LF writer- A wagon Westward

He blushed at the feel of her kiss on his cheek, he was surprised but smiled. "Thank you". He stepped toward her, "I really am glad that you were the one I hired, I think we are going to be terrific together and have quite an adventure along the way.

He was up in is room when he heard the water running in the guest bath across the hall. He opened his door and put his ear against it. He could feel the warm heat through the door, and the sweet smell of the perfumed water. He could only imagine her in there, but decided not to go there. He knew that his head needed to get straight, he was feeling certain things he had never anticipated. She was very pretty, smart, and quite unlike any woman he had met. While dancing, he had not wanted it to end, she felt just so good in his arms, he found himself wanting more.

He knew all this was wrong, so wrong, but as he went to bed, he felt himself getting hard at the thought of her in the water. 'What the Hell' he finished himself off thinking of her, going forward there might be few chances for this and better to feel the release and hopefully let go of some of these unusual feeling that were all of a sudden running through his brain.

Afterward he relaxed and fell sound asleep, content...and looking forward to starting his journey with Aira.

Aira sank deeper into the tub. She tried to relax, but all she thought about was the doctor, doctor, doctor. His kind eyes and smart wit. Lord, how he made her feel warm.

She ran her hand down her body, rubbing away stress. It was her last chance to soak, relax, take it easy and breath. But she felt hot all over, and not just from the water. "Mm-" She stifled a moan. "Oh doctor..." she thought out loud.

This trip was going to be so, so trying.

She woke up early on her own, before the maid was even sent to rouse her. She wore a high waisted black skirt, and a white button up. She had laced up high boots that would be good for the open road, and the skirt even had big pockets. She pinned up her hair in a loose bun, and she fastened her locket around her throat. It laid right at her breast.

She opened the door right as the maid was about to knock. "Oh, good morning Genevieve." She laughed. "No need, I'm all ready."

The sun was not even up when Dr. Cassidy woke up. He went in and showered, he had every modern convenience you could buy. Given the fact he had no wife and no children, his money had been spent on his house and books. He realized it might be quite a while before he had another shower, at least with warm water, and he savored it.

Packed and dressed, in a pair of pants and light shirt, he was ready. It was warm, mid summer and he knew it would be hot on the road. He had purchased a new cowboy hat, and he hoped his beautiful young assistant would not think he looked silly.

With the cook gone, he had gone ahead and made them blueberry flap jacks, and bacon. When Aira walked into the room, she seemed surprised to see him, as he was her. He smiled, "it looks like you are as anxious to get going as I am....you look very pretty...almost too pretty for travel, I hope those clothes are nice and comfortable. I am hoping we can get a 100 miles or more, if we leave right after breakfast...I hope pancakes and bacon are okay....can I get you some coffee?"

He was talking fast, clearly excited, he hoped this was going to be the start of something very, very special...

Aira beamed. "They're quite comfortable." She nodded. "I have to say, doctor, its quite a sight seeing you cook." Her green eyes sparkled like gems. Why was he making it so hard for her to keep her head straight? The smell of breakfast was almost as enticing as the way the morning sun reflected on his hair.

"Bacon and pancakes sounds perfect." She got to work setting the table, putting out the food he prepared and plating a serving for each of them. She didn't mind helping, as a matter of fact it felt nice. Like... like they were a couple, getting ready for their day. She blushed at the thought. "So does coffee." She said, grabbing two mugs and filling them with the steaming drink.

"How do you like yours, doctor?" She asked, as she added cream and sugar to her own.

He took the warm coffee mug from her hand, his fingers lingering just a bit longer than necessary over hers as he looked briefly into those beguiling emerald eyes. He needed a filter before just announcing exactly what he was thinking, like the trained scientist and observationist he was. "I don't believe I have ever seen such a spectacular shade of green in anyone's eyes before, it is almost impossible not to get lost while looking at them." He heard the words as he said them, but couldn't quite believe it himself. "Uh, black will be fine...it is a long ride today and I want to be as awake and alert as possible".

He watched her continue to set out the plates, and take the pancakes and bacon from their pans and feel their plates. He just watched as she bent over the table, unknowingly giving him a perfect view of her delicate curves and near perfect posture. Again, his mouth got ahead of his considerable brain, "Aira, it really is nice to have a woman here to share things with...it is nice having you here". He was now officially mortified, and he took a deep swig of his coffee darned near scalding his entire mouth...he sat down, wanting to just enjoy the meal, but then he looked up and saw the smile...then twinkle in those eyes...and he sat their and grinned back like a dopey school boy who had a crush on the girl next to him.

Aira's eyes widened at his compliment. "Th-thank you, doctor." she said, as she poured his coffee.

She took a seat, and ate lightly. She was more excited than hungry, and she had to force herself to eat anything. She knew she'd need energy for their trip. She had a pancake and a half and two strips of bacon, but it was about as much as she could eat. She looked up to see the doctor gazing at her, and she blushed.

"I'm just as eager to be on this trip as you are, I believe."

He broke his gaze, he needed to stop acting like a school boy, and be the accomplished professional he was. He focused on the food and ate a big breakfast, who knows when they would have a meal of quite this quality again.

"Good, I am glad, I think we will have fun, and learn a lot, but I also expect us to have to overcome some real hardships and it is nice to have a partner that is up for the challenge". He finished his breakfast as did she and quickly cleaned up the dishes. He had an agreement with Genevieve that she could stay at his home and treat it as hers during his absence. He had even agreed to continue to pay her salary in his absence. He thought it better to keep the house open and vibrant, rather than closed up and musty, and he trusted her implicitly.

They packed their bags into the wagon and harnessed up the horses. It was only 8 AM, so they would have a solid almost 12 hours of sunlight for the day. He grabbed her thin waist as he helpe her up, and he climbed up beside her. With a "yee haw", the were finally on their way. Within 30 minutes they had left the city behind them...and wer traveling the dirt roads toward St. Louis. They looked at each other and laughed, "well neither of us exactly look like frontiersmen, but let's do our best" and down the road they went....

Aira leaned back, enjoying the sun as they made their way along the trail. "You know, doctor, I'm an experienced driver. If you get tired, I can take over." She offered, smiling at him. She looked down at the horses. "Do they have names?" She figured they would be spending a lot of time with the big animals, she might as well get to know them.

She made herself comfortable, then she pulled a book out of her bag on edible plants and medicinal herbs. But she couldn't focus. Her eyes kept wandering to the horses, the scenery, the doctor.

He smiled...as she asked the question and he looked down at the two horses. "Well the chestnut brown one is Doc, he was my personal horse for a long time, a good strong stallion. The Mare is painted lady for her brown and white coat and her chestnut mane. She and doc seemed to get along from the outset and it was almost as if she convinced him it was okay to pull a wagon instead of run in the fields outside of town".

The sun was beating down fairly hard, so he unbuttoned his shirt a bit and rolled up his shirt sleeves. "I didn't think to ask if you could drive, but I have to say, that is very helpful. We will be able to go longer that way, and take turns sleeping if we need to."

He saw what she was reading, and he was impressed. "I am glad you are trying to be prepared, the ability to identify and take advantage of edible plants will allow our food stores to carry us much further". They had been riding for almost three hours now...and thy had just come up to a small bridge over a babbling brook.

"Why don't we stop and let the horses loose from their harness. They could use a nice drink, and honestly so could I. I packed some chicken sandwiches for us to eat, and their are apples. Would you like you lunch?" The doctor stopped the wagon and hopped down...and took the horses to the water...but he was warm, and he called up to her"Aira, would you mind bringing me over a towel...I am going to splash on some water and cool off". As the horses drank he peeled off his shirt and cupped the cool water into his hands and splashed his body...it felt really good and incredibly refreshing...

"Doc and Lady." She said, looking them over with a smile. "We had a mule named Jack. He only had one eye. He was a sweet, gentle thing." Aira loved animals, and truthfully, she would have preferred to become a veterinarian. But there wasn't as much money there, or the ability to make much of a difference. So she ended up getting her degree in nursing.

She smiled as he complimented her interest in literature. When it came down to it, she was more worried that either he or she might find something poisonous, and cut their trip short.

When the doctor stopped the cart, she felt grateful. Her behind was getting sore from sitting in the wooden seat. She grabbed their lunch while he went down to the stream, and heard him call out to her to grab a towel. She grabbed that too, then climbed out of the wagon and back to the stream.

When she spotted Bill again, he was shirtless and glistening, and she promptly dropped basket containing the lunch, and the towel. She blushed furiously, grabbing the things she dropped and averting her eyes from the shirtless man. She had never seen anyone shirtless, besides her father. She felt hot and nervous and tingly. "S-Sorry!"

She brought him his food, and neatly folded her dress under her as she sat beside the brook. She was still red from her nose to her ears. She bit into her own sandwich and tried to calm the warmness that had spread all over her body.

He had never even thought about the fact that he was only half dressed, but as she dropped the tray, he found himself embarrassed as well. She is a nurse, and he just assumed she had seen many, many men, but probably not her employer. He toweled off and helped her pick the things up, tossing on his shirt.

She was still blushing a rich shade of crimson as she delicately sat down after giving him his lunch. He had to admit, that her reaaction reminded him that they were an attractive man and woman, and the thought made him smile, despite himself. He didn't know what to say, so he went with the truth. "Aira, as we travel together, it is just unavoidable that we are going to see each other under circumstances that we would never have encountered in the city. The reality is it will be very hot some days, and we might need to wear far fewer clothes than what might seem appropriate, and we will be sleeping in the same tent. It is awkward for me to, but we are likely to often see each other in various stages of undress, and I don't want you to feel bad about it. I will try not to make you feel uncomfortable, but we will need to treat each other, and there aren't likely to be many secrets between us".

He hoped she understood, but he was just voicing reality of a man and woman traveling together across the frontier. "Thank you for fixing up our lunch, this hit the spot, are you ready to go?" He hitched back up the horses and helped Aira back up before joining her. "By the way, if you want to rest at all, there is a small area with blankets in the wagon. I figure we can ride another 4 hours this afternoon before we stop and make camp, are you all set?"

"Oh, of course doctor." She blushed even pinker. "I just wasn't expecting to- I wasn't prepared." She chuckled embarrassedly. "I'm sorry, you must think I'm some silly young girl. I know we'll be in close quarters. I know we'll see a lot of each other. I'll get used to it, I promise." She finished her sandwich.

Aira gave the horses each half her apple, brushing out their manes with her fingers, and then climbed into the wagon. She thought about his offer. "I think I'll take you up on that, doctor." She said, crawling into the back. She laid back on the blankets, and stared at the ceiling, as they got back on the road. Her heart was still pounding from Bill seeing her get embarrassed. She was so attracted to him, and she had never been attracted to anyone before.

She planned to try to rest, but she couldn't and instead flipped lazily through her book. Everytime she blinked she saw Bill, shirtless, rippling muscles. And she pictured his mouth on hers.

Aira slipped into the back and the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. She had been so busy being embarrassed she hadn't noticed that he was blushing just as brightly. When she dropped her tray, he had realized how inappropriately he had acted. Sure he just gave the big speech, but that was a defense mechanism. More to explain why they would be sharing a tent. Could he have packed a second tent, of course, the wagon certainly could have handled a few more short poles and some rolled up canvass.

He had actually intended to but then he saw her, felt her in his arms as they danced, and well, he rationalized they might need that extra space for provisions. So a half dozen canned hams now included and they were sharing a tent. He had dreamed last night of her, of how she looked in that dress and might look out of it. He was not experienced, but neither was she...and....he liked her. Yes she was pretty, but he had met lots of pretty women who had damn near thrown themselves at him, no she was pretty and intelligent, and graceful, and smelled so nice...and he was off daydreaming again.

Did he think of anything but her for the next four hours as he led the horses down the dusty trail, if he had, he couldn't remember. He wanted to kiss her, but that might ruin everything. They were once again near a steam when he knew there was little more than an hour left of daylight, so hel pulled the horses over and took off thier harnesses. He assumed she was asleep in back and took them down to the water and let them drink and them found took them to the grasses and let them eat.

While at the creek he had seen the trout running in the water so he began to climb into the back of the wagon to grab his fishing pole...but then he saw her...and what he saw instantly took his mind off of fishing....

Aira had drifted off while reading. She was curled up in the back of the wagon with the book open and tented on the floor. Her body noticed the wagon had stopped, and she rolled over, sitting up and stretching.

Then her eyes land on Bill, and she freezes. "Oh! Doctor!" She said. He was frozen, looking at her, and she blushed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sleep for so long." She looked at the horizon, and the setting sun. "Let me set up the tent." She started scooching out of the wagon. "Or do you want to sleep in the wagon tonight?" She asked, dragging the tent out of the wagon. It would be faster to set up the tent than to move everything out of the wagon to make room to sleep.

She set up the tent, filling it with blankets and pillows. Then she broke out some food for the two of them, figuring it was easier for tonight then to start a fire and cook. She would do so in the morning, and have a hot breakfast. For now she wanted to eat quickly and go back to sleep, and she was sure Bill was tired too.

There was something about her pose, stretching, was so feminine and captivating, he stopped and stared despite himself. Only realizing what he was doing when their eyes met, and embarrassment washed like the tide over his body. "No I wanted you to sleep...I hope you will still be able to sleep tonight...but if you are well rested, perhaps I can rest a bit tomorrow".

"I came in her to gets some fishing lines...I am going to take the horses to get water, and when I do, I will put some lines in the water, if I catch anything, we will have some fish we can have for breakfast. I know it doesn't sound great, but if we can have a nice solid breakfast, we can make it a ways tomorrow before stopping"

He went down to the water, and let the horses drink while he refilled the canteens they had already consumed earlier that day. This would give them cold water for tonight and they could refill what they drank again in the morning before leaving.

He had taken off his boots and stepped into the water to set up the fishing lines. The cork bobbers would give the worms on the hooks movement, and hopefully at some point during the night a fish or two might bite.

The water was muddy, and he never saw the sharp, piece of glass sticking up below the water until he stepped on it. He screamed out in pain, and as he pulled his foot from the water he saw the severity of the cut, he had sliced a large gash in the soul of his foot, and it was bleeding profusely.

"Aira, Aira!!!", he yelled as he hopped up the embankment, "Please grab the horses and tie them up, then I am going to need your help stitching up my foot and cleaning this wound...."

Aira was smiling to herself, brimming with pride at the tent. She had set it up nicely, and it looked like a home away from home, filled with blankets and pillows and a soft glowing lantern.

But liquid ice filled her bones when she heard the doctors strangled yelp of her name. She bolted ipright and headed towards him. "Doctor?" She called out frantically, before finding him. She nodded at his instructions, geabbing the horses and then a small medical kit with record speed. "Just sit down." She told him calmly, letting her training take over.

She took his foot from him, batting away his hands. "I don't need your help doctor, you need mine. Let me help you." She berated him firmly, a strange lecturing from her pleasant, melodic voice. She cleaned the wound slowly, with antiseptic, making him look away while she did so. She pulled out the lidocaine, and filled a syringe with it. "Deep breath." She instructed him, then poked the needle into his skin. She injected the numbing agent in three places.

She let the lidocaine work as she threaded a needle. She met his eyes and asked "can gou feel this?" As she poked the needle into his skin. When he said no, she started the stitching. "Its a simple procedure, doctor. Dont worry."

She pulled the sutures tight, cleaned it again, and then wrapped his foot. "You know., she chuckled. "You could have just waited to test my expirence. You didn't have to go to such lengths to see if I knew how to handle medical situations." She jested, with a shy grin.

She was so capable, he had screamed out, and in an instant she was there, and in amazing control of the situation. He let himself fall to the ground, trying to keep his foot elevated, to both keep it clean, and hopefully slow the profuse bleeding. He had been stupid, and needed to be smart now. An infection would be bad, as would a lingering wound, he needed her and he knew it, no matter how much he hated not being in control.

She swiped his hands away, he just wanted to show her how...and it was quickly clear, she needed no help. She deftly cleaned the wound, as good as it could be done, despite the scarcity of supplies. The lidocaine was a god send, he felt the sting a little bit, but it was nothing compared to what it could have been. He watched her stitch him up, and her technique was flawless. My god, she was so capable, so skilled, so young, and so beautiful.

Was it the way she tended to him, or her sure competence and skill, but whatever, he knew he had never met a woman like her. He watched her like he was back in school with a school boy crush on his teacher.

He smiled at her joke, "it was not my intent to test you, but if it was, you passed with flying colors. Aira, you are really an impressive young lady...and I mean that and I am usually not one to give compliments lightly....Thank you, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been so skilled at tending to my wound."

He tried to get up, but he had lost a lot of blood, and was more than woozy. "Aira, I am so sorry, but I need your help, getting back to the campsite". It was only 30 feet away, but might as well been a mile. He put his arm around her, and hobbled, holding her tight, surprised at her strength in being able to help him. The embraced each other closely, and when they finally got there, he stumbled and pulled her down on top of him as he fell. For a moment, there she was, pressed on top of him, her nose, mouth, lips, just a fraction of an inch from his, both of their eyes wide open in shock. "Um, I'm so sorry, that was so clumsy". The stayed in that position for a short period of time, but it felt electric, at least to the groggy, wounded Doctor.

"I'm so sorry Aira, I am groggy, and lost my balance, are you okay?...He looked at her, "Do you think there is any way, we might be able to just stay here a bit by the campfire, and I could lay my head on your lap, while you read a bit to both of us...any book is fine, but I don't think I am up to reading myself?"

Aira beamed with pride at the chance to display her capabilities. He seemed pleased with the display and she glowed from it. "Of course, Doctor." She said, helping him towards the campfire. His weigh was slightly more than she could carry comfortably, and when he stumbled he pulled her down with her.

At first she was only worried for his sake, but when that faded and she relaized their position she blushed a fair crimson. "Oh! No- Uh, Doctor, I'm sorry." She could feel his warmth where she straddled him, between her legs and under her dress. She felt a flush of heat down her whole body. She laughed lightly, her voice breathy.

"Sure, we can stay here by the fire, doctor, but I don't think she should stay like this." She was so close to him she could smell his clean, masculine scent. "Its... improper." her voice was close to a whispered moan. She sat a moment more, close to him. Felling him. Studying him.

Then she moved to the side, grabbing her book from the tent behind them, and pulling him to her lap. She voice was low and melodic in the flickering fire light as she held him and read in the drawling pedantic of Twain.

“When I am king they shall not have bread and shelter only, but also teachings out of books, for a full belly is little worth where the mind is starved.”

As she fell, she had tumbled on top of him, straddled him, he didn’t think she even realized it, but his hand had been trapped. And as her weight came down, his open palm had partially caught her upper, inner thigh, his hand on her silky smooth skin. He had been acutely aware, and he knew he was a mere inch or two from fully grasping her sex, albeit he was sure covered in, well, something. But my God, the feel of her toned, smooth thighs, and the promise of where that led, shot a jolt of electricity, and a sensation in his rapidly hardening cock, with which he was quite unfamiliar...but enjoyed immensely.

“Yes, of course, improper...”, but he could barely hide his combination of disappointment and embarrassment. For a brief second he had hoped, wanted her, to just lean in, press down, let him kiss her, and let his hand enjoy something that was not at all clinical. “Yes, you are quite right, of course, so clumsy to have put you in that situation, but...hmm” He cleared his throat and tried to gather himself. Was she feeling any of these same things? Her voice was breathy, her face a touched flushed, and...damn, he had never seen anything quite so appealing in his life!

She brought out Mark Twain and began to read, her voice melodic and comforting. He rested his head on her lap, and then brought his hand up to provide some slight support. Once again, but this time through her dress, he lightly gripped her thigh. He had actually briefly run his hand up her thigh, and he was quite certain the side of his hand was ever so slightly resting against her sex. At the thought of being this close, the recent memory of his hand on her soft skin, her sweet feminine scent, his mind was whirring and he found his breathing getting deeper, almost a soft moan.

He barely listened to her reading, as he found himself nestling in, realizing just how good she felt and how attracted he was. He shut his eyes, and just enjoyed the moment, completely forgetting the pain. As he started to drift off, he didn’t realize how his hand and head moved up into her lap, assuming a position of intimacy, that was quite unintentional.

Aira let the doctor slip into slumber as the sun fell below the horizon. The weather was good, and there was no need to a tent tonight, so she slipped her pack under her head and laid back. Bill's head was in her lap, her fingers grazing his hair and her eyes were up towards the stars. She counted the constellations she knew, and the stories that followed them, until her eyelids got heavy.

It felt like one wink of her eyes and the dawn sun was warming her skin and nudging her awake. She smiled at the doctor, still asleep and nestled into her lap. His lips so close to-

She blushed, pulling out from under his head very carefully, replacing her lap with her pack and making sure he was still asleep. Then she put the fire out, and packed everything up in the wagon, and got to work hitching the horses. When the doctor started to stir, she was busy picking apples from a nearby tree.

"Oh! Good morning Doctor. Everything is ready for us to get back on the road. Do you think we'll see our first patient today?"

Bill didn’t know when he slipped off, but he knew she had cared for him, taken care of him, and now seemingly had awoken early and taken care of him. To say he felt guilty and more than a little useless was an understatement. Then he remembered the events of the night before, his injury, her care, and then their moment of awkward, unintentional, nonetheless thrilling, intimacy. He appreciated, but if he had to admit, was slightly disappointed in her complete professionalism.

To say William Cassidy was I experienced with women was almost laughable. As talented, and in all humility, as brilliant as he was as a doctor, he was equally incompetent as a ladies man. He quite simply had no real experience, no lines, no moves, but plenty of pent up desire.

“Aira, all I can say is thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you. You have already proved how lucky I am to have employed you. However, please know, I am realizing you are much more a partner, than employee, and I promise to start holding up my end today....Yes, I believe we will. There is a corn and wheat Mansion about forty miles from here who requested we drop by. The owner of the estate has two sons, 24 and 21, and a daughter, 20, and they have little access to medical attention. The owner suffers from terrible rheumatism, according to his note, and wanted to see what I might have for his pain, he also asked that I take a look at the boys, and examine the daughter to, as he put it, make sure her lady parts were in order.”

He laughed at the simple needs and lack of sophistication of the wealthy farmer, but he had been told the boys were strapping and handsome, and the daughter quite beautiful. The mother had unfortunately died of the fever about a year ago. “Again, thank you for getting everything ready, but let me clean off quickly at the stream, and we can get going. We should be there in three to four hours, they will likely put us up for the night, and the horses can get a good break, and we can get a meal to last us a bit.”

"Take you time." Aira nodded. "I'll be in the cart."

She got comfortable, and waited for his return, settling into the back with a medical journal. She flipped to R for Rheumatism. Soon the doctor was joining her, and they were taking off towards the trail again.

"How does your foot feel?" she asked as he drove, sticking her head through the window to watch the scenery fly by. "When we settle in for the night at the plantation I'll clean it and replace the bandages." She said.

She let the ride pass in silence after that, and before long she found herself drifting to sleep. The sway of the wagon and the quiet of the country side had her lulled into a soft slumber. When she awoke, it was because the wagon had come to a stop. "Oh my lord!" Aira exclaimed, her eyes widening at the sight of the plantation home. It was three floors, with a guest house, and a seemingly endless number of bedrooms. She spied stables, and a large lush garden. It was beautiful.

"This house is absolutely breath taking." She gasped, her hand over her heart.

The good Doctor assumed Aira was asleep as he pulled up into this vas farmland, somewhere between the modern Iowa and Missouri. The home could only be described as palatial, something out of Gone with the Wind, and a mos unexpected surprise. There was a long entrance, covered on each side by large oak and elm trees.

As the Doctor rolled their simple wagon up, he suddenly felt quite mundane in the presence of such unexpected grandeur. Suddenly he sensed Aira behind him as he pulled the wagon to a halt. “It is quite spectacular, isn’tit?” Suddenly. Servants appeared, and just in case there was still a doubt, it became clear, this was no ordinary farm.

Suddenly two strikingly handsome young man, and a young woman who was simply breathtaking walked out. the apparently oldest so stepped forward smiling,”I am James Andrews, this is my younger brother Michael, and our baby sister Savannah....I assume you are the doctor we have been waiting for, our father is bedridden, you will be a welcome sight.” Savannah flinched At her characterization as a baby, and smiled warmly at the attractive young doctor.

Then he saw Aira, “Oh my, we thought you would be alone, is this your wife? Or more hopefully your nurse?” James looked wolflike at Aira, and it was clear, he was most pleasantly surprised at the Doctor’s capable assistant’s presence...

"Nurse." Aira corrected, offering him her hand. "Aira Cafferty." She introduced herself. James took her hand and turned it, laying his lips upon it, instead of shaking it. He let the soft kiss linger, and Aira blushed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, master James."

Michael shook her hand, and Savannah gave her a curtsey. It seemed James wasn't the only one relieved at the pair's unwed state.

"So, Doctor, if Aira here isn't your betrothed, can I assume there isn't a Mrs. Cassidy? Seeing as I highly doubt she'd let you ride off into the West with a young maiden." Savannah laughed. Aira blushed.

"We are structly professional, I assure you. Doctor Cassidy is a gentlemen." Aira corrected.

"Ah, so you won't mind accompanying us for lunch in the garden while the doctor examines our father? I assume he would prefer not to be crowded while he begins his work." James laughed.

"I'm more than happy to help him if he needs anything." Savannah said, taking the Doctors elbow and guiding him into the house. "You boys show Aira around."

"I-" Aira tried to protest, but it was too late. The Andrews children had whisked them off in dofferent directions.

"My my, Miss Aira, you're awfully remiss to leave your doctor's side. Perhaps there is more to your relationship after all?" James started, as soon as Bill was out of earshot.

"No, I told you. It's not like that. I just worry he may need my assitance." She said, her eyes to the ground.

"He will be fine with Savannah. It's not often we get such lovely, educated guests. Will you please indulge us, just a little?" Michael, the younger, had an almost childlike kindness that melted Aira's resolve.

"Alright. I would love to see more of your property." Aira smiled at both of them, and they both beemed excitedly.

"Wonderful! It will be a perfect night. Our help is preparing a marvelous dinner, and after the meal we will have dancing and drinks in the parlor! You will love your stay here."

Dr. Cassidy was not happy, and he was incredibly disappointed in Ms. Cafferty. He was trying to interrupt Savannah, and before he knew it they had separated, but her job was to be with him, attending patients, not being courted. They had just walked in to the home, and he knew this was not right. "Savannah, I look forward to your company and getting to know your brothers, but Ms. Cafferty and I are not here on a social call, but in a professional capacity, and it is important that she be in attendance in my examination and any medical assistance we might provide....If you will excuse me for a minute?"

William walked out of the home and saw the handsome brothers taking Aira out to see the grounds, or whatever, the three of them had in mind. Was it jealousy, maybe, but it was more a bit of disillusionment, he had thought she was as dedicated to her profession as he was, perhaps he had made a mistake after all?

He caught them quickly, William was an excellent athlete, and closed the gap quickly. "Ms. Cafferty? May I ask what you think you are doing? We have a job here, ana a patient to attend to."

He looked at the two handsome young men, "Perhaps you misunderstand the purpose of our visit, or our roles?" He took Aira by the arm and began walking to the house, "If you want to be courted we can arrange for you to go back to Chicago, there will be plenty of suitors or you can stay here? I hired you to be a nurse at my side assisting patients, not a decoration to be admired and flattered. Perhaps I made a mistake?"

As he finished, he saw Savannah, "I apologize for the delay, but I have collected my nurse, and Ms. Cafferty and I are ready to see your father now, would you mind showing us the way?" He couldn't even look Aira in the eyes, but he knew in his heart, that his reaction had more than her neglecting her responsibilities around it...he was surprisingly angry and hurt.