Free The Christmas Journey by Winnie Griggs

be up and about?”
    Her glare was fierce enough to stop a charging bull. “Don’t you start in on that. I have enough with Cora Beth nagging at me until I’m about ready to move out and set up camp in the livery.”
    He sympathized with her sister if this was an indication of the kind of patient Miss Wylie made. “At least it appears your temper hasn’t suffered any ill effects.”
    She grinned. “Sounds like yours is recovering too.”
    Another allusion to the fact that he might have been less than docile while he was out. “What time is it?”
    “Almost one o’clock.”
    He grimaced. “So, I was out for nearly a day.”
    “Two. It’s Monday.”
    Two days! And he wasn’t likely to be fit for travel todayeither. He certainly hoped whatever was plaguing Belle would hold off another few days.
    Miss Wylie pulled up a chair next to his bed. “So, I suppose the telegram is for your friend in Foxberry. Guess she’s probably worrying over what happened to you. ’Specially since the train started running again this morning.”
    There was likely an “I told you so” lurking in her words, but Ry decided to ignore it. “Which is why I need to send the telegram off as soon as possible.”
    She held the pencil over the paper. “Ready whenever you are.”
    “Send it to Belle Anderson—no, make that Belle Hadley—in Foxberry, Texas.” He’d almost forgotten her married name.
    Which brought up a question that had nagged at him since he first received her telegram. Where was her husband?

Chapter Eight
    J o scribbled the name and destination. She’d figured it would be this Belle person—he’d kept going on and on about needing to get to her the whole time he’d been locked in that fever. He’d even mistaken her for Belle once and tried to reach out to her.
    She pushed that thought aside, feeling uncharitably annoyed by this woman she’d never even met. “What do you want it to say?”
    “The text should read Unavoidably delayed in Knotty Pine. Will resume travel earliest possible or send funds for you to travel here if you prefer. Please advise if there is anything I can do to assist in the interim. Yours, Ry”
    Jo kept her head down as she wrote down his message. Had he been carrying a torch for this woman all these years? Sure sounded like it was someone he was sweet on. And someone who needed a man to look out for her.
    Well, she didn’t need a man to look out for her . After all, she’d been taking care of this household for going on six years now without anybody’s help.
    And once she could ease out from under that yoke, she wasfully prepared to set off to see the world, just like Aunt Pearl, all on her own. No siree, she didn’t need a man or anyone else looking out for her.
    “Here we go.” Cora Beth sailed into the room, carefully balancing a tray holding a steaming bowl of broth. Jo noticed there were also the fancy details her sister was so good at—like a crisply folded napkin and a pair of pansies arranged next to the bowl. A man like Mr. Lassiter probably appreciated such niceties.
    Sure enough, he gave her sister a welcoming smile. “Mmm. That smells good.”
    “Cora Beth’s broth is better than Doc Whitman’s medicine for what ails you.” Jo stood. “I’ll stop by the telegraph office on my way to the livery and make sure Amos sends this right away.”
    Cora Beth set the tray down. “Actually, Jo, I was hoping you’d help Mr. Lassiter with his lunch. I’m doing some baking and can’t leave things unattended for long. Besides, Mr. Lassiter has some questions about how he ended up here.”
    Jo held up the piece of paper. “But the telegram—”
    “Don’t worry about that.” Cora Beth plucked the note from her fingers. “Uncle Grover’ll take care of it. And he can let Freddie know you’ll be a little late getting back to the livery.” With that she breezed out of the room as if the matter were settled.
    “Who’s Freddie?”
    Jo shifted her focus back to the man lying