came into town looking for you, ma’am, because I can’t find one of the heifers that’s due to drop. I went lookin’ for her, seein’ as more snow’s comin’ in tonight, but I couldn’t find where she’s gotten off to.”
    Rachel relaxed. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. Heifers due to calve wander off, but I’ll help you look for her as soon as we get home. We’ll be leaving here soon.”
    Charlie’s gaze dropped to Kurt again, then slowly slid to Mitchell before moving back. “It’s Lady, Miss Rachel,” he whispered. “The heifer that’s missin’. ”
    Rachel frowned. “But that’s not possible.” “She was in the stall this morning. I checked on her right before breakfast. I don’t see how she could’ve . . .” Sensing more than seeing a shift in Kurt’s posture, she peered down, and knew that look on her son’s face. A stone sank into the pit of her stomach. “Kurt, did you visit Lady after breakfast this morning? Before we left for school?”
    His nod was slow, calculated.
    “And did you remember to latch the stall door like I’ve told you to do?”
    “Yes, ma’am, I did,” he answered a little too quickly, a note of challenge stiffening his posture.
    Kurt had gotten good at lying in recent months, but not so good that she couldn’t see through him. Kurt and Mitch loved Lady the way other boys loved their dogs, and while her